Transformers

Beast Wars

Treacherous loyalty

Part three

 

 

 

“Dinobot. Come in Dinobot. This is Rhinox. Dinobot, answer me.”

In the Maximal base, Rhinox and Optimus try to contact Dinobot. They finally discovered that he and NightRay disappeared out off the base and are nowhere to be found.

“Anything on the scanners yet, Rattrap?”

“I still don’t get it why Chopperface took that big eared vixen along to who knows where with him. I mean, what does he want to do with a fembot who doesn’t even know who she is?”

“That is what we are trying to find out, Rattrap. Now keep an eye on those scanners. I want them to be found, understood?”

Rattrap shrugs and looks back to the scanners which try to track down Dinobot’s frequency, muttering something the others can’t hear about Dinobot and NightRay. He lets his head rest in his hand, while he taps with his fingers on the desk, a way of showing himself and the others he is so against this search action. He doesn’t like Dinobot and the first contact with NightRay didn’t go smooth as well. In other words, he doesn’t like her as well. It might have been an accident or a misunderstanding, but she damaged him and nobody should mess with the rat.

A bleeping sound alerts everyone in the control room of the Axalon and Rattrap yells:” I found the lizard!”

Optimus walks over to him and stands besides him to look at the screen, asking:” So he is in Predacon territory?”

“Of course he is! Once a Pred, always a Pred! I told you all before and I’ll say it again! I’ll tell you, I bet he took that vixen to Megatron to hand her over so he can drain all Decepticon information out off her she has in that head of hers! He is a slaggin’ traitor!”

“Rattrap, she doesn’t know anything and… Dinobot is one of us now, right Big Bot?” the youngest of the Maximals stands behind the two and looks for Optimus agreement.

“I think the same as Cheetor, Rattrap. NightRay isn’t a big use towards Megatron, but I still think the both of them are in danger. Dinobot’s signature stays in one spot and he is close to the Predacons base.”

“Why isn’t NightRay’s signature on the screen, Optimus?”

“Because she isn’t a Maximal or a Predacon, at least not yet. Her core still needs to be programmed with it and her status pod wasn’t able to do it, because it was damaged. That’s why our scanners can’t pick her. Let’s hope she is still with Dinobot,” Optimus turns away from the screen and heads for the elevators to head out,” I will go and check it out. Rhinox, you stay here to watch over the base. Rattrap and Cheetor, you two come with me!”

“You can’t be serious! Can’t we just leave them where they are? Maybe they want privacy or somethin’!”

“Very funny, Rattrap. Now move and that’s an order!” demands Optimus and jumps down the elevator shaft to head out. Cheetor follows him immediately, while Rattrap transforms into his beast mode with a sigh.

“This just doesn’t feel right. I bet Dinobot is trying to lure us in a trap, I just know it!” He makes his way over to the elevator and makes use of it to go down, leaving a smiling Rhinox alone in the base.

 

 

 

NightRay still isn’t able to move thanks to the cybervenom and remains in stasis. Voices from her past haunt her while her Spark remains in darkness, until she can wake up. She doesn’t know where she is and what will happen to her. She lost from someone whose loyalty was stronger then hers and someone stabbed her in her back. How many traitors are there against Megatron? How many do follow him till the end?

More voices… From the past… They start to become vague, but still painful. Full with miserable feelings and hate.

 

“How do you feel, mighty Megatron?”

“Don’t leave me, Soundwave…”

“As you command, Megatron.”

 

The memory… A nightmare! It ended everything.

 

“Oh, how it pains me to do this.”

“Wait… I still function…”

“Wanna bet?”

 

NightRay’s optics flare up when she recognizes vague faces by the voices and wants to sit up in reflex, but can’t. She is stuck.

 

“Ah, you are awake. Yes, about time. I was getting impatient.”

She looks with her optics to the one the voice belongs to and sees someone tall and with purple armour standing on a floating platform beside her. She is stuck on a web, seeming to be made by the spider Predacon who gave her a load of cybervenom. On her other side is the silver Predacon with the scissor hands, by her feet stands…

“Megatron?”

“Yes, that is correct. I am Megatron, leader of the Predacons and you my dearest Maximal will never be able to say it again. Now tell me, what were you doing in my base?”

NightRay looks to the purple Predacon with the low voice who talked to her and starts to feels confused. Isn’t this the traitor the pterosaur was talking about? She looks towards the red and silver Predacon who stands by her feet and notices the nervous look on his face. What is going on here?

“You are not Megatron!”

“I beg your pardon, Maximal?” the purple Predacon asks with a surprised look on his face.

