Fight the Mutants

Log Title: Fight the Mutants Characters:
 * Imager
 * Mutants (Rotgut, Jackhammer, Slayride, Warhead, and Smeltdown)
 * Scales
 * Typhoon
 * Backblast

Location: Cybertron Underworld

Date: 4 July 2018

TP: Dungeon Crawl TP

Summary: Heroic Autobots beneath Valvolux.

As logged by AlphaRaposa

Log session starting at 20:03:08 on Wednesday, 4 July 2018.

Dank Cell beneath Valvolux
Unlike other rooms, this one didn’t have a door. It had a boulder that had to be shoved aside to reveal the room beyond. Whatever is in this room, the Mutants don’t want to leave... or be found... easily. Proceeding into the room, you must wait for your optics to adjust to the dim light level. There’s nothing here. Why make it so difficult to access if there’s nothing here? But then you hear it -- a raspy rattle of a damaged vocalizer. There’s someone in here. Someone the Mutants didn’t want to get out. Someone the Mutants didn’t want found.

As the ruined mech goes silent the Autobots can hear faint footsteps getting louder. All the while Typhoon's pistol jumps from shadow to flickering shadow in an attempt to get an accurate accounting of their size and number.

Typhoon backs into the cell, holding her pistol out in front of her with both hands, pointing back into the main room. "Uh, guys. Somethin' movin' out here," she says quietly. "I think maybe y'all should arm yerselves and maybe help see what's goan on?"

The ruined old mech shivers back into the corner in fear. "I told you... I told you.... they'd be back.. they'd be back... Oh, Primus... I'm doomed...."

Backblast steps into the doorway of the cell, raising his big old rifle to take careful aim down the hallway. "My promise still stands, old man."

Imager shifts her gaze from the injured mech back to Typhoon and the door. She hesitates. The mech was in a bad way, and desperately needed medical assistance...but if these techno-organics got in here, well, that'd be even worse. "Right." She says finally, as she moves to the hole in the wall, readying her shotgun. "Really regretting pushing that boulder further out. We could really use that extra cover right about now. She reaches over her head behind her, and draws her shield off of its rails, then slams it down before her.

Scales moves up to hide behind one of Typhoon's legs, warily watching to see what's coming.

Something steps into view from the main room. It's not a Trans-Organic, but it's not quite a Transformer, either. It seems twisted, wrong - not the least bit because instead of a head it has a massive gun turret. It fixes its barrel on one Autobot, then another, before the distinct sound of a shell being loaded echoes through the small corridor leading to the cell. Whatever this thing is, it sounds ready to attack without warning or word.

Scales leans out around Typhoon's leg just enough so that the Weatherbot isn't caught in the fire she's about to breathe.

>> Scales misses Warhead with Fire . <<

<> Imager says, "what. is. that?"

Backblast levels his rifle at the one with the cannon head, centring his crosshairs on the barrel. "How about no." He says, working the bolt of his rifle and slipping a solid slug round into the breach.

His gun, when it goes off, makes quite the cacaphonous boom, spitting the solid shell down the tunnel towards its target. "How bout you pick on someone with a gun yer own size?"

>> Backblast strikes Warhead with 90mm Gun . <<

Imager 's eyes light up as malshapen Cybertronian....or perhaps another species altogether, come rushing forward. "Wait, Wait! I got this! I know what to do!" She steps forward, being the front line of defense as she fumbles with her shotgun, trying to have an open hand for the mutants. She shows her palm, in a sign of peace. "Bah Weep Grah-Nah Weep..." Then Warhead cycles a shell and looks in her direction, "-ninny..>NOPE!<" She scrambles to get her gun back in hand, holding that tower shield out before her. "No time for holograms!" She leans back towards the others, "I've got Gunface coming in strong!" Of course, Backblast was already on the target. She nods grimly, "yeah, there we go." Her shotgun roars in the dim light as she just sets that plasma to maximum spread.

>> Imager strikes Mutants with Heavy Laser . <<

Gunface doesn't even dodge - it merely stands there, letting Scales' flame wash over him without comment. It turns its barrel towards the little dragon. Then, Backblast and Imager open fire, knocking it back several steps. In reaction, the thing moves its barrel between targets, hesitating a moment before settling on... Backblast. Without a word, it opens fire, sending a shell screaming towards the Autobot sniper.

>> Warhead misses Backblast with Ballistic . <<

Behind Gunface, a massive, simian robot lumbers into view, leaping up onto the bounder before jumping down amongst the Autobots, swinging its long metal arms. There is a tremendous *CHAKKANG!* and something crashes through the wall of the cell - something with a giant piston for a head. It, too moves towards the Autobots.


