TRANSFORMERS : DEATH'S HEAD.

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Disclaimer :

Death's Head – I do not own Transformers or Death's Head. Mattel, Hasbro, Marvel U.S. and Marvel U.K. have that honour. I own Raiden, Seraphim, Alpha Destroyer, Citadel Supreme and Valkyrie.. Raiden transforms into a fighter, similar in design to the valkyries/veritechs from Macross/Robotech. Seraphim transforms into a F-4 Phantom. Valkyrie transforms into a SAAB 35 Drakken. Alpha Destroyer and Citadel Supreme's vehicle forms will be revealed in following chapters, yes?

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Meanwhile, just outside Sol System :

A Decepticon ship was on direct course for the third planet in the approaching solar system. Onboard, Soundwave was busy. He had just finished one of the bodies which Raiden had ordered brought along. He raised his head and picked up a nearby device. He looked from the device, to the two new bodies, under construction.

If this device works, those two followers of Galvatron's, will be useful. Well, what's inside that little hidden sub routine in what they call their minds, that is.

Shaznar, leader of the Sharkticons, approached Soundwave.

"Soundwave, Lord Raiden requests your presence in the cargo bay. We've found something which he thinks you'll want to get your hands on."

Soundwave faced the Sharkticon and nodded.

"Understood."

Soundwave followed Shaznar to the cargo bay. As soon as Soundwave entered, he saw a battered escape pod. When he saw it's occupant, he hissed in delight.

"Ratbat!"

The damaged Decepticon faced his former master.

"Sou....nd....wa...ve...?"

Raiden looked at Soundwave.

"He took a direct hit to his chest. We can repair him, if you so want......"

Soundwave walked over and picked Ratbat up.

"I'll fix him. He is my responsibility."

Raiden nodded, as Soundwave walked away. Valkyrie looked at Raiden.

"Why are you letting that council admin, be repaired? And by Soundwave?"

Raiden looked at her.

"Simple. Ratbat was once a member of Soundwave's personal army. But he longed for more, so he became Decepticon Chief Fuel Administrator. He eventually found himself in charge of a group of Decepticons, when the previous leader, Shockwave, was damaged and lost on the planet we're going to. When Shockwave reappeared, Ratbat, instead of handing the position of leadership back to Shockwave, shared leadership with him."

"So?"

Raiden shook his head and walked back to the bridge of Alpha Destroyer, Valkyrie by his side.

"Well, look at it this way. What Soundwave is doing for Ratbat, in some aspects is similar to what I did for you."

"You mean, Soundwave.....cares....for Ratbat?"

"In a sense. Soundwave feels betrayed by Ratbat. For a time, Soundwave was under servitude to him. But he still has feelings, even though they are buried deep within him, he still cares for Ratbat, just as he cares for all the others within him."

"Rumble, Frenzy, Laserbeak, etc etc?"

"Yes."

Valkyrie stopped Raiden, and looked at him.

"So...how do you feel about me?"

Raiden paused.

"How...I feel.....about you?"

Valkyrie nodded.

"Well, I don't really know. Out of all my Decepticons, you hold a special place to me. I...."

Valkyrie looked him directly in his optics.

"I know how the others here feel about me. They despise me, for being so close to you. But how many of them are willing to lay their lives down to save you? None! In the coming battle, I will be by your side throughout!" She paused "Just tell me....how you feel about....me....."

"When we are safe back on Cybertron, and when those three Decepticons Soundwave is working on, are back," Raiden returned her gaze "We are leaving the Decepticons and Cybertron. Together."

"Raiden...."

"I care for you Valkyrie. Be patient. When all this is over, then I will tell you. For the moment, know that I will protect you during the battle."

Valkyrie looked at Raiden.

"Ok, for now. When this is over, we leave all this behind us....forever."

"Deal."

Raiden and Valkyrie walked to the bridge, as the Pretender watched them. He had overheard their conversation, and it sickened him. However, if Raiden was leaving, he had another opportunity approaching him. He smiled slyly.

"Soon, I'll have my leadership again. Raiden, Valkyrie, when I am leader, I will drink energon from your empty skulls."

The Pretender faded into the background.

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In Soundwave's lab :

Soundwave closed the chest armour and reactivated Ratbat. Ratbat's optics opened and he looked around.

