Primeval

Chapter 10

"Pull!"

At that signal, Darksteel swung a large piece of metal out toward the open plain. Skylynx, who was in his beast mode, waited until it was out a little farther, then shot a fireball at the flying metal. It hit home and knocked the metal into a different direction.

"Again?" Darksteel asked. Skylynx nodded and Darksteel went to look for another piece. Dreadfire sat off to the side, watching dully as they kept firing at one piece after the other. In the time since they had returned to Darkmount, this was all they had really done. Target practice was fun if you were aiming for improvement on accuracy, but Skylynx was hitting targets in the very middle each time. It had gotten very dull very fast. Watching them, Dreadfire felt as though his processor was working much slower than it already was.

"Pull!" Skylynx shouted again. Darksteel threw the metal; Skylynx waited, and then shot it down. Dreadfire finally couldn't take much more of this. Standing up, he said, "So, just to clear things up, is this all you ever do?"

"Not always," replied Darksteel, "Sometimes we brawl, other times we have flying contests. We've sometimes wondered about fixing this place up, but there's a larger desire to not want to."

"So, you just sit on your afts all day doing nothing?"

Skylynx transformed into his robot mode, "In case you haven't noticed, there isn't exactly that much for us to do. We have to improvise with what we've got."

Dreadfire frowned, "That sounds boring."

Skylynx scoffed, "Well, if you're tired of being bored, then why don't you take a shot?"

"Um…" Dreadfire hesitated, "I'm not too good a shot."

"Load of scrap," said Darksteel, "You'd have to be half blind with Energon discharge to be a bad shot. I bet you're just scared."

Dreadfire glowered at him, but didn't have a good enough comeback for that statement. Darksteel smirked and crossed his servos. Dreadfire growled; he walked over to where Skylynx was and transformed into his beast mode.

"Alright then," Skylynx said. He went and found a piece of metal to throw, and waited for Dreadfire's signal.

"Pull!" Dreadfire shouted. Skylynx launched the metal in the air. Dreadfire let the fire build up in his chest, and then let it loose in the direction of the flying metal. But instead of a straight line of fire, like Skylynx and Darksteel had done, a giant cloud of scorching fire erupted from his maw. Despite its immense size, it didn't stretch out to the piece of metal that had been thrown. Once the cloud dissipated, the metal landed far out into the territory, unscathed.

Dreadfire transformed back into his robot mode, "Told you."

Skylynx raised his brow, "Bad shot or not, I like the effect."

"How'd you learn to do that?" Darksteel asked. Dreadfire looked at him, "I didn't. In my last few stages as an embryo, Shockwave took out my flame rectifier and increase my heat storage capacity. I guess he wanted to see how hot a head he could make."

Skylynx and Darksteel looked at each other in confusion. Darksteel turned back to Dreadfire, "Why would he wanna do that?"

"He's been doing weird stuff lately. You should see the other modifications he's done."

Skylynx perked up, "Other modifications? Am I right in assuming that there are other Predacons?"

Dreadfire nodded. Darksteel whooped, "Thank the Allspark! I was hoping there would be a lot more! How many are there?"

"A lot. I don't know how many really, but a lot."

"Define a lot," Skylynx mocked. Dreadfire thought for a moment, "I know we've got a couple dozen dens across the planet. And… I forget how many are in each one."

Skylynx groaned, "Is there anything you can remember?"

Dreadfire shrugged, "Remembering wasn't my part of the job. That was always Terraclaw's job."

"Speaking of which," Darksteel said in a smug manner, "When shall said Preda-femme come to join our merry little band?"

Dreadfire glared at him, then rolled his optics, "How 'bout you take that question to her when she gets back? I'm sure she'd love it."

"Hm, I will."

"Back to the main question," Dreadfire turned to Skylynx, "Doesn't Predaking have you do anything around here?"

"When we first got here, we did try searching for Energon around the area," Skylynx replied, "But we've been coming up empty for a while. This place is scarce."

"Really? I've been to some pretty empty places, but I can still find it."

"Oh, really?" Skylynx crossed his servos, "Among the three of us, I'm the best Energon tracker here. If you say you can find Energon anywhere, then go for it."

He pointed out at the empty plain. From this view, it looked completely barren. Dreadfire looked out at the plain, then back at Skylynx. Skylynx glared at him, and then left without a word. Dreadfire frowned in confusion.

"Don't take it so personally," Darksteel told him, "He's a bit of a kiss-aft when it comes to be Predaking's favorite. He doesn't want anyone to take his place."

