The mech silently walked into the viewing room.
He was aboard the Predacon orbital hub, where only those among the highest, or unknown, ranks inhabited. He was one of them. Very few Predacons knew of his existence, and even fewer Maximals. It was his duty as an espionage agent, after all. It had always been his specialty; he knew nothing better than stealth.
A disk was in his hand. He made his way deeper into the viewing room, a stereotypical long room, with a long table, many seats surrounding it. A lone projector resided on the center of the table, in which the mech inserted the disk.
A blue hologram of a small, round table appeared, with three mechs around it. The Tripredacus Council.
"Reporting." The lone 'bot said.
"Agent 0A03. A new assignment has been allocated to you." Stated the General to the right, aptly named Cicadacon. His voice was deep and commanding.
"Our moles within the Maximal ranks have sent in several reports, all of which claim they have begun a secret project." Said the General to the left, known as Seaclamp. To some Predacons, his voice would have been considered soft. "The Maximals are attempting to produce something. We have our suspicions, but we aspire for confirmation. Their project has been dubbed 'Project X', and they are conducting it on Colony Omicron. Should they succeed, it would cause considerable problems for our uprising, be it what we suspect it is."
"Your mission, Agent 0A03," Said the middle General titled Ramhorn. His voice was often claimed to be a blend of his two colleagues' vocals. "Is to infiltrate Colony Omicron. Find out everything you can about Project X. Once you have, copy the project files, direct them to us, and terminate the subject."
"What are the conditions?" Agent 0A03 asked.
"You are to make the entire execution of the subject appear… accidental. The Predacons are not to be connected in any way." The center General said. "If you are captured, we will deny any involvement, and you will be discarded."
"Departure time?" The agent asked.
"Six mega-cycles." The right General replied. "The mission has been codenamed "Operation: Godslayer". Good luck, agent."
"Understood. Covert Agent Ravage, out."
Colony Omicron. Outer-perimeter. Megacycle 19.8
Colony Omicron. One of the more well-known Cybertronian space colonies, currently in orbit around the planet Guaro. It was a science facility, used for creating, conducting, and concluding experiments for the benefit of Cybertron. DNA scanners, CR Chambers, and many more common-place machines were developed by the brilliant minds at Colony Omicron.
Ravage was currently aboard a transport cruiser on its way towards the colony. Sneaking aboard was somewhat easy; unfortunately the hanger had been more guarded than he expected. Regardless, he was currently within the dank, cluttered cargo hold, observing what was to be used at the Maximals' discretion. Containment bonds and fields, military-grade weapons, even explosives looking powerful enough to take out a colony, all fastened to the wall. Peculiar delivery for a science facility.
The black and silver Predacon opened up a comlink. "Ravage to Tripredacus Council." He ordered as a miniature view screen came from his forearm.
"Tripredacus Council." General Cicadacon replied. "What is your status?"
"I am aboard a vessel on its way to Colony Omicron." The agent replied. "I should be arriving within the megacycle."
"Excellent work." General Seaclamp replied. "When you arrive, you are to report to us when new information of the Maximals' project has arisen."
"A Predacon frequency within a Maximal facility would be detected, would it not?" Ravage asked. He decided to tell the Council about the weapons he was surrounded by later.
"Under normal circumstances, yes." General Ramhorn said. "However, your comlink has been fitted with an encoded disruptor field. Only those using Predacon frequencies can detect it."
"You have also been fitted with an experimental stealth field." Cicadacon continued. "It has been linked to your old stealth systems, but lacks a true field test. Its power supply is also limited, so use it sparingly."
"Understood."
"Remember, Ravage." Ramhorn said. "This is a stealth mission. The Maximals must not be alerted to your presence. If you are discovered, lose them or take them out discreetly."
"Understood." Ravage repeated. It was times like these that he wished it was 1984 again, when he could sneak around on Earth with its severely limited technology.
"Contact us when there is new information to account."
"Yes sir." Ravage replied. "Commencing Operation: Godslayer." He then ended the transmission.
And at that moment that the ship jerked softly. They had landed, presumably at Colony Omicron. Ravage quickly flattened his back next to the hatch door in the back of the ship, as it slowly opened up. A hanger. They were in a large hanger. He subtly peeked his head out around the corner of the ship to get a view of his surroundings; definitely not an expected sight for a research facility. Instead of seeing assistants and scientists, there were military soldiers, all armed for something seemingly big. The weapons they were holding seemed as if they could take down Megatron himself.
