Skyfire
Major
I'm a scientist, not a....
Posts: 891
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Post by Skyfire on Jul 1, 2009 19:53:40 GMT -5
Skyfire swings his proton cannon down and fires, blasting away at Jetfire's arm where it connects to the hand grabbing his leg. A second shot is fired straight into his doppleganger's face, and another if the blasted thing still moves.
"They're drones!" he shouts, drawing the logical conclusion. But how can they see with dead optics? "It's an amb-- YAAARGH!"
Megatron's blast catches Skyfire high in the right shoulder, blasting through wing joints and jet thruster alike. He staggers, and nearly falls to his knees.
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Post by Springer on Jul 2, 2009 21:32:46 GMT -5
Drones...
Drones?
Springer glances around, seeing the other ghoul-bots that have risen, and the commotion involving Perceptor and Skyfire - hey, where'd the new guy go? No matter...
More clawing is done, but his look of fear turns to one of determination. Springer dredges himself up a bit, enough to get one elbow up and dig it into the ground, pulling out his pistol. It's aimed into the water, and the trigger is pulled several times.
However, something gets struck in the zombie-bot that shouldn't, and the mech explodes under Springer, flipping him out of the water, and sending him tumbling across the walkway. His lower half is fairly scorched. Stumbling up, he grabs his rifle, backing up toward the group and firing with his rifle and pistol into the horde.
"I hate being right."
---------- OOC: Exploding of Nameless Soldier done with SceneMod permission.
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Dai-Janku
Rookie
Reject common sense to make the impossible possible!
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Post by Dai-Janku on Jul 2, 2009 22:08:12 GMT -5
Dai-Janku doesn't stop when Prime rises.
He does, however attempt to skid to a halt when Prime throws the Junkion his sword. The blade-wielder is not quick enough to dodge his own weapon, and gets his left arm cleaved off with a low grunt of irritation. "You're definitely not Convoy... He wouldn't strike out against one of his own!"
Dai-Janku retrieves his arm, plugging it back in as Junkions are wont to do, and goes back the way he came to retrieve his sword, and cuts his thrusters on his back on to assist his running into the front fringes of the horde of zombies. Dai-Janku moves smoothly, though he kicking up a fair bit of water and mud behind him. He pauses a moment in front of Brawl, and leaps up into the air, assisted by his boosters, swinging the huge blade overhead. Upon reaching the apex of his jump, his optics glint dramatically! "There is nothing my Colossal Blade cannot cut!"As he bellows that, his thrusters cut off, and he comes down, cleaving Brawl in twain and landing with a big splash, hefting the blade onto his shoulder.
"Who's next?!"
Seeing that Ironhide and a one-armed Ultra Magnus are closest, he charges for them next.
---------- OOC: Filleting of Brawl done with SceneMod permission.
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Post by Perceptor on Jul 3, 2009 21:39:19 GMT -5
The shriek Perceptor lets loose when the corpse he has been checking suddenly turns on him is anything but dignified. It is a sound of agony and sheer terror, to be perfectly frank.
Perceptor is not a warrior - he fights when necessary, but even Skyfire, as an explorer by trade, has more of a combatant bent than does the pure scientist that is Perceptor. He certainly does not have Springer's finely honed combat responses, nor Dai-Janku's Junkion aplomb. And now, not only is his greatest failure come to confront him in a very real and visceral level, but also a nightmare worse than any he could have imagined.
Wheeljack is dead. Perceptor knows those wounds, and beyond which, he'd gotten a decent enough look at the damage and decay and the contamination of the corpse to know that no life pulsed within that husk, nor had any for some time. Wheeljack is dead.
And Wheeljack is also trying valiantly to rip his precious scope from his shoulder, with those dead, dead, empty, lifeless optics staring up at Perceptor. This is worse than a nightmare, and the others will have to fend for themselves without Perceptor's help for now, because, even if he were not struggling to retain his scope, to keep from getting dragged under the surface of the swamp, he is struggling with himself to retain the tenuous grasp he still has on his sanity after watching the corpse of his best friend rise from its shattered state and leap upon him.
