| Ragequit | |
|---|---|
| Date of Scene: | 16 November 2017 |
| Location: | Outskirts of Tesarus |
| Synopsis: | Phantom attempts to steal intel from the wreckage of the Assembler VI, but ends up striking a deal with Prowl instead. Brawl ragequits. |
| Cast of Characters: | Phantom, Prowl, Brawl |
- Prowl has posed:
The wreckage of what remains of the crashed Assembler prototype lies in a blackened crater somewhere on the city's southern outskirts, between the new Decepticon territory and the Mithril Sea. There are still some pockets of Autobot resistance here and there, and of course, they are putting significant efforts toward recovering what they can of the mobile MTO assembly platform before the Decepticons can succeed in looting any of it. They've already got a small force of manual laborers going through the wreckage inside, with a somewhat sparse perimeter patrol established along each side of the crash site. Prowl himself is on-site, probably inside cataloging salvageable inventory and directing guards and workers.
- Brawl has posed:
The Decepticons had been using most of their forces to maintain order in the chaotic aftermath of conquering Tesarus, and thus had not set out any salvage operations just yet. They had to keep the 'peace' and put up fortifications before taking such an action. But with an Autobot presence so close in the outskirts they were closely monitored. And the salvage the was looking mighty tempting.
Too tempting perhaps. Brawl was getting impatient with the boring fortifying, securing, and patrols. Very bored. Conquering is fun and all when there's still the heat of battle. But milling about taking orders and doing boring labour was chafing at the large berserker. Thus when the reports of the Autobot salvaging not far from Tesarus came in, he dropped the support beam he was stuck hauling and ran off to volunteer to squash those Autobots. Unfortunately, the tank didn't really wait pay attention to much of the planning or wait around for orders. Heedless and bull-headed Brawl lead the charge (there wasn't supposed to be a charge) in his tank mode, bearing down on the few remaining Autobot resistance in the outskirts of Tesarus.
- Phantom has posed:
But who else is on salvage duty other than the elusive seeker, Phantom, probably sent in by Starscream to see if any of the new sparks or Autobot MTO frames are worth hauling back to Polyhex.
Now, whether or not Phantom sees much to gain from it himself will remain a mystery. However, surprisingly, he does seem bothered that the Combaticons have their big dumb brute on site instead of the transport trailer.
But maybe it can work to his advantage? Brawl is a pretty good distraction. Perhaps the Autobots won't notice him slip crashed Assembler...
- Prowl has posed:
Many of the on-site Autobot forces are actually the MTOs who survived the crash or other MTOs who happened to be deployed during the Tesarus campaign. Not that Brawl would pay that any mind. As for being a distraction though, he is certainly good at that! Distracting, and drawing aggro. Which he definitely does do exactly that. The Bots immediately open fire as soon as he gets in range. No 'halt' or 'stand down' or 'don't come any closer'. Nope just an instant barrage of weaponsfire.
- Brawl has posed:
It's probably wise that no one tried to yell for Brawl to halt. He would not have listened anyhow. Drawing fire, the tanks keeps rolling on unflinchingly against the barrage of weapons, his turret swivelling about and firing at the fresh Autobots as he continues his steadfast approach to the actua crash site, more than happy to run over any minor obstacles that may get in his way and feel them crunch beneath his treads.
- Phantom has posed:
Well, at least Brawl is drawing the fire of the Autobot MTOs -- it allows him to slip towards the back of the Assembler and search for an entry point whose other side probably isn't anything conspicuous. He transforms into his jet mode, mobilizing his weapons should anyone try to attack him, and he moves towards the wall, phasing through it.
- Prowl has posed:
Brawl does end up crushing some of those poor mechs under his treads, mechs who never had a choice whether to fight or not. But again, he isn't one to care. Still, he is pretty severely outnumbered, since Phantom has chosen to leave the brute to his own devices and sneak in the back instead. The full force ot eh crash site perimeter patrol are now bearing down on him, trying to do everything they can to keep him from reaching the wrecked Assembler.
Meanwhile, Phantom is able to get inside the remains of the factory. No one seems to have spotted him yet, but he will catch sight of manual labor crews rifling through the wreckage and squirreling away into crates what can still be used. Oh, and Prowl is in there, now barking orders at the defense force outside as they are dealing with Brawl.
