HOT ROD'S MEETING WITH RERUN IN CANADA From outside: Hot Rod sighs. "This is going no where... We need more people." Candice nods in severe agreement. "Maybe we outta head back..." From outside: Hot Rod finds his way to a paved road, then starts back towards the south. "All right... get you back some place warm too." From outside: Western Canada From outside: Hot Rod starts picking up speed as he gets out of the city and heads back towards the south. From outside: Rerun's arrival is announced in what is his typical way........suddenly....and violently. The sight of an empty volkswagen suddenly becoming airborne is a good indicator.......it certainle makes more than one sunday driver look up in astonishment. From outside: Hot Rod continues towards the south, contemplatively keeping to the speedlimits while he ponders Magnus. "Well, we're really getting no where, Candice... and you can't do it by yourself either... and you're hurt... shouldn't keep coming out this way... er, hey, what's that up ahead?" From outside: Rerun growls to himself in satisfaction after clobbering the bug. "Hoo yeah......now -that-'s more like it!" with a sudden shift into reverse and a quick jerk of his tires to the side, he smashes his fender along the side of a porche (of which the driver just bailed out), ripping a very lovely gouge along its entire length. Candice looks out the front windshield and goes pale. "This is getting *waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay* too weird. I only know of one guy that looks like that car and likes to play horror on the highway..." Candice asks Hot Rod., "Ever neet up with Rerun?" From outside: Rerun snorts to himself, still having not noticed the flaming sportscar in the distance. Mainly because he isn't facing that direction at the moment. "Hmmm.....somethin's missin. I dunno what it is though......" From outside: Hot Rod says, "Re... hey, I know him! They were on the highway before bustin' cars! Hang on, we gotta stop him!" Candice groans softly. "Candice meets Rerun...Take 4..." Candice slumps in her seat... From outside: Hot Rod starts accelerating, as though he were going to ram, then recalls his human passenger. "Uh, oh... wait, we gotta get you safe first..." Candice nods slowly. "Well...if you're convinced you want to take him on alone," she states lamely... From outside: Hot Rod slows down quickly. "Gotta stop him, Candice... try and chase him off or something... Here, get out here and go climb up to those trees... you'll be okay." From outside: Rerun is by now sitting smack in the middle of the highway, unmoving as he thinks about just what it is that's missing. Candice frowns as she hurreiedly gets out, "I'm not climbing any tree. Better for me not to be seen. I'll just...hide. Be careful." She backs up and takes shelter behind a rocky embankment... Hot Rod transforms into Robot mode. With a flash of motion, Hot Rod snap-transforms out of his vehicle mode and scans the area with a 'Hey, I'm here! Let's rumble!' expression. Hot Rod waits until Candice is away, then starts running down the highway, charging for Rerun. "Hey, you! I thought I told you it's not nice to play with cars!" he shouts tightly, grinding his jaw assemblies. Rerun is snapped out of his thoughts at Hot Rod's voice. He gives out a "Huh?" and turns to face the incoming Autobot. +radio hr=Try to talk with him...get him confused. he has a battle computer he doesn't quite get along with... Hot Rod cocks his helmet, listening to his radio, then looks puzzled. "Uh... all right... *raises his voice a bit* Yah, you heard me, what's up with you fighting all these nonsentient machines? Like that's some challenge? Heck..." Rerun dosen't seem to react to Hot Rod's words.....instead he seems to perk up somewhat. "Oh! -NOW- I `member what was missin......the bots comin ta save the day! Now everythin's like it should be." he chuckles darkly and revs his engine once. "Gooood.....I been lookin to splatter somebody `cross my hood." Hot Rod straightens a bit. Keep him talking? "Hmm... nah, nevermind, you're not worth fighting," he says nonchalantly, then starts walking off down the road, heading to a wider open area, hoping RR will follow him. Rerun's headlights blink somewhat.....and sure enough he begins to crawl forward at about the same pace as the Autobot. "What!? What the frag's that supposed ta mean!?" Overhead....clouds have gathered and a deep rumble can be heard rolling throughout the air. OOC: Hot Rod grins. Don't worry, my paint will light our darkest hour... Hot Rod shrugs, glancing over at the vehicle, then looking away quickly because he starts to grin. "Nothing, just means if you pick on dumb machines, it's probably not worth wasting my time on you, that's all," he says, watching out of the corner of his optics. Rerun continues to roll forward. "-YOU- think it ain't worth wastin time on......" he pauses in his speech as he seems to choke on that. His engine does rev rather loudly however, and his tires wheelspin once... Candice takes a glance towards the heavily overcast sky. Her brows knit at the sound of thunder... Hot Rod forces himself not to break into a run to get away, just shoves his hands under the edge of his chestplate at his waist, putting his hands in his 'pockets' and keeps walking slowly away from the cars. "Huh? What'sa matter? Ravage got yer tongue?" Candice uh, ohs to herself as she ducks a little futher in. "Hmmm...getting him insulted wasn't what I ment exactly..." she murmers. OOC: Hot Rod grins. You shoulda explained more then.;) OOC: Candice says, "How I know?" OOC: Candice blinks innocently... :) Rerun growls this time....and a fresh jet of exhaust streams out from his tailpipe. His voice goes into that techno/devil/evil mode when he gets -really- angry. "I'LL SHOW YA WHY YA SHOULD BE SCARED `O ME!!" with a sudden squeal he rockets forward......aiming his armored front for the Autobot's legs.. Hot Rod waits until the last