#40 - Coming of the Fuzors
Less than an hour after the battle, the computers at both bases warned that five stasis pods had fallen in the vicinity. The rest had fallen at different locations all over the planet. Fortunately for the Maximals, one of the pods had landed just in sight of their base.
"At least this one fell where we could see it," Rattrap commented, rapping a knuckle on the hatch.
"Yeah, but three more landed in Pred territory," Cheetor said glumly from where he stood beside Rhinox. "And who knows where the others landed."
"That is what Airazor and I are going to find out," Tigatron replied. Before they had left the base to retrieve this pod, he and Airazor had agreed to travel together to cover for each other in collecting the pods.
"After you, my lady." He turned to the falcon and bowed. Airazor nodded with a smile and went beast mode.
"Keep the fuel rods warm," she said to Rhinox. "We'll keep in touch."
With that, the two headed out. Rhinox and Cheetor shared heartwarming goodbyes with their friends over the comm. link. Afterwards, they heard a groan of disgust from the metallic rat.
"Agh, are you two going soft in the circuits or what?" Rhinox gave him a hard look and he surrendered, turning the attention back onto the pod.
"So, why are we letting this guy snooze? Let's crack the egg and say hello." Rattrap tapped the stasis pod hatch again for emphasis, to which Rhinox shook his head.
"Not this one, it's a blank," he said sadly.
"Aw man, if that don't cut the cheese," Rattrap grumbled. They could only hope that the pods near Megatron were dead too. Better dead than serve the Predacons leader.
-x-
Unfortunately, they were mostly functional and now activating. However, one pod and the protoform inside had been obliterated and their pieces were strewn about the dusty ground. Two other stasis pods were malfunctioning, but the last one was not so severely damaged. All three hatches opened about the same time. Out of the two that were malfunctioning came two strange creatures. One examined himself and then his companion.
"Well now," he drawled. "What've we got here?"
The other creature was just getting his footing outside of his pod. He shook his head to try and clear the fog from his mind.
"Who... are you?" he asked, unsure of his voice, but gaining confidence. "For that matter, who am I?" He examined his bird-like foreclaw curiously.
The third pod opened and a furry white animal came out. She cautiously sniffed the air and rotated her ears toward the voices of her companions. She silently crept around her pod and gazed at the other two, narrowing her eyes thoughtfully. One was a gray wolf with golden eagle wings and tail. The other was a yellow and turquoise scaled scorpion with a cobra head on his tail.
With his sharp hearing, the wolf bird turned to see their watcher. He tilted his head curiously.
"Why are you back there?" he wondered. The other stepped out to reveal herself as a white wolf. "I didn't know if you were an enemy or not," she answered.
"I don't know about you, little lady," said the scorpion snake. "But those fellas over yonder might be." He waved a claw toward the approaching figures in the distance.
-x-
Though Terrorsaur was mourning his spark out inside, he still determined to do what Megatron told him. He knew that he would probably never gain the Predacon leader's trust, but he had to get close enough to him to strike. Before he did that, he would have to gain some inside support. Maybe he could talk to the protoforms that were already here. Moonscope seemed likely to listen to him. Perhaps G-Force too.
Yes, he was still going to try and take over the Predacons, even though his mate was gone. The only ones he had left were his siblings and he had to cut Megatron out of the picture for their sakes at the least. After all the things they had done for him, it was time he did something for them.
-x-
The winged wolf and the white wolf saw two red specks that were rapidly growing larger and more into shape.
"How do you know they are an enemy?" the wolf bird asked.
Suddenly, the larger red figure gave a shout and fired at them, blowing the three into the air and into a heap on the other side of one of the pods. After untangling from each other, the scorpion snake's tail hissed.
"That low-down varmint thinks he's tougher than me," he grumbled.
"But we have done nothing to him," the wolf bird pointed out. "Surely this is just a misunderstanding."
"Inferno, you moron! Those are the protoforms!" They heard another screeching shout.
"Protoforms?" the white wolf repeated.
"I'll tell ya what they're misunderstanding," the scorpion snake snarled. "They're misunderstanding my need to kick their kisters!" Without so much as a warning, he leaped out from their shelter and gave a battle cry as he latched his claws onto the pyromaniac, repeatedly biting him with his snake tail.
"What an idiot," the white wolf muttered, shaking her head.
Inferno laughed at the strange creature, but Terrorsaur managed to grab hold of its tail... or neck. He yanked it off of the fire ant and attempted to keep him on the ground. The fuzor struggled and cursed as he tried to break free.
