1341/A Temporary Exile

**Goth has posed:**
     Deep space, the shuttle transporting Vortex, Sinnertwin, Goth, and Phantom (and any stowaways that they don't know of!) is moving towards the Asteroid colony known as Camp 371, that currently orbits a nearby gas giant. It's currently in view, a forcefield was over the facility,(mostly to keep the gravity on) as well as a number of metal structures and buildings (ruins?) seen through it. The alerts going off that they would be landing in a number of Astrominutes...

      Goth's strapped in to his seat, arms crossed and leg crossed over his other peg, looking quite annoyed, given he's in his root mode (for the moment) as they travel.. He's been ignoring Phantom if he's in the same shuttle bay as him, and instead been attempting to focus mainly on Sinnertwin and Vortex... He oddly, for a change looks more like a medic, given he does have a belt on containing a few medical and supply kits... He's tapping a finger on his arm, staring at the wall.

**Sinnertwin has posed:**
    Having to be strapped in for a rough landing is the only reason Sinnertwin isn't in his more beastily form. And being sure he's sitting right next to Goth with a constant solemn gaze because that's what bodyguards and be damned if the Terrorcon sentry isn't going to be the best one he can be.

It's his duty, it's his mission.... it's honestly the only reason he's not being as eccentric as usual.

**Overlord has posed:**
Of course, the shuttle transporting the motly crew is not the only one approaching 371... Overlord gave his particular ride a very keen set of orders and is watching from his vantage point on the shuttleformer's 'bridge'.

Hold fire on the shuttle... instead, once they've disembarked, bring me in behind. I'll disable their...escape myself." He takes a moment to look over the facility itself, studying the abandoned colony with a faint frown.

"What do you think drove them all away, hmm? Colonies don't just...abandon themselves... I'm hoping it's something interesting." He taps one of the readouts before standing and making his way back to the passenger door, anticipating his own departure, taking up his signature shield and looking it over. "Make sure to keep us...out of sight yet. The longer they believe they are alone, the better. And...you may as well make yourself useful and accompany me once we're inside."

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex is strapped in as well, giggling to himself. "A whole asteroid to hunt on. Oh Overlord is too kind to us isnt he..." he is having an absolutely wonderful time. A landing an asteroid. Once he lands, he fidgets. "So so when do we start? I can't wait!"

**Shadowstar has posed:**
      What happened to Goth and Phantom was pretty hard to keep quiet around the base. Rumors circulated, and Shadowstar decided to try and find out just what was going on. So, she used her cloak to stick to the outside of the transport. And before she knew it...they were in space!

      It was little known to anyone other that Blast Off that Shadowstar wanted the ability to fly in space, and now she is getting a taste of what that might be like! She watches the stars go by, the asteroids, and finally watches as they approach the facility.

      As soon as they are close enough that there is some amount of gravity, Shadowstar detaches and makes her way down under cloak, then waits for the others to disembark. She blinks though as she realizes there is another shuttle. Blast Off?

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off is transporting Overlord himself as part of those direct orders. Orders he's not sure he likes. He hasn't really been able to look Vortex in the optic lately, as uneasy as he is about previous orders to destroy Tex's and the others' ship so they are forced to stay and complete their mission no matter what. That isn't what Combaticons do to each other! But he was ordered to a vow of silence on the matter and has followed it. For now he simply tries to squelch his worry about his teammate and focus on the task at hand.

" << Yes, Sir, >>" his cultured voice comes over his comms systems. The shuttle's engines rumble softly in thought. He runs scans of the area just in case, of course. "<< It could be any number of things, from the mundane to the extraordinary. Resources might have run low and they decided to put their workforce closer to home... or it could be something out here. Hostile lifeforms, the wear and tear of radiation on their equipment, even cosmic rust. ...Ugh, I really \*do\* hope it is not Cosmic Rust... I'll continue to run scans. >>" He hopes it ISN'T something interesting. No, mundane as possible, please.

**Phantom has posed:**
Phantom is sitting in the back of the shuttle, his gaze fixed in the window, his expression completely blank. He hasn't interacted or looked at anyone the entire trip over, and perhaps his silence is kind of unnerving.

 He remains emotionless, optics glazed over, hands folded neatly in his lap.

 As soon as the shuttle begins to land, he stands, pressing his hands against the window to stare at the environment they've landed in.

 It's very foggy. In fact, the mist obscures most of the terrain on the asteroid they've just landed on. Phantom doesn't react to the ominous atmosphere, instead, he just continues to stare, expression stony.

