Whiz says, "I'm sure he had some kind of assistants in training or 
something. Or maybe he just created you as practice for me."
Rodimus Prime snorts. "Yeah, right. That's why I'm the leader and you're 
the grunt."
Whiz says, "I'm too advanced to take on responsiblities like that."
Rodimus Prime hmphs, "You're just jealous. I know."
Whiz says, "You're getting better. I count this little vacation as good 
progress."
You say, "I suppose you're my therapist, trying to cure me of this 
responsible thing?"
Whiz says, "Hey, somebody has to remind you to stay in touch with your 
inner Hot Rod."
Whiz says, "And I happened to be friends with that inner Hot Rod, so 
I've taken on that rrespons... er... task."
Rodimus Prime inhales sharply at mention of the name, then catches 
himself and shakes his head as though scolding himself for the silly 
gut-reaction.
Rodimus Prime chuckles. "Give it up, Whiz, you can't make me recover if 
I never changed in the first place."
Whiz says, "Change nothing, just trying to keep you fun."
Headstrong has arrived.
Headstrong is flying high above the island.
Rodimus Prime squints up briefly at the vague shadow against the night 
sky, then dismisses it as a large bird.
Whiz isn't observant enough at the best of times, and is just leaning 
lazily against a somewhat tilting palm tree right now anyway.
Whiz says, "I'm the one who makes sure everyone is having fun, you know 
that."
Headstrong suddenly plummets out of the sky, landing with a large splash 
near the shore.
Whiz says, "I'm the cruise director on the party boat that is Iacon."
Whiz whips her head around to see the splash. "What the..."
Headstrong grumbles to himself about hating flying, and trudges up onto 
the shore, covered in seaweed.
Rodimus Prime jumps. "What was that, a meteo-" his face twists in a 
scowl. "Oh. Figures."
Whiz says, "There goes the neighborhood..."
Whiz says, "How does he manage to look better in that seaweed than you 
did, Rod?"
Whiz snickers.
Rodimus Prime elbows Whiz with an exasperated smirk, watching the 
Decepticon carefully.
Whiz says cheerfully, "Sorry, you died in that crash from the sky. 
You're actually in the afterlife right now. Enjoy it, though - it's not 
that bad when you get used to the place."
Headstrong looks warily at the Autobots.
Headstrong says, "Huh?"
Whiz says, "Hmm. Being dead hasn't sped up the thought process any."
Headstrong says, "Afterlife? Whaddaya mean, Dead!?"
Rodimus Prime grins. "Yep, we're all dead here. Enjoy."
Headstrong frowns. "I'm not stupid, you're not dead"
Whiz says, "Unfortunately, you landed on us when you crashed. If it's 
any consolation, Galvatron's really happy wth you in the real world for 
taking us both out."
Headstrong seems slightly less confident.
Headstrong says, "I didn't think..."
Headstrong frowns, deciding to humor her. "What happened to our bodies, 
then?"
Whiz says, "Yeah, it looks like all three of us are stuck here. At least 
until we pass on to be with Primus and whatnot."
Headstrong grunts. "Primus is a dead Quint."
Whiz says, "It's the thought that counts, though."
Rodimus Prime stretches and pillows his hands behind his head, 
conveniently priming the laser batteries in his arms though he covers 
any trace of it with a cheerful, "Yeah, you took out the Autobot leader. 
Not many people can say that."
Whiz says, "Although, if he's really just a dead quint, we're stuck here 
forever."
Headstrong rubs his head. He could expect this from Whiz, but Rodimus is 
confusing him. "Then why aren't you mad at me?"
Whiz bleahs! "How could you trap us both here with *Rodimus* for all 
eternity! What were you thinking??
You say, "I'm dead. Not much use being mad anymore, is there?"
Whiz says, "I thought, well, if we're stuck here, we might as well get 
along. But *now*, well, I'm a bit miffed. This isn't what I had in mind 
for the afterlife."
Headstrong looks vaguely worried.
Whiz points at Rodimus. "Especially being stuck with *him* forever."
Headstrong says, "You're trying to...confuse me..."
Headstrong stomps his foot.
Headstrong says, "Tell me the truth!"
Rodimus Prime hmphs. "I'm not *that* awful, am I?"
