Chapter 8: Evolution
POV: Rainjet
" Normal talking
": :" Bumblebee talking
"Hi" over the comm talking
(Note: this chapter takes place during season 3 ep 8 "Evolution" Of TFP. I own none of the characters only Twinwave and Rainjet)
It was still unusually stormy outside, still all the dramatics of lightning, thunder and pitch black clouds. Today we had arranged a visit to project predacon well that's what I thought it might be at least. I was here in place of Soundwave as he was busy and for some reason Megatron needed one of the two of us for something or just to be there, so myself, Starscream and Megatron flew down from the warship's hanger down to what looked like an abandoned energon mine.
We landed with a thud on the ground and Megatron proceeded through without hesitation and I followed closely behind him, Starscream on the other hand hung back for a second to jump at the thunder and stay in the high wind and rain. "Another abandoned energon mine!?" he yelped as another clap of thunder sounded and lightning shone off our armor. I could tell he was having a minor flashback to the time the two of them had been buried in rubble after a failed termination on Starscream. "Come, Starscream." Megatron said and he stepped inside the entrance, I followed closely behind to get out of the rain before I started rusting. Which might I added is one of the least preferable ways to go, next to freezing in the arctic and getting the energon succeed out of you by terrorcons because yes I still haven't recovered from that fun adventure.
We walked aways in silence, the mine for the most part was fairly well lit for being abandoned but then again seeing as it was functioning as Shockwaves off sight lab they probably had installed lights in here, better ones than on the ship I might add. "My liege, who could have seen that my alternative super soldier experiment would encounter technical difficulties?" Starscream said, this brought the three of us to a halt in the cavern. I could see the test tubes meaning we were almost there but Screams needed to get his pleading out before we could go any further. "I quite literally told you it was a bad idea several times and advised against doing anything with Dark energon." I snapped at him, he seemed to forget people said "no" and he had a habit of not listening to them.
"Resulting in the loss of the insecticon hive and over half our remaining troops!" Megatron snarled, he moved close to the Screams and bent over slightly to get to his optic level. I could feel the anger radiating off of him and it was terrifying, I thought for sure he was going to finally kill of Starscream. "Forgive me master, my intentions were true! Lease, please reconsider my termination!" he begged getting on the floor and blowing so his faceplates touched the ground. I let out a small exasperated laugh that I had attempted to suppress, was this really what happened everytime Starscream did something? He really thought he was worth the time to execute?
Megatron simply rolled his optics and walked away, I lingered for a second to see Starscream's faceplates once he looked past him. And it was priceless, once he saw the glowing yellow test tubes his optic's widened and his jaw dropped he clearly had not been expecting this. "Shockwave's off-site laboratory, most impressive." he said lowly and I sighed to cover another laugh before turning and picking up my pace to catch up to Megatron. The tubes lined either side of the walkway more than I could count at a glance on either side of us, they were filled with a yellow liquid which seemed to keep the predacons enclosed inside asleep or at most at bay. The tubes stretched the most of the length of the chamber we were in and stopped short of Shockwave's computer platform, the warship's elevator and on-sight powder generator.
"The predacon clones have almost fully evolved and will be combat-ready within three solar cycles." Shockwave said he'd stepped off his platform and meet us halfway or less than we were still pretty close to his computer. "Well done, Shockwave. Knockout, I'm waiting." Megatron said, he apparently commed the Doctor and requested him. I assumed it was to drop off his synthetic energon which he had been told to give up after last week's catastrophe. I stood next to the mech's and watched the elevator come down, it'd been a while since I'd been on it. In fact more than a year, the last time I could honestly remember was when Knockout, Soundwave, Breakdown and I had raided that human museum for an energon harvester.
"Synthetic energon, troops will be delivering my remaining supply to you." Knockout said once the tube had lifted up, he got off the platform to drop off the box he was carrying. "I will determine its value after Lord Megatron's predacon army is ready for deployment." Shockwave said, he pointed to an area close to one of the first test tubes for Knockout to place the box he was carrying. Not a second after the worlds had left Shockwave's no-existent in take did a high pitched shriek that sounded like our predacon's yell. It echoed off the chamber's walls as the beast came showering in from the mine's entrance.
