[ti]Ep 2[/ti]Ep 2- Dancing In The Ring of Fire [ Closed | Bumblebee ]

[Bumblebee]

--Well yeah, I know we're in a war! Was sparked durin' it! It's all I know man!-- What he didn't know was that Breakdown was a last-sparked like him, which was a shame – if they were on the same team, he may have found a friend in Breakdown for this reason alone.

--That don't mean that ya can't have some downtime though! What do ya do? Just.. Punch walls? That don't sound fun, man.--

He was lucky in that the Autobots allowed a little more freedom and weren't as rigid or strict with their rules. Sure there was the buddy system, but it worked and nobody had complaints about it. The overall atmosphere was a lot more relaxed than on the Nemesis, it seemed, which was no doubt 'all work, no play, and no fun allowed'. No wonder they all seemed to have a stick up their aft.

--So how come Knock Out gets to go have fun and you don't? Ya should go with him or something! Even if ya aint racing, driving around is fun.--

He was a little jealous. Knock Out got to go racing, some freedom from the strict rules of the Nemesis; whereas Bumblebee wasn't allowed to race against humans, even with the semi-relaxed nature of the Autobots. He wasn't aware that Knock Out actually broke so many rules and protocols and had to sneak out to do so. Bee would never dare do that, as tempting as it was sometimes.

Breakdown's comment about Bee giving Knock Out an edge made him smile under his mouth guard.

--I still say I should race against him sometime. Do need that rematch, afterall! Especially if he complains 'bout humans being slow. No better time than durin' this truce! Then it'd be a friendly rematch.-- A nice little throwback to the fact Knock Out had used weapons last time they raced, and it was anything but friendly.

He was working as he talked, wanting to get out of here as soon as possible. Items were sorted. The massive pile of crates was quickly reduced to merely a couple, then one, then none.

--I'm ready, yeah! I aint sure where we're goin'.. Just outside I guess? Drive from there, see if we find anythin'?--

That sounded good, since this seemed to just be a random suggestion that was now actually happening, without any real thought process involved. It'd been a while since Bumblebee had done any scouting for resources, and he severely doubted they would find anything around here. Still, getting Breakdown out driving was the first step. Even if they didn't find anything, driving sounded good, and he could hopefully coax Breakdown into a race, or at least see somewhat what the other Mech was capable of. Which probably wasn't much, given Breakdown's avoidance of racing.

He'd do a double check that everything was in the proper place, because even though he'd been rushing with his work, he didn't want to have to redo everything. Things looked good, and he'd stretch his arms above his head before shaking them out.

He would lead Breakdown through the DMZ before they got to the Atrium. Here, he would input commands into the control panel that powered the Ground Bridge, the co-ordinates were for outside – Bee didn't quite feel like navigating the crazy mineshafts of this place to find the actual exit, if there even was one. He'd originally bridged in, and he was sure they'd be able to bridge back on the off-chance they did find something. If not? They could both bridge back to their respective bases once they were done.

--Aight lets go I guess! Race ya!--

He chuckled as he shifted into his alt-form, mostly joking about racing. He sped through the yellow-green swirl that made up the Ground Bridge and onto the other side. He would slow once through, waiting for Breakdown to catch up. The area seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. The sun high in the sky, the area filled with dusty dry earth. There were no set roads, not for a few miles out at least. This really was the middle of nowhere. Totally not Bee's type of terrain to drive on, but he would make do with no complaints.

--You probably do this more than I do, given the Decepticons seem to find all the Energon deposits before we do.. Soooo now it's your turn to lead on!--

There was some bitterness in his tone as he spoke. Resources were needed more at the Omega Outpost than the DMZ, but.. He doubted they would find anything out here anyway.

[Breakdown]

      The kid was talking a mile a minute and halfway through Breakdown was only paying partial attention. The beeps and clicks and whines he gave, while easily translated to them, was still a bit pesky to hear from someone who actually enjoyed long spans of silence. The bits and pieces he did pick up on made up an interesting story, though. Especially when he mentioned being sparked during the war. Breakdown knew that Bee was young, but how young had never really crossed his processor before. One of the last sparked? Breakdown could at least relate to that.

      "The war's all I know as well. Sparked right smack during it; Never known anything but the front lines and how to survive them. I have very limited ideas on what 'fun' is. Driving around, wasting time, racing? That's not really my taste of an enjoyable pastime. Smashing in the faceplates of Autobots is right at the top of my list since I was thrown on the field, but with the truce and all? Yeah. Seems my fun has to be put on hold for now."

      Breakdown just followed the yellow Autobot, figuring that he knew where he was going in the facility. He'd just have to keep up, which was easy to do, and halfway listen.

