Pit Fight

Log Title: Pit Fight

Characters: Sky Lynx, Megatron, Axel (NPC)

Location: Polyhex Grease Pits, Decepticon World universe

Date: October, 2013

TP: What If...

Summary: Sky Lynx is brought into the arena to once again fight of the amusement of Megatron and his warriors.

Grease Pits - Decepticon World Grease pits are a type of arena found on various planets, such as Cybertron and Rigel 6. The grease pits on Rigel 6 host turboworm wrestling matches. While this already sounds like a questionable kind of entertainment, it's still not as bad as what goes down at the grease pits on Cybertron. Located in Polyhex and thus hosted by the Decepticons, the grease pits are among the most brutal and gruesome enterprises in the planet's history. They are not the only type of arena found in Polyhex, and what sets them apart is that in the grease pits, it's Autobot captive against Autobot captive until one of them permanently stops fighting. Obvious exits:

The Pits under Polyhex are not a pleasnat place, in any meaning of the term. There's a constant order of burned oil and grease in the air, and during the time between fights, the lighting is rather dim. The gladiators are confined in small chambers under the main arena, the doors thick and study. The poor sparks who are sentenced to this place are made up of dissents against the Empire, neutrals and Autbot alike. One of the pens is far sturdier than the others. Here is kept Megatron's 'favorite' fighter, Sky Lynx. His wings are kept bound with energy bands, and his chamber is too small for him to extend to his full height.

DW-Sky Lynx is hunched, and he loathes being hunched. Naturally, in the dark, confining chamber, his optical visor glows a red hue to illuminate the area immediately around his head. There's not much in the way of movement, though, as he simply broods where he rests, awaiting the next 'show' he's slotted to play a role in.

It's not a long wait for Sky Lynx; several Decepticons come towards his cell, making a lot of noise. One raps on the cell door, giving a sneering laugh. "Wakey wakey beastie!" he calls out. "Time for another run in the arena!"

DW-Sky Lynx slowly turns to look at the noise-causing nuisances and growls softly. "I am always awake... Just tell me who it is this time." He lowers his head to almost optic-level, just above theirs, and chuffs softly. "Or do I finally get to rip into your pitiful excuse for armor plating today?"

The guard who spoke leers, opening the door wide and gesturing for Sky Lynx to exit. He's got a wicked looking lance at the ready, in case the large Autobot tries anything. "Keep on wishing, beastie." he sneers. "You'll see who it is soon enough. Oh, and we have some news for you..." The grin that adorns the Decepticons face is very nasty.

DW-Sky Lynx rumbles softly and gnashes his teeth. "Just you wait, I will end you. That is not a threat, that is a promise. I have never had a promise made that I have failed to deliver on yet, either." He chuffs again and, in spite of the limiters placed on him, thin tendrils of flame and smoke briefly show from the corners of his mouth. "Your days are numbered." As for the news? He pointedly ignores what is most likely due to be another jab at his expense.

"Ultra Magnus is dead." the second guard gloats, ignoring Sky Lynx's threats. With the heavy limiters on him, as well as his clipped wings, the Autobot didn't pose too much danger to his handlers. Besides, they knew he was smart enough to know that he'd never survive attacking them. They prod at him, urging him towards the arena. Unneeded perhaps, but enjoyable to them.

"Then he was not the fighter he boasted to be," Lynx mutters, hardly showing a sign of concern that another has fallen. Not in front of them, at least. He ignores the prodding and lets his tail sweep with each step, just to dissuade them from standing too close. It's a very...natural movement, too. So they shouldn't think it's intentional as a means of simply irritating them.

"I'll say; he got cored by a /scientist/!" the first chimes, carefully avoiding the sweeping tail. Not for the first time, the second Decepticon speaks up as a suggestion, "Maybe we should lop his tail off? He don't need his tail!" The first one shakes his head. "Megatron wants this one kept whole. Not sure why..." They're almost to the arena now.

DW-Sky Lynx just snorts, falling silent once more. This is about par for the course... the way the pits have been of late, deactivations became so frequent that it was easy to feign being unfazed by it all. He does, though, find a little crevasse in the well-worn walkway, stumbling and flailing his tail to counterbalance the forward momentum... which happens to send it straight towards one of the hapless tormentors behind him. He doesn't even blink to see what happens, though, moving on with hardly a misstep afterwards.

