Author's Notes: Hey, it's me again. Just wanted to let you know this was actually my first BW fic. So be gentle ^^;
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Days go by I'm hypnotized
I'm walking on a wire
I close my eyes and fly out of my mind
Into the fire
Light the sky and hold on tight
The world is burning down
She's out there on her own and she's all right
Sunny came home....
-- 'Sunny Came Home' by Shawn Colvin
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"Buurrnn Maximals, buuurrrnnn!!" screamed Inferno, charging into battle.
"He's got to come up with a new saying," sighed Mad Jackel as she dodged behind a rock to avoid the fire from Inferno's flame thrower.
"Ya, you can tell him that at the next group meeting," snickered Rattrap, who was also using the rock for cover.
MJ raised her eyebrows (not that she HAD eyebrows, but you get the idea ). "Couldn't the Preds wait till AFTER lunch to attack; I'm starving!"
"Think about your stomach later," yelled Dinobot, rushing at Inferno with his sword drawn. "Right now we have a battle to win!"
Rattrap noticed Quickstrike and Waspinator advancing toward them. "Chopperface has a point. You take Quickstrike, I'll handle bug-eyes."
Mad Jackel nodded in agreement, even though she hated having to take orders from him, and charged toward Quickstrike, firing her hand blasters.
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Elsewhere on the battlefield...
"Why... won't... you... just... die?!" screamed a very frustrated Livewire, trying her best to shoot Sting Blade out of the sky. The nimble hornet avoided every shot.
"Maxzzimal need to work on her aim," buzzed Sting Blade, blasting at the female firefly.
Livewire managed to dodge the first two shots, but got nailed by the third and was sent flying into a rock formation. Luckily she wasn't damaged much. "Yo Airazor, could use a little help here!"
"I'm.... uhh... kinda busy at the moment!" said Airazor, punching Buzz Saw in the jaw.
The Predacon flyer barley seemed to notice and came at her again. "Bird-bot should give up, Buzz Saw will dezztroy you."
"Yeah right," said Airazor, trying to sound as brave as she could. Sure hope the others are doing better than we are, she thought.
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Well... better is in a manner of speaking.
Rattrap and Dinobot were doing pretty well, more or less. Mad Jackel, on the other had never actually gone head to head with Quickstrike before. So she was a little taken aback when he head-butted her, especially since he had a very hard head and absolutely nothing in it!
"Geez, is that any way to treat a lady?"
"Ha, you ain't no lady!" sneered Quickstrike.
"Oh, you're gonna pay for that!!" she growled as she tackled him.
Quickstrike decided he had definitely underestimated her. Mad Jackel was a powerful warrior, especially when she had been insulted. Quickstrike soon found himself in a rather uncomfortable headlock with Jackel covering his optics with her hand. "Get off, ya crazy tinhorn, I can't see," yelled Quickstrike, running wildly, trying to shake her off his back.
"That the point!" she laughed as he headed right for the edge of the cliff. The female managed to leap off, but Quickstrike couldn't quite stop in time...
"Ahh!" *bang* "Ow!" *whamp* "Eh, dagnabit!" *clank* "Ooo!" *SMACK*
Mad Jackel watched him tumble down the side of the cliff. "Man, that's gotta hurt. I hope!" Then she ran off to help the others.
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Meanwhile Airazor and Livewire were trying to figure out what to do while their cover was slowly being blasted away by Buzz Saw and Sting Blade.
"I think we gotta problem here," sighed Livewire. Suddenly her face brightened. "Hey, why don't we try maneuver 13B?"
"You really think that will work?"
"There's a first time for everything; 'sides, what we got to lose?"
The two Maximals flew off in opposite directions with a Predacon chasing after each of them. Then, Livewire circled back around toward Airazor with Sting Blade following close at her heels. Airazor stopped in midair. Buzz Saw prepared to blast her, just as Livewire flew up next to her. The two females moved out of the line of fire just in time causing Buzz Saw's shot to miss them completely. Unfortunately it blasted right through Sting Blade's chest, sending her tumbling out of control to the ground.
Buzz Saw was shocked at what he had just done, giving Airazor the chance to blast him in the back. Buzz Saw crashed into the ground; he picked himself up and crawled over to where Sting Blade had landed. He knew he better get her to a CR tank, and soon.
Livewire and Airazor watched as Buzz Saw gently carried his companion off to the Predacon base. "Ya think we should go after them?" asked Livewire.
"No, I think our friends could use our help more." They flew off.
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Inferno had his hands full fighting Dinobot, so he wasn't very happy when Buzz Saw radioed in to tell him he was taking Sting Blade back to base for repairs. Inferno looked toward Waspinator who was getting his butt kicked by Mad Jackel and Rattrap, then to the two Maximal flyers heading toward them. He decided they better cut their loses. "Predacons retreat!!" he shouted
Waspinator joined him and the two flew back toward their base, but not before picking up the unconscious heap of Quickstrike.