NightRay narrows her eyes, looks back to Terrorsaur and says with a harsh voice:” Don’t you just stand there, Megatron! Now it’s your chance to show you are the true leader of the Predacons instead of this big purple old-timer!”

“What?!” the purple Predacon slams his fist down on the control panel of his platform and glares towards the one NightRay was talking to,” Terrorsaur! What is the meaning of this?!”

 

“There he is!” Cheetor, the youngest and the fastest of the Maximals reaches the spot where the scanners told them where Dinobot is and sees him laying on the ground, not moving at all. Not far away from him lays the headless body of Waspinator,” he isn’t moving, Optimus. I am afraid he is offline!” Cheetor skids to a stop and transforms into his robot mode to check if Dinobot still functions. He kneels down besides him and tries to see if he can find something.

A few nano clicks later, Rattrap and Optimus arrive and Optimus looks around to see if he sees NightRay somewhere. Rattrap moves over to Dinobot and Cheetor and pushes the kid aside when he transforms out off his beast mode.

“Any tracks of NightRay?”

“Yeah and I just don’t like those tracks,” Rattrap answers and points to the holes by Dinobot’s neck after he rolled him over,” now why does this look so familiar to me?”

“Hey, those are the same markings as when NightRay attacked you in that cave! The marking in your chest. She used her nails for that.”

“Smart thinking, kid. So tell me, fearless leader. What do you think now of your cute little Decepticon? She attacked Lizardbreath here and took off! And I bet we all know where she is now.”

Optimus remains silent and looks to where the Predacon base should be. Maybe Rattrap is right and NightRay joined the Predacons or maybe not. Only one way to find out…

“Cheetor, Rattrap, lay Dinobot somewhere out off sight and start his repair program so he can at least get up. We have to pay a visit by some old friends.”

“You have got to be kiddin’ me! Are you saying we go and look for her in the Pred’s base, while we already know what type of fembot she is??”

“Exactly,” Optimus smiles and starts his jets to fly towards the Predacon base.

“I knew it… We’re gonna die thanks to that ancient vixen…” Rattrap whimpers and helps Cheetor to hide Dinobot and to start his repairs.

 

“Terrorsaur! What is the meaning of this?!”

Terrorsaur starts to stumble over his words as he tries to answer and NightRay doesn’t know what to think anymore.

“Answer me, Terrorsaur! Now!!”

“I, I don’t know what she is talking about, Megatron! I never have seen her before! I swear!”

NightRay optics widen when she hears those words. He lied to her? And now he is lying again? Why that low excuse for Predacon scum! She grits her sharp teeth, growling softly and her optics begin to glow of anger.

“You are the leader, Megatron! I would never dare to take that away from you!” Terrorsaur yelps and waves his hand towards Megatron in a nervous way, hoping he wouldn’t blast his head off.

“You told me that these two tried to take your leadership from you and that you of all of these Predacons were Megatron! You lied to me and Megatron!” she hisses and tries to get lose from the web. How she would love to rip him into pieces, part by part for this betrayal. The voice from her past that was filled with hate fits Terrorsaur the best, but his face doesn’t match with what she saw in her last flashback.

“N-no! I never said that! Megatron, our mighty leader, I would never dare to…!”

Terrorsaur never got the chance to lie what he wanted to lie. Scorpinoc and Megatron both fire at Terrorsaur to make him fall of his platform and to land onto the floor with a loud thud. He won’t stand up for a couple of hours.

Megatron growls of anger and lowers the T-rex’s head shaped hand which also is used for a weapon:” That stupid leather handbag always thinks of something to annoy me! One more time and I will dismantle him! And as for you…”

NightRay still tries to get lose and hisses softly, more towards Terrorsaur then to the real Megatron. She didn’t even listen to him.

Megatron lets out a sigh and grabs NightRay by one of her ears to get her attention. She stops hissing and instead of start she winces, looking into his direction. If she pulls her head back, she might lose her ear. Better not take that risk.

“As for you, Maximal… Never trust a Predacon. Now tell me who you are and if you want to keep functioning… tell me all I know about the defences of your base!”

“Listen you! I don’t know who you are and who they are anymore, but I am not a Maximal and I don’t know anything about defence systems of what so ever! Let me go!”

“Are you serious? Not a Maximal?” Megatron looks towards Scorpinoc and this one shrugs like he doesn’t know either,” then tell me what you are. You interested me. Yes, it is true. You don’t wear the Maximal mark, but that doesn’t say anything. And you better not lie or else you will end up like Terrorsaur. Scrap…”

“From what I learned here, I am also not a Predacon. I am nothing…”

“Nothing, well isn’t that surprising?” Megatron laughs and then lifts the T-rex head up. The muzzle slowly opens, showing razor sharp teeth and in the back a purple glow appears. A laser gun hidden in the head of the T-rex, the part of Megatron’s beast mode NightRay noticed by the quickly glance she threw his way. Megatron leans a bit forward and aims at NightRay’s head, letting go of her ear,” don’t lie to me, Maximal. Only you weaklings would believe such stupid lies coming from a leather bag with bones!”