possible moment, then dives to the side, ducking and rolling quickly, popping up and firing both arm guns after Rerun, grinning a bit to himself. Out in the open at least and away from the people. "Hah... scared?" Candice is about the radio Hot Rod again suggestiong a differnt tactic when Rerun decides to make a move. Oh...great... Rerun wheelspins as he soars past, fishtailing to the side and allowing the bolts of electricity to slam into the ground where he used to be. In typical form for his design.....he flips into robot mode with his gun drawn within the blink of an eye, already snapping a shot off to the flaming Autobot. "I'll show ya how it's done!" Rerun transforms into Robot mode. Rerun lifts his roof and folds his hood down. He leans forward and rises into his robot mode. Rerun isn't blown off his feet this time when he pulls the trigger.......seems he must have finally adjusted the power output on his rifle. Hot Rod starts to run after Rerun, only to take the blast square in the chest and it sizzles over his frame, lighting him up a bit, causing him to staggerstumble off the side of the road. "Hehhhow... bad choice... weapons, there... sure you shouldn't... fired something else?" he manages, holding up one arm defensively as he circles around, continuing to lure Rerun south. Rerun stomps a couple of steps after the Autobot, showing that even in robot mode.....he's speedy. "Whatsamatter? Don't like takin on somebody that's better than ya?" Hot Rod braces his one arm with the other, glancing over his shoulder for a cliff along the coastline. "Nah... not you, just your computer... you don't have any real skill, do ya?" he asks through clenched jaws, spitting out a small blast of singular laserfire. Rerun ignores the comment.....the computer that has suddenly become the item of interest suddenly snapping the proper evasive maneuver in his face.....which he follows correctly. "Nah, it just tells me what ta do. I'm the one that does it. Heh heh." almost casually...he ignites his head laser and swings the thin beam towards the back of the Autobot's legs. "Better move quick or yer gonna get a hotfoot! Heh heh." Candice continues watching from a distance...shielded by boulders. Hot Rod yeowls, hopping around as he tries to reach for the thin line opened up across his calves. He grumbles, turning warily to try and pace the 'con, trying to figure out just what can he say. He glances up the cliff beyond, an inkling of an idea coming to him, then starts to cross draw out one of his proton rifles. "Sure... so.. what's it tell you about avalanches?" he mutters. Rerun pauses. "Avalanches!? What the frag you talkin bout...?" of course.....at the mention of an avalanche, the computer does about the equivelant of "Uh oh...." Hot Rod smirks, getting some hope from that reaction, then cross draws the other rifle. One points up and one points down and both fire at once. "The one that's about to start behind yah," he says with a grin. With a tight scowl, Hot Rod is starting to believe this just isn't his day and bounds forward unsteadily, his legs complaining sharply at him as he tries to close with Rerun, hoping to get a better chance with a more up close and personal style, then he remembers the hillside he just shot. "Ohhhhhh, boy." Rerun's slow reaction...unfortunately bogs down the computer as it tries to explain it to him. By the time he becomes aware of the rocks tumbling his way......it's too late for even the computer to override and he disappears from sight with nothing more than a muffled, "ACK!" Hot Rod blinks, whirls, then tries to run back the way he came, starting to laugh at himself despite the circumstances. "Yup, *that* was brilliant, Rod..." Hot Rod scoots out of the way as the rocks tumble around him, finally turning to have a look. "Well... that... worked, kinda... Uh... now what though..." It draws quiet where the Battlecharger was buried....only a few rocks tumbling down now and then to the ground as the entire pile finally begins to settle.. Hot Rod walks back over slowly, stopping to reach down and swipe at the line of fuel and energon ebbing from his lower legs, then climbs the pile, trying to listen. First a few rocks begin to move again......then a rather large boulder suddenly heaves aside....assisted by a large, red foot. Another moment of silence.....and a rather peeved off Battlecharger explodes from the debris, flaunting his more enhanced strength over the other two of his kind. "Awright.......-THAT- ticked me off!" Hardly even taking any time to aim, he grabs a rather large rock and hurls it at Hot Rod with a grunt of effort. Hot Rod's optics widen as the pile moves a bit before he expects it to and he manages to duck some how from the instant projectile. "Really? Heh... I thought it was kinda neat," he says with a laugh, then picks up another rock and tries to bang it down on Rerun's head. "Stay!" OOC: Candice laughs...poor RR OOC: Hot Rod shakes his head. Sure. *Now* I hit. :-) Rerun gets clobbered upside the head, slumping onto his aft from the blow and trying to shake out the cobwebs.....which the combat computer manages to sort out rather quickly. With a sudden scowl, he lashes out with his huge foot for the flaming `Bot's knee. "Have a seat!" Rerun missed Hot Rod with his kick attack. OOC: Rerun facepalms. OOC: Hot Rod woohoos.;) Hot Rod yelps faintly, launching himself in the air just enough to avoid the swipe, but unfortunately or fortunately, his leap takes him to a two point landing about where Rerun's abdomen is. "Look out below!" Rerun oofs as the kick lands home. Suprisingly.....his armor holds up for once with only a small dent. "Warnin....this ride's about to be cancelled!" he lunges forward with an elbow out, his momentum threatening to take both combatants tumbling off of the rockpile. Candice continues to watch...feeling quite helpless since the battle between the two began actually... Hot Rod ooooofs, tumbling as advertised