Author's Notes: I just wanna give a shoutout to EmeraldDragonFlame12 on DeviantArt for her lovely picture of Bitten as well as two comics depicting scenes from this story! Seriously, that is amazing! I love it when people draw artwork based off my fics! As for this chapter, I feel like it's all over the place. The latter part of the chapter has been planned out for months, but the larger part of the chapter at the beginning was rather spontaneous. I hope this turned out well, and thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this fic thus far :)
Chapter 10
The Truce
After proclaiming their intentions to have a steady relationship, Dinobot and Bitten had agreed to keep their romantic involvement with each other a secret until they were sure this was a permanent arrangement. For the most part they tried to pretend everything was normal between them, but it was hard to miss how much time Dinobot was spending around the rescue pens; a place he thoroughly detested.
On the outside Bitten looked the same, but inside her spark felt an excitement it had never felt before. She had been sure her lust for the brooding mech would lead to nothing more than physical attraction, but for some reason his personality likewise drew her in. He was tough, well spoken, honorable, passionate, and mature. Not to mention handsome. Bitten still couldn't believe someone like him was interested in someone as broken and repressed as her.
Dinobot was sure he was acting like an idiot whenever he hid his feelings from his comrades or became defensive about a remark aimed toward Bitten. Tenderness wasn't Dinobot's strong suit, and he still had trouble knowing what to do about his newfound love. The primal, more beastly part of him wanted to take Bitten somewhere dark and claim her, but the more civilized part of him felt repulsed by those thoughts. She was his coworker, despite whatever relationship they may have besides that, and she didn't exactly seem like the type to be interested in wild ideas. He had never dated a non-Predacon before, and he didn't know what the rules were for such a thing.
The other Maximals noticed Dinobot's growing frustration. He seemed even more on edge than usual, and the only thing that seemed to calm him down was a trip to the vet clinic outside the ship. Some were sure that Bitten was feeling differently as well, but she rarely left the clinic to socialize so it was harder to tell.
Airazor was getting tired of dealing with Dinobot's snarling and bad attitude, and she was also curious about Bitten's feelings about Dinobot. So, with this thought in mind, Airazor made a visit to the sanctuary.
When Airazor arrived she saw that Bitten was bottle feeding a baby monkey and the raven was still on her shoulder. Bitten didn't look at Airazor or acknowledge her, so the falcon-former cleared her vocalizer to get Bitten's attention. Bitten didn't look at her, but her ear inclined in Airazor's direction to indicate she was listening.
"Bitten, I think we need to talk about Dinobot," Airazor stated without preamble.
"Yes, Airazor," Bitten replied dutifully as she continued to feed the baby monkey.
"Bitten, I think I know what's going on, but I want to hear the full story from you," Airazor began uncertainly, "It seems like Dinobot is in love with you."
"He is," Bitten replied matter-of-factly.
"Oh, so you've noticed how much he hangs around you," Airazor surmised, "What do you plan to do about it?"
Bitten looked at her then, and carefully set the baby monkey back onto its soft bed with the blue blanket. Bitten's eyes held a look of curiosity, and Airazor wasn't sure how to proceed with this conversation. Bitten didn't seem interested in answering her question, but Airazor had to know whether or not Dinobot was bothering Bitten with his frequent attention.
"What I mean is Bitten…" Airazor fumbled for words for a moment, but finally said, "Do you return his affections?"
"I do," Bitten stated matter-of-factly.
"Oh. I have to say I'm a little surprised," Airazor commented, "I didn't think any sane femme could love Dinobot."
"What do you mean?" Bitten asked.
"It's just that...I've known Dinobot my entire life, and he's always seemed self-serving and abrasive. He'll do whatever he can to win, and he doesn't care who he hurts. He's mean, he complains about everything, and he used to be a Predacon. What could you possibly see in that mech?"
