NPD's Finest

It has taken the Special Crimes Unit some time to follow the tracks of Hot Rod following the failed capture/execution in the Rust Narrows. The path lead back to a free clinic, one that he was stashed out in for some time after the escape. It is a clinic that is now in ruins.

That would be because once the S.C.U. arrived they tore into it - quite literally. So in the span of time it takes for word of this to reach Hot Rod in his hiding place, they will have ransacked the place entirely. What supplies were in there haven't been claimed or redistributed, but rather smashed. Destroyed. And the owner of the clinic? She is currently being dragged out into the middle of the street by one of those S.C.U., a tallish lean bot, with a pistol in his other hand.

As he tosses her down the other copbot with him, a sleek femme steps forward and speaks loudly. "Listen up, Nyon! If you think you can get away with helping Hot Rod you are \*wrong\*." She turns to face the clinic owner and points down to battered femme. "This \*was\* Mender. Her crime was aiding Hot Rod. Make sure you do not commit the same felony she has."

The red and blue truck was on his way into the city. The recent news struck him hard, and speaking with Scattershot at the grave of a lost friend was enough to steel his resolve. Leaving the force was the right thing to do - not the easy thing; but the -right- one. His wheels rumble against the oxide-riddled streets, pavement panels groaning from the weight of his altmode. He's not alone. Two blocks behind him, the crew of outcasts and morally outraged friends that decided to follow him are trucking along as well. Roller acts as their mobile base these days.

Transforming out of altmode in one swift, unfolding movement, Orion Pax lands with a solid \*thud\* on the ground, not far from the scene. His hand clutches a laser rifle. It tenses on the grip.

It's another beautiful day in Nyon.

Hot Rod redlines it through the streets without regard for secrecy or cover. He's a streak of red and gold, blazing from the heart of Nyon to make it to the clinic before -- before it's all awful. Before it's all over.

Better hold on, YX. So much for peacefully resettling the little cleaner bots into a safehouse!

As Hot Rod corners onto the street, he transforms with an agile tumble. The curves of his alt-mode shift into quickly-moving limbs. He scoops YX-939 from midair to settle him in the cover of a nearby doorway. He scarcely pauses with a, "Be careful, okay?" before he's warming up his weapons and leveling them at two S.C.U. agents on the street. "Why don't you try picking on someone your own size?"

Dear little YX-939; he doesn't make a sound as Hot Rod zooms along the streets. Even while being tossed, readjusted and set somewhere completely unfamiliar, there isn't a sound. Only his only remaining optic wide as a saucer and a 'fish out of water' look on his face.
This was the look of someone who had no idea how to deal with things. Was it the recent hunting of his frame type? The trauma of seeing other YX bots brutally killed?
Oh, no. It's that Hot Rod WENT REALLY FAST and there was NO SOUNDS ONLY LIGHT. WHAT HAPPENED. He knew not.
YX-939 knows enough to hide in the doorway, though. He hopes no one was home.

Mender does her best to look dignified despite her condition and her place in the middle on the street, on her knees. She looks up, past the two cops that have 'questioned' her - even if they never asked one question. Broken in several places, Mender has her optics still, so she sees all those hidden eyes looking down. She is keenly aware of her options in this moment, and she chooses how to make the best kind of stand she can. She'll show exactly what she agreed to help fight. . "If you want to know where Hot Rod is, I'll tel-...\*"

* chuff\*

Mender is silenced by the pistol that was aimed at her as clearly these S.C.U. weren't interested in what she had to say. All of that courage inside Mender is now shared with the streets she sought to help.

"Like I said. \*Was\*," scoffs the femme cop. She turns, cooly, to glare at Hot Rod. And she smiles. "Looks like it worked, Reload." As she says his name, the speedy pistol-user brings his sidearm to bear on Rod. "You want to waste time saying anything in your defense like this one," she kicks at Mender's body, "did?"

"-Stand down-."

Orion Pax brings his gun up, holding the barrel in one hand and the grip in the other as he walks towards the police officer. "Brutality like this has no place in law enforcement."

