Execution Date

And so the day comes that Blast Off's (scary word alert:) date with Shiftlock finally arrives. It took a little doing to find the right time... with Shiftlock out of town and Blast off now living nearer the other Combaticons, it was a juggling act, but he managed. If only \*time\* had been his only problem.

No, this is a (again, scary word alert:) DATE and the shuttleformer is determined that everything will be \*perfect\*. He may have lost most everything: his way, his home, his money, but slag it all- he isn't going to lose his CLASS. And thus a long, hard search for a classy place to take someone began. He spoke to a mech here, a mech there, scouted out some locations... he actually put quite a bit of effort into the whole thing. And it hasn't been easy... but he thinks he found a place. At least as good a place as one is going to FIND in a city like this.

And so he sits in one of those little holes-in-the-walls... sort of a Cybertronian coffee shop, with a stage and a live musician plinking away (somewhat in tune) on an instrument. A big sign tells of Poetry Readings tonight, and a small crowd is beginning to gather. This place may not look like much, but the Combaticon was told it had /CLASS/. So now Blast Off sits at a table for two, looking, well... as polished as he can manage to these days. He waits for Shiftlock to arrive, and tries not to look nervous.

Class is not really something that is big on Shiftlock's mind - she'll never be a royal, as the song goes, but she has manners at least and has a good heart. A little nervous due to Drift seeming to show up out of nowhere and start shooting, she's been on the move, but even that can get tiresome after awhile. A break from running and hiding is welcome.

She arrives at the little beatnik bar, and she cleans up well: her finish is flawless and she's gotten her repairs and paint done. Black, glittering copper with its orange, gold and rosy hues, and touches of gold adorn her frame, and set off the natural aqua of her optics. She spots Blast Off immediately and smiles, making her way toward his table.

Blast Off is reading a datapad, but glancing up to look around frequently. Spotting Shiftlock, the shuttleformer immediately places the datapad down and makes it to his feet. He subconsciously starts brushing imaginary dust specks off his heat shields before realizing what he's doing and stopping. Then he straightens, and puts on his most gentlemechly, refined demeanor. "Shiftlock." He gives her a polite bow, then holds her seat for her. "You look... flawless."

"Thank you. I thought you might appreciate not being seen with someone who looks they they just drug themselves out of a recycling plant," she chuckles, taking the offered seat. "Are you doing all right? I'm sorry I had to pack up and leave like I did. I couldn't stop worrying about you."
Blast Off waits until she's seated (like a proper gentlemech), then sits down at his spot as well. He allows himself a small chuckle. "Well, you certainly do NOT look anything like that." He picks the datapad up, glancing at it again before placing it off to the side.

He waves a hand at Shiftlock's question. "I am quite all right. I got your note. Actually, I was just coming to tell you I had found a place of my own. I've signed up for the pit fights, my team's helping me out a bit, and I finally have a little shanix to make it on my own." His gaze casts downward a bit at her last comment. "That's... why it was just as well that I left. I... did not mean to be a cause of stress while I was there, and I think I was."

"I'm sorry I made things awkward, Blast Off," Shiftlock sighs. "I don't know what's wrong with me. Ever since Mercury separated from me, it's like... it's like there's some part of me that's missing, and I keep trying to find something to fill it. You ever feel like that, like you're supposed to be a part of something bigger?" she asks.

Blast Off waves the hand again before bringing it back to the table in front of him. He clasps his hands together and leans a little forward as he replies, "It's understandable that you'd be a bit... distraught. Something like that would take a lot of getting used to."

His optic ridges furrow slightly at her question. He can think of several things that make him feel that way, actually. The sense of relief upon finding his team alive was enormous. Just being around them again (annoying as they can still be) seems to satisfy some hole in his life he didn't fully realize he had. But admitting that would be admitting that he's not quite the LONE, ROCK-SOLID ISLAND he likes to pretend he is... it would be admitting he's lonely and actually \*needs\* people. He's not ready to do that. The shuttleformer glances away, and brings up the subject he \*is\* comfortable talking about. "Well... in a way, I suppose. When I'm up... there, in space, I feel connected to the cosmos itself... in a way I never can down here." His gaze returns to Shiftlock. "I think you're dealing with... grief, perhaps? It's a loss, of sorts."

"I suppose, but how can you grieve for someone you didn't know?" Shiftlock asks. "Mercury isn't dead and I never realized she was even a part of me until I woke up. How can someone grieve over that?" She shakes her head. "I dunno, maybe something really is wrong with me." She sighs but smiles afterwards, letting the subject go for some other time. "I'm glad to know you're on your feet, though. That was something that was really pressing on me. I suppose I didn't have any -right- to feel that way but I felt responsible for making sure you were looked after and safe. It -does- bother me to think that you might be out there somewhere suffering."

Blast Off considers that. "But... you did know her, in a way. She was a physical part of you, whether you were conscious of it or not. If nothing else, perhaps your body itself feels a bit of a ...disjoint right now." He then tilts his head slightly, in a sort of half-shrug and half-contemplative gesture. "It's not your responsibility. I am a Combaticon... a soldier and fighter. If anything, \*I\* should be watching out for \*you\*." Which does remind him of Drift, and he glances about the place... but there's no flash of white metal to be seen. He looks to Shift again before breaking away. "But... I... that is.... thank you."

A waiter comes up to get their drinks, adding that they are in for a treat with this Poetry Reading tonight. Blast Off looks up at him, remarking, "Yes, I know. I was told this place has class." The waiter leans in a little closer. "What? Oh... yeah, definitely. Hope you brought a lot of it!"

Blast off stares as the waiter heads off again, wondering what that was all about, then turns back to Shiftlock. "Anyway... you've already done an extraordinary amount. At this point... I owe you." His expression darkens some. "And if Drift shows up again while I'm around, I \*will\* take care of that problem. You can't play it soft with him anymore."

