Cyc: *looks down at Inferno*
:Inferno: *blinks up at him*
Cyc: Still want to fight me?
Inferno: *looks thoughtfully up at Cyc* Do you want me to?
Cyc: *shrugs* It's been awhile. Though if you just wanted to submit, I would not object.
Inferno: I refuse to submit to you until you give me a good reason to. *smiles sweetly*
Cyc: I will take that as a 'yes'. *small, pleased, smile*
Inferno: Whatever, you impotent ignoramus.
Cyc: Insults, now? Very well, then. *kicks him*
Inferno: *tumbles over* Hey-! That was uncalled for!
Cyc: And here I thought it was exactly what was called for.
Inferno: >:C *gets up and kicks Cyc back*
Cyc: *does not find this particularly impressive, considering* *makes a grab for him, attempting to get him to more of a reasonable height*
Inferno: *ducks between Cyc's legs*
Cyc: *kicks, then grabs*
Inferno: *yelps, fuming as he claws at Cyc's hand and thrashes around*
Cyc: *goes for the antennae, hey, it always works on him*
Inferno: *gasps, his optics going wide* *latches onto Cyc's hand, his feet kicking helplessly in the air*
Cyc: *squeezes and twists a little harder, but not too hard, no need to snap them off...*
Inferno: *grits his teeth and reflexively tilts his head, trying to relieve the pressure on his antenna*
Cyc: *pulls Inferno up and bites lightly at his neck*
Inferno: *groans and kicks out again, his optics flickering*
Cyc: *keeps biting* *moves his hand down to roughly grab the...wings? whatever they were on Inferno's aft*
Inferno: *shouts, trying much harder to kick Cyc's hand away* Hey! Do not touch that!
Cyc: *removes his hand* *also removes his mouth and looks at him, not...asking, exactly, but certainly giving him a chance to express himself*
Inferno: *scowls* Just what do you think you are doing, fondling my rotors like that?
Cyc: They seemed likely to be sensitive.
Inferno: I thought we were fighting!
Cyc: *nods* Then we will fight. Shall I release you?
Inferno: *scowls up at Cyc, then looks down and digs his teeth into his hand*
Cyc: *punches Inferno in the chest*
Inferno: Hurk-! *reaches for his flamethrower and sets it to blaster mode, then shoots at Cyc's face*
Cyc: *staggers back, dropping Inferno* *pulls out his own gun, since they're now on weapons, but it's going to take a few more seconds for his optics to reboot*
Inferno: *stashes the weapon away and darts betweens Cyc's legs while he's blinded. He leaps up and grabs his waist, crawling up the larger mech's back*
Cyc: *on the plus side, he now knows where Inferno is. On the minus side, he's going to be hard to reach* *he can, however, reach his hand back and angle his gun correctly to shoot at him with limited risk of hitting his own back*
Inferno: *scrambles up farther, doing his best to be difficult to hit. He climbs all the way up to Cyc's shoulders and reaches up, yanking down hard on one of his antenna*
Cyc: *...Cyclonus really hasn't been getting enough lately, because his brain immediately processed that as pleasure* *but Inferno suddenly got a lot easier to reach, and he grabs him and pulls him up and off his shoulder*
Inferno: *roars as he's pulled away, kicking out at Cyc's face*
Cyc: *pulls Inferno away from his face and squeezes*
Inferno: Ah-! *throws his head back and grabs Cyc's hand, digging his fingertips in as hard as he can*
Cyc: *uses other hand to pull bits of plating off of Inferno's chest*
Inferno: *screeches and reaches for the armor bits, trying to snatch them back*
Cyc: *...gives Inferno a concerned look and loosens his grip slightly, as this was not the reaction he was going for*
Inferno: *thrashes and squirms to free himself, one arm protectively wrapped around his chest*
Cyc: What is wrong?
Inferno: What, are you daft?! If you damage my spark-!
Cyc: I'd no intention of doing any such thing, Inferno. Is it really so lightly protected?
Inferno: My outer hull is tempered and can withstand nearly anything, but if you remove that... I am not as heavily armored underneath.
Cyc: Unfortunate. *hands him back the pieces*
Inferno: *latches onto them and begins reattaching his chestplate* My CPU is also stored there, and that is the head of my beast mode, and even more, it is not... proper... to bare one's spark to just anyone!
Cyc: I will keep that in mind.
Inferno: *bows his head, feeling shame creep through his processor* I am sorry...
