Hours after the battle, once the wounded have been tended to and the toll accounted for, Prima appears on the scene with his siblings, all bearing the healing wounds and marks of battle on their giant frames. The seven of the Haven are minus one of their own number on this day, which leaves their triumph only bittersweet. However, in light of their victory, six other figures linger in the distance, waiting to join their siblings in their own celebrations.

But for now, the celebration is for those of Haven alone.

The six First Forged gather their fighters among the debris, taking stock, healing and repairing and giving council as the group is rallied in from the Core and Badlands.

The Acolytes even bring forth the noncombatants from the temples, ushering them toward the call - it is a gathering for everyone that remains.

Meanwhile, the Lambda floats above, smaller and indistinct; the color of the rift's edges turned to a nonthreatening aurora of blues and teals, versus the previous acid green of Unicron's emergence. Vector Prime flies up to hover around it's slowly shrinking edges, clearly doing something to manipulate the space-tear with his various powers. It flickers occasionally, scenes and places appearing too quickly to identify within it's fractured edges.

When everyone is gathered, he hovers closer with a nod, and the leader of the Thirteen addresses them all.

( The rewards of victory... )

In the sky above the Haven, Unicron descends; mandibles spreading wide as he attempts to pull the planet toward him, vacuuming friend and foe alike toward his crushing maw. His massive, planetary form presses against the crackling rim of the Lambda in his eagerness to consume the world, trying to somehow physically force the rift to widen.

The sound space makes as it tears is beyond words or reason, a sound-sense-taste of crackling static, acrid, painful and lurid all at once.

-

In the Badlands, the enemy surges, the risen shadows responding to the call of their master as he blots out the light from the stars. Where one is downed, two- five- ten rise in their place.

Hold the line. It is all either group can do, and they do it well - but that goal is quickly turning impossible with every inch in Unmaker gains.

Time is running out.

-
( But in the darkest hour, there is still light )

While his brethren are out, seeking to destroy the dual incursions of Demons and Unicron...

Liege has waited, patiently.

His goals have always differed from those of the other thirteen, and now that they are distracted he can put forth a bid for his true desire: Control of the Lambda.

He appears on the network standing on a snow-capped balcony, shadowed by the near-perpetual darkness of his frigid towers.

"Listen, and listen well. To fight is hopeless. We have no guarantee of Primus's return, and we have even less guarantee that we can hold our own against this dual-sided assault. There is another way."

( Read More )

The view from the sky is - for lack of any other word - chaotic, with fully half the wide field of view dominated by either the vast orange spires or the maw-filled void of the Lambda. Small, flying shadow-drones cloud the area, traveling in swarms and converging on the attackers. To the First Forged, they are nothing more than an annoyance and - more importantly, a distraction to the swift Primes, who are apparently attempting to converge on the attacking world.

Both Prima and Vector flit through the air with ease, though even their sibling-leader cannot best Vector in his home domain of the sky. Where Vector dodges, distracts, and teleports his enemies - away, or even into each other - Prima carves, cleaving his way through groups of fiends, doggedly charging his way across the sky-bound battlefield.

( Read more... )

Solus stands poised with the fully-assembled, towering form of Nexus Prime at the opening to one of the subterranean tunnels. A small herd of acolytes is accompanying them, carrying crates of supplies - metal, energon, and raw materials. While the combiner-Prime would normally just barely fit in the smallest of Solus' tunnel workings, this tunnel dwarfs even him.

It is a vast, primary shaft; wide and formal and clearly important enough to have earned additional detailing in the very walls. It carries an air of reverence that is obvious even over the comm, that of a temple, rather than a simple maintenance shaft.

This is something special.

( Read more... )

On the outlands of Haven, the Badlands are surging to life.

Megatronus stands with his brother Alpha Trion, the two as different as night and day. The picture of calm, the thinner Trion stands behind the bulwark that is his more physically inclined sibling, massive tome in hand. Optics and biolights aglow with concentration, he stands vulnerable and distracted as clawed shadows rage on either side of them both. Some come within arms-reach before they - and swaths of their fellows - are cut down by Megatronus' blade, pieces trailing burning cinders and ash.

