The Start of Something Interesting...

[lastonepercent]

The day was calm, with no recent Decepticon attacks, and none suspected to be incoming for some time.  The cons were too busy licking their wounds from the last battle, one that the Autobots had decidedly come out ahead on.  The celebrations had gone on long into the night and the recreation room was already a mess.

Thus, it was the perfect chance for a lone Autobot to slip casually outside.

Mirage had no shift currently scheduled, so he was free to spend his time as he pleased.  He certainly made no move to hide his departure, greeting his comrades in the halls on the way out, but the box in his hands remained unopened despite any passing curiosity.  It was quietly shifted into subspace before long, and  the former noble shifted into alt mode just as smoothly when he reached the doors.  Despite the completely inappropriate earthen race car mode, the mech had little trouble self-adjusting before driving off into the forest covering the mountain, for business unknown...

Comments

[lastonepercent]

"Mission," Mirage grumbled, standing up stiffly to cast a wary look around. He gave Cliffjumper only a quick, assessing look - damaged hand, impaired shooting ability, otherwise unharmed- before motioning to the exit.

"Compromised mission, obviously, so we should leave quickly-"

That was when he heard the snarl, right as the black cassette launched itself out of the nearest air duct in revenge for it's master. Crashing into his head with a flurry of claws and teeth, Ravage sent them both tumbling over a console with a yell.

[cliffjumper]

Well, he probably had some impressive dents in the back of his altmode kibble. Soundwave was heavy and he hadn't been careful leaning down. But he'd live. Grimacing as he stood up and trying to reach around to feel out the dents, Cliffjumper scowled up at Mirage.

"Mission? Didn't hear about any fraggin' miss--- Gah!" Stumbling back in surprise from Ravage bursting out of a vent and practically flying by right by his faceplate, Cliffjumper stared for a moment.

Then he tried to get a gun, grunting as his hand seized up in broken-jointed non-functionality when he forgot he couldn't use his right hand. With a bit of fiddling he got his glass gas gun again since the other hand been reduced to scrap, in his left and then...

Stood there, realising he couldn't very well shoot at the ball of mech and cassette.

"Fraggin' pit!" He couldn't just stand there, but with Mirage and Ravage tangled up, trying to yank Ravage away wouldn't be easy either. Especially not with only one hand.

[lastonepercent]

Hands automatically going up to protect his face hadn't stopped Ravage from clawing in fast and deep, even as Mirage attempted to tear the cassette away. Teeth tore at the sensitive slats on his vent-crests, and a claw caught at the corner of his optic. That made him thrash, swinging a punch with a roll of his entire body weight.

The force of the connection was satisfying, and Ravage went flying with a enraged yowl. Mirage immediately brought his rifle up to bear, but with half his vision gone muddy, his shot only graced the retreating cassetticat.

He turned toward Cliffjumper with a huff, staggering back up to his feet.

"Let us get out of here, please. I have what I came for."

[cliffjumper]

"Ouch." Wincing as he caught sight of the damage, Cliffjumper even opened his mouth, vocaliser clicking on from neutral - and then he thought better of saying anything more descriptive about the damage and nodded, briefly eyeing Mirage's rifle.

Unfortunately, that thing would require a two-handed grip which was something he distinctly lacked at the moment. So with a suppressed static sigh and a grunt in acknowledgement, Cliffjumper turned around.

He still glanced up at Mirage, again, though, catching sight of the injuries again and wincing.

"You okay? And what the slag was it you're here for? Does anyone even know you're here? How fraggin' smart is that?" Mirage was spec ops, yes. Cliffjumper knew this, but he didn't really have much insight into how they actually worked, and this looked pretty... unclever.

[lastonepercent]

"Indeed," Mirage agreed dryly, wincing as he touched the torn and bleeding side of his optic. ...Where those cracks in his vision as well?

Wretched beast.

