Gadget took in a deep breath of the hot sulfurous air as she woke up. She knew where she was, there was no doubt. The Predacon base was in the middle of a lava pit. Megatron had her and he was going to get what he wanted if she let him. She took in another deep breath as she lifted herself off the metal platform. A metal chain lifted up with her. Gadget felt a metal collar around her neck with a chain led away from her and into Megatron's hands.
"Ah, it seems our guest has decided to join us," Megatron smiled as he sat in chair. The the other Predacons stood or hovered on around behind him watching. "I do apologize for the…leash, but you have the uncanny ability to escape. And I would hate for you to accidentally hurt yourself, yess." Scorponok laughed to his right and Inferno gave her a wicked grin. "Now, what is your name?"
Gadget debated holding her tongue and saying nothing. Megatron waited patiently for her response as the silence dragged on. "Gadget," she answered simply.
"That's not a human name," he seemed amused.
"No, but everyone on Cybertron called me that."
"A fitting name, no doubt," Megatron tapped his chin. "Ah, but where are my manners? Welcome, Gadget to the Darksyde. I know you know who I am, but allow me to introduce to the others since we have never had a chance to properly introduce ourselves. This is Scorponok, my second in-command, Terrorsaur, my aerial command, Tarantulas, my scientist, Blackarachnia, his assistant, Inferno, my loyal soldier, and lastly."
Waspinator flew straight at Gadget screaming, "Give Waspinator's arm back." Gadget backed away as he grabbed at her. His arm had been replaced with polished scraps of metal pieced together to look like a hand. He managed to grab the collar and he began to shake her violently before raising her above his head, "Give Waspinator's arm back!"
Gadget glared down at him, "I don't have it!" Gadget kicked at the base of his new arm and it broke. She fell back to the platform. It rocked and Gadget shifted her balance to steady it again. She ripped the arm off the collar and threw it over the edge.
"Nooooo!" Waspinator plunged after it in a desperate attempt to save it.
Megatron laughed, "Now I understand. Those legs of yours must have been a…gift from the Council of Elders. That does explain a great deal, yess."
Gadget looked down at the large hole in her pants just below her knee. All the trouble she went through to hide it from the others and now all of the Predacons know. She rallied herself glared at Megatron, "They are payment for something taken from me."
"How interesting." Tarantulas moved closer. "I've never seen our technology fused with organic material. Who did this?"
"I don't know the names of the Maximals who worked on my legs, but it took weeks for them to even function. I won't let you mess with them," Gadget tried to keep her voice from trembling.
"You are your guest here, Gadget. There's no reason to fear hurt from us, unless you were to refuse our…hospitality. I have had quarters prepared for you if you wish to see them," he floated the chair close enough for her to cross.
She didn't know what his game was, but at the moment she has no choice but to play along. Gadget grabbed onto the arm of his chair and crossed over, "Please, this heat is killing me." They left the command deck and Megatron marched her down the halls of the base. She made a mental map but there were no obvious exits to the base and she hadn't been awake when they had brought her in. She glanced back only to find that she was alone with him.
The click of Megatron's feet stopped and she looked forward. He slid open a door, "We head out to dawn. Feel free to enjoy the food and water we have provided. Tomorrow is sure to be full of surprises."
Gadget noted the heavy lock outside the door as she walked into the room. Megatron threw the slack from the chain into the room and closed the door. She heard the lock slam down. It was a prison cell no matter how they dressed it up. The bed and chair were lined with the fur of various creatures that they must have hunted down for sport. A bowl of fruit sat of the table along with some water.
Gadget went straight for the water. She stopped before taking the first sip and sniffed it. She won't put it past them to poison the water. Gadget dipped her finger in the water and tasted it. It tasted normal but she still didn't trust it.
She sighed and sat down. She worried about Tigertron and Airazor. It seemed like a stupid thing to worry about given her own situation but she couldn't help herself. Gadget sighed. Tigertron would be fine, except for his pride being wounded, and Airazor would recover. Airazor had always been a bit of a mystery to her but from their limited enteractions Gadget knew she didn't like her. As for as she knew, she had never done anything or said anything to offend her. In fact, the only time they were even in the same room was when Tigertron was around. She was always butting in on their conversations and today was suppose to be for Tigertron, but no, she had to be there. If she didn't know better she would think that Airazor was jealous!
