Thrust would have rolled his optics, had he the ability. It was an entirely human custom he found would have perfectly illustrated his feelings at that precise nanoclick. He settled for releasing a loud sigh of hot air and folding his hands carefully behind his back, regarding the verbally combatative figures of Galvatron and Megatron for only a moment more in silence before loosing his patience, and speaking up. He stepped forward.

"Excuse me, mighty ones..." He began, mouth hidden by a strange, triangular mask which clamped securely over his nose, seeing to it that only his optics were visible under his cone-shaped helm. He was quickly met with two nearly identical red stares as both the tyrants turned to glare at him, upset, perhaps, that he had interrupted their ceaseless bickering for a nanoclick.

"If it's not too much trouble, I had already laid claim to the Mini-con captive. As I am sure you are both aware, my specialty is that which we do not fully understand. Mini-cons are a perfect example of this. I can expertly withdraw much information from the small being without terminating him." This seemed to confuse the duo for a moment, but finally Galvatron spoke up.

"Yes! Of course!" He shouted, pumping a fist in the air. "Thrust - the Mini-con captive is yours to deal with."

Thrust gave a low bow.

"Thank you, my liege." Hearing Megatron start up an arguement, Thrust quickly turned on a thruster and left the 'throne room'. He would make a quick stop by his labrotory first, and then he would retrieve his new... playmate.

Scourge kept himself silent. In fact, he was almost beginning to think that Galvatron had forgotten he'd called the arial commander and his sweeps to his chamber to begin with. But neither he, nor his men were about to speak up in the middle of what appeared to be going on. Clash of the titans, neither of which were particularly sane, he decided to himself. He knew all too well that if he voiced his opinion at the wrong time, 'shooting the messanger' would be the first thing on both Tyrant's minds. And so, he remained silent, though his central processor soon began to wander to the captives, one in particular. While all this arguing was going on, he could be doing something useful. Well, something more useful than standing around looking pretty. He glanced over his shoulder and oneof the Sweeps gave him a meaningful look as if to say 'speak up already!' Sourge sighed and took a tentative step forward.

"My Lord. If i may?" He began, bracing himself with a slight wince at the response he might receive. "The other captive, My Sweeps could effectively deal with him if you would allow it."

~*~

Hotrod let his helm dip forward to connect with the wall one final time. His energy nearly exhausted he just let it hang, and eventually his arms fell to hang limply at his sides. It was no use. He'd been over their 'escape' in his central processor a hundred times... nothing. Each time he had a breakthrough his less-than-pleasant Mini-con companion stated condescendingly that there was no way that would work. He was not about to give up and accept his situation, but he couldn't think anymore. Maybe after a good night's recharge he'd- Who was he kidding?! Recharge?! While a POW!?

"Aahh... Primus." He muttered quietly in defeat.

Swindle rested his hands on his knee joints and took in breath rapidly trying to cool his internal systems. He had been ramming the force-field for nearly a day now and he was exhausted. He tried to think logically about the whole situation, but his need to be out of this place, his longing to be back with his bonded master made his actions irrational. And the idiotic plans of his autobot cell-mate only made things worse for him. His central processor screamed at him to be gone from this place. He sent frantic messaged to Starscream, though he knew full-well that the decepticon jet would not be able to hear or acknowledge him from in here. He caught his breath, cooling a little, beeping his frustration to himself.

"No way out of th-this...cell..." he panted, still on the verge of overheating for his vain efforts.

~*~

"FINE!" Galvatron and Megatron shouted in unison, glaring at Scourge and his 'clones'. They paused, then turned on each other and resumed shouting, pushing, and finger pointing. Thrust, meanwhile, had clicked on the light in his lab and was beginning to organize equipment he felt he would need to 'work' on the Mini-con. He grinned a derranged grin behind his mask as he began carefully, caressingly laying out his equipment. The Mini-cons were a never ending source of intrigue for the Decepticon 'scientist'. They had been, up until months ago, merely legend and now... he had the opportunity to get his hands on them. To dissect them, to inspect them, to find out everything he could about them. He had even begun harvesting parts and fluids from his previous Mini-con captives in order to create his own should he need to, should he ever have enough information to do so.

He traced a careful finger down the length of his 'cutting board' as it were, a small leather-like attatchment to his work table where his Mini-cons were restrained during their examinations. So wrapped up in his ability to access the tiny little wires and internal circuits of his newly chosen subjects, Thrust had taken time to painstakingly file down his fingers leaving a sharp, triangular 'nail like' protrusion at the end of all five digits - much like a human's. This way he was able to pick at, poke, prod and at times sever things within the Mini-cons without crushing them. It was delicate work indeed. He smirked again to himself and turned to head towards the cells.

