"He's unconscious," "I don't think he'll be waking up any time soon. Besides.. Are you actually going to worry about me while you're the one disabling a bomb..?"
"I understand bombs, day ain't unpredictable. That guy is, and we shouldn't be takin' any chances with 'im no matter how unconscious he appears ta be," Rattrap said to Aurora with a serious tone.
"Are we sure she's not infected..?,"
"I find her situation to be worse than being infected," Rhinox told the Fuzor without looking at her while he struggled with Blackarachnia and keeping her down.
"I won't allow you to do this!"
Briefly, Rhinox frowned at the Predacon watching her optics flicker from green to black. However this link had been established, and despite her attempt to sever it some time ago, it was very strong and clearly ran deep. Tarantulas was furious and determined. Even if Rhinox could help her, he wasn't sure where to start, but he would try. No one should be controlled like this no matter who they were.
"We really need to stop bringing in house guests..,"
"I second that!" the rodent agreed with Aurora, sick of these out-of-control situations, getting up and helping her to her feet by extending his hand to her's. He glanced around for his weapon to find where it had fallen.
"I'm gonna have ta have a talk with de boss monkey. If he keeps takin' in strays like dis, then we're gonna have a problem." He couldn't understand why Optimus was trying to save the world one bot at a time. Was he attempting to redeem himself by a mistake he made long ago? Or was he truly that selfless and caring that he couldn't ignore those in danger or under someone else's control? Whatever the reason, this was causing them too much trouble to handle.
"Can't you figure out anything?!"
"Hey, all I need ta know is dat yer a Predacon and yer bringin' harm ta my friends!" Rattrap snipped at her.
"No wonder Arachnitron doesn't want to come back to you guys!"
The rat shrugged.
"Her loss if she prefers bein' ruled by Megatron's iron fist."
"If I'm not mistaken, that was a misunderstanding what happened to her, but we've never been able to sit down and discuss it with her," Rhinox intervened.
Like something talking. I think it was supposed to be Ironclaw, but it didn't sound right. But if it is Ironclaw.. he's probably in stasis lock underwater. If it isn't...
Rhinox couldn't focus on two problems at once, so he hesitated answering Cheetor. To be honest, he was getting tired and exhausted being pulled in a hundred different directions. When was the last time he rested? He couldn't remember. None of them could keep functioning like this; it would leave them vulnerable.
Didn't expect the Spider to do that.. Tie er' up with these fer now. As for Cheetor.. maybe call him back in, I can check the lake out. I'm not as good as Orcariner, but I can function underwater and my rockets will work for propulsion. if I'm going, I'll leave this behind.. Can't risk it getting wet, and it seems like it'd be more useful to you then my grenade launcher Rattrap.
The engineer's red optics glanced at the straps and electro laser that Landslide laid on the floor while he held the squirming black widow down.
"Be careful," he pleaded with him.
"It could be an ambush." The beetle would likely lose contact with them while being submerged, and Rhinox was not fond of the idea of losing communication with anyone at the moment considering all that has happened thus far.
Rattrap then hurried over to help Rhinox when Landslide stepped out of the way. Kneeling down to grab the straps, he suddenly found his neck viced between the she-spider's pincer. Angry and surprised at the same time, he gagged and struggled to pull it off of him.
"That's not going to help!"
The rhinoceros was puzzled for a moment, uncertain if anything would stop these two at this point while he waited for the tranquilizer to take effect. But in theory, if they knocked her out, then Tarantulas wouldn't be able to control her body. Perhaps he could still infiltrate her mind, but she would be immobile which would make her less of a risk to them and to herself.
"She'll use you fools for all your worth and shoot you in the back once she's done! She's no damsel in distress, pitiful lost soul, or disillusioned soldier, she is poison in every sense of the word, and the only reason why I tell you any of this is because I want to kill you all myself before she beats me to it! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
"You underestimate her," Rhinox told Tarantulas as he defiantly and confidently peered into Blacharanchnia's green optics "at him".
"And you underestimate us," he added with a growl before Blackarachnia had the strength and courage to point her own weapon at herself and fire a heavy dose of cyber venom while she laughed. It had been made clear some time ago that these Maximals were worthy opponents to Megatron and his gang of misfits, after all, they were still there and they were still getting in their way to prevent their universe domination. Rhinox released her as the venom visibly spread throughout her body.
With her paralyzing herself and gradually succumbing to the sedative, Rattrap was able to pry her "hand" off of his neck and threw it back toward her body as if she was crawling with mites and ticks - cooties and the like - that he didn't want getting on him. Gasping for air a little bit, he calmed down with a glare upon her and grabbed the straps so he could start tying up her spider leg weapons.
Rhinox took her gun and tossed it over his shoulder, anywhere so long as it wasn't within her reach, and took the other straps to tie her "wrists" together and her ankles. He sat back and took a breath.
"I say we put her in a basket with some rotten fruit and drop her off at the Darksyde's porch," the rodent suggested coldly.
