Note: Sorry it took 4 or so extra days to post this, but I am behind and I was starting to run out of ideas for stuff to put between major events. This chapter decided to be a major event I didn't plan on. Why must Sentinel's hired idiots throw so many wrenches in my plans! Anyway, I hope this is okay.
Reviews!
17: Glad you loved it. Also, yeah. It's complicated though.
I DON'T OWN TRANSFORMERS PRIME! But I wish I did. At least they're finally making new movies. Two at the same time! I think one follows Bumblebee and the other is based on Beast Wars. I MUST WATCH THEM!
Bon Appetit!
In the medbay, Megatron and Scythe found Hook attempting to relocate Bumblebee's shoulder. The sparkling, trying to hold in his tears, was venting heavily as he bit down on a piece of metal.
"Okay, on 3," Hook said. Bumblebee nodded. "1, 3." Skipping 2 entirely, he caught Bee off guard and moved his shoulder joint back into place. Bee screeched and his optics became wet with lubricant.
Scythe walked up to him and gave him a cold look. Bee immediately wiped his optics and looked down at his lap. "I'm sorry, Scythe."
"Not everyone appreciates these sorts of things, Bumblebee. And you have to be mindful of the messes you leave behind," she told him.
"I know that now, Scythe."
The femme used a digit to tilt his helm up and said, "You and the twins will be cleaning up the paint you used until you are all done. You will also assist Hook in fixing our weapons since you took it upon yourself to replace the ammo."
"Yes, Scythe."
She gave him a soft smile and gently hugged him to her chest. "I must say, you do look good in those colors, Bumblebee."
The sparkling looked down at the blue and gold paint that streaked his now white frame. "I kinda look like those representations of Primus in the texts Shockwave showed me."
"Yeah, you really do," Hook agreed. Suddenly, his optics lit up. "Out. Out of my medbay!" he said, shoving Megatron and Scythe out the door.
"What for?" Megatron asked.
"I have an idea and I need to test it. Tell Shockwave to come here if you meet him. Now shoo!" The two bots stood, stunned, as the door to the medbay shut in their faces.
"Well," Scythe said after a minute. "That was rude."
Megatron's optics brightened in realization. "Bumblebee is occupied right now, correct?"
Scythe smirked in understanding, " Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Most certainly."
"Then let's wash this gunk off before we head out."
x
"THIS IS NOT WHAT I WAS THINKING!"
Most textbooks described the Badlands between Kaon and the "rest of civilization" as flat, rusty, dusty, lifeless, and boring. However, these books were written by high caste idiots who never left their hab suites.
"WOOO!"
No, the Badlands were anything but that. Flat? They were pockmarked and had jagged pieces of plating jutting out of the ground. Lifeless? They were teeming with life in the form of struthios and lacerti. Rusty and dusty? Okay, that was true, but the rust and dust made for rolling dunes to bash into on a windy day. Boring? Never.
"YEAAAH!"
This was why Scythe, Megatron, and Dagger could be found dune bashing in the Badlands on that bright, Byrd afternoon while Soundwave soared above them. Dagger was skidding and drifting over the hills. Scythe was having trouble getting traction on the "sands," but she reveled in racing off the jagged plates like they were ramps. Now, Megatron...
"AHHH!"
Being a mining tank was only good for mining, which he wasn't doing anymore. His treads slipped over the sand. They only went two speeds: slow and slower. Slower only made him kick up dust. Slow made him kick it up faster as he sank into the ground.
Finally, he slid to a stop and said, "Enough! I need a new alt mode."
"At last!" Dagger said dramatically. "You are totally overdue for an alt change. If you're going to use a tank, you need a war tank!"
"No, go for something different. Maybe all-terrain?" Scythe suggested.
"I bet Hook could hook you up with a flight engine, no pun intended," Soundwave said.
Megatron looked at thoughtfully and said, "Actually, that doesn't sound like a bad idea."
"What doesn't sound like a bad idea?" the flyer asked.
"If I took a flight alt, we could gain more jet followers. Right now, our supports are mostly grounders, mini-cons and beast based Cybertronians."
"Seriously?" Dagger put his servos on his hips.
"I could also get to Bee faster without having to wait through an Xpress shuttle ticket line to Iacon and jumping out of the emergency exit window while moving 200 megakliks a klik!"
They all stood silently for a klik in remembrance of that momentous orn three megacycles ago. First, the discovery of Bee's grandcreators, followed by the shock of Sentinel not being Bee's sire yet still being able to track him through a faint bond that existed for reasons that only Primus knew why. Two deaths, a kidnapping, a frantic femme, and a ticked-off mech later, and the pseudo-family was back together.
"Well," Soundwave said, breaking the silence. "A flight capable alt mode certainly has its advantages."
"And I hear flight engines rev louder," Scythe purred as she leaned against Megatron's chassis.
