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Post by commissarfaytality on Oct 12, 2020 14:17:40 GMT -7
Shadow if she had not been in place full of wooden objects would have simply set the tiny bug on fire. But alas she was, and this stuff was likely very important; so instead she waited until the best possible moment when the bug was not looking and she had the greatest chance before dropping soundlessly. Attempting to squish him with her currently larger size. Though her claws were aiming for his mouth/gun thingy, that she was somewhat aware was dangerous; so at the very least she'd break it, even if she didn't actually manage to squish the annoying insect. Aware that he may have clones following him, immediately upon landing with the full force of her fore-claws (like a hunting hawk dropping on prey), she launched herself away and hid in the darkness once more.
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Elegance
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Post by Elegance on Oct 14, 2020 2:41:56 GMT -7
Unfortunately, currently being only the size of a large beetle (and not the VW kind), the Insecticon proved to be a very hard target for a much larger dragon to hit. Scuttling here and there, Bombshell evaded Shadow's stamping claws and sweeping tail, but at one point she knocked him hard and sent rolling along the ground on his shell.
Then, as the dragon turned and flew back into the shadows, the Insecticon took the opportunity to spread his own wings from his shell. With a buzz, he took off into the air – just as the Spy Changer stepped out from around the corner, her blade humming through the air. Spitting sparks, its vibrating edge scored the Insecticon's shell, sending him spiralling out of control. 'All the locals scattered. They were hiding in the snow. / We were so far from home, so how were we to know,' Elegance sang out in turn with the musical ringing of her sonic word. As Bombshell zigzagged through the air, Elegance swung this way and that, turning to the wider flat of the blade and giving him no chance to pause. 'That there'd be nothing left to plunder / When we stumbled on the holy grail?'
Finally, Elegance connected, knocking the darting Insecticon hard, sending him hurtling into the stone wall. Bombshell bounced off, hit the floor, and transformed, blooming into a dented and angry-looking robot, trying to straighten his head out. 'You'll pay for that!'
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Post by commissarfaytality on Oct 22, 2020 12:22:07 GMT -7
"Will we now?" Shadow replied from the darkness, letting her voice echo to distort her location. She moved soundlessly like a great cat and she clambered over the walls attempting to get behind her prey, Elegance was doing well, more used to prolonged combat than Shadow who preferred to hit and run, but the bug was crafty and so Shadow was keeping aware. Using her refined sensors she kept an 'optic out' so to speak for any extra irritations. She positioned herself above Bombshell once again and waited giving Elegance a slight indication over their secure comm that she was waiting upon her signal.
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Elegance
Junior Member
Keep calm and carry on.
Posts: 65
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Post by Elegance on Oct 22, 2020 20:49:09 GMT -7
'The prize is mine!' With a snarl, Bombshell loosed his ball-and-chain and raised his arm overhead. Then powerful motors whirred into life, setting it spinning with terrifying force, becoming but a blur. The tactic had two benefits: not only would he try to swing down and bash Elegance's head in, but it also guarded against Shadow from pouncing from above again.
Meanwhile, Elegance stepped back into a duelist's stance, standing almost side-on and presenting Bombshell a narrow profile and less to aim for. She held her sonic sword out, ready to parry and strike. 'We were full of beans / But we were dying like flies,' she continued to sing with a sad lilt in her tone.
'Will you shut up!' Bombshell lunged forward, the massive spiked ball hurtling down at Elegance. But she neatly sidestepped, her sonic sword twitching and scoring across the Insecticon's shell, while the ball slammed into the stone floor, sending fragments flying.
Recovering, Bombshell heaved up the spiked ball and swung sideways, knocking it into Elegance's side, drawing sparks and leaving rents. She might bemoan the dents and scratched paintwork later, but for she shuffled back, hunched to protect her side and brought her sonic sword to bear again. 'And those big black birds, / they were circling in the sky,' she sang, briefly risking a glance up to check on Shadow's position – directly above Bombshell, who was whirling his chain again. And Elegance thrust forward, sticking her right into the steel circle. The chain wrapped rapidly around the blade, becoming tangled, before the ball's momentum tore it right out of both their hands. He was defenceless! 'And you know what they say, / yeah, nobody deserves to die.'
