I remember I was going to do a three shot story called 'The Virus Trilogy' but I never got around to it.
Now, here's the first story, 'Dreamcatcher', of, if you prefer, 'The First Scout Arrives'
Dream sequence text
Reality text
All was peaceful in the Autobot and Decepticon bases. Neither faction wanted to invade the others at the moment, it was a holiday.
A holiday celebrating recharge. It was the equivalent to Winter Break, only shorter.
-
A small, beat up looking ship landed without the roar of rockets or thrusters to wake the slumbering populace in an old, abandoned field. From it, emerged a creature more like a shadow than anything else. Mostly black armor covered the mech as he almost glided towards the Autobot base.
Dreamreaper was here to scout ahead for its master and report if the life forms here could easily be enslaved or destroyed. Thankfully, he only had spotted the Autobot base, and none of the slumbering cities nearby. Like a ghost, he slid through the doors of the Autobot base without setting off alarms or anything. Scanning his surroundings, Dreamreaper concluded that his first subject would reside three doors down the hall.
-
Optimus Prime didn't suspect a shadow looming over him as he recharged in peace.
"Subject one, Autobot leader Optimus Prime. Sending in nano bots to scan for dream sequences." He muttered, half of his right hand disintegrated into the tiny machines directly linked to his processor. They settled like dust on the slumbering mech, then some made their way to his spark, others to his CPU.
"Nightmare sequence commencing now."
-
Dreamreaper stood in a great hall, where many mechs and femmes stood around, chatting it up and occasionally punching the servers holding out trays of energon cubes. The inky black mech noted that all the servers had the same symbol, the Autobot symbol, to be precise, and the party goers were all Decepticons.
"Subject one fears his cause will be swallowed by his enemies. Interesting." He muttered, noting it down on a datapad. He looked up as a large mech walked up onto the stage and ordered for silence.
"Lord Megatron wishes to make an announcement he's sure EVERYONE in here will want to hear." His Second in Command, Starscream yelled.
Applause was given as the Decepticon leader stalked onto the stage. "My companions," He began, "You may know of Optimus Prime, the last REAL threat of Autobot rebellion wandering free of our grasp and making contact with a few more fugitives." Mutters of discontent came from the crowd, while the Autobot servents looked up hopefully. "It is my pleasure to say that the fugitives were found and killed. The Decepticons now RULE THE GALEXIES!"
Cheers and cries of sorrow were mingled as the news was either celebrated or the cause of mourning.
"I have seen enough for sufficient data."
-
By the time Dreamreaper was finished with the Autobot leader, the mech was shaking slightly at the nightmare he had been forced to watch.
But Dreamreaper was already in search of a new target.
"Subject two, Autobot spy Bumblebee. Commence nightmare sequence."
-
Dreamreaper watched the subject sobbing over the carcasses of his dead team mates, then being dragged away by two faceless Decepticons. "He fears separation. An easy one to bend."
The nightmare changed, and he saw Bumblebee, much younger, begging and pleading to go with the bigger mechs, only to have them claim he was 'too young' to go. Dreamreaper stood over the sobbing youngling, grinning and writing. "He's still young, and he wishes for approval from his elders. I'll leave this one in a Nightmare Lock. He'll wake up crying after a solar cycle…or twelve."
-
As the observer made his way to the next room, he slammed himself against the wall, as the subject's door slid open.
A sleepy looking Ironhide staggered out, muttering to himself. He didn't notice a shadow pass him by, as it decided to skip this particular mech.
Perhaps their Medic was in.
-
"No…No, no, no! Come on, slag you, hold on!"
The Medic was crouching by brutally injured mech, who was gasping something about not wanting to die and looked about ready to plug out.
"Subject knows sometimes it is beyond his power to save some lives. He dreads that fact." Dreamreaper commented, smirking, as the mech's optics faded and his spark flared once then faded. "I'd stick him in a Nightmare Lock, but I have overstayed my welcome."
-
Dreamreaper scanned the area outside of the Autobot base, heading back to his ship and imputing the info gathered into his files.
Time to find the Decepticons…' he thought dully.
-
"This is his nightmare?"
The black mech stood in a throne room, as Megatron knelt before a smirking Starscream. "My lord, I crave your pardon…" he said submissively. "It was because of my dratted brother…"
"Silence!" Starscream snarled, grinning at the former leader. "Maybe I should beat some sense into you for disobedience?"
"Seesh, and I thought I had it rough. At least my master's not a prick." Dreamreaper commented dryly.
-
Apparently, these two subjects bunked together.
Frenzy was sleeping on Barricade's face plates like some strange dog. Dreamreaper had to muffle his snickers as he sent then into their nightmares.
-
"Wow, this is surprisingly lame."
Frenzy was on a breach of a deserted island, twitching and squirming. "NONOnonoNO!" The Hacker screeched. "NOINTERNET NOCADE NONOTHING!"
Dreamreaper suppressed the urge to kick the spazzing bot as he stepped out of the nightmare. The other mech's nightmare might be just as stupid.
-
There was only one mech to go, and then he could leave this rotten place.
But when he tried to access the mech's nightmares, he came up blank. 'How is this possible?!' Dreamreaper asked himself.
"I don't have nightmares, you idiot." Starscream's optics came online and he frowned at the mech. Grabbing him by the back of the armor, he said, "Do you know why?" The surprised mech shook his head.
Dragging him to a conveniently placed window, he bellowed, "I'M LIVING IN ONE! NOW BEGONE!" The mech fell screaming until he hit the ground below with a loud thud.
Dusting off his hands, Starscream returned to his private dreamland…he'd need to wake up again soon and face the nightmares.
Yeah, it was a sort of on the spot idea I had last night…