Alpha took it and looked at him. She nodded. "Alright...thanks, I guess..." She muttered, looking away.
HT smirked, then made the smile dissapear. He got up, using the clicker to deactivate the field, then made like he was hanging it on the ring on his waistline, and purposely dropped it where the camera couldn't see.
He stalked out without looking back.
Alpha looked at him. She smiled a bit and then turned away from the camera. She drank it and then looked over at the clicker. "Well, I'm probably gonna get killed, do it fightin'." She said, crawling over to the clicker. She grabbed it and turned it off.
Wheeljack was entertaining Kit in Ratchet's office, trying to keep her mind off Alpha. Prime nodded, and Ratchet's finger hovered over the switch for a second before pressing it.
Kit looked up. She cocked her head. "What was that?"
"what was what? I didn't hear anything." Wheeljack smiled, pulling Kit closer, turning his attention back to the cartoon.
"Uh, you wanna go see what the guys are up to, or...just wander the ship for a while? maybe find a spot where we can talk without being bothered." Cap suggested.
"Sure." Terra shrugged.
Cap looked both ways, then led Terra to the service elevator. Once inside, he shut the door and hit a button. The elevator slid downwards, and Cap got the sensation of falling. He shut off his optics momentarily, hoping he wouldn't get sick.
Terra wrapped her arms around him. She flapped her wings. "Don't worry. we fall, I'll catch you." She said, smiling and knowing his fear. It was the same one she had first time she flew.
Cap hung on for dear life. "Mayber I should do what humans do... take up sky-diving." he mumbled, holding on tighter.
After a second or so, the lift slowed down. It was better, and the sick feeling left him, but he didn't release his hold.
He kinda like the feeling of her fur so close to him. He let a brief smirk cross his face, secretly loving being so close to her, and hearing the soft thrum-thrum-thrum of her fuel pump against the metal of his chestplate.
A roar split the air outside the repairbay, and the doors were abruptly forced open.
A dark green form stalked in, amber eyes glowing dargerously bright yellow. The green dragon's black wings hung over his shoulders, held on by the small hooks at the wingjoints.
Behind him were a white Camaro, a black, green and blue pickup truck, and a purple and tan A-10 Thunderbolt. Beside him was an almost exact replica of Megatron. They all wore matching expressions.
glares.
Syus, the dragon-former's voice was low and threatening.
"Where. Is. She." he growled, as though his very stare could kill.
Prime looked up. Ratchet froze.
Kit frowned. "Okay..."
Wheeljack glanced at her, then went back to the cartoon, secretly listening for noises inside the medbay outside the office.
Syus didn't repeat himself. Instead, the large muscular dragon instantly had his kitana unsheathed, the tip of the sword pressing dangerously into the medic's throat. His optics narrowed.
"Syus!" Prime barked.
But the ridged green head never moved. He growled low in his vocalizer.
Mic, the white camaro, hit the door lock with his fist with a loud clang, glaring.
the mech tilted his head slightly to one side, waiting patiently for an answer.
Kit perked her head into the med bay. Her optics widened. "Who are they, Uncle Optimus?
Why are they donig that to Uncle Ratchet?"
The dragon looked over Ratchet's shoulder at the sparkling, lifting an optic ridge in query.
"Who's the kid?" the white mech by the door, Mic, asked, eyeing Optimus. Wheeljack walked out. "Uh-oh." he noted. Syus's other optic ridge went up, now.
"Well?" he twisted the sword slightly, the tip starting to dig in a little.
Hammertread hurried away, hoping Alpha would at least wait until he was a safe distance away, so not to incriminate him. who am I kidding? she probably hates me. he thought, shaking his head. He got back to his quarters and went inside locking the door.
Alpha waited until he was out of sight before cutting it off. She wasn't going to make him seem quilty. He was her friend...or at least she was his. the femme then ran out as fast as her legs could carry her.
HT started re-packing everything. I don't know why I'm bothering. They'll probably shoot me on sight now. so much for belonging anywhere. he sighed, shaking his head.