"His spark," Bitten replied simply, but when Airazor didn't seem to understand she added, "War does terrible things to a mech, Airazor. You have seen a tiny slice of war here on this planet, but Dinobot has lived in a constant state of alert his entire life. Predacons were trained to believe they were merely machines of war. In a way, I suppose Dinobot is more like his ancestors than he realizes."
"His ancestors?" Airazor asked curiously.
"Dinobot was based off the original 5 Dinobots on board the Ark," Bitten explained, "They were created merely to be machines of war as well. Optimus Prime would sometimes keep them locked in their room when he feared them getting out of control with regular Autobots. They had the processors of sparklings, but the bodies of monsters. They understood they were weapons to be used. Swoop told my sister Q-Boom something once that she then told me."
"And what was that?" Airazor asked.
Bitten's look became haunted as she answered with "Swoop said if the war ended that the Prime planned to put the Dinobots into stasis lock. They had no place in regular society. I do not know what happened to them after I entered the time vortex. I just know that living with an expiration date and a command to kill messes with one's mind."
"Dinobot isn't like them," Airazor asserted, "He could be so much more than that. Predacons aren't freaks. Optimus Primal says they inhabit nearly a third of Cybertron. Dinobot is a normal citizen of our planet."
"He was," Bitten said heavily, "Until he joined the Maximals."
"I know," Airazor whispered ruefully, "I'm sorry I brought it up. I know he gave up a lot to be here. It's just...he's a jerk."
"I know," Bitten replied, a small smile gracing her features, "I'm used to dealing with people like him."
"Tigatron would never treat me the way Dinobot treats you though," Airazor observed, "Tigatron is kind and supportive, and has taught me to love and appreciate nature. Dinobot belittles everything about you, from your choice of beast mode to your choice of occupation. No matter what you do or say it seems like he yells at you or makes a snide remark. Why would you put up with that?"
"For the same reason he puts up with me," Bitten replied, "He is not perfect, and I am not perfect. We cannot wait around for perfect partners to find us. We fit each other, and that's all that matters."
"Do you miss Cybertron?" Airazor asked, changing the subject, "I've never seen it myself. Is it as beautiful as the others claim it is?"
"When I last saw it? No," Bitten replied bluntly, "Cybertron is, or rather was, a dying husk. I can live here just as easily."
Bitten then laid down on the ground and stared up at the sky, hoping Airazor would get the message and leave. Bitten thought of Airazor as a good friend, but socializing always tired Bitten out, and she wasn't used to talking a lot. She wanted to end the conversation, but didn't know any other way to do so than to stop talking and ignore Airazor.
"Do you plan to date Dinobot?" Airazor asked; clearly not getting the message.
"Yes," Bitten replied curtly, feeling it best to keep her answers short.
"What if he wants to interface with you?" Airazor asked.
Bitten didn't reply then, seeing as this wasn't a yes or no question. She was too worn out to keep up this topic of conversation, but didn't know how to explain without hurting Airazor's feelings.
"Will you let him?" Airazor asked conspiratorially, and then realized what a gossip she sounded like, "Oh, what am I saying? You two aren't even dating yet. It's too soon to talk about this, right?"
No answer.
"Um...okay then. I guess I should get back inside," Airazor stammered awkwardly, "I've got work to do. I, um...I hope whatever happens you and Dinobot can both find a way to be happy, whether it's with each other or not."
With those words Airazor transformed into falcon mode and flew back to the ship. Bitten just stayed where she was and looked up at the sky. She thought about the question regarding interfacing. Bitten was Polyhexian, and they didn't believe in interfacing before bonding. Oddly enough they were fine with symbiote sparklings before bonding, but not romantic partners. She wondered how Dinobot would handle such information. He didn't seem like the patient type, but then again she could be wrong. She would just have to wait and see.
That night Bitten and Dinobot were in the cargo bay eating dinner together for a covert date. They sat across from each other and said little to each other at first. Dinobot had guard duty there and Bitten was always busy doing her own thing, so no one was suspicious. Bitten wasn't even sure why she and Dinobot were still keeping their romance a secret, but she felt it prudent and so did he, so they continued sneaking away to be together.