**Goth has posed:**
     Goth grumbles and rolls his optics, his fur has been bristling over his platting this whole time, he's also been much more 'puffed up' than normal due to his displeasure of being on this mission, opticing over the dagger he'd set in a sheath in his belt... Wasn't the first Time he'd been a scavenger in space, wouldn't be the last.. He just had to keep telling himself that, like Dustoff said he's /much/ smarter than that! and not let his own mind run away with the worst case scenarios... Even if Blast off did give a vague, ominous warning.

      "Bah, we're only here to find out what has caused this to be abandoned and get off." He'd grumble, side opticing Phantom, it was pretty clear Goth wanted this over and done with as soon as possible.. even though he was well aware of Phantom's previous threat...

      Once on the ground, their all given the signal to disembark, the crew moving to get the supplies unloaded... Goth wasn't too surprised about the foggy atmosphere as he kept moving past Phantom, he was ready to go and get started. "Hmph, doesn't surprise me such a place is foggy, most asteroids are made primarily of organic rock and ice." He'd muse.

**Overlord has posed:**
Foggy is one way of putting it. Truly, it's less fog and more a lingering cloud of dust enshrouding the asteroid colony, suspended by the low gravitational pull of the environment assisted by an absolute lack of an atmosphere. Of course, this also means the haze exists within the complex itself.

And what a complex it is... an interconnected network of domes that, at one point, offered a view of the surrounding space, the constellations and stars in the distance, a galaxy way of elsewhere...and the blue-white glow of the star at the center of the system itself.

Though, now, that view is all but blocked, the blue-white light filtering through the haze only to be further filtered and hindered by the layers of dust that have accumulated on otherwise transparent panels. It makes for...a very dim, unnatural light.

And Overlord looks pleased by it all.

"Perhaps you're right, Blast Off. Perhaps it's a boring nothing and we can simply...secure this place for our own resource gain. However...I don't pay contacts for dull outcomes."

Did...he just admit to something? It's tough to say... "Wait for their signals to move deeper into the colony and then take us in to dock next to their craft."

**Sinnertwin has posed:**
Sinnertwin unbuckles and tromps outside, staying close to Goth still. "Hmph. Terrible weather," he mutters, and then transforms finally. Both to get in a tankier, more defensive mode, and because it has the better senses for dealing with the fog and whatever else might be out there waiting for them.

**Shadowstar has posed:**
      After having such a nice view outside, Shadowstar is hesitant to actually enter the facility. But, as the other do, so does she. She makes sure to stick to the shadows, expertly avoiding detection unless one really knows what to look for. She can only catch snippets of conversation as she keeps some distance from Goth and Phantom and their escorts. And can't really say anything without giving away both her position and the fact that she snuck along for this little adventure, whatever it is.

**Blast Off has posed:**
Wut. Indeed, DID Overlord just admit to something? What the smelt IS going on here, anyway? With another soft rumble of a sigh, the shuttle does as told, forcing himself to concentrate on the task at hand rather than let his mind race with all the worrying possibilities. Surely Overlord wouldn't put the others in any TRUE danger, would he? (If only he knew.)

Blast Off doesn't know what to say to that cryptic statement, but he does to the rest. "<< Understood. >>" He runs more scans and waits, taking up a parallel positon to the colony, flying behind another asteroid to (hopefully) evade possible detection.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex unbuckles and moves close to Goth as well. "Bad weather. Thats too bad. Well it does make for more interesting flying. I guess we stick to the ground for now though right?"

**Phantom has posed:**
Phantom immediately steps off the shuttle as soon as they arrive. He tilts his helm to one side, surveying the complex of domes, expression still glazed over but there's a slight hint of curiosity embedded in his gold optics.

 He smirks at Goth's comment. "Are you /kidding/ me?" He responds to Goth's comment icily. "/Overlord/ was angry, so he sent us here. We'll be lucky to get off this asteroid in one piece."

 Phantom doesn't seem discomfited by his own conclusions, however. Instead, he just laughs, and heads straight for the complex, disappearing into the mist.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex blinks his optics. "Does this mean I get to die with my favorite person in the world?" he goes and stands next to Phantom. "Oh goodie." he chuckles. "You and me? We're gonna have fun on this death trap.." he chuckles as Phantom isnt there. "Yeah thats what I thought. Hallucination Phan Phan."

