Even An Iron Will Bends

[Talon]

((Note- this post is much more emotionally effective if you're listening to the refrain of www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pLkgv9W4S4 while reading this.))

As the sun set beyond the borders of the desert, a single entity cast a shadow against its light. The red glow of the descending sun, and the droid's unholy crimson eye seemed as a whole as the machine's claws hung limply at his sides. His head was slightly lowered as he stood alone along the cliff's entire length, failing to make even a single motion. His single eye stared ever blankly at the glass-like sand thousands of feet below as he mused on the last week or two.

Lora... my troops... I could not, nor can I tell you... because I have to face her alone... ... I have to face... them... my past... all of it... alone. He thought.

His fists snapped shut as his eye abruptly narrowed, and he glanced up at the setting sun, a half-orb of red that shed its angry glow across the entire area...

But... why NOW?! Things were going so well... yet now... she's come even HERE... halfway across the universe... and I damn-well know why... only one person would have the funds to sponsor such a mission for a bounty hunter... ... and that means that they'll be here soon as well... ... ... ... no... I don't ... this world... doesn't need to face their tyranny as well... but... if I don't do something about it... then... it will... ... but what am I to do...? Their resources are vastly superior... and not to mention... Rathe may still... be alive... and those like the residents here... can't even compare to him... SO HOW CAN I?!

He slowly sank to his knees, then slammed his fist into the clifftop several times, creating large, cracked holes. He ended it by throwing his head back and issuing a mechanical scream of frustration, sorrow, and anger with enough force to shake off loose dust and debris off of the nearby cliffs. The scream lasted for at least half a minute before he finally cut it off, and lowered his head, muttering,

"Heh... seems... it only works for organics... ... I think I... blew a speaker, too..."

[shdwdrgn]

Volk and Kris had been slowly making their way towards the forest. Taking as long a route as possible to keep both their bodies and minds in shape. They heard a loud mechanical scream and moved to investigate. They found the black mechanical being responsible for the issued cry and Volk recognized him. Kris stayed behind a little ways since Volk had more experience out in the rest of the world.

"Well well O'Malley fancy meeting you again, here of all places as well", Volk said in a non-confrontive manner. "Didn't expect for us to meet again like this."

"Why are we stopping Volk", Kris inquired.

"Talking with an old aquaintance Kris, don't worry it's alright", he replied.

Can't say I would expect this from O'Malley, seems really out of character for one of his discipline. Volk thought to himself.

[Talon]

In a flash, O'Malley had whirled around and leveled his Firestorm barrels with Volk's head, energy already starting to fill the tubes. He then realized who it was, then gave a derisive scoff before lowering his arm and growled back,

"Yeah, small world, huh...? And who's this with you, a girlfriend I assume?"

He nonchalantly jabbed a claw at Kris, eye narrowed disdainfully before muttering,

"Ohh, you're the one Lora helped out... using my troops... for what sounded like a rather uneventful occasion."

He shook his head and turned his back to them, seemingly oblivious of them once more as he stared back at the sunset.

"I guess it breaks the monotonty for them... so... what're you two doing out here...?" He 'sighed' aloud to the pair.

His fists were still locked shut as he awaited an answer... one he didn't really care for, considering he was already ignoring the pair of lycans.

How dare I show weakness before these damned... lower-level life forms... bah! He thought to himself.

[shdwdrgn]

"Well we were headed for the woods and decided to take the cliffs as to get a little bit more workout from it. This is Kris, she's from the Nightpeak", he replied.

"Oh so you're the one Lora kept mentioning... I hope you got my message about Neresa. Awful person she was, disgusted to have even met her", Kris said sticking out her tongue to reflect her words.

"So what brings you out here O'Malley? hope we haven't inconvenienced you at all", Volk said apollegetically. "If we have we'll get moving right along."

[Talon]

O'Malley's eye narrowed as he whirled on Kris with a backhand to her face, snarling,

"So YOU'RE the one who claims to have first contacted her! We searched that crash site, and all we found was an empty hull! The ships' onboard systems were completely wiped of data! We got your s***ty little note from that night at the Abandoned District as well! But guess what? We swept that city from head to toe, and she was NOWHERE TO BE FOUND!! Your information was completely USELESS!!"

His vents all issued a burst of heat as he shook his head, growling, then brushed past the two, muttering,

"Geh, no matter... I'm done relying on you damned organics for assistance... I can handle this on my own... ... after all, your kind were the ones who caused this problem in the first place..."