Whiz takes a guess that the dousing in seawater has taken Headstrong's 
jets offline, at least temporarily. "If you think I'm lying, try to 
leave."
Whiz says, "Fly right out of here, if you can."
Headstrong jumps into the air, then falls flat on his face.
Headstrong ACKS!
Headstrong scrambles back, away from the Autobots.
You say, "See, told you."
Headstrong cowers. "No, I don't wanna be dead!"
Whiz says, "Well, I didn't wake up today looking forward to it, either."
Rodimus Prime shrugs and makes a face at Whiz. "Anyway, soon as someone 
finds my body and passes off the Matrix or whatever, I get to go there, 
so you can be stuck with him instead of me."
Whiz points out at the dark blue water. "They'll have to fish you out of 
there, first."
Headstrong dives into the water, trying to find his body.
Headstrong says, "We can fix it!"
You say, "Still, better than eternity."
Whiz shakes her head sadly. "We can't even see things from the mortal 
world."
Headstrong splashes around, getting tangled rather badly in seaweed.
Headstrong has disconnected.
Whiz watches Headstrong disappear under the waves in a net of seaweed.
Whiz doubles over laughing as soon as Headstrong has safely disappeared 
from sight.
Rodimus Prime chuckles, lowering his arms. "Well, that was... 
different."
Whiz says, "We're so bad."
Headstrong has connected.
Whiz abruptly stifles a giggle and straightens up as Headstrong 
resurfaces from the shallows.
Headstrong is really worked up now. "This can't be real..."
Whiz says, "Don't go telling *us* that. You're the one who came 
plummeting out of nowhere and drowned us. What're you complaining 
about?"
You say, "Yeah, this is your fault. We're not complaining, so at least 
you could have the decency not to."
Headstrong glares. "If you weren't dead, I'd kil you."
Whiz says, "You already did, you big bully."
You say, "Oh, give me a break. It's a bit late for threats, isn't it?"
Headstrong sits on a rock, and manages a perfect (and unintentional) 
impression of The Thinker.
Whiz gives Headstrong the great-big puppy-dog eyes of doooom, sniffling 
slightly.
Whiz says, "Big meanie."
Headstrong shudders.
Rodimus Prime rolls his optics skyward. "C'mon guys," he mutters, 
"retrieving bodies isn't THAT hard.."
Whiz says, "Easy for you to say, at least you have somewhere to go."
Headstrong blinks at Rodimus worriedly.
You say, "Better than here.. though, you're an Autobot too, so there's 
no reason you couldn't come with me. I've only ever talked to leaders 
before, but that doesn't mean that's it."
Whiz says, "Maybe they don't know we're dead yet. Oh, maybe they never 
will. They might think you just got tired of the leadership thing again 
and think we ran off to Monacus to start a small casino of our own, and 
settled down there to run an illegal betting agency with a couple of 
great big sharkticons working for us to collect our debts and ..."
Headstrong says, "If we're dead, then where are the other dead people?"
You say, "Wherever they happened to die, I guess. You know, ghosts and 
all."
Rodimus Prime shakes his head. "Nah, they'd still come after the Matrix 
if nothing else."
Headstrong says, "Then, um...grr...."
Whiz says, "Yeah, you just HAD to kill us on a deserted island."
Headstrong whimpers.
Headstrong says, "But how will Predaking walk with only one leg?"
Whiz hrms. "Maybe they'll have to give him a really big crutch."
You say, "Oh, they'll get a Terrorcon or something."
Headstrong bristles. "A TERRORCON?!?
Headstrong says, "Taking MY place?!?"
Whiz looks at Rodimus innocently. "Do you really think so?"
Headstrong AAAAHS
Whiz says, "Which Terrorcon, do you think? Blot?"
Headstrong runs off down the beach to grab a shell.
Headstrong has left.
Heady's Ghost has arrived.
Heady's Ghost enters, listening to the shell.
Heady's Ghost moans into the shell plaintively.
Whiz mutters in a loud voice to Rodimus "At least we've taken out a 
gestalt. We'd better not tell him how to become alive again."
Heady's Ghost EEPS!
Whiz continues, as if she didn't hear Headstrong, "We'll wait till he 
goes away to try it."
Heady's Ghost stumbles over to Whiz, "Tell me how! PLEASE!"