"WHACK!" The guard/handler who had been suggesting that Sky Lynx's tail be amputated gets slapped by said tail, the impact sending him into a wall. The other guard laughs, despite himself. "See? He can keep his tail." he remarks. But, just to let the Autobot know that his action isn't condoned, he prods Lynx hard in the rear left hip, sending an electric pulse through the spear. "Save your agressions for the arena." he says gruffly, as Sky Lynx enters the lift to the arena level.

DW-Sky Lynx grunts at the shock as the impulse charges through him. It causes some servos to whine in protest, but he otherwise doesn't respond. "Hmph. Do not tell me what to do until you step inside the arena with me. Once you do, our relationship standing is negotiable." He clicks his teeth together, taking some satisfaction in the fact one of the two ended up as plaster, if only temporarily.

The plastered Decepticon is currently picking himself up, with no help from his fellow. "Have fun up there." the first guard says mockingly, making sure the Autobot's entire bulk is inside the lift, before pressing a button to send him up. It doesn't take long for Sky Lynx to reach the arena, where the stands are packed with jeering Decepticon troops.

DW-Sky Lynx has been here before. Many times before. He waits for the lift to reach its stopping point and proceeds to make his way across the arena to his designated spot, tail snaking behind him to kick up dust, debris, and whatever else might be present in front of him. "Bring it on, then. I do not have all day."

Well, you do have all day, Sky Lynx. But anyway... Opposite Sky Lynx, a small group of average sized Cybertronians is armed with crude melee weapons. At least one of them doesn't look scared, and looking closer, Sky Lynx might find a clue - that one bears an Autobot insignia.

DW-Sky Lynx studies his proposed...adversaries, the fellow Autobot getting a scrutinizing look and faint nod in greeting before his focus shifts to the rest, trying to ascertain their origin and affiliations. "Is this all, then?" He sighs. "Hardly a fight... more like a mandated execution." He turns his attention to the grandstands, where the almighty throne sits. "Is this it?! If you wished for entertainment, you should have done better! This is hardly worth my time, or effort."

Above the arena, Megatron is leaned foward in his throne, his chin cupped in a hand. "Don't you fret, primitive." Megatron says with a sinister smile. "These ones are simply the appetizers!" The Decepticons hoot with laughter.


 * THOOOM* The massive tail hits the ground as he looks back at the other mechs and sighs softly. "If you insist, then." He exhales a chuff of smoke to check his limiters, just to see if they're still active.

The limiters have been switched off, giving Sky Lynx access to his fire breath. Across from him, the Autobot prisoner is talking with his fellow captives. They nod, shakily, and take up formation. They have a plan, but... not to attack Sky Lynx. They don't seem intent on harming the behemoth, at any rate.

DW-Sky Lynx begins cycling through old, archaic transponders and signal codes, altering cryptographic data to find a match. << You are up to something. If you can hear this, respond. >> He watches the group fan out and just holds where he is at. Sure, this is the arena, but to this day, unless there was a Decepticon emblem in front of him, he was never the initiator of aggressive combat. In truth, making the crowds anxious and irritated is the fun part of playing the 'waiting game'.

The Autobot nods, slowly, and responds to Sky Lynx's hail.  he says over the channel, his head twitching ever so slightly to indicate several communication officers in the crowd. Slowly, the neutrals start approaching, and so does the Autobot. The Autobot slides to the side, trying to circle Sky Lynx as the neutrals rush forward. Part of their plan seems to be 'distracting' Sky Lynx from the other Autobot.

DW-Sky Lynx hmphs. <> He slams his tail down on one side, sending a plume of fire on the other to dissuade the nervous neutrals from his flanks. "That plan of attack will end poorly for you." <>

<> The Autobot quickly scampers up Sky Lynx's tail, climbing onto his back and latching onto his long neck. "Listen! Bumblebee managed to give me a message, to give to you!" he hisses quietly, while clinging to Sky Lynx. The neutrals avoid the flame and tail, and start going after his feet.

DW-Sky Lynx breaks apart into two. The lynx-form holds steady to handle the neutrals while the bird-half surges forward. Naturally, there is no flight, but it does serve to separate the two forms, and the combat taking place. The lynx continues to (rather tamely) grapple with those going after its ankles while the dinobird-form pitches almost predictably to one side to try and dislodge the autobot on his neck. It's a half-hearted effort, not meant to succeed. "I'm listening," he mutters back.