Even if he hadn't actually seen it until that last second. And now, the shattered, lifeless visage of his friend makes him hesitate, just a moment, but still hesitate. He cannot do this. He cannot attack Wheeljack! Please do not make him DO this!
He isn't even sure who he is begging that of when he finally twists about, terrified cry still dying in his vocal processor, to grapple and kick and punch at Wheeljack's animated shell, trying to pry the engineer's dead fingers from the mount before it does more than give an ominous creak.
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Post by SceneMod on Jul 4, 2009 23:09:09 GMT -5
Before almost going down from Megatron's shot, Skyfire does succeed in making his doppelganger even less attractive than he was, blasting what was left of Jetfire's face into bits. For a moment, the heavy white bulk that was once a Transformer continues to move forward, reaching...almost in a pleading gesture before falling flat, already sliding back into the swamp from whence it came.
Rather than attempt another shot at any member of the party, Megatron transforms. Skywarp moves forward to join the press of zombie mechs, he and another nameless Seeker laying down fire in the vicinity of Skyfire and Perceptor. Oddly enough, they don't seem to be firing kill shots- yet.
Wheeljack is still grasping at Perceptor's scope, seemingly oblivious to the damage being done to him by his one time friend. The zombie medic seems fixated on the weapon above all else. Excepting the focused attempt at dislodging the scope, with both hands now, Wheeljack is doing nothing.
Megatron has not advanced, not yet, though on the far side, his opposite number has done so. Prime's gun comes up with a jerky motion, and he paces Dai-Janku for a moment before firing, shot aimed at the Junkion's left hip. Optimus pushes forward closing the distance between himself and Springer, ignoring, like all the others, any shots that hit him. The zombie Prime raises his arm and tries to knock Springer aside...
And if he is successful, this means the shot Megatron aims at the Wrecker's center slams through Optimus's lower torso.
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Skyfire
Major
I'm a scientist, not a....
Posts: 891
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Post by Skyfire on Jul 5, 2009 11:01:24 GMT -5
Normally, shooting what looks dangerously like himself in the face would shake Skyfire severely--but he's running on emergency protocols now. He's facing a life-threatening situation and his emotional centers are all but shut down as he evaluates, decides and acts from instant to instant to survive and protect the other members of "his" expedition. He'll have the emotional reactions later, when it's safe; for now, only enough anger and fear for his companions to motivate him is allowed to leak through.
Skyfire's right shoulder joint is fused; he can't lift the arm to aim. He smoothly switches his cannon to the other hand; he doesn't suffer from handedness. He straightens up, and draws a bead on Zombie-Jack's head as he tussles with Perceptor--
Wait for it... NOW!
The instant Perceptor's very visible red body isn't a backstop for the shot, Skyfire fires, twin proton beams howling through the air toward the late Wheeljack's head and upper torso...
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Post by Springer on Jul 6, 2009 23:05:30 GMT -5
Given the speed of these abominations, Springer's focusing on one at a time, trying to figure out the quickest way to bring them down.
Rifle to the torso, pistol to the knees...
Pistol to the shoulder, rifle to the knees...
Or, both to the head?
Aha! After thoroughly perforating a bestial 'bot with winged shoulders, blowing its head open is the trick to bringing it down. Springer stows his pistol, and reloads his rifle, turning slightly to yell at the others behind him. "Aim for the he-eeaargh!"
Springer is now knocked down by Zombimus Prime. That's gonna leave a dent...
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Dai-Janku
Rookie
Reject common sense to make the impossible possible!
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Post by Dai-Janku on Jul 6, 2009 23:12:04 GMT -5
No one answers Dai-Janku's challenge! He is momentarily sad.
Then he remembers that these 'bots are being quiet. Right...
