13.June.08

Entry for the Mystery Fan Fiction Challenge 2008.

Distrust in Dinobot

Author’s Note: This is my first stab at the Fanfic Challenge. It takes place right after “Beast Wars Part 2.” It was supposed to be a mystery but it kinda evolved by itself, so I’m not sure if it still it’s a ‘mystery.’

By: Tor

“Another uneventful patrol. Such a waste o’ my precious beauty sleep,” brooded Ratrap. He was extremely bored, tired, and bad-tempered. The Predacons still moping away in their base after getting their leader was blown up by the energon blast on the mountain summit, and Ratrap was still stuck on patrol. At two in the morning. Optimus was obviously paranoid.

The velvety darkness pressed all around the Maximal, while an unbroken silence governed the forest that was his patrol area.

A small bush shook, breaking the oppressive silence, but making Ratrap’s Energon-pump beat a bit faster than usual. Ratrap laughed at himself, Dis planet is crawlin’ with little, harmless creatures. Nothing ta worry ‘bout.

His reassuring thoughts were interrupted as he heard a crackle, like someone had moved a foot ever so gently through a patch of dry leaves.

“Calm down, Ratrap. There is nothing dere, just a bird, or friendly fur-ball. Yeah, just a friendly, little fur-ball,” he babbled to himself. Suddenly, he swiveled around, positive he had seen a flash of color, breaking the black blanket of night.

“It was a bird. It was a bird,” whispered Ratrap feverishly, all the same, he took out his gun, running his other hand up and down the barrel. It was a comfort thing.

A low, chuckling growl rumbled from the undergrowth. Ratrap instantly fired and charged toward the noise. He didn’t see anyone.

Officially creeped, Ratrap went back to his patrol route, eyes glancing back and forth. He took three steps forward, then heard a roar accompanied by a flash of green light. He spun, gun rising toward the disturbance, and was hit hard by what felt like a whole Predacon fleet.

Ratrap fell to the ground, optics fading into darkness.

***

“Ratrap!” Cheetor cried. Ratrap was sprawled in front of him, clearly in stasis lock. He spoke into his commlink, energon-pump pounding, “Cheetor to anyone!”

“Speak, feline.”

Cheetor paused. He wasn’t so sure about telling the newly turned Maximal about the situation. Dinobot didn’t seem to like Ratrap that much and well, we had been a Pred. He brushed aside his doubts, and said, “I’m at coordinates 8-2-9. Ratrap’s been injured and I need help getting him back to base.”

“Very well, I am headed to you position,” Dinobot’s voice had a slight smirk to it, like he was laughing at something, like Cheetor inability to transport Ratrap on his own, or…

Cheetor looked at Ratrap’s lifeless form. There was a huge gaping rip in Ratrap’s chest-plate, revealing fizzing wires and it looked like something was missing. Cheetor tried lifting the unconscious body of his comrade onto his shoulders, but found him too heavy too carry.

“Ratrap you need to lose a few pounds,” Cheetor grunted, dropping Ratrap. He noticed on footprint pressed into the soft mud on the forest floor. It looked like it had two claws…

“Or you need to get in shape.”

Dinobot had arrived amazingly fast, considering he was supposed to be on patrol quite a bit away from thee current position.

Cheetor sighed in relief, “Dinobot, help me. You take the Ratrap, while I try to contact Optimus.”

Dinobot looked at Ratrap, and as if biting back a few other suggestions, then hoisted the unconscious rat-bot onto his velociraptor back.

“Cheetor to base! Come in!” Cheetor practically yelled into his commlink.

There was a huge yawn at the other end then, “Rhinox here. What’s going on Cheetor?”

“Ratrap’s scrap. Me and Dinobot are going to bring him to base.”

“You mean ‘Dinobot will carry him, and I will give a play-by-play,’” muttered Dinobot.

Rhinox jerked awake on the other end, “What?!? What happened?”

“I don’t know Big Green, but we got to get him to the CR fast.”

“Alright,“ Rhinox still sounded worried. “I’ll keep an eye out for any Preds who might be poking around,” acknowledged Rhinox.

“Alright, Dinobot, we just have carry him for two miles.”

“You mean, I will carry him for the two miles,” corrected Dinobot irritably, trying to walk around Cheetor, who was continuing his plan as if Dinobot hadn’t said anything.

“We’ll go slowly- no we’ll get there as fast as we can. Wait, then we can’t really notice if a Pred is following us-” instructed Cheetor, talking faster and faster.

