Taming the Lion

++ Harmonex ++
One of the great treasures of Cybertron, Harmonex is sometimes known as theSinging City. Composed of pale blue, silver and icy white spires, the      architecture resonantes with cystalline shapes and crystalline sounds --   literally. The lithic crystals found in this area, tuned to each other,    produce harmonic frequencies that add a constant gentle chorus of sound.   Exposure to this harmony often has a calming effect on the Cyberonian mind.Art, music and broadcasting facilities are the primary focus in this area, with many of the residents taken from its hotspots in the past ending up   with altmodes that produce sound or light. The Cybertronian News Network   (CNN) has its home location in this city, using the city's resonant        structures to increase its broadcasting power a hundred fold.              
Exits:N [Protihex]                           E [Praxus]                         S [Sonic Canyons]                      W [Ibex]                           
Sightings of the giant beast have all but disappeared since last being seen around near Harmonex's border between it and the wild expanse toward the Sonic Canyons. But that didn't mean tensions weren't still high, leading to almost daily flyovers and small patrols along the edge of the wild crystal formations.
Chimera may be big, but she's smart and knows her way around prying optics, keeping low as she prowls further north than where she fought Whirl in search of.. something. "Hn.. They have to be here. But it's so faint.." The femme grumbles to herself while crouching atop a crystal outcropping, trusty bow in hand while shading her optics and viewing the city with no fear of being spotted. The last patrol had just left, so she has some time to scout about before another decides to take a stab at finding her. It's hilarious, really.
Speaking of creatures and such that are watching patrols. Supplies and information are both exceedingly rare for Slag and Co, so the Dynobot had made a deal with some of his new neighbors to gather crystals capable of transmissions in return for parts that were needed for repairs. Not that he needs them at the moment, but there is always the chance that they could come in handy in the future.
Having found an outcropping that seems to fit his needs, the Dynotbot takes out a large hammer and slams it against the outcropping, causing it to ring out in several chimes as the reverb echoes through the valley.
As he breaks the crystals off, he shoves them into a container for future use as he pauses just long enough to check the area before beginning his work again as he comes to the outcropping that Chimera is on. Not noticing the large femme up high, he's down low where he breaks out his hammer and slams it home again. Talk about ringing someone's bell.
Chimera's large audials twitch and head turns at the sudden chime of crystal that rings out a distance away, the serene sound easily traveling along the thick pillars. So another one is stupid enough to wander in here alone? Perhaps it's that cyclops again. Oh, how lovely it would be to properly gouge out his optic this time around.
But just before she can descend, the hulking figure that is Slag emerges into the open, forcing her to swiftly slip behind her vantage point. As quiet as she can, the femme draws an arrow from a compartment and nocks it on the energy string that quietly hums to life. Just one shot is all she needs...Or she would if she can't help from pausing, growing unsure the longer she looks at him. The kibble of his altmode looks.. so familiar. ..Too familiar.
"Stop right there." Her voice come from on high where Slag will see the odd looking femme emerge, amazonian stature making her as tall as he is. "Just who are you, coming into my territory?" Jade optics squint harshly at him as arrowhead remains trained on him, ready to be let loose at any second. Were he anyone else, she would have long since attacked, but she just has to find out if he's who she thinks he is..
There's no scrawny small waisted big chestplated mech here. Instead, the massive form of Slag just turns to face the femme that has an arrow notched at him. Not that really it looks like it would do much to the massively armored mech as he growls low in his throat. "How is this your territory? You mark with sign? file permit with Senate? Release waste lubricant on crystals. Not your territory. Not anyone territory. If wanted, would be /my/ territory." the Dynobot points out with a snort of flame from his nostrols as he looks up at her.
The light reflects off the golden horns and head armor of his protoform as the large femme looms. Though really, she's no taller than Starchamber, so he's sort of use to this by now. Dropping his claymore down into his hand, the flames around the blade ignite to life as he glowers. "You do not know how to make a guest feel welcome. No snacks. No goodies. Not even a Kremzeek drink. Terrible hostess. Could be here for crystals. Could be here to ask if you are ready to enter the All-Spark with our King and Leader, Grimlock. Could be selling data-encyclopedias door to door. Could be any of these. None of these."