- Brawl has posed:
Crunch. BLAM! Crunch. BOOM! Delicate whisps of smoke curl up from where the tank's sturdy armour has been scored, but still it treads on without hesitation. Good thing it's not a very fast tank. Still, the unwavering advance might be somewhat disconcerting. Especially since the tank seems to be on his lonesome. However, he is just the first wave of a smaller force incoming. If they aren't still planning. But planning is for ninnies. Unless your name is Onslaught, in which case planning is for cold calculating geniuses. However, the tanks pot shots have seemed to slow down as he works on charging his twin sonic cannons. That isn't to say he can't keep trying to run down any unfortunate individuals unable to get out of his way in time. Which would require someone very slow, or someone in some way incapacitated.
- Phantom has posed:
While the bots doing the manual labor step away to continue rifling through the wreckage, Phantom peers at the crates from around a corner, to see if any of what they have is useful. When they return, he keeps out of sight, but still watches their activity carefully, while scanning the perimeter for anything the Autobots haven't gotten their hands on yet.
- Prowl has posed:
It seems the cryo storage unit is gone, so either the sparks are dead or have been transported elsewhere already, However, there are a few terminals in a small control room of some sort that are still flickering and just might have enough power for him to try to see if he could access any intel. Or there might be data drives he could swipe if unsuccessful at hacking.
Outside, the Autobot defenses still don't let up, throwing everything they have at him now. Because why won't this freaking tank just die?! A drone array is activated and they swarm in his direction, aiming to disorient and make systems go haywire.
- Brawl has posed:
Freaking tank? Maybe. Stupid tank? Definitely. As the drones buzz around Brawl, his mostly charge turret swivels around madly trying to track them, a few times almost discharging his weapon just because they are SO annoying! If it's possible to make a tank dizzy, this aerial assault has certainly accomplished it as Brawl's targeting systems begin to lag from trying to point at ALL THE THINGS at once. "GRAAAH!" Brawl hollers in frustration and just picks a direction and blasts, hoping to melt one of the assault drones. For once, though, the tank has slowed its approach.
- Phantom has posed:
Phantom hears Brawl's roar of defiance outside and hesitates for a nanosecond. Then he resumes scanning the premises. His optics land on the flickering terminals in an adjacent room. This catches his attention and he approaches the terminals quietly, making sure to stay out of sight. He studies them, looking to see if there's anything he can salvage from them.
- Prowl has posed:
The screens are kind of dim, but some of it looks like it might be promising. Layouts of this particular prototype are there at least. There are also some data drives hanging from sockets. No way to know at the moment exactly what's on them, but maybe someone in Operations could make use of them.
Brawl's weapon puts a dent in the Bot defenses, though they still outnumber him by a good margin. Since the drones seemed to be at least somewhat better at slowing him down, these efforts are redoubled, and more swarms of drones are launched at the combaticon.
- Brawl has posed:
What nasty little pests these drones are. The tank stops completely. But, hey, even if not advancing, he is still creating a distraction for Phantom. Not that he is aware his foolishness is working to someone else's advantage. And rightly, he wouldn't care either. After swiveling the turret a few more times, Brawl realises he needs to change his approach. The large tank unfolds, and Brawl stands there, waving a gun around and taking unaffective pot shots at the flying targets. A few times he sways where he stands indicating he may not be entirely sure on his feet presently.
- Phantom has posed:
"..."
Phantom protoforms, and takes the data drives from the sockets, sub-spacing them quickly. He looks around in a cursory fashion, to ascertain that no one has spotted him. Then he taps on the dim terminal screens, to see if he can get them to respond in any fashion.
- Prowl has posed:
If the big guns and heavy firepower don't do the job, then you bring out the bugs. Apparently it works, keeping Brawl occupied swatting at drone swarms and preventing him from pressing forward. Well whatever works, right? They continue to keep up the pressure. How much more heat can the Combaticon take?
There's been a lot of damage to various systems. The good news about that is that it means a lot of the encryption that was supposed to be there isn't working, but the bad news is it also means a lot of the firmware is corrupted. There are, however, some files that look like they might be layout designs. Certainly, if the Decepticons want a head start on appropriating this technology for their own use, this could be useful. After all Megatron ought not to let the Bots gain an edge where the Cons don't have one, right?