Their dinner wasn't anything fancy, just some wildebeest for Dinobot and a salad for Bitten. She found that with her kangaroo alt mode her new taste sensors preferred plants as opposed to meat. She saw Airazor eat fish and Primal eat insects before, which seemed reasonable. What was absurd was that Rattrap frequently ate other Maximals' garbage and leftovers. That was just disgusting.
"Bitten, have you considered my offer to train you to use your screech attack more effectively in battle?" Dinobot asked in between bites.
"I have, but I am not certain you could teach me," Bitten replied indifferently, "You do not possess this power, so how would you know how best I should use it? After all, I do not know how to teach you to improve your optical laser attack."
"It's not about your specific sigma ability," Dinobot clarified, "It's about how comfortable you are using it. You don't fight well. You're powerful, but undisciplined. You would be crushed in a real fight against an opponent who knew what they were doing. What if you should be ambushed by Megatron or by Tarantulas? Even Inferno is a better fighter than you, and I'm fairly sure he's insane."
"Insanity doesn't equal stupidity," Bitten pointed out, "Well, I suppose I could learn how to fight from you. There is also something else I feel you are qualified to teach me."
"And what is that?" Dinobot asked before ripping another chunk of meat from the carcass.
"I want you to kiss me," Bitten replied in a deceptively casual tone.
Dinobot stopped chewing in that moment and stared at Bitten with the most hilarious expression of puzzlement. She didn't back down from his gaze, she rarely did anymore, and she restated her point.
"I don't know how to kiss," Bitten explained, "I want you to teach me."
"You want me to be your first kiss?" Dinobot asked just to make sure.
"I don't mind if you are," Bitten replied, "If our relationship is to go anywhere, then I need to be more comfortable with you. Just stay in robot mode though. I'm not ready to kiss a lizard just yet."
Dinobot chuckled and stepped away from his dinner to sit next to Bitten, and she scooted a little on the crate she was sitting on so he could join her. Suddenly Bitten felt embarrassed that she had asked Dinobot to do this, and she turned her helm away so he wouldn't see the bashful look on her faceplate.
"Bitten, you have to face me if we are going to kiss," Dinobot pointed out as if it should be obvious to her.
Bitten was starting to get nervous, but she wanted this so she knew it was too late to back out. She slowly turned her helm to face Dinobot, and Dinobot took her face in both his servos. His plating felt so warm and powerful, the tension in his muscles clear to her. He was nervous too. Of course, he dealt with it better than she did.
"Alright then, in order for us to kiss you turn your head slightly so that your nose and my nose don't obstruct our lip components. Then we just lean into each other until our lips meet. Our bodies will know what to do then."
Bitten feared her body would instruct her to faint or push him away, but she didn't want to voice this wayward thought. Bitten gradually leaned closer to Dinobot, and he leaned forward with more confidence; clearly having done this before at some point. When their lips met Dinobot leaned into her and held her body close to his. The pressure increased as his mouth opened and his teeth gently nipped at her lips. She wasn't sure she liked this, yet there was another part of her that didn't want to pull away. It was terribly confusing, and the moment was only about to get worse.
Just as they were deep into their make-out session the doors to the cargo bay opened and Tigatron entered, catching them just as Dinobot quickly pulled away from Bitten.
"Um...am I interrupting something?" Tigatron asked awkwardly.
"Obviously," Bitten replied sourly, feeling more willing to share her thoughts due to her foul mood.
"What do you want?" Dinobot snapped, clearly as upset as Bitten at being caught in an intimate moment.
"Optimus wants us all in the control room," Tigatron announced, "He has just returned from a meeting with Megatron. I don't know what happened, but it must have been big. He sounded very insistent."
