2029 Olympics Gladiatorial: Catechism Versus Sunder

Six Lasers - Cheyne Barrens

The Cowboy Planet is right next to the Gangster Planet and the Nazi Planet.

Cheyne would be still a sad sack of a barren wasteland were it not for Six Lasers. Trillions of credits and man hours have gone into terraforming this planet in order to provide a breathable atmosphere and capable of supporting life. The planet is largely flat, heavily reminiscent of Earth's old Wild West.

Theme parks here promote the idea of Cheyne being on the wild frontier. You can catch a ride on the Bucking Broncho Coaster, grab a bite at the local Ig-Yac Burger Commander joint, or go rustling for space cattle. Saloons and old wooden buildings serve as the architectural motif. Visitors are encouraged to get into the spirit of the frontier.

Contents:

Sunder

F-4 Phantom II 

Markdown

Countach LP500S 

Impulse

Mobile Target

Obvious exits: Ranch  leads to Six Lasers - Cheyne Ig-Yac Ranch. Space  leads to Six Lasers Solar System.

Sunder makes his way over to Cheyne, and awaits the arrival of his opponent for the gladiatorial match. He is eager to do the Sweeps proud, and wants to add to the Silver medal he got from Igyak Bronc Busting. He utters a soft growl.

Catechism is wearing a pair of cheap spurs and a shiny tin star that she got off a tourist stand. The Seeker probably paid too much, and she knows it. However, it's the spirit of thing, isn't it? She jingles softly as she walks, and when she sights Sunder, she just nods slowly, putting up her dukes.

"Hehe, Nah.." responded Sideswipe as he was helped to his feet by the Impulsive fellow, he was somewhat just hamming now, the fictional damage fading away as he limped along side Impulse, "I gave them someone else's arm and leg."

A small hovering holo-projector descends, and an all too recognizable figure appears. And if his grey, white and red Seeker form isn't enough to make him recognizable, his nasal Cobra-Commander-esque voice definitely makes it clear: Starscream. "Oh, look... one of the conehead models," he comments snidely, looking at Catechism. "You're Thrust, right? Dirge, perhaps? Not white enough to be that moron Ramjet, that's for certain!" Then his gaze swivels to Sunder. "Oh... one of my would-be 'replacements'. Please... obviously, you aren't Scourge. Not arrogant enough in stature and build."

Holo-Starscream floats back, shoo'ing those pesky Autobots off the field as the Wild West-era ghost town reformats into a pristine, undamaged state. "Now... I'm sure you know the rules: fight until you're down, or until you're cowardly enough to 'surrender'." He crosses his arms, that trademark smirk appearing. "Well... what are you waiting for? Kill each other already! Get on with it!"

Sunder growls and heads for Catechism, claws bared, as he is given the go-ahead for the first attack. Seekers and Sweeps have had a longstanding rivalry, and he intends to prove the supremacy of the Sweeps in this match.

Sunder strikes you with talon swipe for 8 points of damage.

Ramjet has arrived.

Markdown has left.

Catechism flips open her lift fan door, which is in her back, rather than embedded in her wings the way that Thrust has his lift fans. Truly, Catechism is as if someone averaged the three coneheads - not so dark a blue as Dirge, not so white as Ramjet, and possessed of lift fans like Thrust. She smirks at 'Starscream' and holds up a hand to reply, "I am the fourth, the newest, and the last. Now the real funny thing is, Starscream, is that 'moron'? Ramjet's the Air Commander these days, and he's still alive and doing fine." While she speaks, Sunder rakes her in an ugly fashion, and Catechism replies by attempting to kick Sunder in the knee with one of her spurred feet.

Sunder evades your Spurred Kick attack.

Holo-Starscream snickers softly to himself as he watches the fun ensue, hovering around as the action unfolds. "Ooo, first energon to the wanna-be replacement... come now, Thrust or Dirge or whoever you are. Don't let this feral, pathetic /scrapheap/ get an early start!" He shakes his head. "In /my/ day, I would never have tolerated such foolishness. At least Skywarp and Thundercracker were moderately /competent/."