"Cowards!!" yelled Dinobot shouted.
Mad Jackel looked at Rattrap. "Can we go home now?"
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"So, you have failed AGAIN!!!" growled Megatron as he shoved Waspinator into the wall.
"Yes my Queen," said Inferno a little sadly, "We have failed you, but it will not happen again."
"It had better not." Megatron tossed Waspinator in front of Blackarachnia.
"Perhaps," she said, stepping back to avoid the puddle of mech fluid forming around Waspinator's unconscious body, "A little more brain power should go into our next attack."
Megatron just glared at her and Blackarachnia decided she better keep her mouth shut.
"Tarantulas, how are the repairs on our troops coming?"
"Yes Megatron," stuttered Tarantulas, "Quickstrike's repairs will be complete shortly and Sting Blade is done now." He pushed some buttons on his control panel and a platform lifted out of one of the CR tanks. Off of it stepped Sting Blade, looking good as new.
Buzz Saw flew over to her. "Sting Blade all right?" he asked.
Sting Blade smacked him in the head. "I'd be a lot better if Buzz Saw would watch where he'zz shooting!" She was about to hit him again but Megatron grabbed her arm.
"Miss Blade, I am not in the mood for your petty arguments," he hissed.
The hornet swallowed nervously and took her arm back.
"Sent Quickstrike to the command center when he's finished," said Megatron, heading toward the door. "And Tarantulas, repair Waspinator while your at it," he added as he left the medical lab.
Buzz Saw carried Waspinator to the empty CR tank then turned to leave. Sting Blade watched him go and decide to follow him down the hall.
She knew he had a little crush on her, and she hadn't meant to hurt his feelings. She just didn't like having one of teammates shoot her, that's all. Sting Blade waited till they were out of hearing range of the others then gently grabbed his shoulder. "I'm sorry," she sighed, "Shouldn't have gotten so mad, wazzn't really your fault."
"Buzz Saw sorry too," he said smiling at her (well he was doing the closest thing a yellow jacket could do to smiling), "Shouldn't have let Maxzimalzz trick me."
Sting Blade looked him in the eyes. He isn't half bad looking, she thought to herself. At least he had nice eyes anyway.
"Um... I wazz going to go out to exerzzise my wingzz, wouldn't mind some company. Want to come?"
Buzz Saw nodded and followed her eagerly down the hall.
Meanwhile, back in the lab, Quickstrike finished his repairs and stepped out of the C.R. tank. He didn't look happy. "I can't believe I was beaten by a dadgum female!" he sighed.
"And what is that suppose to mean?!" growled Blackarachnia.
"Well I.... er... I mean... um... ya see Sugarbot...." Quickstrike stuttered, trying to come up with an answer that would save his butt.
Inferno cut in. "The Royalty wishes to see to you in the command center at once."
Quickstrike gave a sigh of relief and headed out the door followed by Inferno. The two spiders were left alone in the room. Blackarachnia sat down in a chair next to Tarantulas and sighed.
"Something bothering you my dear?"
"It's just," Blackarachnia sighed again, "There's something about this Mad Jackel, something familiar..."
"You probably met her before you went into stasis."
"Probably, but there's something else I just can't put my claw on," she said shaking her head.
Tarantulas looked over at the unconscious Waspinator lying on the C.R. platform. "I'm tempted to just leave him there, but Megatron would cut off my energon supply."
Blackarachnia didn't hear a would he said though, she was busy with her own private thoughts.
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"Interesting," said Optimus.
He, Rhinox, and Cheetor were reviewing a video of Mad Jackel's fight with Quickstrike. They were hoping to learn a little more about their newest Maximal. Mad Jackel hadn't been with them very long and she was still pretty much a mystery to them. Rhinox hadn't been able to find a file on her either, it must have been accidentally deleted when they had crash landed. All they knew about her for sure was that she was a scientist of some sort.
Rhinox looked at Optimus. "She certainly has her own way of doing things, doesn't she?"
"Yes, but she seems to be working out well."
"That is YOUR opinion." The three of them turned to see Dinobot enter the room.
"Do you have a problem with our new Maximal?" asked Optimus.
The raptor sighed, "There is just something strange about her, and I don't like the fact that all our information on her has disappeared."
"Well, I like her," said Cheetor. The others gave him a strange look. "What?"
Optimus Primal shook his head. "This is not something we really need to talk about. Mad Jackel has already proven herself a loyal Maximal, end of discussion!"
Dinobot was about to say something but decided it would be best not to, and walked out of the room.
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Mad Jackel switched off the intercom, she had heard every word they had said. She sat back in a chair and looked around her new quarters. It was full of scientific equipment and chemicals and stuff like that. It wasn't much, but she had seen worse labs back on Cybertron.
