A Molten Mess

Blast Off's life continues to be eventful and so too does that of everyone around him, unfortunately for them. Quantum's vendetta against the Combaticon has resulted in the close-call-with-death of Swift Blade and the near-death of Whirl, who is now injured and losing a lot of energon. And so now we find our intrepid adventurers (?) racing against the clock to get to a medical facility in Nyon- a place that Blast Off knows Whirl will be safe. He certainly couldn't take him to the medics there in Kaon.

The shuttle arrives with both Whirl and Swift Blade inside his cargo bay. Landing in shuttle mode outside the clinic, he draws some surprised looks and gaping mouths as his cargo bay door opens. << If you can unload him, I'll transform, Swift Blade. >>

Swift Blade gets Whirl out of there as best she can, though she's anxious about injuring the mech further. Still, she'll use any tricks of carrying something of his weight and shape that she can think of as she unloads him from Blast Off's cargo. She watches any of the nearby citizens with wary optics.

Whirl, being the magnificent trouble maker he is, has managed to turn a simple coversation into a big ordeal than resulted in getting his legs melted off in a vat of molten slag. Never a dull moment with this guy. After enduring what felt like a never ending ride in Blast Off's cargo bay, Swift Blade unloads him (there's only so much he can do in his condition) in front of whole bunch of people and it's kind of embarassing.

"Geez.. I think I would've prefered if you guys just dumped me in front of the door." He glares at a gawking passerby. "The hell you lookin' at!?"

The passersby sort of \*eeps\* and steps back as Whirl glares at them, hiding behind a larger mech who glares right back. "We're lookin' at YOU. You look even funnier than usual!" He snarks. Whirl might recognize him as someone who frequents bars and is probably a bit drunk right now. But before he can stir up trouble, a medic runs outside, frowning. "What's this? What happened?"

Meanwhile, Blast Off takes the opportunity to transform just as he said he would, shifting and shrinking from his very large shuttle frame to a much smaller brown and purple form.

At least Whirl isn't blind this time. Then again, he wouldn't have noticed the gawkers if that was the case. "I'm sorry, Whirl. We're doing the best that we can," Swift Blade says mildly as she aids the irate copter. Still, she doesn't blame him for being tetchy; losing one's legs is quite the ordeal. She wouldn't want him to think she was ungrateful.

Turning slightly she glowers at the mech who called him 'funnier' looking. "He suffered this damage on my account, and I would KINDLY ask that you desist in taunting him," she states, flicking a glance at her swords and then back. Yeah, that's a bit of a harsh reaction from the generally calm femme, but her nerves are a wee bit frayed at the moment. Relaxing a trifle, she turns to the medic. "His legs were melted from too close a proximity to a smelting plant," she explains. "Your aid is required."

Whirl does recognize that larger mech but he has trouble recalling the specifics, he just encounters so many drunk jerks it's hard to remember them all. "Screw you buddy! You can pucker up and kiss my aft, slagface!" With charm like this, it's hard to understand why Whirl doesn't have that many friends. There's a rude gesture he gives to the mech but after that, Swift Blade diffuses the situation and he just snorts and looks away.

"Uhh, yeah. What she said," Whirl remarks to the medic, managing to look just a bit unsettled. "It's not a big deal, I can take care of this on my own. Really, we can leave now."

The drunk mech sort of puffs up at Swift Blade's and Whirl's comments, putting on a nasty sort of sneer, "Oh YEAH? Looks like you don't HAVE much aft LEFT to KISS! And what if I \*WANT\* to keep taunt-" Then he catches sight of Swift Blade's swords and a good deal of his bravado seems to evaporate. "...Uh... well...I just mean...." He sways a bit, then stumbles aside as the medic shoves him aside. Tapping his chin, the medical worker gives the injured helicopter a quick look-over. If he is repulsed or unsettled it doesn't show. "I see. Alright, bring him this way!" He leads Swift Blade inside the facility, where a team of medics wait on a medtable for their patient.

Blast Off just stands to the side, looking aloof. He did his part already, and given that he doesn't exactly have a lot of strength he doesn't feel compelled to try lifting Whirl himself. Nope, he'll let the femme do all the work now. (But then again, she is stronger than him)!