“I am not a Maximal! I am a….!”

 

The thing that came next was just too much for her to take. She suddenly knew what she was, the answer cut through her mainframe and was looking for a way out. But it never got the chance to reveal itself. Before NightRay could speak it out, she was throws against a wall thanks to the power of Megatron’s blast. He didn’t aim for her head, but for her shoulder, but still she is heavily damaged when she falls down to the ground from the high platform. She lands hard, feeling pieces of cyberweb sticking on part of her body, pieces of web which where thorn with her when Megatron blasted her away. She rolls onto her back, slowly, and looks up towards the platform, seeing Scorpinoc look down towards to check if she still moves. Slowly her vision becomes black and she falls in stasis again.

“Incompetent fool of a Maximal. They become stupider with the day that passes on this mud ball,” sighs Megatron and looks at Scorpinoc,” gather Terrorsaur’s mess and bring him away so he can be repaired. I am not done with him yet.”

“Yes, Megatron,” salutes Scorpinoc and wants to move his floating platform down to where Terrorsaur landed when suddenly one of the walls blasts open.

“Nobody move!”

Megatron sighs again and shakes his head as the dusts clears up:” but of course… Deal with one Maximal and you get a whole troop of goofs in its place…”

“There she is and she doesn’t look so good!”

“Where is Megatron?”

“Well, that’s just prime… Did I mention we are all gonna die here?”

“Shut up, Rattrap!”

Megatron looks down at the three Maximals and Optimus notices him. He points up towards him and asks with a loud voice:” What did you do to her, Megatron?”

“What I always do with your foolish recruits, Optimus Primal! Destroy them!”

As an order, Scorpinoc opens fire at the Maximals and soon the spider Predacon joins him in the battle. The Maximals jump aside behind the rubble they made out of the wall and split up get each one Predacon. Optimus goes up to Megatron, while Cheetor runs to Scorpinoc to stop him from firing missiles. Rattrap isn’t so pleased with the fact that he is the one to face the wicked Tarantulas, the spider bot. But then, when does he ever?

 

As always the battle between the Predacons and the Maximals is short, but effective. And soon only Megatron and Optimus are the only ones fighting. Tarantula’s legs lay spread around the control room and Scorpinoc has a lot to tell about “how to shoot your enemy in many ways” when he will wake up again.

“Rattrap, Cheetor! Get NightRay out off here and head back to the base!”

“What about you, Big Bot?”

Optimus dives behind a control panel and feels it shake when it gets hit by a blast from Megatron’s laser,” don’t worry about me! I’ll be fine! Now get out off here! That’s an order! And don’t forget about Dinobot!”

Rattrap shakes his head when he helps Cheetor to pick up the damaged NightRay and mutters:” Why?... Why does Optimus always want to rebellious warriors to be saved first? I mean, they will backstab him one day anyway!”

“Oh, shut up Rattrap and do as Big Bot ordered,” growls Cheetor and both leave the Predacon base through the improvised opening they made earlier. They don’t have to worry about counter attacks, because every Predacon that serves Megatron is out off order. The two Maximals climb their way up to where they left Dinobot and see he is awake.

“Dinobot, good to see you are back online again!”

Cheetor sounds a bit too cheery for Rattrap’s and Dinobot’s taste and they both grumble as the two saviours lay the damaged NightRay against a rock.

“What by the Council’s name is she doing here?” Dinobot growls and slowly gets on his feet, grabbing for his sword,” what gives you the right to bring that traitor back to where she went wrong?”

Cheetor quickly stands between the angry Dinobot and the offline NightRay and says:” Optimus ordered us to get her out off the base. She got injured after Megatron blasted at her!”

“I don’t care what Optimus ordered to the two of you! She is a backstabber and a traitor! What do you expect from an old Decepticon? Of course she would rather join the Predacons then the good guys like you Maximals. It’s in her mainframe! Now get aside, spotted kitten, so I can rip her hardware out off her core! As she deserves!”

“Eyyuh, look who is talkin’, Lizardbreath! You weren’t such a cute little bot yourself, before you joined us Maximals!” Rattrap joins Cheetor’s side to block Dinobot’s way of revenge and points up towards him,” so we have every right to bring her here or to our base, just like you got the right to get a second change to prove yourself as a Maximal. I have to admit, I dun like the idea either, but if Optimus thinks somethin’ between her and the Predacons is wrong, I have to believe the monkey. So better stuff that milk tooth mouth of yours and get in gear to the base! Optimus will join us any minute soon!”