“Spare me your eternal jabber,” snapped Dinobot, shoving Cheetor aside. “We will go for speed. Have you forgotten that Rhinox is watching the scanners for us?”

“Oh yeah,” Cheetor said in a small voice.

Dinobot shot forward through the night, heading toward the Axalon, muttering grumpily, “Ignorant child.”

***

Ratrap was safely inside the CR chamber, while Rhinox pulled up the medical report of Ratrap’s body.

Rhinox began to pace agitatedly outside of the chamber, “There is some major damage to his primary energon reserves. And his Energon Directory Unit is missing. Without he’ll die in a few days, CR chamber or no CR,” Rhinox said heavily. Then he added quietly, “If he doesn’t die tonight.”

“A pity,” Dinobot said unconvincingly. Rhinox glared at the raptor-bot.

“I wonder what happened to him…” Cheetor wondered aloud.

“It is obvious, a Predacon must have attacked him, a lethal, powerful Predacon,” Dinobot sniffed, haughtily.

“What’s gumming your gears?” Rhinox asked, through gritted teeth. Privately, Rhinox’s own temper was rising, his best friend was in danger, he didn’t have a clue who did it, and to top it off, he sensed Dinobot and Cheetor were getting close to a vicious ‘discussion.’

“Who else could have damaged the cheese-eater in such a spectacular manner, if not the Predacons?” Dinobot said impatiently, as if this happened everyday.

“You know what, Dinobot? I’m starting to see what Ratrap was getting at: you really still want to be a Pred!” Cheetor flared.

“At least the Predacons were all competent warriors… unlike yourself,” Dinobot returned in a glacial tone.

“At least all Maximals are loyal and don’t betray their team!”

“Cheetor, cool your circuits,” Optimus Primal had woken by the loud conversation Dinobot and Cheetor were having. “Dinobot, do you have any idea on which Predacon could have inflicted such damage?”

Dinobot looked carefully at the hologram of Ratrap’s body, with all the damaged parts flowing a dull red, and nodded slowly, “Tarantulas or Megatron. The amount of damage inflicted would suggest…” Dinobot sucked in air, making a snarling noise in his throat, “Megatron did it. But why Megatron would attack such a lowly target is… unclear.”

“How do you know it was Megatron?” Cheetor asked, rather disbelievingly.

“Because, impudent fur-ball,” Dinobot retorted, an expression of great dislike on his face, “None of the other Predacons could have caused this much damage to Ratrap, even with his weak defensive armor. Only Megatron’s lasers could have cut so deep, but then… Tarantulas is the only one who knows where the vital parts of a Transformer are located.”

“What did you mean when you said Megatron’s reason for attacking Ratrap is unclear?” prompted Optimus.

“Must I spell everything out for you, Maximal?” snapped Dinobot crossly. “Megatron does not waste time preying on a Maximal simply out on patrol. Unless he has a reason, but that does not explain why he had attacked the vermin himself. He could have sent Waspinator, Scorponok…” Dinobot trailed off with a wave of his clawed hands.

Cheetor was about to say something rather nasty, when Optimus spoke to Rhinox, “Damage report.”

“He won’t make it with out the EDU. He’ll go offline in less than two days,” Rhinox hid his anger and sorrow.

“I’m sorry Rhinox,” Optimus consoled, patting Rhinox on the shoulder.

“He is my best friend,” Rhinox said a little harshly, “and I want to know what in the Inferno happened to him!”

Optimus removed his hand from Rhinox and curled it into a fist, “We will see to it that the Predacons pay for what they did.”

Rhinox shook his head, blinking rapidly and clearing his throat, “Em… well. Cheetor, could you go into my lab and bring me my regenerating module? I want to see if I can heal up some of the smaller wounds…”

“Okay Big Green,” Cheetor bounded away.

“I will go to my quarters, if anyone needs me,” Dinobot said shortly, and stalked away.

“Rhinox… Ratrap will pull through, I know it,” Optimus said quietly.

“Optimus, we’ve known each other for a long time. Let’s be honest. Ratrap might be gone forever.”

***

Dinobot awoke to the rumble of thunder and the crackle of lightning. He usually did not awake from a surplus of noise, so he took a moment to wonder why he had roused. A stream of water suddenly poured onto his head.

“That is why,” Dinobot grumbled. On top of the stress, betrayal, and rage Dinobot had experienced in the past solar-cycle, he had to cope with a leak right above his cot.

He dragged himself out of his quarters to Rhinox’s lab.

