Perceptor-3
Rookie
Curiosity killed... everyone else. After a lengthy examination, of course.
Posts: 139
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Post by Perceptor-3 on Jan 16, 2009 20:04:13 GMT -5
BLAST!
Every one of his darts have hit a target, but only one of them has hit the intended target, and that one does not seem to be working! And how could he have neglected to recall that nightmare of shards that usually accompanies Barricade? How?!
Perceptor scrambles for cover as Duskwing opens fire upon him, taking a few glancing hits as he does so. The dubious shelter of stone he is hiding behind will not survive a continued barrage from the Seeker's guns, and that is to say nothing of what Barricade may do once he frees himself from his shock.
Rocks and sand rain down upon him as the stone outcrop continues to take a beating from Duskwing's weapons, shattering under the force of the blaster fire. What a complete failure! Holi not dead, and likely calling for reinforcements, one Duskwing deceased - although if Perceptor can manage a means to survive this encounter and collect the pieces, there may still be hope there - Barricade intact and utterly unharmed, and the other Duskwing not slowing down one bit as Perceptor fumbles more darts out of subspace and reloads his weapon.
"Why will you not fall?" he cries as he pops out of concealment just long enough to squeeze off another few rounds at Duskwing and Barricade. Rock explodes right beside his head in a shower of needle sharp shards and dust that slash open that near cheek, shattering his concentration and sending his aim utterly off course. He misses both targets and is forced to cower behind his rock once again.
He has, perhaps miscalculated. Grossly.
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Omega Supreme
Minor
Shorter and Coloured Funny but Still Angry as the Pit
Posts: 456
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Post by Omega Supreme on Jan 16, 2009 20:20:38 GMT -5
Out of the clear blue sky drops a battered orange and grey form. Omega Supreme lands heavily, managing to not step on anyone, thankfully. It looks as if Omega Supreme has been a knock-down drag-out battle with his equal, to judge by the massive-fist shape dents and blasts that little his frame.
He has.
Holi is in trouble? Holi was nice to Omega Supreme. Treated him like a person. It's pretty easy to make Omega Supreme feel anger and hate - they're about the only emotions he can feel reliably, but this? This really has him set off. About the only way to bring out his rage more would be to put Long Haul there next to Holi.
PREVIOUSLY
In space, the stars and the blackness stretching on forever, Omega Supreme fights his duplicate, spaceship to space, man to man.
They trade blow for blow, shot for shot, ram for ram. Equals.
Nearly.
In the end, it comes down to who wants it more, and Omega Supreme's alternate, frankly, doesn't care about much of anything, aside from his little pleasures. Omega Supreme, himself, on the other hand, takes being the last line of Autobot defense very seriously.
He suplexes his alternate into one of Gillanan's moons - not dead, but not going anywhere for a while.
NOW
His gun arm whines as it charges, and his head swivels over to Holi as he states, voice clipped as ever, "Targets: specify."
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Post by Barricade-3 on Jan 16, 2009 20:28:34 GMT -5
Barricade is on one knee without any recollection of how he got there, but his claws are gently cradling Frenzy, shaking him, trying to rouse his tiny little partner--
To no effect. Nothing. Not a flicker of an optic, not a twitch of a hand. He is as limp and still as... As Duskwing's disembodied head that rolls darkly, silently past.
He remembers, in the flash of rage that suddenly overtakes him, swamping all reason, to lay Frenzy back down gently upon the ground. He even remembers to spare a glance at the kid, who now has a terrible looking hole ripped through his head, and looks like he doesn't even know it yet.
Frenzy dead. Duskwing dead. The kid hurt and probably cirlcing the drain, too, if the pattern holds. Barricade's failed. FAILED. He failed them all, but they were the ones who paid the price. Frenzy... his partner. Omega Supreme's arrival is lost to that one, inescapable fact: Frenzy is gone. His Frenzy. And Perceptor is the one who is responsible.
"You SLAGGER!" he shrieks, spinning up into a crouch that lasts only as long as it takes the pistons in his legs to build up enough pressure to launch him toward where the red Autobot scientist is hiding. He doesn't even care any more if Duskwing or Omega Supreme manages to hit him, too.
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Holi
Major
Captain Can-Do
Posts: 672
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Post by Holi on Jan 17, 2009 0:29:54 GMT -5
Holi isn't dead yet. He isn't sure he's not dying, but he knows he isn't dead. He's wounded and he hurts. His head especially hurts. And he can't see properly. He can certainly hear, though. Explosions sound not too far from him and their vague flashes pulse along his peripheral vision. And he can hear weapons fire and anguished howls, and cursing. Perceptor's voice? Perceptor's voice, yes, but not his words; Holi knows that can't be the doctor. He knows where the doctor is and it isn't here. This Perceptor is another enemy, then. Holi should help his comrades. He needs to get to his feet!
