Ep 1.5 (AR) Boys and their toys (closed)

[Deleted]

The tank sat idling for a moment amidst a trail of strewn rubble. Its engine grumbled, stirring dust.

"One more," it said. "Then I'm good."

It transformed.

From the shape of the collapsing tank rose Maximus, shaking off a coating of pale concrete dust. He did not regain his feet quietly but burst up from his transformation with a roar of whirring parts, his tank treads already rotating to lock into place behind his back. The big sword was in his hands again as he lunged upright, his expression grimly set.

Only one structure remained at the end of the row of crushed dorm houses. Made of solid mortar and cement, the stocky generator building was squat and square, with a single solid metal door and a flat metal roof. Its solitary window was little more than a slit that peered out over the road. Cables extended from its walls down into the ground, or else ran from its roof to nearby telephone poles.

Maximus charged it.

He held the sword behind him in a two-handed grip, the tip angled low. It skipped once against the dirt before he heaved, swinging both arms to bring the massive blade whining in a horizontal arc. It hummed through the air as Maximus locked his legs and went into a slide.

He tore past the generator building within a cloud of dust. The sword roared around. It hit the side of the building and blasted through it, sending chunks of pulverized concrete exploding into the air. A second later the blade erupted out of the opposite wall.

Breathing hard, the big mech skidded to a halt as the decapitated building collapsed into rubble behind him.

Slowly, Maximus relaxed his grip over the sword hilt.

The tip of the blade crunched into the ground. He wiped dust from his optics and looked around at Wheeljack. "There. So. Guess it really will slice concrete. Good race."

[Deleted]

Wheeljack admired the collapsing house. Okay, so now he was reconsidering his stance on not being a tankformer. That had been...impressive.

In more ways than one. The Wrecker's focus had been on Fortress Maximus, evaluating his stance and grip on the blade. Aside from the dip against the ground, the strike had been well-executed, especially for a first time user. Wheeljack had figured Fort Max's extensive combat experience would serve him well here. After a while, you knew what your frame could and could not do and how to work with whatever was in your servos. It would take time and a lot of experience before Fort Max was capable of more advanced forms and moves. But for the basics, simply smashing and slicing? The big mech had those covered.

"Good race," he replied. A dark smirk was pulling at the bottom of Wheeljack's lip plates as he contemplated Fort Max and an idea that had been brewing at the back of his mind for a grand total of 10 astroseconds.

"Want to come with while I do a bit of surveying?" the Wrecker asked. "Got a few sites I was thinking would make good spots for energon deposits. Haven't been able to check them out yet cause of all the new arrivals and the work that keeps pilling on."

Wheeljack hadn't been able to actually confirm the presence of energon. It tended to be hit and miss, the parameters he used to filter out ideal locations weren't very precise but they did the job more often than not. That was where surveying in person came in, to actually physically check if he was correct or not.

Of course, there was no way to tell if the locations were already occupied by Decepticon mines. But the Cons, Wheeljack figured, were just added bonuses.

[Deleted]

Maximus held the sword out at arm’s length for a moment, inspecting the blade. His expression was one of satisfaction.

“Yeah, all right,” he said.

He reached back and dropped the sword through the clip at the small of his back. Once the weapon’s weight was off his arm he rolled one big shoulder, feeling the plating shift and the rotors whir. Dust had built up in the joints, which ached from swinging the heavy blade. It had been a while since he'd experienced that feeling.

Felt good.

Maximus shook his arm out and looked down at Wheeljack with interest. The Wrecker was proving to be a repository of useful skills and information. His flair for combat didn’t hurt either, nor did his desire to seek it out.

“So, where are these sites you want to survey?” he said. “We’ll call for a bridge and check them out. Has any Decepticon reported at any of them?”

[Deleted]

It had been a lifetime ago since Wheeljack had worked with the Wreckers. Since then, he really hadn't met other Autobots who'd simply just wander into combat as readily as he did. There would be quietly suggestions to maybe move on, to sneak past them from his occasional refugee-turned-passenger. Wheeljack would ignore them and chase after the Cons in the Jackhammer without a second thought, much to the eternal horror of the Autobots he rescued. For some odd reason, they never did hang around long after that.

So, having someone who'd tag along and not admonish him or try to curtail his violent impulses? It was like the second best thing in the 'verse, the first of course being Bulkhead and the rest of the Wreckers.

"Amongst other places, my list has Langkawi, Malaysia, the Misty Mountains in Australia, Abisko in Sweden, Salou, Spain and Siwa, Eygpt," Wheeljack answered. "Supposedly, all quite interesting places. No Decepticons confirmed but finding out if they're there will be half the fun."

(To be cont...in another thread. Maybe. Eventually)