♋

I am KARKINOS, FORMER INHABITANT of the CANCERIAN NEBULA BELT. BRANDED "CANCER" by that PESTILENT PERIWINKLE TYRANT, APOLLO. He will PAY. GRIEVOUSLY. ________________________________ (AMR Constellation-Droid "Cancer")

[comebearingwater-blog]

While politely nodding and smiling, the thought ‘This is going to be a disaster,' echoed loudly in Aquarius' head. By now, he was used to everyone calling him a fish.

"Worry not, my friend," he whispered back to Karkinos. "We are on safe grounds tonight, so he cannot harm us." His own voice was small and quiet; he hoped the crowd didn’t drown him out. It wasn’t like Kar needed the encouragement anyway. He seemed plenty pleased with himself as usual.

"Well then, shall we be off? Perhaps you’re still, um…" Trailing off, he noticed pieces of scrapped metal across Karkinos’ face and hands. "…peckish?" It felt like his own stomach was moving, but it wasn’t hunger.

[karkinosclaw]

His metallic mandibles clicked a little with displeasure, his glossy scarlet teeth tangled with shreds of gray metal tongs. He hadn't even finished the ones he was working on, but he dropped them wayside into the crowd, spitting out the shreds in his mouth.

"IT SLIPS MY BRILLIANT HEAD-BRAIN AT TIMES THAT I NO LONGER REQUIRE THE DIGESTION OF METAL TO SUSTAIN ME DURING MY MOLTS.. OR THAT I NO LONGER MOLT AT ALL. IT IS A GOOD THING TO HAVE FEWER NEEDS, YES, BUT MY HABITS TAKE AFTER MYSELF-- TENACIOUS AND INDOMITABLE. NO MATTER, I WILL ACHIEVE THE SAME EUPHORIC REWARD FROM NIBBLING THE INNARDS OF APOLLO'S BEHEADED REMAINS..."

For someone trying to be so incognito about his identity, he sure is forgetting not to name-drop Apollo so much...

[comebearingwater-blog]

"N…No, of course not…" Cecrops stammered. Needless to say, monitoring Karkinos wasn’t going so well. It didn’t help the Aquarian felt so stiff and uncomfortable in his suit. At the very least he felt proud for looking proper and "Earthly" tonight.

If only a certain comrade would act proper too.

As much as he considered the Cancerian his friend (SOMEHOW), the truth was Aquarius was acting under Leo. Being bossed around felt like all he was good for anymore. “I hope you do not mind if I ask, but… May I accompany you tonight? I shan’t get in your way.” 

[karkinosclaw]

Cancer sneered. None the wiser to Leo's involvement in this affair, Kar was certain the meek fish merely clung to him because he needed to follow a superior figure. 'ooh, how pathetic' Kar thought, '.. but no harm in the reminder of my greatness'

"YES, WELL I DO OBSERVE A SORT OF.. BUDDY-SYSTEM TREND TAKING PLACE AT THIS MINGLING ORGY OF INFERIOR ERF ROBO-SLAVES. SINCE I AM ASSUMING AN ALIAS AKIN TO THEM, IT WOULD DO ME WELL TO DRAG YOU ALONG. COME, FISH. I WILL ALLOW YOUR LOST-PUPPY FOLLOWING ANTICS... AND DO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR..." Kar checked side to side, then leans Aq's way, as if to whisper inconspicuously.. but of course, his blaring volume completely undid any secrecy "APOLLO..."

[karkinosclaw]

"HAD I KNOWN NO BETTER, CCEG.. CARG.. CECK.. .... AQUARIUS, I'D PRESUME YOU WERE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO THINK YOURSELF WORTHY OF JOINING ME ON THE PEDESTAL OF ELECTED PROM ROYALTY BY THE END OF THIS EVENT..."

Karkinos bit and twisted off chunks from a pair of metal prongs nonchalantly lifted from one of the food tables as he walked alongside Cecrops, looking just so glorious in his prom dress. He was a shoe-in for Queen, but just why was his fellow c-droid tailing him? To leech off of his success?... He didn't perhaps fancy the mechanical arthropod, did he? Well, Kar couldn't blame Aq, the Crab King was surely irresistible, but still, he was far out of the squishy fish's league. Cecrops was only worth having as a faithful punching-bag sidekick at best, in Kar's shallow, selfish shellfish eyes.

"... BUT YOU'D BE MUCH TOO WISE TO HOPE FOR THAT, NOW WOULDN'T YOU..?"

[karkinosclaw]

I DEEPLY REGRET THE CHOICE I'VE JUST MADE.

