Seibertron.com Energon Pub Forums

Mumu-Obscura - Sub-Levels

An ever-growing chill was now enveloping the the whole chassis of the Decepticon Smelter as he struggled to reignite his internal furnaces. The chemical agent dispersed upon him was beginning its true effects on Helex, it seems it was almost designed specifically for incapacitating him regardless of whether Megadeath had an alternative motive set for it yet. Teeth chattered as the now sluggish Justice was clutching his chest, hoping to find some sort of warmth radiating from inside.


"F-f-f-f-fr-fr-frack! I've ne-ne-never felt this c-c-cold before...if ever!" Helex looked up with frosted optics to find the other Divisoners regaining their composure and darting back into the heat of battle with Megadeath. GAH! Heat of battle.. How Helex missed its warm embrace, especially in his current situation. Before the smelter could make holler out another plea for help, dim orange light caught the edge of his peripheral vision. His icy stare shifted over to the opening vents of various smelting pools that Megadeath had set as a trap for the DJD upon their arrival. Without looking back, Helex lumbered over to the vents and leaned himself against the warming metal.

Heat. Warmth. Fire.

Bathing in the sensation he had already long forgotten, the gargantuan Decepticon of blue and violet dug his massive digits into the folds of metal and pulled the ventilation apart as if it was tin foil. Just below him lay a pool of molten magma, no doubt the concoctive mess of various metals and other chemicals that had been tossed and smelted together. Helex didn't care at this point, he had to remove this freezing sensation that rattled his body, no matter what it took. Stepping back from the hole he made, the blue Justice used his massive heft as a means to batter his way into that pool below, his shoulder joint acting as the end of his self-made battering ram.

*SPLOOSH*

The warning signs and distress signals had dimmed to a dull ring as Helex engrossed himself in the warm embrace of the smelting pool. The Ivey build up on his chassis had nearly disintegrated and melted away the moment he touched the molten metal. His optics closed as he took a moment to rejoice in the solitude he had located. The feeling wasn't as satisfying as the magma baths one could get on Planet Chaar, but it surely did the trick.

>>CHEMICAL SYSTEMS: ONLINE. PRIMARY FURNACES; REIGNITING.<<

Helex's optics shot wide open once again as he stared out into the liquid orange that encased his being. His sensor array was able to pinpoint the other justices outside, meaning the entrance he created into the smelting pool had to be in that direction too. The massive mitts of the smelter's gargantuan pair of arms reached out and grabbed hold of the flooring, his thick digits digging profusely into the panelling along the sub-level as he began to pull himself out of the magma pool. Bright streaks of the excess liquid poured from every crevice and trickled over the heat-resistant plating of the blue and violet Justice as he reemerged from the pool. His metal, though heavily resistant to the molten metal was shining a bright red coloration as he stepped back into the room where the other Divisoners were confronting Megadeath.

"Now," Helex bellowed, excess molten liquid trickling down from his maw as he stepped back into room, "Let's frag this spawn of a glitch."

Mumu -Obscura – Sub-Levels

Although Vos was still in his alt mode he felt every movement made by both of his handlers. And with Kaon’s last ditch effort Vos’ sleek black form skidded across the floor coming to a stop not far from the electrocutioner.

Ready to initiate his transformation sequence, Vos halted. The feel of something foreign being jabbed into him caused him some alarm.

At first nothing registered so he continued with his transformation. His leg shot out sweeping both auto-scouts buzzing around him to the far wall where they righted themselves and pressed back toward him.

Coming up into a crouch, Vos waited until the two nuisances were close enough so he could tear through them with his clawed hands.

In mere seconds later and the only thing left were tiny fragments slipping through the former scientist’s fingers. It was satisfying to be able to handle things himself, but…..

For a brief moment Vos had thought he was seeing things. That somehow someone, at some point hacked his systems and initiated a systems’ warning. But that just couldn’t be. Yet there it was in his HUD… :VIRUS DETECTED:

Not possible. He ran a scan yet his functions were working fine. Virus….

It hit him. Slowly Vos looked down at his hands both had a fine covering of crimson rust. No.

Vos’ head shot up catching sight of Megadeath before Tarn, on his knees. A growl began low in his throat. Balling his hands tightly, Vos began to stalk toward their prey, each step becoming harder and more painful to make.

This disease had to die.

And there it was….Kaon had made his move. Followed quickly by Tesarus. And then Tarn. Vos’ spark swelled with pride at the sight of their leader standing proud before the dead….so like the Slagmaker.

