Never Did Run Smooth (Ch. 21)

Thing With No Talent

Pairings: Dinobot/Rattrap, mention of Terrorsaur/Waspinator and others

Summary: Shakespeare was right, love is never easy. Especially with these two...

Warnings: Oh, the usual. Drama, drama, innuendo, drama, some violence, swearing, drama, angst, drama, epic snark, abuse of the English language and probably way more sex than there needs to be. Did I mention drama?

Notes: Long chapter is long. My god, these two. Once they start talking there's no shutting them up. I seriously tried to cut this chapter short, several times, but I finally gave up and let 'em go. Fluff alert!

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"So whadda we do now?"

How the hell should I know? Dinobot almost snapped, but restrained himself. Glancing around the command center, he said, "We can't discuss this here. The others will be back sooner or later. Follow me."

The base wasn't large, and it didn't take Rattrap long to realize where they were going. "Whoa, hey, your room? Why don't we just step outside?"

"And risk surveillance by Cyberbees? Or spiders? I don't know about you, rodent, but I'd rather every word of this not get back to Megatron." There was uneasiness in the way he spoke the tyrant's name, and agitation in his movements as he punched in the door code. He stepped in, and Rattrap hesitated, just briefly, on the threshold. He'd been in here only a few days before and been welcome, but Dinobot seemed so upset now, he wasn't sure--

"Quickly, Vermin. It's not me you need to worry about. Lock the door behind you."

Once they were inside, Dinobot seemed to settle down somewhat. He filled a cup that was sitting on top of his energon dispenser and stood nursing it for a few moments, trying to collect his thoughts. Rattrap had no idea what to do, so he leaned back against the door uneasily, averting his optics from the striped pelt on the wall that kept trying to grab them. He looked at Dinobot instead, and was disturbed to see the worry displayed openly on his face, his hands shaking slightly as they clutched the cup… although that could have simply been a residual effect of all the repairs he'd undergone. There were no visible scars, the CR chamber having thoroughly done its work, but that didn't mean the memories of being impaled and left for dead were going to leave Dinobot as easily.

Suddenly he felt foolish for being nervous around the warrior, who was clearly more frightened than Rattrap at the moment. Pushing off from the door, he crossed the room to Dinobot and reached for his hands, small fingers curling around the long talons. The raptor exhaled and Rattrap thought he relaxed slightly, but couldn't be positive. His optics cleared somewhat, and he looked down at the rodent.

"I'm… sorry."

Rattrap blinked. "Uh, what for?"

"For putting you in danger. I let emotion get the better of me. I knew it would lead to disaster, but I refused to listen to common sense."

The rat shrugged. "Hey, same here, but I don't regret it. Sure, things have gotten interestin', maybe a little wild, but I wouldn't call it a disaster just yet." He patted the scaly fingers, which pulled reluctantly away from his grasp.

"As always, vermin, you miss the point," said Dinobot without actual malice. "Megatron will continue to target you, now that he knows it will work. You have no idea what I've dragged you into."

Primus, somebody's feelin' pessimistic. "Hey, Chopperface? Last I looked, you weren't draggin' me into anything. Slag, I started this whole thing. I knew damn well I was takin' a risk."

"You don't know," snapped Dinobot. "You don't know how far he'll go to get what he wants. I know, I've seen firs--" He stopped himself as if he'd been about to jump off a cliff.

There was a tense silence. Rattrap folded his arms. "Startin' to sound like there's somethin' you don't wanna tell me."

Dinobot's nostrils flared, but he didn't answer. He turned away from Rattrap and began to pace, like a caged animal -- a sure sign the gears were turning in his head. Rattrap watched him, his own processor buzzing with questions, theories, and hints, all starting to come together. Chopperface is hell-bent on slaggin' Megatron every chance he gets, an' none of us ever really asked him why. Primal and the others had mostly assumed it stemmed from a single act of betrayal, whatever had made Dinobot finally leave. But the hatred ran too deep for that, and Rattrap for one had always been sure there was more between them. Megatron's words to Dinobot on the battlefield always seemed to be laced with innuendo, with a darker, hidden meaning…

Rattrap was not naïve. He had his suspicions. Didn't mean he was eager to confirm them, but it might be dangerous not to.

