#42 - Another Loop in the Hangman's Noose
When they got to the base, Megatron was surprisingly quiet. He just went into his quarters and locked the door. Everyone knew that he wasn't happy in the least. His troops questioned and rebelled against him and to add insult to injury, Primal seemed to have come back from the dead. This was only the beginning of the end of the war for him.
Terrorsaur had gone to his quarters as well and G-Force had taken it upon himself to show the new Predacons around. Quickstrike was feeling right at home while Silverbolt and Tundra were having some second thoughts. Everything was so... dark. And it was apparent that everything Megatron told them about the Maximals, he lived out himself. They felt out of place. Silverbolt voiced these thoughts to Tundra later that day while they happened to be alone in the lounge. The white wolf nodded as she listened.
"I feel the same way," she said. "But I'll admit a few of the Predacons are fairly decent."
"Yes," Silverbolt agreed. "G-Force was most courteous in showing us the Darkside. Yet, I still question whether we truly belong here or with the Maximals."
"I don't know," Tundra replied. "Maybe we should wait and see how things play out before we decide. It might ultimately not matter. Terrorsaur seems halfway decent. Maybe he'll prove to be a better leader than Megatron by the end of this."
-x-
Deltasurge had come to Scorponok's room when she couldn't find him anywhere else. He let her come and go as she saw fit. She had a nasty habit of hacking into his door lock when he wouldn't let her in. He had been sitting on his bed when she came in, a pleased grin on her pink face. She came and sat almost right in his lap and wrapped her arms around him, leaning her lips near his audio receiver
"I'm proud of you," the she-crock whispered, almost a passionate hiss. "You're using your head, finally."
"I just agreed so you wouldn't get upset." The gray mech shook his head. She gave him a hard look.
"You and I both know that's not the only reason why," she said with a hint of sternness, turning his head to make him look at her. "You're getting tired of Megatron's ruthlessness and carelessness. He's not the mech he might have once been anymore. It's time things finally changed for the better for everyone and you know it."
She was right. This whole war was turned upside down and he had had enough of this nonsense. He managed a crooked smile.
"I wish I knew how you do that," he said.
"I'm a femme and that's all the answer you'll ever need." Deltasurge grinned.
-x-
Repairs were made and explanations were given and Starfeather was finally able to go to her quarters and answer her mate's tugging at their link. She made herself comfortable on her bed as she immersed herself into the bond. It wasn't that hard and she had gotten the hang of it within the first few days they had been mates. Terrorsaur was waiting for her. She could see him almost crystal clearly in her mind as she off-lined her optics. He smiled and took her tightly into his arms as if she were really there. She hugged back, sending all the reassurance she could.
"I don't know why you couldn't feel me while I was passed out," she said.
"What do you remember?" he asked as he pulled back to look at her.
"Well, I was in the bridge when the wave hit, I felt a... a chill... and then it was dark, and then I wake up a Transmetal in my room..." She hesitated before going on. "And the ring was gone."
"Don't worry, I have it," he replied, taking his turn to reassure her. "Bluesprite took it and gave it to me when we thought you were gone."
"That's what I don't understand," she said. "I never felt dead and the same thing basically happened to me as to everyone else who got a Transmetal form."
"I guess we'll never know," Terrorsaur shrugged then tried to lighten the mood. "But I have to say, you're new form is very sexy."
Starfeather grinned, feeling a blush warm her cheeks.
"Really? I think I looked weird," she said and glanced self consciously down at herself. "I mean, look at my legs. I don't know where my knee is anymore," she joked, holding up one of her now double jointed legs. Terrorsaur laughed but knelt down and gently placed his hands around her ankle and lightly brushed his lips over her knee, easing his hands up her leg and over her smooth black armor. She shivered as his fingers reached her thigh. He stopped and looked back up at her.
"No matter what you look like, you're still my beautiful shining star," he rasped. Her smile warmed and she blinked her icy blue optics.
"And I'll always love you," she replied in a whisper.
-x-
Dinobot was alone, just the way he liked it.
