| abstract | - Sun Nov 24 18:52:36 2034 You hear the roar of the crowds before you even enter the Vos Arena. One of the social highlights of Vos, crowds gather at this amphitheatre for business outings, talking philosophy, and of course to watch two gladiators beat the scrap out of each other. There is almost always a fight going on at the Arena. The combatants are a mix of mechs found guilty by the Vos Courts, Underplates risking death to improve their station, and traveling warriors aiming to make a name for themselves. Air Raid(#1730) East leads to City Center. Torque has arrived. Air Raid all too gladly soaks up the roar of the crowds when he steps out into the pit. Buuut they're probably cheering for the pre-show entertainment of more ne'er-do-wells getting the volts beat out of them by sentinels. Raid decides to do some leg stretches and pauses to blow a kiss or two at the obviously adoring fans. And of course to Torque if he can manage to spot her. "Ready when you are, Contrail!" he shouts across the arena, folding his arms. "The fact is, Air Raid, that I was built ready. I mean that plainly. I was made for war," Contrail calls back from across the stands. She makes a mocking little bow, flourishing her hands. "But you were built ready, too, weren't you? You were built for war? Or whatever the Autobot idea of that is." She chuckles. "And in the grand Auobot plan, you eventually end this war." "So tell me, Air Raid, what are you going to do when you're surplus to requirements?" That said, she leaps down and, mid-fall, twists in jet mode and soars into the air, spanning the length of the arena with three snap rolls designed to wow and intimidate the audience. In a flash, she's uncomfortably close and her engines are incredibly loud. Incoming! Flipping into a modified F-35B Lightning II, the sky is not the limit. Please, like Torque would miss any event with Air Raid in it. Somehow she managed to get a front row seat, but she's hardly using it as she's too busy leaning over the railing to wave the mech's way, grinning bright. "You can do it, Raid! Show her what Aerialbots can really do!" Air Raid's optics narrow on Contrail. Then he shrugs expansively, "I dunno'! Maybe I'll just go back to being a mindless transport shuttle. Who cares! I know what they'll do to /you/ though, heh!" Torque gets his attention and he waves, beaming. "Damn right!" Then suddenly, ENGINES. He rolls to the side, twists into his altmode and burns atmosphere, climbing high within the arena. "It's too bad you can't use your fraggin' whip!" he yells, weapons hot. Combat: Air Raid sets his defense level to Fearless. Air Raid shifts and twists into his black F-15E Strike Eagle mode. Combat: F-15E Strike Eagle strikes F-35B Lightning II with his Laser attack! Combat: F-15E Strike Eagle (Air Raid) used "Laser": A Level 2 RANGED attack. Combat: You took 8 damage. "You really wouldn't mind that? Being a mindless transport shuttle?" Contrail says, surprised. From above, his lasers burn down into her, and she banks away, low over the audience. Would an Autobot shoot at a moving target with bystanders behind? Would Air Raid? In any case, she climbs, engines whining, and she shoots back, cooing, "You miss the whip, do you?" Combat: F-35B Lightning II sets her defense level to Guarded. Combat: F-35B Lightning II strikes F-15E Strike Eagle with her Witty Repartee attack! [Pulled -3] Combat: Gained 1 energon. F-15E Strike Eagle gets a nice peppering across his nosecone and grunts, "You ain't gonna' twist me around with your mind games tonight, less chat more missiles!" Though he's given a pause as Contrail coasts over the crowd. "Of course you'd play dirty. Ain't this place sacred for seekers or somethin'!" He /tries/ to make sure he's not shooting where Torque might be, but it's not so easy. After a few moments of struggling to aim, he complains loudly and chances a shot for her tailfins. Combat: F-15E Strike Eagle strikes F-35B Lightning II with his M61 Vulcan attack! Combat: F-15E Strike Eagle (Air Raid) used "M61 Vulcan": A Level 3 RANGED attack. Combat: You took 9 damage. "You would need to have a mind first for me to play games with it," Contrail observes. There is now a hole in her tailfins, which is going to make it more difficult for her to maneuver. She gains a little more altitude and focuses more on her turns. "Yes, Vos is sacred to those who believe. I find it interesting that you would aspire to become King of Seekers without even possessing the slightest inkling of what it means." "The first sacrament is always deception." And the second is explosives, apparently. B'dow. Combat: F-35B Lightning II sets her defense level to Protected. Combat: F-35B Lightning II strikes F-15E Strike Eagle with her Harsh Lesson attack! [Pulled -2] Combat: Drained 2 energon. Sheee-ooh! Does Contrail hit hard. Air Raid, as usual, is torn between admiration and hatred. He spins out of control as explosives blast his armor to shreds, and just barely manages to straighten out, avoiding a painful crash into the energon-spattered pit floor. "Eh, I see it as an affront to you zealots. And I think I can swing a crown pretty nicely. I don't think it would even fit on your dumb head!" An explosive of his own is lobbed at Contrail, and it probably won't be pretty if it misses. Combat: F-15E Strike Eagle strikes F-35B Lightning II with his CBU-87 Cluster Bomb attack! Combat: F-15E Strike Eagle (Air Raid) used "CBU-87 Cluster Bomb": A Level 6 AREA-RANGED attack. Combat: You took 12 damage. "A seeker must seek /something/. I see that you seek to provoke and offend," Contrail judges. The cluster bomb makes her lose altitude, venting fuel in a sickly splatter. "How will you feel when your own subjects seek to kill /you/? I find that you're lacking insight. Maybe this will help!" The F-35B straightens up her flight, and she lobs a... water balloon at Air Raid? Only it's full of Kwarch slime, a known hallucinogen... Combat: Contrail deducts energon from herself. Combat: Drained 15 energon. Combat: F-35B Lightning II sets her defense level to Fearless. Combat: F-35B Lightning II strikes F-15E Strike Eagle with the Swindle-forged Kwarsh Slime Balloon Launcher attack! Combat: F-35B Lightning II 's attack has strange and mysterious effects on F-15E Strike Eagle . Combat: That attack has temporarily affected F-15E Strike Eagle 's Accuracy. (Blinded) Combat: Used up 1 Charges. 1 remain. "Subjects schmubjects, you're thinking about this too hard!" Air Raid smirks, pylons snapping missiles into place. Before he can launch them, Contrail's strange water balloon flies smack into his nosecone, which pierces it and sends the slimy contents all over his frame. "GAHH! GROSS! WHAT THE FRAG!" he screams, effectively blinded and... uh... "Whuhhh..." The slime sinks into the seems of his armor and makes him /trip the hell out/. Suddenly, he's flying inverted, diving and wavering and twisting all the while seeing SO MANY COLORS! And everyone is superdeformed and adorable. There's energon bubbles everywhere and it's just SKY ALL AROUND! In reality Air Raid just crashes right into the lower arena wall and slides to the ground, gurgling. Combat: Air Raid damages himself. F-35B Lightning II hovers down over Air Raid, peering down at the crashed jet. She studies him for weaknesses, which reports: Weakness: Colour scheme can cause Air Raid to be mistaken for a Protectobot. "And you're not thinking at all," Contrail snickers, "But if I beat you down and make you kneel... if I take down all comers, I'll be the King of Seekers. By competing, you'll have declared yourself a Seeker... and my subject. So my poor little brainless Bonanza. If the day comes that you surrender what little mind you have and become a shuttle again, I will find you, as your King, and do what's best for my subject - end your worthless life." Combat: F-35B Lightning II sets her defense level to Protected. Combat: Contrail analyzes Air Raid for weaknesses. Combat: Drained 4 energon. Torque's optics narrow and she leans over the bar further when Contrail launches some weird balloon of goo. What is that stuff? ..Oh no, it isn't! Antennas flick up in alarm and she quickly cups hands to should out to Raid, "Raid, you have to try and focus! Whatever you're seeing isn't real!" So much for coaching as he goes careen off course and into the ground. Damn. Welp, time for her to get out there and do her job. Nothing in the rules about a patch job, after all, and technically she'd qualify as his personal medic for the fight. Leaving seat behind she vaults the railing, shifts midair, and guns it across the arena before skidding to a halt beside. Shifting back she takes a knee beside the downed Eagle and swiftly pulls out her tools. "Hold on a sec, Raid, I'll have you patched up and ready to get back in there." Combat: Torque runs a diagnostic check on F-15E Strike Eagle Combat: Torque quickly patches up some of F-15E Strike Eagle 's minor injuries. F-15E Strike Eagle can't quite appreciate what Contrail is saying, which is a shame 'cause it's some stirring stuff! He just... lies there, tires squealing as he continues to press into the wall. The crowd seems very amused and begin to chant Contrail's name as Torque heads down to patch things up. A sharp pinch to some innerworkings has him sobering, if only a little, and a blurry glance skyward reminds him, "Oh slag...! F-fight! Contrail! Thanks doll, owe ya..." Fighting through an imagined happy, happy cloud, he takes to the air and slings a haphazard missile up at the 'con. Combat: F-15E Strike Eagle misses F-35B Lightning II with his Convert THIS attack! Combat: F-15E Strike Eagle (Air Raid) used "AIM-9X Missile": A Level 5 RANGED attack. F-35B Lightning II banks out of the way, and she gets up close and personal with the F-15E Strike Eagle that is Air Raid, trying to circle around him as he flies, almost parallel to him, cockpit pointed inward relative to him. The F-35 chatters, "It's almost moving. If she flew, would you have her for a wingmate? Would she be your right hand when you plotted the demise of your superiors? /Have/ you ever plotted the demise of your superiors? Do you ever look at Silverbolt, reflect on his weaknesses, and know that you could end his life? Do you ever hold that knowledge against him, that he lives by your grace, when you speak with him of how to eliminate Sky Lynx?" "Or are you a Seeker at all?" Combat: F-35B Lightning II inspires F-15E Strike Eagle with patriotic and moving words! "Don't owe me a thing, just show her who's boss!" Torque grins and steps back, though she can't help a sigh of relief when Raid gets back on his 'feet' and takes off again, head a bit clearer and wounds patched. She isn't keen on standing around in the arena and is quick to shove tools back into subspace before clambering back over the wall and dropping down into a free seat to continue watching. F-15E Strike Eagle resists Contrail's words for all of three nanos before falling into a lovely bout of doubt, made all the more intense by that damn residual slime. Blitzwing's mind games are all trolling. Contrail's are a bit more subtle. "Wh'... Torque? If only she had wings," he slurrs dreamily, then scowls, "Silverbolt is /weak/ and he shouldn't even... What th', HEY CUT IT OUT!" he abruptly snaps, hurling another bomb in her direction. "SHUT UP! DIE ALREADY! YOU TALK TOO MUCH!" Combat: F-15E Strike Eagle misses F-35B Lightning II with his NNRGHH! attack! Combat: F-15E Strike Eagle (Air Raid) used "CBU-87 Cluster Bomb": A Level 6 AREA-RANGED attack. F-35B Lightning II climbs up and up, over the blast radius of the CBU-87 Cluster Bomb, the explosion of which looks beautiful when seen from above. She reminds, "If you want me to shut up and die, you'll have to make me. You'll try, because you know that might makes right. If you're strong enough, you deserve the right to take other's lives." "You'll try, but unfortunately, you're going to fail, because like I said earlier, they're never going to find your body." Contrail drops altitude steeply and comes up under Air Raid. "Because I'm going to push it into the sun." She then accelerates, trying to punch up into him from below. "And you can't fly in space." Combat: F-35B Lightning II sets her defense level to Fearless. Combat: F-35B Lightning II strikes F-15E Strike Eagle with her Ram attack! Combat: You took 3 damage from that attack. Combat: Removing analysis data for F-15E Strike Eagle . Combat: Drained 5 energon. Blrrghh it hurts so good. And bad. Air Raid gets nearly skewered as Contrail lances up from below, sending him spiraling and slinging energon every which way. He drifts dazedly for the few seconds of weightlessness before descending very clumsily. Might makes right! Yes, it does! But he's not going to agree with the likes of Contrail. Crazy, radical Contrail! NO TIME TO AIM! Combat: F-15E Strike Eagle strikes F-35B Lightning II with his AIM-9X Missile attack! Combat: F-15E Strike Eagle (Air Raid) used "AIM-9X Missile": A Level 5 RANGED attack. Combat: Air Raid uses up a charge on his EAGLE TALONS booster pack! Combat: You took 18 damage. Combat: F-15E Strike Eagle 's attack has damaged your Velocity! F-35B Lightning II gets missiled off of Air Raid, which sadly, means that she will not be taking him on a tour of the sun's outer corona. Instead, she's crashing into the sands, her engine guttered out. Is she going to get back up? It seems unclear. The F-35's engine stays dead a long while as she quietly drips. The crowds boo. Then her engine sputters back to life, and Contrail hovers up shakily. She sees Air Raid's missile and counters with her own! Combat: F-35B Lightning II strikes F-15E Strike Eagle with her AIM-120C AMRAAM attack! Combat: Drained 8 energon. F-15E Strike Eagle 's cackling is cut short by another missile that lights up the underside of his fuselage and scalds his armor, singing the lines to his thrusters. He yelps, pitching and yawing as fire engulfs his frame. A few chunks of blazing debris fall into the crowd. He's clearly not doing so great, but Contrail's lofty and inspiring words have kept him driven! And she'll get a blast of artillery for her troubles as he swoops down to strafe her. "COME ON!" Combat: F-15E Strike Eagle misses F-35B Lightning II with his Buzz the Tower attack! [Pulled -1] Combat: F-15E Strike Eagle (Air Raid) used "Buzz the Tower": A Level 1 AREA-RANGED attack. If Contrail could actually psyche up her fellow Decepticons the way that she has Air Raid psyched up... that would be a functional display of Decepticon teamwork, and that never happens. Collecting herself, she narrowly evades his fire. The F-35B considers her options and reluctantly decides to resort to another one of Swindle's specials. She shouts back, "You asked for it!" Combat: F-35B Lightning II sets her defense level to Fearless. Combat: F-35B Lightning II strikes F-15E Strike Eagle with the Swindle-forged Kwarsh Slime Balloon Launcher attack! Combat: F-35B Lightning II 's attack has strange and mysterious effects on F-15E Strike Eagle . Combat: Used up 1 Charges. 0 remain. F-15E Strike Eagle does not have the wherewithal to muscle through another dose of that slime. Nor does he have the energon. It splatters all over him again, goes straight to his processor and forces him into another happy illusion of HIM AS SEEKER KING! He is MIGHTY and all seekers bow before him, even Contrail, who is totally his personal servant and painted up like a french maid, somehow. Air Raid sinks back down to the pit floor and dissolves into pleasant humming, firing a single, fruitless laser shot skyward with no real aim. Combat: F-15E Strike Eagle 's Pistol attack on F-35B Lightning II goes wild! Combat: F-15E Strike Eagle strikes Torque with his Pistol attack! Is Torque also a Seeker in this hallucination? The F-35B engages in a strafing run, dipping down to quickly shoot at Air Raid before pulling back up again. Grandstanding, Contrail shouts out to the crowd, "See the Aerialbot brought low! He does not know what it means to be a Seeker. Perhaps he will learn... what it means to /obey/." Combat: F-35B Lightning II strikes F-15E Strike Eagle with her Strafing Run attack! [Pulled -4] Combat: Gained 4 energon. Oh no, not the slime again! "Raid, snap out of it!" Torque barks at him from the sidelines, waving an arm futily while hanging over the railing to get his attention. She doesn't have another does of antidote, darnit! "You're hallucinating! You gotta see past it and-Argh!" The stray shot goes wild and somehow manages to zero in on her, striking a shoulder and forcing her back a step while holding the smoking laser wound. It hurts, but she grits through it and keeps shouting, "Get up! Get up and fight, Raid!" Damn right she is. LIKE AN ANGEL! A purple tow truck with silver wings. Air Raid just... gazes into nothingness, oblivious to having /shot/ his angel. Contrail's shots sever more important lines, and he's far gone to hear any of Torque's urging. In a foolish move that will disqualify him, he transforms and stumbles backwards to splay against the pit wall, completely out of it. Air Raid folds and compacts into his robot mode. Combat: Air Raid takes extra time to steady himself. [Pass] F-35B Lightning II does not immediately call for Air Raid's disqualification. She just wants him to FALL. By her guns. Frustrated, she launches another missile at him, letting it off the chain. "Fox three!" Combat: F-35B Lightning II strikes Air Raid with her AIM-120C AMRAAM attack! Combat: Air Raid falls to the ground, unconscious. Combat: Drained 8 energon. F-35B Lightning II now flies back down to hover near Air Raid. She transforms and stands woozily - she's lost a lot of energon and other components, and she's a bit punch-drunk - but she's standing. She reaches over and tries to force her hand under Air Raid's chin to tilt his face up and show him off to the audience. Contrail calls out, "Friends! Vosians! Countrymechs! I show you the pride of the Autobots... brought down to NOTHING by the will of Primus, worked through His hand through the lineage of Straxus. I show you one of Primus's own Seekers standing triumphant before you. See His judgment made manifest." It doesn't matter what Contrail believes. There's a crowd to work. She lets Air Raid drop and throws her arms in the air. In a transformation that is harder than it looks, Contrail rises up into robot mode. Not even her patch job could save him. Antennas sink as Torque watches Raid stumble, completely out of it, then get blasted a final time and succumb to his wounds. Even if medics are on their way she still vaults the rail again and makes her way to the fallen Aerialbot. Kneeling beside him she gingerly scoops the mech up and hoists him off the ground, biting back a wince from the strain on damaged shoulder. "You did great out there, Raid." A weak smile lights her face only to fall into a hard line when looking to Contrail. "Congratulations." She says is a bitter tone and proceeds to carry Raid away for repairs.
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