12-01-2017, 03:33 AM
Somehow, the situation seemed to only get worse. They were all certain that Psych had been dealt a fatal blow, ending the battle for good, when he had been decapitated. The expectation would have been reasonable. Than again, hardly anything about the Omniverse was reasonable by any traditional standpoint. It would have been nice to rely on even basic things, such as loss of critical parts downing their enemy, but Celestia supposed they would just have to adapt.
The primes may have been stunned, but Psych wasted no time. He splayed his new tentacles upwards and outwards, tearing out chunks of the ceiling and flinging them toward the primes. Though the 'doctor's current limbs lacked the dexterity for accurate throwing, the debris was large enough that even a vaguely aimed throw could still seriously hurt. The primes scattered, to avoid leaving an easy target.
As she kept moving, taking the occasional pot-shot to keep their enemy looking multiple directions, Celestia had to wonder at the shift in attitudes. While not particularly stable before, Psych had seemed clever in his own way, and demonstrated a purpose to his actions. Why would he suddenly become so haphazard?
The answer came to her when she was nearly hit by a bit of flying debris, putting up a shield at the last second. The shield shattered after the impact, but Celestia was already on the move. However, that piece hadn't come from ahead, but from above. She looked up. A chunk of the ceiling was missing, and cracks were spreading from that point and others.
Psych took notice, and having caught her pausing to observe, landed a bright red beam into her chest. Celestia was sent tumbling to the floor. “FOOLISH, LOOKING AWAY FROM ME,” the 'doctor' boomed. As she struggled to stand to her feet, another tendril hummed and glowed, preparing a followup shot-
Two shots rang out from Ash's shotgun. The tendril was batted to the side, and the follow up beam went wide.
As Psych turned to face Ash, Revan ran in and helped Celestia struggle to her hooves. “Are you alright?” he asked, as he pulled her to the other side of the room.
Celestia was fading. The various cumulative tolls of the battle and the journey to get there were weighing on her. She could still fight however, and so she would until the battle was over, one way or the other.
She didn't have time to give Revan a full update however. Even before she was fully upright, she cried out, “The ceiling!” She gave her allies a moment to look, they wouldn't have more than that with the mollusk after them anyways. It was quicker than trying to put it into words. “We have to get out before he brings it down on top of us!”
Celestia started to move, but Revan held fast. “We're not the only ones here,” he said simply. It was enough. Celestia looked the way they had come into the room, knowing exactly who he was talking about. “We can't just leave them behind!”
Celestia's lips formed a thin line. She never wanted to leave anyone behind, but she had to consider the realities of the situation. They were a small team, smaller still after everyone they'd lost getting here. Their goal was the strategic removal of a threat, which should save many more lives in the long run, and they had neither the time nor the material needed to ensure the current victims escaped. She had reluctantly but willingly set aside the fate of the captives, knowing there were others that needed them as well.
And yet, now that she faced with the decision head on, she couldn't bring herself to say 'no'. It would be difficult, and it might put the mission at risk, but the victims deserved the chance. “Okay, get as many out as you can, Ash and I will cover you. You'll need to find a way to carry the ones who can't walk.” She didn't wait for a reply, even something that small would take time that they probably could not afford.
Ash had been doing an admirable job of fending off Psych's attacks, but this was not a foe to be fought on one's own. Celestia rejoined the fight, announcing her presence with a ray of heat impacting the 'doctor's rear hull. The damage to his shell would be limited, but it would signal that a threat had emerged behind him. He curled a few tentacles around, firing a pair of beams in response, but his target was still moving.
“Ash!” she called out. “We need to keep his attention-”
Psych interrupted. “WELL, IF YOU WANT IT SO BADLY...” He spun, tentacles flailed through the air, gouging out trenches in the ceiling before slamming down on either side of Celestia. This time, she knew where the true attack would come from, and raised a shield in preparation, but the force of impact from the falling chunks of ceiling still knocked her into the wall.
The preparation had kept her upright however, and she noticed that Psych's efforts had more than just remove pieces of the ceiling, they created a hole. There was a chamber above the current one. Celestia charged forward, but instead of attacking her foe directly, she lept upwards, using the fallen debris as stepping stones. Her wings might not let her fly in this plane, but they could still guide her jumps. She fled into the upper chamber, and thus away from the trapped victims, in the hopes that Psych would follow after her. She fired another beam at him, to try to ensure that this would happen.
