| Hey, welcome to the Lost Light! Glad to have you aboard! We're on a quest to find the Knights of Cybertron and you're welcome to join us. The more the merrier! Guests are limited, but if you sign up, you'll be able to access our member-only sectors. Look, finding Cyberutopia and the Knights isn't going to be easy. The universe is full of danger and we've all got our share of issues, but with all of us working together to find the Knights, we can do it! We will find them and show the universe there's more to us than meets the eye! So, what are you waiting for? Join the crew! |
| Bite-Sized Escape; {Open/Main players: Nickle, Rodimus} | |
|---|---|
| Tweet Topic Started: 27 May 2016, 05:17 PM (90 Views) | |
| Catawampus | 27 May 2016, 05:17 PM Post #1 |
|
So much panic, so little time!
|
After finding herself locked out of any door off the beaten path, Nickel had turned her sights to the vents. These, in turn, had served her well for a couple of days until she realized she wasn't alone in there. There was at least one other bot sneaking around and she hadn't been in the mood to deal with them (though her size definitely gave her an advantage in a small space). In other words: both plans A and B had failed, which left plan C the only option. Plan C being 'go out into the open and figure out what the scrap was going on here.' Thankfully, after a handful of days wandering back and forth in the halls, she had a relatively good idea which way was up. 'Up' in this case being a means of possibly getting back to the... ...perhaps not back to the Peaceful Tyranny. Just...away. Getting away was a start. It only took a moment (thank Primus she had all her tools with her) to pop the vent cover off and drop back into the hall. And, lo and behold, in big, red, definitely not PT-standard signage was 'Shuttle Bay.' It was the first good news she'd had since she'd found herself not at home. Better yet, the door was open. Wheeling through as quietly as she could, Nickle peeked around the corner. Multiple shuttles ready and waiting. All greenlit. All in (relatively) good condition. Problem: she had to jump half way up the slagging wall to hit the bay door release. Problem again: that meant she had to hit the button, sprint to a shuttle, and hijack it before whoever owned this ship noticed someone was pulling off a heist. Problem again, again: She wasn't alone in the shuttle back. Muttering something colorful under her breath, Nickle very slowly made her way inside--trying to keep an eye on the release button and figure out where the noise was coming from. Turns out, as she rolled forward and closer toward The Button and potential freedom, she didn't have to go far at all to find the source. There were two things that stood out first off; one was that there was someone between here and the The Button, the other was, well... "Oh Primus, it's hideous..." There were two reactions to the Rod Pod: abject horror, and an ironic sort of appreciation. Not being one for frills, Nickle was a member of the first group. She didn't even notice how long she was standing still, staring at it. Even Tarn at his most melodramatic couldn't top the Rod Pod and it was more than her brain could handle right now. ((OOC: Because we were talking about the Rod Pod, I couldn't help myself.)) |
![]() |
|
| Rodimus | 31 May 2016, 04:15 PM Post #2 |
|
watch me burn; bright, brighter, brightest
|
Rodimus, for all he dabbled in one thing or another from time to time, was a creature of habit and one particular habit was working on the Rod Pod whenever he was stressed out. It gave him something to focus on that wasn't the thing stressing him out and he could ease his way into relaxation without letting anyone know exactly how stressed out he actually was - or at least, it gave him something else to shift the stress onto when the drive system all but fell apart in his hands. He was just starting to curse out the entire Rod Pod when he caught the sound of someone calling it hideous. "Look, I've said it before, if you don't like my shuttle, you can just build your fraggin' own," he retorted. He tossed the wrench he'd been using to tighten one of the lines to the engine and pushed himself out from where he'd been leaning so far into the pod that he'd practically been hanging out of it. Face and hands streaked with oil - Primus only knew where that leak was coming from at this point - and turned to face whoever had spoken. "And if you - " Rodimus paused, not immediately seeing anyone there. Then he looked down. "Oh. Great. Another stowaway." |
![]() |
|
| Catawampus | 1 Jun 2016, 05:14 AM Post #3 |
|
So much panic, so little time!
