17.Dec.05
Drain of Lost Past - Act 2
By: Kidcat and MariaSunderland
Part 5
~ Extraction ~
The device emitted the recharging sound it should have. Whatever this machine was supposed to be used for, obviously, it was not made to use on humans. The simple fact that GoldenFire wanted her dead made it obvious that she probably would not survive whatever was coming. So what was it then? What the hell was this machine? Apparently, it was not a gun, so what the hell was it?
Gemini was not about to wait and find out. From the sound the machine was making, it was not done recharging yet, so in her struggles, she managed to get close enough to Scorpinock. When she was sure of her shot, she slammed the palm of her hand against his chest and the sharp nails she kept hidden as a weapon came out and into Scopinock's shell. Surprised more then hurt, the Predacon let go of the machine and moved back and away from the huntress.
Megatron growled with annoyance, his fists clenching together at the realization that he'd have more work on his hands then expected.
"Fool", he addressed Gemini.
.
BlackArachnia wasted no time and grabbed at the human's wrists before she could make more damage, then tightened her grip over her neck until Gemini winced from the pain and lack of air. Deception showed in the She-Spider when she realized she would have no fun with the huntress when Megatron's weapon - oh that one would hurt, this one Gemini knew what it was - was brought up and began recharging.
“Never mind the reprogramming machine, we'll just get rid of this flesh bag right away, yessss.”
"Reprogramming...?", BlackArachnia repeated, just as surprised as Rattrap about it. She had had no idea what the device had been for, let alone thought Scopinock could come up with something so useful, "Hmmmm..."
Rattrap stayed silent but with a deadly glare. He had to do something, but there was barely anything he could do. That is until something caught the corner of his eye. That's when his circuits managed to relax at least a little and his lips turned into a mischievous cornered grin.
Cheetor, however, remained oblivious to any comment about the device or what Rattrap had come to see, his mind set on the fact that Gemini was about to get very very hurt. He banged into the cage.
“LET GO OF HER! NO! LET GO!”
Megatron’s grin returned: cold and without pity, enjoying the Maximal's pain. The weapon pointed at the girl’s head.
“Sit back and watch, kitty cat, oooh yessss”
“You have an awkward way of getting rid of the humiliating butterflies, doncha?” came a familiar voice from the shadows.
Megatron's sinister smile was replaced by an intense frown. Felina was leaning against the wall, the stolen weapon - a modified rocket launcher with only two rounds to spare - strapped over her shoulder. The weapon was pretty large and obviously, the huntress may have a few problems shooting it, but she definitely would. She licked her lips in both a seductive and challenging matter toward the Predacon leader.
“YOU!” he growled, taking his aim away from Gemini a moment, “How did you get in here?!”
A tall figure stepped out of the shadow: The traitor smiled broadly with contentment at Megatron’s misfortune, “She had help”, he told him.
“Dinobot… Why am I not surprised?” he took back a breath, “But it doesn’t matter, nooo! Your interference won’t save your friends!”
It was quick: much quicker then anyone may have believed when Megatron slammed his weapon back to his prey and fired without any delay. A female scream was heard: turning somewhat liquid and the shape fell down the platform to crash on another platform below near the burning lava.
Felina had switched her position with her mouth widening: Dinobot frowned but Rattrap and Cheetor did not seem as shocked. Megatron burst into wild and loud laughter of triumph at once.
“What are you laughing about?” Felina asked with a smirk at last, “I have yet to understand how shooting down your own crew member is supposed to affect me.”
Megatron’s laughter cut short when he finally took the time to look: Scorpinok was in a bad position where Gemini’s nails were pinned against his throat all the while she held him closely for him not to move. Her other hand probably already had extended nails stuck within his back to keep him there. BlackArachnia was nowhere to be found, and Megatron understood that while Felina had distracted him, Gemini had managed to switch places with the widow. When he had shot without looking who or what he was aiming at, his crewmember had fallen a few stories down.
“Who’s a fool now?” Dinobot snarled with an equal grin of triumph.
Slash! Gemini's sharp golden nails went straight through Scorpinok’s neck, cutting his supplies and sending him twitching and unconscious on the floor. Felina grinned with mischief at the sight: even though Gemini had not aimed to kill - she rarely did, rarely could, and that was usually fine - she had not lost her fighting spirit.
