By: Sinead
Part Two
�You�re awake.�
�An� what was yeh first impression?� I chuckled, as he helped me sit up.
�We were afraid that you wouldn�t . . . ever. Even Rhinox lost hope.�
��Ow long �ave I been out?�
�Four days.�
I said nothing for a moment, just enjoying the feel of Dinobot�s hand in mine, then sighed. ��Ow could yeh be Dethswipe? �E was five years, a� most, older �n me. Now you . . . I dunno.�
�I still am,� he replied, his voice softening. �I�m not as old as you�d think.�
I recognized the timbre in his voice, and bowed my head. �Then yeh still love my sister.�
�No,� he said sharply. I looked up, at his face, and it was hard. �She played me as a fool, a pawn.� I broke eye contact, but he tipped my chin up, to look into his eyes. �You�re different.�
I gave a half-smile, and replied, �Wait until we�re out o� the base afore yeh say anythin� worth hearin�. �Specially by idiotic rodents.�
He grinned, and I stood shakily. He helped me stand fully, and we walked from the sick bay together. Fifteen feet before we reached the command center, I stood on my own, and walked into the room, and saw that Rhinox was explaining something on the tri-dimensional map.
I sat in a seat at the rear of the room, and when he was finished, I asked, �An� yeh expect us t� do this �ow? Come on, Rhinox. Ev�n Rattrap, who has �alf a brain, knows that if we attack the Pre�acon base, they �ave ee advantage. They obviously know their own territory better �n we ever will.�
�Velocitrana?� the group asked as one, and I shrugged.
�I�ve been knocked out fer two weeks, once. Ee other guy was, uh-heh, is, �ternally sorry �at �e ever messed with me.�
They rushed at me, and I was crushed in a huge embrace by a shaking Cheetor. �Hoi, Kid, calm down. �M fine. An� iff�n yeh keep squeezin� me like that, I�ll burst!�
�You weren�t okay, when we brought you back here,� he whimpered.
�D�you expect everyun� t� come out o� a battle unharmed? �Cause the thing is, Cheetor, I made a wrong move, and Megatron is faster�n I thought anybody that, well, large, could ever be.� I heard sniggering from the back of the room. �Yeh laugh now, Rattrap. Never get �im peeved at yeh.� Optimus shook his head, and I smiled. �When �ill I be able t� patrol again?�
�In a few days.�
�How �bout tomorrow?�
�Day after.�
�Okay.�
Cheetor grinned, and Rhinox said, �You took a pretty hard hit, Velocitrana. It would�ve killed a lesser warrior.�
I smiled. ��M not a warrior yet. Only one battle s� far.�
He frowned. �But you said . . .�
�That was in an arena. Ahm, after hours, o� course.�
Rhinox turned to Optimus. �I think that arena fighting can count. The combatants there are ferocious.�
Optimus nodded. �So would I.�
Humans are so lucky. They have the ability to blush. I bit my lip, and shrugged. Optimus asked a question I hoped he wouldn�t ask in front of other people. �How old are you?�
Dinobot caught my glance, and I sighed, then mumbled my age.
�What?�
�I said, sixteen.�
Everyone, with the exception of Dinobot, yelled, �WHAT?!�
�Well, what d� yeh expect me t� be? Bleedin� over twenny?�
Optimus frowned. �I�m saying this truthfully, when I say that only a warrior with Dinobot�s age and experience could survive that.�
Dinobot snarled from my right, �Primal . . . she�s not five years my younger.�
Rattrap screeched quite a few profane expressions, and I snorted. �If ClearFate �eard yeh say those, she�d box yeh ears bloody well.�
Dinobot snorted, and hid a smile. He knew who I was talking about. She was my adopted mother. Rattrap glared at him. Optimus asked, �You two know each other from Cybertron, I suppose?�
I shook my head. �We met only unce, and �at was fer less�n a minute. He was m� sister�s friend.�
�Friend?� Rhinox raised the equivalent of an eyebrow.