      Seemed that Bumblebee was interested in the rematch with Knock Out. He'd have to let his partner know about it... maybe. He didn't think for a second that the cherry red medic would pass up what he considered a challenge, which meant that Breakdown would have to come up with some story why the doc wasn't in the medbay. Probably a bit easier since there was a truce and he could toss around the idea that the two were settling their differences for the time being to scout for resources - as Breakdown and Bee were 'currently doing'- and would just have to hope that no one was sent out after him ( no one outside of Breakdown, of course ).

     The thought of having to explain yet another reason why Knock Out wasn't around made him vent aloud. The sound of Bee's shout pulled him out of said thoughts. He snapped out of his daze in time to see Bee rush through the bridge. Breakdown scoffed some and started rushing after him, transforming just before he reached the portal, and driving on through. He wasn't hurrying even though Bee had thrown out a challenge to him. He wasn't as easy to be swayed into that as Knock Out was. He'd already made his mentions concerning it and wasn't about to just start darting through when he knew he couldn't even dream of reaching mach one.

     Breakdown was greeted by Bee's words as he appeared on the other side of the bridge, driving straight at his normal speed. "Alright. I'll let you know when I find something." He turned on his sensors and started to scan around a several mile radius for any sign of a fresh energon trail. "So far my sensors pick up nothing. Maybe we can pick up something the further out we get. I would assume that anything in this immediate area has already been tapped."

[Bumblebee]

Bumblebee actually had no idea that Breakdown was a war-sparked like he was. Breakdown acted so much more mature than Bee. Then again, if Bumblebee was stuck working with someone like Knock Out on the no-fun-allowed Nemesis like Breakdown was? He'd probably be a lot more reserved and serious – no doubt out of fear of being punished. While Bumblebee did enjoy quiet time now and again, he much preferred having fun, or at least finding ways to make the most mundane of tasks fun!

It kept things interesting, and made things more enjoyable. Or at least Bee thought so! He quite often turned things into games, or little competitions. Even quiet, solo ones against himself. Like unpacking a box faster than the last one he'd unpacked, or lifting something a little bit heavier than the last thing he lifted. He had a drive for competition and winning, which was partly why he brought up a rematch with Knock Out.

Although he wasn't actually all too bothered about the rematch with the Decepticon Medic. If it didn't end up being a thing? He wouldn't lose any recharge over it. There was the fact, however, that not being able to finish the original race often had him wondering how it would've turned out if Knock Out hadn't.. Well, attacked him, and then kidnapped that kid. Now the truce was in play, too, it was as good a time as any. Sure Bumblebee wasn't allowed to race with humans as it was against the rules, but there was nothing really said about having a friendly rematch.

He knew he would've easily won that first race, and wanted to prove to himself – and to Knock Out – that he would win another.

Including a race against Breakdown, which he would get – one way or another before this day was over. Or at least he hoped so.

He didn't expect Breakdown to accept his jokey challenge, so hadn't pulled far ahead from the groundbridge once he'd made his way through, waiting for Breakdown to catch up. At seeing the other mech behind him? He set off, driving alongside Breakdown slowly and taking in the surroundings. Earth was amazing in that it had so many different types of terrain and different things to explore. He still wasn't sure where they actually were but at least it was nice out.

--I'm scannin' too, buuuut I aint findin' anything. I guess we gotta go further this way like ya said. Maybe find a road or somethin'. Might make this easier, and faster!-- He'd laugh, not that he really cared about the terrain – it wasn't like there were humans around so he could shift between alt and root mode if there was somewhere particularly challenging for him. Bee liked a bit of rough and tumble and had no issues getting dirty, so would stay in his alt form for now.

He'd pull back just slightly, continuing to drive at Breakdown's side – although lingering a half second or so behind him. He was going to coax Breakdown into this race somehow, he just wasn't sure how. His first 'attempt' would be drive a little slower so that Breakdown would speed up in an attempt to hurry things along.

--Soo... Why don't ya find driving fun? I mean.. There's somethin' awesome about drivin' around like this! Dirt beneath ya wheels, dust kicking up behind ya and takin' in the sights? How aint that fun?--

Even if Breakdown didn't think driving was fun, Bee was enjoying himself – even in the company of a Decepticon...

...A very slow Decepticon.

[Breakdown]

     Breakdown knew that the little scout wasn't going to give up on trying to get him to race but h wasn't about to fall for it. He had said that he wasn't going to race and he was bound and determined to keep to that word. He just kept going at the same pace he had been, knowing that if the little scout at his side kept bothering him he could just give him a good bump from the broad side of his alt mode to- hopefully- knock him off his kick.