"Come on," he urges himself fiercely as he tries to sit up. Moving makes him even more woozy; it makes his head throb and sets off stabbing pains behind his optic band. But he has to get back up. He has to! "On… on your feet…!" It takes him a couple of tries to finally shift his weight and push himself into a sitting position. He looks around, but he can't focus. Colours come and go, and it looks like there's a crack in his visor, splitting the world diagonally and keeping things from matching up. He has to strain, grimacing and clenching his jaw, to resolve that charred, shattered hulk in front of him, and once he finally sees a Duskwing's corpse – good-Duskwing's corpse – for what it is, he looks away. There's fluid dripping down the side of his face.
After seeing what's become of the Seeker, if he could see the gaping wound in his own head, he might just faint. But he hasn't much time to worry about that because the air becomes thunder and the earth trembles as a titan steps onto the battlefield. Holi squints upward, trying to make out the far-above face that hides the sun. Then the titan speaks in Omega Supreme's voice.
"O… mega…." Holi should confirm over radio. He really should. But he doesn't because it can't wait. "Omega Supreme, sir! I – I–" Targets? Who was it that shot good-Duskwing? And Frenzy? Holi looks around again, trying to clear his vision and bring the world back into focus. There's the other Duskwing, bad-Duskwing there, firing madly at… Barricade? No, not at Barricade. At… something red. Bad-Perceptor? "I can't see!" wails Holi in a mix of frustration and fear. "I – not Barricade! Not the black one!" He fixes a pleading look on Omega Supreme. "Just don't shoot Barricade!"
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Duskwing
Major
"What the slag happened?"
Posts: 848
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Post by Duskwing on Jan 17, 2009 9:44:42 GMT -5
"Why will you not fall?"
Duskwing pauses momentarily, firing with only one gun at anything red that peeps around the rock.
"'Cause I'm a Decepticon and I flew with Megatron!" he snarls. "I ain't gonna lie down for nobody, and not for no useless slagger that messes up things he oughta fix!"
He starts up firing again, but there's a sudden drop in volume as Duskwing's lasers switch from snarling thunder to a weaker 'pew-pew-pew'. Fuel depletion is creeping up on him.
"Useless hackjob wannabe Constructicon what can't fix and only breaks things stupid piece a rusted-out single-alloy sub-standard junk what-- Hey, know what? HOOK IS BETTER THAN YOU AT FIXIN' AND MAKING STUFF!"
Somewhere in his recycled hand-calculator processsor that passes for a CPU, Duskwing feels smugly that he's found a taunt that just might hit. It doesn't occur to him that yelling about Hook around Omega Supreme isn't a great idea. On the other hand, Omega's landing hasn't quite registered with his underclocked mind and obsessive focus on Perceptor-3.
"Targets: specify."
Oh hey, reinforcements. Someone's back there asking what the shooting is about, it dimly registers in Duskwing's perceptions. Part of his CPU queues up a suggestion that he really should check who it is, but that suggestion is still waiting on "Kill Perceptor and rip him into tiny, tiny shards" to finish before it gets a chance to process.
"KILL THE RED FRAGGER!" Duskwing yells to whoever is... shading the whole area? What the slag--?
Then Barricade bolts past. Huh. He doesn't like Perceptor either. Who would? "HEY! Let me get a few pieces for Hellbender to munch! I promised! You can have the rest!"
That rock isn't going to get up and run from Duskwing's shooting. He trots after Barricade; if he can't shoot through rock, he can walk around it and get in right in Perceptor's face--with both guns.
What the slag is shading the place? There weren't any clouds before. He can't take his attention off Perceptor to look--the slagger might sneak off if he did. Duskwing continues taking snapshots at anything red that sticks out from the rock as he approaches.
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Perceptor-3
Rookie
Curiosity killed... everyone else. After a lengthy examination, of course.
Posts: 139
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Post by Perceptor-3 on Jan 19, 2009 14:18:36 GMT -5
Thunder fills Perceptor's audios for a terrifyingly long moment, and the dubious shelter of the rocks he is hiding behind do absolutely nothing to shield his view of the skies. More specifically, of the leviathan dropping down from the skies like an avenging angel. That could, however, be his own Omega Su--
Those clipped syllables eliminate all such hope. When the Micromaster requests aid, he does not waste his efforts on marginal requests!
Perceptor has done more than err grossly. He's signed his own death warrant. Omega Supreme does not need to be in top form to eradicate one simple Autobot scientist. Especially when said Autobot scientist is minus his most powerful weapon, and exposing himself long enough to attempt any of his more potent concoctions upon the Guardian will expose himself to Duskwing's and Barricade's wrath. And their weapons.