Hot Rod's gaze slides past Mender and the cops to Orion Pax. His eyes widen. PLAY IT COOL, HOT ROD. PLAY IT COOL.

When the two cops fire, Hot Rod snarls. Gaze lit with blue fire, he advances toward them with foolish fearlessness. "Yeah. How about 'you're outnumbered'?" He never was good at math. "Get off my streets and /get away from her/." The medic just needs a medic, right?

Hiding in the archway of the door, YX-939 looks up and around the little enclave. The door was closed, the windows shut, but there was no sign that anyone was home or the home was even occupied. Did anyone live here? What did a lived in house LOOK like?
Should he do anything? Wait here? Try to hide inside? It could be very bad if someone were home. Very bad.
YX-939 tries to quietly open the door. Quietly. Sssh. Everyone is probably looking at what's going on in the street anyway.

Orion's arrival on the scene is met with a look from the femme and a pistol from Reload, as he quickly draws another matching silenced pistol. He keeps one on both Orion and Rod. The femme shakes her head in a 'tsk' as she whirls free a baton from her hip. "Has a lot more authority that a busybot sticking his tailpipe where it doesn't belong. You're a long way from Rodion, \*captain\*," she sneers. "You do realize that being here is \*great\* for us, right? When outlaws band together, well, we get to bring out the big guns." As says this there is a \*crack!\* from overhead of a sniper rifle. The blast hits the street before Orion...embarrassingly not even close to match the threat that was just made.

<< Oops. Ah, \*hic\* the scope is off. Have that big one stand still. Stiller. >> That radio transmission comes from the rooftops above.

The femme, sneering at her unseen teammate for his failure, snaps her glare back to Hot Rod. "\*Your\* streets? Hah. That is exactly why you will die here for making such a claim. Your streets... they belong to ... well, not you," she seethes.

There is muffled whispering behind the door YX tries and a quick attempt to close it shut from the other side. But then it opens as a muffled, "Quick, get in!" is said.

The muzzleflash would have alerted Pax to the presence of the sniper, but the smoking, pockmarked street in front of him is the preferable indicator. Not everyone can move faster than a speeding bullet. Orion takes the safety off his rifle and loads it with a \*ka-CHAK\*, the firing medium locking into place. "These streets belong to the citizens of Nyon," he explains calmly and firmly to the police officer and her crew of jack-wheeled thugs. "I didn't tolerate brutality in the Dead End. I'm not going to tolerate it here, either." He points the gun at the lead officer. "Step away from the medic, disarm, and put your hands in the air. I'm making a citizen's arrest."

"They belong to /us/. They belong to the people you're supposed to /protect/." Hot Rod is fire where Orion Pax is firm. He holds his position and glances down at Mender. "Let us get her to a medic, and you can walk out of here." Because they are outnumbered, right? If you're gonna bluff, no going back.

Honestly, if the door had shut all the way again, YX-939 wouldn't have tried to open it again. Fear is a thing he fully understands nowadays, and if they had been too afraid to let him in, he would've let it be. But instead, that voice is telling him to rush inside.
A glance is sent towards the shenanigans in the street; then, he ducks inside the house. Home. Apartment? Place!

"And I am the law here, \*officer\*," flares the lead officer. "I am telling you to get scrapped," she hisses, right at that giant gun aimed at her. Fearless or foolish? She lunges, electricity crackling along her baton as she darts. He rushes at Orion, but low, seeking to slap upward with that baton not at the big bot but at the weapon he holds. "I'm making a real arrest, of your dumb aft!"

<< Ah, Outrage, who do you... wait, you know what, I'm going to pick who... ah, that guy. He's bright. And Orange. >>

As Outrage moves on Pax, Reload moves as well. He darts backwards and fires, as now both pistols point in Hot Rod's direction. \*chuff!\*\*chuff!\* \*chuff!\*chuff!\* Reload's replies to Hot Rod come in the form of bullets.

