Okay, new chapter and new troubles for the poor seeker. Surprisingly, people seem to like this fic (woah...) so here be more. Hope you likee.
Pinkfuzzyone: Thanks, and apologies for the shortness. I wanted to get on, and that seemed like a good place to stop. Dramatic though, no? Here's the next bit then...
Skins Thunderbomb: Okay, if you want, but this is a lot later than 'Meetings' - though I suppose it could get a bit confusing now I think about it. Read it however you want, as long as you review eventually. That's all I ask ;)
Jess: (sorry - I shortened it for speed of typing for my Mum's phone bill's sake!) Yeah, I felt bad about making him crash, but it was never going to be a picnic in this baby. And- ooh, new ideas! (gets out a pad and starts scribbling. Waves absently.) Thanks and enjoy...
Soryu: Don't worry. I like having a few on the go at once so I have something to do when I get stuck on one! It's all this holiday I've had recently...not sure if it'll work when Uni starts but I WILL finish them, if it takes me forver. Hopefully it won't, though. Well, here's the main reason now. Hope you like...and thanks about the flame thing. I'm blushing! By the way, 'Sunrise' will hopefully be a three-parter, and the next chapter's Screamer's - I've just got to choose from the hundreds of songs I think I could use. Gah.
Alirion: Okey-dokey - thanks. Haven't read much Dickens other than Little Nell, which was greatly depressing (Victorean, though, so I should have guessed it would be) but I like the quote. I could use that...hmmm....
One thing - my Megatron may be a little off. I don't make a habit of writing him, but he'll be featuring a lot here - duh - so tell me if he seems a bit...waffy, ok? Thanks.
Righto, off we go again.
Save me
Megatron turned smartly at the sudden sound of laserfire. On a sharp, silent command his troops scattered and took cover, weapons ready and vengeful anticipation flickering at their heels. He braced himself against a broken wall, cannon charging quietly in the gloom, and warned his warriors to look out for any of the Empties or scavengers that slunk just outside an unwary mech's optic range.
Megatron was never sure about the Dead Zone. It was a perfect breeding ground for Autobots, Empties and the rest of Cybertron's detritus, but for him...for a training exercise it was a perfect hunting ground; the bombed-out buildings hostile, keeping their secrets and stubbornly refusing to be conquered, like it's denizens. And Megatron had always loved a challenge.
The fire came closer, and with it other sounds - loud, rowdy voices and the faint scrabbling of feet on rubble.
Megatron's optics narrowed to blood-red slits. So. The ragged bunch of Auto-scum that had shot down his seeker patrol was coming this way.
The Decepticon leader wasn't the type of mech to care deeply for his soldiers. He regarded them as a whole, as a group rather than individuals, or like pawns to be thrown into battle - used and then discarded if they proved useless.
Those who did well, however...ah, then Megatron would take an interest. If a soldier pleased him he would pay attention, summing him or her up carefully and changing their rank to serve him better, and those who did manage to finally, finally win his respect would also win his favour - and then the Universe was theirs. But only when they had proven trustworthy, however - Megatron was no fool, and he was preternaturally astute at finding treachery. The few that had tried were used as examples, and Megatron took the teaching of his lessons very, very seriously.
The seekers had been among his elite, the best of his infamous squadrons - Megatron felt their loss keenly. The small group had been taken unawares on the way back from an intense, draining shootout, been bombarded by cannon fire and pulled down from the sky with anything the Autobots could get hold of - hooks and chains, whips, even their bare hands. They had been ripped to pieces by the vengeful Autobots and Megatron felt their loss deeply, with the hypocrisy of the noble, merciful bots grating his sensors like a hook through seeker plating steel.
We make no promises of quarter, of mercy, he thought angrily as the voices came closer. We make our methods clear. The Decepticons can be more honest than the Autobots claim to be, and we are labelled as 'evil'.
The irony did nothing to defuse the growing fury as he heard running footsteps becoming clearer, closer... He frowned. At this range he could detect the noises more clearly than before, and now... He concentrated harder. Now it sounded like one set of footsteps was out in front - as if the Autobot vigilantes were chasing something...
Staggering, stumbling footsteps - a muffled cry as a foot hit a chunk of rubble and a scrabbling sound as whatever it was fought to pull itself back upright and keep moving, keep moving, for Primus' sake don't stop!
Megatron's optics narrowed thoughtfully. If the Autobots were after whatever it was and it didn't want to be caught, it could be useful to them - as a bargaining chip if nothing else. He reacted quickly, barking orders over internal radio: Hold your fire until you see what is coming. Whatever it is the Autobots are chasing, I want it first - only fire on my signal!
Turning back to the voices, Megatron hefted his cannon and smiled grimly. They will pay dearly for the loss of my seekers.
Clattering, rolling scree came jangling down the slope, a shattered figure swaying for a split second at the top until a burst of blue fire hit the stump of a wing, and it fell jerking and slamming into chunks of rubble like a rag doll as its limbs were thrown wide and a despairing cry was torn from its throat. Skidding to a grinding, scraping, shuddering halt, the wreck of a seeker twitched, shivered and tried painfully to get up, get up and run, get away! as it heard the whooping yells of its pursuers come pounding up to the ridge and stand, just for a moment, looking down on him.
That was their final mistake.
Megatron and his party threw themselves roaring out of hiding, violet laserfire slamming into the Autobots before they even had a chance to cry out and lighting up the graveyard of the Dead Zone with flickering bolts of purple fury.
The Decepticon leader looked over his party with satisfaction. The seekers had been well avenged. At a slight sound, he turned to see the battered wreck of the pyramid seeker gazing up at him in a kind of hopeless fascination - thinking he would be next, perhaps? - but unable to look away.
Megatron strode across and stood over him, the fading flares of violet light sending eerie shadows over his form as he towered over the half-dead seeker.
"Why...?" A rasping croak from the undead corpse sprawling before him, a broken offering to some pagan god of death and destruction.
He frowned, not surprised by the question as much as the simple fact the mech could speak at all.
"I am Megatron, leader of the Decepticons" he announced, watching intently for any kind of reaction. He saw only the strange, empty hopelessness in the other's optics, and that never changed as he stared into dying red embers.
"Why...didn't you...let them...kill...me?"
Another strange question - if the seeker wanted to die, then why would he run? Megatron understood the lure to keep living, the deep-seated instinct to stay alive at all costs - he had inspired it in enough of the enemy, after all. The Decepticon smirked as an idea flashed through his brain. He needed recruits, and he could guess exactly what the seeker needed right now. And he knew just how to give it - with strings attached. Ah, yes...
"You needed our help, and you are a seeker - one of us."
"One...of..."
The seeker looked half stunned at the idea. A seeker out here alone, with no trine or faction... Megatron's smile widened. Yes. That was the right way to get recruits - find what they want, what they need...and give it to them.
"Come with us, my friend. We can help you - and you can get revenge on the Autobot scum that did this to you."
"Revenge..."
Starscream's optics narrowed in crimson, blood-thick simmering hatred, as aeons of bitterness rose up to drown him even as his energy finally ran out.
"...Yes."
And Megatron smiled.
I seem to be ending a lot of my chapters with creepy guys smiling. Very odd - but then pretty dramatic. Or is it just me? Read and review anyway, ok?
I don't own anything but the cuddly ball of misery that is the plot. Or the story. Or both - probably both. Blagh.