Deathknell: One in a Billion

Log Title: Deathknell: One in a Billion

Characters: Cyclonus, Benin-Jeri, Dal Matia, Dust Devil, Elita One, Quickswitch, Seawing, Optimus Prime, Sit-Com, Slugfest, Snaptrap, Turborat

Location: Silent Grill - Helex

Date: July 13, 2016

TP: Deathknell TP

Summary: The Autobots have their prize, the Decepticons know what's going on. And Silent Grill looms. But to rid the world of the Dead Energon Sea, Dal Matia must be either slain or apprehended. Hope upon hope that a Decepticon can save the planet from its poisoning... THE FINALE OF DEATHKNELL, Part 1.

As logged by Cyclonus - Wednesday, July 13, 2016, 7:06 PM

Silent Grill - Helex
The Silent Grill is a ruined part of Helex that none dare go. It contains a tunnel network that is the rumoured home of cultists, their consorts, and things that are far, far worse.

Sirens wail in the night. Those massive pumps that Silent Grill is built about, they churn and froth as they pump a veritable sea of poison into Cybertron. Dead Energon, or stale energon if you prefer its proper name, is a remnant of its former self. Just enough power to force the pumps and valves of Cybertron to function, and not enough to make it sustainable. In short, it'd force Cybertron to burn itself out. The sea has been alluded to have been collected from all of the dead that had fallen in this six eon war...and the dead of Cybertron are claiming their [[toll upon the living.

The city itself has been long a pain in Helex' side, lead by a mad Unicron]] cultist known as Dal Matia. Somehow managing to harness Dead Energon for her own purposes, she has a long dead cityformer at her disposal. Dark spires and haunting streets, Silent Grill houses the monsters of Cybertron, drawn to its dark presence.

After a long and winding path into the deep darkness, the city is in as much motion as ever, neon green geysers of the liquid shoot up at intervals, Cascading over the city, like ill-gotten fireworks. And in the midst of the dead city, among the corpses, the silhouette of a four-armed figure slips in and out of the darkness...

Deep in the shadows, Cyclonus has been busy. In anticipation of the Link titleAutobots coming to save the day, Cyclonus has been rigging the entrances and support structures leading down into Silent Grill with explosives. For someone so large, Cyclonus can be remarkably quiet when he needs to be, although even he is a little unnerved by the weird atmosphere in Silent Grill. As he works, he often looks back over his shoulder, as if he cannot shake the feeling of being watched.

The choice, his choice, is reaching its ultimate conclusion, and as Optimus Prime begins the journey down to Silent Grill. His optics are alert, watching, his energon pump running a bit faster than normal as his mind races through all that has led to this point. It is not fear that drives it, rather intense focus, and preparation for whatever they may face as they attempt to bring an end to the threat of the dead energon.

(INTERCEPT): Elita One radios Optimus Prime with "Have faith, Optimus. We are not yet beaten".

By chance, Turborat has returned to this. Or perhaps it was intentional. He slunk through the city, trying to recall where the last way in he had taken was... when he led the Autobots here. Hoping they'd be there again as his mismatched optics flashed dimly towards the meeting place.

He freezes though, at first in alarm as the sight of Optimus meets his optics, followed by a loud, smoky venting of relief "Oh good." he says simply. He found them. And he was still alive. So far, so good.

Benin-Jeri and Sit-Com have travelled down with Optimus Prime deep into the warrens beneath Helex. Benin-Jeri is carrying the Energon Rejuvenation Matris carefully in both hands, having dropped Slugfest off outside Silent Grill for pickup by his evil single dad. Ben walks very, very carefully, focusing completely on what he's doing, while he plays horror movie soundtracks on his backpack 8-track to help liven the mood.

Seawing has been down here for groons, mapping out the tunnels and trying to get into contact with Dal Matia herself. Seawing has tried, so far without success, to convince Dal Matia's cultists to bring him to her. He's tried intimidation, cajoling, and simply following cultists from the shadows in an attempt to follow them to their leader. Finally, now, he takes his last desperation move, and just walks openly into the heart of the dead city, his arms straight out, surrendering himself to the clan in a bold gambit to seek the cult leader's attention.

Somewhere nearby is a wooden crate with holes in it postmarked Abu Dhabi.

A mysterious Autobot cloaked in beast form has followed the others down to Silent Grill. He is drawn here, as surely as the monsters inhabiting this city, as monstrous as he is himself? No different, perhaps. But it doesn't matter at this time. For now, he remains hidden, feral optics on Optimus Prime, as if waiting for order.

Sit-Com ooohs as the spooky music comes from Benin-Jeri. "Wonder if this'll spook the cultists, or whether they'll just like it," he says, looking over at his Junkionbro. "Did you bring the garlic wreaths and crucifixes?"

