"More Than Meets The Eye: Part III"

[Wintersong]

"Commencing system reboot."

The robotic voice of her internal computers spoke up followed by the soft hum of her systems finally beginning to come online, her amber optics flickering for a moment and her vision for a moment blurred and unfocused, a result of having blacked out at some point. A soft growl left the transmetal tigress as she took a moment to focus her optics to zoom in then out, allowing them to focus on the floor for a moment as she tried to comprehend where in the name of Primus she was at the moment. Really at first she could only recall the all too brief interrogation of Ironclaw with Banshee, his brief confessing of them being away during the incident the imposter had been around, and then the two making their way from the brig. After that? It was kind of a blank for a moment since Wintersong was still getting her bearings and all she knew was her processor was aching, not badly but there was a faint throb at the back of her head.

Though, when she thought about it and reached back to rub the area she grimaced, feeling the pain upon putting pressure on the area where it was also scrapped away some paint. Pushing herself forward slightly, realizing at that moment she was slumped against the wall among one of the Axalon's hallways, the femme turned to look back and saw a small dent of where it seemed her head had smashed into the wall. But how? Turning to look, her gaze full of confusion she finally noticed a small hole in the floor and that's when the rest of what had occurred came rushing back.

Wintersong remembered her concern for Ironclaw and what he was doing, having been quite shocked to move for a few moments before she had gone to follow the two, but had found herself facing at the time a rather aggressive acting Sentinal, more aggressive then usual for the programming. Autoguns had been aimed at her direction and she had been force to take an alternate route, or what was suppose to be one. Alone, she had tried to take out some of the Autoguns with a blaster in one hand and using one sword in another to deflect shots. Not that it did much good as Wintersong recalled getting grazed and a few shots into her armor which luckily was thick enough to prevent too much serious damage but she remembered dodging one shot hadn't gone too well, the missed shot hitting the floor close enough to throw her off balance and causing her to slam her head right into the wall, the force enough to knock her out for quite a while. All the while, the femme had been oblivious to everything that had transpired, from the near elimination of her comrades, Optimus' darker outlook, Ironclaw's rampage, and now everything else currently going on.

Giving a quick self-diagnostic she found the shot to her back and one through her left shoulder were mostly repaired by her self-repairing system and the one that grazed her ear-like structure on her head was healed, but the areas like the back of her head would need to be painted over. Though she also realized a small ache in her ankle joint of where the missed shot had hit close to, realizing it still had been close enough it did some damage but it was mostly healed as well. At best the wounds would need a little bit longer before they were in completed.

Among all this though she also began to realize everything was rather...calm, too calm considering all the commotion she heard. Pushing herself up with a soft grunt, the femme began to come from the hallway, the soreness in her ankle causing her to have a small limp but ignoring the slight stinging coming from it as she made her way down the next hall to reach the hall leading to the brig, the closest room she could hear voices. And was she hearing things or were there two sets of Optimus' voice? Curious the tigeress made her way towards the doorway and came to stand on the thresh hold, her optics greeted by the sight of Rhinox, Aurora, and Optimus with...another caged Optimus and an unconscious Blackarachnia. What the frag was going on?! And where was Ironclaw and Banshee? "Uh, anyone want to catch me up what the frag is going on?" She finally spoke up, having one hand still rubbing the back of her head gingerly which hurt the most of anything.

----------------

Spineback couldn't recall what happened following her near full succumbing to the effects of the virus, all she had last remembered she was striking out at Terrosaur and Inferno before somehow at some point ending up in the CR tank. But in the process she had also lost hold of her lance somehow which she only figured that out once she came form the CR tank and was restored to her sanity again, having listened to Megatron's "welcome back" speech before they were given orders to start repairs. But before she pitched in she decided to retrieve her weapon and placed it upon her back, curiously looking at the area as before she knew she didn't do all this damage when she had set off her weapon, if she did really, or with the use of lance.

But from what she heard between Inferno and Terrorsaur it seemed Megatron and Starshadow had been the most to blame for this and Tarantulas too apparently? She couldn't be sure, but her optics watched the ant and transmetal pteradon with a look of distaste and rage, her expression for the most part calm but her optics revealed deep down there was a inkling of spark for revenge, mostly towards Terrorsaur since she vaguely remembered Inferno had at least trusted her word but the scaled bird had about shot her into the lava pools below! But Megatron's untimely attack on his troops couldn't have come sooner since it avoided her nearly meeting a similar fate to that of the late Scorponok. "At least some of us can work without complaint." Spineback remarked towards Waspinator and Terrorsaur as they left before she returned to her own duties.

With her own strength she worried for the heavier lifting for a bit before she began to make use of welding the wall or equipment back into place, redoing some wiring here and there and all the while trying to get past her own vision the virus had given her. "Subcommander Inferno, I'd also like to give you my apologies of earlier. The virus had me not in my right state of mind, attacking you was not intentional." She added, her tone more civil with Inferno since at least compared to most others there was loyal, even if lacking intelligence. "I live to serve our Royalty with all my spark." She assured him firmly, briefly pausing to give a quick smile.

Inferno could be annoying and clearly had some wires crossed but he was one of the Predacons she could have some slight trust in, but just.

(And I'm back! Though kinda bare with me on Wintersong's post. I honestly had no idea what else to do to account for an absence with it making some sense...
Also, can I just say I feel like we made our own Prime version of Beast Wars with how more emotionally charged and darker story writing we have going on.)

[Optimal Optimus Primal]

Optimus? What's going on?

Optimus didn't bother to answer Whitegrazer. He was too engrossed with the conversation he was having with "himself", so to speak.

"I read your file," "I know about your miraculous return." "I'm well aware you don't fear death.. given your decision to give yourself up to Megatron in exchange for some of your precious Maximals.. I was there, remember?"