Maximal soldiers began to approach the cargo hold in which Ravage was located. A number of unarmed mechs walked into the hold, with a small amount of soldiers, weapons ready, outside. Without a hitch, all of the supplies were unloaded, and all of the soldiers left to see the equipment was safely delivered.
A few moments of silence passed, before Ravage seemingly melted into sight. He looked his hands over; the cloaking device worked like a charm! The Maximals' scanners, along with optics, didn't detect him at all. He then looked at the tail end of the small convoy leaving the hanger. He quickly and silently left the cargo hold of the ship, before flattening his back against the door the Maximal soldiers just left. Perhaps if he followed them, they would lead him directly to this Project X…
Ravage took one quick look back at the ship, and silently cursed himself. The pilot of the ship was standing outside of the ship, and staring right at him; he had forgotten all about that Maximal. As the unarmed mech scrambled to get back inside the cockpit to call for help, a red dot appeared on the back of his head.
A silenced shot ended the Maximal's life, and Ravage put his small pistol onto his thigh. He then peered into the doorway beside him, and soundlessly made his way into Colony Omicron.
OPERATION: GODSLAYER
By: The Crab
Colony Omicron. Level 2. Megacycle 20.1
Ravage silently crept through the hallowed hallways, keeping his optics sharp for Maximal sentries. He kept the final soldier in the convoy of weapons in his sight, as not to loose what might be the trail leading to his goal. Every time he came to a corner, he flattened himself against the wall, and peered around to ensure the coast was clear.
Espionage. Tactics. Ravage's profession required much more than simply sneaking in the shadows. One must predict enemy movements, use unfamiliar territory to their advantage, and get to the goal without being seen. Sometimes it would be flawless, others there would be an occasional slipup. Nevertheless, ever since the Great War first began on Cybertron, millions of stellar cycles ago, he had excelled in the vocation of spying. And now that he had a new, Predacon shell to operate in, his skills had increased more so.
He did his assigned work without question. Ravage always completed his tasks, whether they were given to him by the Tripredacus Council, or Megatron himself. Once upon a time, he was a scout, and now he was a spy; very similar fields. Sometimes Ravage couldn't tell the difference between the two.
The convoy ahead stopped, and Ravage once again stopped at a corner. He crouched low to the ground, subtly peeking his head around the corner. He observed as the group of soldiers passed through twin doors, guarded by two armed soldiers. There was a panel next to the door, appeared to be a scanner of sorts. Verification via hand or optics was needed, it seemed. He growled softly to himself.
"Freeze, Predacon!" A voice behind Ravage exclaimed.
The Ex-Decepticon quickly peered over his shoulder, to find a Maximal security guard pointing his small blaster at him. Ravage slowly raised his hands above his head in the universal sign for surrender. But while the Maximal's optics were on Ravage's hands, he failed to notice the spy's black tail slowly wrap around his ankle, and pulled his feet out from underneath the soldier.
Before the nameless Maximal hit the ground, he found his jaws forcefully opened, and a gun barrel in his mouth. "Freezing is not an option." Ravage uttered before he pulled the trigger.
The Predacon immediately muttered to himself the moment he realized he didn't silence his weapon, and the shot echoed throughout the halls. A second slipup, he was getting rusty. "Who's there?!" Called out one of the Maximal sentries guarding the gate. Ravage slowly peeked his head around the corner, as if the dead Maximal by his feet didn't exist. The two guards armed their weapons, and raised them into a firing position. They proceeded down the hall with caution. Ravage flattened himself back against the wall, attempting to come up with an idea. He looked to his left; nothing but empty hallways there. And if he left the body here, he would surely be discovered! Moving it would take too long…
The two Maximals popped around the corner, only to find a dead Maximal by their feet. "What in the-?!"
Suddenly, the left guard's head snapped back, as if he were just stricken with a punch. He fell back onto the ground, knocked into stasis lock. The other guard had little time to react, as he was suddenly jerked back, with his head forced to the side. By his neck, something slowly started dragging him back towards his post. The stealth field dispersed, and Ravage was revealed holding the mech in a headlock.
"Slaggin'… Predacon…" The Maximal forced out.
