Yumne slipped quietly out through the doors that guarded the entrance to the new Maximal base which was technically also the Autobot ship ARK. Much as Optimis Primal and his crew had wanted her to stay inside the place to avoid being harmed she had to get away from there, as the giant robots in stasis made her nervous. She kept on expecting them to wake up and step on her.
Of course she had had to be sneaky about leaving due to the fact that the Maximals had made it extremely clear they didn't want her to go outside. When she'd asked why, they simply said it was getting too dangerous for her to be out there even with a transformer there to guard her but she had a feeling there was more to it than that. Their body language and the way they didn't look at her fully made her believe all of her Maximal friends were hiding something from her.
She didn't know what it was but she was intent on finding out. The transformers were being highly secretive about whatever it was and, even though she never really asked them about many of the things they did in this war, she felt it was something they wouldn't tell her even if she had.
But why?
What could be so sensitive that they felt the need to shield her from it? Why had they been keeping a closer eye on her lately and had always thwarted her attempts to leave the cave? It had only been by sheer luck, and the fact Rattarp had fallen asleep watching her, that she'd managed to sneak out. The girl was pretty sure they would be out looking for her soon enough so she intended to accomplish her goal as quickly as possible and sneak back before any of them were the wiser.
Even so it wouldn't stop her from taking in the fresh air. The Ark was hot, stifling, and dull, and if she'd stayed in there much longer without a break, she would have gone crazy so this little mission of her was a two purposed deal.
"Let's keep moving, girl," she told herself, making her way into the jungle, her hands gripping the straps of her backpack. "let's find what they're hiding from you and head back."
She'd been walking for about a half hour when she began to feel like something was following her. The girl looked over her should but saw nobody. She looked ahead again and continued walking, figuring it was a harmless animal.
As the human girl continued deeper into the thickly forested area, she continued hearing strange sounds behind her but whenever she looked back she would see nothing. Even so she was beginning to feel nervous, her senses on full alert for trouble.
Suddenly she heard movement behind her and turned in time to see a silver figure charging toward her. Gasping in shock she backed up and tripped over her own feet, landing on the ground.
The silver creature stopped, looming over her. "What have we here, the Maximal's human pet?"
Yume looked up, finally getting a good look at the creature. It looked like a shiny metal skeleton of a dinosaur, not just any dinosaur a Velociraptor. A familiar raptor...
"Dinobot?" she asked, remembering the Maximal who'd been her bodyguard then her friend before his death.
"Hmm perceptive, aren't you?" the bot went from beast mode to robot mode then. Now she was sure it was Dinobot she knew that face anywhere even if it looked different.
No! This couldn't be true, Dinobot was dead, she'd seen his body! She'd been there for his funeral. "But... You- you're dead!"
"I believe you have me mistaken for another creature," the raptor said, leaning over her, his claws mere inches from her throat. "as you can see I am very much alive!"
Yume could not form a response as her brain was still attempting to process what she was seeing. This couldn't be Dinobot. No matter how much it looked like him it just couldn't' be.
But if it wasn't who was this? It had to be him, but why was he trying to kill her? Didn't he remember her? What had Megatron done to him?
"No!" she exclaimed, thinking he'd only lost his memory. "don't do this! This isn't who you are! Try to remember... it's me! Yume! The girl you were taking care of!"
For a moment this Dinobot paused, gritting his teeth in an odd fashion, as if he were trying to remember... or he just thought she was annoying and had no idea what she was talking about and all ehr shouting was ticking him off.
Suddenly he sneered his mouth showing off rows and rows of sharp teeth. "I believe you have me mistaken for someone else," he told her, his claws looming closer to her throat "Someone who is weak!"
He didn't remember her! "Dinobot please stop!" she looked like she was about to start crying.
"Your pleas mean nothing to me, human," he spat, disgusted. "Now be silent and die!"
"No!" she exclaimed, kicking out at him. Her foot contacted the circular image on his chest and he grunted, stepping back slightly.
Her blow hadn't really been all that powerful but it had taken him by surprise. She saw her small window of escape and scrambled to her feet, taking off into the trees.
"You will not escape me!" the transmatetal raptor roared, quickly shifting into beast mode and giving chase.
Yume could hear the Predacon's heavy footsteps echoing behind her as she ran. She didn't look back knowing full well that if she did she would probably trip over something specially since she was wearing high heels.
"I am right behind you," the dinobot's clone suddenly called out to her which did in fact make her turn her head. He was right. He was right behind her and in robot mode. She gasped, How had he-
He swung at her with a claw and she screamed, jerking away and predictably tripping when her foot contacted an ill placed rock. She fell to the ground once more still screaming her head off before she scrambled onto her back and began to crawl backwards away from him, her eyes wide in fear.
Dinobot chuckled sadistically, coming toward her with his claws. 'Megatron was right about you, you're nothing but dead weight," he sneered. "I would be doing the Maximals a favor getting rid of you."
He was going to kill her!