 * GAME: Imager FAILS a COURAGE roll of Very High difficulty.

<> Imager says, "Whaaaaaaaa!"

>> Mutants strikes Backblast with Roundhouse. <<

Typhoon squeals as the other Autobots open fire and more... things... rush into and break into the cell. She tracks overhead at the simian robot as it leaps in among them and attacks Backblast. Shutting down her optics, Ty opens fire, shooting into melee, which is never good in a tabletop game but Ty isn't exactly the best metagamer. Hoping not to accidentally hit one of the other Autobots, she lets loose with her pistol.

>> Typhoon strikes Mutants with Pistol . <<

Scales jumps in to defend all the ranged attackers as best she can, snapping at an unguarded foot if she can.

>> Scales strikes Mutants with Bite. <<

<> Imager says, "Everyone, I'm gonna need you to shut down your audio receptors for about eight astroseconds..."

<> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "If you're gonna flashbang, so am I!"

<> Imager says, "not that, but close enough!"

<> Imager says, "you heard the mech, audio down!"

<> Weatherbot Typhoon says, "Got it!"

Backblast takes the hit from the roundhouse from the big piston-headed mutant slams into him. He growls, ducking back behind Imager's shield. He smirks, giving her a nod, before one of his defensive grenade launchers fires with a soft 'ploot' sound. The canister slams down in front of Piston Head, before detonating with an amighty flash and a bang

<> Scales says, "'kay!"

>> Backblast strikes Mutants with Flashbang . <<

>> Mutants temporarily loses motor functions from the attack! <<

Imager frowns, the Mutants were already breaking into the room. So much for her holding the line. She does some quick chatter on +a as the melee is joined.

She throws herself forward.


 * When I see what I want, I'm gonna take it.
 * If its against some law, you can bet I'll break it.

Her audio receptors turn off for a moment as she nods back to Backblast, and then the flash bang is set. "On it." She says determined. She raises her shield up, which starts to transform back into her instrument.


 * My need to feed gives me the will to survive.
 * I gotta find it fast to keep me alive

She rapidly plays several tones on her violello that may or may not be copyrighted by Spectre General, that lead to an audio-sensor splitting screech!

>> Imager attacks Warhead, and Mutants with Pitch Perfect, striking Warhead, and Mutants. <<

Gunface tracks the Autobots as its ... friends? ... join the assault. When Backblast's grenade goes off, those in the cell with him are driven back by the light and sound, but being further back and lacking visible input sensors (how does it even see?) Gunface seems unaffected. He turns his barrel towards Backblast... and then Imager blasts him with Spectre General. Gunface's optics may be protected, but it definitely seems agitated by the audial blast as it changes its aim towards Imager and fires again! Instead of a shell this time, however, he fires a wave of counter-resonance in an attempt to disrupt Imager's noise.

>> Warhead strikes Imager with Sonic Blast . <<

<> Imager says, "Oh that's rich. Okay audio back on for the moment, let’s see how much sass that took out of em"

As Piston Head and the others react to the flashbang from Backblast and wave of sound from Imager, another of those things glides into the cell, moving across the floor with a cattle-catcher-like wedge moving aside debris. It has spikes on its forehead, shoulders and chest. This one, at least, has a face, which laughs and sneers at the Autobots fighting in the cell. "Ha ha! What have we here? Some noisy, nosy surface-dwellers want to join our guest down here as well, huh? Well, I guess we can make that happen!" It glides forward, taking a moment to search for available victims.

>> Mutants succeeds with its generic combat roll on Mutants. <<

Typhoon covers her optics and shuts down her audials to protect herself from Backblast and Imager's attacks. Once she feels it's safe, however, she powers her sensors back on - only to see yet another of these things gliding into the cell. "Primus! How many of them are there?" she complains, and opens fire on the new one, hoping to drive it back before its companions can recover. "The rest of y'all OK?" she calls out over the din.

>> Typhoon strikes Mutants with Laser <Medium>. <<

Scales waits through the noises, then takes a quick stock of where everything is. There's still a mutant in reach so she strikes out at the closest one with her claws.

>> Scales misses Mutants with Claw. <<

Backblast snarls quietly and draws his Khukri, attempting to take out piston-head. He surges forward, attempting to cut his head off.

>> Backblast strikes Mutants with Energon Khukri. <<

"Too dang many!" Imager smashes at one with the butt of her shotgun. She slams her shield back down before her, only to heft it right back up into pneuma-mammoth-head's trunk. "SIDDOWN!"