Shiftlock tries to keep a good mood despite Drift being brought up. "I don't intend to, but if I can help it, I'll deal with him on my own terms. Drift is my responsibility. I took care of him, I even broke him out of jail, and now he's become a monster. I made it possible for him to be this much trouble. I'll do whatever it takes to snap him out of it, and if I can't?"

Her expression grows deadly serious. "I'll end what I started."

Blast Off looks into Shift's optics... and believes her. He absorbs that, and gives a small nod. "Understood." He thinks a moment more and adds, "Good luck." The waiter soons arrives with drinks, and Blast Off accepts a specially-flavored, medium-grade engex (the highest grade he can afford at the moment)- and hands Shiftlock any drink she may have ordered. Taking a sip, he asks, "Have you had a chance to practice with that pistol I gave you?"

"I'm afraid not." Shift orders just one drink, feeling a little guilty at accepting something that could be vital to Blast Off's needs, but not wanting to refuse his generosity. She is trying to be more accepting of help these days. "I work better in my altmode, and when you travel as fast as I do in tight spaces, guns don't really work. I stand just as much of a chance of driving into my own bullets than I do hitting a target."

Blast Off hmmms. The sniper can't imagine NOT wanting to rely on weapons. "Yes, but sometimes you'll be in situations where you can't \*get\* into your alt mode." His optic ridges furrow down once more. "I'd still... feel better if you had some basic training." It appears he is concerned for HER wellbeing, too. The shuttle looks down into his glass, then shrugs slightly. "But that's up to you. My offer for training still stands if you ever care to take me up on that."

Blast Off then sits there a momnent, as if trying to think of what to say next. His gaze slowly drifts to the datapad lying not far away, and then he straightens up to lean slightly in again. "Speaking of work, how goes it? Are you still tunnel-running?"

On the stage, the musician stops playing music, bows to a scattering of applause, then leaves as another mech makes his way up on stage and begins setting up several mikes and various speakers. There's also a large, mesh screen that gets dragged up onstage.

"I might take you up on that, if I can. As for work -- it goes. I'm all over the place, and yeah, I'm still running data. It's not bad, and I kind of like being underground." Shiftlock grins widely at that. "There's so much freedom down there - millions and millions of miles of conduits and tunnels and barely anyone remembers they're there! I could probably drive right through the dang planet and come out the other side!"

Blast Off nods, satisfied, then blinks. Being stuck underground in claustrophobic tunnels does NOT sound like his idea of a good time- at all. "That sounds...." How to put this? "...Interesting." The kind of interesting that's nice to hear about, maybe, but not to experience. He's also heard rumors of nasty things down there... but perhaps this isn't the time to mention that. This does remind him of something he CAN relate to, though. It seems many things do, these days. The longer he's away... the fonder he gets. "That sounds a little like space... out there, there's freedom- and countless galaxies to explore. It is... a pleasant feeling." He glances at her. "You truly love your freedom, don't you?"

"It's probably the one thing that is most important to me. I want to be able to share that with everyone else, but... well..." She looks around, as if she's about to tell some terrible secret, "... I don't think I can resort to violence like Megatron's talking about. I just... Well I want to -defend- myself, yeah, but I don't want to -kill- people to make a point. I'd rather try to help people figure out way to stick it to the man without bombs and guns." She looks down, drumming her fingers on the table. "Just... seems like that's not gonna happen, is it?"

Blast Off considers this. He lifts his glass thoughtfully, swishing the liquid about a little, then gazes back up. "I... don't know." He looks around the room, though his is not as uncomfortable a gaze as Shiftlock's was. "I understand what you're saying... it's not like \*I\* want never-ending war, either, despite my... background." He starts to look just a little uncomfortable at that, the dichotomy of being a /\*civilized\* \*Combaticon\*/ one that he hasn't fully integrated and adjusted into yet. "I would much prefer to enjoy a high-class, comfortable life, with wine, and culture, and... well... NOT war. I don't have any desire to go looking for trouble. Leave me alone, I'll leave you alone."

But then his look hardens, and he places the glass down, leaning in again. "But sometimes that's just NOT an option. I've been out there- I know. I'm a soldier. Sometimes if you want justice, if you WANT freedom... you have to fight for it. Freedom isn't... free. And sometimes the only thing that certain people understand IS weapons- and force. There are some \*nasty\* people out there."

Shiftlock takes all that in and thinks on it. The words 'freedom isn't free' almost echo in her head, ringing with their own truth. "Yeah," she says quietly. "I worked for one."

Blast Off gives her a subtle nod. "Yes. He will get what is coming to him, someday. As will all his ilk. The injustice you- and I- endured will not go unanswered. What happened to Rung won't go unanswered. I don't know what it is, exactly.... but I think it will happen sooner rather than later." He takes another sip of the engex, then rolls his shoulders as if to relieve tension. "Anyway... I did not mean to derail this into such... serious discussion. This is probably not the time or place."

"We're talking about things that are vitally important to us. I'd say that's the most open, intimate thing we can discuss," Shiftlock replies with a warm tone and a empathetic smile.

Blast Off blinks, and responds with an, "Oh." He glances away, bringing a hand to scratch at the back of his helmet (where that wound is finally pretty well patched up) before looking back again. There's a wing elevon twitch before he finally straightens up again and tries to look more dignified again. "Ah, yes. Very well then!" He clasps his hands together in front of him, then nods, again trying to think what to say. This socializing is /hard/. But he's trying.

He gazes at her again. "Well, I... I do have my team again. Onslaught (have you met him?) is as brilliant as ever, and I think if anyone will know what to do... no matter \*what\* happens, he will. The Combaticons have fought- and survived- in countless battles before, this would be no different. If you're ever in distress, and you find one of them... just tell them I sent you." His optics narrow slightly. "Though if that individual is \*Swindle\*... you may still want to be careful. He'd help... but for a price."

Meanwhile, the mech onstage taps on the mike. "This thing on? Testing... Alright, Poetry Slam in 5..."