"Gullible Maximal." Ravage replied. His foe attempted to struggle, but Ravage only tightened his grip, and forced his way back towards the console. Turning himself and the Maximal around, he pushed the Maximal's face into the optic scanners, which automatically turned on. A thin, blue light ran up and down the mech's optics twice, before shutting off.
"Welcome to Laboratory A12." The generic Maximal computer voiced.
Ravage chuckled, and before entering the lab, he slammed the Maximal's head against the wall, sending him into stasis lock along with his partner.
Colony Omicron. Laboratory A12. Megacycle 20.8
Ravage immediately crouched low, as the top half of the walls inside the room were missing, giving anyone inside the large room a clear view of the opposing side. Paths were set within the stationary walls, creating a maze-like path into the middle of the room. Along the outer walls were large mainframe computers, with small consoles next to each one. Inside the center of the room was where the convoy of weapons had stopped. The soldiers were there, along with a few Maximal scientists, and one unusually large mech. Ravage slowly examined him; he seemed to be in charge of this group. The Ex-Decepticon hugged the ground as he slowly made his way closer, listening in on the conversation at hand.
"… are exceptional." One of the scientists said.
"Yes." The giant Maximal said. "They should be capable of holding the subject at bay next time he has a tantrum."
"You know they won't hold him down for too long." One of the soldiers said.
The giant grinned—at least he gave the impression of a grin, with his angular chin moving in place of the mouth he lacked. "Trust me. We have military-grade weapons with us this time. He will be kept under wraps until the experiments are over."
"If you say so, Depth Charge…" One of the scientists replied.
"Take these weapons to sub-sector C18, and distribute them among the soldiers guarding the subject." The mech named Depth Charge ordered the soldiers.
"Yes sir!" The soldiers replied, as they turned about, and exited through another door. Ravage slowly peered around one of the low-cut walls to see who remained in the room. A lone scientist. Like a tiger hunting in the Sahara, Ravage quietly sneaked up behind his prey, before striking.
The Maximal cried out when he found one arm wrapped around his chest, and another holding a blaster against his head. "Tell me about Project X." Ravage ordered.
"I- I can't do that!" The scientist said frantically. His hands found their way onto Ravage's arm, attempting to get him off. "The Maximal High Council will slag me if I say anything!"
Ravage removed the gun from his hostage's head, and put a bullet in his leg. "What makes you think I won't?" He asked, returning the weapon to its original place.
After reducing his cries to whimpers, the Maximal bit his bottom lip. "It… It's a project designated to us by the Maximal High Council themselves…. It's an attempt to… to…"
"To…?" Ravage frowned at the Maximal's reluctance, and promptly struck his hostage's head module with the handle of his blaster. "Tell me!" The spy ordered.
"It's an attempt to duplicate Starscream's Spark!" The Maximal blurted out.
"Starscream's Spark?" Ravage asked. Starscream… That was a name he hadn't heard in the longest of times. "Why his?" The Predacon got no response, and he frowned again. "Do not think that if you don't tell me anything, I won't kill you. There are more Maximals on board with this project. If you do not cooperate, I can simply dispose of you and find another."
That seemed to get through the scientist's head. "Starscream's Spark is immortal. It can't be destroyed." He forced out.
"Is that so…" Ravage thought for a moment. "Why are you attempting to duplicate it?"
"I don't know." The spy pressed the barrel of his weapon against the Maximal's head harder. "I don't know! I don't know! The Maximal High Council wouldn't tell us the point of it! They just said to find a way to do it and send in the completed data files!"
"Have there been any successful attempts?" Ravage asked.
"… Just one." The scientist replied. "We're still performing experiments to make sure, but… but everything points to it being a success."
Ravage took a moment to store everything in his memory. "Where are the data files, and where is the subject?"
His answer was a giant hand wrapping around the back of his head. Ravage was abruptly lifted off of the ground, dropping the scientist in the process. He found himself staring into the crimson optics of Depth Charge.
"I don't really think that's something a Predacon should know." Depth Charge stated calmly to the spy. He then looked to the injured scientist on the ground. "Get lost."
The wounded Maximal slowly managed to remove himself from the room, leaving Depth Charge and Ravage alone. The ex-Decepticon found himself being thrown across the room; either because of his abilities or because he was a cat, Ravage flipped around and landed on his feet.
Depth Charge cracked his knuckles before taking a step towards his opponent. "I think you know a little bit too much for me to just let you walk out of here."
"And I suppose that you, a lowly security guard, are going to stop me?" Ravage asked.
