capitalh | ROBOT FIGHT CLUB

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ROBOT FIGHT CLUB

Who: Orion Pax and the Autobutts.
Where: Next to a conveniently places crevasse near the tower.
When: March 16, around the time that Fake Dynamo is freaking out.
What: The bad guy figures out there are more robots lurking around and sends its biggest robot to try to deal with them.
Warnings: SUDDEN ROBOT ULTRAVIOLENCE (ok maybe not ultraviolence, maybe just super violence.)

He's barely conscious, after what just happened, but his body is still moving. He doesn't know what the objective is. He can just feel himself slip in and out of awareness, the only consistent thing being the terrible mental pain that lingers from having his processor slammed by some kind of code push from the AI. He doesn't even really know why.

He just knows that something happened, and that the creature got extremely angry because of it. And that it was apparently somehow his fault. He's not sure if he should be proud of himself for that nebulous victory or not.

His pilot has decided that the Cybertronian being fully conscious during these efforts has been far from helpful thus far - this is something it can deal with more permanently later. But for now something urgent is happening, and paranoia is rising in its alien mind. Enemies are going to be coming, from all sides. These are only the first, but it will not be cornered by filth.

It forces the bot's body into its vehicle mode and charging towards the group at full speed, as soon as his scouts' observations have been visually confirmed. Having more of these metal bodies at its disposal could be very useful in this war.

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They're ready for this -- as ready as they can be, at least. The intel that Arcee had received from Legion is a huge help, at least, and Arcee's shared everything she knows with Ultra Magnus. They have to know going in what they're in for. They have to be prepared -- for an Optimus who's being controlled by someone else, who's going to attack them. They'll be ready for him this time.

Arcee's taking point as commander. Out of the three of them, Ultra Magnus is the only one who's really equipped to take Optimus head-on in a fight. She figures she and Rodimus can run interference and support as needed, try to subdue Optimus and take him back to their temporary base of operations as soon as they can. They don't have a way of dealing with the mind control protocol right now, but they'll find one. First step is taking Optimus back. Arcee just hopes that for once -- for once -- Rodimus will find it in him to obey orders.

She's in vehicle mode, her tires kicking up a spray of sand as she rides alongside the others. "Here he comes, guys. Stay on your guard -- whatever's controlling him is pretty damn ruthless."

I told you we'd come back for you, Optimus. We're going to get you out of this.

"Understood, Arcee."

Ultra Magnus had left the city immediately after Arcee had contacted him about locating Optimus Prime. While the fact they had managed to find him to quickly was a blessing, the circumstances under which Arcee had found him were not what he had been hoping for. One could only hope they would be able to overpower him as a group and undo whatever was causing their leader to act so unpredictable and out of character.

Following in vehicle mode, Magnus was keeping in formation behind the other two, his alt mode not nearly as speedy as theirs, keeping a beeline towards the oncoming truck. He was not looking forward to the prospect of fighting Optimus Prime, but the situation really left them no other choice.

"So'd anyone else think they'd be fighting Optimus Prime today?" Rodimus was driving close in formation to Arcee. "Because I didn't. Fighting Optimus. Prime. Primus."

The aforementioned Prime wasn't that far off, and looking more imposing than Rodimus remembered, but then, things change depending on which side of a fight you're on, he supposed. He was still trying to wrap his head around the idea that they'd located Optimus but in this...condition. Who or what had the ability to control Optimus so completely?

"Well, if nothing else this is is going to make a REALLY stellar story!" Rodimus laughed half-heartedly, silently hoping for their sake that Brainwashedimus was not on his A game today.

Orion closes the distance between them in what feels like no time at all, and then his t-cog is triggering and he's catching air with a mid-transition flip, firing on the three Autobots with both guns. It's taken some time, but it's learned how to pilot this body more efficiently. It helps that this host's own consciousness is growing too weak to keep up the fight.

Weak like the body definitely is not. After the flurry of shots, it aims to come down onto one of the approaching vehicles with it's superior weight.

There isn't as much hesitation in Optimus's movements as there had been before. It's more fluid, surer, and that doesn't exactly bode well for them. Arcee veers off sharply to the side to avoid the blaster fire, transforming back to robot mode as she does -- she hits the ground running, her feet kicking up sand as she cycles out her blasters. They'd come into this prepared for a fight, and as much as firing on Optimus Prime is the last thing Arcee's ever wanted to do, she's prepared to do what she has to in order to bring him back.

"It's only going to make a good story if we come out of this in one piece," Arcee snaps, her voice not irritated but terse, tight. "Rodimus -- look out!"

Orion is bearing down on Rodimus with terrifying intent -- Arcee directs her blaster fire at him, shooting to incapacitate, aiming for joints and gaps in his plating, but nothing vital. "Ultra Magnus! We need to run him down -- take him out of the fight! I'll cover Rodimus -- see if you can slow Optimus down!"