"I've met Swindle. Yeah, he's pretty greasy, but if you talk cash, he's workable." Shiftlock gives Blast Off a fond look. "Look, I know I'm bad news on wheels, and I don't know if I'll ever settle, but... you're special to me, okay? I'd only be fooling myself if I said you weren't. If you ever get to feeling lonely... com me. I'll do my best to keep you company."

Blast Off \*thought\* he'd gotten hold of himself and had complete and utter control of that (at least perceived) debonair demeanor he is trying to maintain, but that gets a soft, surprised sputter of engines before he can stop it. Cue more wing elevon twitching. "I..I...I...well, I..you...I..." He finally just STOPS trying to talk and simply gives Shiftlock a quick, sincere nod. Then sits there, staring at his hands until he feels it's once more safe (to his attempts at not sounding like an idiot, at least) to look up again. He manages to look (somewhat) dignified again. His gaze turns faraway as he quietly adds, "You... are /not/ bad news. You're...actually... about the only good news I've known here, besides finding that my team is alive."

Shiftlock laughs softly. "I'm a -mess-. I just thought I'd let you know how bad it gets before you decide on any further dates."

The mention of /further dates/ just flusters the shuttleformer even more. There's yet another sputter of engines and wing elevon-twitchiness before Blast Off can look at her again. "Further da..." His words trail off, and a small chuckle escapes him despite himself. He shakes his head. "That's not a probl...I mean, it's not... you're not a mess. No more than I was, or anyone here is." At that, he lifts his head. "And we both WILL rise above this. I know \*I\* will, and..." he looks thoughtfully at her, "I know you will, too."

Shiftlock takes a drink of her energon. "Thanks. I have high hopes, but at the same time, I'm running too close to the ground to ignore the obvious." She looks over at the stage. "... I wonder what they're gonna do up there?"
Blast Off nods as he looks at the femme, regaining his composure once more. And he'd like to say more- he'd like to reciprocate, and tell Shiftlock he cares about her, too. But discussing \*feelings\* is always hard for the aloof shuttle, and he blinks, and gazes... and remains silent. It might be just as well, however. For Shiftlock's question is soon answered.

The lights dim a little. The first mech, the one who had been setting the place up, moves towards the mesh screen in front of the stage. A second Cybertronian, this time a femme, steps delicately up on stage. She seems to be some kind of jet: silver with blue highlights and traces of violet energon lines visible in the seams of her sides. There is a quiet air about her- a creature of refined grace, eloquence and poise. She stands in front of the microphone, taps it, then proceeds to sit down on a stool placed there for her. Her slender hands come up and she makes a small, petite \*cough\*. With a flick of her thin, slender wings she begins:

The smoke wisps from the flame's edge, terrible, pure,

My sparkbeat skips in its rhythm, striken, unsure.

She starts rocking slightly as she speaks: "I remember long ago,

When Luna-2 shone on the ground,

There's too many mechs now, causing too many problems,

And not enough spark, not enough love to go 'round.

Her tone becomes more even, more of a musical melody, almost as if she were channeling this in from somewhere:

Can't you see this is the land of confusion?

This is the world we live in

And these are the hands we're given

Use them and let's start trying

To make it a place worth living in..."

Shiftlock scoots her chair a little closer to Blast Off, so she can sit next to him, interested in the song.

Blast Off notices Shiftlock edging closer, and the shuttleformer stiffens just slightly... then relaxes again. He also gazes up at the poet, listening... and enjoying the company. He whispers, sounding surprised, "They were correct... we \*did\* find a little class here in Kaon..."

The femme continues singing, her thin voice wafting up surprisingly strong amidst the humble surroundings. The audience seems to be enjoying this, too, and mechs and femmes pause their conversation to listen. Something about the song strikes a chord in this crowd. One big, burly mech holds a big glass bottle and holds it almost tenderly as he listens.

She continues on: Ooh Primus where are you now

When everything's gone wrong somehow

The mechs of steel, the mechs of power...

This is where she pauses, flicks a wing, and makes a subtle motion to the mech standing by the screen.

She finishes: Are losing control by the hour.

The stage mech flips a switch, and the mesh screen scrolls up as she finishes the melody.

The big, burly mech jumps up at that, applauding, ...and is that a little oil streaming from his optics? "BRAVO!! BRAVO!" He then lifts the big glass bottle- and throws it with a SLAM towards the stage, where it shatters against the screen with a loud smash. Soon, other audience members follow suite, throwing what seems like an endless rain of glass against the screen- where the diminuitive femme smiles and bows.

Blast Off was doing fine with this... up until the glass started flying. Optics widen. ".....WHAT."

Shiftlock giggles and cheers and pumps a fist into the air. "YEAAAH!" She finishes her energon and throws the bottle up on stage too. She elbows Blast Off gently. "C'mon, when in Tarn, do as the Tarnians do, as the saying goes."
Blast Off sputters, "But... this is ...this was supposed to...what is..." He looks all around, wincing as yet another bottle goes flying overhead and smashes into the screen. "This is...is...\*highly irregular\*!!!!" The shuttle's armor plates are raised, and he looks quite ruffled and indignant. The Comabticon's violet optics dart to Shiftlock. Slag... This was NOT what he expected... what is this mess? This isn't classy, this isn't cultured, Shiftlock probably hates it, she'll probably hate him, she'll.... He stops as she nudges him with her elbow. There's a blink. "Huh?"

The silver femme stands up, taking another bow. She raises a glass of her own, "And this is for the people of Kaon! We toil, we trip, we fall, we get up again.... but tonight is a night of TRIUMPH! Let's SLAM!!!" And she smashes the glass down herself with a wide grin.
Blast Off looks a bit lost, staring at her... then back to Shiftlock. There's a long pause. "But this was supposed to be an evening full of class...." The waiter happens by at that moment. "Yeah, and there was LOTS of GLASS! Like I told ya! Seems you didn't bring enough of your own, though...." He eyes the shuttle, then takes pity and hands him an empty bottle before leaving again.
The shuttle stares at it a moment, then back to Shiftlock... and finally he straightens, makes a small, resolute HUFF, and \*throws\* the bottle into the screen with a SMASH of his own.

