Just a short update this time. As always, please R & R. Cheers.
Chapter Sixteen:
From her viewpoint she could clearly see the approaching three shuttles. The lead one was damaged, that was clear; smoke bellowed from its side as:
Something fell from it. At this distance, she couldn't clearly distinguish it against the buildings but she knew that it had been a transformer. Black Arachnia continued to watch, she was rooted to the spot; the scene before her was horrific yet she seemed unable to turn from it. The lead shuttle disappeared from view as it hurtled toward the ground. The other two broke away from their flight paths and separated. One headed towards her and she ducked as it flew overhead, almost toppling her from the rooftop. She quickly regretted the decision to leave Swoop and the two other Dinobots back at the Heart of Cybertron. But she had found no answers there; she must continue.
The second shuttle nosedived through the buildings, levelled itself mere feet above the street and, although shakily, it landed. Black Arachnia watched as the cargo bay doors of the craft opened; and was taken by surprise to see the rows of drones that exited. She had never expected to see them again; as far as she knew, they were destroyed, the order came from the Senate itself. But here they were, marching forward into the street. She stood and headed for the stairwell that would take her down.
* * *
The viewport had been obliterated, shards of the plexi-glass were scattered throughout the bridge. Smoke bellowed from the consoles as they sparked and crackled. Rattrap picked himself up from the floor and brushed himself down; the visor above his head was covered in tiny cracks, reminiscent of a spider's web. He grunted and groaned as he stood, his motors following suit. He attempted to scan the wreckage but something was stopping him. Static lines ran across his vision. On the other side of the bridge he saw Cosmos; the Autobot's panelling was dented, but he seemed functional. He pushed away the debris that had fallen upon him and spied Rattrap.
"How are we doing?" He asked. Rattrap looked to him as he approached.
"I have a headache." He replied.
Cosmos laughed and stood. His motors groaned under the strain but he ignored it. "How are the other two shuttles?" He asked.
"I can't get a response. Hopefully that's not a bad sign." He moved past Cosmos and made his way to the corridor, "I suppose we better check on our troops."
* * *
"What do you mean she left?!" Silverbolt slammed his hands down upon the table that the six of them sat at. Nightscream looked to him as Swoop replied: "She wasn't a prisoner. We couldn't keep her here."
"You could have tried." Silverbolt's voice quivered slightly, he had come all this way and he still felt so far away from her. He glanced over to Sludge, the only one of the Dinobots he was certain had been the last one to have seen her. Sludge caught his look.
"She is very fiery. She would not stay the answers she seeks; the voice that calls her did not originate with Primus." He sighed, "I can show you where we departed ways but I can't guarantee that you'll find her. Iacon's a big place."
Silverbolt stood and moved away from the table. "Show me."
* * *
The shuttle sat on the abandoned freeway, nestled between ruins of the once busy Iacon shopping plaza; its engines hummed as they powered down. The immediate area surrounding them lay in almost silence; the place looked like it hadn't been disturbed in a long, long time.
The Pretender stood by the open cargo bay doors, one hand rested against the frame; the other beckoned Hammerstrike forward. The Maximal moved toward Cloudburst cautiously.
"Are we clear?" He asked. Cloudburst laughed. He replied: "We should move the drones out now." He moved down the gantry that ran from the ship. Hammerstrike looked to the rows of cycle and tank drones before he shuffled after the Pretender. "We're meant to wait for Cheetor's order."
Cloudburst stopped, turning to face him: "Screw him. We strike now."
* * *
The cargo bay was in flames by the time they had reached it, the amber glow and thick smoke greeted them. It wasn't what they had wanted to see. Drones lay in pieces in piles; sleek panelling was now replaced by black, charred twisted metal. The ship itself was in no better shape; the damage was intensive and on first glance it appeared that the majority of the cargo bay had been eaten away. The edges emitted a warm, red glow as they continued toe burn away.
Rattrap carefully moved around the flames as he entered the bay, followed closely by Cosmos. They advanced in silence until:
"Cheetor?!" Rattrap shouted, the word echoing around what was left of the bay. There was no reply. Cosmos moved past him and shouted the Maximal's name. Again; no response. This worried Rattrap and he moved into the smoke, hoping to catch a clearer look of the other end of the ship. The smoke was thick and heavy in the air; the breeze that blew in from the exterior did very little in way of shifting it. It hung like a blanket over the scene and he swiped his hand through it; an effort to disperse the haze in front of his face.
Something moved past him, through the smoke; it swirled around his body. He twisted and turned, his optics failing to focus on the passing shape.
"Cosmos?" He called out but the only response he gained concerned him. He could hear the twisting distortion of metal. Then a muffled grunt, followed by:
Silence.
Rattrap moved through the smoke and it started to thin out, bringing the image before him into a sharp focus.