Yes, Primal remembered that he was there. First disguised as Nexus with all of his advice and encouragement that were nothing but lies and his deceitful wisdom. And then as Aurora to try and use her influence against him while later he had gone off and shot her, nearly killing her! His very small smile had long since disappeared as he observed Zodiac falter in his cage, his vision scrambling to find a way out of the shallow water and out of the electricity's reach. For once, the changeling was unsuccessful and was obviously absorbing and feeling the affects of the low voltage. It wasn't enjoyment that he was getting or even seeking by electrocuting the shape shifter. Optimus was simply angry and fed up being the nice guy all the time. Of course, there were the whispering voices in the shadowy corners of his traumatized mind that were also coercing him.

"Resorting to torture now, Optimus? Nexus would be so disappointed.." "His pet pupil.. The one he intended to carry on his legacy.. How very Maximal of you!"

How did this hot shot know everything about him and Nexus Prime?! "It may not come as any surprise to those who quit underestimating what I'm capable of," the real Maximal Commander proclaimed coldly as he discontinued the current to the pretender's prison. His orange optics skimmed over Zodiac's areas that had involuntarily changed color before they gradually returned to their normalcy. He listened to his gasp and his raspy voice, satisfied with the results as long as they got him the truth.

"Nexus..," "He found your location.. Searched endlessly.."

Suddenly, the world seemed to stop around Primal. Was this fraud speaking the truth?? Subconsciously, he lowered his hands to his sides, one of which still held the remote but at a much more relaxed position, which relaxed Rhinox who was watching everything very closely. Had Nexus, his mentor and rescuer, actually been trying to find him and his crew? It definitely sounded like something he would do. And with the fake Optimus shooting him a dead, cold glare that only answered the real one as to how he managed to get under his armor, even just a little, he could only assume that he was being honest, or partially.

"Nexus was preparing a rescue mission to come get you when I took the Akira. All the information he had gathered was stored on her computer so finding you was easy."

Primus... He wanted so much to believe his words. Were he and his Maximals that close to being rescued and going home? Only for Zodiac to come around and ruin it for them? The Universe really was working against him. And tirelessly, it seemed. So many lost opportunities... Why?! Stay on your game, he told himself, avoiding the inevitable dwelling and what ifs. "If Nexus was planning on coming, and you stole his ship, then he would have found another way to get here by now," Optimus said, fishing for more information with some skepticism despite how much sense Zodiac's explanation made. Of course, as soon as that escaped his scarred mouth, he couldn't help but wonder, Unless something happened to him... But he refused to even think about the worst possibility. The real Admiral was probably just stranded somewhere without access to another vessel, or a transwarp drive. Maybe he had been injured from Zodiac attacking him in order to steal the Akira and was recovering. Maybe he was forced to carry out another mission before he could rescue Primal and his crew.

"I must admit I thought you would have figured it out by now." "Perhaps I have Nexus to thank for that as well."

Primal's stern expression dissolved to a slightly puzzled one before growing more impatient again. "Enlighten me," Optimus demanded, staring at his "reflection" while slowly and gently rubbing the button on the remote with his thumb that controlled the electricity without pressing down on it. He wasn't certain, though, what he wanted to hear, even if it was going to be the truth. But since this guy seemed to know so much more about everything and everyone, he really just wanted him to spill his guts... figuratively.... At this moment in time, anyway.

Optimus... my empathetic abilities may be useful here. I can speak to Zodiac for you.

I can handle it, he refused the equine's help uncharacteristically.

Kill or be killed... one whisper told Optimus. Then another, You're either the hunter or the hunted. He tried ignoring them for now. It was easier when there was a distraction like Wintersong suddenly barging in when she had been off again for some time.

"Uh, anyone want to catch me up what the frag is going on?"

"Not right now, Wintersong. Not here," Primal told her, turning slightly to look at her, his optics grazing over Aurora who appeared to be uncomfortable around him, or perhaps it was being around Zodiac or both of them. There was a tiny bit of concern in his optics for the younger Fuzor but he failed to address it and simply looked back at Zodiac again. For him, it was starting to get crowded in the brig now. He didn't want more distractions, he wanted answers.

Rhinox also turned to see, watching Wintersong rub the back of her head and looking in better condition than she had been in earlier. He decided to greet her at the doorway, and said, "It's good to see you back on your feet, Wintersong. How's your head?" he asked the TransMetal tigress with a quick examination of it as he peered slightly over her shoulder where she was rubbing on the back of her head. "As for this, it's too much to cover in detail right at this moment." His exhausted, crimson optic sensors glanced at Blackarachnia. Although she was unconscious, or appeared to be, she was one more situation for him to deal with that he tried not thinking about at the moment. He couldn't leave his Primal's side at such a crucial time; not when he was beginning to resort to this kind of behavior. His gaze fell to the remote in their leader's grasp before lifting to his unemotional face and then over to the fake Optimus. Would Whitegrazer be repaired soon? Perhaps not with the extent of her injuries, but he would have preferred her company be here so he and the others could take care of everything else while their leader could continue his interrogation. How were Rattrap, Banshee, Landslide, Ironclaw and Cheetor doing? He didn't know. That whole scenario seemed to have escaped Optimus' mind completely, which was quite unusual and disconcerting. "Allegedly, this is Zodiac, a shape shifter. He's capable of mimicking just about anyone down to the finest of details and their voice. Long story short, he arrived here with the intentions of exterminating us by Optimus' hand. It almost worked while he disguised himself as Nexus Prime but Whitegrazer saw past his lies just in time and we were able to apprehend him and disarm the bomb he orchestrated in the hangar with a stasis pod. Blackarachnia is here on her own accord because she wants us to help free her of Tarantulas' control. I'm not entirely sure it can be done but I also haven't had the opportunity to investigate her predicament further when Tarantulas took control of her and started firing at everyone; hence her current state of unconsciousness and the bonds to keep her and us safe."