|
Nickel hadn't exactly been expecting that. Given she was walking around with a very obvious insignia (as was this schlub, but that sort of proved--again--that she was not on a ship she wanted to be), she'd been expecting something along the lines of alarms and probably another frantic dash to the vents. Being small had its perks, after all--one of which was being able to fit into places nobody else was. "Well, pal, I'd take you up on that but I think the lot of you'd take offense to where I'd get the materials," she managed in deadpan as she watched him very closely. She did the math in her head; if she beaned him hard enough, he'd be stunned long enough to get the bay doors opening and hop into a shuttle. "And what do you mean stowaway? I didn't want to be here, thanks!" She had a feeling she probably should have just thrown something and made a break for it, but she had to open her damn mouth... Edited by Catawampus, 1 Jun 2016, 05:14 AM.
|
![]() |
|
| Rodimus | 7 Jun 2016, 01:08 PM Post #4 |
|
watch me burn; bright, brighter, brightest
|
Rodimus eyed the little Decepticon, an eye ridge slightly raised in skepticism. Judging by her size, he doubted she could take on the crew to steal the ship and if she tried even tried to touch the Rod Pod, she'd get a faceful of fire from his jets. She had a fierce attitude for her size and, if it weren't for the Decepticon sigil on her chest, Rodimus probably would have liked her a lot more than he did right now. "Yeah, yeah, that's what all of your friends have said," Rodimus pointed out when the 'Con said she didn't want to be here. Skywarp was the only one who had apparently signed on to the Lost Light and Rodimus was a little more lenient with him than the other Decepticons. "Half the 'Cons on board keep telling me they don't know how they got here and the rest of 'em just keep saying 'don't put me on the same floor as the DJD!'" Rodimus would have rolled his optics if he had the capability. "Should've thrown the lot in the brig or dumped them on the next planet." While he talked absently, Rodimus used his personal comm to call security down to the shuttle bay. This little Decepticon wasn't going to be any exception to the current protocol. |
![]() |
|
| Catawampus | 8 Jun 2016, 05:04 PM Post #5 |
|
So much panic, so little time!
|
Judging from the reaction (not to mention it wasn't exactly in working condition) Nickel had shown upon first seeing it, the Rod Pod would have been safe. The fact that it was custom-built probably didn't bode well for a mini...it would have been hard enough for her to steal a normal shuttle on her own as it was. That clearly wasn't stopping her, because she was still very clearly thinking about it--especially given the speech she was being subjected to. Perhaps it was having just watched Tarn rip Kaon's head off, and the fact that she was well overdue for a refuel and proper recharge, but her stubborn expression flickered. Visibly. She was the sole survivor of a planet-wide genocide. She could argue down DJD. She did not flinch--but she did here. For a moment, the panic she'd felt back on the PT bubbled up sour in the back of her throat. "Wait--stop. The DJD is here?" Somehow she managed to keep her voice level, but there was a slanted pitch to it. Please, please, for the love of Primus don't let Tarn be here. "Who is here? Who in the DJD is here?" Nickel's mind spun for a moment, trying to make one plus one equal two again. She was on an Autobot ship, right? If she was on an Autobot ship, that meant Tarn was probably nowhere near...wherever this was. There was a certain lack of death and screaming involved. But that also meant it probably wasn't Tes or Helex--she could just imagine motormouth here trying to take one of them on...it didn't end pretty--which left...who? Kaon was...dead. Which left...Vos? The Pet? Who?! "Will you just--just...!" She hefted a wrench and nearly winged it at his head. Somehow, she managed to draw up some reserve of patience (probably brought on by the idea of someone else managing to slip Tarn), and let her hand drop. "Cool your jets, afterburner and will you just shush! Which DJD are here--can you at least stop trying to lecture me for one click and answer that?" |
![]() |
|
| Rodimus | 9 Jun 2016, 08:36 PM Post #6 |
|
watch me burn; bright, brighter, brightest
|
Rodimus didn't trust the little 'Con in front of him, ready to fight in case she got any ideas of hostile take over - who knew what the tiny little 'Con could do? Rodimus wasn't about to underestimate a mini after Tailgate had recently gotten pumped. He still didn't really understand what had happened, but he wasn't going to let any mini get the upper hand. Though the stowaway didn't look like she could pull it off, he didn't doubt she was the type to try to kick his aft. He glared down at her when she interrupted him to ask about the DJD. Again, Rodimus wished Cybertronian optics were capable of rolling. "If you're worried about their stupid list, they've been disarmed," he told her. Why else would anyone ask about the DJD except to make sure they weren't going to be offed because of their status on the List. Then again, when she was so insistent on knowing which ones were on board, Rodimus got the feeling she wasn't on the List at all. "I dunno, the one that doesn't speak Neocybex and the one that doesn't have optics. I don't know their names." A lie. He knew their names. He didn't care. Their names didn't matter to him. |
![]() |
|
| Catawampus | 10 Jun 2016, 04:56 PM Post #7 |
|
So much panic, so little time!