"You an' Megatron," he began, knowing he was walking through a minefield here, that he'd have to tread carefully. "How long'd you work with him?"

"Almost--" Dinobot paused in his pacing. "Almost forty decacycles. Longer than any of his current crew, except Scorponok."

Rattrap let out a low whistle between his front teeth. "He didn't just hire you for this trip, then." Primus, I've barely known Rhinox that long.

The warrior snorted. "I'm no sellsword. He was a revolutionary, I was dissatisfied -- his ideas appealed to me, then. I hated the Maximals. I hardly had to be convinced to take part in a plot to restore Predacon superiority." He sounded bitter.

"Why'd you change your mind? I mean, if you stuck with him for all that time…" He trailed off as Dinobot turned to look at him. His expression made Rattrap instinctively want to flatten himself against a wall and reach for a pistol, and it took a second to realize that it wasn't really directed at him, that Dinobot was actually looking through him into the far distance, into the past. The spy fumbled for his dropped words. "I… shouldna brought that up, should I?"

The warrior turned away and flung his cup against the wall. Rattrap winced, but that seemed to be it as far as demonstrations of violence were concerned. Suddenly seeming drained, the raptor plunked down on the edge of his berth and buried his face in his clawed hands. Rattrap blinked and cautiously approached.

"Chop-- Dinobot? You okay--"

The claws dragged wearily down the blue metal of his face as Dinobot raised his head. His expression was now resigned, almost defeated, or as close to it as Rattrap had ever seen him. "I can't believe I'm going to tell you this," he mumbled. Then, fixing the spy with something resembling his usual threatening glare, "Not a word of it will leave this room. Is that clear?"

Rattrap nodded. He went so far as to take a seat himself, far enough from Dinobot for the warrior's comfort -- and also at an angle where Dinobot wouldn't have to look at him as he talked. "I'm listenin'."

"Good." The larger mech looked down at the claws folded loosely in his lap, studying them for a moment; then he raised his head and stared fixedly at the far wall as he started to speak. "On Cybertron, Megatron was known publicly as Chromebite. He was a perfectly legitimate businessmech, no criminal record to speak of." Rattrap nodded; he had read as much in Megatron's file, which Command had sent them when they contacted Primal for this mission.

"Officially, I was his bodyguard. Unofficially -- at least at first -- I was probably his most trusted subordinate. Shortly after he recruited me, I saved him from an assassination attempt. That act proved my loyalty, and he kept me at his side almost constantly afterwards." There was pride in his voice now, much as he tried to hide it, and Rattrap could tell how much that trust had meant to him at the time. "Sometimes he confided in me, things he would not tell any of the others, not even his inner circle. He asked for my tactical input, and entrusted me with missions of the highest priority. For all intents and purposes, I was his second in command. I even dared to consider him a friend -- my only friend."

Rattrap was stunned into silence for a moment. Second. He was Megatron's second in command. I shoulda known he wasn't just hired muscle, but, slag. No wonder the raptor had tried to assume leadership of the Maximals when he first came to them, and afterwards whenever Primal was incapacitated. In his head, he had the right of command. An' they were friends? Can't see ol' Megs bein' friends with anybody. He acts more like he's tryin' to reclaim lost property than an old pal.

Finally he asked, "So how'd you go from all that to leavin' him for the enemy faction? I'm guessin' you didn't just storm out 'cause he stranded you all on this dirtball, considerin' you're the only one that left."

