Not with a Bang: Finale

[voidtreckermods]

It's been a strange few days, between trying to complete all of the tasks needed to stabilise the solar stations and keep the shield going, keep the pandas and armadillos away and fix robots whilst smashing other robots. That's not even counting the strange events that kept happening.

They might have heard the news from those who had found themselves on a small adventure of their own that there were potentially dangerous saboteurs on the planet and indeed once they were aware there were more signs, things moved, pandas far more frightened than they should have been, robots back in areas that had been cleared.

But no sign of the saboteurs themselves as the days go on. Until the evening of the twelfth day of Imagination, the sixth day of the mission.

Everyone's SCA alerts them to an exclamation mark, the Western Control Station, where red and blue had initially went to initialise shields. Clicking on the exclamation mark will show the message. Danger: Control Station unstable. Attempt stabilisation. Situation critical.

A few seconds later there is another exclamation mark, this time on a solar station about an hours walk to the south. A herd of Violet Pandas are loose in Solar station #13, clear the station and minimise damage.

And a few moments after that there is a third exclamation mark, right where they are in the camp. Robot activity approaching. Any red team members who check will see many red rots approaching their camp.

Control Station

For those that decide to tackle this one it is clear the moment they arrive that things are not as they should be. A tree has fallen, or been felled and though it seems the station is designed to withstand falling trees it makes getting into it difficult.

Every alarm is blaring, and indeed when they get inisde their own alarms on their SCA start to flash amber. It's dangerous in here!

Something they will quickly have learned anyways. It looks like someone pressed every button, flicked every switch. Every guage is showing too high, every warning light is flashing.

It's going to take some very quick fixing before this place overloads and explodes. Hopefully their work on the stations in the last few days has taught them enough that with some very quick and diligent work they should get the situation under control.

Solar Station #13

To the south in one of the solar stations a very different situation is unfolding. Those that arrive here will find pandas... everywhere. Somehow they have gotten into the station itself and are busy chewing on wires, exploring machines they really shouldn't be exploring. Some are trying to climb the solar tower and others are just lying on the monitors, seemingly enjoying the lights.

Luckily it seems less damage can be done to the solar stations than a control station, but still, there are alarms and flashing lights and far too many pandas. It will be some work to clear them all out.

Base Camp

It doesn't take long for the robots to arrive. There are a lot, some seem very patched together, as if someone had gone around scavenging parts and remaking them. Some are large terraforming machines, others the smaller security drones. Some are even the automatons that were used for maintenance, yet here they were being put to another purpose.

As they approach the permitted of the camp they stop and six human figures step forward. All are armed with large rifle type weapons and a tall woman speaks in a loud, clear voice.

"You are trespassing on our land. You will leave this place or you will die."

She casually waves the robots forward, they attack.

Comments

base camp ; ota

[blitzcheer]

a. knives out;

It's a fight as soon as the robots arrive. Sentry bots raising arms and shooting lasers as they find targets to fire upon, and the ground bursts with each shot that makes contact.

They've been waiting for this, but Tidus still curses under his breath as they arrive. There's those that follow the six humans, the rest coming for the camp. Tents closer to the edges are being torn apart, and Tidus is wielding his sword, slashing down at one of the sentries, barely ducking at a fire being shot at him.

"We gotta stop them here!"

Not everyone around was a combatant--!

b. weather damage;

As if things couldn't get crazier. The moon coming out, the sun still about -- and now they were dealing with a storm on top of it. The only upside is that the sentry's weren't all firing with the best precision, but neither were they; and a wild shot thrown is still one that can catch. One does, striking Tidus on the arm, making him kneel in instinct and pain as he doesn't know where it came from.

Is the sentry nearby? Is it coming for him...

c. bigger punches

The terraforming robots need more than one person, no matter their talents. One with bladed rolled 'hands' spins and punches them out towards Tidus, the one he's caught the attention of sluggish, but heavy-armoured and still with the same lasers as everything else firing. Tidus backflips out of the way, calling thunder to stun it, if just temporarily.

What was this thing even for? Rolling up land and sowing!? Who knows -- but the damn thing's attacking, and all Tidus wants to see it do now is turn into scrap metal!

( ooc: feel free to tag-team with Tidus into prompts, stop him from getting shot at or hit, etc. it's a free for all, yeehawww. let's bash stuff and look cool doing it. )

A. I mean...no promises on either of them not getting hurt

[sizedoesntmatter]

Fighting really, really was not a strong suit of Yugi's. Dodging and avoiding as best as he could was something else. However, that can only really last for so long before something happens.