**Darkstar has posed:**
Well, well, well... What have we here?

    The Arrowship was flying through Deep Space on a return trip from a long range patrol when he saw something 'interesting' to say the least. The fog engulfed asteroid wasn't the first of its likeness that Darkstar had observed during the countless missions he'd undertook to the far reaches of unknown space, but it was always something he made sure to recon and this time was no different. Moving closer to the mass of bluish clouds the Spacer began to 'sniff' about with his advanced military grade sensors. Nothing came up initially, but deep space patrols always required patience and in his duties Darkstar always excelled...

**Goth has posed:**
     "Indeed, stick to the ground for now Vortex, don't need you going through the gravity shield and floating off Primus knows where, don't need Blast Off losing it over the fact we lost you." He'd chuckle with a flick of his wrist... He'd ten get out a radar from his subspace... He'd then look up at Sinnertwin and give him a thankful nod, as well as a nod of acknowledgment to the ship crew as they call about the fact they would have the supplies stored in one of the smaller buildings, that would be being used as a base of operations.

      Goth then rolled his optics. "Yes, and whose fault is that?" He'd ask not looking back. "Oh right! Yours." He'd scoff. "Glitch.." Goth would add under is vents, yep the bickering has started. He'd just roll his optics at Phantom and started walking, and motioned for Vortex to join him and Sinnertwin. "Bah, let him get himself lost..." He'd vent in frustration, yeep, Phantom's going to make this hard on them.

      He'd pull a small crystanlin cube form his subspace, clutching it tightly in his hand for a moment as he moved, glancing down at it.

**Overlord has posed:**
Darkstar's approach is not part of the plan...but nothing that can't be dealt with. Overlord frowns and studies the Arrowship a moment before grunting and opening up a tightbeam. <<Darkstar...you are approaching an operation in progress. Maintain radio silence... I've a few of our...loyal soldiers on a mission and I want minimal interferrence.>>

He waits for Blast Off to get him close to where the shuttle is docked so he can disembark himself, almost immediately going to the now-empty shuttle and starting to type in command lockout codes.

If...the crew thought for a moment the shuttle would be an easy out? Not so much anymore... That much done, he starts to access the complex's main systems, scouting a way to survey...things as they play out. "Blast Off...escort our...wayward visitor in. The three of us aren't going to interferre with their scavenger hunt."

He then frowns...did he just see a blip? Hmmm...

**Sinnertwin has posed:**
"Idiot." Sinnertwin grumbles, shaking one head as Phantom goes off ahead. "He really doesn't care for his own existance so much." "That he'd rather die to see us all get scrapped?" "And they say we're sadistic." Despite his prattling to himself Sinnertwin has his focus ahead, the beast still remaining close to Goth's side. "Let's get this over with."

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex nods "Yep. I might be dumb b ut Im not that dumb." He looks to the crystal a moment. "So. What's the mission?" he asks. "We do what we were sent to do, go home, make it professional. Or do what we're sent to, die and Overlord collects it later. Either way its good." he says. He then shouts. "Have fun dying ahead of us Phan-Phan!"

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off picks up Darkstar in his scans and frowns internally. However, Overlord seems to have matters in hand and the shuttle banks in and lands as told, allowing the Deceopticon Commander to do his thing. Even if Blast Off isn't so sure he LIKES this thing. No. No, he DOESN'T like this at all. Still, no one gave orders he couldn't defend Vortex if push came to shove later, right? Riight? So for now he does as told, again, rocketing back up to guide Darkstar in. He doesn't really chat much, besides a very neutral, flat "<< Darkstar. >>" That's his greeting. He does an arcing roll around and leads the other spacer back to the landing and touches down again without any excess words.

**Shadowstar has posed:**
      What is the mission indeed! Shadowstar is interested in that herself. And so far no one knows she is here! She is quite enjoying just following along without being detected, and smirks to herself as she gets a bit closer, hoping Goth just might explain to Vortex. Of course, sneaking...even expert sneaking...is hard to do without making any noise at all. Even moreso when one is made of metal and walking along a metal floor in an abandoned outpost. Honestly Shadowstar figures Goth will notice her any time now.

**Darkstar has posed:**
Well, well, well...again, what have we here?

    The hail from General Overlord was far from expected, but the turn of events seems to do little to throw the Spacer for a loop. He would certainly aid The Cause in any way that the General sees fit now that he's aware that there is an operation afoot. He does not respond, given the order to maintain radio silence. Not even when Blast Off appears out of the cloud cover to guide him and offers a greeting of his own does he say a word. Following orders was most important in times of war after all...

    The Arrowship tilted sixty degrees starboard and then just as quickly to port, offering a 'wave' of sorts in acknowledgement of Lieutenant Blast Off before adjusting course to follow the Combaticon in.