Shiftlock laughs even more, enjoying this. "Part of being a good gentlemech is following the manners and traditions of other cultures as best as you can. It shows you're knowledgeable and well-traveled. As a space shuttle should be," she suggests. She snakes an arm around one of his and cuddles up against him.

"But I... this was not what I...I mean, I..." Blast Off's stuttering verbal stumble is halted as Shiftlock draws up closer, and he turns his head towards her. He's not
highly demonstrative in return, but just letting someone get that close is already a demonstration of trust from the standoffish Combaticon. "I..." He eventually starts to relax and the shuttle's armor plates draw down on the surface again. Now able to concentrate a bit better, he replies, "Yes, I suppose. I... I usually spent my time in space, or in orbit... I...didn't usually mingle that much."

"Maybe you should some time." Shiftlock looks up at him. "So you say you have your own place, your own team... I'd ask to go back to your place tonight but I'm a little worried you'd have to hang something on the door." Or that Drift might show up and ruin everything.

Blast Off glances back, considers, then gives her a small nod. "Well, I certainly have had to... mingle much more, and with... all \*kinds\* of new people, than I ever had to before." He sounds a little like he's still not quite sure what to make of all that, but... it's certainly true.

Then his optics widen a little and an optic ridge is raised. "I..." There's a blink. "I... share a floor with some of the others, but.... I have my own quarters. They're not... much, admittedly, but they are mine." He lets out a small, almost amused huff. "You think I could tolerate sharing a room with the likes of \*Brawl\*?" There almost seems to be a grin under that faceplate as he points that out.

"I dunno, I've never really met the guy. Seen his fight videos though... kinda loud. And uh... well no offense but he's not the sharpest blade in the rack," Shiftlock confesses with a slight bit of apology. She decides to play with Blast Off a little. "So... if I come over, do you have to share with the rest of the class?" she asks flirtatiously.

As the two speak, more poets come onto the stage, and start reciting various poems and soliloquies. Blast Off raises an optic ridge and shakes his head, still looking slightly amused (which is a LOT for him). "No, none taken. Brawl is IS loud- annoyingly so- and he's an idiot, plain and simple. But he's loyal to Onslaught, and he... well, he does have his uses." Blast Off has no problems complaining about his teammates... it's just when push comes to shove, the shuttle does actually care. Not that he wants to admit it.
At Shiftlock's last question, that optic ridge only raises higher as he slowly turns to gaze in her optics. He starts leaning in just a little, and there's definitely a trace of a grin under that faceplate. "...Absolutely... NOT. I have learned to share a... lot working with them, but I would draw the line there. Some things should be... savored. Slowly. With... care."

Quantum has arrived.
Drift has arrived.

Shiftlock leans against Blast Off a little more, sitting next to him at a table in the little low-caste beatnik ener-coffee shop at the edge of Kaon. Now that all the bottles have been smashed in appreciation of the performance on stage, the secondary effect of that form of applause becomes clear: the fragments of glass all over catch the light and casts prismatic shimmers all over the walls, ceiling and patrons. "Like a fine wine?" she asks a little lower.

Blast Off has brought Shiftlock here on a date, told there was class to be found here- here, a place in Kaon. A place worthy of taking a date to for a refined, elegant evening... or the close approximation thereof. Instead, turns out he misheard "glass"... because that's what's here in ample quantities. Lots and lots of glass... and yet, despite all this, this Poetry Slam did turn out to have it's own, odd twist of "class" after all. And the shuttleformer now sits next to Shiftlock- and doesn't seem at all disturbed or uneasy about her close proximity. He simply leans in a bit more himself. "The /finest/."

He glances up, noticing the shimmers, and blinks as he looks back to Shiftlock. The shimmers look almost like a galaxy of stars in the night. That trace of a grin under his faceplate still seems in evidence as he brushes a shard gently from her shoulder. "And once again... I find that you remind me of the stars."

"I'm a massive fireball of fissile elements that can destroy anything that comes within its gravitation pull?" Shiftlock teases, laughing again. "You'd better be careful, Blast Off, your charm's showing."

Blast Off definitely IS grinning under that faceplate. He remains leaning close, and takes his time brushing another shard of glass away. "Maybe I \*like\* playing with fire..." Her last comment has the shuttle glancing away as if a little embarrassed. He does NOT usually get called charming, and isn't quite sure what to say. But... he thinks he likes it. "I...I just... I'm surprised, but I have enjoyed this, despite it not being...quite what I expected."

Onstage, the screen remains up to protect people as poets speak- then get bottles smashed and slammed -appreciatively- at the speakers. Well, it is a Poetry SLAM. One mech stands up and calls out to the audience, "Anyone else? Free stage night!"

Unfortunately, the beauty of tonight's romance is going to end like Taylor Swift's Blank Space on steroids. It's been about a cycle since Drift has been contracted to hunt Shiftlock down like the prey he sees her as now and murder her for an ungodly amount of shanix.And this time, he's prepared. Against Ratbat's wishes, he's brought along help in the form of the mercenary Quantum, to ensure the completion of this task.

He sidles up to the outside of the building, and peering in through a window, watches as two of them share a blissfully romantic moment.

A rage unlike any other boils up within him, his optics raging like an unquenchable flame. Jealousy, bitterness, anger and the insatiable desire for vengeance burn inside of him like a poisonous storm. Never in all his life has he wanted to kill two individuals so badly. With a bellow of unrestrained anger, he transforms and revs his engine, driving straight through it. He protoforms mid air and lands on the stage. "I've got one for you, what rhymes with behead? DEAD." His gaze falls on Blast Off and Shiftlock, and if looks could kill, they'd be history right now.