"Lowly security guard?" The Maximal tapped his thumb against his chest. "I'm in charge of every armed Maximal on this colony."
The Predacon chuckled. "It wouldn't matter if you were head of the Maximal High Council. Not many are capable of keeping up with me…" At that moment, Ravage dashed towards the Maximal.
"Predacons." Depth Charge muttered to himself. "Always full of themselves."
Suddenly, the ex-Decepticon dove feet-first between the large Maximal's legs, and up righted himself immediately. Depth Charge whirled about, only to find Ravage missing. He scanned the area with his crimson optics, but found nothing. In the next instant, he felt a pull on his back as if something were climbing upon it. Following, he found Ravage flipping himself forward, firing off several shots from his dual pistols. Each shot made contact upon the guard, and he recoiled with each strike.
Like the cat he was, Ravage landed on his feet. Facing Depth Charge, he quickly found the large Maximal charging at him. A fist curled at the end of his arm, and threw itself at the spy. Ravage almost instinctively dove off to the side, allowing the hand to leave a small dent in the flooring. The spy reacted quickly, and with a quick twist of his waist he slammed the side of his clawed foot across Depth Charge's head; the Maximal was effectively knocked onto his side.
"Maximals." Ravage muttered to himself. "Always oblivious to us."
He removed his pistol from his hip attachment, and pressed it against Depth Charge's forehead. "Considering you've removed my last… assistant," Ravage tilted his head to the side subtly. "I'll simply have to obtain my answers from you."
Colony Omicron. Sub-sector C18. Megacycle 26.3
"He's in the last one…Cell 0XA."
So Depth Charge was right. Ravage flattened his back against the wall, and peered around the corner once more. This was the prison wing of Colony Omicron, and, like the Maximal stated, it was heavily guarded. Not by security guards, or even the police. It was guarded by the Maximal military. The ex-Decepticon narrowed his optics, carefully taking in everything, from how many soldiers there were to what kind of weapons they were carrying.
He silently made his way back down the empty hall, and veered off into a storage room littered with steel crates. Ravage crouched down low, and activated his comlink.
"Agent 0A03. What is your status?" General Cicadacon stated.
"I'm supposedly near the target." He stated. "I've also uncovered some information pertaining to Project X."
"Do elaborate." General Ramhorn insisted.
"According to several Maximal scientists, Project X is an attempt to duplicate Starscream's immortal Spark."
"How do they hope to succeed in such a foolish endeavor?" General Seaclamp asked.
"I am more disturbed by the fact that the Maximals know Starscream's Spark was perpetual."
"We shall look into this further." Ramhorn stated to his two colleagues. "Agent 0A03, proceed on with your mission. Exterminate the subject and transfer the project files to us the instant you recover them."
"And what if the subject's Spark cannot be exterminated?" Ravage asked.
"…"
The three generals looked to each other, and nodded. "If the subject's Spark cannot be extinguished… We want you to destroy everything so that the project cannot proceed further."
"You mean destroy Colony Omicron?"
"Precisely."
"… Understood. Covert Agent Ravage, out."
The spy looked up, slowly made his way through the maze of steel crates, and slowly poked his head out into the hallway. He immediately reeled back when a shot was fired at him, and the bullet embedded itself into the wall where his head was an instant ago. He cursed as his luck seemingly ran out. Red lights and sirens started blazing, signaling the intruder alarm.
Removing his pistol from his hip, Ravage dashed out of the room, and fired off several shots into the soldier's chestplate. The mech stumbled backwards, slumping down against the wall; the Ex-Decepticon quickly rushed up to the dead Maximal, and snatched his rifle. He looked to his left, down the hallway, as the Maximal soldiers began to grow in numbers. He recalled Depth Charge's directions.
"First, you're gonna wanna enter Sub-sector C-18. Then make a left..".
Cocking the newly obtained weapon, Ravage fired off several rounds into the soldiers, taking out a handful of mechs in the process. He quickly rushed into the small crowd of Maximals, weapons blazing.
He soon came out the end of the crowd with another rifle in-hand. As he rounded the corner of the hallway, the group of soldiers all concurrently fell over.
"GET THE PREDACON!!" The order echoed through the halls.