|
"I don't care about the stupid List, afterburner!" she half groaned. "And it's not my fault you can't be bothered with names!" Oh, Nickel still wanted to hit him...but not because she needed enough time to steal a shuttle. That insistent and burning need was long gone, but she wasn't about to cozen up to this dandy to try and stay. Where was she going to go? Space?! At least she had her boosters...what good they'd be right now, what with her running on very little recharge and no energon. She hadn't been willing to risk being found in order to steal something to eat. It hadn't done much to dampen her temper. Nickel was the only non-combatant DJD member (unofficial member, anyway), but she could take Tesarus and Helex--and, now and again, even Tarn--to task. Though thinking about the last one made her feel a little sick inside again. At the description, however, some of that fire went out. It took monumental will not to waver, though her expression twitched for just a moment. Doesn't speak Neocybex? Eyeless? No...that wasn't right. Vos was still back on the PT, and Kaon had been... That sick sour feeling bubbled up in the back of her throat, and she was--for a moment--afraid she was going to purge what little she had left inside. Nickel willed the world to stop spinning, and willed even harder that Kaon's death would stop playing behind her eyes. Which left her with something of a conundrum. Here she was, running around an Autobot ship, Decepticon badge right on her chest. Vos (for sure) was here, and that made her want to stay put for now. But what was she supposed to do now? She wasn't sure what the intelligent choice was, but she was pretty sure the gut reaction of bopping said dandy with a spare wrench hadn't been the best one. But--given she'd just run away from someone she'd thought of as her savior in a time of great needs (as well as a son of sorts in a strange, roundabout way), and witnessed the death of yet another one of her pseudo-sons, coupled with the insults--her arm had decided to act of its own accord. ...not that she felt very sorry about it. And she was hardly in a condition to do damage. It had been a bad (albeit well-aimed) throw. "You...you...shut up, you puffed-up, slag-eating--" she wound up for another throw, but she was pretty sure she was going to miss. |
![]() |
|
| Rodimus | 16 Jun 2016, 04:33 PM Post #8 |
|
watch me burn; bright, brighter, brightest
|
Rodimus was getting more suspicious about the little Decepticon and he was in no mood to deal with suspicious little Decepticons, especially ones that threw insults his way when he was already in a poor mood. Not that he'd been in any sort of good mood, ever since the ship had come in contact with the enigma that the scientists on board had decided was at fault for all the newcomers on board and the various stories they seemed to have. His already short temper was limited to a few exchanges before he was set off; which sort of explained the bar fight, the argument with Magnus, the fist-fight with Dipstick that had started with the other mech's unfortunate timing with a few involuntary curse words - okay, Rodimus did feel bad about that after, because of Dipstick's coprolalia, and he had apologized later. But there were no apologies on the agenda for this tiny little gear-grinder, especially when she toss a spare wrench at him. "Hey!" he exclaimed, dodging the tool with an ease that only came with having Ratchet for a ship's medic for any period of time. "Listen here, pipsqueak. I don't know who you think you are, but the only one who gets to call me any of that is Ratchet! I answered your question, it's not my fault you don't believe me!" Where was the security team? Maybe Megatron was right about all the slackers on the ship. Whatever, Rodimus was not in the mood to just stand around and wait for the security team. He could handle this Decepticon. What was she going to do, throw more tools? Please. Stepping towards her, Rodimus kept his guard up, readying his flame jets in case he actually needed to defend himself. "You wanna see Vos and Kaon for youself, I'll gladly toss you down the garbage chute to see them." |
![]() |
|
| Catawampus | 16 Jun 2016, 06:37 PM Post #9 |
|
So much panic, so little time!
