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[wheremytwinwatches]

[Where My Twin Watches]: Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood Episode 34

Last time: Detective Kimblee got curbstomped, nobody wears hats in freezing weather, and the contents of The Mighty Armstrong’s letter shall forever remain a mystery. Onwards!

Inside Fort Briggs, Ed is shocked to learn that having a metal limb attached to your flesh in subzero weather can be hazardous to your health, he’s being treated for exposure. A spiky-haired blonde doctor’s talking about how the cold freezes flesh and unoiled automail will stiffen.

So do all automail Briggs soldiers carry around oil cans, then? Like Buccaneer, who just came into the med room complaining about Al’s head being stuck in his chainsaw-arm. Apparently northern automail- Hold up, is it just me or does this new guy in a labcoat who’s working on Buccy’s arm look like Havoc? Eh, maybe it’s just the cigarette. -northern automail is flexible, lightweight, and resistant to the cold, so they worked out an alloy. And here Ed was just trying to transmute iron, makes sense a blend of metals he’s not consciously trying to manipulate would resist him. Aw, Buccy has an actual automail arm while his chainsaw is getting worked on. I was hoping for shoe-tying shenanigans. After the obligatory “wait this kid’s equivalent to an officer?” moment the Doc recommends he call for Winry to make a cold-weather arm. If he wants to live, that is. Also, that’ll be a hundred cens for the coffee thank you. Hmmm, maybe Ed should do some research on the place he’s going next time? I get that he’s used to Central military life, but the North seems to run on different rules. Still doesn’t keep him from being irritated. [Major-General Armstrong]: “Hello, little red runt.” Major-General Armstrong; so intimidating that when she nicknames our height-sensitive protagonist after a fairy tale he’s too frozen with fear to respond. And then the mechanic returns Al’s head with his “hair” left a scraggly stump? This day is not going the Elric Brothers’ way. Episode 34 - “Ice Queen” ...as much as I like Major-General Armstrong so far and you lot seem to worship her, I have a lot of favorite characters who have taken the title “Ice Queen”. Let’s see how she stacks up against them. Taking a seat at a small desk (I thought it was hers to show off an austere lifestyle or whatever until that picture of North Doc’s family, guess she commandeered the office for a bit), Major-General Armstrong asks how her brother Alex is doing. Aw, she cares! Except for snarling after the brothers say the big strong guy they know and love is doing great? (Please tell me she has a height complex with her little brother, please tell me she has a height complex with her little brother…) Anyways, time to explain why they came north. They can’t say much though, while they want to eventually deal with Uncle if they talk about the Goths it could reach the Fuhrer, and then Winry (and Riza) are in trouble. The brothers decide to just talk about the quest to recover their bodies, tracking down May to the north. Major-General Armstrong… calls them Trouble Magnets and tells them to GTFO of her fort. Except that’s what she’d “like” to say but her interest in Alkahestry trumps her irritation with the protagonists. Knowledge is power, and knowing a skill that’s little understood in her home country could be useful in defending its borders. Another weapon for the arsenal… Hoo boy. Al protests that Alkahestry is specialized for medical healing, Major-General Armstrong snaps that- [Major-General Armstrong]: “My job is far more perilous than yours. I will make use of any knowledge that I can get my hands on.” Ok then. I’m getting that people like her attitude and all… but I’m kinda concerned about that line. If her immediate reaction to Alkahestry is “how can I weaponize this”, I’m worried what Major-General Armstrong’s opinion on Philosophers Stones would be. Major-General Armstrong declares that she’ll track down May while the Brothers stay inside the fort, telling Major Miles (is that Sideburns-Guy who’s been by her side all this time?) to put them to work. No work, no food, capiche? Then down the corridor she goes with Buccy, talking about how they’re still “soft and weak”, and that they haven’t told her everything. Major Miles/Sideburns is leading the Brothers somewhere, Ed tries to engage him in conversation but he stays silent. Ed gripes that they keep getting asked questions but don’t get any answers, when Sideburns stops and- Ishvalan! Sideburns is Ishvalan! Ok then! While it’s common knowledge that Ishvalans were purged (yeesh) from the army before the War of Extermination, Sideburns is half-Ishvalan so apparently got to stay in the military as Ed’s country destroyed that of his grandfather. Ed lets out a shaky breath and says Sideburns’ people destroyed the countryside, and one of them murdered his friend’s parents. The two stare eachother down… until Sideburns chuckles? A test? Ed didn’t give him the response he’s used to (shame and pity), but it’s understandable given his complicated relationship with Scar. Wait, attempted kidnapping? When did Scar try to kidnap you, as far as I can remember all your interactions were either trying to kill each other or you using him as Goth Bait. Sideburns seems pleased with Ed’s views, ushers him on while explaining that yes he was active duty during the War, being outside the military purge requirements he stayed while his relatives died in the East. He understandably resented the military’s actions, and was confused as to why Major-General Armstrong would keep him around as a ranking officer given the racial tensions. Eventually he asked her. [Major-General Armstrong]: “This is Briggs. No matter what happens, this territory must not fall. Every soldier here must be both strong and flexible. You must move as one cohesive unit, following me your leader in all things and at all times. In short, we do not have the luxury of discrimination here. The blood of several races flows within you, and with that comes varying strengths and values. You can see this country in a way that others cannot. I was born and raised in Amestris; in order to lead I need someone with your eyes. Now shut up and follow me, Miles! Understood?!” Damn! Sorry, had to include that entire quote. Still worried about the desire to weaponize Alkahestry (and possibly Philosopher’s Stones), but I’ve gotta respect that speech. Pfft! And in addition to that awesome quote, when Sideburns asked if he can’t get over his resentment about the Extermination? [Major-General Armstrong]: *sword drawn* “Fine then, bring it! On behalf of the military I will accept your challenge any time!” Badass in Command for sure. And when Ed speculates that she said that because she had all those troops at her back Sideburns is quick to nope that idea right out. Scary lady is scary. They’re outside now, Sideburns expounding on the Survival of the Fittest culture of Briggs. You don’t have power? Dead. You have it? You might survive. Private or general, all are equal to that rule. And apparently they respect various forms of power, Sideburns notes Ed’s high luck when he trips and dodges a falling icicle. Ok, have to admit my first thought was Sideburns would say “we leave these icicles up because if you get killed from falling ice you’ve got no business at Briggs” to expand on the Survival of the Fittest, but they’ve got more common sense than that. The Brothers are assigned to scrape off the falling threats, after that they’ll get a room. Aw, poor vertically-challenged Ed can’t reach the ice while his little brother knocks them down with ease, when someone who recognizes them walks up. Oh hey, Falman! That’s right, you did get reassigned to the north. Or actually, wasn’t it the Northern Command Center? Apparently he was for a bit, but then promotion and shuffling over to Briggs. Unfortunately despite the shoulder bling the Brothers pick up that doing grunt work like this means he’s off the career track? Come on kiddos, show some tact when noting the middle-aged guy is off the advancement list! I’d run away crying too! After Falman gets it out of his system, he takes Ed and Al to the Research and Development Center, where there are a bunch of guys working on tanks. Seems Major-General Armstrong’s interest in keeping a weapon advantage extends to taking the latest Amestrian technologies and turning them into weapons. So it does extend beyond Alkahestry, then. Hmmm. Now they’re being shown a massive mechanical room, giant red pipes and fans everywhere. Falman says this is the lowest level of Fort Briggs, since Ed comments that it’s warm I’m assuming this is the engineering room that keeps all the toilets in the fort from freezing, as well as several less-important functions. [Falman]: “Even if the fort’s attacked, this area will remain safe.” ...now why did you have to say that, Falman? You know the Irony Gods can’t resist a line like that. Looking around, Ed’s pushed aside by a mechanic who’s inspecting a pipe for an odd noise, then puts his head to the ground when the Ominous Piano starts up. Digging? Spies from Drachma? Uh, the screens starting to shake and the sound is getting louder, if these are spies they are the least subtle spies I have ever seen/heard. Wait. Not Drachma! NOT DRACHMA! WE HAVE GOTH SIGN! Way, way back in the show we saw the Goth Sloth digging somewhere. I guess we know where that is now! But why? Sloth seems to have a deep voice, saying that it’s annoying to do all this digging, but it’d be a pain to die so whatever. Huh, so this Goth’s being interpreted as apathetic? Guess we’ll find out now, there goes the floor! Mid-ep pictures of Major Miles and yup, that’s Sloth. Major-General Armstrong’s getting a report on Kimblee, seems he’s been checked into a hospital after the train battle. She’s upset to hear that he’s free, especially by the Fuhrer’s orders, but that’ll have to wait because alarm! Intruder in the base!