But Megatron was not so easily defeated! He was also quick with his next move, his weapon recharged, already aiming, and now he was the one grinning again.
“Who’s laughing now, human?”, he looked at Gemini as he spoke however, keeping his aim on Cheetor.
Gemini stared with wide eyes, “…oh… uh….”
“That’s what I thought”, the smile turned wider with contentment at her reaction, “Surrender yourself now, and I’ll spare his life.”
“I… I….”
“Forget it, Gemi”, Felina’s voice came, “Those deals are never right. The second you surrender you know he's going to shoot Cheetor anyway.”
“But… but Cheetor... I…”
“Well that’s too bad for him, now isn’t it? There's not much you can do now. It's over, Gemi. Let it go”, Felina's voice was sour and cold, her eyes nearly distant while she told the truth to her best friend.
It was over. It was too late. Had she and Dinobot gotten there a bit earlier, they would have been able to save Cheetor, but it was obvious Megatron could never be trusted. Even if Gemini agreed to the deal, Cheetor was already dead.
“Teach! I can’t do that!”
Megatron sneered, “Well, it seems the Predacon alignment fits you better in the end, Fiona.”
Felina rolled her eyes, “Wow, still thinkin' about having me join the fucked up side. It wouldn't be worth anythin' right now even if I said yes.”
“Whatever suits you”, he shrugged, shifted his arm, and shot. The scream was not the right one though. Despite her efforts not to show it, Felina’s heart skipped a beat. She moved from her current position, her fists clenched so tightly by her sides it hurt! She was about to step closer to the action when Dinobot held her back with his large strong arm, blocking her way.
The shot that had gone through the bars of the little prison and crashed into Rattrap’s leg, sending him sprawling at the other side of the cage.
‘Fucker!’,
Felina cursed to herself.
Rattrap’s leg was opened, twitching with broken and burnt circuits… He hissed, managing to sit up again and holding unto it with pain, "Man!..."
“Looks like I missed”, Megatron mocked her reaction, “Maybe I should miss again, yess…”
Felina’s teeth clenched, “I’m gonna kick your ass back to Cybertron”, she hissed in half a whisper.
A scream came forth from behind the leader and suddenly he fell to his knees and hands, more in shock then pain while Gemini’s gem still glowed after her shot. Her frown was deep and angry. Extending her nails, she prepared to launch another attack – she fell back though, as Megatron’s large hand caught her by the back of the neck to lift her off the ground. His weapon had slashed the air and caused her to trip before she could do more and in her unbalance, he had taken that opportunity to trap her.
Dinobot’s eyes turned green, his aim on Megatron, but the Predacon leader's victim was now above the pit of lava under the platform. Blackarachnia had been lucky to hit concrete when she had fallen, whereas Megatron would make sure the huntress would have no such luck.
He shook his head, “Tsk tsk tsk, I don’t think so, Dinobot. Unless you wish to see a fellow comrade fall to her death.”
“Watch me not give a rat’s ass”, Felina reached behind her back for the weapon she had found earlier, aimed, and stopped in no way to think about the shot.
The explosion had the leader fly off, and hit the cage at the same time. It swung open with the hit, falling on its side to barely hold onto the edge of the deadly fall. Cheetor took no time to even wonder if it would hurt when he activated his jets and dived into the pit.
Gemini
screamed as she fell. She saw the lava coming for her and closed her eyes
tightly, ‘Oh this isn’t fair… I always thought I’d at least get to
say good bye’
She waited for the hit: the burning sensation she hoped would last only a few seconds, until she found she was not falling any longer.
“Gemi? Are you all right? Speak to me!”She found herself laying on Cheetor’s back, floating above the pit.
“I…” she looked around, coming to the realization that she was still alive and well despite the few bruises, “Thank you...” she said softly and sat up on his back, her hands slipping at first from the sweat that covered her body, “I can’t believe Fiona did that”, Gemini whispered, "What was she thinking?"
There was a pause and then more fighting was heard from the platform.
“I don’t think she meant to hurt you”, Cheetor said clearly, “She probably knew I… I mean someone would’ve jumped in to help”
“I sure hope so...”