Magnus doesn't bother answering, transforming directly into a run and charging down on Optimus. He didn't want to hurt their leader more than anyone, but he also wasn't going to compromise the mission out of sentimentality.

He cycles out his blasters, shooting a few blasts at Optimus' arms and shoulders while Arcee aimed for his legs. Hopefully between the two of them that would distract him enough for Rodimus to get out of the way.

Rodimus banks hard; too hard for sand, and his tires skitter uselessly on traction-less gravel for a moment before gracelessly transforming to avoid a complete spin-out. He's practically shooting before fully transformed, although the first shots go wild.

He's lost all momentum as he skids to a halt, Optimus right on top of him now. "Where's his weak point supposed to be exactly?" he demands, frantically, steeling himself for a head-on, hoping he can turn an up-close encounter to his advantage.

As things move into close range, the guns cycle out for blades. His movements are more fluid, certainly, but he also fights without reasonable self preservation. His attacks are powerful but reckless - reckless in a way that Optimus Prime would never be, as if he doesn't understand his body's own weaknesses enough to work with them and defend.

His finish is already scraped and gouged all over, in a way it wasn't when Arcee first saw him. He's already weakened before the first blaster strikes, but while the lasers bite into his limbs, it doesn't seem to slow him down. Like pain or eventual death is irrelevant.

The one controlling him isn't the one feeling it. Inside, Orion is completely overwhelmed with exhaustion and pain.

Outwardly, though, he manages to bring one of his blade down on Rodimus like a guillotine before Ultra Magnus charges into his range as well, and he starts lashing out fiercely at both of them with his swords in heavy blows like hammer fall.

Arcee had been hoping that he'd be able to put up a fight against his controllers, like the last time they'd fought -- but no such luck. And with Rodimus caught up in the clash between Ultra Magnus and Orion, things are looking a little dimmer than she'd like for three against one.

"Rodimus, get out of there! Back it up, give Magnus some cover fire!" Arcee's voice rings out, tense and sharp with concern -- she hopes that for once, Rodimus will prioritize the bigger picture of the fight over his personal heroics. Arcee takes advantage of Orion's full hands to circle back, cutting a wide arc around to behind him, focusing her fire on the backs of his legs, at the gaps in plating around his joints. She hopes they can cut him down without doing too much damage -- it's not like they've got a medic with them. "Go for the legs -- if we can incapacitate him, we might be able to end this quick!"

For once Rodimus isn't thinking about heroics, or his pending coolness, or even weighing how much he wants to tell Arcee where she can shove her orders versus actually following them...he's too preoccupied with Orion. That and the freshly inflicted wound on his shoulder. Orion and his shockingly...well, ruthless attacks. Even expecting a tough fight (it is OPTIMUS PRIME they're fighting after all) Rodimus wasn't expecting this. THIS Optimus doesn't seem to have any interest in holding back, not for their sake nor even his own. Orion's initial blow had came down hard on Rodimus, slicing deeply and painfully into his shoulder joint; the plating there might as well have been nothing. He can't tell how bad the damage is just yet, but it's leaking energon like a spigot and he's not getting much use out of it. Even with Magnus' fortuitous arrival, Orion's attack on both Autobots is relentless. Rodimus is only barely fending off the blows, and he knows his plating wasn't built to take the kind of punishment their estranged leader is doling out either. At this point it is needless to say he's only getting in Ultra Magnus' way. He needs to get out of this fight, and fast.

Rodimus can hear Arcee and although she sounds a million miles a way, he uses her voice as a goal to try and move toward...if nothing else, in between defending himself from Orion's vicious blows, Rodimus uses his good arm to concentrate fire in the places Arcee seems to be aiming.

Magnus is doing his best now to keep the blows off the smaller bot, blocking the blades to the best of his ability. He doesn't want to take a shot at Optimus this close, but not having close combat weapons of his own he's banking on strategy to win out over their leader's erratic movements. That still doesn't prevent a good number of Optimus' attacks from gouging up his plating as he tries to get Rodimus out of harm's way.

It doesn't take long for Optimus' out of control swings to offer Ultra Magnus an opening, and he lunging toward the other bot, grabbing his arm and quickly darting behind him to pin the bladed arm behind his back, struggling to keep that hold as long as possible.
"Rodimus, get out!"

The blade that sunk into Rodimus comes away energon stained. At the sight of it, something in Orion's battered conscious stirs. He's attacked others before while being used like this, he's almost gotten them. But he's never actually dealt a blow like that before, one that could potentially kill if it went far enough...