|
So she missed. Twice. She was upset (clearly), and she could barely string a sentence together; between fatigue and a lack of sustenance Nickle was surprised she could even get that far. Still, she mused as she took stock of the somewhat floridly-colored Autobot in front of her, this could work to her advantage in a way. It wasn't like she even needed to play it. Here Nickle--for only the second time, really--was on enemy territory. You didn't need to try to have someone throw you in the brig in that case! Either way, Nickle took stock of what she still had--she'd only lost a wrench and an awl. She was relatively sure she still had the mini blowtorch on hand, but--in the heat of the moment--she couldn't remember. And she couldn't exactly poke around in her armor to double-check. But that was of secondary importance: the main objective was Vos...and Kaon, if he wasn't lying. She'd watched Kaon die but...well, she could hope. Defying all logic, she'd ended up on a ship in space after just seconds before being planetside in the Peaceful Tyranny; anything was possible, she supposed. So--might as well... "I'd like to see you try--" And a string of very colorful and...imaginative...names followed. |
![]() |
|
| Rodimus | 19 Jun 2016, 10:17 PM Post #10 |
|
watch me burn; bright, brighter, brightest
|
Oh, that's how it was going to be, was it? Rodimus was not going to put up with the insults being hurled at him. He got enough of that from the Decepticons that had protested being fit with inhibitor claws and dosed with a variation of the Fool's Energon that Megatron was on - admittedly, Rodimus thought his own order was going a little too far, but considering it was two of the DJD on the ship, he'd rather take his chances with pushing a bit on his orders; weakening the Decepticons like they'd done with Megatron was a better idea to him than letting them run about unchecked. But back to this foul-mouthed, hot-headed tripping hazard. Rodimus bristled from the insults thrown at him and he took a few more steps, towering over the Decepticon. "You think I won't? I've dealt with 'Cons ten times your size, you little -- " And there he went, matching her insult for insult. Countless battles and fights and overheard exchanges between fighting Autobots and Decepticons had given Rodimus a wealth of insults and names to sling about and his litany of insults wasn't going to run short any time soon. Although, if the security team got down to the shuttle bay to find him throwing insults back and forth with a Decepticon maybe a quarter of his size, he'd never hear the end of it. |
![]() |
|
| Catawampus | 21 Jun 2016, 04:46 PM Post #11 |
|
So much panic, so little time!
|
There would be comments indeed, given Nickle wasn't about to be cowed. He was leaning in, but she was matching him for that; with Rodimus bending down, that just meant eye-level was that much easier to reach. Nickle could cow Helex and Tesarus--even if they both had hands bigger than her torso. Rodimus was only a fraction of their size, and annoying her on top of all that. To make things even worse, he wasn't bringing her to Vos and supposedly Kaon, so her plan was backfiring. It wasn't hard to genuinely rile her after that. Not after the week she'd had. Not after...everything. "--and you stand here and lecture me about factions and badges when the lot of you rest on your afts, so slagging smug in your sanctimonious, self-righteous, self-important fantasies!" ((I was actually planning on having her go on her lecture proper after she finds out he's low-key poisoning the other Cons on the ship. Also, sorry for the short post--I haven't been feeling so well this week.)) |
![]() |
|
| Rodimus | 23 Jun 2016, 09:57 PM Post #12 |
|
watch me burn; bright, brighter, brightest
|
Rodimus could tell that she was used to being able to yell and command, no matter who was taller. He was reminded of Ratchet, the way the small Decepticon held herself while she berated him. Even her choice of words made him think of Ratchet, every time he'd seen the older medic truly angry - and Rodimus had been on the receiving end of Ratchet's lectures more than once. Now, he liked Ratchet well enough, but those lectures had always rubbed him the wrong way and the lecture from the 'Con in front of him brought up the same bubbling annoyance and rebellious spirit as the others. "Excuuuuse me, at least we're not the ones still killing innocent mechs after the war ended!" he shot back. Her interest in the DJD members led Rodimus to believe she had connections to them and that only made him angrier. "Your so-called Justice Division slaughtered an innocent ship and tore my security chief apart when all he ever did to them was save Vos' life! And you call us self-righteous??" |
![]() |
|
| Catawampus | 24 Jun 2016, 11:50 AM Post #13 |
|
So much panic, so little time!