[flowerfancier]

Oh I could try to explain but it’s so much better finding out for yourself, trust me.

[karkinosclaw]

I WILL SEARCH-QUERY EVERY ANIME INVOLVING TENTACLES IMMEDIATELY.

[spacelionleo]

Have you forgotten we attacked their home, and attempted to harvest their resources? Have you forgotten Apollo has destroyed all our SHIPS, leaving us STRANDED. Perhaps you should pull your head from your shell, Karkinos, and take a look around you. 

You have literally screamed yourself from your own body, you are a copy of your former self thanks to it. With no plan and no loyal companions you were left to your fate. I will do what I must to save Capricorn, even if that means asking Megaman and his fellows for aide. I am not so prideful that I would allow it to consume me to the point I die before I complete my mission. 

Duo has offered to allow us to remain here on Earth so long as we respect its people. And I will remain in his good graces, no matter the cost. He brought down the Sun God of this system, Karkinos, be battled and won. His power can be wielded to finally put an end to Apollo’s madness, or chain it forever.  

[karkinosclaw]

FLEAFUCK!!

I AM NO COPY! I AM REBORN! SUPERIOR! GODLY!!! AND I REFUSE TO LET US BE TETHERED TO THE LIMITATIONS OF YET ANOTHER MASSIVE BLUE BITCH!!!

I WANT ALL OF THESE ELDER SPACE-FUCKS NOWHERE NEAR MY AFFAIRS, ECLIPSING MY DESTINY AS THE NEW AND ONLY GOD! HE WILL ONLY INTERFERE WITH US EVEN ONCE APOLLO IS OUT OF THE WAY, HE'LL STAND IN OUR PATH AND DENY US OUR RIGHTFUL, DESERVING DOMINION OVER THIS WORLD AND ALL OTHERS THAT AWAIT OUR GREATNESS!

[spacelionleo]

He will be aiding me in the rescue of our comrade. Guardian Duo. He is a force to be reckoned with, and if I must endure your screeching to keep his favor do not think I wont hesitate to silence you, krab. No you will retain peaceful relations with the Earthlings and their robot ilk. 

[karkinosclaw]

W H A T .

FUCKING DUO!? ARE YOU LITERALLY AS STUPID AS I DISMISSED YOU TO BE?

WHO ELSE WOULD YOU HAVE INTERFERE WITH OUR AGENDAS, LEO!? MEGASHIT?

HAVE YOU THOROUGHLY AND COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN WHO OUR ENEMIES ARE? HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN OUR HUMILIATING, DISGRACEFUL DEFEAT AT THE CHUNKY, CLAWLESS HANDS OF THESE SHITTY SLAVE MACHINES? THE DEFEAT WHICH DROVE APOLLO TO SO SPITEFULLY SCAR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US WITH CRUEL PUNISHMENT, AND BRING US TO THIS FEUD WE HAVE TODAY?

[karkinosclaw]

spacelionleo said: "Karkinos, I’m not going to the Earth Dance. And as per my duty to the Guardian, you will not raise a single fuss while there. Other then that, enjoy your party."

WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU ON ABOUT WITH THIS "DUTY TO THE GUARDIAN" SHITHOCKEY? WHAT GUARDIAN? AND HOW DARE YOU FUCKING THINK YOU CAN TELL ME WHAT TO DO?

[karkinosclaw]

SECRET ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE C-DROID COMPOUND

PITIFUL ALLIES. I WILL BE ATTENDING THE ERF MACHINES' PROM. MY REASONS ARE PERSONAL, SHOULD YOU PRY ME ABOUT THEM THEN I WILL CAREFULLY AND EXPLICITLY INSTRUCT YOU ON THE FINEST METHODS OF FUCKING YOURSELF AND MINDING YOUR OWN SHITTY BUSINESS.

IF YOU TOO WERE PLANNING ON ATTENDING THE FESTIVITY, THEN I REQUIRE WITH THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE THAT YOU DO NOT PUBLICLY ADDRESS ME AS THE ALMIGHTY, FAMOUS KARKINOS AS YOU SO UNDOUBTEDLY LOVE AND WORSHIP ME AS. THE REASON FOR THIS IS THAT SHOULD OUR HATED APOLLO ALSO ATTEND, THAT HE NOT DISCOVER MY REINCARNATION AND FOIL THE SURPRISE ELEMENT OF OUR UPCOMING VENGEFUL ATTACK.

