TFARCHIVE FORUMS

Even without their fabled leader, Optimus Prime, to guide them, the Autobots have recovered well from the war with the Quintessons. Iacon has been repaired and secured, the Autobot army is as strong as ever, and a tenuous peace with the Decepticons still stands. Organized crime has become a problem in the city, but even now the Autobots are preparing to move against the Space Mafia.

In fact, the greatest threat to the Autobots' regime comes not from without, but from within. Their own citizens, hardened by years of war and hardship, are nonetheless slowly returning to a normal life. As the civilians become more settled, as civilian government becomes more and more integrated into everyday life, the Autobots' military is finding itself less and less able to exert the absolute control they once did. Lawyers and reporters are chipping away at their power, a situation that could leave them high and dry when the next disaster rolls around.

Autobase Security Centre

"You know...I think I do believe you," Hubcap told Bumblebee. "You can't con an experienced con, and I'm as experienced as you can get. Your story is just too...crazy to be made up." He shrugged. "Not much I can do about it, though. I'm as much a prisoner as you are. If I had to guess, I'd say they're going to keep you locked up in here until they need you for something, or until Prime himself shows up and tells them to release you."

"Heh" Bumblebee spoke, "They got you too? What the pit did you do?"

Bumblebee started to fiddle with camera.

Somewhere in Iacon
The clones wake up from their drunken sleep.Cloudraker remembers his orders and activates his comm-"Fullfang?You there?"

meanwhile Skidmark goes back to maccadams.

Blaster's office

"Well Hedge. If funding is in place, and we got a way in why are we still talkin' about it? Lets get this ball rolling!"

Blaster's Office

Hedge smiled

"I like your attitude I always say that a proactive staff is a happy staff."

Somewhere in Iacon
"Looks like Fullfang's not picking up."-Cloudraker said.
"Then let's head to Autobot HQ to see what's going on"-Fastlane replied
The clones transform and head towards their destination.

Autobot Security HQ:


Road Rage sighed. "It depends on what you'd want to do, Bumblebee. And what Ironhide wants to do with you when he gets back." She looked at the monitor screen. "More people. Lovely."

*********************
Outside Autobot Security HQ:


Hot Rod: -takes Foxbat's card- "Gee, you guys do work fast, don't you. We don't even know our prisoner's name yet. Unless you're here for something else?"

*********************
Omega Supreme:


Jetfire: -makes his way down the ramp-

Nightbeat: -thinking for a moment- "Roadbuster, think you could give Hound here a hand with him?" -hooks a thumb over at Gnarl- "You guys can follow us down the ramp, should keep Hound close enough to maintain the hologram."

Roadbuster: -grabs Gnarl, hauls him to his feet-

"That's easy. Uphold the sense of justice and follow Ironhide's orders... That is... If you let me out of here..." Bumblebee grinned toward the camera. "And what is with all the reporters?"

Ultra Magnus’ Office; Autobase

Prowl nodded in agreement with Ultra Magnus’ request.

With the warrants to carry out Crosshairs proposal, all that was left to do was devise an appropriate course of action.

“Good. With the necessary formalities taken care of, we need to discuss how to carry out this operation, a stratagem if you many. Crosshairs, what information were you able to ascertain from Hucap?”

Autobot Security HQ

Savage sauntered up to the ever growing crowd.

"I'm looking for a member of the Autobot security services? Does any of you fit the description."

~*~

Foxbat hovered in the air.

"Your colleagues have falsely imprisoned one of my clients."

~*~

Gnarl cowered

"Keep the reporters away from me whatever you do."

Autobase Security Centre

"Hell, what didn't I do? Smuggling, racketeering, tax evasion, buying goods that turned out to be stolen..." Hubcap sighed. "Luckily they're more interested in taking down the Space Mafia than they are in locking me away, so I'm going to get a second chance at life."
______________________________________________________

Ultra Magnus' Office

"Hubcap was very helpful when it came to names, dates and different crimes that Kingpin and his men have committed," Crosshairs told Prowl. "He was much less forthcoming when it came to the details of their hideout. Apparently he's never been there, although he's visited the datacard factory that serves as a front operation for them."

The ex-Targetmaster pulled up a different file on his datapad and projected it in the air. "These are the registered blueprints for the factory/gang headquarters, which is located on the outskirts of the city at 1470 Nova Prime Avenue. The layout of the factory itself is probably accurate, but I suspect that the back offices, where the gang are supposed to do their business, are going to look a lot different than what we're seeing here."

