Transformers

Beast Wars

Treacherous loyalty

Part two

 

 

 

 

Getting outside the base wasn’t as hard as Dinobot expected. Optimus, Rhinox and Cheetor were so busy reading the info about NightRay’s past, that they didn’t notice her and Dinobot sneak away, even though NightRay was unaware of Dinobot’s lies.

She just assumed Dinobot was ordered by Optimus to show her around and not that he was kidnapping her in a way.

Dinobot moved on in his beast mode with NightRay following his tracks. She didn’t ask questions all the way and just looked around; at least that is what Dinobot thinks.

While walking after him, NightRay tried to find out who she is and what the hell she is doing here. In the time she was in the CR chamber, she had a few flashes of memories from her past, but they were pretty unclear and blurry.

“Tell me, NightRay. What is your impression of the Maximals?”

NightRay snaps out off her thinking and looks to the dinosaur who doesn’t even take the energy to look her way. She looks to the side, away from him and smirks:” Kinda freaky… Very unorganised… At least outside of the base, that is. They just do what ever they please and everyone tries to be the leader.”

“Ah, you must be talking about the rodent, Rattrap. Yesss… His attitude is very irritating. All I can advice you is to ignore him and live further with it,” Dinobot growls, seeming he is also not so happy with the fact that HE has to live with it as well.

“Where are we going?”

“Finally you ask! I want to show you the Predacon perimeters. The Predacons are our enemies; a bunch of tinned losers in a can. It is hard to lose from them. If you already call the Maximals unorganised when in field, the Predacons are much worse.”

He laughs when he thinks about and NightRay perks her ears she also has in her robot form. She noticed something.

“Why don’t you call yourself a Maximal? You are part of their group, aren’t you?”

Dinobot stops his rasping laughter and turns his head to look at NightRay, growling softly.

“I am a Predacon, but I decided to join the Maximals after I had a conflict with the Predacons. Let’s leave it at that.”

“As you wish…”

So he was one of those bad guys who turn all mushy-wushy, because he didn’t get what he wants. NightRay can already bet he didn’t get the leadership over the Predacons, so he decided to leave to find it somewhere else. How sad…

 

The further the two bots get, the rougher and emptier the landscape becomes. The sand is black and the air above them is dark and clouded, like a storm is coming up.

“We are getting close...” says Dinobot and stops, growling by breathing deep in through his nose and to push the air out through his mouth, like he is tasting the air,” May I remind you that there a booby-traps here. But I am sure you already noticed that.”

Is that a grin over his leather face?

NightRay tilts her head to the side and stops walking. Something tells her something isn’t right about all this.

Dinobot notices she stopped and turns around to look at her. He shakes his head with a look of misunderstanding and surprise on his face. His body shakes and turns completely around to face her, waving his three-fingered claw at her.

“There is no time to linger! We have to keep moving! What are you waiting for?”

“Him…”

She turns her gaze up to a rock behind Dinobot and lets a hand rest on her hip, narrowing her optics. Dinobot immediately reacts to her reaction and turns around to look up to see…

“Wazzpinator found Lizard-bot first! Megatron will reward Wazzpinator when Wazzpinator brings him big Lizard-bot’s head!”

“Megatron…?” NightRay whispers and shakes her head softly. That name sounds ultra familiar, but from where? If only she could remember.

“Of course… “mutters Dinobot and snarls softly,” we just had to run into you… Dinobot, maximize!”

He transforms into his robot mode holding his tail, which changed into a weapon, in his clawed hand and glares up to Waspinator. His red eyes start to glow green and lasers shoot out from them, aiming for the green yellow striped Predacon.

This little buzzer avoids them with ease, chuckling softly with his high buzzing voice.

NightRay watches the little fight, slightly confused since she heard the name “Megatron” from the stranger. While thinking about it, her optics follow the movements of Dinobot and Waspinator, not seeing the use in this. Waspinator’s aim is pretty bad and Dinobot is too slow to catch up with the flying robot.

“And what do we have here?”

NightRay tilts her head a bit up when she hears a voice behind her and turns her gaze over her shoulder to see a white and silver robot pointing his fusion pistol at her.

“Well, aren’t you a cute little Maximal to look at. It would be a pity to blast you into little pieces, now wouldn’t it?” he snickers and lays a finger over the trigger of his pistol. NightRay rolls her optics and sighs deeply when she shakes her head. She mutters something about men and grabs for the Predacon’s arm. She sets her nails in it and tugs on it with some strength to fling him aside into a wall, hearing a soft and weak squawk escaping from him. He slips down the wall to the ground and lands with a thud in the sand.