Felina’s eyes were full of rage; anger taking the best of her and even Dinobot could not hold her any longer. However, seeing the cage waving like this above the lava, she threw the rocket launcher on the ground and sprinted for it. Dinobot himself was amazed at her actions. Seeing her surrender to emotions like so was not common for the young female cyborg. Before Dinobot could do more however, the rocket launcher was already in Megatron’s hands.
“Do not think I'll let you escape so easily, noooo.” Megatron was injured, but still much able to fight.
He was not done yet, and he was about to have his guests pay for the humiliation. If Felina had wanted to play dirty, then so could he. Oh yes, so could he. The targets were perfect: Both the rodent and the huntress now by the cage, Felina was trying to help her injured partner from a deadly fall without causing him more harm.
“How touching”, Megatron mocked and aimed the weapon at them.
Dinobot ran for him but the arm used as a weapon by Megatron stopped his spinning sword with a heavy growl of annoyance.
Dinobot groaned in response, trying to get the rocket launcher away from his old leader’s hands but it was always out of reach as much as he dared to try! He swung the sword for Megatron’s stomach and managed a little scar. Megatron raged, bringing his arm up high and trying to hit Dinobot who ducked quickly only to get the side of the laser weapon itself to his face hard enough to send him sprawling and be dazed. It only took that moment for Megatron to shoot a clear shot at the partners.
“Gimme your hand! Come on!” Felina shouted to Rattrap.
He tried, hissing at the pain his hurt leg provided him, “Easier then it looks, Alley Cat.”
“Shut down your pain sensors and get on with it! Come on!" she urged on.
He extended his arm to try to reach hers: the cage moved, causing him to let out a startled yelp. "Wuuu aaahh!"
The girl sprung forward however and managed a clean grab of his arm. He closed his fingers upon her wrist and she pulled quickly!
“Woah!” he let out and the cage fell down only to disappear deep down into the hot lava under them. He grabbed the edge of the platform with his free hand while she attempted to pull him up and –
There was no sound it seemed when it came, or perhaps they lost their hearing when it occurred; either way the blast, which obliterated the piece of platform both Felina and Rattrap had been using for support, sent the both of them flying and landing down a few stories on a twin platform.
Felina did not feel the hit as much as her partner as she fell on top of him and he on his back. They remained still for a moment, dizzy and not quite aware of their surrounding until one or the other found that they were still holding hands. Felina shook her head, her long blue hair dangling in her face, her breath still caught to her lungs because of the fall until she began coughing so air would be allowed back to her body. She also snatched her hand out of his.
“Man! 'dis is all too déjà vue for me... Y’okay?” he asked in half a breath.
She nodded, “I think so, yeah…”
“Good. Well I don’t really mind, but y’can get offa me anytime now.”
“As soon as y'stop stroking my ass with y'filthy hands I will”, she hissed to him.
“Oh, like y’mind so much”
“If you don’t want to end up in a wheelchair, I suggest you don’t try anything shitty.”
He let her go, “ Aw for bootin' up cold, relax already!”
She shook her head with an annoyed sigh, getting off of him,“Whatever…” She waited a moment to get her thoughts back together, then lowered herself to take a closer look at Rattrap's injury, “How’s the leg?”
“A wreck.”
She rolled her eyes, “No really. Does it still hurt?”
“Barely. Shut down da pain sensors, remembah?”
“Right okay… That's good...”
Rattrap raised an eyebrow, "Is it, now?"
Cheetor was suddenly in view with Gemini on his back, flying near them and soon landing on the platform by their side.
“Wasn’t that a rough ride”, Gemini said, eyeing Felina suspiciously because of the earlier incident still, “Where’s Blueberry Face?”
Felina pointed three platforms higher, “Up there.”
Dinobot stared down on them with narrowed eyes until Cheetor flew up to him and offered the ride down. Though at first the warrior refused, he ended up giving up on trying and let the kid bring him by the partners and Gemini.
“Megatron got away when he found out Optimus was on Predacon grounds”, Dinobot announced.
Felina bit down her lower lip and looked down, hiding her crisped features for anyone to see. In truth, she wanted to cry. She wanted to wail out and scream because she had never asked for the upcoming fight.
