-Personal Log: Entry #008-

With Rhinox, Cheetor, and Tigatron by my side, recovering Alpha Seven was child's play, and I have hidden her near the Axalon, and moved my radio and posters from Alpha Seven to my quarters in the Maximal base. It has now been two solar cycles since then, and I believe I have successfully integrated myself into Maximal society. I am still on probation, but it's not as bad as it could be.

However, I am concerned. I will have to leave eventually, but Alpha Seven's transwarp drive is severely depleted, and needs to be recharged if I am to attempt a return journey.

Nightshade was in his quarters, resting in beast mode, when he caught the sound of heavy footsteps heading down the corridor. The sound stopped in front of his door.

"Door open," he said quickly.

The computer obeyed. Framed in the doorway was Optimus, standing ready to knock.

"Ah, yes. Silly me." Optimus lowered his hand. "I forgot how good your hearing was."

"Yeah, it's easy to take it for granted," Nightshade told him, sitting up. "Well, come in, then. Rude to lurk in doorways, you know."

"Actually, Nightshade, I was hoping you would come out. I've got a job for you."

"As I suspected. Yes." Megatron had finally completed his search of the database, isolating images of Nightshade's robot and beast heads for comparison against the separate files on the Decepticons.

Inferno floated next to him. The fire ant had grown concerned that his "queen" was spending so much time staring at a computer. "You have found what you are looking for, royalty?"

"Not yet. But what I have found will help me find what I am looking for. All that remains is to wait for the newcomer to emerge."

"I do not understand."

The computer interrupted them. "Two Maximals detected. One, identified as unit: Rattrap. One, identified as unit: Nightshade."

"Ah, it seems there is to be no waiting. No." Megatron converted to beast mode. "Inferno, bring Scorponok and follow me. This is something that will now require my... personal touch. Yes."

"As you command, my queen." Inferno made an elegant bow, and turned to leave.

"And stop calling me that."

"I cannot believe Optimus sent you with me to play Energon hide-and-seek," Rattrap said. "I don't trust you."

"I got that impression when you first saw my beast form," Nightshade replied, with the air of one commenting on the weather. The two of them were walking in beast mode, side by side, on the shelf of a canyon wall. "The way you were shivering, one would think your servo fluids were about to freeze over."

"Well, the only thing worse than a Pred is a stinkin' Decepticon. Just the thought of you alternates my currents."

Nightshade could see it was going to be impossible to convince Rattrap that he wasn't a Decepticon anymore, so he decided to roll with it.

"I can't say I'm surprised. I'm a creature of the night, part cat, and part flying hunter," he said. "I can see how, to a rodent, that can be perceived as a powerful threat." He flared his wings for added effect.

"Be that as it may, however," Nightshade continued, folding his wings, "Optimus trusted me enough to place me at your command, and I fully intend to prove worthy of his trust, even if I'm not worthy of yours." He looked directly at Rattrap with a serious gaze. "So, that being said, do you have any orders, Commander, or are you just going to gripe and complain about my heritage the whole way?"

"All right, all right. We were told to search high and low. You look high, and I'll look low. We'll see if we can find some Energon before the Preds find us."

"You mean fly?" Nightshade had been getting lessons from Airazor, and was thrilled by the thought of a solo field test.

"Do I mean fly?" Rattrap repeated under his breath. "NO! I mean you look high. OF COURSE I MEAN FLY! Now get your charcoal butt in the air!"

"On your word, Commander." Nightshade ran ahead, then turned and launched himself off the cliff. A few clicks later, the panther rose on full wings, looking like he was ready to test their limits.

"And don't forget, we're almost on the edge of Pred turf!" Rattrap yelled up after him. He was becoming irritated by Nightshade's eagerness for the open sky. "So keep those ridiculous ears open, and your mind on the terrain!"

Nightshade sighed. As much fun as flying was, he knew Rattrap was right, and this was neither the time nor place to play with the wind. He flew higher, scanning the ground below for the flashes of blue that would betray the location of an Energon deposit.

"Well, if it isn't the midnight mutant," Megatron said. He was in beast mode, watching from a hole in the stone wall. The cave entrance was a shelf below the one Rattrap was on. "And playing an aerial version of I Spy."

"What do we do, boss?" Scorponok asked, crawling up beside him in beast mode.

"Inferno, dig a tunnel between us and the vermin. Scorponok, climb the cliff. It is imperative that one of you gets the drop on him, or the whole plan fails. Hold him there, and await my command."

Nightshade flew lower to be sure, and then called out to Rattrap. "I think I found some Energon!"

An orb flew upward and exploded, scattering a multitude of red sparkles. Nightshade looked down to see a tyrannosaur looking back at him.

"That's not all you've found," the current Megatron said. "What was it that you called yourself again?"

"Be warned, Megatron!" Nightshade yelled back. "My namesake isn't half as deadly as I am! Nightshade! Maximize!"