Helex was primed to join in as well….as they all should.

He quickened his pace. Megadeath was crazed, but he certainly was not stupid. The scientist watched as the target spewed a molten stream from what was left of his mouth onto something just out of his reach. He then turned toward Tarn.

Perfect. Kill the disease and then kill the target.

The pain from movement had become excruciating….yet he did not cry out.

But this….this pain was near unbearable. Vos had stepped in as close as he dared to both Tarn and Megadeath when the scientist let loose another volcanic rush of molten fire.

The intense heat worked to kill and dry out the Rot Rust that had begun to invade his body. However, the downside to this maneuver was possibly death.

Vos threw himself to the ground. Little pools of bubbling metal slipped off his frame as he thrashed about. And then a scream. A deep agonizingly horrific scream came from the steaming mass that was just now slowing its movements.

“Find. Kill. Cleanse.”

A piece of armor clanged to the ground beside Vos’ curled body. And yet the mantra grew louder.

“Find. Kill. Cleanse. Find. Kill. Cleanse. FIND! KILL! CLEANSE!”

The scientist began the task of getting back to his feet, his hands pressing firmly into the flooring, the movement causing the cooled metal to peel off his body in large chunks and yet he still chanted.

Mumu-Obscura – Sub-Levels

Megadeath was down. Stunned. Almost defeated. Almost.

Thundering towards him, the giant hollow frame of Tesarus fell upon Megadeath’s prone torso, landing knees first on his midriff, and he began to rip and tear with broken fingers at the great scientist’s chest panels, throwing the occasional punch to his face. Fingers weeping energon from ripping out his own grinder blades, it soon became impossible to tell whose fluids had leaked where, as the floor became increasingly splattered in cybertronian blood.

Pausing as if to allow his victim leave to speak, Tesarus’ red-crossed mask looked Megadeath directly in the eyes but suddenly he began to tear at his victims remaining arm. Strength dampeners still offline from the nanobot attack previously, Tesarus could feel his own tendons and linkages ripping and straining as he exerted his colossal strength in extending this enemies agony. Tarn always struck the final blow, Tes was more than aware of his place in the hierarchy, but he was a torturer and it was his purpose in life to bring the victims the cleaning pain, to wash away their misdeed. Ignoring the damage he caused to his own shoulders, he silently focused on Megadeaths arm as, still looking into his enemies eyes, he bent the near limp arm towards his own cavernous chest, tantalisingly close to the blades.

“Cleanse” he whispered, and as his expression darkened further he thrust the still attached arm deep into his grinders gaping maw.

Mumu-Obscura-–Sub-Levels

The lightning unleashed from Kaon's coils flashed so violently that even Tarn had to briefly look away as it struck its intended target. The attack had been so forceful that it appeared, yes, Megadeath's chest cavity had been ruptured. That was one of the possibilities that he and the other justices had discussed aboard the Tyranny. And now here it was. Lovely. Looooovely.

Tarn stepped forward, having decided that the Division had pursued their target long enough. Now they had all earned their time dismantling the madmech and letting him serve as another example for any future wayward Decepticons that might hope to follow in his footsteps. He started to level his fusion cannon. He'd obliterate a leg this time. Cripple the psychopath so that the others could begin in whatever fashion they so chose.

Megadeath, unsurprisingly, had other thoughts on the matter.

Tarn soon found a good portion of his upper torso smothered in a molten concoction that was spewed from the bowels of Megadeath's nuclear chest cavity. It burned. Of course it did. How could it not? But Tarn had been forged--and remade--to endure this a nearly anything else like it. Physical assaults were par for the course. If there were a chink in tarn's armor, Megadeath had come close to it earlier, with his remarks on the Justice Divisioner's past. This? This was protoformic.

"Let's frag this spawn of a glitch."

“Find. Kill. Cleanse. Find. Kill. Cleanse. FIND! KILL! CLEANSE!"

Kaon was ready. Vos. Helex. Tesarus bowling over and practically grinding up their quarry almost a shade prematurely. They were all ready. And so was Tarn. Megadeath had avoided this fate for far too long. Tarn stalked forward another step, parts of his armor still dripping with the molten slag, a small portion of the Decepticon insignia mask burned away.

