robothell | [network] Things just got a little bit hotter around here.

[Megatron's entire posture changes as Helex begins to advance. His knees bend as he lowers to the ground, immediately preparing to get the hell out of the way when the first strike comes. Wary of both sets of arms, he slips to the side to circle around the enormous Decepticon.]

[No weapons, a size disadvantage and a much more experienced opponent. Things could be worse. He could have stupid amounts of guns like Sentinel did.]

Over here.

[He'll be chucking that piece of rebar plucked off the ground at Helex's face, thanks. Maybe if the smelter gets pissed off enough he'll make a stupid mistake.]

Edited 2015-08-10 19:57 (UTC)

[Sometimes Helex finds arranging all his limbs irritating. Sometimes they're irritating and it's hard to do anything comfortably. Sometimes they are a serendipitous thing.

Now is one of those times, as he raises one massive arm and the rebar bounces off his elbow instead of smacking him across the face. He follows through with the pivot and a fist bigger than his own head aimed squarely for Megatron's face.]

[It's hard to not see the massive arm coming, and Megatron jumps back a few steps to avoid it. He stumbles for a half a second, slipping on the loose debris he was standing on, but manages to catch himself.]

[He honestly had no real idea with how the hell he was supposed to attack Helex without getting himself caught in an iron grip. He couldn't keep ducking around forever.]

Is that it? Tarn told me you lot were supposed to strike terror into the sparks of everyone you came across.

[The taunt comes with another piece of debris, this time launched at the thick glass of the chamber on his chest.]

[Helex is not good at witty repartee. He's not a talker. And striking terror into the heart of the reason they exist at all seems a tall order even for him.

So he just snarls and charges headlong at Megatron; his sheer weight crushes, flattens, or breaks most of the wrack underfoot, leaving bent rebar and shattered glass in his wake. He's not very good at finesse, either.]

[Megatron was half certain he'd gone crazy when a thought hit him as Helex stood ready to charge.]

[But as with many situations, there was little time to argue with his instincts. Rather than run, he stands his ground as Helex begins to charge forward, keeping track of the massive Decepticon's footsteps.]

[As the large frame gets closer, he transforms in response, swiftly compacting and lowering into tank mode to ram into one of the smelter's legs at full force, hoping to disbalance him enough with his own momentum to knock him off his feet.]

Edited 2015-08-11 00:44 (UTC)

Wh–!

[Helex is heavy, but he's top-heavy; once he loses balance, there's virtually nothing stopping him from going down. This time is no different as Megatron transforms and drops, smashing into his knee. The off-centre hit sends Helex down at an angle, too, everything pitching wildly around his head as he falls.

He doesn't flail to regain his footing, though.

He's done this with Tarn a few times – training for… not exactly this sort of thing, but training. Decepticons are fighters, even the cowards. Sometimes especially the cowards.

Helex twists and makes a grab for the tank's barrel and turret to keep Megatron from evading him again.]

[The tank's engine snarls as his treads scoop out more ground to try and escape, even managing to drag the both of them for about a moment or two before he realizes he's trapped. What Helex had seized wasn't quite a gun turret -- mining vehicles weren't typically armed, but it was a smiliarly deep-wired piece of armor that would hurt like all hell to have torn out.]

[He shifts back, the armor handheld ending up near his collar and his hands emerging out of vehicle mode to grip Helex's wrist.]

[There was nothing standing between him and Helex but his legs, and he still had no idea what the hell he was going to do to escape.]

Try dancing around throwing stuff at me now!

[Helex clamps down hard with both hands and aims to let his entire weight land squarely on Megatron so he can pin him down. It'll be hell getting back up again later, but it'll be worth it.]

[There's a mix of a surprisingly vicious snarl and a pained grunt in response as Helex starts to press him into the ground. The huge hands find their clamps, and Megatron can't quite seem to remember the right chord to rip out of them to get it to stop.]

[He can feel the actuators in his legs begin to strain for the first time as he uses them to push him back. Barely. Helex's weight and strength weren't easy things to overcome.]

[With his own hands clenched rather uselessly around the smelter's larger wrists, he slips one leg out to attempt to kick the Decepticon square in the face.]

[The kick connects; it's hard enough to crack something in Helex's mouth, and he tastes his own energon. One hand comes loose in surprise, but a smaller hand snaps out to tear at the back of Megatron's knee and Helex brings his larger hand down in a fist like a hammer aimed for Megatron's face.

He just roars, flecks of fuel spraying from his lips.]

