Part Two
Chapter Three
The silence stretched for a long moment before it was broken by one Maximal's hesitant voice, "My name is Cheetor."
One by one, each of the Maximals introduced themselves. Silverbolt, Optimus and Rhinox were very polite in their introductions. Rattrap's was given with a mocking bow, while Dinobot reluctantly growled out his name, as if he didn't think these proceedings were necessary.
The human shook herself out of her stupor and inclined her head, "A pleasure to meet all of you, formally."
Dierdre turned slightly in her chair to face Optimus. "Just before I crashed the rear half of my ship was torn away from the bow. Did you see where it landed? Did the engines explode?"
"No they didn't. The stern just ripped away and spun off from the bow. I don't know how badly it was damaged, but it appeared basically intact when it crashed into the ocean nearly four klicks from where we found you."
"It crashed into the ocean?" Optimus nodded, seeming almost apologetic. "Well, that's just perfect." Dierdre said wearily.
"It might be better than you think." Optimus replied, "We don't have an aquatic capable beast mode, but neither do to the Predicons. That'll give us a few solar cycles to rig something up."
"You're right." She said, visibly brightening, "The main compartment is most likely flooded, but the engine and storage rooms had their own blast doors. My ship's computer should have shut them automatically as soon as I entered the atmosphere. Once I retrieve the disk, I'll be able to go down there myself and see what can be salvaged."
"So now ya sayin', your suit can turn ya into a slaggin' fish?" Rattrap asked, his voice laden with sarcasm.
Dierdre merely smiled mysteriously and tapped the circlet on her forehead. "The miracles of modern technology, Maximal."
Rattrap raised an eye ridge and was about to reply when Optimus interjected, "I don't like the idea of you going down there alone. However," he lifted his hand to stop the human from speaking, "That's an argument for another time. It is full daylight now and we have duties to perform. We'll have plenty of time to get to know our new comrade later."
Primal rose from his seat. The other Maximals, and one solitary human, followed suit. "You all know what you need to do. Get to your stations. Except for you, old friend," he said to Rhinox, who was about to move wearily to one of the computer consoles. "Get some rest. You've earned it."
Rhinox smiled and nodded his head. He transformed and lumbered off to his quarters, his huge feet vibrating the deck with each step. One at a time, the other Maximals filed out of the bridge, each heading for different parts of the ship. Dinobot transformed to beast mode and stomped down the left corridor, the gloom swallowing him up immediately.
Before heading down the center corridor, Silverbolt stopped by Dierdre and gave a small bow, "Welcome to the Axalon."
Dierdre smiled warmly. "Thank you, Silverbolt. I remember what you, Cheetor and Optimus did for me. I'm in your debt."
"Not at all, my lady. It was our pleasure," the winged bot replied.
Rattrap rolled his optics and made a gagging noise as he pushed his way past them and disappeared into the right-hand corridor. Cheetor gave Dierdre a 'thumbs-up' as he was walking away. She returned the gesture. The young bot grinned and bounded down the right-hand passage after Rattrap. Faint cries of anger could be heard as the exuberant feline nearly ran over Rattrap in his haste.
Optimus shook his head and then turned his attention to the human. "As for you, I'm sure you would like the chance to repair your suit." Optimus smiled gently, "You might want to get some rest, as well. You've had a long night."
"A very long night." She agreed. Her ribs gave a sharp twinge, reminding her of the pain held barely at bay by the drugs.
"Is there anything you need?"
"No, nothing at the moment," Mischief suddenly danced in her eyes as she continued, "I would like some privacy however. Would you be so kind as to remove the camera and change the door so it can be locked from the inside again?"
Primal's optics widened. She had been unconscious when they had brought her in and the camera was concealed inside the bulkhead. "How did you know?"
"I didn't," the human replied with a sly grin, "But that is what I would have done."
The Maximal leader grinned back at her, but sobered up immediately, "You're asking me to place my trust in you. I have your word that you will not tamper with anything on the Axalon or attempt to leave the base without informing either myself or Rhinox." It was not a question.
Dierdre drew herself up to her full height. Despite the dents and scratches on her armor and her ash-streaked hair, she looked every inch the commander she was. "It will take approximately two days, two solar cycles, to repair my Tech-Suit and to heal sufficiently. For those two days, I swear on my honor as an officer of United Earth and as a warrior, to abide by those restrictions." She looked down into Primal's eyes, "That is the most binding oath I can give. Life is…difficult in my time. We are in the midst of the most ferocious war in the history of both Earth and Cybertron. Life is often short, possessions are few, and most of the time the only family a warrior can claim is the squadron to which he or she belongs. Our word of honor is all we have. We take it very seriously."