The primes may have been stunned, but Psych wasted no time. He splayed his new tentacles upwards and outwards, tearing out chunks of the ceiling and flinging them toward the primes. Though the 'doctor's current limbs lacked the dexterity for accurate throwing, the debris was large enough that even a vaguely aimed throw could still seriously hurt. The primes scattered, to avoid leaving an easy target.
As she kept moving, taking the occasional pot-shot to keep their enemy looking multiple directions, Celestia had to wonder at the shift in attitudes. While not particularly stable before, Psych had seemed clever in his own way, and demonstrated a purpose to his actions. Why would he suddenly become so haphazard?
The answer came to her when she was nearly hit by a bit of flying debris, putting up a shield at the last second. The shield shattered after the impact, but Celestia was already on the move. However, that piece hadn't come from ahead, but from above. She looked up. A chunk of the ceiling was missing, and cracks were spreading from that point and others.
Psych took notice, and having caught her pausing to observe, landed a bright red beam into her chest. Celestia was sent tumbling to the floor. “FOOLISH, LOOKING AWAY FROM ME,” the 'doctor' boomed. As she struggled to stand to her feet, another tendril hummed and glowed, preparing a followup shot-
Two shots rang out from Ash's shotgun. The tendril was batted to the side, and the follow up beam went wide.
As Psych turned to face Ash, Revan ran in and helped Celestia struggle to her hooves. “Are you alright?” he asked, as he pulled her to the other side of the room.
Celestia was fading. The various cumulative tolls of the battle and the journey to get there were weighing on her. She could still fight however, and so she would until the battle was over, one way or the other.
She didn't have time to give Revan a full update however. Even before she was fully upright, she cried out, “The ceiling!” She gave her allies a moment to look, they wouldn't have more than that with the mollusk after them anyways. It was quicker than trying to put it into words. “We have to get out before he brings it down on top of us!”
Celestia started to move, but Revan held fast. “We're not the only ones here,” he said simply. It was enough. Celestia looked the way they had come into the room, knowing exactly who he was talking about. “We can't just leave them behind!”
Celestia's lips formed a thin line. She never wanted to leave anyone behind, but she had to consider the realities of the situation. They were a small team, smaller still after everyone they'd lost getting here. Their goal was the strategic removal of a threat, which should save many more lives in the long run, and they had neither the time nor the material needed to ensure the current victims escaped. She had reluctantly but willingly set aside the fate of the captives, knowing there were others that needed them as well.
And yet, now that she faced with the decision head on, she couldn't bring herself to say 'no'. It would be difficult, and it might put the mission at risk, but the victims deserved the chance. “Okay, get as many out as you can, Ash and I will cover you. You'll need to find a way to carry the ones who can't walk.” She didn't wait for a reply, even something that small would take time that they probably could not afford.
Ash had been doing an admirable job of fending off Psych's attacks, but this was not a foe to be fought on one's own. Celestia rejoined the fight, announcing her presence with a ray of heat impacting the 'doctor's rear hull. The damage to his shell would be limited, but it would signal that a threat had emerged behind him. He curled a few tentacles around, firing a pair of beams in response, but his target was still moving.
“Ash!” she called out. “We need to keep his attention-”
Psych interrupted. “WELL, IF YOU WANT IT SO BADLY...” He spun, tentacles flailed through the air, gouging out trenches in the ceiling before slamming down on either side of Celestia. This time, she knew where the true attack would come from, and raised a shield in preparation, but the force of impact from the falling chunks of ceiling still knocked her into the wall.
The preparation had kept her upright however, and she noticed that Psych's efforts had more than just remove pieces of the ceiling, they created a hole. There was a chamber above the current one. Celestia charged forward, but instead of attacking her foe directly, she lept upwards, using the fallen debris as stepping stones. Her wings might not let her fly in this plane, but they could still guide her jumps. She fled into the upper chamber, and thus away from the trapped victims, in the hopes that Psych would follow after her. She fired another beam at him, to try to ensure that this would happen.