And we are back with yet another chapter.
Disclaimer: I own nothing besides my characters and the story.
Hope you enjoy!
Chapter Two
"Touch me and I'll cut you," came the hiss as Cliffjumper approached the only occupied cell in the brig.
The horned Autobot smirked. "Touchy today, aren't we?"
Steeldust glared up at him through the small, barred window. "You would be too if you were stuck down here."
Cliffjumper shrugged and with a chuckle, replied, "You wouldn't be here if you didn't run your mouth."
"Do ya got a reason for being here? Or do I have to look at your ugly faceplate just cause ya wanna taunt me?"
The red Autobot frowned, crossing his servos. "You're lucky I'm not command."
Turning back to face the wall, the younger 'Bot resumed carving lines into it with a knife. "Nobody would make you command. We'd lose half the ranks."
"Right. You want out or not?"
Steeldust paused midstrike, turning his helm to peer over his shoulder at the other Autobot.
Cliffjumper's faceplate split in a grin. "I can't believe you just fell for that. You thought I'd let you out?"
Letting out a huff, Steeldust went back to what he was doing as Cliffjumper cackled, walking away.
"It says gullible on the ceiling, Steeldust," he called over his shoulder.
"Sure does," retorted the speedster without moving. "Cause I wrote it there, right where you're standing."
"What? Hey-" growled Cliffjumper, falling for it.
Steeldust simply smirked, listening as Cliffjumper left the brig, cursing under his breath.
Smokescreen sauntered down the hallway, a wide smirk on his faceplate.
He had some news to give a certain someone.
Reaching one of the training rooms, the seeker paused, looking inwards.
A lone figure was using the room.
Leaning against the doorway, Smokescreen crossed his servos. He smirked as he watched.
The lithe femme threw punch after punch, kick after kick, into the training dummy.
"Such finesse and grace accompanied by strength," the mech thought to himself as he watched.
With a war cry, the femme withdrew a sword and made the final blow, plunging the blade into the dummy's midsection then wrenching it upwards. The stuffing poured out onto the floor as the two halves fell apart.
She stilled as she heard slow clapping behind her.
"Very impressive as always," Smokescreen said.
Without turning, the femme replied. "What do you want, Smokescreen?"
Smokescreen made a tsking sound as he shoved off of the door frame. Taking several steps forward he chuckled. "Skeptical as ever, aren't we?"
Sheathing her sword, the femme then leaned down to pick up the remains of the training dummy.
"You have to be around here."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Finally turning her helm to look at him, she sneered, "Because sometimes it is hard to tell who's your friend and who's just pretending so they can get what they want."
Smokescreen frowned. "I see."
Slinging the dummy over her shoulder, the femme strode over to the nearby closet, placing it inside with the others that needed repairing. The seeker walked up behind her, as she closed the door.
"And which one of those do you think I am, Skyshadow?" Smokescreen whispered in her audio.
Skyshadow froze at his closeness. "That varies."
Gently taking her shoulder, Smokescreen turned her around. He studied her delicate, defined facial features.
"What do you want, Smokescreen?" Skyshadow prompted, optic ridges furrowing.
"When I dethrone Optimus, you could rule by my side," he whispered, staring intently into her optics. "I have a plan, one that will for sure work this time. You could be a part of it."
Skyshadow stared at him for a klik. Then, she scoffed, crossing her servos.
"As much as I'd love for the Prime to be eliminated, I know your little scheme would never work," she said lowly.
"What do you mean?"
"Have they ever worked before? Oh, and Lord Optimus is catching on that you're the one behind most of the assassination attempts."
Smokescreen snorted. "Yes, but the accomplices I've had in the past are all idiots." He paused, smiling down at Skyshadow as he lifted a hand to caress her faceplate. "You however, would be perfect. You're clever, swift, ruthless. He'd never see it coming."
Swatting his hand away and ducking around him, Skyshadow took several steps away, turning to look over her shoulder. "Of course, he wouldn't. Even if I did agree."
"What?" sputtered Smokescreen, turning to follow her.
"Like you said, I'm not stupid. I'm not about to take part in a coup that I know won't work."
Smokescreen gritted his denta, taking several long strides to catch up. Blocking the other warrior's way, he halted.