"I can see that," Optimus replied quietly, "Come. I will make the necessary changes."
As they walked, side-by-side, to her new quarters, she said, her voice equally quiet, "Thank you, Optimus Primal."
Dinobot was not sure why he had lingered in the deep shadows of the corridor. He was not a spy by nature, but this human disturbed him. She was just too much of an enigma. Nearly everything about her was a mystery and Dinobot did not like mysteries.
After wrestling with his conscience for a few nano-clicks, he finally gave in to temptation and ducked into a doorway in the hall, effectively hiding him from view while still allowing him to listen into what was being said.
He could hear the others leave the bridge. Optimus began speaking to the human. After listening intently for a moment and hearing nothing of consequence, he was thoroughly disgusted with himself. This was no way for a warrior to be acting!
He was about to try to quietly slip away, when he heard something that stopped him. His reptilian eyes widened. He risked a glance around the doorway. The organic's voice was grave and her face was earnest as she spoke of honor and war. Most Predicons and some Maximals that he had known, the annoying little vermin being one example, thought that honor was just a word, to be used and discarded as needed. The raptor realized with surprise that this human…Dierdre…was not one of them. She meant what she said.
Dinobot waited until they had left the bridge before venturing out into the hall. Could it be possible? Could this, this human, truly know, and share, the sense of honor and duty that shaped every moment of his life? His breath caught in his throat. Was it possible that she could be…
Dinobot growled, banishing those thoughts before they could progress further. What was wrong with him? He had duties to perform and standing in the slagging hallway brooding over a female organic was not one of them.
He strode purposefully down the darkened corridor. He had determined to put the whole thing from his mind, but deep down, he knew her soft voice and honest words would haunt him for the rest of the day.
Optimus had removed the camera and fixed the lock. He showed her the comm system by her bed and told her to call him at the bridge if she needed anything. He left her after that, saying something about repairing a faulty circuit board.
Alone at last, Dierdre thought, locking the door.
An image of the data disk flashed through her mind. She grimaced. She hated the thought of leaving it in the hands of the Preds for one more minute, but she knew that the Maximals were right. If she was going to stand a chance against a nest of Predacons, she needed to be in the best physical condition possible.
Actually, she had not been entirely truthful when stating her healing rate. It would take only two days to prepare her Tech-Suit, but her own injuries would take longer than that. Even with her enhanced healing abilities, and the drugs in the little med kit, her cracked ribs would require at least six days to regenerate totally.
She had given her word of honor and she intended to keep it, but she wouldn't wait an instant longer. She couldn't. Despite her efforts to maintain control over her emotions, her eyes misted over. Being careful of her ribs, she sat on the cold, hard bed and buried her head in her hands. Her squadron… so many gone.
The room echoed for a time with her quiet sobs, as tears spilled from her eyes and trickled down her armored hands.
She felt an overwhelming desire to lie down and cry herself to sleep. She might have succumbed to the temptation if she hadn't sworn she felt her second-in-command Jamal's big hand smack her lightly on the back of the head and heard his deep voice say, "Ah, Dee, you stop that wailing. Right now, you hear me? That's no way for a soldier like you to be acting! Besides, if you keep it up, you'll rust your armor solid!" She lifted her head from her hands and grinned at the mental image of his face as he said that. He would smile his crooked smile and raise one eyebrow, a comical expression that would transform his broad, dark face to that of a mischievous boy. He could always get a smile out of her with that look.
The image of his face faded away as her tears dried. She had work to do.
Megatron glared furiously at a cringing Inferno. The ant was on his knees in front of the throne, which hung suspended from the ceiling by a single metal rod. His head was bowed and his arms were raised above his head, the remains of the human's bag clutched in his trembling fingers.
"So you were unable to catch a single injured human female. This displeases me Inferno. Yessss…"
"Royalty, I have failed you! I should burn for this transgression!" Inferno moaned. He looked ready to jump into the lava pits at the first sign from Megatron.
"Ordinarily I would agree with you. However, you were able to retrieve some of her equipment. And your story of the human's abilities intrigues me. Yesss." Megatron suddenly snatched the bag from Inferno's shaking hands and began to examine its contents.
"Hmmm…Interesting," he muttered to himself. Still looking over the items, he waved Inferno away. "You are forgiven, Inferno. Now get out of my sight."
"Oh, thank you my Queen!" the ant cried. Bowing quickly, he ran from the throne room and disappeared down one of the corridors.
"I do wish he'd stop calling me that," the annoyed tyrant grumbled. His massive hand idly touched a small data disk with black and white markings.