"We both knew this was the only way this was ever going to end," Tarn said. His thoughts were still somewhat jumbled, thinking back to what Megadeath had said earlier, the tattered little symbol he had been given by the drone, the tattered remnants of who he used to be. He started to speak once more, but then hesitated.

He looked back to Kaon, and then the other three, saying nothing for a few moments. There was normally such a rigid procedure they had developed when it came to these cases. And yet today Tarn did not feel overly compelled to adhere to protocol.

"Finish him. Ensure that breach does not...does not jeopardize you. I will ready the Tyranny for our departure," the Divisioner said before slowly heading back in the direction that he had come. With a Cybertronian like Megadeath, Tarn would normally be only too keen to watch as the others dismantled their prey--mind, body and soul. But...but today did not appear to be one of those days. There was no more he could do here other than offer Megadeath a quick exit from this world.

And he had no desire to do that.

Mumu-Obscura – Sub-Levels

Electricity roiled off of Kaon's frame after the massive bolt ripped through the air, filling the corridor with the familiar scent of ozone. The sparks soon isolated themselves to the tesla coils although some still darted to the metal floor from time to time. They were reflective of Kaon's mood. Angry. Furious even. The force of his attack even gone so far as to rupture Megadeath's nuclear chest cavity. Some of his anger directed itself inward.

Great. After they had gone to the trouble of mentioning it on the Tyranny, Kaon had been the one to rupture it. However, it did little to stop the other justices from closing in. The electrocutioner expected no less. Tarn addressed Megadeath. Calm. Assertive. Lethal. And yet. He looked back. At him. The others.

"Finish him. Ensure that breach does not...does not jeopardize you. I will ready the Tyranny for our departure," the Divisioner said before slowly heading back in the direction that he had come. A flicker of worry invaded the anger seething around Kaon's spark. The electricity died from Kaon's coils as Tarn moved past him. The crimson Decepticon cast one glance back at the detestable Megadeath before turning his back to the crazed warlord and hurrying to catch up to Tarn.

The others could attain retribution. They would kill him. Cleanse him. The Pet hurried after Kaon, pawing his leg slightly in confusion, glancing back at Megadeath. Kaon merely answered with a gesture of his hand. In response, the Pet whirled back around and bounded excitedly toward Megadeath, eager to partake in the killing.

Kaon, for his part, kept pace with Tarn in silent concern unsure of how to approach him. After a moment of silence, Kaon looked up at Tarn, the concern clearly etched on his faceplate. “Tarn...” Kaon started before falling silent, the words dying in his vocalizer. He looked forward again, trying to keep his troubled expression from being entirely obvious. “Are you...Is everything alright?”

Mumu-Obscura - Sub-Levels

How strange it was to see Tarn turn his back on the endgame, the grand finale of this entire escapade. Normally he would leave them a husk of metal that had to be put out of its misery, other times he himself would deliver the killing blow with that silver-tongued gift of his, instead he left Megadeath in the hands of the rest of the other justices. There was no time for questions though, Helex was beyond annoyed with the rogue scientist. He would see to his demise personally.

"Get up, worm!" Helex bellowed as the remnants of molten metal dripped from his mouth. Inside his chest cavity, the internalized smelter had reached its boiling point and was ready for to claim its next victim. A rather ironic case of "having a taste of one's own medicine" one could say. The gargantuan blue Decepticon reached out and grabbed hold of Megadeath's frame, crushing his metallic chassis with immense strength before tossing him into the erupting furnace in his chest. The door sealed shut and the sweet sound of screams soon followed.

This was Helex just getting warmed up though, for lack of better words. Normally anyone on the list the DJD had to visit were not able or even willing to be able to stand up against the Division with such bravado, such success as Megadeath had done. It was the first time in a long while that any of the Justices were actually incapacitated for most of their encounter, which means Helex had to "reward" Megadeath by not granting him the usual punishments. Between the other justices' doings, Helex had a fondness for making his victims chomp away at their own brain modules. Cut open the processor, pull the brain out and place it in their mouths. Usually they would wake up and effectively off themselves by crushing in their own brain module, but every once in awhile there was a special case who got to see their brain got back into their head. Not for long though... Megadeath on the other hand, would not get the luxury of getting to see his own processor.