Sunder turns quickly to evade the kick. He's nimble and quick, and positions himself so that he can attempt to literally sweep Catechism off her feet. Out lashes the boot.

Sunder strikes you with kick for 7 points of damage.

Catechism sees her kick fail and gets kicked back in reply. Ow. In pain, she hisses, "Fine! I'm Thrust. Fear my Jazz hands and spirit fingers!" Catechism sees no reason to explain who she is properly if people are going to insist that she's Thrust and Dirge. She balls a fist and thrusts it forward at the Sweep, trying to get him right in the beard.

You strike Sunder with Jazz Hands.

Sunder is hit in the face, but there's a method to his madness. He oofs as he's hit in the jaw, but as the fist retreats, he bares his fangs and lunges forward, jaws agape. "Be careful where you put your 'jazz hands'. You just might LOSE one!" the Sweep hisses. Suddenly the jaws go SNAP...

You evade Sunder's bite attack.

Catechism pulls back, and she does a little shimmy, declaring in her best Thrust voice, "And that's where the spirit fingers come in!" She wags a finger at Sunder the way an adult would scold a child. Then, she takes the tin star that is attached to her chest via magnet off, and she chucks it at Sunder as an impromptu throwing star.

You strike Sunder with Shiny Tin Star.

Ramjet appears amongst the spectators. It's hard to miss him -- cape, medals and all. He's watching Catechism and, for the first time tonight, doesn't have to be concerned about getting fragged by Galvatron for rooting for the 'wrong' Decepticon. His arms fold over his chest and, through some permutation of his often surly face, he looks pleased.

The holographic projection of Starscream shifts, suddenly taking on his 'coronation wear'. The cape, the crown, the works. "Ahh, this is /much/ better suited to my tastes. Such a shame that idiot Galvatron thought killing me was such a wise move. I mean, Cy-CLOWN-us... sheesh! And I won't /even/ go into Scourge! Unicron had /no/ taste whatsoever in flunkies, I suppose!"

This coming from the 'mech who brought the Combaticons into the Decepticon fold once again. Like he actually knows better.

"Ahhh... /now/ we're seeing a fight!" Starscream rubs his hands together gleefully. "Of course, this would have been over /long/ ago, had I been fighting this feral monstrosity. But, c'est la vie. Such is life."

Sunder growls as the tin star bounces off his armor. He takes stock of the situation, and lunges at Catechism, reaching into subspace to get his small dagger. He wields it like a homicidal maniac on a bus, attempting to stab Catechism in the neck or some other vital area. He glances over at Starscream. "You're right, it would be over. And you would STILL be dead," he rumbles, before completing his attack.

You evade Sunder's blade attack.

Somewhere high above the proceedings, a red and white F-4 notes Ramjet's arrival and wonders what it is about Seekers that makes them inclined to wear things that look like they'd get in the way of flying... come to think of it, who'd want to watch from the ground when this relatively remote arena is one of the few places one can watch the Olympics from above? What a view, complete with two of his usual worst problems fighting each other. Ahhh.

Catechism slips around Sunder, really getting her boogie down. She comments, apropos of nothing, "That which does not live cannot die!" She rubs her chin, a manic glint in her optics, and she adds, "But the Sweep's still going to fry." That said, she withdraws her electric whip, as it cracks and scents the dry, dusty air with ozone. She lashes it at Sunder.

[Missing poses, due to parents turning off the power. Could someone please fill in here?]

Sunder is quick to dodge the slap this time, and lashes out with a balled fist. Oh, he'll hit a FE-male Decepticon, all right. Especially one with a cone for a head. He ignores Starscream's running commentary for now as he tries to gain the upper hand.

You evade Sunder's punch attack.

Catechism dances out of the way, pulling a Western two-step, to fit the theme of the place. She pulls back one her hands, balls it into a fist, and she tries to hit Sunder with a punch, the attack that he just tried on her. Out of the corner of an optic, she notices Ramjet's amazing bling. Man, she needs to talk to his tailor.

You strike Sunder with Smiting The Heathens.