“Remember this, Predacon... Cute and Maximal don’t mix with the looks of this fembot,” NightRay says and she walks over to him, the fight between Waspinator and Dinobot still going on and a bit further away from them. She grabs the Predacon by his neck and pulls him up to press him back against the wall. She is as tall as him, but shows some more courage,” tell me, birdbrain... Where can I find this Megatron the yellow striped buzzer was talking about? I am sort of anxious to meet him.”

“M-Megatron? Why do you want to meet him? I mean... What a second... You are saying you are not a Maximal?” even though it’s hard for him to speak with all the pressure on him, he finally noticed what she said.

NightRay narrows her optics and almost digs her nails through the armour of his neck:” I am the one asking the questions! And I asked where I can find Megatron so he can tell me what I want to know!” Losing grip on her calmness, she starts to hiss, showing her fangs and finally breaking through his armour with her nails,” so answer me!”

The Predacon starts to shudder. He has to think of something quick, before this fembot in berserk-mode will demolish him for good. It’s very obvious that she is losing it.

“All right all right! I’ll tell you! I know where he is!” he gulps with his optics wide open and slowly lifts his hands up to get her hands off him. Now if only he had to guts to do it.

NightRay seems to snap out off her anger and blink slowly with her optics:” well, tell me then, because I’ll dig deeper.”

She slightly pulls her sharp nails back and then sets them back in the openings she made.

“Stop that! I mean... I... I am Megatron! Yes, I am him! I am the almighty Megatron! Leader of the Predacons! ... Now can you let me go?”

“What?”

The Predacon gulps again. She will never believe what he just said to her, he doesn’t even believe it himself. And she looks smarter then him, so she will never...

NightRay stares at him in disbelieve and slowly lets him go, setting a step back.

“You are Megatron? Why didn’t you say that sooner?”

“I uh... I...” the Predacon rubs over his neck, making sounds like he is clearing his throat. An excuse to think of something quickly,” I wanted to... I wanted to test you! Yes, that’s it!”

NightRay straightens her back. This Predacon can’t be Megatron. She expected him to be... taller? At least braver then this red silver bot. If Dinobot is right and the Predacons are worse organised then the Maximals, it shouldn’t be such a big surprise that this weak excuse is Megatron.

“Test me on what?”

The Predacon presses his lips together and looks quickly around himself. She just asks too much and he has been a fool to say he is Megatron. Oh, how he would love to be the leader of the Predacons, but not like this. Not with psycho fembot thinking he is that big ugly purple lug with his stupid laughter and tiny little arms in beast mode.

“To test you.... if you... if you... If you weren’t a Maximal! Yes, a Maximal! And you passed, lucky you! A Maximal would never use so much violence towards the leader of the Predacons. They are just too scared for that. Those fury wimps!”

“Violence...?” NightRay says to herself and wonders. If the Maximals don’t use much violence as she does... Does that mean she is... a Predacon? She thinks harder and a flash of the past suddenly cuts through her thoughts. A flash which shows her standing besides a figure that is much taller then her, but that is all she can see. The flashback is just too short and too vague.

A feeling of loyalty and proud suddenly make master of her and she has the feeling the earth falls away under her feet. She must know who... Who the person was in her flashback and there is only one way to find out.

“Am I a Predacon?”

“You? A Predacon? Well, you might be one... But uh...” the Predacon who claims to be Megatron rubs over his chin like he is deep in thought. NightRay starts to get impatient and sets a step forward to get his attention.

“But what?”

“Can you prove you are a Predacon?”

NightRay looks around for a moment, taking this all very serious. She wants to know where she belongs and what her past is, so it might be best to do with this Megatron wants. He might be the key to it all. As she thinks she gets the feeling she forgot something. That raptor…

“I think I know how…” she mutters and turns around to head back to see where Dinobot is.

The Predacon watches her go and rubs a hand over his neck again. He kneels down and picks up his pistol with a grin crossing his face. This is going perfectly, soon he will rule over the Predacons if she just keep believing he is Megatron. He starts to laugh and the day that started so bad suddenly looks oh so good.

 

NightRay climbs up some rocks and looks down towards a scrapped Waspinator and Dinobot standing beside him. Seems the mushy Predacon defeated the buzzer, how obvious.

