This was going to be Chapter 3, but I liked the current one better. So I was going to alter this to make it flow with Chapter 3, but it took on a life of it's own. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing except Mera and her motorcycle.
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Megatron groaned and turned his optics on and saw Starscream. He closed his eyes and shook his head.
"Thats not something I wanted to see when I woke up. What in the Pit happened?" Megatron asked. Mera chuckled.
"You got your butt handed to you by Prime and his buddies." Mera laughed. Megatron sighed and closed his optics again.
"How are you feeling?" Starscream asked, Megatron shrugged.
"Like I could use some Energon. What's happening on Velocitron?" Megatron asked, Mera frowned.
"Hotshot is in the final race, along with Ransack, Crumplezone and Dirtboss. But those three don't stand a chance of winning. We need someone who can do it." Mera said, Starscream nodded. Scourge frowned.
"So who should go?" Scourge asked. Megatron sat up and placed a hand on his aching head before answering.
"Starscream will stay here and keep an eye on things, while Mera and I go to Velocitron." Megatron replied to Scourge's question.
"Ah, no offense big guy, but you turn like a semi stops. Slowly and painfully. I've seen John Deere's with better turning radius pulling a hay rake." Mera commented. Megatron, Starscream and Scourge looked at her silently. "Hey, I grew up on a farm, so sue me."
"Well, who do you suggest?" Megatron asked. Mera grinned.
"Me." Mera said. Blinking, Megatron opened his mouth several times before answering.
"You? On what?" Megatron asked.
"My motorcycle. I'm good enough on it to give this Override a run for her money. Let's go. We can have Thundercracker bring me my motorcycle and helmet and I can take Ransack and Crumplezone's places. I'm faster than either of them, I manuever like you've never seen and I think fast on my feet. Let me do it." Mera said. Megatron sighed as he considered his options. Mera was right. Ransack and Crumplezone were complete incompetents, but that race would be dangerous.
"I don't know, Mera. An engine needs fossil fuel to run, in your case gasoline. If there was some other way..." Megatron said. Mera frowned, then brightened.
"I have an idea! Starscream, can you pull Thundercracker up on the comm please?" Mera said. Starscream did as asked and Mera explained her request to the seeker.
"On my way!" Thundercracker said and the comm vanished. Mera walked outside in time to see Thundercracker appear with her motorcycle.
"Where d'ya want it?" Thundercracker asked. Mera pointed at the field at the base of the temple and followed Thundercracker down. She unloaded her bike, toolkit and helmet. Thundercracker transformed and watched as she pulled it over to the steps, sat down and preceeded to take her bike apart piece by piece.
"What are you doing?" Thundercracker asked, Mera remained silent as she took her bike apart, revealing the fuel injection system.
"Screamer, come down here a second." Mera called. The Seeker trotted down the stairs and knelt next to her and peered at the fuel system. "Could we take this out and replace it with an Energon fueled system?" Mera asked. Starscream shook his head thoughtfully.
"I don't know if we have the parts. It's possible, but I don't know if it'll work properly." Starscream replied, looking closer.
"I have some spare parts from that Junk Planet we visited than one time. I thought they might come in handy." Thundercracker explained as Megatron's eyes narrowed.
"Might as well give it a try. I should have all the tools I need." Mera said, looking specuatively at the tool bag, box and magnetic bar with her sockets. "Help me move over to that shaded grove. I'll be at this a while." Mera said, Thundercracker carried her tools while Mera wheeled the bike over. Making two trips for the other parts, Mera explained about the high payout for metal back on earth.
"If this works, I can take these to a Junkyard and get some serious cash for these. Living in the city is expensive, plus I'm eventually getting a ranch. I need the money." Mera said. Starscream shrugged.
"If you say so." he said. Mera opened her tool kits and set to work. She removed the engine, fuel injection system and gas tank.
"Damn, this may take more than I thought. I don't know if It can handle this. I'm probably better off building a brand new bike." Mera said, leaning back and looking at it. Starscream was sitting cross-legged behind her and peered at the bike.
"You might be correct. But where to get the parts?" Starscream asked. Mera spread her arms to encompass the bike.
"Right here. I just have to take it apart and rebuild it to encompass the Energon system." Mera said. From their position at the foot of the stairs, Megatron, Starscream and Scourge watched the two genuises work.
"If she suceededs at this, will you allow her to race?" Scourge asked. Megatron frowned, considering.
"Possibly. It will depend if this works or not." Megatron replied.
"God damnit!" Mera yelled as she sucked on her thumb.
"What happened?" Megatron called. Starscream answered for Mera who delivered a kick to the side of her motorcycle.
"Oh, Mera just smashed her thumb." Starscream snickered. Mera lifted the hammer and waved at him threateningly.