His body is staggering with its frenzies movements, his attacks cut short by Ultra Magnus pinning an arm. The driver isn't satisfied with that first blow, however. It would rather see Rodimus put down than have him retreat. It shifts his free arm into a gun again, and aims at the robot's already bleeding wound, energon already charged in the barrel.

But the movement hesitates, the shot simply lingering on Rodimus long enough for him to slip away. Orion's body shudders with a sudden violence, it's pilot nearly frenzying in frustration with its lack of control.

It swings his gun arm back against Ultra Magnus, trying to strike him bluntly even as he struggles to keep his body pinned. Then, one of Arcee's shots hits a sweet spot - the joints in his leg that had been damaged and only amateurishly repairs all those days ago.

Metal shrapnel peppers the sand as his knee join gives way. For the first time, Orion manages a genuine growl of pain.

Arcee feels her spark jump when Orion goes down on one knee, a mix of triumph and dread. She hadn't known what was going to happen on this mission, but fighting Optimus Prime hadn't been something she was counting on. She circles around Orion's side, redirecting her blaster fire up at the elbow of his free arm, trying to assist Ultra Magnus as she rushes for Rodimus's side. If they can just get Orion's other arm out of commission, Ultra Magnus might be just enough to end this fight.

"I've got you covered, Ultra Magnus! Don't let him go!" Then she's by Rodimus, blasters still trained on Orion's arm, her optics bright with concern and intent. "Fall back, Rodimus -- I need you to get yourself out of range in case Ultra Magnus can't hold him! Go!"

There isn't much else to do when staring down the barrel of Optimus Prime's gun, BUT get the hell out of the way...and that's exactly what Rodimus did. But now, outside the immediate range of Orion's blows, even barely able to stand, and with a useless arm and more energon outside his body than in it at this point, Rodimus can't help but get reckless again.

"Arcee," he says with a pained grin. "What about me seems like I'm about to back out just when things have gotten well and truly dangerous?"

That he's not really sure how far out of the way he can actually get himself right now is besides the point. He'd rather save his dwindling energy for shooting, anyway....Magnus can't hold Orion forever after all.

"You know me," he says jokingly, raising his good arm, blasters fully charged, sights set on Orion's (hopefully) weakening free arm. "Never know when to quit."

Edited 2014-05-04 22:23 (UTC)

With Rodimus finally out of the way Ultra Magnus can focus entirely on getting Optimus down, which still isn't that easy a task. He hadn't realized how deep some of those sword cuts had been till Optimus had started beating his arms with his free arm. He was leaking energon and that was not exactly a good sign right now.

When Prime's leg gave way, Ultra Magnus was thrown off balance as well. The moment's stumbling wasn't enough to throw him off though, not now that they were so close. repositioned his grip on Optimus' arm, leaning hard onto his weak side in an attempt to force him into the ground.

"Optimus. Please, for your own safety stand down."

Plead as Orion might from the inside, his driver does not stand down. He can feel it coming though - a taste of oblivion that he's welcoming more and more. He's been low on energon for a while now, and every struggle and gunshot is making it worse. His shattered knee panel has been replaced by the blue glow of leaking energon, the fluid already pooled around his now non-functional foot.

He feels his arm swivel around, persistent blaster fire denting its plating. His captor is trying to get it into a position where it can fire on Ultra Magnus from point blank range. It just about gets within range on the other bots head before Orion strains his own mind against his implant, trying to force priority against taking the shot.

He's woken up to the fight, knowing that he has to lose. All he wants right now is to go back to sleep.

The shot goes wide, and there is a glitching roar of anger that comes from his own vocalizer, and the sharp pain of his body trying to force itself up onto its wounded leg. Ultra Magnus is still bearing down on him, and trying to push his body against him just results in another sound of crunching metal as his knee joint collapses further.

He starts shooting wildly against Arcee and Rodimus, blaster fire hailing against his shoulder with such force that he can feel his plating grow hot with it. Only about two shots make it with any semblance of accuracy - the rest fall into a reckless volley of fire, blue energy flaring pointlessly into the sand.

The plating on his shoulder is wrenched back just enough that a blaster shot lands within the joint, and his gun hand falls limp. Just in time for his energon level to hit a critical low.

His optics flicker, his body alerting him to its lack of fuel with increasing urgency. His body jerks back and forth against Ultra Magnus's hold, with less and less strength, until the other bot's hold is the only thing keeping him from collapsing.

His optics focus and unfocus, hazily staring into the space ahead.

This is why Arcee had brought Rodimus, in the end. It's exactly what makes him so infuriating to deal with. When it comes down to it, he just doesn't give in -- he'd rather buckle and break than knuckle under every time. And as much as he might constantly resist Arcee's authority, she knows he cares about this mission. And that's why Arcee knows they need him, knows they need him to keep fighting even though she knows just as well that they can't bear to be down even a single bot.