“Where have you been?!”

The snarling voice of Dinobot snaps NightRay out off her thoughts and she jumps off the rock to land in front of him. She narrows her optics for a moment and then straightens her back, saying calm:” fighting like you. The Predacon can’t say ouch no more…”

Dinobot growls softly an then smirks:” Good work… I was afraid you couldn’t fight. Now let us continue, there is more I want to show you then two tin cans of spoiled Energon.”

“Lead the way…” the fembot says and spreads out an arm to gesture him forward. Dinobot transforms back in his beast mode and starts to walk ahead of her, sniffing the air as if he is looking for something.

“Tell me… which of the whining wimps did you fight?”

“Trust me…” NightRay says and flicks out her nails,” you would never believe if even if it were you…”

“What do you mean by…?” before Dinobot could finish his line and looks over his shoulder towards the old Decepticon, she jumps onto his back, wrapping her legs around his waist and sets her nails in the back of his neck. A loud and surprised growl escapes from him as NightRay finally uses her weapons differently. She feels his strength flow out off his body as she drains the energy away from it through her nails, like a blood drinks blood from the prey.

Dinobot tries to struggle, but the draining goes rapidly and he hasn’t got the strength anymore to maximize. He slowly slumps down to the ground and NightRay rolls off him before he hits the black sand.

She stands up slowly and suddenly feels much better with the new energy she received from him. She wiggles with her fingers before she lowers them and looks down at Dinobot, seeing his eyelids flutter.

“Thank you, Dinobot. I needed that,” she grins and walks away from him, leaving him behind. This all felt so good and right.

 

“Ah, there you are. How did it go? Did you nail him?” A red coloured pterosaur hops her way when NightRay walks up to him and as an answer she tosses Waspinator’s head towards him. He gets hit against his own head and then catches it in his tiny claws to look at it,” You… You demolished Waspinator?”

“No, Dinobot did…”she answers cool and lets her hands rest on her hips,” I found him on the way…”

“Wazzpinator seeing tiny little stars… Wazzpinator has terrible headache… Lizard-bot likes yo-yo too much…“

“Oh, shut up, you weak excuse of a minion!” the long beaked creature squeals and throws Waspinator’s head as far away as he can. The poor Predacon might talk too much and this fembot isn’t allowed to know who he really is. It might cost him his own head.

NightRay watches the green head fly through the air, hearing it scream something about “why Wazzpinator” before it hits the ground behind a few rocks. She pulls her shoulders a bit up and crosses her arms over her chest. Why did Megatron throw this minion away? Does he have so many followers that he is able to just dump one?

The pterosaur clears his throat and hops over to her, flapping with his leather wings once as he looks up to her:” Well done, well done! You have proven you are a Predacon, but then again I didn’t doubt about that. And because of that I’ll make you my second in command! So, what do you say, uh…?”

“The name is NightRay and it would be an honour to be standing besides the leader of the Predacons,” she grins and hears the pterosaur laughs in a mischievous way.

“How delightful to hear that from a new recruit. Now, I have to tell you something important,” he whispers and flaps his wings to fly up. He lands on top of a pile of rocks and looks down towards something,” come here and I’ll show you, my second in command.”

NightRay climbs up the rocks till she reaches him and stands besides him. She follows his gaze and sees a damaged ship in what seems to be a crater of a non-active volcano.

“That is the Predacon base?”

“That it is. It was our ship until we crashed thanks to those annoying Maximals who blew us out off the skies. After that we crashed, it became our base. Now, listen carefully and don’t tell anyone,” he whispers again and mentions to her to come closer. She kneels down and her big ears tremble a bit when they catch up the frequency of his voice,” there are many traitors in the base who don’t follow me orders and they crowned someone else to become the leader instead once they get rid of me. A big purple Predacon who has a big ego problem and who thinks he can boss people around. I need your help to change their minds and to let them see what great leader I am!”

“Is that all?” she asks and stands up again,” don’t worry Megatron… Nobody will harm the leader of the Predacons. Not your followers or the Maximals.”

“Splendid! Don’t fail me and you will be rewarded! Now, let us get into the base, but be quiet so we can surprise those traitors. You go first, I’ll be right behind you.”

“Very well… NightRay, transform.”

