6: A Lie of Love
Cheetor. It was only Cheetor. Depth Charge felt stupid for not recognizing the cat's voice earlier. But why did he shoot the weapon out of my hand? the manta-ray wondered. This thought aroused suspicion.
"Well," said Cheetor in a menacing voice, "ya gonna talk?"
"What's with the shooting?" Depth Charge demanded in a coarse voice. "I just chased off Megatron; there's bound to be more of his stinking sidekicks around here. I might need my weapon."
"Sorry," said Cheetor. "It was just in case you're in a bad mood."
"Hmm," Depth Charge half-smiled. So the kid knew not to mess with him when he was in a bad temper. That was good.
"So…where is she?" Cheetor asked. "Optimus and I have been looking for her since this morning."
Depth Charge remembered his promise to Blackarachnia. He would not tell the maximals where she was. "Look kid, I've got things to do," said Depth Charge smoothly, turning his back on Cheetor and beginning to walk away. "You, make yourself useful and go chase a mouse."
"So what now? You're just gonna walk off?!" Cheetor exclaimed. "Oh no, you're not gonna shine me again!"
"Says who?" asked Depth Charge without turning.
"Turn around!"
This time, Depth Charge thought he should obey. He had never heard Cheetor use a voice so heated or hostile before, and it was somewhat shocking. The marine-bot whirled around to face the Transmetal 2 cat.
"Don't you dare move," Cheetor threatened, his powerful gun aimed at Depth Charge.
"Whoa, whoa, keep your cool, kid," Depth Charge directed, trying to keep his voice steady as he raised his hands in the air.
"Tch!" Cheetor hissed like an upset cat. "They STILL call me a kid!"
Depth Charge shot a side-glance at his weapon, which lay a couple feet away.
"Don't move," Cheetor repeated, catching the ray-bot's look. "Just tell me where she is. I'll shoot!"
"Trust me, you don't wanna do that," Depth Charge told him.
"And why not?" Cheetor asked, ever so lightly tapping the trigger with his finger.
"Because…I wouldn't want something to happen to you," Depth Charge went on coolly. "Something like…this!!" As he spoke, he took his whip (which was his tail in beast mode) and lashed it out. The weapon coiled around Cheetor's legs and the felid fell to the ground, firing his gun as he went.
Depth Charge ducked the shot easily, went over and wrenched the gun from the adolescent's grasp, and threw it yards away. The manta-ray robot threw his whip as well. "There," he said, "we're both unarmed and we can talk."
Cheetor stood up. "I'll ask you again: where is she?"
Depth Charge smiled. "Who?"
"Stop stalling! I mean Blackarachnia! You know where she is, and you're gonna tell me!" Cheetor shouted. "And don't think you can just fly away, cuz I'm Transmetal 2, and I can keep up with you. I stand just as much a chance as you do if we fight—because I'm a Transmetal 2." His voice and face softened. "Please. I have to know. I'm…worried."
"Hmm…" Depth charge pondered. "Uh, negative. I don't where she is."
"Yes you do, you filthy liar!" Cheetor shouted. "Why else are you carrying those energon cubes? We both know they're not for you!" Cheetor jumped at the other maximal. He whacked Depth Charge right in the face, and then kicked his feet from under him.
Depth Charge, losing his balance, fell to the ground with a grunt. He got up quickly, only to be caught by the neck by the Transmetal 2 cat. Thinking quickly, Depth Charge kicked Cheetor in the stomach, making him reel back several paces. The manta-ray charged at his adversary, but the crafty cat caught his wrists and flipped him over, sending him sprawling on the ground. Not waiting for Depth Charge to rise, Cheetor tackled him.
They struggled until Cheetor was on the top, punching for all he was worth until Depth Charge settled down. Then both pairs of flaming red eyes met. Depth Charge was smiling. Cheetor wondered why, when he felt something cold touching his throat. Of course: the ray-bot always carried an energon knife with him in case he got the chance to use it on Rampage.
"Let me up," Depth Charge ordered, holding the weapon at the ready.
Cheetor obeyed wordlessly.
"Now scat, cat!" The manta-ray snapped, motioning with his knife. "I don't know where Blackarachnia is, and even if I did I wouldn't tell you, amateur. Besides, it's none of your business what I do with my energon!"
Cheetor gave him a defiant glance that spoke of death. He had to know where she was! Depth Charge did know; he could sense it.
"Well, get going!" Depth Charge exclaimed impatiently.
Resentfully, Cheetor took off. Depth Charge sighed in relief. Kid's out of his mind, he thought. Well, guess that solves that. Can't go back to base 'cuz the maximals will all be feeling sorry for that nose-wiping waif. Well, I've got lots of energon. Blackarachnia could use some.
Convincing himself that the energon was not originally intended for Blackarachnia (which it was), Depth Charge transformed into Beast Mode and flew into the distance as the sun rose. He wondered again at the plateau's gravitational disorder.
Depth Charge went to the clearing in the forest where he had last seen Blackarachnia. She was nowhere in sight. This was somewhat surprising, because from the way the spider woman had talked, it sounded like she intended to stay there. Soaring over the woods and then over the rocky cliff terrain, the flying ray looked for her. He refused to think about why it mattered to him if she were dead alive; he knew if he started thinking about it would make him drop the idea of finding her.