Bitten stood up and nodded her acquiescence to her duty while Dinobot roughly grabbed his sword from the ground and pushed past Tigatron. It wasn't that he was upset with Tigatron personally, but when a Predacon initiated heat protocols it forced the mech or femme into an aggressive state to protect their territory and mate. Bitten didn't know this, but she also didn't care. She knew their activities could wait until another time.
"A Truce!?" Rattrap asked incredulously to Primal and the assembled group, "Oh, for bootin' up cold!"
Yes, Megatron's meeting had been about calling a truce to the Beast Wars. Bitten knew this wasn't the great peacemaker's gesture that it seemed to be however. When she lived in the foundling home her friend Honey Venom had explained that a treaty meant a war was over and a truce meant a temporary ceasefire to see if the two sides could resolve their issues. This was a truce. It was temporary. The Predacons had no intention of truly suing for peace.
"I cannot believe you agreed to this!" Dinobot snapped, and Bitten shook her head to show her support for his viewpoint.
"What could I do? He was right," Primal replied helplessly, "I'm a Maximal. I have to give peace a chance; no matter how unlikely it seems."
"Hm..." Rhinox stroked his chin in thought, "Do you think this has something to do with that alien energy anomaly?"
"Anomaly?" Bitten asked quietly so only Dinobot could hear.
"I'll tell you later," Dinobot hissed to keep her quiet on the matter.
"It's got to," Primal replied to Rhinox's query, "Megatron's found something. Something that has him so worried he doesn't even want to think about us.
"Ey, I'm insulted," Rattrap joked.
"Well in that case we better find out what it is," Cheetor suggested.
Optimus Primal apparently thought Cheetor was onto something, and was willing to take it one step further. He was cooking up a plan in his processor, and if his sly stare was any indicator that plan involved Rattrap. Rattrap also picked up on that look, and was quick to do his best to put a screeching halt to that train of thought.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Rattrap exclaimed as he held his hands up to try to ward off his fate, "You mean I gotta infiltrate that Pred base again!?"
"That might be a truce violation," Rhinox pointed out, and Rattrap looked relieved that he might not have to go after all.
"Not if he's unarmed," Cheetor debated, and Rattrap would've strangled the youngling if he could get away with it.
"Thanks a slaggin' aft full, Pussycat!" Rattrap groused.
"The vermin is right," Dinobot surprisingly came to Rattrap's defense, "Megatron will surely anticipate this move."
"So...let him," Primal replied impishly.
Bitten was surprised by how youthful and almost mischievous Primal could be when he had an idea. She was starting to see how he and Rattrap could've been best friends since sparklinghood. She could also see how this ape was clearly one of Honey Venom's sons. He had to be an original model from Honey Venom's collection. Bitten just didn't know how to prove it yet.
After the plan had been explained Bitten had been surprised at her involvement. Normally the Maximals didn't count on her for anything, but this time she had a part to play, and wasn't sure she wanted to play it.
Bitten stood near the Darksyde with Tigatron, waiting for Rattrap and Airazor to show up to distract the Predacons. Both were in beast mode so they wouldn't be detected by the sensors. Once Megatron's forces and automatic sentries were occupied the duo would covertly enter the ship and snoop around to find out what Megatron was up to. This truce had to have an explanation, and whatever it was it was likely to be bad.
Neither Maximal said anything to each other. Spying required absolute silence and readiness, something Bitten was perfectly fine with. She considered Tigatron a friend, but that didn't mean she felt like having a conversation. For some reason she found herself constantly justifying in her own mind not wanting to talk to her own friends. That thought made her feel like an aft.
Suddenly, the turrets and sentries activated and were shooting at Airazor and Rattrap. That was the signal, so Tigatron disabled the locking mechanism on the door and went inside, with Bitten following close behind.
/I hope Airazor will be alright,/ Tigatron sighed over the comm, /I know Rattrap is a survivor, but Airazor tends to take unnecessary risks. I wish we had been allowed to work together on this./
/We are both members of the team that rarely get involved,/ Bitten pointed out, /The Predacons won't look for us./
The spies went past the cargo hangar and into the ill-lit hallways of the Darksyde. Everything was quiet and the halls were empty, something both Maximals were grateful for. There was one problem however...