with the blow. "It was a kids ride anyway!" he shouts back and slams out his hand saw. There's the sound of metal sliding against sharp metal, then a click and a whir as Hot Rod's hand saw emerges and starts spinning to life in preparation to start slashing wildly around himself. Rerun tumbles free from the little lockup the two were involved in.....but there's a fresh slash across his chestplate......although it -still- hasn't gotten through the initial layers of armor. What's the matter Rerun? You were never able to hold up like this against Magnus. At any rate, he slings his rifle around in an arc again....levelling it at the Autobot. "Lights out chump!" Rerun grins as he manages to make another hit with his weapon. "Awright...maybe that new scope finally accounted for somethin. Heh heh." Candice winces slighly... Hot Rod's arm shudders a bit as his saw digs in, not really seeing what he's slicing and dicing, more just hacking away at whatever is nearest to him. He tries to push himself away and is forcibly assisted as the energy arcs over his systems, igniting failed components as toxic smoke wafts out from wounds and his shoulder joints. "Nnnngh... gonna... have to try harder than that... still... didn't figure out... how to take... avalanche," he grunts, raising his arms unsteadily again and firing point blank like for like. Hot Rod missed Rerun with his electricity attack. OOC: Hot Rod sighs. I stink. ;-) Rerun evades the shot by simply dropping down into his transam mode and racing forward....leaving electric burns in the grass behind him. "Heh.....Magnus always hated it when I did this......" in a copycat maneuver of his favorite attack on the blue Autobot.....he aims for Hot Rod's shins. Rerun transforms into Trans_Am mode. Rerun leans back and unfolds his legs, falling into a Transam. Hot Rod pushes himself up, helmet falling forward a bit as he starts paying a bit more attention to where he's at and where's he's about to end up. He spares a moment to look around again, then starts circling around towards the cliff again. "Come on, that the best you got?" Candice climbs a little into view to get a better look of the battle...to see how her friend is fairing... Hot Rod pushes his tired frame into the air just enough to clear the low slung sports car, then turns as quickly as he can to pepper the ground near the car's tires, trying to slow him down. "Don't know why... unless he just didn't want you to run away... " Hot Rod says, "But then... two can play..." Hot Rod transforms into Flaming_SportsCar mode. Hot Rod revs his engine, missing a few cylinders, then sets out after the TA. Rerun growls as he hits the breaks and screams hard to the right in a turn.....sliding to a stop mere feet from getting blasted. He sits quietly for a moment......then his trunk opens up and the lovely little turret that has caused headaches for so many people extends out. The four barrels suddenly whirling to life and pointing in Hot Rod's direction even as Rerun hits the acceleration and rockets forward again. Rerun's turret of course fires a hail of laser bolts.....some hit.....and some simply sail past........ Hot Rod's engine splutters as the laser tears into his hood, damaging his motor more than he'd care to admit, but he keeps his prow pointed towards the Trans Am, looking to try and shovel him off the road. Briefly, he considers his options, knowing he's not going to survive much longer. "Slag... bad time to turn into a wuss, Rod..." Rerun urghs as he gets slammed to the side, taking the hit on his driver's side door. With some effort....he spins his wheel again, trying to grind his fender along the side of the flaming sportscar (and it's paintjob!) much like he did with the porche earlier. "Nah...ya just were always a wuss!" Rerun hit Hot Rod with his ram1 attack. OOC: Rerun says, "Now I'm dead.......I mussed the paintjob. :)" Hot Rod spins wildly out of control at the first impact, then again at the second impact, finally coming to a rest after the momentum dies and he sits there, looking rather battered as smoke pours from his hood. "Slaggin'.. no.. good.... Now.... I'm gonna.. hurt... ya..." he grunts, then struggles to transform. Hot Rod attempts to transform, but is too weak to complete the sequence. Two of the wild bolts hits down the road somewhet...near where Hot Rod had left Candice to take cover. Several of the trees that Hot Rod suggested the young woman climb for safty are immediately toppled and fall with a rather lound crash. Could that be a sudden scream of suprise and fright being heard or was it merely some wild birds angered at loosing there home? Hot Rod starts to unfold, then collapses back, incapable of pulling it off. Slowly, he tries to roll towards the south, looking like he's trying to escape, but more just trying to lead the TA away. Rerun snaps up into his robot mode, grinning evilly behind his faceplate as he gets ready to move in for the kill.....but he gets distracted by Candi's scream. "What the...?" Rerun transforms into Robot mode. Candice runs out of the way of the collasping foliage and dodges to the ground before impact. She looks over her shoulder and gets her radio out...a bit focused on calling for help to notice she may have just been spotted. Hot Rod gasps, turning back as the sound finally reaches him and he processes it. "C-Candice?" he emits in a tight beam to her radio's freq. +radio lsd=Lightspeed...this is Candice. You reading? this is an emergency... Rerun grunts as his attention has definetely been diverted....and sure enough he changes course to where the human just jumped out of the trees to escape being crushed. "Whoizzat?" RADIO: Yeah, I'm on line, where are you? Candice uh, ohs as she hears engines drawing towards her. She then gets up and tries to hide once more. +radio lightspeed=Light, Rerun is here...on the hightway leading to Cold Lake in Canada. Hot Rod's hurt. And I've just been spotted! RADIO: Hang