randomplaces | RID 'verse. Megastar and environs. Mapping the shadows

Liedherz: Ro-tor, come help me vith the shadow sign posts

Ro-tor: Who're you putting up signs for? *but he's coming over*

Liedherz: Me, mostly. But you'll be able to use them too, if you get into the shadows.

Ro-tor: *snicker* Like that's gonna happen. *amused* Where're they gonna point to?

Liedherz: I've taken you in before. Useful points on the Megastar und other places.

Ro-tor: Huh. All right. *bored with his partner up in orbit*

Liedherz: *hands him the sign posts and drags him into the shadows.* *same chilly nothing as before*

Ro-tor: *holds the posts, looking around again, though it's not so much his optics he's paying attention to*

Ro-tor: OK, where do I put them?

Liedherz: Right here, to start.

Ro-tor: *checks the posts to see if they've got names on them*

*nope, but if he listens he can hear them, and each one's got a different tone* *or a different pattern of sound*

Ro-tor: *less sensitive to the sound than to the feel of the vibrations; 'listens' for a couple of seconds* Weird. Which one goes here?

Liedherz: It doesn't matter.

Ro-tor: *establishing nav points, he's got it* ...OK then. *picks a random one and tries driving it into the ground* *it goes easily, right up to the little knob on the top*

Ro-tor: *isn't sure it's supposed to be that far in, so he pulls it back a bit*

Liedherz: *listening* Nein, that's gut. It vill keep it from being moved.

Ro-tor: Who's gonna move it in here? *shoves it back down*

Liedherz: Ve're not the only vones who valk the shadows in this reality, I find.

Ro-tor: Oh? *pause, and he stares at her, though his expression doesn't change* Who else does?

Liedherz: I don't know if they're a who.

Ro-tor: *visor brightens* Then what?

Liedherz: I've only heard them in the distance so far. But they don't sound very nice.

Ro-tor: *looks back at the signpost* Then do you think we should be leaving them signs to find us with?

Liedherz: They can't hear them.

Ro-tor: How do you know? *full of questions, this one*

Liedherz: Because I planted that vone you hear over there und vatched it, und they never came to investigate.

Ro-tor: Oh. Where do you want these ones, then?

Liedherz: *strides forward, mentally counting steps* This is the vay into Mega Octane's lab

Ro-tor: *makes a note* *wonders how his boss will like this when he hears it* *plants another post*

Liedherz: *stops and looks up at him* You don't vant to be telling him about this.

Ro-tor: Huh?

Liedherz: Mega-Octane doesn't need to know about these. Megatron does... if he listened to me.

Ro-tor: *wary shifting* If Megatron should know, what's wrong with telling Mega-Octane?

Liedherz: I don't trust him.

Ro-tor: *tenses, visor flaring* What?

Liedherz: Ve've... just had difference of opinion on things. I vouldn't hurt him unless he tried hurting me or Megatron first. *muttering* Or vone of you

Ro-tor: ...We serve Megatron. *firmly* Mega-Octane included.

Liedherz: He alvready knows I can use the shadows. He doesn't need to know you can. *pause, and pull out the post for Mega-Octane's lab and offer it back to him. She knows the way from the other posts anyway*

Ro-tor: *takes it* And why're you doing that? *mildly suspicious*

Liedherz: I alvready know vhat's in there anyvay *puts a hand on him and takes a step* *the last signpost suddenly sounds distant*

Ro-tor: Uh-huh. *has recorded where it would have been, anyway* *has not informed her, of course, that there is no way he could not tell Mega-Octane - and besides, he doesn't see why Mega-Octane shouldn't know* *And he looks around sharply, rotor blades twisting a bit*

Liedherz: This is vhere I've been stealing that energon

Ro-tor: *very interested now*

Liedherz: Post?

Ro-tor: *and into the ground it goes* Where is it?

Liedherz: An Autobot storeroom. Und before you decide to go make trouble remember that I know vhere you sleep und vhat you're afraid of.

Ro-tor: *huffily* I'm not afraid of anything. And making trouble's my job. *would go and see this storeroom, but getting out of the shadows without Liedherz would be, uh, difficult*

Liedherz: *exactly* Do you vant energy or fun?

Ro-tor: Yes. *smug*

Liedherz: In the case of this storevroom you can't have both

Ro-tor: Why not? They're the same thing, aren't they? *almost sounds sad*

Liedherz: They'll up the security und the energon von't be so easy to get if they know who's taking it. *nicks through and comes back with a can*

Ro-tor: If it's in their base... *suddenly very intent* ...then we have more important things to do than take the energy. *It's like telling a cat there's a bowl full of carp behind the screen door*

Liedherz: It's a varehouse. I think they're hiding it from somevone

Ro-tor: *disappointed* Oh.

Liedherz: *sets the can where they can get it easily, then proceeds to lead him all over the place and explore many outlets, planting many posts in the process.* *finally sticks her head through one shadow and chuckles.*

Ro-tor: *headtilt* What's through there?

Liedherz: *looks up at him and listens to how many posts are left... sees that they're down to two.* Plant a post, 'n I'll show you.

Ro-tor: *sticks one down*

Liedherz: Are you vell charged?

Ro-tor: *curious* Yeah...

Liedherz: Get your gun vready.

Ro-tor: *wary, but this sounds fun* *summons his gun from subspace*

Liedherz: *Leads him out of the shadow and right into the Autobot rec room*

*And there is yelling from Wedge, and one of his fellow Build Team members falling off their chair. And Ro-tor gives a yelp of surprise himself, and starts taking shots at Wedge*

Liedherz: *brings him back to the shadow* More?