His metallic exterior literally seethed as he took the first step into the wooded area nearby. There, he paused, eye narrowing on something before he hissed back to the lycanthropes behind him,

"... if you value your lives, LEAVE. NOW."

His feet slowly shifted apart, Plasma Stake protruding into view.

[shdwdrgn]

Volk grabbed Kris and turned her away from O'Malley. She pushed him away and ran off in the opposite direction down the cliffs in absolute tears not just from the pain but also how she was treated.

Volk sighed and responded to O'Malley's words, "Very well you wish us gone and so it shall be. You have your grudges and you alone must bare them. Farewell."

With that Volk took off after Kris even though she was already out of sight he didn't want to lose her since she was on the verge of betraying the Nightpeak. Her life was in considerable danger and he felt the need to protect her like he always did when they were kids.

[Talon]

He watched the two lycans exit his view, then snapped his pupil back into place as he growled,

"You'd best show yourself, or I'll level the surrounding area to find you, bug..."

To prove his point, the plating on the top of his shoulders abruptly slid backwards, then popped upwards to reveal an array of micro-missiles, all armed and ready to fire as he locked onto the heat source. A panicked voice replied,

"W-wait! Hold on a second!"

O'Malley's grasp on what little sanity he had at the moment abruptly shattered as Lora stumbled out from the trees, arms up with a nervous look on her flushed face. O'Malley's shoulder-plates slowly slid back into place as his arms dangled at his sides, and he thought,

HOW?! HOW COULD I HAVE MADE SUCH A STUPID MISTAKE?! A simple scan would've shown me who it really was! AND YET MY FINGER WAS ON THE PROVERBIAL TRIGGER NONTHELESS! ... ... am... am I really that paranoid at the moment? To allow such a stupid slip-up happen...? ... shit... this has to stop... NOW...

Lora slowly lowered her arms, glancing off to the side as she gave the ground an uncomfortable stare, the edges of eyes brimming with moisture as O'Malley's stare bore right through her psyche.

"You were spying on me... and you didn't think I'd find you? Honestly?" He asked in a cold tone.

Lora abruptly whirled back at him, snapping in a cracked voice,

"Well I had to find out just what the hell was going on for myself, considering YOU won't tell me anything! I'M WORRIED, goddamnIT!"

Now it was O'Malley's turn to glance at the ground. He had guessed Lora's concern was growing, but he hadn't expected her to take it this far.

Although, I should have... knowing her...

As the lycan stifled a sob, she muttered,

"You've been getting more and more secretive and hostile lately, O'Malley... but I can tell there's something else. You're scared... and that scares me, because I've never seen you afraid of something... so... please... tell me what's going on... I want to help..."

O'Malley shook his head, then the two shared a moment of silence. Lora's shoulders sagged visibly as her eyes tightened slightly, knowing she wouldn't get an answer out of the droid-

"I'm sorry, Lora... I... I should've told you sooner. I never meant to frighten you like this, it's just... it's hard. I can't do this by myself, and yet I tried to anyway... but I can't bear it. I just... can't handle it anymore. Call it what you want, but I'm on the edge of what feels like a mental breakdown..." He muttered in an exceedingly low tone.

Lora blinked, looking back up at him in shock as the droid's fists clenched.

"O'Malley..." She whispered, unable to say anything else at the moment.

The droid's fists sparked again as he screamed,

"I CAN'T DO IT! I CAN ONLY MANAGE SO MUCH! I- I HATE FEELING LIKE THIS! THIS CONSTANT FEELING OF DREAD! THIS HORRID SENSE OF DOOM LOOMING OVER ME! IT'S JUST-"

He stopped as Lora slumped against him, arms slung across his unyielding sides as she choked into his chest,

"It's okay, O'Malley... none of us can take these things for... very long... but I hate seeing you so miserable! ... and... I really do want to help... that's why I came out here in the first place... I care about you, lug-nut..."

O'Malley stared at the lycan, then shook his head with an audible 'hmph'. Slowly, he placed a finger under her chin and raised her head, making her look at him through her wet eyes.

"And I'm thankful for that... I... I may be a machine, but like it or not, I do still 'feel'... and I'm feeling far too much at the moment. I'd like someone to lessen the burden for me..." he replied, brushing a tear from her cheek.

Lora smiled sadly, then threw her arms around his neck, muttering,

"Then tell me what's going on..."

The droid was about to speak, only to issue a garbled noise as his eye changed color. His back abruptly sparked and smoked and Lora's blood sloshed onto the ground as a voice muttered,

"Aww, the robot has a pet now, how cute..."