on! I'll be right there! Hot Rod vocalizes a bit more loudly. "Come on you jerk. Can't you even finish a job without your computer?" he demands desperately, trying to tug Rerun's attention back to him. +radio hr=I just called for help. Lightspeed's on his way... Too late....the combat computer has already tracked her and filed her presence away. Of course....it informs the Battlecharger that she's of no consequence and should be simply ignored.....but in his own true fashion he ignores it. "That squishy looks familiar." Rerun continues on his course for Candice's position, his huge feet carrying him closer and closer to where she dove in to hide. Lightspeed comes screaming in from the south, obviously not close to the action yet, but moving at 500 mph so he'll be there soon..... Candice scrambles into a small revine and croutches low...hoping she may be overlooked anyway... Lightspeed [lsd] pages: that's it, your not going any where without me any time soon :) Hot Rod scowls, summoning enough propulsion from his engine to launch himself unsteadily forward. "Blast it..." He honks his horn as he closes on the Decepticon. Hot Rod flickers on his headlights, one of which working properly, trying to throw off the Decepticon as he tries to cut his legs out from under him. Last ditch effort, but he's not moving at a lot of speed. Rerun turns at the last moment at the honking of the horn. "What the.......?" Rerun kicks in his anti-gravs at the last moment, and jumps into the air, quickly bringing his rifle up again at the flaming car's aft as he comes down. "Just lay down and DIE already! You Bots don't know how ta do that do ya!?" Hot Rod slides through a sickly 180 and slowly starts advancing towards Rerun, chuckling muffledly. "Die? Hey... didn't anyone... tell ya? I'm... immortal," he chokes out. Candice backs up further in the revine if that's possible... Hot Rod transforms into Robot mode. Hot Rod finally pushes himself up through a transformation, struggling over the grinding gears and armor plates, then raises an arm unsteadily. "Now, get lost before.. I have ta school you... and your computer," he musters. Rerun snickers to himself, glancing over the wobbly Autobot. "Sheesh....yer still kinda out of it there chump." he waves the rifle dismissively in Hot Rod's direction. "I'm gonna enjoy tearin ya apart!" Candice holds in a gasp as she radios once more. +radio lsd=ETA??? Hot Rod grins faintly, glancing just for a moment to the side, looking for someone then tugs out his proton rifles again, though only one emerges. "Not gonna happen...." he says, waving his rifle, trying to shoo the Con uselessly. Is it my turn? RADIO: Almost there, just hang on a bit longer Lightspeed speaks quietly into his radio. Hot Rod tucks his rifle muzzle into the crook of his elbow, pulling the trigger, and, to his immediate distress, nothing happens. He bangs the rifle on his arm, then growls, throwing out his arm to fire a weak blast. . Rerun stumbles back slightly as the shot sears across his armor. "That.....wasn't......smart." he growls, immediately hurling himself forward.....huge foot raised for Autobot chin.. Lightspeed keeps his speed up as he activates his IR scanners, although he has no need as the fight is pretty damn clear, he'll be there soon, though Rerun has more then enough time to do somthing..... Candice squeaks as she trips over a narled tree branch . She regains her bearings and begins to think she maybe better get out of that revine. Some of the nearby fighting as begun pitching debris of foliage here... Hot Rod's head snaps back, surprised at the kick and he falls backwards unable to check himself before he hits the ground. Rerun rights his balance and glares at the downed Autobot, the pose he's holding almost worthy of Megatron himself as he stands triumphantly over the smashed Autobot like some scene out of a Decepticon propoganda poster. Candice crawls out of the revine...and, unfortunately, into plain view as she tries to look for some other sort of cover. Candice happens to look over where the fighting has relatively ended for the moment...the winner beaming in all his glory. A look of shock crosses her facial features as she stumbles back... Hot Rod pushes against the ground with first one arm, then the other, glaring up at Rerun with brilliant burning optics. He gives up on the getting off the ground and tries to use his position to his advantage as he snakes his legs out with a grunt of pain and twists, trying to scissor Rerun to the deck. Now you can actule hear the sounds of Lightspeed's engine closing, which of course means he's almsot there as we all know Light travesl faster then sound.. Rerun whuffs in suprise as he tumbles to the ground, his optics blazing slightly in obvious anger at Hot Rod's persistance. With that he reaches out to take ahold of the offending limb that took him down and wrench it to the side at an awkward angle........-hard-. The sounds of the technobot's engine aren't registered on his audio sensors just yet...as he's a little absorbed in his task. Candice shouts a hasty, "No!" before she even realizes what she's doing...even as he twists Hot Rod's leg. Hot Rod yelps, his knee servos snapping with the pressure and he writhes with the blast of pain, flopping on the ground a bit as he tries to dig his hands into the road to pull himself away. Rerun blinks and actually lets go of the limb at Candi's shout. "Who -IS- that???" he finally comes to stare at the human, finally recognizing her. "Huh? You!?" Candice uh, ohs and climbs to her feet immediately, but finds herself rooted to the spot... Hot Rod gasps again, tugging his helmet around to look at first Candice's exposed position, then yanking it a bit higher to look at Rerun. "Noooo.... leave.. her... 