~Forbidden Fantasies~

By Ayngel

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers or any of the characters or concepts within. I make no money from this story or any other about Transformers.

Warnings: None for this chapter, but there certainly are for the rest of the story, see individual chapters.

FI: Mirage and Skywarp may have no history in this story (other than Skywarp's infatuation) but Mirage and Ravage certainly do. In fact, long ago on Cybertron, she was his hunting companion. She was snared by Soundwave and corrupted over the aeons, so that by the time of Earth she bore no resemblance to her former self and was totally evil.

Chapter 10: The Curse of the Cat

Author Designation: Skywarp

Officer, Decepticon Elite Aerial Command

Soon we had left the ground where the air was so thick and sultry with the threat of the approaching storm, and were at high altitude and on our way to the destruction of the Autobots and a new future.

The air rushed, cool and refreshing against my exoskin, the sun burning brightly in the blue canopy whilst below a grayish blanket of rolling cloud stopped us from having any view of the ground. To the west, storm clouds rose and lightning flashed occasionally between them. Even though I'd never really taken notice of Earth weather, I couldn't help thinking how majestic they were, especially since they were too far away to affect our flight path.

We all flew in silence, and yet you could feel the excitement. Every now and then thunder rumbled, and that just added to the atmosphere. Everyone thought that this time we surely couldn't frag things up.

TC and I flew very close, our wingtips just brushing, and despite the situation I couldn't stop thinking about his body pushing against mine and the feel of the connection and I could still feel it tingling deep inside. I did not recall such a passionate time with him in aeons.

All in all, I felt pretty damned good! And this was like old times – going into battle: the thrill of a good fight and the sure knowledge of what would come later. And we were going back to Cybertron! I could tell he couldn't wait either.

"TC," I whispered, "I love ya!"

"Mmmmn …. you too … "

Nobody gave any sign of having heard, but just ahead I saw Screamer adjust his flight path a little and I knew he had, but he didn't say anything. He seemed lost in whatever was going on in his own head and not bothered about whatever mushy things TC and I were coming out with. I supposed that in the scheme of everything, it wasn't that important to him.

Just behind I was aware of Soundwave's presence, silent and ominous. Oh he would definitely know ...

I focused myself. There would be no mercy today. And top of my list was that red twin – exceeded only by that upper crust pile of scrap who, no matter what happened, would not leave here intact.

And as soon as the job was done, we were going home.

Author Designation: Hound

Tracker, Autobot Earth Contingent

The air was still and heavy, the sky overcast, dark to the north and punctuated by occasional flares of lightning. The scent of impending rain hung in the air, and periodically thunder rumbled in the distance.

Usually, I would have relished this weather! Along with the scenery, it was one of the highlights of being on Earth. But right, then all I could do was hope that I survived long enough to see some more of it. Because there we were lining up without Prime, or Ironhide, and even though Prowl had pulled himself together and was putting on a brave face in ordering us into position, there was no mistaking his nervousness.

Kell, everyone was nervous! It was, after all, the most frightening situation in which we had found ourselves since we came to Earth. Without Prime I sensed there would be no holding back. That this was it – the Decepticons meant business. And I had to agree with Mirage about Prowl not being the best judge of things sometimes - because we really didn't have a clear battle strategy. And that human was there, bless him, declaring his undying allegiance by trying to wield an Autobot gun, a gun so enormous - compared to him - that it was just about pulling him over, making the inappropriateness of his presence so glaringly obvious. And I could also see, now, the wisdom in attacking the Decepticons first. But it was too late for all that now ….

We stood in lines whilst Prowl recited the usual Autobot creed about courage, honour, it having been a pleasure to have served with every one of us, etcetera. To one side of me stood Cliffjumper. Arms folded, dark and intense, attention focused on Prowl, he fidgeted slightly and gave off an air of defiance and determination. On my other side, in total contrast, stood Mirage. He was completely still and his face was like a mask, optics looking at the ground. He was the only one who did not look nervous.

I marvelled at Mirage's composure. He was always like this. I realized just then what an asset we had with him and suddenly felt very guilty, because I knew the Autobots had said a lot of not nice things and now I realized I should have said something instead of acting like nothing was wrong. I vowed that if we survived this battle then I would.