Sloth sloooowly crawls out of the ground, a big hulking brute facing down the engineers and Elric Brothers. Sloth stares… Ed stares… Sloth stares… Ed stares… Sloth falls asleep wait what? Ooookay then. After the Brothers’s outburst Sloth wakes up and they claim they’re just there to research a way to recover their bodies. But Sloth doesn’t care? Doesn’t know them? What, did Sloth just get told to dig a tunnel to Briggs way back when and hasn’t been updated since? Why? Oh for- Buccy! They aren’t Drachman spies! Yes it looks suspicious that they were talking with the Goth, but that’s because they can’t engage it directly! So now that Sloth has finished his tunnel he seems at a loss for what to do, just stumbles forward and tosses aside a pipe segment (that nearly crushes Ed) because it was in his way. So what I’m getting is that Sloth is even more the dumb muscle of the group than Gluttony was. And durable too, the other Goths had to heal from bullet wounds but they’re just bouncing off him. Sloth shambles onto an elevator and bumps into the lever to rise, seems he’s heading to Development. Ooh, do we get to see the tanks in action? Everyone runs upstairs where troops are running around with rifles, and some hapless mechanics are stacking boxes and arming themselves with pipes. Yeah, don’t bother guys. Sloth arrives and they get ready to- [Major-General Armstrong]: “Don’t move!” *Rocket Launcher* Damn! Someone find me a good picture of her pose after that shot. Unfortunately it’s about as effective as the small rounds were, she tosses the useless rocket launcher to a hapless trooper and orders the alarm turned off. Don’t want the Drachmans to catch wind of an opportunity. Drachma this, Drachma that… part of me is imagining that this is a one-sided rivalry. [Imaginary!Drachman #1]: “Hey, do you hear that? Sounds like an alarm going off at the Amestrian fort.” [I!D #2]: “Wait, they’re still staffing that place? We decommissioned our own fort years ago, ever since we found the Light of Leto. I hope they’re ok.” [I!D #1]: “Perhaps we should send someone over to check on them. Ooh, and deliver some pamphlets!” yessss. We’ve got working tanks! Major-General Armstrong orders the fuses removed from the shells, and reassumes the title of Tank Lady as she boards the vehicle, swings her sword, and gives the command. Fire! Headshot, byotch! Sadly, these are Goths we’re talking about, who all raise a massive middle finger at any non-Alchemy means of attack. A shot from a tank shell just scraped Sloth’s cheek away, and it regrew in a matter of seconds. Sloth just gripes that pain is a pain, and stomps forward. Another shot lodges in his gut but is tossed aside and healed even faster, and further shots just bounce off. Damn, he has Adaptive Ability? Sloth’s “back to work” smashing stuff now, sends some boxes and lockers flying which Ed stops with a Transmuted stone hand. Major-General Armstrong notes his protecting her minions, and then Ed runs up to say stop wasting ammo. She demands answers, but Ed can’t answer without explaining about the Goths and violating the Fuhrer’s deal. In the end it boils down to one question: “Are you on our side or are you in league with that thing?” Ed just doesn’t want to see anyone get hurt, so the Major-General sets that aside and orders Buccy to get some tank fuel. I suppose burning did work on Lust, but that was Alchemy. Hmmm, Major-General Armstrong says they can’t stop it, just delay. And they need something stronger than fire? What are you planning? [Major-General Armstrong, smirking]: “Now you get to see the Briggs way, kid.” Oh my Leto don’t you dare aaaaargh. End of episode. Stop cutting me off, damn it! Alright! We’ve gotten some more info on Major-General Armstrong, who I’m still reserving a nickname for until I’ve got some more info on her character. I am really, really liking a lot of what I’ve seen so far, but after her immediate jump on weaponizing Alkahestry and the drive to research and develop new weapons I worry about her response to Philosopher Stones. Hopefully my fears will be unfounded and she can earn a nickname, it’s a real pain to type out Major-General Armstrong all the time. Sloth! Interesting that they went with the apathy aspect of his Sin, seems to be a guy that prefers to follow orders because thinking for himself takes more effort. Definitely got a chuckle when he up and fell asleep facing the Elrics, good humor potential there. And impressively strong, too! Should be a good battle next episode. With him I believe we’ve only got one Goth left unseen, Pride, who’s hanging out in Central with the other Goths and Uncle.

