January 21st, 2003 ~Onslaught(D), Ghost(D), Starfire(U), Enfilade(D), Steelwind(A) Darkmount - Command Center Before you lies the heart and soul of the Decepticon empire. You find yourself standing on a wide walkway spanning a three-quarter circle overlooking the 100 foot deep command center. The central stairs are just to your right and descend through three levels of sensor monitor stations. The entire height and length of the wall in front of you is covered with massive sensor viewers relaying information from the Tower Outpost Communication Center to Darkmount so that Decepticon leaders may survey their holdings without moving very far from the tools of power at their disposal. In the first work level below you are various computer terminals available for the officers to review logs of troop reports while the lower two levels are strictly dedicated to sensor monitoring and are constantly manned. In the pit of the room, various holomaps display the information interpolated from the sensor inputs that the currently assigned duty officer is constantly updating. Ghost [Robot] [D] Onslaught [Robot] [D] Long Table with a Model Obvious Exits: -N- North leads to Darkmount - Command Level -Moonlight meanders into the Command Center, her usually graceful movements rather hampered by the stiffness of her right leg. She doesn't seem to be in a bad mood, but she isn't as cheerful as usual either. -Onslaught says, "I thank you because I choose to Ghost...as for giving your life, I'd hope that wouldn't be necessary. Most of us may say we'd do the same, but Primus forbid that it should ever come to that. That reminds me...do we have any spare mainframe relay boards?" -Ghost shrugs, "I do what must be done, Onslaught." Her head cocks as she hears someone enter. Glancing upwards, she watches Moonlight for a moment before answering, "I'm still running main comm on hald boards, Onslaught. trying to get the right pieces manufactured seems to be near impossible. a 5thof the main drives are still on standby with a revolving system to rotate out which one is active fort access." -Onslaught nods as he too turns to notice Moonlight, yet quickly returns to the conversation, "In that case...it's just as I thought. If you can get me a list of what you'd need to be able to get the mainframe running at optimal, I might come back with a few surprises next cycle..." -Moonlight refrains from making a face, which is even harder when she's missing her hat. These two are certainly not the most cheerful 'Cons out there, and Moonlght certainly could use someone cheery. "Hey there," she greets. -Ghost waves to Moonlight, offering the other femme a brief, yet warm smile, moods as changable as the winds it would seem. "There's a list parked someplace. I can forward it to you next time my access window opens. Still havent gotten around to overiding the time limitations I put on myself.' -Onslaught says, "Well, if you want the parts, you've got until I leave this evening. That's the best I can do...otherwise, transmit me a list via radio next cycle should you have the chance...I'll see if I'm able to negotiate for them." -Moonlight steps in a bit further and stands to the side so as not to impede anyone coming in or out. "Am I interrupting?" -Ghost gives a shake of her head from her seat, "Simply talking parts and requisitions, Mer Moonlight. Nothing to interrupt." Her warm smile remains as she nods to Onslaught, "I will uplink one to you manually then. -Moonlight grins back at Ghost. Somehow her grin seems less rakish in the abscence of a hat. Now it's merely cheerful. "You seem to be in a better mood. Something good happen?" -Onslaught shakes his head to Moonlight, audial on Ghost even if optics are on the other femme, "Not interrupting anything at all...I was merely offering Ghost some equipment to repair the mainframe, as next cycle I need to meet with a few...people. These people may have what we'd need to get things up and running, so I merely figured two and two...." turning back to Ghost briefly, "Well, I look forward to seeing the list. Go overboard if you must, extra parts here and there...heck, even add something nice to the list for yourself - my treat." -Ghost chuckles, "Not in my opinion.. I fell asleep." she rubs her helmet, "In the mainframe. suppose one of the safeties I had set up decided I needed a rest cycle. Woke up in a good mood, so to speak." She shrugs, peering at