**Phantom has posed:**
Phantom enters the complex, and does a swift and very cursory sweep of the structure, looking for any clues that might give an indication of why this colony is abandoned.

 He hasn't gone very deep into the complex when he finds massive scratch marks on paneling of a hallway.

 His optics glitter and he runs his hand over the giant marking. He smirks. "You can't be far now," he says to no one in particular before phasing straight through the wall with the scratch. He finds himself standing on the edge of massive hole, the contents of which are completely obscured by the mist that's permeating the entire asteroid. He tilts his helm to one side before descending into the hole.

**Goth has posed:**
     "Please that's /exactly/ who Phantom is." He'd chuff in annoyment, and agreement with Sinnertwin. "Lets..." He'd add tiredly as he lead into the main complex... Dome Shaped, liths dead currently, asteroid dust and frost having been kicked into the entrance.. was quite.. Oddly the lights were also dead at the moment, some odd blasts marks, (but not the scratch marks Phantom had found) in the walls ceiling, and floor, wires were hanging loose from the walls and ceiling as well, some faint silhouette of something, but not quite visible just yet to those without night vision.. Well even with Night Vision it was hard to see in this sort of space darkness...

      Just what the heck had been going on previously? It looked like a simple penal colony. Goth looked around for a moment, trying to find a switch for the lights to test them, wondering if this place had power. "Right, Vortex, Overlord ordered us here to find something, and to find out what happened here.. he honestly didn't give much detail or say just /what/ we were looking for.. neglected to ask such in my... panic." he'd grumble.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex follows along. "Yeah the moment he gets in trouble hes gonna come crying to us, or push us in front of whatever it is, so be ready for that. You can eat him if you want. I won't tell anyone." he also scans the area. "Okay so there should be workers around.." he looks up seeing corpses on the eiling, and scattered around the building as well with damage to their chassis. "Oh look. I found the workers!" he says.

**Sinnertwin has posed:**
"Hopefully he doesn't get himself killed before we catch up, so we can at least laugh at his misery before Overlord nukes the rest of us," Sinnertwin growls, twin tails lashing a bit with minor annoyance. No surprise he'd rather enjoy someone else's misery than worry about his own potential getting scrapped.

While their poking and prodding around the left head turns off to the side, tilted to get a good whiff through flaired nostrils, and then licks his lips. "Mmm, I smell energon." The right head turns, also taking a whiff, but makes a face. "Ugh, that smells like it leaked from someone's aft."

**Overlord has posed:**
Overlord continues to get the shuttlecraft lockouts in place before he's...satisfied everything is as it ought to be, and he powers the shuttlecraft down and locks it tight. "Darkstar, Blast Off, on me. We're going to explore and make sure your...companions are doing what they should."

He looks at a readout on his wrist, studying the various markers that are tracing Goth and Co. before stalking down the hallway towards another habitat dome, pointedly away from where the other group is at. "In the mean time...keep your optics peeled for anything useful we can...claim for our cause." He says it, sure, but it sounds as though there's something else he'd rather be finding.

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off transforms and follows Overlord, glancing over at Darkstar uneasily. The shuttleformer has decided that he's simply not going to like this and should just follow roders and hope for the best. Though when he starts seeing bodies.... he has to really think about that twice. "Errr..." he stares up at them, then back to Overlord and Darkstar like- shouldn't we be worried about this guys?

**Darkstar has posed:**
    Darkstar transforms immediately after Blast Off and follows him, his optics looking over the head of his fellow spacer when the smaller Combaticon glances at him. "Aye, General," the maroon and black colored Decepticon offers to his General, his optics glancing about then for signs of anything that would make decent salvage- something he had a knack for. "What kinda mission is this exactly? There'll be somethin' ta' slag at some point, right?" he couldn't help but wonder, while his right hand emitted a whirr-click sound as it changed into a forearm mounted pistol.

**Shadowstar has posed:**
      "...well...I think we just found our first clue." Shadowstar says, suddenly revealing herself and gesturing to the hanging shapes in the darkness. "The miners didn't abandon this place. They never left." She pulls her twin-barreled rifle from her back and looks around. "Someone was making a point here, I think. And we should be careful not to be added to the collection.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex pokes one of the hanging bodies, to see what happens when it swings back and forth. "Nice. Get some good shots of this. We still have radio contact right?" he asks.

**Phantom has posed:**
Phantom doesn't find anything in the hole, other than multiple dead bodies with gaping holes in their chassis.

 "Hmm..." he mutters. He leans over and studies the bodies for a moment, touching the edge of one of the decaying carcasses' massive chest perforations. Then, he hears movement in the mist to his right, coming out from behind a collapsed rafter. "Someone wants to play," he says out loud.