[supernova1us]

TFA-Transform and roll out(recast)

a fic based on the TFA opener but with the original planned cast, with red alert and hot shot replacing ratchet and bee.

Optimus prime sat at his command seat watching the old war historical documents, longing for the supposed glory they portrayed.  Red alert, the slim red and white femme medic and second in command came up to stand behind him.

“sir, why do you insist on continuing to view outdated archives?” she asked calmly

“all the great autobot leaders learned from the past”

“but war time lessons are no longer needed.  The great war has been over for centuries, and by the will of the all-spark, it will be the last one we see”

“but don’t you wish you were there, just a little? To see what it was really like? What the decepticons were really like?”

“I have learned all I need from studies, like you should have.  And from what I’ve read of the decepticons, I’d say we’re better not knowing”

Red alert then directed optimus’ attention to the sight of the massive green autobot Bulkhead dangling from a cliff by his wrecking ball, shouting for help.

“at the moment though, I think your “soldier instincts” are needed elsewhere” she said dryly

Optimus huffed and they made their way to the cargo bay and exit ramp.

“I get it red alert, war is bad, but do you ever get the feeling that we’re programmed for more than just repairing space bridges?”

“I have a diagnostics program that erases those thoughts like a virus in a fire wall” she said with the slightest hint of sarcasm

Optimus huffed as they transformed and headed out onto the asteroid.  The hard thing about having red alert around was how monotone she could be. It was so hard to tell when she was happy, serious or snarky.  The only emotions she expressed normally were anger and annoyance, usually towards Hot Shot. Hot shot himself was hopping up the hill to try to free bulkhead, moving like a sleek blue, red and yellow streak.

“hurry up, I really hate heights” bulkhead whined

“calm down bulkhead, im working as fast as possible, and there is no bot faster than me, and you know it” he grinned

Hot shot produced his arm mounted flame throwers and shouted with excitement at unleashing a blast wave of flames on the rocks, or would have if he could produce any in the vacuum of space.  Grunting at the realization, he started banging and stomping on the rocks to free the wrecking ball, rocking its owner around.  

