Monster Hunter

++ Harmonex ++

One of the great treasures of Cybertron, Harmonex is sometimes known as the
Singing 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.

Contents:
Whirl

Exits:
N [Protihex]                           E [Praxus]
S [Sonic Canyons]                      W [Ibex]

The outskirts of Harmonex, a place where civilization just begins to touch the wilds of Cybertron that stretch out between the other cities. It's here that recent sightings have placed the so called 'beast' that's been crossing territories, leading many to venture the crystaline structures that branch out from the city.

Thankfully no one has decided to visit today, so Chimera finds herself able to move around a bit. No longer the amazonian femme when first uncovered, she instead takes on the form of a massive, leonen creature coated in metal scales and crowned with curling horns and a thick, metal mane. Stinger tipped tail flicks in agitation as the monster paces anxiously at the edge of the crystal expanse, a low growl emitting every now and then as jade optics remain firmly fixed upon the gleaming city before them. It's there, she can feel it...

No one has decided to visit... except Whirl, of course! He's been with the Autobots for a mere few cycles and already they are sending him out on dangerous missions which is nice and everything but he can't help but feel like it's their way of trying to kill him off. Whatever the motives behind it, Whirl is here on the edges of Harmonex and the expansive wilderness between it and the neighboring cities. There has been talk of a 'beast' or 'monster' in this area and it /could/ be the specific beast he is looking for and if not, maybe he'll be able to find some clues as to where that particular beast has gone.

Whirl wanders around, crudely drawn map in his claws. He /would/ just transform into his alt mode and scan the area from above but his prey might see him first and flee the area and that would just make this harder so instead he just aimlessly wanders around in his root mode.

"I have no idea where I am," he laments to no one as he is out here by himself. Right?

Chimera wouldn't have expected someone to just waltz right into the crystal maze, all others too stupid and just flying overhead or making a ruckus in their altmodes. So Whirl is much closer than them when Chim's audials pick up the soft echo of footsteps bouncing off the crystal structures and draws her head up in his direction. Ah, another idiot come to hunt.. Well, hopefully he doesn't mind becoming the hunted.

Silent as death, Chimera stalks after him, using the cover to her advantage while coming up behind him. Twiggy little thing, isn't he? Not much a meal, but she supposed she can't be picky in these times. She's curious how much of a fight he can put up, so to make things interesting she'll halt a few yards behind him and make her presence known by chuckling softly, a faint growl lacing her words. "I'd have to agree. But can you make your way back out?"

Feet squaring and claws digging into the ground, the beast parts jaws and bellows a ground shaking roar before sprinting forward. Knife-like claws glint as she leaps and makes a swipe for his chest with paws rivaling the size of his torso.

-Combat- You hit Whirl with your melee attack!

The further Whirl ventures, the more uneasy he feels; like he's just expecting something to pop out and scare the slag out of him. He can't shake the feeling that he's being watched and every now and then he can't help himself from peeking over a shoulder only to see nothing there. But then, there's a voice and he spins around to meet it, coming face to face with a MASSIVE and magnificent beast unlike any he's seen before.

"Wha-" That's all he's able to croak out before the beast comes charging at him full force. There's barely any time for him to react before those deadly claws sink deep into his chest, tearing out a massive chunk of his body on their way through. There's a crackle of electricity as wires are severed and already energon begins to leak from the wound.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" Whirl stumbles back, bumping into one of the many walls that make up this place, purple energon dribbling down his frame. This is NOT the monster he was looking for but.. wouldn't it be great to rub it in Scattershot's face if he took it down and brought it back to the Decagon? Provided he can capture it, that is. "I can't say you're the weirdest thing I've seen," he starts, pulling a rifle out of subspace and holding pointing it in her direction. "But you're definitely one of the biggest!"

-Combat- Whirl hits Chimera with a ranged attack!

Chimera's beastial face almost takes on a chesire grin as she looms over the withdrawing Whirl, cackling smoothly and drawing tongue over violet stained claws. "And I can't say you're the tastiest I've encountered." But he has guts, she'll give him that, as he manages to manages to light her up. Grunting, the femme hisses in threat and backs off a few steps, laser wounds in her side smoking a little. It stings, but her armor it rather thick so she shakes it off and begins to circle the cornered mech while strings of green electricity begin to crackle across her frame.