He picked up the datapad, and Alpha's face appeared on it's screen. "This is what I get for listening to you women." he said. He thought for a second, looking at the smiling face on the screen.
Then he snarled, throwing it against the opposite wall as hard as he could. The datapad shattered, and the peices clattered to the floor.
He stood frozen for a second, trying to will his emotions away. Not to let it get to him. He shook it out with another angry snarl.
Alpha yelped and moved against a dark corner when Skywarp walked by. She sighed and then hurried towards the exit. "Where is it?" She hissed, "Where is it?"
HT hurried down the hall. He could hear Megatron shouting as he appoached. To his suprise, it was Starscream who had gotten the blame.
"You!" megatron lunged, catching Starscream around the throat.
"You left the cell unlocked so she could get away!" He yelled.
Starscream started to say something, but Megatron punched him.
"You IMBECILLE!"
Megatron grabbed one wing, making the seeker winced as Megatron's fingertips dented the metal.
"You let her get away!" he bellowed, shoving the red and blue jet back against a wall.
Starscream coughed, his hands slipping against the sleek metal of Megatron's forearm plating.
He glanced over at the doorway. "Hammertread, go search for the traitor! Take Skywarp and Thundercracker with you!" the Decepticon leader barked.
"Y-yessir." HT saluted and turned to walk away.
In the background, he could hear Starscream's pleas and finally, screaming as he rounded the corner, smirking.
Terra held onto him and then flew out of the 'vator. She landed and then looked at him, smiling. She too loved being this close to him.
Cap's smirk returned, and he leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lip components. "I don't think anyone will bother us down here. do you?" he whispered, voice echoing slightly in the darkened halls.
"No." Terra whispered back. She hugged him.
He kissed her again, moving down to her jawline, still holding her tightly. "If I'm going too far or doing something you don't like, just let me know." he mumbled around the kisses.
Terra nodded. She smiled as he kissed her and her bat ears drooped lazily.
Cap's hand slid around her waist, tracing the fur/armor. "So, are you all bio, or still mecha under all that fur?" he mumbled, working his way kissing around the front of her neck slowly.
"Mecha." Terra nodded. She looked at him and her wings drooped lazily as well.
Kit ran over to them. "Let Uncle Ratchet go!" She growled, baring her tiger fangs. "Now!"
Syus looked down at the tiger cub without emotion. "Do not involve yourself in things that do not concern you, little one." he said in a calm voice.
The black blue and green pickup and white Camaro moved forward, ready to grab the child if she tried anything.
Prime took a step forward "He is not the one you want revenge on, Syus." prime said calmly.
Kit growled. "Let. Him. Go." She snarled, rolling up her sleeves.
Windstriker moved first, reaching Kit and squatting down to her level.
"Do you know what happened to Jade?" she asked gently. Prime reached subtly for his gun.
Alpha sighed as she finally escaped the Decepticon's base. All she had to do was knock out Rumble. That was easy. The femme sighed softly and then hurried away, making no noise. She wasn't going to get caught again.
HT stomped down the hallway, Skywarp and Thundercracker following, making as much noise as possible in case Alpha heard. "I think she went that way." HT stopped for a minute, pretending to scan the hallway for miniscule droplets of energon.
Alpha smirked and then ran as fast as she could. She looked around and, once outside, touched her comm. "alpha to Prime, come in..."
Prime's comm clicked on. "Alpha to Prime. Come in..." the voice was staticy, but Prime gasped at the sound of it. "Alpha!" he exclaimed.
Alpha sighed. "Prime!" She said, walking away from the 'Con base.
the dragon turned his glare back to ratchet. "Answers first." he deadpanned.
"Alpha! where are you!?" Prime asked.
Kit growled.
Ratchet looked at the dragon. He let out a growl.
Syus growled back. louder.
"Answers." he said in a low tone.
"Now!" he snarled, bringing his arm up so the elbow was pointing outward.
The sure sign he was going to send his sword though his target if someone didn't say something.
immediately.