Onslaught, "I will give you what is needed, no more no less. As for something for myself. Just come back in one piece. replacing command is such a pain in my backside..' -Moonlight nabs herself a seat and sits down, slouching to get comfortable. "Well, glad to hear you're feeling better anyhow." She just nods at Onslaught, never knowing what to say to the rather odd, unpredictable, and depressing mech. -Onslaught shrugs at Ghost, not really knowing how many pieces he'll be coming back in when his 'excursion' is said and done...however, best he doesn't say any more aboout it...not like anyone knows the true nature of what he's doing or where he's going. "As lady Ghost wishes, so shall it be." -Ghost smiles at Moonlight, "The mood will pass. It usually doesn't last to long." A brow shoots upwards at Onslaught, "I'm hardly a lady, Onslaught. Don't be insulting." amusement dances in her voice. -Moonlight arches an optic ridge at Ghost. "And its passing is something to smile at?" -Onslaught chuckles, "I may beg to differ...but still. I shall do my best to return in one piece. No guarantees though." -Ghost chuckles, "I'm in a good mood so rarely, it makes me wonder if I need a checkup." She winks, "So yes, returning to my usual self does warrent a smile." She still seems relaxed, optics bright. "You had best return in one piece, Onslaught." -Moonlight glances at Onslaught. "Where ya going?" she asks before turning back to Ghost. "How long has a good mood been so elusive for you?" -Onslaught looks at Moonlight and ponders if he should answer the question...his words must be carefully chosen, lest they let anything slip, and thereby endanger not only himself, but perhaps other denizens of Darkmount, "Meeting some people. 'Friends' of a sort. As for the specific where, I haven't been contacted with the location of the meeting yet. For all I know I could be heading for Monacus." -Ghost glances at Onslaught, her smile dissipating. A shake of her head as she answers Moonlight, "I don't think I've been in a good mood since.. ehh.,... a long time." The mood has passed, her expression back to a neutral politeness. -Moonlight nods to Onslaught. "Well, if you /do/ go to Monacus, could you keep your audials open for a mech named Swipe?" She shakes her head. "I might be stating the obvious, but that's not good Ghost." -Onslaught mentally groans, as being asked to keep an audial out for a half-familiar name may not be such a good idea...relunctantly (and visibly so), Onslaught nods to Moonlight, "I'll keep an audial open, though I may be a tad too occupied to listen for such things." -Moonlight sighs. "I don't really expect you to hear anything...he's been missing for a long time. But I just have to ask anyone going out that way to look for me." -Moonlight excuses herself. Cerrius - Courtyard Moving into the burned out ruins of the town square, everything begins to run together, mostly bombed out husks, and piles of rubble. The rare scavenger is seen rummaging the ruins; scraggly-looking scrap-pickers. Now and then, a standing building can be found, though most are reduced to rubble. It isn't until reaching the center of the city that livable buildings can be seen. Some of them have doors intact, or windows that still have unbroken glass. Oddly enough, in the middle of the town square, a large clock tower over 150 meters in height remains intact, though no longer functions. Starfire [Robot] [U] Enfilade [Ground Attack Cyberjet] [D] clock tower Obvious Exits: -N- North leads to Cerrius - City Walls -S- South leads to Cerrius Gates -E- East leads to Cerrius - Industrial Sector -W- West leads to Cerrius - Destroyed Foundry -Moonlight touches down on this side of the taboo bridge. Even from the sky, that bridge makes her nervous. She looks around herself as she walks into the city. Last time she was here she was quite amused...but somehow returning isn't quite as fun. She shakes her head; she doesn't want to think about that now. -Even this far away from the foundry, the place has an unfriendly, almost haunted, feel. The bustling of the Decepticon station being assembled goes on almost in defiance of the dark aura that hangs over the ghost town. -Starfire peers up at the clock tower, then at the dripped energon. Messy, that. Someone should have cleaned it up. She slowly meanders towards the artifact, wondering why it's still standing with all the rest of the destruction. Moonlight, she