re_alignment | [Video] | [From the Junkpile]

Entry tags:

brave police: j-decker | deckard

[Video] | [From the Junkpile]

Well. You all saw it. There isn't much time to waste. We should all formulate a plan. The last thing we need is mass-chaos.

My best guess would be to secure anyone who can't fight in the temples. We'll probably need people stationed by each to keep watch over them. The rest of us can move in to corral any enemies into one area.

If anyone needs help or transport, I'll do my best to reach you.

[A beat.]

McCrane, Gunmax? I suggest we stick together. We're stronger in a group. And I... I have an idea. Grab as much oil as we have stockpiled. I'll meet you two at [Insert coordinates.], please be safe. Help anyone you can on the way.

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[Drift nods at McCrane as the other moves to cover the perimeter from any more pursuers. Apparently they are attracted to leaking rust. Great.]

Oh, them? Just a few escorts to make sure I didn't get lonely.

[Sorry, but he's got one thing in the world he's good at. Let him enjoy it a bit.]

So what's the plan?

[He gives a long look at the bike. Huh. Someone stuck in an alt mode? It's nice the other's at least feeding him. This is a good team.] Has Ratchet seen your friend there?

Well.

[Deckerd wastes no time, jerking a thumb toward the narrow passage they'd picked to bottleneck the monsters.]

Basically, we need you to start a stampede. Lead them down that passage and-

[He gestures, like firing a gun.]

With them all stuffed in one place we should be able to take them all down.

Simple enough and th-

[Pause.]

Pardon?

That's the basic idea.

[Gunmax closes the fuel tank on his motorcycle, standing up and getting on top of Gunbike. Then, it occurs to him what Drift is asking; he looks at him, then bursts out laughing.]

No need. I keep her tuned myself.

You Destrons and Cybertrons -- hilarious. Knockout made the same mistake.

I've rounded up a few from the North, if you could have Drift take the West, we can funnel together.

[He can hear the rest of the conversation, and doesn't get it since he's not present.]

Who else is there with you?

[Drift nods at Deckerd's plan. If this weapon Deckerd's thinking about is any good, it could take out a large number of them. Like when they'd given Roadbuster one of the Trion's guns on Cybertron.]

Sounds good.

[Uh. He has the strange feeling he's making some sort of horrible social gaffe, but he can't stop.]

The bike. 'She'. [As Gunmax had called it, thus proving she was a robot, too, just like the rest of them because who gives inanimate objects genders? Weird.] Ratchet could probably fix her transformation cog.

[And her vocalizer since she seems incapable of talking for herself.]

[Deckerd pauses as he puts this together.]

Nobody, McCrane. Don't worry about it.

[A firm pat on Drift's shoulder and he leans in to educate him quietly.]

It's just a bike.

It's not sentient. Gunmax just calls it "She" for personal reasons.

Eh? Whatever, Gunbike is Gunbike. Don't worry about her, Drift. Sheesh.

[He gets onto his motorcycle and leans forward. For once since arriving here, he feels fully charged and ready. Energetic.

And he knows it's about to get very, very depleted.

Still.]

No worries. You and I got this, right? [Gunmax rubs his thumb over one of the handlebars.]

[And McCrane would return, bringing some monsters along with him!]

I don't understand this invasion. The targets are widely variant...why would they come, just to kill us off?

[He lets off a shot, luring them in further, noticing they seemed to go toward wherever the firing sounds were.]

Drift, can you take it from here?

...just a bike? [Wow. Harsh. You don't talk to an inanimate object the way he's seen Gunmax do, though. See? Like that. And petting the handlebars. Really. He may have his optics half melting, but he knows feelings, okay?]

[He nods at the green mech. ] I'll leave the worrying to you.

[Ah, stabbing. He'll get right on that, launching himself at the small crowd of sharkticons.]

I think we might be able to figure that out after the battle. All we need to know right now is they want everything dead.

[And that's all Drift needs to know. He underhands one sword, stabbing a sharkticon through its open mouth, and then levering it up over the crowd. ] Got it.

[He flips into his alt, letting the red rust seep over his white armor. He'll spin around, letting his aft fishtail as he races to gather the largest collection of sharkticons.]

[Right. Time to get into position. Deckerd lines himself up at the back of the small stand he created.]

Gunmax! Let's go!

[It's going to be so strange watching him change without being J-Decker...]

OKAY! Let's do this!

CHANGE! MAX CANNON MODE!

[The front of Gunbike extends out for part of the cannon; Gunmax ducks down as the cover comes over him. The rest of the bike and presumably part of Gunmax himself changes into the impressively large Max Cannon.

The trigger is going to be a bit more intimidating this way, isn't it, Deckerd.]

[McCrane nods to Drift, agreeing for now that the monsters need taking care of first and foremost, and watching as the...samurai? Hm. Watching him turn into a vehicle to herd. With Deckerd's command, it's time!

Which means he's transforming, himself, into crane mode, getting into position just in time to catch the tip of Gunmax's Max Cannon before it falls. It's lighter than he was expecting.]

Deckerd, tell me if the aim is off?

[McCrane rolls forward just a bit, pointing the cannon as best as he can toward the huge bunch of targets.]

Drift, get clear!

[Their aim better not be off, because Drift has done a quick sweep through the area, tearing through the narrow gap, leading a mass of sharkticons. A passel of sharkticons? Something like that. It's hard to think of clever collective nouns when you happen to also be sporting a sharkticon hood ornament. ]

[He fishtails wildly, before veering hard to his left, hopefully clearing their shot. ]

Spot on, McCrane!

[Once he sees Drift scooting off to the left, Deckerd wastes no time, locking his feet against the platform stirrups he'd cobbled together, and pulling the trigger.

The recoil slams Gunmax back into his chestplates, one of his metal lapels breaking at the corner. It leaves a nice deep indent, but the damage it does up front is definitely... well. It goes as planned, the Max Cannon cuts a swath through the masses that are caught, bottle necked in the pass, and those behind them.]

[Just as planned, more or less.

The blast goes, destroying several of the monsters easily. It's a victory, he won't deny that, but feeling just himself using his own energy to fire it off -- it doesn't quite have the usual power it should, and it drains him completely. Gunmax's plating heats up and everything burns up, fuel included.]

Damn it--

[He can't even hold the form for very long after the Max Cannon is fired. Both Gunmax and his motorcycle transform and the biker is limply draped over Gunbike, out of both Deckerd's grip and McCrane's assisted aim.]

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