DISCLAIMER: I do not own Beast Wars. Echo is my OC.
A/N: Sorry it took so long for me to update. I've been busy with school and work. Uck! Hope you enjoy this Chapter!
Predacon base.
"Lieutenant, what news do you have?" Megatron asked over the computer screen.
Tarantulus cackled and answered. "Well, the femme has scanner duty tonight."
"The perfect time for an attack, yes." Megatron said to himself. "Inferno ready for an attack on the Maximals tonight."
"Yes, royalty."
Megatron smiled evilly.
The assassin femme lifted her head from the floor of her cell recalling the past experiment done to her. She had been violated in their quest to find out how she was a bot with organic material. At least for her she was lucky enough not to be tested on like the other bot that was being held there. His screams constantly lingered in the hallway from Ion's experiments that he performed.
Echo was jolted awake by Predacon fire on the base.
"Dammit!" she cursed aloud. These dreams are messin' up my recharge.
She quickly brought Sentinel online, but they were out of range. Echo hit the alarm alerting the Maximals of the attack. She grabbed her glocks and went down the chute. She had set the shields to go down in just enough time to get herself out of the shielded area. Echo transformed into her beast mode and dodged the onslaught of fire.
"Remember, don't kill her." Megatron reminded his troops.
"Where's Echo?" Optimus asked as he got ready to go out along with the rest of the Maximals.
"Already a head of us Big Bot." Cheetor replied pointing to the screen.
Optimus sighed. Perhaps having her cooped up wasn't such a good idea; now, she raced recklessly into battle without waiting for backup.
The Maximals joined the battle quickly and Dinobot took cover next to Echo.
"Nice of you to join us." Echo said sarcastically.
Dinobot just snorted and fired at the Predacons.
Rampage saw the familiar femme and fired his cannon at the rock she took cover behind. The blast sent her and the raptor flying. Dinobot was hit before he even hit the ground, but he was still online. Echo however got the short end of the stick. When she was jumping back up she was shot by stray fire through her lower abdomen. The damage was extensive but not life threatening. She was paralyzed on her back and watched as the Maximals rushed the Predacons driving them back. The last thing she saw was Dinobot jumping up roaring firing his lasers before she went into stasis lock.
"Zero, you did well." A short bot told her.
"Thanks, Backlash." She responded.
"Your target didn't last long either."
"No, but he did get a good shot at me." She answered removing her hand from her bleeding side. It wasn't mech fluid like every other bot had. She was different. Zero was part organic because the Tripredacus Council had ordered her that way. Her signature was harder to pick up and she could survive off of energon and organic material. Zero was new technology in the line of assassins.
"Zero," a taller bot said standing in the doorway ahead.
"I'm comin' Obis." The femme replied walking away from Backlash and following Omis to the lab to be repaired and tested. The tests the Predacons performed with light and non-cruel. They wanted to make sure their assassins would listen to them so they were treated as equals.
Obis could hear the femme's heels click against the metal floor. He wondered why they hadn't just gotten another bot rather than keep the femme. Yes, Zero being a femme was an accident, but femmes were much more trickier than bots, but they were also backstabbers as well.
"Well, Zero you performed very well today except for your mishap." The scientist told her.
"That was my fault. I underestimated him and I should've been more cautious." Zero said as he examined her wound.
"Yes, well we learn from out mistakes. Don't we?"
"Always."
"Well, the Council thinks only a few more tests and then you're ready to do the real jobs."
"Excellent. I can't wait to get out there and toast my targets. Steal ships and what not."
Zero walked the streets freely on Cybertron. The Predacons had set her loose and gave her missions to kill their enemies. She used an underworld shop to get the few items that she needed, hidden weapons to the unknowing bot. The shopkeeper knew her well; everyone called him Primo since they didn't know his real name.
Zero walked into the shop. "Hey, Primo."
"The usual?" he asked her as he finished with another customer.
"Yes, of course. Have ya heard anything about the Guardians?" she asked about the Guardians knowing the Maximals were getting wind of the Predacon assassin.
"Yeah, they've been poking around the underworld. I suggest you be cautious around here. I think they're getting closer." Primo informed her handing her a bag of her usual poisons.
"Thanks. Put it on my tab."
Primo gave her a look.
"Ya know I'm good for it."
"Yeah, only cause you're a good customer."