'lone..." Rerun leans down on his hands and knees to get more eye to eye with this odd human that seems to pop up everywhere he looks. "What're -you- doin here!? You followin me around or somethin!?" the last statement dosen't seem to denote much anger.....as he's just....shocked. Then, with Star Saber like timing Lightspeed apaers directly over Candice,(with katana writing bellow his dramtica aperance) "Some one call?" Lightspeed transforms into Robot mode. Rerun's computer almost has the equivelant of a heart attack right then and there.......but somehow the Battlecharger manages to keep it under control as he reels back and stands up, ready to defend himself from a new attacker. "Hmph......cavalry's arrived huh?" Candice shakes her head in answer to the Battlecharger. "N-no. I--didn't. I---" and then gets cut off by the Technobot's arrival... Rerun stands back as it appears he's about to get a hostile greeting, "Whoops.....hey I wouldn't be thinkin `o shootin me or nothin! Heh heh." Lightspeed takes a step forwed, laser in his hand, "Okay Rerun, disaper." although the glint in his visor says "Oh, good, I'm going to hurt you." OOC: Candice says, "Should I run?" ;-) OOC: Rerun sits on Candi. :) Hot Rod relaxes finally, dropping his face to the asphalt and his shoulders slump. Rescue team is there... Candice will be safe. Rerun takes another step back and glances down, remembering the human. He actually moves his foot so as -not- to step on her.....abruptly falling on his aft in the process. Candice takes a cautious step forward...followed by another as she begins heading back towards the road... Lightspeed cocks his head to one side as he waches rerun fall over, "Oookay," He walks forwed again, making darn sure Candice is not in his line of fire. "Rerun, get lost. With out any pasengers." Rerun shakes his head and grumbles something about 'humans underfoot'. Then gets to his feet again, dusting himself off. "Ahhh shaddup. I'm goin." he mutters. "I got what I wanted." he jerks a thumb casually to the Junkpile.........er....Hot Rod. And with that he falls down into his transam mode, going into reverse and turning around.....then kicking up dirt from his tires, (In lightspeed's face of course) as he rockets away. Lightspeed waves the dust from his face with a hand, resisting the Technobot urge to chase after the `con and make him into tiny iron fillings. he turns and kneels down to Candice, "You okay?" OOC: Rerun facepalms. "Hot Rod's lying trashed in the middle of the road.....and he asks -Candice- if she's allright." :-) OOC: Hot Rod grins. OOC: Lightspeed says, "Hey, I like Candice." :-) Hot Rod, the junkpile, stirs slightly at the noise of RR driving away, then plants his hands, trying to push himself to his feet, or as close as he can come to it. Candice makes most of her way over the said Junk_Pile...er...Hot Rod even as Rerun transforms. She turns to Lightspeed as the Battlecharger departs. "I'm fine. I'm more concerned about Hot Rod at the moment." Rerun retreating form falls more into the distance.....taking out a telephone pole as he finally turns onto a deserted highway and rockets away at 250 mph. Hot Rod manages to push himself back onto his knees, then promptly regrets it as his broken leg bunches under him. He yelps and flops forward again to take the pressure off. "I... need a vacation..." Candice turns back and finishes her approch towards the Autobot. "You...don't look so good," she notes in drastic understatement... Hot Rod settles to the warm asphalt again, but his optics alight a bit as Candice makes her way over. He offers a weak smile. "Don't matter.. you're okay... Sorry.. shoulda... got you home first..." he murmurs. Lightspeed steps up and walks over to Hot Rod, "Okay Rod, what can I take hold of you with without killing you?" Hot Rod shifts, staring at Lightspeed's feet since he can't muster the effort to lift his head again. "Guess my spoiler... is still in one piece... something's wrong with my leg though," he says, motioning down to the broken limb. Candice shakes her head at the apology, giving Hot Rod a nonverbal response only. She turns to Hot Rod and then Lightspeed. "Sow do we get back...?" Hot Rod would suppose there's emergency response teams on scene by now, but... he shifts again, trying to look down the road. "How 'bout... the other cars? People okay?" Lightspeed hrms, and wonders over to Hot Rod's leg and bends down, "you've trashed the servo's back here," Candice looks towards the road. "Deserted..." she mumbles. Not too many must come this way." Brawn arrives from the south. Hot Rod is sprawled face down on the road, very much road kill at this point. Brawn rumbles along a back road somewhere nearby, pulling a trailer behind him loaded down with something covered by a tarp. Coincidently.....he's not all that far from the......er....incident. Candice is standing with Lightspeed and a badly damaged Hot Rod. "Uh...anything I can do.? Band-Aid?" Hot Rod hrms, then summons another weak grin. "Just.. make sure no big trucks run over me until Lightspeed figures out how to get... me out?" Brawn hmmms to himself as he catches sight of some destroyed trees nearby. He changes his course and follows the road until lo and behold....he comes across the scene. In his usual eloquence of descriptive and lengthy expressions.......he says. "WOAH!" Grimacing at a sudden twinge, Hot Rod quiets himself, locking his expression down as he grinds his jaw assemblies to ensure the quiet. Candice rubs the side of of her head. Ok, so it was in poor humor. "You won't get run over. I promise that." Brawn transforms and stumps up to where the three are, his optics immediately going to Hot Rod. "Hmmm.....no offence kid but ya look like ya went and mistook a trash compactor for a car wash." Hot Rod waves his forearm a bit, a small tight snicker escaping him as his optics flash with the effort. "Hey... nice... ta see ya too... Busy?" Candice turns swiftly enough to the suprisingly there Minibot. She breaths a sigh of relief. "Rerun dropped in to say hi again.". Brawn grunts in distaste. "Great....the third Tweedledee