It lifted it's helm to scream again and Starscream was already at the ready to combat it, he came forth with a metal poll he'd pulled out from… somewhere and started lecturing the beast. "Rulely beast, you dare to roam freely without permission!" Starscream yelled before hitting it's mandibles with the poll, he got about for swings in before it used it's helm and shoved him backwards. He dropped the poll and assumed the fetal position as it advanced, another good moment to remember Starscream by if this thing actually killed him this time.
But to everyone's shock, especially Megatron. It didn't kill him, sadly, instead it transformed into its bi-peadal mode because it apparently had one of those. "Strike me again and I will bury that rod in your spark." he hiss looking down at Starscream and my jaw dropped. Not only could the predacon transform but it could also speak! We didn't really know much of his kind and so it left a lot of remaining questions, one of which had just been answered.
"I-I did not realize that the beast was capable of transformation." Starscream said crawling backwards towards us, "Nor did I." Megatron huffed looking straight at Shockwave for some sort explanation. "I am no beast." he said, walking towards us, his ped steps thundering when he walked. He was taller than Megatron and he looked mightier but I was surprised that the preadcon had been able to compress it into this moderately sized Cybertronian looking being. He stopped in front of one of the viles and paused to look at the specimen inside, "The ability to transform is a fundamental part of Cybertronian biology. We simply possessed no evidence that the preadcon species ever reached that evolutionary stage since they became extinct in the great cataclysm." Shockwave explained. "And now we know." I said looking at him, he could speak, he could walk and transform he was already far ahead of where we had originally assumed his species to be. "So, the rumors are true." he said suddenly speaking, his voice boomed making me jump slightly at the sound. "I will no longer be alone." he continued, "And I see you've been keeping secrets." Megatron said rpcushing him.
"It was not my intention to deceive you, Lord Megatron. I only recently became aware of my abilities, all I remember of my beginning is hunting… and battle and the wounding of my pride. Thus I'd begun to burn with questions, 'who am I?', 'where did I come from?'. The warship's data banks provided historical facts but still I possessed no memory of my own past. So, I began to reconsider my place in the present and wondered could I do like the others? And now I know." he said, giving u what happened and why. It was a lot to take in, like a lot. He clearly had evolved over the short period of time he'd been here and adapted to becoming like us apparently. "But you are unique, a miracle of science. Cloned by Shockwave from cyber nucleic acid recovered from the remains of your mighty ancestors." Megatron said gesturing to the tube the predacon had been looking at.
The Megatron turned and headed back to the ship to the exit, I guess we'd already accomplished what we'd come here to do. Knockout saw us leaving and walked himself back to the elevator. Not wanting to fly through the rain again I decided to join him along with Starscream because for some reason the supposed 'hardcore' mech was scared of thunder. We rode the elevator up the tube and watched the lights in it fly past us as we ascended back to the ship, even at one point we saw Megatron and the preadocn who apparently had gone with him fly by. We would obviously be meeting them somewhere around the hanger as none of us had anything better to do yet.
Once we stepped off the platform we saw them going by us, the predacon was already transformed into his bi-pedal mode and was walking the hallways next to Megatron. The three of us stepped out of the elevator and followed after them at a short distance, we wanted to be here but we probably weren't supposed to be. We seemed to be heading to the bridge as we went and for the most part we caught the middle of a conversation between the warlord and the ancient beast. "I pledge undying obedience to you, my one true master. But with more of my species soon to stride among us I beg your permission to in turn lead them as 'Predaking'." he said, we exchanged worried glances because we thought Megatron might blow because of this request.
But to our surprise no yelling came instead Megatron simply stated "Your vision is boundless." and that was it. Megatron dismissed him and ordered us to follow him before leading us towards the energon stores where last week's catastrophe had started. To my surprise Soundwave and Shockwave were already waiting for us there, like some sort of comm we'd missed on the ride up. And you know, the fact that Shockwave had teleported onto the ship was another thing, probably via Soundwave's ground bridge visor system. Once we neared the two of them and were sure the door was shut behind us, Megatron began speaking.