|
It was hard to tell if that was a smile or a grimace that spread over Nickel's face. Maybe it was a little of both. And perhaps a little of wanting to just lean over and bite him. "Didn't name it--not my problem. Never has been. And as for innocents..." That grimace grew a little. "If they're on the List, ain't many of them innocent." She didn't particularly approve of the List--or at least their obsession with it. Nickel hadn't voiced her misgivings, and now she wished she had; maybe things wouldn't have turned out the way they had. Or maybe things would have turned even worse even sooner. She had to stifle a shudder at that thought. "As for justice--what do you call surgically implanting bombs in anyone wearing the wrong faction's badge, hm? I'm not stupid--I've heard the things coming out of Cybertron proper." Even if her info was out of date...by a long time. She wasn't going to admit that. "My point stands: self-righteous and self-important. 'Specially coming from the aftshaft with a shuttle in his own likeness and who can't be bothered to know who's on his own ship." Given the way he talked, he had to be someone in the command crew. And the personalized shuttle was giveaway, really. ((I...don't actually know if they know what had gone on at the beginning of ex-RiD. I needed to give her another talking point otherwise I just would have had her headbutt him. : / )) |
![]() |
|
| Rodimus | 3 Jul 2016, 09:27 PM Post #14 |
|
watch me burn; bright, brighter, brightest
|
"Who cares about the slaggin' List?!" Rodimus shot back, echoing her earlier shout. He didn't care about the list or who was on it or what for. This wasn't about the List or who was on it - well, in some cases, it was; Rodimus knew that Drift was on the list and the idea of keeping Vos and Kaon, and now this miniature Decepticon loudmouth, on board had him scared for his friend all over again. Rodimus was annoyed that he couldn't just drop the DJD off on the next uninhabited planet and leave them there to rust. "Two hundred mechs who had nothing to do with the List were torn apart without a thought! How can anyone stand by a group of murderers like that?" He did give a bit of a start at the mention of surgically implanted bombs. He'd never heard anything about that. He knew inhibitor chips had been put in a few Decepticons - so he'd been told - but he'd had no idea about any bombs. "We left Cybertron. We had nothing to do with any bombs! All we wanted was a new start, a chance to live without war and weapons and endless death, but that's all we keep running into because of mechs like the DJD!" Overlord was his fault and Rodimus knew he would never be able to make up for that mistake, just like he'd never be able to make up for Nyon. The duplicate of the Lost Light and the slaughter of the crew was at the hands of the DJD. Trailcutter's death was on DJD hands, though Rodimus felt just as responsible for his death because he was the captain, Trailcutter had died under his command. At the slight towards his command and the Rod Pod, Rodimus was ready to kick her across the shuttle bay. "You slag-eating little - " The sound of heavy footfall interrupted him mid-insult as a trio of security mechs finally showed up on the bay floor, rounding the corner with guns drawn (more than at the ready, in Strafe's case, with the trigger-happy Autobot's finger already on the trigger). The three mechs formed a semi-circle around the little Decepticon and looked to Rodimus for an order, which he was glad to give. "Take her into custody. We'll take her down to the Con floor if she behaves herself." (ooc; feel free to have Nickel cause a bit of chaos with the security bots, I just wanted them to interrupt Rodimus) |
![]() |
|
| Catawampus | 4 Jul 2016, 05:23 AM Post #15 |
|
So much panic, so little time!
|
((Will do--we've been waffling a bit!)) Some part of her mind was probably appalled at that, but she didn't care. At least...she hadn't care. Until recently--very recently, actually. The misadventure with Kaon had left her more shaken than she'd have ever admitted. Part of her was beginning to cringe away, but yet...not. Being surrounded by death hadn't been something that bothered her for a very long time. Which was probably, in hindsight, why the Autobot captain made her so angry. Times were a-changing, and she didn't like the speed. She'd watched someone dear to her--for the second time in her life, though not wholesale this time around--die. Watched someone else formerly dear to her do it. Nickel was angry, because somewhere along the line she'd forgotten how to process things as anything else. So, once they were close enough--especially the one who already had their gun at the ready--Nickel went for the knees (it was usually a good start). She wasn't expecting to win, of course; she knew her limits. With three security goons, and all on her own, she was going to lose. But it made her feel better nonetheless. |
![]() |
|
| 1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous) | |
| « Previous Topic · Archived Threads · Next Topic » |
| Theme: Acerbic | Track Topic · E-mail Topic | 12:44 AM Jul 11 |