Holo-Starscream snorts. "You never were that much fun, Ramjet," he mutters disdainfully, before returning his attention back to the fight once more. "Well.. it seems the Seeker is getting the upper hand, after all!"

Sunder hisses as the punch hits him. "Stand still so I can gut you!" he growls, circling Catechism like a lion circling a zebra. He lunges again, attempting to slash at his opponent with both sets of talons, like a catnip-crazed feline attacking a scratching post.

Sunder strikes you with slash for 12 points of damage.

Catechism does not hold still at Sunder's behest. She simply holds still because her systems are strained from the work-out she is giving them. And really, their fight is like the fight between a high performance fighter jet and a soapdish, let's get things straight here. She gets her armour raked, it is true, but as Sunder closes in, she reaches out a hand and attempts to dig her fingers into Sunder's elbow joint, her lips cracking into a wide, humourless grin.

You strike Sunder with Spirit Fingers.

Sunder howls as his joint is dug into. Snarling savagely, he attempts to dig his dagger into Catechism's own hand or elbow. How could she be getting the upper hand? She was a Seeker and he was a Sweep! This wasn't supposed to be happening! He casts a sidelong glare at Holo-Starscream before once again attempting to stab Catechism.

You evade Sunder's blade attack.

Ramjet curls his hand into a fist as he watches Catechism working down Sunder. Come on. Come on..

Fireflight has disconnected.

 Geist says, "As no surprise, Americon has fallen to my might. Who is next, I wonder?"

Catechism is not just a Seeker. She is legion - Thrust, Dirge, and Ramjet and more. Catechism is not limited by her name. She slips away, like the hot wind, gusting around this planet. The Seeker pivots and attempt to raise a spurred ankle and clonk Sunder with her foot.

Sunder evades your Spurred Kick attack.

 Americon says, "*cough* Wow, that was painful! Hey, maybe you should fight Geist? I hear he's pretty tough."

Sunder catches a break as Catechism's kick goes wide. He uses the opportunity to lunge forward, baring his talons again. This time he intends to slash at her with much more force, hoping to expose her internal workings and thus seriously wound her. "If you will not stand still, I will not, either!" he growls, dancing in and out to try to get the best position before striking.

You evade Sunder's evisceration attack.

Catechism hits the ground, going under Sunder's attack. She rises from the dust cloud, ever the phoenix from the ashes. Her red optics glow balefully. Again, the crackle of the whip can be heard. She draws it back and lashes it out at Sunder's ankles, hoping to twine the twin tails of the whip around his leg and drag him down. Catechism snorts at Sunder's ludicrous comment.

You strike Sunder with Electrified Whip.

Sunder's going for broke here, now. For some reason, this opponent was able to evade most of his attacks. Now the painful whip comes back into play, and the Sweep snarls as he's further damaged. Desperately he transforms. He'll use a move familiar to Catechism--one that Ramjet uses all the time. He's going to make his entire body into a projectile.

Sunder's head disappears into his chest, his wings fold around him, and now he is in Sweepcraft mode, his headcannon still visible.

You evade Sweepcraft 's ram attack.

"Don't pretend to be someone you aren't," snorts Ramjet at Sunder.

Holo-Starscream has, surprisingly enough, remained quiet for a little while now. Perhaps he took Ramjet's advice? Nah, not Starscream. "Ramjet has a point. Leave the ramming to him... it explains a lot about Ramjet, actually."

Catechism is quite agile. Remember that lift fan she showed off earlier? It helps. When Sunder transforms, there is really only one thing that he could be up to, and she tenses, waiting for it. Then, seconds before impact, she leaps over the Sweepcraft and lands behind him. She whirls, her knife slipping into her hand, and she attempts to stab the Sweepcraft in the back.

You strike Sweepcraft  with Standard Issue Stabbity.

Sweepcraft  is stabbed before he can react, and quickly transforms, since there is nothing else he can do in that mode. In desperation, he charges at Catechism again, claws once again bared. The battle-rage has enveloped him completely, and he strikes out mindlessly. At this point he doesn't even care anymore whether he hits or not.