"He literally only has two options."

"All the more reason to be the favorite."

Dreadfire rolled his optics. They had favorites here; of course they did, what else were they going to do?

"Oh, and I'm coming with you, too," Darksteel said, "I wanna see how you track Energon."

"Fine. Whatever."

They transformed into their beast modes and took off into the air. Dreadfire scanned the ground as they flew. When they were above an open field, they started to lower to the ground. The instant he made contact with the ground, Dreadfire started digging. Despite the ground being made of metal, he had no trouble tearing it away, sparks flying. However, it did take a while to dig away the first few layers. Darksteel watched with some curiosity as he dug about a servos length down. Dreadfire kept digging until he was in the hole, and even longer until it was three times his height. All Darksteel could do was watch the bits of metal layers fly out. But after a while, it wasn't just metal being flung out. Dark gray bits of dirt intermixed with the metal and slowly increased in amount. After a while, that was all that Dreadfire was digging out of the hole. Soon, the dirt stopped flying. Dreadfire's helm popped over the edge, his servos and crest covered with the dirt.

"No Energon, huh?" he said. He climbed back over the edge and shook all of the dirt off his frame and wings. Darksteel went over to the dirt pile that had accumulated and sniffed at it. It smelled metallic and, almost not surprisingly, like Energon residue.

"What is this stuff?" Darksteel asked. Dreadfire transformed into his robot mode and continued brushing the dirt off.

"Whenever me and Terraclaw went looking for Energon, we always looked for that stuff. Terraclaw told me that Energon deposits start under the dirt to get away from the metal layers, so there's nothing impure. See? I can remember stuff."

Darksteel transformed into his robot mode. He scooped some of the dirt in his servo and felt it.

"Oily," he observed, "Why's it oily?"

Dreadfire came over and felt the dirt too. He chuckled, "However much Energon is here, we're not that far from it."

Darksteel let the dirt fall from his servo onto the metal ground. He turned to Dreadfire, with almost an angry look on his faceplate.

"So, you're telling me that I've been sitting out here, while my fuel tanks are slowly eating away at my circuits, and the whole time there's been Energon right under my aft?"

Dreadfire thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

"Then why the slag are you standing up here looking at your dirt pile!" Darksteel shouted. He transformed into his beast mode and leaped into the hole. Dreadfire saw more dirt bits thrown over the edge. Dreadfire rolled his optics at his childish behavior. At least they had stopped shooting fireballs.

It had taken just as long, if not longer, as he would've estimated for the Predacon he was tracking to finally return to wherever Shockwave was hiding out. It had been days since he began following the creature. It was a miracle that it hadn't caught his scent. The wind was coming from in front of them. Maybe luck was finally on his side.

Even if Shockwave refused to talk to him, Starscream would still figure out a way for him to talk about the Predacon project. He still couldn't believe that Shockwave didn't go out looking for him, and instead continued cloning. Perhaps he thought that Starscream was dead. Whatever the case, Starscream still wanted answers.

He watched as the Predacon started to descend towards the ground, where a cluster of demolished buildings lay. Starscream followed, being sure to keep a safe distance so he wouldn't be heard. It landed next to what looked like some kind of entrance, a hole large enough for it to fit through. With the bone in its maw, it went through, still not noticing Starscream behind him. Starscream lowered himself further away from the entrance and transformed into his robot mode. He walked over to the entrance, but before he stepped inside, there was growling and snarling coming from the depths. He jumped back to the side. What was he doing? He had no idea what was down there. There could be even more Predacons, waiting to trap him, tear off his limbs, and play free-for-all with his corpse! Who was to say that Shockwave was even here?

"Get a hold of yourself," Starscream told himself. If Shockwave was here, then he would probably have a better chance of surviving than he did out on his own. That is, if Shockwave didn't have some reason to be mad at him again. He did have a tendency to do that. Starscream heard the growling coming from the entrance again. He transformed his servos into blasters and slowly walked into the entrance.

It was getting darker as he walked further. Starscream was growing more and more tempted to go back the way he came, and forget that he ever saw this place. But to go back would mean surviving, and probably failing to do so, on his own. Either that or be discovered by the Autobots somehow. But If Shockwave was here, than he would prefer this option over the other two. This choice was better.

Just before it was too dark for Starscream to see, a light began to emanate from around a corner several feet away. He went over and peeked around. A light was shining above two different pathways. The growling he heard earlier resonated from the left, and the right was relatively silent. Starscream peeled to the right and continued walking until he came across a lit hallway. It was small and clutter, but clearly not abandoned. There were empty Energon cubes that stacked against the walls, some of them with small droplets of Energon still in them. An abandoned laboratory would never have Energon left behind.

