Honor Guard
The twilight air split with the shriek of combat, the mortal and immortal clashing on a lonely beach lit dimly by the setting sun.
Depth Charge screamed as the missile exploded, throwing him into a boulder. The scream cut off with a sickening ::crack!:: of metal breaking against rock, and the limp ray-bot slid down into the sand of the beach. His optics flickered erratically for a few moments more, and the last bits of his consciousness fuzzily noted the feet sinking into the sand near his head before darkness swept him away.
Rampage looked down at his fallen foe, missile launcher dangling idly from his hand as he prodded the manta ray carefully. There was no reaction to his action, however, and he sighed. Looked like the fun was over for the day.
He glanced around the darkening beach, the newest setting for an old custom. Who knew what could come along and harass his playmate in the dark of the night, after all? This 'bot was Rampage's toy. He didn't share, and he wouldn't take the risk of something else breaking irreparably what he'd only cracked. None of the other Predacons would approach him while the crab stayed, but the Maximals probably didn't know to come and get him if he left the ray alone. No, there was only one thing to be done, just like he'd done dozens of times before on different worlds at different times. Sometimes he wondered what the ray thought of his survival of these times. Did he think that he'd driven the killer away, leaving him safe to recuperate? He knew so little of the true game.
The sand creaked as the Transmetal crab settled on the sand next to his hunter, his missile launcher laid in his lap as he looked down at Depth Charge. Almost tenderly, almost like he didn't know what he was doing, one curled finger stroked down the Maximal's fluid-stained face before returning to rest in the sand. With a patience few had ever witnessed, Rampage sat beside his old friend.
Guarding him through the night.
.
Rampage is immortal; Depth Charge is not. You'd think that would have been an advantage in their fights, no? So why exactly is Depth Charge still alive?