hasn't noticed yet. -The energon is thick, starting to dry but not quite dried yet. And it is noticeably out of place, in a city that's been dead and abandoned how long? -Moonlight wanders about the area, not particularily going anywhere. She spots Starfire, however, and moves to follow her. She's not being subtle about it, but neither is she being loud or obvious. -Starfire isn't as oblivious as she was a few weeks ago. Either she hears or senses someone else's presence and turns to glance around. Behold, Moonlight, rather than any dark denizons that steal through the night to drink the energon of the innocent... "Hi, Moonlight. I was just looking around... do you want to come, too?" -Moonlight shrugs. "Sure, why not. Though you'd better be careful, this place is kinda crumbly." -The energon shines, leading a pathway into the crumbling clock tower. Hmmmm...a mystery. -Starfire points to the clock tower. "Why's that still standing, after all that's happened here? Good construction? I wonder if they're storing supplies inside..." She hasn't missed the spilt energon after all, but draws a different conclusion. -Moonlight glances at the clock tower; it /is/ a bit odd. "I'm not really sure to be honest. But I'm no detective. Still, it's enough to make one wonder." She shakes her head. "Didn't really pay attention to it much last time I was here, except to notice that it existed." -Starfire says, "Want to check it out?" -There's only one way to find out....now the Decepticons have been ordered to stay clear of it, but this area is deserted. Who's going to be around to catch them? -Starfire doesn't wait for Moonlight to recall those orders, she heads on in. O:) clock tower The inside of the clock tower is a dark and gloomy place, beset by fallen girders from age and neglect more so than to battle damage. There is a staircase leading upwards to the top of the tower, and a trap door leading down into the floor. But the centerpiece of the room is now the broken body of an Empty, a one-time squatter in this city. He hangs from the wall near the staircase, a spike impaling each shoulder. The semi-healed dents on his frame suggest he was a while in dying. But dead he assuredly is now, and the puddle of energon on the floor below him is relatively fresh. Contents: Starfire -Moonlight purses her lips and wishes she had her hat. She follows Starfire inside. "Well, we /were/ told to stay away from the Clock." She gets a sly look on her face. "But you're not technically a 'Con troop, are you Starfire?" -Starfire stops dead, her blue optics widening in shock. It's been a long time since she's seen death up close and personal, and this isn't a particularly nice example of it. Military training has had *some* effect, she looks quickly around in case there's an enemy lurking nearby, her arms stiff with readiness to fire. -Silence, for a while. And then a noise, a hollow, shuffling noise. -Moonlight finally spots the impaled bum on the wall. "Eeeew," she whispers softly to herself. Carefully she heads towards it, trying to find out what killed it and whether it's a something that might want to kill her or Starfire as well. -The robot appears to have met his fate by having his laser core cleanly and neatly impaled by a very sharp object. The end, at least, was fast. But the /getting/ to the end part...well, it looks like he hung there for a while while someone "persuaded" him to answer them, and none too gently either. -Starfire nearly fires at the sound of Moonlight's approach, simply because she wasn't expecting the noise, even if she knew Moonlight was there. Spooked a bit, isn't she? As always in a combat situation, she feels sick but doesn't panic after the original shock. "Shouldn't... shouldn't we inform someone about th-this, ma'am?" -Moonlight considers it for a moment. "Well, I might get in trouble. I shouldn't be in here." She shrugs. "But if something's going on it's better if I get yelled at and have everyone prepared than to keep it to myself and everyone gets screwed over somehow." She looks around for any signs of immediate danger. -Nothing immediately threatening. Nothing but that hollow noise that, one may realize, sounds hollow because it's coming from underneath the floor. -Starfire nods slowly. "If we go out, I can transform and use my scanners to check the rest. They don't usually work well with metal, but at such close range, they'd be