To Dwell in the House of Rancor
1 By Laserbeak
(First in a series)
Notes: Set in season three shortly after the episode "Changing of the Guard"
Now hatred is by far the longest pleasure; Men love in haste, but they detest at leisure.
Lord Byron (1788 - 1824)
Like the last mythical unicorn rising from the deep, a long spiraling twisted tusk glittering with ivory broke the surface of the ancient ocean, followed by a puff of watery vapor as the narwhal sounded. She was facing toward land now; different from what she had once known, no longer covered with ice and snow. This was an utterly new world to her, thick with lush vegetation edged with a narrow border of white shoreline. It seemed to reach out to her like a mother's arms, offering safe haven, but she was only too aware that this new land was infested with danger, treachery, and death.
Even now as she relentlessly followed the monster who had decimated her pod, the memories made her shudder involuntarily. The vivid scene played out in her mind once more of the huge metallic beast plowing into the heart of her family, rending helpless calves and even the strongest bulls to just so many pieces of blood, flesh, and bone with demented glee. The terror and loneliness filled her again so intensely that she uttered a low moan of pain, then her vision turned red with rage.
This was not an emotion she could ever remember feeling before and she knew it was one that was beyond her organic kin, but it came an naturally as hunger to her. Even now she could smell the stench of the beast's corrupted spark pulsing like a beacon some yards away. She would have vengeance. She sped toward the signal without looking back.
* * *
"You don't seem to be having much fun, old friend. Don't tell me the years have completely taken your sense of humor," Rampage taunted as his claws tightened in the choker hold he presently had him oldest adversary in.
"Eat slag and die, X," The transmetal manta ray grated out, finally stretching the last few centimeters he needed to grab his tail spear and stabbed it with all his force into the demonic crab's knee, making him shriek and release his hold long enough for Depth Charge to get to his feet and batter the Predacon aside with a well placed round-house kick.
Rampage's indestructible spark glowed faintly, snaking a transparent cable of energy down to his wound and healing it instantly before is slithered back to it's container. The crab unleashed a breathless, sadistic chuckle that grew in volume till it echoed in a roar underwater "Your tricks are futile, I'm undefeatable."
Depth Charge snapped off a crude spike of ragged coral to use as a makeshift sword, and swung at his enemy a second time, aiming for the crab's head. Two great red hands caught the weapon in midair, tightening their grip on it, regardless of and, in fact, seeming to take pleasure in the mech fluid that clouded the water as they did.
The Maximal's optics widened slightly as his mortal enemy snapped the club in half, then, still holding both halves double-punched him in the gut and face, cracking one optic and making the manta momentarily double over in pain. He heard the sickening metallic crack as the second hand punched all the way through his exostructure, leaving vital wiring open to attack.
Despite his severe injuries, he stumbled back, staying on his feet out of sheer determination. Depth Charge had no intention of losing to X, but if he did would go down fighting. With renewed rage, he ducks his head and rammed into the Predacon's chest with it full force, then grunting in pain as the crab seized him in a grip of steel.
Heaving Depth Charge high over his head, Rampage snarled as he limped to a pointed rock jutting out of the ocean floor. "You're becoming an annoyance…I think it's time we said goodbye.."
The crab's voice abruptly cut off as he dropped his burden to the ground, his poison green optics growing large in shock as a silver stained golden spike erupted from his midsection like some grotesque mocker of organic birth.
"What the slag…" Depth Charge hissed weakly, his optics flickering as he began to feel the full extent of his wounds. He watched the spike suddenly ripped back out and free, revealing its attachment to a spotty pelted aquatic mammal. The animal paid him not heed, it's dark eyes locked on Rampage as he whirled to face it.
"You again?! This time I'll be sure to finish the job." The Predacon
smirked as he closed in on the creature, but it glided easily out of his reach, then suddenly charged toward him, rushing into his deadly grasp, then at the last moment turned to one side and evaded his grip and thrashing out with it's powerful tail at a pile of teetering rocks. Rampage realized his mistake too late as the small avalanche buried him, muffling his shouts of protest.