Inside the building there are two bots, both of which are eager to get YX inside and further into safety. One is taller, though missing his arms and the shorter one is quite round, and he is missing much of his plating save for the big ring around his middle. And his hands, he has no hands. "Help us, lad. Help us quick! There, there," points the tall one with his little nubs-for-no-arms. "The phone. Call the police so they end this before anyone else dies!"

<< Roller, get ready take on passengers. Windcharger, Damus, Trailbreaker - I'm going to need a hand out here! >>

Orion lets the officer strike his weapon arm; it's easy bait. As she slams against his forearm the shock forces him to drop the weapon. Maintaining focus through the pain, his other arm shoots forward towards Outrage's midsection in a powerful punch.

A block away a huge gray paddywagon rolls up, grinding to a halt; the back opens and three figures are piling out of the doors.

"Hey! Back off!" Hot Rod shouts when Outrage goes after Pax. Because the big guy really needs someone to defend him, right? Distraction ensures that Reload's first shot hits, scoring his armor.

Throwing himself to the side, Hot Rod avoids further shots, and returns fire with a blast of heat and light from the weapons on his arms. He aims low at Reload's legs to blast the ground beneath his feet. He tucks himself into cover in a doorway and glances back for YX-939. Who isn't there. "Scrap!" << Spritz, where'd you go? >>

The sight of a mech with no arms gives YX-939 pause. How terrible! And that other one is missing so much plating! These poor people! Little Spritz is filled with pity.
But then... Wait. Call the police? Oh, no, no, no, that's how the YX bots got IN to this mess in the first place! Why would these people want police involved?! Police were bad! ... Well, now they were.
YX-939 starts to back away and head back for the door. Quickly.

Outrage is ready to shoot off at the mouth again as she manages to make a strike on Orion Pax. He even drops his weapon! Nyon might be a long way from Rodion but even here the tales of the mighty bot have impressed quite a few. Outrage is ready to mouth off how wrong she had been to have been so when... \*WHOOP!\* If she drew in air then all of it would be forced out of her. She drops her own baton as she sails away after that punch, crumpling to a heap some distance away. She pounds the ground angrily as she looks up and... that's a lot of calvary. "Hondo, extract," she barks, as chestfallen to call for that as she is chestcrumpled after that punch.

Reload cracks a small smile as his first shots hit Hot Rod, and he presses his attack now. As he darts forward... no! Rod's fire takes away his advantage and his legs as he spins out and goes down.

There is a \*whoop\*whoop\* from overhead as a helicopter decends... at an angle. As the air is kicked up on the streets, Hondo takes his root form as he drops that last bit from the sky... right on the body of Mender. "Oopos," he chuckles drunkenly.

Inside the building the small one with no hands moves quickly to YX. "No! Please, you have to... don't let them stay. You say what happened to Mender, she... no, just let them take Hot Rod away! Maybe if they have him they'll stop." The tall one shakes his head as he also agrees. The small one continues. "If they don't get him this will only get worse!"

Out of nowhere a forcefield is thrown up between Hot Rod and the impending shots. The metal roadway suddenly buckles upwards, trying to toss Hondo and Mender both up into the air; Mender will be suspended. Hondo can go right back to flying if he's thrown.

An empurata victim runs towards the clinic to look for survivors. "HEEEEY! Hello! Anyone in there! C'mon, this isn't a time to fill out your SentinelCare forms!" Damnus shouts, waving his claws wildly.

Orion Pax picks up his gun, letting Outrage call her retreat. He has no desire to harm her any further, regardless of what she's done. Trailbreaker and Windcharger are running up behind him, both of them with arms outstretched, using their primus-given special talents.

Watching as Hondo treats Mender's frame with such contempt, Hot Rod steams. HE STEAMS. He glances from sniper to gunslinger, then dashes toward the door where he dropped off YX-939. First things first: as much as he'd love to shoot his mouth (and guns) off at the cops, he has other responsibilities.