 * I can't believe myyyy
 * HUNGER. I want it so bad I can taste it!
 * It drives me mad to see it wasted
 * When its burnin meeeee

She gets raked on the side by some wicked claws. The attack bounces off of her armor, but Warhead's sonic blast counterattack manages to vibrate through. She grunts, then pulls herself back up. "I SAID SIT DOWN!" She steps on pneuma-mammoth-head's trunk, using it to get his head closer to her, and then reaches all the way back to the back 40, and just moves to slug him right in the forehead.

>> Imager critically strikes Mutants with Smash! <<

Imager buries her fist into the mutant's head. The mutant shudders for several moments, before the creature is flung backwards, leaving its trunk behind under Imager's foot. "Hyeah!" She calls out.

Gunface watches silently as the Autobots start to fight back. The gliding thing frowns as it's shot by Typhoon, and changes its trajectory to target the Weatherbot, raising a spiked fist to teach her a lesson. "Heh," it laughs. "Figger these critters don't know the rules down here, eh, Rotgut?"

The simian creature looks back and laughs as well. "Not surprisin', Slayride... we wrote 'em!" It dodges Scales' swipe at its massive foot, which it lifts up and tries to bring down on top of her. Meanwhile Piston Head recovers from the flash grenade long enough to bend at the waist and try to ram Backblast with its head. There is a sickening SLUCH! Sound, however, and that head hits the ground, rolling over to settle next to the dying old mech. The thin acolyte finds enough energy left to chuckle at the wicked death of one of his tormentors. Soon after, another mutant body, the one attacking Imager, hits the ground. A burning smell starts to drift in from the main room as Gunface fires a plasma blast at Imager, silently avenging its fallen comrade.

>> Warhead strikes Imager with Plasma <Medium>. <<

>> Mutants strikes Typhoon with Slam. <<

GAME: Typhoon PASSES an ENDURANCE roll of Average difficulty.

"Ew! Ugh! Oh, Primus!" Typhoon squeals in disgust as the fight gets ugly. She glances towards Gunface as he opens fire on Imager... a mistake as it gives Slayride the perfect opportunity to rearrange her face. She falls to the ground, nearly losing her pistol before rolling onto her back and firing up at her mutant attacker. Behind Gunface, yet another Mutant approaches, this one with a furnace for a chest and two smoking nuzzles for hands.

>> Typhoon strikes Mutants with Pistol <Medium>. <<

Scales growls as her hard work gets undone, and then some. She uses Typhoon's body as a springboard, throwing all of her small weight into a slash at the encroaching thugs. >> Scales strikes Mutants with Slash. <<

Backblast growls, listening carefully. There... the leader. Gunface. He reaches into his magazine, slipping out a shell. It has a transparent projectile, one which glows from within with a faint, evil purple glow. He -very- carefully loads it into his 90mm gun, centring the crosshairs on Gunhead. "Cut off the head of the snake..." he mutters "And the body will die."

He takes a deep breath. "EASE!" he shouts, before squeezing the trigger. When the gun goes off, it's more felt than heard, a deep, concussive BANG...

>> Backblast strikes Warhead with Kingslayer <Medium>. <<

Plasma washes over Imager, sizzling on her armor. "Bah! I'm sicka all of you! You talk about rules?" She elbows a second one away, her attention turning to Typhoon, who falls back with a hefty crash.


 * I'd do anything to get it, and feel no regret
 * Time's runnin out and I ain't found it yet!

"Listen up, Critters....I'm Queen Hitch over here, and the only rule going on, is Mine!" She rushes Slayride moments after Typhoon blasts at him, and just reaches up to grab him by the face, and just slam him down to the ground before Typhoon.

>> Imager strikes Mutants with Roundhouse. <<

Imager just faceplants Slayride to the ground, puts her shotgun against his frame, and pulls the trigger.

>> Imager misses Mutants with Laser <Medium>. <<

GAME: Warhead FAILS an ENDURANCE roll of Average difficulty.

Gunface blasts Imager with plasma, and reloads to fire again. Suddenly, however, something just tears through him, causing him to stagger back, taking a moment to recover before being able to attack again.

Meanwhile, Slayride is slammed to the ground, revealing a complete lack of legs - it just glides around on a rolling wedge. Twisting in place, it just barely wrenches the barrel out of the way, narrowly missing being executed by Imager. "You'll learn the rules," it claims, but it sounds nervous, glancing around as its friends are literally torn apart by the Autobots.

The newest addition comes to Slayride's defense, running in quickly while blasting fire out of each nozzle-hand at Imager.

