(no subject)

[sparkeater]

[There's something in the vents.

Waiting.


Watching.


Hungry.]

Comments

[deathlyhugs]

[........why does he get the feeling he's being watched.

TAILGATE ARE YOU HIDING UNDER THE BERTH AGAIN GOD IF YOU JUST STAYED OUT OF HIS WAY HE WOULDN'T GRUMP AT YOU SO MUCH]

Sparkeater! Cool.

[no_catsuit_thanks]

[Did Marissa just hear something? She draws her null ray blaster in any case. Every ship has its own quirks, still, one can't be too careful.]

[sparkeater]

[Strange spark.

Somehow old and new at the same time.

Curious. Hungry. Tired of turbofoxes.

There's a rattling in the vents above and a horrible tearing sound as claws begin to poke through the twisted metal.]

omg Marrisa- equally as cool

[sparkeater]

[Stalking stalking stalking.

Noises below.

No sparks. Hungry. Curious.

There's a sliding sound and the thunk of heavy feet in the darkness behind Marissa. The glow of mismatched optics float above a body shrouded in shadow.]

[energy_tanked]

[When it's your job to go alone into creepy vessels and planets, you know that it's not a matter of if there's something there, but what.
She's scanning whatever she can find to try and answer that question.]

[sparkeater]

[Searching. Lots of energy. Sparks?

Unsure. Hungry.

Something slides out of the vents, long and thin, creeping along the floor until it reaches Samus's leg, attempting to coil around the ankle.]

\o/

[no_catsuit_thanks]

[Marissa spins around at the sounds, blaster in hand, but not raised to aim. She can't quite make out what or who is there, but it might be Cybertronian.]

Usually when one is moving through ventilation ducts, it's because they're not supposed to be there! State your purpose. [She got a firm authoritative tone, and an accent that corresponds to no one region of Earth, like one who traveled as a child, or grew-up in the melting pot of a space station or moon base.]

[energy_tanked]

[Scanning...
Logbook updated.
Morphology : Turbofox
Simple-minded animal-like mechanoids.
This one has been rendered offline through unknown means.
Further information-

Samus breaks off the scan at the sensation of resistance around her leg. There's a slight moment of disorientation as her combat visor reloads...]

HER ACCENT KILLS ME

[sparkeater]

[Noises. Talking? Small creature. Not a turbofox. No spark.

There's a rumbling noise as the creature shuffles closer, long neck bending as it leans down for a closer look. A long, thin appendage uncoils from its body, tentatively snaking towards her. The tentacle brushes against her arm gently.]

[sparkeater]

[The tentacles tightens, yanking the unlucky suited human upward towards the ceiling. It pulls her up through a big gouge in the metal and drags her a little way through the dark vent. Two glowing, mismatched eyes peer at her from the shadows.]

[energy_tanked]

...!

[The yank wpards is hardly smooth, with the bounty hunter spinning and bouncing off the edge of the hole. Shield alarms flash in her HUD as the room flips and then everything goes dark]

The ceiling. It's always the ceiling. [She mutters to herself, centering her cannon arm on the glowing eyes. As the charge builds, the vent starts to fill with a dim, orange light]

[sparkeater]

[More energy?

So much!

Big ball of energy.

...Spark?!

The vents shake as the creature charges Samus, intent on closing its jaw around the sphere of energy forming in front of her gun.]

[energy_tanked]

[Samus whistles softly as the flicking light reveals... some hacked-together vaguely humanoid looking mech.

One that, in typical fashion really, starts charging.]

Wait for it, waaaait for iiit...

He's nearly on top of her when, in a smooth, practiced motion, she releases the shot down his throat, using the kick of the fired shot to bend backwards.]

[sparkeater]

[Gulp!

The sparkeater stumbles backwards, it's transparent stomach tank suddenly a brightly glowing inferno. Normally, it would be able to handle all of the energy- as much as it is- but there are tiny turbofox sparks in there and they react badly to the sudden influx of power.

There's a horrible screech as mini explosions rock the creature's insides, forcing it to crumple to the ground and writhe pathetically.

Talk about bad indigestion.]

It's Sue Blu trying not to sound like Arcee

[no_catsuit_thanks]

[Could it be it doesn't understand her? But Marissa doesn't give it another second's thought- It has tentacles, and too often that's shown to mean Quintesson! She hops backward and raises her blaster.]

Halt right there! I am a Captain of Earth Defense Command. We don't take kindly to Quintesson plots!

[nobirds]

[ Don't think she doesn't know you're up there, mister. Those air vents are now monitored after our last little accident. ]

If you so much as think about it, I will have you disassembled.

[sparkeater]

[Strange place. Lots of tiny mechanical things that shoot.

Talking noises. No sparks. So hungry.

The creature climbs down from the vent carefully, optics focusing on the smaller thing. Tentacles shoot forward, aiming to grab both wrists.]

[sweet_riiiiims]

[Huh...sounded like something was moving. Must be Soundwave. Knockout shrugs and moves on.]

its amazing

[sparkeater]

[So many talking sounds. Too hungry. Need sparks.

