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Post by WheelSpin on Jan 20, 2018 10:50:08 GMT
This stretch lies at the border currently set between Autobots and Decepticons. Some data about the area has already been gathered although due to it's corrosive nature, it's vast size and the net of tunnels under ground, much of it is still unknown. The area beyond this mark is Decepticon territory. Some tunnels have been discovered as to house the vehicons that take part in the skirmishes against the Autobots. They remain here when not fighting or when conditions on the surface become unbearable, if they do not return back to base. Beyond this harsh environment is the Hydrax Plateau, however access to it is not easy. Eruptions of corrosive gas are even more frequent here, than further 'inland. It's a hostile place. Tunnely make progress through the area easier, if the right one is located. It is easy to get lost in them, and they are not entirely empty of life.
Wheelspin had left his hideout once the storm had passed and continued towards the border his side currently shared with the Decepticons. He had been trying to map out the tunnels during quiet times. While it offered him an excuse to race as fast as was possible in the region he called 'home' while he was getting to the location, it also had him do his job - scouting.
He located one of the tunnels he was currently mapping. He scanned the area carefully for any life forms and hostiles before nearing it carefully. He kept out of sight even if he was still on his own side. The whoosh of gas could be heard from his left. The corrosive gas was expelled into the air. It blew upwards for a few meters before spreading out, up and down. WheelSpin paused and under the cover of it's red rust cloud slipped into the tunnel.
Once inside he backed to one side quickly scanning the area again. It was dark, gloomy and with an unpleasant smell of decomposition of metal. There was plating that had been less and then more affected. His lights were dimmed up, his light lines nearly dark, as much as he could make them willingly. He began his descend into the tunnel, glancing at his arm once or twice, to check the map. He'd been going further and further from his base lately just to make sure that there would be nobody sneaking up on them via the tunnel system. At the first fork, he took the left tunnel and continued further down. His footsteps were silent, his tyres muffling the sound. One of his arms had been replaced with a weapon, while the other would later on, begin adding the data to its current map. He kept on alert, especially when he crossed the invisible border line above. Another turn, another choice of tunnels, another decision that would take him further.
It took him a while till he reached a tunnel he had yet to explore. It was narrower than the other two next to it. Going upwards a while then left and down again. He quietly followed it. He timed how long he was under ground. Knowing that he would need to return to his duties at the refinery later.
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Post by WheelSpin on Jan 20, 2018 13:57:22 GMT
As some time passed he stopped again. He could hear scuffling ahead of him. It did not sound like a vehicon, but he was at the ready to fire even so. Quite possibly it was some of the mechanical vermin that still infested the planet. As long as they weren't scraplets, he was quite fine with going even further. He took a few steps and could hear more scuffling as whatever creature disappeared further into the depths of the tunnel.
The noise was a bit louder now, and as he continued further he could see the outlines of smaller frames, lean and spindly disappearing into small opening and holes in the tunnel wall. With a few more steps he could turn to one of them only to see a very thin pair of legs slip in and a low hiss be heard as warning. Ah, just these. They weren't scraplets but scavenger type almost insecticon like monoformers. They were harmful to those smaller than themselves, and in greater quantities a plausible danger to something bigger, but mostly they scavenged what something else has already killed.
He continued after making sure that there was no other surprise waiting around that particular corner. A few meters onwards his pedes struck something bigger, metallic. He glanced down. The colour was distorted with energon, although its shape suggested it had once been an arm and the specific design, that it had belonged to a vehicon. He noted down that small detail as well looking on to see whether further remains of the vehicon would be found. But after further few meters, nothing came up. He relaxed just a bit, although he diligently kept checking his scanner to make sure he spotted any signatures nearing his location.
He reached another tunnel, one going left, one right and off to that side, near at a 90 percent angle to where he was standing. He chose the left one and descended into further gloom. More scuffling ahead, and another part of a vehicon found. He could hear a distant repetitive thump but nothing more. His roof wings were lowered to keep from hitting any low lying twisted bit of metal, or scrape rust off the places where it accumulated. The thumping stopped and the tunnel became eerily silent.