"How do we stop them exactly?"

please yugi have better self-preservation

[blitzcheer]

Tidus tilts his head to see who it is, but his eyes dart back onto the approaching trouble, the bug automatons moving swifter to the camp and the time they don't have.

"Yugi! You got anything on you? You need to move back if you don't!"

But not right this second, as a red laser beam shoots off above and over their heads.

He just wants to help. If he gets hurt in the process so be it.

[sizedoesntmatter]

"All I ever bring with me is my duel disk and that I can only use as a distraction rather than actually physically helping." Which was better than nothing at least. But he just barely moved out of the way of a laser before looking over

"I don't think staying back will help me keep away from things like that though"

[blitzcheer]

Tidus has a few thoughts about the difference, or would if there was time. The duel disk - he's never seen it in action, but if it's like what Kaiba set up for Della's Halloween party--

"Throw something out and show me! Let's distract them - I'll give you time!"

Because although the automatons weren't all coming in a rush to their exact direction, Tidus doesn't want Yugi to get caught in the clash when the incoming ones finally do. He jumps out from behind the tent, arm raised with a blue shield around, and he slashes out the blade towards the ground ahead. Slices of water surge out from the attack, meeting the maintenance bots. Sentry shots fill the air all around, but fortunately, none come too close their way.

--but only for now. Tidus sees some ahead as he runs powering up a water spell to create a geyser to to the ground ahead. His own hurried distraction, something of an attack.

[sizedoesntmatter]

"I guess I can try...." Yugi's eyes were jolting around as for the reason why it was soon starting to become apparent. he was counting the number that was around and the possibility of them all being distracted. At best he figured he would need to use at best two, one probably wouldn't be enough.

But that was just the ones that were in front of both of them. Yugi right away hadn't thought to actually look behind. So when he turned his head he is quick to notice a good few that were close.

"Behind you!" he called out as he moved to cover his back and using that time to summon two monsters, Kuroiboh and Dark Magician, but unfortunately didn't stop a laser from just nicking him either.

[blitzcheer]

The laser hits Tidus on the shoulder to a "shit!" under his breath. A hand held out, and a thunder spell gets conjured, cast above its head to knock it to the ground. The two holograms are in full view of them and the bots, a potential target.

--That the bots don't take to. A more living, breathing target may have been possible, but the computer-made illusions don't fool machines that track by sensors, living pulses, verified species. A shot goes through the hologram of the Dark Magician hits him in the chest, and Tidus doesn't have the time to throw out another spell. He's ducking back down, but just to put a hand on Yugi's shoulder, ignoring the firing shots as he does what he can to cast a protective barrier around the other man.

"We gotta get with the others!" He's ignoring the pain, the wound that's burnt into the shirt he wears, darkening the material around the hole. "Run, I'll cover you! Take this-" and he holds out his hand for the arm shield. "-I've got another! Just don't worry about me!"

[sizedoesntmatter]

He at least was right about the projections not working. Honestly, he was not at all surprised, so he decided to just forgo that idea completely removing the cards and putting them away.

If there was no use so he figured at best all he can do is just study his surroundings and made ideas from that. But when he felt the hand he looked over for a bit, a small frown passing by his lips.

"When people say to not worry just makes me worry more you know." Which he wasn't exactly lying about either. "But you have to make sure to stay close and when we manage to get away which I hope is this way as the numbers are a lot lower..." he said pointing out toward the area he was on about. "Will you at least let me take a look at your shoulder."

[blitzcheer]

"Later! MOVE!" Tidus snaps it, an edge as he takes his hand on Yugi and will drag him onto his feet if he has to, with the other lacking any urgency despite their position already known, how close they are to where the enemy bots are coming in -- why is over Yugi here?!

He pushes Yugi, "Go!", and deals his up his secondary shield which he at least managed to get out while he made the mistake of not interrupting Yugi sooner. Tidus said he'd protect the guys back, and at least with the two shields, magic and physical, he'll have some. For Tidus, the wound in his arm delays him for the strike to an automaton; but he peels it off, throws it, sensing the urgency in his own situation, so he calls out his higgledy from a light glowing at his chest that splits into many smaller blue higgledies. They start pouncing for the automatons, blasting the bots more their size, keeping them from sneaking around the tents as easily.

