13.June.08

Brotherly Betrayal

Author’s Note: The 2^nd installment of my Cheetor mini-series. Give me your thoughts and comments.

Recap: Pantor, Cheetor’s older brother, emerged from a stasis pod. He’s charmed the Maximals. Cheetor however, suspects something’s up. He follows his brother and finds out that he was meeting with Tarantulas in secret. When Cheetor confronts him, Pantor convinces him to follow him to a large chasm. Pantor pushes Cheetor in and shoots the ceiling, causing it to fall on top of his helpless brother.

Disclaimer: In no way do I own Cheetor or any other Maximal or Predacon mentioned in this story, except Pantor.

By: Tor

Pantor stalked toward the Axalon, as a black shadow, a smirk on his face. As he neared the Maximal base, however, he rearranged his features into a remorseful and sorrowful expression, and to complete the picture he transformed and shot himself, to make his appearance even more wretched. Then he collapsed at the hatch of the Axalon, crying out, “Help! It’s me, Pantor!”

Instantly, the hatch lowered, caring with it a concerned Rhinox.

“What happened?” Rhinox asked, noting Pantor’s blackened armor, and the absence of Cheetor.

“… Ambushed!” Pantor gasped, then whispered so Rhinox wouldn‘t hear, “Commence stasis lock.”

“Commencing stasis lock,” Pantor’s onboard computer said. Rhinox leaned over Pantor, real anxiety and alarm on his face. Pantor savored his excellent performance as he went offline.

***

Pantor awoke from his self-induced stasis lock inside the CR chamber. He knew that he was fully-functional, but stayed inside the chamber, the longer he was in there, the more the Maximals believed he had suffered in the Predacon ‘ambush.’

He soon became bored, but like the best of spies, Pantor was patient. His patient was rewarded by an all-Maximals meeting when Rhinox opened his CR chamber.

Pantor quickly shut his optics when he saw the door lifting away, and then slowly opened them again when the door was completely lifted free.

Optimus bent forward, “How do you feel.”

“I’ll… function,” Pantor said haltingly, while on the inside, debated on the subject he had debated on in the CR chamber, how to tell his story.

“Look, kid, not ta be nosy, but what da slag happened?” Ratrap asked bluntly.

Pantor decided to go with the injured hero act, “I wanted… to show Cheetor Tarantula’s new lair, you know because he wanted to get even… but Tarantula’s somehow knew we were coming…” Pantor paused, and let the Maximals wonder for a cycle, then continued, “There were three of them, Tarantulas, that scorpion, and the wasp. Me and Cheetor transformed, but everything happened so fast…” Pantor enjoyed using his next technique: blinking rapidly to show he was holding back tears.

The Maximals fell for it, hook, line, and sinker, Pantor could tell. Optimus looked away, looking shocked and sad, Dinobot mumbled something that sounded like, “Poor, feline,” and lowered his intense gaze to the ground, Ratrap rubbed his shoulder uncomfortably, and Rhinox patted Pantor on the back.

“Tarantulas hit him, right in the chest, and the blast ignited some chemical…” Pantor closed his eyes, as if remembering something painful, while grinning on the inside, “He was gone before I could do anything. Then, instead of staying to kill that stupid slagging spider, I ran. I ran away like a coward.” Pantor dropped his voice to a whisper for dramatic effect for the last bit. He opened one optic to see the reactions of the emotional Maximals. All looked troubled, but none more than Optimus. Pantor had overheard some of the conversations, and knew that their ‘fearless leader’ and his annoying little brother had had a father-son relationship.

Sentimental fool, Pantor thought sourly.

“He was a brave Maximal,” Optimus said, his voice thick with emotion, “May his spark rest in peace, in a place of honor in the Matrix.”

Pantor had to stop himself from rolling his eyes.

***

Darkness closed in around him, something heavy was pinning his legs, no crushing his legs.

“Oh, man, I’m going to kill Pantor,” Cheetor was alive, but the cave-in had obviously damaged him. He groaned softly, he couldn’t even transform, because his hind legs were currently being squashed by a two-ton boulder. “Slag! How am I supposed to get out of here!?!”