"You're a weird looking one yourself. Rather /freakish/." She snorts under her vocals, trying to egg him on. "C'mon then, freaky little mech, I wanna see you try and survive. I need at least /some/ sort of show before a meal." Saying that, the electricity races up to build around her horns before being let loose in a condensed blast of lightning at him.

-Combat- You hit Whirl with your ranged attack!

What the hell? Did she just call him freakish? A giant monster calling /him/ freakish? It's kind of messed up that empurata is gross and weird even to things like.. whatever this thing is. If he wasn't in so much pain he might be a little offended.

Whirl hefts his rifle up again, claw on the trigger, ready to fire again but he hesitates at the electricity crackling over the monster's frame. For a moment he can only watch, fascinated by this phenomenon until it becomes apparent that the beastly femme intends on using it on him.

"Crap!" Whirl makes a break for it but he's too slow, the mech lighting up in a fantastic show of electric awesomeness (or at least it would be awesome if it didn't HURT SO BAD.) When all is said and done, Whirl crumples to the ground, his frame blackened from the electric surge that coursed through him. There's even little wisps of smoke coming off of him. Yet he still manages to pull himself up after some time, using the rifle to prop him up and keep his balance.

"I gotta admit.. that was pretty cool." He hefts the rifle up in both claws, now holding it like some kind of melee weapon. "But that's not going to be enough to kil me! Try harder, next time!" He lunges for Chimera, swinging the gun to smack her wherever he can. She's pretty huge so surely he'll hit SOMETHING.

-Combat- Whirl misses Chimera with a melee attack!

Huge, but agile. The beast skirts around his swing with cat-like grace and wheels around to his side before pouncing again and aiming to knock him to the ground where she towers over him. Wicked teeth flash as jaws part slightly and head lowers closer to him, a lower growl washing him with the heat from internal furnace.

She could kill him. Right there. Bite his head off and snuff out his spark with ease. ...But she doesn't, not yet. Instead an amused hum leaves her and she transforms, her giant, looming form now straddling the mech and entraping his slim throat with a clawed hand. "Such a shame you have no face." The beast turned beauty coos in mock sadness without dropping her smile, claw of her free hand dragging along his head. "Because I just love seeing their reaction as I kill them. But no, all you have is this little optic.."

Index claw taps gently on the yellow optic before other fingers grasp the sides of his 'face' and the same claw begins to press down on the glass slowly, yet firmly. "Would be a shame if you lost it and missed what I'm about to do to you, eheheh.." Lips curl to show predatorial teeth as a wicked grin splits her face, pressing harder to make a small crack begin to splinter across the glass.

Whirl is shocked, JUST SHOCKED, that he managed to miss something that is /at least/ twice his size. He's a pretty good shot though, despite his one-optic handicap, so clearly it wasn't a matter of his own skills but a matter of this beast just being really agile and fast. Yes, that's all it was. There's not even any time for him to rear back and make for another strike before the beast is quite literally right on top of him, teeth flashing before his optic, the hot 'breath' flowing over whatever counts as his face. It's acually quite terrifying. Then she transforms and it's still pretty terrifying but it's also kind of.. uhm, well, Whirl is just a little turned on. He can't help it, there's a big sexy femme straddling him at the moment, it's kind of a natural reaction to have. Right? RIGHT?

The cyclops can only let out a grunt when his throat is grasped in the beastly femme's claws, then a gasp as she trails a claw along his helm. "Sorry.." he chokes out sarcastically. "The Senate got to me first. You'll just have to settle for a blank stare." Unfortunately the blank stare might not be an option since Chimera starts pressing on his optic, threatening to crush it completely. Things have suddenly gotten extremely terrifying again, the mech feeling panic welling up inside of him at the thought of losing his eyesight again. Oh, and his life, but really that's not so bad compared to having to go through a miserable life blind as all hell.

"W-wait! Wait!" Whirl begins to flail, slamming and pushing his claws against Chimera in a futile attempt to dislodge her. "Maybe we can work something out?? I mean, haha, LOOK AT ME! I don't look very tasty, right?" A pathetic little whimper leaves his vocalizer as she presses harder against his optic, his sight becoming blurred as cracks spread across it.

Yes, struggle! Fight to survive, Whirl! The harder Chimera presses, feeling his optic glass give way, the more crazed her expression gets and her excitement rises as she trips out on macabre power. She endures his resistance, tightening her grip on his neck and threatening to crush his vocals, but she loosens up some when he nearly begs for an alternative.

