2035 Olympics - Light Glad - Blades vs Hound

The arena has been set up to resemble an old-fashioned Wild West town, one that would not have looked out of place in the American frontier of the 1800s. However, the buildings are all run-down and in varying stages of disrepair. Every now and then, a tumbleweed rolls through the ghost town.

Ravage is perched on the roof of the saloon, lounging in a judge's stand that looks suspiciously similar to a broad, low-sided metal crate. He surveys the arena through narrowed optics, waiting for the combatants to show up.

Hound arrives on location, watching the tumbleweed drift by and once again marveling at the amazing variety and adaptations of nature he sees on this planet. "Tumbleweeds... they spread seeds by letting the whole plant dry up and then roll around in the wind... Nature is pretty amazing, ya know?..." He says to no one in particular as he takes his place in the arena.

Blades has a hand up and is feeling the simulated breeze. It isn't too strong, he notes, just enough to blow the simulated tumbleweeds around. If he was going flying, he wouldn't need to worry about crosswinds. "Nature... yeah..." Blades says, unenthusiatically. "D'ya ever wonder why 90% of our adventures happen in deserts, Hound? Is there just something about a barren expanse of sand that makes Decepticons think, 'Hmmm, yeah this is a great place to construct a MASSIVE MEGALODON SHARK LASER CHAINSAW'?"

Ravage growls quietly as Hound and Blades arrive, but he makes himself comfortable in preparation for the fight. Observing the two Autobots while they duelled might give him insight concerning their skills and what they were capable of in combat. He says nothing regarding Blades' comment, but he remembers it for later purposes.

"Go ahead, Autobots," he calls down to them. "Tear each other apart."

Hound grins and looks over at his fellow Autobot, unfazed. "I think it's just because deserts are usually fairly uninhabited, Blades. Less prying eyes to spot their sinister schemes... heh, at least until my scouting picks it up. But deserts are actually full of life, you just need to know where to look," He continues, enthusiasm undampened.

And he'd probably keep talking, too, except Ravage speaks up. The Jeep looks up at the cat, a slight frown on his face. "We don't tear each other apart. This is a friendly match in the name of the Olympic spirit of good sportsmanship..." Then he takes a step forward, eying Blades with a small smile. "Alright, Blades, here we go!" Fair warning, right? Hound towards the Protectobot, swinging a fist.

Combat: Hound strikes Blades with his Round One (Punch) attack!

Despite the fair warning, Blades is not able to duck, and so he gets smacked squarely by Hound's fist. "But... I don't really tear things? I cut. Usually," Blades protests. "I don't really have the leverage to get my fingers into someone and tear?" Despite the talk of cutting, for now, Blades focuses on minimizing his silhouette by half turning, and he throws a punch back.

Combat: Blades sets his defense level to Guarded.

Combat: Blades strikes Hound with his  (Punch) attack!

Hound gets a fist up his grill, sending him back to nearly step on one of those tumbleweeds rolling by. "Ah, don't mind the cat..." He pauses to glance over at Ravage, who he's got a little bit of a history with, then back to Blades. "That seemed fine to me..." The Jeep circles around a bit, looking for another opportunity. "You're an accomplished fighter... and I just need to keep up with you. Heh, we'll see how this goes..." He suddenly drops down and swings a foot, trying to land a kick and put Blades off balance.

Combat: Hound strikes Blades with his Keeping Up- I hope (Kick) attack!

Blades is indeed knocked over - into a water trough! A simulated horse is startled and snorts at Blades. The simulated horse seems like it might be an Applejack product nod. Blades gets back up and ducks onto the porch of one of the storefronts, and he hides behind a railing. "Yeah, but Hound... if you don't mind the cat, then he sneaks up on you and claws off your face."

Blades jumps over the railing and tries to land his foot on Hound's ankle.

Combat: Blades sets his defense level to Protected.

Combat: Blades strikes Hound with his  (Kick) attack!

Hound stops to nod. "Well.... yeah, that's true." Another glance over at Ravage, then as he turns to look at Blades again he's suddenly taken off balance himself with a well-aimed kick from a leaping Protectobot. The Jeep staggers back, this time landing in a whole pile of simulated tumbleweeds. Ow. He shakes his arms- the things actually feel rather scratchy up close. Sometimes nature is nicer... from a bit of a distance.

"Not bad!" He takes a look at the "Applejack" horse... orange is such an odd color for a horse, then suddenly smacks it on the rear (it's simulated, so no animals were harmed in the making of this move) to try and get it to run past Blades- or into him. Meanwhile, he uses the distraction to come sailing towards the other 'Bot for a full-on tackle.

Combat: Hound misses Blades with his Horsin Around (Ram) attack!

