Author's Note: It all comes to this chapter; the moment of truth. Of coarse some of you have known this for some time now, and I haven't been very good with getting this stuff up. Reviews are now free to all comments, since there's nothing left to spoil. So here it is. Enjoy.
Chapter 12
After saying goodbye to Silverbolt, who departed for morning patrol, Blackarachnia took her station at the the parameter defenses. Her mind was still running over the recent events when she heard heavy footsteps approaching from the base.
"I had hoped that you would heed my warning, but you went despite what I said," she averted her gaze from the parameter defenses. Blood red optics narrowed up at her from the ground.
"Relax," she jumped down from the post, gracefully landing on her feet. "I was careful, and nothing happened. That scrap heap didn't even make a move."
"And you do not find that odd?" she shrugged, and the veloceraptor snarled. "Then you are a fool! Of all bots, you know first hand what he is capable of, thus you should be the most wary of his actions. You should know by now that he never does anything without a reason for his personal gain."
"I know that!" she shot back. "You don't think I understand what kind of slag I could've gotten myself into? I do! From personal experience, and now every detail, everything is back in my mind."
Dinobot's optics flashed with realization. "You have recovered your memories?"
"Since I was fifteen stellar cycles of age. Ten stellar cycles of my life on Cybertron. I remember everything about what happened. My scars hurt more than ever, and all old wounds are reopened. Believe me," she taped her chest with a closed fist. "I knew exactly what could've happened if I made a single wrong move."
Dinobot growled in frustration and regarded her with a cold glare. "Since you now remember your history, I would like you to inform me where you learned to plunge head first into such a lethal situation. Is this what the Maximal military teaches?"
"No, I believe I have Traitor to thank for this attitude," she folded her arms under her chest, a defiant look on her face.
For the second time a look of agitation passed over the former Predacon's features. "Somehow, I find it hard to believe that a warrior such as your brother taught you to be suicidal. It is dishonorable. But perhaps I speak out place. Perhaps he was not the warrior legends state."
He wasn't very surprised when Blackarachnia's fist slammed into his face. He stumbled a meter back, but did not retaliate. Whipping his mouth with the back of his hand, the raptor noticed that she had drawn mech fluid.
"Who in the inferno do you think you are?!" she shouted, angry beyond words. "What gives you the right to say anything about my brother?! You met him once; you didn't know him!"
For a moment, there was complete silence. Blackarachnia, too furious with the raptor to speak to him. Dinobot, too deep in thought to respond to the accusations.
"You speak the truth: I did not know him," he finally turned his back to her and headed for the base, muttering something after him that Blackarachnia didn't catch. "I did not know him, but neither did you."
* * * * * * * * *
Blackarachnia kicked of her knee-high boots, and leaned back in the chair, propping her feet up on the desk. She flipped through a few pages of The Two Towers, which she had gotten into a few hours ago and looked at the digital chronometer on her desk. 2000 hours, and she was still frustrated over her argument with Dinobot in the morning. He didn't mean anything bad, she knew that much. No matter how suspicious the former Predacon's actions seemed, his intentions were always in the right place. The door buzzed, and Blackarachnia looked up from her book.
"Come in," she called, and Dinobot entered the room. Seeing who it was, the female scoffed in disgust. Despite everything, she was still frustrated with his attitude on the subject of Taratron. The raptor didn't seem to like her brother, and she wasn't sure why. "I don't suppose you're here to say your sorry," she asked dryly, her attention back on the book.
"If that will be necessary, I shall apologize" the raptor replied. "I have come to speak to you of a matter of great importance."
"Do I have a choice weather to listen to you or not?"
"Yes, you have a choice, but it is in your best interest to hear me out," he glanced at the two books on the table and then at the book her hand. "I never suspected you would read Tolkien. What do you think of the books so far?"
Blackarachnia thought and then let out an amused chuckle. "You know, the funny thing is that my brother had been after me to read these for stellar cycles. Anárion, or Silverbolt, also asked me about that. I was so dead-set against it, and now I don't know why."
"Humm," he was thoughtful. "Which of the characters do you prefer thus far?"
"That's a tough one," she admitted and thought. "From the fellowship, it would have to be Boromir, because he's the most realistic of them. He has his faults, but then who doesn't, right?" The former Predacon nodded. "And then, I just started The Two Towers, and of the new additions I'd have to say Éomer."
Dinobot raised an eyebrow. "An interesting choice. Why Éomer?"
"Because of his loyalty," she replied and then laughed at the innuendo. "That must've sounded very hypocritical of me. Loyalty. Ha!"
"You forget, thought, that Éomer was not loyal to any particular cause," he pointed out.
"No," she realized that he was right. "No, Éomer's loyalty was to his family, his younger sister and uncle. And he has a strong willed, another thing I admire about him. On some level he reminds me of my brother."
"And so the conversation has come full circle," he noted. "We are back on the subject of your brother."
Blackarachnia's smile immediately fell. "Dinobot, I'm really not interested in anything you have to say about Taratron. The fact is..."
"The fact is that he was not the man you idealize him to be," the warrior interrupted, and when she was about to protest, he raised his hand as a sign for her to be quiet. "Isis Khmer, you will hear me out! Taratron was a dishonorable man, despite what you remember of him. He was a traitor and a war criminal, who does not deserve to be called a warrior."
Anger rushed through her mech fluid as Blackarachnia sprang to her feet, shoving Dinobot to the other side of the room. "You asshole! Say that about my brother one more time, and I swear to Primus, I'll kill you! When Optimus asks, I'll tell him that it's the way it happened! You don't understand; I owe everything to Taratron."
"I understand better then you think," Dinobot replied calmly. "And you are correct; you do owe everything to Taratron. Everything including being captured by the Predacons and raped by Shifter. I know, because I am Taratron."
Author's End Note: Okay, who here was honestly surprised? (room goes so quiet we can hear the crickets chirping outside. Only Silver Spider's hand is waving in the air. O_o" *double sweatdrop*) Damn, for the first time ever, I'm glad I'm an only child.