 He hehs, and then turns, creating one of those Primus forsaken holes in reality, making it open right behind where Goth, Vortex, and Shadowstar are standing.

 He enters through it, but hangs back a little so the mist obscures him, chuckling darkly. "Long time no see," he says.

 Should the others turn around, they'll barely be able make out Phantom, the hole in reality, and... something spiny, huge, that has spindly limbs...

**Goth has posed:**
     "That sounds exactly like Phantom." Goth says tartly.. He gives pause at the mention of corpses by Vortex, before he finds the controls, the lights coming on, this place still had power!? They could hear some sort of generator backfire and kick on loudly in the distance, sparks coming from some of those busted wires above, falling and briefly electrifying some of the energon pools that have formed from the corpses that lay strewn about the room... most have had their chassis broken into by something /horribly/ strong given how the metal is peeled back and internals have basically been thrown about.

      Some still have their weapons out, others have been horribly dismembered, and how those that are hanging from the ceiling? it's hard to tell from down below. "oh Lovely." Goth says dryly with a vent, before his fur stands on in, Shadowstar?! "Shadowstar when did... why are--?!" he doesn't finish his sentence as a his ear twitches and he hears a familiar hole in reality being torn, he looks back and, he quickly has to cover his ears as their /blasted/ by whatever that large thing was behind phantom and the portal! Letting out a grunt of pain.

**Overlord has posed:**
Overlord hears that shriek and ever so slightly glances in it's direction before smirking. Darkstar and Blast Off aren't really responded to directly, not straight-away at least, and he reaches into subspace to pull his sword out, complimenting his shield.

"There we are... let's see if they use it now." He alters his course, moving towards the source, but not about ready to barge in yet. There's pawns that can do their work first and foremost.

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off looks up at the two taller Cons, but when Overlord ignores the hesitation and gets a sword instead, the shuttleformer sighs to himself and just pulls out his ionic blaster. Just in time as a shriek can be heard. Welp. Great, there's something on this station that seems to be killing people and caused the previous occupants to flee for their lives but are they going to do the seneible thing and run, too? Nooooooo, of course they're not. Blast Off questions his life choices as he marches besides the gung-ho others.

He hopes Vortex is alright. Goth, too. And isn't Sinnertwin along for the ride too? Phantom... eh. As they move forward he keeps an optic out for ...whatever the heck Overlord seems to be looking for, as well as any sign of nasties. I mean, other nasties.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex hears the scream and moves in front of Goth "Okay everyone down. If someone can find phantom, throw him at that scream!" oh dear so thats his plan.

**Sinnertwin has posed:**
Sinnertwin gets a bristle down his spinal struts. "I have a sudden bad feeling about thi--" And then there's screaming. Oh that's not fair, how is he suppose to guard someone from screaming?! Or maybe its because he was focusing more on having to protect Goth from Phantom trying to backstab them that some screaming cosmic abomination was still a surprise. And Phantom was talking to it? "I bet -that- is why everyone left." "Or was eaten." "Or.. Oh yeah, protecting." There's still the whole if Phantom dies they're all dead, so.. yeah.. probably the only reason he cares. Sinnertwin is still mostly worried about Goth and Vortex, standing in front of them and opening one maw to spit a gout of flame at the thing in the spacial rend. "This is our dimension, go find your own!" the opposite head barks.

**Darkstar has posed:**
    The scream was loud and piercing enough to reach Darkstar's audials even though they were certainly quite a ways away from the originator, and by the look of things he wasn't the only mech who was able to pick up on it. Overlord's smirk told him everything he needed to know, and the Spacer was quick to join in with a broad grin of his own. "I'm thinkin' this party jus' got a lot more entertainin'," he notes while his forearm mounted pistol folded and clicked back to reveal his true hand, and the mech brandished his laser rifle instead.

    "Awfully quiet there, L.T... Hope you ain't nervous. This is what we live for..." At least the Blast Off that he knew as 'Colonel', elitist as he was, still thoroughly enjoyed a good shootout.

**Shadowstar has posed:**
      Shadowstar turns quickly as she hears Phantom, then her purple optics widen at the thing behind him. "Look out, you idiot!" she exclaims before leaping behind one of the corpses and as the unknown creature intakes she manages to cover her ears. That screech still rattles her a bit, but she pops out again as soon as the attack has cleared them and fires that double blaster of hers.