It seems Blast Off is quite a popular mech these days, really. Why, he's got people lined up to kill him! Drift has indeed enlisted Quantum's help to make sure they're killed dead, on the condition that -Quantum- gets to kill Blast Off.

At the moment, he's lurking on the roof, peering down through a sky window, and smirking at Drift's impromptu poetry. Smashing through that window, he hovers down in front of the two of them, brandishing a large pulsar cannon. "Ha! Good one Drift. Not." he smirks. "Approriate, though!" He levels the cannon at Blast Off, intending to -behead- him with it. Can Blast Off jump out of the way fast enough??
[Combat:] Quantum partially hits Blast Off for minor damage!

Blast Off is thinking that for once, he's actually... quite... what is this? Happy? He is content to just remain as he is, not a concern in the world.... but the world seems to have other plans. Suddenly there's a CRASH as a CAR comes in, making the biggest SLAM of the night- and it's... it's.... The shuttleformer's optics widen. "DRIFT." Oh nooo, not NOW. YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING. But that's not the worst of it... Suddenly the bad news is doubled, and there's Qauntum- the mech who left that nasty wound on Blast Off's head not so long ago. The one he just finally patched up.

Blast Off \*is\* taken by surprise... but he is also a soldier- a trained one. And when Quantum comes for him, he ducks. The reaction still isn't quite fast enough to completely avoid the blow, and the other spacecraft manages to leave another scorch mark right near the back of Blast Off's helmet- for the second time- but Blast Off is NOT decapitated. Rolling to the side, he springs onto his feet and fires off a shot back at Quantum, while also trying to keep his optics on Shiftlock. "Shiftlock! Get that pistol!"
[Combat:] Blast Off hits Quantum!

Meanwhile, this has also had the effect of causing the place to erupt in a riot of screaming, and mechs and femmes are scattering like the wind......
Shift is instantly out of her seat the moment Drift shows up on stage. Good thing she had that maintenance done - it wasn't just for polish and pretty paint. She had a feeling she'd need to be in peak working condition in case something like this happened.

How the SLAG does Drift keep finding her? It's almost too convenient, as if the plot demanded it!

"Drift, I don't know what the frag is wrong with you anymore, but this is getting really old, really fast. You won't listen to me, you won't reason with anyone and now you've sold yourself to the worst possible mechs on the planet," she snaps, serious as death but maintaining a steelly calm. "You're /evil/. You're not Drift anymore. You -killed- him and now there's some /stranger/ threatening me from inside his body!" Her hands clench.

The second shot comes from somewhere else - she startles, is there two -- No! The second shot isn't for her. It's for her date. For a half second she's offguard to see if Blast Off is all right. Pistol? No time!

Drift doesn't respond right away. It's almost as if all of his intelligence has been replaced by a beast that knows nothing other than his desire for revenge. He pulls out two blasters and starts shooting--one gun trained fully on Shiftlock and the other on--well, pretty much everything. Chairs, tables, random innocents, even kegs of engex, setting them aflame.

He jumps off the stage, slowly making his way towards Shiftlock. "I /loved/ you. But clearly, it meant nothing to you. So you can blame yourself for everyone who dies tonight. Because it's ALL. YOUR. FAULT." He kicks a table across the room.

"No," Shiftlock says, shaking her head. "/You/ are doing all of this. -You- decided to kill for money. -You- went to crew for Lockdown. -You- are the one with your hand on the trigger. I can't -make- you do anything."

She stands firm, optics locked on Drift, trusting Blast Off to take care of himself and his opponent. Teamwork, right? She's finally learning not to do everything herself, because she has limits she has to work within. It's the first step towards real control. "The Drift I knew - the Drift I /loved/ - wouldn't be here trying to kill the person who did everything in her power to keep him alive, stable, fuelled and safe. I broke that Drift out of jail. The first thing I thought of when my memories came back was finding that Drift and making sure he was all right. I was wracked with guilt thinking something had happened to him."

"And I was right. He died. Now there's just a monster using his name."

"YOU ARE NOT DRIFT!" she shouts at him, defiant.

The shot slams into Quantum's shoulder, sending him barreling backward into a table. It topples, sending more patrons screaming and running for the exits. And Drift seems to be working on setting the place on fire as well. What the slag is wrong with this guy?

<< Drift the frag are you doing you're going to bring this whole place down on us! >> he shoots over at Drift on his hailing frequency, before scrambling to his feet and lunging for the Combaticon's neck in an attempt to knock him out of his seat and pin him to the floor. "I told you," he snarls. "I told you this wasn't over. I. Am. Going to end you. Did you think you could get away? DID YOU?!"

[Combat:] Quantum misses Blast Off!

Blast Off tries to keep close to Shiftlock, seeking to provide some protection of her flank while also striving to keep from getting underfoot. He knows both of them are going to need some room to deal with this and make it out of this alive. Drift's rant prompts a response from the shuttle, "OH PLEASE. Give it a REST and stop WHINING!" So says the woe-is-me, mopey shuttle of not that long ago.
But he doesn't have a lot of time to deal with Drift. Shiftlock is correct- right now Drift is something the femme must face... a personal demon she must deal with herself. The shuttle tries to keep an optic on her, but his attention is forced to remain mostly on Quantum. When the other mech lunges at him, Blast Off watches him intently- then whirls around and to the side to evade the grab. OH NOPE. Just NOPE. Shiftlock can get close- BUT NOT YOU. Nope.
And speaking of Shiftlock, and their date, and just pretty much everything... the Combaticon is feeling rather /fragged off/ himself right now. HOW DARE YOU MESS UP MY DATE!!! "I don't NEED to GET AWAY. If anyone is going to wish they could get away, especially for interrupting TONIGHT of all nights... it will be YOU!" Optics flash as he raises his weapon and fires, then leaps into the air, using anti-gravs to soar overhead and onto a table.

