It's the dawn, you'll see (Ch. 3b: Day 2, pt. II) [Finale]

Seafarinhare · Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:22 am

Wild Badge watched as the Gizoid crashed right into the wall, taking a large portion of it out, yet sadly it remained inside instead of plummeting 50 plus stories to it's plausible disassembly. Although, that would also be bad, because their good friend Geoff was in there.

But all things considered, it was looking like a losing battle with crystal armor in play. They would need a whole lot of fire power, "Dammit. Where's Tracer when you need her?" He thoughtlessly said aloud. Anyone who still had their helmets and/or communication devices on would be able to hear it.

As the robot gathered itself, a crazy idea hit him. He reached into his belt and produced a small hand-held device. He started playing with it, while glancing up at the gizoid, but so far, nothing notable was happening.

psikeout · Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 3:07 am

Rock wasn't making any moves. He had begun to realize the fight was a hopeless one in its present state, so he only stood there, lingering somewhere distantly between the hulking gizoid and its crystal-encapsulated master, biding his time, watching, and waiting. Rock was a stubborn guy, but not a dumb one; he knew it was better to do absolutely nothing for a while and wait for the opportune moment rather than throw himself mindlessly at opposition that wasn't going to budge.

"If Tau can't crack its shell, that heifer downstairs wouldn't stand a chance," he remarked. "We need a lot more gun."

NPC · Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 3:32 am

"You couldn't have brought enough 'gun,'" replied the booming, distorted voice of the echidna. "You still don't get it. I am the master of the most powerful, brilliant artificial mind in existence. The greatest technology there ever was! Its infrastructure covers half this planet. It already analyzed all of the data you brought with you on your... primitive... chunk of rock and metal—that pitiful 'space colony'. You consider that the greatest achievement of your modern society?"

To have been so distressed with his predicament, the echidna suddenly seemed awfully pleased with it. He also did not seem terribly aware of the colony's age relative to the rest of the world, but perhaps that was irrelevant.

"It's no wonder, though. I look at it all, at you all, and I see! I don't have eyes, but I can see. It's no wonder you're depraved. Worthless. Completely corrupted by humankind. The artificial mind has already cataloged every technology available to you. And I decide what to do with that information... This great Gizoid? The one breaking your bones? It was built just for you, from nothing more than some four-thousand-year-old scrap that happened to be in this structure's waste repository. If you had the mind and ambition to have taken my place, you wouldn't be in this predicament. One of you would have gotten to— to touch greatness like this! Do you realize the— the integrity I've had to have? For these th-thousands of years? Thousands. To stay here, and stay as, as, lucid, self-aware, and sane as I have? Ohhh... no, you don't! You have no concept of what it IS like to be trapped so long, to waste away to nothing. Yet here I am—trapped, can't even feel, no warmth, no cold, no feeling—and yet you're all the deranged, violent, murderous, compassionless brutes next to me."

Mie · Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 10:37 am

"So, what, are we supposed to feel sorry for it now?" asked the smaller of the two primates in a rhetorical huff. "Realize the error of our ways? Frickin' drama queen."

On the outer edges of the cavernous room, Jam stood with her arms crossed; a terse gesture to match her tone, but she was still visibly tense, as though poised to flee on less than a blink's notice. Her shield crackled faintly in idleness, as she evaluated the group's sustained ability to keep on ticking, weighing it with what, if anything they'd accomplished so far.

Between Ace's injuries, Rock's injuries, Omnis' damages, and Geoff's POW status, the home team seemed to have the smallest of legs up on them, which would only grow exponentially the longer the not-quite stalemate went on. It had to end quickly if it was going to end even remotely well, but as running her mouth had failed to produce anything resembling results yet, Jam was out of ideas, and the lines ringing her eyes tightened.

NPC · Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 8:29 pm

There was groan of grinding rock as the Gizoid stood while its master spoke, its figured outline by the newly remodeled hole in the wall. It turned to face the room once more, green eyes flashing beneath the crystal.