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Post by commissarfaytality on Nov 5, 2020 16:25:58 GMT -7
Her optics watched the sword fight, her limbs coiled ready; she nodded to Elegance when the other caught her gaze. When the chain was tangled Shadow leapt, claws digging into the insecticon's back, fangs biting down on his head, breaking the weapon and damaging his helmet as her weight dragged him down to the floor. She kept her jaws around his head squeezing just enough to show that she was not afraid to bite through, whilst her limbs pinned him to the ground. She side-eye'd Elegance and made a questioning noise, what would the other like her to do?
Over the secure comms she spoke 'So no killing, but maybe scare him a little? What would you like me to do?'
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Elegance
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Keep calm and carry on.
Posts: 65
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Post by Elegance on Nov 6, 2020 1:23:04 GMT -7
Crushed into the dusty flagstone floor, Bombshell spat curses and tried to shove Shadow off, but her attack on his helmet and cerebro-shell launcher had left him disorientated. 'Aargh! Again?! I'll turn you to scrap!'
Twisting her wrist back into place with a click after the tangle with the morningstar flail had wrenched it around, Elegance ventured closer, seeking a way to help Shadow apprehend Bombshell. 'You know I, I've been searching for an easy way / To escape the cold light of day.' she continued to sing, because why would she stop? Unfortunately they had no chains, no shackles or manacles; the rotten ropes on that old boat would secure a Transformer. 'I've been high and I've been low / But I've got nowhere else to go.' Hurriedly, she picked up Bombshell's flail and her own sonic sword, and pointed its sharp tip at the Decepticon's head. 'There's nowhere else to go.' she promised, the next line of the song now very much a threat instead. Bombshell glared venomously back with his one remaining optic.
But then there was a creak and groan of old timbers behind them, and all three turned their heads to see the old wooden boat rocking and shifting in place. In time, the creaks and groans sounded less and less like a wooden structure under stress, and more and more like someone very old and very weary rising from a very long sleep. With a great crash, the hull split apart, planks and oars splaying in all directions, old ropes snaking around, the tattered sails fluttering. Out of the chaos, a humanoid figure emerged, built from ship's hull segments, spars and keels and oars, with a beard of rope rigging and the tattered sail for a cape. It was a Transformer! A Transformer made of wood. 'Oh! the ancient Cybertronian gasped, rising as straight as he could and cracking his keel back. But he had no legs, just wooden cartwheels that wobbled and creaked as they rolled around. 'I followed orders. / God knows where I've been. / But I woke up alone, / All my wounds were clean.' he sang, in a weary voice as dry and dusty as this crypt. He rolled closer to the control console turned altar, going on 'I'm still here / I'm still a fool for the holy grail.' He reached out, and closed a dragon's-head hand around the golden, bejewelled chalice. 'I am, I'm a fool for the holy grail!' he sighed in relief, just to know the treasure was still safe.
At last, the ancient Cybertronian turned around, and turned glinting iron-nail eyes on the wrestling Transformers by the door. 'I am Icthus Rex, Navigator of the Mantlo. Who has awoken me from my slumber?'
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Post by commissarfaytality on Dec 12, 2020 15:27:27 GMT -7
((OOC: Sorry for the wait, I've been very ill lately and not really had the will to do much))
Shadow snorted slightly and allowed some of her napalm fluid to drip down his face, it would burn a little but only once the two chemicals combined would they ignite in the air to form the sticky flame, and she had not produced enough to do much more than threaten.
"I am Shadow, former spec ops, now retired, and we fell in through a hole. Nice to meet you" she replied quite bluntly as she blinked in confusion having let go of Bombshell's head but leaning more of her weight on his back, talons digging in a little in warning. "If you're wondering why I'm sitting on this one, well he's to put it plainly a bit of git; who hurt someone who was intended to be temporarily under my protection. So I'm not happy with him right now, but I'm not supposed to kill people so I'm sitting on him instead". This was technically true, but paraphrased for a quick response and Shadow was watching the other warily, wings half mantled, both for balance and to escape should she need it. She side eyed Elegance and waited to see what the other would do.