Mirage sighed as he trailed after Cliffjumper, the residual stiffness in his limbs not parting even with the ongoing virus purge. He gave the smaller mech a look.

"No. Classified. Yes. And generally, very. In that order."

[cliffjumper]

Hefting his glass gas gun, up, Cliffjumper frowned at it and missed the look Mirage gave him - he really needed something else since it took the glass gas a moment or two to kick in, and then it'd either need a laser blast or two or a good punch to actually do damage. Maybe---

"Hey, why the slag n--- Uh, right." Grimacing, Cliffjumper shook his helm and waved a hand at Mirage to hopefully forestall any snarky comments about what classified meant. "Classified, right. Stupid fraggin' scrap." He couldn't quite mute his suspicion, but it wasn't... precisely, aimed just at Mirage.

More like at spec ops and their spying in general, because while he knew it was, technically probably very necessary, spies and the sneaking around and the secret missions just twisted his wires.

"Whatever. Do ya got another gun besides the rifle?" Cliffjumper asked after a huff, having to accept the 'classified'. There were things he'd push about, argue and yell, but he was enough of a soldier by now to accept the 'classified' - even if he was suspicious.

[lastonepercent]

Mirage was already drawing back, vocalizer clicking to interrupt Cliffjumper with an indignant rant about the meaning of 'classified'- when Cliffjumper interrupted himself.

Thank Primus. He was not in the mood for another argument.

He still huffed, following after the minibot as he broke Comm Lockdown to ping Jazz his update. Even if it was encoded, the message was simple: 'Botched and Extracting Plus One. Requesting Visible Cover'. Jazz would understand enough to know that he had 'friendly' company, and that his invisibility was currently not an option. The human acronym FUBAR would have been quite apt as well.

"...No. I only have room for the one." He was reluctant to admit it to a mech that seemed to have it out for him, but with his vision compromised and Cliffjumper's hand damaged, they needed to know their resources.

"Can you still shoot?"

[cliffjumper]

Cliffjumper was probably far less careful than he ought to be leading them down the corridors back towards the exit, but at least he wasn't barreling straight ahead with no regard for possible enemies popping up either.

Mirage's reveal had him sighing, almost dragging a hand down his faceplate before he remembered it was busted - not soon enough to avoid wincing from having tensed the cables and servos in the hand, raising it towards his faceplate and being met with a flash of pain.

That, more than Mirage's admission in itself, probably made him sound a bit grumpier than what he would otherwise have been... or might be warranted.

"Great. And yeah, sure. Ain't got as good aim with my left as with my right, but it ain't terrible either." Glaring at the floor, Cliffjumper grimaced. "Would be better with an offensive weapon, but since I don't have two hands right now and your aim kinda sucks what with your optic..."

[lastonepercent]

That added grumpiness did Mirage's attitude no favors, and he ended up audibly grinding his jaw to keep from giving Cliffjumper an equally snappy retort.

"Yes well. We will have to make due."

The arrival of Jazz's confirmation ping was just what Mirage needed to lift his spirits, and the building rocked with the force of munitions fire outside.

"-And that would be our distraction. Come, I know the layout, and we need to get outside before Soundwave's reinforcements arrive."

Just because his aim was off didn't mean he couldn't see or sense enough to navigate; he took off at a run, setting a different path than the one they had arrived through. Jazz's intel included a headcount of a Con standoff at the front doors that they wanted to avoid.

[cliffjumper]

Twitching at the noise, Cliffjumper huffed and wondered why in Primus bright presence he liked this mech, beyond the fact that he was pretty? Unbidden, a brief bit of memory from the talk in the washracks popped up, as well as several loose conversations with Bumblebee.

Okay, fine, so he did know why. That didn't make Mirage any less fragging aggravating right now.

"Could just get a fraggin' magnetic holster ya know---" then the corridor trembled with the explosion and he was distracted for a brief moment, which meant Mirage blew past him easily. "Hey! This ain't the way back!"