The sound of the sirens grows in its majesty, its horror, as the rooftop figure practically prances about, moving from one geyser to another, illuminated by the neon spray of sickly green energon. Carrying her dread staff in one hand, Dal Matia raises her head, pausing in her ritual. She turns her head, her rattan style hat giving way to her sickly green optics. A smile crosses the Femme's grim face. They were here. It was time.

She had him. She had exactly who she wanted here, at exactly the right time.

Her staff spins, leaving a trailing glow in its wake. Sweeping it in a large circle, she notes Seawing's presence far below. Her voice echoes, with a cackle of laughter. "Ah ah haaaaaa! Ohhh it is tyem. Tyem indeed. Ken you heer it? Komm children...children of Unikron. Forward"

She gestures towards the masses, a green energy surrounding several dozen of the corpses. A low hissing sound rumbles as they start to move, to stand. Suddenly Seawing is not alone, as the voodoo matron appears in the courtyard not too far from him. With a knowing look, she raises her staff. "Calling...the children. Deception...and dying...Silent...but screaming."

She glances at Seawing, knowingly, and no doubt judging his reaction.

Snaptrap is waiting at the sewer entrance to the Silent Grill area, moving slowly towards the heart of the 'city', where his tracking indicator shows Seawing to be. He sticks to the shadows, his massive bulk somehow silent - a product of his patience and skill.

Cyclonus hears the sirens below, and melts more deeply into the shadows, heading more deeply into the pits of darkness as his curiosity grows. Best to make sure the Autobots are in best position and the planet is saved before burying them all alive, right? As he passes a tiny stego outside, he makes a scary scraping sound against the walls of the tunnels, staring down at the Recordicon with crimson optics from the murky gloom. "Boo," he breathes, and then keeps moving down into the warrens.

(INTERCEPT): Elita One radios Optimus Prime with "Just come back to me when this is over.".

Optimus Prime looks to the others. "A valve is opening, and if it opens completely, the danger will be severe. Continue towards the objective; protect the device. I will get this valve secured." he says. "Luck with you all."

(INTERCEPT): Optimus Prime radios Elita One with "I will. Nothing will keep me from you.".

The hideous beast-form is as indistinguishable here as any other monster. Still, it remains cloaked sound and sight by deep shadow and its own stealth capabilities. It continues trailing the Autobots, as much keeping an eye out for their well being here for anything that might come upon them from behind. The mysterious Autobot eyes the rest of the city, unsure inside itself whether er to be unnerved or at home here. Confusion, then wrath, dominates. The assault beast's optics flare dangerously. Concern flashes in its optics next as it hears Optimus' grave warning. The mysterious Transformer continues on, cloaked by shadows, and certain the Prime can handle himself. Still, a nagging doubt, and the creature's duty is to the Autobots and the Prime...

"Wait, what objective? " asks Turborat, softly. But Prime was already departing. He stared, and then looked at Benin with a lost expression "... okay. What are we doing? And h... how can I help? ' he asked in his usual hand-wringing way. His optics peer at the Matrix, and then over at the city, watching the plumes of green goo going up on occasion. He winces at the singing and sighs, shuffling from foot to foot.

Benin-Jeri switches his music to the Buffy soundtrack. He grins over at Sit-Com. "I'm the thing that monsters have nightmares about. And right now, you and me are gonna show 'em why." He looks back at Turborat and wiggles the ERM a bit, but not too much, not wanting to accidentally damage or drop it. "I'm the type of person who tries to save the world," he quotes.

Spotting Dal Matia's dramatic display ahead of him, he steps forward and stops. "Gozer the Gozerian... good evening," Ben says politely. "As a duly designated representative of the City, County and State of New York, I order you to cease any and all supernatural activity and return forthwith to your place of origin or to the nearest convenient parallel dimension." He turns with a mad smile to look at Turborat and Sit-Com for backup.

Seawing knows a thing or two about intimidation, and is duly impressed. "It is … time… indeed. We care nothing for this world, or the fools that squabble over it. Allow us to join you, Dal Matia. We Seacons will help you ravage this planet, and take our place at your side in the new reckoning." He raises his arms, both to show they are empty of weapons, and to add to the glory of Dal Matia.

"And don't be sending The Staypuft Marshmallow Man to destroy us. Or J. Edgar Hoover. I didn't choose anything. Did you choose anything?" Sit-Com says, looking over at Benin-Jeri.

A tiny stego is startled by Cyclonus, but starts scampering after him! "What are going on?" Slugfest wonders, as he runs after Cyclonus as fast as his short stubby legs can carry him.

The dark matron eyes Seawing suspiciously, her movements slow and calculated. Distrust resonates within her, her arms spread wide as she regards the Seacon. "Mmmmh is that so, Seekon?" She suddenly gestures out forward with her staff, up towards the entrance where the sets of intruders are coming from. "Then go. Fite mine enemies. And know...that deff..." As she speaks, several of the fallen soldiers shuffle to stand behind her, their eyes glowing in a similar vein. "deff...is not the end." She disappears in a wink of energy....

