1004/Teasing Rotors

**Hammerstrike has posed:**
Indeed, it was a silent night. But not without security. And on rotation happened to be Hammerstrike. The large mech is walking down the corridor containing both Vortex and Blast Off's cells. Being very thorough and by-the-book, he pauses at each cell, shines a light in, and makes sure everything is the way it ought to be. When he comes to Vortex' cell, he shines in the light, scanning every visible surface from his vantage point, and then his blue optics widen in mild surprise, upon seeing a long box. However, guards are not to open prisoner cells or enter them alone. <<"Alert. Unidentified and unauthorized object found in cell D-6.">>

In the meantime, Hammerstrike just keeps an optic on the still form of Vortex, waiting for another guard on staff to arrive.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex sighs. "Look its not equipment." He pleads. "They're rotor blades. Its how we communicate. I cant move, I cant even attach them. Just.. just let me look at them? Let them keep me company?" he asks, with a wistful sigh, trying to move. He whimpers pulling his neck as hard as he can, trying to get anything to move. Its a painful attempt. "Blast Off they gave me rotors to look at." he calls out.

**Blast Off has posed:**
"They \*what\*??" Blast Off MUST have heard that wrong. There's no way anyone would just stroll in here and HAND them weapons, especially after what they just did. "You can't be serious. Vortex, are you hallucinating again? Did you take those medications Starlock gave you?" He still can't see in there, of course.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex shakes his head. "Nuh. No.." he slurs again as he uses a lot of his remaining strength to pull towards those beautiful blades. "Juris promised..and came through. But shes..shes. ta..twisthed." yep the stress is bringing that back. He slams his head into the wall. "Body. Work!" he snarls, desperate at this point. "She knows I cant.."

**Hammerstrike has posed:**
Hammerstrike just stares at Vortex as he pleads. "No." Is all the response the mech gets as Hammerstrike waits patiently for another guard to arrive. Blast Off is ignored. Both are still secure in their cells, so neither are of concern.

 Patience yields results. Another mech, a regular guard at Garrus-1, walks over to Hammerstrike. "What on fraggin' Primus' name is going on here?" He asks. And then falls silent hearing Vortex yammer something about Juris. He peers into the cell. "The slag? How did that get in there?" Th mech looks at Hammerstrike somewhat suspiciously, but then shrugs. The guard gets out his TechVolt and holds it at the ready, then nods to Hammerstrike. "Go on and retrieve it, I'll make sure you're covered." Perhaps an unnecessary precaution considering Vortex' current state. But this is protocol.

Hammerstrike lowers the forcefield and enters the cell doors. THe other guard stands just behind him, ready to zap Vortex. Hammerstrike reaches for the box.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex sighs "Hammerstriksh." He slurs. "Buddah...Buddy. Come on.." he snickers. "We used to be..so close." oh he couldn't help himself. He slams his head again, wimpering. "Oh fine, be that way." he watches the guard. "Brought Mr. Zappy too? Classic. And no questions either. Didn't know you guys were..into torture."

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off gazes up at Hammerstrike when the guard looks at him, expression turning rather blank again. He seems to shrink a bit when the other guard arrives, gaze dropping down and away. He frowns to himself... that Juris is a strange one, indeed. Glancing back up once, he murmurs, "Vortex, just... be careful. Don't..." Then with another glance to the guards he takes a step back, staring down at the floor.

**Hammerstrike has posed:**
Hammerstrike pauses, and glares at Vortex. But he doesn't say anything about Vortex' reference to a rather traumatic experience they shared. His optics narrowed, Hammerstrike takes the box and peers inside. "Rotor blades, confirmed." He then looks at Vortex, closing the box.

The other guard's optic ridges furrow. "How did you get that? I want answers!" the guard demands, raising his TechVolt and aiming it at Vortex.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex gives the biggest grin, like a protoform on Primusday. Oh this is a special gift. Normally it odulnt be seen but his mask is gone and all facial expressions are out to the world. "Blast Off come see this look they're interrogating me! Oh, I've been looking forward to this." he can't clap. So he squeals. "Ok Ok, let me calm down. Just a second. Im gonna do one to you that you guys do to me all the time." He gives a overblown serious face. "I'll never talk, evildoer."

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off does not have a grin on his face. Quite the opposite. His teammate is in some kind of trouble and there's nothing he can do about it. He can't see into the cell, they made sure of that, and he vainly tries once again anyway before sighing and shrinking into himself again, back leaning on the wall closest to Tex's cell. His wing elevons are twitching in agitation but there's little else he can do.

**Hammerstrike has posed:**
Both the guard and Hammerstrike appear very unimpressed. They glance at each other. Then the guard lifts his TechVolt, almost like he is about to zap Vortex. BUt then Hammerstrike puts up a hand in front of the weapon. The guard balks at Hammerstrike. "What? What the slag... are you on his side?"

Hammerstrike shakes his head. "No. We're supposed to report this and let the authorities investigate." Hammerstrike intones.

The guard snorts at Hammerstrike. "Look, I know the Autobots ramped up securit because of our special guests, but I don't need a low level grunt coming in here to tell me how to do my job!" However, the guard lowers his weapon. He pauses, giving Vortex a mean look, indicating that this might not be over yet. "Go on, get out while I cover you."