     "Driving around in the open where an attack can come from any direction, with your senses too focused on enjoying what you're doing to notice is your idea of fun? Wow, Beeps. No thanks. When I'm outside the Nemesis it's usually for a mission's sake, not exploration of a planet for anything more than needed resources. You can't let your guard down."

     Okay, that may have been a TINY white lie. Breakdown did enjoy the driving around bits sometimes. Earth provided him with some offroad terrain perfect for his alt mode that simply wasn't available to him anywhere on Cybertron. So, yeah, that was kind of entertaining- not that he was about to admit it since not only would Bee not let that fact go, but if any of the Decepticons found out they'd probably remind him of their intentions here. The 'save the planet' routine was the job of the Autobots and Breakdown wasn't about to be caught with any ideas that may even be somewhat comparative to the other faction's cause.

     Other than the mild conversation he really didn't seem to be paying much mind to Bee. He was busy trying to pick up the familiar ping from anything that could be useful to them, while also keeping his visuals peeled for the sight of MECH. Bee's attempts to get him to race were the least of his concerns. If anything, the little scout provided him with an extra set of optics to keep peeled for trouble.

     Speaking of trouble?

     'Probably should comm Knock Out and let him know I'm gonna be gone a little longer than expected...'

[Bumblebee]

--Ya need to get out more, man,--

Attacked out in the open? Really? Sure MECH were a very scary threat, and suuuuure Breakdown had been captured by them before – but that shouldn't stop him, or anyone, from driving around! Maybe the Decepticons didn't have the buddy system like the Autobots did. Honestly how would anyone get anything done if they were always too scared to leave their respective bases? Plus the chances of MECH being out here were... Well, slim to none.

--Ya don't just focus on driving, ya pay attention to ya surroundings too. That's just common sense! If ya just focus on the driving part and nothing else, then of course ya leaving yourself open to attack!--

He'd pull ahead a little so he was now driving alongside Breakdown. He'd inch ahead so he was infront just slightly, then pull back so he was alongside. He'd repeat this a few times, as if trying to get Breakdown to speed up. It wasn't working.

Uggghh.

--Cut loose, man! C'mon! We aint gonna get attacked out here! We're in the middle of nowhere!--

Speaking of paying attention to their surroundings? Suddenly and without warning, the very Earth below them would begin to rumble and shake. While it was only a small Earthquake in the grand scheme of things – because lets face it some could be really bad – cracks began to appear around the two Cybertronian as they drove.

Bee would speed up again, field alert but slightly panicked. While he wasn't just thinking of himself, and did worry for Breakdown? The other mech was bigger than him, stronger and better armored. Therefore he had better survivability. Or at least should, right?

Not that it mattered any, even with Bee speeding ahead? A small sinkhole had begun to open beneath the pair that he couldn't avoid. While it wasn't a deep hole? It was wide enough for them both to tumble into. Bee would panic, shifting into his root-mode mid fall so he could at least try and brace himself.

It failed. While he was fast, he hadn't been fast enough to twist his frame into a better position. He landed hard on his back with a whine, staring up at the sky.

Okay so maybe there were exceptions to paying attention to your surroundings. There was no way either of them could've outrun whatever that was.

[Breakdown]

"I get out plenty. I just know I have a job to do when I'm out here, and that does not involve fun and games." Okay, plenty for him. Which was when he was either on route to check out an energon trails or driving with Knock Out ( Or chasing him down to bring him back home ). He did get to check out the sunsets and sunrises, so that was a plus. Not that it was anything he would share with Bee.

Speaking of the little yellow sprite? Breakdown had to give him points for effort, that was for sure. The little Bug of the Autobots was still trying to coax him into picking up speed. Even if Breakdown HAD wanted to race the little pest there really would have been no way. He wasn't a speed demon and even with pushing his alt mode to the limit the little yellow beeper would have driving circles around him.

He wasn't even going to give him the time of day.

Even as he was giving him instructions on how to drive and observe, Breakdown kept with his routine speed. He was much more used to Knock Out simply driving either slightly ahead or alongside and just dealing with his much slower partner. Breakdown really didn't need instructions on what he was doing or how to do it. He'd been out on the field in much worse circumstances than this back on Cybertron. He would always assume the worse and pay attention for any possibility of enemy incoming.

'I swear I'm gonna squish this little bug if he doesn't-'

That thought didn't get to finish before he felt the ground moving under his tires. Breakdown had started to slow down, slamming on his brakes so he could try to figure out what the heck the moving was and... the noise. There was what sounded like a low growl, like something beneath them was grumbling- alive? No, the Earth wasn't alive. Without even thinking about the fact that 'hey, there could be humans or MECH around', Breakdown on instinct transformed out of his alt mode since he felt safer when he had actual limbs to defend himself with. But there was no defending against this, and the moment he felt his pedes on the ground...

