Chapter 16 - Second Chances

Ankmor

Deadmetal stood beside the repair table, looking down at the mess and tangle of charred metal and wiring. Various thin tubes and clusters of wiring were all that were keeping Speeder online. A blue optic, horribly dim in contrast to Deadmetal's own stared up, focusing on whatever was within range. Other than Gundog who was lay on the repair table beside Speeder's own, they were alone. The legless bot was in stasis while he recovered, but Speeder, even in the tattered and charred state he was currently in, seemed to be fully aware of what was going on around him.
''So, Galaxy bullied four Constructicons into joining our team?'' He transmitted, a hint of amusement edging his crackling tone.
Deadmetal nodded, relieved that his friend still had some grip on humour.
''Scared them stupid, from what I hear.'' He replied.
''When we goin' back to our Gygax base?'' Speeder asked after a moment.
He was still having to concentrate on gathering words together in an understandable sentence and then transmitting them.
''Once Raid gives the go-ahead, then we'll be on our way. He's just awaiting for confirmation from Iacon.''
Another moment's pause.
''What about the Solstice? Any news on that?''
''Mainframe left us a message. They finished the repair job yesterday while we were, uh busy.'' He replied.
Speeder tried cracking a grin but instead gained a few sparks and something that would frighten even demons.


Gygax[/i]

Roadtrain dragged Turbulance from the basin. They had fallen out of sight of the clean-up crew; something Roadtrain was greatful for. He didn't intend on going offline anytime soon.
''Wake up!'' He growled irritably and kicked the black and silver Decepticon in the side.
Red optics flared to life and Turbulance heaved himself into a sitting position.
''Ungh... Whut 'appened...?'' He muttered, rubbing at the dent in his helm.
''You got a swift kicking from Deadmetal, that's what.'' Roadtrain replied.
Turbulance muttered and pulled himself to his feet.
''What about the others?'' He asked, looking around.
''Krusher's dead. Done in by Galaxy. Saw it m'self. She tore him in half.'' He gave a low, unnerving chuckle. Turbulance gave him an odd look. Roadtrain continued. ''Steele's just as dead. Blew himself up during a tussle with Speeder. Weren't much left of either of them. Hookshot's fled from our old base. The Autobot's have reclaimed it. He's now headed back with Crash, Burnout and Flare.''
''Then I think that's where we'd best be off to.'' Turbulance said and started walking.
Roadtrain stayed put for a moment, contemplating his next move. He looked at the retreating back of Turbulance, his armour plating hanging loose or missing completely, his wings fractured and useless. He then cast his gaze elsewhere, taking in his surroundings.
''Uhm... Nah.'' He said. You can go back!'' He shouted after Turbulance, who stopped and looked over his shoulder at the old, battered transportation chief. ''I think I might head to Kaon or Axiom Nexus. See what odd-jobs are going.''
Turbulance shrugged.
''Suit yerself.'' He replied and continued walking.


Seranta 3

The sea sucked lazily at the beach. Seagulls were circling around, looking for their next meal. One of the birds that was sat atop a worn-out old groyne screeched and flapped into the air to join its brethren as the air around it shimmered and crackled like static. A silver figure dropped out of the portal, one sack firmly under one arm and the other hanging over its shoulder. Spinner's feet sank into the sand as he landed, the water seeping into the new depressions, seeking to fill it in. Spinner surveyed the coast line. The cliffs were ragged and tall, and various shrubbery clung to the cliffsides as did the birds.
''Gotta be around here somewhere...'' He muttered as he scanned the cliffs.
About halfway down the beach, the cliff face shimmered, as if someone had hidden an entrance from sight with a large piece of camouflage canvas. Spinner hefted the sacks again, re-doubling his grip and made for the suspect area of rock. When he approached it, he looked up at it suspiciously. The cliff shimmered in the breeze again. He prodded gently at it with a sharp finger. His finger went right through the rock with no resistance. He pulled his hand back, gathered himself and stepped through the portal. On the otherside were many relics from many different worlds. Everything from pelts to whole engines were scattered around in what seemed to be a haphazard way, yet each piece was actually quite neatly and appropriately arranged. Lining each, carved wall of the cavern were hand-made shelves, each one stuffed full of strange objects. Some he recognised, others he didn't. At the far end of the cavern was a large make-shift desk-cum-counter. There was no one sat at it. He looked around at the maze of goods, old and new, that he had just navigated. There was movement from a side room, the heavy, tattered but still usuable black curtain rippling in the wind that coursed into the main chamber.