Blades runs away from the orange horse with the cowboy hat! But he runs away from it so enthusiatically that he also runs away from Hound's attack. Before Blades knows it, he's at the railroad on the outskirts of town. He hear a rumbling and looks down the tracks. Blades hmms to himself and then calls, "Hey. hey Hound! Bet you can't catch me!"

Combat: Blades strikes Hound with his Attemping to Lure You Into Walking Right Into A Train attack! [Pulled -2]

Hound misses Blades... but then again the Jeep isn't exactly built for blinding speed here. He comes clunking after the Protectobot. Now, running on the tracks doesn't seem that wise, but he looks once, twice... seems OK? But this is a simulated train scene, and as soon as he steps onto the tracks a train comes rushing out to knock him down. He goes flying. "Ack!!" What is this, Looney Tunes? He shakes his head and pushes himself up again, finds a miner's pick axe that is just conveniently sitting next to those tracks and throws it at the other Autobot!

Combat: Hound strikes Blades with his I got an axe to pick with ya (Punch) attack!

Combat: Critical Hit!

Blades may be playing the Roadrunner to hound's Wile E. Coyote for all of one shining moment, but this takes a turn for the horror movie movie direction when the thrown pickaxe embeds itself deeply into Blades's right optic. The protctobot's head tilts to one side, and he coughs up some energon into his hand. He stares at it for a moment, expression vacant and glassy, and then he falls over.

A cryovulture circles overhead.

Blades's fingers twitch, and then, in a swift motion, and he rips the pickaxe out of his head and rushes Hound, trying to rip into him with the axe.

Combat: Blades strikes Hound with his Let Me Axe You A Question (Punch) attack!

Sixshot has arrived.

Hound actually flinches at that, "Erk. Sorry." The good-natured 'Bot wasn't actually *trying* to take out the other mech's optic. Then he stares in horror and confusion as Blades falls over, and takes a step forward... more because he wants to help than anything else. What happened? Did that do more damage than he thought?! But Blades isn't quite "dead" yet, it seems and Hound's taken by enough surprise to get clobbered by the newly "revived" Protectobot. "Ooof!" He staggers back, then attempts to wrest the axe away from Blades while he goes for another tackle.

Combat: Hound strikes Blades with his Since you're close anyway... (Ram) attack!

Blades gets the axe taken away from him, but that's okay, because Blades has... actual blades he can use. However, he's been tackled to the ground, and that sound everyone just heard? That was Blades's rotator cuff breaking. "What are you sorry about? That was awesome!" Misplaced priorities, here. Well, if Hound's gonna tackle him, Blades is going to pull one of the blades off his back and try to dig it into Hound's side.

Combat: Blades strikes Hound with his Side Stab attack!

Hound blinks, not quite expecting that reaction... but he's glad Blades seems just fine. But then... HE isn't just fine, as Blades stabs him with one of his namesake blades. "Ow!" The Jeep launches backwards, trying to pull the blade out of his side and grimacing with some pain now. The cut seems to have sliced a circuit or two leading to his legs, and he has to work to gain his footing again. "Ouch... gotta say, your name is very fitting."

He shakes his head, gaining some equilibrium as he looks around the scene. Noticing a rail cart sitting along the railroad, just like the kind the miners used to haul ore from inside mountains... he suddenly runs up, grabs it, and sends it hurtling towards Blades in an attempt to once again knock him off his feet.

Combat: Hound strikes Blades with his CARTe blanche (Kick) attack!

Blades is run over by a railway cart, and remember that optic that got a pick axe in it? Yeah, that optic just outright falls out. A tumbleweed rolls over it. Blades grunts and pushes himself up, flinging... a handful of sand at Hound! Also some rocks.

Combat: Blades strikes Hound with his Even Sandstorm Thinks This Is Pathetic attack!

Hound winces as Blades' optic falls out, but this time doesn't have much time to do anything else as he gets clobbered by some rocks and sand. It causes him to fall backwards, right into... oh look at this! A nest of rattlesnakes! Cyber-snakes, in fact, and the poor nature-loving 'Bot is struck by some denizens of nature he could probably have lived without... at least that up close and personal. He pushes himself away, but the venom has weakened him a bit. "Ouch... Ok, that wasn't my favorite nature experience..." It's all good though. He brushes himself off, then comes at Blades with another punch!

Combat: Hound strikes Blades with his Rattled but not beaten (Punch) attack!

"Nasty!" Blades comments, of the snakes. "Are those razorsnakes?" Blades has no idea about snakes. The only snakes he knows are razorsnakes, because those are badass. Blades is clobbered again... in the knee... which makes the gun he keeps mounted on his knee fall off. He darts at Hound, trying for a little slice.

Combat: Blades strikes Hound with his Rotor Blade attack! [Pulled -3]

Hound looks over at the snakes, "Hmmm... yes, I think so. Diamondback razorsnakes... no wonder I feel a bit sick..." He holds a hand to his fuel tank, then looks up just in time to see Blades swinging that namesake intrument at him again... and the Jeep just isn't fast or agile enough to move out of the way in time. He gets knocked back, then swings a foot around for another kick.