Yume screamed again, putting her arms over her face in a futile attempt to protect herself from an oncoming blow. "No! Please!"
Just when she expected to get her head chopepd off she suddenly heard a voice call out. "How does it feel knowing you are about to kill a biologically inferior foe, creep?"
The girl heard dinobot snarl angrily, at the sound of the newcomer's voice, and shout "You!" in rage.
"But what else can I expect from an abomination with half of Rampage's spark?" the voice spoke again.
"You would know that all to well!" the raptor snarled. "and as with him your actions will be futile!"
The girl heard a roar and then the sound of metal hitting metal and grunting. She peeked through her arms, taking in the sight of the Dinobot clone charging at a blue and silver figure.
A familiar figure.
"Depth Charge!" she exclaimed surprised by the sight of the loner Maximal. "Watch out!"
The sting ray themed Maximal ignored her warning, his attention focused completely on the transmetal raptor. She saw their frames make contact and flinched, covering her face with her hands. She hoped he'd be able to take care of the awful clone. She heard another blow and a loud and angry shriek. Suddenly she was being lifted off the ground. Screaming in fear that the Dinobot clone had come for her she removed her hands from her eyes, getting a face full of angry red optics.
"Hold onto me!" their owner, Depth Charge, shouted. "and stop that infernal yelling!"
Before she could respond the Maximal changed into flight mode and she held on tightly to one of his fin-like wings as the two shot into the sky. She glanced over her shoulder, spotting the clone Dinobot below. He angrily roared at them, jumping into the air to take a swing at the duo as they flew away. She gasped and turned her head away, closing her eyes as the pair reached open air.
They got a pretty good distance away from the Predacon before Depth Charge landed on the ground due to damage from the parting shot Dinobot had given him when they'd escape. He landed on the ground and changed back into robot mode, holding the girl in his arms now. She opened her eyes just as he flinched when his frame sparked and he let out a stream of rather earth sounding profanity.
"Are you okay?" she asked him.
"I've had worse," he responded moodily. "Are you injured?"
"No, I'm fine," she replied. "He didn't hurt me thanks to you..."
"Right..." silence. Then. "What in the Nebula was a weak human like you doing wandering around out of the base without an escort anyway? Do you have a death wish or something?"
The girl looked away from him. She didn't know Depth Charge very well due to limited contact and what little exposure she had to him made her feel like a bug under a microscope. Once the two had made eye contact back at the ARK she could tell he didn't like her at all. It seemed like he thought she was nothing but dead weight, exactly what Dinobot's clone had told her previously. She wasn't sure she wanted to tell him why she'd left the base especially since she knew he didn't like her and would msot liekly judge what she said.
Plus he was angry and she hated when people were angry at her.
The human heard him let out an exasperated sigh. "Kid, you owe me an explanation, seeing as I saved your life when I could have let that thing terminate you."
Yume looked at the Maximal's face, her eyes widening in disbelief. "You wouldn't have done that, would you?!" she exclaimed.
Depth Charge said nothing for a long time and she got the impression he really would have let her die if he'd really felt like it. Just as she suspected, he hated her.
"You would have!" she exclaimed. "What kind of Maximal are you?"
"Who are you to judge me?" he snapped at her. "I saved your life, didn't I?"
"Yes, but-"
"Then you should at least thank me for it!" he shot back obviously offended.
She fell silent for a moment then said. "..thank you..."
"Mmmgh..." he still looked cranky.
"I said thank you!" she snapped at him defensive. "and put me down!"
He seemed all too happy to do so but at least he didn't drop her. The Maximal set her down on a rock and she stared up at him. Why did these robots have to be so tall anyway? Not that they were as big as the ones in the Ark but they still towered over her, except for Rattrap that is. "Now why don't you tell me why you came out here?" he asked again, sounding annoyed.
Yume turned away from him. She didn't want to tell him. He'd just give her a lecture like everyone else.
"You owe me," he reminded her.
The girl looked at him, he was right after all. "I wanted to find something out."
"and what would that be?"
"Why everyone wouldn't allow me to leave the ARK," she started. "and to find out why they weren't explaining to me why they were doing so." she frowned at him. "I know it has something to do with why Cheetor looks so different now but I didn't know why..." she looked away. "and I found out..." now she turned around, looking at him accusingly. "Why didn't any of you tell me about Dinobot?!"
"Dinobot?" he asked, startled. "Why would you want to know about him...?" he suddenly remembered the other Maximals telling him about how Yume and the original had been close. "..oh."
"Why didn't they tell me about it?" she demanded, her eyes beginning to fill with tears. "What was so wrong with me knowing this?"
"Figures," she heard him mutter. "Primal's gone and did it again, like always." she sensed him turn his full attention on her. "Primal probably though he was protecting you."
"From what?" she cut him off, turning back to him. "From the fact that dinobot came back? That he's working for Megatron again? That he no longer remembers me?" tears streamed down her cheeks now. "did he think not telling me about it would prevent me from finding out eventually? Did he think I was too delicate to take the news?"