"Our former beast may fully believe himself to be a loyal servant today. But trust me, the moment our royal highness realizes that his army possesses a greater might then what currently remains of the Decepticons-" Megatron said as he paced, Starscream promptly cut him off in the middle of his monologue however. "Evolution will gives way to revolution." he said and I nodded my helm, I mean look at us we were basically rebels when we were on Cybertron going against the current system and all. "I am left with no choice but to eradicate the predacon clones, before they are provided the opportunity to eradicate us." Megatron finished. "You're suggesting we fully terminate project predacon, but wouldn't all the effort and loss we went through to get those bones in the first place be for not if you did?" I asked, but who was I kidding? We were indispensable to Megatron. Once one of us went he'd simply replaced us with another.
"Your conclusion is most logical, my liege." Shockwave said trying to back him up, while it did make sense it would still be a wasted effort to pull the plug. "But what happens if that fire-breathing brute discover's our treachery?" Knockout asked him, "Well I assume he'd kill us, probably starting with Megatron or Shockwave." I replied. I was shot an unhappy gaze from the warlord but what did I care right now? Nothing, I was here to program for him and that was it. While I had liked him and his ways at first it was kind of like a vale had been lifted over these past few weeks and I was slowly realizing how right Twinwave was, as much as it pained me to say that.
"Hmm, why assume that we will be the ones to perform the deed?" Scream said, he was acting cool and leaning up against some energon boxes. When he was met with confused stares and gazes he elaborated a little, "After all, if the Predaking were to discover that say the Autobots were responsible for wiping out his comrades our resident beast might in turn destroy our hated enemies for us. Or they him." Starscream said. It was devious but it just might work, Megatron seemed to like it too as the thought brought a devious smile to his dermas.
And so the plan was put into play with the following, first Shockwave and a few vehicons were bridged back to his lab with three bins of exposed energon to get the Autobots scanner going. Starscream, Soundwave and I would be stationed in a computer room monitoring the whole situation and Screams would deliver the news to Megatron and Predaking who would conveniently be passing by. Hopefully Predaking took the bait and went to the lab himself so extensive measures weren't made, ie the loss of seekers or eradicons.
Shockwave and the vehicons lef through the portal provided by Soundwave, I knew they would need a few minutes to get into positions and before the Autobots got there. "Don't bother letting him know when the Autobots arrive." Starscream said to me, "But why? I mean surely there's stuff in there that needs to come with him." I said but Screams didn't listen and instead headed towards the door. I looked at Soundwave with confusion and he shrugged, even he had no idea why we were not to tell Shockwave but it was what it was and really I couldn't change that. I heard the door open again and Starscream greeted Knockout who apparently came to see the show, I nodded to him briefly before turning back to the computer.
"We have eight Autobot signals out front." I announced once they popped up onto my screen, Starscream scrambled over to the computer to watch. One by one the vehicon troopers signals left the screen until there was only Shockwave's left in his lab. We watched the Autobot signals branch off into two teams, one staying out front the other was headed into the mine. Then the tea that went into the mine split again, the four Autobot signals split into pairs and headed in separate directions. One towards Shockwave the other to some unused part of the old mine.
Starscream moved me out of the way so he could handle the incoming 'distress' call from Shockwave that would be impending, mostly because we hadn't altered him about the Autobots currently in his lab. "Starscream, the Autobots have arrived. You did not inform me that your plan was already in motion." Shockwaves voice said as it came through the comms, Screams smiled before he pressed the button to answer. "Only so the whole affair would appear less… staged." he replied. "I have yet to purge my lab of sensitive materials." Shockwave snapped, if he could snap I really had no idea the guy had no emotions at all.
"Then do not let me keep you, Shockwave. Over and out."Screams replied pressing the button to end the call. The room fell silent for a moment before Knockout spoke up, rather amazed at what had just happened. "You scrapped him on purpose, didn't you?" he asked, he seemed to already know the answer and was just confirming it rather than asking so I guess you could say 'Knockout confirmed' instead. Screams just smiled evilly and shrugged in response, I sighed it was kind of petty the way they were at eachothers throats. But what did I care? It was entertainment to my boring day.