“Silence, rodent! It surprises me that you three are even picking her side, while you don’t even know what goes on in that worthless head of hers! Fine, bring her back to the base. But if she starts to get in trouble with all you Maximals, don’t ask me for help to stop her!” Dinobot snorts in an angry way and turns around to stomp away to the Axalon.

“Sheesh, I guess he doesn’t like the fact that a chick got him on his knees,” Rattrap smirks and watches Cheetor picks NightRay up to continue their way back. Behind them a loud scream can be heard from the Predacon base and a second later Optimus flies out off the damaged ship to meet up with his companions. He won from Megatron and he won’t be so happy if his minions return to him in many pieces.

“There is Big Bot!” Cheetor says with a proud grin on his face and watches him land behind him and Rattrap,” way a go, Optimus!”

“Thanks, Cheetor. He won’t bug us for a couple of days now. The Predacons need the time to find all their parts that are now spread around and in the base…. Where is Dinobot?”

Rattrap shrugs and motions with his thumb over his shoulder to where Dinobot went:” He is kinda nervous that you decided to take the Decepticon along with us to our base after what she did to him. I have to admit, she really got to him. I might like her only because of that!”

“He will get over it, “Optimus sighs and looks towards Cheetor and NightRay,” in the meantime… lets get NightRay in a CR chamber so she can recover. We will see what happens after that. Let’s just hope for the best…”

Cheetor nods and starts to walk with NightRay lying in his arms, followed by Rattrap and Optimus Primal. Nobody speaks a word the whole way back, all deep in thought about what happened to day and what will happen in the future.

 

Because they took their time on the way back, it was already night when they reached the base. Dinobot wasn’t so pleased with the scenery he saw after coming into the control room from a short time CR room. The three Maximals just came in when he was done with his repairs and the sight of NightRay being with them and now inside the base disgusted him. He only growled, knowing he will get the chance to show her that nobody can mess with Dinobot like that.

Rhinox plugged NightRay carefully in the CR chamber and it took a whole day to let the repairing program do its work. Optimus could only hope that what he said would come true. NightRay has a will of her own, so he wouldn’t be able to keep her with the Maximals by force if she refuses. But if she would decide to join the Predacons, even what happened in the base earlier, he has to find a way to convince her she is doing it all wrong.

 

For Optimus, the result of NightRay’s thinking didn’t please him that quite well as he hoped for. The repairing program was finished and Rhinox stood besides the CR chamber to open it.

“Ready, Optimus?”

Optimus nods and crosses his arms over his chest, wondering what NightRay would do or say. The hatch of the CR slowly opens, revealing NightRay in a good looking state.

She slowly comes out off the CR chamber with her head low and her organic ears lowered. She looks towards Optimus and says:” Optimus, I… “

“You don’t have to apologise, NightRay. I am able to understand your early actions towards Dinobot and the Predacons. After all, your memory loss didn’t help you much against your own confusion.”

“But I… didn’t want to apologise, Primus… I wanted to say… thank you… before I leave…”

Optimus blinks with his optics and then looks towards Rhinox who stands behind NightRay. He looks surprised as well, all though her answer was expected.

“But where will you go?”

NightRay sighs deeply and walks past Optimus to head for the elevator. As she walks into the control room, she stops for a moment, looking towards Cheetor, Rattrap and Dinobot. She scans their faces and when she comes by Dinobot, their optic contact is short, but brief and clear. It will never be right between them and neither with the other Maximals.

She doesn’t belong here nor with the Predacons, she is alone and nothing, a nobody. In agony she narrows her optics and transforms into her beast mode, not saying a word to the others nor giving an answer to Optimus’s question. She jumps slightly up and flaps with her wings to dive down the elevator shaft to go away from this base and who remain there.

“Where… where is she going?” Cheetor asks carefully and looks to his leader who walks further into the control room.

“Who knows… But we can count on it that we will see her again, sooner or later,” Optimus mutters and a silence falls in the base. The daily routines will just go on, like nothing of all this happened.

 

NightRay arrives at the cave where her status pod crashed and flies into the darkness and the coolness to hide. She grasps for a stalactite with her feet and wraps her wings around herself, feeling awful and alone as she hangs there upside down in the dark cave. Only the little lights of her status pod and the starlight that comes from the hole in the roof of the cave, give the cave a serene and dim atmosphere. Slowly she closes her optics and softly whispers to herself:” Till all are One…”