- Brawl has posed:
Frag it! Swatting at the drones isn't getting Brawl anywhere, and he is growing increasingly angry. His amber visor narrows as he looks around, searching for a more punchable target to work out his agitation, even as the drones continue to wittle away at him. Locating the nearest ground target, Brawl begins running towards them, drones or no, angling to bring his fist furiously upon them.
- Phantom has posed:
After examining the terminals, Phantom takes one of the data drives out of his sub-space compartment and puts it back in the socket, attempting to download some of the files. He looks around again, and hearing the racket outside, hopes that Brawl will hold out long enough for him to get the file and get out.
- Prowl has posed:
The mech Brawl is charging at is a larger bruiser type kind of like him, which is probably why he drew the Combaticon's aggro. He plants his feet and takes the hit like the brave Autobot he is, firing his weapon into the mech's chassis directly as he does so.
The racket outside is pretty intense. But Brawl is bound to go down at some point. The damaged panel blinks, displaying a readout:
DOWNLOAD PROGRESS: 21%
The bar seems to be just barely inching along, thanks to the damaged hardware. At this rate, it'll take at least several breems. Will Brawl be able to hold out that long? He hasn't informed anyone that he's having any trouble yet, but does he ever?
- Brawl has posed:
If Brawl weren't already seeing red, he'd be getting mad about the fact that the rest of the anti-scavanging team hadn't arrived yet. AS it was, he'd forgotten there was anyone else coming, arrogant enough to think he could clean out a bunch of stragglers by himself. Because that's exactly what he perceives them as. Stragglers. Even if he isn't winning.
Brawl staggers back from the point blank shot he receives from the bruise. He momentarily looks at his cracked armour. That doesn't happen often. He then looks up again at his selected foe. "Gunna tear you apart for that!" Brawl growls before winding back his arm for what looks like another punch coming from the right. But instead he lurches his whole body forward, angling his left shoulder to take the brunt of the force as he ploughs right into the Autobot MTO.
- Phantom has posed:
Phantom mutters obscenities in his native language when he notices the wickedly slow download progress. He can still hear Brawl punching his way through the Autobot MTOs. He just hopes that the brute will hold out long enough for everything to download onto the data drive.
- Prowl has posed:
Way to go Brawl, reinforcing all of these MTOs' conditioning with real live proof the Decepticons are just a bunch of lying, savage, brutes! Very nice. Prowl appreciates it, really. The big bruiser takes the hit again, he's actually pretty tough. "Do it then...if I'm gonna go down, I'm gonna go down fighting!" He fires again.
The download progress is now at 22%. It's something right? Maybe if he kicks it? (That seemed to work in the cartoons, anyway.) But someone's coming now! He could try to take what he has and run, or stand his ground against whoever it may be.
- Brawl has posed:
Easily goaded, Brawl is ignoring his dangerously low energon reserves and actually does throw an obvious punch. A hook, really, aiming at the mech's arm holding the weapon. "Fight me like a REAL MECH!" Nevermind he came in cannons ablazing.
- Phantom has posed:
"..." He frowns, and quickly shoots out the overhead lights, transforming and phasing into a huge piece of metal debris stuck in the wall. The screens look pretty dim still, even with the lack of light. Hopefully the intruder will attribute the lights being out to a damaged fuse having short circuited all of a sudden -- since the Assembler is quite worse for wear. Regardless, the elusive seeker hopes he or she doesn't stay too long, decreasing his density for prolonged periods of time is a dangerous game to play.
- Prowl has posed:
"You're outnumbered and outgunned! Even if I die, you'll never take us all on and live to tell about it!" The MTO loses his grip on the weapon, dropping it and then going for a punch to the side of Brawl's faceplates.
Meanwhile, who should walk into the room where Phantom is attempting to steal data but Prowl himself. He glances at the dimmed console panes and folds his arms. "I know you're in here...Phantom."
- Brawl has posed:
Well. That actually makes sense. And the tiny rusty cogwheel that constitudes as Brawl's brain module shifts a little in one direction as he realises the rest of the salvage operation hadn't arrived. At all. He HAS been out here fighting all alone, which while he's arrogant enough to think he can take on the world, it kind of annoys him that no one is out there fighting WITH him. THis is why it stinks to operate without his fellow Combaticons. They'd at least have his back. While dazed with the effort of thinking, Brawl gets hit right in the face. It barely dents his faceplate, but it does jar Brawl back into the current situation. "Shaddap!" Brawl snaps and tries to kick the other brute in the knee joint. But he's now incensed at the Decepticons and seems to be turning to leave. He just might outright ragequit the whole battle.