Dinobot kept his eyes lowered. Optimus sighed, and said, �I think that�s enough excitement for now. Cheetor, you have patrolling duty. Rattrap, go with Rhinox to take supply inventory. And stay away from the cheese!� As soon as the others left, Optimus turned to us. �Maybe, Velocitrana, you can tell me about your life, and I�ll be able to understand where you�re coming from, in regard to why you never told us your age . . .�
On patrol, I was in the Gamma quadrant, and Dinobot was in the Delta. Primal didn�t trust him with me anymore, as he still doubted that Dinobot was only four years older than me. I shook my head, and shoved my snout in a clump of Easter Lilies. I rolled onto my back, and breathed in the sweet scent. I heard pounding feet, and I rolled back onto my stomach, just in time to see a herd of gazelle run toward me. They dodged to their right, and one was separated by . . . well, now.
I crouched low in the flowers, and snarled silently in pleasure. This was a turn in luck. The gazelle didn�t see or smell me in time.
I leaped up, and caught one by the head, whipping my neck, and breaking its own. It stilled, and I dropped it. Dinobot walked up to me, panting. I smiled. ��Unters allus �unt better �n pairs, aye?�
He chuckled. �You rogue. I thought that some other predator had stolen my . . . meal.�
I smiled. �I�ll leave, iff�n yeh do so wish me to.�
He opened his mouth to reply, when his comm-link crackled to life. ~Optimus to Dinobot.~
The �Raptor sighed in an annoyed fashion, and replied, �Dinobot. What?�
~Why are you in the Gamma quadrant?~
He rolled his eyes. �I was hunting, and my prey escaped. Velocitrana caught it.�
~I gave you specific orders to remain in the Delta quadrant. Are you disobeying me?~
�No, Primal. I was just leaving.�
~Fine then. Optimus out.~
�Why doesn� �e trust us?� I whispered. ��E never asked me fer m� age, s� why should I �ave t� go out o� m� way t� proclaim it? Ev�n Cheetor �as more freedom than I do! And �e�s twelve!�
Dinobot closed his eyes momentarily, and then rubbed his snout along mine. Shivers of pleasure rippled across my skin. �Never question orders, Velocitrana. Never . . . aloud. We�ll talk later.�
�Take yeh lunch,� I mumbled.
�You. You killed it, therefore it is your quarry rightfully.�
�I �ready ate.�
He smiled, and replied, �If you insist, femme.�
�Oh . . . so I�ve moved up �n the line, eh?�
Again, he rubbed his snout along mine. �Indeed you have, Velocitrana. Indeed you have.�
I woke up, but lay still. Something was different about today. What it was, though, I didn�t know at first. Then, I realized that today was the day that Dinobot and I will finally be patrolling together again. I walked out of the room, and knocked on Dinobot�s door.
�What? Go away,� came an irate reply.
��At�s my line,� I snarled, knocking again, and harder, one with every word.
I heard a rushed stumble to the door, and something tumble to the floor, followed by a volley of cusses. Dinobot opened the door, and I leaned against the wall on the opposite side of the hallway. �Well, g�mornin�.�
�I hate you.�
I grinned, and replied, �What didja break?�
�Nothing.�
��En what was that crash?�
He looked somewhat sheepish. �My shelf.�
I looked into the room, and sighed. �How the Pit d� you manage t� knock yeh swords offa the shelf, when yeh bed�s on the opposite side o� �ee room?�
�You knocked. The shelf�s over-stocked with them.�
�Oh. Oops?�
He shook his head, and I helped him clean up. We walked to the command center. It was apparently deserted. �Shouldn�t �most everyun� be awake by now?�
I walked over to the scanners, and was about to type in the codes, when I heard a rustle behind me. I stopped, and narrowed my eyes. Something wasn�t right here . . .
�SURPRISE!�
I jumped, and spun in mid-air, to see the Maximals standing there, holding . . .
�Oh, slaggin� �ell,� I chuckled. ��M such �ee idjit.�
�And why�s that?� Optimus asked, while Cheetor handed me his.
�I to�ally fergot me own flippinslagginbleedin� birthday!�
The group laughed as a whole, and I opened the present, laughing with them. That day was the most glorious one of my life . . .
�G�Mornin� ta da �Raptor! Hello-o! Wake up, �ya great huge lump of . . . uh . . . uheh . . . OOOOOPPPPPPIIIIIIIMMMMMMUUUUUSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!�
I chased Rattrap down the halls, snapping at his tail furiously. The moment right before I was about to snag his tail, I felt my own tail grabbed, and my legs flew out from under me. I rolled, and opened my eyes, to look up into Dinobot�s crimson optics. Rhinox walked out of the shadows, with Rattrap hanging from the scruff of his neck. Dinobot didn�t help me up, and I didn�t expect him to.