Swift Blade most likely would have only used the flats of her blades if the mech was merely being a nuisance, but even she knows that a little intimidation now and then can go far. When he backs off, she feels somewhat pleased. As the medic gestures to bring Whirl, she does so without delay. She doesn't even think about hinting to Blast Off that he should do more; they never would have gotten here without his help. In fact, without his help (and Whirl's) she would probably have been nothing more than a small drop in a batch of molten metals. Besides, she finds nothing demeaning in her task of helping someone who is injured.

Of course Whirl's repulsion goes unnoticed, HE HAS NO FACE.

"Woah! Hey!" Whirl begins to struggle, his protesting much more visible now. "Isn't anyone listening to me? I said I was fine! I mean, come on, it's not like I haven't lost a body part before." He snaps his claws as if to demonstrate his point. "Seriously, I feel a lot better already, there's no need to do any of this." His struggling intensifies when the medtable comes into view, complete with creepy medical staff just waiting to do all sorts of weird things to him.

"Blast Off!" Whirl waves his claws at the Combaticon as if pleading for his help. "Tell them I'm okay!"

For a moment it appears Blast Off is still too busy being all \*aloof\* and everything to even respond. The \*OMP RUSH to the RESCUE\* mech has returned to his normal state of cool detachment. Or at least he'd like to have others believe that- the occasional twitch of a wing elevon betrays him, if one looks close enough. After a long pause he turns to gaze at Whirl. "You are \*not\* Okay. Your feet...." He tilts his head to stare where Whirl's feet "ought" to be, at least. "...Are in even worse shape than MINE were. Now stop fidgeting and let them work on you. I didn't bring you all the way to Nyon to have you refuse medical treatment." Blast Off will never be known for his \*bedside manner\*.

The Head Medic attempts to calm Whirl, "Just settle down, please. We mean you no harm, but we need to administer some Intra-circuitry tubes so your pain subsides and we can start the procedure." A nurse calls to Swift Blade, "Please, if he's calmer this will go more smoothly."

"Whirl, nothing bad is going to happen to you; we're right here," Swift Blade says softly, unsure why Whirl is so frantic. Idly she wonders if handing him a sword will help or not; he's far more high-strung than Blast Off and she worries more that it could cause troubles. Besides, his vision wasn't damaged, just his legs.

She looks at the medic. "Perhaps if we remain, he will feel more comfortable," she suggests. "I can stay out of your way." Turning her head slightly, she looks to see what Blast Off's reaction is. Yup, definitely no bedside manner there. "Blast Off is right, we can't very well let you leave in this condition, but let us know how we can reassure you."

Handing Whirl a sword right now would be a VERY bad idea; giving him any sort of weapon usually results in someone getting hurt but that goes double when he's in a state of distress. He gives Blast Off's crappy bedside manner an angry huff. What an aloof jerk! The medic that tries to calm him also gets the same treatment, it seems even her offer of medical grade painkillers isn't enough to persuade him. Swift Blade ends up being the most successful in this endeavor, the cyclops' struggling easing to a halt.

"Okay, fine! I'll do it, but I have some conditions. Swift Blade, if any of these creeps try to tie me down or do anything weird like that, it's your job to stab them all, okay?" He gives Blast Off an intense stare. "And Blast Off has to stay with me to, uh-" There's a pause as he tries to come up with a convincing excuse. "Oh! His job is to shoot anyone if they start doing thing to my head."

The nurse nods to Swift Blade. "Very well... just keep off to the side, thank you." The team converges in, ready to administer drugs to calm and alleviate pain. Blast Off remains standing off to the side, looking as aloof as possible. Yes, Whirl, he does appear to be an aloof jerk. However, Blast Off is rarely exactly what he tries to appear to be. And right now the last thing he wants anyone to think about him is that he actually \*cares\* what happens to Whirl. That could actually be dangerous for both of them. Despite that, though- here he is, still. He could have simply left but this time he's staying with Whirl and making sure the mech is alright. And this time he didn't even shoot Whirl in the head! That means he's improving, right?

The shuttleformer turns his head as Whirl speaks to him, letting out a soft \*huff\* of his own in reply. They almost sound like they're forming their own new language here. But it seems to indicate that yes, he'll stay. He still sounds a little haughty and snarky as he replies, "If they do something to your head it might be an improvement." \*Such a wonderful bedside manner indeed\*!!! He arches an optic ridge. "Still... yes, if they did anything ...untoward, neither of us would allow it." He glances to Swift Blade. "I do not expect them to, however."