- Phantom has posed:
Phantom doesn't respond. Instead, he drifts silently out of the piece of metal debris and through a half demolished bit of wall nearby, hiding behind it. Prowl might glimpse the elusive seeker, but trying to shoot him in this dark room certainly would be a gamble. Phantom is biding his time, though, hoping to distract Prowl for long enough for him to get more than 22% on the blasted data drive before he snatches it and jets back to base.
- Prowl has posed:
"You're running out of time and energy, Decepticon... give it up!" The bruiser cries out, even as Brawl socks him in the knee. He stumbles a bit and goes for the dropped weapon, giving Brawl the chance to either attack again, retreat, or plow past him to get inside and try to check on Phantom.
Inside, Prowl steps closer to the drive Phantom was downloading to. He holds it up, but doesn't disconnect or destroy it just yet. "This yours?" The readout now says 50%. Perhaps it had sped up just a bit. "You'd better come out here if you want it."
- Brawl has posed:
Indeed, Brawl is running out of energy. Which is why he is using the rest of it to yell obscenities into the radio and begin storming back to Tesarus. If anyone asks, he's NOT retreating. Just redirecting his anger. Brawl transforms, relying on the structurally sound form to last him until he gets back to the local base.
- Phantom has posed:
Phantom chuckles, emerging. "What are you saying? This is an Autobot ship! Why would it be mine?" He transforms, coming to stand in front of Prowl. "You know, actually you should be saying thank you to me," he says non-chalantly, "your orange axle shaped friend? And that other red guy, I don't know him. I saved them. They probably would be rotting in some jail in Kaon or scrapped for parts by now, if it wasn't for me to send them to Vos."
He waves a hand dismissively at Prowl. "But I am digressing. You are right in your own way -- it could be mine." He pauses. "I can tell you everything you want to know about that time your friends had.. an adventure somewhere else. I can also let you go there, and come back.. I know how. But we strike a deal here, and maybe some other deal later ... what do you think, hmm?"
- Prowl has posed:
Prowl arches an optic ridge at Phantom when he mentions Rung and Hot Rod, at the very least pretending he didn't know this before. "Really, does Megatron know you rescued members of the enemy faction? And does he know you're suggesting bargaining with me? Maybe you don't belong among the ranks of his forces as much as you think you do." He brings up a different interface on the console, and the download progress suddenly chimes, indicating that the copy process is complete. He then disconnects the drives and holds it up. "You tell me all about this 'somewhere else', and it's yours."
Outside, the MTO picks up his gun, but Brawl is already gone. "Hah, well I guess he has a LITTLE bit of a brain module, then."
- Phantom has posed:
Phantom doesn't seem bothered, and the whether Prowl knew he had helped them or not no longer seems relevant to him. "What's it to you?" he says with a shrug, his expression decidedly neutral. He grins a bit devilishly. "Okay," he says. "It's just like here. But not. You know, like if something else happened to Cybertron, in a different time and place. When I found it, it was an accident. Sometimes, I disappear and don't know where I go. But there were a few times, I ended up there. Then, I discovered how to go back there, but not on accident." He pauses. "Now.. you know, if it is just like Cybertron. Maybe there is something useful there, yes? There are Autobots who think that, and I will not be the one saying they were fools."
"I can take a unit there. Like, a tour, you know? In the back of Maccadams. But only if you want to." He motions for Prowl to hand him the data drive. "Good enough, yeah?"
- Prowl has posed:
Prowl shrugs and gives it to him. "Agreed. You'll show us how you control the portals."
"I just don't think a mech should be fighting for someone whose goals don't align with his own, given every soldier must be willing to die for that cause. Are you willing to die for Megatron's cause?" But he doesn't wait for an answer, turning to leave then.
- Phantom has posed:
Phantom smirks. "Ha! You think you know me, Autobot," he scoffs, snatching the data drive and subspacing it and transforming. Then he jets out of the Assembler, following Brawl back to Polyhex.