The Decepticons cheer; they always loved it when Sky Lynx separated. It was such an odd sight. "He says he has a plan - the Autobots will take control of the Space Bridge." Axel mutters, pretending to be almost thrown off of the bird form before righting himself. "When the time is right, he will set you free. Typhoon and her team have dug an escape route from the Pits." Meanwhile the neutrals start piling onto the lynx form, wrestling but doing no real damage.

The Lynx starts to buck his occupants off and leap-sidesteps to the side, turning to roar as a shoulder-mounted laser cannon fires haphazard, low-powered beams towards the others. There's no true lethality, they merely stun... just another way to make the show more flashy for the Cons.

"I see. You intentionally came here to tell me this?" He gives a solid shake and throw of his shoulder to dislodge the mech, turning to step and pin him down, leaning in close to growl. "How were you planning to leave?"

"I wasn't; my systems are critically damaged. My core would die out in a few cycles tops." Axel says evenly, looking up at Sky Lynx. To the spectators, he looks helpless, and quickly a chant for oil to be spilt starts echoing in the arena. "It is not such a bad way to go, is it? At least my death will not be for naught."

One of the neutrals is hit my the beams and falls over; the others backing off and spreading out, weapons at the ready.

The Lynx continues to bounce and leap around, just to provide a hard target that's literally dancing across the arena, firing a laser here, or swiping up a nice cloud of dust there... it's all show. Every last bit of it...

On the other end, the Dinobird nods curtly. "And what of the others? Were they recruited here or outside of the arena?" He opens his maw to give a show of fire, aiming the twin nozzles so that the plumes divert away from direct impact... again, all for show. He knows the game...

"They were here when I arrived." Axel says, squirming a bit under Sky Lynx. "Poor sparks, but they respect you. They know you mean no ill will." He pauses, and sighs. "I am glad to have met you, Commander." he says. "You may take my spark now. Till Are Are One."

DW-Sky Lynx nods slowly. "You deserve better, and you shall be honored amongst our heroes." He keeps it swift, letting the smoke and dust kicked up by the flames distract from the fact it was not a slow kill. A quick bite to rupture the core, nothing more. With a sigh, he turns towards the others. It won't take long, but it will be a solemn task, but they will all get much the same.

Axel doesn't cry out as he feels Sky Lynx's jaws close in, and dies quietly. The Decepticons cheer and holler as they see that the behemoth has killed one of his opponents. The neutrals look to one another, and nod. A grim expression comes over their faces, but it's one of acceptance. Their duty was fulfilled.

The somber tone is far from unique to them. The behemoth has been here before, charged with dispatching those he would have otherwise saved, or considered allies. Millions of years, though, have managed to temper his own outlook... "Rest assured, all of you, it will be worth it in the end." There is no chase on his part, no hunt, no true fight. He knows brutal efficiency, and that is the order of the day. Swift strikes, precise blows, a quick end. Even if it does leave energon and oils staining the plating around his mouth and face. Let the Decepticons enjoy that image.

The Decepticons whoop and holler, thrilled by the bloodsport before them. Only Megatron remains seated, a smug grin on his face. He watches as Sky Lynx executes his final opponent, and stands slowly. A hush falls over the crowd, wondering what the Emperor is about to say. "A splendid show, as always, primitive." Megatron rumbles, not bothering to use the Autobot's name. "You have never failed to disappoint us..."

DW-Sky Lynx ignores the cheers and voice of Megatron, both halves rejoining as he starts to gather the dead, lining them up in a more respectful display. Only when he's done does he turn to regard the tyrannical dictator. "Come down here, Megatron, and I shall give everyone a show worth viewing. It may be my last, but rest assured, it will also be yours." He grins. "After all, this 'primitive' would hate to disappoint and ruin an otherwise perfect streak."

Megatron actually laughs, and not in a condescending way, either. A few voices pick up, some actually urging Megatron to accept the challenge. The Emperor gives some consideration to the offer. "Perhaps in time, you and I will face each other in combat, Sky Lynx." Megatron says, and for a moment, his tone is that of a warrior speaking to one he considers an equal. "But not this day."

DW-Sky Lynx hmphs. "Run, then. Buy yourself another day." He turns away from the crowd to trudge across the arena, back to his elevator. "And next time, bring something a little more sporting."

"Oh, I intend to, primitive." Megatron replies, his tone again condescending. The crowd hisses and jeers at Sky Lynx as he departs the arena. Clean up workers come to collect the remains of the fallen, most likely destined for the smelting pits.