Sorry, here it is!
~Love, ArcMaximal
Chapter 13 The Agenda
The Maximal crew was again gathered around Razorgear in the Command Center. Smiles were plastered on everyones face. Optimus' optics brightened when she told him that she had an announcement for the Axalon crew.
She sat in front of everyone, holding the tiny new dark purple sparkling in her arms. She smiled down at her child, then back up at the Maximals. It was the child introduction to the crew, his new family. "I picked out a name for him." The child's bright optics stared back at his carrier, "His name is Ravenflare."
The Maximals offered their smiles and congratulations to the new mother, thought the only ones she paid attention to was the two in the back of the crowd. The smaller leaning back against the taller, smiling right at her. "Dat's some name he got der 'Gear."
"Thanks Rattrap." Razorgear answered, as she watched the tall warrior stroke the arm of the mech in front of him. She couldn't help but smile, those two are the best bots for each other. It was perfect.
"So, 'Gear can I hold him?" The young transmetal cat pulled her attention from the two odd lovers.
For a brief second Razorgear pulled her son closer; it was Cheetor,what was she thinking? Cheetor would be the last mech to harm her sparkling. "Of course, Cheetor." She smiled as she carefully passed her child to the mech that could be still considered a child himself.
"Be careful," the thought occurred to Optimus Primal before it even crossed Razorgear's mind.
"Don't worry Optimus, I got this." One of his arms wrapped under the sparkling, keeping him close, while the other offered its hand and fingers to the reaching hands of the sparkling. Ravenflare squealed with joy and tried to grab Cheetor's fingers. "See." Cheetor half mocked the Maximal leader.
Razorgear smiled and remained seated as Silverbolt, Tigatron, and Airazor surrounded Cheetor.
The leader placed his hand on Razorgear's shoulder, "Don't worry Gear we'll take always take care of Ravenflare, you don't have to do this by yourself. And you never will either."
~~~~~ About two lunar cycles later~~~~
The Predacon lieutenant, Scorpanok, ran up to the warlord's quarters and knocked on the closed door.
"Enter!" The booming voice called from inside the door slid open, then he ran inside. Megatron was in his tub of oil. "Yes?"
Scorpanok saluted, "My lord, Taranlus has reported that the quantum surge force will reach Cybertron soon, meaning that-"
"That Cybertron will know that we are here, yesss" The warlord smirked as he raised an emerging cube to his lips. Taking a sip he spoke again, "Everything is going according to plan."
The lieutenant stared questionably at his leader. "Plan, what plan my Lord?"
Megatron laughed, "The plan to restore our race to its proper throne. Yeeesssssss"
"Did you hear that Gear? We're going home!" Cheetor smiled before grabbing her arm and wrapping her into a hug. "Back to cybertron!" She coughed lightly and the cat released her.
Rhinox had just explained that within a few cycles, Cybertron would know exactly where the Axalon crew was in the universe, thanks to the quantum surge.
The Maximals were celebrating. They were in the home stretch of the war, Razorgear just stared at them in shock. This couldn't be real. Raziorgear watched as rattrap jumped to Dinobot hugging the raptor. Dinobot looked as uncomfortable as she felt.
"Don't celebrate just yet," Optimus Primal exclaimed, he leaned heavily on the control table. "Without a doubt Megatron knows this as well, this will be his last chance," The leader optics fell onto Razorgear, quickly he lowered them. "We need to stay sharp."
The Maximals stared at their leader, Optimus looked back his optics tired. "Get the shields up, now!"
The medic turned back to the monitor, "Tigatron and Airazor are up north, and Silverbolt is still out from this morning."
Optimus shook his head, "Comm. them! Tell them to get their afts back to base immediately!" He typed on the console, "In the mean time, Sential needs to on high alert! Megatron will be making his big move."
This was the Optimus the Axalon crew didn't see often, they're used the calm steady breeze, not the storm that the leader was at that moment. It was the pure fearless leader, the one that had already sacrificed himself for them once. And the one who wasn't afraid to do it again. The Optimus Primal that would protect every bot part of his crew with his spark.
"Dismissed." The leader called out, and slowly the Maximals dispersed from the command center, all except the leader, Rhinox, and Razorgear.
"Optimus?" She whispered softly.
"Yes, 'Gear?" The leader answered without looking away from the projection in front of him from the control table.
The young femme swallowed painfully, fear dripped slowly through her protoform. "I . . . um. I need to tell you something."
Optimus immediately straightened, and the medic slowly turned an audial to the two, but keeping his optics fixed on the monitor in front of him. The leader nodded for Razorgear to continue.
"If we get back to Cybertron . . . well, um I work for Megatron, you know. So, um . . . there's no other way to say this but, I'm on the Most Wanted List on Cybertron." She let out a sigh of relief, like all the weight she had been holding was just lifted off of her. It felt wonderful to get it off her chest.