[Combat:] Blast Off hits Quantum!

Quantum curses when Blast Off dodges him, and takes another hit to the midsection. Fueled by rage, however, he doesn't seem deterred at all. "Oh, boo-hoo, I interrupted your drinking party! How horrible! Didn't you -just- get done telling -Drift- to stop whining? Hypocrite!" Instead of grabbing the Combaticon then, he picks up a piece of broken table and hurls it up at him, taking to the air as well. Blast Off isn't the only one who can fly!

[Combat:] Quantum hits Blast Off!

Well, Drift isn't a mech of many words when he's angry, which is what he is right now. Very much so. He sets one of his blasters to self destruct and tosses it aside, letting it explode and send more hot glass shards flying through the air. Then he reaches down into his subspace compartment and pulls out a cable, subspacing his other blaster. Then he leaps forwards, reaching for her neck and attempting to pin her against the wall!

[Combat:] Drift partially hits Shiftlock for minor damage!

Shiftlock tries to hold her ground, sliding just enough out of the way of the first shot that she only gets a scorch mark across her arm. Words aren't getting through to him.

Maybe it's going to take a beating to see if there's anything inside that glitched speeder worth saving.

She lets Drift come to her first, planning her move; when he's almost on top of her she turns into his attack; instead of getting a neck, he gets her right wrist as she's slammed back into the wall. Using the wall to brace herself, she attempts to put her free hand on Drift's shoulder and pull him down into a solid knee-thrust into his midsection.
[Combat:] Shiftlock partially hits Drift for minor damage!

Blast Off puffs up indignantly at Quantum's barbs... which means he's not quite as fast at getting out of the way this time. Which is a shame, for him, seeing how Quantum just threw a \*table\* at him. The shuttleformer gets slammed with it, falling back and landing with a crash worthy of the already boisterous evening. "Aiigh!" Heat shields crack, and ceramic tiles add their own shimmer to the floor already strewn with glass.

Then the shuttle \*growls\*, his engines revving in anger as he pushes himself back up. "You want HYPOCRITE? How about you? You're supposed to be a professional assassin- yet you let your own slip-up on the job blind you into a foolish vendetta!" He keeps the table between himself and the in-flight Quantum as best he can, while firing off another shot from the overturned rim.

[Combat:] Blast Off hits Quantum!

Good Primus, Drift is crazy. << Drift, Primus slag it stop blowing everything up! This is a -job-. We're not here to destroy this club, we're here to eliminate our -targets-! You keep that up and things are going to get too messy to keep track of them! >> How can this mech seriously call himself a real -assassin-?

Unfortunately, in that moment of distraction, Blast Off manages to shoot him again from below, this time in the leg. "Agh!" he cries out. "It -wasn't- a slip up, you slag-licker, we were trying to take back what YOU -rightly- owed our client, and you KILLED SUBLIGHT!" At this, he dives at Blast Off, the pulsar cannon trained on him, aiming to score a close-range hit.

[Combat:] Quantum hits Blast Off!

Drift twists aside, and her attempt to knee thrust him spears him in the leg. He grunts, but doesn't otherwise acknowledge the blow. He attempts to twist her arm behind her back, so that he can bind her with the cable.

[Combat:] Drift partially hits Shiftlock for minor damage!

Drift dutifully ignores Quantum. Or he isn't even hearing his radio messages. Perhaps both.

Shift's knee jab is deflected, leaving her momentarily off balance, enough that Drift can start to twist her arm to her back. Putting both feet on the ground she slides one foot behind Drift's, bending forward as far as she can to try to force him over her back while attempting to kick his feet out from under him and roll him over the top of her into the wall!

[Combat:] Shiftlock misses Drift!

Blast Off strikes a blow on his enemy, but that enemy then soars overhead and lands a direct hit, blowing a chunk of armor off the Combaticon's shoulder. He cries out in pain, stumbling back, then launches up into the air himself. "I owed no one ANYTHING! You set ME up, tried to kill me, and then I \*fought back better than you expected\*! You weren't counting on confronting a Combaticon!" He blinks, suddenly a little worried that Shiftlock might hear that and react the way Nautica did... as if he did something wrong. He's still not sure why she reacted that way, but... oh well, he doesn't have time to worry too much. Besides, Shiftlock probably isn't paying attention to that anyway. She's kinda like- really busy atm.

The Combaticon arcs into the air, then heads straight towards the mesh screen that was protecting people from glass earlier. Grabbing it, he uses his momentum to swing around, and try throwing the "net" onto Quantum and slow him down.

[Combat:] Blast Off partially hits Quantum for minor damage!

The net catches a bit on Quantum's arm, causing him to stumble forward. "I didn't set you up, you idiot! And we weren't trying to kill you! -You- exploited my client's equipment for your own gain!" he rages. "I was just doing a job for a client, like I always do! That's my -life-. That's how I make a living, you know?!"

Instead of throwing the net off, he pulls hard on it, attempting to yank the Combaticon off of his feet. He grumbles inwardly as Drift ignores his comms, but it seems he's stopped setting everything on fire for the moment.

[Combat:] Quantum hits Blast Off!

Drift manages to stay partially rooted to the ground despite Shiftlock's attempt to flip him over her back, however, her attack has caused him to lose his balance and stumble forward into her, slamming her into the wall and bringing their bodies into close contact. For a second, he hesitates, the angry expression in his features disappearing for a nano-klik. Then his violent demeanor resumes, and he re-attempts to bind her with the cable!

[Combat:] Drift partially hits Shiftlock for minor damage!

Shiftlock is pinned chest-first to the wall, arm behind her back, with a solid thump. Her left shoulder is still free, however, and she uses it to try a fast strike to the side of Drift's head with the point of her elbow, hoping to dizzy him enough into losing his grip.

[Combat:] Shiftlock misses Drift!