Starscream walked slowly through the hall, checking each door he past by. Each room was empty, but there weren't that many to begin with. It was smaller than Starscream had seen compared to some of Shockwave's other offsite laboratories. He might have been running out of places to hide out, or he just needed to relocate quickly and this was closest. Starscream was about to look into another when he heard voices. One of them was definitely Shockwave's, and the other he couldn't quite identify.

"We just got these other fifteen in the past cycle. I've sent out some groups to the Northern Plains. I think we'll have some better luck there. The mines didn't work as well as I thought they would."

"Very well. Take the newly acquired bones directly to the cloning facility tomorrow. I will be supervising the activation of the cultivated embryos, and I cannot be disturbed. Send out twice as many scouts tomorrow; I need more fossils ready for preparation, and your acquisition of them has not been able to stay course with my work."

"Fine, but there won't be as many to go and find Energon. We're running low on rations."

Starscream peeked around the corner as quietly as he could. He could see Shockwave talking with a black and white Predacon, not the same one he saw in the mine. He talked to this Predacon as thought he were a normal Cybertronian.

"That we will address later. The other specimens will manage until then."

"Hm." From here, the Predacon sounded more reasonable than the others Starscream had to face. He stepped into the doorway with more confidence than he would have had otherwise.

"I must say, Shockwave," he boasted, "I knew that you could manage surviving on your own, but you've come a long way in not very much time."

Shockwave and the Predacon turned and looked at him in surprise. The Predacon didn't know what to make of him, but Shockwave's tone was grim, "Starscream. How did you locate me?"

"When you send out your Predacon lackeys, make sure that they can actually smell what's around them. I have actually been looking for you for a while."

"Since your disappearance after the battle against Unicron, I presumed that you had been terminated, and thus continued my experiments with no delay."

Starscream nodded, "I guessed that. Though I haven't seen much, it's clear that you've done an exceptional job building our army."

The Predacon looked back at Shockwave, "Who does skinny legs think he is?"

"For your information, beast, I am Commander Starscream, Megatron's most loyal servant, one of the greatest leaders in Decepticon history, and most importantly, your superior. So you will watch your tongue."

The Predacon glared at him. He stepped forward, but Shockwave caught his servo.

"Enough, Maelstormer," he said, "Starscream, was is it you want?"

Starscream shrugged, "Our partnership had a bit of an abrupt ending, but I think we can both agree that we can pick up the pieces and start again, wouldn't you say?"

"You assume that I would need your assistance in any aspect these days."

Starscream's brow furrowed. Shockwave continued, "From my observations, both those taken during your absence and during my isolation before the activation of the Omega Lock, advances in my projects reach tenfold when not confronted by interlopers. The Predacons that have resulted from my cloning project understand that it is logical to complete any task that I assign to them, whatever it might be, a concept you seem to not fully grasp."

Starscream glared at him.

"I have arrived at the conclusion that your involvement will slow the production of my experiments," Shockwave said, "Or will run the risk of their annihilation."

"Is that so?" Starscream growled, "Do you expect me to simply leave with a huff just because you said no?"

"That would be illogical. But it is a reasonable assumption that you also located me in hopes of finding some asylum from the Autobots. If you are bent on working to build up a new army…"

Shockwave turned to Maelstormer, "Inform Steelblaze that he will no longer be tasked with distributing Energon rations or any task of the like. He will now join with scouting for new fossils."

Starscream stepped back confused, "Wait, what?"

"If you think I am going to put you in a position of any kind of power, you are very mistaken. I will not risk allowing your incompetence to destroy my work again. Maelstormer?"

Maelstormer transformed into his beast mode and leaped at Starscream. He yelped and tried to duck, but Maelstormer grabbed a hold of his pede. His denta sank a little into Starscream's pede and he yelped. He looked up at Shockwave, his anger seething.

"I have a sense that this experience will be somewhat enlightening for you," Shockwave said. Maelstormer started to drag Starscream away. Starscream clawed at the ground, trying to pull himself away.

"Shockwave!" he shouted down the hall, "You traitor! You will pay for this!"

Tsk, tsk, tsk. Whoops.

Thank you those who have been faithful to this story. I know it's taking longer for chapters to come out, and I'm trying my best. The new semester just started so I'll definitely have more time to write. Leave a review/follow/favorite until then!