Well, I said I was going to have this up on Monday night, but something came up, sorry. Anyway, thanks to TheLoveDov for reviewing. Written whilst listening to Destructo and Nero by Two Steps From Hell and Nemo by Nightwish. Hope you enjoy!
P.S - I really can't write from the Autobot's point of view, it always sucks, so I apologise in advance.
Ultra Magnus was paranoid. All of the Autobots who had been there when New Kaon was attacked could see it. They just didn't know what he was so paranoid about. Not until now, anyway. Arcee was the one that had figured it out, during a meeting with Magnus, Kup, Springer and Rodimus.
"The Decepticon femme is our best chance at-"
"Her designation is Twilight, Rodimus." Every head snapped around to Ultra Magnus as he all but growled at their leader.
"Is everything alright, Magnus?" The large mech sighed.
"I'm fine." But he wasn't. His hands were balled into fists on his lap, and his head was turned to the floor. The others in the room all looked to each-other and shrugged.
Arcee was headed towards Magnus' quarters, determined to do something to help him. Knocking on the door, she heard a quiet "Enter." and did so. Shutting the door behind her, she walked up to Magnus' desk.
"Arcee! I didn't expect to see you! What can I do for you?" The pink femme sighed at her commander's awful acting.
"Ultra Magnus, we... We need to talk. About Twilight." The large mech stiffened visibly at the mention of the femme, and Arcee sighed once more. Magnus became defensive, but he knew that Arcee was onto him.
"Not now, Arcee." She frowned.
"If not now, then when? C'mon Magnus, I'm a femme, I understand this better than anyone." He sighed.
"Arcee, I don't want to talk about this." The femme sighed back.
"Alright then, but... Whenever you want to talk to me, you know you can, right?" There was silence, and Arcee turned to leave. She had almost reached the door when Magnus called out to her.
"Arcee! If... If it's alright with you, I guess... Talking about it might help." She smiled and nodded, sliding into the seat opposite Magnus'.
"So..."
"I... I've lied to you. All of you." Arcee raised an optic ridge.
"What do you mean?" Ultra Magnus sighed.
"I've... I've known Twilight since we were sparklings. She was such a kind, caring femme... She was friends with the Seekers, Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp. And Soundwave, him too."
"My creators were good friends with hers. But no-one ever guessed what they had been doing to Twilight. They... It's not my place to say the things they did, but... Just look up the designations 'Rapidracer' and 'Sunstar' on the database. You... You'll see. Anyway, there were a few... Misunderstandings, and she sided with the Decepticons."
"She... She kept warning me, telling me to get my family far away from hers... It's all my fault, if I had just taken the initiative-"
"It is not your fault, Magnus." The pink femme on the other side of the desk placed a hand on top of the Autobot commander's. He smiled at her, nodding to her in thanks.
"Before she had chosen sides, she was attacked by a couple of... Less peaceful Autobots. They were in my team, and I think that's the reason why she hates me so much. But... We were such close friends... I don't know why it all went wrong..." Arcee sighed. Yes, she had guessed that Ultra Magnus was once close to the Decepticon femme, but she didn't realise how deep their friendship had been.
"She'll come around, Magnus. I'm sure she will." He sighed, shaking his head.
"She's not talking to me. Even if I fight her, she doesn't hear me out. I don't know what to do, Arcee. I... I don't want to lose her, not now that I've just found her again." The Autobot femme could tell that there was more on his mind.
"There's something else, isn't there?" Magnus nodded.
"I fear... That the Decepticons are..." Arcee sighed, optics turning to the floor.
"I've... I've been worrying about that, too."
"In New Kaon... I saw... I think it's Cyclonus..." The femme's optics widened in horror. The mech continued.
"I mean... I know she's tough... But if it is Cyclonus... She has next to no chance." Arcee gave Magnus' hand a reassuring pat before standing.
"She can hold her own, Magnus, I'm sure she'll be fine."
"If she is just being tossed around, then she wouldn't be able to show up on the battlefield. I'm sure she's treated with just as much respect as the rest of the 'Cons." Ultra Magnus raised an eyebrow.
"...That still wouldn't be much." She giggled softly.
"Okay, so maybe it wasn't the best choice of words. But you know what I mean, Magnus. You know better than any of us that Twilight is a prime example of why you shouldn't judge someone by appearances." The Autobot second in command smiled.