"Hm, these black walls don't mix with us white animals," Tigatron whispered, "We'll have to be careful."
Tigatron went ahead and looked both ways to see if any Predacons were lurking about. When the coast was clear he used his head to motion for Bitten to follow him. Bitten transformed into robot mode before following, fearing hopping around in her kangaroo mode would be too noisy.
As they made their way through the ship Bitten suddenly had another flare up of unbearable spark pain! She managed to not scream but still clutched her chassis as she waited for the pain to go away. She was sure she knew what this pain was. It was not even her own suffering, yet she was forced to endure it. This was a most inconvenient time to be plagued by spark bonds that should have been dormant.
As the pain finally subsided after a few minutes Bitten looked up to see that Tigatron wasn't there. He had likely not known she was in distress and went on without her. Bitten decided to follow the path and catch up with him rather than risk further comm contact when she might not be in a good physical position to encrypt the signal.
As Bitten walked along the black hallways she noticed that the paths converged into four separate directions; including the one she came from. She didn't know whether Tigatron turned left, turned right, or went straight ahead. Bitten looked at each path, but there were no answers. She finally decided to go right and hope that was the way Tigatron took.
She silently skulked about, keeping close to the walls and listening for any signs of Predacon activity. Most of the rooms she came across were locked, and there was still no sign of Tigatron. 5 minutes turned into 10, which turned into 20. Bitten was hopelessly lost, but she wasn't willing to call Tigatron yet. Her spark was still hurting and she feared trying to use any of her equipment in a compromised state while sneaking around in enemy territory.
As Bitten passed a room that was open she heard two Predacons talking with each other. Never one to pass up the chance to gather intel, Bitten slunk into the room and crouched down low as she walked/crawled to a nearby desk to hide.
The Predacons were the two spiders, Tarantulas and Blackarachnia if Bitten remembered correctly. Blackarachnia was flirting with Tarantulas, and seemed to be discussing a plan to leave the Predacons. Were they defecting? That seemed unlikely. Bitten continued to silently watch and listen in case she found something that could be of value to her team.
"Well then why don't we go together, partner?" Blackarachnia lilted as she draped her arms around Tarantulas, "Leave Megatron and the others to rot. At least we'll be safe when the aliens come for this planet."
Aliens? Bitten remembered the others discussing something along those lines, but Dinobot never elaborated on what was going on. This warranted further investigation.
"And how do I know you're telling the truth?" Tarantulas asked accusingly, "For all I know you could ruin my escape plans!"
"Now why would I do that?" Blackarachnia asked seductively, "After all, what has Megatron ever done for me?"
As she spoke these words there was a barely audible moaning sound at her pedes, and the spider-former looked down at the offending object and kicked it behind the desk where Bitten was still hiding.
"Now, where were we?" Blackarachnia asked suggestively.
Bitten looked down at what had been kicked her way, and was surprised to see two large lavender optics staring back at her. It was Waspinator's helm, and he was still conscious!
"Hoppy Bo-? Mph!" Waspinator exclaimed before Bitten wrapped her arm around his mouth.
Bitten looked back to see if the spiders had discovered her, and was relieved to see them still engrossed in each other. She didn't even take the time to breathe a sigh of relief before crawling out of the room with Waspinator's head secured in her arm. Once they were out in the hallway, Bitten readjusted the helm so that Waspinator could look up at her.
"What'z the big idea, Hoppy Bot?" Waspinator spat in derision.
"Where is your body?" Bitten asked softly so that no one else would hear.
"Why?" Waspinator asked suspiciously.
"I will take you to your CR chamber," Bitten explained, "However, I will expect a favor in return."
"Of courze you will," Waspinator replied dryly, "Fine, Wazzpinator accepts Hoppy Bot'z termz."