"Would you stop squirming and listen to me!" the red mech screeched as he dodged the snapping claws. Inferno, however, had turned his attention to the other protoforms watching the scene from behind a stasis pod.
"Insulate fools!" he crowed. "Burn in the fires of Inferno!" He yelled as he pulled out his ridiculously large flame thrower and attempted to char the dogs when he was knocked to the side by a large stiffened chrome tail. Megatron turned around, muttering something to himself, before ordering Terrorsaur off the mix-matched arachnid. Terrorsaur, surprisingly happy to oblige, leaped upwards and away from the slashing claws and teeth.
Now, having nothing better to do, the scorpion snake turned to face this new intruder.
"You wanna wrasle, partner?" he threatened.
"Why don't you and your cohorts listen to what I have to say first?" Megatron offered in a silky tone.
"I ain't the listenin' type," the fuzer huffed.
"I think we all know that by now," the white wolf scoffed, but eyed the metal T. Rex and red pteranodon mech warily.
"I think we should listen to him," the winged wolf suggested, ready to trust this seemingly polite individual.
"First, allow me to introduce myself. I am Megatron." He tipped his head toward them in a slight courteous bow. "And secondly, I do apologize for my Lieutenant's, ahem, misguided pyrotechnics."
"Apology accepted," the wolf bird replied with a courteous bow of his own.
"You trust this tin-horned toad?" The scorpion snake gaped at the other fuzer.
"And why should he not?" Megatron asked, sounding as if slightly hurt that the scorpion snake still did not trust him to some extent. "After all, we are all Predacons, are we not?" His gaze rested on the white wolf now. "Or is there a spy among us?"
The white wolf was uncomfortable under the Predacon leader's stare. Her ears drew back against her head, but she stared right back into his optics, challenging his authority.
"How could I be a spy?" she demanded. "I just came out of that... thing." She waved her tail back toward the stasis pods.
"Well, according to my scanners, you are a Maximal." Megatron hid a smirk.
"So?" she shrugged. Megatron then went to explain that the Maximals were cruel, energon-thirsty tyrants that wanted nothing but to destroy the Predacons just because they didn't see things the same way. Frankly, the two canines had doubts and so did the arachnid.
"You blow a pretty tune, stranger," he drawled. "But it's still hot air to me, 'less you can back your claim."
"But of course my good, erm..." Megatron paused, not having received the names of the protoforms.
"Call me Quickstrike," he replied, flashing the fangs of his cobra tail. "And good's got nothin' to do with it," he added darkly. After a moment, the winged wolf looked up.
"I think my name is Silverbolt; pure, strong, and fast."
"I'll call myself Tundra," the white wolf stated.
With that, Megatron showed them how to transform, welcomed them to the Predacon ranks, and he told them some 'fundamentals' of being a Predacon. However, Tundra noticed the red flier's subtle scowl as the metal saurian jabbered about teamwork and cooperation. She wondered what this guy's problem was.
Eventually, as they were getting ready to leave, one of the horrid Maximals flew overhead, then swerved to make a hasty retreat when Megatron and Terrorsaur fired on him.
"Terrorsaur: hold your fire. Silverbolt: pursue and destroy," the Predacon leader ordered, wanting see just how obedient his newest flier was. Silverbolt hesitated.
"Why?" he finally asked. "He is not attacking."
Megatron growled in irritation and gave the silver mech a warning shot.
"Never question my orders, now go!"
Punishment taken, Silverbolt shifted back to his beast form and took flight after Cheetor. Megatron then ordered Inferno to carry Quickstrike and Terrorsaur to take Tundra. Rides and passengers gave each other uncertain glares before submitting, not wanting any of the punishment that Silverbolt had taken seconds before.
Quickstrike climbed onto Inferno's back while Terrorsaur had to carry Tundra in his arms. Neither were comfortable at this prospect, Terrorsaur perhaps more so. He didn't want to hold another femme in such a manner and Tundra didn't want to be held by a mech in such a manner, but neither had a choice in the matter.
However, Terrorsaur was going to make the best of this. Making sure he was flying at the back of the pack, he tried to strike up a conversation.
"So what do you think of our fabulous leader?" he wondered.
"I can taste the sarcasm on your breath," Tundra replied. "But to answer your question, I think Megatron has more than one face."
"You don't know how true that is," Terrorsaur muttered. "Would you like to, maybe, get rid of him?"