A helpful distraction while Tidus attempts to watch out for the larger sentries.

b; I PROMISED LOSER

[flatteries]

It's getting harder and harder to notice much of anything with these worsening circumstances. It was already chaotic enough before the storm kicked in, but now that layer is added on top of the mess, making it hard to notice much of anything beyond what's close to you.

And yet somehow - thankfully - Inigo manages to be close enough to notice Tidus going down like that. Instinctively he wants to get even closer to him, make sure he's okay, but then Inigo knows the coast isn't clear yet. Sure, no coast will be clear in the middle of all of this, but-- whatever shot at Tidus may be heading this way to finish him.

Sure enough, a sentry does seem to move closer through the storm, heading right for the other. So Inigo doesn't hesitate even a moment, jumping right in to slash his sword at its cannons to dismantle those first. Inigo doesn't want to risk going for the main part of the sentry right away and risking it firing off another shot before it's done for.

But Inigo's heart beats wildly with worry in the middle of all of this. He's still trying to take care of this robot, can't afford to look back, but-- he at least calls out, hoping it's audible over everything.

"Tidus! Are you alright?!"

[blitzcheer]

"Inigo, fight!" It's not a reprimand, but the answer of reassurance given quicker than anything else good. I'm fine, watch out for yourself!

The sentry's laser hand is battered back, stunning the machine, though it may need another sweep to knock the arm off, if that's Inigo's attempt. Tidus is up on his feet, eyes catching another sentry - why, why were there so many!? - that has him darting for it despite his own tug of worry, the desire to check on Inigo. But he trusts him far more, and with his other arm still stinging, he throws his body weight into the slash to bring the sentry down. Stomping from thereon the robot hand; his injury aching more as he keeps his shield close to his head.

Was that it though? Did they have a second to regroup? Or was there more sentries too immediate to them to ignore?

[flatteries]

Somehow it's like their communication works a lot better in the most dire of moments. Despite Tidus's response only being two words, Inigo easily reads the implication in it - and therefore follows up on it. Not looking back at Tidus and risking screwing this up, instead keeping all his attention on the robot he's trying to deal with.

Mostly by whacking his sword at the arm - another time, two times, three-- all the way until the robotic arm falls off, sparks flying off the now disconnected limp, the robot stopping its movements entirely as it short-circuits and shuts down.

It's only then that Inigo turns around, ready to face Tidus and help him out, especially since he did hear the sound of another robot pulling up. (Even though he couldn't be sure it was pulling up to Tidus specifically, not with the sounds seemingly coming from everywhere right now.)

But even though he spots Tidus with the robot the other brought down, Inigo can't even take a step towards him before there's already another sentry right between the two of them, directly blocking his way.

It's almost frustrating at this point. All he wants to do is just check up on Tidus and make sure he's okay, dammit--

He only barely manages to dodge the moment it fires, swinging his sword at the metal being.

"How many of these are there?!" It's like they don't stop coming!

[blitzcheer]

"Hey asshole!"

Their synchronisation hasn't been any better than this battle. Inigo gets halted by the sentry, the threat of the beam to his abdomen knocked off by the beam. That's what Tidus witnesses, it burning into the ground than burying into Inigo's side, and Tidus swings his own blade straight for the neck of the sentry.

Without thought, it's a swing with energy put into it, water spurting with the electricity and exposed wiring where once a head used to be. The robot crumples to the ground, and despite Inigo being right there, he can't relax. Swinging around, looking all around the for the threats everywhere. Blade and shield and the rest of him ready for anything.

"Taiki got out!?"

[flatteries]

Inigo recognizes the alertness in Tidus immediately, if not just because he's feeling the exact same right now. So on edge - too much on edge, perhaps, but there's no moment to rest in the middle of all of this chaos. At least Tidus is very audible to him over the storm now they're finally next to each other.

Inigo frantically thinks of a good way to talk without compromising their safety. "Hang on--" He says, moving until he's on Tidus's other side, briefly letting their backs touch to let the other know that Inigo is right there, literally having his back. At least that's a direction less for each of them to have to pay attention to while keeping an eye out for threats.

"I think so. Gyousou doesn't feel panicked." He can feel some other stuff, though it's hard to isolate from his own emotions in a situation as frantic as this one, but he's pretty sure he would notice it if the king panicked because Taiki wasn't by his side.

There's so many other things Inigo could ask Tidus right now, but priorities dictate he first asks: "Should you take a potion?" Inigo at least trust Tidus enough to determine how severely he got hit before they took care of those few robots. (Especially since he's not the one prone to downplaying wounds here.)