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Post by WheelSpin on Jan 20, 2018 17:08:23 GMT
He continued through the tunnels, always taking the left most option and marking the others down with their locations and distances from one another. They would be next to be explored until he had everything mapped out in this section and he could continue to the next. From time to time he would reach a bigger section, almost like a sort of a room or cavern. In one of them he had walked through he found various artefacts, small bits and pieces of various things.
From parts of vehicons that must have been there for ages, possibly, hopefully collected from dead frames, to other trash that could be found further off. Some of the remains looked fresh, many of them looked to have been there for centuries. They've been torn apart piece by piece, some partially nibbled on but nothing that would suggest a scraplet infestation. The bites were different and if measured, would not suit the size of the mouths of those pests. He found cabling lying around in one of the chambers and strange oval structures clustered up in another, much later down another branch of a tunnel.
The final chamber he found, that ended the tunnel with a near vertical ascent towards the surface looked to have been recently pillaged. Vehicons were more numerous here, albeit no longer in a state to fight. He backed out carefully after doing a scan of the chamber to make sure there were no other exists. The one that was vertical looked to have been used a few times before but was now covered and sealed.
He retracted his steps to the first next tunnel beside the one that lead to the chamber and entered that. It was starting to ascend and did so for a good while winding it's way left and right and left and right again, sharp ascend at times, then straightening out again. At one point it had turned back towards the Decepticon side until sounds made him stop again. Those were much more familiar. He could pick out snippets of conversation. He flattened himself against the side of the tunnel and listened in. He could hear what was said, hear the shifting of frames as they too, like him, were waiting out for the weather to clear. Somebody mentioned Darkmount which made it clearer as to who they were.
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Post by WheelSpin on Jan 20, 2018 20:52:57 GMT
He slowly neared the group, having started up the electromagnetic cloak that made his signature untraceable and as such could not alarm the vehicons of his approach. Slowly, bit by bit he got closer, still keeping in the dark, while his lights dimmed even more until they were shut down. There was a light coming from where the vehicons were stationed casting some shadow into the tunnel he was in. He was not expected and even if he made a sound or two, there were other critters that did the same, so it would not have drawn attention right away.
He knelt down when he got close enough to still keep out of their sight, but could already catch glimpses of the Cons. He had to decide. Eliminate the 'obstruction' or leave them to it. Well, the fewer vehicons were known to be near the border, the less of trouble they would have further 'inland'. He moved closer again trying to see just how many of the drones were present and whether there were any other cybertronians as well. All that time he was taping their conversation as well, especially when it strayed towards the topic of Darkmount or the happenings at the base. The few that came from there bragged that they had knowledge of what was happening, and that it was going to be big. When others asked how soon and where they would go the vehicons acted as if though that was secret and could not be shared amongst the rest. There were a few guesses, but sadly that was all it was. The recently arrived refused to tell.
Some of the banter was useless too. Talking about what one or the other had had to do, complaining about their current location, about the vermin that were found in the tunnels, it was useless but expected.
He reached into his subspace placing a small container down. His arm quickly shifted from null ray to the scatterblaster. He regretted having left the rifle back at base. It would have allowed cleaner, quicker and much more silent shots than the scatterblaster. He switched between the loads until he settled on one. Smiling he started up the low frequency from his speakers. While too low to be picked up as sound, they would have made whoever was in the near proximity begin to feel uncomfortable and uneasy. It kept the metallic vermin at bay too. He did not need them to try crawl all over his frame while he was waiting.
He peered into the chamber, keeping out of sight. There were about 20 of them visible. Three of them looked rather clean and fresh, much shinier than the rest. Several appeared to be listening to them. When he listened on, he could recognise them as the recently arrived. There might have been more but he decided whom he would spare. He only needed one, maybe two. No more. There were two guards at the other side , closer to the exit, they were looking out. It was possible that there were more in the other side of the tunnel. The lights were coming from small containers that were attached to the wall and ceiling and from some of the energon stored off to one side. Not much. Enough to keep a ration for the group.
There was a group of about 10 sitting together, looking in the direction of the trio, another five were a little off and further from him, closer to the exit. He counted the number of light sources. He smirked. Time for action. His right hand had the scatterblaster, his left a null ray. He'd shoot the trio first, get them down so they would not accidentally shot in the scuffle that would ensue.
