Warrior Star's spark pulsed painfully in her chest as she ran, her intakes short as her processor raced.
Lennox, injured? How? By whom? And why? She wondered distractedly as her long legs ate up the miles like they were nothing. Behind her, her three brothers raced along, keeping pace with her easily. She could sense the mess of emotions from Shadowfang, and she knew that he was suffering just as much as she was. Warrior Star reached through their bond, encasing his spark with her presence as she lent him her strength.
Fear not, brother. We will see Lennox and he will recover. Then the ones responsible will die for what they have done.
Do you think that the Guardians will take the bait? The ever annoying voice nagged into one of his sensitive audios. The mech being addressed bared his dentals in aggravation, barely able to bite back on the snarl that was rumbling deep in his massive chest as his dark optics narrowed. His sharp reply cut across the channel harshly, silencing every mech in his vicinity.
Yes, you pit-spawned glitch. They come even as we speak. With a sharp click, the mech cut the channel, a low growl rumbling through his frame as he tuned his scanners so that he could track the rapidly approaching signals. He stood quietly, the wind keening softly as it brushed across his scarred and dented armor, waiting with the patience of a hunter.
Behind him, a mech shuffled his feet, the sound of his armored feet grinding across stone making the smoke colored mech tense before he whirled soundlessly to face the other mech and his noisy feet.
"Be silent, you fools! Slagging Guardians they may be, but there is a reason these four survived when all the rest fell. They are the Guardians of legend, the spawn of Saber and Stardust. They are NOT to be taken lightly. Given even a small opening, they will offline us where we stand. They don't follow the Guardian code of non-confrontation with those they are tasked to guard. They haven't since their pit-spawned creators fell. We must be silent or they will kill us all." Satisfied that he had made his point, the mech turned to face the four signals that grew closer by the second.
Soon, Guardian scum, you will all be dead, and I can finally rest.
Something was off. Keystone could sense it. Even as he ran with his sister and his brothers, he felt his hackles rising, unable to shake the intensifying feeling that unfriendly optics were watching his every move. Above, Moonflight flew in ever tightening circles, and the black mech knew that the Predacon sensed danger as well.
Moonflight, what can you see? The Cybertronian wolf queried on a private channel, and the thunderbird made a long, slow pass before he replied, his dark red optics narrowed and searching.
Nothing, Keystone. But I feel…watched. I haven't felt like this since I left the Decepticons. There is a great evil afoot, my friend, I just can't see it yet. Halt here and give me a little time…I will scout ahead and find the source. The mighty Predacon pumped his wings, straightening in his path and shooting ahead as Keystone barked a command.
"Hold here! Moonflight is checking ahead." Almost as one, all four wolves slowed, Warrior Star's bronze armor gleaming in the waning moonlight as she turned and trotted back to Keystone with Shadowfang on her heels. Swiftpaw had stopped to snuffle around a bit, his gold armor reflecting as a dull brown in the dim light as he snooped around several feet away. Keystone turned his head, his golden optics flashing as Warrior Star halted in front of him, her cobalt blue optics burning with barely-controlled impatience.
"And why have we halted, brother? I sense the danger just as all of you do, but I would be surprised if the threat is something we four wolves, and Moonflight as well, cannot handle." The black mech twitched an ear, looking at his sister reproachfully as Shadowfang nudged her shoulder with his head gently.
"It never hurts to be too cautious, sister. Many strange things have happened recently…I cannot help but wonder if we are being led into some sort of trap." At the mention of the word 'trap', Swiftpaw perked his ears, his green optics glowing as he bounced up to Keystone's massive shoulder.
"A trap? You know, I could always run ahead, flush them out. It would be great fun!" He exclaimed, his entire body in motion until a sharp snarl from Warrior Star made him cringe away and lower himself to the ground.
"Up until a shot to a joint took out one of your legs, cublet! No…we will wait here, until Moonflight returns. That mech is quick on the wing…anything trying to take him out will have their work well cut out for them. But be warned, Keystone…I will not tarry long, not if Will Lennox's life is hanging in the balance." She turned, her optics growing distant with memories as the black mech advanced to her shoulder before turning his own optics to the sky.
"And if news of his injury is a lie? What then, Warrior Star?" Keystone asked, watching his sister's face from the corner of his optics. Slowly, her optics came back into focus, and she turned her head to meet his gaze straight-on.
"If indeed the report of Lennox being injured is false, and we are being led into a trap, then I promise you this, brother…the ones responsible for spreading such a heinous lie will die, as slowly and painfully as I can manage. No one, no mech or human or otherwise, shall be spared for testing my wrath. This I swear."
A/N: Well this was a somewhat productive, very long weekend. Had a 24 hour duty day on Friday...was on duty from 0900 Friday morning to 0900 Saturday morning, then spent all day yesterday sleeping. Then I was a lazy slob today. About all I got done was my laundry, this chapter, and a few levels on some of my computer games. Wow. Lazy. Slob. XD
Got a handful of reviews for the last chapter, and I see that a few of my readers caught up from The Wanderer. Looks like my attempt at the ninja-sneaky posting of the sequel kinda blew up in my face. lol
Anyway! A still short-ish chapter. Haven't quite decided how to proceed from here...haven't figured out what to do with Breaksteel either. Hopefully I'll think of something. Quickly. lol
Thank you to my dear readers, reviewers, favoriters, and followers! You are all so amazingly patient! Thank you so much! ^.^
As always, love if you will, hate if you must. I will take anything that you care to dispense.
Until we meet again...
Kani