An Unlikely Corpse

Log Title: An Unlikely Corpse

Characters: Jetfire (AU), Valour (AU)

Location: New Rust Desert, Apocalypse World Cybertron

Date: The End of the War

Players: Bzero (Valour), Spikewitwicky (Jetfire)

TP: Apocalypse World TP

Summary: At the end of the war, there is only desolation. Jetfire is practically deactivated, and Valour comes up on his form and tries to scavenge some of his parts.

''As logged by AU-Valour - Thursday, May 10, 2018, 12:48 PM

Cybertron - Apocalypse World universe
Jetfire has been a hermit of sorts with the Autobots. Given his energy needs, and his routine breakdowns, he's been confined to just working in the science division of the Autobot bases. However, there came a time months ago where Jetfire was required to venture out and help some Autobots who were under attack.

Unfortunately, Jetfire never made it to his destination. Mechanical failures caused him to crash in one of the many newly-formed deserts on Cybertron. Now, months later, Jetfire lies. The area vast. And the resources for the Autobots too drained to mount a reconnaissance mission.

Jetfire's once pristine and polished fire-engine red armor has now been faded and a few sections eaten away by some of the intense storms that have occasionally blown in the area.

Jetfire 's distress beacon has been broadcasting a repeated, faint beacon for months. But thanks to the radioactive cloud formations, it hasn't reached its target. And if you were to wander the desert long enough, you would hear the routine, faint beeps of other fallen Autobots who have not made it out of this brutally harsh environment.

Overhead, a triangular shadow speeds across the night sky. Valour, having long ago returned to his original tetrajet form, scans the deserts below for any last trace of energon or serviceable spare parts. These is a surprising blip in his empty cockpit - something lies half-buried in the silica sand below. Valour turns in midair and descends, transforming at the last moment to land in heavy feet. From over his shoulder he draws a massive halberd made of welded scrap metal - you never know what you might face out here in the desert.

Another blast of wind moves the sand, exposing Jetfire's chest, faceplate, and one of his armor-clad arms. Jetfire, deactivated. A mother-lode of potentially serviceable spare parts. Certainly enough to get Valour safely out of this horrible environment.

Valour smirks as he approaches the downed guardian. He walks up and nudges the unlikely corpse, kicking off some of the dirt and sand. He bends down to brush away some of the debris, revealing Jetfire's rubsign. An Autobot. Fitting. Still, it's a flyer, so might have some good, serviceable parts for Valour and the few remaining Seekers. Well, might as well open him up! Valour straightens up and raises his jagged halberd over his head, preparing to crack open Jetfire like a boiled crustacean.

Jetfire offers no resistance. He lays like a museum piece. But the closer Valour gets, the richer this bounty seems to reveal. State of the art, albeit if it runs just so.

Valour aims cautiously, not wanting to damage any of the internal goods. Jetfire was state of the art once. Valour hopes that in the time that's passed Jetfire's body isn't now full of rusted junk. After careful calibration Valour swings his halberd down, intending to break open Jetfire's chest armor at a side joint, popping it open to reveal what goodies lie inside. There is neither malice nor sympathy in Valour's optics - Jetfire's body is simply a box of spare parts to him.

Jetfire 's faint remaining defensive sensors beep, triggering the last remaining liters of reserve energon. His optics barely flicker, and he gives out a faint, pained groan. He instinctively reaches for Valour's neck.

>> Jetfire misses AU-Valour with Punch. <<

Valour jerks back out of the way as Jetfire stirs, and lashes back with an instinctual punch of his own, right at Jetfire's face.

>> AU-Valour strikes Jetfire with Punch. <<

Jetfire 's optics flicker. He's a scientist (damnit) - but the harsh, animalistic brutality of the environment makes virtually everyone de-evolve. He's struck by the punch and feverishly goes toward where he knows a Decepticon jet cannot escape...their thrusters. He moves in to bash in one of Valour's engines.

>> Jetfire misses AU-Valour with Bash. <<

Valour evades the attempted thruster attack, but notes the instinctual cunning behind it. This isn't just an autonomic defense - there's still some intelligence in there. "Sorry, Autobot," he growls. "You're donating to the cause." This causes him a rasping laugh at his own comment - as if there was still a cause to die for. Still, if Jetfire's alive, that means his internals are in better shape than Valour had hoped. All he needs to do is remove the head. Valour swings his poleaxe.

>> AU-Valour strikes Jetfire with Blade. <<

Jetfire backs away JUST in time. The axe would have nearly severed his head, but it only removed his left antenna - which still hurts, but not as much as a decapitation. Jetfire has basically been flailing around. With no weapon around, he opts to use his size to tackle Valour onto the ground.

>> Jetfire strikes AU-Valour with Bash. <<

Valour is tackled back to the ground, overwhelmed by the sheer size of his opponent. "Don't make me wreck you, Autobot," he growls. "It would be a waste of good parts." Trapped beneath Jetfire, Valour has no access to his polearm, and with energon in such short supply, he doesn't dare waste his Seeker lasers or one of his few-remaining missiles in such tight quarters. Which only leave street-fighting tactics as he stabs his gauntlet at Jetfire's optic band.

>> AU-Valour misses Jetfire with Smash. <<

Jetfire 's optics widen in panic. This is a battle of survival, pure and simple. If AU-Valour kills him, he's going to make sure Valour doesn't make it out alive. He sees the Deception's wing and tries to rip it from its foundation.

>> Jetfire strikes AU-Valour with Bash. <<

AU-Valour screams in pain and rage as his wing is completely torn off by his Autobot opponent. "You will die for that, Autobot," he growls. "I will part you out, piece by piece, while you still live!" He lashes out again for Jetfire's face.

>> AU-Valour strikes Jetfire with Bash. <<

Jetfire covers his face as he's struck. "Agh!" He staggers back and in a scant few nanoseconds, assesses Valour. He SEEMS to be a right-thinking Decepticon. He attempts to grab Valour's arm. "ENOUGH!"

GAME: Jetfire FAILS a STRENGTH roll of High difficulty.

Valour rips his arm away from Jetfire's grasp. He may have one been a right-thinking Decepticon, but right now his face is a mask of unfiltered rage. "Hold your vocalizer, Autobot. Soon even your last words will be lost in history." He lashes out a fist to hit Jetfire again, this time aiming a body blow at Jetfire's side, perhaps with the intention of sparing delicate parts he might want to have use for later once Jetfire is dead.

>> AU-Valour strikes Jetfire with Punch. <<

Jetfire falls back, struck again by Valour. He desperately tries to rationalize with the near-feral Decepticon.

GAME: Jetfire PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of High difficulty.

Jetfire says, "Wait!" He backs up, gasping. "Look around you! It's an absolute desert! He points to Valour's wing. "Your wing is decimated, you cannot fly out of here!" He gasps. "You...need...a way...off here...and I...can do it...but I need energon..." He looks at Valour. "You...give me your reserve...and I should be able to fly us BOTH out."

AU-Valour narrows his optics. "No, Autobot. I will simply rip off both your wings and use them as my own!" As Valour is obviously not a medic, this is obviously an insane idea borne of madness.

Jetfire shakes his head. "You ARE deranged!" He moves to charge Valour, using what's left of one of his armor plates as a weapon.

>> Jetfire strikes AU-Valour with Bash. <<

Valour is bashed backwards and falls back into the sand. He's completely at Jetfire's mercy, and has demonstrated to the former Air Guardian that he can't be left alive...