The animal jerked it's head once in an almost Cybertronian gesture of approval, then it turned it's thoughtful gaze to the other bot. Depth Charge blinked, wondering slightly if it would turn on him now too, but nothing had prepared him for what happened next. The creature moved closer to him till they nearly touched, searching his optic with alien intelligence for a moment, then nudge him with it's bulbous head, effortlessly pushing him off the sea floor toward the surface.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing you oversize sardine," he snapped, but was too drained to struggle as it pushing him above water, then toward shore till he could touch the sand. He regarded the beast suspiciously as it lay in the shallows, then suddenly seemed to fold into itself until it stood looking over him, on two legs in a humanoid form. Another Maximal!. His eyes traveled up the white female as the faint humming of a jet reached his auditory sensors. "Who…are you?"
But she apparently had heard the ever closing sound of the engines too, for her head snapped up, then she turned and raced back out into the waves, transforming as she went, then vanishing. He tried to sit up and grimaced in pain,
"Hey wait!"
"Primary systems damaged…stasis lock commencing" his computer droned as his gears whined to a stop and the world grew dim.
"Slag," he uttered as he fell into stasis lock.
* * *
"Welcome back to the Land of the Functioning, Fish-Face."
Depth Charge groaned, rubbing his repaired cranium as the shield from to the CR tank lifted and he stepped out, blinking as his optics adjusted to the lighting inside the Ark once more. He didn't bother to spare Rattrap a glance, scanning the gathered Maximals who were looking at him expectantly. His thoughts felt jumbled and for a moment it felt as if he could voice one they'd all fall back into order. "Where's the girl?"
Faces twisted in confusion and they all glanced at Blackarachnia, who blinked and pointed with a claw to herself. "What are you asking about me for, Bait-Breath?"
"Not YOU," he fairly spat in disgust, finally recovering his normal attitude. Why waste his time with this group of clowns? He doubted they had one logically processing database between the collective lot of them. Shaking his head, he shoved his way between Rhinox and Cheetor and headed for the blast doors.
1 By Laserbeak
(First in a series)
Notes: Set in season three shortly after the episode "Changing of the Guard"
Now hatred is by far the longest pleasure; Men love in haste, but they detest at leisure.
Lord Byron (1788 - 1824)
Like the last mythical unicorn rising from the deep, a long spiraling twisted tusk glittering with ivory broke the surface of the ancient ocean, followed by a puff of watery vapor as the narwhal sounded. She was facing toward land now; different from what she had once known, no longer covered with ice and snow. This was an utterly new world to her, thick with lush vegetation edged with a narrow border of white shoreline. It seemed to reach out to her like a mother's arms, offering safe haven, but she was only too aware that this new land was infested with danger, treachery, and death.
Even now as she relentlessly followed the monster who had decimated her pod, the memories made her shudder involuntarily. The vivid scene played out in her mind once more of the huge metallic beast plowing into the heart of her family, rending helpless calves and even the strongest bulls to just so many pieces of blood, flesh, and bone with demented glee. The terror and loneliness filled her again so intensely that she uttered a low moan of pain, then her vision turned red with rage.
This was not an emotion she could ever remember feeling before and she knew it was one that was beyond her organic kin, but it came an naturally as hunger to her. Even now she could smell the stench of the beast's corrupted spark pulsing like a beacon some yards away. She would have vengeance. She sped toward the signal without looking back.
* * *
"You don't seem to be having much fun, old friend. Don't tell me the years have completely taken your sense of humor," Rampage taunted as his claws tightened in the choker hold he presently had him oldest adversary in.
"Eat slag and die, X," The transmetal manta ray grated out, finally stretching the last few centimeters he needed to grab his tail spear and stabbed it with all his force into the demonic crab's knee, making him shriek and release his hold long enough for Depth Charge to get to his feet and batter the Predacon aside with a well placed round-house kick.
Rampage's indestructible spark glowed faintly, snaking a transparent cable of energy down to his wound and healing it instantly before is slithered back to it's container. The crab unleashed a breathless, sadistic chuckle that grew in volume till it echoed in a roar underwater "Your tricks are futile, I'm undefeatable."