[Megatron sees stars Helex's huge fist collides onto his helm, denting and ripping the metal with his knuckles. He's dazed for a good few seconds before noticing one optic had fractured and streaks of energon were beginning to leak over his face.]

[He can't tell which was his or which was Helex's when the spit reaches him, and his resistance lessens for a brief moment as he tries to gain his bearings. His venting is hard and labored, and he can only remember to push back.]

[But there's one weak thought that crosses his mind as his vision comes to, and with a forceful grimace, he tries to roll the huge Decepticon off him, pushing him to the side where his arm is raised and off kilter.]

[Helex is in the middle of raising his fist to hit Megatron again when Megatron starts pushing him. His mass is once more not on his side and he teeters, but he digs his fingers harder into Megatron's collar as he topples to the side, trying to get them wrapped around his neck instead.

This is all very wrong, he thinks, but he doesn't feel like dwelling on it. Now is just bitter anger.

The kind of anger that makes him try to use his grip to lift Megatron over him as he rolls and slam him back into the ground head-first.]

[As Tarn hurries to Helex’s location he is gripped with a certain degree of dread. The smelter has never been one to possess a great amount of patience and he would prefer to keep the damage control to a minimum.

That’s not to say that he isn’t glad to see his teammate. No, his relief to have someone who actually understands him is overwhelming. He and Helex have always had a good rapport with each other.

As he rounds the last corner of his journey he slides out of tank mode to approach his subordinate face to face.

Unfortunately the scene unfolding in front of exactly what he was hoping to avoid. A strangled wheeze escapes Tarn as he stops short, eyes wide with shock. Because there, in the middle of the shattered remains of a building, Helex was suplexing Megatron. The GOOD Megatron.

After the split second of second of pause, he forces his feet forward running over to break up the vicious fight.]

“HELEX. STOP."

[His pained shout is muffled by debris as he's slammed face first into the ground. Not exactly what he wanted to happen, but at least he wasn't in the position of trying to leg press someone with fists the size of his head.]

[With Helex off kilter and Megatron's wits starting to come about him, he clenches the wrist of the hand grasping at his throat, being one good slip away from having him in a grip that could very well end the fight.]

[He begins to wrench it away with both hands when a familiar voice shouts from a distance, but ignores it in favor of bending back the fingers farther than the joint would allow. A mix of a little pain and Tarn's distraction might finally get him free.]

Edited 2015-08-12 02:02 (UTC)

[It hurts having his fingers wrenched like that, but he can work through pain. Helex wouldn't be as useful to Tarn otherwise. He does bellow in pain, though, feeling wiring and thick metacarpal struts warp under Megatron's grip.

He can work through it, but it still hurts.

So the pain doesn't bring him up short quite so much as that voice he only just hears over Megatron's snarling, his own shouts, and the roar of his power plant trying to get any more torgue out of his shoulders so he can snap Megatron's head off his neck. In fact, Helex freezes as though someone cut his motor circuits entirely, optics wide. His head whips around to look up.]

Tarn?!

[He stopped, as ordered. But he hasn't let go just yet.]

Let go of him. Right now.

[Tarn can't believe that in the 20 minutes that it maybe took him to get here that so much has already gone wrong. As he gets closer,the smears of energon and dented plating becomes more apparent.

This is a disaster. Of anyone who could have found Helex it had to be Megatron. He was really hoping to explain the situation before they met.

Tarn stands tall, managing to exude an air of authority. He stares down at Helex, hoping that perhaps he may miss the small detail of his missing badge, and the more obvious disappearance of his double fusion cannon. He can't seem weak in this moment. There is too much riding on it.]

I will explain this later, but you're going to have to let him go.

[He can feel the junctures of his neck begin to strain against the force of Helex's arm. When wrenching the metacarpals out of place does nothing to dissuade him, he gets ready to escalate, fingers digging into the wrist cables just between thick armor plates.]

[Megatron only pauses because the force slackens against his neck, and he watches at Tarn tries to de-escalate.]

[But his face is still contorted into a angry grimace as Helex keeps a clamp around his neck. Some probing from his hand reminds him of what he needed to look for: the radial nervecircuit. Helex better let go of him quick, because he'll be ripping it out of place and slipping free of his own accord if he doesn't.]

[Helex looks like Tarn just personally told him to surrender, that the war is over.]

But…

[But Megatron abandoned them. But Tarn declared war. But Helex promised to follow Tarn into Hell for the cause.