The medics shake their head, "No! Nothing..uh, "untoward" at all! Your friends can remain and watch." With that, they start moving in to adminster the pain-relieving drugs.

"If anyone tries to do anything they shouldn't, I'll give them a warning before I stab them," Swift Blade says with the very barest touch of amusement; she doesn't point out that she's more likely to slash than stab, but now isn't the time to be technical. Right? It's probably not what Whirl wants to hear, but then again, Swift Blade is generally much more reasonable than the Cyclopean Cybertronian. And she doesn't want the medics to be too nervous either.

To stay out of the way, she goes to stand beside Blast Off, but at a comfortable distance. She keeps her optics mostly on the medics, but occassionaly glances sideways to Blast Off. For now she is quiet.

Whirl didn't expect Panacea to kidnap him, tie him down to a table, and do all sorts of things to him with machines he can't remember because he was blacked out the entire time but she did it anyway. Of course, he's not going to start flapping his non-existant lips about what happened. Not here anyway, not with all these people around. "Thank you.." he says quietly to Swift Blade.

At that point he allows the medical staff to do what they need to do, and as the painkillers start coursing through his systems he becomes even more relaxed and generally accepting of what's happening. Sure, medics are creepy and weird and unsettling and potentionally dangerous but they have /great/ drugs. "So.... we going to talk about what happened or what?"

Blast Off leans against the wall, arms crossed and glances back at Swift Blade. His voice is quiet, audible only to her. "You and I will both have to be careful. If Megatron- or the Decepticons in general- hear that we \*helped\* Whirl, there will be trouble. Whirl is technically \*public enemy number 1\* as far as they're concerned. If anything, we would have been expected not to help him from that molten liquid, but to \*shove him in\*." His violet optics return to gazing at Whirl and the medics on the medtable. Though his words urge caution, his attitude expresses absolutely zero regrets at his choice.

The medics do their thing, and they do it well. Whirl is in good hands as he's given the painkillers, then damaged material is gently stripped away and replaced with clean, strong metal. His feet get some puzzled looks, but the medics sort out the hydraulics and mechanics of his systems and set to work replacing what needs to be replaced- and where. Soon, Whirl's being stabilized for post-surgery and wheeled to a recovery room. Swift Blade and Blast Off are allowed to remain there at all times and follow him out of the surgery room to a quieter room for recovery. Blast Off gives a non-comittal shrug. "Talk about what?"

Swift Blade nods her head to Blast Off. "I understand. Though, it seems to me, Whirl is just as much a victim of the system as anyone we are supposed to be fighting for," she murmurs quietly. "He didn't have to try to help me," she adds. She still hasn't gotten the whole story behind Whirl, but she certainly doesn't hate him. One could even say she likes him, as hard as he is to understand. She has a better grasp on who Blast Off is, but the shuttle isn't as in love with chaos as Whirl seems to be. As for what Whirl wants to talk about, Blast Off has asked the question so she doesn't bother repeating it.

Whirl doesn't put up a fight as the medics work, he's just feeling waaaaaaay too good from the drugs that are being pumped into him. He has no idea how long it's been since they started their repairs, but it feels like it's only been a few minutes when they start wheeling him out into a recovery room. He stares at Blast Off for a while, his words heard perfectly but not really sinking in. "What? What are we talking abo- OH!"

Whirl bolts up into a sitting position, giving Blast Off one of his trademark unsettling stares. "What do you think we need to talk about? How about that Quantum psychopath, for starters. What the hell happened between you two? Why does he hate you so much?"

Blast Off gives Swift Blade a small, slow nod, his voice still quiet. He suddenly looks just a bit uncomortable- but why? "....Yes. I have..." He's not sure how to say/how much to say here. "I have gotten to know Whirl... better lately. We've spent a little bit of time together." (That is an understatement. He leaves out the whole "interfacing" thing- TWICE- for now. But it does mean he knows more of what's going on in that one-opticed head of the other mech's.) "He is... troubled. You may have already noticed," he adds drily, "...but he is indeed another victim of this corrupt government. All you have to do is look at him to see that. But he was the one sent in to beat Megatron in his cell, and thus both his \*and\* Megatron's fates were sealed that day."