able to perform atomic analysis." She falls suddenly silent. Was that a noise from somewhere? -Moonlight heard it to, and she doesn't like it. "Any idea what that is?" She looks around some more. "I don't like this... It could be someone playing tricks, but I don't want to chance that, do you?" -Starfire gestures towards the dead body with a trembling arm. "That's not a trick, ma'am." -This is the point where, in a cheesy horror film, a giant Transorg would pop up through the floor /behind/ them, but instead, all they get is a rather familiar voice bellowing, "WHO THE HELL IS UP THERE?" -Moonlight blinks her optics. "Enfilade? Is that you?" She turns to Starfire. "And please, no ma'amming me." -Pounding of feet, a creaking ladder. "Yeah, who's that? Give me an answer I like and you might not get SHOT!" -Starfire keeps quiet. She's not the ranking soldier present. -Moonlight puts a hand to her chest, faking hurt. "Gee, Enfilade, I thought you'd recognize my voice by now. I'm a wee bit hurt." She has no troubles answering even though she doesn't think of herself as a ranking soldier. -Enfilade's head pokes out the trapdoor. "What the frag are you doin' here? You're supposed to keep...." Optics fall on Starfire. Mouth, visible, frowns. "Out." -Starfire obeys instantly. -Enfilade cusses and runs out after Starfire. -Moonlight doesn't frown as she watches Starfire go, she merely follows Enfilade out. Cerrius - Courtyard Moving into the burned out ruins of the town square, everything begins to run together, mostly bombed out husks, and piles of rubble. The rare scavenger is seen rummaging the ruins; scraggly-looking scrap-pickers. Now and then, a standing building can be found, though most are reduced to rubble. It isn't until reaching the center of the city that livable buildings can be seen. Some of them have doors intact, or windows that still have unbroken glass. Oddly enough, in the middle of the town square, a large clock tower over 150 meters in height remains intact, though no longer functions. Enfilade [Ground Attack Cyberjet] [D] Starfire [Robot] [U] clock tower Obvious Exits: -N- North leads to Cerrius - City Walls -S- South leads to Cerrius Gates -E- East leads to Cerrius - Industrial Sector -W- West leads to Cerrius - Destroyed Foundry -Enfilade is calling Starfire back. She looks more upset than angry. "You weren't supposed to be in there." She knows there's no damn way Starfire could have missed the new centerpiece. She has no idea it may actually bother Moonlight more. -Moonlight comes out shortly after Enfilade. "I tried to tell her, but she went in before I could get around to it." She folds her arms, more too keep herself from shaking a bit than anything else. -Starfire is completely confused by now but beginning to suspect that she did something she wasn't supposed to. Probably interfered with an official investigation and evidence and stuff. "I'm sorry, ma'am, I didn't know." -Enfilade leans against the wall, swing wings flickering. "And now what?" She observes the two, waiting for some sort of reaction. "I suppose it's too much to ask that you simply forget what you saw." -Moonlight is about to say something, then she blinks her optics. "Saw what?" She grins. "Anything /else/ you'd like me to not remember while I'm at it?" People have been saying that Enfilade's been different lately, but Moonlight has a hunch that acting any differently towards the Field Commander won't help matters much. -Starfire is stunned, oh yes, but she's actually seen worse. Onslaught once ordered to her closely examine several bodies of neutrals that had been tortured to death and try to figure out what happened to them. While she went into shock then, not this time. "Classified stuff, I guess. I don't talk about that, ma'am." -Enfilade nods slowly. "I'm sorry you had to see that. I..." She looks back towards the building. "I dunno what's worse...trying to hide it, or not botherin' to hide it as if it was fine an' dandy." -Moonlight nods. "That thing I didn't see was pretty gruesome, or at least, it would be if I had seen it." -Enfilade sighs, as if not particularly enjoying being reminded of that. -Starfire shivers and fights the sudden urge to transform and blow the tower into orbit. Whatever else she's seen, it's still an awful thing. She blinks, suddenly realizing that Moonlight was just echoing her own thoughts. -Moonlight shudders slightly. "So....um. Now