THE BET
by Laserbeak
You sucked me in and played my mind
Just like a toy, you would crank and wind
Baby, I would give till you wore it out
You left me lying in a pool of doubt
And you're still thinkin' you're the daddy Mac
You should've known better but you didn't
And I can't go back
Oh, life goes on
And it's only gonna make me strong
It's a fact, once you get onboard
Say goodbye, cause you can't go back
Oh, its a fight, and I really wanna get it right
Where I'm at, it's my life before me
Got this feeling that I can't go back
Wish I knew then, what I know now
You held all the cards and sold me out
Baby, shame on you if you fooled me once
Shame on me if you fooled me twice
But you've been a pretty hard case to crack
I should've known better but I didn't
And I can't go back
Leann Rimes, Life Goes On
***
Terrorsaur and Laserbeak were walking through the Darkside hand-in-hand, laughing over some private joke between the two of them. Not an unusual sight these days, but one that still made the majority of the Cons slightly uneasy. Suddenly he drew her to him and kissed her soundly on the lips. After a cycle they parted, smiled at one another, then departed.
Blackarachnia made a rude noise in the back of her throat."Don't those two ever do anything but drool over each other?" she sneered.
Scorponok, the only other bot in the control room, looked up, not really sure if she was speaking to him, but answering anyway."Not really. They got it bad. Why do you care anyway? Unless, of course, you had a thing for Needle-nose." He leered teasingly.
"Yeah, right! I wouldn't touch that creep with a ten meter pole. I just don't get what he sees in her is all."
"Well, she pretty, and sweet, and has a good sense of humor, and she's a pterodactyl like him, not to mention she's probably the only female who's ever taken an interest in him...other than as target practice."
The widow scowled again, turning back to the security program she was updating as she muttered,"Sounds more like some wimpy Maximal that a Pred to me."
Scorponok smirked, and threw in a teasing comment, something he rarely did," I think you are jealous, because just two months ago you could have any bot on this ship and now Terrorsaur is taken. He wouldn't give you the time of day!"
The she-spider stopped cold and whirled to face him, "Are you implying I couldn't seduce that nanobite brain away from his ditsy girlfriend any time I want? I could have that featherless freak eating out of my claw by this time tomorrow!"
"Not a chance. Terrorsaur is totally infatuated with Laser. The day he so much as looks at another female is the day I join the Maximals."
By now a scheming like smile had worked it's way onto Blackarachnia's golden lips,"Care to make a little wager on that?"
The scorpion was suddenly wary. This spider was tricky. He'd learned that well enough on the flying island."What are the stakes?"
"If I can seduce Terrorsaur in the next 24 megacycles you have to do all my chores and slag assignments for the next month, no exceptions."
Now Scorponok was more cynical than ever. He had never liked Terrorsaur, but Laser was his friend. He didn't want to do anything that might hurt her. And ever to him, a Predacon, toying with the affections of other seemed just plain cruel." I don't think so. Laser really loves Terrorsaur. If she saw him with another female it would crush her."
"Oh, don't worry about that. You just keep Laserbeak busy for a megacycle or so tomorrow. All it will be is just one kiss. She'll never be the wiser. And if I can't get him to kiss me, which is highly unlikely, you'll have no chores for a month. Well, is it a deal?"
He thought this over a moment longer.~ If Laser doesn't know, then there's really no harm. And no way is Blackarachnia gonna get anywhere with Terrorsaur. He hates her. Plus, I could use the free time to read that Michael Criton novel I've been putting off....~ He stuck out his pincer and shook her claw firmly,"Deal."
***
"So, what do we have planned tonight, my Handsome One?" Laser was asking her mate as they headed towards their quarters. Both of them had gotten the night off so they could spend some quality time together. It was approximately 9 megacycles after the devious deal had been set into motion.
"I was thinking a little dancing, maybe a movie, say...Tremors?"
"A horror movie about giant flesh-eating worms, my, aren't we romantic?" she replied dryly, wit a satirical roll of her optics.
"Alright, Titanic," he grumbled,"but don't expect me to cry again when Jack dies. I'm over my emotional phase." That was a lie which they both knew. Terrorsaur always cried during that movie, one of the reasons he hated it so much.