"I'm online for ten minutes and already you want me to join a rebellion?" She looked up at him suspiciously, raising an optic ridge
"Who said anything about a rebellion? I'm just wondering." He shrugged. "Almost everyone at the base feels like that."
"I see..." Tundra temporarily turned her attention to the others up ahead chasing after the flying Maximal cat. Silverbolt had been outsmarted and taken out for the time being while Megatron was hit by Rattrap, who had come to Cheetor's rescue. They, along with Dinobot and Bluesprite, took shelter behind a large boulder.
Megatron called all the Predacons to gather around him and ready for what he was certain would be the final battle. Tarantulas was back and also a Transmetal. G-Force, Moonscope, Scorponok, and Deltasurge followed and all lined up to face where the Maximals were sheltering. The Maximals made a counter line, armed to the teeth with extra weapons.
Both sides stared each other down and sized each other up. Time seemed to slow. Then, as if by a silent signal, they fired on each other. The missiles flew through the air and oddly enough all impacted between the lines. The blast blew the Maximals back. They landed in a heap back behind their boulder. The Predacons continued raining lasers and projectile fire on them until Megatron ordered a cease fire to try and coax the Maximals out into the open. However, Silverbolt was a little confused about all this.
"Sir," he said to Megatron. "I can't help but notice that we outnumber them more than two to one."
"Yes," Megatron replied.
"We have twice their fire power."
"Yes," he growled, eager to be rid of the enemy and not having patience for this fuzor's rambling.
"Don't you think we should give them a chance to surrender?"
"Um, no." Megatron beat the poor fuzor against a rock face. "Question my command again and I will tear you limb from miss-matched limb!"
Terrorsaur sighed and turned his attention away from his comrades and toward the Maximals. He half expected to see Starfeather with them. All he saw was Cheetor, Dinobot, Rattrap, and his sister. He vaguely wondered where Rhinox and Waspinator were. Then it hit him like a lightning bolt. If Megatron was going to destroy the Maximals, that meant Waspinator and Bluesprite as well. Terrorsaur couldn't let that happen. He needed to defeat Megatron now or at least stop him for the time being. But how?
"Argh, this is hopeless," the red mech muttered to himself. "What was I thinking?"
"What're you whispering about?" Deltasurge leaned over and asked. He decided to risk talking to her.
"Do you like Megatron or not?" he demanded quietly.
"Uh, no," she answered. "Who does besides Inferno?"
"Do you want to help me get rid of him?"
"Sure," the she-crock nodded then narrowed her red optics. "But what's in it for me, pretty boy?"
"Whatever you want," he answered, ignoring what she called him. "I'll make sure of that when I take over after he's gone."
"Alrighty then, sir, I'll be sure to let you know what I want in return when you're in the hot seat," she said and shook his hand on it.
"Yeah, yeah, but I need your help now." He pointed towards the four Maximals. "You see that blue femme? She's my sister and if Megatron has his way, he's going to kill her. Do something to keep the Maximals from getting killed."
"Okay, I'll try." Deltasurge nodded and headed over toward Scorponok. Terrorsaur hoped that the Second in Command could be trusted if she told him about what they had just talked about. Silverbolt, being a glutton for punishment, had something else to say.
"These Maximals are fools," he exclaimed. "We flank their position, they should retreat, yet still they fight."
"The Maximals are many things, but fools they are not." For once, Megatron thought his newest flier said something remotely intelligent. He then looked past the battling Maximals and toward their base and saw what he guessed was some sort of transmission beam.
"This whole battle is a diversion," he deduced. "Terrorsaur, Silverbolt: circle wide and converge on the Maximal base."
The mechs did as they were told, but Terrorsaur flew near beside the other.
"Why are we doing this?" he asked.
"Because Megatron said to," Silverbolt answered, not quite sure what his new comrade was trying to get at.
"And why do we listen to Megatron?" Terrorsaur pressed.
"Because he will punish us if we don't obey," the winged wolf answered then glanced at the pteranodon. "Why are you asking me this?"
"I want to know if you want to help me and a few others save the Maximals' hides and overthrow Megatron," the red mech offered. "Please, we could use someone with your... reasoning abilities."
Silverbolt perked his ears and thought about this offer. After a moment, he nodded.
"Alright, I'll help."
"Great." Terrorsaur grinned. "Now, when we get to the Maximal base, we make a diversion and- bwack!" He was cut off when Cheetor rammed heavily into his chest. The wind knocked from him, he lost his sense of direction and fell, but a pair of arms caught him.