what Enfilade? Since we already don't know some stuff, is there anything we can /not/ help you do?" -Enfilade says softly, "I don't want the others knowing about that for two reasons. I don't want the younger ones throwing fits in a combat zone, and I don't want some of the more, um, zealous ones to start behaving like that on a regular basis." -Onslaught seems to be talking a relaxing stroll, as he enters the courtyard of Cerrius...quite relaxing indeed as he hasn't yet noticed any of his fellow 'Cons, or Starfire for that matter. -Starfire finally catches on, and her optics widen again. She stares at Enfilade, then glances back towards the tower, feeling even sicker now. -Moonlight shrugs. "You want me to stick around and keep people out?" -Enfilade seems uncomfortable in this situation, and excuses herself. "I got...stuff to do. Yeah, Moonlight, that'd be a good idea. If you see any more newcomers, send 'em somewhere else. And Starfire, you stay close to her. I don't want some idiot presuming that comment about non authorized personnel applies to you." -Starfire starts at being addressed, then snaps to. "Yes, ma'am." -Moonlight chuckles, somewhat weakly, at Starfire. "Stop that. You're making me look bad." -Enfilade nods to them both, and walks away towards the encampment. She's carrying something in her hand, but at this distance it's hard to make out what it is. -Starfire mutters to Moonlight, "It's what they're drilling me in, almost day and night. Respect for your superior officers and stuff." -Moonlight grins. "I'm glad I'm not in your boots then Starfire." She looks around. "Now we've just got to stand here and look official, okay? You're probably good at that, so I'll follow your lead until we need to say something...then we'll go from there." -Starfire shrugs. "It's better than scrubbing the barracks again, but I don't like being near... that." She doesn't look at the tower, but Moonlight would know what she means. Her blue optics flicker sporadically... she's trying not to think about what she saw in there, at least not now. Later, though... she'll have nightmares. -Moonlight pats Starfire's shoulder in a very un-official like gesture, trying to be comforting. -Starfire needs to keep herself occupied, so she restlessly circles the perimeter of the tower, almost eager for a lurking Autobot to show himself. It's something to do, to keep busy. "Not very secure here... there's an entrance to the underground very close by. And yes, I've been down there." -Moonlight stands right by the entrance to the clock, just in case. "This whole city isn't stable. Just be careful Starfire, and don't go too far off. I don't know how well everyone knows or likes you, and we wouldn't want them to take your lack of a 'Con symbol personally." -Starfire circles back towards Moonlight and pauses. "Actually, I do have one..." She reaches up for the locket that hangs around her neck and opens it, showing a twisted, scorched Decepticon symbol. "My father's..." -Moonlight blinks her optics. "What happened?" she asks softly. Sure, it's not a happy subject, but it might be better than the inside of that tower. Then again, maybe not. -Starfire touches it gently with a fingertip, then replaces it in her locket. "He was on patrol outside of Polyhex with his team. They were ambushed by Autobots, and he and a couple others were killed holding them off so the rest could escape." Starfire adds, "That was three days after I was created." -Moonlight smiles in a slight, sad, sympathetic way. "You must be proud...even though you weren't able to spend much time with him." -Starfire nods. "Yes, I am. He had a marker in the Hall of Heroes, until the Autobots blew it up. It's been rebuilt, but... it's not the same." -Moonlight sighs. She doesn't have someone like that to look up to...though she sometimes wishes she did. -Steelwind emerges almost silently from the entrance to the transit station, being very careful not to make a noise in order not to be spotted, and vigilant, to spot anyone who may be there... -Moonlight catches the sight of something out of the corner of her optics, but when she turns her head to get a better look, it's gone. She shrugs, but keeps her optics even more alert than before. -Steelwind hides as soon as he is out of the entryway and scans the area. He spots Moonlight standing by the Clock Tower and watches her curiously for a moment, then continues his