Sunder shifts into his fearsome-looking robot mode.

Sunder strikes you with talon swipe for 6 points of damage.

Catechism is clawed again. She's starting to look as if she had an accident in a Gillette factory or perhaps as if she is the 2007 Movie Edition Catechism. In that case, she is a Fast Action Battler! Considering her options, she brings up a hand and attempts to just smack Sunder's hand away.

Sunder evades your Smack! attack.

Sunder manages to avoid being slapped, even in his frenzied state, and tries to entrap the slap-happy hand in his jaws. Those hands were becoming an annoyance. Time to remove one? The bared fangs attempt to close on the offending limb as the Sweep makes a quick lunge.

You evade Sunder's bite attack.

Catechism used to have claws. That was Soundwave's fault. They made her completely unable to type with one hand. Thus, she switched them out for spiked knuckles. However, she has never had pointy teeth, and that's honestly just weird. She pulls back just enough that Sunder comes up short and then attempts to sock him in the head.

You strike Sunder with Spiked Knuckles.

Sunder is socked in the head, alright. If this were full combat, he'd be powering up his headcannon by now. But it's not, so he doesn't. Instead, he strikes out with his own fist. It's not spiked, but it will do.

You evade Sunder's punch attack.

It will do? It doesn't. Catechism pulls back, getting some distance between herself and the Sweep. She circles him, studying the damages that she has done. Then without any warning, she pivots and attempts a roundhouse kick upon the Sweep.

You strike Sunder with Roundhouse Kick.

Sunder's so badly damaged at this point that a comeback is probably very unlikely. He's seeing double, and for some reason his audio sensors are buzzing. However, he will not give up. It's embarrassing that he's having his aft handed to him by this Conehead, and he growls his discontent. Then, after trying to calculate exactly where Catechism was by the distance between the two images he was seeing, he lashes out with his talons again, hoping to do his worst.

You evade Sunder's slash attack.

Holo-Starscream snickers. "Doesn't look good for the blue feral devil wannabe replacement. Thrust or Dirge or whoever this conehead is, seems to have the Sweep on the ropes! Seekers for the win!"

Oh, so Starscream supports her when she's winning, huh? Looks like the programmers of that holo got one thing right. Sunder really should look on the bright side, though. He's having his aft handed to him by Cybertron's Air Commander, no mere rank and file, even if she does not claim her title in public. Catechism shoves off with a foot, pushing away from the Sweep as he tries to cut her. Then, she tries to clobber him again.

You strike Sunder with Smiting The Heathens.

Sunder's not got much left in him. Much more damage and he is out of it. As a last-ditch effort, he transforms again, trying once more to slam into Catechism, in a somewhat lacking impersonation of Ramjet. Let it not be said that Sunder didn't try his best in this match. He growls, knowing the certainty that he will lose. But this does not deter him from his chosen course of action.

Sunder's head disappears into his chest, his wings fold around him, and now he is in Sweepcraft mode, his headcannon still visible.

Sweepcraft  strikes you with ram for 15 points of damage.

Catechism gets hit. Her injuries have been piling up on her. Her whole torso is caved in, her cockpit a mangled mess, and she is sprawled out on the dusty ground. Seconds pass. Is she out? The Seeker rises to her feet, grunting, and she makes the intergalactic 'come get some' gesture with one hand. She snaps out her whip and cracks it at the Sweepcraft, aiming for the cannon.

You strike Sweepcraft  with Electrified Whip.

The Sweep howls as the whip bites into his hull. He transforms again, charging down on Catechism like a bat out of hell. This is it, folks, this is his last-ditch attempt at winning. He bares talons again, lashing out forcefully. "I WILL BE YOUR END!" he shouts, as he descends, totally focused on his opponent. He makes a mental note to have that holographic Starscream reprogrammed and changed into a holographic Bloodwulf.

Sunder shifts into his fearsome-looking robot mode.

You evade Sunder's evisceration attack.