He didn't.

And he was falling.

Falling...?

And THUD.

There was something halfway under his left leg, propping it up into an uncomfortable position as he tried to roll completely on his back. Which took some great effort considering the tire that kept getting stuck alongside the wall behind him. When he finally managed to twist at least somewhat, he swung his leg off whatever it was he was on ( unaware that Bee's faceplate was RIGHT there ) and scoffed as he was greeted by the tangled legs of the much smaller, lankier yellow Autobot.

And his own pede- right in his faceplate- which he roughly shoved.

"Get your pede outta my face," he barked and shifted some again, trying to steady himself in an attempt to stand. "What in the name of the Pits was that? Did this damn planet just eat us or something?"

[Bumblebee]

Bumblebee didn't have a chance to reply to Breakdown's comment, which was a shame – as his next tactic to try and coax the other mech into racing would be some gentle teasing. If he could annoy him just enough, it might've gotten him to speed up a little. Sadly the Earth had other plans for them, it seemed, and no sooner had he thought up a reply did he find himself falling downwards.

As his pede was roughly shoved away he'd give a not-so-subtle kick at the other Mech in response, not that it'd do much damage or hurt him any, given his size. Grumbling as he pulled his leg away and tried to untangle himself from Breakdown, of who he was half sprawled on. Good thing he was moving, as Breakdown swung his own leg and Bee narrowly avoided getting kicked in the face. That woulda hurt!

He'd pull himself up to his pedes quickly, giving himself a quick look over. Aside from some minor scrapes and dings? No harm done! His self-repair would heal those over time. He shook his arms out gently, humming in thought.

--See that's how I know ya don't get out much! That was an Earthquake and this thing we're standin' in? A sinkhole I think!--

His servos would shift to his hips and he'd look up at the sky. They were lucky in that it wasn't too deep a hole, and would take nothing more than a short climb to get out. The problem was, was that the ground was so cracked and dry that it may require a little teamwork to get out of. Not that Bee would resort to that straight away, he wanted to do this for himself!

He'd begin to try and scramble his way up the dusty wall, but it was to no avail. The dirt he grabbed would crumble away in his servos, and his pedes would just dig into the dirt but find no footing.

Awesome. This was awesome.

--See, if ya had just accepted the race, we woulda been way past this spot and wouldn't be in a stupid hole!--

He blamed Breakdown for this.

[Breakdown]

     "So the planet ate us. Not that hard to just come out and say it." Breakdown managed to get to his pedes and looked up towards the top of the hole with a bit of a glare. It was far too high to just reach up and hoist himself out. They would need to climb out. He reached out to touch the dirty wall infront of him and curled his digits to test the solidity of the soil. It was no good- it practically crumbled in his servo. There was no way this stuff was going to support their weight.

     "Doesn't look like we can climb..." There was noise and Breakdown looked over his shoulder to Bee, who was trying to climb the wall. He was too short to reach the top, just as Breakdown had been ( and since he was taller by a good bit, he could have guaranteed that Bee would have never been able to just reach the top without a hoist of sorts. Now, if he had just listened, Breakdown could have spared the young scout's waste of energy by way of his scrambled attempts. He vented and shook his helm, about to speak again when Bee got to it first. 

     The words that came out of the yellow bot's mouth made Breakdown shut his own and just stare at him with an icy glare. Bee was really getting on his nerves now. This IDIOT was blaming HIM for them being stuck in this. He had to be. That tone wasn't as casual as it would have been should it have just been a matter-of-fact statement.


     "And if you hadn't been acting like a fragging sparkling I would have probably been able to spot the danger and we may have been able to avoid it!"

     Breakdown finally found words and lashed out. His fist swung and hit the wall beside him, causing dirt to come loose and fall to the ground below his pedes. Probably not the best thing to do when stuck in an already unstable hole in the ground, but he was just going on impulse reaction. After all, Breakdown's temper really was one to be cautious with- always had been. Even Knock Out knew better than to get the big brute too angry. One time of having to clean up Breakdown's messes after his temper got the better of him had been enough to teach his partner his lesson. For the Bots? Well, it was probably just considered 'passionate fighting spirit while facing one's opponent'. Heck, may have been the same covered told to the Cons as well ( with a warning to stay clear of Breakdown unless necessary ).

     It wasn't so easy to just let loose at the moment. Now they were under a truce and as much as Breakdown wanted to keep his temper in check, this little bot's statement had really pushed a button. Blaming HIM for this? That was uncalled for! He hadn't done anything wrong! What gave him the right to blame him for something that seemed to be one of Earth's weird normal acts?