"Thank you, Arcee." The pink femme smiled back, but she still had the feeling that Ultra Magnus wasn't telling her the whole story.
'Oh well,' she thought, 'He probably just needs some time.'
"No problem, Magnus. And remember, if you ever want to talk again, I'm here. We all are, it's not just me that's been worrying about you." He frowned.
"About that... I... I don't want to ask too much of you... But do you think... Do you think you could wait for a while before telling the others? I'm not sure I'm ready for them to know just yet." She nodded.
"Of course I can. Goodnight, Magnus."
"Have a nice night, Arcee."
At the Decepticon base, things couldn't possibly be any different to Ultra Magnus' suspicions. Twilight stood beside Cyclonus, in front of a huge crowd that held quite possibly every Decepticon stationed on Chaar.
"Before the intervention of Autobot reinforcements, the raid on New Kaon went extremely - and unexpectedly - well, so, on Galvatron's behalf, I would like to thank you all." Twilight finished off her speech with a salute to her comrades, and was given the same sign of respect in return.
"Dismissed." The same procedure was followed as Cyclonus gave the all-clear for the troops to return to whatever they had been doing. Whatever that was, Twilight didn't care, she was far too busy trying to squash down her sadness. Trying to squash it down with anger and frustration, that is.
She now knew why that raid had been planned. She now knew what Galvatron needed - wanted - all that extra energon for. She now knew why Silverblade had been fated to perish, to offline by her hand, shattering Blizzard and Starlight's sparks.
'For frag's sake, femme! Magnus did what you wanted him to do. They have been reunited, they are fine. You should just be happy that the raid went well and Galvatron is in a good mood!' She slumped down in her chair in the control room, knowing full well that her words weren't going to help her.
Galvatron's reason for attacking New Kaon was absolutely ridiculous, and it made her feel even more at fault. A voice from behind her caught her attention, but she didn't jump in surprise, she had sensed the mech coming from a good way away.
"In a good enough mood to thank his soldiers directly, instead of his words being filtered through yours and Cyc's vocalisers?" She growled when she realised she must have muttered that part aloud.
"Do you enjoy creeping up behind people only to tell them information that they already know, Scourge?" He chuckled, sitting himself down in the chair beside hers.
"Only if it's you, Twilight." She rolled her optics.
"How reassuring."
"I do, however, enjoy letting people know that they have been muttering to themselves for quite a while, and have left dents in the datapad from where they've been holding it so tightly."
She scowled at him, only to look down and see that he was telling the truth. There were dents in the report she had been writing out.
"Primus, how much of that did you hear?" The blue mech shrugged.
"I couldn't make out most of it, the control room's too busy, I only heard that part because I happened to walk past your lovely frame at the time."
"Strange and disturbing as the compliment was, thank you. Do you know how Galvatron is?" He chuckled.
"You think I'm crazy enough to disturb him? I'll leave that to you and Cyc. Speaking of Cyc, I don't know why he tries so hard." She shrugged, but her optics dimmed in concern.
"He was programmed - reprogrammed - that way. So he wouldn't rebel or try to dethrone Galvatron." Scourge sighed.
"The title of leader is as good as his. He does all the work, he's the power behind the throne. You should have seen him, Twi, when we had lost Galvatron on Thrull."
"He was a great leader, making sure all mechs were accounted for, dividing the rations yet making sure there would be enough for Galvatron, should we find him. The amount of times I told him to give up the search... And what does he get in return?" Twilight sighed.
"Even you," The mech continued, "You can still have a laugh about our leader and continue being loyal. I know it's not something I, as a Decepticon, should feel, but I'm worried for him, Twi." She swiveled in her chair, fully facing him.
"First of all, it's Twilight. I've been called many ridiculous nicknames in the past, you will not start bringing them all back up. Secondly, it does not matter what faction you are, every Cybertronian has emotions."
"Whoa, don't start going all 'phylosophical Autobot' on me."
"Shut your mouth. What I was trying to say was, you sure as the Pit aren't the only one who has different emotions than the standard Decepticon package." He laughed.
"And what would the 'standard Decepticon package' be?"
"You know, hatred, anger, cold indifference. The whole 'I eat sparklings for breakfast' attitude." He opened his mouth, but she spoke again.
"And don't come back with some smart-aft remark about how we don't technically have breakfast because we're on rations." His optics widened in surprise. She let herself show a quick smirk of satisfaction.
"Damn, you're good."