"Outside the 'Con base! Hammertread helped me escape!" Alpha said, running. She panted and then looked around. "I'm alright."
Prime glanced at Syus, his comlink still on. "The Decepticons are responsible for what happened to Jade. We need your help rescuing one of our soldiers from them." he said quickly. He hoped Alpha would hear, and know they were coming to rescue her, with or without help.
Syus only eyeshifted to glance at the red and blue Autobot, and twisted the sword in his grasp slightly again, making a small hole in Ratchet's neckplating.
Kit glared. She heard Prime and her optics brightened, "You know where mommy is?"
Alpha sighed as she hurried away. "Prime, I'm okay for now...but if the Decepticons catch me...eep!"
Hammertread stomped down the hall, hoping Alpha had heard him coming. If she was still in the area. He turned down a junction opposite where his scanners had picked up Alpha's energy signature, hoping it was the right direction, away from her.
Ratchet gulped quietly. Syus sensed it.
Prime nodded. "Please. We can discuss this later." he said to the green mech, who was all but shaking.
Kit looked up at them.
Alpha sighed and, once out of the 'Con's scanning area, sat down to take a rest. She rubbed her shoulders and sighed.
Syus snarled and lowered his sword.
"Bullet, Needle, keep and eye on him. If he tries to leave, shoot him." he said, voice cold as ice.
The dragon looked at Prime, who nodded.
Prime spoke into his comlink. "Can you find a way out?" he asked.
"I think she went this way. I'm having trouble finding anything." HT said, leading the seekers in a direction he hoped was away from Alpha.
"mm." Cap paused, wondering if it was right to continue or not. This was a young and naieve femme, who had been shielded her entire life by being raised as a lab rat. How could he possibly fall for her without feeling like he was taking advantage of her?
"...I'm sorry." he mumbled, pausing to rest his head on her shoulder. "I can't." he near-whispered.
Terra blinked. "...Why?" She asked, looking at him. She cocked her head to the side. "What did I do?"
"It's nothing you did." Cap leaned back so he could face her. He studied her for a moment before asking "You wanna continue?"
inside him, though, the battle raged between whether or not she knew what this was, and whether it was wrong or not. The unsure look crossed his face, and he gave her a quick kiss
on the lips. "do... do you know what.. this is?" he finally forced himself to ask.
Terra looked at him. She had heard...a few of her gaurds had gotten drunk once or twice and...but she didn't really know what it meant.
She knew what it was...but not the meaning.
The femme simply blinked, trying to decide herself.
Cap caught her look. "You don't know, do you?" He asked, gazing at her.
"It's more than just physical connection. It's like... It means you really care about someone. not like a sibling, but deeper. Like when you feel your very being connects to them somehow, like when they walk out of the room, it's like they take a part of you with them. like you can't stand to be without them." he looked away, searching for the right words.
"Like..." His optics took on a faraway look. "Like you can't stand to be without them." he cleared his vocalizer.
"I guess it's harder to explain than I thought. Someone once told me you wouldn't know what love is untill it really happens. Not a temporary liking for someone, a passing feeling that fades, but a fierce loyalty you make a commitment to keep." he looked at her. "I'm not really helping, am I?" he asked.
Terra blinked. "You...are...in a weird way..." She nodded.
Cap gave her a curious look
Terra blinked. "What? you asked if you were making sense and I answered you."
"...oh.yeah." the mini-tank looked at the ground, then slightly up at Terra, who was about a head taller than himself.
he shrugged. "Oh. Well... whattya think? stupid, I know..." he trailed off again, looking at the ground.
"Not reallly." Terra said, looking at him. "It's...kinda sweet..."
Cap blushed, then smiled, nodding. "then it's up to you whether you want to be with someone or not." he said, still feeling unsure of things.
Terra nodded. She hugged him.
Meanwhile, at the decepticon base, Alpha was picking her route throught the darkened corridors of the Decepticon ship, trying to find a way out, and not be seen by the search parties. She pressed herself into a shadowed corner as she heard voices. She hoped they weren't coming towards her.