I was acutely aware of both of them. Cliffjumper like a coiled spring, all fierce beauty and compact raw energy, and then Mirage, all lithe and pristine, blue and white and deadly elegance. Despite the gravity of the situation, a thrill ran through my circuits and my spark gave a lurch. Then I told myself off for having, after all this time, those sorts of thoughts about Mirage. Especially with CJ right there - after all, it never had and never would get me anywhere to have those thoughts.

Besides, I reminded myself, this was hardly the time for such notions! We had a battle to fight. And, indeed, I had no time to think of it further because now, as lightning again lit up the sky to the north and the thunder grumbled, there was another roar – of jet engines – and in a flash a battery of all too familiar figures came rocketing through the low clouds.

Prowl yelled for us to draw weapons but we were too slow. In an instant they were upon us, the air full of wings and weapons and flashing metal and clanging and transformation noises, and then ground was shuddering as they landed and the universe exploded around us as what seemed like every single one of them opened fire.

Gears went down straight away, but everyone leapt into action. Beside me Mirage leapt nimbly away, whilst CJ went ballistic. "Huffer, Brawn!" he bawled, and they all charged after the Seekers, who had landed a short way away. Then there were shots and blasts and rocks flying everywhere and I saw, to my amazement, through a haze of dust and smoke that the three of them were taking on the two jets with such ferocity that they were being driven back. It was incredible! It looked like something split off from Thundercracker's shoulder and he yelled and clutched at it, and then Skywarp spun around and fired at CJ but he was too slow and CJ leapt out of the way; then Then Skywarp was looking around as though dazed and Huffer leapt in and delivered a punch which sent him flying into the rock face and he just lay there like he went offline.

It all happened incredibly fast – but I had no time to marvel at it, as there was a shout from my right and there were Jazz, Prowl, Sideswipe and Mirage taking on Megatron and Starscream. Eagerly I joined them and we blasted away, and despite their size and weaponry we drove them back with the sheer intensity of our firepower. Starscream yelled at Megatron that they were using too much energy and Jazz yelled at the rest of us to keep firing.

Lightning exploded in the sky to the west. Starscream took off and next thing he and the other two Seekers, obviously recovered, were screaming straight at us. Then Jazz was yelling "incoming!" and everyone ducked for cover, including Megatron who cursed loudly as shrapnel sprayed and rocks blew apart all around. Through the commotion I noticed Brawn collect Gears and take him to safety under a rock ledge, then creep across to join us. Then the sky was darkening, and now the wind was getting up,and Megatron was on his feet and firing at us again as the Seekers came around again.

Over to the side I saw that CJ was now fighting the Reflector triplets. He threw the female savagely on to the ground and she lay still and another took a shot in the chest and keeled over, coming to rest beside her. I remember yelling at him to join us and thinking Primus almighty at least I don't have to worry about you! I will never forget the look on his face that day.

Then there was a yell above the rising wind and looking up I saw Sunstreaker on a small hill in front of some trees struggling with Soundwave and the cassettes. At the same time Megatron fired on Sideswipe and I saw him go down. I hesitated but Jazz yelled "Go help Sunny! We can hold here!"

"Come on!" I yelled. Then CJ was by my side and Huffer just behind and we were scrambling over, blasting as we went. It was about then that I first realised I didn't know where Mirage was.

The Seekers roared overhead. More explosions sounded and looking back I saw rocks spraying everywhere and then there was too much dust to see anything else. The sky ahead was now darker and there were more and more bolts of lightning, and the trees were bending over in the wind. Out of the corner of my optic, I saw the remaining triplet descend on Spike, seemingly targeting him, but Brawn came charging up and blasted him, and he flew into the air and landed with a loud crash, and then the human ran off. There was another roar of engines and looking up I saw that the three Seekers were coming around for another pass, but then Skywarp seemed to split away from the other two and head north and the other two turned and headed in the other direction.

"This way!" CJ yelled over the racket, and I could see that ahead Soundwave and Sunstreaker were still firing at each other. But before we could move there was another deafening boom, boom and a massive crack appeared in the ground. CJ and I clutched wildly at each other to stop ourselves from falling in, and then through the dust which rose could be seen the unmistakable form of Rumble, now poised on the ridge laughing and hammering at the ground whilst we were suddenly assaulted by Frenzy and Lazerbeak. Lazerbeak dived at Huffer, firing, and he went down and lay still and I yelled at the others to leave him there and take cover.