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Elegance
Junior Member
Keep calm and carry on.
Posts: 65
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Post by Elegance on Dec 29, 2020 1:11:35 GMT -7
OOC: Apologies from me too, I was unsure where to go next with this, then stuff came up.
Processing that response, Icthus Rex peered at Shadow for a good long time, one eye squinting at the pair. He felt like he was missing much more of the story, but he was missing a lot of other things too – his legs, his world, and his memory. 'Yes, well, I suppose that is for the best.' he agreed, sounding uncertain about. It was clear he was missing a few screws too. 'And just who is this fellow you are sitting on, then?'
Bombshell hissed, in both irritation and pain at the burning fluids. 'I am Sir Bombshell, the bravest knight of Polyhex, and I have come to claim the Prize!' he declared, mustering as much pomposity as a 'con could while a dragon sat on him.
'Hmph. As have you all, I suppose.' Icthus mused, a hand combing through his rope beard and evicting small insects. He turned to the last of the visitors, Elegance. 'And you, the one doing all that,' he waved a hand, shaking out the bugs. 'Singing. Do you have a name?'
Elegance kept her sonic sword pointed at Bombshell, but glanced around at Icthus Rex. 'I do, sir. I am Elegance of Earth, a one-time Spy Changer, now just a girl about town. Shadow and I are Autobots, Bombshell is a Decepticon. As she said, we fell into the chamber outside by accident, and we're stopping him causing further trouble.'
Considering the three, Icthus made a weary sigh, a sound of dusty air and creaks and splinters. 'Well, you three are all here now. So... what is it?'
And all three stared. At last, Bombshell broke the silence. 'What is what, old man?'
'You know, the... thing.'
'What thing?'
Icthus screwed up his wooden face in a frown of deep concentration. 'The thing you need to say, for me to grant you the Prize.'
'There's a pass-phrase.' Elegance sighed, amused and exasperated because surely none of them, not even Bombshell, knew it.
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Post by commissarfaytality on Dec 30, 2020 14:41:37 GMT -7
((OOC: Yeah that's fine, thanks for continuing the thread))
Shadow tilted her head down "When did Polyhex have knights and who the heck made you one?" she asked sounding somewhat curious, as well as derisive, as though she couldn't quite believe what she was hearing. Before looking up, and squinting back at Icathus Rex. "Well no offense meant, but you've been down here a long time so you've missed quite a bit of history, as per usual to my own misfortune though you only have our word against this ones" she tapped at Bombshell with her snout "so I wont insult you by giving you the whole spiel, I'll let you decide for yourself by whatever means you choose". Shadow continued to listen to the conversation as Elegance joined in and looked around the room absent mindedly as she kept her weight distributed properly and her wings ready to go. The last part however got her attention and she tilted her head like a curious bird.
"Err...how are you?" she asked remembering something vaguely from 'le mort de arthur' about asking the Fisher King how he was...or something like that. It'd been a long time since anyone had done a play based off of that, so she wasn't quite sure; but hey if it was wrong she at least got to be polite. Besides; Shadow didn't really want any prizes she just wanted to grab the annoying bug, throw him in prison and go take a nap.
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Elegance
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Post by Elegance on Jan 1, 2021 0:20:31 GMT -7
'And who made you spec ops, clumsy oaf?' Bombshell spat back, predictably while ignoring Shadow's questions about his alleged knighthood.
With a slow creak, Icthus Rex looked downward and considered his termite-chewed wooden body, his cart-wheels in place of legs, and his confused and scattered memories, and answered Shadow with 'I've been better, thank you.' Then he burrowed his brow in concentration again. 'But that's not it.'
'Not what?' Bombshell demanded, irritated at his predicament. If not for these Autobots, he could snuck in here and stolen the Prize without awaking this doddery old guardian. Now he risked losing it to them.