The green robot was working feverishly on what looked like a makeshift EDU.

Obviously to save the rodent, Dinobot assumed. He tapped Rhinox on the shoulder. Rhinox spun around, with uncharacteristic stream of swear words.

“Oh, Dinobot. It’s you,” Rhinox said shortly, folding his arms and tapping his foot. “What do you want?”

“I require your assistance. There appears to be a leak in my lodgings. I would be… grateful if you would help repair the damage.”

Rhinox looked rather irritated by the request, but gathered up his welder and a few scraps of metal. Then he followed Dinobot out of his room.

The door slid open, revealing Dinobot’s sparsely decorated room. The offending leak had already formed a rather large puddle. Dinobot took a piece of scrap metal and held it up to the gap in the ceiling.

“That’s a large hole, Dinobot. You could fit a small drone through that,” Rhinox commented. The said with an edge in his voice, “Having some temper tantrums?”

Dinobot turned his head towards Rhinox, his eyes turning from red to green. For a moment, Rhinox stiffened, positive he was going to be shot. Then Dinobot turned his head and fired his optic beams at the square of metal, welding it to the ceiling.

Rhinox reached for his welder, which he had dropped on the ground, and froze.

“If you are not going to help me, get out of my quarters,” spat Dinobot maddened that Rhinox was just hunched over on the floor, staring at something under his cot.

“Traitor,” whispered Rhinox.

Dinobot stopped repairing his ceiling and turned slowly to face Rhinox, “What?”

“You traitor!” roared Rhinox, and from under the bed he pulled out Ratrap’s missing EDU.

Dinobot backed away from the enraged Rhinox, “No, I didn’t-”

“You SLAGGING TRAITOR!” bellowed Rhinox, and pulled out his chain guns from subspace.

Optics widening, Dinobot forced out his voice past his shock, “Rhinox, I did not-”

Rhinox fired, unleashing his full rage on Ratrap’s would-be-killer. Dinobot crumpled under the assault and let stasis lock claim him.

***

Rhinox attacked me! was Dinobot’s first conscious thought when he returned online. He raised himself from the ball he was currently in. He noted he was enclosed in a circle of red containment beams. A prisoner! Dinobot fought the panic that was threatening to overwhelm him completely.

Dinobot collected his thoughts and tried calmly go through the facts, I am in beast mode. Okay, good, he wasn’t flipping out, yet. I am in a containment unit. On which side, I am uncertain. I last remember Rhinox shooting me… because I had Ratrap’s EDU. How is that possible? I never attacked the rancid rodent.

“So you’re awake.”

Dinobot turned around in the confined space. Rhinox was looking down on him from the observation window. His eyes narrowed, “You. You shot me!”

“For good reason. You almost killed Ratrap. But I’m not here to argue with you about your betrayal.”

“You have betrayed me!” roared Dinobot, losing his temper. “Dinobot, MAXIMIZE!”

Dinobot reached into subspace for his sword, but found he had nothing.

“I’ve confiscated your sword, and disabled your optic weaponry,” Rhinox said, in an expressionless voice.

Reaching inside himself, Dinobot found that he could not activate his optic lasers. He snarled at Rhinox who just looked grimly back. Dinobot lowered his gaze, “What do you want? I did not steal Ratrap’s EDU, so I know nothing of use to you.”

“I think you do,” Rhinox replied. “I figured out your plan. You stole Ratrap’s EDU, then had your friend, Scorponok, by the look faults of it, make a fake one so you could bring it to us with some story about valiantly taking back the EDU to restore Ratrap to full health. Then since it was fake, Ratrap would die, giving you the satisfaction of killing off the only Maximal who saw you for what you really are: a Predacon, straight to the spark.”

Dinobot’s mouth hung open.

Rhinox raised his eyebrows, “Surprised I figured it out? Well, we Maximals aren’t as dumb as you think. I could tell that this EDU isn’t genuine, plus you never really liked Ratrap, or the Maximal ways. Oh, yeah, and Scorponok was in the area a few mega-cycles ago. Was he dropping off the fake?”

Dinobot found his vocal processors, “I am not a Predacon any longer. Have I not saved your leader from Megatron, and declared outright I hate Megatron?”

“Anyone can lie. Preds are probably naturals,” Rhinox retorted icily. “You have Ratrap’s real EDU. Where?”

“I do not know!” shouted Dinobot. This was insane, he had not changed alliance. He wasn’t with the Predacons any more.

“I’ll be back in a few cycles. You better know where it is when I get back.”