     Of course the little scraplet is blaming you! What else would he be doing?! Pesky thing. Blaming you instead of his stupid self.
     'It wasn't my fault.'
     No, it wasn't. He just doesn't want to admit that it's HIS fault! Autobots. They always think they're better than everyone else. High-and-mighty fools.

     Breakdown vented heavily, a sign of his frustration partnered with his gruff tone. He calmed some, but he was still irritated, and he could hear that annoying little voice still chatting it up on the dark recesses of his processor.

     "Now, if you would shut up and focus, maybe we can figure a way out of this!"

[Bumblebee]

--Uuuuuh no? It didn't? If it ate us, we'd be dead, man!-- Bee laughed. He hadn't realized yet that Breakdown was infact annoyed when he said his statement. He was too busy trying to climb up and out of this stupid hole. However, every time he dug his pede into the side of the dirt wall, it'd carve rock away and zero progress was made. He wouldn't admit defeat though. He wasn't one to give up!

Not until Breakdown mentioned that he thought they couldn't climb it, then he'd pause for a moment to glance over his shoulder. He noticed he was now being glared at. Oookay? The situation sucked for the both of them, but at least Bee was trying to get outta this situation and not just stand there like a lost little lamb!

Then Breakdown lashed out hit the side of the wall. Bee was glad that he was out of striking range, and would take a precautionary step back just incase.

--Whoa dude, I don't think we coulda avoided this. Came from nowhere afterall! Then again this hole is only so big, so if we were racin' we woulda been way past it. Just sayin! And don't hit the wall, the thing is unstable enough as it is, don't want the whole thing collapsin' in on us. Cos that'd suck!-- His beeps level, not raising his voice any to the other mech.

It was the truth afterall. He wasn't sure why Breakdown had snapped at him, but they weren't going to get anything done if they just stood around yelling at each other, hence why Bee wouldn't snap back. Maybe Breakdown realized that Bee was right and the big blue mech was a sore loser or something.

--I am plenty focused. Since ya said we can't climb out, what do ya suggest we do? Can't hit the wall to try and get enough dirt, cos that'd just make the thing cave in on us.--

He'd glance up at the sky, his optics whirring. Of all the Decepticons to be stuck with, go figure he got stuck with one of the few who couldn't fly. Ugh.

[Breakdown]

     Breakdown could feel his temper boiling just under the surface. Knock Out had warned him about keeping it in check when the situation called for restraint. This was one of those times. Even though he would have much preferred to just tear Bee to pieces and leave him right here in this hole where he felt that the bugbot belonged, he knew that he couldn't. Not only were they under a truce in which such a thing would bring severe consequences, but they were also stuck in this hole in the ground in which neither of them would be able to get out of if they didn't..

     Ugh. Work together. Damn, that was almost a dirty phrase to use when addressing an Autobot! Made Breakdown's frame shudder. Then again, he'd done rather well with the organizing so he'd just have to pretend that it was like that.

     As he looked above them he took note of how high up the hole actually was. To an organic this would have been a dire situation, but to these two who were much taller in scale? It was merely an unfortunate, minor issue. They'd be able to get out of this easy once they actually tried to think on just how they were going to do it. Maybe try to contact someone? Breakdown attempted to use his comm to contact Knock Out

     ::Knock Out?:: Static. ::Knock Out? Do you read?:: More static. Either he had damaged his comm link int he fall or something in the ground around them was blocking the signal so that option was out for him. Now if it was just a matter of him knocking his signal out then Bee should have been able to radio for someone himself. As much as he didn't want to recruit the help of an Autobot, they were ( unfortunately ) comrades- on opposing sides fighting against a common foe. So he'd just have to deal with that.

     "My comm is out. See if you can get someone on yours. Don't know if it's interference or if I damaged it on the way down."

     Breakdown turned slightly, keeping his side facing to Bee. Even if he didn't think that the yellow bug could do anything significant to harm him, he still never turned his back to someone he considered to be an enemy. Hell, he didn't even turn his back on his OWN TEAM- and that wasn't only because they were Decepticons. It was just something ingrained in his processor that you don't give anyone the opportunity to blindside you, so that was what he was doing. Sheer habit, nothing more or less.

     Little did he know that the fall had actually cost him a bit. Somewhere along the way down he must have struck some construction chunk that stuck out of the ground because there was a small trickle of Energon running down his side from the seam of where his broad upper chassis met his midsection. Breakdown didn't even notice what was probably nothing more than a minor scratch by the way he went entirely unaware of it, or he was too focused on finding a way out of this mess that he may have overlooked some actual serious damage.