'Not the question.'
Elegance interjected curiously 'Sorry, do you mean the pass-phrase is a question?'
Icthus lowered his head into his dragon-head hand, groaning 'I probably shouldn't have told you that.'
'...Are you sure? I mean, you were asking us the questions.'
'Well, uh, now it's your turn.'
'What is this, a game of Jeopardy?'
But Icthus Rex was puzzled. 'How could being in jeopardy be a game?'
'What is the Prize?!' Bombshell suddenly shouted.
'What?'
'The thing you have there. The Prize! What is it?! That's my question.'
Frowning, Icthus Rex turned to the golden, bejewelled chalice, and removed the lid. Bright clear light shone forth, reflected off the ceiling, and illuminated the whole dusty chamber of the ship control room turned shrine. Icthus Rex picked out a brilliant white glowing orb, the size of his fist, holding it gently between its wooden fingers. And in that instance, the radiation burned at the systems of all Transformers present, making them sluggish and static. 'An energon crystal, pure raw energon. We found it here on Earth. Enough to turn the course of the War, we hoped, but the radiation is dangerous... I took this organic form to protect myself from it, but I neglected the natural decay. And the termites.' Mercifully, Icthus put the energon crystal back in the chalice and replaced the lid, shutting off the light and the radiation. 'And that is not the question.'
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Post by commissarfaytality on Jan 10, 2021 13:39:05 GMT -7
"Notice you didn't answer the question there Bombshell. As for me, well obviously my boss did; who else would?" she just tilted her head in confusion. Shifting slightly to distribute her weight better whilst still keeping her opponent pinned.
"Well I'm glad you're not doing too bad, I'd offer to help, but I quite frankly would be rather terrible at it" she told Icthus Rex and nodded "Fair enough, it's the only one I know related to the legends"
She kept quiet for the rest of the conversation listening in carefully for any clues, until Bombshell yelled out his own question, and she felt her systems react. "Urk...I do not like that" she spoke sounding almost drowsy as she looked at the crystal. "Nice going bug, just had to ask didn't you; know I feel all fuzzy like the time when Arctic hit me with a disruptor field to see what would happen" she hissed, sounding quite angry little bits of chemical escaping her jaws and causing some flame to ignite on the ground. Though it was not fed, so it slowly dissipated into nothingness but; her captors plating would have some minor scorch marks as a result.
"Anyhow, if this is a game of 20 questions then surely elder; it would be your turn now?" she asked wrestling her anger at her own memories under control.
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Elegance
Junior Member
Keep calm and carry on.
Posts: 65
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Post by Elegance on Jan 19, 2021 0:51:55 GMT -7
But Icthus Rex appeared to have tuned out for a time, or possibly even fallen asleep. His wooden head lowered and turned to gaze into a far corner, and it was a few long and awkwards moments before he stirred and suddenly looked back to Shadow. 'Eh? My turn for what?'
'To ask us a question?' Elegance tried to remind him, speaking patiently. She was an older bot herself, and had some understanding, and a healthy fear, of becoming so decayed.
The lines in the wood over his eyes narrowed as if furrowing his brow in a frown. 'Why do I need to do that?' But the old bot wasn't completely damaged yet, going on clearly. 'It's you youngsters who have to ask me the right question for me to hand over the Prize...' He looked sharply at them with his iron-nail eyes, dangerously suspicious. 'Or were you not sent to retrieve it for the War effort?'
'Oh, I'm sure we are, we just need to... confirm some protocols.' Elegance considered the key issue here for a moment, and asked You do, ah, remember the question yourself, don't you?'
Icthus Rex was silent again, but for a different reason, thinking and creaking. '...I'm sure it will come back to me. Yes, I'll know it when I hear it.' he tried to convince them, and himself.
'Well, I know my Chrétien de Troyes, so – whom does the Prize serve?'
'The one whom you also serve, if you claim it.'
'Maybe I should have considered my Babylon 5 first...' Elegance mused, disappointed, before turning to Shadow. 'How about you, Shadow? Any ideas? Would you like me to take over there?' She gestured to the pinned Bombshell, who was quietly seething and faintly sizzling.