Hot Rod is here to ruin the civvies' day, because he hits his shoulder up against the door and calls, "Hey, you in there?" Again, he short-range radios, << YX-939? Come on! >>

If YX-939 is listening to what the mecha who live here are saying, he doesn't show it. He rushes for the door instead, only to stop when he actually gets there.
Flat door. One of those automatic ones? No handle? How did this thing OPEN? There was a panel next to the door; he had no idea how to use it. Was this a 'not a sewer bot' thing?!
"Open this door!" He squeaks the demand; it might've been funny under any other circumstances. "I can't call anyone, I'm sorry!"

```
<< Why do I keep listening to complete strangers?! >>

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Hondo waves his arms as he is tossed, as though flapping those will get him airborn. "Your alt form, moron," snaps Outrage. Hondo, reminded of this, returns to his helicopter form and starts to ascend. Outrage and Reload pick themselves up and grab on so that they can be carried away as they are clearly outmanned and outgunned now. She thinks about shooting off her mouth with some kind of retort but... it would be wasted ammo at this point. Up and away, the S.C.U. retreats.

Mender's body, what is left of it, has been retrieved.

Inside the building, as that door is approached from either end it opens. It is activated by proximity, so once more YX and Hot Rod should meet. The two mechs inside chase after YX though, desperate to plead for help ... but stop when they see Hot Rod. "No, no, please, go away! Go away!"

The little one pushes the tall one back inside. "Quick Bolts, just leave them alone!"

"Yes, Nut, of course, of course," Bolts frantically mutters as they attempt to flee the sight of Hot Rod.

Trailbreaker drops his shield, and Windcharger pulls the body of Mender in towards the group, setting her gently on the ground.

Damus is trying to find survivors, when he ends up coming near to Hot Rod and YX. "HEY GUYS! Come on, we can get out of here. Roller's waiting and -- " He pauses. "Trouble with the door or something? I've got this if you need me."

Orion ignores the retreating officers to kneel beside Mender's body. Another one lost. He tries to make a difference, but there are just as many failures as victories. He checks to see if there's any signs of life, if her spark is still holding on.

Hot Rod laughs in relief when YX-939 radios back and says, << You're too trusting. >> It's hardly the most damning thing in the world, particularly given his own tendencies. The smile falls off his face in an instant when the door opens to fear. He looks bruised by the words that greet him, and steps back. He reaches for YX-939 to draw him away. "We're good," he says to Damus. "Just leaving."

As he advances toward the others, Hot Rod looks up to watch as the S.C.U. retreats. Dropping his gaze, he kneels next to Mender in the street, still holding on to the hope that if they can just get her to a medic...! "Is she--?"

YX-939 looks a little put off at the fact that he couldn't figure out the DOOR, but doesn't say anything about it as he follows Hot Rod and... "Hi." He stares at Damus; he's not trying to kill him, so that puts him in the 'good' category for now. "Hot Rod, who's that? Can we trust him? Wher'r we going?" Oh, NOW he gets chatty.

There isn't much left to Mender. Her spark has always been in the best place... which fortunately wasn't in her head, which Reload shot, or in her back, which Hondo landed on. She was frail before, worn thin on her work to save those in Nyon worse off than her. But... there is a flicker there. A dimming pulse.

"We need to get her to a medic if possible. We can try to save her, but the chances are small," Pax says to Hot Rod. He sends out a signal to his team to begin loading up. "If you have somewhere she can get repairs, please - we need to move now," he says to Hot Rod.

"No idea who this guy is," Hot Rod tells YX-939, "but I know we can trust him." He glances from Damus to the others with Pax, and while he's curious, now's not the time. "Because this is Orion Pax."

Hot Rod's starry-eyed look is dimmed by focus as he considers where the nearest clinic is /that hasn't been trashed/. "Yeah. Follow me." He transforms, kicking a door open for YX-939, then says, "There's a place not far from here where we can regroup." And YX-939 can get his starry-eyes on all he wants.

"...Orion Pax?!" YX-939 blinks with his remaining optic very widely! "You told me about him! The big hero, right?" Okay, so he only has partial information there.
He does climb in to the offered seat. "This is kind of exciting..."