"Maybe," he couldn't give her a logical enough answer except the only he'd already given.
"Why?" she asked.
"Why what?"
"Why did this happen?" she asked him. "What caused this? Why is Dinobot working for Megatron when he told me over and over that he hated him? What caused this?"
Depth Charge didn't look at her which only made her more upset. "You know what happened, done you?"
Still he gave no answer. Instead he attempted to change the subject entirely. "We had better be heading back to the base... the other will be-"
"NO!" she shouted so loudly it startled the robot. His optics flashed rapidly as he was taken aback by the humans outburst
"You have to-"
"Not until you tell me what happened!" she exclaimed, her voice beginning to grow shrill. "I am tired of being lied to." she glared at him though her tears. "I thought maybe you'd be honest about this seeing as you hate being lied to about things, how you don't like mistakes Optimus made that causes incidents that hurt innocent people. That you-"
"Why you little-" he glared at her, looking like he wanted to hit her but he stopped himself befoe he did so. This was a human after all, any harm he gave her would most likely prove fatal. "You don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't I?" she challenged him. "I know that because Optimus and those other scientists didn't terminate Rampage a lot of people you cared about got killed and you intend to fix it all." her grey eyes darkened. "I am not as dumb as you believe nor am I Optimus' pet. I have my own mind and I can make my own decisions." she stared him down. "Now please, tell me what happened." then as if rememebring ehr manners. "Please."
For the longest time he said nothing as if he were processing what she'd said. She could tell he wasn't happy and she saw him clenching his fists in anger at her words. Finally he said. "Fine..." and he began to recount the events that led up to Dinobot's "resurrection".
Yume listened silently, asking questions here and there so he could clarify things for her. As the story progressed her expression changed from wide eyed disbelief to utter devastation. When he finished he heard her whisper. "That's why he didn't remember me..."
Depth Charge felt bad for her. "You were close to him, weren't you?" he asked her.
She looked at him, her eyes brimming with tears again. "He was my friend," she told him. "He protected me. I was afraid of him at first but I got over it as I got to know him. He was very important to me..." she wiped her eyes, trying to force herself not to cry about it but she couldn't stop herself. "He died a hero. This is all wrong. This is stepping all over his memory..." She burst into tears, covering her face with her hands.
Depth Charge stood there, watching her, unsure what to say to her. He'd never met the real Dinobot as the Maximal had died long before his ship had crashed on Earth, only having heard stories about the Predacon turned Maximal who'd lost his spark saving humanity from Megatron's insanity. The original Dinobot sounded like someone he might have gotten along with though.
When the girl suddenly leaned against the sting ray themed transformer, burying her face into his chest. This cuased him to come out of his thoughts. He looked down and awkwardly placed a hand on her back, saying nothing because nothing he said would help her feel better anyway. He realized then that he had no right to be so judgemental toward her. She'd lost people she cared deeply for just as he had. She had every right to be bitter.
When her tears subsided slightly he said to her. "We should be heading back, that clone is still out there and he is sure to be looking for us, especially you."
The girl looked up at him, her face soaked with tears. She said nothing to his words, simply nodding her head. He was right after all.
The sting ray themed Maximal helped her down off the rock and the two headed back to the Ark, neither saying anything more. Depth Charge looked down at the girl as they walked, realizing something had changed within her. Something she held dear had been destroyed and she would never be the same again.
Just like him...
Poor kid.
When they reached the base Optimus Primal came out to greet them. "You found her!" he exclaimed seeing Depth Charge walking beside the girl. "Thank goodness, I was worried that-"
Suddenly Yume looked up at him. "That what?" the girl cut him off sharply. "That I wouldn't find out the reason for your lies?" she glared at him. "well I did! I found it! I found it and I know all about it!"
He looked at her startled. "Yume-"
"Don't talk to me!" she exclaimed. "Don't ever talk to me again!" then she turned and charged into the Ark."You're nothing but a filthy liar!"
Optimus watched her run inside, his expression full of worry. He turned to look back at Depth Charge.
"Looks like you did it again, Primal," the other Maximal responded, sarcasm loaded in his voice. "you sure have a knack for making a bad situation worse."
"What?"
"Don't you what me, Primal," Depth Charge snapped, pointing an accusing finger in his face. "She never would have gone out there if you had just told her the truth" then he too stepped into the base, ignoring the Maximal leader when he called after him.
Optimus watched him disappear behind the doors then looked toward the woods. Yume had found out about Dinobot and from how she and Depth Charge had reacted it had been the worst possible way. He looked back to the base as realization dawned on him.. "By the Matrix... what have I done?"
A/N
Woohoohoo I finally wrote something. It's been so long since I've done a thing and I finally got this one finished. Well I hoped you enjoyed it. I had been thinking for awhile what might happen if our favorite scream queen met Dinobot's clone. Now you know. Hehehe I hope I got everyone in character. Please let me know what you thought thank you. I might add more to the story but only if you want me to.
