Defcon VS Coneheads (Part 1: Dirge)

Arizona

''The Grand Canyon state consists of terrain from the high desert plateau in the northern and eastern sections to the desert basins and jagged mountain ranges in the southern and western parts, broken only by the high, forested mountains in central Arizona. The spectacular Grand Canyon, for which the state is best known, displays its timeless beauty close to the border between Arizona and its northern neighbor, Utah. To the south are the major cities of Phoenix and Tucson, irrigation from the Colorado and Salt Rivers making them green oases in the southern desert.''

Out in the windswept red hills and rocks of the great desert of the southwest, the sun beats down unsympathetically and scorches the earth. Out here nothing moves except sparse dry vegetation flittering in the hot air, insects dashing from shadow to shadow.

And a giant black and blue robot standing alone on the edge of a great precipice overlooking the Colorado river, far below on the floor of the Grand Canyon. The figure does not move, but it shimmers as the absorbed heat from the sun distorts the air close by.

Alone. Quiet. Still.

The air is hot... ...well hot doesn't quite describe it. It's freaking blazing, humid and muggy. The temperature affecting Defcon's outer sensors. Blast, should have had those readjusted by now to Earth's specific atmosphere... ...crap. The blue starfighter pulls into view, twisting and contorting mid-air into the bounty hunter's robot form. *thud* Big blue is adjusting sensors and systems, vigorously typing away at his ever-present datapad.

"Let's see... ...One Constructicon...check. One Sweep...check. Twelve mini-bots... ...check." Defcon pauses to stare into the sun for a moment, then continues. "Ah, one of the Coneheads. That's what I'll need to nab soon!"

Dirge reaches down to pick up a big handful of dirt, and some of it is carried away by air currents. He does not seem to notice Defcon right away, nor does he seem to be threatening anyone. Not that there's anyone around for him to threaten. Sensible families don't take their summer vacation to the Grand Canyon in early August.

Defcon is scratching his head plate, trying to decipher the message he just opened. Something must be wrong... ... The screen is cluttered with information as usual, but this time it's completely jumbled. Such as: Thrust declared new leader of Decepticons, Grimlock invents way to merge two gestalts together, Soundwave and Blaster make up, and Powerglide attends catholic school. This is either a prank or a big mess.

The bounty hunter transforms back into his Starfighter mode, utilizing his sattelite to realign with the Autobot frequency. "Hope this works."

Apparently you can't fly around overhead too long as a Starfighter before someone notices you. Dirge turns his head scant few degrees and inclines it, looking up into the sky with uncaring optics. The downward twitch of his lips is all that betrays his displeasure with someone invading his airspace.

Dirge looks level with the ground, then, at someone invading his groundspace.

Dirge is less protective of his groundspace, and thus the frown is less.

The sattelite revolves around a couple of times, finally it rests in one position and transmits a signal. Great, just about ten minutes for current download... ..this blows. Within a couple of minutes, the dish revolves one last time to intercept another signal. "Almost there... ...good."

Dirge slowly turns to face the craft on the ground. "Odd.." he hisses softly, wondering if he's been noticed.

The dish stops turning around, folding back into the craft it popped out of in the first place. Quickly, Defcon transforms back into his robot mode and starts pacing through the desert. Inside, the internal sensors are blaring... ...an almost deafening sound. "Whaa... ...another malfunction?" he replies, flipping open a security panel located on his arm. If the Decepticon had been any closer, one cannot imagine how loud the alarm would have been. "Oh shi..." he starts, but doesn't finish the sentence.

Dirge's optics flicker. Undoubtedly he thinks the other Cybertronian, whoever it is, is either lost or malfunctioning. Relatively certain the local radio broadband is being monitored, he accesses the airwaves. "Careful.." he rasps, "You would not wish to disturb the nest of a viper.."

"Wherever you are Decepticon... ...come. Face your maker!" Defcon calls out, bringing all of his weapon systems online. What a great time to have a malfunction... ...really great luck. He stops scanning for a moment, the sun's glare catching his optic in the just-right blinding way.

Dirge doesn't respond for a few moments, instead turning back to view the canyon. "Predictably violent, Autobot. Are you certain that you yourself do not follow the great crusade of Galvatron? You would make a model servant."

"I follow the trail of scum-bags like you!" Defcon retorts, extending his arm and pointing a finger towards Dirge. "You are hereby under arrest for crimes against your race, law 39-542B." The bounty hunter continues walking, but this time towards Dirge's location. "You want to do this the easy way... ..." he spouts off, holding out a pair of energo-cuffs "Or the hard way?" this time pointing up to his head-mounted laser cannon.

Dirge sighs hollowly, turning back to face Defcon again. Dryly, he notes, "You -must- be joking. Go away. You hold no domain here."

Defcon shakes his head, offering the cuffs out once more. "I don't care about domain... ...I care 'bout draggin' your aft back to cybertron, to face trial for your crimes!" he replies, still walking towards the Decepticon. "One last time, take it or... ...prepare for capture."