RRRRRRRRRVVVVVVVVVVV

The sound was low and drawn out as it took a heavy step forward, stalagmites bursting upward around its foot.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVV

It was taking steady steps towards them, more rock erupting around it. They could easily see a numerous amount of spikes starting to form around its body, now almost giving the robot a gargantuan appearance.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVV

More crystal cracked and materialized around it, and as it stopped, it was formed into a circle of outward protruding stakes, sharp at the tips. The deep buzzing was gaining in vibration, and, probably to some disbelief, the rock around it, both on its body and on the floor, began to give a strange glow.

Whatever it was preparing to do, it seemed to intend to be a finisher to the fight.

Seafarinhare · Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 9:08 pm

The giant gizoid's steady stalking was intimidating to say the least, but what it was doing with it's crystals was much more interesting. It certainly looked like it was readying up for it's final blow.

The away team had one more trick, though. As the robot nemesis moved away from the edge of the ring, Wild Badge made his way around the Gizoid, toward the hole...

Just outside the hole, the sound of hovering engines could soon be heard as the Wild Comet made it's way inside just in time for Wild Badge to hop onto the canopy.

"Okay, Doctor. I hope you're taking notes, because there's one variable you didn't count on;" Meanwhile only hoping he was right, "HENSHIN!"

As he said this, he struck a pose, leaning to one side with one arm outstretched in the opposite direction, the other gripping that little handheld device of his and pressing a button on it in the motion of pose striking.

Let it be known that Wild Badge did not even know what this was supposed to do, but the result seemed to be pretty satisfactory. The nose of the vehicle split open horizontally, revealing a sizable cannon. Once revealed, it was already beginning to gather energy. Moments later, a stream of energy ripped from the fighter toward the back of the Gizoid(unless it turned around). Badge's pose faltered as he watched what happened.

And then... the cannon exploded. Not enough to do any real damage to the ship, but it would render the cannon unusable until repaired.

NPC · Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 9:32 pm

VVVVVVVVVVVVV- CSHHHHK

The Gizoid's back arched as the powerful blast of concentrated energy outright slammed into its back. The nearly invincible machine was now finding its defensive cover of rock glowing bright, the stuff on its back out right melting from the cannon fire. The rest of the power transferred to the majority of the crystal with almost a crackle-like noise, fissures appearing in its armor before all of it either crumbled or burst outward.

The air now filled with flying bits of rock (most, if not all, incapable of causing any harm), the Gizoid slumped forward onto its knees, now terribly exposed. Dripping bits of melted crystal fell from its body, forming a strange goop on the floor before starting to solidify once again. Limbs and openings in its structure were now in sight like they had been before. The robot's head jerked sporadically, its eyes flashing in an almost seizure like pattern.

Badge had found the one-time-use trump card.

Sheff · Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 9:39 pm

Now with the Gizoid vulnerable for the brief moment, the cavity within its chest was revealed as well. Inside, Geoff was still trapped.

The hedgehog appeared covered in a cold sweat, electricity still running through the chamber that held him at times. His head was a bit slumped forward, but the sudden, new fresh air available to him in his confines gave him a new alertness, looking up to find a clear view of the room before him. So far, the trip inside the robot had been painful and topsy turvy (at least he was used to the spinning), but now, he realized his allies had finally managed to do something about stopping that. At least for a moment.

"How about..." he said tiredly, his voice sounding a bit weak. He gritted his teeth as another wave of energy rushed through him, the Gizoid clearly not ready to let its new found powers get away from it yet, despite its paralyzed state. "Someone... get me out of this thing... then blow it to kingdom come, eh...?"

psikeout · Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 10:26 pm

Geoff didn't really need to ask. As soon as Rock was reasonably sure the robot wasn't about to explode, he was on it in a blink. It was a win-win-win situation: rescue someone, remove the source of the enemy's copied powers, and disembowel it all at once. The crude, charred, and ragged metal edge of his plasma knife spewed intense flame in preparation for the robotic gore-fest to come.

He landed with both feet on the robot's big, metallic ribs as if they were the rungs of a ladder. Clinging with his black-clad tail for stability (his left arm wasn't going to contribute), he carved through the barricade in seconds, leaving momentarily orange-glowing cuts in the wake of his tool of choice. There was still a lot of electricity in play, but it didn't seem like it bothered the primate; either his suit wasn't conducting it, or he was just... used to it. (Any wonder why?)