Whirl suddenly sits up and starts demanding answers about Quantum, which causes the shuttleformer to glance away with another small \*huff\*. "Because he's INSANE, that's why!" Well, Ok, it FEELS that way sometimes. But perhaps he can elaborate. A little. He shrugs slightly with his hands. "Well, that, and... I killed his partner. His business partner, and friend I suppose." He turns to give Whirl a hard look. "In SELF DEFENSE. They came in and tried to kill me when I reentered planetary orbit. Didn't like me doing the thing I was \*built\* for, I guess... and someone sent them in to shoot me down. Nearly did, too, but then I shot his partner down instead. And he's never gotten over it."

Swift Blade sighs softly. "I see," she says to Blast Off. "How very unfortunate. Megatron has many esteemable qualities, but he does not seem to be the sort to forgive easily...if at all," she notes. "I don't sense pure malice from Whirl so much as anger, and perhaps an attempt to hide his shame behind something easier to dismiss." Yes, there goes that astute side again. For a few moments it seems as though Blast Off isn't going to tell the whole truth, but when he does (as far as she knows it) she relaxes visibly.

Turning to Whirl, she speaks up. "Like so many on Cybertron, Quantum has suffered, but he can't contain his suffering; he must let it touch everyone around him, whether they are the reason or not." Sound like anyone else in the room perhaps? "I could understand if he was simply angry with Blast Off and unwilling to forgive him, but seeking his death will do nothing. Now he is becoming a threat to many."

Fortunately for Blast Off, Whirl can't hear what he and Swift Blade are discussing. If he WAS privvy to their conversation, you can bet he would be spewing out all sorts of embarrassing things about the his friendship with the Combaticon, especially with the encouragement of strong pharmaceuticals!

"What, really? That's it?" Whirl lets out an exasperated sigh and flops back down into a laying position. "The way he was acting, I would've guessed there was more to it than that, geez..." There's no doubt that losing a friend or a partner or whatever you want to call it is hard no matter who you are, but he's finding a hard time blaming Blast Off for what happened. Yeah, he's a little biased, so what?

He gives Swift Blade a huff, this one not even out of anger or annoyance but maybe just out of reflex now (Damnit Blast Off, look what you've done.) "Sounds like it would be best for everyone if he was put down. You know what he wanted me to do? He wanted me to force Blast Off to watch while he slowly killed you right in front of him."

"Yes," Blast Off responds to Swift Blade, "Whirl is angry but he actually means well. Most of the time, at least, when his anger isn't clouding his judgement. He's... lost, but he's not hopeless, and he's not ...well, he's not evil. He has... his own worth." And indeed, the Combaticon is almost finding it charming, in an odd way, how Whirl's picking up his own \*huffs\*. Sort of. Though \*He\* doesn't really sound like that, does he? No, of course not.

Blast Off sighs a bit, starting to wave a hand, "Yes, yes, I know... and I \*plan\* to, I just need to fig..." His voice trails off as Whirl goes into detail about what Qunatum's plans really were. It sends a chill through his circuitry he isn't quite able to mask with the whole \*aloof\* demeanor. "...What?"

"I would never lightly agree that /anyone/ should be 'put down'," Swift Blade says slowly, "but if there were such a case, then I suspect Quantum might be it." She sighs deeply. "Still, unless there is someone who can get through to him, many lives are potentially in danger. So many of us have suffered to varying degrees, but we are not all trying to drag those who are innocent to their deaths." Okay, maybe her view of the two mechs is a bit idealized, but oh well.

While it was obvious to Swift Blade /what/ Quantum was doing while he was doing it, hearing it described by Whirl also gets her feeling the chill and she shudders. "That is hardly an equal response; from the sounds of it his partner died quickly and it was a death without malice, which is far from what Quantum had planned for me." And she had tried to be fair to him too! That adds insult to injury.

Whirl sits back up as this is as conversation best had with full attention. "Oh yeah, Quantum is a sicko. I tried to tell him that I called dibs on killing you, you know, to kind of discourage him from trying but he was totally on board with it. He even told me he would be kind enough to let me be the one who finishes you off as long as I kept you alive long enough to watch him slaughter Swift Blade." He glances at the femme hersef as he continues.