inspection. -Moonlight wonders if Starfire's hiding from something. "Starfire, is that you?" -Steelwind doesn't answer the question. He's not *that* dumb. Glancing around quickly, he finds a way to get closer to the clock tower without being spotted, and he dashes quickly and quietly a few metres... -Moonlight is literally in the doorway of the clock tower...no one's getting past Moonlight with her seeing them. She isn't prancing now...but she's still worth nothing in a fight for those who know that. -Steelwind stops and watches Moonlight again, maybe 30 metres away but rather well concealed. Hm. What to do? Deciding on the spur of the moment, he leaps out from in behind his hiding place, hoping to startle Moonlight well. "Hello," he says in a ridicuulously synthetic-sweet voice. -Moonlight jumps ever so slightly. She was expecting something, but wasn't sure where or when she was expecting it. "Oh, hello," she greets nonchallantly. Her expression is still a tad startled and she can't hide it behind her hat because it appears to be missing. -Steelwind smiles his acid smile. "So what pleasant adventures are we engaged in this lovely cycle?" After finishing the question, its clear on his face he has no idea why he's talking like this... -Moonlight shrugs. "Oh, just standing around in front of a broken clock tower. No adventure." -Steelwind nods thoughtfully. Should he reveal what he knows or not? "Well. Mind if I go upstairs? I wouldn't mind seeing the view again...it's been such a long time." There's a strange emphasis on the word 'view' -Moonlight shakes her head. "I'm afraid not. There's a bit of a mess inside and I'm not supposed to let people in. Building isn't as stable as it looks. Last thing I need is for your Bot friends to think I toppled the tower on your or something. I don't need that on my hands." She grins. "So be a pal and stay out of there." She looks around for any other Cons in the area...but she seems to be caught between shifts. Why me? -Steelwind nods. "Well thank you for your concern. I remember the view anyways" again the accent on 'view'. He pauses. How to get in there? His optics dart around, inspecting the tower... -Moonlight was told to watch this tower, and so she will, hoping the Bot won't press the matters...for her own sake as well as his. "So, what are you doing here any how? This place doesn't exactly say 'Welcome' to my audials." -Steelwind grins slightly. "Well, it's somewhat more pleasant than that cell I was in, I'm sure you'll agree." Another glance around. Slag. He tenses up somewhat as he speaks. -Moonlight chuckles. "Well, if cells were pleasant they wouldn't deter people, now would they?" She shrugs. "You're still alive, so I wouldn't complain too much." -Steelwind is clearly tense now, debating with himself what to do. "Okay," he says, with a slight touch of irritation in his voice, "enough of the idle chatter. Let me in." -Moonlight pouts for a moment. "But I /liked/ the idle chit-chat." Then her face goes serious, her optics looking directly at Steelwind's. "I'm afraid I can't do that. Wouldn't be prudent." -Steelwind's optics go an odd colour. "Perhaps it might be somewhat more prudent if you were to step aside and let me in." -Moonlight taps the side of her cheeck with her finger. "Hmmmmmm...let me think." She pauses. "No." She puts her hands out so that each is touching a side of the doorway. "Sorry, it's nothing personal." She frowns. "And believe me, you /really/ don't want to go in there anyhow." She thinks to herself. o O(Now where's Blitz when I need him?). -Steelwind growls slightly as he says "You think I haven't seen a dead mech before?" -Moonlight shakes her head. "Most people on this planet have seen dead mechs; the question is, how many of us /want/ to see dead mechs? Certainly not me." She narrows her optics. "Why do you want in so badly anyhow?" . o O(And how the frag does he know what's in there?) -Cloak floats into the area from above and just begins to watch.... -Steelwind growls again, then speaks. "I already told you. I want to see the view from up top of the tower. Now step aside!" He is oblivious to anything around him apart from Moonlight. -Moonlight shakes her head. "I told you, I can't do that. Why do you have to make things difficult?" -Steelwind laughs. "Just for fun. I don't like it when things are easy." His fists clench, but he doesn't move beyond that. "Look..." then he shrugs