The outline of a pair of wings suddenly appeared in front of Alpha.
"shh." a voice hushed. "I can't stay long. something's wrong."
Jade's voice took on a suddenly frightened voice. "very wrong."
the outline glanced over her shoulder down the hall. "I can try to distract megs and screamer out of the control room if you hide right outside. The lift is in the center. Let me do the rest." she said.
Alpha nodded. "Yeah..." She said. The femme stood up. "Thanks, Jade." She said, doing as she said.
Prime hurried towards the command center, Wheeljack and Kit following. Syus strode alongside the leader, with Windstriker, the purple and tan jet-plane following. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe walked in. "what's he doing here?" Sunstreaker asked.
Syus kept his expression neutral. but let his optics brighten slightly as a subtle threat, glaring at the yellow Lamborgini. He remained silent, however.
Prime chose to ignore the question. "Alpha is running loose inside Decepticon headquarters. We have to find a way to distract the Decepticons long enough for her to get out." he stated.
Prowl, Brawn, Cliffjumper, and several others entered the control room also. "Yeah. Let's go get her." Cliffjumper sounded. He wondered where Omega was...
Megatron looked up from kicking Starscream, who was cowering from the floor, hands over his face. One of the seeker's wings were tattered and torn where Megatron had taken out his anger on the winged mech.
Jade walked in, plain as day and whistled. Megatron looked up and fired.
Jade went invisible for a second, and the fusion cannon blast went straight through, leaving a large scorch mark on the wall behind her.
"Ha-ha, missed me!" the seekerfemme giggled, and ran out of the room.
Megatron hauled Starscream to his feet and gave chase. Jade reappeared futher down the hall.
"Neener neener neener!" she called, cackling.
Megatron snarled loudly and ran after, Starscream stumbling along behind him.
Omega was flying above Decepticon territory, thinking of a plan.
Alpha smiled. She quickly ran out of her hiding spot and to the lift. Once she was outside, she bolted for it. She ignored the pain in her legs and shoulders and ran as fast as she could
The Autobots zoomed out of the Ark, Syus and Windstriker flying overhead. "I just hope we get there in time." The purple plane noted.
Syus flew faster. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe zoomed ahead, and Jazz sped up to keep up with them, being about the only car capable of reaching nearly the same speed as the duo. The green dragon saw the two, and radioed the purple/tan jet. "They remind me of Mic and Needle." he noted. Windstriker didn't reply. She flew a little faster.
Alpha looked at Decepticon base, quietly wished Hammertread luck and thanked him for helping her, and then ran as fast as she could. She stumbled, but was caught.
"Huh? Bro!"
Omega smiled and hugged her. "Hey, sis."
"Ow! Owowowow!" Alpha said, pushing him away. "Careful! Shoulders, optics...dents!"
Omega smiled sheepishly. "sorry. Come on."
Alpha followed on foot. She didn't want to see if she could transform or not.
"There!" Windstriker transformed putting her feet forward, coming to a screeeching halt, and Syus had to backflap rapidly to keep from running into her.
Windstriker turned and did a nosedive. Syus plunged after her. The two glided over the twins, landing in front of them.
"Windstriker to Autobot forces. We've found them."
Prime sped up. "We're on our way."
Meanwhile, back at the repairbay, Mic shifted slightly, watching Ratchet nervously. Ratchet, however, ignored them, emptying the contents of the incinerator into a small drum-shaped holder.
Alpha looked at Windstriker. "Who?"
"I dunno, sis."
Silence.
"Yes I'm sure!" Omega said.
Silence.
"Oh shut up!" Omega folded his arms. "I did the best I could! What with-"
Silence.
"Come on, sis! I did my best."
More silence.
"Why do I even bother..."
"'Cause you love me, bro."
Windstriker blinked.
"I am Scythe." Syus introduced. "This is Windstriker." he motioned to the purple and tan A-10 Thunderbolt next to him. The shorter femme smiled. "Hi. We're friends of Jade's. You wouldn't happen to know where she is by chance, would you?" she said all at once.