Dinobot let out one of his derisive snorts. "No. Things had gone sour between us long before this mission. At first it was arguably my doing. I felt that our plans were unfolding too slowly. I had put all my faith in Megatron, and when he failed to produce results, I grew impatient. I wanted to see the glory of the Predacons restored immediately. Megatron reminded me that I had agreed to serve him without question, and warned me not to push him."

The spy knew well how little effect warnings had on Dinobot. "An' you didn't listen."

"I kept pushing. So he did what any Predacon commander would do."

Rattrap shuddered. Dinobot glanced over at him sharply. "We obtain leadership by force, and that is how we keep it," he explained, sounding almost defensive. "I know how it looks to Maximals. But if that had been our only conflict, I would still be serving Megatron."

Ain't that a cheerful thought. "So what, it went downhill from there?"

Judging by Dinobot's expression, it certainly had. "There was no more trouble between us for a time. Then Megatron recruited Tarantulas. There were few Cybertronians alive who could decode the disk we were planning to steal, and he was the only one who offered his services -- in fact, he seemed quite keen to join us. But I didn't trust him. Once again, I objected to Megatron's decision."

Rattrap sucked in a breath. "Ohhh, boy."

"As you can imagine, neither of us was willing to back down. The argument became violent. When it finally ended, Megatron's jaw needed to be reconstructed, and I was in CR for five solar cycles."

"Slag me," said the spy in an awed voice.

"Even for Predacons, this was hardly typical. But it didn't end there. Soon we were fighting frequently over relatively minor issues. Sometimes it was due to my questioning orders, sometimes due to Megatron placing blame where it didn't belong. Every time our plan encountered delays, setbacks, he'd-- we'd take it out on each other."

"An' Megatron wants you back?" Rattrap blurted in disbelief. Primus, he fought with the raptor often enough himself, but not to the point where they needed major repairs afterwards. Why the Pit would anyone want to go through that again, even someone like Megatron? "I mean, knowin' him, I woulda thought he'd just slag you for bein' so much trouble."

Dinobot looked at him like he was a simpleton. "I was still his second in command. I never sought to betray or overthrow him, no matter how mad and deluded I was beginning to think he was. I was loyal, reliable, and competent. He was determined to bring me under control, true, but he had no intention of letting me go."

"So you stayed an' served him? Chopperface, that's… that's…" Rattrap couldn't even come up with words that suited the situation.

"Appalling to you, I'm sure. Believe me, it was unpleasant, but I had been through worse. I still believed in his cause. I intended to see it through to the end, be it victory or failure." Despite the self-assuredness of his words, he sounded almost defensive, and Rattrap could hear the doubt in his voice. It didn't take a headshrinker to see that the warrior was making excuses.

Unsure whether to smack him upside the head for his insane logic or hug him for his bravery, Rattrap settled for placing a hand on the warrior's shoulder. Dinobot tensed, but only slightly, and didn't brush him away. The spy allowed his fingers to squeeze the beastmode flesh in a friendly but firm, almost possessive grip. "Well, thank Primus y'finally came to your senses. We wouldn't have you with us otherwise." An' I wouldn't even know what I was missin'. Neither would you, for that matter.

A moment's hesitation and Dinobot reached across, resting his left hand over top of Rattrap's, warm scales against cool metal. "There was a time I regretted leaving," he said without looking at the smaller Maximal, his expression hard to read. "But that time has passed."

"Good t' hear," said Rattrap casually. It was the biggest understatement he'd ever made -- he was warmed to the Core and had to fight back a face-splitting smile. Still, he hadn't lost track of the sobering topic. "So what was the last straw? Or'd you just get tired of it all?"

"Oh, I grew tired of it long ago. Tired of arguing, of not being listened to, of being backhanded whenever I dared to point out his mistakes. I was willing to endure such aggravation for the sake of our goals. But there were some things I could not stand. The 'last straw' was his refusal to engage me in honorable combat over the right to leadership, after he had failed to carry out his cunning plan."