[Bumblebee]

Bumblebee had a short temper himself. But this whole ordeal of falling into a hole and being snapped at surprisingly hadn't set him off. He'd teased Breakdown gently about not wanting to race and this whole thing was because of that, sure, but that was as far as he would go. He knew damn well that if he were to take on the Decepticon before him in a fight? He wouldn't win. He may have been smaller and much faster, but down here there wasn't anywhere he could really run – and if Breakdown got a lucky hit with one of those hammers? Yeah that wouldn't end well.

He didn't notice Breakdown trying to comm, as he'd turned his attention from staring at the sky to make another scrambled attempt at climbing up the wall. It didn't work. Maybe if he got a short running start he could jump and climb up... Not that there was much room down here to even do that, but Bee was stubborn and would try regardless.

He took a couple steps back, crouched slightly as if ready to sprint... Then bolted forwards - only to stop mid-stride because Breakdown's voice distracted him. He'd turn to look at the other mech, arms out to the sides to catch his balance after the tiny but failed attempt at a running start.

--Huh? Ya comm aint working?-- Damn big guys really did fall harder. Or whatever that weird saying was. He had no idea. --I mean, I guess I can try mine. One sec!--

He wouldn't even try. Hells to the no. He'd been sent to deliver boxes to the DMZ. If they found out he'd gone outside of there, and with a Decepticon, and for no real reason? He probably would've got in trouble. So instead? He'd raise a servo to his helm as if making an attempt to call someone on the comm, holding it for a few seconds.

–...Nah, mine aint workin' either, man. Just static. Wonder if its from the fall or if it's cos of some weird interference, like ya said.-- He'd shrug his shoulders gently, glancing up again as if trying to work it out, before admitting defeat and lowering his arm once more and swiveling to look at Breakdown.

--Maybe if I stand on ya shoulders or somethin' I can try and comm out again? Since then I'd be...-- He'd tilt his helm though as he noticed something, his beeps trailing off as his train of thought derailed. He leant to the side, peering intently at Breakdown then. --Uuh... Ya do know that ya uh, bleeding there, right?-- He'd point with one servo to Breakdown's side. --Ya gonna be okay?--

It didn't look like much from over here, but leaking Energon was never good.

[Breakdown]

     It seemed like the fall had done more than just trap them in this stupid hole in the ground. According to Bee his comm was out as well. It had to have been some interference since he didn't think the little guy had actually hit the ground that hard. Then again, how was he supposed to really know? He'd pretty much almost landed right ON TOP of him, so maybe that had been a factor. Either way, they weren't able to call out for assistance so it was up to them to...

     Work together.

     That thought almost made Breakdown shudder. Yeah, they had been doing well putting away supplies but they had been in a much larger location with orders to follow. This was the result of them going out and having the ground give out under them- no orders given to be outside of the base, no real excuse other than 'Bee made me'. As if anyone could really make Breakdown do anything ( other than Megatron or Knock Out, while everyone else he just looked at like they had a few screws loose or some faulty wires in their processors ). They had to do this alone, as a two-mech team, and hope that it was enough to get them out.

     This had to be Primus's idea of a really bad joke. Seriously. And if Knock Out found out there would certainly be some fussing happening that he just didn't feel like dealing with.

     Breakdown was only half listening to what Bee was saying, too focused on looking up and trying to figure out if there was a way for them to climb out. The ground around them was soft and would crumble under Breakdown's servo, so it seemed impossible. When he heard the suggestion of standing on his shoulders, the dark blue mech started to pay a bit more mind, just in time to hear that he was apparently leaking energon.

     He turned to look at his side- or at least made the attempt to- but the broad frame around him made it difficult to see just what the BugBot was talking about. There was none on the ground so it couldn't have been severe if that was even true. Honestly, Breakdown hadn't even felt it and nothing hurt so it wasn't something he had noticed. Normally Knock Out would have been all over the possibility of an injury in this situation, but since Bee was the only one he had on servo to aid him?

     "Hm. I can't see it, can't feel it. I don't think it's bad. Can you check it out? Make sure that I can't feel it cause I damaged a sensor or something?" Breakdown paused, thinking over the request. "And if you try anything funny, truce or not, I'll bash your helm in." There we go. That was probably enough of a threat to ward off any possible ploy Bee may have to disable Breakdown while in close range. Just to be safe.

[Bumblebee]

Bumblebee actually felt fine after the little fall. Then again he was smaller, and uh... Probably didn't have as far to fall. Something like that. Logic. It made sense in his processor. It probably helped that he'd half landed ontop of Breakdown, then again crash landing onto the metal frame of another Cybertronian was probably not as pleasant or soft as landing on the dirt and rocks beneath.