>> Mutants strikes Imager with Fire <Medium>. <<

Typhoon scrabbles back away from the fire-spewing mutant, moving into a corner and taking a moment to climb to her feet.

Scales decides that if it shoots fire, it probably isn't scared of it. She certainly isn't! But that Slayride guy looks nervous. A hotfoot might get him outta here.

>> Scales misses Mutants with Fire Breath <Medium>. <<

Backblast works the bolt of his rifle, ejecting the spent casing and loading in another round. This one bears the red and yellow bands of a high-explosive fragmentary round - the classic can of bang. He checks that Slayride is being dealt with by Imager before finding the biggest knot of mutants he can find, and firing the shell into it. "The rules are - I shoot, you die." he growls. "Any other rules around here are irrelevant!"

>> Backblast strikes Mutants with 90mm Hi-Ex <Medium>. <<

Imager draws more fire as she struggles with Slayride. "Mech...I don't want to have to kill you, but I've not wanted to kill a lot of mechs that've died. If it’s you or me, it’s gonna be you!" She raises up her left arm as the furnace-mech riddles her with actual fire, trying to keep it out of her optics. She scowled and gritted her faceplate. Slayride was wounded, maybe he wasn't THAT stupid now, and frankly, it was going to hurt worse to kill him now. She pulled herself up, her left arm waving as she tries to put the fire out. Her shotgun gets thrown aside when the blast hits, can't risk THAT going off, it skids to the cavern wall near the acolyte, as she rears up. The fire is still going strong on her as she stares at the furnace. It really WAS Kaon all over again. The furnaces, the gladiator matches, the dying and wounded...and the mechs without any empathy for those who couldn't fight. "I've fought in a blast furnace before..." She says menacingly, "You think you're any hotter?" Imager raises her arm, winds up once, and then just moves in to clothesline him, while she's still on fire.

HOWEVER...

Backblast was already on the scene, The furnace mech goes down before she even gets there.

Imager just stares at Warhead, and steps forward. She starts shaking her head. "Mech.....Don't make me do it, okay? Don't make me wrench your damn turret head off too. You've lost, all your guys are...well, let’s face it, probably dead, and I got the planet's deadliest sniper behind me drawing a bead as I'm talking to you. Just...." She waves her hand at Warhead, "Just go, okay? Just go and don't die. Primus, you have enough troubles down here without us having to kill you becase..." She just starts to yell, "BECAUSE YOU'RE TOO IGNORANT TO REALIZE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO DIE ALL THE DAMN TIME!"

Furnace-Mech is cut by Scales' leaping claw attack. It's not obvious at first as she turns to attack Slayride, but the slash opens up a fuel line and as Furnace-Mech moves close to protect Slayride, it inadvertently drips combustible liquid down itself and onto its friend. It raises its nozzles to continue bathing Imager in fire. Unfortunately for it, it gets hit by Backblast's high- explosive rounds, which cause it to go up like a fireball, incinerating itself, Slayride, and any other mutants in the cell, leaving only Warhead outside.

Warhead stares expressionlessly at Imager, taking in her tirade. It pauses momentarily, silently staring at the burning Autobot in front of it and the deaths of all its friends behind her. The pause almost gives hope that perhaps it will listen, perhaps this won't have to be a complete slaughter down to the last Mutant... but then Warhead trains its barrel on Imager, and opens fire at near point-blank range.

>> Warhead misses Imager with Cannon <Medium>. <<

Typhoon reacts in fury as the last Mutant chooses to try to kill Imager in the face of her plea for sanity. Raising her pistol, Ty surges forward past the flames, firing in frenzy.

>> Typhoon critically strikes Warhead with Laser <Medium>! <<

Imager just slumps as she gives Warhead that chance...and then the barrel is raised. "YOU FOOL!" She cries out, as the turrethead is raised to her. She grasps at the turret and wrenches it aside, sending the blast meant for her into the distance. She'd have to thank Kup for that move later. She shoves Warhead back, since she had control of his head. "I'm done killin today....And if you have any sense, you will too." She turns her back to the tank-head, as Typhoon covers her back with several shots. She knew between Typhoon and Backblast, the mech was going to fall. Coated in energon and dying flames, she returns to the cavern to check on the wounded. This battle was over as far as she was concerned...and putting down the wounded was always a dirty job.

Scales hangs back, uncertain of how to attack with everybody piled up around the remaining mutant. She decides it's best to stick close to Typhoon's flank in support.

