February 10th, 2003
~Nosecone(A),

Deadlands

     The deadlands of Cybertron stretch out for nearly a quarter of the planet. Originally a test bed for Decepticon weapons, the area turned into a massive waste dump area when it was abandoned. The area is littered with bits and pieces of Transformers, bodies of nearly any and every native creature built, old machine parts and just about every manner of debris imaginable. The area proved to be a natural battlefield, just by virtue of the random cover and entrenchment possibilities, but both sides soon grew tired of fighting over a worthless piece of property, instead regarding it as a bit of a border or demilitarized zone between regions. There's life here, if one looks for it, but at first glance, there is apparently nothing worth wasting time on here.


Nosecone [Tunnelling Vehicle] [A]

Obvious Exits:
 -U- Up leads to Sky above Ruined Outpost
 -N- North leads to Meteorite Flats
 -E- East leads to Ruined Outpost
 -W- West leads to Waystation

-From a large hole in the side of a large debris pile comes the familar sound of a drilling machine at work. Every now and then, pieces of scrap fly from the tunnel mouth, each one landing with a loud clatter.
-Moonlight /had/ been sitting peacefully on a pile of rock, scribbling maddly at a datapad. But, with the familiar sound of a drill, she stashes the pad away and scrambles to her feet.
-Suddenly, the sound ceases, replaced by another familar sound - that kewl transformation noise. Then some grumbling echoes up from somewhere inside the tunnel, then the transformation noise again, then once more with the drilling.
-Moonlight sure hopes that there isn't another drill Bot out there besides Nosecone. As far as she's concerned, Nosecone really isn't a threat anymore as long as it's just the two of them. She stands there, alert and ready to run if she has to.
-The sound of Nosecone's drilling stops again, as the Technobot transforms underground. More muttering can be heard from the entrance - as well as the sound of metal striking metal. "OW" echoes clearly to the surface, as well as a long list of rather interesting words that couldn't possibly make it onto a childrens television show. The swearing slowly grows clearer and louder as Nosecone ambles back out of the tunnel, slowly appearing from the gloom.
-Moonlight quirks an optic ridge and can't help but chuckle at the swearing Nosecone. "Get yourself a boo-boo?" she asks.
-Nosecone looks up, cutting off his swearing as he (finally) realises he's not alone. "Uh.. yeah, guess you could say that" he mutters, rubbing at a dent on the back of his helmet.
-Moonlight seems to get no end of amusement from the fact. "What were you doing down there anyhow? Or is this another one of your top-secret missions?"
-Nosecone shrugs. "I was diggin a hole" he replies a little sheepishly, as if that explained everything
-Moonlight grins. "And what was this hole for? Another hiding spot?"
-Nosecone rubs at the back of his helmet again. "Duno about a /hidin/ place" he says.
-Moonlight shakes her head. "I thought you were /good/ at digging."
-Nosecone looks embarrassed. "Well I... hey!" he says, suddenly realising that he shouldn't have to explain himself. "You want to try this?"
-Moonlight winks. "Sorry, I don't have the equipment."
-Nosecone brings a shovel out of subspace (yes, he carries conventional digging equipment) and throws it to Moonlight. "There ya go" he grins. "Go nuts."
-Moonlight swings the shovel up and rests it on her shoulder. "But I have no reason to dig. I have 3 perfectly good places to stay on Cybertron..."
-"Oh?" Nosecone says, sitting down on a large piece of debris and opening a can of energon.
-Moonlight nods her head. "Ayup. They're all pretty cushy too. Blitzwing even says my bed is more comfy than his." She winks.
-Nosecone rolls his optics. "Wonderful" he says, taking another draw from his can. "My room's just fine. But it's always good ta have a bolt hole." He looks at Moonlight. "'Cause, it's not a very /secret/ bolt hole I suppose, but.."
-Moonlight chuckles. "I don't think you could be secretive if the entire galaxy hung in the balance." She sits back down, half reclined against a pile of junk. From subspace she pulls out a bottle labeled 'Moonshine's Touch'.
