10-30-2015, 11:13 AM
Kopaka was having his own biological issues, having been contaminated by the filth that had infiltrated the seams and joints of his carapace. Normally biomechs such as he were notably resilient to infectious diseases, but the severity and speed the myriad afflictions indicated that whatever this virulence was, it was far from natural. Whereas the Courier had taken the opportunity to investigate the corroding hulks that languished at the bottom of the fetid quagmire, Kopaka had paid more attention to extricating himself from the bilious ooze. The Toa hoisted himself on to the nose of an upended metal relic, as great sheets of grey-green slime sloughed off of his otherwise pristine armor. Kopaka hunkered down and spun his shield up, creating a vile spray of gunk as it whirled up to speed. Using the Kanohi Akaku, the biomech peered through the fog that shifted laboriously over the burbling grime and watched as the Courier pried a heavy looking weapon off of the hull of one of the swamped vehicles.
A quiet moment passed between them as they stared at each other, sniffling and panting as the pervasive ick ravaged their bodies. The pain and aches were distracting, bordering on debilitating, but both combatants had adrenaline on their side. Time, however, would no doubt draw contrast between the respective longevity of their fleeting vitality. Without warning, and seemingly against all odds, the immense laser cannon began to spew a violent stream of red blaster bolts, the force of which almost knocked Kopaka off of his perch as he desperately tried to deflect the brunt of the attack with the Ice Shield. There was only so much the whistling bastion could do, however, and Kopaka let out a prolonged grunt as the fiery lances of energy ate into his limbs and armor. It was all he could manage to do to call upon the Kanohi Miru one more and rocket up back onto the metal platforms, out of the immediate line of fire.
As Kopaka landed heavily on one of the floating terraces, the biomech fell to one knee, grasping at his chest. The bullet wound was becoming increasingly aggravated the more that the Toa moved and jumped all over the place, and having acidic slime in the wound was also far from helpful. With a wheeze and a cough, Kopaka ignored the Courier for a moment and looked around for options. One of the nearby structures housed a rather large turret with dual blaster cannons, though Kopaka was loathe to consider using any weapon other than his own guile and usual tools. To use guns and other such ranged weaponry did not suit the Toa Code well. They were cowardly and engendered dispassion for those warriors which brought them to bear. Then again, Kopaka was feeling rather dispassionate about this fight already. Dealing with a choice between integrity and pragmatism was not an easy task for the Toa. While caught up in his ruminations, Kopaka was distantly aware that the Courier was firing at him again, but it was rather ineffectual, given the fact that he was protected by the thick, corrugated steel beneath him. It then dawned on the biomech that, perhaps, the female was not firing at him, but the platform itself. This question was answered when, with a monstrous gonging, the metal haven sagged down a few feet as the now super-heated bolts that had once supported it were blasted away. The Toa barely had enough time to spring outwards, away from the collapsing structure as it ripped free of its housing and slammed into the muck below with a tremendous splash.
As Kopaka hit the surface of the adjacent dais, he rolled on his side a few times before coming to a stop, sprawled out facing up. The pain was incredible, and though he usually found such agony invigorating, the underlying corruption of the pollution was too much of a drain on his fatigue. With a long groan, the biomech rolled over and woozily rose to his feet, watching as the incensed Courier climbed up the impromptu ramp she had created. She glanced at him through glinting orange goggles as he stood there panting. With a reluctant whirl, Kopaka turned on his heels and made for the nearest turret, easily hopping into the emplacement with the assistance of his mask. All pretension cast aside, Kopaka flicked on the master switch for the Empire turret and did his best to put the Courier in his fever-blurred sights...
A quiet moment passed between them as they stared at each other, sniffling and panting as the pervasive ick ravaged their bodies. The pain and aches were distracting, bordering on debilitating, but both combatants had adrenaline on their side. Time, however, would no doubt draw contrast between the respective longevity of their fleeting vitality. Without warning, and seemingly against all odds, the immense laser cannon began to spew a violent stream of red blaster bolts, the force of which almost knocked Kopaka off of his perch as he desperately tried to deflect the brunt of the attack with the Ice Shield. There was only so much the whistling bastion could do, however, and Kopaka let out a prolonged grunt as the fiery lances of energy ate into his limbs and armor. It was all he could manage to do to call upon the Kanohi Miru one more and rocket up back onto the metal platforms, out of the immediate line of fire.
As Kopaka landed heavily on one of the floating terraces, the biomech fell to one knee, grasping at his chest. The bullet wound was becoming increasingly aggravated the more that the Toa moved and jumped all over the place, and having acidic slime in the wound was also far from helpful. With a wheeze and a cough, Kopaka ignored the Courier for a moment and looked around for options. One of the nearby structures housed a rather large turret with dual blaster cannons, though Kopaka was loathe to consider using any weapon other than his own guile and usual tools. To use guns and other such ranged weaponry did not suit the Toa Code well. They were cowardly and engendered dispassion for those warriors which brought them to bear. Then again, Kopaka was feeling rather dispassionate about this fight already. Dealing with a choice between integrity and pragmatism was not an easy task for the Toa. While caught up in his ruminations, Kopaka was distantly aware that the Courier was firing at him again, but it was rather ineffectual, given the fact that he was protected by the thick, corrugated steel beneath him. It then dawned on the biomech that, perhaps, the female was not firing at him, but the platform itself. This question was answered when, with a monstrous gonging, the metal haven sagged down a few feet as the now super-heated bolts that had once supported it were blasted away. The Toa barely had enough time to spring outwards, away from the collapsing structure as it ripped free of its housing and slammed into the muck below with a tremendous splash.
As Kopaka hit the surface of the adjacent dais, he rolled on his side a few times before coming to a stop, sprawled out facing up. The pain was incredible, and though he usually found such agony invigorating, the underlying corruption of the pollution was too much of a drain on his fatigue. With a long groan, the biomech rolled over and woozily rose to his feet, watching as the incensed Courier climbed up the impromptu ramp she had created. She glanced at him through glinting orange goggles as he stood there panting. With a reluctant whirl, Kopaka turned on his heels and made for the nearest turret, easily hopping into the emplacement with the assistance of his mask. All pretension cast aside, Kopaka flicked on the master switch for the Empire turret and did his best to put the Courier in his fever-blurred sights...
C O L D