Heady's Ghost says, "I'll do ANYTHING!"
Rodimus Prime hmms lazily, "Of course not, I like the idea of Pegleg 
Predaking.."
Whiz looks off into the distance. "Tell you how to what? I don't know 
what you're talking about?"
Heady's Ghost wheezes desperately, "PLEASE! Tell me how to be alive 
again!"
Whiz says, "But I'm sure Blot really wants his chance to be part of 
Predaking."
Heady's Ghost shakes his head. "No, no! He loves being part of 
Abominus!"
Whiz hrms. "I just don't know. If we do it for you, we might not be able 
to get back to life ourselves.
You say, "You wouldn't like it anyway."
Heady's Ghost says, "Ohh, please! I promise I'd LOVE it!"
Whiz sighs. "Oh, I know he killed us, Rodimus, but he looks so sad..."
You say, "Well, it might make me feel a little better.."
Heady's Ghost whimpers.
Heady's Ghost begs and grovels.
Whiz says, "Oh, okay. I guess."
Heady's Ghost hugs Whiz. "Oh, THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!!!"
Whiz says, "See, this sand is called time sand. And if we bury you in 
it, we can take you back in time to when you were still alive, and 
you'll get your body back."
Heady's Ghost cheers! "Bury me, Bury me!"
Whiz says, "But we have to cover you in it *completely* for it to work. 
And you have to lie there for at least an hour for it to take you back 
in time enough - otherwise you'll just come out a ghost."
Whiz says, "You'll know it worked if you come out and can't see us 
anymore - cause we'll still be dead."
Heady's Ghost nodnods.
Heady's Ghost says, "Ohh"
Heady's Ghost says, "Okay."
Heady's Ghost lies down obligingly.
Rodimus Prime smiles. "Just look at it as a burial."
Heady's Ghost nodnods.
Heady's Ghost says, "Go ahead, fast. Bury me!"
Whiz gets down to her knees and starts scooping the magic time sand over 
Headstrong, heaping it up all around him.
Whiz waves Rodimus over. "C'mon, don't deny him this chance to live 
again. Help me bury him."
Rodimus Prime moves around to the other side and starts heaving sand 
over Headstrong's body.
Rodimus Prime makes sure to toss several satisfying handfuls over the 
Decepticon's face.
Whiz scoops up mounds of the sand, making a thick coocoon of sand all 
over Headstrong.
Rodimus Prime pats it down smoothly, packing it.
Whiz shouts into the sand, "You may hear a rushing sound as the time 
starts to go backward! That's normal!"
Heady's Ghost yells a muffled "Okay."
Rodimus Prime stifles a giggle and traces the letters R.I.P. into the 
sand with one finger.
Whiz pats down a little more sand and grins at Rodimus, then points out 
toward the ocean.
Rodimus Prime bites his lip to keep from snickering, pantomiming the 
tide rushing in over the burial mound.
Whiz puts her hand to her mouth to keep herself silent, bends and 
shifts.
Whiz's body buckles as she folds down into an aerodynamic airskimmer.
Green Airskimmer's airjets make a faint shoosshing sound as she opens 
her passenger hatch.
Heady's Ghost muffle-yells, "Is that the rushing sound?"
Green Airskimmer shouts back, "Yeah! That means it's working! You're on 
your way back to life!"
Rodimus Prime points at his chest and then at Whiz, mouthing, 'I'll 
never fit--' then aloud, "Yeah, now be quiet! You have to hold 
completely still!"
Green Airskimmer bobs slightly, like a shrug, and closes her hatch 
quietly.

Green Airskimmer
An emerald green airskimmer, looking like a futuristic hybrid of a car 
and a hoverbike, bobs gently above the ground on a cushion of air. 
Though it prefers to remain near the ground, its whooshing airjets are 
capable of shifting into high gear to launch it into the air... though 
its landings are not so asssured. A small laser turret is mounted upon 
its canopy for defense. Though the aerodynamic form suggests that this 
airskimmer is speedy, it doesn't appear to be in much of a hurry.

Whiz mutters to Rodimus Prime, "Hang..."
Whiz whispers "Hang on, then."
Heady's Ghost thought he caught a word in there, but isn't sure.