Resting his arm against the metal, that jutted out of the wall, twisted and deformed but oh so very useful, he took aim. One shot to the faceplate. Adjust aim - second shot. Adjust aim follow the movement of the vehicon as he reacted to his two companions falling to the ground without warning - third. Well, the last wasn't as great and hit the vehicon in the neck rather than faceplate. He sagged down never the less. It was then the scatter began to fire, aiming high at first to kill some of the lights then lower to lay it into the vehicons.
"Over here!" He shouted and the moment helms were turned his way, his headlights flashed, for a few moments bathing the whole room in painfully bright light. Then all that was heard was the firing, from both sides.
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Post by WheelSpin on Jan 20, 2018 22:59:01 GMT
Shots whined past as he ducked behind the metal that was taking a battering. Quite a few vehicons fired in the general direction of where he had been seen last as they attempted to shoot, while blind. Their optics were still suffering for the flash of light and the darkness of the tunnel was not helping. He could see a few stumble as they groped forward trying to find cover and bumping into each other. The ones that had been fortunate enough to have not looked his way had already taken cover and their aim was much better than that of their friends.
He raised his arm so that the rear mirror faced the direction of the vehicons. Picking his new targets he slid his arm with the scatterblaster past the obstruction and fired. He aimed at their helms and lower at the height of their chassises, allowing the ammo to tear into the armour and beyond that. He got three that way in fairly quick succession before he had to duck down as a few shots nearly took out his blaster and arm.
When he saw one of the vehicons begin to pull one of his chosen 'interrogation targets' He aimed and fired at him. The frame twisted around releasing the vehicon it was dragging, then began to fall, lifeless. "Oh no you don't. Those are mine." He muttered quietly to himself, sliding down as he felt a shot above his helm tear a sizeable chunk out of his cover.
So far he could count three Vehicons that were out cold or unable to move, two that had been shot earlier. Three more earlier and then one he had just shot. There were still far too many (11 in total, if he counted right) that needed offlining and he could not risk throwing anything in that might destroy his Darkmount witnesses. Both the windows on his car doors had been rolled up fully as they would serve as a shield, should he switch position.
At first he thought to pick his new targets to be the two guards at the exit, as they had not suffered the blinding effect to their optics. Of course, as they have now taken cover, it was much harder to get a good, clear shot. He cursed and cursed the fact that there was energon in the room as well, which made throwing anything explosive into the place even more hazardous. He changed his plan when a much easier target presented itself in the form of one of the vehicons who shot wildly but far less accurately in his direction. His scatterblaster emptied a round into him, ending the dangerous flailing of his weapon. He could hear shouts barking orders as to which direction they should all be firing and felt his metal barrier becoming less and less able to protect him.
He rolled off to the opposite side, and took aim and fired at the next two targets. One had its chassis torn open, and while it still fired, a few shots got horribly close to the energon, but all missed. The second managed to singe WS's armour where the hit whirled past. He was shot dead soon after. WheelSpin held his car door shield infront of him, protecting the most important parts of his frame, while he knelt to make himself a much smaller target. Some of the shots damaged the paint or left scorch marks on the doors. He grit his denta and fired back. The one who had landed three shots on his shield was dead in an instant.
He suddenly began to back away. Five vehicons followed, the ones who had not suffered damage to their optics. The two guards remained behind their barriers.
(kill count total: 13) (kill count current post: 8)
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Post by WheelSpin on Jan 21, 2018 11:24:15 GMT
When they got far enough into the tunnel he stopped. He could not afford moving further for fear that his three vehicons would have been gone by then. At the next turn he stopped slipping behind the bend. The vehicons were more cautious now that they were entering a much darker part of the tunnel. They kept in formation. He leaned in, took aim and fired one of the spikes directly at the helm of one of the vehicons. A moment later he was back behind the bend, only his rear mirror enabling him some visuals of the five, now four, attackers. Once more his weapon of choice had been switched.
At this time when he leaned forward, one car door, window and all shielding him from the shots bounced of the walls in his direction. He fired the spear gun seeing it tear through the chassis of one of the vehicons and he yanked it back towards him so that the frame was dragged closer and closer until it was at his feet. He hoisted the body up, wondering how good the idea had been, but going on with it.
