-Catching Up-
It hadn't taken long for Cheetor to lead Nightshade back to the volcano, where the black robot had once again hidden Alpha Seven. Cheetor was now showing Nightshade around the new place, while telling him some of the things that had happened in his absence.
"Oh, and there's something you've got to see," Cheetor said, steering Nightshade into the Ark. Nightshade's processor nearly overloaded as he looked at the blank faces of the Transformers within.
"Megatron..." he said in amazement. "The original Decepticon commander, and he'd later become my creator, Galvatron." He looked past Soundwave, settled his optics on Ironhide for a cycle, and then shifted his gaze to Prowl. "This place is a historical gold mine."
Then Nightshade's optics registered the sight of something he never thought he'd see in person.
"Optimus Prime." Even nonfunctional, the Autobot commander was a powerful presence. Nightshade dropped to one knee before Rodimus Prime's predecessor.
"It's nice to see you again, Nightshade," Optimus said.
"Been a while on my end," Nightshade replied, looking up... and up... and up a little further, at Optimus Primal. "I'd say it was nice to see you again, but you don't look like you anymore."
"It's a long story. One that started almost immediately after you left last time."
Nightshade had gotten a proper feel for the new Maximal base, and was now greeting his old comrades.
"This place remains infested with vermin, I see," he said humorously, looking at Rattrap.
"Yeah, it's funny, but not much changes around here," Rattrap retorted. "Except maybe the occasional allegiance."
"All right, I suppose I deserved that one." Nightshade turned serious. "But I'd advise against pushing it further."
"What, can't you take a joke?"
"Oh, I can take one well enough, but I flatly refuse to be one. Savvy?"
"Well, okay. Guy can't take a joke; what are you gonna do?"
Nightshade turned his head, and smiled sideways at Rattrap. "Given our proximity, I'm gonna breathe through my mouth."
Cheetor stepped in, saving them from further unpleasantness with a minor announcement. "I forgot to tell you before; there's another crossbreed on the team."
Nightshade turned toward Cheetor. "Another like me?"
"Yeah, and we call them 'Fuzors' now."
"'Fuzors.'" Nightshade considered this information. "Interesting choice of terminology. So where is the other me?"
"I sincerely doubt there will ever be another you," a voice said from behind him. Nightshade turned to see a white robot with gold trim and large bird's wings stepping forward. "It's Nightshade, isn't it? My name is Silverbolt. I've heard good things about you. It's quite an honor to finally meet you face to face."
"Yeah, I'm glad to meet you too." Nightshade smiled.
"Well, give us the scoop," Cheetor said eagerly.
"What scoop?" Nightshade asked, puzzled.
"Oh, for bootin' up cold!" Rattrap said. "We thought you were dead!"
"I was. It sucked. I came back."
"Huh?"
"What, did you want details?" Nightshade laughed. "Rodimus Prime was concerned about a potential Decepticon uprising on Earth, and sent me to Africa to investigate and infiltrate as necessary. I remember landing on Kilimanjaro, and seeing some kind of white skull... then darkness. When I awoke, I was told that persons or life forms unknown had scrapped me, and that Perceptor, by using temporal technology, had gotten there in time to place my fleeing spark in a prototype containment unit. I remained in Repair Bay Zeta until my body was rebuilt, and then I left, and came back here. It was simply never reported that I'd been revived."
"Death does not sever all ties," Optimus said. "I should know; I died once, too."
"Huh. Well, it cut my strings quick enough. But then, I didn't have that many to begin with."
"So, how'd it go with Rodimus?" Cheetor asked. "You know, after you learned the truth about your origins?"
"He's a total motorhead," Nightshade replied. "As it turns out, the whole thing was a test. He wanted to see how far I would go to earn my answers."
"That why you burned your bridges, and came back here?" Rhinox asked. "Your old commander's a motorhead?"
"Yeah, that too, I suppose." Nightshade smiled again. "Truth be told, though, I really needed a change of scene. And this was the only place I had left to go." Then he paused, looking around. "There's someone missing, though. What happened to my old sparring partner? Where's Dinobot?"
All around the room, faces fell sadly.
"Oh, slag." Nightshade looked from one Maximal to the next. "How did he die?"
"With the last of his power," Optimus answered, "he single-handedly saved the valley that the entire human race would rise from."
"Truly then, he lived and died by his honor." Nightshade knelt for the fallen warrior.
"But life goes on for the rest of us," Rhinox said.
"We gotta finish what Chopper-face started," Rattrap added.
"I don't understand," Nightshade said uncertainly, raising his head.
"Megatron has targeted the Ark," Optimus explained. "The ultimate risk, for the ultimate prize. He's trying to rewrite history in his favor."
"But we cannot let our friend's death be in vain," Silverbolt said.
"We have to protect this place," Cheetor said.
"Then so be it." Nightshade stood up, flaring his wings aggressively. "For my friend, I shall do my part as well."
Flapping his wings, he shot into the air, landing on the floor of what was left of the Axalon's bridge. From there, he looked directly at Optimus Primal. "I've got nothing to draw me back, so I'm here to stay. And this time, my loyalty is right here, from start to finish. You have my oath on that."
"I'm glad to hear it, Nightshade," Optimus said. "And now that that's said, there's still some new friends for you to meet."
"There has been a disturbance in the time flow," a green-eyed Vok said. "Location: Nexus Earth."
"Impossible," said a red-eyed skull. "That project was terminated."
"The Nexus was destroyed, but Earth remains. And Nightshade has returned there."
"He has risen again?"
"That, he has. And I thought it was finished when you destroyed his body on that mountain."
"I am not at fault," the crimson-eyed Vok protested. "There was no way of anticipating the use of temporal manipulation by the one called 'Perceptor.'"
"Indeed not. And he cut it too close. We cannot return to the mountain to finish the job without arousing further suspicion. But the combined force of Nightshade and the Maximals on Nexus Earth could prove to be a great threat to the time-stream. You know what we must do."
"You are not suggesting that we send... that?"
"Yes. It is the only remaining option if we wish to end this."
"But once released, there is no guarantee that we will be able to control it."
"I'm well aware of the risks. I will send it with an ultimatum. If Nightshade refuses to answer, it will destroy him."
"If we do not determine the nature of the beast before we set it free, it will end by devouring us all," the red-eyed Vok said.
"Which is why you are in charge of forming a contingency plan," his emerald-eyed partner countered.
At these words, a glowing white sphere formed from nothing, and quickly flew away.
-End Chapter Two-
