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Round 1 - Clash of the Russians (Part 1)

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Round 1 - Clash of the Russians (Part 1)

Notes

Episode published on Saturday 26th of January, 2008.

My first ever first round entry for an original character tournament. Ever.

I'm still immensely pleased with it. It just happened to be sheer coincidence that my characters would be pitted against the only other crazy Russian inventor in the entire tournament roster. It was a huge opportunity to bounce Gyrode off of an opponent, while Ralph just mugs to the camera in the background and complains.

This tournament also allowed contestants to choose their own round venues; in one round you might see two entries set in completely different environments, although in this case it just happened that me and Tenkyougan, Gregorovich's creator, both chose the same venue - an abandoned, ruined city (a sceptical mind might wonder how an organisation like MTX might suddenly gain legitimate ownership over such an area...).

The biggest problem this round was the fact that Greg's mecha, the Gigil Mk. III, was almost five times the size of the Deathbot. As it turns out, this caused me to think extra hard about how to defeat the colossus!

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Transcript

TITLE: Round 1 - Clash of the Russians

The wait is over. The doctors are ordered to drive their mech out to the ruined city and, unlike the other contestants, await further instructions. They take the opportunity to find their opponent, and it doesn't take long before they do...

PANEL: In the ruined city, two mechs stand opposite each other. The Deathbot is dwarfed by the humongous mech that is their first round opponent. The opposing mech has lots of double-jointed limbs, solar panels and a small round head with a quaint smile on its face.
LABEL: GIGILLIKROV UNIT III VS. DEATHBOT 1.0

INSET PANEL: Ralph points at the opposing mech with disdain.
Ralph: Gyrode, you know you said that bigger isn't necessarily better? You're an idiot.

PANEL: One of the monitors in the Deathbot's cockpit glows green with a message, Gyrode pushes a button on the control panel next to him while Ralph stands next to him.
MONITOR: CALL! Accept? y/n
Gyrode: We're getting a transmission from the opponent.
Ralph: Great. Probably calling just to tell us that they're planning to step on us.

PANEL: Their opponent appears on the monitor; he is a young man with long, unkempt hair and beard wearing black goggle glasses. Gyrode angrily admonishes Ralph while he points and laughs at the monitor.
Opponent: Forchov! Eet really isch you, Dr. Gyrode!
Ralph: When were you going to tell me about this?
Gyrode: About what?
Ralph: About going back in time and telling your younger self to build a big robot to step on us?
Gyrode: Idiot.

PANEL: Gyrode converses with the man on the monitor screen while Ralph watches disapprovingly. The dialogue is in English but is flagged as being translated from Russian.
Gyrode (in Russian): I sense you are a fellow comrade from the Motherland, friend. Speak Russian, lest my idiot sidekick make snide remarks.
Opponent (in Russian): I cannot believe that it is really the infamous Dr. Gyrode! I have followed your work. Your theories are ground-breaking, your critics back in Mother Russia are morons.
Gyrode (in Russian): Tell me your name, child, that I may speak blessings unto it.
Opponent (in Russian): Gregorovich Tjernikov XV, at your service.

PANEL: The Deathbot approaches the Gigil, its neck elongating like a snake so its head can reach the Gigil's head.

INSET PANEL: Gyrode and Greogorovich continue to talk, with even more enthusiasm. Ralph facepalms in the background, annoyed.
Gyrode (in Russian): I knew I recognised you! I have followed your work, young man. Intriguing, original stuff, especially on "Noise Control" and yet I know you too suffer from ridicule by your "peers". You remind me of a younger me.
Gregorovich (in Russian): I applied a few of your theories to the Gigil, imporving them vastly of course. Much of your work has a very uninformed quality to it.
Gyrode (in Russian): Bold words, child. What brings you to this tournament?

PANEL: Gigil looks at the tiny head of the Deathbot as the Deathbot's head comes level with it. The Gigil expresses a heart in a speech bubble while the Deathbot retorts with a skull and crossbones in a speech bubble.

INSET PANEL: Gregorovich guffaws into his camera, Gyrode angrily scowls and clenches his fists.
Gregorovich (in Russian): I see glory, old man. By defeating you, I shall rise through this tournament and show the world that I, Gregorovich Tjernikov XV, am a master of mecha! Make way for the new generation, you old relic!
Gyrode (in Russian): ...I was wrong, you're just another idiot blinded with the lust for power. I will make you understand what it means to be a true master of mecha!

PANEL: Ref Gregory, the small dustbin-like mechanoid, appears on the vidscreen in the Deathbot's cockpit.
Ref Gregory: Thank you for waiting. Dr. Alba insisted on being here to watch this particular bout due to the circumstances of two of the *contestants.
*In that they're probably dirty cheaters and she wants them out of the tournament.