"Rodimus, we don't have a medic! And right now, I cannot afford -- ugh!"

One of Orion's last shots catches her square in the abdomen, hurling her off her feet with a spray of sand. She knows she's bleeding, energon streaking down her midsection, but it's not nearly as bad as Rodimus or Ultra Magnus -- not nearly as bad as Orion. She pulls herself back to her feet, one hand over her dented plating, her other blaster still pointed up. But the shooting is over now, it seems. She watches Orion go slack against Ultra Magnus, and it feels like her spark's just sunk into her fuel tank.

She's heard of hollow victories before, but she's never tasted one like this.

"Ultra Magnus, how are you holding up?" Her voice is thick and heavy with static, but she resets her vocalizer, trying to clear it away. "Can you make it back to base with Optimus?"

Rodimus lets his arm fall as Orion does, the barrel of all three guns glowing red hot even as his spark grows cold at the sight. Well, they'd done it. They'd brought down their leader. The symbol of all that the Autobots stood for on his knees, broken and bleeding. A good bot, who deserved none of this.

He looks around, his Optics unfocused; everyone is down, but alive. Magnus is bleeding, Arcee is bleeding, but she's still talking. Bad as she sounds, it's reassuring. Rodimus is no stranger to bittersweet victories, but this....well, it would definitely be a solid contender if he were to (completely hypothetically) keep a list of such things.

Okay. Rodimus thinks to himself, shoving aside wayward thoughts. Okay. One step at a time.

He realises just how apt his metaphor is as he stands and it becomes apparent just how hard that step is going to be. His optics are focused hard on Orion, and he ignores that the feedback is loaded with static. He notes that he's not bleeding out energon so badly anymore, but also notes that this might not actually be a good sign. He takes a step...maybe. It's getting hard to tell if he's successfully doing the things he thinks he doing, and there's plating falling off his wrecked shoulder now, and - Primus, there are things, falling. off. of me. He feels a slightest edge of panic, before pushing it back again.

Optimus. Magnus. Arcee. These are the things he needs to focus on. Their mission is so close to done. So close - they HAVE Orion. They can fix him; they can get Optimus back. They just need to do this last thing. But...Optimus is so far away...too far, and there's nothing he can do to help with that. But...maybe Arcee. He can't help Magnus with Orion, but maybe he can help her at least. He looks around; knows Arcee's been shot, knows she's still alive, but for some reason he can't find her.

Making his vocaliser work doesn't come any easier than the walking.

"....Arcee?"

It's a relief in a way when Optimus finally runs out of vigor, because Magnus could feel his bleeding arm getting weaker. But he's dealt with worse a hundred times before, he wasn't going to stop for this. His teammates needed all the support they could get after that fight, physically and emotionally. And literally, as Optimus goes limp in his hold and Ultra Magnus has to quickly adjust his grip to keep him from falling. He slides Optimus' good arm over his shoulder, grunting a bit as he tried to get most of his weight off his injured legs.

He was about to reassure Arcee he could handle getting back to the ship when Rodimus started stumbling. And losing plating. The flash of concern in Magnus' eyes was evident even as his expression hardened.

"Rodimus, wait! Just stop for a minute. We don't need you injuring yourself further." The urgency of the command conveyed more concern than his words as he struggled to carry Optimus closer to the others. There was no confusion that this mission was not going to plan and they did not need the complication of two critical injured soldiers on a foreign planet.

Orion doesn't react to being physically shifted, even though it hurts. He is only very nebulously conscious, his optics flickering at the space in front of him. It isn't until a tremor goes through the ground that he shudders as well, as a tower seems to erupt from the ground in the distance.

Sounds come through his vocalizer that never quite make it past just being glitchy static. He shutters his optics and passes out.

It's over now, and they're a mess. Worse for the wear is too generous a term, but at least it's over now. Arcee's spark is heavy as she comes up swiftly at Rodimus' side, ignoring the weight of her heavy spark as she slings his good arm around her shoulders. Orion's blaster fire had done a serious number on his shoulder, and to say she isn't worried would be a bald-faced lie. She feels more than responsible. This happened under her command.

"I've got you, Rodimus. I'm right here." There's no triumph in her voice, just weariness, but she swallows it down and keeps her voice steady. They need some kind of leader right now. She lets him lean against her as he needs to, supporting his weight. "Come on, soldier -- one foot in front of the other. Let's get back to base."

She looks back at Magnus, gratitude and concern both shining in her optics. "There's a first aid kit back at the ship. I'm no Ratchet, but I can at least patch you up for now. Thank you, Magnus. We couldn't have done this without you."

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ROBOT FIGHT CLUB

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