"What?!" Rhinox snapped around to face the other two bots in the command center. "Are you slagging me?!"
With a quick glance to the Maximal leader, whose optics were filled with shock, Razorgear answered the medic. "No, I'm not. I really am on the most wanted list. And I figured t would be better in no one knew." The metallic lavender femme explained.
The leader finally snapped out of his initial shock, and smirked, "Well, isn't that just Prime." Optimus Primal lifted hand to his neck cables and rubbed them. "Amnesty is always an option, but that's worst case scenario. There isn't anything to really worry about." Optimus put one of those I'll handle this smiles on his face. "Go see Ravenflare, I bet the bitty is awake now."
"Thanks, Optimus-"
The lift doors opened and an exhausted Silverbolt stepped in, interrupting Razorgear. "Why is Sentinel online? What's the emergency?"
Optimus' calm exterior snapped, and all the frustration that he was holding on to was let loose. "Where the frag have you been?!" The starled fuzor took a step back, "You were due back from patrol almost two cycles ago! What were you thinking?" Silverbolt could only stare at the usually calm leader. "Explain yourself!"
It took a few moments for the fuzor to compose himself, along with every optic in the room staring at him, before he could answer. "I was double checking everything. I had an off feeling when i went out this morning."
The leader's fists clenched and unclenched periodically. "Two cycles late, Silverbolt. What in Primus' name took you two extra cycles?!"
The silver winged mech just stared at Optimus Primal, "I told you, sir. I didn't feel right, so I checked again." This time the fuzor's answer wasn't as strong.
He's lying and hiding something. Razorgear thought to is he up to? Razorgear avoided walking in between the possible conflict and dismissed herself from the the command center. Silverbolt was going to get his aft ripped, and Razorgear didn't want to be anywhere near them when it happened.
She turned into her private quarters, barely noticing that the door was left wide open . She went to the small berthside crib that Cheetor and Tigatron made for her sparkling.
Except, when she peered into the crib to check on Ravenflare, he wasn't there. Panic filled her whole body, she sprinted out of her room right to Dinobot's.
The warrior's berthroom door was open as well, so razorgear didn't bother to knock before she ran inside, "Where's Ravenflare?" The femme was almost screaming at the warrior, who was lying in his berth reading from a datapad.
Without looking up from his reading, Dinobot answered. "The Vermin said he was going to check on the sparkling."
"Ravenflare isn't in his crib!" Razorgear snapped at Dinobot.
Setting down his datapad, Dinobot stood slowly and glared down at the much smaller femme. "Find the rodent, find Ravenflare."
Glaring right back at the warrior, she asked, "So where is he?"
He rolled his optics, and crossed his arms over his massive chest. "I don't keep track where the rat is."
"Seriously? You don't know where your little frag toy is? I doubt that."
The exPredacon warrior tensed, and grabbed Razorgear by the shoulder, pinning her to the closest wall at his optics level. She winced in pain, "Don't you dare say something like that about him! Don't you suggest I'm just using him!" The raptor's grip loosened and he lowered her back to the ground, though he didn't release her from his grasp. "I know how that feels, I would never do that to Rattrap." He let go and back a few steps away.
Razorgear rubbed one hand down the opposite shoulder, "I didn't mean it like that."
"You said it, so it does not matter how you meant it!" He hissed back at her, his clawed hands held tight into fists. Razorgear just stared at the warrior. He pointed to the door, "Get out! Get out, now!" Dinobot's optics burned furiously at Razorgear.
Staying backed against the wall, Razorgear shuffled slowly to the door, "Yeah." She answered nervously, "Yeah, I'm going!" Her hand felt the open door way, and she slid out of the temperamental warrior's room.
Once in the hallway, the femme stared back at Dinobot, who was now in the doorway. "Go check check in the nursery room! " The exPredacon then slammed the door on the young mother.
She sighed to herself, Razorgear completely forgot to check the spare room that was made into a nursery. And as she neared the spare room, that Rhinox and Optimus suggest to used as the nursery, she saw the door was open. SHe peered inside to see Rattrap laying on his back sprawled on the ground. "Rattrap?" She asked softly, the rat wasn't moving and she was unsure if he was even awake.
"Shh, he's recharging." Rattrap whispered back, he lifted his hand to point at the center of his chest, where the tiuny mech laid.
Taking a few careful steps toward Rattrap, Razorgear picked up her sparkling. She rocked the still sleeping child in her arms. Rattrap slowly pushed himself off the ground.
"Dat bitty is one heavy sleeper!" He stood and brushed a servo on the sparkling's helm. "Thank Primus for dat." Rattrap laughed, "I bet he'd sleep through an attack on da Axalon."
Razorgear smiled at the two-toned sparkling, "At he recharges through the night cycle now."
The first few decacycles after Ravenflare came online, he hardly slept. Rhinox was worried at first, but Ravenflare stayed 100% healthy. The Bitlet simply refused to sleep. Though, after a while he finally settled into the Axalon's routine.