Holo-Starscream snickers. Of /course/ Starscream has a bias towards Seekers -- apparently the Junkion who programmed this holographic rendition of the former Aerospace Commander got something right with the programming after all. "Ooooo..." he winces as Sunder rams Catechism. "I don't care what universe you're from, that's /gotta/ hurt! Don't take that from him! Kill him dead! D-E-D dead!"

Catechism would, personally, make the holographic Starscream into a holographic Fleet. It would be so much more polite and pleasant! She smirks and insists, "Get in line." Dirge and Thrust also want to kill her, but Dirge doesn't want to kill her like he wants to kill Ramjet. Then there are all the Autobots. As if she has practised this, she dodges Sunder's swipe, and she attempts to smack Sunder about the head.

Sunder evades your Smack! attack.

Well, doesn't Sunder have Unicron's own luck! He manages to duck out of the way of the smack, and in the same motion, he tries that "foot-sweep" move again. Now of course, luck in evading seems to be completely unconnected to luck in hitting. Sunder just growls, hanging on by a thread, fervently hoping that his foot connects.

You evade Sunder's kick attack.

Catechism gets out of the way, her spurs flashing as the sun begins to sit over the western town, casting long shadows. She draws her long knife, which is a simple and plain, a standard issue military blade. Catechism holds up the blade, her dark silhouette following her every move, and she attempts to stab the Sweep deeply in the chest.

You strike Sunder with Standard Issue Stabbity.

The blade goes deep, but for some reason, not deep enough. Sunder's still in it, though for how long is anyone's guess. By all rights the blade should have felled him. But it didn't. So he does what comes naturally to any Sweep that's been stabbed in the chest. He grabs his dagger and tries to do some stabbing of his own! Not that he's likely to hit, mind, in his state, but at least he has to make the effort.

You evade Sunder's blade attack.

Catechism yanks her blade out of Sunder as she falls back, out of the range of his blade. Her shoulders rise up, and she grits her dental plates, as she prepares herself for what she knows she must do. This Sweep must be put out of his misery, and it is her duty as a Decepticon to deliver the only mercy that she knows. She lowers her hand, and she runs at Sunder.

You strike Sunder with Cone Bash.

Sunder falls to the ground unconscious.

Sunder is finally felled. He falls to the ground with an OOF and lies still. He's been defeated, though he can't believe it. How could this have happened? How could he have LET this happen? The Sweep is ashamed of himself.

Holo-Starscream actually fist-pumps! "Yes! Seekers win!" He cackles gleefully, moving down. "Thrust... Dirge... whoever you are... is the winner!" he looks down at Sunder's fallen form. "Take /that/, you miserable scrapheap!" He kicks at Sunder... though, being a hologram, it won't actually /do/ anything.

Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap.

The source of the sound are Ramjet's hands colliding together. He looks pleased.

Catechism stands over Sunder, her shadow trailing off into the distance. She looks to Starscream, and she declares simply, "I am Catechism," a pause, "and I am victorious." She bends down and offers Sunder a hand, smirking insufferably. Go ahead, refuse a hand up, Sweep, but never forget that it was offered most graciously.

Sunder glares up at Catechism, but takes the hand. There is still an opportunity to redeem himself in the full combat. "You have only won this round," the Sweep replies, "You shall see how well you do against me when I am not handicapped in my choice of weapons."

Catechism has a firm grip, despite her damages, and she looks Sunder in the optics, declaring, "Yeah. We'll see how you do against me when I can crack out acid all over your hull." Then, she laughs, and she suggests, "Go congratulate Geist for me. I heard he won his match." That said, Catechism moves to ride, well, walk off into the sunset. If only she had a blazing saddle to light her way.

Sunder utters a rumble. "You're not the only one that has acid," he says dryly.

=============================== 2029 Olympics ================================ Message: 37/18                    Posted        Author Catechism vs. Sunder (Glad.)      Sat Aug 09    Impulse -- After a prolonged battle, referee'd by none other than a holographic rendition of everyone's favorite Air Commander, Starscream (sorry, Ramjet), Catechism defeats Sunder to move on to the second round. Log will be forthcoming.

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