Satisfied that the guard has relented, despite some attitude, Hammerstrike lowers his arm and takes the box out of the cell. The guard gives a lingering glance Vortex' way, seeming to pause.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex Sees an advantage. Oh if he could only move, he could kick that taser out of the guard's hand, hold it tho his throat and walk him and his brother to freedom. "You tease me. Coming in here when I can't be violent." hs sighs. "And tease interrogating me. You are horribly cruel you know that."

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off does hear something about 'special guests' and that gives him just the \*tiniest\* bit of cheer. Yay, they're not just common criminals, they're \*special guest\* criminals! Then... oh, right, that's not a good thing, it means it'll be even harder to escape now AND.... they /are/ criminals. Criminals in jail. Siigh. The shuttleformer leans more heavily against the wall now.

**Hammerstrike has posed:**
Hammerstrike stares at the guard with that weighty, expectant stare, and the guard finally closes the cell and raises the forcefield. "Shouldn't have to put up with this..." the rest is inaudible, but likely very rude. The guard looks up at Hammerstrike, glaring intensely. Hammerstrike passes the guard the box, and he snatches it and storms off to go submit it through the proper channels.

With that out of the way, Hammerstrike gives Vortex' cell one last look, and then walks over to the neighbouring cell, where Blast Off is, and shines a light in, checking on the shuttlemech.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex waits a few seconds after the guards are gone, and then, his face drops, his empty rotor assembly falling on his back a bit, though he doesnt feel it. He turns to stare at the wall and murmurs quietly. "Sorry. I tried." his voice sounds exhausted.

**Blast Off has posed:**
Well, that was... exciting. Perhaps. More frustrating than anything. Blast Off wraps his arms around himself, starting to sway slightly side to side, when Hammerstrike peers in. He stops, staring at the guard, then turning his gaze down to the opposite wall, quieting.

**Hammerstrike has posed:**
After conducting a cursory search for any more suspicious objects, Hammerstrike nods, and Blast Off's cell becomes dark again, as Hammerstrike moves on.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex finds someone new to talk to. His own hands. Which he isn't quite sure are there or not at this point. "Hands. You and I have always got along right? If you're on talking terms with legs or shoulders, let me know ok? We can't let this happen next time. Brain. We can't have that headache either, or the glitching or the slurring. Its poor form and Onsl...on...someone. Would not approve." he says as his thoughts get fuzzy. "I Know its cold. I know its very itchy and burny. I know theres no drugs here. But you know. If we work together. We can either get out. Or make Hammerstrike's life horrible. Come on? For little old sadistic me?" he sighs. "Fine. Be that way. Dont talk to me. At least nose is here. Itching away. When I can't scratch it."

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off listens to the snatches of Vortex's voice he can through the wall, just staring into space for awhile. "I know you did," he finally replies, unsure if Tex will hear him. Then the shuttleformer just sinks down, putting hands over his face, until he's sitting crumpled against the wall. Hands on face, elbows on knees, he sits there like that for the rest of the night.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex pauses. "Wait. That's not hand. Blast Off?" he asks. "You there?" he sighs. "We're in space. And its all stars." he slurs.

**Blast Off has posed:**
"I... don't \*see\* any stars..." Blast Off mutters, hands clenching around his helmet. "I don't see... \*anything\* except ...walls."

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex pauses. "Look again, because I feel the depths of space. I see lots of stars. Its empty here. Hey. Maybe Im just a star. A drunk star. I sound like a drunk star. I wish I was a drunk star. Thats what we should call Darkstar when hes drunk. Drunkstar. I hate Darkstar." he prattles.

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off is silent a long while. Eventually, though, there's a mumble of words through the wall. "Darkstar. Onslaught is probably making him \*pay\*. Just... focus on that." He \*wishes\* he could see stars, but right now everything seems oh so very dark.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex nods "yeah. Onslaught is making him pay. You're right. These walls. Are coming in on my side. It almost looks like a.." he does not say the B word. He does tuck his chin and whimper a bit.

**Blast Off has posed:**
Box. Blast Off knows what he means, and yes, it feels like those walls are closing in. He goes back to just holding his head, optics dim.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex murmurs. "Not again not again not again." he chuckles brokenly. "Hi walls. Here we are again. Me. The box. not moving. Not feeling." He says. "And the countdown. We're starting where we left off. Day two hundred thirty seven."

**Blast Off has posed:**
A lot later on, in the quietest still of night, Blast Off's cultured accent can be just heard speaking. It cracks and carries a tired hoarseness to it, but he manages to keep it steady enough, most of the time. "Vortex, I am going to... read you a story. To take your mind off things." And his. "It happened so fast that Novastar could barely believe it, but later on she'd realize it was the turning point where her life spiraled into chaos... and adventure. The day she became... a space pirate." Yes, he's reading one of the novels that Swivel slipped under his armor the cycle before.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex has been silent the whole time. He rocks his head back and forth in a soft sound, his optics shut off as he removes another connection to the outside world. "Nothin. But box..box..box.." he whispers. Box and.." he blinks. "Space Pirates? Yes. Yes box voice. Tell me about the space pirates?" he sighs softly.