Lockpick grumbles as he steps out of a door. "What a waste of time." he mutters as he pockets his tools. "Not even worth the credits for a key that was under the ma-"*CRASH* he walks right into someone, stumbling back in surprise.
Shark is in disguise this cycle, appearing as the crazy Cubricon civilian is as simple as well applied soot, dirt, and other nastiness. This alters the hue of his coloration; in fact it pretty much covers it up. He's down here, looking of some intel from the locals on anyone that may know anything about the location of Chimera or the dragon creature. That's why Lockpick runs right into him. "Watch where ya going." he growls.
"Ach! Sorry." mutters Lockpick, picking himself up carefully, "Sorry, got a little distracted. no harm done? " he asked, nervously glancing over who it was, then relaxing somewhat.
Shark peers hard through the fine dust on his optics and smirks a hint, "Yeah, sure. Whatever. Say since I got you stopped and stuff, gotta question for ya."
"Depending on the answer, I may or may not have it." replies Lockpick, a typical response for Cubicron.
Shark inclines his head to that, "Right. Well you see I've got this friend who likes to big game hunt." he glances to his left, "Yes I mean you." then he looks back to Lockpick, "Anyway, was wondering if you seen either of the critters that are attacking and killing lone neutrals and if so where did you see them."
Lifeline is also in this wrecked out part of Cubicron, though she's silently asking herself why. She knows why -- she's nearly out of plating (again) and is hoping to scrounge up something that'll suffice. She's just far enough to miss the conversation those two are having, using a handheld light to see her way.
Glancing to one side, Lockpick blinks in confusion. Then he tenses "... Either of the critters? there's more than one now?" he asks uncertainly. "I heard of one. Some insane Empty they say." Noting the light, he tenses upon seeing Lifeline, darting his hand behind his back
Shark nods, "Oh yeah, there's a large flying one and a four legged grounder type out there preying on folks. So seen either of em?" he asks again. His sonar and radar pick up on Lifeline as she comes within range.
"Not particularly... I was busy in po... In other parts of the planet until recently." explains Lockpick "Did you ask Lifeline? She gets out more."
Shark mms hmms, "Yep already did. So you not heard of anyone talking about either of them then. My buddy really could use some leads, might even pay for good ones."
Lifeline looks around the perimeter of a burnt-out building, then tentatively steps inside.
"If I hear of anything I'll let him... or you know." promises Lockpick "Wait, I think I remember hearing something." he falls silent, thinking deeply... Then he blinks at Lifeline "... She shouldn’t be wandering in there... I know a crazy old bum who stays in there sometime."
Shark's sonar and radar pickups lose contact with Lifeline, but he knows where she went based off his knowledge of the city so isn't too worried about her. Then Lockpick mentions that and he nods, "I'll check on her, you keep that info on the tip of your processor okay? I'll be right back." he moves off to check inside the building.
Lockpick turns to walk after Shark, but after a few steps, disappeared down the side alley by the building, around the back as he peered at the opened back door without a word.
Shark calls out into the building, "Yo doc, you okay in here?"
Lifeline casts her light around inside the building in search of ... well, whatever she's looking for. She is about to step deeper into the building when a voice calls out. Pausing to frown faintly, she calls back, "Yes. Fine. What are you doing here?"
Shark replies, "Making sure you are okay, there's supposed to be a bum that lives in here that doesn't like company."
Lockpick slides up to the door and slips in, blending into the shadows as he peers around "Rusty, you in here? Gotta move man." he murmurs, in another room from Lifeline
Lifeline says, "I know. Who do you think makes sure he keeps from completely rusting to pieces?"
Shark ahs softly, then calls out, "Okay, well I just wanted to be sure you were safe doc."
Lockpick frowns. The house was empty save for Lifeline, so he slipped back out the back door, leaving only a shadow behind. Lockpick comes back around the corner to where the other two had gone in, tapping on the door "Hey!"
Shark steps out and nods, "She's fine. Said she knows the mech that lives here. So you were gonna tell me something you heard?"
"Who do you not know?" asks Lockpick in amazement as he looks at Lifeline "And yeah... Gimme a moment. I had it when I got distracted.
Shark plants his hands on his hips, fingers tapping there.
Lifeline finally exits the building, having not found anything useful, or old 'Rusty' to ask. But now she's got other things to ask. "What are you two doing down here?"
Lockpick muses a little bit more, then blinks and looks at Lifeline "Wondering how you're still alive." he notes distractedly
Shark smirks a hint, "Looking for information."
Lifeline tosses Lockpick a 'Please.' look, then glances at Shark and nods. She knows what he's trying to find out about, and replies quietly, "I haven't heard anything new."
Lockpick points at Shark "What he said actually." he states "And I think I heard something in the rust hills..."
Shark nods to them both, "Well thanks doc, sir. It's something at least. If you do hear something, let me know on this frequency: 65.193.80.724."
Lifeline notes the frequency and nods to Shark again. "And you, Lockpick? You're not just down here to check on Rusty."