Perceptor has not felt this sheer terror since... since awakening with a dark shadow upon his core that forever shackled him to his Master.
He is not certain, then, if he is glad or not when his field of vision is suddenly impinged upon by a sleek black mech, horrid expression twisted into a sharp-mawed mask of fury and rage, and two fists full of flexed talons. Barricade's presence should hopefully prevent the Guardian from simply evaporating him in a flash of weapons fire, shelter and all... However, the death that Omega Supreme offers would be swift.
The death that the black ball of rage that is Barricade offers is anything but.
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Omega Supreme
Minor
Shorter and Coloured Funny but Still Angry as the Pit
Posts: 456
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Post by Omega Supreme on Jan 22, 2009 14:11:08 GMT -5
Don't shoot Barricade. Well, Barricade is on top of the red guy, so Omega Supreme cannot very well shoot the red guy without also shooting Barricade.
There are two Seekers, identical, but one looks knocked out or dead. Which is the good one? No clue. Don't want to shoot the wrong one.
Holi doesn't seems to be too well off, on second glance. The levianthan kneels and offers his claws hand to Holi - what safer place is there, in this warzone?
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Post by Barricade-3 on Jan 22, 2009 16:59:01 GMT -5
Gratifyingly enough, there is sheer, stark terror in Perceptor's gaze when he turns his head up toward Barricade, perched on the rock above him. Wreckage would be horrified if he knew how much pleasure that terror awoke within Barricade, but Barricade is well beyond caring at the moment. All he cares about is Frenzy, and making Frenzy's murderer pay.
Barricade's voice rises in a fierce, feral howl of rage and grief as he tumbles down from his perch, claws leading the way, intent on removing Perceptor's fuel pump, even if he has to rip off the scientist's arms to get to it.
Energon arcs almost languidly through the air as plating parts under the assault.
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Holi
Major
Captain Can-Do
Posts: 672
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Post by Holi on Jan 23, 2009 0:04:17 GMT -5
Holi clambers to his feet and takes a moment to rebalance himself before he falls over. He needs to do… something. But his vision is all messed up. He can't shoot reliably like this. So…?
Frenzy! He forgot to tell Omega Supreme not to shoot Frenzy! Holi staggers toward that small silver body, intent on carrying Frenzy out of harm's way, and gingerly gathers it into his arms. He hopes something can be done, that Frenzy isn't dead like… like good-Duskwing. He turns back – slowly so he doesn't lose his balance – and even with the world a miscoloured blur, he can't mistake the claws reaching toward him.
He all but runs back to Omega Supreme and, keeping Frenzy cradled with one arm, climbs into the guardian's hand. Good-Duskwing's blasted, shattered remains will have to stay where they are; Holi could certainly lift the body, but its size makes it too unwieldy for him to carry.
"…I'm sorry," he whispers.
OOC: Picking Frenzy up done with player permission.
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Duskwing
Major
"What the slag happened?"
Posts: 848
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Post by Duskwing on Jan 23, 2009 0:31:15 GMT -5
Duskwing scowls angrily; everyone is ignoring him! That this might be a good thing hasn't yet dawned on him; he's simply peeved that Perceptor ignored his clever insult, and Barricade didn't even reply to Duskwing's perfectly reasonable request, and whoever the reinforcements are isn't shooting that slagging piece of red garbage on legs. Clearly, everyone hates him.
An arc of energon spray spatters Duskwing's face. Wonderful. Barricade is totally blocking his aim, but not flying bits of red slagger.
"Hey! Quit bogarting the fragger! You ain't the only one what wants a piece of him!" he snaps in frustration, waving charged guns around.
Maybe he could just shoot through Barricade. He frowns, dimly suspecting a problem with that plan. What could go wrong? Seconds slip away as he ponders the question; the need for thought and the difficulty of it cooling his mindless rage.
Oh yeah. Barricade might turn around and hit him instead, letting the fragging jackleg get away while they fight. So long as 'Cade doesn't let the bastard tinker loose, that red fragger is still getting torn apart and life is good.
"Fine, be that way! Just don't let the fragger go!" Duskwing growls, finally turning painfully around to see what is shading the area and who the reinforcements are--
Oh.
"Oh, fragging slag..." Duskwing mutters, his neck craning to look up and up and up...
"You just keep at it, 'Cade. I gots stuff to take care of," Duskwing says as he starts sidling away. Is there a rock to hide under nearby? A really, really big rock?
Then his optics register the shattered dark blue and purple form laying headless in the sand. Optics widen and brighten to a ruby glow. "Slag. Slag! SLAG! THE FRAGGER KILLED ME!"
He stares at the small, unoffensive blue Micromaster in the great Autobot Guardian's hand ('Cade is obviously busy).
"Why did you let him do dat?" Duskwing asks in an oddly hurt and bewildered tone.
