Chapter 6
Control

Silverbolt slipped a tray of energon under the door and Paraleasion took it gratefully.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"What?" he asked, not hearing her.

"Thank you," she said louder.

"You are welcome." he replied. Paraleasion had been there only few days and so far each day she grew more distant. Her pride and civility had left, leaving a skittish, cautious creature in its wake. Silverbolt watched as she inhaled her meal, thinking it sad that she was linked to a creature such as Rampage. She slipped the empty tray back through the door and sat upon the bed. He watched as she stared at the wall, her dangling feet kicking into the air. She occasionally glanced over at him and then back at the wall.

"What are you staring at?" Paraleasion asked. Her voice was bored and world weary.

"I am standing guard." Silverbolt replied. She turned half-opened violet eyes toward him.

"Do you have to stare? It's rude." she said. Her gaze was distant and distracted.

"I am supposed to be standing guard." he said.

"Whatever," she said, turning back to the wall.

The Predacon base was peaceful. Okay, as peaceful as it could get with all that lava, flunky bashing, etc. Rampage was plotting the destruction of Megatron and TM2 Dinobot so he could get the other half of his spark. In the middle of his scheming he felt strange, as though somebody else was in the room with him. He quickly glanced around, saw no one and dismissed the thought but the feeling soon returned.

"It's just my imagination." Rampage muttered. He left the Predacon base, thinking that the sensation would leave him.

Rattrap sat at the surveillance monitors, asleep again. Dreams of radium, girls, and Cybertron danced through his circuits.

"Rattrap, wake up. If Optimus finds you sleeping again, he'll kick your skidplate," Cheetor said, shaking Rattrap. He sat up, blinking rapidly.

"What?" he asked, "Why'd ya wake me up? I was havin' the best dream."

"Would you rather it be Optimus?" Cheetor asked.

"Uh, no. I wanna stay in one functioning piece," Rattrap replied, turning to the screens.

"I better go relieve Silverbolt." he said.

"Have fun kid." Rattrap said.

"Yeah, right." Cheetor replied sarcastically.

Megatron sat in his throne room, extremely pleased with himself and the unfolding events. The repairs on the ship were coming along beautifully. His ship and the spare parts from

The Icarus were a perfect match. Weapons were almost fully restored to maximum capacity. Soon they would be ready to destroy The Ark and the inhabitants, but there was still the problem of the Decepticons being on the ship.

Paraleasion lay on the bed, eyes closed, occasionally twitching. Which Silverbolt found odd but concluded that she was only dreaming.

Paraleasion looked at the world through Rampage's eyes. She was careful to be inside him only enough to control him. If she merged with him completely, he could trap and/or kill her without going near her physically. Also, she had no desire to go insane because if her core conscious touched his, it would be over. Her mind would shatter and he would be on the lose again with no way to curb his violent tendencies. Somedays she hated her ability, but this was not one of them. She could use Rampage to escape from the Maximals but not now. First she needed to get used to controlling Rampage's body again.

"Rampage, what do you think you're doing? Get back to base immediately," Megatron's voice ordered over the comm. Paraleasion released her other half, allowing him to do as his 'Master' bid.

Paraleasion woke to find Cheetor standing guard in front of the door.

"Where did Silverbolt go?" she asked.

"I didn't ask," Cheetor replied coldly.

"You're Cheetor, right?"

"Yeah." She nodded, studying the ceiling. A thumping coming down the hallway and Optimus appeared.

"Rampage where have you been?" Megatron demanded.

"Why should I tell you?" Rampage replied. Megatron had Dinobot squeeze his spark, and Rampage fell to his knees in agony. "All right. I was here the whole time."

"I would think not. You were up to something, and I want to know what." Rampage merely looked at Megatron not answering.

"You know, Optimus, this is called jeopardy. If you take me back, they can't try me for the same crime. I haven't done anything except exist." Paraleasion said. She rubbed her chest, trying to fight the increasing pain. "If you trust Depthcharge...or even better yet, Blackarachnia, why not trust me? She was originally a Predacon. The only reason you decided to keep me in here is because I have ties to a homicidal maniac. Hers was a willingness to stay, mine was not."

Optimus was silent for a long time after that. Paraleasion sat on the edge of the bed, kicking her feet. The ache was gone.

"Maybe you're right. I trust what Depthcharge said, but what about those two you killed?" Optimus asked.

"Three. The first was already sentenced to death. I did him a favor. The second and third was in self defense. They tried to murder me."

"Hmm. I'll talk to the others and then I will decide whether or not it's safe for us to release you."

"Fair enough."

"What do ya mean you're considerin' lettin' her go? She'd kill us all!" Rattrap exclaimed. Optimus looked around calmly at the assembled Maximals.

"She has posed no other threat. She could have used her link with Rampage to escape, but has not." Optimus said.

"Are your circuits crossed? Don't you remember when she scrapped Silverbolt and Blackarachnia, then tried to scrap us?"

"If she is on our side, we have a powerful tool Rattrap. Think about that."

"And if she's in Predacon hands, we're slag."

"I think that if we give her a chance, she'll change."

"That's da problem wit you Optimus, you think everyone will change."

"I'm gonna let her go. If anyone else has a problem with that then take it up with me."

Paraleasion paced the length of her cell, only able to take three or four steps before turning around. She heard the familiar sound of feet coming down the hallway and stopped. Optimus stood at the door, peering in the window at her. She looked up at him, her face hopeful.

"You can come out now." he said. The door unlocked with a click and slid into the wall.

"Really?" she asked, her voice eager.

"Yes." Paraleasion bounded out the door and into the corridor. She raised her arms and spun around in a circle.

"Free! Free at last!"