[Phoenix]

Nemesis didn't interrupt as Megatron explained his ideas, oddly finding herself agreeing with many of them. The two of them may have come from vastly different backgrounds but at this very moment they appeared to be bonding over a common goal.. As far as the avian transmetal knew, this Megatron had started out his life as a Predacon and had never personally gotten to experience the power of a Decepticon body for himself. She, on the other hand, had. And she missed it. If there was a chance to bring back those days of glory, she'd take it.

"Quite right of course, this is indeed Earth, the least imaginatively named planet in the universe, and yet a source of great ire for our people for the role it played in our ancestor's downfall and our current lot in life as second class citizens on a world ruled by the pompous, over fueled descendants of so-called heroes. Such a primitive, pitiful speck of dust in a universe otherwise filled with greatness and wonder to explore and conquer...And yet so many hidden secrets lie buried here, some of which even the writer of this disk didn't know about. You would be surprised to know how many cybertronians on both sides of this war remained ignorant of our true location in both space and time for quite a while, possibly even now. By the Pit, even my own former righthand mech, Dinobot, was quick to jump the gun and question my leadership credentials when the presence of a second moon, the Planet Buster as you know, convinced him that I had led us to the wrong planet, despite our beast modes and all other evidence available to us suggesting otherwise. This is indeed earth, but so far back in time that any cybertronian unfamiliar with its history prior to the Great War would not recognize it, understandable given what a backwater world it is and how unimportant it was to us as a race until the fateful era known as the 1980s, but surprisingly shortsighted given what it has to offer us, especially in this most fortuitous timeframe "

But whereas Megatron seemed intent to use their Decepticon ancestors as brethren in arms to destroy the Maximal resistance, Nemesis wanted to change the course of history entirely. They were in a unique position right now, with the ability to destroy the Autobot and later Maximal uprising before it had even happened. If the Decepticons were to rise from the ashes victoriously, they could simply alter the events of history that had lead them down this path. A simple explosive charge attached to the original Optimus' head would do it. Or better yet they could reprogram the Autobots to be their slaves.

For a brief moment her thoughts went to the Maximals she had encountered that had showed her kindness. The likes of Rhinox, Whitegrazer, and even Primal to an extent. Such an action would remove them from the equation entirely if they utterly destroyed the Autobots. Perhaps slaves was a better way to go.. She felt a bit torn about that part of it, honestly, since her conviction used to be set in stone but recent encounters had changed her perception a bit. Of course she couldn't allow herself to dwell on it. She was, after all, a Decepticon at heart. Even if she was stuck in this Predacon shell.

"Dinobot is a fool," she agreed when Megatron stopped talking, "Turning his back to his heritage to play hero with the Maximals. Oh well. His loss. And at least we don't have to worry about his treachery later."

"And as for the importance of the disk to the survival of our race..."

She paused as Megatron loaded the disk into his arm, merely watched in silence and a bit of awe as the holographic projection of the original Megatron appeared right in front of her. Megatron.. the legend.. She never imagined that she would even hear his voice.

"This is Megatron, Leader of the Decepticons, and if you are viewing this message, it means I have failed...This time, heh heh heh...But I know that Transwarp technology is being developed, and so I leave this disk to any Decepticon descendants that may find...."

The gleam in Nemesis optics brightened as she listened to the tape, realizing that the original Megatron had devised a similar concept to what she and his descendant were thinking about. Yet as confident as the original war hero sounded, there was still that sense of urgency and.. she was afraid to even say it.. desperation present in his words. Obviously the original Megatron was aware of the possibility of losing the war even back when he inscribed his message onto the human disk. Thus giving his kind a chance to live up to their full potential should the disk be recovered. Which it obviously had been. Her curiosity now rising, Nemesis was disappointed that Megatron shut off the projection when he did. She'd just have to wait to find out what other secrets the disk contained.

"You could certainly say that."

Megatron smiled at her, a wicked grin that would have sent chills down a lesser bot's spine. Nemesis merely smiled back if not quite as widely as Megatron had. "What do you need me to do?," she asked, a bit curious why Megatron had brought her in here to discuss this matter.

The Primal-look-alike scowled at Wintersong as she decided to join them, finding that the small room was getting entirely too crowded. Yet another Maximal satisfying their endless curiosity.. Normally it wouldn't bother him much but at the present he was still aching from the surges of electricity Primal had sent through him, something he had not expected the Maximal to do. In that sense he had succeeded in a way in that Optimus was clearly unstable and had turned away from his sense of morality, and in any other circumstances he might have drawn a slight sense of victory from that. But alas he now found himself the target of such increased aggression and instability and was getting to experience it first hand.

"It may not come as any surprise to those who quit underestimating what I'm capable of,"

The shapeshifter sent him a grimace at that remark. He doubted Optimus would go as far as to take a life, finding the Maximal far too weak to be able to stomach such a thing. Yet he was clearly willing to pretend to go down that path, perhaps even inflict a substantial amount of pain. Still the pretender did not see Primal capable of making that call. He certainly didn't fear for his own life.

"Am I supposed to feel threatened by that?," the other Optimus responded, staring back at the original defiantly. "Threatened by you? The one who so pathetically used to cringe at the first sight of blood.. of death?" His insolence was returning rapidly now that he was somewhat comfortable again.

Moments later Primal's disposition seemed to change entirely as soon as his thoughts were drawn to the prospect of Nexus looking for them. The shapeshifter crossed his arms while studying his foe intently, especially the way the remote seemed to be dangling in his hand until he managed to pull himself back together.