"You haven't even heard it yet!"
Lifting her chin, Skyshadow replied coolly, "I don't have to.
"And even if it did, what makes you think that I wish to rule by your side?"
"We'd make a perfect match," Smokescreen said with a smirk. "Just think of it, you and me, the king and queen. Nothing and no one could stop us."
"Sounds delightful, but no."
"Why not," demanded the now irked seeker.
Skyshadow rolled her optics, twitching a wing in agitation. "You and I would never work. Besides, I'm not looking for someone."
"Why are you still with Sunstreaker?" Smokescreen sputtered. "He's vain and self centred. Plus, he's been weird since Sideswipe died."
"Better than being with you," replied Skyshadow sharply. "And I don't know if you don't get it or something, but his twin died. He is grieving. And for the record, Sideswipe was my friend, so watch it."
She then stepped around him, helm held high. "I'd watch your mouth also, and your step, Smokescreen. There's a lot of bigger 'Bots than you who'd love to give the Prime a reason to kick you out of your rank."
The head seeker turned, scowling. "You wouldn't tell anyone. You want him gone just as much as I do."
Skyshadow paused by the door, casting a glance back at him. A sharp smile crossed her faceplate.
"For different reasons, but you are correct.
"However, I may not be a snitch," she said, pausing an astroklik. "But I am an assassin. Who doesn't take kindly to threats."
With that, she left the room, leaving Smokescreen to sputter and fume by himself.
"She's wrong. I'll change her mind," he growled, balling his hands into fists. "She thinks I'm unable to take what is rightfully mine. But Optimus will fall one orn."
Stalking out into the hallway, he made his way towards his personal quarters.
"And I'll be waiting to take his place. The Autobots will be mine to lead."
Little did Smokescreen know, there was someone listening to the latter part of his and Skyshadow's conversation.
What the listener had heard was old news however, and luckily for Smokescreen, they didn't feel like it needed to be brought to anyone's attention.
Sneaking away, the Autobot decided that he'd follow the femme for a bit. While Smokescreen wasn't exactly worth following at the moment due to almost everyone knew he wanted to be the next leader, Skyshadow was a bit more mysterious with her intentions.
And she didn't have a reputation for no reason.
If he could catch her up to something, that might be more valuable then whatever garbage Smokescreen was likely going on about.
And so, he swiftly headed in the direction Skyshadow had gone, wondering to himself if it was already too late to catch up with the slippery assassin.
Smokescreen flopped down in a chair in the rec room, energon in hand.
The two mechs at the table looked up from their conversation when he joined them.
"Tough day, kid?" asked Bulkhead, smirking down at the seeker.
With a glare, Smokescreen took a drink out of his energon cube. "None of your business."
Bulkhead and Jazz exchanged a look while the latter chuckled.
"Whatever ya say, Smoke."
"Why are you even here, Jazz?" Smokescreen muttered with annoyance. "Aren't you supposed to be, oh I don't know, guarding our leader?"
"Rico's got it. I'm on my break."
"Huh, didn't think he'd let you have those," snarked the seeker.
Jazz grinned, leaning his chair back to balance on two legs. "By the way, ya might wanna back off a that girl, Smokescreen."
Smokescreen froze, cube halfway to his faceplate. "What do you know about it?"
"Don't bother asking him, kid," Bulkhead snickered, taking a swig out of his own energon cube.
"She's pretty, but she can figure out crazy amounts o' ways to kill ya just by looking at ya," replied Jazz casually.
Smokescreen scoffed. "I don't think she would try to kill me."
"Don't be so sure. Besides, even if she decided ya weren't worth her time doing it, ya got the gladiator to worry about."
"He wouldn't dare," hissed the seeker. "He'd die for his treachery if I didn't kill him first."
The bodyguard grinned wickedly. "He would if ya try an make too many moves on his girl."
"Of course the girl chose him," Bulkhead muttered. "Picks the vainest mech in the pack."
"He's got the looks though," pointed out Jazz, putting his pedes on the table.
The wrecker rolled his optics. "So does she. But he's vain as a peacock, she's not."
"Yeah," agreed the bodyguard. "But she's got her own faults that drive mecha away."
"Like the 'I'm thinking about killing you slowly and painfully, just haven't decided how yet look?'"