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Post by commissarfaytality on Jan 24, 2021 3:49:07 GMT -7
Shadow blinked at the back and forth and huffed "I'm not much of one for riddles I'm afraid; I'm normally brought along to act as a scalpel rather than the surgeon" she tilted her head and hummed slightly. "What's Babylon 5?" she muttered to Elegance, being very confused by such words. Unfortunately, Shadow's literary education had consisted of ancient classics rather than sci-fi.
Shadow squinted at Icthus Rex as he spoke about knowing the question when he heard it. "Okay, so quite frankly none of us, know it, and you might not remember it. Are we missing something simple, is it a case of simply asking for it? Would that be the question? Please may we have it?" she asked sounding cautious and gently questioning. As though she herself wasn't sure if it would be correct, sounding her age (which would conceivably by the youngest in the room).
She sat back on her haunches slightly as Elegance asked her if she'd like her to take over holding their prisoner down "Oh yeah, that'd probably be helpful, I think I'm starting to get imprints into my plating from sitting here so long. Buggy here is not the most comfortable couch to sit on." She flicked her tail and flexed her wings slightly.
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Elegance
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Post by Elegance on Jan 28, 2021 1:53:33 GMT -7
'An old work of human epic literature,' Elegance whispered as an aside to Shadow, whose name was now an amusing allusion, 'Known for its important and meaningful questions. It was made at a time when humans thought aliens wouldn't all be comparatively enormous mechanical lifeforms.'
With Shadow's acceptance, Elegance strode over and took over Bombshell-watching duties, keeping him down with the tip of her sword and then planting her heel strut on what passed for his neck. 'I do hope you're not enjoying this. Else I shall have to punish you.'
Furrowing his brow and scratching termites out of his hull, Icthus Rex thought long and hard on Shadow's suggestion. He'd hoped something would jog his memory core, yet the termites had gotten at that too, he had no better ideas, and this was going nowhere. 'Oh, alright.' he surrendered, loudly and irritably. 'It was intended for the Autobots anyway, and I've seen Elegance's rubsign—'
'I beg your pardon?'
But Icthus Rex turned and took down the golden chalice – an improvised containment device for the energon crystal inside. He held it out to Shadow. 'Here, it is your responsibility now. And at last my long watch has ended—'
But Elegance shouted 'Hey! Stop that!' Bombshell was transforming, folding up and shrinking into his small beetle mode. Elegance stabbed her sonic sword, scoring his shell, but not enough to stop him slipping free and launching into the air. 'The Prize is mine!' The Insecticon flew like a bullet into the golden chalice, knocking it from Icthus Rex's hands. It tumbled to the floor, and the brightly glowing energon crystal spilled out. With it, the whole room flooded with energon radiation, filling the transformers' systems with wild static and erratic power surges, causing their limbs to jerk and bodies to half-transform.
Flying out of control, Bombshell zig-zagged through the air and finally dive-bombed – right into the exposed energon crystal! Zap! In a tiny flash and puff of smoke, the little Insecticon exploded and burnt up, twisted blackened metal raining down.
Icthus Rex made a long and mournful sigh, as if of wind blowing out of an opened crypt. 'He chose... poorly.' The old wooden transformer used the lid to scoop the energon crystal back into the chalice, and turned back to Shadow. 'Do you still wish it?'
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Post by commissarfaytality on Jan 28, 2021 13:31:47 GMT -7
Shadow had greatfully gotten off of the insecticon and stretched out arching her long tail like a cat. 'Huh that's fascinating, may have to read it sometime. I'm aware I'm somewhat emotionally stunted at times, so it's always helpful to get other people's opinions on what they thought an alien culture would be like.' Shadow was not aware of the connotations of her own name or that it was in fact a TV show.
"What's a rub sign?" Shadow asked in the same way a young child would ask 'why?' frowning her face in confusion.