INSTEAD, YOU WILL ADDRESS ME AS THE ALIAS OF ERF-NATIVE MASTER OF ROBOTS, "CRAB MALE" YOU WILL FEIGN STRANGER TO ME, AND CLAIM THAT I AM UNDOUBTEDLY AN ORDINARY ERF ROBOT. ALSO, I WILL BE STRIVING TO ACHIEVE THE HIGH HONOR OF PROM ROYALTY "QUEEN". YOU WILL VOTE FOR ME, AND MERCILESSLY EVISCERATE ALL WHO OPPOSE MY REIGN.

MY GARB IS IN ORDER FOR THE EVENT. INDEED YOU ARE SMITTEN BY MY FEARSOME ATTRACTION, BUT I ASK THAT YOU WITHHOLD YOUR LUSTING FROTHINESS AND FOCUS ON THE NEW MISSION I LAY OUT BEFORE YOU. DISMISSED, PEONS.

[karkinosclaw]

When was the last time you were really scared?

FUCK YOUR ASS.

[comebearingwater-blog]

"Wonderful!" Hands clasped together slightly, Cecrops now smiled pleased with his ability to manipulate persuade. Consider that another headcount to their party. 

While docile on the outside, the Aquarian still knew how to read people and use it against them if needed. How else was he alive at this point? Leo could have all the leadership he wants, while Cancer had enough wrath for everyone. Aquarius was content standing in the sidelines, telling people what they wanted to hear.

He knew his limits, unlike a certain crab.

"I knew you would pull through. And worry not—we still have time to prepare. Would you like to rest up? You seem… er, exhausted from victory." Yep, perfectly content in the sidelines.

[karkinosclaw]

"... I SUPPOSE IT WOULD DO NO HARM TO REPLENISH MY GODLY POWER. YES. AND ADDITIONAL MACHINE EQUIPMENT FOR ME TO CANNIBALIZE INTO A NEW BODY. AQUARIUS, MY MINION, BRING ME THAT PLEBEIAN LEO'S MECHANICAL BELONGINGS. ANYTHING WILL DO, POINTLESS FUR-TRIMMERS, SPACE VEHICLES... I WILL PUT THEM TO FAR, FAR BETTER USE..."

[karkinosclaw]

Kar ‘s only remaining claw reached around and pinched the loose neck-cable, yanking it out of the socket in his head and then letting the useless broken part fall to the ground. He avoided eye contact with Aquarius as they spoke— seeming not only ashamed, but a little disheveled.

"I DOn’T NEeD YOuR ASSISTanCE…" He hisses and gravels. This wasn’t just his mech OR his body anymore.. It became a little of both from Kar’s on-the-fly cannibalization of his own parts to survive during his fight with Ring… His desperation shows in the fact that he currently has a shoulder attached to a SECOND shoulder on his only arm. Anyone with an affixed sense of anatomy could feel disoriented by he analog rotations of one moving in unison with the oscillation of the other.

"… WHAt iS SO IMPorTANT ABOut CAPRICORN’S FAilURE THat I HAD TO EMBarASS MYSELF WITH AN UNTIMELY reTREAT?"

[comebearingwater-blog]

Gently he placed a hand on Karkinos’ (intact) shoulder. “Karkinos, please, I’m still this team’s medic.” Though trying to stay firm, Aquarius’ voice was gentle and soothing as always. “Even with a mechanical body, I might still be able to help you. We need your cooperation.”

Sighing felt like all Cecrops could do right now. His mouth was puffed up into an upside down V. “Capricorn is one of us. …Tell me, what would make us any better than Apollo if we left him behind? We… We all despise him as much as you do, and that’s why we can’t leave Capricorn in his grasps.”

[karkinosclaw]

Kar avoided eye-contact with Aq for a moment, glancing away with a nervous look. In reality, he knew he wasn't ready to face Apollo again just yet-- not after having been made modern art out of that meager robot-master... He needed time, but the prospect of facing Apollo again so soon to retrieve Cap left him with few options.

He not only needed time to make a newer, better murder-mech, but to ensure that he was ready for battle with Apollo before that intergalactic menace knew of Kar's unannounced return to the realm of the living. If he participated in Cap's retrieval, Apollo would no doubt find him out sooner than the crab desired... But... His pride, he wouldn't dare show any fear or apprehension in the face of his remaining comradery.

".. s.. sO BE IT! EVEN AS A FAILURE, CAPRICORN IS ONE OF OUR ASSETS, AND FUCK ME IF I'D EVER LET APOLLO STEAL MY THINGS! I'LL RETURN IN A TIDAL WAVE OF GLORY, DRAG THE POOR FOOL GOAT HOME, AND GO BACK FOR SECONDS WITH THAT PIECE OF SHIT APOLLO!!"