brother. Well.....awright, lesse what we can do for ya huh?" he leans over and experimentally tries to help Hot Rod up......ready to put him back at a moment's notice of pain. "Ya able to stand at all?" Hot Rod makes a face, highly unhappy to be moving, but doesn't make much of a sound just a faint grunt escaping him as he's handled. He glances down at his broken leg and shakes his head. "Don't... think so--ew, that looks so gross." Candice stanbds back to give the two Autobot's some room. Hmph...maybe she is better off just staying shut up in the volcanoe... Brawn hmphs to himself as he gently sets the younger Autobot down again. "Sheesh.....nest time ya get trashed can't ya either stay in one piece....or be in little bits that're easier to transport?" he chuckles lightly. Candice merely hugs herself...watching. Brawn lightly pats Hot Rod's shoulder for a moment, "We'll getcha movin kid. Don't worry." he turns and stomps back towards the trailer, his cheerful demeanor flickering just a smidgin to worry....it isn't much, but Candice might have caught it. Despite this, he stops beside the trailer and pulls the tarp off of it, exposing that it's full of..........sand. Candice tilts her head in curiosity at the cargo of the trailer. "Making mudpies?" she forces out. Hot Rod makes another face, finally releasing his jaw assemblies enough to speak again. "Sorry... I'll try the... pieces thing... next time..." he mutters, peering unhappily at his leg. Yup, it's gross... ickyicky. He glances first to Candice, then over at Brawn. "Sand... volley... ball?" Candice throws a motherly glance at Hot Rod. "Don't even think about it." Brawn pulls the trailer over by the side of the road. "Well.....I -was- gonna use it ta kinda make a court where we could.....take it easy....play or somethin." he pauses at the mention of volley ball. "Yeah...kinda like that I guess. Heh. Anyway......looks like this is gonna be a stretcher instead." with that he upends the trailer, dumping its contents onto the ground at the side of the road. Candice . o O(What's with these guys and ball-type games?) OOC: Shadowen (from somewhere) says, "Exactly that, they're guys :->" Candice asks, "Anything I can do to help?" Brawn pulls the trailer over beside Hot Rod, then walks around to stand next to him, grinning at Candice the whole time. "Well....when I get him loaded up.....ya can make sure he dosen't move and injure somethin, cause if he does then I'll hafta hurt him even more." Hot Rod reaches a hand up, steadying himself to hang onto the mini's shoulders briefly, then offers a terse nod, indicating he's ready. He smiles weakly. "Me? Hurt myself? Nah... let other people... do that, usually..." Candice blinks at Brawn's direction and turns to Rod. "Guess I could do that. But not much I can do if he does." She turns to Rod and watches in concern. "Um...usually?" Brawn hmmms, then grabs one of his larger stressballs, pushing it into one of Hot Rod's hands. "Kinda like bitin' a bullet kid." without even waiting for a response he works his arms around the slightly larger Autobot.....lifting him as gently and as quickly as he can into the makeshift stretcher. Hot Rod's hand clenches down on the stress ball, servos popping a bit at the strain and he gratefully leans back. "R-right... I'm okay." Brawn nods slightly, having left enough dirt in the back of the trailer for Hot Rod to prop himself up if he wants. "Awright....all comfy then? Guess we'll get this show on the road." he turns and grins towards Candice. "All aboard!" Shadowen finally takes note of some of the damage below from above and moves lower to investigate. Lightspeed comes back after checking the perimeter for any threats, there are of cource, none. Shadowen broadcasts on an open frequency "Bonjour down there, need any assistance?" Candice hmms softly to herself and she climbs onboard the trailer, avoiding Hot Rod's bulk, and moving herself near he shoulers so if he *did* move she's be out of the way. She settles in the sand and gives Brawn a mock salute. "Uh...ready when you guys are." Brawn glances up at the radio message, snapping off a quick reply of his own. "We're all loaded up now. Seems like ya missed the party." he walks around front of the trailer and transforms, backing up for his hitch to catch on. Brawn transforms into Land_Rover mode. Lightspeed just waches as Brawn, does his thing, and leave him to it, checking around again. Candice looks over to Hot Rod. "How are you fairing?" Shadowen seems to dip the wings abit in a salute and heads back up. Hot Rod settles back, rather liking the sand that he's leaking all over. "Huh... uh, kinda nice and warm sand, actually... making me sleepy," he murmurs. Brawn settles himself into position, and begins to churn ahead, chuckling to himself. "Yeah....the sand may be warm, but Candi might wanna do up her jacket a bit. Might get a wee bit chilly." Candice shrugs then and makes sure she's bundled up in the warm military jacket/coat she had borrowed. "Bundled." She tells Brawn and looks to Hot Rod. "Then...maybe go to sleep? Anyway...thanks for making sure I was asfe." Hot Rod grins crookedly, reaching to set his arm around where Candice is to make sure she doesn't bump off accidentally. "Hey, it's my job..." Lightspeed leans back against a rock formation and keeps wach as Brawn drives off. Brawn of course dosen't let on just how worried he is.......and angry that he wasn't there in the first place. But no sense in burdgening them with his thoughts right now......no need to worry Candice, and Hot Rod dosen't seem like he could take it. The minibot just continues to roll steadily southward, getting a couple of strange looks now and then. Candice states, "You don't have to make it your job to get trashed while doing it." Hot Rod shrugs, watching the road go by. "Doesn't matter, really.... Still had to get him to go away so no one got hurt any more... doesn't matter if I get messed up to do it." Shadowen