There were too many damaged circuits that could not be easily reached, Dierdre realized after doing a quick internal scan. Her eyes narrowed in annoyance. She would have to remove the suit.
She silently ordered her Falchonite2 metal armor to collapse into 'rest mode'. The armor complied as best it could. Some of the metal slid smoothly across her body, heading towards her back, while the rest obeyed in fits and starts. It took far longer than it should have, but eventually the metal re-solidified into a midsized plate in the center of her back.
She reached behind her and seized one edge of the metal plate, ordering the suit to disconnect from her back. It did, but the plate was far too heavy to hold one-handed in such an awkward position. It hit the floor with a loud clang.
Cursing under her breath, she bent over slowly, grasping the plate with both hands and heaving it onto the bed. Clad only in her sleeveless gray jumpsuit and soft-soled slipper shoes, she leaned against the bed and allowed herself a second to recover. A maroon band with a small black battleship in the center encircled her upper left arm, signifying that she was a war commander as well as a trained fighter pilot.
Once the fire in her ribs had receded to a dull ache, she gave the suit a verbal command. "Battle mode." It slowly and jerkily returned to its previous shape. Ignoring the vaguely creepy feeling she got from the suit that looked just like her without a head, she began to intently inspect the damage.
Dierdre felt the material of her jumpsuit brush the TS-Connector in the center of her back as she leaned forward. Like all fighter jumpsuits, a hole had been cut in the material to accommodate the chip. The sophisticated little device was connected directly to her spinal cord and out through the skin to the suit. Knowing that there were any number of reasons that the suit might need to be removed, the people who had designed the armor had equipped the connector chip to release its hold on the body if needed.
While it could be done, the feeling that resulted was not pleasant. It felt as if she had suddenly lost sight in one eye, or looked down to find one of her hands missing. She had to work fast.
She picked up the flat square and activated it. She ran the soft yellow light that emanated from it over every square inch of her Tech Suit. The beam destroyed any foreign matter on the metal, effectively getting rid of the ash, the grass stains, and the flakes of dried blood…Not mine; his… No, don't think about it!… that marred the armor and prevented her from seeing the full extent of the damage.
Knowing that it would make her feel better, she ran the beam over her body. It was a far cry from a hot shower, but it got rid of all the ash and dirt on her face and in her hair.
Turning the sonic device off and setting it aside, the woman took a few more seconds to re-braid her hair. Feeling refreshed, she grasped the tool-kit and got to work.
It was now mid-afternoon, and Silverbolt was taking his shift at the scanners. His optic sensors were trained on the screen as Sentinel performed a routine sweep of the surrounding terrain. There were no Predicon energy signatures within range.
Although he would never admit it, he was bored. He understood the necessity of scanning duty, but there wasn't much to do. His sense of honor and duty prevented him from indulging in such distractions as Rattrap and Cheetor often did. Besides, 'video games' did not interest him. He saw no point on repeatedly blowing imaginary foes to scrap simply for entertainment purposes.
Silverbolt briefly considered calling Cheetor, who was out flying patrol, and asking for a status report. He dismissed the thought as soon as it arose. Sighing, he leaned back a little in his seat. A soft glow registered out of the corner of his right optic sensor. He glanced over at the force field that still held the human's weapon and transporter.
A brave female, this Dierdre, he thought, remembering the battle of several mega-cycles ago. Anger surged through him as he recalled the brutal way Inferno had handled her. No one should treat a female that way!
His anger dimmed as his thoughts strayed to another female. He had only seen her a few times, but she was lovely. A beautiful combination of black and gold, her eyes were black pools that seemed to stare into his very spark. She was a dark beauty, with a brilliant mind and a wit to match. If only he could talk to her! He was certain that he could make her see the error of her ways and have her take her rightful place as a member of the Maximal team. And perhaps at his side? The thought pleased him.
"Black Arachnia," he whispered. He was jolted out of his ruminations when Cheetor's urgent voice suddenly sounded in the air.
"Cheetor to base. Come in!"
He leaned forward quickly and pressed the comm button. "Silverbolt here. What is it, my friend?" There was a burst of static and then the sound of gunfire. "I'm in Grid Stomax. I'm teaching Waspinator how to dance, but my scanners detect three Preds converging on my position. I think they want to cut in!"
"Hold on, Cheetor. We're on our way!" Silverbolt declared, switching to ship-wide communication. "Optimus, and all available Maximals, report to the bridge immediately!"
It had taken several hours, but Dierdre had made good progress in repairing her suit. She had reattached to suit to her body and left it in rest mode. Climbing onto the hard metal bed, Dierdre had finally fallen into an exhausted slumber, using her arm as a pillow.