Zero flashed him a smile before leaving. She walked out turning on her cloaking device which hide the energy signature she gave off. She turned into a back alley and opened a hidden passageway. Zero walked through it and came out in another alley. She calmly walked into the open streets and walked a few blocks before walking into another back alley and into a hidden passage which led to her hideout. She sighed and put her stuff down walking over to her computer. She check her mail and found a new assignment as promised.
"Hm. An easy target." Zero snorted. "They must be getting desperate or something to send this to me."
Zero got up and prepared for tonight's assignment. She repainted her nails with the poison and checked her weapons. Zero was famous for her kiss of death, literally killing the other bot with a kiss. Her other two favorite weapons were her twin glocks and dagger which she used to slit throats and cut wires and voice boxes. Zero was quite lethal when it came to her profession.
The femme watched and followed her target from his home to the crude bars. Supposedly, he was a snitch working for the Maximals. When he wasn't looking she placed a bug on him and then went to have some fun while she waited for him to get drunk and leave. These underground bars had many Earthling styles, the dancers for one. She liked to entertain and be the center of attention, but then she had to remain in the shadows most of her life anyway.
The bot eventually got drunk and tired and stumbled out. He made his way across to the other alley so he could come out on the other side and make it look like he hadn't been to the bar at all. It would be the perfect time for her to strike.
Zero silently followed him remaining unseen in the shadows. She'd make it pretty quick.
The bot paused in the alley.
Fool. Zero thought taking the opportunity to attack.
The femme laughed as she slaughtered the target. She had enjoyed the bot's screaming as she finished the job by slitting his throat severing the voice box and letting the wound leak mech fluid. When she was done she walked through the mech fluid in her stilettos. When she walked out into the open she was ambushed by Guardians. She thrashed around before being immobilized by their weapons.
"Zero, you're under arrest for the murders of numerous alliance members." The Guardian told her. "Sentencing will be given by the High Council until then you'll be imprisoned."
Zero snarled and glared at the foolish Guardian, as she thought of him. Surely the Tripredacus Council would help her if they could without exposing everything. It was they who ordered her creation in the first place and she was very valuable to them, or so she thought.
"Zero, you are hear by sentenced to life on Omicron without a parole grant. Admiral Dagon will be over watching your imprisonment."
The femme's jaw dropped and she screamed like a banshee, "Noooo!"
The guards grabbed her arms and proceeded to pull her away to transport with the femme screaming all of the way. When she was brought to the ship, a tall red bot was waiting for them.
"Admiral Dagon, sir." One of them saluted.
"We've never had a femme on Omicron. This should be interesting." He said tracing her jaw line.
Zero jerked her head away, but he grabbed her throat forcing her to look at him. All she could see was pure twisted evil. He may have been Maximal, but he was indeed crooked. Zero knew that nothing but a world of pain was ahead for her.
The two Maximal guards had to use every ounce of their strength to restrain the screaming femme. She thrashed hoping to cause them some damage. Escape was the only thing on her mind. Even with restraints on she was a handful.
"Place her in that one." the head guard ordered. "I think X would enjoy to hear her loud mouth."
The femme was tossed in the cell and her restraints were off after the cell had been locked up. She wasn't a very happy camper. The femme that they called Zero had almost made her escape to freedom, but had been caught the cops. Now, she was in a space station called Omicron which happened to be a maximum security prison. There weren't many housed here because most were for those who broke the alliance law (very few) and the rare occasion killers. Zero herself was just insane and nearly killed a few people in her escape to freedom. The Council of the Elders decided it would be best if she were housed where there was no escape. It was them she blamed for her insanity. All the experiments and tests that had be done would drive one mad.
"What are you in for?" a fellow prisoner asked her.
"Assassinating alliance members." Zero replied.
"For who?"
"The Preds."
"That's nothing new 'round here." he told her. "By the way, name's Fuse. I'm about the only talkative one here. Maybe if you're lucky X will yell at you."
"X?"
"Yeah, Protoform X...another Elder experiment with the indestructible spark."
"And they think that this prison will hold an immortal forever."
"Are you taking his side? Because he likes no one."
"No matter to me. I don't fear death, I've been to the pit and back before. Are ya listen' X?" she asked him. "If you take pleasure in killin' than I'm not going to be any fun for ya. I would openly welcome death!"
Zero had spent a long time on Omicron and during late nights when everyone else was sleeping X would talk to her. Usually, he would talk about all he had killed and how much he hated being here. Zero on the other hand told him of the assassination jobs that she was given. He seemed to like to hear about them in detail. It seemed that X had taken either a liking or fascination to her. Either way it could be considered positive for her—he might not kill her if he escapes, or rather when he does.