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Perceptor-3
Rookie
Curiosity killed... everyone else. After a lengthy examination, of course.
Posts: 139
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Post by Perceptor-3 on Jan 23, 2009 21:54:08 GMT -5
Pain screams along Perceptor's relays as claws rip into his midsection, tearing away armor, part of his lower hinge assembly, even part of his mirror assembly. Barricade is too close to bring his almost forgotten weapon back in line, and the searing fury in the Decepticon's gaze brooks no quarter.
Desperation summons a dart from subspace, clutched in his hand, but his gun, he still cannot reach his gun to reload. Claws descend, two pairs, arcing in from both sides, aimed to eviscerate. With a howl of fury and pain, Perceptor surges forward, survival instinct kicking in just long enough...
...To shove that dart clutched in his hand home, deep into Barricade's grill.
Barricade's claws slash through empty air as Perceptor shifts in that last moment, evading, praying that the paralytic will take effect quickly enough to save him. Red glaring optics turn upon him hatefully, and Barricade tenses to spring again.
Overhead, an arc of brilliant blue-white light bursts in a vibrant wave that seems almost to ripple through the land. Reality stutters for an instant.
Barricade's claws slash through empty air as Perceptor wavers into a mirage that pops like a soap bubble, leaving behind... nothing.
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Omega Supreme
Minor
Shorter and Coloured Funny but Still Angry as the Pit
Posts: 456
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Post by Omega Supreme on Jan 25, 2009 20:43:59 GMT -5
Omega Supreme is somewhat slow on the uptake. Yes, he heard the radio banter loud and clear, but he's not sure that he can make sense of it.
Also, people are randomly vanishing.
Oh.
Oh.
He gets it now. He thinks.
Omega Supreme frowns slightly and attempts to hold Holi closer to his chest, his grip rather loose, and he straightens up.
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Post by Barricade-3 on Jan 25, 2009 21:37:31 GMT -5
Something dark buried deep within twists with savage glee at the stark terror writ plain on Perceptor's face. Yes, be afraid! He flicks his claws to rid them of the shreds of metal still clinging to them, and spreads his arms wide for another slashing attack--
Only to have Perceptor leap upon him. A sharp pain sears through his chest, shooting ribbons of fire through all his systems. Fire that lingers, burning like acid in his lines. His vision wavers for a moment... No, not his vision. Perceptor is wavering.
The last thing to fade out of sight are those hateful blue optics, and Barricade's talons slash through empty air.
Time has slowed down. He can almost see it crawling around him like sand, and the whole world is wavering now. He feels tired, and his limbs feel too heavy. The burning... the burning hasn't faded. It's gotten worse.
He must have been darted.
I'm coming, Frenzy... Take care of Wreckage, Skystrike... Don't let him.... don't... Frenzy...
The eternity of an instant after Perceptor had vanished, Barricade, already toppling, wisps away like smoke in the wind.
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Holi
Major
Captain Can-Do
Posts: 672
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Post by Holi on Jan 28, 2009 23:04:51 GMT -5
It's with a mix of sorrow and resentment that Holi looks back at the aquamarine and magenta Seeker questioning him.
"I didn't let him!" he protests, tightening his arms around Frenzy as if ensuring the small Decepticon's safety will somehow absolve him. "It was…." Everything happened so fast! Holi didn't have time to say yea or nay to being shoved clear of one shot and getting hit by another. "It was an accident–!"
He doesn't realise until his forearms are pressed tightly to his own chest that Frenzy is gone. That bad-Perceptor is gone, and Barricade, too.
OOC: Frenzy vanishing mentioned with player okay.
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Duskwing
Major
"What the slag happened?"
Posts: 848
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Post by Duskwing on Jan 28, 2009 23:31:15 GMT -5
"Yeah, well 'Cade there was talkin 'bout how much he cares and...." Duskwing turns his head as he talks, and trails off into silence as it suddenly registers that Barricade-3 isn't there. Nor is Perceptor-3.
"Where'd he go?? HE LET THAT FRAGGER GET AWAY! SLAGGIT!" Duskwing slews his head back to look at Holi--and abruptly looks down.
His counterpart is gone; only a few large chunks of wing, blown clear of the body, remain. Duskwing stares wide-optick'd at the empty depression in the sand. After a few long moments, he drops awkwardly to one knee, his still-fused other knee remaining straight, and snatches up the wing fragments. He holds them close to his body, pressed against his smashed cockpit.
Duskwing gives Holi a reproachful look. "You said you cared," he mutters, and turns away.
He does not even glance at the giant Autobot Guardian, but simply walks away, limping across the desert sands.
---- Out-of-thread unless interfered with.
Addendum: Duskwing has no idea where he's going, or where anyone is. And no radio.
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