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Title: Round Tw--uh-oh Location: Tesarus + What's left of Nyon Date: 24 April 2015 TP1: Autocracy Summary: Overclock almost has a reunion with Chimera... then Nyon Falls |
Crunch, crunch, crunch...
Finding dinner amongst the mountains of scrap metal that make up Tesarus' smoking, Pit-like skyline, an especially large animal is out in the junkyard tonight. Having walked a trail from Polyhex by the light of Luna-2, the chimeric beastformer is most of the way to her destination and has stopped for a snack. Sniffing with a picky palate at the bits of crumbled building and body parts, she alternately cuts away detritus with her claws and tears off whole hunks of valuable material with her fanged jaw. The night-black Insecticon doesn't bother with chewing; anything large enough to fit is simply swallowed and left to dissolve in the molten furnace of her interior.
Ever alert for a harvest worker or fellow scavenger, Overclock's acute senses keep watch for any interruption in the sounds and smells of dross and crumbling waste around her. While her size alone is enough to deter most competition, the hungry hound has no intention of sharing.
Most competition, but certainly not all. It's been some time since Chimera has entered one of Cybertron's cities, but now and then she finds herself emerging from the wilds to pick at the scrap when prey is scarce. Her massive, bestial altmode stalks the junkyard with only enough cautious to avoid the workers, taking no heed of others looking for a meal.
This is why she doesn't try to avoid Overclock, though it's like the insectibeast knows she's coming before she even arrives. And even though those jade eyes look quizzically upon Overclock's form when she rounds a scrapheap, Chimera still greets her with a low growl of warning as if to state her presence and show she has no interest in leaving.
Overclock lifts her head from her meal as she smells something very large and very old approaching. Her red optics are staring in Chimera's direction with most of a dead Cybertronian in her mouth before the Primordial comes into view. It's the silent, focused stare of a predator guarding its horde.
The Insecticon's pointed tail curls slowly over her back as her systems rev and a red flash of burnt fuel emits from the open exhausts on her sides. It's less of a warning growl back and more of a small explosion.
Ah, so the little hound isn't afraid of the big cat, it seems. Well then, this just makes it more interesting than just watching her scamper away. "I'm here to eat, nothing more. ..We won't be having a problem now will we, dog?" The Primordial rumbles deeply, optics never leaving Overclock's as she steadily strafes around her to get to one of the scrap piles. Her own tail is brandished in response as well, the bladed, stinger tip swaying in agitation.
"Behave yourself and we won't have to," the Cybertronian hound cum Insecticon replies, sounding in tone with a bass undertone but a noticeable feminine lilt. Overclock's voice could be likened to the hungry howl of the smelters nearby, but the Primordial isn't alone as a femme in the scrapyard.
Fine by her. Usually Chimera is quite glad to pick fights, but in this new age it's become difficult to find repairs without being found out, so she's been careful. Rounding to the opposite scrap heap, the beast is tempted to go diving in, but instead continues to focus on Overclock for now, optics squinting in scrutiny. "..Just what in the pit are you, anyway.. You reek of /bug/, yet you appear beast as well.." What an oddity.
"You're one to talk... Primordial," Overclock rebuts as she steps on her meal and tears it in half, only to swallow the upper portion in two bites. "How high did you stand before falling to living off waste?"
"What did you say..?" Oh no she didn't... Chimera hisses at this, hackles rising and jaws parting to flash massive teeth and the two saber fangs that dominate them. "I'm sorry, I don't think I caught that.." She takes a step forward, claws flexing against the ground. "I was too distracted by the smell of lowly bottomfeeders, so you'll have to repeat that.. Maybe a bit closer.."
Overclock watches the chimera quietly and turns to face her properly, tail swaying side to side in a display of calm. The smile her face can't express is all but palpable. "Calm down kitty. You don't want to starve from burning up too much of your precious energon. Wouldn't you rather eat instead?"
>> Explosions rock through the entire polity of Nyon. The detonation is so bright that the sentry towers on Luna-2 catch the explosion.
-- Radio: Global -- LIVE BROADCAST: Headline says, "... primus...."
-- Radio: Global-- LIVE BROADCAST: The camera shows a smouldering ruin where Nyon once was. It's burning, and there are massive humanoid figures collapsed among the debris.
-- Radio: Global -- Zeta Prime says, "Orion Pax, Hound, Ironhide, Bumblebee, Ariel, and Wheeljack are to be considered traitors to the Autobot regime. They are -kill on sight-."