NightRay eyes glow green for a nano click and then she transforms into her beast mode, a bat. Seems the CR chamber of the Maximals did its job very well. She screeches and then throws herself off the rocks down into the low crater. She spreads her arms and her wings catch the warm wind to make her float over towards the base.

The Predacon waits for a moment before following her, saying to himself:” Ah Terrorsaur, you are such a clever bot. Soon I will rule over the Predacons as the true leader instead of Megatron! And then we shall see who the High Council will truly fear!”

He flaps his wings with laughter and flies up to follow NightRay down towards the base to get inside.

 

NightRay sneaks into the base and jumps up to cling onto the ceiling of the hallway, looking down the hall to see if there is anyone near. Terrorsaur who claimed he is Megatron stands still underneath her and says:” Let’s split up and remember: Show those traitors no mercy! They have to know who their true leader is! I’ll go this way.”

He hops away into a hallway on the left and NightRay shakes her head. Showing no mercy? But that’s so quick; she wants to have some fun at least. Seeing them suffer for their loyalty to someone else who isn’t even the leader of this group. She goes into the hallway in front of her, clinging onto the ceiling so she won’t be noticed so quickly. Her ears catch many sounds from the inside of the base and when she sniffs the air she can smell the Energon they keep here.

Was she also so loyal in her past? The past she can’t remember? Was she loyal to the tall figure that stood besides her in her latest flashback? Well, it has to be, why else is she so loyal to this Megatron?

She stops with moving when she hears someone coming her way and she presses herself more against the ceiling like she wants to become one with it.

A silver bot with scissor like hands of that of a scorpion or a crab comes around the corner, mumbling to himself and from time to time clicking with his scissor hands like he is nervous. NightRay remains silent and watches the bot walk underneath her, seeming it didn’t even notice her because he is too busy with himself. She lets go off the ceiling and lands behind the silver bot, letting out a screech when he turns around with a shocked gasps.

“Who are you??”

NightRay transforms back in her robot form when she faces him and says with a glare:” Someone who respects loyalty.”

She lifts her hands up towards him and a new weapon is about to be used.

The silver bot claps one of his scissor hands open and reveals a missile:” Intruders are not welcome in this base. Leave or I’ll have to destroy you!”

NightRay smirks and looks at the red missile:” No kidding?”

She spreads her fingers and the palms of her hands start to glow, sending high soundwaves towards the Predacon, making the air in the aim start to ripple as side effect. The Predacon sets a step back with a confused look upon his metallic face, shaking his head as he lifts his scissors hands up towards her, now both clapped open.

“Stop with what you are doing or I…”

“You will destroy me? Think again, Silver boy!” laughs NightRay and sets a few steps closer, making the soundwaves worse. The Predacon slumps down to one knee, his arms trembling as he tries to keep them up to aim at her,” I see you are stubborn and stupid. Better give it up!”

“No, I won’t lose from a Maximal like you! Especially not in the Predacon base!” The failing Predacon says and tries to resist the soundwaves so he can get up.

“Maximal?! By the Matrix, you Predacons really need optic fuel!” growls NightRay and tries to make the soundwaves bigger, but it’s no use. She grits her sharp teeth and narrows her optics. It seems that she was taken out off the CR chamber too fast. Damn that stupid excuse for a reptile Maximal! She sets a step back as the silver Predacon manages to get up, his whole body shaking because of all the strength he uses against her attack.

“Oh, we see you well enough, fury precious!”

NightRay hears the lisper voice behind her, but is too late with reacting. She feels something snap through the armour of her back and suddenly every part of her body starts to malfunction. The cybervenom quickly spreads through her and before she knows it, she falls down to the ground, not moving anymore.

“Man, who is she?” the silver Predacon asks when he gets completely up and rubs over the back of his head with his scissor hand as he looks down at NightRay. A dark figure comes out off the shadows, moving quickly on eight long legs towards the unconscious NightRay and the silver Predacon and rubs the two front legs against each other with a chuckle.

“I don’t know, but she is a very interesting. I would love to examine those soundwave attacks of her. They might become in handy.”

“No, we have to take her to Megatron first. He will tell us what to do with her and maybe then you might examine her. Megatron is our leader and he tells us what to do. Do not listen to his orders and he makes scrap metal out of you!”

“Your loyalty towards Megatron will be the end of you, Scorpinoc. Very well and take her to Megatron. But if he is going to dump her, I want that body of her to get my knowledge on her powers,” the spider mutters and walks back into the shadows to leave the Predacon and NightRay alone.