“oh, I think im going to blow a gasket”

“calm down and try to hold it in a little long…”

Suddenly the rocks cracked and broke apart and crumbled, sending both bots falling to the ground. After they landed on each other, optimus and red alert arrived and transformed. Red alert narrowed her eye with frustration at the sight of hot shot being dinged up and in need of repairs, again.

“alright, what seems to be the problem?” optimus asked rhetorically

“the problem? The problem is that we are stuck out in the middle of nowhere crushing rocks for outdated spce bridges!” hot shot snapped

“what I don’t get is why anyone would want to transport to this allspark forsaken sector” bulkhead added

“that isn’t the point bulkhead. We have a job to do here, and no problem is insurmountable with the right tool…and a little team work”

Optimus began chopping debris with his axe and encouraged the others to join in.  bulkheads strength made crushing the rocks easy, though it was harder for hot shot to break them down, especially with his flame throwers so weak. Low level heat blast were however enough to weaken them enough to break down.  Red alert, though thinking the task below her, also helped; laser blasts from her prosthetic hand to cut through them easily.  Optimus suddenly realized that they were one crew member short.

“you to prowl…hey, where is prowl?’

Suddenly a shurikan whizzed by optimus to slice a nearby rock before returning to the hiding prowls hand.  The aloof black and gold bot then stepped from the shadows.

“just have to know the weak spot” he said with a hint of condescension

“next time, might want to give us a little more waring” optimus cautioned with and edge

“that would just mess up my timing” prowl said dismissively

Red alert turned from the others only to look up to see a smiling bulkhead, only to turn in another direction, pretending to be adjusteing he rhand emblacement.She shook her head; the conflicting personalities of their crew were creating an unproductive and hostile working environment.  This was far from the career she thought she would have.

Hot shot saw red alerts discomfort with the situation and, as always, decided to push her buttons.  

“careful doc bot, if you frown any more your lower jaw is gonna detach” he smirked

She then produced a laser scalpel from her emplacement and leveled it with hotshots face.

“If that is the case then I will just have requisition your own” she said calm but in a threatening tone

“why is she so grumpy all the time?” bulkhead whispered

“you’d by grumpy to if you had one servo in the scrap heap” he smirked

Suddenly the taller femme was in his face and her tone far more harsh.

“I may have one servo in the scrap heap, but my audio receptors still work perfectly, and if you do not stop pushing me rookie, I will gladly disconnect your vocal processor” she scowled

Sensing the tension, optimus wanted to give his team something to focus on.

“ok, I know we’re stuck out here in the middle of nowhere on a thankless assignment, but remember, we’re all cogs in the great big autobot machine…”

“not this speech again” prowl moaned

He buried his face in his hand in annoyance.  Hot shot was also more visually pained by the experience.  Bulkhead and red alert where just as weary but where better at politely feigning interest.  

“…a machine that’s stronger as a whole, than any one component part.  Together, we can move montains”

The speech was punctuated by sudden rumpling of rocks around them and activation of the space bridge they were clearing.  The blast of energy sent them and the debris flying in every direction.  

“oh you sure have a way with words boss bot!” hot shot yelled as he tumbled away

In an impressive flurry of moves, prime utilized his axe and grappling hook to stop the debris, aid each of his team mates and shut down the space bridge.  As the dust settled and the autobots picked themselves up, they were left in awe of the unassuming prime skills.  

“impressive” prowl admitted as he shut bulkheads gaped jaw

“where’d you learn moves like that?” bulkhead asked

It was a question everyone was asking inside. Red alert was busy fixing hot shots damaged shoulder but turned away to glance at optimus, wanting to hear the answer as well.

“I trained at the autobot academy” optimus ashamedly admitted

Red alert stood and her eyes narrowed skeptically.

“so, what is an academy trained bot doing leading a mere maintenance crew?”

She felt a sting fury. As the medic, she had no knowledge of this about her commander.

“well, whats one of the best medics the autobots has ever seen her also”

Red alert was viably taken aback by his knowledge and forwardness in the question.

“ooo, burn.  He got you good red.  But for real boss bot, her, I don’t think so.  The bed side manner is a little too rough around the edges. Let me guess prime, wash out? Yeah, me to.  They said I had an issue with authority, and let’s face it, they were threatened by the up and coming Magnus I am…”

Hot shots yammering was only silenced when red alert clasped her hand tightly over his mouth.  Optimus was suddenly drawn to an otherworldly light emanating from a rock. Against the advice of his crew, he cleaves it with his axe, revealing a strange glowing artifact.  

“what is it?” bulkhead spoke up

“don’t know…maybe we should take it back to the ship so the doc bot can check it out”

No rebuttal or argument came from red alert, who just look at it completely astounded, almost mesmerized.

“red alert..?”

“telatraan 1 to optimus prime. Unidentified spacecraft entering this sector: Energy signature consistent with decepticon warship”

“decepticon, that must be a mistake. The decpeticons were destroyed centuries ago” optimus voiced

“Defeated in battle, not destroyed.  An “academy bot” should know that prime. We should get back to the ship immediantly”

“but what is that thing?”