Syus shot her a warning glare, but she ignored it.
Hammertread went in circles, nearly getting his head taken off by a blast from Megatron's fusion cannon.
"Oh." megatron's face appeared from behind the smoking barrel. "it's you."
"Yes, sir." Hammertread replied, saluting. Megatron decided not to explain his actions for fear of being thought as crazy. "I thought you were that traitor for a second." the silver Decepticon stated.
"No sir, she hasn't come through here. We've searched three levels, and there's no sign of her..."
his words were cut off when Megatron bolted for the control room.
The twins stopped their arguments.
"No I don't know them! I told you that!" Omega huffed.
"I know you don't know...oh screw it! Let's just do our normal introductions."
"Fine." Alpha shrugged, "I'm Alpha."
"And I'm Omega."
THey said at the same time, "And we're the begining and end twins!"
"Yes I'm happy, sis. Sheesh!"
"Shut up."
Syus made a curt japanese bow, and Windstriker nodded. He looked to Omega. "We were hoping you could help us find out friend." he said in his normal unemotional, almost-quiet voice.
Alpha sighed. She looked at Omega.
"Alpha's right. We should get out of here."
"But who's-"
"your friend?" Omega finished
Syus blinked. "Jade." he stated.
Megatron reached the control room to find the lift up, and the door open.
"Grrr!" he snarled out loud, and hit the shipwide intercom.
"All Decepticons, after the traitor! we must recapture her!" Starscream limped in, going stiff when he saw Megatron glaring at him.
"you." he growled. Starscream's optics went wide with suprise. "You caused this!" Megatron yelled.
Starscream fled the room.
Megatron and the other Decepticons flooded out of the ship, like hornets from a stirred nest, flying towards the edge of the land where it met the ocean to look for Alpha, and see if she had made it to shore without help or not.
Sunstreaker and sideswipe pulled up, Prime and the others close by. "We have to get back to basde. The Decepticons have most likely left their ship to come look for us." Prime opened his trailer door for alpha to get in.
"Windstriker an I will acts as her bodygaurds." Syus stated, ignoring the glare from Omega as the four piled into Prime's trailer.
Alpha looked around. She nodded and followed.
"Hold on now! I can take care of my sis." Omega growled.
"And why do you..." He trailed off and sighed. "Sis?"
"Will do!" Alpha nodded. She reached into Syus' mind to find the data.
Syus felt the femme's aura move into his and poke it. He knew what it meant, and took it as a bodily assault.
The mech's eyes flashed bright orange, and he stood suddenly, snarling threateningly.
He also shoved up every mental barrier, deflecting the assault.
Windstriker eeped and also stood, looking at Alpha, and swayed as Prime took off down the road.
"One thing you do not do." Syus near-whispered. "Is try to read me." His optics narrowed. "I read others. not the other way around." he grated. Windstriker tried to tap his shoulder to tell him she didn't mean it, but he shrugged her off. "Secondly, you do not lie to me. If you do not know what happened to our friend." his voice was icy at this point. "then say you do not. instead of avoiding the question completely." his wings twitched slightly, the only outward sign of irritation in all his body language and voice.
Alpha yelped. She looked at him and swallowed. "Damn, another one?! How many of us are there?"
"More than you, sis."
"Oh shut up!"
"Make me."
Alpha growled. She glared at Syus. "We know what happened to her, but why do you wanna know what happend to Jade?"
the dragon growled almost inaudibly, as though reading their moods by their energies. He stared for a minute, then his optics went back to amber, but danced with a strange ethereal fire, it seemed.
"Because, she is a friend." Syus finally replied, in a low, rumbling voice. "And what do you mean, "us?"
His gaze flitted to Omega, and his deep eyes flitted over the black flier from helmet to boot quickly, then back to Alpha.
The Decepticons flew in, over the trees and towards the west.
Alpha and Omega looked at each other. There was some shrugging and angry faces and then another shrug.
"Works for us." The two shrugged. They then looked at Syus, "And she/I mean kinda psychic/able to tell when people are in your mind, so on, so forth." They shrugged again.