Dirge looks balefully upon Defcon, optics dim and washed out by the harsh background light. "The art of conversation has, alas, been slain. At the risk of feigning innocence, I demand you enumerate my crimes."

Defcon continues to stare down the Decepticon, putting the cuffs away. "No chance bucko! You can dispute the charges when you get there."

Dirge inclines his head slightly. "The court you serve has long since crumbled to dust. Tell me, then.. what would you do if I surrendered myself to your custody?"

Defcon just stands there, looking at the Decepticon. "You know, I miss the times when y'all just yelled something crazy and started fightin'!" The bounty hunter pulls out his battle-rifle and trains it on Dirge. "You know what's going to happen. You'll face trial, be found guilty, and spend the rest of your days rotting in a prison facility, until either your buddies try to bail you out... ..." Big blue clicks the safety off on the weapon, and audible *click*. "Or you get shanked in your cell fer an energon goodie."

You say, "Either way, the proverbial 'jig' is up... ...time to surrender!"

Dirge's optics flicker, then start to shine. Pale yellow, oddly piercing. Seemingly unconcerned about the rifle pointing at him, he rasps lowly, "Of course. As much as your masters would wish it, compassion is not the compelling virtue of the Autobot. Loyalty, then? Duty? Single-minded purpose? An existence of meaningless pursuit. I pity you."

Defcon's finger hovers on the trigger, squeezing gently halfway. "Why don't you cut this stupid Decepticon semantic routine, huh? Give up or struggle, it makes no difference to me. Either way, your going in!"

"Roll the stone, Sisyphus," hisses the dark Seeker.

The sound begins in the back of the mind, a figment or fleeting memory.


 * CLICK* The engines incorporated into his feet begin to spin up, like two voices babbling an incomprehensible argument in off-key high-pitched shrieks.

In an instant Dirge's demeanor changes from quiet and withdrawn to cold murderous. His arms raise, rifles leveling with Defcon's chest. The missile launchers mounted above his rifles snap to attention. "It makes no difference?" he growls out over the rising wail of his engines. "Life and Death hang in the air waiting on your words, Autobot! Lead us down the darker path if you dare!"

Defcon opens fire upon the seeker, his demeanor obviously has taken a turn for the worse... ...mere words will not qualm this Decepticon, but brute force... ...well that's a whole 'nother matter altogether. "Your loss Dirge! Just remember, we coulda' done this the easy way."

Dirge evades your Dirge-B-Gone! attack.

Dirge simply.. isn't where he was when Defcon pulled the trigger. Instead he's up in the air, casting a long shadow in the slowly fading light of the day. Leaping boldly ahead over the laser blasts, bringing both feet down at Defcon's upper torso.

"Death is the easy way. It is living you shall find difficult."

Dirge strikes you with Death From Above for 7 points of damage.

Defcon is smashed in the chest plate by Dirge's feet, but the bounty hunter manages to lash out and grab an ankle. "Shut 'yer trap! Easy way, hard way, this way, that way, I don't care about none of that crap right now... ..."

Defcon uses Dirge's own leg as a pivot point, and attempts to flip him into the ground.."Only thing I care about right now..." followed closely by his elbow. "IS MY WAY!"

Dirge evades your Flying Elbow Drop! attack.

Dirge is a slippery devil. When his ankle is grabbed he blasts his foot-jet, ripping himself out of Defcon's grasp. Almost like a clumsy coincidence, this sends him into a spin towards the ground. Narrowly scraping past Defcon's descending elbow and starting from facing away from the Autobot, Dirge continues the spin on one foot, bringing the other around low to cut his opponent's legs out from under him. Or at least damage something vital in the legs.

"Your way is Death. I will find you your path."

You evade Dirge's Sweep (Seeker!) Kick attack.

Defcon simply hops upwards, drifting through the air... ...you'd swear he had some sort of anti-gravs activated at the moment. "Death may be in my future 'conehead'..." The bounty hunter extends the tip of his right foot towards Dirge's chin. "But your not the one, that's going to... ...send me there!"

You strike Dirge with Tippy Toe Kick!.

Dirge catches it in the face, sending him sliding back across the desert floor since he is already so low from the sweep (seeker!) kick. Looking up into the air, flat on his back, his hisses softly, "A disturbing trend." Sharply pushing off from the ground with a hand, he rises swiftly -- more swiftly than might befit a being with the mass of a jet aircraft. The rifles are up now. "I will send you where I will, and at a time of my choosing," he growls lowly. If he says anything else it's drowned out by all the shooting.

Dirge strikes you with Fear's Fury for 11 points of damage.