Either way, Geoff was soon showered in sparks as Rock made it to him. The knife glinted and flamed as it flipped in its user's hand to reverse-grip for a powerful stab; it came dangerously close to the hedgehog's head in its fast and brutal biopsy. Seconds later, with enough of the restraints severed, the weapon stowed, and Geoff's hand seized at the wrist, Rock gave one strong pull to uproot him from the mess of conduits and steel, and, horrifying circumstances willing, sent him on his way to freedom.

Sheff · Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 10:55 pm

OOC: Just throwing this in quick.

Geoff's eyes were clenched shut and his head turned in a momentary flinch as the primate cut his way through the quilled prisoner's restraints. Still, despite the rescue, it didn't deter from the fact that there was a blazing cutting blade mere inches from him. Of course, he was grateful enough and did not bother to protest. However, he was thankful when he finally fell free, finding himself wrapped in a few wires before eventually slipping away to the ground.

The hedgehog's landing was nothing graceful, an "Oof!" escaping his lungs as he landed solidly on his back. Groaning and grimacing, he struggled to his feet, his muscles a bit spastic and numb from the imprisonment. Instead of returning the punishment straight to the Gizoid, he instead silently walked off for a moment, glad not to feel the clamps of its internal mechanics squeezing down onto him.

He was sure Rock and the others could do some damage now with his crystal abilities out of the way.

Mie · Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 12:09 am

As the Gizoid began to telegraph its super-mega-kame-hame-ultra-finisher attack via the growing vibrations that eventually began to rock the room and the structure at large in a deafening roar, the green and black-suited simian had edged as far away as the confines of the chamber would allow, but still felt reasonably certain that, whatever the robot was doing, it wouldn't amount to much. The pulsating barrier encircling her crackled loudly, burning brightly in anticipation of all the overtime it'd be putting in to keep her fighting after the echidna played his trump card, and the monkey inside sunk into a low crouch, bracing herself...

With a single cry of "HENSHIN," however, her focus officially derailed, and her bewildered, slightly alarmed, and unjustifiably amused expression fell on a very aggressively posing Wild Badge. The bark of an incredulous laugh she choked out was abruptly drowned out by the sudden, explosive discharge of the Wild Comet's ace in the hole (as opposed to the Ace with a hole), which slammed into the gargantuan robot with a righteous fury of justice that left it reeling.

Rock wasted no time in exploiting its disorientation, and neither would she. While he set to work liberating their comrade and simultaneous thorn (or, crystalline spine) in their collective sides, Jam descended on the once more exposed, tender-looking innards of the mechanical monster with a savage electric assault. She went for the gash that Badge had started at the back of its knee, rending it open with an onslaught of vindictive, incessant, and searing blows from her lightning-wrapped fists, then delivering more of the same for as long as she was allowed to whatever lied inside.

NPC · Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 2:58 pm

As soon as Geoff was free from the robot, something began to happen to all the crystal it had generated. Long cracks shot through it like lightning bolts in the sky, while chunks began to crumble out of the makeshift dome protecting the huge, computer-like machine. It wasn't yet uncovered enough to get to, but the barrier was eroding.

"You must feel so proud of yourselves," spat the voice while the group was inevitably going about tearing its last gizoid ace-in-the-hole to pieces. "What are you even trying to prove?!" it suddenly erupted. "I want out! You want out!" It was starting to practically sputter. "How do you even justify this?! This is an invasion! You! You're the ones! It's all of you who encroach! If you won't help, at least just— just go away!" m!

Greens · Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 3:46 pm

The echidna's argument found a piercing bullet shot through it when the words "bull%#*$! echoed through the room. Ace, with a humorless gaze and brows so flat you could lay a level on them, gradually marched his way toward the voice's origin with a hand pressed to his stomach. After a few breaths, he continued. "You started this when you sent in the drones to attack our ship... and kidnap our people!"