He stopped in midair, shocked. Was that Blackarachnia, out cold among the rocks? He could not tell from this angle, so he soared downward. It was her, Depth Charge realized as he alighted on the ground and transformed into robot mode. It was early morning, and the rocks played tricks on his eyes. But Blackarachnia was no trick—she was real, in robot mode, and she looked like she could be offline.
Suddenly flooded with concern, Depth Charge ran over to her and took a closer look. She was badly damaged. Something did this: a wild animal perhaps—but what animal could bite through metal? Several of her spider legs were scattered on the ground, and she had claw-marks on her. Depth Charge sat on the ground, and found that she was still alive. He got ready to pick her up, but after he touched her he quickly withdrew his hand. It was covered with mech fluid. Blackarachnia could go offline at any minute, he knew. It surprised Depth Charge that he was disturbed. Again he bent down and this time was successful in lifting Blackarachnia up.
***
Somehow Blackarachnia had managed to transform into robot mode between the intervals of fainting and crawling. She was weak and half-conscious, but felt a little revived when strong, warm arms lifted her off the ground.
"Silverbolt?" Blackarachnia murmured, reaching her hand up and touching the face of whoever was carrying her. "Silverbolt…oh, I missed you. They all said you were dead. I didn't believe them…. Silverbolt…"
A harsh voice cut through her reverie. "No; it's Depth Charge," the voice came. "How do you feel? Can you make it if we fly?"
"Fly…" Blackarachnia muttered unconsciously. "Silverbolt used to fly me places. We had such nice rides—"
"Silverbolt's not here!" Depth Charge snapped, upset at seeing Blackarachnia so changed. She wasn't cool and tough anymore; she was dying and speaking strange thoughts out loud. It was alarming Depth Charge in the extreme—many of his Omicron friends had talked like this before death. "I'll fly you back to base," Depth Charge told Blackarachnia as softly as his rough voice would allow. "Back to Optimus and Cheetor. Your friends."
Blackarachnia jerked her head up upon sudden recollection. "No! Don't…don't take me back there. That's where he lived. That's where his room his. That's where they talk about him." She started to cry. "Don't take me back."
"Then what am I supposed to do!?" Depth Charge exclaimed, almost crying himself in uncertainty. "You need the CR chamber or you're going to die."
"Die…yes…then I can be with Silverbolt." Blackarachnia looked slightly pleased.
"You want to die?" Depth Charge choked. No! He was not going to let that happen! She couldn't just die in his arms like this, when she had so many reasons to live. Suddenly he remembered the energon cubes he had brought. "Blackarachnia, listen to me. You have to take this energon. It'll keep you alive until we get you fixed."
Blackarachnia refused, and using force might snuff out whatever life was still left in her. Depth Charge thought of something—it would bring her pain later, but it would at least keep her alive. "Blackarachnia, you were right. Silverbolt is alive," Depth Charge lied desperately. "You have to stay alive for him."
"W-where is he?" Blackarachnia demanded, struggling to get free of his grasp. She remembered the energon cubes, and consumed them as fast as she could. The strength evidently did her circuits some good, for she went instantly into stasis lock and started self-repairs.
The relief was so great that Depth Charge sighed out loud more than once. He knew the spider's self repair would fix her up. Soon she would come out of stasis lock and be alone just like she wanted to be—away from the world and everyone in it. She would be safe…safe until that metal-ripping creature came by again. Depth Charge thought it would be better to stay with her till she woke up.
***
"Hmm…Darkstar, do you smell that?" Knight asked. It was almost noon, and he had long since caught up with Darkstar, Brent, and the pack. But now his nose had caught a slight, far-off whiff of something familiar. "Energon," he said.
"You're right," Darkstar agreed, sniffing the air. "I want some more. Brent wants me to stay by him, but you can go find the energon and tell me where it is."
"I'll inform Brent that I'm off," said Knight.
"Uh, no—how about you don't," suggested Darkstar. "A pleasure run can't hurt you. It can't hurt the pack."
After last night's battle, Knight was in no mood or condition to challenge the black wolf's authority. He trotted out of sight, following his nose.
***
Depth Charge was relieved when Blackarachnia revived. She immediately remembered her encounter with the wolves. One of the wolves had talked. How much of that had been a dream? The spider lady remembered how hurt she had been last night. She remained silent with burning embarrassment. How she hated being seen in such a helpless state! Blackarachnia could not remember word-for- word what she said in her half-conscious condition and she shuddered to think what Depth Charge might have heard.
She looked at herself. "Transmetal 2 technology certainly upgrades self-repair circuitry, doesn't it?" she asked, playing it cool.
"You didn't look so good earlier, though," Depth Charge remarked.
"Well, you don't look too hot either, fish stuff," Blackarachnia replied, seeing the ray-bot's insignificant but painful damage left over from his fight with Cheetor.
Suddenly the memory came back to Blackarachnia of Depth Charge telling her that Silverbolt was alive. She asked where he was, but had already guessed that it was a lie.
"You tricked me, Depth Charge!" Blackarachnia hissed upon receiving his answer. "I might have fallen for it when I was dying, but I'm not falling for it now! How long did you plan to keep this up, using me as puppet by convincing me that he was alive? Don't you know how much that hurts?! You unfeeling beast!"
"No. I wasn't using you. I was keeping you alive, and you better thank me for it!" Depth Charge retorted.
Lost to words in her anger, the spider lady ran off into the woods again.
"Fine, run away!" Depth Charge shouted. "But don't go getting yourself ripped up again; I can't always save your hide!"