A hole had been bored through Lora's chest and O'Malley's stomach as the lycan choked in pain, both member's regenerative abilities kicking in to repair the holes. As an entity covered in dark-green armor stepped out, it muttered,

"Well, that's new... damnit, this'll be harder than expected."

O'Malley slowly pushed Lora to the side as he stepped forward, growling to her,

"RUN."

"O'Malley-"

"RUN. AS FAR AS YOU CAN, AS FAST AS YOU CAN."

Lora seemed to hesitate for a moment as the augmented bounty hunter known as Neresa smirked under her helmet, an armored fist on her hip. Lora took a step back, then slowly shifted into her Gauru form, scowling at the armored mistress before her.

"You... you're Neresa, aren't you?! YOU'VE been causing all this grief! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S BEEN F*CKING WITH O'MALLEY!" She growled, fangs bared.

Neresa, unimpressed by the change muttered,

"Yeah... and? Afraid I'm going to take your little toy? Sorry, but he and I go WAY back... long before he probably met you. We have history... heh..."

Lora howled, and began to charge forward, only to grunt and drop as something hit her hard in the back of the head, causing her to collapse onto her knees, slowly shifting out of Gauru form as she lay unconscious on the ground. O'Malley withdrew his hand as he glanced back up at Neresa, and muttered,

"Now we won't have interferance..."

"Alright then... it'd be a shame to do this if you were distracted." She replied with a smirk in her voice.

As the anthropomorphic insect's Thunder Gauntlet shifted into appearance, O'Malley's Plasma Stake jutted out. Both weapons began to hum with power as O'Malley snarled,

"Here and now, I put an end to my past... AND TO YOUR WRETCHED LIFE, INSECT!"

"COME ON, YOU MOTHERF*CKIN' SCRAP HEAP!" She hissed in response.

The two charged at one another, weapons swinging. Neresa's clawed hand abruptly tore through O'Malley's chest as the droid's stake drove through Neresa's shoulder, causing a spurt of teal-green blood to dribble out from the exit hole. Neresa growled, then brought the weapon mounted on her left forearm up to O'Malley's shoulder, rumbling,

"You've gotten sloppy..."

A wave of sonic energy abruptly tore the right arm off in a spray of shrapnel, and in a flash Neresa brought her Gauntlet up, grabbed O'Malley by the face, and proceeded to send thousands of volts throughout the droid's form, shorting out a vast array of his machinery- nanobots included, unfortunately- before a flash of silver seperated most of his upper torso from his lower in a shower of sparks. A long cord of flexible metal retracted into her armor's bracer as she kicked O'Malley's upper half over onto his face, his eye flickering as he growled,

"Not bad... for once. But I'm not done yet."

Wordlessly, she then fired off another blast of sound through the droid's chest, a surge of red, sparkling energy issuing from every open spot on the droid's body as his generator was swiftly picked apart, molecule-by-molecule, so as to ensure the droid's power was stopped. She then tore the back of his head open with the Thunder Gauntlet covering her arm, and slowly proceeded to produce a prism-shaped device, muttering,

"Like hell you're not... damn... it's almost as if you weren't... trying..."

Her eyes widened slowly as she contemplated her last portion of words, then shrugged it off as she flicked a switch on the device. One end of it blossomed open to reveal several needle-like protrusions that were swiftly stabbed into O'Malley's exposed AI CPU. The droid's last sound was a static-heavy hiss attempting to form words, but all soon went black for the droid as she muttered,

"Rathe gave me this virus specifically... you're now in an essential coma. Which is good- your voice gets REALLY irritating after a while."

The glow of the droid's eye then slowly faded into nothingness as his movement stopped completely, and Neresa wrenched the device out of his head. She slowly hefted what was left of his upper torso onto her back, where two mechanical arms bound it in place as she spouted joyously,

"Ohh, I can't believe I'm getting such a paycheck for tearing this obsolete POS apart! This may be my best mission ever..."

With that, she calmly walked off and dissapeared into the trees, leaving the remains of O'Malley's 'corpse' littered along the cliffs.

* * * * * * * *

Lora awoke a rough half-hour later, groaning as she shook her head. A recollection of past events shot into her mind, and she frantically looked up to see the black shrapnel littering the area, no trace of O'Malley or Neresa to be found... she shook with horror as she clutched at her arms, staring wide-eyed at the remains, then, overtaken by a sudden fit of despair and grief, screamed,

"... ... ... O'MALLEY!!!"

((End thread...))