Suddenly Scorponok popped his head out of his lab and hailed them,"Laser, you think you could help me rewire some of my cyberbees? I need someone with small fingers. It won't take long, a megacycle at most."
The pair exchanged a glance."Go on. I'll have everything ready when you get there. Maybe some holo-candles, a little music and some energon champagne, huh?" the male encouraged, mischief twinkling in his eyes as it often did.
She smiled and kissed his cheek lovingly before following the scientist into his sighed, then grinned and struted off to ready their quarters for his mate's arrival. This felt like one of those nights when everything was going his way. How wrong he was.
Blackarachnia smiled wickedly to herself from where she'd been watching around a dark corner. The trap was set. ~Come into my web, said the spider to the fly~ she thought then laughed evilly.
Terrorsaur couldn't decide whether the lights where dim enough or too dim. He wanted to set the mood, but he also wanted to be able to SEE his mate when she came in.
He was just about to change the setting again when the door swooshed open and Blackarachnia stepped inside.~Just what I don't need, to get in a argument with her.~ But the she-spider looked like she had something far from arguing on her mind.
"What do you want?"
"Oh, is that any way to treat a guest?" she ask coyly.
"When one comes in I'll ask them," he replied.
The she-spider frowned. ~This might be harder than I thought . But then I've always enjoyed a challenge~ She moved closer to him, her hip brushing his."You know, you're quite the handsome bot ,Terrorsaur."
He blinked in surprize, optics flashing on and off in confusion. "I am? I mean, well, of course I am. I don't see what that has to do with you though." He backed away from her advances, startled and a bit frightened. Where was Laser when he really needed her?
She pressed forward, making the male back away further,"A girl is kinda drawn to a male with such..ambition. Everyone knows you'd make a better leader than Megatron .."~Yeah, right,~ "All you need is a loyal supporter, someone who admires you... as I do."
Terrorsaur swallowed hard. The widow was making him more than nervous, she'd forced him into a corner in his own room! He tried once more to put distance between them and stumbled on something, falling/sitting in the room's only chair.
Blackarachnia smirked, moving in for the kill as she sat on his lap, slipping her arms around his neck."We'd make a great team. Why don't we seal it....with a kiss."
Trapped, Terrorsaur felt shock paralyze him as the she-spider leaned towards him. Panic made his voice higher than usual as he stammer,"Blackarachnia, I can't.."
She hushed him, pressing her lips to his. Terrorsaur's hands went up, whether to push her away or to slide around her waist she never found out, because at that nano-click they were interrupted.
***
Laserbeak sighed as she spliced the wiring of her sixth cyberbee together. How she longed to be done with this drudgery and be in her quarters with her mate. Judging from the long line of bees yet to be repaired, that was a long ways off. Then an idea came to her.
"You know, Scorpi. You could do this really easily if you used needle-nosed pliers."
"I don't have any. Waspinator borrowed my last pair and never returned them," he replied quickly.
Seeing a chance for escape, she lunged for it,"I have a pair in mine and Terrorsaur's quarters. I'll get them for you." She was off her seat and to the door as he began to protest.
"No, really. I don't want to bother you." He glanced at his chronometer. It had only been half a megacycle!
"It's no bother," she assured him, sitting out of the lab and walking down the hall. Scorponok's claw shot out and grabbed her arm restrictively, shaking his head,"Laser, you really don't want to go in there, believe me."
Cold fear gripped her spark as the she-dactyl looked into her friend's sorrowful face. Something was very wrong. With one sharp twist of her wrist she pulled free and raced to the door of her quarter's. What she found when it opened made her heart scream in silent agony. Blackarachnia. Blackarachnia sitting on Terrorsaur's lap. They were kissing. Bitter tears of utmost pain welled up in her eyes. Suddenly the two seemed to realize they were being watched. Terrorsaur succeeded in disengaging himself from the widow and turned to his mate.
"Laser," he said in obvious relief, relief that turned to horror as he saw the expression on her face and he realized what she was thinking. "This isn't what it looks like!" he yelped in alarm.