flies upward. Shadowen has left. Candice shrugs in response. "Sue me for being worried." Brawn continues on his happy course southward....trailer in tow. Pacific Northwest Hot Rod coughs a bit, then grins, surreptitiously wiping at his chin. "Hey, it's okay to be worried... heh... least... I know someone cares about some dumb kidbot," he manages wryly.. Lightspeed acts as a rear gurd, keeping his distance but quite caperble of closing if need be. Brawn snickers slightly at the conversation going on in the trailer. "Well that dumb kidbot's gonna be at the mercy of the medics now." One would almost swear he was grinning. Candice grimaces slightly. "You aren't *that* dumb." OOC: Brawn looks at Candi's statement. "So.......he's dumb......just not *that* dumb." OOC: Candice oops and didn't mean it *that* way. Meant it as a joke. OOC: Hot Rod sobs. Hot Rod offers another grin. "Don't ask Kup about that..." Candice comments, "Don't worry...I won't. haven't seen him in ages even if I had wanted to say something tho." Hot Rod frowns a bit, nodding as he coughs again and again wipes something from his chin. "Yah... kinda miss him," he admits slowly. Candice says, "He's alright isn't he?" Brawn pulls off of the highway, heading along a less busy road as the peak of Hillary begins to become visable way off in the distance. Hot Rod stares off a bit as the scenery becomes more familiar, getting a bit dingy as time passes since he's not got a lot of energon left to keep him going. "Uh... I think so... wait? Something happen to him?" Candice comments, "Just haven't seen him since you guys arrived on Earth. maybe he's just been helping out on the repairs in the Ark." Hot Rod's brow creases into a frown, then he forgets what he was frowning about. "Well... he can take care of himself..." he muses, digging his fingers into the sand a bit thoughtfully. Brawn pulls onto yet another roadway, this one a bit dustier as Hillary is beginning to draw ever closer. The first beginnings of the military camp are even becoming visable...... Candice nods and regards Hot Rod briefly. "Just rest for right now. We're about there I think." Hot Rod lets his helmet rest back, lolling a bit at the bumps Brawn doesn't miss. "Sure... hey, Brawn... you know... I can get out and run faster," he teases weakly. Brawn snickers slightly.....having been somewhat quiet during the whole journey. "Awright then. If Pegleg pete back there thinks he can move faster he's welcome ta try!" he rises up past the camp and begins to head along the pathway that leads into the volcano itself. Hot Rod heys, grumping playfully. "Not... pegleg... no leg." Brawn snickers. "Yeah........sure." The Ark -- Medical Center (2) Brawn pulls into the repair bay finally, hefting the trailer up alongside one of the many medtables about the room. Brawn transforms into Robot mode. Candice stands up on the sand and notices the River Nile of energon flodding some of the other portions of the trailer. She stands up in the back and looks over the rim. "Brawn...mind helping me? There's a Jordon River in here..." Brawn blinks and glances into the trailer. "Huh? Woah...uhh, yeah. No sweat." he reaches out and carefully grasps Candi, gently swinging her up towards his shoulders as a pair of gumby technicians move forward to help get Hot Rod set on the medtable. "Guess yer gonna hafta plug up them leaks there." Hot Rod mmms?, lifting his head to look at the river. He makes a face, then smirks. "Never could hold my energon," he mumbles, then mmmmfs as he gets moved. He's got a coat of sand on his backside where the fluids clumped it and matted it to his finish. Brawn hmmms, recalling Twin Twist -still- has a supply of those drinks stashed somewhere. He quickly shakes off that thought right now, instead paying attention to Hot Rod at the moment. "Yo, I been here `nuff times ta know.....before ya know it you'll be up and drivin Magnus insane again." he chuckles. Candice sighs at the thought. Magnus is why they first went out. D'oh! She then asks to no one in particular, "Hot Rod going to be alright?" Hot Rod offers a slow thumbs up as the medics try to clean up the mess. "Surrrree... no probem.." Brawn hmmms, then adds the next part as an extra. "And we -will- find Magnus. We'll bring `im back, don't worry." Candice shifts herself on Brawn's shoulders. "You better be. Or I'll tell Ellis." she states with a slight smirk. She then looks down at Brawn. "Functional I hope..." Brawn hmphs. "Dang right. Course that's not countin what he's already done to himself.....but I'll get him back, if I gotta grab his toe and drag him the whole way." Hot Rod chuckles at the image of that that comes to him a few moments later. "That'd be a sight," he murmurs, then waves his hand annoyed at a medtech. "Hey, watch where you stick that thing." Brawn snickers, "Ya oughta see where they stick it when they build ya a new body." he glances down at himself.....even after all this time, it's still weird to think sometimes that this body is only a few months old. Candice makes a slight face. "I don't know if I'll ever get used to the thought of you guys being able to be repared by a mechanic..." Candice looks down at Brawn at his more recent statement. She can't help but wonder what *that* feels like. Hot Rod sighs, feeling himself wind down as the hook him to life support. He stares sullenly at all the machinery around him. "I hate the repair bay," he announces. Candice offers, "Hopefully you won't be in here that long..." Hot Rod offers a smile. "Nah... like I told Rerun, I'm immortal," he says with a half wink. Candice simply rolls her eyes. "Uh, huh..." Hot Rod smirks, then flails a bit as they medics dip him into an oil bath to finish the cleaning. "Hey! I'm drownin' here," he protests meekly. Candice grunts. "Don't tell me you hate baths..." Hot Rod hrmpfs some more as one of the medics scold him to hold still, then peers over. "Uh... well, no, actually... gotta keep