Either way, he starts for the next nearest 'bot, when Prime pops off a shot at him, and blam, there goes his hip, and down goes the Junkion with a cry of pain, splattering muck about. With some swearing, he rights himself, and starts to repairing his hip, reconfiguring his sword to its smaller form for easier swinging if he's attacked...
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Post by Perceptor on Jul 7, 2009 19:33:54 GMT -5
Stricken or not, Perceptor cannot allow Wheeljack to rip his scope free, and struggles, seizing both of the engineer's wrists with his hands. Distantly, somewhere nearby, Perceptor can hear the struggles of the others, and Prime skips in and out of the corner of his periphery vision now and then, but Perceptor does not have time for his shame.
The plating of Wheeljack's hands begins to crumple under his fingertips, and Perceptor has to curb his reflex to release his friend. How can he be doing this?
Perceptor's emotional dilemma is abruptly halted when Wheeljack's head - his best friend's head - explodes in a shower of darkened optic glass, mud, rotting vegetation, metal, and component parts. It is a sight that will haunt Perceptor far longer than the sight of Wheeljack lying lifeless upon the shattered ground of Autobot City. It may even haunt him longer than the sight of ruined Prime attacking the others.
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Post by SceneMod on Jul 8, 2009 12:49:46 GMT -5
Oddly enough, once Dai-Janku goes down, the zombies which had been pressing him no longer do so, waiting, watching. Surely it's not from any sense of fair play- cat and mouse, perhaps, a test?
Skyfire's shots end any threat posed by Wheeljack rather spectacularly, though the trade off is a renewed concentration of attack upon him. Skywarp switches his aim to Skyfire's good shoulder, while the filler seeker (who may be pastel-colored under the swamp much) attempts to tackle the space shuttle.
Megatron aims at Perceptor...
And the Zombie Prime struggles up from where he was knocked down by Megatron's blast. His movements are even more jerky, torn and exposed wires sparking as swamp water hits them. He fires- on Megatron, this time, trying to force his way through to put himself between Perceptor and the Decepticon leader.
"Not....a-again. Won't...betray..."
Hidden in the high branches of one of the swamp trees, a shiny silver ovoid drone sits, tentacles keeping it balanced in the tree watching, recording the drama. Things have gotten most interesting.
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Skyfire
Major
I'm a scientist, not a....
Posts: 891
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Post by Skyfire on Jul 8, 2009 18:43:04 GMT -5
Perceptor is out of immediate danger--
No, he's not. Skyfire fires from the hip at Megatron--
Only to get shot through the left jet intake by zombie-Skywarp. Skyfire winces; though Skywarp isn't wielding Megatron at the moment, it scarcely makes a difference. Skyfire's armor is paper-thin compared to most. Still, it hasn't hit anything vital...
Which strikes him as odd. There's a pattern here, he can see it in between the flashes and tumbles of combat. Optics narrow; he can see what it is now. He twists, trying to avoid zombie-Skywarp's shots.
"Springer, Perceptor, er, New Guy! They're channeling us and trying to incapacitate us, not destroy us! Someone wants capture us reasonably intact-- BLUB"
About that time the pastel zombie Seeker tackles Skyfire from behind, catching him off balance to devastating effect. Skyfire goes down, face-first into the mud.
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Post by Springer on Jul 8, 2009 23:08:22 GMT -5
Glancing back, Springer sees Megatron aiming for Perceptor, and takes the same moment that Skyfire fires at Megatron to push against the ground and spring at Perceptor, tackling him out of the way of the gunformer. He goes for a tumble, but scrambles back to a prone position. "Snap out of it, Perceptor!" Then Skyfire goes down, and Springer aims for the zombots over there, peppering the general area with shots. "We're getting our skidplates kicked here!"
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Dai-Janku
Rookie
Reject common sense to make the impossible possible!
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Post by Dai-Janku on Jul 8, 2009 23:15:03 GMT -5
Thanks to handy skills with making stuff work in a hurry, and being a Junkion, Dai-Janku is soon back on his feet. He's about to go to his new comrades' aid when he spots a curious thing in the trees.