''Hello?'' Spinner ventured.
''I'll be with you in a minute!'' Replied a female voice.
There were a few curses and a series of metallic crashes before the curtain was peeled back and a tall, bulky figure stepped out. Deep purple, almost black armour shone in the torch light, the red markings adding a little extra to the overall sinisterness that the Decepticon presented.
''Right. What can I do for you?'' She asked cheerfully, clasping her metallic hands infront of her.
''I've come to trade for some credit. And a new weapon.'' Spinner said.
''Well, you've come to the right place!'' She said. ''Now, what is it that you would like to trade, er...''
''Spinner. Minicon class, Decepticon.'' He supplied.
''Bandit. If you didn't already know.'' She replied.
She then gestured at the two sacks he was holding.
''That what you want to trade?'' She asked curiously.

''Yep. I just hope you're still interested in the organic thing.'' He said and opened one of the sacks up.
Bandit crouched down and inspected the contents without touching.
''Hmmm... A new pelt... Looks to be in good condition...'' She said thoughtfully.
''This is the rest of him. Sort of. Didn't have room for the skeleton...''
Bandit took the sacks off him, picking them up with incredible gentleness between forefinger and thumb and carefully deposited them on her desk. She sat down and emptied them, depositing the messier goods onto a rubber mat that she had pulled from the recesses of a drawer. She shuffled through the various organs and muscles, looking at each one with as much scrutiny as a jeweller would inspect a diamond.
''Hmmm... There's some damage to the liver... And the kidneys...'' She said slowly as she eyed them up. ''But they might be of use. As for the rest, well, they're in good nick and will do well in the necromancy and science areas.'' She picked up four small devices from another drawer and set up one at each corner of the mat. There was a barely audible hum and a green coloured forcefield domed around the organs. Bandit caught Spinner's curious look.
''It's a high-tech pickling jar.'' She said with a twist of a smile. ''Except without the liquids.''
She gently pulled the pelt from the other sack and unfurled it. There were neat cuts up the limbs and down the body. Two hollow eyes stared at her blankly as the empty maw hung open.
''The tail's still intact.'' She said carefully fiddling with the tail, feeling the bone beneath her alloyed fingertips. ''That's good. What species is this...?'' She prompted.
''Anthropomorphic Fox from the planet Nyxen 3.'' Spinner said.

''Alive or dead?''
''Alive. I wanted to see the fear in his eyes...'' Spinner sneered.
''Wonder what he did to deserve this.'' She muttered as she inspected the pelt further. ''Actually, I don't really want to know the details. Just gimme the barest of outlines as to his sin. If there was one, that is.''
''He was abusive to all around him.'' Spinner replied and left it at that.
''Hmmm.. Moragan might be interested in this pelt. I'll have to give him a ring later.'' She said and tucked it back into its sack and deposited it into a refrigerator styled machine.
''So...?'' The small bot prompted slowly.
''Soooo, I reckon... All this'll put you in at ten thousand five hundred and two Credits. Your choice in weapon will be deducted from this total. That is if you still wish to peruse the contents of my humble establishment.''
Spinner nodded.
''Do you have any EMP guns?'' He asked. ''As in, Minicon sized.''
Bandit leaned over the edge of her desk and looked down at him. After a moment, she pulled herself from her seat.
''I think I have just the perfect thing for you.'' She said and beckoned for him to follow her into a maze of weaponry.
She stopped at a small cabinet and retrieved a narrow, sleek silver gun from it. It was half the length of his forearm.
''How about this? Only been used once, due to the original owner getting on the wrong side of Astrotrain. Or so I'm told, anyway.'' She handed it down to Spinner who inspected it quite thoroughly. ''Five hundred Credits. You can try it out if you want, I got a target range out back.''

Spinner nodded and let it intergrate into his arm. It fit perfectly and didn't feel wrong. It felt good. It felt natural. He followed Bandit out into an adjacent chamber. It was long and tall, and had a set of targets, all of various sizes set up at the far end. Spinner brought the small EMP gun to bear. It hummed into life. He aligned his targeting system to the weapon and took aim. The target he had within his crosshairs shattered in a fountain of concentrated electricity and wood. He took another shot, hitting another target. He raised his arm, the muzzle of the gun pointed toward the roof. He looked up at Bandit, who was smiling.
''Nice shootin'.'' She commented.
''It feels good.'' He said. ''I'll take it.''
''Excellent!'' She beamed. ''I know you'll use it wisely. Now, is there anything else I can help you with...?''
Spinner shook his head and put the gun away.
''Not as yet, no.'' He said.
''Right then, you now have ten thousand and two Credits remaining.'' She said.
She then lead him back out into the main chamber and back amongst the maze of collectibles.
''Right, before you travel any further, I would like to tell you something else, about my establishment. There has been a new way set up for trading from a distance. If you have something you wish to trade, or if you simply wish to buy from me, or someone else, all you have to do is find yourself a trading shop or the like. Back on Cybertron, the bot you should be talking to is Swindle. He's the one who started all this. He'd be able to tell you more about the important details. It's a good, efficient system. Though, you must be warned: I'm not here all the time. I traverse the different worlds doing a spot of trading of my own. My co-worker, the Squid looking guy, covers for me during such excursions, and he is quite reliable and very trustworthy. There is a teleportation system set-up in each shop for quick delivery, too.''
''Sounds interesting.'' Spinner said, absorbing every word. ''I'll look in to it. It could save me some time.''
''Indeed! That's what it's there for!'' She grinned.
Spinner bade her good bye and stepped back out into the light and engaged his personal Space Bridge once more.