"Who are you?"
Chimera isn't very fond of his sarcasm, nor his challenge of her being here. Least of all, however, is the sight of that flaming claymore, its harsh glow drawing her gaze a moment. Seems this one will be trouble.. but she supposes she can humor him and introduce herself first. "..A servant of Mortilus, nothing more." She mutters, not eager to give her name out whilst stepping across the branch of crystal slowly, never taking aim off him. "Your form is.. familiar, but not your scent. And who is this Grimlock? We serve only Mortilus!" She begins to grow tense and angry, dreading the thought that begins to swirl around her mind. She doesn't remember him at all, yet here stands someone that looks like kin. ..A fake, maybe? "..Just how did you aquire that altmode?"
"Mortilus? Who is Mortilus. Sounds like name of head dishwasher at energon cafe." Slag comments, then watches her become all coiled up and such. Excellent. His servos ache for release, he hasn't punched anyone in a couple of cycles. "As for how I became this? None of yer frakking business." he comments.
And knowing she has the high ground, he decides to do something about it. She's so interested in the altmode? He coalesces down into and roars, charging at her outcropping and ramming into at full speed in order to try to collapse the structure and bring her down to his level.
-Combat- Slag hits Chimera with a melee attack!
Chimera almost gasps at the sight of Slag's prehistoric altmode, having gone billions of years without a single shred of contact from any of her fellow Primordials, now seeing any signs of them in this strange future. So marveled is she that by the time she reacts to his charge it's too late, the femme yelling out as her perch rocks and shot goes wide before her entire world goes sideways.
Thick crystal outcropping falls with all the grace of a toppled tree, branches breaking off with ease while the main trunk of it cracks into a few large chunks. One in particular pins Chimera, but with an enraged grunt she hefts it off and hobbles to her feet, claws flexing and tail swaying in agitation when facing him down. "You're either a fake or a traitor.. Either way I'm going to enjoy slaughtering you!"
Matching him in size, Chimera shifts to bestial altmode in turn and roars in challenge at him, thunderous voice echoing far throughout the valley. "May Mortilus have mercy on your spark when he ferrys you to the Allspark, because I won't!" Steeling herself, the monster parts long-fanged jaws and bellows a massive gout of flame at the Dynobot, aiming to wash him and everything else away in cleansing fire.
-Combat- You hit Slag with your ranged attack!
"Fake. Traitor. Either way, not that easy to destroy." Slag rumbles as the large dynobot watches the treet falling down to the ground. And she goes with it. But that wasn't quite as pleasing as the dyno had hoped it would be. No, something just seems off. "I could have done something different."
And then Chimera has to go and use his idea. Fire! It sprays out, melting crystal and metal and washing over him as it cooks circuits and causes a few small sparks as the large dyno laughs. "Mortilius is outdated and deactivated. Should pray someone else. Maybe ethernet cord." he comments as he turns his attention to the femme.
With that, he decides to match fire with fire. Quite literally. Just as she can make flames, so can ge as he opens his mouth and spews forth a spearhead of fire, looking to make even bigger flames. Because the fire. The fire is glorious, is it not?
-Combat- Slag hits Chimera with a ranged attack!
Chimera should have expected him to be able to use fire as well. It tends to come with the altmode. "I'll make you regret those words-- Rrgh!" Column of flame strikes home and baths her in plasmatic chaos, his stronger firepower making it hurt far more than she likely hurt him.
She's quick to leap from the enveloping fire before scaled armor ends up melting together, a pained, animalistic groan leaving her as heavily charred form tries to shake off the burning sting from hot metal. "Hrn.. So the fraud has our abilities too.." A deep growl echoes in her chest as she slowly strafes him, only to steadily turn into a wicked chuckle the further it climbs her throat. "Oh this is going to be fun. You have no idea how long it's been since I've fought someone on my level. You better make this worth it!"