She started awake at the sound of Silverbolt's urgent voice echoing throughout the ship. She was up in a second, ordering her armor into battle mode. The metal slid into the proper position much faster than last time, she noted with mild pleasure.
Reaching the table in one long stride, she opened the med kit and gave herself another painkiller injection. She slapped the small scanner and communicator side by side on her right hip. The devices instantly magna-sealed to the metal.
Hearing pounding feet rush past her room, she turned away from the table and unlocked the door. She stepped out and headed for the bridge at a fast trot. She was not a Maximal, but she'd be damned if she would sit quietly in her room while something was happening!
All of the Maximals except for Cheetor and Dinobot were present at the bridge when she arrived. Optimus didn't even look up when she included herself in the group. He was staring fixedly at a 3-D map which hovered over the main console. "Where was he when he contacted you?"
Silverbolt tapped a specific section of the map, outlining the area in red. "Grid Stomax."
"Dinobot is near that area," Optimus looked over his shoulder, "Rhinox, contact Dinobot and have him back up Cheetor until we get there."
"And Rhinox," he continued, "Stay here and guard the base."
Seeming to notice the human for the first time, Primal pointed a Transmetal finger at her. "Get some rest," he commanded.
Silverbolt and Rattrap had already descended in the turbolift. The Maximal leader was about to follow them when he felt Dierdre lay a hand on his shoulder. "Optimus, let me come with you."
He looked her up and down. She certainly looked better, but… "No. You need to stay here and recover."
Her eyes locked with his. Anger, concern and grim determination shown so strongly from her eyes that Optimus had to stop himself from stepping back a pace. "I can be of assistance. Also, I owe Cheetor a debt of gratitude. Allow me to repay it."
With a sigh of resignation, Primal relented, "Very well." He strode over to the right console and dropped the force field that protected her weapons. She quickly magna-sealed the blaster to her left thigh and the transporter to her right, just under the scanner and comm.
As the two stepped into the turbolift and sank from sight, Rhinox lumbered over to the comm and sat down. "And I'm left minding the store. Again."
Outside, it was a beautiful day. The sky was a brilliant shade of blue, with only a few clouds to mar its sapphire surface. Dierdre reveled in the feeling of wind blowing through her hair, a wonderful experience after so long in deep space.
Optimus glanced sideways at the human. "Can you fly?"
Dierdre had the grace to look embarrassed when she replied, "No. I haven't had the time to repair those circuits yet."
With a nod he turned to the others. "Go to beast mode everyone. Silverbolt, give Rattrap a lift. And as for you…" Shifting to beast mode, he activated his thrusters. He extended a powerful ape hand, "Get on."
She took his hand and stepped on the 'surfboard' behind him. She held onto his shoulders for balance as he rose into the sky and flew toward Grid Stomax at maximum burn.
Rattrap was not happy. He was being borne high into the air by Silverbolt, who was holding tight to the Transmetal's tail. "Awww… dis is just great! I'm takin' da Bird Dog Airlines." He gave a yell of terror as Silverbolt increased his speed. "I'm gonna diieeee!"
Silverbolt grunted with the effort of keeping up with Optimus and holding on to the wriggling rodent. "Perhaps if you calmed down a little, my friend, it might go easier on both of us."
Rattrap's only reply was to shriek again and yell into the wind, "Rats ain't supposed t' fly!"
Dinobot yawned hugely as he stomped through Grid Xantus. The terrain was rocky, and what few plants could survive here were mostly cacti and a few tough grasses. The sky was brilliantly blue, unfortunately that also meant it was hot.
The velociraptor would not have ordinarily minded the heat. His body was well suited for such an environment, and he usually did not allow himself to dwell on such an uncontrollable thing as the weather. But he was out patrolling, and there was nothing to do but walk and think. To think about how much he despised this endless tromping around, and to think about how the heat was making him sleepy.
He yawned again. By the Pit, I am bored. What I wouldn't give for a Predicon right now!
Dinobot's eyes scanned the sparse desert terrain. There were no Predicons around, just rocks, the occasional cacti and a long stretch of canyons in the distance. Naturally. He blinked several times, determined to wake up.
In a sudden bout of anger, he kicked a rock with one of his powerful hind legs, sending it skipping across its brother stones for several meters. There were times, rarely, when he didn't mind a long patrol. It would get him away from the constant chattering of the other Maximals and give him time to enjoy his own company. Needless to say, this was not one of those times.
Not only was he bored, but he was also experiencing an emotion that he did not feel often. He tried to ignore the sensation, but it had grown so during the course of his patrol that he grudgingly acknowledged its existence. Dinobot, the ex-Predicon, the great warrior, was feeling lonesome.