"Cheetor!" Bluesprite sassed. "What do you think you're doing!?"
"Stopping them," the chrome-plated cheetah replied heatedly and turned to attack Silverbolt next.
"Wait..." Terrorsaur wheezed. "Diversion..."
"What?" Cheetor stopped.
"What my comrade is trying to convey," Silverbolt intervened. "Is that we are going to stop Megatron's plan from succeeding."
Bluesprite suddenly squealed happily and gave her beloved brother a squeeze.
"I knew you wouldn't really betray us!"
Terrorsaur gasped, his optics beginning to lose focus.
"Can't... breathe..."
-x-
Meanwhile, the remaining Predacons were chasing Rattrap, who was taxiing a reluctant Dinobot toward the Maximal base. Tarantulas had been taken out while Megatron and Inferno had some complications and the Maximals got away. Tundra, Scorponok, G-Force, Deltasurge, Quickstrike, and Moonscope were left. They were surprised to find the four Maximals talking with Terrorsaur and Silverbolt. They looked up when the Predacons surrounded them.
"What's going on here?" Scorponok demanded. Before anyone could say anything, Deltasurge stepped in front of him. The scorpion was shocked.
"Remember what I've been telling you?" she said. "Well, we're taking action. We're tired of Megatron abusing us. We want him gone."
"Megatron does not abuse us!" he defended weakly.
"Yes, he does," Silverbolt spoke up. "Have you not seen what he's done to me?"
"And what about me?" Terrorsaur said then pointed a finger at the Second in Command. "And what about Waspinator and Starfeather when they were with us? And what about you, Scorponok? How many times has Megatron beaten you for some failure, no matter how insignificant?"
The gray mech looked doubtful, knowing very well that what Terrorsaur was saying was true.
"Well..."
"C'mon Shelly, please?" Deltasurge fluttered her optic shutters.
Scorponok felt torn. He didn't really want to betray Megatron and he didn't want to upset Deltasurge. Before all this, he and the Predacon leader had been good friends and planned the whole break-in at the Archives to take the first Golden Disk. But he had to admit that Megatron had changed since the war started. He wasn't fighting for the Predacon cause anymore; to be free from Maximal oppression. He was in this now for self glory and conquest.
On the other hand, he had grown very fond of Deltasurge. Since the day she came online, she had, albeit a bit forcibly, worked her way into his spark and made it quite clear that she wasn't leaving any time soon. She had almost immediately figured out how to cheer him up and was always willing to spend time with him. Before he could decide anything, G-Force stepped up.
"If he will not fight back, I will," he stated.
"I will as well," Moonscope stood beside him. This was exactly what she and G-Force had talked about several weeks ago. Now, they knew how everyone else thought. There was a short pause until Tundra spoke up.
"I'll join too," she said, then a wave of agreement spread through the rest of the group.
"Ah heck, I'll pitch in too. Long as I get to shoot something up," Quickstrike said with a shrug. All optics turned back to Scorponok, who still hadn't said anything. "Well, what about you, partner?"
The gray mech sighed heavily with a claw to his forehead.
"Alright... I'll help," he finally said. Deltasurge grinned and, rather unexpectedly, kissed him hard on the cheek. Scorponok couldn't stop a blush from surfacing. "But just as long as we don't kill Megatron."
"Unless he kills one of us first," Terrorsaur said. "And frankly, I don't want to kill him right now. Enough have died to day."
"Yeah," Cheetor agreed sorrowfully. There was another pause until G-Force spoke.
"What is our next plan of action?" he asked. Terrorsaur already had a little time to think this through a bit.
"I say we pretend that this never happened, the rest of the Maximals come out, we continue to make it look like we're fighting, and when we can't keep it up anymore, we surround Megatron and Inferno."
"Then what?" Scorponok asked, a little skeptical. Even though he had agreed to help, Terrorsaur still wasn't his favorite mech on the planet.
"Erm... that's as far as I got," the red mech admitted.
"I think we should tell him why we're stopping him from harming the Maximals any further and let him react," Tundra suggested. "However he reacts, we respond accordingly."
"It seems as good a plan as any," G-Force nodded.
"Indeed," Dinobot said then turned to his comrades. "I suggest that we see to Rhinox and Waspinator and inform them on the situation."
AN: Tundra belongs to Megatron's Blackfire (used with permission).