Using what speed she has over him, Chimera digs claws in and sprints towards him. But instead of run herself on his horned head, she instead tries to feint to the side and leap upon his back, latching on with sickle claws and biting in deep with massive fangs and predatorial teeth.+strike slag
-Combat- You hit Slag with your melee attack!
"Regret schmet." What, he's not the smart one, cut him some slack. As the dyno sees the creature charging towards him, he lumbers about so that he can't be outflanked, but it comes too late as she actually able to get onto him and latch into his armor. There comes a loud and viscious roar. But if Chimera was expecting Slag to simply roll over and say 'eat me', she's sorely mistaken.
"Heard that alot lately. Want challenge. Want fight. Then gets in fight, changes mind. Dumb. Not as dumb as you look, though." And while he shakes and tries to knock the femme off of him, instead he runs. With her attached. He runs straight ahead and picks up speed.
And then slams himself through the first pile of scrap he comes across. A large pile of metal and crystal that he knows that he can handle. The question is, can she?
-Combat- Slag hits Chimera with a melee attack!
Chimera's scaled hide isn't just for show, able to take just as much beating as he can. Of course that doesn't mean things don't sting, especially when coupled with the crushing weight of a giant saurian. A handful of crystal shards, far sharper and tougher than the metal scrap, pierce her hide and elicit a pained, muffled growl.
But she doesn't dare let go of him despite the violet lifeblood that springs from wounded flank, her jaw locked and claws scraping as she fights to keep from being dislodged. She would have had a witty retort for him, but she's too busy having a full mouth, so she just skips to the punchline and hisses nastily alongside the faint buzz growing in the air around them and the increasing smell of ozone until lances of green electricity begin to course around her body. ..This can't be good.
Unless Slag can successful shake her off again, Chimera will build power until the air is almost vibrating around her and she discharges all her stored power at once, arcing streams of green lightning cracking and zapping over the entire area and into him.
-Combat- You hit Slag with your ranged attack!
Great, he's a walking Tesla coil now. As Chimera unloads into him, static and lightning dance all over him, projected out through his horns as he feels it all start to magnatize him to the surface. The scrap?!?
He gives a low growl, his roar angered and pained as he finally shifts from his beastial form to his more appropriate root mode in order to throw the femme off of him. Sorry, no eight second rides for you, Chimera.
Turning after transforming, the large claymore of Slag comes into play, turned to drive deep into the femme's side if she's not fortunate enough to get out of the way. "RaRGHGHGgggh!"
-Combat- Slag hits Chimera with a melee attack!
Chimera was hoping Slag would stay in his altmode, but he's been a promising fighter so far so it's good to see him adapt so well during the battle. With a heave, her giant bulk is hefted off him and thrown a ways off, large beast landing on her side and grunting furiously as she scrambles to her feet and makes a mad dash back towards him.
Teeth and claws aimed to kill, Chimera tenses during her approach and makes an epic leap, wanting to slam into him full force with massive paws outstretched. Which she does, meeting him and likely knocking the two of them over, but she doesn't rend the metal hide from his framework, too busy wailing out in a bizarre mix of a femme's scream and a lion's roar as the heated blade sinks in deep and burns mightier than the pit.
Ripping herself off the claymore, the beast staggers a good way away from Slag, groaning gutterally in pain while wound pours deeply upon the ground in her wake despite some of the cauterization. "Ngh.." Venting with much effort due to her gushing wound and a lack of electrical reserves, Chimera halts the fight for a moment to try and recollect herself beside a large crop of crystal, almost leaning against it for support. "..You're a better fighter than I thought you were, heh.." The beast mutters and looks across the battleground to eye the mech, seemingly amused. ..And perhaps a tad grateful. It felt like just yesterday she was fighting in the battle of the gods, but she knows it's long since been over.. So it's nice to have some familiarity.