myself all shiney for the femmes," he says, almost seriously. Candice facepalms. "Hot Rod, you are such a flirt." Hot Rod laughs weakly at that. "Really? Musta got it from Springer I guess." Candice narrows her eyes as Hot Rod's battered form is tended to. "Mmmm-mmm. Sure...go around and pass the buck." Hot Rod grins again, then shrugs. "Well... didn't get it from Kup," he muses, then looks over at you. "Hey, thanks for sticking with me," he says, eyeing the medics warily as they extract him from the bath. "Kinda nice having someone around to talk to." Candice smiles. "Hard to find good conversation?" Hot Rod looks a bit sheepish. "No, just no one usually stops to listen really... I mean, to talk to me. People listen to me when I'm trying to cheer em up.. stuff like that..." Candice blinks in response. "But never more as an aquaintance you mean?" Hot Rod glances away, a bit embarrassed and his tone changes as he scowls faintly at the medics. The medics, to their credit, seem to be absorbed in their work and not paying attention to spare the youngster's feelings. "Er... uh... well, yah.... Springer and Arcee are great friends though." Candice didn't mean to embarass Hot Rod and was merely responding to his statement. She tries to steer the conversation a little. "I've meet Springer several times. Haven't really seen Arcee too much." Candice asks, "How long have you known them?" Hot Rod smiles vaguely, thoughts apparently drifting, then he nods. "She's pretty neat. Great fighter... really pretty good at all sorts of stuff." Hot Rod glances back. "Uh, well, I guess since I've been activated. Just seems like they've always been there." Candice decides to maybe bring the step stool over so she could climb on a nearby medtable so Hot Rod doesn't have to strain to see her (since Brawn was called away and put her down...just now saying so. hee, hee.). "How did the three of you meet?" Hot Rod grins again. "Well, just around... knew Arcee first... it was kinda funny... she was the only one that didn't seem to like me... uh, out of the femmes that is... Springer came along later." Candice perks an eyebrow. "And how did you meet up with him? He seems like the ...uh...'Jolly Green Giant'..." Hot Rod hrms a bit at some odd memory. "He wasn't always so jolly... had some tough times, but he pulled through." Hot Rod smirks. "Anyway, just happened to run into him one day and started yabbering at him. Heh... talked his audios off for no reason." Candice ohs softly, and should have gathered as much. Most of the Autobots have had to deal with their own personal experiances...most of them trying. "Trying for Bluestreak's title?" she teases as he injects his statement. Hot Rod blinks, then waaaaait a minutes, smelling an imagined insult in there somewhere. "Heh... hey, I don't talk *that* much, do I?" Candice gazes innocently Hot Rod Rod. You were the one that stated you talked his ears...er...audios off...not me." She grins. "Eh, even if you did happen did talk in excess I don't see what the big deal is. Everyone should have the gift for blab and all that." Hot Rod's optics twinkle. "Some of us are more... uh gifted than others." Candice chuckles lightly as she leans back on the table. "Keeps it from getting *too* quiet..." Hot Rod smirks then looks over. "Must be why ya like Trent, hmmm?" he says, totally out of the blue, with a mischievous tint to his glowing optics. OOC: Hot Rod looks innocent. OOC: Candice whapwhaps. :-) Candice stares at Hot Rod for a long moment. "Oh?" she asks with a guarded smile. "And why would you say that?" Hot Rod's grin widens. Bullseye. "Oh... well, just cause... you guys seem like you're a bonded pair or something. Don't see that often." Candice gives a simple shrug. She feels a little bit embarassed now herself. But she also feels other emotions such as a fondess for the man of which Hot Rod speaks...but also some fear. "Uh...really? How...can you tell?" Hot Rod shrugs, not quite sure how to put it to words. "Dunno... cause you hang out... when you need someone to.. uh... well, talk to, don't you talk to each other?" Candice states carefully, "Yeah. We talk. Isn't that important in any relationship?" Hot Rod glances over again, picking up on the change in tone, then nods. "Sorry... just curious, really... seems to me, that one person you wanna go talk to when stuff bugs ya or you feel like scrap is the kinda person you'd wanna be bonded to, right?" Candice nods slowly. "A best friend." Hot Rod nods. "Yah." Candice watches as the medtechs tend to their other patients now that he's prepped for one of the medics. "What exactly were you curious about?" Hot Rod settles in now that the techs are done poking and prodding at him. "Well, just... what it was like I guess.... how it was you knew..." He trails off, sighing a bit as embarrassment claims him once again. Candice shrugs...not really knowing herself. "We...have alot in common," she offers. "I...don't really know if I could really explain it. I guess we just clicked."' She pauses and then asks, "What was what like?" Candice adds softly, "And as for how I knew...I just...knew..." Hot Rod smiles weakly. "Just what it was like to have someone.... and how you knew they were the someone you were looking for, that's all. It's kind of a weird idea for me... I mean, well, you got Prime and Elita One, but..." OOC: Hot Rod hasn't asked the 'where do babies come from' question yet.;) OOC: Candice ughs! Hot Rod sighs. "That's what everyone says..." Candice offers her hands in a futile gesture. "I...guess I could say human emotions are...funny that way. Wish I could explain it. But I don't know how." She then takes notice of Rod's manner. "We can...pick this up later if you like. But, for now, maybe you should just get some rest..." Hot Rod nods thoughtfully. In the background, one of the medtechs looks relieved. Now they can get to the rest of the unpleasant prep while Rod snoozes. "Sure... thanks, Candice."