Tears streaming down her cheeks, she shook her head and bolted away.
"LASER!!!" Terrorsaur lept to his feet, dumping Blackarachnia on the floor as he sprinted after his mate.
Blackarachnia picked herself up as Scorponok entered, glaring at her. "I guess we know who won the bet," she mumbled embarrassingly.
"Somehow I don't think that's so important anymore."
***
"LASER!!!" Terrorsaur called, out of breath as he finally managed to catch up with the she-dactyl."Laser, please. Give me a chance to explain. What you saw, I didn't mean, I'd never..."
Her look of betrayal stopped his excuses in their tracks. She was sobbing, thick, organic tears streaming down her face. How could he do this to her? HIM? The person she trusted most, the male she loved, would have died for. He had stabbed her in the back, cheated on her.
"Just go away," she whispered coldly, then turned and left a stunned Terrorsaur standing in the Darkside's corridor, watching the love of his life walk away.
Terrorsaur slammed Scorponok and Blackarachnia up against a wall, his red optics blazing as he snarled,"Who's idea was it?"
The two looked at each other in startlement. This wasn't the usual cowardly Terrorsaur they were used to dealing with. He looked like he seriously might kill one or both of them, and the Predacon second-in-command didn't want to be the victim Scorponok lifted a claw and pointed at his accomplice, "Her's."
The widow sighed and nodded,"Alright, it was my idea. But Laser wasn't supposed to find whole thing is just a big mistake. It was a joke."
The pterodactyl wasn't laughing,"You think this is funny? You two just ruined my life! I love her and she thinks I was cheating on her!" He released the pair and sighed, turning toward the open view port. "Beast mode." He reverted to his beast form and took to the air. "I have to find her.. and then you are going to explain this whole thing to her, PERSONALLY!" He disappeared out the view port.
"That went well," the scorpion muttered sarcastically.
***
Terrorsaur knew where he would find her, where they had first fallen in love. The waterfalls on the border of Maximal territory. Since the battle a few weeks ago it had recovered a bit. The vegetation was starting to grow over where Megatron's detonation charges had blown. Laserbeak, also in beast mode, sat at the edge of a pool, her wings wrapped around herself as she gazed down at her reflection.
"Mind if I join you?"
She didn't look up. "I thought I told you to leave me alone."
"Will you at least hear my side before you throw away what we had together?"
"What I saw doesn't need much explanation, but knock yourself out,"she replied coldly, never looking at him.
"She came on to me, Lase. I swear it. I was just trying to get things ready for you and before I know it she barges in and kisses me."
The she-dactyl snorted disbelievingly as she slapped a wing at her reflection, breaking it into a hundred ripples."Come on, Terrorsaur. You're an expert liar. You can do better than that. What happened? Did you trip, the chair broke your fall and your lips broke hers?"
"It's the truth! She came on to me. Why won't you believe me?" he demanded in frustration, gripping her shoulder and forcing her to turn and face him.
She looked him straight in the eye, "Would you?"
He lowered his head after a moment, "No."
"Then why should I?"
His eyes locked on hers again, "Because I 'd never lie to you, I couldn't. I love you, Laser."
Tears welled up into her eyes again, but this time they were tears of joy, "I love you too, Terror. I'll always love you." He enfolded her in his wings, nuzzling her tenderly, then kissed her, their beaks locking together.
***
The two dactyls walked hand-in-hand through the Darkside.
"It's nice not to have chores so we can just be together," she murmured, resting her head on his shoulder."How'd you pull this off again?"
He grinned,"Easy. Scorponok felt so guilty about almost breaking us up he agreed that the only fair thing to do was up hold the bet..and since it was Blackarachnia's idea, she didn't argue. So now we have a month of romantic nights to make up for the one they ruined. And they each have double the work."
She laughed softly," You're quite a male, Terror."
"Because I know quite a female."
"Think we'll always be this close?"
"I'd bet on it,"he replied, kissing her.
The End
Author's Notes: This one had very little I could repair on it. There's no escaping the fact that I seemed to think Predacons can be mushy and have an unending supply of Human DVDs which would be SO outdated by then. Oy.