She stopped. If Tigertron was in love then why could Airazor be jealous. Maybe she was reading too much into but it made sense. How did Airazor even think that would work? Even if you ignore the fact they are different species, their interests were at polar opposites. Gadget would no sooner give up her tech then Tigertron would the forest. Yeah, they both enjoyed talking to each other but that didn't mean they were in love.
Gadget stopped, here she was sitting in the Predacon and she was worried about why Airazor was jealous. It was a stupid thing to do. She should be worried about how to get out of this. With that she slapped her legs on her legs and stood back up. Gadget chugged a glass of water and began searching the room for anything she could use to escape.
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Megatron watched as the human, Gadget, began to search the room. She had the Maximal's incurable persistence and the human determination and drive that he had heard so much about. Even with a that, looking at this human it was difficult to see how they had had such an impact on the Great War, but everyone agreed that without the humans the original Megatron would have won.
"Royalty, there is a Maximal signature approaching," Inferno grabbed his attention.
"Only one?"
"Yes, Royalty. Optimus Primal. Shall I make him burn?" he asked enthusiastically.
"Not yet, open a channel to him," Megatron ordered. Inferno nodded when the connection was made. "Optimus Primal, have you come to retrieve the human?"
"Yes, I've come to negotiate her release. What is it you want?" Primal's voice carried an edge of irritation and anger in it.
"Unfortunately, there is nothing you can offer me that be an equal trade, and I can assure you that she would be dead long before you reach her if you were to attempt a rescue. Good-bye, Optimus Primal." Megatron cut off the mic. The signal stayed in the area for a time before moving away. That would not be the last they saw of the Maximals and they were moving faster than he had anticipated. Primal was far more aggressive than normal.
"Inferno, wake the others. I have a change in plans," Megatron ordered.
"Yes, my Queen," Inferno left.
Megatron growled quietly. "I hate when he calls me that."
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Gadget quickly rolled out from under the bed as she heard footsteps and the latch on her door scraped against the wall. She stood as the door opened and Scorponok walked in. "Time to go, human." She watched as he bent down to pick up the end of the chain with his pincers.
Gadget pulled the chain away, "Did something happen?"
He shot her a look of annoyance as he moved toward the chain again, "Nothing for you to be concerned about." Gadget pulled the chain away again. He snapped at it again and Gadget rolled it up in her arms.
He looked down at her as she offered him the end with a smile, "Just trying to help."
He snagged it from her and escorted her through the base. He wasn't taking her back to the command center, it was the wrong way. Scorponok turned a corner and moonlight filled a large hole in the side of the ship. All of the Predacons were in their beast forms and waiting for them. Scorponok handed the chain over to Megatron's tiny hands and transformed.
"I do hope we didn't disturb you, but I'm afraid I had to advance the time schedule," Megatron was smiling…kind of Without waiting for a response he turned his attention to his Predacons, "Terrorsaur, Waspinator, circle the area and keep your scanners on full for Maximals. Blackarachnia and Scorponok take point. Tarantulas and Inferno, you have the rear. I will be in the center with Gadget. Now, move."
Gadget took her place beside Megatron and the line moved. She could respect Megatron for his ability to get this group of miscreants and glory-hounds to work together. He was probably the only thing keeping these guys from tearing each other part.
Gadget swallowed, "So where exactly are we going? I can't image too many things that I could do that you or one of your lackeys couldn't."
"Are you familiar with the alien artifacts that litter the planet?" he answered.
"I've heard of them," Gadget hadn't actually expected him to answer. "But I haven't seen them for myself."
"Then you should be aware that they have an adverse reaction to us. I have a theory that they may act in a more favorable manner to you."
"You want me to retrieve whatever is there," Gadget thought aloud.
"Precisely," Megatron looked back at her. Her eyebrows creased. Clearly she understood the implications of what he wanted or at the very least had a good idea. The human was clever, a shame she wasn't a Predacon.
After several hours of marching Megatron felt a sudden pull on the chain. Gadget was picking herself off the ground. "Something wrong?"
"Just tripped," she blinked slowly and took in a deep breath.
"It seems the human is tired," Tarantulas crawled up beside her. "Someone will have to carry her if we wish to continue."
"I'm fine," Gadget snapped at him.
"All the same, your pace is painfully slow. Inferno, carry her," Megatron waved him forward.
Gadget's frown deepened. Chained on a leash and on carried like a piece of equipment. Maybe he was trying to humiliate her or show her that she had no control? Maybe she was giving him too much credit. Inferno bent down low and she climbed onto his back. He rose and the line began to move again. Gadget was tired, but sleep was impossible and she wasn't about to show weakness in front of this pack of wolves. They marched all through the night with barely a word spoken between them.