"If Nexus was planning on coming, and you stole his ship, then he would have found another way to get here by now,"

Now an amused look appeared on the pretender's face, ever enjoying the opportunity to toy with his foe's head. His lips curled up into a smirk and he shook his head ever so slightly in growing amusement. "You're assuming that Nexus is capable of coming for you," he replied, watching the other's face for any signs of emotion, "Ever the naive one.. Do you honestly believe the good admiral could be allowed to roam free?" He paused for a moment, chuckling lightly before dropping the joyous face altogether. "What? Worried I sent the old guy to meet his maker?" He let the question linger in the air for a moment before continuing. "Don't fret, Optimus. The orders were to keep the old rust bucket alive.. for now.. Since his rank and position within the Maximal army makes him such a valuable prisoner. You, on the other hand, and your team of misfits were deemed to be expendable."

"Enlighten me,"

The mischievous shapeshifter's optics could not avoid following Optimus' light rubbing on the button, a notion that quickly made him behave himself more. As much fun as it was to tease and torment Optimus, to play with his head, the pretender had no desire to get shocked again. Also he didn't have a chance to respond before Rhinox started explaining the situation to Wintersong so he waited impatiently for them to finish.

"Allegedly, this is Zodiac, a shape shifter. He's capable of mimicking just about anyone down to the finest of details and their voice.

"A name given to me by the Maximals, I might add," the shapeshifter added before returning his gaze to Optimus' face, "Indeed. Your beloved Nexus was the one who named me."

[una]

I can handle it

Kill or be killed... one whisper told Optimus. Then another, You're either the hunter or the hunted.

Whispers... I hear them too, Optimus... Whitegrazer bowed her head. Whispers of a person hurt and trying to find himself again. She knew those all too well. Whispers from her own self-conscious. Sometimes, the whispers carried the voices of those she wronged and killed. Friends and foes. We aren't in any danger. There is no need to let fear or anger make us betray ourselves. We have caught him. To maim in aggression will just rattle the cage and anger him more, and to kill him when he can't fight back, we will prove that we are no better.

She was concerned about Optimus and his mental/emotional state.

The CR Chamber opened, as she pushed through the doors.

"Warning: Repairs only 67% completed. Energon levels still not in normal parameters."

"Sorry, I will complete it later."

She looked and patted down her front side. It was polished and good as new, but her backside still had three holes. No leakage. That's good. She didn't want to leak everywhere as she walked down. Especially not in front of everyone and Zodiac. No, definitely not Zodiac.

She began to walk down the hallway towards where they were holding Zodiac. She wanted Optimus to have the answers he sought. What he needed to hear, but she didn't want the answers to... agitate his trauma. Maybe... She staggered a bit, catching the wall with her hand in reflex. Easy. Easy. She took a deep breath and continued. This discussion shouldn't have happened yet. It would be too late now. For she knew, Optimus would want to finish what he started. But... he needed calm. He needed center. He might not listen to her words. She understood that. She needed to be there, though. She sensed it. Hopefully, her presence, both physically and spiritually, could kept things from escalating too far... if it does. Who knew how the conversation would continue to go? Optimus still carried that weight of metal. Would he push it more? Would he go higher? She hoped he would put it down.

After she realized she was good on her own, she lifted the hand from the wall done with using like a crutch. It was then she could hear Optimus' voice, Rhionx's and Zodiac's voice.

"If Nexus was planning on coming, and you stole his ship, then he would have found another way to get here by now,"

"Don't fret, Optimus. The orders were to keep the old rust bucket alive.. for now.. Since his rank and position within the Maximal army makes him such a valuable prisoner. You, on the other hand, and your team of misfits were deemed to be expendable."

"Allegedly, this is Zodiac, a shape shifter. He's capable of mimicking just about anyone down to the finest of details and their voice. Long story short, he arrived here with the intentions of exterminating us by Optimus' hand. It almost worked while he disguised himself as Nexus Prime but Whitegrazer saw past his lies just in time and we were able to apprehend him and disarm the bomb he orchestrated in the hangar with a stasis pod. Blackarachnia is here on her own accord because she wants us to help free her of Tarantulas' control. I'm not entirely sure it can be done but I also haven't had the opportunity to investigate her predicament further when Tarantulas took control of her and started firing at everyone; hence her current state of unconsciousness and the bonds to keep her and us safe."

"A name given to me by the Maximals, I might add," the shapeshifter added before returning his gaze to Optimus' face, "Indeed. Your beloved Nexus was the one who named me."

Whitegrazer noticed Wintersong. She hadn't seen her since the little debate over whether Ironclaw was the shapeshifter or not. She warmly smiled at the Maximal white cat as she came into full view. She gave Rhinox and Aurora the same smile. Looking into their optics, what she felt inside CR Chamber was the truth. their faces. Shock. Unbelief. She could feel the tension and uneasiness in the air mixed with fear, anger, chaos, and confusion. Zodiac wore Optimus' face. Down to the last detail. She had to admit it was remarkable, but there was no time for that. Though, she admitted, with her presence, the area seemed to be getting a bit crowded.

"I hope I'm not intruding."

[DarkSpark]

Phoenix wrote: "Dinobot is a fool," she agreed when Megatron stopped talking, "Turning his back to his heritage to play hero with the Maximals. Oh well. His loss. And at least we don't have to worry about his treachery later."

"Indeed, as inconvenient as his treachery was and has been in the long run it was for the best that he exposed his true colors sooner rather than later during a vital moment. Conquest is not for the squeamish or impatient" Megatron replied sagely, even if Dinobot's betrayal had bothered him more than that of the other rabble he'd had to deal with over the course of the war, oh well, treachery helped to keep the mind sharp.

Phoenix wrote:
She paused as Megatron loaded the disk into his arm, merely watched in silence and a bit of awe as the holographic projection of the original Megatron appeared right in front of her. Megatron.. the legend.. She never imagined that she would even hear his voice.

Megatron smiled as he watched Nemesis express genuine awe and wonder as the image of his great ancestor appeared and imparted his message unto her, suddenly the fearsome avian didn't seem so fearsome, he doubted he would get to see this side of her very often, so it was indeed something to savor...He himself had been understandably taken aback and filled with patriotic pride the first time he had listened to his ancestor's message, and he had been to watch the whole thing from beginning to end.