That can't be right, even in a situation like this.
Plus, it has tentacles. Tentacles are bad news!
Well, unless you're into that, but that's neither here nor there.
His arms cross over his chest as he hunches over, then thrusts his torso out, arching his back as his arms swing out. After doing this, two streams of heated energy burst from the two vents on his chest at the silvery thing, as he calls out "CHEST WARRRRMMMERRR!".
Might not be accurate, but it may set the tree on fire, and if someone shot hot plasma out of their nipples at you, would you stay and see what other crazy crap they might do?
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Post by Perceptor on Jul 9, 2009 15:33:43 GMT -5
It almost seems to happen in slow motion as Wheeljack's shell drops away, limp and unresponsive, the engineer's grasp at last falling limp and releasing Perceptor. It seems to take forever before the husk hits the swampy water and muck again with a sickening splorch that is lost in the general din of combat around him.
"Dai-Janku," Perceptor finds himself saying, correcting Skyfire's non-specific cry. "He said that his name was Dai-Jan-- Optimus?" Sense filters into Perceptor's rather vague gaze as he hears that choked off declaration in a far-too-familiar voice and he turns, having just enough time to see Optimus interposing himself in front of Megatron - to shield Perceptor! - before the whole world is rattled by Springer's tackle.
Perceptor stumbles back up into a crouch, shaking his head as it quite suddenly penetrates - his friends. They need him. His living friends need him, and these corpses... are only that. Empty shells.
Except, perhaps, for Optimus.
He remembers what Kup had told him about how Optimus returned, how he, under the influence of Quintesson programming, betrayed his own Autobots. Until the last, when he threw off the conditioning and sacrificed himself again to undo what he had wrought.
Perceptor will not fail Optimus again. He will not fail his friends, but he will not fail the Prime again.
With an uncharacteristic cry of fury, he turns his precise aim upon Megatron, unleashing a blast from his shoulder cannon that, should it hit, take off the Decepticon warlord's head... and a considerable portion of Megatron's shoulders, too. Even as he does so, he is pulling his concussion rifle from subspace, scanning for another target as soon as the light blast has been triggered--
Which is when he distractedly catches sight of Dai-Janku's attack.
Perceptor has seen quite a few very odd things in his long life, however, Junkion plasma lactation of doom is still one of the strangest yet. It would make his processor hurt, if he had any processing power to spare amidst the chaos of the fight.
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Post by SceneMod on Jul 9, 2009 23:00:10 GMT -5
The ovoid drone most definitely does not desire to stay in it it's now-flaming perch. Not being a thinking creature, it is neither amused nor horrified by the implications of Dai-Janku's attack. It's creator's- and current mun- are very much WTF'ing however.
The drone dives from the tree and into the murky water below, skimming under the surface to a tree nearer Megatron and Optimus and skittering up it. It's surface is slightly charred from the attack, but it doesn't seem to care, any more than it seems to care that it has been seen. It is doing the job it was built to do. Observing.
And there is much to observe. Springer's shots stagger ZombieWarp, but fly over the nameless Seeker tackling Skyfire, because he's well, tackling Skyfire. Some of the zombies- including Ironhide and that one-armed Magnus- break off and head back toward Dai-Janku, while the rest seem to split there attention- those with guns attack Springer. Those without try to dogpile Skyfire.
Megatron staggers, Skyfire's shot burning across his waist. Prime leaps forward, grappling the Decepticon leader- and swinging them both into the line of Perceptor's shot. The change in angle means the shot does not destroy their heads, though it punches through chest and shoulders. For a moment, they sway, as if some macabre dance, and then the two leaders fall backwards into silt, quickly- too quickly- sucked beneath. Quicksand, most likely.
With those "deaths," the other zombies start to stagger and fall, whatever lifeforce that forced them into action leaving them. Most of the bodies are reclaimed by the swamp, though some parts may still be salvageable.
The ovid drone tilts to better record the remaining "live" individuals.
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