-Nosecone shrugs. "Probably." he replies. "I shoulda known you, Blitzwing, Sapphire, or..." he pauses, waving a hand around, "..whatshername... that hisses.. would show up."
-Moonlight grins. "You should be happy it's me. Though, out of them all, I guess Sapphire would be the most pleasant. 'specially since she could help with that dent you got in your head. As for hissing, lots of people hiss, you have to be more specific than that."
-Nosecone hehs. "Yeah, I have to admit, Saph is a sight for sore optics.. unless she's goin crazy." He shakes his head. "Your friend. Showed up the other day, right before Blitzwing."
-Moonlight ahhhhhs. "Kimakaze. You have a particular gripe with her...apart from the Decepticon thing that is." She grins, opens her bottle, and takes a swig of the contents.
-Nosecone shakes his head. "Just don't like bein hissed at. Get enough of that at Iacon"
-Moonlight chuckles slightly. "I guess both sides need a serpent, eh?"
-Nosecone grunts noncommitally. "I could stand ta do without our one."
-Moonlight examines the bottle she holds. It's a pretty blue in color and looks quite new. In fact, it is pretty new. "I don't mind mine. In fact, I can't really say that there's anyone on my side that I can't stand." She thinks for a moment. "Except perhaps one." She wriggles slightly to get comfortable. As long as Nosecone is /here/ it means that there's a good chance all his buddies won't be over at the site. And that means that hemisphere is safe...for now.
-"Just one?" Nosecone says, sipping at his drink to try and hide his surprise. "New energon mix?" he asks, indicating the bottle.
-Moonlight nods her head. "Only one. Of course, I have my close friends, but the rest don't cause me any grief either." She turns the bottle so Nosecone can see the lable. "Nope, it's just enerwine. But it's /my/ enerwine."
-Nosecone ahs. "From the brewery? Nice. Not too fond of wine myself."
-Moonlight takes another long sip of her drink. "I brew other things of course, but white enerwine is my preference."
-Nosecone nods. "What're you doin wanderin around out here anyways?"
-Moonlight colors slightly. "Actually, I wasn't wandering. I was sitting put until you came with your drilling and your cursing." She chuckles at the memory. "It's funny when you lose your calm."
-Nosecone hmphs, clearly believing she's making fun of him again. "You would too if a large chunk of metal beaned you in the back of the head"
-Moonlight shakes her head. "More likely I'd be stunned and very quiet." And yes, maybe she was making a /little/ fun of Nosecone. But she's allowed...they /are/ on opposite factions after all.
-Nosecone is tough, it's true. No mere blow to the head will stop him! "Probably" he grins. "Not the best of places to be unconcious, either."
-Moonlight frowns slightly. "Especially with Autobots running lose. That's why I'm not in the tunnels. I much prefer sitting in a penthouse."
-"But you're not" Nosecone says, tilting his head to look at Moonlight. "You said you were sittin around doin nothin when I interrupted you. Why sit around in a place as crappy as this?"
-Moonlight colors a little as she looks around at all the bodies and body bits. "For a bit of inspiration I guess."
-Nosecone blinks. "Inspiration? For what? Brewin?"
-Moonlight arches an optic ridge. "Not quite. How did you come to that conclusion?" She knows that Nosecone didn't see the datapad she was holding before he broke through to the surface, which is just as well.
-Nosecone shrugs. "Was just guessin. I mean, all I know really know about you is that you're a Decepticon, and that you brew energon." He pauses. "Oh, and that you turn into a helicopter."
-Moonlight grins. "Well, how much do you know about other Decepticons compared to what you know about me?"
-Nosecone uhhhs.. "They're Decepticons, they want ta kill me... oh, and they mostly transform inta planes. Or things with guns on them."
-Moonlight shakes her head and starts to laugh so hard that she begins to shake. "So you essentially know nothing about us," she says once she manages to calm down.
-Nosecone huhs. "Well ya know, normally Decepticons aren't the type ta sit down and talk about themselves. You gotta understand that I'm usually too busy worryin about bein on the recievin end of their weapons than what type of energon they had for breakfast."