Cheetor wriggled a bit. The boulder wasn’t entirely crushing his left leg, so he wiggled and squirmed. With agonizing slowness, Cheetor’s leg freed itself. Once his left leg was free, the boulder tipped, not having support on the left. This let Cheetor’s right leg move a little, and soon Cheetor had gotten both his legs out. He stretched them, a little scratched, but that was the least of his worries. He looked around. He was enclosed in a dome of rubble, with a small hollow in the middle, where he was now.

How would the others handle this? Cheetor asked himself. He knew Dinobot would use his optic lasers to blast his ways out, Ratrap would grumble, but wriggle his way through a hole or something, Rhinox, Cheetor wasn’t so sure, try to use some complex device to get out, and Optimus, he would probably be able haul the rocks to make an escape route. But what would he do?

Cheetor tried to wiggle his way under a large rock, about one and half feet off the ground, and he got stuck for few cycles. Ratrap’s way wouldn’t work. Cheetor got a crick in his spinal rods trying to haul the various rocks around him. He didn’t have a clever device, like Rhinox. So Cheetor pulled his gun from subspace, and shot at the top of the confined space. Rubble fell like rain from the ceiling. Coughing, Cheetor slumped onto the ground, feeling utterly powerless.

Then, he raised his head, a weak beam of sunlight fell onto the walls opposite him. Elated, he looked up. His blaster had made a small hole in the ceiling. Grinning, Cheetor began to climb the boulders to freedom.

***

Pantor sneaked out of his room, looking right and left. He slipped out into the hallway, and stalked toward the control room. Finding Ratrap asleep (as usual) at his post, Pantor flipped the base communicator on and typed in a Predacon frequency.

“Pantor to Megatron,” he whispered.

“…huh? Uh… who is this?” a sleepy voice mumbled.

“This is Pantor, sir.”

“Oh, Pantor… Wait, who?”

“I’m new to the team…” Pantor said slowly. “I’m a spy for you… Tarantulas said everything was on your orders…”

“Treacherous spider,” Megatron’s muttered. “Em… well, what have you been doing?”

“I have annihilated my brother, Cheetor.”

“Hmm… no regrets? Interesting…” There was a pause. “What was your purpose for calling me?”

“What are new orders?”

“Hmm…” there was a pause. “Oh, yesss! You shall deactivate the Maximals’ defense in a few megacycles. I shall contact you when the Predacons are ready to strike.”

“As you wish, Lord Megatron,” Pantor disconnected the commlink and switched back to the Maximal frequency.

“What are you doin’ up so early?” Ratrap had obviously woken up.

Pantor half-closed his eyes and lumbered sleepily toward Ratrap, “H-huh?” Pantor gave a huge fake yawn. “H-how did I get here?”

Ratrap looked genuinely amused, “Look’s like you like ta sleep-walk.” He sniggered.

Pantor shook his head, as if to clear away his sleepiness, “Oh. Whatever, I’m going back to bed.”

Ratrap watched as the cat-bot slunk back to his room, “Dere’s somethin’ funny wid dat guy…”

***

A few mega-cycles later, Optimus had called a group meeting to discuss Predacon activity in sector 1-3-3 of grid Vinea.

“No doubt Megatron is building something big there,” Pantor said, a in bored tone.

“Then, we must stop him at all costs,” Dinobot declared, slamming his fist onto the table.

Ratrap rolled his eyes, “Bronto-Brain, evah consider listenin’ to a plan? I’m not putting my pink behind on da line.”

“Coward,” Dinobot snarled in disgust.

“Cool your conflict circuits, Maximals,” Optimus said, before Ratrap could say something in return. Optimus turned to face Pantor. “Pantor-”

“Is a traitor!”

Everyone turned. Cheetor was on the hatch, armor slashed open, with mech-fluid dripping from a dozen cuts. Cheetor, instead of greeting his comrades, just glared hatefully at Pantor.

“You betrayed us all!”

“Now, hold up for a nano-click? Are you sayin’ dat Pantor is a traitor, Spots?” Ratrap asked, looking from Pantor, who was stony-faced, and Cheetor, who looked ready to kill his own brother.

“Yes.”

“The feline is just envious that his brother did not get scrapped like him,” Dinobot smirked slightly.