[blitzcheer]

"Later," Tidus says, at the same time that the protection spell he was building up surrounds Inigo first. He doesn't need to look at him to confirm he's there, getting the gold and honeycomb effect to surround Inigo, then disappear from sight. "Once I use more magic. If we need backup, call Piccolo! He'll hear us anywhere!"

And the barrier spell goes up for Tidus too.

"I'm gonna jump in with a spell, and you follow in after me, okay? Trust me," he adds, 'cause - he knows how little he's saying, how 'jumping in' may sound dangerous, is. But Tidus wants to try. There's so many of those damn small bots, and if he can work on magic on them all at once...!

[flatteries]

Tidus is lucky to have built up enough of a record with Inigo for not being like him and Roland when it comes to how dumb they are about injuries that Inigo trusts him when he says he'll be fine until he's run out of magic juice.

"Like I don't trust you with my life." Even under these circumstances, with many enemies and the sky itself feeling like it's coming down on top of them, Inigo still manages to very faintly smile at that sentiment. Because it's just true. Tidus could tell him to do just about anything that could get him killed in this fight and he'd do it. No questions asked. No inquiries about anymore context than Tidus is giving right now - which is practically nothing.

He strenghtens his grip on his sword, his shield at the ready in case there'll be any electricity involved with these robots.

"Let's go. I'll follow."

[blitzcheer]

It's a thank Tidus feels, doesn't waste time to speak - all of that can wait for later once they're safe. For now, there's only going, Tidus breaking into a run aided by magic, his sword leaving its own blue trail and bubbles as he hurries on forward.

There's a grouping of bots. Sentries, smaller maintenance machines, and they find their attention turning on Tidus's rushing form as he darts. The tinier ones move on a multiple of legs for them, and as soon as he can, Tidus pushes forward, like a person kicking themselves ahead in water; feet on the ground, his blade swung from one side and out into a wide slash. He throws himself into the clutter of robots and sends out that energy off around his sword to make a larger scope of contact than just that of the blade itself. Those who become a target of it becoming stunned, frozen almost in place and stood the same as marionette puppets on strings.

Not all of them are caught, and there's plenty frozen at Tidus's back. Let their bro sync work and have Inigo figure out what Tidus wants to do:

Knock them all down before they can move. Let Tidus focus on the rest, take what damage it takes.

c.

[shutupnail]

Who couldn't resist bigger machinery to punch harder? This green guy!

He was also upset that said big ugly piece of metal was going straight after one of his students and that was clearly unacceptable. Piccolo rushed in from seemingly nowhere to put himself between the robot and Tidus as it swung terrifyingly at the blond. The green alien grappled its arms into a stalemate and held it in place even as it pushed against him to keep heading towards Tidus.

"This thing bothering you?" he asked matter-of-factly as if he wasn't just strong arming a robot with his bare hands.

[blitzcheer]

What the heck, why can't we all pin machines under our will in place, even as it desperate tries to move its wheels for feet? Maybe if Tidus didn't put all his energy training into moving fast...

"I just thought I'd leave them for you to deal with!" Tidus jokes, that absolutely not being the case. But since Piccolo is here and all- "How 'bout you show these losers they ain't got a chance with you around!?"

Tidus is always here for Piccolo getting to flex his stuff. Even if most of these machines wouldn't be a problem for him, that meant all the better for how this day would end!

[shutupnail]

Well, if Tidus insisted...

Piccolo grunted as he turned his attention back to the robot and gathered his energy as he pushed back against the bot's attempt continued effort to move forward. It began to move backward instead. With the opening in place, Piccolo suddenly reared back an arm and threw a strong punch right into the middle of the robot--and straight through it. A hole opened up on the opposite side of the machine.

As if that wasn't enough, the Namekian proceeded to pick the machine up and toss it almost casually aside--where it flew across the battlefield and landed some distance away, almost back into the jungle, bowling over a couple more smaller robots as it landed.

He turned his attention to Tidus. "Got anything bigger?"

[blitzcheer]

This is pretty much why Piccolo's the number one teacher on the train. Nobody can doubt the namekian's strength, and Tidus laughs at the thing goes flying and tumbling, an awful crunching of steel following its landing, and eventual stop.

Has he got more-? Tidus doesn't even need to look far, giving a nod of his head, body ready to move. "Two o'clock! How about you deal with that big boy and I get the small fry buzzing behind ya?"