Blast Off snorts at that. "RIiight. Sure. Shoving a shuttle with damaged heat shields into the exosphere was just a \*friendly\* move on Sublight's part. Followed by that \*extra friendly\* act of proceeding to shove a GUN in my face and \*firing\* it. Those two acts alone nearly killed me. Don't lie to me, I was there." He starts shaking his head, annoyed- and then glances over at Shiftlock and Drift and OH MY PRIMUS WHAT IS GOING ON OVER THERE!!!??? The Combaticon's optics widen as Drift looks like he's getting WAY too close and personal over there. It's looking rather grim. "What the slag... Shiftlock!" He starts moving to intercede between those two, then Quantum's sudden YOINK causes the already unsettled shuttle to get even more off balance, causing him to fall flat on his face.

He's immediately trying to push himself up, though, and leveling his gun not at Quantum- but at Drift this time, even as he tries to rise up again. "Get OFF her!" He takes aim at the furthest part of Drift from Shiftlock he can see- and fires, counting on his skills as a sniper to keep his aim true.
[Combat:] Blast Off hits Drift!

But Shiftlock misses, because Drift moves his helm to one side. He starts to wrap the cable securely around Shiftlock's wrists, but then he's shot in the back by Blast Off. This succeeds in knocking Drift forwards into Shiftlock again, and their bodies are once again pressed together. "<Quantum, what the hell?! HE IS SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD RIGHT NOW>"

[Combat:] Drift partially hits Shiftlock for minor damage!

<< I'm -working- on it, slaggit, but if you hadn't started setting the place on -fire- maybe it wouldn't be -taking- so long! >> Quantum grumbles over the comms. He once again dives at Blast Off, attempting to pin him to the floor before the Combaticon can get back up again!

[Combat:] Quantum partially hits Blast Off for minor damage!

"I didn't know you were into bondage Drift!" Shiftlock cheerfully announces as she's squished between Drift and Wall again like some kind of sandwich meat. "NNFF! - And here you said you didn't know anything about interfacing!" And if that didn't startle him, her attempt to transform out from underneath him just might. IF she's successful, those magnetic rollerbar wheels of her will allow her to drive right up the wall. Maybe Drift, too.

[Combat:] Shiftlock hits Drift!

Blast Off is just getting himself up off the floor when Quantum comes lunging at him again. But the Combaticon is really getting ready for a little \*space\*.... and while Quantum grabs one of his legs, he's able to kick the other mech away and start getting up again. This is NOT good. He glances up towards Shiftlock and sees she's got the same idea that he's starting to.

<<Shiftlock, how are you doing over there? I am about ready to say to slag with everything, transform, and blast out of here. Can you get to my cargo bay if I do?>> He then turns back to Quantum and points a gun in HIS face. "And get off ME, too!"

[Combat:] Blast Off partially hits Quantum for minor damage!

Drift doesn't respond. He just got shot in the back, he's not thinking about interfacing. Then Shiftlock drives over him, and he's knocked over onto his back. But he quickly recovers and yanks on the cable he partially wrapped around her wrists. "I don't think you're going anywhere fast," he says in a guttural voice.

[Combat:] Drift misses Shiftlock!

Shiftlock is already in vehicle mode; the cable is partially twisted up and cut by her transformation. It's hold on her is tenuous at best, and when Drift yanks it, it snaps away. << I'm good, split up, split up! They can't both follow us at once! >> She radios to Blast Off

"You want me, demon? You're gonna have to drive for it. Fast is my middle name." Jet turbines shift out of the back of her altmode and she blasts through the wall of the club like a crazed Stunticon and out into the streets beyond.

Drift scowls, and transforms, driving after Shiftlock. He speeds after her, hoping to catch up to her.

Quantum manages to duck enough that the blast only scorches the side of his head. He turns, seeing that Drift seems to be having a hard time with his target. "Primus, how can you even call yourself a proper assassin?" He calls out impatiently. Suddenly, he transforms as well, and aims those guided missiles at Shiftlock before she can get too far away, the ones he'd used on Blast Off before. They lock onto her retreating form, she'll have to bust out some evasive maneuvers to get the best of them!

[Combat:] Quantum hits Shiftlock!

Blast Off radios back, <<Understood. If you do need assistance, though... radio me.>> But it's a sound strategy. Speaking of strategy, Blast off suddenly finds himself wishing that Onslaught was here. Maybe he can lead Quantum straight into a battalion of Combaticons... heh, that would be fun. He is just about to take that course of action, when Quantum fires on Shiftlock instead! The shuttle's optics flare a deep purple and he whips his weapon back up again. "\*I\* am your opponent, fool!" He takes a step forward and fires a shot.
[Combat:] Blast Off hits Quantum!

Those missiles are locked onto Shift's turbines, which are giving off enough of a heat and energy trail to lock onto. Distracted and trying to find an access hatch she ends up taking a missile. For the team. Now she's really got some junk in the trunk, there's probably a few loose fragments of damaged metal in there. THE INSINUENDO HAS SPOKEN.

Forced to drop speed with an injured booster, Shiftlock scrambles to find an access gate into the undergrid. She moves straight into mining traffic among enormous tracked transport crawlers and using the curve given to her by the push of her good turbine, drifts (ha ha) right underneath of one.

Drift swerves wildly to stay hot on Shiftlock's trail. He follows her into the undergrid and watches as she slides under a large transport. He protoforms, and pulls out his blaster, aiming his shots under the large vehicle in an attempt to weed Shift out from under it.
[Combat:] Drift partially hits Shiftlock for minor damage!

Quantum takes a shot to the engines, and whirls around, transforming twice briefly to do so. He doesn't reply, instead decides to attempt to fly straight into Blast Off as fast as he can over such a short distance. It's not full speed, but it should be fast enough to do some serious damage, and probably send him through the -other- wall if it hits.

[Combat:] Quantum hits Blast Off!