Running after Mirage, Cliffjumper glanced aside to the way he'd taken in and then followed Mirage, more dedicated to making sure the glitch didn't get jumped or whatever what with his injured optic. He might miss something after all.

[lastonepercent]

"You could get a magnetic holster," Mirage snipped back, before common sense took hold over his ire. Yelling in the corridor was a great way to end up slagged.

He still barely slowed down, just making sure to set a pace the stumpy minibot could match.

::This. Is an alternate way out. The front door is crowded with Decepticons, but if you want to chance it, you are welcome to do so.::

[cliffjumper]

Cliffjumper had been lagging behind, even if he'd been running as fast as he could. He wasn't Blurr, so his speed lay in his altmode, not in root mode.

::I have a magnetic holster. Or two,::Cliffjumper said with a huff, too annoyed to mention he had plenty of space in his subspace anyway and then aimed a glare at Mirage's back for good measure. ::Sure, I could but then there wouldn't have been any slaggin' point in goin' here and helpin' ya since if I leave now you could still be jumped what with that optic of yours!::

Not that he didn't see why they couldn't go for the front door anyway. The Cons should get whatfor like they deserved and here they were running the other way?

But it wasn't like he could pull Mirage where he didn't want to go, so follow him he had to do.

::Still think we could take 'em,:: Cliffjumper muttered, wondering if it was just MIrage's stupid, overly-cautious spy slag that made him prone to taking the roundabout way avoiding conflict or what?

[lastonepercent]

::As I said, you are welcome to try. It is highly inadvisable, but you could. I can hardly stop you.:: Mirage slowed his stride long enough to turn and give Cliffjumper a dirty look with his good optic.

::I, however, have a mission to complete. I would prefer that we both get out of here alive.::

He slowed to a stop at the next corner, holding a hand out to stop Cliffjumper in his (rather noisy) tracks. Cliffjumper's huge feet simply weren't made for stealth like Mirage was.

::-hold! I hear someone.:: The distinctive clopping tread of a single pair of seeker heels was racing toward them from the adjacent hall. He reached for his rifle - hopefully he'd be able to tag the mech when they came around the corner...

[cliffjumper]

::Well, you could, but I'd be fraggin' thankful if ya didn't,:: Cliffjumper sniped, wiggling his gun up at Mirage. Not that this mattered, really. He wasn't about to turn around and go out the way he'd gone in, because separating was a stupid idea.

Cliffjumper's reckless daring actions and charges came when a situation presented itself and that seemed the thing to do. It was hardly premediated on pure stubbornness... well, not usually.

And if Mirage found him noisy, Cliffjumper was, in turn, perfectly aware of that as well. He was trying, but he wasn't a spy - Bumblebee had tried to show him tricks to walk quietly even with their big feet, but he could never manage to quite get them. The difference in noise level between him and Mirage was, to his own optics, rather wince-inducing.

It was also impressive how quiet Mirage managed to be, really.

::Don't see what you're so slaggin' worried about we're doin' fi--- wha?:: Jerking to a stop, Cliffjumper almost walked into Mirage but managed to stop before that, and now that he was paying attention it wasn't hard to hear someone coming.

Narrowing his optics, Cliffjumper readied his own gun. Sure, it was just glass gas, but if Mirage didn't get the Decepticreep on the first try, a blast of gas would surprise the slagger and if nothing else, the gas's effect would be helpful later.

[lastonepercent]

Bumblebee was a special case, and nothing anyone ever said would be able to convince Mirage otherwise.

The spy hissed at Cliffjumper's snappy response, not bothering to offer any retort in turn. Later, if they lived.

::Seeker. Just one. Be ready.:: It was all he managed to say before the Decepticon rounded the corner. Mirage fired, already cursing his ruined depth perception as he did so; he could immediately tell the shot was too wide, only nailing the seeker - Skywarp! - in the shoulder vent.

...Fragging scrap.