“I have a wild theory but we must secure it first”

Red alert quickly transformed and had the artifact loaded into her alt mode and sped off towards the ship, with the others following behind her. They quickly boarded their ship and made full speed away from the new ship. In the cargo bay the artifact was unloaded and red alert began examining it franticly.  

“red alert, any idea what it is”

“you seem to be the historian prime, does the all-spark sound familiar”

“obviously.  The most powerful energy source in the universe. It gave the spark of life to all cybertronian”

“every bot knows that story” bulkhead groaned

“yeah, along with spark eaters and were-turbo foxes” hot shot joked

“According to records, one of the main reasons the great war was won was by ensuring the all spark remained out of decepticon reach.  It was reportedly sent through a spacebridge to be hidden in some unknown corner of the galaxy”

“incredible” optimus admitted

“so your saying we, of all bots in the universe, found the all spark?!” hot shot shook

“perhaps, it found us” optimus mused

“Unlikely, prime. It is merely and energy source of unknown magnitude, But I must admit I never thought I would ever see it.  The research and knowledge I could gleam by examining it could be…”

“warning: spacecraft approaching. Positive identification as decepticon warship.

“it isn’t the only one that’s found us” prowl said dryly

The crew got to their bridge positions and made all speed for autobot controlled territory. Prowl checked the scanners for the persuing ship.

“it’s following us” he reported

“you desired to see the decepticons up close, well looks like you’ve gotten your wish” red alert said dryly

Optimus frowned at the statement, realizing the irony in the situation.

“yo, tell me this aint actually happening.  We are not getting chased by decepticons.  We’re just a maintenance crew” hot shot complained

“we cannot out run them forever, and any attempts at combat are astronomical” red alert commented

“not without back they aren’t.  patch me through to cybertron command head quarters” optimus ordered

“wow, when you want back up you go straight to the top” bulkhead commented

Optimus smiled at the compliment, slightly savoring his memories in the original field. Red alert raised a skeptical brow, confused on how optimus could even have clearance to high command. The creen lit up with the large chin and blue armor of sentinel prime.  Red alert was even more shocked, knowing vry well that sentinel was second in command of the elite guard.

“optimus prime, you mean they still let you command other autobots” sentinel smugly smiled

“don’t start sentinel, just put me through to altra magnus”

Red alert was surprised again, that optimus apparently knew sentinel personally, but also thinks he could talk to the supreme leader of the autobots simply by asking.

“now how could a third rate rock buster possibly merit the autobot supreme commanders attention?” sentinel said dismissively

Red alert and the others all frowned.  Word was known that sentinel prime was an unlikable bot, but seeing his condescension first hand was fuel boiling.  Hot shot frowned up at the prime, having had past experience with him, getting and itchy trigger finger with his flame throwers.  However, optimus’ experience with the other prime was far more personal, and was having none of sentinel attitude under these circumstances.

“display cargo hold visual” optimus ordered

Red alert clicked few controls and a video feed was brought up for sentinel to see of the allspark. His look and temperament immediately changing, he casually patched them through. Red alert turned and gave optimus and approving smirk at his clever maneuvering. Suddenly and stern looking and aged blue bot appeared on the screen. His eye briefly glanced to register red alerts presence before focusing on optimus.  

“ultra magnus here optimus, we’re tracking your decepticon signal; probably just a lost scout ship. Ever since we drove them off cybertron, the cons have been wondering the periphery. They’d never be so foolish as to invade autobot space. Still, I’m sending out a strike force to intercept if necessary.  In the meantime, you and your bots just sit tight. And prime, don’t try to be a hero, it’s not in your programming” the commander finished his orders before the screen went black

“decepticons still on our tail and closing in fast” prowl reported from the scanners

“then were the flag are they?” hot shot pointed out

Getting antsy and a nervous feeling in his spark, optimus began typing orders into his control panel.

“telatraan 1, set a course for the nearest space bridge” he ordered

“but Ultra magnus said to sit tight” bulkhead questioned

“with all due respect, ultra magnus isn’t carrying the all spark”

Red alert couldn’t argue with the logic; sitting there would be poor solution in the circumstances. The ship did as commanded and came about quickly to head back to the space bridge they were previously dicked with.

“so, we’ll make a V line for the nearest space bridge and blast through whatever debris is in our way” he ordered

As they made their way through the thin asteroid field, their path was suddenly blocked as massive fearsome purple war ship rose to block them.  Red alert qickly calculated that it appeared to be at least 50 times larger than their repair ship.

“uh, boss bot, I don’t think we can blast through that” bulkhead said nervously

“oh slag” hot shot squeaked

“I’ve never seen a decepticon ship up close” bulkhead added

“according to archives, none have and lived” red alert admitted with a bit of depression in her voice

Optimus scanned it and ran it through the information archives, and red alert leaned over to see his result.

“it’s a command ship, I recognize the markings from the history vids” optimus announced flatly

Red alert read the same description on his screen and turned to look at the enemy with visual distress

“megaron” she added in shock                                                          

“hooooo, hold an astro sec; megatron, as in the cruel and merciless decepticon leader?  The bot they say is bigger than ultra magnus, that could single handedly destroy whole ships and city blocks.  The megatron that is said to eat autobot protoforms for breakfast, that megatron?”