"Hey, keep it PG! We've got viewers!" Dagger exclaimed.
"Oh please. There's no one here but us," the femme said.
"Then you can tell that to the battle-ready mechs coming over that crest," the black mech said. They turned to see that he was right. Hundreds of armed mechs were marching towards them.
"Get back to Kaon. Dagger, rally the other gladiators to defend the city. Scythe, anyone who doesn't want to fight is to be directed to the arena stands, including but not limited to femmes, newsparks, sparklings, and younglings. Soundwave, you and Shockwave are to monitor what happens next from the console. Tell Hook to stand by, just in case," Megatron ordered.
"And you?" Scythe asked.
"I'll stop at the gates while you three keep going. I'm going to see what these idiots want. Let's go."
"That's a lame call," Dagger said.
Soundwave slapped him before transforming. "We don't have time for this, Dagger!"
They all tore off in their alts. "We do if we want to make an impression on them! We need a name other than Kaonians. After all, we aren't the only ones who want to liberate Cybertron from the caste system."
"For once, Dagger, the words that came out of your voicebox weren't gibberish," the dark jet returned.
"We are liberating Cybertron. Liberators?"
"No. Liberalism is already a political faction," Megatron told him.
"We want autonomy. Autobots?"l
"Orion actually suggested that name to me last cycle. It certainly has a ring to it."
They reached rusted city gates. Megatron transformed to a halt while the others kept moving. The gray gladiator then turned to face the military mechs who dared to show their ugly mugs there.
A mech decorated in camo plating stopped and transformed, signaling the others to do so as well. To someone in the air, it almost looked like a wave.
The camo mech turned on a speaker and bellowed, "This is General Gauntlet of Fort Scyk, Stanix. By order of the High Council of Cybertron, all supporters of the gang leader, Megatron are to surrender immediately. Megatron himself is to walk forward for his arrest."
Megatron laughed at this. His voice was carried across the field by the wind and sounded eerie to the battalion. "As if we would surrender to the likes of you! We will fight for the rights of Cybertron's downtrodden! And if we have to trod on you to do it, so be it!"
"Are you threatening a general of Cybertron's army?"
Megatron placed a servo on his chest in exaggeration. "Me? Perish the thought!" He unsheathed his blade and looked at his reflection. "But you happen to be threatening my home city and my brothers and sisters in arms. I suggest you retreat now before something happens to your precious platoon."
"So you refuse to surrender, Decepticon?"
Megatron raised an optic ridge at the moniker but said, "I refuse to bow down to the likes of you."
"Then you have sealed your fate." Gauntlet grinned wildly as he turned off the speaker. He had waited vorns for a fiery moment like this.
::Are the others ready?:: Megatron asked Dagger over the temporary comms Soundwave and Shockwave had set up.
::The troops are locked and loaded, oh mighty Megatron. They're waiting to pour thought exits.::
::Excellent.:: He switched to Scythe's frequency. ::Have you secured the ones who do not wish to fight?::
::It's mostly just sparked femmes and other carriers, but they're going to be safe and sound here. There are a few mechs and femmes guarding the arena entrances in case we are breached.::
::Excellent.:: He switched to Hook. ::Are you on stand by?::
::Ready and waiting. Though I hope I won't need to be ready.::
::As do I.:: He switched to Soundwave. ::Can you see us?::
::Clear as day. There are 250 soldiers out there. Are you sure you want to do this?::
Megatron sighed. ::I don't want violence to be the answer. But if Cybertron wants to fight, then we shall let them know that you should never take on a gladiator from Kaon.::
The connection cut off. He heard Dagger's voice in his helm. ::Did they actually call us Decepticons?::
::Their dumb general did.::
::I actually like it. Megatron, leader of the Decepticon revolution! Liberator of... the deceived! For Cybertron!::
"Attack!"
Megatron heard the mechs charging and told Dagger to let the troops out. Hundreds of Kaonians came into view and readied themselves for meaningful action.
"Brothers and sisters. Our time is limited but we shall accomplish much. Cybertron sends a battalion to destroy our views, but we shall not stand idly by and watch them take our freedom. We are children of Primus! We demand rights. And we will fight anyone who dared to stop us. Are you with me?!"
The crowd cheered. So that was why one could find Megatron, Scythe, and Dagger They were buzzing with excitement and ready to defend their city from those foolish soldiers.
"For Cybertron!"
The cheer rose higher.
"Onward, Decepticons!"
Note: Epic battle scene ensues. I just wrote that to tell you. However, it just lifted my temporary brain block. NOT writer's block. I knew what to write, just not how to write it. Thank you. Don't ask why.
As you can see. I actually made "Decepticon" the council's way to demonize them. I don't think Megatron could be that bad.
Hope you liked it. Leave a review and I'll get back to you. Till next time!