      "Don't you mean 'Thank you for coming along to save my aft, Shadowstar?!'" she exclaims at Goth as she fires. "So, I guess that is the thing that did all of this? Alone? And...why did it rip out their chests?!" She hears Vortex and scoffs. "Phantom is right there! Throw him at that thing if you think it'll work!"

**Goth has posed:**
     Sinnertwin would of actually gotten a laugh from Goth, if the poor bat looked terribly petrified! utterly and horribly terrified, he'd start backing up and without much word, transforms into his bat mode, and starts /booking it/ deeper into the complex! Frag whatever the hell Overlord wanted! There was no way in HELL he was going to stay around to get eaten by that thing! "SPARKEATER!" He'd shout in an absolute panic.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex looks at the thing coming. "Yep. Sparkeater." he chuckles. "Awesome. So um. Dont attract it's attention. Dont run dont shoot dont scream dont be an id..whoops too late."

**Overlord has posed:**
Overlord is well aware of what it is, and the noise over the comms is ignored outright as he just stalks forward, shield at the ready. "I'm...disappointed that my pawns are running." He chuckles softly, looking from Darkstar to Blast Off. "Well, do what you must, yes? Show me if a sparkeater can die."

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off turns his head and gives Darkstar the flattest of flat looks, followed by the flattest of voices. "Overjoyed." He lifts his gun, muzzle pointed to the ceiling. "Can't think of anywhere I'd rather be than an abandoned colony in the dead of space, far from help, with dozens of chestless corpses whose only company is a spattering of unworldly screams. A true thrill."

...He does not look thrilled.

He does turns to give Overlord a questioning look after hearing something odd over the radio. "What's Phantom mean, 'you're welcome'?" Still, when Overlord tells them to go find that sparkeater... which is apparently what's over the radio... oh lovely. He still stands there for a split second, "...." before moving ahead, gun drawn and ready. "Yes, Sir."

**Phantom has posed:**
"Have fun /trying/!" The elusive seeker scoffs at Shadowstar and Vortex.

When the sparkeater lunges, he enters phase, and the sparkeater actually just plunges straight through him. He laughs, and his boosters engage, elevating him slightly, perhaps out of reach of the sparkeater. "Aren't you going to /thank/ me," he says to Goth sarcastically, "I'm pretty sure I did exactly what Overlord wanted." Then his jet engines begin whining in a peculiar fashion...

The lanky, disgusting creature looks like a mutated version of Cybertronian who has died and was brought back to life. It lunges at Goth and Vortex, only to be scorched by Sinnertwin and shot by Shadowstar. Howling it pain, it lashes out at rude trashdragon who so kindly set him on fire.

**Darkstar has posed:**
    Darkstar rolls his pauldrons, the anxiety beginning to flitter through him enough to give the Spacer a case of the 'tingles'. Still, the more dangerous the situation the more excited he became in general, so the fear only increased his eagerness to locate and test himself against whatever horror awaited them within the halls of this dank, dark facility. "You hear that shout?" the maroon and black Decepticon asked Overlord and Blast Off. "Sounded like... The Bat Bot. Coulda' sworn 'e just said Spark..eater." A nervous yet excited chuckle escapes him, and he raised his laser rifle. "Let's get in there an' show that thing who's boss..."

    Blast Off's breaking of radio silence was a bit irksome, and Darkstar growled a bit as his red glare met the back of the Combaticon's helm. "Hey, what the frag, mech? Ain't we supposed ta' be maintainin' radio silence?" Rolling his optics, Darkstar quickly forgot the transgression the moment that Overlord verbally removed their leashes. "Frag yeah!"

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex aims his glue gun at the Phantom, giggling to himself. "Oh, Phan-Phan. I havent forgot about you. And this is such a good time you and your conjunx have provided for us. But I hate to say it but Overlord's going on my list. And here, I thought we could torture folks togehter. What a shame." he swivels around and aims his glue gun at the sparkeater. "Oh, Growl, Growl Growl. Shh. You've gotta wait your turn." he fires at it. "Rude."

**Sinnertwin has posed:**
Sinnertwin turns one head to watch Goth bolt from the cosmic horror. "Yeah, it's a Sparkeater, that's an appropriate response." The right head snarls, flames still licking between it's fangs. Then yelps as the thing lashes one of it's tendrils at him, knocking the Terrorcon sideways from the impact. He shakes his heads a bit, then resumes his 'angry dog' posture. "Still not as scary as Hun-Gar forced on diet," the left retorts. "And now we don't have to worry about guarding," the right adds. "Also good point."

Vortex gunks up the creature, and without having to be so concerned with bodyguarding Sinnertwin bolts in, returning the favor of tentacle whips by trying to chomp down on some of those offensive appendages.