Phoenix wrote: The gleam in Nemesis optics brightened as she listened to the tape, realizing that the original Megatron had devised a similar concept to what she and his descendant were thinking about. Yet as confident as the original war hero sounded, there was still that sense of urgency and.. she was afraid to even say it.. desperation present in his words. Obviously the original Megatron was aware of the possibility of losing the war even back when he inscribed his message onto the human disk. Thus giving his kind a chance to live up to their full potential should the disk be recovered. Which it obviously had been. Her curiosity now rising, Nemesis was disappointed that Megatron shut off the projection when he did. She'd just have to wait to find out what other secrets the disk contained.

Megatron almost felt guilty over cutting the message short as he beheld the look of disappointment on her face, but it could not be helped, it was better to keep the message's entirety to himself for the time being, perhaps he would be more generous with its contents later if Nemesis proved herself reliable enough to warrant such trust.

Phoenix wrote: Megatron smiled at her, a wicked grin that would have sent chills down a lesser bot's spine. Nemesis merely smiled back if not quite as widely as Megatron had. "What do you need me to do?," she asked, a bit curious why Megatron had brought her in here to discuss this matter.

Megatron was pleased by her reaction and apparent enthusiasm for the mission at hand and answered "I need you to take part in a little recruitment drive. My namesake left a list of several decepticon soldiers who went missing in action when the Nemesis and Ark crash-landed here on earth. These missing decepticons avoided being put into stasis lock like Megatron and his inner circle aboard the Ark and were presumably scattered across the planet, some returning to the battlefield centuries later, much changed, while others remained lost to time...Until now. I wish for you to track down these missing warriors so they can live again and aid us in our mission to set things right for our kind, I need disciplined, reliable soldiers in my ranks, not just hired thugs or reprogrammed maximal protoforms. The majority of the names listed here are not those of legendary figures like Soundwave or Thundercracker alas, but they are all fully trained decepticon warriors who participated in the Great War prior to earth's involvement, which makes them more qualified to serve me than the bulk of the rabble I have been forced to work with since the Beast Wars began. Even one of these lost decepticons could turn the tides in our favor if they can be successfully brought back online and upgraded into a Predacon shell...Yes yes, I know how you feel about modern Predacon designs but as powerful as the original decepticon frames were they consumed too much energon and lacked defenses against the energon fields of this ancient world...And who knows what shape their original frames will be in when you find them, I doubt all of these missing soldiers were lucky enough to find shelter from the elements as their comrades did aboard that wretched autobot vessel. Rest assured, the original Megatron left many more potential assets to exploit here upon the disk, but this I wish to exploit first, as it poses the least threat to the timeline...This is not a task I can entrust fools like Quickstrike or Waspinator to, nor even Inferno, loyal though he might be, he's not capable of grasping the full scope of the forces we are dealing with, or the consequences should we fail. This requires someone with brains and a delicate touch as well as a lethal one, someone who isn't going to blow up the universe by stepping on one of Soundwave's Cassetticons by mistake or misuse an ancient decepticon weapon for shortsighted personal gain...Do you feel up to the task, Nemesis?"

Wintersong wrote: With her own strength she worried for the heavier lifting for a bit before she began to make use of welding the wall or equipment back into place, redoing some wiring here and there and all the while trying to get past her own vision the virus had given her. "Subcommander Inferno, I'd also like to give you my apologies of earlier. The virus had me not in my right state of mind, attacking you was not intentional." She added, her tone more civil with Inferno since at least compared to most others there was loyal, even if lacking intelligence. "I live to serve our Royalty with all my spark." She assured him firmly, briefly pausing to give a quick smile.

Inferno could be annoying and clearly had some wires crossed but he was one of the Predacons she could have some slight trust in, but just.

Inferno grimaced initially in remembrance of the dinosaur's earlier transgressions, but his impression of her improved as she reminded him of the virus and pledged her fealty to the Royalty anew! It did his spark good to see there was someone else in the Colony who's loyalty to the Royalty rang true!

"Apologies accepted soldier! Just remember to accept every task given unto to you by the Royalty as a gift and the Colony shall be better off for it! FOR GLORY OF THE ROYALTY!" Inferno proudly proclaimed, saluting to his master Megatron wherever he might be, before dumping a heavy load of computer components into Spineback's hands and going on to say "Now let us return to our work! The Royalty will want his command center back in order by the time he returns to us, I'm sure!"

[Wintersong]

(Gonna go ahead and post guys, I got a lot to do this weekend on top of doing stuff with family. So I won't be able to post at least until Monday.)

'He lied, imagine that.' Wintersong thought to herself, clenching her fist with small growl. She had to bite her tongue to not say her thoughts out loud and make this even worse the it already was. "I'll be fine Rhinox, it'll pass in a little while." She assured him, forcing her voice to be even and giving him a small smile, not knowing what more to do then control her anger towards what Zodiac had done, not only to Ironclaw but also nearly wiping out her friends and teammates. At this moment she couldn't blame Optimus for being in the state he was in but she also held some anger towards her teammates for not seeing that Ironclaw had truly been innocent as she and him had claimed, more so supported when even Ironclaw told Banshee the same thing as she did earlier.

Just hearing the explanation Rhinox could offer she finally sighed and nodded, "At least we can keep him somewhere he won't be so lucky to get out. Quite frankly I think he deserves what he gets." Wintersong said flatly, her tone being edged with her own anger this time as she turned to leave. "But seeming as you guys are busy I'll handle the bridge, keep an optic on any news from the others." She told the rhinoceros as it seemed they had things under control there and she had overstayed her welcome for the time being. Much as she wanted to see what kind of punishment they were giving towards Zodiac for what trouble he had caused it wasn't her business to stay, not when it seemed Optimus was in a less then pleasant mood at that time. And with a last glance over her shoulder towards the scene before her she turned to leave but was surprised to see Whitegrazer coming down the hallway looking in some pain herself.