Dinobot was really disorientated now. He had never seen Rhinox act like this, nor was the theory Rhinox had told him true.

“I must escape,” Dinobot knew that. He didn’t want to be persecuted for the vermin’s unfortunate death. Dinobot summoned his willpower and began to try to use his optic beams.

A small green glow fizzle of laser left his eyes. Growling, Dinobot tried again. A pencil long laser issued from his eyes. It wasn’t a lot, but it was enough. He began to cut through the floor beneath him.

***

Rhinox stomped in front of Ratrap’s CR chamber. He was feeling murderous. Ratrap, his best friend faced the Matrix if he couldn’t procure an answer from the Predacon. He didn’t get why Dinobot wouldn’t just admit to doing the crime. Rhinox didn’t understand why he was acting so cold towards Dinobot, to everyone lately either. Well, he had a reason with Dinobot, but he had been so ferocious to Cheetor that the poor kid was nearly in stasis lock with fear.

He put a hand on the CR chamber, “Don’t worry Ratrap…” then Rhinox walked back to the observation window above the containment unit. He stopped as he looked through the glass. Dinobot was gone and there was a gapping hole in the bottom of his cell.

As a velociraptor, Dinobot sprinted towards the Darkside, Scorponok had done the deed, he was sure of it. He would make the scorpion pay dearly for this.

He crashed into something yellow and fuzzy. Dinobot hopped to his feet, spitting out fur. Cheetor was looking up at him, an angry glint in his eyes.

“Cheetor, MAXIMIZE!” Cheetor pulled his gun from subspace and aimed it between Dinobot’s eyes. “How did you escape.”

“Rhinox’s block on my optic weaponry was not as affective as he hoped,” Dinobot replied, not moving.

“Aren’t you going to attack me or say something?” questioned Cheetor, a little puzzled.

Dinobot barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes, “I am not attacking because one, it is against my code of honor to attack an inferior foe,” Cheetor’s eyes narrowed, but Dinobot continued “two, I have no weapons except my optics, and three, I do not damage my team members.”

Cheetor snorted, “You didn’t have a problem scrapping RT, though.”

“I swear on my honor, I did not harm the insolent garbage eater.”

Cheetor opened his mouth, but a voice issuing from his commlink stopped him.

“Cheetor! Come in Cheetor.”

The cat-bot lowered his gun, with a suspicious glance at Dinobot, then spoke into his commlink, “Cheetor here.”

“It’s Rhinox. Be aware, that slag-eating Predacon escaped. If you see him, don’t attack, but follow him. He probably is going to try and destroy Ratrap’s real EDU. You have to get it.”

“How is Ratrap?”

Rhinox’s voice was quiet when he responded, “We’re losing him Cheetor. If we can’t get his EDU back, he’ll be gone in four mega-cycles.”

“Oh,” Cheetor said in a small voice.

“So find Dinobot. Rhinox, out.”

Cheetor turned towards Dinobot, “Please tell me you have some idea where it is.”

“I have my suspicions,” Dinobot beckoned Cheetor to follow him, then hurtled towards the Predacon lair.

“Beast mode,” Cheetor said. He hesitated, then sprinted after Dinobot.

***

“Follow me, fur-ball.”

Dinobot had successfully maneuvered the two through the Predacon defenses, even past a Super Sensory Assault Blazer.

“How much further?” Cheetor asked, he was anxious, one mega-cycle had already passed.

“Shh, we must proceed quietly,” whispered Dinobot. “When we penetrate the defenses, find Scorponok and retrieve the EDU. Let me take care of any enemies we encounter.”

“But you don’t have any weapons!” Cheetor cried out in alarm. Dinobot glared at him, so he shut up and nodded. They both maximized. Dinobot cut through the ships outer wall and they both climbed in.

They wandered through the corridors searching for Scorponok. They were cautious and wary. At least Dinobot was, Cheetor looked curiously around, taking in every detail that Dinobot already knew about the ship.

“This is the way to Scorponok’s quarters,” Dinobot pulled on Cheetor, who was wandering toward the control room.

They arrived outside Scorponok’s door, and it slid smoothly open. Cheetor jumped inside, not seeing the security beam until he had stepped into its path. A long wailing traveled throughout the Darkside.

“Fool!” groaned Dinobot. “Find Ratrap’s EDU and run!”

Cheetor scrabbled around the room, overturning that, riffling through this, moving that, while Dinobot watched the hallway outside.