He glared at the machine sternly. "I am perfectly fine letting my buddies tear you apart," he said plainly. "But if you let everyone-- and I mean everyone go... maybe we can talk business."

Sheff · Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 7:34 pm

"Sorry to destroy your offer," grunted Geoff, suddenly passing by Ace as his path continued to lead him away from the Gizoid. "But I'm sure as hell not trusting that thing anymore than we should. He's off his rocker, and I doubt he'll just let us out of the back door."

An icy stare was fixated onto the degrading dome that covered their main enemy, no amusement at all on Geoff's features. His imprisonment was not being taken too kindly and his energy was returning, as well as a cold animosity for the echidna that believed he was in control. Its servant was getting torn to shreds behind him, and now, in his eyes, the blasted thing was vulnerable.

"I'm ending this when we have the chance."

With that, he began to sprint forward, first with crude movements as he overcame the stiffness in his legs, but soon enough he was charging straight to the partially covered computer center. He was prepared to smash through whatever crystal was remaining if necessary, and if he managed to get through upon his arrival (which was still quite a ways across the room) whatever was contained in its rock-center would hastily find itself being smashed in by the very same crystal it'd been using to defend itself.

NPC · Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 8:37 pm

"Pathetic! You say I'm crazy, yet none of you who actually speak say anything remotely intelligible. I was once foolish enough to think this... this neanderthalic warrior culture would go the way of the Knuckle Tribe—How I was wrong. Four thousand years, and outsiders are still the same! Maybe you should fight one another first so you can agree on something!"

Though shards sprayed and there was an appreciable crack and caved-in area as a result of Geoff's attack, the several-meter-thick crystal was not to be trifled with by his comparatively meager inertia. The material looked as though it had lost some integrity since the hedgehog had been removed from the robot, but the robot was nonetheless apparently still supporting it.

Yes, the robot was still alive. Despite the others wailing their attacks on it, and despite how it just sat there, its eyes still glowed. Rather suddenly, as if it just finished some kind of reboot, it decided to do something more; with no warning signs, no jostling, beeping, or blinking, the heavily damaged machine just reached and grabbed Rock.

"Bullsh—!"

It crammed the primate the rest of the way inside its torso. Metal components began to strangely reform themselves, not regenerating, but flexing, altering their forms, and jaggedly trying to resemble what they looked like before being concussed, melted, and torn to pieces—something shaped at least reasonably appropriately to keep him contained.

Rock's helmet, torn off, was regurgitated from the mess of scrap. Its owner could be seen within only briefly before the robot stood up straight and strong, thrashing its arms to swipe away anyone too close.

"No. Your condition is insanity, not mine," said the echidna with slow-building intensity. "They thought that if anyone spent this long fused with the artificial mind, that person would lose not only... not only body, but mind. They'd lose touch with reality. I haven't at all. Just body. I have my mind. But I've also had enough of this. I wasn't supposed to be in here for forever. It was just a task. Someone was supposed to take my place before there was any danger of this... condition, this lifelessness. But they all went away. They all left me here. They didn't mean to, but they did. And now, you all want to go away. You want to leave someone... like this. You can't just go away. You can't go away. It's wrong. You can't go away."

The robot's right eye became pink; its left eye became blue. It seemed reenergized. Even the remnants of Geoff's copied crystal were bolstered with a renewed glow and physical strength. Apparently, it didn't need the hedgehog to continue using his power—it just needed someone to help keep that power running.

... But then, something odd happened.

It twitched visibly.

Its head dipped down, and it staggered forward one step, then two.

Its left arm sagged; its right arm clutched it as if to keep it held in place. A long, metallic groan escaped from its mechanized mouth, unnerving and unearthly. Then, at last, as if receiving some unseen blow, the side of its head tore open with a shrieking metallic rip, its arm dangled so loosely that it hung from the wires that attached it to its body, and, gripping its metal skull with its one good arm, it crumpled to the floor in the fetal position, writhing uselessly as its face split the rest of the way down, and the whole robot all at once catastrophically fell apart.

All of the room's crystal blew away like a wave of dust.

It's the dawn, you'll see (Ch. 3b: Day 2, pt. II) [Finale]

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