"Right where she belongs." He grabbed Landslide's laser weapon and placed it on the table.
"We can't. Did you not hear Tarantulas? They will kill her for her treason, or continue to control her and torture her," Rhinox said more calmly and with some compassion.
"Whether she may like it or not, her best chance of survival is remaining here with us, at least until I can free her of Tarantulas."
"But we can't trust her, especially if she's under dat loon's control. Look at what she's done!" he told his larger friend, gesturing to everything her missiles ruined.
Rhinox's crimson optics surveyed the room behind him, taking note of the now damaged CR chamber that he was going to use to replicate more of the gas that Landslide had recommended. He sighed and glanced at Aurora and Banshee.
"It's my fault. I told her to surrender her weapons but she hadn't handed them over." He reserved his anger and guilt, blaming no one else but himself for what had transpired, nearly injuring the others as a consequence of his actions.
"Forgive me," he added solemnly.
"But she is restrained and unarmed now. She won't cause us anymore grief. And as soon as we have Zodiac detained properly, I can focus on helping Blackarachnia." Standing up, Rhinox grabbed her shoulders and effortlessly picked up the spider, walking her over to the wall and setting her down carefully on the floor to prop up her back up against the wall.
Rubbing his neck a little, Rattrap also stood up and picked up her weapon as well as his own and putting it away in his subspace. He handed Blackarachnia's gun to Aurora.
"Why not lock 'er up in the brig?" he asked Big Green.
"I want to keep an eye on her and speak to her when she awakens. She doesn't seem to do well in solitude and seclusion, especially with Tarantulas trapped in her mind. Besides, not locking her up shows her that we're willing to give her a little trust, so maybe she will be willing to do the same. Allegedly, she holds very valuable information that she can help us with, and I don't want Tarantulas finding out and possibly erasing it from her memory."
"Fine. But is it really worth it to put our own security as risk? It's bad enough we gotta deal with dis guy," Rattrap said, motioning his thumb over his shoulder to Zodiac.
"Rattrap, she claims to have obtained the data from the golden disks," he said quietly, looking into his optics.
The Spy became silent, finally understanding why Rhinox was defending her so much. If she really did have that information, then perhaps it was worth keeping her around after all before Megatron and Tarantulas could get their hands on her and eliminate her. He nodded and looked at her sitting against the wall. Grabbing a clean cloth from a nearby table, he tied it around Blackarachnia's empty optic sensors as a blindfold so she or Tarantulas couldn't see what was going on inside their base.
"I need you to start working on that electrical subfloor," he told his smaller, TransMetal friend.
He nodded and glanced at the others in the room before grabbing some tools and immediately commandeering Landslide's work station. He found some spare metal sheeting, a welder, electrical wiring and everything else he would need to create such a floor that would prevent the shapeshifter from using it to his advantage and escaping.
"Aurora, help me with this CR chamber, would you? We need to get it running well enough for me to produce more rhenium gas. The more options we have to keep Zodiac incapacitated, the better." He headed to the CR and started stripping it of the broken material that was of no use anymore thanks to Tarantulas using Blackarachnia to damage it. He left the wiring to Aurora since she was smaller and her petite hands could work more quickly than his large, clumsy ones.
"Banshee, keep an eye on Zodiac, but keep your distance. We'll have to sedate him again when he begins to stir."
-----
In one of the other CR's near the command center, Optimus slept. He dreamed, or at least he thought it was a dream... Perhaps he found himself now in the realm of his and Whitegrazer's bond at their meadow. He could not tell the difference. Dream or not, that was where he stood in the tall green grass that swayed in the breeze. He didn't see the white equine, the Empath, the one he felt so deeply for. He looked about, his orange optics scanning the quiet horizon. The wind picked up and it increasingly grew darker and darker. It was pitch black now. He couldn't see anything but he didn't panic. Not yet. Where was she?
Whitegrazer? he called out. There was no answer. Something or someone grabbed his right hand. He looked down but in the darkness, he couldn't see what was holding it. Was it Whitegrazer? No, the touch wasn't warm or welcoming, instead it was cold and hard. Optimus pulled on it but the hold stiffened and promptly kept his hand and arm to his side as if it were stuck. Then something grabbed his left hand. He yanked both and tried pulling them away from their captures but there was no give. He struggled more and more, fear beginning to settle in, growling and frustrated. Two more grabbed his feet, and then his arms and hands were suddenly pulled upward, and he was lifted into the air, or the ground had fallen away. Either way, he was caught in midair, stranded, and it all felt so real to him. His breathing increased, his spark raced. He tried yelling for help but nothing came out. It was very much like the time when the Vok had restrained him in their giant mushroom contraption that had trapped him inside to speak with him alone.