Green Airskimmer shouts, "Hang on, it's working! You're getting farther 
from us!"
Green Airskimmer tilts a bit, whooshing impatiently.
Rodimus Prime nods quietly and steps up onto the running-board, grabbing 
onto the laser turret on the hood for balance, and ducks down as well as 
he can over the hovercraft to reduce wind resistance.
Green Airskimmer sinks a bit from the extra weight, then cranks up the 
engines to a low whine and skims off along the waves toward the Italian 
coast.

Mediterranean
Rome
     Onetime capital of the Roman Empire, Rome still has vestiges of its 
former glory in such structures as the Colosseum. Also located here is 
the Vatican. Also, the weather here is typically beautiful, making it a 
lovely place to stay for a week or so on vacation.
Obvious exits:
East <E> leads to Istanbul.
North <N> leads to Black Forest.
South <S> leads to Mediterranean.
Fly <Up>  

Rodimus Prime about passes out, sagging against Whiz's side in 
hysterical laughter.
Green Airskimmer bursts out laughing as soon as Headstrong is out of 
earshot.
You say, "Primus, that was classic."
Green Airskimmer lowers herself to the ground shakily, unable to laugh 
and stay aloft at the same time.
Rodimus Prime hops off as soon as Whiz slows down enough.
Green Airskimmer says, "Oh man.. oh...."
Green Airskimmer transforms but stays doubled over in fits.
The green airskimmer unfolds into the Femme Autobot Whiz.
Whiz giggles, "We're still terrible."
Rodimus Prime pokes a finger. "And you called me boring."
Whiz says, "How long do you think it will take him to figure it all 
out?"
You say, "Well, at least an hour.."
Whiz shakes her head. "Telling him that a Terrorcon was going to take 
his place was a good touch."
Whiz says, "I had no idea he'd go that far."
You say, "I guess we overestimate Decepticon Intelligence every day.."
Whiz says, "Either that, or we should be in show business."
Whiz says, "By the time he gets out of that, his engines should have 
dried out enough for him to fly."
Whiz snickers, "Unless the tide comes in..."
Rodimus Prime checks his chronometer. "How long'll that take?"
Whiz says, "In Capri? I don't know. Eventually he should catch on that 
he could send a radio message."
Whiz throws up her hands. "GAAAAH, no, not a Terrorcon!"
Rodimus Prime grins. "We should definitely hit Broadway."
Whiz says, "If the humans weren't going to give us citizenship before, 
that'd convince them."
Whiz says, "The Rodimus and Whiz Variety Hour - with special Decepticon 
guest star...."
Whiz snickers.
You say, "Yeah, we could have a guest of the week, and dispose of them 
in new and exciting ways."
Whiz grins. "I think they might eventually catch on."
You say, "No way, we just run a little disclaimer or something, the 
people involved are professionals, don't do this at home.."
Whiz says, "All Decepticons in this program are stupid until proven to 
have half a brain."

================================== Autobot =============================
Message: 3/23                      Posted        Author
RIP                                Sat Jul 12    Whiz
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Today, Headstrong plunged out of the sky above the island of Capri and, 
unfortunately, struck Rodimus and myself. We drowned, and were all stuck 
together on the island as ghosts. It was really tragic. But since 
Headstrong was so upset that Predaking would have to use a Terrorcon as 
a leg, we decided to go easy on him and bury him in the mystical sands 
of time so that he would come out alive again. And once we had him nice 
and buried, Rodimus and I took off and flew to Rome, where we laughed 
our afts off at how gullible Headstrong was for believing the whole 
story and letting us bury him! Bwahahaha, it was great!
=======================================================================
=================================== Rumors ============================
Message: 8/17                      Posted        Author
Island of the Dead                 Sat Jul 12    Anonymous
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psst. I heard that the Predacon rhino, whatszisname, Headboard or 
whatever, actually took out Rodimus Prime! And some little Femme, all at 
the same time! I guess it was some kinda big fight or something, where 
that big Predacon just leaped out of the sky and took down the Autobot 
leader. He says it nearly killed him, too - but he found some kind of 
magic sand that brought him back to life. Honest, I heard him talking 
about it. The sands of time or something like that. I wonder if we could 
bring someone else back of we could find that mysterious island and bury 
them in the magic sand...
=======================================================================