Cybertron, now there was one place she wasn't to eager to go back to. She actually liked being stuck on this strange planet, finally she had a chance at a fresh start.
Mad Jackel sighed. Perhaps it was a mistake to have deleted the ship's file on me, she thought (she still had a copy of it on disk though). No, if the others knew the truth they would never trust me again!
The young Maximal stood up. All this thinking was giving her a headache, maybe a little walk would help clear her mind.
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Rattrap walked down the hallway munching an apple. Suddenly he stopped, he was sure he heard a noise coming from the next hallway. The transmetal put down the apple and cautiously looked around the corner only to see a large golden jackal walking toward him.
"Yo MJ," he said addressing Mad Jackel by the nickname Cheetor had given her, "Where you going at this hour?"
The female had been hoping she wouldn't run into anyone, especially Rattrap. "Why do you want to know?"
"Well," said Rattrap, trying to be charming, "I was thinking if you didn't have any plans, you and I could spend a little... um... quality time together."
Mad Jackel converted to robot mode. "What the heck are you taking about?"
"You know," the rat moved closer to her, "My quarters, lights dim, just you and me..."
She gave him a disgusted look. "Not even if you were the last male on this planet!" She began to walk away.
Rattrap put his arm around her waist. "Aw come on, ain't like you've gotten a better offer."
MJ grabbed him by the neck and shoved him into the wall. "I'm only going to tell you this once, Rattrap; when I say no I mean NO!! Get it?!"
"Got it," he stuttered
"Good," she let go of his neck and he dropped to the floor, then she walked off.
Rattrap rubbed his neck (his pride was what hurt most though). He headed back the way he had come and nearly ran right into Livewire who was coming down the hall. He looked at her. Maybe second time's the charm, he thought to himself. Besides, Livewire was closer to his own size anyhow.
"Hey Livewire..." he began.
"Don't even think about it Ratbreath!" she said walking right past him.
Rattrap sighed and headed toward his quarters grumbling something about, "Lousy #&%@$ females who needs em anyway!!!"
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Dinobot was relaxing in his quarters reading a book (which may seem like a unusual thing for him to be doing, but that's the truth); his back was turned toward the door. Suddenly the door swished open. He turned to face the intruder and was a little surprised at what he found. Standing in his doorway was a very shapely gold and silver female robot.
"What are YOU doing here?" he asked Mad Jackel as she stepped into the room closing the door behind her.
"I came to.... talk," she said moving toward the chair where he'd been sitting. She picked up the book and looked at the title. "The Red Badge of Courage, interesting choice of reading material."
Dinobot looked at her suspiciously. "Did you just come here to talk about books or did you have another reason?"
Mad Jackel smiled and put down the book. "Oh I have a reason," she moved closer to him. "You see, I get awfully lonely around here during the nights...."
Dinobot was starting to understand what she had come for.
The fembot put her hand on his chest. "....and I was hopping a certain brave, strong, handsome warrior would be willing to keep me company," she said sweetly pressing up against him.
The raptor backed away from her and sat down in his chair. "I have no time for your romantic babble," he scowled.
Mad Jackel leaned down so they were face to face. "Really?"
He didn't answer. Mad Jackel kissed him gently on the cheek then headed toward the door swaying her hips.
She stopped just before the door and turned back to him. "If you reconsider my offer, you know where to find me." The door closed behind her as she left.
Dinobot sighed, he had to admit her offer was somewhat tempting, but a warrior like him couldn't be bothered by any kind of relationship. Could he? Dinobot rubbed his cheek where she had kissed him, he was going to have to give this some thought.
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"According to this information, we my have just found what we've been looking for, yess!" Megatron was looking carefully over the data from a small disk. Quicksrike stood on the platform next to him and Inferno was standing guard nearby.
"I woulda gotten more info," said Quickstrike a little nervously, "but them dang Maximals showed up."
"Do they know about it?"
"I don't reckon so."
"Good." A wicked smile crossed Megatron's face. "Just think of it, a vast energon deposit waiting for us to come and get it! Yesss! By the time the Maximals figure out what's happening it will be too late!!"
"Shouldn't we send someone to guard the deposit in case them Maximals start snooping around again?" asked the fuzor.
"I doubt they will try anything tonight, but I will send some of the flyers out in the morning." He was actually talking more to himself than to Quickstrike. "I think I'll keep Inferno here in case something comes up. That just leaves the buzzers, they will do. I believe Sting Blade will be able to keep them in line."
Megatron turned to Quickstrike and Inferno. "You two get some rest- we have much work ahead of us."
"You got it boss."
"Yes my Queen."
Megatron watched them leave and grinned to himself. "Much work, yess.... Bwhahahahahahahahaha........!!!!!"