"Don't make me dent your paint job." Mera growled and pulled out a pair of well fitting leather gloves.
"Stupid...Of all the silly...worthless hunk of tin..." Mera muttered as she continued taking her motorcycle apart. An hour later, the motocycle was in pieces and sorted by function and location. All the screws were in different compartments of a screw case so none of them got lost. Well, one of them did, but she found it with the help of a large magnet.
"Starscream, you got the skematics for this, right? The wiring and all of it?" Mera asked. Starscream shrugged.
"You wanted me to record all that? You never said anything like that!" Starscream said. Mera closed her eyes and breathed deeply.
"You weren't paying attention?" Mera asked, Starscream shook his head, secretly enjoying her irritation. "Well, I'll just have to wing it." Mera said, cupped her hands to her mouth and called to Thundercracker.
"Yo! T.C., can you bring me those parts!" Mera called. Starscream cried out and clapped his hands over his audio receptors.
"Do you mind!" Starscream yelled. Mera smirked at him and hit his leg with her hammer. She knew he'd done that on purpose and had gotten her revenge.
"Be right over!" Thundercracker called back. Mera stood up to stretch her legs before she had to sit back down and rebuild her motorcycle. "Here ya go." Thundercracker said, setting down what she needed. Mera walked back over and hefted the engine to set it down next to the parts. Looking between the two, Mera sighed.
"We might have a problem. I'm not well versed in Energon Engines, so I'm not sure, but I don't think these are compatible." Mera said. Thundercracker knelt down as well and Starscream joined them to huddle on how to make this work. Megatron grinned as they compared engines, parts and used their heads.
"You should do something." Scourge said, returning from dealing with a small matter.
"About?" Megatron asked. Scourge smiled at him.
"Tell Mera." he answered. Megatron rolled his eyes, he didn't have the patience for riddles. Unlike Scourge who seemed to enjoy the frustrating exercises.
"About what?" Megatron asked. And as he asked, it dawned on him. Like a sunrise for a vampire, without the ashes. More like rust. "No, positively not." Megatron said quietly, shaking his head.
"Why not? She deserves to know." Scourge asked, Megatron opened his mouth and then closed it, because he couldn't come up with a decent answer as to why not.
"Because...It wouldn't work out. I'm a transformer and she's a human, thats why." Megatron said. Scourge laughed at him.
"That was weak, even for you." Scourge chuckled. Megatron bit his lip to keep from snapping at him. Mera, Thundercracker and Starscream were working on Mera's motorycle. She was putting the parts together while the other two commentated.
"No, no, you're puttin' it in the wrong way!" Thundercracker said as Mera hefted the small engine. She placed it gently on the ground and glowered up at him.
"Do you want to do this?" she asked acidly, Thundercracker shook his head. Mera grinned, picked up the engine and placed it gently in the frame of the motorcycle. It fit perfectly. "Take that!" Mera shouted, pointing at Thundercracker. Starscream laughed at both of them.
"She would tell you, straight out and you know this." Scourge continued. Megatron shook his head in disbelief
"You know nothing of which you talk about." Megatron replied. Scourge shook his head.
"Tell me something, what would you do if anything serious to happen to her?" Scourge asked, Megatron answered immediately.
"Kill the person or thing that did it to her." Megatron answered, then he blinked. He had answered without thinking.
"See? Do not tell me that you do not notice that you get jealous when she smiles at other people, that you do not feel the urge to protect her at all times? That my friend, is love." Scourge said quietly. Megatron's head snapped around to glower at him.
"You stay out of this." Megatron snapped back. Scourge was about to reply when Mera proudly rolled her bike over.
"Done. It is now Energon dependent. I can race." Mera said insistently. Megatron looked at her closely.
"Why do you want to do this?" Megatron asked, Mera looked up at him earnestly.
"Because I've never done anything this important before." Mera replied. "Because I know that Ransack and Crumplezone will screw this up and because I can help. I'm not a fighter, I'm not a detective, but I can race. I can win and there is no way in hell I am going to sing, just for a Cyber Planet Key, no matter how much you plead with me to do it." Mera said, eyes narrowing. Megatron sighed.
"All right, you can race. You just becareful." Megatron said, Mera nodded.
------------------The Race------------------
Mera pulled up next to Hotshot and grinned at him.
"You're that human that Optimus was talking about! Why are you working for a creep like Megatron?" Hotshot demanded. Mera laughed in his face and slammed the visor down on her helmet.
"You wouldn't understand." Mera replied. The race started and Mera screamed into the lead. Megatron was standing next to Optimus and Vector Prime, watching Mera peal away.
"That's a big risk you're taking." Optimus said quietly, Megatron turned his attention to the large screen to watch the race from there and refused to answer him. "She could get hurt." Optimus continued, pushing his buttons.