-Moonlight nods. "That is very true. Still isn't it wise to 'know thine enemy' and stuff?"
-"Probably" Nosecone replies. "But I think command's view is that all us grunts need ta know is which way ta point our guns."
-Moonlight grins. "Which is why I'm glad I'm intel. They /don't/ expect me to run around waving my gun at anything that moves with a red symbol."
-Nosecone hehs. "They just expect you ta sneak around and find out about anything that moves with a red symbol?"
-Moonlight points a finger at Nosecone. "Bingo!"
-Nosecone finishes his can of energon. "So, how big's my file?" he asks conversationally. "Can't be that large." He tries to puts on a info-type voice. "Nosecone: Slow Autobot mech. Drills things."
-Moonlight grins. "Don't think of files having size, think of it as a tapestry of knowledge. And I'm sure that you can say more about yourself than /that/. I probably could."
-Nosecone shrugs. "That seems ta sum up my life fairly well. I suppose you could add "Is intensly disliked by Blitzwing", but there ain't that much more ta say."
-Moonlight points to the can of energon. "What do you call that?" She points to herself. "And what do you call this?" She looks him in the optics to see what he thinks of her questions.
-Nosecone blinks, confused as all hell. "Uh.. Energon?" he replies.
-Moonlight facepalms. "First of all, that's an enerbeer, something you seem to like quite a bit. Secondly, you forgot to answer the second question."
-"It's still energon" he mutters. "And you.. you're Moonlight?" Yes, he's a master of mind games is Nosecone.
-There's a reason Moonlight likes Nosecone as much as she does...he's so straight forward. "Okay. Never mind all that then." She sighs with exasperation.
-Nosecone looks at Moonlight uncomprehendingly. "I don't see where you're goin with this.."
-Moonlight's tone is almost pleading. "Don't you have an imagination in there somewhere?"
-"Of course I do" Nosecone replies. "But there's a reason I'm a groundpounder and not intel. What're you gettin at Moonlight? Just say what you mean for once."
-Moonlight gives Nosecone a big grin and leans forward. "Promise not to shoot if I tell?"
-Nosecone blinks. "I guess so. I mean, I ain't likely ta shoot you without a good reason."
-Moonlight nods once. "Okay. You seem to like to drink a lot. I saw you at the testing booths, and I've seen you at other points in time with a drink in hand. That can be seen as a weakness by some, a bit of information that could prove useful. Also, I am a Decepticon and you are an Autobot. We've met several times, and you only shoot me when someone else starts the fight. That also tells me something about you." She smiles. "You want me to continue?"
-Nosecone blinks again as the femme rattles off information about the driller. "...uh.."
-Moonlight puts her hands behind her back and waits patiently with an almost sweet expression on her face.
-"Alright" Nosecone finally replies. "What else?"
-Moonlight spreads her arms wide to indicate this area. "I know you like to come here, you often come here alone. It seems that you aren't happy with all your team mates and like to be distanced from them. Yet another weakness."
-Nosecone can't help but be worried about all this, but he's regained his outward composure. "Guess my file isn't as small as I thought" he mutters while listening to Moonlight.
-Moonlight smiles, and if Nosecone had been more observant he would have noticed the barest trace of sadness in Moonlight's optics. "But I also know that when it comes down to a fight, you won't refuse to shoot, even if it is me you're fighting. That shows conviction of sorts, which is a strength."
-"Well" Nosecone states, not really sure of how to reply. "Guess ya know more about me than you really should. I'm sure that's how intel would see it."
-Moonlight stands up, leaving her bottle beside the place she had been sitting. "That just goes to show you that I /do/ actually do things, contrary to what you told me you believed back at Crystal City."
-Nosecone looks up at Moonlight with a wry expression on his face. "Your job is ta keep tabs on me?" he half-grins.
-Moonlight grins. "Maaaaaaybe."
-Nosecone huhs. "Lucky me"
-Moonlight keeps grinning. "I do other stuff too. You're just very accomodating." She lowers her voice. "All that stuff I've told you, I haven't told anyone else...yet."
