B.R.T. 13.02 - Spark & Fuel Sky-Byte says: Fly well, bird, fly fast! Messenger of urgent news, Grief or soaring hope. *** It was late, and they had not returned. After this long, it was unlikely that any would... Standing on the icy plains of Micronia, Magnus peered into the distance. An observer might have thought him alone. In fact, the keen-sighted tracker Snowcat was standing next to him, almost invisible in his arctic colors, and not far away, a small detachment of Microns were concealed...medical personnel... transport specialists...and sharpshooters. It was vital to appear alone, but actual solitude would be extremely unwise, given the circumstances... Magnus stared into the overcast night, scanning the gathering clouds, searching vainly for... ...a glint of moonlight! Snowcat cried out. "What is it, Snowcat?" said Magnus, looking down at the sharp-eyed scout. "Magnus! I see Longview, but...he's alone! What happened to the-" By now, Magnus could see the approaching flier. He was not making a good approach. Lights were flickering from his airframe. Sparks... "Watch out, Magnus! He's coming in really hot!" The bird-mech's commander was also his airstrip. Magnus raised his arm and braced for the upcoming impact. He thought Longview might make the landing, if... "Longview!" cried Snowcat, "where are the Aerialbots?!" With a crash and a squawk, Longview was there, and Longview boltered. Magnus reeled from the blow, as the birdmech caromed off his arm and plowed into the ice, tumbling nose-over-tail, wreathed in cracking arcs and swirling smoke... --- In that greenish nightmare world, shooting through the tangled woods, whipped by ethereal branches and sickly vines, Skydive flew as if the devils were chasing him. They were. Some sort of serpentine thing lashed out, snapping at his tail with venom-dripping teeth. It missed. "Aaaa-aaaah!" screamed Skydive, and then it got worse again, as the Seeker began to speak. "You cannot help her. Foolish Micron!" It was horrible...however far he flew, that cold, sad voice still seemed to be right behind him... but the worst was yet to come. A note of eerie music crept into the cold voice, as it began to chant... The thread is spun, cast is the die. You cannot run, you cannot fly... Alone and one, where demons cry... Skydive felt himself slowing down. He could not run. He could not fly. He was one, among countless demonic horrors... ...no, he wasn't. "Air Raid," he screamed in desperation, "Help! The spell! I can't!" --- "Longview!" screamed Snowcat. The flier struggled to change into humanoid form. Disoriented by the collision, Magnus could only stare. Longview did not appear to be damaged, but he was shorting out...smoking...unable to stand. "C-commander!" gasped Longview. "Piece of...Sideswipe's spark...!" Magnus looked down, and saw it...one jagged fragment, gleaming dully in the snow, small, but not Micron. He half-moved, reflexively, to pick up the fragment... --- "YOU CAN'T, BUT WE CAN!!" And then he was there again! Bless Air Raid! Nothing scared him. If there was ever a need to fly to hell and back... ...and well, there was, wasn't there? "SAY IT WITH ME, SKYDIVE! 'STORMED AT, WITH SHOT AND SHELL...'" "Stormed at...with shot...and shell..." Ha! That dumb poem again...imagine, putting a handful of common verses against such a power! Who would have the bearings to think that such a trick would work? Air Raid would...and so it did! "Stop!" snapped the cold voice, and Skydive hardly noticed. Some sort of creature mumbled something as he skimmed by, and he took no more heed of that. Air Raid wasn't afraid, and by the Linkage, Sky Dive was Air Raid! "BRAVELY THEY RODE, AND WELL!" "Bravely they rode, and well!" "Stop, you fools!" said the agitated Seeker, but the fool flew faster... into the jaws of death, and into the mouth of hell... --- The Microns were there, running to help Longview. "Don't...touch!" grated the rapidly failing flier. "It's poisoned!" "All gone, Magnus," gurgled Longview, choking up hydraulic fluid. "They're all gggg-gggggghk!" Then he was done, punctuated by a final burst of sparks, and a cloud of gray smoke. *** Moonscream says: 'Stop, you fools!' - famous last words of villains everywhere! :)