She felt Inferno stop and she opened her eyes. She had been surprised that she had managed to fall asleep with falling off Inferno and even more surprise when she saw they stood at the base of a mountain, which glowed an unnatural blue. She slid off Inferno and followed Megatron to a cave entrance. Strange symbols lined the entrance and Gadget traced them gently.
"We have never been able to decipher the alien hieroglyphs. Do you recognize them?" Megatron asked.
"Some of Earth's ancient languages use hieroglyphs, but ancient and alien languages aren't exactly my area of expertise." Gadget stared into the darkness. "But it means something to someone. A warning, maybe."
"Indeed," Megatron backed several steps away. "Tartanulas, a light for our brave explorer."
A small bot with the light crawled up to her shoulder, "The light should be bright enough to illuminate the hole cave. I also equip a communicator so that you can stay in touch with us. It will also let us know should you be killed." He cackled, "One of Scorponok's spybots has already been destroyed by whatever is protecting the cave."
Gadget sighed, "Wonderful." She took several careful steps into the cave. Her fingers just touched the sides of the cave as she disappeared from the Predacon's line of sight.
"Human, can you hear me?" Tarantulas' voice echoed through the cave.
"Yeah, I hear you. About how far did the spybot make it in?"
"Oh, about where you are now," he answered.
She hadn't missed the amusement in his voice as she stopped. Gadget grabbed her light and searched the floor. There, the remains of the bot were stuck under a large rock. It was either an accident or it set off a trap, but how was it set off? Gadget didn't see any symbols nearby, but better safe than sorry. She grabbed several small rock and tossed them passed where the destroyed bot was. Each landed on the ground and...nothing happened.
Half disappointed she passed the rocks. At the least she was smarter than Scorponok's little bots. She continued onward through the cave. The cave itself began to changed from earth to an organic material. "Interesting," Gadget brushed her fingers along it. It shimmered blue and filled the cave with the same unnatural blue light. She looked away at the area and found markings on the wall and again on the floor. "Well, that has to mean something." Her father drilled into her that the most obvious answer is usual the right one. So, that was exactly what she was going to do. She memorized the order the symbols were, secretly hoping that the alien read left to right, and moved over to the patterned floor. She gauged the distance between herself and the first spot before jumping. The spot glowed brightly and then faded. Gadget waited. After several moments nothing happened and she finished crossing. She looked back over the flooring and then moved deeper into the cave.
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Megatron watched as Gadget solved the first test without much trouble. Whoever these tests were made for it wasn't humans or transformers. Such a simple test wouldn't confuse a creature with basic memory and logic circuits. Not that it mattered. "Inferno follow after the human, but under no circumstances are you to transform into robot mode. Stay out of her sight but make certain she cannot escape with whatever is within the cave."
"She shall not escape our grasp, Royalty, and should she try, she will burn," Inferno moved toward the cave.
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Gadget stopped and sighed. Her way was blocked by a large wall of the organic matter. There were no hierglyphs or writing on the neighboring walls and no obvious clues of how the pass by it. That meant that it was something less obvious. Gadget touched the wall. The patch she touched flashed red. A sequence of lights flashed across the wall as Gadget pulled back. Once the sequence stopped she stepped back toward the wall. She tapped her leg trying to remember, she hadn't exactly been prepared for a memory game. She touched the ones she thought was the pattern.
The whole wall flashed red. Gadget jumped back as the walls on both sides closed in by several inches and a second wall formed behind her. "Don't want to get this wrong too many times." Gadget went back to the wall and tapped it again. She watch the sequence, tapped the sequence in, and the wall flashed blue. The walls moved back to their original position and the one with lights moved back.
She followed the sequences again and again until the wall vanished. The cave opened into a large opening. A small bit of light filtered down into the center of the opening down on a stone pillar, which was floating in a small pool of water. Gadget circled the opening looking around for more traps or puzzles but there didn't appear to be any. She moved toward the center. As the pillar rotated she saw something large catch the light, a large golden disk. Even from here she could that there were symbols carved into the disc.