Chapter Sixteen:
From her viewpoint she could clearly see the approaching three shuttles. The lead one was damaged, that was clear; smoke bellowed from its side as:
Something fell from it. At this distance, she couldn't clearly distinguish it against the buildings but she knew that it had been a transformer. Black Arachnia continued to watch, she was rooted to the spot; the scene before her was horrific yet she seemed unable to turn from it. The lead shuttle disappeared from view as it hurtled toward the ground. The other two broke away from their flight paths and separated. One headed towards her and she ducked as it flew overhead, almost toppling her from the rooftop. She quickly regretted the decision to leave Swoop and the two other Dinobots back at the Heart of Cybertron. But she had found no answers there; she must continue.
The second shuttle nosedived through the buildings, levelled itself mere feet above the street and, although shakily, it landed. Black Arachnia watched as the cargo bay doors of the craft opened; and was taken by surprise to see the rows of drones that exited. She had never expected to see them again; as far as she knew, they were destroyed, the order came from the Senate itself. But here they were, marching forward into the street. She stood and headed for the stairwell that would take her down.
* * *
The viewport had been obliterated, shards of the plexi-glass were scattered throughout the bridge. Smoke bellowed from the consoles as they sparked and crackled. Rattrap picked himself up from the floor and brushed himself down; the visor above his head was covered in tiny cracks, reminiscent of a spider's web. He grunted and groaned as he stood, his motors following suit. He attempted to scan the wreckage but something was stopping him. Static lines ran across his vision. On the other side of the bridge he saw Cosmos; the Autobot's panelling was dented, but he seemed functional. He pushed away the debris that had fallen upon him and spied Rattrap.
"How are we doing?" He asked. Rattrap looked to him as he approached.
"I have a headache." He replied.
Cosmos laughed and stood. His motors groaned under the strain but he ignored it. "How are the other two shuttles?" He asked.
"I can't get a response. Hopefully that's not a bad sign." He moved past Cosmos and made his way to the corridor, "I suppose we better check on our troops."
* * *
"What do you mean she left?!" Silverbolt slammed his hands down upon the table that the six of them sat at. Nightscream looked to him as Swoop replied: "She wasn't a prisoner. We couldn't keep her here."
"You could have tried." Silverbolt's voice quivered slightly, he had come all this way and he still felt so far away from her. He glanced over to Sludge, the only one of the Dinobots he was certain had been the last one to have seen her. Sludge caught his look.
"She is very fiery. She would not stay the answers she seeks; the voice that calls her did not originate with Primus." He sighed, "I can show you where we departed ways but I can't guarantee that you'll find her. Iacon's a big place."
Silverbolt stood and moved away from the table. "Show me."
* * *
The shuttle sat on the abandoned freeway, nestled between ruins of the once busy Iacon shopping plaza; its engines hummed as they powered down. The immediate area surrounding them lay in almost silence; the place looked like it hadn't been disturbed in a long, long time.
The Pretender stood by the open cargo bay doors, one hand rested against the frame; the other beckoned Hammerstrike forward. The Maximal moved toward Cloudburst cautiously.
"Are we clear?" He asked. Cloudburst laughed. He replied: "We should move the drones out now." He moved down the gantry that ran from the ship. Hammerstrike looked to the rows of cycle and tank drones before he shuffled after the Pretender. "We're meant to wait for Cheetor's order."
Cloudburst stopped, turning to face him: "Screw him. We strike now."
* * *
The cargo bay was in flames by the time they had reached it, the amber glow and thick smoke greeted them. It wasn't what they had wanted to see. Drones lay in pieces in piles; sleek panelling was now replaced by black, charred twisted metal. The ship itself was in no better shape; the damage was intensive and on first glance it appeared that the majority of the cargo bay had been eaten away. The edges emitted a warm, red glow as they continued toe burn away.
Rattrap carefully moved around the flames as he entered the bay, followed closely by Cosmos. They advanced in silence until:
"Cheetor?!" Rattrap shouted, the word echoing around what was left of the bay. There was no reply. Cosmos moved past him and shouted the Maximal's name. Again; no response. This worried Rattrap and he moved into the smoke, hoping to catch a clearer look of the other end of the ship. The smoke was thick and heavy in the air; the breeze that blew in from the exterior did very little in way of shifting it. It hung like a blanket over the scene and he swiped his hand through it; an effort to disperse the haze in front of his face.
Something moved past him, through the smoke; it swirled around his body. He twisted and turned, his optics failing to focus on the passing shape.
"Cosmos?" He called out but the only response he gained concerned him. He could hear the twisting distortion of metal. Then a muffled grunt, followed by:
Silence.
Rattrap moved through the smoke and it started to thin out, bringing the image before him into a sharp focus.