Nexus and Auspex's reality. Park by the sign and the sanctuary. Enter Bob

[scaredymech]

There's a flash and an explosion over the Nexus... and very few people look up other than to ascertain that whatever just went boom isn't coming down on their heads. It's not, so they go about their business as though nothing has happened

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[primus_seeress]

*Auspex is wandering in the Nexus, as she often does, when Primus captures her senses and begins to pull her in a specific direction. This is somewhat unusual; most of the time his steering is very subtle. Apparently, this is something important he wishes to address now. Somewhat bemused, sending thoughts of inquiry to her god, she follows his guiding, until she reaches a plot of land covered in grass and trees.

Grass, trees, and a very large hole, newly pounded into the ground. She attempts to see through the haze of smoke, quite certain this is what she needs to be looking at.

What's down there?*

[scaredymech]

At first there's no reply, but then something reaches her, so very faint that she might imagine that she's felt it. A scrap of pain that goes as quickly as it came.

[primus_seeress]

*Eep. Well... usually, if she may have imagined it, she probably hasn't. There's something Cybertronian down there, obviously, and in pain, though flickering in consciousness. She scurries forward, pausing to make sure there isn't too much heat in there for her plating to manage, and maneuvers to where she can see... a someone, or two someones, lots of magenta and red plating... a hand? She grasps it, tugging gently, trying to make sense of the jumble of metal and earth and smoke*

[scaredymech]

More earth falls, ending the source of the smoke, which drifts away. Poking now from the soil is that clawed hand, the arm it's attached to, and a dark head with closed optics. But there's what's left of a second mech seemingly wielded to this one's back... that one, however, is unmistakably dead. He and the more complete one are nearly buried.

Primus thrills with anxious urgings of haste.

[scaredymech]

Red optics crack open, and then.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Hormah leaps back with a blurt of Minicon, her weapons whirring before she catches herself and stills them. Then she looks up at her brother, who is similarly startled, before shaking her head and taking the sedation tab that he hands her.

"Here, Bob," she says with slight humor, though she's wincing as the terrified screaming continues. "Let's give you a happy."

A quick application of the little program module, and the purple seeker droops, his pain replaced by comfortable fuzziness as he fades offline again.

[primus_seeress]

*Auspex hisses and turns down her audials, cringing at the mech's clear expression of terror and pain* Ow. Ow ow...

*then the screaming stops, and she sighs shakily, relaxing her grip on the mech's hand. She looks over at him and blinks* Well. That was... disconcerting.

[random_xtras]

"Scared... stupid," says Hormah shakily, still in Cybertronian, trying to smile as she takes the box that Requiem hands her and starts pulling out tools. "I don't even want to guess what someone did to a seeker to make him squeal like that. He sounded like a little girl."

"Sounded like SpongeBob Squarepants," rumbles the big flier.

"Yeah, that too." Hormah finds her cutting torch and plugs it into herself, then sets to work.

[primus_seeress]

*Auspex shakes her head a bit* I don't know... *she gazes sadly at the unconscious mech, before turning to more directly address her friend* Thank you for helping, Hormah. Primus led me here, but I couldn't understand why; they both seemed dead...

So... *Auspex looks up at Hormah's 'assistant'* Who is your companion? *She smiles, giving him a little nod*

*Sponge...? No, she probably doesn't want to know.*

[random_xtras]

"You'll be able to lift him." Hormah's feelings flinch away from the question about the couch, her only acknowledgment of it. "Whether you can steer him safely is the question. He's bigger than you and it might be clumsy."

Requiem too jags at the question, but his optics crease in an answering smile.

[primus_seeress]

*Auspex winces slightly at both reactions to the question. Definitely something to ask about, later*

Well... then, unless you'll need your brother, it may be best if he carries the seeker, yes. I'd hate to damage him because I didn't have the strength to pull him back, if I misjudge. Is that all right, Requiem?

[random_xtras]

He looks down at her, puzzled by the question. Since when do superiors ask the rookie things like that?

Hormah's too preoccupied to notice his bemusement as she checks the purple mech a last time and then PINs away.

[primus_seeress]

*She senses his puzzlement at the remark, and the general reasoning. She smiles, just a little* I am only a priestess of Primus, you have no obligation to heed my wishes.

*She glances absently at Hormah's exit, before turning back to the unfortunate seeker. She experimentally attempts to gingerly move him... the anti-gravity does make it easier, but she can see the going will still be rather unruly. She looks up at Requiem, somewhat plaintively*

[random_xtras]

"She slagging grabbed us and kidnapped us, is what!" shouts the grey Minicon in a gruff voice. "Layali's got enough scars, this could mess her up permanently!"