**Shadowstar has posed:**
      Shadowstar blinks a few times as Goth runs for it. "What the-...GET BACK HERE!! Are you Starscream or something?! This is the mission!"

      She's talking a big game, but even though she didn't run she -is- making sure to keep Sinnertwin, Vortex, and anything else she can between herself and that creature. She isn't going to die here to some cosmic monstrosity! Not when it can earn her points with Megatron!

      With it apparently focused on Sinnertwin, she keeps firing those searing bolts of purple plasma. "Die, abomination!!"

**Phantom has posed:**
Phantom seems mildly disappointed that everyone seems to want to kill the sparkeater. He descends a little, watching as Goth tries to make a run for it. "Sparkeater, huh," he says, optics glowing with fascination. He transforms, and then abruptly, opens his chassis chamber, allowing his spark's light to nearly blind anyone too close or foolish enough to look at him while he's doing so.

 The sparkeater was about to lash out angrily at Sinnertwin when Phantom reveals his inner chambers. With a screech, it shakes off the remaining glue and charges Phantom, who quickly closes his chamber and starts flying after Goth.

 Sad cycle for the bat, by proxy he is now being chased by the sparkeater. Goth will just have to hope that Phantom doesn't pull another one of his vanishing acts...

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off blinks. Radio silence?

FRAG. He... forgot in the excitement and concern for his teammate. Isn't the broadband Decepticon channel usually on across solar systems, though? The shuttleformer winces slightly, drawing his free hand to conduct a sort of facepalm that still lets him keep an optic on things. "....Frag." He casts a nervous glance over at Overlord, hoping this won't come back to bite him in the aft. "Yes, SIR!" He'll just try to do such a good job now that any slip-ups on his part will be forgotten. And do his best to ignore, at least for now, what Overlord just said about those other Cons being 'pawns' where a \*sparkeater\* is concerned. And also to ignore how terrified he is about running \*towards\* a sparkeater. What the frag, how did he get here with his life?

**Goth has posed:**
     Goth is running deeper into the complex, he can hear it skittering along the walls and floor and thrashing as it chases Phantom, Goth is panting heavily, his want to survive is greater than his will to fight, and he slides down the wall, panting heavily in the dark, trying to collect himself, his hands trembling, he looks down at the crystalin cube in his hand, he knits his ridges and huddles there behind the wall in a terrified bat ball!

      He quickly activates his cloaking device hoping the sparkeater won't see him! he stores the cube away and holds his vents, trying to remain still in the shadows.

**Sinnertwin has posed:**
And now Phantom was chasing after Goth, and the Sparkeater chasing after Phantom, so in a way it was chasing after Goth by proxy. It takes Sinnertwin to catch up with what's going on. "Yay he's leading it away!" Pause. "But that's way Goth went." "... Slag." And now there's a trash dragon chasing after the other two, snarling and growling but he's not fast enough to catch up and knowing Goth is somewhere up ahead unwilling to shoot his flame cannon down the passage, so it's only chasing for now.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex runs after goth making noises to himself. "Ew ew ew ew ew gross." yeah thats what hes doing. Running through the passages is disgust about something or another. Its Vortex. It could be anything.

**Shadowstar has posed:**
      Shadowstar is...a bit baffled. "What do you mean? Of course we'd kill it! You want that thing as a pet or something?" she says as she follows after the others, transforming in the process and engaging her cloak just to make sure it won't suddenly swing around and go for her spark. "And just how do you think we are going to subdue it enough -without- killing it? Didn't you see the bodies everywhere?!"

**Darkstar has posed:**
Oh, the terror!

    Darkstar charged forward behind Blast Off only to overtake the other mech given his decided lack of reluctance to do battle with the creature of legend! He'd always thought that the tales of the beasts were those meant to frighten new recruits. Better follow orders or they'll send you across the universe to the planet of Spark Eaters! Better be a good soldier or the Supreme Chancellor will drop you into his hidden pit full of Spark Eaters! Better stop beating up your commanding officers so much in training or they'll order you to clean the dungeon where they feed prisoners to Spark Eaters!

Oh, the horror!

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex mutters to himself as he continues to run. "You know who I really feel sorry for? The Sparkeater. Do you think he asked before he did that? Do you know if it was ready for that level in their relationship." he shouts as he runs. "Sparkeater, stand up for yourself. Don't let Phantom make the rules of your love. You are your own filthy dead mech and you let him know that."