Three more were left while the fourth was used as his shield. He really refused to get shot more than he already had. Shot marks were still a pain to remove. Well moving forward now, with the dead vehicon covering most of his front he advanced towards the remaining two. He went quickly, pushing the body into one, while jabbing his stabbing blade up through the jaw plating of the second just moments before he would have been shot himself.
The blade got momentarily stuck. He tugged at it, pushing at the vehicon to get it off. The remaining vehicon had just been able to free himself from the one that had been thrown at him, when a shot threw him back. Several followed, all at point blank range. He could hear the unpleasant screech and saw where the servo of the one he thought dead had scratched at his armour. He whipped his other arm around and dealt him a final blow.
Two more, he told himself as he raced back down the same tunnel they just came through.
(Kill count total: 18 (well 3 are knocked out)) (Kill count current post 5)
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Post by WheelSpin on Jan 21, 2018 12:58:56 GMT
He reached the main chamber again a short while later. He saw one of the guards standing over the trio, checking them to see if they had been offlined and what their damage was. The other had remained behind the barrier, awaiting the return of their team mates. He rammed into the first one, transformed and pulled him down. The blade tore into his chassis. The vehicon had gone limp. The second fired in their direction, fired again before he advanced on the pair. WheelSpin's arm began to transform till his scatterblaster set itself in place.
This had dispatched with the last vehicon. He shoved off the lifeless frame and slowly sat up. He glanced at his paint and groaned. Scratched, scorched, shot. What a bother.
He got to his feet and walked towards the motionless frame of the vehicon that got null rayed into his neck. He knelt beside him. "Hey there." He murmured patting the helm. "I don't want to take too much of your time but I couldn't help but overhear that there's been things happening at Darkmount." He leaned closer. "Now...we can make this as painless as possible... or it can hurt. Your choice." He smiled, his voice a purr. "And if you are wondering how painful...I'm an upgraded, medic. I know how you tick. I know where it hurts the most." His stroking was gentle, almost affectionate.
"If you cooperate however... I will make it painless. Heck. I might even let you come back with me, alive." The interrogation would have taken a while. But in the end, Wheelspin found out what he had wanted. Enough of it to be useful if the information reached the right audials in time.
"...Thank you." The vehicon got shot in the helm with the null ray. "You're coming with me." The other two, would not. They would go nowhere, ever.
The racer began to return back home. It was time to send the report to Vating and check on his refinery again.
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Post by WheelSpin on Jan 21, 2018 16:52:11 GMT
The return through the tunnels went much faster than his earlier exploration of them. While he was still careful and alert not to encounter another vehicon patrol, or worse, he had little issue in finding his way back all thanks to his newly updated map. He had run over some of the mechanical vermin, mostly unintentionally, but had continued without stopping even then. He needed to go fast with the information that he had just obtained. Up another turn, down, yet another tunnel later, walking, running, or speeding through, it carried him back to the entrance he had entered the tunnel via earlier. Once close to the exit he would slow down again, transform and walk for the last few meters, still carrying and dragging his vehicon prisoner along. With the light growing brighter, his became more careful. Releasing the vehicon for a few moments he checked to see that the surrounding area of his tunnel exit was clear. Once he could confirm that he returned, hoisted the vehicon back over his frame and began ascending. They were out a few moments later and then speeding again towards his base, the vehicon secured to his roof and top of the frame, hooked behind the car doors that kept the cabling tight. The load was fairly heavy and jolted a lot on the uneven ground, so he had to adapt his speed to that several times. His electromagnetic cloak had been shut down again to perserve energy, while a comm had been sent out to the Prime, private and direct. This time the report contained the information of the 19 vehicons he had slain close to the border of which three had been recently arrived. It contained the information about the possible deployment of Decepticon troops that should occur soon, of the mobilisation of said troops as well as the aprox. numbers as gotten from the vehicon on his back. A few tracks of the answers had been sent to back what he had learned up. It finished with :: Have prisoner, would you like him delivered to you?:: And there was where the comm went quiet. He saw a storm nearing again, but decided to hurry in hopes he might be home before it reached its full potential. Vatimus Prime
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Post by WheelSpin on Jan 21, 2018 18:59:13 GMT