Now the lightning seemed to be less and it looked as though the storm would pass to the west. Nevertheless, I felt a few spots of rain fall. Everywhere was smoke and dust and debris and the small of singed gravel and wood. The cassettes were still firing and CJ was trashing Frenzy with renewed brutality. Looking through the haze I could see Sideswipe was all right and now Sunny was over there too and they were tackling Megatron afresh, with Prowl and Jazz bringing up the rear. The Seekers had disappeared and Soundwave was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Mirage.

Then suddenly Rumble was right there in front of me and I thumped him really hard in the abdomen and he went down and then I realized the battle noise had stopped, and then we were all just standing there, intakes heaving, our systems struggling to recover. Then Rumble heaved himself up and, letting forth a stream of expletives, bolted away through the trees and looking the other way I saw that Megatron had withdrawn.

Then the Decepticons were all gone and Prowl was yelling "great work Autobots" and was shouting at us all to make ourselves present and correct, and we started over there and I could see Jazz was doing a count but there was still no sign of Mirage. And even though I presumed he was there but not there and that it was a strategic move on his part, an icy chill ran through my circuits.

Then Jazz yelled "all present and correct " and I yelled out "Where's Mirage?"

CJ turned on me, sides still heaving, energon oozing from a gash on his arm, his face dark and furious. "who gives a fraggin' pit? " he snarled. "Afthole might as well have not been here!" He looked at me with absolute venom, optics blazing, then turned and stormed over to where Brawn was getting up, next to the prostrate Huffer.

Author designation: Mirage

Intelligence Officer, Special operations Unit, Autobot Earth Contingent

Megatron laughed evilly, blasting at us and only missing Prowl because the silver imbecile was so busy gloating that he wasn't concentrating. The Seekers were coming around for another pass, Jazz and Prowl were nearly out of ammo from fighting Megatron, Sideswipe had been hit and over through the trees I could see that Sunstreaker was busy with Soundwave and the cassettes and the others were on their way over there.

As happened so often, it was going to be up to me. Determined that this time I would get at least one of those infernal Seekers and not prepared to wait for any nonsensical instructions from Prowl, I primed the rocket with the explosive tip and activated the electro disruptor.

As they thundered overhead and Jazz yelled at us to take cover again, I fired the rocket. It went exactly where I intended, hitting Skywarp with a satisfying crack in the wing after which there was a small explosion and little pieces of black metal rained out of the sky. He seemed to lose height and I thought … yes … and prided myself on the accuracy of my shooting. But then as I watched he seemed to veer away from the others whilst the remaining two banked around to hone in on us again.

I cursed. Unfortunately, they were out of range of the dart gun and now Jazz and Prowl were completely out of ammo. I cursed their lack of planning and the fact that whenever I managed to pull off something like this, there was never any backup.

With the electro disruptor still active, I took it out on Megatron, thinking what a lousy performance the Cons had, in fact, put up today. Megatron had missed just about everything he'd fired at and the Seekers had done little more than fly around and make a racket. We should have won this easily – given them a real pasting - and yet, I surmised, we would now be lucky to emerge victorious at all. It had been a missed opportunity and for the umpteenth time I cursed Prowl for his dismal reactive strategies. I remember thinking they were lucky I was there or they may not have made it even this far.

It was good taking it out on Megatron. The idiot charged around in confusion, blasting at nothing, wasting precious energy. The other two Seekers came around again but veered away warily, clearly with some inkling of my presence. And Megatron, must have realized he couldn't fight an unseen enemy for he took off and flew away; and whilst I did not think for one minute that was the end of it, at least Prowl and Jazz had time to reset their systems and to reload weapons.

But Jazz was dripping energon from his shoulder. And then, of course, Prowl was there with his arm around him and a tender look. In the middle of a bloody battle, for Primus sake!

I wasn't hanging around. I could not see Hound or the minibots, but the ground began to shake with the unmistakeable rhythm of Rumble's shenanigans and I could see movement through the trees - what looked like Soundwave blasting away at a flash of yellow which I took to be Sunstreaker and two other reddish figures locked in combat who looked like Cliffjumper and Frenzy. I took off in that direction.

But before I got much further, a ghastly wailing sounded from behind a nearby rock outcrop. I stopped in my tracks, with no idea what it in Kell it could be. It rang out again, and then - I recognised it. It was the human! And whatever predicament it was in didn't sound good. I cursed, thinking how this proved the creature should never have been allowed here. Even more, that I was still an Autobot, and much as I would have liked to I couldn't just leave it.