"Dirt Boss could try something, she could take a turn too sharp. Anything can happen, Megatron." Optimus said.
"Don't you ever tire of talking?" Megatron asked, optics glued to the screen.
"Don't you ever tire of being irresponsible?" Optimus retorted. Vector rolled his eyes at their antics.
"She knows what she's doing. I have faith in her." Megatron said. Optimus nodded.
"I think you do and I also think you'll do anything to protect her. So I have to ask, you knew this race was going to be difficult, so why let her race?" Optimus asked.
"Because I know she can win and I know that she will come out safely. Mera is a remarkable woman and I don't think I've given her many chances to show that to me." Megatron said simply, turning his head to meet Optimus' optics to drive his point home.
------------------Mera-----------------
Heart beating fast, Mera navigated the turns at breakneck speeds, the others were behind her, with Hotshot too close for her comfort. Override was ahead and Mera kept her in sight. Starscream, Thundercracker and Mera had spent the night working on her bike. They made it like the ninja and made her lean forward to streamline the bike and make it more aerodynamic. Override took a turn too wide and Mera slipped through the small space between her and the wall. She could hear the swear words Override used to describe her, but didn't respond, she was too busy keeping her bike under control and keeping ahead of the transformer.
"There's a turn coming up, how will this human handle it?" the comentator asked, Mera smirked behind her helmet, the same way she always did. She moved close to the wall and took it sharply. Her bike started to go on it's side, but Mera kicked her leg out against the wall and the bike righted itself.
---------------Megatron------------
Megatron couldn't help but smile as Mera used her leg to force the bike to right itself and she sped on.
"Would you like to make a wager, Prime?" Megatron asked. Prime's optics were wide. Snapping his head back, Megatron's eyes widened as the cave entrance collapsed close behind Mera. Hotshot and Override stopped, transformed and began clearing them. The announcer went to the end of the tunnel just as Mera exited, seconds ahead of a cloud smoke and dust. It disappated as she raced ahead. Mera stopped suddenly as a large bolduer blocked the road. Mera got off, glanced behind her and walked her bike quickly and efficently around, got back on and took off, just as Hotshot and Override broke through.
"What do you think, bossman?" Mera asked through the comm. Megatron chuckled before replying.
"Pretty good, just don't get cocky. You're to stay in one piece and that's an order." Megatron said. Mera laughed at him.
"Aye, aye, Mon Capitane." Mera replied and cut the connection.
"How did you two meet?" Optimus asked. Megatron closed his eyes and recalled the events that lead to their first meeting.
-----------------Seven Months Earlier---------------
Mera walked into an abandoned warehouse in a pair of tight fitting jeans, a crop top and her long hair was in a half-ponytail. Heels clomped on the floor creating a rather satisfying tip-tap as she walked. She had been out clubbing with some friends and her boyfriend when she had gotten the call from her agency.
"Hello?" Mera called into the empty warehouse. A rustle in the corner made her reach for one of the pocket knives she always carried with her.
"What is your name?" a high pitched, nasal voice asked from the shadows.
"Mera Raya. I'm the negotiator the agency sent over." Mera called, looking around. She was reaching for her flashlight when a deep, accented voice sounded from the shadows.
"How old are you, little one?" the man asked. Mera stiffened.
"Old enough to know a hose job when I see it." Mera snapped and turned to walk out, when a large mechanical thud made her stop, turn and look.
"You're a giant robot." Mera said calmly. Megatron raised an eyebrow and she still didn't flinch.
"And you're not scared of me." Megatron said, just as calmly. Mera looked up at him and cocked one hip.
"What's the job, bossman?" Mera asked. Megatron smirked at her...
---------------Present--------------
"That is none of your concern, Prime." Megatron said. Hotshot was catching up to Mera with Override right behind him. Mera reached down, hit a button and she got a large boost in speed. Mera whooped with delight as she came across the finish line. Megatron grinned at Optimus as she crossed the line. "Catch you later, Prime." Megatron said and went down to congrajulate Mera. Hotshot and Override made a close second and third, but it wasn't enough. Mera had won.
"Great job, Mera!" Thundercracker said. Mera was smiling, but didn't really grin until Megatron lifted her to his shoulder. Mera stood up, tossed her head back and let out a loud whoop of glee as she hefted the trophy. Megatron laughed as well.
"Good job, Mera." Megatron said. Starscream watched them interact and knew that his time to act was coming up. But first, they needed all of the Cyber Planet Keys. And he had no intention of singing for it either.
'I'll let Mera and that fool Megatron get them for me and then they will go down. Hard.' Starscream thought to himself. But for now, he would support Mera and Megatron and bide his time. Patiently.
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TBC
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