Cheetor shifted his stare to Dinobot, who returned it with equal intensity.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Cheetor? With the amount of damage you took, your memory b-” Rhinox began.

“I’m fine! Don’t you guys get it? Pantor betrayed us to the Predacons,” Cheetor shouted in frustration. Pantor didn’t look at Cheetor, but cocked his head as if listening to something indistinct.

“Now, Cheetor, be reasonable…” Optimus said in a soothing voice.

Pantor straightened, “That’s true actually.” All the Maximals froze, while Cheetor grinned wolfishly. Pantor disregarded his brother and took advantage of the Maximals’ stunned silence, “Sentinel, offline.”

“Acknowledged.” Pantor grinned evilly, pulled his gun from subspace, and blasted the control consol.

Instantly a powerful blast rocked the ship.

“Perimeter attack. Predacon Units: Megatron, Waspinator, Terrorsaur, Scorponok, and Tarantulas,” the computer stated.

“I’ve said it before, we’re all gonna to die,” Ratrap said miserably.

Pantor began to laugh, “You Maximals are fools! Didn’t you ever wonder where I went, when I wasn’t on patrol? I have been a double agent for nearly a solar-cycle!” Cheetor growled and leapt at Pantor. The two fell over in a tangle of arms and legs.

“Maximals, lets go!” Optimus ordered everyone outside, knowing it would be useless and time-consuming to try and repair the consol to get Sentinel back up.

Everyone exited the Axalon, with cries of, “Out of my way, Vermin,” “Rhinox MAX-” “Not here, Rhinox! You’ll crush me and Dinobutt.”

Optimus looked at Cheetor, who punching Pantor, but getting into a headlock, “Cheetor, once your finished, come out and help.”

“Oh, he’ll be incapable of helping, Optimus,” sneered Pantor, kicking Cheetor in the stomach.

“I’ll be right out, Big-Bot,” Cheetor snarled, and got free of the headlock, punching Pantor in the face.

Optimus sighed, then left.

He descended from the hatch to find the Maximals were faring badly. Tarantulas was closing in on Dinobot, who was wrestling Megatron, a strange laser cutter gripped in his claws. Waspinator and Terrorsaur were dodging Ratrap’s gunfire while cackling wildly. Rhinox was diving behind slabs of rock to avoid a barrage of missiles fired by Scorponok.

“Prime jets, ON!” Optimus rocketed up into sky and rammed into a gloating Terrorsaur. He squawked and plummeted out of the air, smoking.

“Wazzzpinator will get ape-bot!” Waspinator bumbled, firing his gun at Optimus.

Ratrap looked up, Terrorsaur was spiraling down, his backside giving off plumes of black smoke. Waspinator was fighting the Boss-Monkey, so Ratrap was free to choose a new battle.

He heard someone cry out in pain.

“Chopperface!” Ratrap cried and scurried around a boulder, gun pointing toward the source of the noise. Dinobot, who had been fighting with Megatron, was on the ground bleeding mech-fluid, Tarantulas and Megatron standing over him. As Ratrap watched, Megatron raised his T. Rex head to fire on Dinobot. Too bad Ratrap fired on him first.

“Take that, grape-face!” Ratrap jeered, as Megatron fell backward with the unexpected hit. Tarantulas looked up at Ratrap. Dinobot took the distraction and kicked Tarantulas in the legs.

The Predacon spider fell on top of Megatron, who growled, “Get off me you stupid imbecile!”

Ratrap darted out and helped Dinobot to his feet. The warrior may be able to take a lot of damage, but even he couldn’t overcome the pain of a major mech-fluid reserve loss. A blue, faintly-glowing liquid poured from a large gash on his chest.

“Dinobutt, ya sure are lucky I’m here ta save your sorry-” Ratrap smirked. Dinobot glared at him (which only made Ratrap’s smirk grow).

“Spare me,” snapped Dinobot, who was extremely irritated that he had to accept Ratrap’s help, but he couldn’t move otherwise. Tarantulas had sneaked up behind him when he was engaged in battle with Megatron, slashing through his armor with his new invention.

Dinobot leaned heavily on Ratrap’s shoulder and limped toward the Axalon. As the two neared, Dinobot picked up the scrabble of claws on steel, and a blast of a gun coming from inside the ship.