That means, he'll watch his back of irritants. The bulldozer is a difficult sight to miss, crushing tents left behind under its wheels, a giant iron ball being swung at others to catch any hiding teammates -- definitely worth taking down.

Tidus only needs to hear Piccolo's assent, and he'll start to run, quicker than most humans should be; ready to leap into the fray of sentries and the smaller automatons, his blade swinging around with the energy pulsed through it creating a circular after effect, cutting down easily those in his proximity.

[shutupnail]

It was hard to miss the giant machine Tidus was referring to in the two o'clock position. Piccolo scowled at it and then shouted an agreement at Tidus before rushing off towards it.

No way could Piccolo stand something so heinous. It probably hadn't looked or operated like that before the saboteurs had modified it, but Piccolo new a creation meant for harm when he saw it. It was cruel and unforgiving. Piccolo would be the same to it.

He sent a ki blast to knock the chain off it, searing it right off. That made it easier to approach and decimate it with his fists. No sense in wasting more energy than he had to--or maybe he just felt like punching something really, really hard today. It felt good.

He tried not to worry about Tidus while he was busy. The blond could handle a few small robots with ease, surely.

[blitzcheer]

help help tidus has fallen and he can't get up!!

For the most part, he is fine. His speed and skill with distance might not be on part with the namekians, but he knows to use what he's got, and working on the ground and with a blade is his comfort. He paints a target on himself, but only some of those beams manage to meet his barrier, while he slices forward, calls a bolt of electricity to reach a pack of bots too far for him to immediately get to: basic, but still a deterrent to mechanical pests, giving Tidus time to deal with what's in front of him.

Still, even a barrier well-used weakens, starts to create gaps where there weren't any. It's the maintenance bots that do it, becoming irritants in turn for Tidus's role as one.

Exhaustion is a pain he ignores with the light burns. Sweeps a look over to where the larger terra-forming robots are currently being dealt with by other groups. How did things get this chaotic?

But over there-

"Piccolo!" He calls out, seeing just as he finishes with the once useful machinery, now no better than scrap. "They're going after the fighters that way! Hey! How about that ki blast!?"

Piccolo will see where Tidus is pointing, where, by the wave of direction the sentries and maintenance bots are moving, they're being directed to join the boss battles larger threats.

If only someone had the power to just cut them off from going anywhere - quick and permanent.

[shutupnail]

Well, Tidus wasn't wrong in calling for Piccolo to deal with the new threat headed that way. He finished up with the one robot and glanced at Tidus to see where he was pointing. Piccolo looked that way.

Right. No sense in letting them get close to where the others were already struggling with such a hard set of foes. He could keep them out of the big battle so the others could take care of it.

Just like home anyway.

Piccolo dashed towards the wave of sentries. It wasn't that he was disregarding Tidus's suggestion but rather he wanted to use a shorter range attack to keep from potentially hitting any of their number. Otherwise, a more precise attack might take too long.

As soon as he was close enough though he let out a massive energy attack that melted and disintegrated many of the number of robots headed towards the others. The attack called Demon Wave was sort of like shotgun blast at close range, bright and powerful and spread out wide from his outwards facing palm, but didn't go out too from its starting point. It did the trick at this level of strength though.

[blitzcheer]

Yeahhhh, getting away with bossing around Piccolo!!

Well, even if his suggestion isn't exactly followed. Piccolo knows his own powers better than Tidus, and whatever version of 'big powerful thingy' he uses is better than none at all - except for that whole 'potential to wipe out teammates', but you know, Tidus has trust in Piccolo avoiding that.

The battlefield is a carnage, what was once an open campsite now a scattering of machinery, those still standing and those not. But they're getting lower, lower; Piccolo's Demon Wave catching any of those immediately in front of him, giving them no chance of retaliation. Tidus runs, going for the leftovers on the field, transferring energy into his blade. Sure, he's been learning from Piccolo how to do it without, but in these circumstances, it's the better pick. He hasn't quite got flying down either, but he can leap a good span of space, his jumps better than what used to pull off; throwing himself forward with his blade and knocking down foes before his feet even touch the ground. What an anime.

Absolutely nothing awful could be going on for other people, right?!

Tidus won't immediately interrupt Piccolo - there's enough around here for them to deal with - but he will use his SCA, try to call through due to their distance.

"Piccolo! We wanna focus here? What do you see?!"

There's still some robots around, if in smaller doses - but Piccolo has better range of sight than the sports boy. If they should move or focus here for not until anything bigger comes along --