The Prime Guardian of Entropy moves like a wraith, the shadows no match for his flame and fury - if it were not for the sheer numbers they have, replacing the fallen, the outcome of the battle would have already been assured.

Alpha Trion seems unfazed, the glowing gaze flicking briefly toward the camera with only a nod.

"I am a bit busy concentrating at the moment, but I think I've managed to establish a link to the network. Megatronus, if you'd please issue the call..."

( Read more... )

So... We're all going to die horribly. Since there's no way we could possibly survive this, I'll be at the bar making whatever people want. I mean anything.

[If he can't make it, he'll figure it out.]

Drinking has to be better than watching us all die, right?




[Super open log post of open is here. Tag each other. Tag for Dead End. Tag to discuss plans with others for coming out of this event alive. Make your own threads there, whatever. Bar party of doom for everyone!]

Your victory against the Zone, though hard-won, is brief. The resulting peace is broken by several things happening at once.

As though driven by spite at the Haven's refusal to bow down, the resurgence of the Lambda is sudden, vicious, and violent. The distant figures of the First Forged, tiny in comparison, make an appearance as they flit across the wounded sky, as they did before the Zone's eruption. But whatever they might be attempting, it is already too late.

The sky crackles with lightning and thunder, cast in the same sickly green glow of the Lambda. The crack in reality widens, surging, and the First Forged have to flee as lightning arcs wildly their way. The flash is so bright, it is impossible to see if any have been hit. The sky tears, audibly cracking across half the horizon. To anyone who happens to be glancing at the ground for some reason, rather than the giant rift in the sky: the shadows at the boundaries of the Haven grow darker despite the electric light in the sky, curls of inky darkness stretching out like living things across the ground. The void beyond the yawning, electric edges of the Lambda is becoming more visible: a dark nebula, cast further in shadow by a vast form.

And something

Is coming through

( The Beginning of The End... )

[The boy stands near the entrance of the temple, his eyes closed as he extends a hand in front of him.

Bright light flashes before him, splitting into two as they begin to stretch out and take shape- humanoid shape. Their features become more distinct, color tinging their glowing forms, a young woman and spiky haired young man.

When Ventus opens his eyes, he brightens, unable to keep a smile from his face. His expression immediately becomes a little sad as he sees them both smile back, each holding a hand out to him. He can take those hands in his, squeezing them even though it's not the same. It's far from the same.

Lowering his head, he holds onto those hands, even as he lets their forms lapse and vanish.]

I leave for a short time, and I come back to this?

[Megatron may have taken what he considers a 'short' sojourn out to the badlands to scout for Megatronus Prime--one of the few things he manages to agree with his Firstforged about. Granted, 'short' was almost two months, and 'sojourn' was more like 'grueling death march,' but he cant say he regrets it.]

[So now...coming back to what looks like a battleground?]

Is there anyone who cares to fill me in on what I missed?

[Have Elita on your screen frowning quite severely, her mouth in a flat line. The only light beyond the glow of her blue optics is apparently some unpleasant-looking yellow, and it doesn't reach very far.

The view around the edges of the screen seem to pulse without a rhythm, and there's some sort of... device, behind her. What can be seen of the room doesn't seem to exactly be there at all. She doesn't speak, rather text pops up on the screen instead.]

If anyone has ideas of how to deal with this, I'd love to hear them. If you're going to attempt to join me, you're going to need protection against the radiation... [She shakes her helm slowly, looking away from the screen for a moment.]

Which I can probably provide through Solus little gift, but I suggest not trying to come here alone, because while I'm sure we could deal with the things I passed to get in here, their capabilities are unknown but I'm pretty sure they're far more dangerous than the creatures that milled at the outskirts.

... Just use text if you plan on replying, too. I have no idea how good hearing the creature I passed has, but if I'm going to take it I'd want back-up.

[Suggestions, anyone?]

[The roar of turbines can be heard in the very near background of a video feed that shows wastelands rushing by some distance below.  Thundercracker's voice speaks over the noise.]

All right, everyone, listen up!  Pretty sure I've found something, and I'll be a half-slagged Empty if it's not the cause of what's going on.

[A ridged valley comes into view, one that no one will recognize.  Thundercracker slows some, banking sharply to keep the new complex at its center in view as he circles it.]