Solitude was not a new experience for him. He had been alone all his life. A private bot, both by nature and by choice, he rarely let anyone know that he had emotions. And what feelings he did express, he usually hid behind a shield of aggressiveness, a quick temper and an attitude. This facade was absolutely necessary for him. He was a warrior, a bot to be feared in battle, and to show the world that there might be more to him than that would be his undoing. He would be rendered weak and vulnerable, a thought that frightened him more than he would ever admit.
So he cultivated his snarling exterior and kept everyone at a distance. Ordinarily that was fine, but now… This is the human's fault, Dinobot decided angrily. Somehow her speech from a few mega-cycles ago had gotten to him. To his complete disgust, he found himself wishing for someone to talk to. Even the rodent would be welcome.
Dierdre's ice blue eyes flashed across his consciousness. She had claimed to be a warrior; could there actually be some truth in that? He snorted and kicked another rock. I must be going mad. There was no way the human could possibly be like him! She was an organic and a female, and her words were just that, words. He had no proof that she was truly bound by honor, and although her armor was impressive, he doubted she could measure up on the battlefield.
Unwillingly, his mind replayed the scene in her chamber. How she had fluidly rolled out of the metal recharge bed, picked up Rattrap by one hand and thrown him across the room. He chuckled to himself. Even though the mouse had crashed into him, the look on his face as he was tossed through the air was worth it.
The scene continued to replay in his mind. Enraged, he had drawn his sword against her and advanced. Rather than backing away, she had stood her ground and immediately armed herself. She had held the long wickedly sharp blade expertly, her body shifting into an easy combative stance even though she was still only partially conscious.
Perhaps she had some potential after all.
He was pulled from his thoughts by Rhinox's deep voice sounding over his comm system. The words were clouded by static, but easily understandable. "Dinobot, can you read me?"
"Affirmative," he hissed, "What do you want?"
Rhinox ignored the hostility in the raptor's tone as he continued, "Cheetor is being attacked by Waspinator in Grid Stomax, and three more Preds are on their way. Optimus wants you to assist Cheetor until he and the others can arrive."
"Acknowledged," He said, cutting off the transmission. At last, battle! And a chance to clear his head of annoying thoughts.
His spark seemed suddenly lighter. He took a deep breath through his raptor nostrils, and gave a tight smile. The air even smelled sweeter. He took off at a dead run, heading towards the distant canyons.
Dinobot had just entered Grid Stomax. The area was littered with canyons, deep echoing crevices that cut thousands of feet into the earth. The canyon walls were composed of many different layers of stone, ranging from the palest cream to a deep, rust red. He was standing on a wide stretch of tan sand and pebbles littered with many large boulders. A deep fissure in the earth ran to the left side of him. It was a hot, barren, lovely land.
The raptor took no notice of the scenery as he tried to catch his breath. He could see Cheetor far in the distance, pinned helplessly behind a boulder. A continuous volley of firepower from Waspinator, Inferno, Quick-Strike and Black Arachnia was steadily chipping away the rock. Soon the young bot would have no defense against them.
He took a moment to assess the situation. Waspinator was several feet in the air, buzzing to himself as he peppered the rock with his stinger weapon. Inferno was on the ground, laughing maniacally as he blasted Cheetor's meager cover with his flame-thrower. The small female spider was off to one side, firing only half-heartedly with her leg guns. She seemed to be waiting for something. Quick-Strike was several feet behind and on the other side of the deranged ant. He fired a burst of cyber-venom at the boulder, breaking off another chunk of rock. "Yeehaaaw!" he yelled. The annoying battle cry set Dinobot's teeth on edge.
Dinobot dug his wickedly clawed feet into the earth, crouched low and broke into a run. He did not run straight towards the combatants. Instead he gave them a wide berth, his brown and tan hide blending in well with the terrain.
His course brought him directly behind the Predicons. In their eagerness to scrap Cheetor, and with the canyon walls bouncing the sound of their weapons back to them, they failed to notice the raptor as he crept up behind them. Until it was too late.
With a chilling raptor scream, he leapt upon the unsuspecting Quick-Strike, the killing claws on his feet extended to the fullest.
Quick-Strike's face was buried in the sand as a massive weight settled on his shoulders. Two stabs of pain blossomed as Dinobot's talons dug deep into the Fusor's metallic skin.
He forced his head out of the sand and cried, "What in tarnation!" The weight suddenly disappeared as the other bot used him as a springboard.
"Dinobot, Maximize!" he yelled, his body immediately twisting and folding in on itself with a muted roar. He pulled his sword from subspace as he plunged towards Inferno. Inferno, whirling around at the sound of the commotion behind him, was barely able to dodge the sword blow that would have cut him in two. The warrior fired his eye lasers at Black Arachnia before she could bring her leg guns against him. She was thrown back several meters before her head struck a boulder and knocked her unconscious.