"Whitegrazer." Wintersong greeted the white mare as she left the doorway, glancing back as she heard her speak about to tell her it was best not to interfere as she had accidently done before, but her amber optics fell on three puncture wounds on her back, making the tigress curious to what had happened towards the mare, not being aware of the near fatal wounds towards the taller femme. Though seeming as Whitegrazer already spoke by then Wintersong decided to leave things alone and began to head towards the bridge. But with this time alone, the transmetal tigress couldn't help feeling some guilt now that things began to settle in her mind, especially knowing she probably could have done more to try and help the honey badger yet had by unfortunate luck been knocked out by Sentinel and completely missed of what all had occurred.

What really troubled Wintersong was why Nexus played such a deep role for enough Zodiac used his identity and tried to kill them all. She had missed out on a lot in the time she was knocked out and it frustrated her to not be aware of everything that was going on or what had even happened to the likes of Ironclaw. Shaking her head slightly, she'd have to be patient as she arrived to the empty bridge moving towards one of the monitors wondering just what the others were up to anyway.

-------------

Spineback couldn't help raising a metallic brow, certainly finding Inferno's boisterous ways both irritating yet also strangely amusing. The ant may not have been very bright but at least he was loyal in his own strange, idiotic way. Though at least he was willing to see some reason of where most of her actions weren't exactly by her own awareness from time to time when she had been suffering the virus, but her own defense had been her own actions to ensure mostly she survived avoiding being dropped into the pit by the likes of him and Terrorsaur. At the very least she could overlook that detail since most Predacons wouldn't have given a second thought to snuff the spark of their own kind comrades, much like the Decepticons had.

"We'll have to make it as workable as we can...given the damaged state this room has become." Spineback observed, already aware the ship had been in bad shape before this little outbreak and now it was in even worse shape, from what though she could only imagine. "By the Pit, hope we never go through that ordeal again." She muttered, shuddering at recalling what the virus had caused her to recall in those days as training among the Decepticons yet actually seeing combat had been rather swift back in those days, days she doubted she would ever truly come to relive. Sighing softly she carried to pile over to the rest of the items they were disposing of though sorted through some of it for other items they could still make use of in the coming repairs.

[NaitoKage]

( Welp, Star says this is a KO. So,posting. )

After passing out from the excruciating pain of the acid blade being put into her, Umbra drew his blade out of Starshadow's partially melted wings and back, then sheathed the blade slipping it away among the tentacles on his back. Standing up he looked over Star for a moment. Her body was battered, missing pieces. Yet still she tried to fight, even after the virus was removed. She seemed to just view them as food.. a creature without a leash. Though unlike Sonar's obsession with controlling an invincible monster, this one was far from it.. and very capable of being under control.

Opening the compartment on his leg, he pulled out a flexible band, then leaned down putting it around Star's neck, then locked it in place with a small light coming on at the center, then grabbed her by the ankle, leaving her room and dragging her through the halls of the ship to the CR tanks. He tossed her unconscious body into the CR tank.

________________________

Once high enough into the air, Landslide made his way towards the Axalon as fast as he could fly, still unable to notice Rattrap hiding behind the boulder on the ground. He eventually made his way past Banshee while he activated his comlink to Rhinox Rhinox, what's the status of the CR chambers? Cheetor took some damage from that giant Predacon.

[starshadow]

"What do ya see from up there, Banshee?"

Banshee was flying closer to the coordinates the others were at, looking around the area until something huge flew past her. Turning around, it was Landslide with the kid in his arms. It seems the young one took quite a blow from whatever hit him. "They're heading back to base Rattrap. Cheetor doesn't look good as well." she followed the giant beetle and managed to catch up with him, "how is he? Are his injuries fatal?"

[Optimal Optimus Primal]

"I'll be fine Rhinox, it'll pass in a little while."

The chief engineer studied the tigress for a moment, not entirely convinced but her physical appearance gave him enough to accept her assurance and agree.

"At least we can keep him somewhere he won't be so lucky to get out. Quite frankly I think he deserves what he gets." "But seeming as you guys are busy I'll handle the bridge, keep an optic on any news from the others."

"Thank you, Wintersong," Rhinox said as she stepped out. It would certainly be a good idea to have someone occupying the bridge and handling the scanners and monitors, and it was nice for someone to volunteer for a change. After all, she needn't worry herself with the situation in the brig when she needed a little more time to rest. Her words and attitude suggested encouraging Optimus do as he please to their prisoner probably because of Zodiac manipulating them all to believe Ironclaw was the shape shifter who was still "M.I.A." and almost having all of them blown to smithereens. It was probably best that she was present right now. But just as quickly as she was leaving, Whitegrazer showed up. She wasn't completely repaired which led him to believe that her Empath powers were feeding off of Primal's emotions, alerting her to the situation. Maybe she could calm things down... Maybe.

Rhinox, what's the status of the CR chambers? Cheetor took some damage from that giant Predacon.

It was then when Landslide's voice came though his comm. link. He was relieved to hear from him but concerned about Cheetor's well being. "Both chambers by the command center are vacant," he replied to the beetle. "The one in the hangar is still inoperable. What of Ironclaw?" he inquired. "And beware that Night Terror might be lurking somewhere. We know how those two operate together. In fact, aren't they Zodiac's henchmen?" His last question more rhetorical as he was thinking out loud. Quickly he switched frequencies to Wintersong's.

"Wintersong, stay alert on the scanners for any Predacon activity in the vicinity. Zodiac may have somehow hailed Dirge and Night Terror to come to his rescue." Big Green couldn't be sure but he doubted that Dirge's sudden and spontaneous arrival was coincidental, especially now that Zodiac was trapped. Unless he was infected by the wretched hallucinogen. How and when he would have contacted them - if he did - Rhinox didn't know, but they couldn't ignore the possibility.