The Axalon started to shake, and Optimus grabbed the command table in front of him to keep from falling over. He tapped on the console, and the area surrounding the Axalon showed that half of the Predacons were firing their massive weapon at the ship and its shields.
"The shields are down to 30 percent already and still dropping Optimus!" Rhinox called from one of the monitors.
"Any sign of Cybertronian ships?" Optimus asked as the lights in the base blinked red.
"Nada blimp on the scanners, boss!" Rattrap exclaimed.
"Alright then, get ready to fight then!" The Maximal leader called out to his crew, as the Axalon continued to shake.
"15 percent!" Rhinox shouted, then again. "10 percent!"
"Silverbolt, Airazor, Cheetor when the shields drop I need you in the air! Dinobot, Tigatron, Rattrap, you're coming with me to the ground." The Maximal leader barked out his commands, "And Rhinox stay in the base with 'Gear!"
"But Optimus, I can help!" The purple femme exclaimed, taking a few steps toward the transmetal gorilla.
The leader spun to face Razorgear, "This is not the time to argue with me!"
Rhinox interrupted the brief argument before it could continue, "Uh, Optimus. Something is firing at the Predacons. And it isn't us."
"There's nothing on the scanners, either." Airazor commented, looking over the medic's shoulder.
Shocked, Optimus stepped over to stand beside Rhinox, "What is going on?" He stared at the screen. He saw the Predacon signals retreating, and frowned.
"Dis can't be good." Rattrap joked.
Then out of nowhere, a large black ship appeared and landed beside the Axalon. Once Optimus Primal saw it, he called out his order. "Lower the shields."
Razorgear was the first to respond to the new order. "'Lower the shields?' are you crazy, Optimus? You saw what that thing just did to them!"
Optimus simply repeated himself. "Lower. The. Shields."
Tigatron paused to stare at the leader, "That ship is no Maximal ship."
"If it wanted to attack us, it would have done it already." Optimus Primal grumbled, "Don't make me say it again."
Rhinox turned back to his monitor, and type a single command. "Sentinel standing down."
And they waited. Nothing, not a response.
"Strange, one would think that a greeting would be the next step." Silverbolt pondered aloud.
"Tried all the hailing frequencies," Rhinox responded back. Just then, the top of the Axalon opened,
"Scanners?!" The leader's optics never leaving the open doorway in the ceiling of the base.
Rattrap again stared at the scanners, "Dere's nothing up dere, Optimus."
The exPredacon warrior growled under his breath, "I smell something . . . no someone." The raptor's red optics were focused, preparing the lasers in them.
"What do you think it is Big Bot?" Cheetor slowly drew his weapon as red lasers came from the open ceiling.
Optimus shook his helm, "Not what, who." The Maximals all stared at their leader. "After the Great War, a few Decepticons were granted amnesty. Most have retired, but rumor has it that one was reprogrammed and rebuilt, as a Predacon!"
The Maximals who drew their weapon had them shot out of their servos. They backed away from a figure that slowly appeared out of nowhere, landing in front of them.
"Ravage." Dinobot stap the Decepticon's name like curse.
The black and silver mech, placed his own weapons back in their holster. "You will pardon shooting the weapons from your servos. I only wish to avoid any regrettable accidents to my person."
Rattrap stepped toward the former Decepticon, "Well ya know, next time use fraggin' front door!" Dinobot grabbed the smaller mech's arm, before he could get too close to Ravage.
"Vermin, don't." Dinobot hissed into lover's audial.
"For bootin' up cold, he's a fraggin' Decepticon!" Rattrap shouted at the Maximal leader, he attempted to pull away from his lover.
"Shut up, Rattrap!" Optimus lightly shoved the transmetal rat closer to Dinobot.
"Sorry we've been fighting Megatron and his Predacons for a while now." Optimus Primal explained to the new comer.
Ravage smirked at the gorilla, "For which the Tri-Predacon Alliance deeply apologetic. I assure you, this is why I am here." The black mech with the tiger like face snapped to attention and saluted Optimus Primal. "Covert Agent Ravage at your service."
Rhinox stood and faced the Decepticon, "Wait a cycle, what about the Maximals?"
Rattrap attempted to pull away, "Yeah, ya fraggin' glitch!"
The strange mech nodded, "Yes, the signal was very weak when it Reached Cybertron. Us Predacons were barely able to pick it up." Rhinox looked extremely disgusted. "And we would prefer to resolve this discreetly."
"Are you fraggin' piece of slag when I get my servos on-" Rattrap nearly charged at Ravage.
"Get him out of here, Dinobot!" Optimus pointed out the command center.
The warrior grabbed his rodent, and threw him over his shoulder. Rattrap continued to shout at the black mech. Dinobot seemed unfazed, and they left the command center.
End of Chapter 13 . . .
The Agenda is starting and it's gonna be a hard run.
~Love, ArcMaximal