[cliffjumper]

"What the frag---- gah!" Skywarp staggered from the glancing shot, then got a dose of glass gas all over his torso - though he avoided the majority of the blast, smirking as he flickered out of view.

Cliffjumper automatically barrelled sideways, pushing Mirage further away from his original position - not that he knew if Skywarp was aiming for Mirage or not, but he'd definitely not been looking at him even if he'd shot at him last.

And he was the spy that, apparently, had disrupted the 'Cons operation here, at least as far as Cliffjumper understood it. Better try to---

"Ohhh, hey, glitchmice," Skywarp sniggered as he faded in again, and sure, his hand didn't land where he'd assumed it would (that was, the blue and white racer's shoulder), but the runt's helm was just as good, really.

"Fraggin' pit! Scum-suckin' Decepticreep, leggo!" Kicking backwards, Cliffjumper didn't reach metal, trying instead to bang his gun against the flying tincan's hand around his helm - and had to bite down on a whine when it was roughly bent out of his hand and tossed away.

At least he hoped it'd just been tossed away and not destroyed, because that sort of gun was harder to replace than a normal blaster, frag it all!

"Rude, mousey," Skywarp laughed again, apparently very amused by how own wit, and Cliffjumper hissed and got fragging rattled as a result.

The glitch's palm was also digging against his horns, frag it all.

"And you... why don'tcha just put that rifle down, huh?" Skywarp's glittering gold gaze, full of malicious amusement, turned to Mirage.

[lastonepercent]

The teleport was expected, really. As soon as he saw that it was Skywarp, Mirage had known they would only get one shot at him before he did it and got the jump on them. The tackle from Cliffjumper, however, was not.

::Gah! What-!:: Mirage staggered as he was tackled, hitting the wall on his nearly-blind side. Then Skywarp was upon them...complete with a hostage, all but dangling from a massive hand.

Stupid, stupid minibot!

He glared down Skywarp as well as he could with a half-shattered optic. His rifle was impotently pointed toward the ground, still angled from when he'd been shoved. He didn't dare yet make a move.

"...Skywarp. Always a pleasure."

It only took a moment to plan. His antivirals had done what they could. His invisiblity mod was still mostly affected, mostly through the timing componants and cooling systems. He'd burn the thing out if he tried to use it for more than a minute at a time, without Ratchet's repairs.

"Very well."

Luckily, he didn't need a minute.

Letting his gun drop to the floor, he used it as a distraction to go flicker out of sight - and moved in.

[cliffjumper]

Cliffjumper was still trying to reach Skywarp for a kick or two since trying to claw at the hand squeezing his helm just invited more squeezing and it felt like his helm was about the fragging pop.

Nevermind the warnings about impending structural damage, as well. But he just couldn't reach and that was just as frustrating as this position was humiliating. He definitely didn't like dangling with his legs in the air more or less his full length off the floor either.

Cliffjumper completely missed the vicious grin Skywarp gave Mirage at the oh-so-sincere greeting, but he would probably just have sneered up at the Seeker if so.

When Mirage dropped his rifle however...

::Don't---::

And then Mirage flickered out of view.

"Wha---"

Both Skywarp and Cliffjumper exclaimed at the same time, staring with what was probably rather similar expressions. Cliffjumper wasn't sure if he was pleased the noble had taken the opportunity and left, since Skywarp had been aiming for him, or angry the slagger actually had.

... If he had?

[lastonepercent]

Wide feet with the best tensile cable and rotatory cuff upgrades money could buy made for silent steps. Two steps and a pivot on flexible ankles- taking a wider arc than he usually would, compensating for the busted optic- Mirage ducked under a black wing to avoid getting smacked by it as Skywarp shifted in his confusion.

He could already feel the unusual levels of strain on his invisibility systems, but he was at Skywarp's back in less than three seconds. He needed to get the seeker to let go of Cliffjumper without causing the minibot further damage - and he knew one way that was almost always guaranteed to make a mech drop what he was holding.