Syus raised and optic ridge, and a rare smile flitted across his face. Whether or not it was genuine was unknown. But it seemed to be.
"I'm not psychic. I merely..." he shrugged. "Read body language."
he sat back down, squatting more less, leaning against the side of the trailer.
Windstriker glanced at him out of the corner of her optic. he has a very strong aura. she thought, and realized he might have sensed it. but then again, he had to be 'in tune' with someone to be able to read them like that. There were times (or so he claimed) he could tell a lot about someone's history simply from talking to them.
Skywarp and Thindercracker sped across the wodded area, Hammertread and some of hte others following the roads in-land.
Alpha blinked. "Well you're pretty damn good at it." She shrugged.
Omega pointed to Windstriker mentally and said something through their link.
"Ya think?"
Omega nodded.
"Hmph. Could be." Alpha's optics widened.
"Guys, we've got 'Cons! Comin' in close!" The twins said at the same time.
Prime, pull over." Syus said loudly enough for the semi to hear him from inside the trailer where the group was. "We have to get alpha back to base." Prime replied. "We're supposed to stay inside in case the Decepticons get through our defenses." Windstriker noted. Syus glanced at the top of the back of the trailer, as though sensing where they were coming from.
"There they are!" Sywarp did a nosedive, and the Decepticons wer met with a hailstorm of weaponfire.
Alpha swallowed. She looked herself over.
"You're not gonna last long in a fight, sis, so don't even think about it." Omega muttered.
"I can last a bit..." Alpha muttered.
"but not long."
"So?"
Omega deadpanned. "Why can't you be normal?"
Smack!
"Ow." both muttered. Alpha's shoulder and Omega's cheek hurt.
"You are in no condition to fight. That is why we are here." Syus stated, voice going neutral again. Windstriker nodded, glancing up. It had been a while since she'd been in a fight, and she was just itching to go join the firefight. But she calmly waited.
Sideswipe and Sunstreaker launched themselves into the air, tackling Skywarp and Thundercracker. Hammertread rolled along, happily firing at whatever Autobot was in his way. Blitzwing trundled up.
"Hey newbie, watch this!" The purple triple changer launched a shell at the speeding semi, catching it in the side, and the explosion sounded from under Prime's trailer tires
Alpha yelped. She clung to Omega inside Prime's trailer and looked around. "Oh frag..."
Omega shot out and launched at Blitzwing, "Leave 'em alone!" He roared, lunging at the mech.
Prime's trailer tipped sideways, and Syus had to move to one side to keep from getting thrown on top. He started to get up, but windstriker shot out of the open trailer door and into the sky.
"Come on." Syus knew they had to get the trailer uprighted, or find another ride back to base.
"Stay close to me, and do as I say." he commanded, pulling out a pulse rifle. He went to the edge of the door and stuck his head out quickly to look before motioning the femme to follow.
Alpha nodded and followed the two. She followed Syus and then started to help him with the trailor. She looked around at the battle.
Omega growled and kicked Blitzwing. "Try to hurt my sis again and I'll rip out your optics!"
Blitzwing transformed and traded a few punches. Hammertread stomped up, firing off a wild shot at him, intentionally missing, but barely. Ramjet, Thrust and Dirge swung lower, strafing the autobots. Syus had managed to get the trailer uprighted, and stuck out one wing to deflect a random laserblast. He looked at Alpha and nodded.
Alpha wached her brother and Blitzwing fight. She fired at shot at the mech. "Leave me bro alone!!" She growled, forgetting how much damage she was in. No one messed with her brother.
Omega grinned. "Nice one, sis." He said, firing at Blitzwing.
"Thank you." Alpha grinned.
Syus moved in front of her. "Get back in the trailer. I'll handle them." He glanced at Prime, who was standing nearby.
Alpha opened her mouth to protest, but yelped instead upon dodging a shot.
"Go, sis!" Omega ordered.
Alpha looked at him, nodded, and then scurried over to the trailer. "Fraggin'...I always gotta hide...I hate that..."