Damn it! Determined I was going to tell the human to get its organic aft out of here once and for all, no matter what sort of a show of bravery it had attempted earlier, I ran towards the sound. But then, as I rounded the outcrop, I froze.

For there it was, struggling on the ground, mewling pitifully, hands clutching at the gravel. And pinning it down, hissing, fangs bared, was the Cat.

My circuits jolted violently in a mixture of fear and revulsion.

"Ravage!" I hissed.

Designation: Hound

Tracker, Autobot Earth Contingent

The sky was still dark and the air was thick again, but the storm was definitely passing on. I looked questioningly at Jazz and he looked back at me and shrugged and I felt a terrible sense of dread. I scanned in all directions, but Mirage was definitely not there.

Looking around, I spotted something black glinting through the trees and I realised that there was a road there and on a sudden impulse I started to run towards it, hearing gravel crunching and branches snapping under my feet. My feet clattered as I burst out on to the tarmac. Stopping, I scanned again. The sky was lightening as the storm crept away and the surface glistened in wake of the light fall of rain. But there was no Mirage. Only an eerie emptiness.

There was, however, the noise of an engine and, then, as I applied my optic sensors in the direction from which it was coming, I saw in the distance a vehicle approaching. As it drew closer I could see that it was a small, yellow and wonderfully familiar vehicle.

"Bumblebee!" With a surge of relief I took off up the road to meet it and then I saw that – even better - Trailbreaker, Ironhide and Bluestreak were following at a distance behind him.

Bumblebee came roaring up to me and screeched to a halt and the window opened and the wheeled human leaned out of it. Then I heard little footsteps behind me and, turning, there was the other human running up and yelling "Chip, Chip, you got the cosmitron? The wheeled human nodded.

"Well quick!" I said to Bumblebee, who flung open his door so the other human could climb in. "Get it to Ratchet! There's no time to waste." The minibot did not hesitate. He revved his engine and roared off. At the thought that Prime could truly be back among us soon, my Spark leapt in hope.

Just then, the other three came running up and transformed. I noticed that Breaker was panting and he looked exhausted, but Bluestreak had an air of wonderment about him, as though everything happening in the universe right then was truly amazing. He looked past me up the road in the direction of the disappearing Bumblebee and then across at the destruction for the battle, clearly visible from where we were. "Far out …" he muttered.

Ironhide gave me a reproachful look. "Aw y'drove 'em away! He said "Ya might have saved us a bit of action, Hound …" Beside him, Bluestreak was still staring around. I stole a glance at my ex bondmate who I knew had been looking at me but looked away. I thought how tired and despondent he looked and I felt a tenderness towards him, and I wished then that he'd gone to the Ark with Bumblebee instead of staying out here.

Bluestreak looked at me with his glassy blue optics. "Where's Mirage?" he asked. I went to say I didn't know but just then there was a fresh roar of jet engines and looking up I saw in the sky Megatron, Soundwave, two Seekers and what looked like all of the cassettes headed our way.

It was dis-sparkening. "You're gonna get yer wish" I said to Ironhide. "let's go …"

Before I left I remember I glanced around at the dark sky receding in the west and the empty road, and tried to dispel the feeling that something was dreadfully not right. He would be all right, I told myself. Mirage was always all right …

Primus almighty, why couldn't I accept, after all this time, that he could look after himself?

Author designation: Mirage

Intelligence Officer, Special operations Unit, Autobot Earth Contingent

The Cat's head snapped around and she smiled, evilly, and I knew instantly that I'd been hauled into a trap. She had that look on her face. The one she'd always had when she wanted me to do something, the one which had been there all the times she's tried to get me in the Decepticons. And it was there now. With a trace of triumphant sneer which clearly indicated she thought this time she might succeed.

Well I wasn't having it. Besides, I had a duty to the infernal human, who looked less than comfortable. I aimed, and fired.

The Cat leaped into the air. The human didn't hang about, and I could not help but admire his reflexes. He was up in an instant and fleeing. As he went he yelled something which sounded like "bad kitty" and I saw a flicker of contemptuous amusement cross the Cat's face. But she was far more interested in me. She rounded, optics flaring and narrowing into slits. I fired again, but she lsprang deftly to one side, avoiding the dart easily, which hammered into the rockface and fell away with a tinkling sound.