But orders are orders. Slowly, glaring at Tarn and only wincing once as his dislocated and bent fingers struggle to move properly, damaged actuators audibly whining, he relinquishes his hold. Even more slowly, he backs away to pick himself up and give Megatron clearance.]

…Sir.

[Tarn manages to glance down at Megatron's bleeding face. The anger radiating from him is palpable, even as Helex lets go.

His relief is shortlived. The glare and look of utter betrayal that his teammate gives him stirs guilt inside his spark. Tarn manages to push it aside; he will explain to Helex in private. For now he needs to defuse the situation. With Megatron only a few steps away, things still could go sour again.

Taking a measured step between them, Tarn's mind races for something to say.]

[For once he's at a loss. Instead he glances angrily between the two opponents.]

What is going on here?

[His hand slips out of Helex's wrist as it slackens from his neck. As he stands to his feet, he notices his face drenched in streams of his own energon.]

[At the very least, Megatron's expression is no longer twisted into a snarl, but it holds a familiar quiet, controlled temper. The kind that lies in wait like a vat of nitroglycerin.]

[He doesn't answer Tarn's question, because he couldn't quite encapsulate what he was currently feeling into words, and like hell is he going to scrabble to explain why he was attacked. He does watch him though, curious to see how he'll reign in his brutish teammate.]

…

[Helex is silent for a long few seconds. Not to think it over; just to glower at no particular point over Tarn's shoulder and trying to shunt some of his anger into his heating coils. It's no less threatening than throwing punches, but if he can't throw punches, it has to go somewhere.

Then he spits out a mouthful of his own energon.]

He told me the war is over.

[He looks very pointedly at Tarn.]

You ordered different.

[Tarn squints. He never explicitly told Helex such a thing. That isn’t to say that he wouldn’t. In fact, admitting that the war is over and playing the peaceful toothless old hound has never been his plan. Not even now. ]

[However, telling Helex that now, in front of Megatron, simply can’t be done. The miner is young, and naive, and inexperienced and that sort of statement will most certainly end badly. Tarn just needs to find an angle to get through to him. A bit of patience and charisma is all it will take]

I have told you no such thing. We will discuss this later in private.

[He casts him a stern glance, hoping that Helex has the sense to drop it for now. He will make everything clear soon. He turns to address Megatron, bowing his head ever so slightly. ]

You have my sincere apologies, Megatron. Sometimes Helex has the tendency to jump into action before knowing the entirety of the situation. While such dedication and enthusiasm is to be rewarded in the field, sometimes it can get him into a bit of trouble.

[Megatron remains oddly cool as Tarn runs his mouth. He does tilt his head in a mock curiosity, hiding a sickened realization as Helex explains his motives. How inconveniently truthful of him to give away what he suspected to be Tarn's true intentions.]

Keep your damn apology.

[He wipes the energon from his face.]

I know the only reason you didn't let him twist my head off is because you're waiting for me to become whatever cruel master you want to use to justify your brutality. I'd always wondered what you'd do when you realize that won't happen.

[He closes the distance between him and Tarn, some of the explosive rage, the fire that would have kept him alive in Kaon's fighting pits, beginning to twist his features.]

Seeing as mercy is clearly something beyond you, here's a simple warning: If I see either of your handiwork undermining my word again, the blood spilled on the ground will be draining out of the stumps of your necks by the end of the cycle.

Have I made myself clear?

Edited 2015-08-18 17:01 (UTC)

[Tarn doesn't really need defending, ordinarily; but Tarn ordinarily has his cannon, which is missing, and ordinarily it isn't Megatron getting into his space and being threatening. Tarn is angry and will probably be even more angry later, but Helex is nothing if not loyal to his commander.

He doesn't try to grab now, but he does shove, both trying to push Megatron away from Tarn with two hands and wedge himself in front of his commander, to make himself a wall between Tarn and Megatron.

Helex says nothing. Tarn's the talker. Helex just scowls.]

[Tarn takes a step back from Megatron as he advances on him. He is shocked for a moment at the purely murderous rage twisting his features. It only takes a moment for that shock to turn into absolute pride.

His Megatron is in there, after all. slowly, but surely, beginning to emerge with time]

[Tarn stumbles a bit as Helex pushes himself between them in a show of misplaced protection, too distracted by his fan-girlish awe. he is thankful that his mask covers his wolfish grin.]

Helex, step back, It’s fine.

[Tarn stares very levelly back at Megatron, peering around Helex’s broad frame.]

Understood. I won’t disappoint you.

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aminerproblem - 2015-09-04 02:36 (UTC) - Expand