“Dose two cats are probably still fighin’ it out,” Ratrap said when Dinobot didn’t comment on the sounds.

“I do not care about the quarrel that Cheetor has with his brother,” Dinobot shrugged, then winced painfully. “I only care that the traitor is destroyed.”

“Ya really are a carin’ bot, Dinobutt,” Ratrap sighed and began guiding Dinobot toward the ship’s hatch.

Cheetor heard Dinobot and Ratrap’s conversation, while simultaneously trying to shoot Pantor, who was in beast mode. The panther would not stay still, and leapt gracefully from table to chair, avoiding all of Cheetor’s shots.

Pantor suddenly sprung straight at Cheetor, pinning him to the ground, looking at him full in the face.

“Face it, little brother, you can’t beat me,” a horrible half-smile, half-grimace on his feline face.

“I will beat you and you’ll pay for what you did!” Cheetor grunted, trying to rise from the floor.

“The day you beat me is the day Cybertron turns organic,” spat Pantor. Cheetor narrowed his optics, then used his legs to kick Pantor off him. Pantor flew backward, but landed on his feet, baring. The hatch rose up, and Dinobot supported by Ratrap stepped out of the hatch.

Pantor transformed, and shot at Ratrap, who temporarily forgot he was the only thing keeping Dinobot on his feet, and ducked. Dinobot’s legs crumpled underneath him, and he fell into the path of the quasar gun’s charge. He was thrown against a wall and immediately went into stasis lock.

“Oh, Slaggit!” swore Ratrap, crawling on all his hands and knees to Dinobot (Pantor returned his attention to his brother). Dinobot was bleeding freely, and Ratrap knew that if he didn’t do anything, Dinobot would die do to mech-loss. Ratrap began to drag the unconscious warrior toward the CR chamber, leaving Pantor and Cheetor alone again.

Cheetor growled and the two circled the center control table, not taking their eyes off each other. The silence between them was cold and suffocating, but neither broke it, just prowled in an endless circle.

“Why?” Cheetor finally asked.

“Because Megatron will win, he processes cunning Optimus Primal can not even dream about,” Pantor replied tonelessly.

“But on the Predacons, you can’t trust anyone, they’re all backstabbing and treacherous.”

“What do I have on the Maximals? A promise of certain doom, and forever trying to convince everyone with your impossible dreams of galactic peace.”

“No, you have trust, friends… and family.”

“I don’t have any family!’ Pantor spat. “That is the main reason I betrayed the Maximals, I can’t stand you! You’re completely useless and so annoying! You have to be even more annoying than ten Waspinators on sugar binges!”

Cheetor was stunned, his own brother thought he was useless. And annoying.

Pantor used his brother’s distraction to leap at him again. Pantor pinned him to the ground and pulled his gun from subspace, pointing it at Cheetor’s head. Cheetor stayed perfectly still, fear and hurt on his face. Pantor looked at him in the optics, his expression troubled.

“All Maximals, retreat!” Optimus’s voice sounded from Cheetor’s commlink.

Pantor still didn’t move, but Cheetor, closed his eyes preparing to enter the Matrix. The weight suddenly lifted from him. Upon his eyes and saw Pantor, backing away from him, a hateful look on his face.

“Goodbye, Cheetor.”

“B-but-” Cheetor stuttered.

“Less talking, Spots,” Ratrap came out from the corridor, again supporting Dinobot, whose wounds looked a little better. Cheetor noticed that both looked hopeless and dejected by Optimus’s order of retreat.

“Yes, we must move quickly,” Dinobot agreed with Ratrap, which itself was unusual, but not half as unusual as the absence of Dinobot proud presence; his wasn’t meeting anyone’s optics and he slumped on Ratrap’s shoulder.

Cheetor turned away from them to face his brother, but Pantor had disappeared.

***

“So lemme get dis straight… We are stuck out here, wid no power, no base, no nothin‘?” Ratrap sputtered.

“Yes,” Optimus said gravely. “They took us by surprise, and it worked.”

“Not to mention Pantor was a traitor,” Rhinox said wearily.

“I told you so,” Cheetor said moodily. Everyone glared at him.

End of Part 2

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