“yes.  Though I do not put much faith in the protoform eating part” red alert said with a straight face

Hot shot scowled at her condescension; he hated being looked down on by other bots. The only bot he liked looking down at him was bulkhead, and that was only because he was taller than him.

“quit giving him a hard time doc” bulkhead voiced out

“and perhaps who should quit enabling his belligerent behavior” prowl turned to bulkhead

“enough arguing, all of you! We have a more serious situation here; why aren’t that attacking”

“there are any number of reasons or strategies.  But, why are we not also mobile, should we not attmpt to flee or out maneuver them?” red alert asked

“if we do they will counter, but we will let them make the first move so we can counter. Always let your adversary be the first to make a mistake” he answered calmly

Clearly optimus’ time in the elite guard training had done more for his leadership skills than she had previously noticed. Suddenly one of the decepticon ships’ cannons trained on them and fired. Optimus ordered the ship to take evasive maneuvers and they dodged the blast. Red alert felt an increasing feeling of fear and fury rise in her.  It was a decepticon booby trap in the last days of the war when she was a very young medic that had taken her original right hand.  No she felt slight panic at being so close to such conflict again.  Optimus fell on his command console and made an order that secretly surprised the medic.

“activate emergency defense system; codename: omega”

Red alert was shocked. Optimus’ knowledge of that part of the ship less so; he was the commander and likely knew of the ships history, but that he would actually attempt to activate it.

“im sorry; this function has been disabled in compliance with cybertrons ongoing efforts to conserve energon” telatraan 1 reported back

“what?!” optimus gasped

Another energy blast grazed the side of the ship and knocked the autobots about as the ship automatically swerved to avoid other attacks and rocketed past the larger vessel.

“we’re as good as dead aren’t we? Oh god this is it for us, for me”

Hot shot went into a brief panic, his wrist spouting  flames as a sign of his distress. The calmed as they managed to pass the decepticons and get by them, the larger ship slowely following and continue to fire.

“was does it feel like they’re just toying with us?” hot shot asked

“all shots appear to be targeted to disable us, not destroy us, why? Red alert added

“because they want the allspark and don’t want to risk destroying it with us” optimus frowned

“warning: asteroid field. Initiated alternate route” the computer announced

“override” optimus ordered it

The ship continued its course, swerving all about to avoid he asteroids that the continued enemy fire simply shredded through.  The decepticon ship sped up and came to briefly look over them, yet its laser blasts had stopped.  Near the ships midsection a small space craft appeared and closed in on them.  Optimus realized that it wasn’t a craft but an alternate mode.  He knew from his studies that many of the decepticons had flight capabilities and alternate modes.  Thye zzomed in on the object with their rear security cameras and suddenly saw it transform into a tall, bulky and fearsome grey bot. A large weapon, the legendary fusion cannon, sat on their arm and a cold scowl on his face when the image zoomed in.  

“is that megatron?” optimus gasped

The shock and horror were shared by the whole crew.

“you never said he was so big” the already big bulkhead spoke up

“you never said he could fly” hot shot added

“technically, we didn’t say anything” red alert answered the comments

Megatron came by and zoomed past the side of their ship then vanished from view.  The all braced yet no attack came

“huh, guess he wasn’t coming for us” bulkhead piped up

The ship was suddenly rocked from above. Megatron had perched atop their control room and was burning a hole through with his cannon.

“red, seal the hull breach. Prowl, hold the ship steady.  Bulkhead, hot shot, guard the allspark.  I’ll try to hold off megatron!”

“but we’re just a repair crew, we aren’t built for this kind of action!” hot shot shouted

“then consider this an upgrade” optimus answered

“that is not how upgrades work, just for the record” red alert spoke up

The younger bots ran off out of the room while the others did their jobs.  Using a security cam for guidance, he took direct control of the hulls external arms and took hold of megatron himself, grabbling with him and attempting to prey him off the ship. There was a sudden a sudden massive external explosion that rocked the ship and sent everyone sprawling.  The ship was badly damaged and sent into an uncontrolled dive towards the space bridge asteroid.

“warning: hull breach. Sealing hatches alpha, omega and epsilon” the computer reported

As the large smoking hole in the ceiling was sealed and extinguishers put out the flames, optimus struggled to see through the fading layer of smoke and get up and get to the controls.

“warning: planetary impact imminent” the computer came again

“go to manual override” optimus ordered

“can you do that?” prowl question

“all ships of this “make” do” red alert answered

A set of control handles released and optimus took hold of them, attempting to steady the ships plunge. He managed to pull up their trajectory and glide along the asteroid surface towards the space bridge. In the hold, bulkhead and hot shot began to panic as the all spark began to react and glow.

“what’s it doing, make it stop!” hot shot panicked

“whoa”  was all bulkhead could say

Suddenly its energy burst out and enveloped the entire ship. The energy also surged forth and activated the space bridge, and in another burst of light the ship passed through it. After the light faded they autobots began recovering to see they had materialized over a moon that circled a green and blue planet.