She may be calling time out, but she's wounded Slag and forced him into his beastial mode. There's no going back at this point as when the Dynobot looks up at Chimera, there's a certain fire in his optics but an element of emptiness in there. "...no sympathy. No empathy. I will wear your hide as a coat.." the dyno rumbles in anger, sword blade still sizzling with the energon that he claimd from the femme earlier.
His armor's scratched and dented, marked up with the femme's action. The remains of her electrical attack still dance off of his frame as he pushes to his feet. "Destroy you." he rumbles. "Send you back to be with your friends the fossils." he growls as he starts to run forward, sword held at the ready, fierce in his form, the monster unleashed fully from his hold.
Ah, now there's a look she hasn't seen in a while. There's death in it as well as flames of wrath coupled with primal fury, all directed into one goal. Destruction. ..Oh how smitten she would be if she weren't trying to slaughter him in kind. Ah well, guess it's time to put all the cards on the table and see just who comes out of this alive.
Chimera does her best to ignore the harsh sting at her side as she turns and faces down the charging brute, chesire grin curling leonin lips from ear to ear before sprinting forward to meet him. She has agility on her side, so her approach is like lightning, weaving in close and seeking to rake dagger-like claws nice and deep across the front of his face.
-Combat- You miss Slag with your melee attack!
Smitten? There's nothing to be smitten about, really. Slag is all destruction when it comes down to it. He just wants to see the world burn. And maybe swim in it when he's done. But that's for another time.
Setting his feet for the charge, the large dynobot digs in, more than willing to accept the embrace from Chimera. With open arms of course. Because of the fact that the best way to kill a lion? Even a charging flaming flying lion? Break it's jaw.
And that's what Slag plans to do at this point in time, bringing up both of those large hands to try to grab Chimera's open maw and force it open way further than she would ever like it to be forced opened. A primal roar rises from him as he does do. Because Primus, this would make anyone hot. Some poor femme will get hers later.
-Combat- Slag hits Chimera with a melee attack!
Like Hercules versus the Nemean Lion, Slag takes on Chimera with only his bare hands after he dodges her swipe. She fully expected him to take another swing with that sword of his, but he subverts all expectations and does the unthinkable.
Hands in her mouth now, Chimera's optics flash in defiance and a viperous hiss escapes her, washing his face in the heat of inner furnace as massive claws dig into his chestplate and jaw strength attempts to work against him. And it works for a time, but his strength eventually begins to overrule her, slowly parting gaping mouth wider and wider. ..This is where she starts to not favor this battle.
No longer in control, the beast begins to struggle in his grip, grunting and bellowing in distress and anger, paws pushing against him to get him away. But it's all in vain when her jaw, with much effort, passes the point of natural ability and gives a sickening crack which forces a howling scream worse than before to shatter the air as she staggers away once free. Jaw hangs freely now, completely limp and unresponsive, the beast whimpering faintly as paw brushes at it uselessy. It pains her so much, but.. this is where she has to get away. She could still fight with a broken jaw, but knowing Slag he'd just rip it off completely, and she wants to avoid that.
And so, limping, the venting beast begins to pedal backwards towards the wilds, optics squinted in fury and pain at Slag, silently cursing him until she whips around and dashes off hastily in retreat. Perhaps next time will be in her favor.. but for now she needs to somehow find repairs in this mad world...
The heat that washes over him as she 'breathes' her panic against his face, he only grins even wider, more wilder. This. This is what he was needing. It makes the energon pump, the mech feel alive. To grab something in his hands. To hold it. To utterly destroy it. And it is that feeling that causes Slag to push further and further to wreck her completely.
When he hears that crack and howl, Slag /ROARS/ his victory, loud and angry. Chimera has been broken. And as she turns to run, the Dynobot nearly pursues, but a nagging electrcial surge in his knee keeps that from happening. There's a reason why Slag had to hold his ground. He didn't have the option to do otherwise. Chimera's attack on him tore into his knee and did some serious damage. Even as she runs in one direction.
He grabs his gear and hobbles in the opposite direction. It may have ended more in a draw than anything.