Backblast holds fire and lets Imager say her piece. "Listen to 'er... please..." he mutters to himself. When the gun raises, he snarls, racking the bolt of his 90mm gun and slotting a fresh shell into it. "You didn't listen. Now you gotta listen to me. Imager? She's a nice bot. A good bot. Shoulda listened to 'er. I'm not a nice bot. Nor a good bot. I'm really, really /not/ a nice bot. But luckily for you... I /am/ a professional."

He centres the crosshairs on Warhead's turret again, and fires again. "And I always aim for the head."

>> Backblast strikes Warhead with 90mm Gun <High>. <<

Warhead's gun barrel is wrenched aside by Imager, and before it can recover it is blasted back by Typhoon's fury. Silently the Mutant turns its head, sweeping the field for remaining Autobot targets. As Imager walks away, Warhead turns its sights on Typhoon... and then its gun-barrel head explodes, as Backblast's 90mm gun sets off the rest of its ammunition in a brilliant display of fireworks. The last Mutant falls to the ground, dead.

Scales breathes a sigh of relief, then looks around to evaluate injuries. It's getting pretty tough down here.

Typhoon steps forward, her cooling fans running on overtime trying to keep her from overheating in the cell full of fire. She lowers her pistol, looking around to check on the others. "Everyone alright?" she asks, frowning as she glances from beheaded to burning Mutant bodies.

Backblast lifts his gun to aim at the roof with a satisfied nod at his shot. He then leans against his rifle, returning to the dying old mech. "So.. was it them lot you were scared of?"

The old mech, lying next to Jackhammer's severed head, manages what may be his last smile. "Yes. They tormented me - punished me so - it's not good to say, but I'm glad to see them dead. Now maybe I can die, too, in peace." He glances at Imager, but while she is distracted, turns back to Backblast. "Remember," he old mech says, "You promised." The mech lays back, looking at last content.

Scales looks at Typhoon. The dents, the scorch marks, the tears. "Ty..." she starts, with a worried tone. But she stops. What to do? They're deep in here. And there's no telling when more might show up. "You need some real repairs.. and I need time if I'm gonna do that. It's gonna take more than a quick patch to keep you going through another fight."

Backblast nods to the old mech. "I did. And I will." He says, pulling his sidearm. "But... weren't you going to give us some information on... all this? What the power drain is and so forth?"

He looks back to Scales. "There enough stuff in the giant sleeping room for proper repairs?"

Typhoon shudders, shaking her head. She shakily holsters her pistol. "I'll be fine. Maybe this guy can help us find whatever it is we're looking for and we can get the hell out of here!"

The old mech nods tiredly. "Of course," he mutters. "Of course. Your payment." He turns on his own fans, coughing as his intake sucks in smoke from the burning mutants. "I'll tell you what I can... what I've figured out. There isn't much." He struggles again to sit up. "I... I came here looking for insight. There was said to be a portal here - a conduit to Primus. I think I found it, but then the Mutants got me..."

Scales lets her head droop, staring at the ground as she scrapes some pebbles back and forth with a paw. "There's plenty of equipment back there, but that's past the transorgs.. and that tunnel where we heard something buzzing. It's a big risk."

Backblast smiles quietly "Payment? No, old man. I'd keep my promise either way. Where's the conduit?" he asks, checking his pistol is ready, and loaded. He looks at Scales, then Ty. "You guys go ahead. I'll catch up, there's... a thing I got to do."

The old mech nods gives the other Autobots a reassuring smile. "It's OK. And,... thank you." Turning back to Backblast, he says, "Out to the main room, to the west is the Mutants' lair. There's a cube there, which serves as a portal to Vector Sigma. I'm... I'm not sure why it's down here, but something leads down from the main room. There's a door, but... I couldn't get past it. And then I was captured." The mech looks down in shame.

Scales does perk up a little at the information. "A door.. so close? Maybe.. we can finish up without another big fight." She looks over at Typhoon.

Typhoon nods with tired enthusiasm. "I'll go start scanning. Maybe we can finally get out of here!" She heads out into the main area.

Scales pauses before leaving. "I'm sorry we couldn't help more," she tells the dying mech. "I would've if I could." She follows Typhoon back out.

Backblast listens, nodding. He nods to Typhoon. "They're good people." He says. "You ready?"

The other Autobots will hear just a single shot as Backblast blows out the old mech's core, allowing him to die with dignity - and no more pain. Then Backblast will step out of the room, holstering his pistol. "I don't normally have a problem with killing." he says, to the room in general. "I'm quite good at it. But every now and again, there's one that sticks in me."

Log session ending at 23:02:28 on Wednesday, 4 July 2018.