-- Radio: Global -- LIVE BROADCAST: Headline says, "Th-this is Headline, reporting from the border of Nyon, and ... I'm at a loss for words. Just hours ago gigantic automatons called 'Omega Destructors' were marched out of Iacon towards Nyon..."
-- Radio: Global -- LIVE BROADCAST: Headline says, "We're having trouble getting any signals from Nyon right now, so please bear with us, but it appears that Zeta Prime declared war on the population of Nyon..."
"I would rather you know your place." Chimera snarls, an air of dominance rolling off her in waves as she approaches the smaller femme. "You may appear beast, but you still smell of nothing but insect." Looming over her now, the chimera stares in that intimidating manner down at her, no hesitation in her stance. "And insects were just that. Cleaners of the scrap I left in my wake. So know your place and show respec-- Huh?"
The minute ripples of a massive explosion are felt underfoot, cutting off Chimera's words and forcing her to look up and off over the surrounding heaps to spot the glow of destruction in the distance. "What in the name of Mortilus..." Optics are wide in wonder at this, the femme leaving Overclock a moment to scale a pile and get a better view.
-- Radio: Global -- LIVE BROADCAST: Headline says, "Just minutes ago there were some kind of explosions. We're not seeing any further movement or any signs of life in Nyon other than transmissions from the Prime himself..."
The Insecticon is a moment ahead of her, as the tremors give Overclock a sinking feeling in her spark. Cresting a nearby scrap pile and catching sight of the sky to the north-east, her optics glow in shock and the ever-present hum of her hungry systems fall silent.
"Nyon..." she breathes in realization before leaping from the pile. "Oh sweet Primus on high Zeta, what have you done?" Chimera and the Primordial's challenge are completely forgotten as the black-armoured femme races out of the scrapyard and towards the first main road that leads back to Polyhex.
Chimera perks up at Overclock running off, the femme grumbling to herself before calling out and sprinting off after her. "Hey, wait up, I'm not finished with you!" She's curious to see where she goes, but it isn't certain if she'll follow her all the way there or not.
As Overclock hits a road and then top speed, it's safe to say the Primordial chasing her has been forgotten. Perhaps not the fastest thing on four legs, she nonetheless outpaces most of the traffic sharing the path with her and makes no attempt to keep with polite driving laws; the beastformer weaves and vaults past the sluggish freight trucks hauling scrap into and out of the polity as she heads single-mindedly towards the dimming light in the distance.
... *One Marathon Sprint Later, as Zeta retreats and Blast Off ferries the surviving Autobots and Decepticons away* ...
Far off on the crest of the southern road to Tarn, curious onlookers are joining the Nyonese... refugees who were fleet or lucky enough to escape the city's destruction. There's a grid lock of traffic leading out but when the bombs went off a lot of it stopped to stare in sheer disbelief. That Nyon was burning, the former capital in flames was enough to digest. Now it's just... burning rubble.
Weaving around and at times running across the traffic on the road, Overclock finally skids to a stop in view of the fire-red city. It's a colour that matches every major joint on her frame and half of her vents. In her rush to get to Nyon in time - whatever that might have meant - the femme almost cooked her own circuits. Panting air that wavers with heat, she joins the bystanders - the survivors - in giving voice to the monumental tragedy.
"...Sweet Primus on high..."
-- Radio: Global -- Overclock says, "Sweet Primus..."
-- Radio: Global -- Barricade says, "Now you know why I turned in my badge vorns ago."
-- Radio: Global -- Zephyr says, "You had the wisdom and foresight to see what many could not....or would not."
-- Radio: Global -- Overclock says, "What even happened here? What destroys an entire cit... city......"
-- Radio: Global -- Pursuit transmits captured footage of the Omega Destructors hitting Nyon.
-- Radio: Global -- Overclock says, "So that's what this looked like when it could move. Ugh, the smell!"
-- Radio: Global -- Overclock clunks against something. "There's no counting this, is there? It's another Blaster City."
-- Radio: Global -- Barricade says, "Looks like it."
-- Radio: Global -- Barricade says, "An' that monster Prime says he's got more."
-- Radio: Global -- Overclock mutters gloomily, "That's one way to fix the shorage."
-- Radio: Global -- Overclock says, "What blew up?"
-- Radio: Global -- Pursuit says, "We don't know yet, but something caused a massive detonation within the city."
-- Radio: Global -- Overclock laughs weakly. "There's always something stronger..."