-Nosecone looks at Moonlight, his optics unreadable.
-Moonlight picks up her bottle and drinks the rest of it rather slowly, her head tilted back, making her expression also rather unreadable.
-"I suppose" Nosecone begins slowly, still looking at the femme, "That I could also give a fairly good report to my commanders about you. Maybe not as eloquent though"
-Moonlight pulls her bottle away from her face and arches an optic ridge. "And what would you tell them?"
-Nosecone pauses to mentally go over what he knows about Moonlight. "Well.. I know you work in a brewery, at least part time. I know you're partial to light white ener-wine.. an that you also don't like ta shoot first." He scratches at his head. "You're no good in a fight anyways, but you're in a relationship with Blitzwing, who's always eager ta rush to your defense. Uh.. you're part of intel, an I guess they trust you enough ta operate on your own. You ain't from Cybertron originally, an there are some people on Monacus who would be very interested in knowin where ta find you."
-Moonlight grins, unbothered by Nosecone's report. "Very good. There's hope for you yet. Though actually, that's bad news for me, but I won't begrudge it to you."
-Nosecone shrugs, his optics suddenly gleaming with amusement. "You forget - I ain't intel. Your job may be ta keep tabs on me, but it sure as scrap ain't my job ta report about you. By my job description, I should have already shot you."
-Moonlight holds up her hands in the air, though she seems unalarmed. "So why don't you?" There is no challenge to her tone, only curiosity.
-Nosecone blinks. "I dunno. Maybe cause you ain't a threat, even if you do know too much about me. Or.." He shrugs.
-Moonlight nods her head. "I just hope you never have to regret it." Again, there's no threat and she doesn't sound ominous in any way.
-"I hope so too" Nosecone replies. "But I'd probably regret just up an shootin you now even more" He grins wryly again. "An if I didn't, Blitzwing would make me sorry."
-Moonlight smiles warmly. "Well, I know that /you/ don't like Blitzwing much, but it's nice to know that I have a friend who will back me up when I'm in trouble...even if it could mean his death." She shudders slightly. She might mock nearly everything in the galaxy, but she doesn't find death funny, not at all.
-"Well at least he's straight forward" Nosecone replies, a little glad of the change of subject. "Just wish he wasn't so enthusiastic"
-Moonlight grins. "We both do, but for very different reasons."
-Nosecone jokingly makes a face. "I don't think I wanna know."
-Moonlight winks, then her expression goes more neutral. "Well, I just don't like it when he gets in trouble, that's all."
-Nosecone says, "You mean there are times when he ain't in trouble?"
-Moonlight shrugs. "I guess so."
-Nosecone blinks. "Well, I suppose I only see him when I'm on the recieving end of his guns or fists. Probably best if I only think of him as bein just that - an enemy."
-Moonlight sits back down. "Yes, it would. Can't afford to hesitate with someone who is closer to your match. Me, if I really had to be taken out, I would be in big trouble. I know that because of the time we /did/ fight."
-Nosecone shifts his weight, a little uncomfortable about being reminded of that. "You're not designed for front-line fightin" he agrees.
-Moonlight nods her head. "Thank Primus for that."
-"Yeah, well" Nosecone mutters. "I'll trade ya. You roll up and drill through fortifications, I'll sit around lookin pretty." He suddenly grins. "Well, prettier, anyways."
-Moonlight shakes her head. "Again, the lack of equipment would be a problem."
-Nosecone points to the shovel he lent her.
-Moonlight chuckles. "Somehow I don't think that would cut it."
-Nosecone shakes his head. "Not by half" he says from experiance. "The best way is ta soften the walls up with bombardments first, although the /very/ best way is ta not be there at all"
-Moonlight stretches. "Well, I should be heading back home. I've got to do that mythical 'other stuff' that I do sometimes."
-Nosecone nods, standing up as well. "I suppose I should continue with this" he says with no real enthusiasm, glancing at the hole then back at Moonlight. "Stay safe Moonlight. Watch out for those evil Autobots."
-Moonlight chuckles. "Oh, I will."