Scourge stepped back a little, bumping into one of his men, Sweep Alpha, as he so fondly referred to him. The latter stumbled backward and Scourge glared at him. he turned to face his leader...leaders again and bowed hastily, not wanting to wait until they changed their minds. This was his only chance at escape from a processor-numbingly boring, and potentially volatile situation. His sweeps seemed to be aware of this fact as well and, as he spun on his heel to leave, they had already done so and one was even just about out the door. This was good, he mused as he left the heated chambers, now he could occupy his men so he would not have to listen to them whine and complain AND do something that would get him a little of the recognition he deserved.

He shoved Alpha to get him out the door as quickly as possible and then strode in front of them all, smirking as they stepped aside for him. He clanked down the hall, the rhythmic echoes of his identical men sounded behind him.

"We get the autobot then?" Alpha inquired.

Scourge ignored him for a moment. Was he not there a moment ago?

"Yes, you heard them didn't you?! Just remember, retrieving autobot base and defense intelligence is a priority. Fun for us comes second." he tried to sound authoritative, but his excitement for something to do other than paperwork or training was building and it was evident in his voice. He could almost feel the three sweeps behind him grin.

~*~

"There has to be!" Hotrod shouted desperately, turning to face Swindle. He approached the Mini-con then took to one knee in front of him. Splaying his hands on either side he willed his core not to wail in panic as he spoke, his voice almost steady. Almost.

"We can't just give up, Swindle! If we give up then they've already won!" He tried to sound convinced, but he wasn't. He knew... most of-age Autobots knew, what Decepticons did to their captives. Decepticons had become masters at ... extracting information - torture, and they would stop at nothing to get the answers they were after. Hotrod had seen the aftermath of Decepticon torture... His chassis shuddered.

"Think, Swindle... Think. There has to be some weakness in the defense system mainframe. No program is perfect!"

Swindle shook his head.

"All weaknesses monitored! Wired to Megatron directly! Even if Swindle and autobot found one, Decepticon leader would come!" He slammed a fist into the wall next to him. "Only thing Swindle and Autobot can do is...when decepticon guard opens the cell, try to fight him. Maybe together, Swindle and Autobot can take one then escape.." he said, though he didn't sound entirely convinced. He seemed already broken almost, a different bot altogether without Starscream there to boost his confidence.

~*~

Thrust turned a corner and nearly skidded to a halt, his faceplate suddenly inches from that of Scourge. Taking an indignant step backwards, Thrust cleared his exhaust and narrowed his optic scope at the flight-capable Decepticon and his little... fan club.

"And just where are you going?" He asked with disdain dripping from every word, eyeing Scourge, then all three of his men in turn.

Scourge could almost see the expressions of his men behind him. It was possibly because he was wearing the exact same look of exasperated frustration.

"I am retrieving the captive, Thrust." He spit the last word, "Lord Galvatron and Lord Megatron instructed me to...interrogate him." Scourge heard his men snicker behind him and allowed himself a smirk. "What about you? What are you doing here?"

~*~

"Swindle!" Hotrod exclaimed, dropping all composure as he picked up the Mini-con in both hands. "That's brilliant!" He laughed, optics flaring in promise. "We can take one Decepticon - slag, I bet we can even take two Decepticons if we work together!" He looked around the cell for a moment, but refused to be deterred by their lack of ... well, anything that could function as a weapon. He nodded, more to himself than anything, and set Swindle down.

"Alright... When they come to get us - I'll tackle them and uh - then we make a run for it." Hotrod was slowly starting to loose his confidence.

Swindle struggled in Hotrod's hands and pushed away from him just as he was let go.

"Let Swindle go Autobot! Don't touch!" he warned with a few untranslatable beeps to emphasize his meaning. He caught his breath and looked up at the tall bot. Well, tall to him. He looked around as well, though he knew there was nothing in the cell that was of use, nothing in the cell at all. Swindle paused and turned to Hotrod.

"What if more than two decepticons come?"

~*~

Thrust let out a rather primative growl and reached out to poke Scourge in the soft, squishy neck-wires with a sharp finger'nail'.

"You had better mean the Autobot captive, you flying piece of junk. You heard me request the Mini-con captive and if you attempt to undermine me... The consequences will be dire." He flared up his optics as a warning.

Scourge frowned and, instead of backing off Thrust's jabbing appendage, leaned in, allowing the sharp 'nail' to slide between very vital wires, showing just how 'over' the creepy doctor's power trips he was.

"There is little i could do with the small one Thrust. That kind of pleasure is more up your alley anyway. I wouldn't DREAM of taking your little obsession away from you." He snarled and narrowed his optics at the cone-headed scientist.