If all else failed, Kar held the secret knowledge that Flash was prepared to duplicate a new Kar-copy should his current body meet premature oblivion to Apollo's wrath... And that insurance plan was secure as long as nobody knew about Flash's involvement with Kar's rebirth.

[comebearingwater-blog]

The tiny aquatic came running towards Karkinos’ mech. With a hand over his chest, he sighs. “Oh good, you arrived. Thank you Karkinos.” The sparks and crackles had kept Cecrops from stepping too close to his comrade. Karkinos wasn’t exactly unscratched himself. He eyes the shattered pieces on the floor with unease. “…Do you… need assistance? I can’t help with your mech right now, but you look a tad shaken… With your new robot body, I’m not sure if I could heal you like I could before.”

[karkinosclaw]

Kar 's only remaining claw reached around and pinched the loose neck-cable, yanking it out of the socket in his head and then letting the useless broken part fall to the ground. He avoided eye contact with Aquarius as they spoke-- seeming not only ashamed, but a little disheveled.

"I DOn'T NEeD YOuR ASSISTanCE..." He hisses and gravels. This wasn't just his mech OR his body anymore.. It became a little of both from Kar's on-the-fly cannibalization of his own parts to survive during his fight with Ring... His desperation shows in the fact that he currently has a shoulder attached to a SECOND shoulder on his only arm. Anyone with an affixed sense of anatomy could feel disoriented by he analog rotations of one moving in unison with the oscillation of the other.

"... WHAt iS SO IMPorTANT ABOut CAPRICORN'S FAilURE THat I HAD TO EMBarASS MYSELF WITH AN UNTIMELY reTREAT?"

[comebearingwater-blog]

>Be that as it may, I would be a failure of a soldier to leave my comrades behind. Please make it out safely.

"Preferably without causing more damage," he murmured quietly as he waited for a response.

Luckily for Karkinos, his destruction had exposed a shortcoming among lawful Earthbots. By ripping through buildings, humans were now in danger. Even Aquarius could hear the helpless shrills as walls came bursting down.

Having no choice, Ring stopped in his tracks to scavenge for injured parties. No one was killed, but they would be if he didn’t protect and escort them. Dammit, of all times.

[karkinosclaw]

Shortly after the clamor of plowing through the laundromat, and the occasional bumped, alarm-wailing and horn-honking car afterward, Cecrops was left with the sound of Kar's shaky, frazzled breaths. It was smooth sailing after he managed to shake off Ring, racing off towards the city limits, where his personal teleport range would allow him to beam back home.

> *huff* *hiss*

> FINALLY..

> SO BE IT, YOU INCESSANT NINNY. *huff* I WILL ARRIVE SHORTLY..

And so he does. Shortly after entering teleport-range, he takes off into the sky as a red bolt of amorphous energy, touching down moments later at the site of the C-Droid camp. He stood a little hunched, the weight of the one arm offsetting his balance, his servos shuddering with both unsettlement and relief. A loose shard of his broken, glasslike, crown-mounted antennae-eyes breaks off and shatters on the ground behind him, and the occasional electrical spark fizzles and pops from the ends of the severed wires hanging out of his slashed shoulder-cable.

"... ERF CHRISTBEAST.."

[comebearingwater-blog]

Staying humble yet pensive, Aquarius knew he had to be firm. He couldn’t afford to be silenced right now.

>N-no, this isn’t a frivolity! Apollo has Capricorn! His ship was destroyed and we must to rescue him. Is… Is there any chance you can escape? I need you back here.

Where was Karkinos anyway? The background of his call was filled with sharp, metallic churning. 

“WHO’S THE JOKE NOW?! TURN AROUND AND FIGHT ME!”” A voice shouts from far away. Unknown to Cecrops, a red robot was closing in on the crab. If Ring had one thing Skull didn’t, it was speed.

[karkinosclaw]

"NO! STOP FOLLOWING ME, YOU'RE UNWORTHY OF MY GODLY WRATH!! GO AWAY!!"

Kar skid around a corner and entered a back-alley, thinking for a moment that he might have lost Ring-- but when he looks back to check, he squeals in terror as that red menace comes charges around the bend. Nearing what would be a dead-end to the alleyway, Karkinos spins around on his treads and swings his massive claw-arm like a hammer, crashing through the brick wall, making a path of destruction through the laundromat on the other side of it, and smashing out of the glass doors and bee-lining down the street again.