and doesn't say anything else for a moment. -Cloak floats quietly and lands just the same with a small puff of smoke rising from where he lands. He slides into the darkness to watch.... -Moonlight frowns. "Great...just great." She sighs. "Well, that's nice, but I'm not moving." -Steelwind glances around him...did I hear something? He shakes his head and looks back at Moonlight. "Look," he starts again. "I don't want to make unpleasant, you know what I'm saying?" His voice is escalating in tension with each word... -Cloak pulls his rapier from his hip..silently this time and moves to get a better perspective on the situation. -Moonlight makes a face. "Yeah yeah. Losely translated: if you don't move, I'm gonna hurt you and all that blah blah blah." She sighs. "You think I haven't heard that before." She shakes her head. "I'm sure you're higher-ups don't care if you stop following orders or back down in front of Cons, but mine do care," she says, with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. -Steelwind grumbles a bit. "Who gives a bucket of used grease what anybody thinks. I want inside." He pauses. "What say you let me in and tell them I hit you or something?" A silly grin, as he tries to disguise the drawing of his dagger... -Cloak inches closer to the two, desiring information. -Moonlight frowns...this isn't sounding good, not at all. "You're giving me too much credit /kind/ sir. I'm not /that/ good of a lier. Besides, the higher-ups don't like it when the little people lie to them." -Steelwind relaxes a bit, perhaps for show. He starts twirling his dagger in his hand rather adeptly, in plain view for anyone to see. "Now then." He makes a scene of looking around. "I don't see Omnisaber so he can't come save you this time..." -Cloak decides to replace his rappier and draw hie rifle. He stays at his current postion at a distance and just watches.. -Moonlight grins. "Oh, I always get rescued sooner or later. I'm just lucky. So, that means you should just save yourself some trouble and head back home wherever you Bots live." -Steelwind smiles and shakes his head. "Not this time, melady. I want to go inside, I must go inside, I *will* go inside, whether you permit me to do so or I make you permit me to do so." He flips the dagger end over end and holds it just slighlty above waist level, ready to strike. -Moonlight pales slightly and she can't all the fear in her optics. "That's not exactly friendly you know," is her only comment. She still doesn't move, however. Maybe Conism is rubbing off on her. -Cloak stands up against the darkness..still undetecetable he thinks and aims his weapon at Moonlight. -Steelwind snorts. "No, it isn't exactly being friendly. But then neither is not letting a mech wonder over the lovely views from the top of the famous Cerrius clock tower...is it?" He accentuates the last two words with a slight jab of the dagger towards Moonlight, but not far enough to reach her...just a movement planned to startle. -Moonlight sees the movement and shuts her optics, bracing herself for pain. When it doesn't come she cautiously opens a single optic. Finding herself in the non-skewered category, she relaxes slightly. "Hey, I'm just doing my job." She can't hide her relief. Damn that Cloak...she misses her hat. -Cloak only beings to sneak by to try to get to Cerrius proper without being noticed... -Steelwind shrugs. "I know. So am I..." He makes another fake jab from the right with the dagger, and with his left hand moves to slap Moonlight in the face, hoping the dagger-jab will make her put her head straight in the path of his hand... -Moonlight ducks down instead of to either side. She looks up. "We talked about this. That's not friendly." -Cloak pauses in his tracks and looks back at the scene. Idly, he shakes his head..pathetic... -Steelwind looks like he wants to slap himself for not succeeding there. But oh well, another oppurtunity will present itself soon enough. "I know. And as I mentioned, business is business, innit?" -Moonlight gives a sort of helpless shrug. "Well, it looks like we both want to do our jobs, and of course neither of us will conceede that the other one's job is more important." -Cloak continues on his way in the darkness..then gets to the bridge. He pstops there to see if Moonlight actually makes her way over...crosses the line? -Steelwind snorts. "Well. only one of us is right on that point...and that's