~*~

Hotrod frowned and sat down, knees bent upwards as he looked pleadingly at the Mini-con.

"Look, Swindle, I'm just trying to keep hope alive. I- We can't just... give in. You've got to help me." He shook his head and powered down his optics. "No. We have to help each other. Do you want to see Starscream again?" He powered up his optics to look the little Mini-con over. "What would he do if he were being held captive?"

Swindle froze. Starscream. He would...terminate if he knew he could never see him again... He looked up at Hotrod and paused before speaking, choosing his words carefully. He was used to speaking to his bond-master and the seeker always understood him. he found that talking to other bots, he had to be a little more clear.

"Swindle just....knows this place...these decepticons.... he knows what they....do... Swindle does not know what Starscream would do.... m-maybe talk his way out?" He ventured, but sounded totally lost. He sat down heavily, hanging his head. He commed Starscream once again in vain.

~*~

Thrust scoffed at Scourge and turned, back-handing the Decepticon square across the faceplate before entering his code and listening to the door 'swoosh' open. He smiled a little and wasted no time in walking down the long cooridor towards the most heavily protected cell - the one reserved for sneaky, Autobot prisoners... And Decepticons, who knew what lay in store. He folded his hands behind his back again, and narrowed his optic scope.

"I hope you've rested up, my tiny little pet." He practically cooed, daring not even attempt to hide his anticipation. He came to a stop in front of the cell and looked down, meeting Swindle's optics dead-on.

"Swindle, yes? Starscream's partner?" He smirked, the expression somehow creeping up from behind his mask to envelope his optics as well.

Hotrod was about to answer, about to reach out and gently shake the Decepticon Mini-con back and forth to knock some sense into his processor, when he heard the door open. He quickly rose to his feet and approached the force field which served as their 'wall' to the cooridor beyond. He snarled, baring small little 'fangs' of sorts as the Decepticon cone-head approached. He narrowed his optic scope as the Decepticon totally ignored him and began a mental assault on Swindle. Scare tactics ... yeah, he knew about that. From what he'd learned from Kup the Decepticons had 'stages' to their torture... Scare Tactics were in there somewhere.

"Listen here you Decepticon scrap metal!" Hotrod hissed, pressing his faceplate as close to the shield as he could. He was rewarded with one quick, icy glare.

Scourge moved to say something further but his words were cut off by a hand clanging against his faceplate. The sweep leader had no time to really be indignant or retaliate since Thrust was just about down the hall when he realized what had happened. he settled for being the slightest bit amused that his smack had hurt so little. Thrust really wasn't a fighter at all. he quickly followed the odd doctor down the corridor, hearing his sweeps behind him, snickering. He would deal with their insubordinance later.

"Watch your back Thrust." He muttered for only him to hear. He stopped just behind him next to the cell, completely ignoring him now. Every decepticon knew that all fighting amongst themselves ceased in the presence of autobots in order to put forth a united front.

Swindle rose as well as the door down the hall opened. He braced himself beside Hotrod on the other side of the force shield from their captors. When he good a good look at the one who approached, however, all the fight drained out of him almost immediately. He took an involuntary step back, the fear that was not easily readable on his minicon faceplate, was more discernible from his dramatically change body language. A small hiss could be heard as the minicon took in a breath and puffed his chest a little.

"Swindle is Starscream's partner!" He affirmed, though more fear seeped into his voice than he wanted. Why Thrust....? Anyone but him! He tried to stop his fists from shaking where they were clenched at his sides. His inner voice, his private comm channel wailed along with his core

for his aforementioned partner, though as always...no answer.

Thrust smirked a little and crouched down, ignoring the Autobot as he banged his fists into the force field in an attempt to gain the cone-head's attention. He brought his faceplate almost on-level with Swindle's and cocked his helm to one side.

"Fiesty, aren't we? I can see why Starscream took such a liking to you, you are well matched." He silently switched out one of his hands for a long length of special cord. This cord was made entirely of an energy derived directly from Ore13 in it's purest form - a substance that Thrust had early on discovered had properties which directly interfeared with the Mini-con's central processors... effectively paralyzing them until the Ore was removed from the presence. It was perfect - for it left no lasting damage and he had not, as of yet, stumbled upon a Mini-con who could resist it. Keeping himself crouched he Scourge.

~Are you and your men ready to restrain your captive so that I may retrieve mine?~

Hotrod growled and slammed fists and forearms into the forcefield again and again, shouting at the cone-headed Decepticon. He felt, rather than saw, the change in his little companion for the time being, and knew that if they were to have any chance of escape he needed to give the Mini-con some kind of confidence. He assumed that the two knew each other, and probably not on good terms.