Dinobot had just enough time to pull his sword from the sand and dive behind the rock where Cheetor had taken refuge. The sand, where he had been standing only an instant before, began to melt under the intense heat of Inferno's flame-thrower.
"Killer moves, Dinobot!" Cheetor cried, firing at Waspinator with his hand laser. The wasp was forced down to the earth but miraculously avoided serious injury.
Dinobot merely growled in acknowledgment as he lifted his head above the rock and fired. The twin beams missed Inferno by millimeters.
You will buuurrrnnnn, Maximals! Wahahahahaha!" Inferno screamed in maniacal pleasure. He fired a continuous blast of flame, keeping it trained on the rock where the two Maximals hid.
They were forced to duck low as the heat from the flames quickly rose from uncomfortable to excruciating. Dinobot could feel his organic skin start to sizzle.
"Wazzbinator will deztroy cat-bot and traitor-bot. Then world zee that Wazzzbinator izz greatezt of Prediconz!" The wasp droned happily to himself. With the Maximals effectively pinned, Waspinator flew safely above the flames to the other side of the boulder. He opened fire on the trapped Maximals. One volley struck Cheetor in the hand while the rest exploded at their feet.
Cheetor howled in pain as the first shot tore up his left hand, and again, as the ground barrage threw him savagely against the boulder that had once sheltered him. Feeling dazed, he tried to fire back. To his horror, nothing happened. Mech-fluid dripped from his shattered hand and a few wires sparked, but that was it. He pulled out his tail-whip and began to grimly beat Waspinator back with it.
When the rounds had exploded at his feet, Dinobot was blasted over the boulder and through Inferno's flame. He landed in an undignified heap between Inferno and Quick-Strike, who was only now picking himself up. Hissing in pain from the burns on his raptor skin, he rolled out of the way and fired his optic lasers. The twin beams of green energy blasted the flame-thrower from Inferno's hand before he could bring it to bear against Dinobot.
"You will pay for that, traitor!" Inferno screeched.
"I'll help ya kick his keister! Ain't nobody gonna land on me like that and not pay fer et!" Quick-Strike hollered. He fired a stream of cyber-venom at Dinobot.
The tall warrior dodged the venom stream and threw his sword at the Fusor. The expertly thrown blade pierced straight through his chest plate, the tip poking out of his back, next to the two deep gouges on his shoulders. He went down with a hideous shriek of pain, mech-fluid pouring from the wound.
"For the royalty!" Inferno proclaimed, launching himself at Dinobot. Dinobot's mouth twisted into a fierce grin as the two collided with one another. His mind was clear and the Energon sang in his tubes. He drew back a fist and punched Inferno in the jaw. Life was good.
Magnificent, Dierdre thought, looking down at the canyons that were just now opening themselves up far below them. She had had difficulty coming to terms with what Optimus had said about the current timeline, but she was now convinced. This was Earth without a doubt; but what an Earth it was! In her time, even with all the cities and people, her planet had been beautiful. But this… this was glorious! In the brief flight from the base to here, she had witnessed countless wonders. She had seen vast stretches of grassland with a family of Sabertooth tigers (actual Sabertooth!) hunting some sort of deer, forests extending to the horizon and now these canyons in all their splendor. So this is what Earth looked like before humans came along. It was… paradise.
Oh Jamal, You would've loved this…
She was wrenched from her thoughts by Optimus's sudden decrease in speed and his voice raised over the wind. "There they are!"
They weren't difficult to spot. Smoke, blast craters, blackened earth and pools of mech-fluid marked the location very clearly.
Paradise indeed…
As they drew closer Dierdre saw that Cheetor was injured, leaning against a boulder. He was trying to keep a bot, which looked like a giant wasp, at bay with just a thick metal whip. A small female bot was just sitting up, rubbing the back of her head, while a bizarre looking Fuzor lay unmoving in the sand. A sword that she recognized as Dinobot's was rammed through his chest.
As for Dinobot… he was fighting a vicious hand-to-hand battle against the Predicon who had abducted her. The two were an awesome sight, mech-fluid dripped from various wounds as the two slashed, kicked and gouged at each other.
Optimus and Silverbolt went into a low dive, racing towards the combatants.
Seeing an opportunity, Dierdre threw up her shield and waited for exactly the right moment. As Optimus swooped over Cheetor and the Predicon wasp, she leapt off the board and plummeted towards the ground.