Ah well. They were both alive. 

If it weren't for the fact he was terrified of getting into trouble, it would've been evident that he was more than alright – due to the fact he could use his comm. But Breakdown had bought his little lie about there being no signal, which meant that they would have to work this out for themselves. At least this way nobody would ever know! Well, at least Autobot side. Breakdown had hurt himself like an idiot so they'd work out that something had happened, but that wasn't exactly Bumblebee's problem.

Plus this way he'd get to show off a little bit. He could work this problem out easy. While they couldn't climb it on their own, there had to be a way to get the both of them out of here without relying on outsiders for help. And Bee would work it out, thus proving that the Decepticons were idiots.

Speaking of.. He couldn't help but snicker quietly as Breakdown tried in vain to look at the wound. Bee was thankful that he was of smaller frame. If he had a wound in the same spot as Breakdown? He could've looked at it easy! This was hilarious to watch! Not that he'd laugh out loud or show any form of amusement at the others discomfort, however. He didn't want a hammer to the face!

--Can't feel it?-- He beeped quizzically, stepping forward at Breakdown's request for him to check it out. He didn't mind looking at it – he didn't want it to actually be a lot worse than it actually was and have Breakdown bleed out down here or something, because then he really would get into trouble for this. A death of a Decepticon while in the company of an Autobot, and during the truce? Yeah no thanks.

--Sure I'll look at it, gimme a sec!-- He'd scramble over a pile of rocks and dirt until he was by Breakdown's side. --And I wont try anything funny, sheesh. You're kinda my only chance at getting out of this stupid hole, so I aint gonna do anything!-- Stupid paranoid loser...

He was just at the right height to look at the wound, and so would lean in and peer at it closely – his optics whirring some.

--Well it don't look that bad, looks like there's some dirt and stuff in there, might have a couple rocks in there too! But as far as wounds go, it aint so bad. Just a scrape. The fact ya can't feel it though is weird.--

He'd reach in to poke the wound with his index digit. Poke poke. Poke. Poooooke. He didn't care if he got the others Energon on his servos, even though it was dirty Decepticon Energon, they all had the same blue stuff running through their lines, so this was no big deal.

--Can ya feel that?--

Surely he hadn't done that much damage to his systems.

He'd poke it again.

And then again for good measure, this time a little harder than before, just because he could. He wouldn't make an attempt to dig out any of the dust or debris that was no doubt lodged inside the scrape – he didn't have dainty medic hands, nor did he have the tools to do a proper job.

He'd then poke once more. On the off-chance that Breakdown could feel this, and that it hurt. The poking had all been done in the name of science after all, to see if Breakdown could feel the area around the wound, so it wasn't like he could get mad about it.

[Breakdown]

     "If you're asking if I can feel you poking around at it like some curious sparkling, no, I can't. The only reason I know what you're doing is because I can sort of see you." Breakdown rolled his optic but didn't really fuss about it more than that. Well, it was a little disconcerting that he couldn't feel anything in the area where the wound apparently was but that wasn't important. The main issue that they had now was getting out of this hole. He could have Knock Out look at it later- and probably be scolded for getting injured on this little excursion without anything else to show for it. That he could worry about later. They really needed to solve this first.

     Breakdown was busy staring up now, trying to judge how far down they were. Between the two of them they wouldn't be able to get out of here, even if he had Bee stand on his shoulders they were probably short a few feet. Then he spotted a piece of metal sticking out from the side of the wall. Maybe that was enough to support the smaller Bot? It was at least worth a shot.

     "Alright, Bugbot, pay attention. I'm gonna hoist you up and you see if you have enough stretch to reach that chunk of metal there." He pointed at the bit he saw. "You may be able to pull yourself up a bit more and reach the edge of the hole. If you pull yourself up and manage out, you might be able to find something to assist me out with." 

     It was a chance to rely on Bee to get HIM out of this situation. He was without any means of communication as long as the link was down so if Bee decided to just high tail it out of there he'd be screwed. Then again, others knew that he was supposed to be partnered with the yellow beeper so if he was suddenly missing? He was positive that there would be questions asked. And once that news was passed along to Knock Out? Yeah, there would probably be hell to pay until he was located. 

     So he crouched down and braced himself, waiting on Bee to climb on his shoulders so they could get this show on the road.

