Re: The Spectacular Exhibition (S3G2) [Round 1: Parallels/Perpendicularities]
04-14-2011, 01:15 AM
Originally posted on MSPA by Pick Yer Poison.
Red wasn't sure why he was saving the human. He definitely didn't care about him, and he doubted the buffoon had any information he desired. But he had already issued the challenge. There was no backing out now. Nothing to worry about. Can handle anything that tree can throw at me.
"AAAAAAAA--" WHONG. Nemaeus crashed into Red at high speed, the fur doing little to soften the brute force of the collision. Red hardly even seemed to register the impact, and had Nemaeus not moments ago developed a splitting headache he would have wondered if the lobster had even noticed. Ears still ringing, he flailed uselessly on the mech's legs until Red picked him up with one arm, lifting him as if he weighed nothing, and flung him aside into a snowdrift.
Red sighed inwardly. Knew this was a bad idea. Still, the tree had given the human up quite easily; whatever its intention in taking him had been, it had clearly had a change of heart. Heart? Bark? Root? Chlorophyll? Not important, must focus. He pointed his left arm at Crepitans just in time to get nailed by the barrage of seedpods Crepitans had fired moments before. Although they were rendered mostly harmless by his armor, they still provided a sufficient surprise, and he took a few involuntary steps back, throwing his arms up to shield himself from the nonthreatening blasts. He recovered just quickly enough to avoid a second barrage, and in response he fired a few small pods from one of his arms. They arced down to Crepitans's feet and exploded violently. Bark flew everywhere, but it was clear that Crepitans wasn't badly damaged. However, as before, he was stuck in broken ice, and Red could see he was unable to move very well. Red advanced menacingly, preparing his flamethrowers.
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The cave forgotten, Gepetto and his puppets dashed towards the newly-risen pyramid. "What do you think it could be?" Mo asked excitedly. He leaned forward on Gepetto's shoulder until he was in danger of falling off, whereupon Gepetto clapped a hand around his legs to avoid dropping him.
Within minutes the group was at the bottom of the pyramid, facing a large set of stairs. Gepetto hesitated, but Otto surged past him. "C'mon, what are you waiting for? You scared?"
"No, I--oh, forget it," Gepetto muttered, falling in line behind his brother. Jo fell in line behind Gepetto, and the four entered the ancient structure. It was cool inside, and they were all thankful for that. Gepetto ran his hand along the wall, marvelling at the the worn stone under his fingers. Who could have made this?
His reverie was cut off abruptly by a loud clunk noise from across the room. He looked up and saw Otto seated on the floor in a highly undignified manner behind a large stone lever that was apparently as easy to move as it looked like it was. Gepetto couldn't resist letting loose a snort of laughter, which Mo shared. Otto grumbled something and glared at them as he helped himself up.
"At least you didn't spring a trap or something," said Gepetto, walking over to help Otto up. "In fact, I don't see any change at all...I wonder what that lever did?"
---------------------------------
The ground shook beneath Nemaeus's feet, Red's claws, and Crepitans's roots. The fighting paused as all three contestants glanced uneasily at the snow and ice below them. As the rumbling built, all three noticed a small pyramid shape interposed between Red and Crepitans. It didn't take long for them to realize that it was growing larger by the second, and each began scrambling, scuttling, and skittering away from the growing monument. Crepitans fruitlessly attempted to pull his legs out of the broken ice with increasing franticness, until the sides of the pyramid extended out from underneath the ice and did the work for him. He calmly stepped off the pyramid as soon as he could move, landing at the bottom just as it stopped, and just in time to see Red enter the structure through a massive door on one side.
---------------------------------
Otto shrugged. "I don't think it did anything. It's probably broken." Gepetto nodded in agreement, and the group headed further down into the ancient pyramid.
Red wasn't sure why he was saving the human. He definitely didn't care about him, and he doubted the buffoon had any information he desired. But he had already issued the challenge. There was no backing out now. Nothing to worry about. Can handle anything that tree can throw at me.
"AAAAAAAA--" WHONG. Nemaeus crashed into Red at high speed, the fur doing little to soften the brute force of the collision. Red hardly even seemed to register the impact, and had Nemaeus not moments ago developed a splitting headache he would have wondered if the lobster had even noticed. Ears still ringing, he flailed uselessly on the mech's legs until Red picked him up with one arm, lifting him as if he weighed nothing, and flung him aside into a snowdrift.
Red sighed inwardly. Knew this was a bad idea. Still, the tree had given the human up quite easily; whatever its intention in taking him had been, it had clearly had a change of heart. Heart? Bark? Root? Chlorophyll? Not important, must focus. He pointed his left arm at Crepitans just in time to get nailed by the barrage of seedpods Crepitans had fired moments before. Although they were rendered mostly harmless by his armor, they still provided a sufficient surprise, and he took a few involuntary steps back, throwing his arms up to shield himself from the nonthreatening blasts. He recovered just quickly enough to avoid a second barrage, and in response he fired a few small pods from one of his arms. They arced down to Crepitans's feet and exploded violently. Bark flew everywhere, but it was clear that Crepitans wasn't badly damaged. However, as before, he was stuck in broken ice, and Red could see he was unable to move very well. Red advanced menacingly, preparing his flamethrowers.
---------------------------------
The cave forgotten, Gepetto and his puppets dashed towards the newly-risen pyramid. "What do you think it could be?" Mo asked excitedly. He leaned forward on Gepetto's shoulder until he was in danger of falling off, whereupon Gepetto clapped a hand around his legs to avoid dropping him.
Within minutes the group was at the bottom of the pyramid, facing a large set of stairs. Gepetto hesitated, but Otto surged past him. "C'mon, what are you waiting for? You scared?"
"No, I--oh, forget it," Gepetto muttered, falling in line behind his brother. Jo fell in line behind Gepetto, and the four entered the ancient structure. It was cool inside, and they were all thankful for that. Gepetto ran his hand along the wall, marvelling at the the worn stone under his fingers. Who could have made this?
His reverie was cut off abruptly by a loud clunk noise from across the room. He looked up and saw Otto seated on the floor in a highly undignified manner behind a large stone lever that was apparently as easy to move as it looked like it was. Gepetto couldn't resist letting loose a snort of laughter, which Mo shared. Otto grumbled something and glared at them as he helped himself up.
"At least you didn't spring a trap or something," said Gepetto, walking over to help Otto up. "In fact, I don't see any change at all...I wonder what that lever did?"
---------------------------------
The ground shook beneath Nemaeus's feet, Red's claws, and Crepitans's roots. The fighting paused as all three contestants glanced uneasily at the snow and ice below them. As the rumbling built, all three noticed a small pyramid shape interposed between Red and Crepitans. It didn't take long for them to realize that it was growing larger by the second, and each began scrambling, scuttling, and skittering away from the growing monument. Crepitans fruitlessly attempted to pull his legs out of the broken ice with increasing franticness, until the sides of the pyramid extended out from underneath the ice and did the work for him. He calmly stepped off the pyramid as soon as he could move, landing at the bottom just as it stopped, and just in time to see Red enter the structure through a massive door on one side.
---------------------------------
Otto shrugged. "I don't think it did anything. It's probably broken." Gepetto nodded in agreement, and the group headed further down into the ancient pyramid.
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![[Image: vcGGy.gif]](https://i.imgur.com/vcGGy.gif)