She moved to the edge of the pool of water and looked down. The water was crystal clear and deep. Gadget took a breath before plunged into the water. She pushed herself to the surface. The looked down as the small bot's light died and it sank to the bottom. Gadget swam slowly toward the pillar and pulled herself out of the water. She rung the water out of her cloths and hair as best she could before turning to the pillar. The disc was embedded in the stone just above her head. She studied the symbols briefly before searching for a way to release the disc. Nothing, no symbols, no divets in the stone, and no hints. She sighed as she looked up at the disc. There was only one thing left to try. Gadget grabbed at the base of disc and tried to pulled. Her hand slipped, scrapping against the stone pillar. "Shit," she pulled her hand close and inspected it. Numerous small scraps along her knuckles, some of them bleeding. She glared at the disc. This time she carefully searched the edge for something to grab onto.
Suddenly the disc feel forward. Gadget yelped as it fell into her arms and the weight pulled her down to the ground with it. It was about as wide as her chest but it had to weight over 200 pounds. She pulled it on it's side and carefully started to roll it toward the water. "I won't let him have it," she mumbled as she guided.
"The Royalty will be please with you," Inferno's voice shattered the silence. He easily jumped the gap and crawled to her. "If you continue to please him perhaps he will make you his pet." His laughter was deep and merciless. "Hand over the disc."
Gadget frowned. Even if she rolled it the disc wouldn't have reached the water before Inferno got to it. She couldn't run with it she could barely even lift it! Inferno would kill her if she tried. She pushed the disc toward him and he tried to lifted it with his pincers but it slipped. "Blasted disc! Inferno, terrorize!" He lifted the disc easily. The island rocked violently. Inferno and Gadget watched as the rocks began to tumble down. He grasped it firmly and blasted off toward the light.
Gadget dove into the water. She pushed off the island with her legs. She felt the water rush past her. She felt stone and pulled herself out of the water. Huge sections of the ceiling came crashing down as she scrambled to her feet. She dashed across the opening toward. Gadget navigated her way past the falling rocks and back into the cave, but she didn't stop. The dark force her to slow her pace but she held her arms out in front of her.
Gadget stumbled out of the cave. Dust raced out after her, engulfing everything. She cover her mouth as she coughed and squinted.
She stopped as she heard any all too familar weapon charge, "What excellent timing, Gadget. I was just discuss the terms of your release with Optimus Primal." She couldn't see him, but she could hear him smiling. The dust slowly settled and the silouettes of Optimus and Rhinox became visible. "As I said Primal, she is, as of yet, unharmed and functional."
"What do you want Megatron?" Optimus demanded.
"A truce." The word hung in the air.
"You kidnapped one of my crew, force her into harms way, and then expect me to accept that you want a truce? What do you take me for?"
"A Maximal," Megatron answered.
The dust had finally settled enough to see everyone. They all shared the same expression, complete and utter disbelief. Apparently, Megatron had choosen not to share his thoughts with the rest of his crew.
"This is madness! You can't seriously be considering this," Dinobot gained everyone's attention. Optimus didn't look over at him.
"Very well, a cease fire, for as long as it'll last," Optimus shook his head. Dinobot threw his hands up in the air and marched away.
Megatron moved the head away from her, "Til next we meet, Gadget." He wore a triumphant smile.
She glared up at him, "With any luck, the next time will be the last." He laughed as he walked away. The other Predacons followed behind him, if more slowly. Optimus was standing beside her watching them. His expression was sober and serious. "I'm fine, other than my pride," she answered before he had a chance ask.
"Good to know," he turned her to face him. "What did he want from you?"
"I'm not sure if he know what it was, but it's some kind of golden disk. It looked about the same size as the Voyager disk, but the symbols weren't human. I...I don't know what I gave him, but it can't be anything good and thanks to Inferno the cave collapse." She looked toward the others. She noticed that they were all looking down slightly, at the hole and the metal beneath it. "That's been that way for a while."
The Maximals looked between each other. "If you say so, Gaddy." Rattrap shrugged. Rhinox frowned at her. There would be no escaping him now. Cheetor looked like he wanted to touch it. Tigertron just looked relieved and Airazor looked at Tigertron and cast her a glare. Gadget surpressed a sigh.
"Let's head back to base before Megatron changes his mind about the truce," Optimus ordered. "I'll carry you."
Gadget smiled, "Why not? I could use a break." Optimus bent down and gently lifted her up. He took off into the sky with the other Maximals trailing behind.
A/N: Well, I rewrote this ending about 5 different times. It's pretty pathetic I know, but this was one of the better ones. At one point I had her beating Megatron in a duel, as ridiculous as that sounds. You should also know that I'm not good with puzzles so I'm sorry if mine are a little on the lame side. At least it's done. Reviews are always welcome and a big thanks to Saiyan moon Goddess for continuing to read my stuff.