The vat of molten metal inside Helex's chest cavity busted open as Megadeath's burnt and melting chassis tossed to the floor. The already disfigured scientist withered in pain as he stared at his red hot hands before Helex stood over his limp body. A wicked smile stretched across Helex's faceplate as he hefted the charred scientist into the air with his massive set of arms. In one fluid motion, the DJDer ripped Megadeath in two by the spine so that his lower body was completely separated from his torso. Let the pet use his legs for a chew toy, the torso is where he wanted to make it hurt. He sunk his bulky figures into the soften metal around Megadeath's frame, cries and whimpers escaped the scientist's vocalizer as Helex stared into his dying optics. His second hand came up and followed in boring into the other side of his chest cavity, another squeal of misery erupting from Megadeath. Satisfaction at last.

The chassis was then ripped into two, the second act in Helex's dividing showcase. The rip tore up Megadeath's chassis but halted at the base where his neck conjoined his shoulders. Energon and the internal mechanisms that kept Cybertronians functioning dangled out from the massive crevice as Helex gripped Megadeath's in his bulking blue hand.

"Do you have anything to say on your own behalf?" Helex gloated while Megadeath could only muster a gurgle-like noise. "Heh, thought so." The iron grip around Megadeath's nearly severed head grew tighter, bolts and framework beginning to snap under the strain of Helex's immense power. "The division finds you... Guilty." A Magenta mist burst from Helex's now enclosed fist before the rest of Megadeath's tattered frame went limp. Helex released his grip on the deceased Scientist and watched the body hit the floor with a solid thud. He kicked the exposed chest towards the direction of the Pet, indicating to the turbo fox that Megadeath's spark was still ripe for the picking even though his brain module no longer was. Real shame too, Helex would have loved to added someone with some real brainpower to his "collection". Another day, another victim mayhaps.

Rubbing his actuators together to clean away the energon, Helex didn't look back on his mess and made his way towards the Tyranny.

"Court Adjourned."

The Peaceful Tyranny

Tarn's walk back to their signature ship had been a quiet and reflective one, though not a solitary one. Kaon had been not far behind, and once the others were finished they too would rejoin him.

"Tarn...Are you...Is everything alright?"

Kaon's query lingered in his mind for a time. His thoughts flitted between it and several other questions, not the least of which being how a psychological blow like the one Megadeath had dealt had been able to cut so deeply. He had been conditioned so thoroughly, perfected in both mind and body to be a premier weapon of Megatron's will. But he supposed none of that could have really come to be without his first reading of Towards Peace. A time when he was most assuredly not the mech he was now, but his mind was still open to a better path. And even though he had found a better path and cut away his former weaknesses with surgical precision, it was clear that remnants yet remained. Old thinking. Flawed thinking.

"As alright as everything can be," he said, a false-jovial tone in his voice as the entrance ramp to the Tyranny lowered to allow them aboard. He looked to Kaon briefly and then quickly rethought his tact. There was no need to be duplicitous with his team in general, but this one most of all. Not after all they had seen in service together.

"I...pfeh...that symbol should not have crippled me the way it did. Even for...even for a moment. It was weak. And he knew! The wretch of Stanix knew that he could pull out a weapon like that against me. I'm aghast, old friend. Truly aghast. That can't happen again..."

"JUSTICES BOARDING. SIGNATURE RECOGNITION--TARN. SIGNATURE RECOGNITION--KAON. SIGNATURES CONFIRMED," a feminine, metallic voice echoed through the halls of the ship.

"Engage the preliminary launch sequence protocols, please," Tarn said, his voice tired as he stalked slowly towards the bridge of the ship.

"ACKNOWLEDGED."

"Hopefully the others will not tarry long in their torture. Other business awaits.

The Peaceful Tyranny

The walk back to the Peaceful Tyranny had been a quiet one. Kaon’s question hung dead in the air for quite some time. Kaon was content to let Tarn answer at his leisure. What Megadeath had done…that blow. It had shaken Tarn. And his voice had not been able to reach him. Kaon felt the urge to hang his head, but fought off the impulse. He was a justice. A proud Decepticon. It wouldn’t do to appear weak in front of any remaining Decepticons. And yet he felt powerless. Powerless to help Tarn.

It took Tarn until they had both reached their signature ship to answer. "As alright as everything can be," he said, a false-jovial tone in his voice as the entrance ramp to the Tyranny lowered to allow them aboard. Kaon frowned almost immediately, looking up at Tarn as Tarn looked to him. Tarn, however, swiftly switched gears as Kaon opened his mouth to protest.