[Bumblebee]

((I went ahead and said Breakdown stood up in my tag, just so you don't have to write an entire post dedicated to him doing nothing more than standing up. Hope this is okay! If not, I'll edit as needed.))
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--Wait, ya can't? Uh oh! That can't be good. It doesn't even look that bad!--

Okay, maybe he felt a little bad that he'd pretended his comm wasn't working. Then again... This was a Decepticon, and there might've been the tiniest little bit of glee that Breakdown had hurt himself. He'd give the wound one last poke for really good measure, before stepping back and away. He'd shift his servos to his hips as he swiveled around on his heel to follow Breakdown's gaze upwards.

How to get out of here indeed.

In a surprising turn of events? Breakdown actually spotted the piece of metal that was half sticking out the wall before Bee had. It wasn't like he was exactly looking too hard, though. But still! He wasn't sure if it'd be strong enough to support him, given that the wall crumbled when he'd made attempts to climb it... But... Hey, it was an idea at least. It might've been sturdy enough. Probably some leftover piping from a nearby town, or an abandoned mine below them or something. Which in that case they were lucky they didn't fall further.

--I can probably reach it, yeah... It doesn't look that high up.-- He beeped, humming in thought. While it didn't look that high up, it was hard to tell from down here. Then again, a quick glance at Breakdown, then down at himself? Maybe. Maaaaaybe they could do it. He hadn't thought of how he was going to assist Breakdown in getting out of here should this actually work, but he'd just take this one step at a time.

--Aight, yeah, let's do it. It's worth a shot at least!--

He'd wait until Breakdown had moved into position, before stepping back over and around, so that he was stood behind him. This was... Awkward. He was silently thankful that Breakdown was large and wide enough to even attempt this, and that he himself was small!

He'd place both servos on Breakdown's shoulders, using the tire on his back for a step up as he hauled himself up onto the other mechs shoulders. He'd remain crouched, awkwardly holding onto Breakdown's shoulders as he kept himself balanced. Once he was steady, he'd wait for Breakdown to stand up straight.

And when he did? Bee realized this was a terrible idea. Still, for right now? It was the only idea they had.

It was higher than he thought it would be, and Bee hadn't even stood up yet. Heights were now officially on the 'do not want' list.

--Stand still okay?-- He beeped warily before slowly, slooowly raising himself up so he was standing. His balance wasn't perfect, and he wobbled a little – both arms outstretched to try and keep himself steady. This was terrible. There were some awkward arm rotations and he'd flap his arms a little as he adjusted to this.

Beyond terrible. But he didn't fall.

–...Okay... Reaching for the thing now. Stand. Still.-- He warned, and from the tone of his beeps, he was obviously more than a little worried.

Once he was confident that he wasn't going to tumble, he'd reach upwards for the metal pipe. He wasn't tall enough! Go figure. So would have to lean up on the tips of his pedes – which he would do, slowly. Reaching out with one arm, the other still out at the side to keep himself balanced. Fingertips brushed against the metal pipe. Still a little short. He'd lean up further until he couldn't anymore, and reach out again.

Success.

His servo wrapped around the pipe, and he'd reach forward with his other servo to hold it securely with both. Okay so far so good. Now to pull himself out. He'd glance up, then down. How to even... He'd give the metal pipe a cautionary tug to see if it was even strong enough – and it wouldn't budge. Okay, good - it seemed secure enough.

--Gonna try and pull myself out now. Then I'll find some way to get ya out, too.-- He wasn't sure why he was talking Breakdown through every step that he was doing – although it was probably for his own peace of mind more than anything. It kept him focused and undistracted from the fact he was super high up off the ground, standing on the shoulders of the enemy.

With his grip now securely on the pipe, he'd start to pull himself up.

There was probably a lesson to be learned here. Like, don't lie about your comm not working. Don't giggle internally that the enemy is hurt. Because... Bee found himself falling backward pretty damn fast. Instant karma. The pipe clutched in his servo. Optics wide with fear.

It hadn't been sturdy at all. Sure, the cautionary tug had been alright, and held strong – but when he'd tried to pull himself up with all his weight? It was a no go.

He landed with a heavy thud. Optics still wide as he stared upwards at the sky now, pipe still clutched tightly in one servo.

Ouch.

--Well that didn't work...-- He quietly beeped, venting out slowly as his processor went over what happened. Despite the fall? He... Felt okay, and would slowly pull himself back to his pedes. Unbeknownst to Bee, he'd suffered a similar fate to Breakdown in that he was now leaking Energon from a small wound at the back of his hip. While he could feel it, unlike the other Mech, he was chalking the pain up to the fact he'd just fallen backward and so didn't look.

--Okay, so now what?-- He'd frown, turning to look to see if there was a sturdier pipe, or something they could possibly use to get themselves out of this mess.

At least he had a weapon now, though, should Breakdown decide to attack him.