"About three rights…"
Ignoring the urgent command, Ravage rushed through the passages, taking out any Maximal scientists or soldiers he came across. He had been caught off-guard, and now all of Colony Omicron knew there was an intruder. If he could simply find a secluded area, he could hide until the alert phase passed, and proceed as normal. What the problem was was the fact that every corner he turned, there was a few more Maximals. And every time he passed that hallway, there were that many more injured, or dead.
He was a veteran of the Great War. Over nine million years of battle under his belt. These Maximals had nothing but three hundred years of peace on him.
" …and then your first door on the right."
He rounded another corner, and dropped the empty clips from his rifles. Reloading the two, he dashed into the nearest room to the right, and flattened his back against the wall. There was no one in the room and apparently the soldiers chasing him didn't see Ravage enter the room, as they rushed right past him. Easing himself, Ravage took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. He then took a slow look around where exactly he was.
Electric fields lined against the walls. Within each field resided a small, empty room. And within each room resided one being. With Colony Omicron under military control, Ravage wouldn't have been surprised if some of these mechs were prisoners, rather than experiments.
They called out to him as he made his way through the room. Cries of 'Help me!' and 'Get me out of here!' went unacknowledged, however. Though some bore the Predacon insignia, and thus, his kind, Ravage paid no notice to them. He had a mission, and to complicate it would possibly endanger its completion. And the Tripredacus Council would not like that.
"He's in the last one…Cell 0XA. Though I'll tell ya now…"
There it was. On the far-end of the room, and the only door without an electric field blocking entrance. Cell 0XA.
Ravage made his way to the door, and looked to the keypad next to it. A password was needed, in addition to a keycard. With a stroke of his chin, the spy took a step back, and unloaded several gunshots into the keypad. With a warbled beep, the door slowly opened itself.
Thick, steel bars within the door slid back, allowing it to split down the middle, and retreat into the walls, revealing yet another dense door. This one slowly descended into the flooring, showing a third door. Splitting into four fragments, each part drew back into each corner of the doorway; the inside of the room was finally revealed, pitch blackness stretched toward Ravage's feet.
"… He likes to play."
"Mm…" A soft groan emanated from the prison cell as the lights inside the cell flickered on, revealing the supposed subject.
He was massive, easily the size of a Minibot from the Great War. His body was primarily burgundy and purple, with accents of copper and green. Large shoulder pads resided atop his arms, and two massive tank treads hung down from his back. Double-barreled wrist blasters adorned his arms, and triplets of cannons resided on his shoulders. But what was most disturbing was his face. Three small horns climbed each side of his head, and his mouth, if it could be called such, looked as though it went through as much torture and pain as his Spark did. His waist, neck, arms, wrists, legs, and ankles were all restrained with chains thick enough to topple a building.
He slowly lifted his head, revealing emerald optics.
Ravage's optics met with his, and in the second that lasted forever, he felt those green eyes stare into his very being, and it sent chills down his back.
"Good evening, Covert Agent Ravage." The chained mech softly spoke.
Ravage was mentally taken back. "How do you know who I am?"
Silence.
"… The pain… The fear… That those Maximals out there felt… It was… It was…" He slowly lowered his head, gave a soft 'heh', and then raised his head again, revealing a twisted grin. It were as if he had been starving for days on end, and had just taken a bite of a gourmet meal made just for him.
"… Lovely."
This time, Ravage allowed his surprise to take over his face. "Masochist." He uttered. "How did you know all of that happened?"
"Call it… A side effect of the experiments." The mech tilted his head at Ravage, and gave off a scoff.
"You are the subject of 'Project X', then."
"Perhaps." He replied. "I highly doubt the Maximals would keep a normal test subject in this kind of containment."
Ravage ignored the subject's sarcasm. "Why are the Maximals attempting to create an immortal Spark?"
"Why do you want to know?" He asked, chortling. "Is the information you seek beneficial to you?"
"… I was ordered to retrieve this information." Ravage replied after a hesitating moment.
"Ah, I see. A loyal lapdog for your boss. I'm sure they're confident with your capable abilities. Not many with your skill level can set off the intruder alarm, after all."
Ravage growled at the subject. "Enough mind games! Tell me what I want to know. Why are the Maximals attempting to create an immortal Spark?" He repeated.
"Hmph… The answer is simple, my dear Decepticon." He replied. "The Maximals are preparing for Great War Two."
Ravage was once again taken back. Perhaps it was best to play dumb about the Predacon Uprising… "Why? There has been peace between the Maximals and Predacons for centuries."