"Slag it! Look at me you ugly idiot!" He hissed.

Scourge did not move, just out of sight of the cell, though not really trying to hide himself or his men.

~Yes, whenever you are ready, we will be.~ He commed back. he sent a signal to his men and they shifted almost imperceptibly into ready positions. The Sweep commander allowed himself a smirk. This would be almost too easy really. He could tell they didn't even know they were there...yet.

Swindle, in response simply banged on the energy field directly beside Thrust's head. Of course the shield stopped him from actually hitting the other bot, but the sparks and the angry beeping that accompanied the action made his feelings clear.

"Starscream and Swindle are unstoppable!" He assured his captor, mostly just to have something to shout at the scientist.

Thrust sighed and stood, dropping his hands to his side and reaching up to lower the force field. The very nanoclick that he did so he snapped out his left arm, quickly sending a thick thread of cable to wrap around the Mini-con. He made sure to keep himself far to one side, giving Scourge and his ... clones time to step in and room to secure the larger Autobot. He was not here to become involved in an idiodic scuffle. He was here to obtain his captive and return to his lab to begin work. He grinned as the cable snaked it's way completely around Swindle's tiny chassis, pinning his arms effectively to his sides before snapping back to remove any slack.

Hotrod looked down as Swindle hit the force field and he permitted himself a small smile. It seemed like maybe they would be able to do this! He looked back up just in time to see the cone-head open the cell. It took a few precious nanoclicks for the shield to slowly lower all the way, but Hotrod was ready. He practically sprang out of the cell, stepping over what remained of the shield as he prepared to tackle the cone-head. He could do this. He could do this! The cone-head was lithe, obviously built to fly and complete rediculous aerial manuevers.. he was no fighter. Hotrod would take him down and then he and Swindle would make a break for it.

Scourge was more than ready and his sweeps were practically jumping out of their chassis for a chance at some action. This was good, though it did make for a somewhat uncoordinated attack. Scourge let the orange and red autobot get very, VERY close to Thrust before springing forward, hoping it would spite the creepy son of a splitspark. But when he did act, he sprung forward in less than a nanoclick and shouldered Hotrod in the abdomen, the momentum carrying them both into a nearby wall. The sweeps followed suit eagerly, though they were not as quick as their commander and ran forward to help restrain the autobot after the tackle was complete and they were all on the ground.

Swindle let off a string of beeps that would make any minicon blush as the energy cord encircled him before he could even move to spit on Thrust, let alone try to escape or attack him. He found that once the cord was around him, his arms grating against his sides, pinned there completely immobile.

"Let Swindle go scrap heap!" he finally managed in a language that the good doctor could understand.

Thrust laughed, more the sound of grinding gears and mechanical whirring than a laugh. He lowered his helm again and reeled Swindle in slowly, until he was able to pick him up with his right hand. He smirked and lifted the Mini-con rather close to his faceplate.

"I hardly think you are in any position to be giving me orders, pet." He cawed. With one last look over his shoulder at the undignified heap that was Scourge, his clones and the Autobot, Thrust scoffed, and started down the cooridor.

"Megatron and Galvatron both have given me permission to see to you, Mini-con." Thrust explained calmly, holding Swindle to his chestplate in mock affection. He refrained from petting the Mini-con's helm, though the desire was strong. "You and I are going to have fun, I think."

Hotrod let out a surprised gasp as he was elbowed and then pinned to the wall. His optics flared for a moment until he was able to think clearly, and he began to fight back. He attemtped to clamp his hands on Scourge's shoulder and pry him off, or get his legs positioned for a good kick.

"Decepticon cowards!" He shouted, fear lingering in the back of his processor, not yet having overcome his need to fight off his attackers. He watched for as long as he could with wanning confidence as Swindle was carried through and then out of the cooridor. He almost felt like his hope went with the Mini-con. There was no way he could do this alone! He was vastly outnumbered and-and.. No! He couldn't start thinking like that! He had to think like Kup! Like Ultra Magnus! Like Optimus! What would they do!?

Swindle tried to squirm, he tried to fight back, tried to do anything! But he found himself effectively paralyzed and could only express his frustration and processor-numbing fear through a series of beeps and other frantic sounds. He almost called out to the autobot, almost yelled for his help, but pride, and the knowledge that his cell-mate was having his own problems, halted such an action.

Scourge pinned Hotrod by the shoulders as the sweeps grabbed his flailing limbs.

"Struggle and this will be a lot harder for you....and more fun for us!" Scourge informed the autobot captive as he, and the sweeps, each holding part of the mech's body, lifted Hotrod to his feet.