...REAPPEARING before the Autobot troops. "OTTOBOTS.....OTTOBOTS and their ilk....ahhhhahahaaaaaa!" She hovers in midair before the team. "Komm Komm and join us....and give us...your lives!"

Horrid, radiant energy radiates out as she transforms...into a horrid totem, a fetish of the horrible Chaosbringer. "SUCH IS THE FATE OF ALL WHO ARE LIVING!"

Snaptrap continues to follow the locator signal embedded within Seawing's body. He keeps an optic open for any of the more dangerous cultists as he walks slowly towards where Dal Matia is currently entertaining her guests. However, given his current pace, it will take quite some time before he reaches the center of action.

(INTERCEPT): Snaptrap radios Seawing with "Have you made contact? I am currently on my way to your position.".


 * >> Dal Matia strikes Quickswitch with Inescapable Fate . <<
 * >> Dal Matia misses Sit-Com with Inescapable Fate . <<
 * >> Dal Matia strikes Benin-Jeri with Inescapable Fate . <<
 * >> Dal Matia strikes Turborat with Inescapable Fate . <<

Seawing sends a radio transmission. (INTERCEPT): Seawing radios Snaptrap with "I have. She said to fight her enemies. Is this a go?".

Cyclonus strides forward, making no concessions for Slugfest's poor stubby legs. "We're going to save the planet," he explains quickly, "and then we're going to bury the Autobots alive. Try to keep up," he says, meaning both physically and intellectually. As he gets close, however, he pauses, dark optics widening as he spots Dal Matia's horrid attack on the Autobots. "Wait here," he instructs the tiny stego. "Prepare to strike when the time is right," he orders with unhelpful vagueness.

Turborat stares at Benin, and then to the foe. At the silent request for back up, he simply shuffles sideways until he was behind the Jedi Master. But then Dal Matia appears, and he leaps so fast, he actually leaves some parts behind where he stood. As the energy slaps across him, the poor neutral shrieks loudly, the sound echoing off walls left and right. He staggers back, almost ready to bolt, and holding the wound across his chest, rummaging inside his cabin for something with his other hand. His optics had gone pure white.

Benin-Jeri looks at Sit-Com. "No," he insists, in answer to the question of whether he chose anything. He opens his mouth to issue another quote, and then Dal Matia teleports right over him and unleashes hell upon them. Ben flinches, gripping his hands tightly, which makes the plot device fly right out of his hands… and into play. "Erk! Gotta catch 'em all!" he yells, and turns to try to recover the football.

Benin-Jeri dropped The Energon Rejuvenation Matris.

Seawing grins broadly, and lowers his arms at last. He reaches down to the holsters at his hips, and pulls out two winged pistols. "All right!" he says, and starts striding towards the Autobots' position. "Sorry, Junkions. You're not making it out of here alive." He raises both guns, and starts firing at Ben and Sit while walking calmly toward them, ignoring the outside craziness going on above and around him.

"Remember, don't cross the streams! Oops, unless we have to," Sit-Com says, as he narrowly evades an attack from the enemy whose name reminds him of firehouse dogs. He fires back at the offender with a blast from his sonic pistol.

>> Sit-Com misses Dal Matia with Sonic Blast . <<

>> Seawing misses Sit-Com with Laser . <<

The tiny stego cocks his head at Cyclonus. "Save planet?" he wonders, then ohs quietly when Cyclonus finishes the sentence in a way the tiny stego can make sense of. He plants his butt on the ground and waits like Cyclonus asked him to.

Dal Matia transforms back out of her dread totem, that large cap fitting onto her head. One of her four hands holds the hat tight as she teleports betwixt the Junkions, and lashes out with her staff, sending a powerful impact forward towards Benin-Jeri. She then teleport slides across to Sit-com's far side, raises her staff for another strike, then teleports again to his other side before trying to bring it down on the second Junkion's skull. "Feelthy Junkions! For this, there es no return!"

Mostly them because they were a bit more obvious than the skulking monster bot...


 * >> Dal Matia strikes Benin-Jeri with Staff. <<
 * >> Dal Matia strikes Sit-Com with Staff. <<

Cyclonus sighs. "Yes. We cannot let those fools endanger the future of Cybertron." He points down at the MacGuffin. "Retrieve that Matris. I'll cover you. We must get it past Dal Matia and into the dead energon sea. Once that is accomplished, we will retreat to the surface and leave these Autobots to their death." He slowly draws his Oxidating Laser and starts scanning the scene below for high-priority targets.