"Please." The subject stated. "Do you really believe the Maximal High Council doesn't know of the Predacon Uprising?" He scoffed. "The High Council is allowing the Predacons to organize their forces."
Ravage hesitated. If this proved to be true, it could mean the end of the Predacons… He had to be lying. Had to be. But that little voice in the back of his head kept repeating itself…
"Is that true?" He asked.
The chained mech chuckled. "Of course it's true." He 'grinned' once again. "The High Council thought about it so much during one of their little checkups, I'm surprised only I noticed it."
Ravage sneered. "Just who are you?"
"I have no name." The subject said. "Only an alias given to me by the scientists."
"Which is?"
"… Protoform X."
Ravage took his codename and stored it in the back of his mind. But then something dawned upon him. "Why did you tell me everything?"
Protoform X smirked again. "I thought I would have some fun with my new playmate." He then started to pull his arms against the chains restraining him; the shackles groaned in retaliation. "Oh how long I've waited… For someone like you…"
The spy took several steps back as X stood to his full height. With a loud crack, the subject yanked his left arm to the side, and taking the chains off the wall with it. Repeating the motion with his right arm, he almost casually reached down, and tore the restraints off his waist, legs, and ankles. He couldn't help but chuckle as Ravage took another step back from his imposing opponent.
"Ever hear of 'Cat and Mouse'?" X asked with a grin, taking his first willed steps towards the outside world of his prison. "The rules are simple. You run, and I try to catch you… If I do…"
Ravage slowly reached for his stolen weapons, taking two steps back for every one X took forward.
"It's game over."
Ravage unleashed a torrent of gunfire upon X's frame. In reply, the subject merely threw his head back, and laughed as the shots bounced 'harmlessly' off of his body, and into the surrounding walls.
The instant Ravage's clips emptied, X lunged, hands reaching out. While he was fast, he was as agile as a house, and the Ex-Decepticon evaded the attack. Ducking down, he threw both of his feet into X's midsection. Unfortunately, the large mech wavered only slightly, before raising his colossal foot, and slamming it down onto the spy's chest; he chortled softly as Ravage barely caught his foot, and struggled profoundly.
"Keep struggling, if you like." X said as he pressed his foot harder against the spy's trembling arms. "I would prefer it if you did, actually, it makes things so much more fun." He smiled as Ravage grinded his teeth.
There were so many things Ravage wanted to stay at this particular moment. But truth be told, he was more concerned about getting X off of him. He reached for his ever-handy pistol with his tail, wrapped it around the trigger, and fired off a single shot into the subject's face. The desired affect was far from attained, however.
"Oooohohohoho… Sneaky little kitty." He laughed. Reaching down, X quickly shifted his weight off of Ravage, and onto the floor next to him. The spy would have attempted to counter… had his tail not been grabbed. He felt a pull, and suddenly Ravage felt himself slam into a wall. X Didn't let go of the extra appendage until throwing Ravage into the ground, causing him to slide across the floor. "But this cat should stay away from the doghouse."
Ravage quickly up righted himself and eyed X, attempting to go over what he had learned in the past few minutes. He was big, he was fast, and he was strong. From what the spy could gather, X was also very intelligent. And if the tests were successful, he was also invincible.
Intimidation was starting to creep up on Ravage.
"Even war machines like Decepticons are capable of feeling fear, it would seem." X taunted as he slowly strode over towards the black cat. Both of them knew what was going on. X was pushing Ravage, trying to make him scared, maybe even run away. The subject would love that, relish in it. Ravage knew that, and despite his serious disadvantage, he stood as strong as he could. X only gave the spy a twisted grin in return.
Suddenly, the large beast pulled his arm back, and launched it forward, throwing the chain still attached to his arm ahead. Ravage had little time to react before the chain zipped past his head, and into the wall behind him. X chuckled softly before pulling the links back, but Ravage quickly latched his hand onto the tail-end of it. The end result – The spy went flying towards his target. Outstretching his right foot, he slammed right into X's face; the larger mech reeled back, but merely swatted Ravage away as if he were an insect.
Ravage found himself skidding out into the main cell block, in which all of the prisoners found themselves crying out for help once again. But the sight of the massive Protoform X caused them all to turn silent. The feeling of fear felt by every spectator in the cell block only made X feel that much more alive, and he grinned.