"Soundwave...? Where...?"

"Inside Alpha Destroyer, under the command of Lord Raiden."

Ratbat looked at Soundwave.

"Lord Raiden? Raiden was just a footsoldier..."

"He served with the bounty hunter Death's Head, and picked up a lot of teachings from him. Raiden gathered all the Decepticons, you and your council have been hunting. He has sworn to destroy Galvatron, and return the Decepticons to power." Soundwave motioned around him "He created Alpha Destroyer and another superbot, Citadel Supreme, to help him in his cause. He also devised the way to bring back those long dead, or reformatted."

"Long dead? Reformatted?" Ratbat said confusion on his face. Then his optics went wide as he saw the body on the bench, the bodies under construction "I don't believe it!"

"Believe it Bat!" said a voice from the door.

Soundwave and Ratbat faced the speaker. Standing there was the Pretender. Ratbat's optics narrowed.

"Who are you?"

The Pretender smiled as he walked into the room. He walked into the room, and looked at Soundwave and Ratbat. Soundwave had already covered the body on the bench, and glared at the Pretender.

"What do you want?"

The Pretender shrugged.

"Just thought I'd come and greet Ratbat. After it has been awhile since I saw him, phyiscally, that is."

Soundwave frowned. He new what the Pretender was up to, and didn't like it.

Ratbat, however, glared at the Pretender.

"Have a care mech! I am...URK!!"

Ratbat gasped as the Pretender's outer casing split open, and a blue hand grabbed him by the throat. The mech within stepped out of his shell and laughed.

"Ratbat! Remember me now?"

Ratbat gasped as the hand tightened around his throat. His vision dimmed as stars danced across his optics.

"Y...you're.....d....dead....."

"Not anymore." The Pretender smiled as he dropped Ratbat to the ground.

Soundwave glared at him.

"Leave here. You are not welcome."

"Come on Soundwave! You really think Raiden will lead us to victory? He's too busy with that femme of his!"

Ratbat looked at him.

"Femme? Who?"

"Goes by the name of Valkyrie." The Pretender said.

Ratbat's optics went wide.

"Valkyrie? She's alive! I thought I destroyed her permanently!"

Soundwave looked at Ratbat.

"You know Valkyrie?"

Ratbat nodded as he stood up.

"Yes, I know that accursed femme. She knew Raiden and his accursed sister Seraphim. The three of them were the best in the air militia. She was a loose cannon, and would only obey Raiden. Raiden! I despised him! He undermined my control of my troops! He never obeyed my orders, and always acted on his agenda!" Ratbat flew up to the bench "Even after I had his sister's CPU wiped and dumped near Iacon, and Valkyrie's body was dumped near the Rad Zone, he still went against me and joined that damned bounty hunter!!"

The Pretender nodded.

"Sounds to me, this Raiden is more dangerous than Galvatron."

Soundwave spoke.

"Raiden, Valkyrie and Seraphim were once Decepticon air militia?"

Ratbat nodded.

"I had Seraphim's CPU wiped, and her body dumped in a former Decepticon warehouse. Valkyrie I did the same to and had her remains thrown in the Rad Zone. Raiden...."

The Pretender looked at Ratbat.

"Sounds to me you kept Raiden alive for a purpose."

"I did. Wiped his memory and implanted all of my own memory patterns. However, a residual trace of his original memory remain and assimilated my knowledge into himself." Ratbat looked at them "Raiden, if he regains his memory, as does Seraphim and Valkyrie, we are in deep trouble."

Soundwave glared at Ratbat and the Pretender.

"Raiden has his own plans, that I know." He looked at the bodies on the room "This plan of his will work. After it's done....."

The silence in the room was defeaning. The three Decepticons knew what had to be done after the battle.

However, Throttle, the binary bonded partner of Darkwing, had heard everything. He was in the air duct observing Soundwave. Raiden had ordered constant supervision of the lab, and Throttle knew why. Raiden didn't trust his old mentor, nor the Pretender and especially this Ratbat.

He turned and crawled back the way he came. When he got to the entrance, he climbed out and looked at Darkwing.

"We need to alert Raiden. We've got some problems."

Darkwing nodded, and picked Throttle up. They headed towards the bridge.

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Death's Head – And the plot thickens. R&R please.