�Iff�n Rattrap ever wakes �e up again, I�ll kill �im!�
Rhinox hid a smile, and Dinobot merely nodded. We walked to the command center, and I saw that there was a new Maximal standing there. Rather, sitting quietly. I said nothing, but I stalked over to the tri-dimensional map, and saw a laptop there. On it, it read,
Velocitrana-
You and Dinobot are to proceed to Delta quadrant, as planned. You are to scout around the perimeter, noting plant growth and the creatures that live around there. Return when you feel it necessary. This is to be your week�s schedule.
-Optimus
I sighed. �I guess �at I won� be rippin� yeh throat out t�day, Vermin. Consider yehself lucky.�
Rattrap nodded quietly, and Rhinox let him go. He skittered out of there faster than I ever thought he could. Dinobot looked to me, and I said, �Optimus� orders are t� patrol �round Delta�s perimeter, and report �pon basic nature stuff.�
�How long to we have?� Dinobot asked.
��E said as long as we needed, pr�vidin� �at it takes less �n a week.�
�You will not need to patrol around the northern border,� a new voice said. It was deep, rumbling over each syllable. It reminded me of thunder booming across the savannah, right before a lightning storm.
I turned, and looked at the new recruit. He was a white Bengal tiger. �Oh? Why not?�
�It is tundra. My Stasis Pod was found up there.�
I smiled. ��M sorry. M� name�s Velocitrana.�
He returned my smile, and replied, �I am Tigatron. Optimus has told me about you. I�m pleased to say that he described you perfectly.�
I rolled my eyes. ��At �ould be a first fer me.�
�Whatever are you saying?�
�Not everyun� is as kind t� tell �ee truth �bout me. They, per say, fluff up m� personality.�
�That bad?�
�Huh! Indeed. Dinobot, �ee�d better get goin�. Iff�n we delay, we won�t make our time requirement. Sorry to cut short, Tigatron, but �e have t� go.�
�I understand. It is a pleasure to be meeting you.� He turned and left, probably going in search of Optimus.
Dinobot and I headed out to the Delta quadrant, side by side. When we reached it, I sighed. It was silent, quiet for everything except the birds. It was perfect.
I walked next to Dinobot, neither of us saying a word, not wanting to disturb the unblemished tranquility. We reached a bubbling brook, the water smoothly running over the rocks and stones. We walked further, and came to a pool of still water. A weeping willow�s branched dipped low over the water. I sighed, and thought, Wot a romantic scene. I immediately snapped out of the feeling, and blushed under my scales. Keep yeh mouth shut, Brain! What iff�n yeh say it ou� loud?! That �ould be bad.
�You�ve been unusually quiet, Velocitrana,� Dinobot whispered next to my ear.
�Eh? Oh. Well, �t�s quiet �ere,� I whispered back. �I didn� wan� t� ruin it.�
Dinobot smiled, and we stood there, looking out over the pool. On the other side, I saw a large flat rock, a reddish color from being in the sun. Dinobot followed my gaze, and we walked over to it in silent agreement. I lay down on the rock, letting its warmth seep into me. Dinobot followed my example, and yet we still said nothing. I let my eyes drift close, and I sighed, dreaming about home . . .
I woke up in darkness. I felt someone curled around me, keeping me warm. As soon as my eyes adjusted to the dark, I saw that it was Dinobot. I lay my head across his neck, and started to fall back asleep, when he stirred. I lifted my head off his neck, and he looked me straight in the eye. I felt something within my Spark stir and quiver. We touched snouts tentatively, as if testing that the other was safe enough not to bite the other�s head off. Our snouts rubbed, and I closed my eyes, letting him pull me into himself. My skin tingled, and I curled up, resting my head upon his arms. He gently rested his head upon my shoulders, and I felt a completeness that I had never felt in my life before.
It was then, that I realized what that quivering in my Spark was.
I loved Dinobot.
Back to Fanfiction
Back to Tale of the Two Worlds