Before the spy could recover, the immortal picked him up by his chest plate, and fired off his wrist blasters in the mech's face, sending him back once again, through the main doors and into the main hallway. However, before X left to follow Ravage, he turned to look at the prisoners behind him.
"We'll all have some fun later." He said to every prisoner concurrently. X, satisfied with the feeling of fear he left with his inmates, transformed.
Ravage, meanwhile, was slowly crawling onto his hands and knees, then to his feet, all while holding his face. An explosion before him caught his attention, and he immediately moved into a defensive position. The force of the blast knocked a large hole into what used to be the doorway to the prison wing. Fire and smoke littered the immediate area, and the next thing to come out of the 'entrance' caused Ravage to tense up.
It was a tank. A heavily armored, heavily armed, Cybertronian tank. It was purple and burgundy, with accents of green and copper. Twin treads were covered by thick armor plating, and the turret had ten small cannons upon it; two on each side, and six atop. The four side cannons were smoking, and X's laughter emitted from the vehicle.
"Are you ready for round two, pussycat?" He asked in a fierce tone, slowly aiming the gun turret at Ravage.
Ravage thought for a moment. Seeing his alternate form certainly explained why normal weapons wouldn't work against X. But there had to be something that could hurt him. Something. If projectiles wouldn't work, then perhaps…
…
It hit Ravage.
Explosives.
Perhaps explosives would work against Protoform X. But unfortunately, finding the explosives to use against him is another task in itself. Not only did Ravage have to find the armory, but now he had to do it while evading and eluding X in his imposing alternate form. All that was left to do was to start running. Which Ravage promptly did. Had X's face been visible, one would have seen the excitement in his optics when he gave chase.
Ignoring his usual stealth methods, Ravage rounded the corner, and bumped into two Maximal sentries immediately. Normally, he would have either put them into stasis lock, or evaded them entirely, but this wasn't exactly a time for discretion. He ignored the two, and ran down the long hallway.
"Hey, that's the intruder!" One of the Maximals urgently spat to the other.
"FREEZE!" The other cried out to Ravage, with the two raising their weapons to the spy.
The loud sound of artillery roaring from behind caught their attention, and neither mech registered the pain as death crushed them in the form of Protoform X.
Rotating his gun turret to target Ravage, X chased the spy down the long stretch of monotone hall. However, he took his leisurely time as he loaded his cannons, and projected to himself an estimated distance between Ravage and the next corner. He wanted to shoot at just the right moment…
Ravage gasped as he heard the all-too familiar sound of explosives being fired. He quickly dived off into the next corner just as the blast struck the wall he was facing only a second ago. He didn't care to stop to observe the damage, however. Something told him that he should keep running, which he did.
X tore through the flaming smoke like a hot knife through butter, and his laugh echoed through the halls, reaching Ravage's ears quite easily. His treads scarred the floor, and with each Maximal Ravage passed, it was another Maximal overwhelmed with fear before meeting death.
Protoform X loved every moment of this rampage.
Ravage rounded another corner, and sprinted as fast as his legs could carry him. Although he was in his tank form, the immortal paid no notice to the walls he tore up as he swerved around the corners. He chuckled to himself as Ravage branched to the left, and an idea struck him.
The spy, meanwhile, was starting to run low on his energon reserves. Running at these speeds for this long was no simple task, and he was getting tired. A muffled explosion caught his attention, and he turned his head over his shoulder to see what it was. A second passed, before a second explosion tore through the wall, allowing X to charge through the new hole, laughing wildly.
That was motivation for Ravage to run a bit faster.
He rounded yet another corner, and cursed himself mentally. Ravage was officially lost. But now was not the time to worry about it, first and foremost, he had to lose Protoform X. Going around another corner, Ravage found himself in a dead end.
"Dammit." Ravage swore as he turned to face the empty space soon to be filled by his stalker. He panted heavily, attempting to regain some energy before confronting the immortal. The cool breeze from above helped cool him down somewhat, and…
…
Cool breeze from above?
Ravage looked up, and saw what he suspected: an air duct. He grinned to himself; this was the break he was looking for!
Protoform X came around the bend to where Ravage was last, but found nothing. Nothing but an air duct panel on the floor, and a black tail retreating into the vents above. He slowed his treads to a stop.
"My playmate ran away… What a shame." X mumbled to himself almost sadly. He then chortled. "I suppose… I'll have to go find some new ones to keep me company until he comes back."