"I don't think he has anything against you personally, Swift. You just happen to be close to Blast Off, therefore killing you would hurt him the most. Honestly, it makes sense and it's a good plan, definitely something I could get behind but.. you know, it was you guys so.." He scratches at his brand new repairs. "I told him I couldn't let him do that, and that's when he pulled that little stunt."

Blast Off sighs, glancing to Swift Blade. "Despite what \*some\* seem to think, I agree. ...For the most part. I prefer to mind my own business, and have others mind theirs. Quantum has not only eschewed that concept, he wishes to stomp it to pieces then burn it to the ground. He will not stop until he's destroyed me and anyone he thinks I care for- or he has himself been destroyed."

He listens to Whirl speak, and seems to grow more disgusted and cold with every word. His voice contains some of the /ice/ the shuttle carries inside- the side that doesn't come out as often, but it /is/ there. "I have to kill him. I \*will\* kill him. I will put him down like the diseased turbo-rat he is."

His gaze seems to drift inwards for a moment as he begins trying to think of a plan, but he eventually looks up again at the other two. "You must both be careful now. He may come back after either of you."

"The fact that it is not personal is what is so distressing," Swift Blade says. "It means anyone that is close to Blast Off, or appears to be, would be in danger. That is entirely unfair and completley unreasonable." She doesn't object to the fact that Whirl says it's a 'good plan'. Maybe it is...if you're evil or unhinged. Then she offers the cyclops a faint smile. "Well, then I am glad I am not your enemy." For now. Because if things are as Blast Off says, this won't last forever. She can worry about it later.

Looking at Blast Off, she pats her swords. "With the first ruse I gave him the benefit of the doubt. I have no intentions of dying. Next time, I will fight him." It is not vengence that motivates her, merely the realization that the mech is dangerous and will destroy anyone that he can to achieve his goal...which Swift Blade will do everything in her power to prevent. Once she made up her mind, it was settled.

It's not often that Whirl gets to hear Blast Off speak with such venom in his words, to talk of his want, no, his NEED to kill Quantum. It's actually kind of exciting and if one listens closely enough they could probably hear his cooling fans kick in.

"Tch! I'm not afraid of that tool! I could take him with one arm tied behind my back." Ignore the fact that their last confrontation ended in Whirl losing his damn legs. "I want to help you murder him. Let's face it, I don't have that many friends and I need to keep the ones I DO have alive." He crosses his arms and huffs. "Even if you are lousy Decepticons, I guess."

Blast Off looks downward as Swift Blade voices the truth. It causes him to feel a sense of dread, despite himself. He doesn't want it to- for this is exactly what Quantum wants, after all. Cause him to worry, cause him to be afraid. The shuttleformer's head starts to slowly shake. "I... maybe I should just... be alone. Avoid people. I often do anyway, maybe I should...." His optics narrow. He doesn't \*want\* to be alone, but now it seems if anyone's spotted near him they'll be in danger and... and.... gah. It's a vicious mental circle. "But then, he wins. No." Another shake of his head. "No, I simply need to come up with a plan. Then execute it- AND him," he adds coldly.

Whirl volunteers to help, and the shuttle looks up. At "lousy Decepticons" Blast Off lets out a... is that an \*amused\* huff? Why yes, it seems to be. "... Very well, then. Let us plan."

Murder is an ugly word. Fighting him in a confrontation is about as far as Swift Blade will go. "I'm not a Decepticon," she says evenly. Which, as far as she knows, is technically true. She doesn't know that she's been officially accepted. "You might not be afraid of him, but that doesn't mean that it's not a good idea to exercise caution. Unlike Whirl, she's not excited by the prospect of the conflict, but she does have to look at her resolution that Blast Off will continue to live and even thrive, if she can help it.

To some people Swift Blade's reluctance to get into fights might come across as weakness or cowardice. She might not be the strongest femme, but she is no coward. "Plan it is then," she states. "Last time it was a close enough call; next time the person recieving his judgement will not be so fortunate. We cannot allow him to harm anyone else."

"But now is not the place. This is a place for healing." SHe looks pointedly at Whirl. "When you are released, then we will speak again."