After the report was sent to Vating, WheelSpin seemed to hesitate on what his next course of action would be. Warn the other officer? Expect the Prime to do it? Diamond had been the one to come to his aid when he had been at the refinery dealing with the twins. More so, she deserved to know, not only because she was an officer. :: Diamond. :: He sent via the private comm. :: I've got some bad news. :: He cursed when the vehicon jolted on top of him yet again and he swore it would leave a mark. :: The Decepticons are mobilizing, they'll be attacking us soon. :: She was back in Iacon, safe for now but who knew for how long. :: I'll send you the data I gathered so far. Got a witness. :: He sped on, watching as the storm spread out, getting closer and closer. The winds had picked up. So much more buffing would be needed once he reached base. How he hated this place with its weather if it could be called that and its rust and it's horrible corrosion. :: Just a heads up. :: RedOptics
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Post by WheelSpin on Jan 22, 2018 15:42:07 GMT
::Thought you wanted to know.:: There was a short pause. ::The base is safe for now. But be prepared. Spin, out.:: The mobilisation was still in motion. They might not attack that very moment but it was happening soon. Once the comm had been concluded he raced on until he reached the refinery. There he waited at the lower entrance until the door slid open and he was let in. He transformed and had the autodrones take over the vehicon he brought in, taking him below in one of the makeshift holding cells. He was still waiting for the Prime's response, orders, something. He paced back and forth for a short while before stopping. He turned towards one of the autodrones. "...If anything happens, notify me right away." And with that he descended towards his room as well. He began to repair the damage sustained in the past while. Clearing the rust, buffing out the scratches, straightening the bumps and where needed, smoothing out the deeper tears. He reached into his subspace after to bring out a can of paint that he used to do touch ups on his frame and frowned. He would soon need to make more. He went to fetch some energon as well. Once more returning to his room he drank some of the energon, setting the container down on the table beside him. He'd ping his assistant drone later to buff what he could not reach, for now he wanted to wait, alone. RedOptics
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Post by ShadowZone on Jan 23, 2018 21:35:27 GMT
ShadowZone returned not too much later, flying in through the entrance at the top of the building. He transformed and landed, kneeling, within the refinery. He unloaded the cargo he had brought as ordered and then stood waiting for the racer to come up top again. The storm outside had made flying troublesome and by now, it had made it near impossible.
He had received no further orders from Vatimus Prime and until he did, he would do as the sergeant required. Of course at the moment flying back was less likely as the storm had gotten worse once more. He cleared his turbines out, showering some of the autodrones present in rust flakes. He looked at them, they at him, but no word was really exchanged between them.
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Post by WheelSpin on Jan 25, 2018 8:22:40 GMT
WheelSpin met him a little later. He carried some datapads in his servos. When he sat down, he placed those all around him. Some contained medical data, others covered other fields, technicalities that had to do with the functions and construction of various types of weapons. Theories, physic studies. He had accumulated a fair deal over the few months. With little to do during the times like these, it was called a useful way to spend time. He did try out some of the things in the medical texts, albeit mostly on dead autodrones or vehicons. A few times newly acquired knowledge served him, when an actual injury on a live drone popped up in need to be repaired. He'd read up more on the war time repairs, on substitutes that could be found, where resources were low. He'd even read up on the history of the refinery, watched a few clips, learned of the ins and the outs of the place.
If anything he was bored. The trips outside, when not fighting of an attack, were a way to keep himself busy as well. He had done a few upgrades to his frame. The latest one solved the problem of the need of prolonged, fast, jumps. It partially solved the issue of uncontrolled fall as well. He had tested it a few times, but could not yet test how much faster he could go because of it. The ground around here may have been relatively flat. For something like that he needed it as flat as can be, without a nook or cranny, without an abnormality in the ground. Anything else could have him spinning out of control. Jets did have it easier in that aspect. Air usually just... gave them free reign and a much greater margin of error should they frag up.
He glanced at ShadowZone. The other bot was tolerable. If or no other reason because he did as he was told. He focused on one of the texts that talked about faceplate reconstruction, its dangers and processes. His digits absentmindedly traced the 'scar' under his optic while he read. He needed to get to Protihex again, get it from under Decepticon control.