Taking a deep breath, she brought her voice back in control, "GoldenFire probably alerted Sigma Corp. by now. They'll be coming here."
"I doubt that", Gemini confirmed. The Maximals eyed her with surprise, but the human shrugged it off, "That chip in his head, I think it was at work before the pod crashed down."
"Chip?" Cheetor asked, "What are you talking about?"
"Felina inserted a chip in GoldenFire's head years ago during an ambush at the Sigma Corp. headquarters. We managed the maneuver just barely, but it worked. It needs constant recharging. If within about 30 hours the chip has not been recharged, it'll start to delete your memory blocks one after the other until you're a blank. And once the process starts, there's no stopping it either", she looked over at Felina who still hid herself from them.
"Oh so 'dat's what was up with 'im when he gave Big Teeth the orders", Rattrap concluded.
"Yeah", Gemini continued, "It's very noticeable now. He can't remember names and misses words. He probably had forgotten he needed to recharge the chip by the time he landed here, and now I don't think he remembers he needs to contact Cybertron. And if he does, well, he probably doesn't remember how."
"Wait, if it needs t'be recharged every 30 hours, how come he even thought about hoppin' into one of 'em pods?" Rattrap asked.
Dinobot snarled, "They probably found a way to contain it during the trip while in stasis lethargy. The Quantrum Surge... must have unlocked the process over time. For what I can tell... the chip... unlocked itself when the pod's computers were ready to fall back to the planet. A moment... too early."
"Well, talk about your crispy ice cold slag..." Cheetor said in half a whisper. Though somehow he was glad to know things would return back to normal and there was a way out of this, he was also highly disappointed to know a chance to get back to Cybertron had slipped passed them again.
Dinobot reverted to beast mode, "Then we should not waste another cycle and go."
"Heh yeah, sure", Rattrap told him, "and how d'y'expect us t'fight, Chopper Face? We don't have weapons t'spare."
"Either that or they were deactivated", Cheetor sighed, "I think
we might have to step out of this one."
Gemini patted Cheetor's metallic cheetah head, "Aw, don't be silly now, I'll fix it in seconds."
Cheetor looked back, "Really? You can do that?"
Gemini blushed slightly, "Well yeah! That's what I'm good at."
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get it in gear and kick some Pred butt!"
Dinobot thought for a moment and returned to his raptor mode, "I think I know where... Megatron may have taken your weapons. I'll handle this one."
Gemini showed her thumb up, "Alright! Hurry it up!"
Dinobot rolled his eyes at her enthusiasm and turned over, flapping his tail almost dangerously for anyone who stood in its way. Once he was gone, Gemini looked back down at the partners. Rattrap had managed to get back on his feet but had to hold himself over the wall in order not to make the injury worst and let him fall back again. Felina had remained with her eyes settled to look down at her feet with her hair covering her face from her view and probably anyone else who would dare to try to look.
"Teach, you gonna be okay?"
"Uh huh."
"Are you sure you want to do this...? We'll understand if--"
"Yuh, uh huh...."
Gemini escaped a soft sigh. It was best not to push any further and let it go. She hoped on Cheetor's back carefully so not to upset his joints and circuits furthermore after his encounter with GoldenFire.
"I'll be heading out with Cheetor to fix his weapons."
Rattrap nodded, "Yeah, we'll be fine until Chopper Face gets back with my gun and charges. We'll meet y'outside, kid."
Gemini acknowledged and gave Cheetor a light tap on the shoulder for him to lift off. They both gave BlackArachnia and Scorpinock one last look to make sure they were not going to cause more trouble and disappeared.
An uneasy silence came between Rattrap and Felina. Though he had told Gemini that they would wait, he had had the idea that the huntress would have departed on her own anyway. However, to his surprise, she waited for Dinobot to come back as well. That silence was near deadly. Her desperately trying to hide her feelings was not helping either.
Unable to take it anymore, Rattrap attempted a call back to reality, "Huh... Alley Cat, listen --"
"You should get back to beast mode", she interrupted quickly before he could say more. Her voice was sharp and broken; "you'll heal faster before we get you to the CR Chamber."
"Uh... right.... right...."
And there was silence again.
End of Part 5