"Oh?" Claw removes itself from his optic, sparing his sight for now. "And how do you think we'd do that, hm? Flavor or not, I'm not too picky, so what could you possibly offer to keep your life?" Maddened expression smoothes back down into a more tamed, amused smirk while idly tapping claws along the side of his head. "Better hurry, it's almost time for dinner."

Whirl struggles against the femme with everything he has but the most he is able to do is blemish her armor with the scraping of his claws. That hand around his throat tightens and his resistance increases but not for long as Chimera offers him a momentn of respite from the pain. It seems both his vocalizers and optic have been spared. For now. But what can he actually offer her to keep his life? He didn't think that far ahead, it was just something he blurted out in desperation.

"Uhhh.." Fingers tap against his head, counting down the time like a ticking clock. His mind races, what would someone like this beast possibly want? "Uhh.. OH! What about weapons? Do you like guns? I could get you guns!" What else? "Are you into drugs? I can get those for you too. Any kind you want, I can get it! Just tell me what you want, I'll get it for you!"

Chimera just fixes him with a bored stare now as he rattles off pathetic things to bargain with. "Running out of time, little mech." Tick of her claws continues, measuring the remainder of his life with each stroke against his helm. "Do I really look like I'd want any of that? No, what I want is.. Hm. How about a little information? You don't look as stupid as the others infesting this planet, so tell me.."

Pinching the sides of his face, Chim turns his head to look at the city of Harmonex in the distance. "Tell me about that city over there.. It's been making me wrestless. Like it needs to be destroyed.."

Whirl didn't think she was going to go for any of that. Why would she need guns? She can shoot lightening out of her body! And drugs? Only pathetic losers like him mess with those kinds of things. They were really the only things he could think of though; he's not exactly the most well connected mech on the planet. There's a whine of of creaking metal when Chimera pinches his face and forces him to look towards the city, now demanding information.

"That's Harmonex, I think. It's one of those hoity-toity types of places you know? Filled with snobs and artsy folks." Now that he thinks about it, Blast Off might actually enjoy that place. "I don't really know what else to tell you about it. I'm not an expert on tourism."

"Harmonex.." Chimera repeats the word lowly to herself, expression pensive while staring at the city. It's a good few, agonizingly slow moments before she breaks from her trance and looks back to him, smirking. "I suppose that's all you can give me, is it? Hm.. It will have to do. You're such an oddity that I'd like to keep you alive a bit longer. Maybe pay you a visit sometime and we can continue, yes?"

This is where she'd get off of him and let him flee. But this is Chimera we're talking about. Releasing Whirl's neck, she braces one on his shoulder while the other grabs his upper arm near the joint and gives it a sickening twist to dislocate it. "I won't let you leave without offering a snack, though." Cackling wickedly, the femme twists even further, wrecking the internal connections, and pulls to fully sever his entire right arm that she now stands with. "Now get the frag out of here before I change my mind. And never come back."

Whirl feels increasingly uncomfortable since all he can do is lay there and hope Chimera doesn't decide to just rip his head off. He's not sure why she's so interested in Harmonex or why she feels the need to destroy it (other than being a crazy monster of course) and he has absolutely no desire to find out why. Ignorance is bliss, isn't it? "Pay me a visit?" Oh.. Oh Primus no, Whirl really doesn't think he could deal with being stalked by some kind of primal beast that lusts for his dismemberment.

There's a sigh of relief when Chimera releases her hold on his throat and pulls away, Whirl hoping this is the end of this encounter. he is so so wrong though and he realizes this quickly; his arm now clutched tight in Chimera's hand, twisting it sharply in it's joint socket. There's a loud CRACK when this happens, followed by a yell of anguish from the mech. He can feel the connections breaking and wires straining as they are twisted tight inside the joint itself, and then the slickness of energon as multiple fuel lines are severed in the process. His sensors are flooded with pain and his vision blurrs slightly but the image of Chimera holding his severed arm and the feeling of energon dripping onto his 'face' from the stolen limb head above him are things that will forever be burned into his memory.

And with that extremely disturbing event to end on, Whirl manages to get his slag together and transform, though there are noticable chunks of his alterate mode missing thanks to his injuries. He lifts up into the sky and takes off, no doubt to just land somewhere safer and bleed out in an alleyway. Or maybe he'll go to the Decagon and get some help since he can do that now. MAYBE.