It was several days after what was thought to be the final battle. Optimus Primal was alive and well and everyone seemed to be in good spirits. Especially Bluesprite, but she was always sickeningly optimistic. The velociraptor had gone on patrol, like he usually did when the sun set. There was a lot on his mind about a lot of things. For some time, he had begun to suspect what planet this was and what time period it was in. He had guessed this was some time far, far into the future of Earth, and humans were no more and all their monuments and buildings and vehicles had been devoured by nature. The only thing that nullified this theory was the fact that there were two moons orbiting the planet. Now, he knew that this must be Earth's past. Ironic that he was part of his own races' future.
But whatever the situation, they all had to be careful of their moves. Anything they did could upset the balance of time. Unwittingly, they could drastically change the course of actions that their own ancestors took ages ago. Timeline alteration aside, Dinobot stopped at a favorite clearing and, after inspecting it to be sure that no one was lurking, he transformed to robot mode and drew his sword. He gazed thoughtfully at his spinning blade, absently watching the golden red light of the sky reflect off of it.
He suddenly adopted a striking pose and held it for a moment, offlining his optics in concentration. He struck his imaginary target repeatedly, steadily moving forward, crying out with his fierce battle cries. When he reached the other edge of the clearing, he paused. After a few moments of breathing hard, he rapidly turned around. He grunted in surprise when he was met by bright and playful green optics and a silly grin on a white face.
"Hey DB, what's up?" Bluesprite asked, just as cheerful as she could be. Dinobot was not amused in the slightest.
"Why have you interrupted me?" he demanded, holding his sword across her face, just like he would to Rattrap had it been the rodent disturbing him. Bluesprite shrugged despite the threat so obviously looming in front of her.
"Well, I was flying around and I heard someone yelling and then I found you. Playing with your imaginary friend over there?" She laughed.
"I am not 'playing', I am training," he snarled. "Something you could use a good dose of."
"Okay, okay, sorry," she said, backing off a step or two and waving her hands in front of her to say she meant no harm. "No need to get snappy, I was just curious."
"Then take your curiosity and sniff around somewhere else," he said sharply, narrowing his optics.
"Okay." She turned to leave, then stopped and glanced back. "You know, I never see you hanging out with anyone. You just antisocial or grouchy?"
"I want to be left alone," he growled and moved his sword to indicate he wanted her to leave immediately. The blue hummingbird shrugged, but stopped again before taking off and turned back to face him.
"Was that a serious offer for training or you just bluffing?" she asked and pulled out her own blade. It was a bit shorter than Dinobot's sword and shaped like a very thin version of one of her beast mode wings. Dinobot had half a mind to tell her just to shove off, but decided otherwise. Perhaps if he roughed her up a little, she'd leave him be.
"Alright then, if you think you can handle yourself," he said and they began to spar off. He was surprised by her strength and how quickly she bounced back when he threw her down. Though he was most impressed with her enthusiasm, she still needed to master discipline. Finally, he forced her back again and she fell against a tree, panting.
"Okay... I give up," Bluesprite huffed, out of breath. "You win."
"This match was not about winning," Dinobot replied with some slight harshness and put his sword away. He too was short on breath, but not to the extent the hummingbird was. "Now, are you satisfied?"
"Yeah I guess," she said and would have hauled herself up if the raptor hadn't grabbed her shoulder and stood her up himself. She stared at him, but his face was unreadable as he let go, transformed to his beast mode, and simply walked away. Bluesprite scratched her head.
"I wonder if that's his way of saying he likes me."
-x-
Every day after the coup, Megatron tightened the noose around his troops' necks. He carefully assigned scouting patrols and didn't allow any off time other than when they needed to recharge. He kept Terrorsaur close by keeping him in the base at all times and under constant surveillance. He and Inferno were always put on guard duty at his personal quarter doors. The Predacon leader would soak in his bath and watch his soldiers on his own monitors. He had Tarantulas wire almost the entire base with audio receivers and cameras. There was almost no privacy.
Terrorsaur knew Megatron didn't trust anyone anymore, but this was just too stifling. He was a flier and the natural longing to feel the freedom of the skies was eating away at him. He was grateful for the sensations that Starfeather would send to him, but it just wasn't the same. He knew Megatron was doing this on purpose, trying to break his spirit, to make him go insane with claustrophobia.
But I won't give in, the pterodactyl thought with a set jaw, optics burning into the wall across from him. I'll never give in, not when I'm so close. You'll slip up eventually Megatron, and when you do, you'll pay dearly for all the wrongs you've done to us.