I glanced over to my partner who's visor was working on bringing a ground bridge through to us, clearly Shockwave had already called for one. And I was right, not a moment later was a ground bridge open and Shockwave stepping through it. He looked rather exasperated from the surprise visit from our hated enemy, and seemed to shoot Starscream an unappeased look if he could do that with only on optic. "I have released the predacons, we must act quickly if you still want him to kill the Autobots." Shockwave said to Screams. Who intern nodded, just in time too because Megatron's heavy ped steps could be heard coming down the hall along with the thundering ones of Predaking. Wow, this whole ordeal had a lot of convent timeing, that or we had this thrown together plan planned to a T.
"Showtime." I smiled to Starscream who put on a serious face and left the room running. From here we couldn't hear their conversation from here but when both Megatron and Starscream came back into the computer room looking satisfied with themselves I knew it'd gone well. "He's left the warship, I assume?" I said, there was once again no response but there was a 'beep' on my monitor that brought my attention back to it. Another Decepticon signal appeared on my screen, well a predacon symbol but all the same at the moment. He's seemed to have bridged right into the Autobots who were fleeing the scene. By now a fight would be well underway and if Predaking returned home we'd either hear news of his defeat and that he'd lived or that he'd succeeded in killing at least two Autobots.
Obviously none of us but Predaking were there for the fight, so for the most part what we did was watch the little dots blink signaling their beacons danced around the screen. It was the boringest way to watch them fight but it was all we could do for entertainment then. The dots would blink every time someone's positions changed, at one point both Autobot signals went from one end of the cavern to another as if they'd been thrown, which let's be real they probably had. Then, something new happened. Another Autobot signal came in abruptly, took the other two and left with Predaking charging behind the three of them until they disappeared off the grid. Probably viz their ground bridge but still, I fatally knew Optimus prime had probably been the one to save them but I still was curious.
"I need a ground bridge back to the ship." the gruff voice of Predaking said abruptly, I looked to Soundwave and nodded for him to let him through. When the bridge opened he came stumbling through, his paint job was more than destroyed from the fight. More than a few new large battle scars littled his armour and he was covered in dust, clearly the Autobots had attempted to bury him where he stood. "They were already gone when I got there, the Autobot scum blew my brethren to the pits." he said quietly, almost a whisper. He was sad, I guess I would be too if I knew I was all alone in the world. No other person like me but he had us for now and it was good to know one of Scream's plans had worked. Soundwave briefly opened another bridge letting Shockwave back through to where his lab had once been to survey the damage done to it.
"Do not despair my Predaking, for I vow to you that the Autobots will pay dearly for the outrage against your kind." Megatron reassured, Knockout, Starscream and I exchanged mischievous glances. Now he hated the Autobots as much as us, maybe more. He would stop at nothing for their destruction and by no means would we hold him back, well I might but I knew Megatron wouldn't. Nothing would stop him from wanting to conquer Earth and Cybertron, even if that meant getting rid of the people some of us had loved."Shockwave, report." Megatron demanded, "It is true, my liege, project predacon has been rendered null and void. At least I have been unable to recover any beast forms, however there is something you must behold for yourself." Shockwave replied. My partner was already on it, by the time the call had ended Soundwave had opened the third bridge to the lab in less than five minutes.
The three of us stepped through to 'behold' whatever Shockwave wanted Megatron to see, when the portal closed I took notice to how vast the damage was to the cavern. Everything in here was crumbled and this chambre had been completely blocked off by rubble and the walls were scorched black. But, in front of us was a mass of Cyberformed terrain, basically a mass of metal that had been created at some point in time, we just didn't know when. "What is this?" Starscream said as soon as he saw it, and at that moment I couldn't tell him because even I didn;t know. "Pure Cybertronian cyber matter. Not unlike that which once existed on our primal home world." Shockwave replied, he stepped around the mass to come greet us.
"Or that which engendered my citadel here on Earth, the result of the explosion?" Megatron asked Shockwave, well now we knew where or what it was but what had caused it to form? And here of all places. "Yet the cyber nucleic acid alone can not account for these cyberforms. All possible logic points to the presence of one unsuspected variable, synthetic energon." He said, gesturing to the splotched bits that lay on some of the cyberform. My optics widened, this could be our key to regeneration and going home. But when I looked at Megatron I felt that wasn't going to be it's only purpose, and the Autobots had no idea what they'd done. Megatron was going to bring Earth to its knees and them to their graves.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, feel free to leave some feedback for me so I can make it a better reading experience for you guys!
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