Waspinator was happy. For once he was the one slagging, not the one being slagged! The cat-bot could not fight back, except with that tail whip of his. All he had to do was hover just out of reach and he could shoot as much as he wanted without being hurt. What fun! The cat had managed to avoid most of the shots but he was getting slower, exhaustion and the wounds in his hand, chest and leg having taken their toll.
"Wazzbinator rulezzz!" He cried, firing off another couple of rounds at the tired Maximal. "Wazzbinator having good day! Wazzbintaor not get zzlaged once! Wazzbinator…"
Dierdre's armored feet connected with Waspinator's shoulders, forcing him out of the air and driving him into the earth. The instant they crashed, she did a tight tuck and roll. This maneuver absorbed the impact and translated it into energy for the roll, allowing her to quickly get a safe distance away. She pulled her blaster as she came to a halt, the weapon pointed at Waspinator. This turned out to be unnecessary. The bot was out cold.
"Are you all right?" the human asked of Cheetor, crouching beside him.
"Hey, it takes more than one lousy Pred to keep this cat down," he replied, mustering up a tired grin.
Dierdre smiled back and peered over the boulder, her weapon at the ready.
Optimus felt a moment of panic as the weight behind him suddenly disappeared. He looked over his shoulder in time to see Dierdre turn Waspinator into a metal pancake. He smiled inwardly before turning his attention to the battle ahead of him.
Optimus and Silverbolt landed on the outskirts of the battle. Silverbolt tried to set Rattrap down gently. The rat landed on his head.
"Hey! Whataya tryin' t' do, kill me?" Rattrap complained as he transformed.
Silverbolt transformed as well and stared at the smaller Maximal, looking genuinely shocked. "No, I…"
He never got to finish, for at that moment a hail of bullets sent them scrambling for cover. Black Arachnia smiled coldly as she pulled out her crossbow, waiting for a head to show over the large boulder where the Maximals had taken refuge.
Optimus cautiously peeked over the rock. He barely managed to avoid getting a face-full of bullets. He turned to the others.
"I'm going to provide a diversion. Silverbolt, as soon as she is distracted, I want you to take her out."
Silverbolt's ears flattened against his head. "Optimus, I…I cannot."
"What!"
"It isn't right. She is a female. I cannot raise arms against her."
Optimus glared at the Fuzor. This continuing refusal to defend himself or his comrades against Black Arachnia was getting to be a major problem. But he'd worry about that later. Right now…
"Rattrap, can YOU follow my orders?"
Rattrap chuckled and cocked his weapon. "I don't gotta problem with blastin' dat eight-legged refrigerator unit."
"Good." Optimus Primal said with a nod.
Silverbolt flinched.
Primal activated his thrusters, propelling him low to the ground and away from their hiding place. Black Arachnia whipped her weapon around to train on him. Her black eyes widened, realizing what was about to happen. She tried to turn back, but it was too late.
The blast sent her weapon spinning away from her, and painfully scorched her claw. Slag this. She transformed to beast mode and launched herself off the cliff, a strand of webbing anchoring her securely. She scurried sideways across the cliff-face and away from the battle, until she could find a place where she could observe and not be seen.
Dinobot did not notice the activity all around him, nor did he care. Right now, his whole universe had narrowed down to a single individual. Inferno.
The ant had lost the sight in one eye, but that did not seem to bother him as he kicked Dinobot in the side. He smiled unpleasantly at the grunt of pain that resulted, and delivered another powerful kick to one of Dinobot's legs, driving the warrior to one knee.
"You are food for the colony, traitor!" Inferno crowed triumphantly, sensing imminent victory.
"I think not," was Dinobot's simple reply as he surged forward. He head-butted the Predicon in the gut with every ounce of strength he had.
It was not the most elegant of moves, but it worked. And right now, that was all Dinobot cared about. Inferno sailed through the air and landed next to the cliff-face with a thump.
Dinobot fought double vision as he staggered to his feet.
Inferno came to his senses slowly. As he picked himself up, he found that he was now at a distinct disadvantage. Dinobot was still active and he could see several other Maximals moving out from their hiding places. The fact that he was in trouble finally penetrated his damaged circuitry.
He glared hatred at Dinobot. "This isn't over, Maximal," he hissed, activating his thrusters. He rose into the air, swooped down to grab his flame-thrower and then disappeared in the maze of shadowy canyons.
"Coward!" Dinobot bellowed, running as fast as his injured body would allow to the cliff edge. "Face me, insect!"
The only sound was of his voice echoing back to him.
Dierdre had looked over the rock just in time to see the final stages of the battle between Inferno and Dinobot. Her eyes widened as the raptor head-butted the ant and sent him flying. She grinned. She could learn to like this Dinobot.