Ro-tor: *holds back a hiss* ...Let me get the others. *then ruination with a capital R*

Liedherz: Not yet. I've got better places for them to go. *looks over her shoulder thoughtfully*

Ro-tor: *suspicious* Like where?

Liedherz: Storevrooms und vorksites und such. *peeks back into the rec room through the shadow, invisible to anyone in the room*

Wedge: *insisting it was a Decepticon to a worried-looking Grimlock; pointing out the marks on his armour*

Ro-tor: ...Why would you send them to worksites?

Liedherz: *straightens and looks up at Ro-tor* Vanna kick Grimlock in the aft?

Ro-tor: *perks* Oh yeah!

Liedherz: *brings him through again*

Wedge: *calling on the base AI to back him up here*

Grimlock: *gets shot in the tail and is NOT HAPPY*

Liedherz: *quickly brings Ro-tor back in and listens to the result*

*There is less argument and more 'How the slag did he get in?' and 'Where'd he go?' There's a female voice speculating along with them, Grimlock complaining and Wedge being furious*

Ro-tor: If we do that again they'll probably get Optimus Prime in. *visor narrowed slightly*

Liedherz: *listening* Vanna kick his aft?

Ro-tor: *hesitates - Primus it's tempting - but reluctantly looks down* I can't go up against him and all his loser friends on my own.

Liedherz: You're not alone. Do you know vhat 'blitzkrag' means?

Ro-tor: ...Clone army in a can? *Movor-impression*

Liedherz: Lightening attack. You strike like lightening to demoralize the enemy

Ro-tor: Sounds great, but if it's just one guy popping up in their base, they're just gonna wonder why we aren't attacking for real. *well... he's wondering that*

Liedherz: Exactly. Mess vith their heads. *ears twitching in a big grin*

Ro-tor: *would like that, but the notion of obliterating the base is all-important* But shouldn't we just finish them off?

Liedherz: *sigh* My programming von't let me.

Ro-tor: *stare* You have programming?

Liedherz: My people vere created to be veapons, just like you. But our creator gave us a conscience.

Ro-tor: ...Wow. That sucks.

Liedherz: If any of them try to harm any of you I vouldn't hesitate, but... *shakes head and grumbles, ears back*

Ro-tor: *incredulous* Why would you protect us?

Liedherz: *out loud* You're interesting. *inwardly* -You're my family.-

Ro-tor: *gets that, though he doesn't like it* Huh. You've got a weird idea of a hobby.

Liedherz: I'm going to live nearly forever. I might as vell find something that amuses me.

Ro-tor: *snorts* Right. Just don't let Scourge hear you put it like that.

Liedherz: He's vone of the funniest. *ears perk* Hmmm, over this vay.

Ro-tor: *follows, mildly indignant* What's so funny about him?

Liedherz: I don't know. *stops and peeks* The big red vone's standing there in the hall, listening to the vones ve just buzzed und vondering if he vants to know.

Ro-tor: *snickers* With a 'team' like that, what's he expect? *yay contempt*

Liedherz: *puts a hand on him and brings him out into the hall behind Prime*

Ro-tor: *freezes* *tempting!* *and then there's a shuriken in his hand*

Liedherz: *points to Prime's aft*

Prime: *picks up the reading and T-AI's warning; turns in time to duck... because Ro-tor aimed for his neck*

Liedherz: *zaps him with flame and takes Ro-tor back* Stupid! You aimed too high. *brings him out again, once more behind Prime*

Ro-tor: *lunges straight for Prime this time, gun out and planning to fire it somewhere sensitive*

Liedherz: *watching and ready to get him out of danger if needed*

*Prime's caught off-guard as Ro-tor catches him by the shoulder and rams a knee into his back, but manages to twist aside so that the shot only rakes his side - and then he and the smaller Decepticon are struggling, the AI calling the other Autobots out to help him*

*and Liedherz brings them both into the shadows, ready to punt Prime back as soon as she can get them apart*

Prime: *catches the Decepticon and drags him around, hoping to offline him long enough to get him under control- and then spots where they are* What the-

Liedherz: *jumps up and socks him in the face*

Prime: *jerks back, out of surprise as much as pain, and looks around* *to Ro-tor, dryly* When you want me to come out and play, you're pretty insistent, aren't you?

Liedherz: Let go of him, you glitch. *flame*

Prime: *twitches under fire, having to grapple with a very pissy Decepticon* Why don't you introduce yourself first?

Liedherz: I am the terror that valks in the night. *kicks him in the aft*

Prime: *jerks and manages to smack Ro-tor silly, then turns around, one hand gripping the stunned 'Con by the shoulder, frowning as he scans the darkness* Very poetic, but who are you? And where is this? *determined to get to the bottom of this*

Liedherz: *angry now* *Flames right in his face* Mein name ist Liedherz!

Prime: *raises an arm to catch the flames, letting go of Ro-tor as he takes a step back*

Liedherz: *punts him through, then lands on her feet and kicks Ro-tor*

Ro-tor: *shakes himself, blades twitching* ...Slag.

Liedherz: *kicks him again*

Ro-tor: *blinks at her* What?

Liedherz: *fake temper to cover her concern* I SAID AIM FOR HIS AFT! NOT BE A HERO UND TAKE OUT THE HERO!

Ro-tor: *glare* I aimed where I wanted to. *fingers twitch* And I wanted him dead.

Liedherz: *cold fury* Idiot. *another kick*

Ro-tor: *quiver* *couldn't really help himself* *quietly angry* I'll do what I want to.

Liedherz: *starts to retort, but then freezes as she realizes that the fight with Prime has attracted an audience*

Ro-tor: *eyes her, sensors out warily*