"They're heading back to base Rattrap. Cheetor doesn't look good as well."

Rattrap sighed, a little annoyed and impatient, and said, "Copy dat." Since things seemed quiet, and hoping that Dirge had retreated, he transformed back to his vehicle mode and drove off at an average speed back toward the Axalon.

Whispers... I hear them too, Optimus... We aren't in any danger.

As long as he is conscious, we will always be in danger! Primal objected toward Whitegrazer.

There is no need to let fear or anger make us betray ourselves. We have caught him.

It's not enough, he told the Empath coldly.

To maim in aggression will just rattle the cage and anger him more, and to kill him when he can't fight back, we will prove that we are no better.

I will do what needs to be done, Optimus told her while he stared at Zodiac - the other Optimus - in the cage inside the cell. It wasn't long after that that he could feel her presence getting stronger, meaning she had emerged from the CR chamber and was wasting no time to get to the brig. Well, once she was stable enough to press on, she made haste. He tried not envisioning those horrible, horrific punctures through her body. Those heartless, cold spikes that Zodiac stabbed through her in an attempt to end her life and to take her away from him. His blood and energon boiled inside.

"Am I supposed to feel threatened by that?," "Threatened by you? The one who so pathetically used to cringe at the first sight of blood.. of death?"

Flashes of fire, devastation, dead bodies scattered about, and an eerie shriek in the darkness suddenly struck his mind like a lightning bolt. It was a memory long since forgotten, buried and suppressed so deep down that it was a mere fragment. Optimus didn't know where he was, how long ago it took place, or what he was doing in the memory, but something Zodiac said triggered it. A slight look of bewilderment crossed his scarred face until he narrowed his orange optics at "himself". He could remember the sounds and the smells of that horrible night. Crackling fires, crumbling buildings, the smell of burning mech fluid and smoke that wafted in the air. He could remember now that that was the first time he had been surrounded by so much death. It was not an experience that he ever wanted to live through again, and yet he had lost several friends now under his command. Why couldn't he recall all of this before? It was like it had been purposely filed away to never be thought of again. "I am no longer so squeamish," he said calmly. Whoever Zodiac was remembering was not entirely the same Optimus Primal that stood there before him now.

"You're assuming that Nexus is capable of coming for you," "Ever the naive one.. Do you honestly believe the good admiral could be allowed to roam free?"

Primal glared at him, squeezing the remote with a little frustration and anger. Naive?! Yes, he had been naive, but he had also been inexperienced and manipulated. Now he wanted to know what happened to Nexus. Was he dead? Alive? Depending on Zodiac's answer, he just might push him over the edge.

"What? Worried I sent the old guy to meet his maker?"

The Commander's stomach churned a little during the changeling's climatic hesitation. A lump of anxiety developed in his throat. He wanted to know. ...Didn't he? Yes, he did. No... What if he was dead? What if Zodiac killed the Admiral? I swear, if he murdered him... His hand squeezed tighter on the remote, bending the metal edges of it until his fingers that were wrapped around it made indents. He heard that haunting scream in his mind again from that unlocked memory. It was a scream from someone he couldn't save that night, lost in the shadows. He briefly recalled seeing Nexus there. Why? Where?

"Don't fret, Optimus. The orders were to keep the old rust bucket alive.. for now.. Since his rank and position within the Maximal army makes him such a valuable prisoner. You, on the other hand, and your team of misfits were deemed to be expendable."

"By whom?!" demanded Primal, angrily; insulted and offended. But at the same time, IF this fraud was telling the truth, he was relieved that Nexus may still be alive somewhere. "Who sent you?! Whose orders?!"

Rhinox remained diligent, watching Optimus closely. Zodiac obviously knew how to manipulate others and get under their skin. Although he had to admit, he was just as curious to know who this pretender was working for and what personal vendetta he had with Optimus. Unfortunately, he doubted that even if he told them, he could just as easily be lying. They were probably never going to get the truth, or at least the whole truth.

"A name given to me by the Maximals, I might add," "Indeed. Your beloved Nexus was the one who named me."

"Lies! Nexus would have nothing to do with someone like you! I told you I wanted the truth!" Primal hollered at the shape shifter. He lifted the remote and pressed the button to electrocute him again at the same voltage as before.

"Optimus!" Rhinox called out against his action, moving at the TransMetal ape to snatch the remote from his hand.

Primal planted his free hand on his friend's chest to stop him in his tracks while holding the remote out of the engineer's reach. "This is what it has come down to, Rhinox!" he told him. "I have been merciful for far too long."

"But that's exactly what you have to hold on to!" the rhinoceros argued, unwilling to back down. "Optimus, if you go down this path... you won't be coming back. You can't go back. You won't be able to tell yourself that you didn't torture someone, that you upheld everything that you stand for, that you defied the odds against Megatron's brutality by maintaining your morals and ethics. You'll be throwing all of that away with this single circumstance. This isn't you. You're better than this. You're better than Zodiac and Megatron." His optics briefly glanced at Whitegrazer, noticing the wounds on her back that she hadn't allowed to properly be repaired. They reminded him of how dangerous and unpredictable their prisoner was. If Optimus saw them, he might lose his temper again.

Studying his red optics intently that were so full of pureness, kindness and wisdom, Optimus took his hand from his stockier friend's gold chest as a frown came across his scarred, bronze mouth. He didn't hand over the remote, however, as another memory suddenly exploded. It was Nexus' voice...

"I gave him a name, did I tell you that?"

And then his own voice...

"No, you didn't tell me.

Nexus' again...