There was taunting laughter that surrounded him as light slowly illuminated the ones who were restraining him. Each was significantly larger than their real selves, so why he simply couldn't tell himself that this was only a dream wasn't quite comprehensible. But he didn't, he just lost himself in the terror and struggled to break free. On his right hand was Zodiac, the shapeshifter of chaos who continued to elude his memory and why he was targeting him and his Maximals. He shifted back and forth from his dragon-like form to his flawless impersonation of Nexus Prime. On his left hand was Protoform X. X... He had no idea where he was in reality on the planet, if he was even conscious or not functioning. Right now, he was there holding him against his will much like how the scientists and guards had treated him. Holding his legs were the Vok in some weird, likely inaccurate form that his mind had conjured up in his nightmare. He wouldn't have recognized them elsewhere, but in his dream he knew it was them. How did all of them capture him like this? Where were his Maximals? He began to panic.
No... Stop! Don't do this! Leave me be! All of them laughed and pulled on his limbs. He cried out, desperately looking around for a way to escape them. Despite the lighting on them for him to see them, everything else was still pitch black. There was no where to go, there was no way to free himself from their grasp.
What have you done to my crew?! he demanded. They laughed even more loudly and tugged on his arms and legs again. He growled and his breathing was heavy with hostility and desperation. Then another voice, all too familiar, interjected with his rumbling laughter. Megatron appeared before him, five times larger than he really was in reality. Still, it felt too real to think otherwise.
You expect to deny them the satisfaction of doing to you what you did to them? Megatron bellowed with a smirk.
You are a fool, Primal! You were never meant to lead in a war with me at the helm on the opposing allegiance. The others laughed again.
I know what you did, yesss. I know your secret. And now you will pay for it. There's no escape for you this time. This was always inevitable. This was always your fate! You merely kept delaying it, but no longer. And no longer will you be in MY WAY!
No! You... You don't understand! I was just-
You were just WHAT? Megatron demanded as he interrupted him.
Just doing your job? He laughed.
Did you never think it would come back to haunt you? My, my, you aren't nearly as innocent as you've perceived yourself to be, Optimus Primal. Do you think Optimus Prime would have stooped to such a level of unethical treatment and experimentation? You give your own namesake a bad name indeed. I, on the other hand, have stepped up and exceeded mine. And I'm not even done yet, he laughed menacingly again. Zodiac, the Vok and X joined him as they stretched his limbs outward, taunting Optimus and making him feel helpless, trapped and vulnerable in their grasps.
Primal gasped and writhed in the pain.
Do as you wish with me! But, please... spare my Maximals.
Oh Primal, you are so incredibly predictable, and in no position to make requests or ask for forgiveness. For you see, your past can not be forgiven and has finally caught up to you. You will watch all of your Maximals fall before you while the rest of us feast on their remains. Then and only then will I take your life. And this time, you won't be coming back. That will be the end of your so-called legacy and your disgustingly pitiful attempt of redemption.
This is madness! This can't be real... I've changed! I've changed! I regret what I was a part of! I'm trying to do right. Please...
After more laughter, Megatron silenced them and moved closer to Optimus.
Pathetic. You were never a challenge just a mere distraction. Did you actually think someone as insignificant as you could stop me and save Cybertron? I will save Cybertron and return it to what it's meant to be! Megatron said, raising his fist. The others jeered with him.
And you... You will no longer exist! Perhaps that last statement was a premonition of sorts? Unfortunately, Optimus would likely forget it by the time he would awaken.
Megatron, it doesn't have to be this way. We can-
IT WAS ALWAYS MEANT TO BE THIS WAY! YOU FOOL! Do not dare to make amends or pretend to be condescending to me! You and your kind are a plague that I intend to exterminate once and for all! Megatron came at him in a flash, his tail gun in his hand thrust into Primal's abdomen, straight through his armor, the tip clamping his spark inside and pulling it out slowly while the others continued holding the Maximal still.
Optimus lost his breath, his face in horror when he felt Megatron's weapon drill into him. He watched him pull out his very own spark, squeezing it and dangling it proudly before him. Just as he felt the others pull on his arms and legs hard enough to rip them off of his body, he woke up in a deep gasp for air, grabbing his abs and falling out of the chair in the CR. His breathing was erratic as realistic as the nightmare had seemed to him, and even though there was no hole in his abdomen and his spark was still secured inside, he scrambled to the wall of the CR and laid on the floor on his side, almost in tears, trembling a little. Many of his repairs were done but he still needed time for the rest, so the machines inside reached over as far as they could to continue their work.
It wasn't real... Just a dream... Just a dream, he thought, gradually calming down.
He doesn't know... No one knows... He couldn't stay like this, however. He was going to have to toughen up. He was going to have to up his game. He couldn't let anyone take advantage of him anymore. He had to be stronger, faster, more unpredictable.
...Whitegrazer...? he reached out for her companionship to reassure him that he was indeed alive and back to reality, assuming she was awake. Could she experience someone else's dreams? He didn't know but he hoped not. He didn't want to burden anyone with his fears and darker thoughts.