Shift has already continued in one flowing long slide out from under the transport until she's completely reversed in direction. As Drift shoots at her she peels out, taking one more potshot to her already damaged bumper before shooting off at racing speeds in the opposite direction. No bot-form is gonna catch her like this.

<< Blast Off get to space if you can or follow me underground but we gotta shake these losers! MY AFT IS KILLING ME. >> Shiftlock sends of a rushed message before shooting into an alleyway between two large ore processing centers.

Drift subspaces his blaster and transforms, racing after Shiftlock.

Blast Off hits Quantum, and starts turning around to try and get out of the enercoffee shop and transform- but the other spacecraft has different ideas. The Combaticon is slammed into by a larger ship, sending him flying- but not as a shuttle. Slammed against- and then THROUGH- the wall, he's in some serious hurt now. Energon leaks, heat shields are torn, and his patched helmet is cracked again. "Aiiigh!" He uses his anti-gravs to push himself away from Quantum, and falls down to the ground, where he lands on his feet...somehow. Perhaps with a stagger or two.

Receiving Shiftlock's message, he pauses a moment before replying, <<Get GOING. Get safe. I'll be fine.>> He looks grimly up at Quantum. He \*should\* be- he's a Combaticon.... he WILL be fine. And even if he wasn't... he doesn't want Shiftlock to worry. "COME ON, SLAGGER! You want revenge for your pathetic friend? HERE I AM!" He launches himself into the air, transforming as he does- and a space shuttle is suddenly right there, blasting off on the street. If Qunatum doesn't get out of the way, Blast Off may "blast off"- right through him!

[Combat:] Blast Off partially hits Quantum for minor damage!

Quantum gets grazed by some of the hot gases from the blast but those are nothing compared to some of the earlier hits. He shoots off into the sky after the Combaticon, despite the fact that one of his engines is on fire. He is -really- furious, isn't he? Missiles again move into launch bays and fly after their target, locking hard and fast onto his energy signature.

[Combat:] Quantum misses Blast Off!

Shiftlock leaps out of vehicle mode, flips in mid air, landing on a panel in a dead-end alleyway. The hard thump causes the street panel to collapse - a ramp down into the pitch black dark of some unmapped access tunnel beneath the mining down. Transforming back into altmode the second she touches down, she drives down into the edges of the undergrid, shutting off her lights and running on infrared and other penetrative sensors alone.

Drift is welcome to follow her into the gates of the Pit if he dares.

Drift dares to do anything. Nothing really phases him, he often disregards his own well being (much to Hot Rod's dismay). His alt mode speeds after her into the gates of the Pit. He's awfully close to her, almost catching up to her despite her incredible speed. Then, all of a sudden, he veers off to the left, disappearing behind a trail of dust. He won't respond to Quantum's radio messages either, leaving the flier to wonder where in Primus he went. Shiftlock and Blast Off won't see him turn up later, either. For some reason he just quit chasing them. And perhaps no one will ever really know why.

Blast Off rockets up from the street, leaving a long cloud of billowy, icy smoke in his wake. The rockets' flare lights the street and buildings with a flash of warm color before they drift into the cool blue shades of night once more. Roaring upwards, Blast Off tries to lead Quantum away from Shiftlock- and tries not to worry too much about her. But she's a capable femme... and he'll just have to trust her. There aren't many he \*would\*, either.
He also has to shove his frustration about having such a perfect evening ruined by these two. It's enough to make him \*really\* despise both Quantum AND Drift. But again... no time to dwell. The shuttle rockets off, streaking through buildings, bridges, and any obstacle he can find.

Luckily for Blast Off, the missiles blow up the tops of buildings and other obstacles instead of him. Fire and smoke is still trailing from one engine, but Quantum seems determined. He speeds up, gaining on the Combaticon until he's right under Blast Off's wings. "You might be good, but you're -not- getting away from me, not this time!!" he rages.

He jerks sideways, attempting to run the other spacecraft into a comms tower.

[Combat:] Quantum hits Blast Off!

Blast Off finds he has to focus... this is another spacecraft, so he's a worthy opponent and no laughing matter. Even flying way up high into thinner atmosphere wouldn't be enough to shake Quantum. But no matter- Blast Off is convinced he's simply the better mech. He's /Blast Off/, after all. The shuttle rolls in midair, leading the other ship on what he hopes is a wild petro-goose chase. As Quantum rages, Blast off just sniffs with disdain. He radios the other, <<That declaration is a little...>> muted when Quantum suddenly jerks sideways and rams into the Combaticon.

The brown and purple shuttle goes flying into the comms tower with an explosion, leaving him to barrel through and trail some of his own smoke now. Not the white smoke of before, but dark gray. With an angry rumble of engines, he circles back around, wing elevons shifting. Emerging through his own smoke, he attempts a ram of his own. If he can knock him off course, Blast off might be able to pull up in a burst of speed and outdistance the other. <<Like I was saying...>>

[Combat:] Blast Off hits Quantum!

<< I'm not GOOD. I am MAGNIFICENT!>>

"Magnificent? Ha! You're the most ar--" But Quantum is cut short when he gets rammed himself. Something in that already damaged engine of his snaps, perhaps a fuel line--because it explodes with violent force, likely sending the both of them spiraling out of the sky toward the streets below. This doesn't end well for either of them, it seems. But really, did anyone expect it to?

[Combat:] Quantum hits Quantum!

Blast Off ...has definitely had better days. Well, actually, this had been a REALLY GOOD DAY... up until Drift and Quantum showed up and ruined everything. The explosion does NOT do the Combaticon shuttle any good, no, and damages his already thin fuselage. Explosions and space shuttles do NOT mix. He goes careening downward, having just enough control not to crash outright. All he can do is maintain as much of a level approach as possible as the ground comes racing towards him. If he's lucky... he might be able to land in (enough of a) one piece to drag himself back to a rendezvous spot and actually /meet/ Shiftlock as planned.

He can hope.

And more than that- he's determined.