"We needs 'er help!" says Hormah. "Buddy t'ere's all abroad, 'n he'll die accardin' nobody helps 'im!"

"I have no slagging idea what you just said, but if it's the same as you did before that ISN'T GOING TO CHANGE THE WRONGNESS OF THIS!!!!"

[primus_seeress]

*Auspex's gaze darts between the two as they speak, optics brightening with anxiety. She attempts to keep her voice at a soothing level, despite rapidly rising alarm at all three partys' behavior* Please... there is no need to be frightened here. I... have a dying Cybertronian in my care... but I don't want your friend to be harmed, either. What can I do? Will anything lessen her fear? *It's not quite a plea - but if she were sensing the depth of the violet Mini-Con's emotion, she suspects she'd have a terrible headache, and would be pleading*

[random_xtras]

He stares at her from his single dark optic, then squirms again. "Put us down."

"But...." Hormah sparks with youthful anxiety and sadness.

"We aren't running off. Put us the slag down, kid."

She deedlebeeps a prayer, then sets them down on the nearest table, where the little femme collapses in a heap and tries to curl up.

"Shh." Her companion walks over and sits beside her, then gathers her close. "Shh, Layali. It wasn't a Bulk. The kid's one of us. Shh, shh."

The purple one seems to be sobbing uncontrollably, but her volume has lessened from scream of terror to very badly shaken.

"We needs somethin' fixed," says Hormah softly. "I's sorry... I didn' know."

The grey Minicon ignores her and continues to sooth.

[primus_seeress]

*Auspex makes a small sound of hurt; she hates the sort of example that other-verse Transformers have made for their kind, to the Mini-Cons. She understands the fear, but it makes her spark ache to see such mistrust directed toward herself, much less her whole world, especially because there is no need...*

*She watches the terrified Mini-Con with a stricken expression, aching to offer some words of encouragement, but having none to give. Her optics flicker with uncertainty; she repeats her question* What can I do? I don't wish to frighten her...

[nightwind_benz]

"I can't use the big tools." Nightwind jitters fearfully, but then calms as Bender stands and puts a hand on her shoulder. "But maybe I can show her how to fix your friend. You said he hasn't got much time."

Hormah shivers at the touch. If she were anything other than Decepticon trained she'd turn for a hug, but instead she only squares her shoulders and reaches down to her middle to rip off the patch that Mega-Octane had put there and expose the port on her stomach. "Okay... but if you want out, then get out."

Nightwind nods and looks at her, but then realizes that the younger femme isn't going to give the command. "Uh... transform and combine?"

"Yeah, b'y." Hormah nods, though she's still spurting upset feelings and apprehension.

The purple Minicon shifts and folds into a small cube, then fastens herself to the port, and there's a flash of light as Hormah stumbles slightly.

There is absolutely no change to any of her guns. Bender notices this and looks confused.

[primus_seeress]

*Auspex looks very dubious about this, but doesn't protest; she doesn't know anything about Nightwind, and as far as she knows, practicing this may help lessen her fear of it. She prays so, anyway; though Primus can't touch Nightwind directly, perhaps Hormah may make it possible to channel to the Mini-Con, if just a bit... her friend is very unique in technology. Viable theory or not, at least she can do something for Hormah, herself*

*She blinks at the other Mini-Con, noting his confusion* Is something wrong? *she has no idea what powerlinking is supposed to do, other than boost a Cybertronian's power*

[random_xtras]

The little grey and green mech glances up at Auspex as Hormah deedles to herself rapidly. "Her weapons didn't upgrade."

Then he starts as Hormah suddenly twists and shifts, integrating Nightwind seamlessly into her own shell as the fear and uncertainty fades slightly and changes to avid curiosity. "Layali!"

"What what?" The combined being blinks at him. "Oh... don't worry, we're okay... hey, that's cool...."

Auspex can now sense two presences there... and yet there's only one.

[primus_seeress]

Oh. I didn't know that was supposed to happen... *It's rather obvious that she knows utterly nothing about the powerlink process*

*Auspex's optics grow huge as... Hormah's body 'eats' Nightwind?? She voices a squeak of shock and dismay. Is that supposed to happen--? She hisses softly at the other Mini-Con's obvious concern - apparently not. Frightened optics brighten*

*But then she - they? - speak... with something very like Nightwind's voice. She doesn't seem to be afraid, prompting Auspex to relax just slightly, but now... the spark-sense has changed. She can almost feel two presences... but they flicker, overlap, like a fused spark, but... not.*

*Auspex attempts to still her trembling. This is unlike anything she's seen before*