Cyc: *looks him over* Why?
Inferno: You are... disappointed with me...?
Cyc: *opticbrow raise* You do seem to have an anatomical deficiency, but that is not your fault.
Inferno: Do forgive me, but I was not intended to engage enemies four times my own size. I have never had to... worry about my chestplate being removed like that, before.
Cyc: Most mechs here are closer to my size than yours, Inferno. You should start worrying about it.
Inferno: What would you suggest I do about it?
Cyc: About your chestplates, I can't tell you; you could talk to Scorponok about getting them reinforced. About the mechs four times your size...I would suggest not letting them get to the point where they can start stripping you.
Inferno: *dryly* Believe me, I had no intention of letting you get to this point.
Cyc: *lets go of Inferno* Try again. Maybe this time you'll succeed.
Inferno: *ignites his thruster before he hits the ground, hovering in place* Are there rules to this fight, or am I allowed to cause as much damage as possible?
Cyc: Don't burn down any buildings, or anything else that's going to cause an incident with someone in the Nexus. No damage to either of us that's likely to be permanent, given the circumstances we're in. Otherwise, you may attack me as you like.
Inferno: *slowly lowers himself to the ground, optics roaming over Cyc's body. As soon as his feet touch the ground, he drops into a crouch* I am ready.
Cyc: *looks all the way down and crouches as well* As am I.
Inferno: *circles Cyc slowly, keeping close to the ground*
Cyc: *slowly turns around, keeping an eye on Inferno*
Inferno: *growls, baring his teeth*
Cyc: *slight smile*
Inferno: *snaps his teeth at Cyc and lets out an earsplitting shriek, charging at the larger mech*
Cyc: *aims a kick at him*
Inferno: *ignites his thruster, throwing himself to the side. Cyc's foot clips him as it goes flying past and sends him skidding across the ground*
Cyc: *steps slightly in Inferno's direction and kicks again*
Inferno: *catches the ground with his hands, bringing himself to a halt. He ducks beneath the kick, then skitters forward, moving over the ground like an insect*
Cyc: *pulls out his gun, shoots lasers at him*
Inferno: *hisses as a blast hits the ground by his hand and leaps forward, diving for Cyc's foot*
Cyc: *brings foot out to meet Inferno, hard*
Inferno: *goes flying backwards, skidding to a halt several feet away*
Cyc: *leans down and makes a grab for him*
Inferno: *returns to beast mode and tunnels underground*
Cyc: *...* *shoots lasers down hole
Inferno: *lets out a pained, indignant shriek as he gets shot in the aft, but doesn't stop tunneling. He does, however, curve the tunnel so that he's heading towards Cyc's backside*
Cyc: *realizes that tunnel has curved, stands up and waits for Inferno to come out*
Inferno: *pauses as the ground shakes beneath Cyc's fat aft*
Cyc: *stamps at ground in vicinity of hole*
Inferno: *splutters, the tunnel starting to crumble behind him*
Cyc: *notices that ground is starting to collapse in a certain direction, continues along it*
Inferno: *has no time to splutter, only to tunnel quickly and hope he doesn't get smushed!*
Cyc: *working on the smushing thing, although he vaguely worries about what'd happen if he succeeds, so he's not working all that hard*
Inferno: *tunnels in circles hoping to throw Cyc off or at least make him dizzy*
Cyc: *follows Inferno patiently*
Inferno: *is really getting sort of tired of this, but there's no way to get above ground safely. But there are buildings nearby.... starts tunneling towards the nearest random gray building*
Cyc: *...and they're heading for the medbay* *comms Inferno* No damaging the building.
Inferno: // I had no intention of it, Cyclonus, I assure you. // *doesn't stop tunneling though!*
Cyc: *doesn't stop following* //Good to know.//
Inferno: *is hoping Cyc is paying slightly more attention to him than the wall he's trying to run him into*
Cyc: *isn't actually quite that stupid, unfortunately* *stops before hitting the wall, and tests ground to left and right*
nferno: *hadn't thought so, but it was worth a shot anyway**backtracks down the tunnel a bit and emerges from the ground near Cyc's feet*
Cyc: *this has the advantage of putting Inferno behind Cyc* *he notices and turns around as soon as he can*
Inferno: *tries leaping on Cyc's foot again, his pincers spread wide*
Cyc: *he makes it up there* *Cyc lifts his foot awkwardly and attempts to get at Inferno with his hand while he's attached*
Inferno: *stuffs his face into the gap between Cyc's foot and his leg, blindly severing cables with his pincers*
Cyc: *in pain, and he's not going to be able to move his foot quite as well after this, but he grabs Inferno by the thorax and pulls hard* t
Inferno: *tries to get one last pincerful of cabling before he's yanked out* Inferno, Terrorize! *transforms, hoping the sudden shift will make Cyc drop him*
Cyc: *suddenly the bits of Inferno that Cyc was holding onto aren't quite where they used to be* *manages to keep a grip, dangling Inferno by one of his legs*
Inferno: *dangles upside in Cyc's grip* ......Well. This is dignified.