See what he could find. There used to be a Medical Mechanics University there. He was hoping to find more data, a wealth of knowledge that he might pilfer through. He had experience, but there had to be other techniques, other procedures that he knew he could still learn and that would make something be done quicker, better. He glanced at the map thoughtfully. If the Prime did not phone call in with his orders then perhaps,... He wondered if he was still upset with him for telling off one of his preferred medics for not performing triage as expected. Of course to him only the lives of patients mattered at the time and he had no patience for anything or anyone else. If it had been Ratchet, he doubted that anybody would have been anything but grateful for the scolding. But it was him.
He drew himself out of his thoughts to focus on the data he was studying, flipping through the 3D images, resizing them, twisting them around to see all of the angles. He really wanted to make that trip, as soon as possible.
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Nightlock
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Autobot
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Gender: Male
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Post by Nightlock on Feb 16, 2018 4:35:19 GMT
Shadowfire flew over the endless sea of rust, fitting was the name he always thought, conditions where tolerable for his bulky cybertronian bomber, wide and fat, it still fit perfectly into the dark night of Cybertron, his reconiness had already gone bad, to much air superiority of the Decepticons, and while he managed to down two of them, he was injured and had to retreat, this ment he was leaking Energon from his wing as he attempted to force himself forward to base. Though he did gain sizable intell, thanks to the little party trick he gets to do every once in awhile. Unfortunately that left him unable to contact base as well, and he was still waiting for the effects to wear off.
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Post by Chief Strange on Feb 16, 2018 5:17:37 GMT
As he was flying over the endless rust. A small glare of faint silvery object flew past his head and made a whistle as it flew by. If he were paying enough attention, he would have noticed it comeing from below, almost like someone knew he was there, and was trying to shoot him down.
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Nightlock
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Autobot
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Gender: Male
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Post by Nightlock on Feb 16, 2018 5:21:26 GMT
Shadowfire processor was immediately focused at the object going for him, he watched it go and thought to himself, his alt mode was clunky and not ment for quick movements, dropping drastically to avoid any more projectiles and with shifting Metal he transformed and landed, his warpick coming out of his back for him to grab and slam into the ground, as he slid to a halt in the middle of the wastes, his warmask slamming shut over his face as he turned scanning for the target.
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Post by Chief Strange on Feb 16, 2018 5:27:26 GMT
As he slammed to the ground another one sized toward him. This one aimed right at his right shoulder. On a dead straight course for it.
As he scanned, he would noticed the bullet, as well as its tragectury. Just due of west of his current Possition.
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Nightlock
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Autobot
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Gender: Male
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Post by Nightlock on Feb 16, 2018 5:31:35 GMT
Due to being used to this over and over and over, Shadowfire moves to the side letting the bullet slide pass without touching his armor, before scanning and powering up his rifle, sending a single blast of pure energy at the location of the last firing postion.
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Post by Chief Strange on Feb 16, 2018 5:33:35 GMT
If he looked closely, he would have been able to see movement to where he had shot the Blast. It soon disappeared to hide again. Whomever it was it was makeing clear they did not want to waste there ammo.
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Nightlock
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Autobot
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Gender: Male
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Post by Nightlock on Feb 16, 2018 5:37:59 GMT
“Dammit.”..he thought must of learned about the vechions he slagged, he was hoping this mech would charge straight at him, relying on speed to get into close combat, obviously that wasn’t happening. Looking at his ruined chest piece that was still leaking Energon he growled. Activating the radar he had on himself while running to cover. The radar beeped, “got you.” He whispered and leaned out firing at her coordinates.
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Post by Chief Strange on Feb 16, 2018 5:41:41 GMT
As he got closer and closer to her Possition it was not long u till she was right ontop of the positioning of the source. But to his surprise no where to be seen. Untill he suddenly felt a blade around the front of his neck and arms around his shoulders.
"well now, what sorry spark do I have at my mercy?" the cybertronian whispered in his audio receptors. The voice sounded feminine. Certainly anything but a vehicon mech that's for sure. T was graceful and deadly at the same time, intent to send a chill down his circuits.
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