Still a bit panicked, if there's one thing Turborat was good at, it was A) Seeing things that were valuable, and B), running. So he bolts forwards, lunging for the shiney thing. Grabbing it up, he stagger/limps several steps, nearly falls down, but instead transforming as he goes, it secure (somewhat) inside his cabin, next to a dead turborat and someone's head. With a huge plume of smoke, he spins his wheels, erratically dodging this way and that as he seems to go in just a random direction.

Benin-Jeri turns to look for the Energon Rejuvenation Matris that he had dropped during Dal Matia's initial attack. Spotting it on the ground, he bends to reach for it when suddenly Dal Matia appears next to him and beams him with her staff before teleporting away to attack Sit-Com. "Dirty pool!" Ben yells, and draws his Replica Original Star Trek Phaser. He tries to aim around Sit-Com, quoting, "We come in peace! (Shoot to kill! Shoot to kill!)" However, with his friend in the way, he holds his fire for now as he struggles to move into a better position.

Seawing shoots at the Junkions until Dal Matia appears among them and starts kicking aft. The Seacon then stops for a moment, raising his weapons and watching til he sees Turborat transform and try to abscond with the Energon Rejuvenation Matris. "Oh, no you don't, Junkion!" Seawing yells, making false assumptions about Turborat's origins. He aims his Venom Laser at the nervous neutral and opens fire, not really caring if he accidentally hits Ben or Sit in the process.

>> Seawing strikes Turborat with Laser . <<

Turborat dropped Turborat's Timey Wimey Ball.

Hit by the terror energy, the beast whines and worries its head back and forth. So much for the element of surprise and stealth. Quickswitch feels a sudden twindge of irritation as he comes back to himself. In a blurr, he transforms into gun mode and fires upon Dal Matia! "...You /dare/ strike at me..." the assault unit's voice, low and dangerous. Quickswitch transforms into his jet-propelled laser pistol mode.

Sit-Com acks as he's swatted by a Scorpion-style teleporting Dal Matia! "Get over here!" he shouts, throwing his ball and chain at the mistress of pain.

>> Sit-Com strikes Dal Matia with Bash. <<

>> Quickswitch misses Dal Matia with Laser . <<

>> Quickswitch strikes Dal Matia with Laser . <<

Slugfest is still waiting, sitting obediently unitl Cyclonus tells him otherwise.

Having brained the two Junkions not that anyone could notice, Dal Matia teleports again, shifting between three spots simultaneously, the brim of her hat covered low over her face, her staff held in two of her other hands. The dropping of the strange energy sphere interests her, even more interesting was the neutral's panic upon grabbing it. Fortunately Seawing started lighting up the NAIL, so it was back to her business....killing. Sit-Com slams his flail into her shoulder, but as Quickswitch fires, she teleports mid-shot, reappearing a moment later, and suffers Quickswitch's second shot, which glances off her frame. She raises her staff, firing off a powerful bolt towards the living weapon, Quickswitch. "Damage done to frames, what we said in the name of the...." She follows up the first blast with a second, "Damage done to the spark, is the start of the end!"

Cyclonus growls, seeing the Seawing shoot the ERM away from Turborat. "Meddling Seacons. Slugfest, retrieve the Energon Rejuvenation Matris. I'll take care of these interlopers." He raises his oxidation laser, draws a bead on Seawing, and calmly opens fire, standing still as stone as the energy of the shot burns its way across the caverns towards the sneaky mantis.

>> Cyclonus strikes Seawing with Laser . <<

Seawing is overcome by injuries, losing consciousness.

(INTERCEPT): Snaptrap radios Seawing with ">>kzzsh--ead me? Seawing, can you read me?".

(INTERCEPT): Seawing radios Snaptrap with "*static*".

Dust Devil frowns as Ben is being attacked. He tries to get over by his mentor, "So who booked this party?" He looks toward Dal and frowns, "I'm guessin we don't wanna hit Sit-com do we?:

Turborat shrieks again as he was shot, literally knocking him back into robot mode. Two things fly out of his cabin - the MAtris, and another, strange glowing, glassy orb that rolls and bounces, before stopping next to the Matris.

And then, it goes PING!

As Dal Matia turns her attention on Quickswitch, Ben is finally able to line up a clear attack. Considering the severity of the situation, he quotes, "Set phasers on Kill," and twists a small knob on the side of his pistol to do just that. He strikes a dramatic pose and lines up his shot, carefully squeezing off a burst of energy at the crazy cult leader.

>> Benin-Jeri misses Dal Matia with Phasers-On-Kill . <<

Seawing nails Turborat with his venom laser, successfully keeping the Energon Rejuvenation Matris out of play while Dal Matia whales on the collected Junkions. However, just as he's smirking and looking proud of himself, he's caught in the wash of an agonizing oxidation laser, which burns right through his light armor clear down to his endoskeleton. Seawing can barely scream before half his body is simply burned away, and the rest of him slumps near-lifelessly to the ground.