A flick of the wrist ejected two small metal cylinders, connected with a length of metal cording. Grasping one in each hand, Mirage made them into a loop- and leaped, practically stepping on Skywarp's lower back to reach the loop over the Seeker's head and around his neck.

A press of a button activated the energon cabling along the wire, and Mirage fell back with all his weight on the garrote pulled taunt around Skywarp's neck. Invisibility flickered out, useless.

[cliffjumper]

"Gh---!"

Cliffjumper couldn't see what was going on, so all he had to go on was the choked, glitching static from Skywarp's vocaliser and then they fell backwards.

Of course, despite the loud, reverberating crash and Skywarp's increased struggle with whatever Mirage had done, Cliffjumper had a pretty cushioned landing thanks to clattering against the Seeker.

Squirming, he kicked and while Skywarp somehow had the presence of mind to slam his fist down on his helm even as he let go, Cliffjumper still ended up free.

Processor ringing and abused sensory nodes shrieking static Cliffjumper rolled away just as Skywarp teleported away, which meant the mini clattered to the floor unexpectedly.

[lastonepercent]

Mirage stepped back, falling to his knees out of the way of the tumbling seeker to keep the garrote pulled taunt-

And then Skywarp was gone, the cord falling slack and Cliffjumper clattered to the ground in front of him, nearly in his lap.

Mirage immediately snapped up his rifle, spinning on a knee to make sure the Seeker hadn't ported directly behind them...but no, the hall was clear.

Even if he did not reappear, they needed to move. The Decepticons knew where they were now. Stowing his garrote back into his subspace, Mirage carefully rose back up to his feet. At least Cliffjumper was free.

"Come. We need to move."

Still watching the halls, he offered the minibot a hand up.

[cliffjumper]

"Yeah." Shaking his helm to chase out the ringing and flickers of pain, Cliffjumper grunted affirmatively and looked up, faced with the offered hand. Momentarily confused, he wasn't sure if it was because of the offered hand up or he'd just gotten smacked so good he didn't pick up what Mirage meant at first, Cliffjumper shook his helm again and then took the hand.

"Surprised he didn't stay. He's got cannons, after all... That was pretty cool," Cliffjumper said with a lopsided grin as he got to his feet. "What'd ya do? Couldn't see for slag."

If he shifted on his feet and pushed down a little extra to the ground, no one had to know, right? Especially since with Mirage's busted optic he probably wouldn't be able to tell.

[lastonepercent]

"He's probably gone for reinforcements - or repairs," Mirage said with a faint smirk, giving the dazed minibot a tug and helping him back up to his feet.

If he noticed Cliffjumper's extra-energetic boost, he didn't make it obvious.

Releasing the minibot's hand, Mirage shrugged casually, smirk twitching upwards.

"A simple garrote. He might need a visit to a medic, but we should still move should he decide to return."

[cliffjumper]

"A... garrote?" he stared for a moment, optics brighter than default, then Cliffjumper nodded, "Uh, yeah. Sure. Just continue the same way?" Pointing down the corridor where Skywarp had come from, Cliffjumper pulled his processor away from the realisation that Mirage didn't just have a garrote on his person, but obviously was well-versed in its use.

It wasn't a weapon he'd ever have thought to connect to the noble, though maybe it did make sense. If someone found him out but a gun wasn't advisable, a garrote would work to not just disable - or kill - the enemy, it'd also be distracting enough he probably wouldn't be able to use the comm and compromise Mirage that way.

It was, still, am utter surprise that Mirage had a garrote.

[lastonepercent]

"Indeed." Mirage had already turned away, starting down the hall, so Cliffjumper probably didn't get to see the noble's expression turn into a full, amused grin.

"And yes: this leads out to the human's service entrance, with the large bay doors on the side. We should have cover fire."

Rifle raised back up and at the ready, he lead the way down the thankfully still deserted hall.