Combat: Hound strikes Blades with his Kickin it (Kick) attack!

That kick connects with Blades's face, and the Protectobot reels away, clutching his face with a hand and cursing softly under his exhaust. When he straightens, blue shards of glass fall away from his face, showing his naked optic, which looks to be off-kilter, damaged, in its socket. He lunges at Hound again, feinting low and then sharply slashing up high... going right for Hound's optic. Blades grinds out, "Optic for an optic."

Combat: Blades strikes Hound with his Rotor Blade attack! [Pulled -3]

Airlift arrives from the Casino to the east.

Airlift has arrived.

Airlift moves to the The Swordfish.

Airlift has left.

Airlift has arrived.

Airlift moves to the The Swordfish.

Airlift has left.

Hound cries out in pain as Blades takes out his optic, throwing himself backwards and clutching at his face. Slaaag, that hurt. For a moment the Jeep just works on getting the heck out of Blades' way, but scans tell Hound that he's not doing that well. Energon is leaking from various places, the venom has made him feel weak, and he better finish this soon if he can. So instead of moving away, Hound uses the close proximity to lunge at the Protectobot... this time trying to knock him INTO that railcart and send it spinning down the railroad tracks. Of course, there's a chance HE might fall in and go on a ride WITH Blades...

Combat: Hound strikes Blades with his Going for a ride (Ram) attack!

Blades is knocked into the railcart, which happens to be full of hard and unforgiving anthracite coal. Battered and blackened by coal dust, Blades grits out, "You're coming with me!" as the coal cart starts rumblign down the incline. He reaches for Hound, fingers twitching. His movements feel sluggish, as if through molasses.

Combat: Blades strikes Hound with his Wrench Into Mining Cart attack! [Pulled -3]

Hound ...is not doing too well here. The one optic that remains is flickering in and out, and the Jeep's own engines sputter every now in then as some fuel line somewhere has burst. Blades manages to pull him with him into the cart, and both Autobots start going for a wild rollercoaster ride. Hound grabs the side of the cart, trying to get a little steady, but it's hard to even feel steady while zooming down some train tracks. Fists fly as he tries to punch the other Bot away, then start searching for the lever that would *stop* this darn thing....

Combat: Hound strikes Blades with his Just as long as this doesn't turn into a scene from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom I'll be OK (Punch) attack!

Blades is in a fistfight in a runaway railcar and is missing important pieces of his anatomy. This is definitely problem and yet is strangely exhilarating. Tumbleweeds blow around as the cart goes screaming down the hill. Blades grabs a hard chunk of anthracite coal and tries to bash it into Hound's head, definitely feeling sluggish as the fight has worn on.

Combat: Blades strikes Hound with his Coal Not From Santa attack! [Pulled -3]

Airlift has arrived.

Airlift moves west to the Medical.

Airlift has left.

Hound is finding this a little less than exhilarating, especially as he gets clobbered with coal right in the head. That's the final blow, and it knocks him for a loop. He falls back, barely clinging to consciousness now as he uses the last shred of sense left in his head to find that lever that stops the cart. Hands reach down and grasp the device, then pull hard. Hopefully that actually worked... he's not sure, because whatever happened the whole world still seems to be spinning anyway.

Hound lies in the back of the cart, holding his head and trying to make sure his remaining optic doesn't fall out, too. The other hand comes up in a gesture of surrender. "Well... I think *zkt*... I did at least keep up... for a little bit? Heh... that was a good *zkt* fight... you win, Blades. I... don't have much left." He smiles. "Congratulations." Then he slumps down a little and just tries to hold onto the side of the cart for steadiness. Did the cart ever stop? He can't tell.

Blades's fuel-lust throttles down when Hound surrenders. It's odd, but... Blades doesn't particularly like fighting nice people. It's too... easy. So shoving his desire for violence down is relatively easy right now. It would be harder if he was fighting a Decepticon or even if he was fighting an Autobot meaner than Hound. There's an odd moment where Blades stares at Hound and stares at the lump of coal in his hand, processing the surrender. Then Blades offers a hand to Hound and suggests, "Let's get out of this cart before it ramps off a loop or something."

Hound grins and accepts, the fight already behind him. He doesn't really care whether he wins a medal or not- he just wants to particpate in the sport... and to see an Autobot win the Gold. Which it seems is going to happen. In fact, it may be all Autobots winning medals this time around, and that makes this a good day.

Ravage peers down at where the two Autobots have wound up, his tail swishing back and forth.

"Hound has admitted defeat," he announces, sounding almost bored. "Blades is the winner." Then he stretches, climbs out of the crate he was relaxing in, and leaps down from the saloon roof. He's cloaked and invisible well before he lands.