Rattrap snorted. "Honorable combat? Yeah, not surprised he refused there. Ain't that when you came looking for us?" He'd heard some of this story before, the day after Dinobot joined the Maximals, when they were all grilling him about his motivations for defecting. But he hadn't known Dinobot very well then, so the explanation hadn't made a whole lot of sense.

"Yes. He turned his back on me, and allowed Scorponok to shoot me instead." Dinobot's optics were hard and cold, and his free hand curled into a fist. "I'm quite sure he expected me to return after being rebuked, as I had nowhere to go. But I'll be damned if I even considered it. A leader who will not face his own challengers is unworthy of service. There is no honor in him, and I doubt there ever was."

He sounded bitter, and Rattrap couldn't blame him. From the sound of things, Megatron had once been an inspiration to him, a figure he admired and respected, someone he trusted. Oh great mother of Unicron, he trusted Megatron. Frankly Rattrap would be amazed if he ever trusted anyone else in a thousand years. Between the betrayal, and the disillusionment of finding out his revolutionary leader was nothing more than a twisted megalomaniac who didn't give half a scrap about him…

Nimble fingers squeezed the warrior's shoulder again. "Hey, it ain't your fault," he told Dinobot earnestly, in the wheedling tone he normally used to ask forgiveness for his own mistakes. In this case, he was trying to get Dinobot to forgive himself. "Megatron's a manipulator. He finds out people's weakness an' uses it against 'em. He's a sleazeball, but he could charm the spots off a cheetah an' sell legs to a tarantula if you let him talk long enough. It ain't your fault for trustin'--"

Dinobot stood up suddenly, letting Rattrap's arm slip off of him. "It was," he said simply, the flat tone leaving little room for debate. "I had my suspicions the moment he approached me. I allowed him to overcome them. I have paid the price for ignoring my own instincts." He turned, staring down at the rodent, a note of anger and of sorrow in his optics. "What concerns me now is that you will pay the price as well. As you said, Megatron seeks out weaknesses. He is a master at spotting them." His voice softened, lowered. "And unfortunately for you -- though I would have loathed to admit it even a month ago -- you are my greatest weakness."

Rattrap's fuel pump seemed to sieze on him for a second. He knew well what Predacons considered a weakness. Is he sayin' what I think he's sayin'?

"Y'mean that?" he asked, barely aware of how squeaky his voice sounded, like a young femme being asked on her first date. "I mean, d'you mean… what it sounded like you meant? 'Cause it sounded like…"

Dinobot facepalmed.

"You are such an idiot," he growled into his hand, but even muffled, the tone was slightly affectionate. "Do I have to write it out for you?"

The rat let out a very undignified whoop and launched himself from the edge of the berth, throwing his arms around the raptor's neck. Dinobot stumbled back, surprised, flailing, and quite probably struggling with half-suppressed warrior reflexes. Rattrap didn't care. He clung to the damn saurian stubbornly, ready to resist any and all efforts to pry him off. Not lettin' go this time, nope. I got you now, you reptilian menace, I'm not givin' this up --

"Rattrap," said Dinobot in a voice of strained calm, "have you gone insane?"

The rodent raised his head from a scaly chestplate and looked up at him cheekily, all smiles. "What, recently? Why d'you ask?"

Scowling, Dinobot tapped the side of Rattrap's helm with a claw. "Think about this, vermin. Megatron will be targeting you now. This is not a Good Thing. In fact, if I were you, I'd be listening to those rodent instincts and running far away."

"Rats? We hide more'n we run. 'Sides, I ain't goin' anywhere." He clutched the warrior tighter for emphasis, and felt Dinobot's exasperated sigh run through his whole body.

"Vermin, I'm serious. Standing between Megatron and something he wants is not wise."

"Oh-ho, I won't be standin' between you. I'll be standin' behind you. Ready to back you up with a couple o' grenades if need be, o'course." Rattrap was nothing if not practical.