“prowl, red alert, everyone alright? Bulkhead, hot shot, report”

Optimus did not see a large figure loom behind him until it took hold of him and pinned him against the wall; Megatron had survived and gotten through the hull breach.  He was far more intimidating in person; dark grey and red colors, thick spiky armor built for combat and twice the size of optimus. His face bore burning red optics and a frown so grim it would give the necrobot chills.  At closer inspection, the blast had destroyed most of his right arm, only his upper arm, stripped to its bare structure, remained.

“the all spark, where is it” he spoke in deep raspy voice like death

Prowl and red alert, overcoming their fear of the warlord, charged to tackle him.  Prowl jumped onto his arm to try and get optimus free while red alert clung to his side and lasered him with her hand tool. The larger bot swung about, knocking them away. He pinned prowl under his foot while still holding optimus and held him against another wall.

“I grow impatient” megatron growled

Optimus shot his grabbling hook best them towards the control panel, switching a lever.  

“artificial gravity diabled” the computer announced

They all began to float freely and with his massive size rendered moot, optimus managed to free himself and force megatron away.

“clever strategy prime, giving us more of an equal advantage” red alert commented

Megatron floated near the ceiling and jammed his arm nub into a gap in the metal to steady himself. Suddenly hot shot and bulkhead came floating intot he room

“hey, I’m a land bot not a flying bot, who turned off the hey…”

Hot shot twas then dinged from behind by the larger bulkhead.

“sorry, my bad” he groaned

Hot shot was sent spiraling out of control until he hit a surface; megatron large leg.  The autobot car looked up to see the massive decepticon leader staring down at him.

“you cons are even creepier in person” he smirked

Megatron growled, not amused and past his boiling point, drew his sword from subspace and began slashing at the diminutive nescience.  

“oh slag, scarier to! Someone help, im to good looking to be scrap!”

“everyone, get into position for a concentrated attack on my signal” optimus whispered

Prowl then whizzed past optimus in a solo attack on megatron.

“prowl no, wait for my signal!”

Optimus went to grab him but his hand passed through him; it was one pf prowls holograms.  Meagtron did not know this though and slashed at the allusion and thus missed the real prowl attack him from behind.  Prowl slashed with his shurikan, severing the nub that remained of megatrons damaged arm as well as his anchor from the gravity distortion. The decepticon leader roared in pain as he began to free float through the room.

“ok, the decoy was a nice touach, but once again, a little warning would’ve helped!” optimus groaned

Optimus was then bashed from behind by an out of control bulkhead

“would it kill you bots to say something like heads up or, I don’t know, watch out or…”

“incoming!” red alert yelled

She had grabbed the severed section of meagtron arm and hurled it back at him, knocking the decepticon back and into the control panel.  This caused the engines to kick on and their ship drove towards the planet, heating as it entered the atmosphere. The forward thrust and sudden return of gravity sent the autobots slamming into the walls. Optimus however was sent sliding down the main corridor towards the cargo hold.  Red alert saw that megatron followed after him.  She knew he would need help and wanted to follow but had to ensure the others were alright first.  It would take all of them to hold off megatron. Landing in the cargo hold, optimus had barely come to a hault when megatrons foot crushed down on his upper body.  He looked up to see the warlord looming over him, sword in hand, so tall that his face looked as if it were in shadow.

“now bring me the all spark, and I may spare your miserable autobot lives” he sneered

Megatron brought his sword to cut through optimus, who blocked the blow with his axe.  The struggled against each other’s strength until a bright light caught megatron attention. It was the all spark, the treasure of his millions of Steller cycles of searching.  His foe distracted, optimus saw his chance and extended his axes handle to its limit, which managed to hit its target, the exit ramp control panel.

“docking tunnel deployed” the computer deployed

The tunnel extended out and opened, and a torrent of suction and pressure overwhelmed the room and the two bots were pulled out through the shaft.  Optimus slowed his exit by digging his axe blade into the wall.  Megatron had lost his sword and under threat of falling out, reached to grab at optimus to save himself. Knowing megaton would still be a threat to them all and the all spark, optimus knew what he had to do and forced the decepticon away with a hard kick. He heard the spark chilling roar megatron let out as he fell from the tunnel, super heating into a fatle projectile in the atmosphere.  Optimus watched until the fiery form disappeared from sight and prayed it was the end of the enemy.  

“telatraan 1, close docking bay” he ordered

“closing docking bay” I replied

As the bay shut and optimus freed his axe, he weakly made his way back to ensure the all spark was secure. Thankfully, it was safe and undamaged by the battle.

“optimus, do you read me?” red alert came over the coms

“im here red, what is it?”

“are you alright, where is meagtron?”

“gone.  Whats the situation?”

“the ships out of control and caught in the planets gravity.  We’re going down”

“ill be right there”

Optimus staggered back down the corridor towards the control room, getting banged around with the turbulence of their planetary entry.

“warning: planetary impact imminent” the computer reported

Optimus made it to the head when he saw from the view that time was short.

“everyone into the stasis pods” he ordered

Each of the other autobots made their way into their stasis pods, but hot shot spun around to see optimus wasn’t joining them.