"Yeah that's one of them."
"Sheesh, they really deserve each other."
Smokescreen's helm turned back and forth between the two as he listened, frown growing deeper as they went on. Finally, he interjected.
"I'm still gonna get her one day."
"Give it up, lover boy," laughed Jazz. "She's way above your level."
"Heck, Steeldust might be closer to her level than you," Bulkhead added with a snicker.
"That punk?" Smokescreen snorted. "He's too focused on poking the chain of command and stabbing stuff."
"Exactly why you're still friends. You don't view him as a threat."
Smokescreen downed the rest of his energon, then stood up. He lifted a hand to point at the two other Autobots.
"Look. As long as he stays away from her, we're good. And as long as he doesn't do something stupid like get killed.
"And just watch. Me and Skyshadow will be a thing some day."
Bulkhead and Jazz watched him saunter away, then turned back to face each other.
"They already are a thing," muttered Bulkhead. "Not the kind of thing he wants though."
Jazz snickered, optics narrowing beneath his visor. "Maybe she'll end up turning his assassination attempts right back at him one day."
"Why doesn't the Prime just get rid of him?"
"Cause he's useful as lead seeker."
Skyshadow stepped quietly into the command centre, audios on high alert.
No one was using the computers, although there should be someone nearby acting as monitor duty.
The assassin smirked. No one would know she left the base because the someone who was supposed to be out here wasn't.
Not that they'd likely notice her even if they were.
Then, she frowned, a wingtip twitching.
However, it wasn't the Autobot on monitor duty that she needed to be concerned about.
It was the one that had been following her ever since her conversation with the seeker leader.
With a roll of her optics, she spoke without turning.
"I know you're there."
A muttered curse came from just down the hall, making Skyshadow curl her lips in a smirk.
She listened as pedesteps approached, their owner now not bothering to attempt to make them quiet.
"How long have you known I was there?" asked the mech in a growl as he came to stand next to her.
Skyshadow turned her helm slightly to look up at him. "Ever since you started following me."
The mech frowned deeply. "How did you know?"
Chuckling lowly, the assassin returned the stare he was giving her.
"You vent so loud I could have shot you in the dark with my optics closed."
Baring his denta, the mech growled, "You do realize who you're talking to, right?"
"Yeah. Doesn't mean I care though." Skyshadow walked several steps into the room before continuing.
"You might be one of the Prime's favourites, but you have no real rank because of it. So, stop trying to use the favouritism to get to me. It won't work."
The mech stood watching, a dark glare on his faceplate.
Skyshadow looked over her shoulder, grinning maliciously. "Besides. You're just my brother."
"Who's better than you."
"Tell me again who has won the most sparring matches?"
The mech growled again, not wishing to answer. "I think that's irrelevant. I'm ruthless towards my enemies-" he paused, a wicked, haughty grin appearing on his faceplate. "Just how Lord Optimus Prime likes his warriors."
Skyshadow nodded. "Yes, but he also likes it when they have more than two processor chips to rub together."
"Are you calling me stupid?!"
"Do Vosians fly?"
"Not if I shoot them down."
"Ha. Who do you think you are? Bluestreak? You can hardly aim let alone bring down an elite flyer like those from Vos."
"I hit you, didn't I?"
"Lucky shot. And we'll blame it on the only half-Vosian energon in me," said Skyshadow smoothly. "Besides, groundpounder. You are still talking to the one you shot down, so obviously you didn't do a good job."
"I could remedy my mistake," came the snarled response.
Skyshadow laughed before replying. "You wouldn't dare.
"Even if you did break our twin bond, you're too attached to actually kill me, Bumblebee."
"My name's Goldbug now!" the mech hissed.
"Whatever," replied Skyshadow, already walking away.
So annoyed and worked up, it didn't register with Goldbug that his sister left the base right in front of him.
"She's mistaken if she thinks she can even compete with me," he muttered. "And she's wrong. I hate her. If Prime said the word, I'd have no problem killing her."
After all, she might just be pretending to be loyal to the Autobots.
And Goldbug couldn't be in any way associated with a possible traitor.
He snarled, baring his denta.
"Just like our older brother who joined the Decepticons."
Thanks for reading!