He hyperventilates, checking back again for Ring. HOLY SHIT Earth robots are scary! Is he still close behind!?

> CAPRICORN? DON'T WASTE MY TIME, I ALREADY KNEW ABOUT THAT!! HE INSISTED I NOT INTERFERE AND SO I DECIDED TO CUT HIM AS A LOSS. I HONORED THAT SHITBRAINED GOAT BY GRANTING HIS WISHES, I CAN BE A BENEVOLENT GOD WHEN I SO CHOOSE!

> I'M TRYING TO ESCAPE YOU FOOL!--

> I MEAN--

> I'M MAKING MY EXIT, I'M THROUGH PLAYING WITH THIS PUSHOVER! HE JUST REFUSES TO ACCEPT MY MERCY AND WON'T LEAVE ME ALONE! BUT I'M RELUCTANT TO BESMIRCH MY SPOTLESS NEW RECORD WITH SUCH A PATHETIC SLAUGHTERING!

[karkinosclaw]

> --z-zZZRRCK!!- I HARDLY HAVE TIME FOR YOUR FRIVOLITIES, FLESH-FISH!

> AND I WILL THANK YOU NOT TO REFER TO MY DANGER IN SUCH PASSIVE-AGGRESSION!!

> NOT THAT I AM IN DANGER!!

> EVERYTHING IS FINE!!

> PERFECTLY FINE!!

> OH FUCK ME, SO FINE!!

Kar was on the retreat, skidding down the Monstropolis side-streets on the heel-treads of.. what was left of his "murder-mech". His body was in a bizarre, scrappy mess, holding itself together with the alienbot's active self-cannibalizing abilities and reassimilation of still-functioning parts. He had exposed wires, little to no armor casing actually remaining, and only THREE remaining limbs out of the TEN he first set out with. His one massive claw-arm weighed him down, but it was the only one heh ad left and he wasn't ready to leave himself completely un-armed when that underestimated Earthling menace was still quite possibly hot on his trail.

This was horrible. As confident as Kar had first been of his immortality in his new machine body, he had never fathomed that robots too feel pain and fear of death... It turns out they're just as mortal as anybody, just.. shinier! And that fearsome Russian-- despite merely being the brother of Skull Man, looked much more like a grim reaper to Kar himself at this frantic moment. The crab always was the big-talker until the shrimp hit the fan.

[karkinosclaw]

THE CITY... of Monstropolis!

[ringsabell]

Karninos’ words increasingly lost value as the cop’s sharp eye caught a moment of weakness in his target. The alien prattled on about his shortcomings, thick neckcables exposed to the outside world. 

Mouth sealed behind his mask, Ring shot boomerrangs right at Karkinos’ throat with no warning.

The DWNs would not make a trophy of him again.

[karkinosclaw]

Before it even registered to the murder-mollusk, his left massive neck-cable was gashed through almost entirely to the core layer. Sparks from flailing, severed wires crackle and zap around. Normally, severed neck cables merely means disabled functions, but there was something unusually crucial about the electric conduit in his body.

"--P--PAAAAAAIIIINNNN!!!???" Kar experienced, for the first time, a robot's perception of physical anguish. Errors cloud his electronic vision, static and garbled warning texts for a brief moment of screaming and hot sparks, until suddenly--

-- His left claw-arm explodes clean out of the rotary socket shared by the additional two cannon-arms, scattering in burning chunks as it collides withe the pavement, hot metal rapidly cooling as it rolls away from his shaking body. Instantaneously, his head retracts again to hide his face and cables, spinning and twisting around in its tank-like hatch as he writhes away the remainder of this very new type of pain. "YOU FOOOOOOOOL!" He hisses violently, gradually regaining himself and facing Ring again, snapping the massive clamp pincers on his other hand threateningly. "HOW DARE YOOOOOOUUUUUUUU!!!"

Why such a violent reaction to a half-severed control cable? Because Karkinos-- especially now as an "Earth-Robot"-- is far more susceptible to electric damage now than ever, so much that even the electricity in his own body will fry him and cause complicated machinery to burn and explode if its electric wiring is compromised. This is why the huge, thick shell was important-- each of those delicate wires inside him will react catastrophically if it's severed when even moderate amounts of power is running through it... and Ring just sliced through everything wired to that smoldering arm-socket.

"ALL OF YOU CAN DIE! DIE! DIIIIEEEEE!" In a squealing fit, his four cannon-arms lock-on to Ring and his entourage of policebots, spraying a cruel and excessive payload of gatling plasma shots across their lines.