Each step is a gargantuan effort, but he finally manages to drag himself through the door. Then his hand is going out to seek a wall for support as he starts to tremble so badly that things can be heard rattling inside his chassis.
Ironhide makes herself focus as they inch onward. She shifts uncomfortably, nervous and looking to Armorhide, Cliffjumper, anyone who can tell her what to do now. Behind them it sounds like someone's shooting again, and Stormcloud gives a jeering comment on their speed.
"G... guys?" Ironhide looks around as the rattling starts, afraid the Bulk will come apart under her. "Come on, Joe, you can make it..."
Abruptly Nightscream is out of patience. With a curse, he's climbing up the momentarily-halted Autobot.
"Hold still," he warns. He finds a good spot, whips a cube of high-grade energon out from subspace, and plugs it straight in.
"No, no," Ironhide murmurs insistently. "Keep moving. You can hold it together. You can."
Somewhere down there Nightscream's dumping the rest of what he has into the Autobot's systems. And Cliffjumper and Armorhide have stopped to look between the situation and each other with concern behind their nigh-expressionless faceplates.
"One step.... One step...." The trembling continues, but Ironhide is once more in motion, leaning against the wall and dragging his feet like a zombie, but he is in motion.
They reach the doorway at last, step by step, and the Minicons on the ground lead them into the upward-sloping corridor.
They're some way in when a blast from below rocks the floor and makes the supports around them groan. Dust billows gently up from behind in a wave that breaks around Oceanglide and Waterlog's emerging forms. Neither seems concerned, though Waterlog glances back over his shoulder. Shortly they're joined by Stormcloud, trotting faster to catch up.
That second doorway had been paused in for just a moment before the shambling progress continues. The blast startles the damaged Bulk badly, and it looks like he might be going down as his arms splay out weakly for balance. He's circulating heavily, token sign that something's overheating somewhere in his workings.
Armorhide steps clear, Cliffjumper a worried green gaze over his head. The Sea-cons behind slow down rather than try to pass, except for Stormcloud who sidles around the possible fall area, watching with interest.
"What's happening?" Nightscream clings on and glares at the orange Minicon above him, where she's muttering encouragement to 'Joe'.
Ironhide takes a second to realise he's talking to her. "I don't know. We can't stop here, can we?"
"Bad idea," Stormcloud confirms, visor locked on the failing Bulk. "'Course, twenty credits say he won't make it to the surface like this..."
"No," mutters Ironhide as though to himself. "Not... like this...."
There's another jerk and a small sound of pain, and then the tired shell is moving again slowly, painfully, and steadily.
Then his head jerks up as sensors send out an alert. "Something...."
His body language and actions are still all wrong for Ironhide. But the being who now sits in the otherwise empty spark chamber is doing his best to get his friend out of here relatively intact.
The distant but familiar signature hovers on his sensors, dipping in and out of 'visibility'. It's barely there, but that it's detectable at all in the sensor-murk of these passages means it must be close.
"That's it," Ironhide's encouraging him without really thinking about it. She starts at his sudden alertness. "What is it?"
Nightscream and Armorhide glance back, though the others just seem glad he's moving again, eager to get them all out of this place. Nightscream's dropped down to ground-level, maybe hoping to lighten the load a little. Or to share his fractiousness with someone else.
The being doesn't know the signature. But he does know what it means, and his battered brow plates draw together in a frown even as he continues to drag one foot after the other.
"Someone ahead?" Ironhide looks up warily.That brings the group to a halt, Cliffjumper frowning back at him, Armorhide and the Sea-cons glancing ahead.
"Another one?" Stormcloud is cheerful about that prospect. Ironhide doesn't even look round. They may like the idea of a fight, but she's not sure certain of them would make it through...
"Don't worry about it." Nightscream bounds up to Cliffjumper's position, making her start and reach out a hand to stop him. "If he gives us trouble we'll pound his sorry shell a new shape."
"What can you see?" Oceanglide asks first, sounding almost gentle as he contemplates the way ahead.
"...A... Minicon. One... seen before. Ir..." He pauses over the name, and then decides to use it for the little orange femme, since he's heard her addressed as such. "Ironhide chased them."
"Him," Ironhide groans. The three team leaders share a look.
"I can do this," Armorhide says to Cliffjumper, then looks to Oceanglide behind him. "If your team-mates come with me- no, Nightscream, you're staying here."
Shadow and light shift as the dark Minicon clenches his fists. "I can-"
"No."
"The shadow is quick," Oceanglide intercedes. "And Nightscream has the swiftest vehicle mode. Bring him as a reserve, since Ironhide is... occupied."
Armorhide nods at that, and then looks up at 'Joe'. Can you pinpoint where he is?"
"...Give me... strength...." he murmurs shakily.
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"G... guys?" Ironhide looks around as the rattling starts, afraid the Bulk will come apart under her. "Come on, Joe, you can make it..."
Abruptly Nightscream is out of patience. With a curse, he's climbing up the momentarily-halted Autobot.
"Hold still," he warns. He finds a good spot, whips a cube of high-grade energon out from subspace, and plugs it straight in.
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Somewhere down there Nightscream's dumping the rest of what he has into the Autobot's systems. And Cliffjumper and Armorhide have stopped to look between the situation and each other with concern behind their nigh-expressionless faceplates.
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They're some way in when a blast from below rocks the floor and makes the supports around them groan. Dust billows gently up from behind in a wave that breaks around Oceanglide and Waterlog's emerging forms. Neither seems concerned, though Waterlog glances back over his shoulder. Shortly they're joined by Stormcloud, trotting faster to catch up.
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"What's happening?" Nightscream clings on and glares at the orange Minicon above him, where she's muttering encouragement to 'Joe'.
Ironhide takes a second to realise he's talking to her. "I don't know. We can't stop here, can we?"
"Bad idea," Stormcloud confirms, visor locked on the failing Bulk. "'Course, twenty credits say he won't make it to the surface like this..."
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There's another jerk and a small sound of pain, and then the tired shell is moving again slowly, painfully, and steadily.
Then his head jerks up as sensors send out an alert. "Something...."
His body language and actions are still all wrong for Ironhide. But the being who now sits in the otherwise empty spark chamber is doing his best to get his friend out of here relatively intact.
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"That's it," Ironhide's encouraging him without really thinking about it. She starts at his sudden alertness. "What is it?"
Nightscream and Armorhide glance back, though the others just seem glad he's moving again, eager to get them all out of this place. Nightscream's dropped down to ground-level, maybe hoping to lighten the load a little. Or to share his fractiousness with someone else.
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"Someone is there."
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"Another one?" Stormcloud is cheerful about that prospect. Ironhide doesn't even look round. They may like the idea of a fight, but she's not sure certain of them would make it through...
"Don't worry about it." Nightscream bounds up to Cliffjumper's position, making her start and reach out a hand to stop him. "If he gives us trouble we'll pound his sorry shell a new shape."
"What can you see?" Oceanglide asks first, sounding almost gentle as he contemplates the way ahead.
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"I can do this," Armorhide says to Cliffjumper, then looks to Oceanglide behind him. "If your team-mates come with me- no, Nightscream, you're staying here."
Shadow and light shift as the dark Minicon clenches his fists. "I can-"
"No."
"The shadow is quick," Oceanglide intercedes. "And Nightscream has the swiftest vehicle mode. Bring him as a reserve, since Ironhide is... occupied."
Armorhide nods at that, and then looks up at 'Joe'. Can you pinpoint where he is?"
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