The sparkeater makes a pitiful whining noise, tentacles wriggling on the ground like snakes in pain. It cannot communicate it's desire and it's frustration is apparent in its body language.]

[sparkeater]

[Shiny spark. Well taken care of. Delicious.

The scraping noises up above continue until they come to a junction in the vent. The metal shakes violently as if being punched from within by a heavy hand. The shaft breaks and tumbles downward, accompanied by the creature, which lands in front of Knockout, its jaws gaping wide.]

1/2

[sweet_riiiiims]

[Good Primus, that thing looked way too fucked-up to be a Cybertonian.]

2/2

[sweet_riiiiims]

[But he isn't some helpless Steve. The medic pulls out his medical kit aka an energon staff. Flip. Flip. You wanna go pretty boy?]

Sorry, didn't you hear? You need to schedule first. Come back another time.

[Making the first move, the mech swings his staff at the creature.]

SOME HELPLESS STEVE I AM DYING

[sparkeater]

[Energy! So much...

Wrong kind. Not spark. Spark still in chest.


There glow of the staff captivates the sparkeater for a moment, its HUD flooded with energy readings. But it seems to recover quickly, zeroing in on Knockout's chest once again. Dancing out of the way of the first swing, it expels its tentacles, aiming to grab the dangerous weapon.]

STEVES ARE THE TF MARY SUES FACT

[sweet_riiiiims]

[In for the lunge--the tentacles are new. If he had a nickle he was screwed by a tentacle...well, it wouldn't be much. But it's enough that it happened twice.

Keeping his grip on the staff, Knockout tugs, seeking to free it.]

[energy_tanked]

[Twisting backflip succeeds, and she lands with cannon at the ready a couple of feet down the vent.

But it might not be necessary. The thing - whatever it is - seems at least temporarily stunned.
Samus flips to her scan visor again. Might as well see what she's dealing with here.]

Scanning...
Creature Logbook updated.
Morphology : Sparkeater
Rare alien mechanoid energy predator. Unable to determine origin or biology. This individual currently registering repeated internal energy spikes.

[Oh no, it's not going to explode, is it? She tenses.]
I really hope you know how to vent excess power.

[sparkeater]

[Eeeeeee! No! Bad spark! Bad! Pain! Too much!


It can fix this, but unfortunately, the only way for the energy to go is back up it's throat. The sparkeater's jaws gape wide as it essentially hacks up the excess power, expelling a giant flaming ball of plasma in Samus's direction.]

SCREWED BY TENTACLES EH?

[sparkeater]

[HUNGRY!

The tentacles yank back, trying to pry the weapon out of Knockout's hands. The two that aren't occupied with that are headed straight for the medic's ankles.]

This post is amazing

[no_catsuit_thanks]

[Marissa doesn't really know what it's doing, exactly, but it seems bothered. An Allicon's got more processing power than this thing, she thinks to herself.]

Listen, I don't know what you want, but you're not authorized to be here.

[Her eyes dart to either side, looking for obstacles or tools she can use.]

EDC Protocol is to escort you to the brig. I'm placing you under arrest. Understand?

[nobirds]

[ Oh, they catch them, but not without her shooting back a cable & a nonchalant look of her own. The cable's got it's own little metal claw at the end, and it aims for anything it can get it's rubber stoppers on. ]

You asked for it.

ASK SOUNDWAVE

[sweet_riiiiims]

[Augh, scrap. He's got his ankles. The medic still yanks, but now he's going for another approach.

Hello, tentacles, have you met buzzsaw?]

[awesomeintheory]

Hey now, I'm the only one who's supposed to be crawling through air ducts.

…You're not looking for Eyebrows again, are you? Because I'm pretty sure he's not interested.

;-; <3 you're too kind

[sparkeater]

[Food. Food. Food!

Must find. Or sleep will come. Long sleep.

The sparkeater begins to shuffle forward, two tentacles reaching out to try and lift Marissa and place her behind it.]

[sparkeater]

[?! Mine?

Same. But not mine.

The creature plucks curiously at the cable now stuck to it's chest. It's still holding onto her wrists, but for the moment it's too preoccupied with the new thing to do anything more.]

I'M TOO AFRAID

[sparkeater]

[Spark spark spark spark-

Pain! No!

The sparkeater shrieks as one tentacle is severed, flailing the other still wrapped around KO's ankle in retaliation.]

[sparkeater]

[Familiar spark. Took bright spark away.

GIVE IT BACK!

Thin lines of green drool slide down the creature's jaw as it wriggles in the vent, pulling itself towards Skids with claws that gouge furrows in the metal.]

[nobirds]

We've reached a stalemate.

Now will you let go of me.

[ It's more of a toneless demand than a request. ]

I AM THE LATEST hi

[deathlyhugs]

[...that's not coming from under the berth. Cyclonus immediately whirls around, claws out and ready.]

What in the...?

HELLO SIR

[sparkeater]

[FEED!

Have a Sparkeater jumping at your face, Cyclonus.]

GOOD DAY SIR

[deathlyhugs]

[PRIMUS-!

he spins to the side, raking with his claws as he does - more out of instinct than anything else. it doesn't process immediately what the hell just attacked him, but when it does-]

Frak-!