"I know. I lived with a joker most of my life, I know practically every trick on the datapad." He smiled.
"Sparkmate?" She shook her head.
"Brother. One of four... Well... Five, I guess."
"You guess?"
"Long story." Twilight could tell from the look on his face that the tracker wasn't going to give up.
"Long story short, he's an Autobot. I don't speak to him anymore, I don't want to, and no, smart-aft, I don't 'miss him'." He smirked.
"Great minds think alike, my dear." She smirked back.
"Yeah? Well, I'd say mine's a little greater." He laughed.
"This brother of yours sounds like he'd be a real laugh, where is he?" She stiffened, but quickly shook off the feeling.
"Offline." She stated simply.
"That's a shame. But not to fear, you have me now!" She laughed, rolling her optics.
"I repeat myself, how reassuring." Suddenly, a mischevious smirk appeared on the winged mech's face-plates, and Twilight braced herself for whatever mental assault he was about to launch upon her.
"Wandering back onto the subject of sparkmates..."
"Goodbye, Scourge." She moved to stand up, but her pulled her back down.
"And you have just sealed your fate, my lady! There's a mech in your life, isn't there?" She laughed.
"No, Scourge. Apart from the one brother who is still online that I actually have a friendship with." He apparently believed her, but countered with,
"Okay, but, you wouldn't be so defensive about the topic of bonding if you didn't have a mech you wanted to bond with." She frowned.
"Why do you immediately assume it's something as serious as bonding?."
"So there is someone then! Is it me? You can be honest if it is, I really won't mind." Twilight rolled her optics.
"As long as it's not Mr Nutcase or Mr Monotone, you have my approval." She raised an optic ridge.
"I'm assuming you mean Galvatron and Soundwave? Soundwave is the one brother that's still online that I mentioned, by the way. And I don't need your approval, because there is no-one here that interests me."
"Oh but there is, dearest Twilight, I can tell! I have a gift for this sort of thing!"
'He has got to be Skywarp's reformatted frame.' She rolled her optics as he carried on.
"Alright then, let's play a little game." Her optic ridge rose once more.
"And what are the rules of this 'little game' of yours?" Scourge smirked.
"I'm going to name a feature of the mechs at base, and you have to tell me whether or not the mech you love has that feature or not."
'Well, there's no point in hiding the fact that there is someone, because he knows. But depending on how long the game goes on for, he'll eventually end up finding out.'
"I'm not sure, Scourge."
"If you think I'm going too far, we'll stop."
"At any point?" He nodded. She rolled her optics. She seemed to be doing a lot of that around Scourge. Not that she could possibly think of a reason why. Besides, he'd just get the twins - or maybe the Sweeps - to bug her all day if she didn't play.
"Fine, I'll play your stupid game."
"Alright then, let's see... Does he have red optics?" She narrowed her own crimson ones at him.
"You are one dumb fragger, you know that? Yes, he does. And don't say 'Is it a mech?' next, or I'll quit." He chuckled.
"Damn, you're good. Does he have a visor?" She shook her head.
"Does he have a mask?" Another shake of her head.
"Is he part of a combiner team?" Once again, no. She quickly realised that Scourge had already managed to narrow it down to about nine mechs.
"Does he have white face-plates?" Reluctantly, she nodded.
"Alright, I'm out."
"But it was just getting good!" He whined. She rolled her optics.
"For you, maybe." She picked up the few datapads that she had left to fill out. He chuckled.
"I need to make some time to talk with your lovely self more often." She laughed.
"You also need to work on your small talk. And if you are going to, do so quickly, because you will not be seeing 'my lovely self' much longer." He frowned.
"Why not?" She realised what she had said, and tried to backtrack.
"Because if you openly mock our leader - and my brother - again, I may have to offline you." Twilight put on a fake innocent smile. With a mental sigh of relief, she headed for her quarters.
Scourge smirked at her retreating form, impressed with his own skills. And for good reason, too. He had managed to narrow it down to four mechs. Galvatron, Astrotrain, Octane, and Cyclonus.
It certainly wasn't Galvatron or Octane. After that analysis, Scourge was almost one-hundred percent sure he had hit the nail on the head. He started to head to his own quarters, whistling a tune as he went.
I told you I wasn't finished writing my silly interpretation of Scourge XD. Hope you enjoyed!
Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, or any of the characters I use in this story, apart from Twilight, Rapidracer, Sunstar, Silverblade, Blizzard and Starlight.