“Found it!” Cheetor held up the small, blue chip with a Maximal insignia on it.

Dinobot picked Cheetor up and threw him out into the corridor in front of him, “Run, do not stop for anything.”

The cat-bot nodded and sprinted with the speed of his beast mode toward the exit. He chanced a glance backward. Scorponok had arrived at the scene and attacking Dinobot with his signature missiles.

“Primus be with that poor guy,” Cheetor under his breath, as he ran away from the weaponless Dinobot towards the Axalon.

***

Dinobot knew that Cheetor would get out of the Darkside unscathed, but he wasn’t so sure if he, Dinobot, would get out of this alive. Scorponok had missiles and backup, while he had nothing but half-active optic weaponry. And his fists.

Scorponok fired a missile at Dinobot, who flattened himself against the wall of the narrow corridor. Dinobot summoned his energy and tried to fire his optic lasers, but only succeeded a foot long beam before it shrank back into his optic sensors.

Scorponok laughed, “Already exhausted, Dinobot? Perhaps it was a good thing Megatron got rid of you. Your more of a hindrance than a help.”

The insult stung, but Dinobot kept his temper in check. In battle, an uncontrollable temper could prove a dangerous advantage for the enemy. He kept his face set in a fierce snarl.

“No comeback? Oh, well this should loosen you tongue,” Scorponok let fly a barrage of missiles that swarmed toward Dinobot.

Dinobot dodged the first, but the second rammed into him, the explosion him knocking him backward, and into the path of the third which blew up in his face and drove him into the ground.

“Tee hee hee, looks like the overgrown lizard has more than he can handle!” cackled a sinisterly evil voice.

“Surreptitious spider,” Dinobot recognized the voice Tarantula’s.

“You’re very good at guessing, traitor,” hissed Tarantulas, optics narrowing and grin widening, “but how good are you at dodging?” Tarantulas open fired on Dinobot, who was pelted with sharp bullets.

Grunting in pain, Dinobot straightened, and dove at Tarantulas, ignoring the bullets that began to shower upon him again. Tarantulas was floored and thrashed as Dinobot punched him hard in the face. Dinobot was blasted off Tarantulas by another of Scorponok’s missiles. He hit a wall with a sickening crunch. When he turned to face his enemies, his vision slid in and out of focus, and he swayed on the spot, snarling.

“Should we slag him?” Scorponok asked.

“No, Megatron may want have a ‘pleasant chat’ with the traitor. He should be kept alive… for now,” Tarantulas replied with a wicked grin.

Dinobot was dimly aware that Tarantulas was raising his gun, which was loaded with cyto-poison, which could induce stasis lock in Dinobot’s miserable condition. Dinobot knew this was the end, he would succumb to the poison, and then he would die before Megatron, still he rose to his full height, towering above both of the Predacons and waited with his head held high for the shot to be fired.

“Don’t cha dare hurt ‘im ya slag-spoutin’ saurian!”

Dinobot turned his head, disbelief and surprise written on his features, “Rodent?”

“Dat’s right, Chopperface,” Ratrap fired twice, hitting a dumbfounded Tarantulas and Scorponok in the gut, knocking into stasis lock.

“How-? What-?” Dinobot asked weakly.

“We’ll explain on the way,” Rhinox and Cheetor appeared from behind Ratrap.

Ratrap and Cheetor hoisted an unconscious Scorponok between them, while Dinobot, who transformed into a raptor, fell, exhausted onto Rhinox’s back.

***

Scorponok awoke, angry and scared, chained to a chair with all of the infuriating Maximals grouped around him.

“You see,” Rhinox was explaining, “Scorponok thought that killing Ratrap would make a great gift to his master when he got out of the CR chamber. So, he attacked Ratrap, then in a stroke of brilliance I never thought possible of him, took out Ratrap’s EDU and made a fake, rather badly made one. While Dinobot and Cheetor were helping Ratrap get back to base, he followed then used a bugbot to plant the fake EDU in Dinobot’s quarters. That’s what caused the leak. That would make Megatron even happier when he awoke, one Maximal dead, another imprisoned. But then Cheetor and Dinobot went and got back the real EDU. That was your plan, right Scorponok?”

“Yeah! And I would’ve gotten away with it too, if it wasn’t for you meddling Maximals and stupid Predacon traitor!” declared Scorponok angrily.

All the Maximals laughed, while Ratrap suddenly howled, “Ratty-Ratty DOO!”

Dinobot looked at Ratrap, "You sounded like a dog, Vermin..."