“aren’t you coming boss bot?”

“not until I’ve steered us clear of this populated sector!”

He took hold of the controls and directed the ship over the alien buildings.  The others looked to optimus until their pods closed and activated, sending them all into stasis. Finally, as the ship dropped lower and lower, optimus cleared the city and the ship was set to land in a large natural body of water. Satisfied that them and the natives were save, optimus locked the controls and rushed into his own stasis pod. The last sight he saw was the skim of water over the ship as it splashed down and sunk into the depths.  He was left to wonder how long until telatraan 1 wound be able to reactivate them as everything went dark and he slipped into stasis.

[startupjobsasia]

Entrepreneur Assistant to CEO job at Lunch Actually Group Singapore

The Lunch Actually Group is the largest and leading dating agency in South East Asia, with more than 12 years’ of experience under its belt. We’re the experts that people trust when it comes to dating, and we work with a highly successful model, that is PROVEN effective by the numerous success stories (pictures and testimonials accessible through our website)!

We’re passionate about bringing singles together, and we hold ourselves to high standards – which is why we’re looking to recruit the best possible people to be part of our A team. We believe in training and grooming our people, and as long as you have the attitude and aptitude, we’ll push you to new heights and achieve great things together.

We're looking for an amazing right-hand to support our CEO. You'll be the go-to person, the Entrepreneur Assistant / Executive Assistant / Personal Assistant / Event Coordinator / Travel Planner AKA the person who needs to support her in any way she needs to get things done. Must be willing to wear many hats! If you want to get involved at the ground level of a fast growing established regional business, this opportunity is for you!

Are you up for the challenge? ABOUT THE CEO: She strongly believes in grooming her team and growing them to their fullest potential. She is results-oriented and has high standards. She is friendly and approachable. You can Google her to find out more about her personality, her vision, mission, her life and work philosophy. ABOUT THE COMPANY: Lunch Actually Group, established in 2004 is the most established serious dating and matchmaking company in South East Asia. The company was co-founded by the CEO when she observed that many of her then colleagues were single and not dating. Since then, the company has expanded to 5 countries with a suite of products and services to help singles find love. The company culture is open, transparent and positive. Many associates who work here have expressed that they love the family culture. ABOUT YOU: We're looking for an Entrepreneur Assistant who cares about what they do, how they do it and when they do it. The sense of urgency is key. If you are driven to deliver high level, high quality results, and you want to support a CEO who is doing the same, this is the perfect position for you. Flexibility is also a MUST! This CEO needs someone who can take care of the details in her personal and her professional life, so that she can focus on the bigger picture, the stuff that matters in her work and career, and in her family. The CEO is not a micromanager, so you'll have full freedom to reach the desired outcome in whatever way you want, as long as you hold yourself to the same high standard that she holds herself to. While you'll be given the support you need, to truly succeed in this role, you will need to step up as a leader. This is the perfect position to get behind-the-scenes exposure and hands-on experience in the day-to-day of running a fast-growing business.

 Essential Duties & Responsibilities

You get energized by helping others to be as effective as possible. Through supporting the CEO in her daily tasks, you help her spend her time on the most important matters at hand. Therefore, in no particular order, your key responsibilities comprise of (and not limited to):

·        Be the point of contact between the CEO and internal/external parties

·        Comprehensive calendar management (across multiple time zones) including personal appointments, conference calls, meetings and other scheduling

·        Handle the full spectrum of travel arrangements for business & family trips

·        Schedule, coordinate and manage logistics for meetings/Townhall events, and transcribe/minute meetings when required

·        Proactively coordinate with all management team members on all meetings and follow up for timely tasks due from them

·        Submit on behalf of the CEO on any medical, travel and miscellaneous claims to the finance team in a timely manner

·        Being the "face" of the company by greeting visitors who's here to meet the CEO and facilitating meetings etc.

·        Assist in any ad-hoc errands required by the family such as managing the maids and keeping abreast of the kids’ schedules

·        Perform research and any other ad-hoc administrative tasks assigned by the CEO

  ·        Positive attitude and energetic personality - the glass is always half full

·        Critical thinker and creative problem solver - no project or problem is too big or too small

·        Methodical and meticulous mentality - you always spot errors in contracts or finances

·        Proactive helper - you know when others need support, and act without being asked

·        Reliable and efficient implementer - you get things done

·        Friendly, charming - you have an innate talent for interacting well with people at all levels, inside and outside of the organization

·        Ability to handle a direct style of communication without oversensitivity

·        Ability to be discrete when handling personal and business matters

·        Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, in both English and Mandarin preferred

·        Polished and professional demeanour

·        Self-starter and self-motivated

·        Flexible in work hours

·        At least one of work experience (job or internships) in an office environment.

·        Relevant prior experience strongly preferred e.g. in a role such as Executive Assistant, Personal Assistant & Admin Assistant.

  StartUp Jobs Asia - Startup Jobs in Singapore , Malaysia , HongKong ,Thailand from http://www.startupjobs.asia/job/40689-entrepreneur-assistant-to-ceo-others-job-at-lunch-actually-group-singapore