This is southwest of Haven.  Radiation's highest here than anywhere else to date.  And if I have to spell out what I think of the party down there, you're best to stick to the temples.  I'm reading some other kind of energy too, aside from the radiation.  I don't recognize it.

So . . . who's up for some target practice?



((ooc: Everyone's welcome to tag on the plot post or start our own posts.  I'm just going to start a thread with TC for any fliers who want to bombard the CNPP.  >D  Maybe we can provide cover for a ground assault?  Distract a majority of the zombies to one side at least, even if we can't get through the shield.))

[The video feed comes on to show Bulkhead, looking serious and all business. There wasn't time for much else. The feed shakes as he's obviously moving, and some might even notice a large, and long, green handle slung over his shoulder.]

Alright, for those lookin' for shelter from the radiation. The Hub has been reinforced. Also, several several rooms in each temple have been reinforced. That way nobody needs to leave the temples if they don't have to.

[He'll attatch coordinates for the room locations in each temple.]

Stay safe, everyone.

Thanks to the distraction caused by the various creatures and anomalies, and the interference from the ever-increasing radiation, pinpointing the fallen 'meteor' and likely source of the attacks may have been difficult up until now.

But efforts to locate it have paid off.

South-west of Haven, there is a ridged valley that did not exist a week ago. In it's center is a massive, sprawling power plant, exhaust towers rising up to the horizon. It is literally crawling with more mutants.

As if that was not ominous enough, it is a nuclear power-plant.

( You won't be finding any fuel cells, pillars, or drillers here... )

Great, so we've gone from sci-fi to horror in less than a week. Pretty sure this is not what anyone had in mind when they wished to be a Hollywood star, but whatever.

[Spidey's costume is looking a bit worse for wear, with tears and claw marks plainly visible in the red and blue suit, but the number of injuries underneath appear to be minimal. A few blood stains in one or two places, but he actually looks relatively unharmed. Physically, anyway. Mentally, well, he doubts he'll be getting a good night's sleep for months.

He's broadcasting from somewhere in the junk pile, and slowly turning the comm from side to side in the process, like he's using the camera lens to look for something. He's still careful to always remain in the frame of course, but it's apparent he's not really concerned about sharing an update on his condition.]

But uh, one thing that definitely bears mentioning. The things we're dealing with right now? It so gets worse. At least one of our new playmates is a little shy, and likes to go invisible. Or, close to it, anyway. I'm trying to deal with them before they get near anywhere populated, but it's kind of tricky. So far, the best tactic's been pretending I don't notice them, and dealing with them when they finally attack.

[The camera stops panning once he spots...well, something. It looks like the air's somehow blurry in one location, and careful examination would reveal an almost human-like blur in the landscape, one that's moving. Closer.]

Yeah. Those guys. And no, I do not recommend trying to deal with them yourself unless you're about thirty feet tall and half car. I just wanted to show you guys how to look for them, so you know to get as far away as possible if you ever spot one. Also, they do this really obnoxious 'heavy-breathing' thing, but if you can hear that, you're already way too cl--

[Whoops, time to move! Spidey webs his comm to a nearby object in the junk pile as the bloodsucker de-cloaks and attacks, though considering he jumped out of the way in time, all it gets is a claw full of air. And possibly network celebrity status, in all it's ugly, ugly glory. He'll be nice and get that out of everyone's sight quick enough though, as he's fired a pair of web lines into the creature's back even while still landing behind it, then quickly swings it into a nearby pile with a loud crash and an explosion of debris.]

Like I said, taking care of these things as best I can, but figured I should warn the rest of you guys. I've got kind of a 'sense' about stuff like this, so I figure I'd be the one better suited to the risk-taking. Makes it hard for them to creep up on me even when they're invisible, but they do get lucky every once in a while.

[Aaaand that loud roar confirms that his playmate for the day isn't quite out of the game just yet. And all Spidey can do is let out a frustrated sigh.]

Right, almost forgot. They're also really hard to put down. Stay safe guys, and give me a holler if you spot any of these things skulking around the city. I'll take care of them as soon as possible!

[With that, he cuts the feed, if only to have his hands free to continue dealing with his charming Bloodsucker friend.]