Fuse watched a guard walk by Zero's cell and put something in the tray. After he walked away he asked her what it was.
"What'd he give ya?"
"Human crap for my entertainment. They said I could have them."
"So what does it do?"
"It writes. They're permanent markers. I'm going to decorate my cell for them. I got all the colors in the spectrum."
"Oh," he replied.
"Prisoner escape!" The security system bellowed alerting the on duty Guardians. Loose prisoners scrambled around for a way to escape or find weapons to defend themselves or kill the guards.
Zero ran down the corridor to the ship hanger. She turned down another corridor, still at full speed almost colliding with a big red bot. Zero skidded to a halt and he turned to face her. It was X.
"X," was all she managed to say.
"Zero, how nice of you to join me." He said in a neutral voice.
Zero was unsure whether or not he was going to kill her or not. She looked down to see several guards on the floor, several dead mutilated guards on the floor. "Well, if you'll excuse me I have a ship to catch." Zero told him going around the bot and continuing.
X watched her go and continued his slaughter.
Zero ran and found a ship that had weapons on it. She got in it and launched quickly. Zero wanted revenge against the Council and the Guardians, but she was prevented from doing so because a bounty was placed on her head.
(Haunted—Evanescence)
Long lost words, whisper slowly, to me
Still can't find what keeps me here
When all this time I've been so hollow inside
(I know you're still there).
Watching me
Wanting me
I can feel you haunt me down
Fearing you
Loving you
I won't let you haunt me down
Hunting you
I can smell you alive
Your heart pounding in my head
Watching me
Wanting me
I won't let you haunt me down.
Deceiving me
Raping me
Watching me
Watching me
Haunting me
I can fear you haunt me down
Fearing you
Holding you
I won't let you haunt me down
"Repairs complete." The Axalon's computer said aloud. The CR chamber hissed and opened and out stepped the femme. Echo walked to her quarters and accessed the data log. It recorded what went on during the time she was out. One date was highlighted and flashing. Echo clicked on it and it brought up a death record—Dinobot's death.
"Oh, no." she whispered.
Apparently he went out in battle against Megatron to recover the golden disk that he had given to him. In Dinobot's death, Echo's thoughts were changed.
"This is it then. I'm to be a Predacon. My true heritage." She said to herself.
Echo gathered only her weapons and copy of her computer, Voice. The femme opened her roof hatch and climbed out. She transformed into beast mode. The wolf jumped down to the ground running at full speed to the Predacon base.
As she entered the Predacon territory she turned on her stealth mode and continued to the base. She easily slipped pass the defenses and into the bridge room where Megatron sat in his chair with Waspinator at the computer scanning and Quickstrike fixing a computer. Echo leaped out of the ventilation and transformed in the air subduing Waspinator and Quickstrike. Megatron pointed his tail gun at her, but didn't fire.
"What pathetic Maximal ploy was that?" he demanded.
"Ploy, yes. Maximal, no." Echo said holstering her guns. "I've come to pledge my allegiance to you."
"And what proof do I have that this isn't a Maximal ploy?"
"What proof would you like?"
Echo waited for Megatron's signal which ended up being Rampage's signal to attack the Axalon. The tyrant wanted hostages for when Cybertron came. The quantum surge that almost killed the planet the first time reached Cybertronian space and would alert them of their presence. Echo fired one of Rampages large guns that she had bummed from him. The shields fell, and victory seemed close until unseen fire rained down on them.
"Royalty," Inferno cried. "I cannot see a target."
"No, you can't can you." Megatron replied. "Predacons return to base!"
Echo transformed and ran at full speed to the Predacon base. As soon as they were back at base Megatron ordered them at their battle stations. It didn't take long for the enemy to arrive. When the Maximals fell from the sky, a ship was revealed. A Predacon ship. Echo ignored it for the moment and concentrated on stopping the Maximals. Inferno was down in no time and right after Rampage fired a missile at the ship it returned fire scrapping him.
"Slag! Screw this, I'm outta here." She snarled turning to beast mode and retreating from the vicinity. Echo turned on stealth mode and found cover to hide until the coast was clear. Megatron had been taken P.O.W. Echo returned to base several cycles later to help Inferno repair Rampage. As soon as they got him and Quickstrike in the tanks, Inferno headed out for another assignment while Echo stayed behind.
After a megacycle orders from Megatron came to attack the Axalon again. The Predacon sent from Destron was on their side. Echo quickly found out that it was the Decepticon, Ravage.