naturally me!" He lets another punch fly. -Cloak sttans up in pan view, calmly putting away his rifle and drawing hsi sword. He walks towards Moonlight and simply speaks, "I warned you. Defend yourself." -Moonlight flinches, but doesn't leave the doorway. "You know, if I was someone different, I would probably ask if that's the best you can do. But I won't, because I'm nice." -Steelwind is annoyed now. She's insulting me?? "Um, I don't quite think so," he says. "Anyways, this has gone on long enough." He takes a stab with his dagger. -Moonlight is stabbed this time, and her face shows that she isn't please. "I told you to go away," she says, emphasizing her words with a bit of a shove. Still, she doesn't move. -Steelwind loses his balance slightly, but, regaining his balance in a pirouette, he launches a kick. -Moonlight ooofs as Steelwind's foot makes contact with her midsection. "This defniately isn't going my way." She looks around. If she doesn't have quite the gash to prove she had a reason to flee, they would never understand. Being more afraid of her own faction than a lone Autobot, she stands her ground. But she doesn't waste any words this time...she just stands there and scowls. -Steelwind stops and stares at Moonlight. To make his point even stronger he retrieves his rifle and points it in her face. "Well?" -Moonlight shakes her head. "Do you know what they /do/ to Cons who run away from their posts?" -Steelwind shrugs, not caring. "Do I care?" He waves the rifle in her face. "Move, or fall down." -Moonlight winces and braces herself against the impact. "I guess I'm just going to have to take the fall." She's shaking a bit by now, not being overly brave by nature... -Steelwind notices Moonlight's expression and figures this might finally work out anyway. He flips the rifle around and swings the butt at her head. -Moonlight sighs with relief again. "Oh for Primus' sake, if you're going to attack, just do it. Stop messing with my head like this. Either do something that hurts or go away." -Steelwind shakes his head. "That's it, I've had enough of this." He takes his taser out and lets a charge out at Moonlight. -Moonlight grins. "Okay, so I don't really want to be hit...but can you blame me?" -Steelwind is losing it now. This is just too much. "Would you kindly shut up and fall already?" Another electric jolt. -Moonlight obligingly falls, but not because she wanted to. "Unnnnggghh," she manages to mumble. -Steelwind steps over the stunned femme and enters the tower. -Moonlight lies there...this just isn't her day. Moonlight wishes that stunning had never been invented. She reminds herself to ask Ghost whether she actually /owns/ a stun-gun. It's not overly releveant, but when you're stunned, thinking about irrelevant stuff is a great way to pass the time. -After a bit more time passes Moonlight slowly gets her feeling back. Shakily she stands up. She hates this. -Steelwind steps out of the tower, having seen what he wanted to see. He proceeds to leave the area... -Moonlight fehs and wishes she had her gun back. "Ummmmm. Stop. Yeah, that's it." She pulls out her whip and flicks it on. -Steelwind stops and turns around. "Oh. You're still here? Well. You can tell your bosses you've failed them," he says with a sarcastic smile. -Moonlight charges at Steelwind, flailing her whip around, while stating, "I /really/ don't want to do that." -Steelwind growls and twitches for a longish moment after getting hit with the whip. Regaining his composure, he says, "I'd really love to stay and play, but I must be off." He draws his laser pistol and takes a shot, all the while ready to sprint. -Moonlight winces again as she takes another hit. She doubts she can chase after him...maybe if she threw herself off a building they'll be inclined to believed it really was that bad. Hmmmmmmm. She shakes her head. "Stupid Bot!" she yells...though she isn't sure why. -Steelwind runs a few metres away then stops. "Sorry, nothing personal...I must admit you're one of the pleasantest Cons I've met..." A stupid grin, then he moves off again towards the transit tunnel entrance... -Moonlight gives up, but says one last, inane thing. "And tell Cloak he owes me a new hat!" she shouts. -Steelwind laughs as he proceeds to the tunnel, and then disappears into the intestines of Cybertron. -Moonlight sits down in front of the Clock Tower. "Slaggit...what am I going to tell Fil?"