"I...pfeh...that symbol should not have crippled me the way it did. Even for...even for a moment. It was weak. And he knew! The wretch of Stanix knew that he could pull out a weapon like that against me. I'm aghast, old friend. Truly aghast. That can't happen again..."

Kaon said nothing.

"JUSTICES BOARDING. SIGNATURE RECOGNITION--TARN. SIGNATURE RECOGNITION--KAON. SIGNATURES CONFIRMED," a feminine, metallic voice echoed through the halls of the ship.

"Engage the preliminary launch sequence protocols, please," Tarn said, his voice tired as he stalked slowly towards the bridge of the ship. Kaon followed along right beside him, staying close to their de facto leader.

"ACKNOWLEDGED."

"Hopefully the others will not tarry long in their torture. Other business awaits.”

Kaon reached out and put a hand on Tarn’s arm, looking up at him with his hollow optical sockets. “You’re one of the strongest mechanoids I know,” he said simply before withdrawing his hand and turning his gaze forward once more. Other words died in his vocalizer. That feeling persisted. Of being powerless. Kaon detested it. His fists clenched slowly.

After a moment, Kaon asked, “Other business?”

The Peaceful Tyranny

Getting one’s hands dirty while delivering judgment on the dissidents, deserters and no adherents was par for the course when you were a member of the DJD. But this time two members chose not to partake.

Vos turned his gaze from Helex and the broken body of Megadeath to the retreating forms of Tarn and Kaon. It seemed as though Megadeath’s words to Tarn had stricken the DJD leader causing him to walk off instead of seeing through the end of their quarry. His retreat was quickly followed up by Kaon.

The scientist turned his attention back on Helex but decided to make his way back to the Tyranny. Snapping his fingers he caught the Pet’s attention who stopped knowing on the former Decepticon’s spark casing. Vos nodded to the animal signaling that it was time to leave. The sparkeater crunched on the final bits in its mouth and hopped over the remains of the carcass.

The Pet shook from head to hackles ridding it of the sticky fluids and innards that had become stuck to its body. Once free of the majority of dreg he trotted to Vos’ side.

As soon as the two ascended the boarding ramp the Pet took off in the direction of its master. Vos followed.

His signature was quickly recognized by the ship as was the sparkeater now making its way to Kaon’s side. Vos stepped in beside the communications specialist and nodded. To Tarn he simply cocked his head and wrung his hands together. “Megadeath…” He let the name hang in the air for a long moment before he continued. “Judgment has been passed.”

After addressing the larger Judge he looked over at Kaon. “Fuugatv termnatd” Vos attempted to announce.

The Peaceful Tyranny--Bridge

“You’re one of the strongest mechanoids I know," Kaon said, resting a hand on Tarn's arm. The moment was uncharacteristic of most Decepticons, but the members of the Decepticon Justice Division were characteristic of most Decepticons for an assortment of reasons: a seemingly abnormal expression of concern or affection was just another. For Tarn, the gesture was appreciated. His gaze met the fellow Divisioner's for a few moments before his optics returned to the command console in front of him.

"'In strength, there is the peaceful assurance that none may threaten what you have claimed for yourself,'" Tarn quoted softly. "Towards Peace, the seventh chapter."

After his brief attempt at speech, Tarn had allowed the silence between them to hang there for a few moments before answering his colleague's other query. He was still shaken. Yet, the question had at least brought a smile to his scarred face if nothing else at the moment did. They were the DJD. There was always other business. Since its inception, the List had never been fully completed. There was always a new name to be added. Oftentimes several. Purging the treasonous was an endless task.

Before he could answer, however, the bridge doors opened and Vos made his quiet entry, followed by Kaon's more energetic and conspicuous pet.

"Megadeath…Judgment has been passed," Vos said, eliciting another nod from Tarn. He had expected no less. The Division had never left a target alive. They would not start with this particularly odious pile of Stanixian refuse. Helex and Tesarus had not been far behind Vos in boarding the fearsome vessel, and with all aboard, it was time to leave this forsaken world, never to return again unless Megatron saw some value in its remains.

"Then we proceed," Tarn said, hitting the final command sequence that would allow the ship's artificial intelligence to assume command of the navigational controls.

"Who's next on the List?" Tarn asked quietly as tremors snaked their way through the ship as its liftoff sequence engaged. In less than than a breem, the sleek ship had launched itself into the atmosphere of Mumu-Obscura. Regardless of who faced their judgement next, Tarn held no doubts that they too would meet the same fate as those who had come before.

-Thread Closed-