**Phantom has posed:**
Phantom laughs, amused by Goth's terror. "<Are you /afraid/>" he tightbeams the mechabat, clearly pleased with the outcome of this little.. assignment that Overlord had given them. He then phases into the ceiling, disappearing from view.

 Meanwhile, the sparkeater's glowing optics scan the perimeter, searching for Phantom but not finding him. However, it must have some kind of sixth sense, it seems to know where Goth is, even though the mechabat is cloaked.

 Definitely not a fun feeling for Goth, as the sparkeater approaches him, ready to tear him open the same way scraplets tear into armor.

 But just before the sparkeater reaches Goth, the mechabat will notice Phantom descending, holding the canister with the red x on it. He opens the lid, and flings it at the sparkeater.

 The sparkeater turns to attack, and for a nanosecond, time seems to slow down. The monstrous creature mouth agape, lunging for Phantom, body posed to deal a fatal blow - but as soon as it touches the red foam, a strange thing happens.

 It disappears.

 Poof. Just like that. Gone.

 Where did it go? Who knows...

 Phantom's optics narrow, and he holds up the canister, which has a vacuum like power function on it that sucks all the red foam back into it. Then he caps it. Subspacing it, he tightbeams Goth. "<You owe me>" Then he turns, and vanishes into a wall, leaving everyone else probably baffled, but also terribly relieved.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex watches Phantom release the foam and the sparkeater disappear. "Aww. He sent his conjunx home." He points to the space where Phantom was and singsongs. "Psyyycho. That poor poor sparkeater."

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off would just like to go home by now. The shuttleformer runs after Darkstar, but it appears the sparkeater is already gone...?

**Goth has posed:**
     Goth braced himself for what as to come as he watched, he prayed he wasn't visible, but as it approached his ears fell back and his optics narrowed and watched as it approached it could see him.. It could SEE him. IT COULD /SEE/ HIM.Goth watched as it got ready to strike, black ichore was starting to leak from one of Goth's optics as hem entally prepared his own surprise attack for this thing but..

      Then it was gone?? He looks to where Phantom is and snarls at the tight beam, this was PHANTOM'S fault they were up here with that damn lie he forced him to make! And Phantoms erratic behavior! and PHANTOM'S Lying! "<<I don't owe you anything.>>" He'd snarl under his vents, he wasn't going to willing help Phantom.. If Anything, in his head, he was going to have his day where he /finally/ got back at the glitch, one way or another... He slowly started coming out of his hiding spot, cloak partly dropping to show the red-glowing shadow with green optics, poking out from behind the wall.

**Darkstar has posed:**
    Darkstar burst onto the scene ready to blast the Spark Eater into a puddle of viscous goo! Laser rifle at the ready, he pointed the directly at Spark Phantom! Wait... Ah-hah! Darkstar pointed the barrel of his laser rifle at Spark Vortex! Wha-hold on... Ah-hah! Spark Goth! Spark Sinnertwin! Spark...well, he didn't see Shadowstar... No! No! NO!

    Lowering his weapon the Spacer growled as he looked between the Decepticons that were standing around in the foggy darkness. "What the frag is goin' on here...? C'mon... Where's the Spark Eater!?" If you had thought until now that Darkstar couldn't sound whiney, well...bubble popped.

**Shadowstar has posed:**
      Shadowstar comes to a halt and transforms as Phantom reappears and...somehow disappears the Sparkeater?! "What the...how did you do that?!" she demands, then just...stares up at Vortex for a few moments. "...what are you talking about? He only did that to get it to follow him! And even if it -did- mean something, he would..!" She pauses a moment. "No, maybe you're right. He probably would pick the sparkeater over you." she muses.

      When Darkstar bursts onto the scene, Shadowstar's weapon is on him just as quickly as his is on them. "As far as I can tell, it is in a red X canister that Phantom brought along." she says, keeping her weapon up just in case. "And I do not know about you all, but I would like to get back to base for a nice oil bath. Who would have thought space was so dirty?"

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off is right behind Darkstar, stopping to stare at the others as they enter the room. Welp. No sparkeater that he can see. Darn. Just so disappointed. Not. He shakes his head and makes his way over to Vortex. "I see you're alright," he says with the same flat tone he's been using a lot this cycle, as if he hadn't just spent the whole cycle worrying about his bro. Nah, not him!

He looks around the room, shakes the tension away, and looks to Shadowstar. "There's LOTS of dirt and dust in space. Why do you think I'm so keen on oil baths and polishes?" With a sigh, he tends to whatever he needs to and prepares for the fact that he's probably bringing \*everyone\* home this time. Maybe except Darkstar. He can fly himself.