Ravage laughed. A wicked, purry sound. "Ah …. Mirage! It is my favourite little kitten!" And then before I could do anything she gathered herself and leaped, cannoning into me. The dart gun flew from my hand, and I felt the electro disruptor rip from my shoulder. Losing my footing, I fell, heavily. I rolled and quickly righted myself, but she had me pinned now in front of the rock face and she was in a crouch position in front of me, her tail lashing from side to side.

"Mirage. Mirage…." She purred, "Silly little kitten!

Now I was visible, weaponless, and trapped. What a stupid predicament! And nobody knew where I was! Furious with myself for allowing it, I determined she would not get what she wanted. And nor would she get to me with her manipulative cat-talk – the sort she always used in these situations.

"What do you want, Ravage?" I hissed.

The Cat's tail stopped twitching and she stood up regarding me, her front paws together, a twisted smile on her feline features. She laughed her tinkly feline, terribly evil laugh.

"Shame, shame, shame, shame, Mirage …" she tutted. "Mirage D'Ligier, the shame of Cybertron !"

"Don't start this scrap!" I snarled. "You realize the Autobots are right over there, and any moment now you will get a bullet in your back, Ravage."

But the cat knew it was rubbish. She laughed out loud. "Oh, I don't think so, little kitten, no Autobots come for Mirage. It's just you – and me. But don't be afraid! We are old friends – remember? And I am only a cat!"

"You're no friend of mine!" I growled, not afraid to look her straight in the gleaming red optics. "Now let me go!"

But the cat was clearly on a mission. Chuckling to herself, she began to pad to and fro in front of me, her paws making no sound, her red optics never leaving mine and blazing wickedly. Her voice dropped to a bare whisper. I started to feel sick , and I thought of Mordac, and of the other times she had pinned me like this. Suddenly, as was also the case on those other occasions, the Autobots seemed not quite so bad after all.

"Ah my kitten" she crooned. "Tried to play with Megatron. Couldn't keep up the pace! Sealed the Towers' doom!"

"WHAT do you want, Ravage," I repeated my question, trying my best to ignore the lurch in my spark and determining not to get pulled into a discussion of that episode of my life; knowing that if I did so she would use the sickening weakened state it would get me in to try and bend my mind to her will. Until Soundwave arrived. Then the real 'persuasion' would start.

But she was right in my face, and not to be ignored. "All your friends," Mirage, she hissed, "all your family , all dead, Mirage. All dead, dead, dead!" Then she resumed her motion, slinking and oozing to and fro, her optics still on mine.

Her words were like poison, and they seeped slowly and inexorably into my circuits, no matter how hard I tried to make them not do so. "Shut up," I said, "Shut up!"

Overhead the trees seemed to sigh mournfully. The Cat kept padding. "Seekers bring acid rain," she was crowing. "Ravage saw it all …" She paused and her voice lowered. "Horribly they all died! And in great pain!"

Trying not to feel sick to the core, I steeled my mind away from this subject she'd brought up and sought frantically, instead, for a way out. The dart gun was too far away to make a grab for, and looked damaged anyway, as did the electro disruptor which was lying next to it. Inwardly I cursed.

Ravage's voice dropped even lower, so that now it was a barely audible growl. "I saw the bodies of your creators, Mirage!" she rasped. "Left them to die, did you, Mirage! Their exoskins were stripped from their frames!" she padded closer and her optics bored into me, and I shrank back against the rock, but there was no avoiding her. "They cried out for death!"

Try as I might I could not ignore it and my spark seared with the pain of loss, the terrible images which resulted from my failure all too sickeningly vivid. "No!" I snarled. But I could hear the waver in my own voice, could feel my legs giving way and I was sliding down the rock. As more images sprang from my memory banks, I started to shake. All this time fighting for the Autobots had not expunged the horrendous memories. Could never expunge them. Those visions of terror and agony which had plagued me by day and night would be with me for all time. The visions, and the sickening knowledge that what Ravage said was true …

"Your point," I stammered trying to sound not so disturbed that I thought I might lose it completely and knowing that I was failing abysmally. "Make it, or let me go!"

The cat stopped in mid-pad with one paw raised. She looked at me. Her optics gleamed wickedly. Then she turned and came up to me.

"Ah Mirage! Little kitten! what a waste! That your kin should be so needlessly sacrificed! All those who trusted, and put their faith in you!"

If only I could disable my audial circuits! But it would make no difference, I knew. The cat would only reach me on comm. Or would speak to me in that other way. The one which was supposed to be like the transfer between bond partners, and made no reason or sense.