He sighed. "Unfortunately, the location presents a bit of a challenge for us. We'll need to take all the factory workers into custody for their own protection, because I doubt the Space Mafia are beneath using them as living shields to escape from the law."

Don Coriolis Villa

Squeeze looked around the scene of carnage in a space of minutes the happy celebration had turned into a slaughterhouse.

He turned to Fiddle

"ok lets get out of here make sure you have Reel wipe all the security sensors no sense leaving any more clues than necessary."

~*~

one of the caterers crouched under the energon table portable com link in one trembling hand. He inputed the number for Autobot Security HQ.

He whispered into it.

"it's madness they're killing everyone ,come quick I'm at 442 Spiral Avenue, someones coming...."

Bumblebee shook his head at Hubcap's story. "Yeah, ever since Prime disappeared this place went to the Pit in a crank-shaft. They have been only caring about what they think is the common good."

Autobot Security HQ:


Road Rage, figuring that discretion was the better part of valor in this case(not to mention it was keeping the pests busy and not screaming), checked the monitoring console.

And was, therefore, listening when the message came in from Don Coriolis' villa. "Great. We really need more people in security......" Muttering under her breath, she went over to the door, opened it, and closed it behind her. "Hot Rod?"

Hot Rod: "Well, Foxbat, here's somebody who.... can.... huh?" -looking puzzled at Road Rage's frantic gesturing- "Hang on a second, I'll go see what's up." -walks over to Road Rage- "What's going-"

Road Rage pulled out a badge, slapped it on Hot Rod's chest. "Hot Rod, in the name of the Pax Cybertronia, I hereby deputize you into the Security service. Take the troops you can muster and get to this address as fast as you can." She handed him a padd with the Don's address on it.

Hot Rod: "What?!?"

Road Rage leaned in closer, hissing into his audio receptor. "Take the lawyer with you. There's more at stake here than he'll want to deal with." With that, she slipped back inside.

Hot Rod: -blinks a couple of times, looks down at the padd, then looks over at Foxbat- "Uh......" -shrugs, walks over to Foxbat- "Ever been deputized?"

------------

Jetfire: -looks up from the notations he's making on a padd at Savage- "No. I think there's some over there, though." -points towards Omega Supreme-

Autobot Security HQ


Foxbat paused in mid air

"Deputized?? A rather archaic custom, I must confess that I have always fancied the post of lawman. In my youth I did consume all those Tridees about the badlands, the sherriff and his posse out there where he was all that stood between lawlessness. Alas My career took a different path and now I serve the law in a different way."


~*~

Savage slinked across towards Hot Rod.

I'm looking for a member of the Autobot security services?

Bumblebee began to focus. He grabbed the camera and began to pull it, yanking part of the plastic off, leaving several wires exposed. He snickered and extracted the wires.

Bumblebee sat down on the bench and opened his arm's communicator, Using the heat immited from the fresh pulled wires he began to repair his communicator, leaving the camera nonfunctional.

Omega Supreme

Overdrive finished polishing his weapons and glanced over at Glyph

"looks like it's showtime."

Autobot Security HQ:


Hot Rod: -smiles- "Well, Foxy, congratulations. Today you get to live out those youthful fantasies. I'm officially deputizing you." -looks over at Savage- "At the moment, I am. And now, so are you." -waves to Roadbuster-

Roadbuster: -motions Stepper to take a grip of Gnarl, jogs down the ramp, comes over to Hot Rod- "What's up?"

Hot Rod: "Roadbuster, today you are a deputy."

Roadbuster: "I'm a what?"

Hot Rod: "A deputy. We've been duly deputized as agents of Autobot Security." -looks at the padd, waves it at his 'squad' of deputies- "There's trouble at 442 Spiral, and we need to get there now." -transforms to vehicle mode, engine revving as he opens his doors- "Anybody need a ride?"

Roadbuster: "I don't believe this......." -transforms to vehicle mode-

-------------

Road Rage leaned against the sealed door, sighing in relief.... then widened her optics as she watched Bumblebee. "There's no point. You can't punch a signal through the jamming field. And I'm sure Airplay doesn't appreciate having her camera dismantled."

"At this point, I'm not caring... I need to get out of here..." Bumblebee connected two wires together and a electrical shock hit his body, sending him flying back and hitting the door. "Oooookaaayy... It's not that wire..."