Defcon tries to dodge the attack, but to no avail... ...his side is littered with holes and dents, some even leaking a little fluid. His head bounces off the ground when he lands, taking temporary respite behind a boulder. His right hand snaps up to attention beside his head, the calm blue electricity is already gathering in his palm. The bounty hunter lets a couple of shots riccochet off the top of the rock before he leaps over it, charging towards his opponent. The electrical mass is discharged towards Dirge, the Autobot still rushing towards the Decepticon afterwards.

Dirge evades your Kam-Mae-Ha-Mae-HAAA! attack.

Dirge quickly dives forward, the ball of lightning crackling just over his back and boiling off some of the paint but not contacting armor or vital systems. The Seeker gains a short burst of speed from his engines, angling his folded-back wings in order to gain a sharp lift. He brings his fist up as he pivots in the air, attacking with a...

Dirge strikes you with Rising Uppercut for 3 points of damage.

The uppercut from Dirge impacts on Defcon, but the blow hardly affects the Autobot. Once again, the bounty hunter lashes out with his arms; entangling him in his grasp. "You have the right to remain..." His free arm winds back, then suddenly propels itself forward... ...towards Dirge's mouth. "SILENT!" +attackname punch=Silence is Golden!

Dirge evades your Silence is Golden! attack.

Dirge sidesteps the blow and runs straight past Defcon. It is only when his back is to the Autobot that he pulls a giant axe out of.. wherever it is that Transformers magically pull their weapons. Not an axe, really. A pole-axe with a razor-sharp spike on top. Clutching it at the base end of the haft, like a baseball bat, he spins around and sends the heavy blade at the Autobot's exposed side. "You will have your silence shortly. Cherish these sounds, for the last you shall hear will be your screams.."

You evade Dirge's Halberd attack.

Defcon ducks low, letting the halberd sail over his head. He throws a hand out to grab it though, but misses horribly. Blast, maybe this weather is affecting more than my update systems... ... The bounty hunter pushes off of the ground and transforms into his Starfighter mode, pulling high up into the air.

The shuttle abruptly turns back, swooping down towards the Decepticon. <> The tip of his craft, which has a large cannon mounted on it starts to glow orange. <> The weapon sprays plasma goodness all over the place, mostly directed at Dirge. <>

You strike Dirge with Nose-Cannon for a Conehead!.

Dirge flies backwards as he tries to avoid the cannon, but the giant glob of plasma strikes him square in the torso, driving him back to the ground. Armor burns and melts off him, twisting into horrifying blackened shapes, leaving jagged edges and gaping holes. The Seeker drags himself back to his feet, clenching his jaw and glaring burning yellow pits at Defcon. "A mistake.. escalation.." he hisses. "I will not suffer you to live any longer." He right arm comes up, and the mostly-untouched warhead there activates.


 * Beep*

Dirge strikes you with Concussion Missile for 20 points of damage.

The craft was following it's blast down towards the ground, expecting a seeker to be unconcious already. That's not the first mistake today... ..he thought, as the missile streaks up into the air... ...impacting hard on his underside. A vicious and dark cloud envelops the ship, sitting in the air for one or maybe two seconds.

Suddenly, a figure drops from the smoke... ...it's Defcon, Hurray!... ...or not. He's badly injured, but straighten's out his trajectory to line up with Dirge. "Not your..." Big blue starts to yell out, but lands on the ground beside him. Defcon leads his attack with a right hook, followed closely by a left jab, and finally he intends to send his forehead on an impact course with the top of the seeker's head, maybe denting his cone a bit. "CALL!"

You strike Dirge with 1,2,3 Combo: For Truth, Justice, and The Autobot Way!.

Dirge manages to block the right hook.. with his forearm. There's one big dent. He accepts the left jab on the shoulder as he closes the distance with Defcon, moving his hands toward the Autobot's neck and face, attempting to claw off his face with his bare hands. Then *wham*, right in the face. Dirge staggers backwards, clutching his injured head with one hand, one optic cracked and the other completely shattered. Growling, he rasps harshly, "It -is- my choice, dead one.." He spits out metal flecks and 'blood' on the ground at Defcon's feet. "We will continue this when I can see you clearly. I wish to watch you die, not merely listen.."

Dirge retreats from the area swiftly, outdistancing all pursuit and parting shots.

Defcon stands there, the seeker staggering to and fro. Hell, he continues to stand there even when Dirge spits out all sorts of crap on the ground. The only time he turns is to watch him escape.. ...which is a strange word for it, since Defcon merely let him leave. Was this compassion? Was this weakness? No and no, this was something else entirely. This was anticipation. The bounty hunter crouches low on the ground, swinging out a hand towards some of the black goo left. This was the hunt. His two fingers sift around in the liquid, then pull back up... ...in the direction of his face.


 * sniff* *sniff*

Defcon is crouched there, intaking the noxious aroma of Dirge's 'blood'. This is the hunt... ...this is the excitement. "Run while you can.... ..."

(Check out Defcon VS Coneheads (Part 2: Thrust), which immediately follows this RP session)