She reattached her blaster to her hip and dropped her Personal Shield as Inferno zoomed away. Rising out of her crouch and looking around, she could see the other Maximals following the same actions.
Hearing a grunt of pain, she turned to see Cheetor trying to stand up. His injured hand and leg was making it difficult for him. She took his good hand in both of hers and pulled firmly, helping him to stand.
"Cheetor!" Optimus exclaimed as he rushed over to them. Concern for the badly damaged Maximal shown in his optics.
"I'm fine, Big Bot. Nothing a hot oil bath won't cure." The young bot said, trying to keep the pain from showing on his face.
"I think you'll need a little more than that," Optimus answered with gentle humor. He looped one of Cheetor's arms over his shoulders, so the young bot wouldn't have to put weight in the injured leg.
As they walked slowly over to the others, they passed the still, slightly squashed form of Waspinator. Optimus glanced over at the human who was walking quietly beside them. "Not exactly the most orthodox method of dispatching a bot." He gave her an amused half-smile.
Her eyes sparkled as she shrugged an armored shoulder. "But effective."
"Well kiddo, dis makes how many times I've helped save yer tail? Thirty? Forty? More dan dat? Ya gotta be more careful, Spots. You're wearin' me out!" Rattrap said; holstering his blaster as Optimus and Cheetor came to a halt.
Cheetor loosed himself from Optimus's grasp and shifted to beast mode. He seemed to be able to stand easier that way. The side of his head was mangled, but that didn't stop him from smiling mischievously at the rat.
"Awww… Isn't that sweet? You were worried about me."
Rattrap sputtered in indignation, but couldn't think of anything clever to say.
Silverbolt was sitting on a rock, staring dejectedly at the sand. Optimus's shadow descended upon the Fusor like a foretelling of doom. He knew he deserved whatever punishment he was about to receive, but he just couldn't go against what he knew to be wrong. He raised his golden eyes to meet Optimus's red optics.
Primal stared at the wolf-eagle bot. His eyes were neutral but his voice held a steely edge. "Silverbolt, you and I are going to complete Cheetor's patrol for him. We have much to discuss."
"Yes, sir," Silverbolt said with resignation. He stood up and was about to turn away when a strong hand rested lightly on his shoulder. He looked at Primal with surprise.
Optimus's eyes were not warm, but they attempted to understand. "I know the reason why you did what you did. You have a strong sense of honor. What I don't understand is why you feel the way you do about femmes. You will have to explain it to me."
"I will do my best," Silverbolt replied with a tentative smile.
Inferno had been furious when he was forced to retreat. The ant knew he should report back to his queen, but he cringed at the thought of the Royalties' righteous anger when he told him that he had failed to neutralize any of the Maximals. He came to a sudden stop. There had to be something more he could do. He could not fail the Royalty again!
He hid behind a bend in the canyon and perched on a rough outcropping of stone. The area was hidden in shadows, so he was able to see without being seen. The traitor was standing on the cliff edge, his optics scanning the area. The rest of the Maximals were a good distance behind him.
The idea came to him with such a flash of insight that he had to fight the urge to laugh out loud. It was perfect! From his new advantage point, he could see that the reptilian traitor was actually on an overhang, the rock jutting several meters from the true cliff edge. All he had to do was send a flame burst right where the overhang met the cliff. The rock would break apart and the traitor would plummet to his death.
He extended his flame-thrower and aimed carefully. For the glory of the Royalty, he must not miss!
Dinobot scanned the canyon where Inferno had disappeared. He could hear the others talking from several meters behind him. The warrior knew he should get back to them, but he was reluctant to give up the search. That would mean the battle was truly over.
Dinobot sighed and crossed his arms. Nothing but rocks and shadows. Inferno was long gone. It wasn't that fighting was the be-all and end-all of his existence, but the battle with Inferno had surprised him. The ant was a better fighter than he had thought. His attacks had been graceless, but powerful. And he had seemed tireless, his madness serving to fuel him on to greater feats of strength. It had been a glorious battle, one worthy of his talents. A pity it had ended so abruptly.
A deep gouge on his right thigh sparked. He gave a low hiss of pain.
Dinobot found himself wondering what would have happened had the Maximals not interfered.
The chattering behind him grew louder. He turned around, observing them. A hidden part of him was glad to see Cheetor up and smiling, his spirit none the worse for wear even after the pounding he had taken.
The human was standing with the others, laughing at something Cheetor said. Her head turned as she felt his gaze settle on her. She glanced over to him and lifted one corner of her mouth in a smile. He glowered back.
If she even attempts to speak to me, I swear by the Pit I'll…
There was a loud explosion, and the earth opened up and swallowed him.