Depth Charge snapped off a crude spike of ragged coral to use as a makeshift sword, and swung at his enemy a second time, aiming for the crab's head. Two great red hands caught the weapon in midair, tightening their grip on it, regardless of and, in fact, seeming to take pleasure in the mech fluid that clouded the water as they did.
The Maximal's optics widened slightly as his mortal enemy snapped the club in half, then, still holding both halves double-punched him in the gut and face, cracking one optic and making the manta momentarily double over in pain. He heard the sickening metallic crack as the second hand punched all the way through his exostructure, leaving vital wiring open to attack.
Despite his severe injuries, he stumbled back, staying on his feet out of sheer determination. Depth Charge had no intention of losing to X, but if he did would go down fighting. With renewed rage, he ducks his head and rammed into the Predacon's chest with it full force, then grunting in pain as the crab seized him in a grip of steel.
Heaving Depth Charge high over his head, Rampage snarled as he limped to a pointed rock jutting out of the ocean floor. "You're becoming an annoyance…I think it's time we said goodbye.."
The crab's voice abruptly cut off as he dropped his burden to the ground, his poison green optics growing large in shock as a silver stained golden spike erupted from his midsection like some grotesque mocker of organic birth.
"What the slag…" Depth Charge hissed weakly, his optics flickering as he began to feel the full extent of his wounds. He watched the spike suddenly ripped back out and free, revealing its attachment to a spotty pelted aquatic mammal. The animal paid him not heed, it's dark eyes locked on Rampage as he whirled to face it.
"You again?! This time I'll be sure to finish the job." The Predacon
smirked as he closed in on the creature, but it glided easily out of his reach, then suddenly charged toward him, rushing into his deadly grasp, then at the last moment turned to one side and evaded his grip and thrashing out with it's powerful tail at a pile of teetering rocks. Rampage realized his mistake too late as the small avalanche buried him, muffling his shouts of protest.
The animal jerked it's head once in an almost Cybertronian gesture of approval, then it turned it's thoughtful gaze to the other bot. Depth Charge blinked, wondering slightly if it would turn on him now too, but nothing had prepared him for what happened next. The creature moved closer to him till they nearly touched, searching his optic with alien intelligence for a moment, then nudge him with it's bulbous head, effortlessly pushing him off the sea floor toward the surface.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing you oversize sardine," he snapped, but was too drained to struggle as it pushing him above water, then toward shore till he could touch the sand. He regarded the beast suspiciously as it lay in the shallows, then suddenly seemed to fold into itself until it stood looking over him, on two legs in a humanoid form. Another Maximal!. His eyes traveled up the white female as the faint humming of a jet reached his auditory sensors. "Who…are you?"
But she apparently had heard the ever closing sound of the engines too, for her head snapped up, then she turned and raced back out into the waves, transforming as she went, then vanishing. He tried to sit up and grimaced in pain,
"Hey wait!"
"Primary systems damaged…stasis lock commencing" his computer droned as his gears whined to a stop and the world grew dim.
"Slag," he uttered as he fell into stasis lock.
* * *
"Welcome back to the Land of the Functioning, Fish-Face."
Depth Charge groaned, rubbing his repaired cranium as the shield from to the CR tank lifted and he stepped out, blinking as his optics adjusted to the lighting inside the Ark once more. He didn't bother to spare Rattrap a glance, scanning the gathered Maximals who were looking at him expectantly. His thoughts felt jumbled and for a moment it felt as if he could voice one they'd all fall back into order. "Where's the girl?"
Faces twisted in confusion and they all glanced at Blackarachnia, who blinked and pointed with a claw to herself. "What are you asking about me for, Bait-Breath?"
"Not YOU," he fairly spat in disgust, finally recovering his normal attitude. Why waste his time with this group of clowns? He doubted they had one logically processing database between the collective lot of them. Shaking his head, he shoved his way between Rhinox and Cheetor and headed for the blast doors.