"I would rather you were out of harm's way altogether, so I wouldn't be distracted by concern for your well-being -- as I was recently," Dinobot pointed out sharply. "And speaking of distractions, would you get down? I can't talk to you like this."

Reluctantly, Rattrap let go of him and dropped to the floor. Placing his hands on his hips, he tilted his head back to look up at Dinobot, decided he didn't care for the angle, and climbed up to stand on his berth instead. Now they were almost optic-to-optic. "There. Now, what were you sayin'?"

"Listen carefully, rodent. Megatron used you against me, and it won't be the last time, unless we end this."

"End what?"

"This!" Dinobot snapped, gesturing rather vaguely at both of them. "Whatever this is. This madness, this foolishness. We've allowed it to go much too far already."

Rattrap sighed romantically. "You got such a way with words."

The warrior growled. "Rattrap…"

The spy smiled sweetly. "Dinobot?"

"Pestilence!"

"Egghead."

"Fleabrain!"

"Slaughterbreath."

"Hn. How creative."

Rattrap grinned. "See? I love this. No way I'm givin' this up. You're not gettin' rid o' me, Chopperface. Not even Megs can scare me off." He sat down cross-legged on the berth, pointedly making himself comfortable. "What about you? He don't have a say in your life no more. You gonna let him stop you doin' something you want?"

Dinobot looked like he was getting a headache. "I'm trying to save your useless, verminous hide," he said through gritted teeth. "I will drive you away if I have to, if it keeps Megatron away from you."

"An' what makes you think it will?"

Dinobot was silent.

"Look, Scalebelly, I get what you're doin', an' I'm touched an' all. But I don't think you thought this all the way through. If Megs has us figured out, then he's gonna come after both us an' there's nothin' we can do about it." Rattrap smiled. "Except stick together. Seriously, where'm I gonna be safest? Right next to you."

The warrior stared down at him, looking as though he wanted to toss Rattrap off his berth but couldn't bring himself to. "I suppose if I did chase you off, you'd just come back," said Dinobot resignedly. "Like a fly on a carcass."

Rattrap lay back and stretched out on the berth. "Again with the sweet talk. Admit it, you don't really want me to leave."

Dinobot watched him with something bordering on alarm. "What do you think you're doing?"

"What? I ain't slept in three solar cycles. I was waitin' on your scaly butt to get outta CR." Rattrap's optics dimmed. "You got a big berth. S' cozy." He brightened them again slightly and peeked up at Dinobot. "Big enough for both of us," he said mischievously.

The warrior stared at him. Rattrap chuckled and let his optics go offline. Hmm, this really wasn't bad. If Chopperface wanted him to leave, he was gonna have to carry him out…

There was a slight creak of metal, and something heavy settled beside him. "Move over," growled the low, harsh voice. Rattrap twisted around in astonishment to find Dinobot smirking back at him. "Or did I mistake your invitation?"

"Uh, n…no." Rattrap scooted over to make room for the warrior, who lay down at his back as if it were the most natural thing in the world. His mind flashed back on a cave in which they'd huddled during a blizzard, ages ago it seemed, long before either of them had admitted that anything but enmity existed between them. His Spark skipped a pulse when a powerful arm draped over his body.

Dinobot's words rumbled quietly against the back of his helm. "If you won't stay out of trouble, rodent, you'll at least stay where I can see you. I don't intend to let you out of my sight again."

For once, Rattrap could find nothing to argue with.

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REVIEWER REPLY SECTION (You've got questions, I've got half-baked answers. If I don't, I'll make one up on the spot.)

andalitebandit-6: Nah, the exerpt from the romance novel was unrelated to the situation. Just happened to be the scene Rattrap was reading right then. I guess he figured the best way to tell Dinobot "Get well soon" was to annoy him back to health with his shitty taste in literature. ;)

Looks like nobody else had questions. Good, because I'm three-quarters asleep and should not even be posting fiction at this hour, let alone answering reviews. Enjoy, and please let me know what you thought.