Gygax

Turbulance sat on the repair table, staring blankly at the wall. Hookshot sat beside him and was doing the same.
''Well.'' Turbulance said after a moment. ''It was interesting while it lasted.''
Hookshot didn't say anything. He just listened.
''And Jetstream... An Autobot... Really didn't see that one comming.'' He mused. He cast a look at Hookshot. ''You don't look so great.''
''You don't look so great yerself.'' Hookshot muttered unhappily.
''Oh good.'' He said. ''Thought you'd lost your voice, for a moment then.'' He added when the Constructicon finally looked at him.
There was another moment of silence in which not a lot happened. Propshaft was busy with the more serious casualties. Finally, Turbulance gave Hookshot a friendly nudge and a feeble smile. It was really the best he had ever been able to do.
''What's up?'' He asked, taking a mental wild guess.
''I miss Steele.'' Hookshot rumbled somberly after a moment. ''Yeah, he could be annoying. Especially when it came to tiny, helpless organics, but...'' He trailed off and sighed. ''He was still my brother. We've never been seperated for more then a week. Up until now.''
Turbulance went back to staring at the wall.
''Mum's gonna have me smelted when she finds out.'' He added in a unhappy mutter.
Turbulance snorted a laugh. Hookshot gave him a bitter look.
''Sorry.'' He said, raising his hands helplessly. ''Never had any siblings and the rest of the family unit never liked me, so my apologies if I seem cold Sparked about the whole situation.''
''Meh. Never expected you to understand anyway. You only ever seem to use those around you to your own benefit.''
''Not true.'' Turbulance protested.

''Really? What about Cable Cutter? Ironshod? Backslash? All those fembots you've come across over the years? Should I continue to list?''
Turbulance muttered something and folded his arms across his chest. Then the door to the medical bay opened. And a short figure appeared. It was a Minicon and he looked worn out, but otherwise unharmed.
''You Turbulance?'' He asked.
''You Spinner?'' Was the reply.
''Who wants to know?''
''Turbulance.''
''Oh for the love of everything.'' Hookshot muttered. ''He is Turbulance!'' He jabbed a finger at the bot in question.
''Right then. I'm Spinner and I'm reporting for duty!''
Turbulance twisted a smile.
''Another one to add to the crew manifest?'' Rumbled a voice.
Crash appeared at the door behind Spinner. The small Decepticon turned around, looked up and saluted primly.
''I invited him, sir. He helped us out back on Nyxen 3 before Carjack could do any major damage.'' Turbulance admitted, hopping from the table and standing up, hands at his back.
Crash looked them both over.
''Ah yes. I heard about that. I'll give you a chance, Spinner. One chance. You bail out on us again, and I'll have you used as spares, understood?''
''Yessir, absolutely, sir!''
''Good. Now, if you do not require any medical attention, follow me and we'll get things straightened out.''

Spinner followed Crash, leaving Turbulance and Hookshot behind.
''I wonder what we're gonna do now...'' Hookshot sighed.
''No idea. I just hope Crash is a better commander than Krusher.'' Turbulance said.
There was another moment's silence.
''So, uh, what about the ship?'' Hookshot asked after a moment.
''Huh?''
''The Epitaph. What's gonna happen to it?''
''Ship command gets handed over to the new Commander.'' Turbulance replied blankly. ''Whoever that is.''
Hookshot stared at him blankly and then shook his head.
''The second-in-command would be you, dip-stick.'' He said pointedly.
Turbulance stopped in mid-fiddle, the loose piece of wiring he was mucking about with caught between forefinger and thumb. A small smile spread across his metallic features as realisation set in.
''Oh yeah... So I am... With no Krusher, I'm your new boss.''
''Might not be the case.'' Hookshot smiled. ''Depends what Crash and Megatron have to say about it.''
''Bugger.'' Turbulance said and sagged in his posture.
Hookshot laughed.

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