Lockpick says, "I was called down for a special mission you could say. Turned out he forgot the key was under the mat. Waste of time, not worth the coin"
Shark chuckles, "Sorry to hear that." he offers.
Lifeline hmphs faintly and looks around, hoping to find another likely place to find pieces of plating.
Shark looks to Lifeline, "So what are you looking for there doc, I can hook you up with some stuff top side but you gotta climb to get to it."
"Yeah, hard to help when we don’t know what we're looking for." notes Lockpick with a bit of a smile
Lifeline raises an optic ridge at Shark. "You have a pile of plating stashed somewhere?"
Lockpick blinks "Hey, you know I DO run a pawn shop, which doubles sometimes as 'scrap yard' if its valuable." he points out.
Shark mmms, "Stashed? Could say that. Actually it in plain view. Like I said, ya gotta climb. You see Chimera left a bunch of bodies up on the old radio tower. Dunno how you feel about taking stuff off the dead, but they are just hanging there til someone deals with them. So if you need stuff, may want to check it out."
Lockpick eyes Shark warily
Lifeline ohs and nods to them both. She'll likely see what Lockpick has to offer first, as it's a matter of supporting other local businesses. But also she suspects that those corpses won't be up there for much longer the way scavengers usually pick through things around here.
Shark just smiles a bit at Lockpicks wary look, then offers a wave, "Well I'm off to talk to some more locals I know. Take care eh?"
Lockpick nods at Shark "Sure sure. Be careful and let your buddy know to watch his back. Especially in Cubicron."
Lifeline waves at Shark. "Bye." She suspects that her offhand comment will result in a delivery from the Autobot medical supplies soon. Great.
Shark nods to Lockpick, "Right." then walks off to talk to some more locals before heading back to Iacon. After all he has some scientists to annoy about some flame proof armor or flame retarding paint!
Lockpick watches Shark go, and then looks at Lifeline "So do you want to loot bodies or buy lucratively acquired supplies first?"
Lifeline glances at Lockpick. "Well, seeing that I need this plating sooner rather than later..."
Lockpick nods at that and waits... obviously a little stupidified as he wasn’t' sure which option she wanted.
Lifeline huffs an impatient sigh from her vents at Lockpick. "Come on, let's go see what you have in stock."
Lockpick nods "Right this way!" he turns quickly to stride along the street "I'm willing to credit you the money too. I doubt you're the kind to carry around a lot." he remarks as he heads to his shop.
Lifeline follows Lockpick briskly. "You're right, I normally don't. But we can deal with that when we get there."
Lockpick states, "I know you're good for it." he pushes the door open to his shop, not even indicating a keypad as he climbs into the cluttered shop "Its around back, but the door only opens from the inside on purpose." he explains as he heads to the back room, where a small amount of the metal plating needed was stacked haphazardly in one corner.
Lifeline nods and steps into the shop also, seeing the pile of plating and looking through it quickly. Some of it's got signs of corrosion, but not so bad that she can't use it. "How much for this entire pile?"
Lockpick states, "Fifty credits or equivalent in fuel sound good?" it was a midway offer "I'll help stack it up too.
That's a better price than she was expecting. Lifeline nods. "That I can do. If you'll load it, I can carry it back to the clinic."
Lockpick nods, "I take payment in self maintenance tools and stuff too if you want." he notes as he moves to help start load up, grunting with effort. he wasn't that strong.
Lifeline picks up a stack easily three times as big as Lockpick can handle and carries them toward the door of the pawn shop. From there Lockpick will have to load them onto her flatbed for transport to the clinic. Unless his vehicle mode is adequate for the task.
Lockpick opens up the rear door, instead of going through the cluttered shop. "GACK" he drops the plate he was carrying, squishing the turbo rat that darted into the shop under the door.
Lifeline stops abruptly, narrowly avoiding running into Lockpick's back with her own armload of plating. "What?"
"Nothing... anymore " he notes, picking up the plate and kicking the remains into the corner for now as he walks outside "Ok, grunf... transform and I'll load you up."
Lifeline says, "All right." She sets the stack of plating down like it doesn't weigh all that much, then steps outside and transforms, ready for cargo duty. "And thank you, Lockpick. This helps immensely."
Lockpick starts to load up, one sheet at a time, grunting a little bit, his joints creaking "No prob... its taking up space. " he puffs.
Lifeline waits patiently, able to hear every creak that Lockpick's joints make. "I think part of the reimbursement for this plating will be adjusting and recalibrating your knee joints. They sound worse than mind."
Lockpick grumbles "they need greasing. I was going to do that tonight. But if it still bothers me after that I'll come in." he promises, finishing with the lack one.
Lifeline says, "All right." The flatbed moves forward slowly to make sure nothing shifts, then stops again briefly. "Thank you again, Lockpick."
Lockpick nods "Yeah." unless he forgot, "Watch your back on the way back. I saw a license plate thief crawling around earlier."
Lifeline hmphs. "I don't have license plates." And with that, start starts off back toward her clinic.