Having transformed, he aimed all six of his guns at the saurian. Megatron chuckled.

"Oh, I don't think you want to do that, Nightshade. No. For I have some... How shall I put it? Collateral that you might want to know about. Yes." He lifted his head toward the ledge above him.

Nightshade followed his gaze and saw a tough-looking black transformer restraining Rattrap with one pincer-claw, while the other was trained on the rodent's head, right next to a flamethrower that was held by a red robot with a crazed look on his face.

"Call off your soldiers, Megatron," the black cat said. "Whatever you want with me is between us. Rattrap's not part of this."

"Of course not. That's why he's my security. If you fire on me, Scorponok and Inferno are under orders to vaporize the vermin."

Feeling defeated and hating it, Nightshade powered down his weapons and slowly descended, landing roughly five feet away from Megatron. "All right, Fossil-face. What do you want?"

"I wish only a few cycles of your time to talk, uninterrupted by gunfire," Megatron replied. "Once done, I will release your friend."

"He's hardly my friend. But I'm listening. So talk."

"What did you mean, I'm not your friend?" Rattrap asked thirty cycles later. Both of them were back in beast mode, heading home.

"One cannot be called 'friend' if one is untrusting." Nightshade wasn't happy. True, he'd gotten both of them out of there intact, but Megatron had hit a sensitive spot in his spark.

"Well, it's a matter of perspective," Rattrap said. "Decepticons are dishonest people. And you can always trust dishonest people to be dishonest. Honestly."

"Shut up, Rattrap."

"Hey, I'm still the Commander of this expedition. You don't tell me to shut up."

"I'd say the expedition ended when you were taken hostage," Nightshade reminded him. "Now shut up."

"There's just no pleasing you, is there?"

"Not while you're still talking, no."

"Well, why didn't you say so sooner? I'll be quiet. All quiet on the western front. Zip the lip, take a key, and lock it up."

"Don't make me throw you off this cliff."

"That won't make me any quieter."

"It'll make me feel better. Now for the last time, shut up. I'm trying to think."

"Don't strain yourself."

"MAXIMIZE!" The word wasn't even fully out of his mouth before Nightshade plunged his laser ninjaken into the rock wall, an inch from Rattrap's head.

"Be thankful we are still allies," Nightshade growled. "No one else would survive pushing me this far."

"You're full of yourself, you know that, Motor-head? I'm three stellar megacycles ahead of you. I can take you, easy."

"Really?" Nightshade carved a chunk out of the wall, tossed it into the air, swung his blade three times in rapid succession, and smirked as eight pieces of stone bounced off of Rattrap's head. "How much you want to bet?"

"Hitting me would only prove to Optimus that I was right about you."

"Not if you struck first," Nightshade pointed out.

"You want to fight?"

"You want to take that chance?" Nightshade retracted his sword and flew away. When he could no longer hear Rattrap's protesting voice, he retreated into his processor, calling up the memory of his conversation with Megatron.

"I wanted to extend an invitation to you, to join the Predacons," Megatron said, quietly enough that Rattrap wouldn't hear him.

"And why would I do that?"

"I know of your past. You were a Decepticon once."

"So?"

"I even know your former name."

Nightshade immediately made it clear that Megatron had said the wrong thing. "I gave up that name to make way for my new life. Mention it here, and I will unleash a tempest of light and fire. Hostage or not."

Megatron backed off slightly. "Very well. Just take the time to think it through. Join with me, become a Predacon, and you can regain your legacy."

"What makes you think I want any part of your depraved insanity?" Nightshade growled, his voice rising dangerously. "What in the name of Vector Sigma makes you think you can say anything to--"

Megatron raised a small hand to interrupt, leaned closer, and spoke even more quietly. "Your words are strong, but in the end, words are only words. Let your actions dictate your allegiance. Yes."

He nodded to his soldiers. "Release the vermin. We're leaving."

"Oh, and Nightshade?" Megatron called back, when he had retreated to a safe distance. "If your venom is so great, why did you not strike after Scorponok and Inferno had withdrawn?"

That last comment had strengthened Nightshade's nagging hunch, and the wheels were beginning to turn in his head. Perhaps he was meant to be a Decepticon. Perhaps the loss of self he'd experienced had been because he'd broken away from his true nature.

It was then that the dark cat made up his mind.

"Nightshade to Optimus. Come in, Optimus Primal."

Optimus responded quickly when the transmission came through. "This is Optimus."

"Are you alone?"

"For the moment. But I don't know how long that'll last."

"Well, when you get a chance, sir, can you spare a few cycles? It's not a heavy priority, but I need to speak with you. Privately."

Optimus took a few clicks to consider it. It was clear that Nightshade was upset about something. But what could leave him this rattled, and not need talking over immediately?

"When I can make the time, I will. Primal out."

-End Chapter Eight-