Cyc: So, how are you going to get yourself out before I tear off your chestplates?
Inferno: *grins wickedly and pulls out his flamethrower, sending a rather large burst of fire towards Cyc*
Cyc: *is rather excellently heat-shielded, especially since Inferno wasn't in a position to hit his faceplates* *it's still annoying at best, and he reaches through the fire to knock the flamethrower out of his hand*
Inferno: *watches his flamethrower go spinning off* Hmm... that may be a problem.
Cyc: ...yes, that might. *flamethrower is still on* *walks over to try to pick it up and try to turn it *off* before it burns anything important down*
Inferno: No, no. You have to squeeze the trigger. Your thick fingers will never get it off
Cyc: Sure they won't. *aims it just barely below Inferno's head* Now how does it turn off?
Inferno: *huffs* I told you, you have squeeze the trigger. There's a little locking mechanism on the underside that springs up when you pull it back, and to release it, you pull back again.
Cyc: *doubtful look* *attempts this*
Inferno: *as the flamethrower clicks off* See?
Cyc: Thank you. *drops flamethrower* Now, for the chestplates. *reaches over to touch them, although he's not actually going to tear at them*
Inferno: *wraps his arms around his chest protectively, glowering at Cyc*
Cyc: Do you yield, or is there something else you would want to try?
Inferno: *dangles there a moment, then huffs and leans up, hauling himself onto Cyc's hand* I told you. I will never submit to you until you give me reason to.
Cyc: Mmm. And not having your spark torn out is not a reason. What reason would you like, then? *shifts grip to hold him more firmly, other hand moving to Inferno's chest*
Inferno: *barely suppresses a shudder* It is a perfectly good reason. *tilts his head back so he can look at Cyc optic to optic* But I do not think you would go through with the threat.
Cyc: It is true that I would much prefer you alive. Do you prefer to submit to those who would rather have you dead?
Inferno: Dead at their hands? No. It is not prudent to destroy your own forces, limited as they are, not even to make a point.
Cyc: No, it is not. So, Inferno, short of killing you: what reason do you want?
Inferno: I am not sure, now.
Cyc: What reason do you have not to? *touches Inferno's chestplate, gently, between the eyes*
Inferno: *arches his back, curving his chest away from the touch* None, but a general feeling that I must rebel. Perhaps it is the novelty of having the choice to say no.
Cyc: *stops trying to touch him, for the moment* It is most definitely your choice, Inferno.
Inferno: Would you find me as entertaining if I was easy?
Cyc: *considering look* If you're looking for someone who finds endless treachery and disobedience entertaining, you have the wrong commander. I want you because if I get you, it will be worth something. That it is difficult...yes, it does pass the time.
Inferno: *shakes his head* If you gave me an order that mattered, I would not resist you. For trivial tasks, perhaps I will need... persuading. *rubs his head against Cyc's hand, letting out a soft sigh as it stimulates his antenna*
Cyc: I am not averse to...persuasion, occasionally. As long as it does not interfere with important business.
Inferno: It will not.
Cyc: Then you may have it. If I may have you.
Inferno: I am yours to command.
Cyc: I am honored. *releases his grip* You may return to the ground, if you wish.
Inferno: *drops gracefully to the ground, landing heavily on his feet. He turns to look up at Cyc*
Cyc: *looks down at him, represses a brief moment of 'I was not made for this, what do I do now, where is Galvatron?'* Now. I believe you should have your own quarters *here*, for when you and Scorponok next quarrel.
Inferno: *resets his vocalizor* Ah... technically we have not... finished quarreling.
yc: *looks down at him* Ah. Well. Definitely you will need your own quarters, then. Come.
Inferno: *hurries over to pick up his flamethrower, then runs to Cyclonus' side*