Shadow had transformed in order to grab the chalice before Bombshell flew into it "You idiot!" She cried out as her form was wracked with pain, reminding her all too clearly of her younger years. Before watching him land on the crystal like it was a bug zapper.
"To be honest, no, but I think it's only fair that you don't have to watch it any more. So I'll take it and if I can't look after it I'll make sure there's someone who can...or a scientist who can make use of it...you know...like they do?" she was a little unsure of her own ability regarding this, but her determination to spare Icthus Rex any more sitting around and waiting was plainly clear.
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Elegance
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Post by Elegance on Feb 1, 2021 2:31:28 GMT -7
'I find those who do not seek power are those most suited to bear it.' Icthus Rex nodded and solemnly passed the golden chalice into Shadow's hands. 'So long as this power goes into good hands, and is used to end the War and save Cybertron.'
'You have a lot to catch up on, sir.' Elegance said with a smile as she folded away her weaponry and fussily brushed some dust off her plating. 'The War is over, more or less. But we'll see that it gets to Autobot City, out on the Atlantic Ocean... You should come too, and get yourself repaired and reformatted.' she offered to the old bot.
Icthus's wooden face crinkled up in a smile. 'I would like that. But on the ocean, you say? I think I would like to sail there, and ride the waves again.'
'Then bon voyage. But we'll have to get out of here first...'
OOC: With that, I think I'm basically done with this little story I tried to put together for us. I hope you enjoyed it!
Since the board hasn't taken off, I'd like to retire or let it rest after this.
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Post by commissarfaytality on Feb 23, 2021 12:41:00 GMT -7
Shadow nodded "Those are wise words" she picked up the box and side eyed it slightly.
"Yes, the wind does feel pleasant here, I wish you a safe trip. I think I might fly there myself." Shadow replied sounding quite wistful about it. "Well this has been an adventure, but I think I just want to go home and nest" she sounded tired but still she smiled, after all it had been a successful venture.
((OOC: Not a problem, shame we couldn't get it going, but it's been a lot of fun thanks for the game!))
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Elegance
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Post by Elegance on Feb 25, 2021 0:57:49 GMT -7
'I could do with a good panel-beating and polish myself.' Elegance agreed, stretching out her limbs and spinning her wheels. She took a last long look around the old shrine in the much old spaceship bridge, built by early humans to metal beings they could scarcely understand yet had faithfully tried to aid. 'I'll contact some Cybertronian and human archaeologists – this belongs in a museum.'
They left the chamber and returned to the outer stone henge, where the light streaming through the hole was dimming as the sun moved away toward the horizon. Above, they could hear the sounds of vehicles, sirens, humans, and Transformers. 'Janet and Mary must've contacted the police, and they called in the Autobots. How about you carry Icthus up first, he'll be lighter. I'll wait for the Rescue Bots.' Elegance suggested to Shadow.
'Hrumph. Just watch those claws, this wood has gotten rather soft.' Icthus warned.
Thus, Shadow carefully carried Icthus back up to the surface. Grumbling just a little at the indignity and creaks, the old bot squinted his optics against the light after centuries underground in hibernation, but he was so glad to be seeing the world again, for all that everything had changed. The Rescue Bot Hoist transformed into a crane, extended his boom, and lowered a hook to pull Elegance out.
They had a lot of reports and repairs to make, but when they got a chance, Elegance turned to Shadow. 'Well, this was unexpected, but I had good time, thank you. Maybe we can do this again, some time... Not the falling through holes and battling the rogue Insecticons part, though.'
*
Meanwhile, far off in the woods, optics narrowed and focused on the activity amongst the ruins of the castle. Bombshell – the real Bombshell – considered the fates of his foolish clones. The Salvo Experiment had been a success, even if their treacherous attempt to cheat him of the energon crystal had been an abject failure. He transformed into large beetle mode and flew away while the Autobots were distracted. The Salvos would never be as smart as the real Bombshell – no-one could be! – and he wouldn't want them to be. No, he would need to implant them with his own cerebro-shells to ensure loyalty. Then, he would lead an army of loyal, capable, identical soldiers, waiting only his command: "Send in the clones!"
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