Now her face was right next to mine and I could smell her predator's breath. Extending her glossa she licked at my cheek, her feline tongue rasping against the smooth surface. "My little kitten grieves for what has gone!" she crooned. "Poor little kitten! Ah, but, Ravage could make all of this better. Ravage could help little kitten. Ravage could make little kitten Mirage whole again. If only, if only .." and she whispered in my audial "Mirage would join the Decepticons!"

So there it was. Just as expected. And, you know, for a very short time, I actually considered the offer! How often had Ravage made it? How often had I refused? The images of my poor destroyed caste were vivid again and I thought – well - maybe this way there would be an end to the guilt. Because surely the Decepticons would not be good to me – had that seeker not just tried to humiliate and mock me? And the Autobots would then definitely want to kill me. Yet, by a strange twist, Ravage would look after me. Before I died at the hands of Prowl or Sunstreaker or Ironhide, she would make everything all right.

"Perhaps …." I murmured.

But then there was a distant rumble of thunder and, at the same time, there came to my audials the faint sound of a jet engine. And - something shifted. That is the only way I can describe it. I thought no, Mirage, do not listen. The demise of the entire Alpha caste is not due to you. They did it. And you will not punish yourself, and you will never join them. Never!

I let the Cat have it. "You putrid piece of scum, Ravage." I snarled. You did it! You killed them . You and Soundwave - vile pitspawned traitors! I will never join the Decepticons!"

The Cat stiffened and backed off. Then she glowered at me, crouched, a deadly, ancient creature. Laying her ears back flat, optics narrowed to slits, she bared her fangs. Gone was the "little kitten" approach.

"You are the traitor! " she snarled. "Disgrace to the Alphas! Disgrace to Cybertron! You are the only one left, Mirage. And you are nothing!"

Around the air was thick and foul and there was another rumble of thunder. My spark ached with absolute hate. And now, more than anything, I wanted to destroy her, to end this torment. "I've had enough, Ravage!" I snarled. "I'm going to kill you, you evil glitch."

The cat laughed, horribly. "Ah, but Ravage fears not death!" she sneered. "When Ravage dies her spark will depart to where all Cats in the Universe commune and wonder at their uniqueness! It is Mirage who must fear death. For there will be no salvation for you!" The optics narrowed. "Even now your kin sit in the Realm of Illumination – and they talk of how you destroyed them all and they plot your everlasting damnation!"

She had gone too far. I could not stop myself. I lunged at her throat, and nobody else would have survived the attack. But the Cat, her ancient instincts ever tuned to a fine pitch, evaded me once again, and she leapt away, cackling.

"Ha! You think you can kill Ravage?" She sneered. "You think you can even catch me?" She crouched low, growling. After all that has happened, you are still a fool! Ravage can hunt Mirage, but Mirage will never hunt Ravage!"

Then all of a sudden she was gone, leaping away over the rocks up a nearby ravine, graceful and deft as the panther she was and, inexplicably, for one fleeting instant I saw not Ravage the Decepticon but my old friend with whom I had shared such joy in the days of hunting in the Iron Hills, so long ago. But it faded fast. And she was Ravage again, vile traitor and tormentor. And she had failed – oh so much this time because not only had I not 'gone over' but I defied all blame for anything. And now I would kill her. I leaped after her in pursuit.

Of course, logic and sensibility screamed at me not to follow. But rage overtook me, and the hopeless notion that I could finish this once and for all, could punish her and would never have to listen to accounts of my failure again. So I hurtled forward, stumbling over rocks and weeds and through water, not caring about anything except getting her. And in the commitment to this new cause, I failed to notice that the ravine was getting narrower, and more impassable, and that its walls now towered high, blotting out the sun

Just ahead, the cat leaped gracefully and I followed, clanging against rocks and thorny plants tearing at my paintwork, oblivious to pain in my fury. And of course, I missed the obvious, the very point of the whole exercise; that this was Soundwave's doing, and I was being led into a trap. It was only when, I realized the Cat had gone, and that there was another presence following behind, and felt the unmistakable echo of the blue telepath, that the sickening truth dawned.

Then I paused, intakes heaving from exhaustion. As blasts and voices echoed in the distance, I realized the battle was starting again. I came to my senses and oh, how stupid I felt at my weakness! But it was too late.

Stay tuned ... thanks for reading! ~ A ~