PANEL: The Gigil and Deatbot stare each other down, the Deathbot's head still elongated.
Ref Gregory: Now she's here, all I have left to say is: round 1...FIGHT!!!

PANEL: The Gigil opens its mouth, revealing two rows of sharp diamond teeth. It roars loudly into the face of the Deathbot, which suddenly looks worried.
Gigil: RAWR!

INSET PANEL: Gregorovich screams loudly with a smile, the means of controlling his mech.
Gregorovich: Hu-aaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!

PANEL: The Gigil takes a bite out of the Deathbot's head. Sparks fly. The Deathbot expresses itself with a big "X" inside a speech bubble.
Gigil: NOM NOM!

INSET PANEL: Gyrode scowls.
Gyrode: I'll show you! Jets to full power!

PANEL: The Deathbot drives at speed towards the Gigil's legs, its left arm raised and the drill on the end spinning.
Drill: VRR!

PANEL: The Deathbot scrapes past the Gigil's left leg as it drives between its legs, causing sparks as the drill and the Archimedes' screw scrape against the Gigil. The Deathbot's left shoulder also knocks against the Gigil's right leg.
SFX: *SKKRT* CLANG! VWOOOSH!

PANEL: The Deathbot drives along the road. Sparks fizz from the missing chunk of its head and from the exposed wires where the Gigil kicked the Deathbot in the shoulder. The Deathbot's head looks unhappy.
INSET PANEL: Gyrode raises a finger, making a declaration.
Gyrode: We shall lose him amongst the buildings and then launch a sneak attack!

PANEL: Still driving along the road, the Deathbot approaches a t-junction. Hovering above this t-junction is the massive eyeball of the Gigil's scout unit. It waves at the Deathbot.
Scout Unit: HAI THERE!

INSET PANEL: Ralph angrily points at the scout eye.
Ralph: Gyrode you optimistic pillock, we're f***ed while he's got that bloody great eye!

PANEL: Gregorovich steeples his fingers together as he observes through his cockpit monitors.
Gregorovich: Ai schee yoo! Such a tinay mech!

PANEL: In the Deathbot's cockpit, the doctors discuss the giant eye looming in front of them. Ralph is agitated while Gyrode keeps his cool.
Gyrode: Why not just shoot it out?
Ralph: I'd love to. Now if only some cretin hadn't welded our only gun into a fixed position. Now I wonder who could've done that?

PANEL: Gyrode grins widely like a Cheshire cat as he reaches up to a lever and pulls it with one hand. A screen on the control panel pops up a message with a "BOOP".
Gyrode: Fine. Allow me!
Lever: CLUNK!
Screen: ...Drill Firing

PANEL: The Deathbot raises its left arm. The drill on the end shoots out, flames trailing behind it. The drill remains attached to the arm via a long length of cable.
Drill: FWOOSH!

INSET PANEL: Ralph is suprised by the rocket drill. Gyrode continues to smile.
Ralph: When did you-
Gyrode: I had extra cable and rockets, and five spare minutes.

PANEL: The drill hits the Gigil's scout eye right in the iris with a "SKASH!".
Scout Unit: SCREE!

PANEL: The scout eye unit grabs on to the drill and magnetises its hands to the drill cone. Smoke emanates from the penetrated iris.

INSET PANEL: Gregorovich smiles.
Gregorovich: Ha! Ai haff yoo now!

PANEL: Both doctors in the Deathbot look on in worry. Gyrode leans on the control panel.
Ralph and Gyrode: Uh-oh.

PANEL: The Gigil stands in front of a tall building and winds back its left arm in preparation to punch the building. The sun gleams off of its diamond teeth.

PANEL: The Gigil thrusts its left arm into the building. The "impact pistol" on the end of the arm blows the top of the building to pieces, bricks flying everywhere.
SFX: BOOOM!

PANEL: The Gigil rounds the corner past the building it has just decimated, heading toward the tiny Deathbot. The Deathbot looks back over its shoulder at the huge mech, looking worried. The Deathbot remains held in place by the scout eye at the other end of the street, which heads upwards in an attempt to lift the Deathbot off the ground, trapping it further. The cable between the scout eye and the Gigil wraps around the entire city block.
INSET PANEL: Gregorovich smiles gormlessly, certain of victory.
Gregorovich: AAAAA - Smashink random buildinks isch fun! Let's actooally try oot der Impakt Pistole on a mech! AAAAAAAAAAAA-
Ralph and Gyrode (from within the Deathbot): Oh shi-

Continued in Part 2.