"I named him Zodiac,"

And that was all. Why was Nexus telling him that? Why was he speaking to him about Zodiac? When was this? ...Back on Cybertron; his lack of a beast mode told him that. It was before he left with his crew. Actually, it was before something else monstrous was created. Worst of all, Zodiac was telling the truth here, and as soon as Optimus realized this, his face seemed to swell with disgust for what he had just done to the shape shifter when he previously thought that he was lying to him. Nexus did know him. Nexus had given him a name. But instead of resorting to another batch of questions, he told Zodiac, "My apologies... You were being honest." His voice was sincere despite Zodiac being undeserving of anyone's sympathy after everything he had put them through and whatever he did to the real Nexus Prime, making it obvious that something had suddenly changed his mind and re-enforced the changeling's words. He said nothing more about it in hopes of the fake Optimus Primal answering his previous inquiries. And maybe Whitegrazer and Rhinox were right. If Optimus stayed true to himself and didn't let Zodiac get to him like he wanted to, then maybe Optimus would start getting on his nerves instead. But it was so difficult to remain strong and look past his hurtful words and threats. He had already been through this with Megatron who literally beat the life out of him.

Don't slip now. Stand your ground. Be assertive. Make him quiver. Kill or be killed. The power is in your hands. You could end this if you really wanted to once and for all, the whispers of various voices tried convincing the leader. Optimus shook them off, eager to know who sent Zodiac and where his orders of eliminating the Axalon crew came from. If it was the Elders, he really wouldn't be surprised. He was already suspicious of their involvement purposely getting rid of him and the vessel's dark secret.

Meanwhile, Rattrap had ventured to the front of the ship, maximized, and stepped onto the lift that lowered for him from the bridge. Going up, he saw Wintersong and stepped off of the platform. "Hey, Winter! Feelin' better? You missed a lotta excitement. Did Zodiac get out yet?" he asked half joking, half casual. He pretty much expected the shape-shifting crazy to escape any time now, but he hoped he wouldn't kill anybody. Yeah right! That seemed to be his primary objective here; killing everybody! "Maybe the boss monkey will scrape some answers outta him, eh?"

[Phoenix]

"I am no longer so squeamish,"

Zodiac listened to the calmness in Optimus' voice, knowing it to be at least a partial lie. Primal may no longer panic at the first sight of violence but the shapeshifter was certain he would still crumble the moment it was one of his beloved Maximals that had fallen. Obviously the fool had no regards for his own life or well being, only a fool would offer themselves to their mortal enemy the way Primal had, but the pretender had caught that look of desperation in the Maximal's eyes when he had believed it truly was Aurora in Megatron's grasp. And sooner or later the shapeshifter was determined to see those eyes again... moments before he put Primal out of his misery.

"That remains to be seen," the fake Primal answered confidently, refusing to show weakness around these Maximals. As he kept talking it soon became clear that Optimus was far from as calm and collected as he pretended to be, the shapeshifter taking note of the change in posture and the hand squeezing ever more tightly on the remote to the point of bending parts of it. Granted the fake Primal had to admit that the Optimus standing in front of him had come a long way from the weak and pathetic wuss he remembered.. Nexus' favored one, the very thought made the shapeshifter feel sick. But while the original Primal seemed to have forgotten that particular part of their joint history, Zodiac remembered every bit of it. Nexus had shielded Optimus from the truth like he always did for reasons the shapeshifter had a hard time understanding. To protect his fragile mind? To preserve that innocence that Nexus obviously liked in the younger bot?

Meanwhile Nexus had no quarrels with brainwashing the shapeshifter.. and using his talents for his own gain. Well it had failed. Slowly but surely the shapeshifter had regained his memories, his knowledge of who he truly was, but he chose to keep the truth hidden until such a time he was by himself and unsupervised. That time had come when the outpost was taken over by a terrorist group.

Any doubt the clone may have had about the impact of his words on his twin were put to rest by the time he had finished telling the other about Nexus.

"By whom?!" demanded Primal, angrily; insulted and offended. But at the same time, IF this fraud was telling the truth, he was relieved that Nexus may still be alive somewhere. "Who sent you?! Whose orders?!"

His reaction caused the shapeshifter to smile, if ever so briefly. It was an immense source of amusement to get into someone's head like that, to tear them down using nothing but words. Of course he wasn't going to answer the other one's questions. He owed him no loyalty after all and may very well need the leverage later. Before Optimus had a chance to repeat his demand, Wintersong was out the door. Only to be replaced by none other than the annoying empath. The fake's Primal's smile dropped. Had it not been for this female, all the Maximals would have been dead by now.. Little more than molten metal on the floor. And Primal would have joined them. For that single moment the shapeshifter felt a stronger hatred for this female than he did towards Optimus himself. Of course the feeling was going to be short lived..

Aurora's face lit up as Whitegrazer walked in, greeting her with a smile just as wide as the one she got in return. BlackArachnia had not moved since she was put on guard duty so she felt safe looking away for a few seconds.

"Lies! Nexus would have nothing to do with someone like you! I told you I wanted the truth!"

The sudden surge of electricity caught the shapeshifter by surprise, the sting just as bad if not worse than the first time. He staggered backwards a bit before turning an infuriated gaze at Optimus. Another jolt traveling up to his knee caused the joint to buckle and give out, forcing him to use his arms to prevent himself from collapsing in the shallow water. Of course this only increased the surface area in direct contact with the current, which extracted a pained grown from the changeling. As he knelt in the water, a continuous surge of energy travelling up his arms and legs, two dark lumps appeared on either side of his back. They grew rapidly, their shape changing to form wings that moments later burst out with an impressive force. Half of his face started changing as well, and part of the metallic fur taking on a more scaly appearance. His coloration in the affected parts changed to a darker shade, near black with certain white details, and his single changed optic seemed to change color rapidly as light reflected off it. Normally the process of changing his form was painless and well controlled, but it was evident that this was not something the shapeshifter was doing by choice.

"I have been merciful for far too long."

This isn't you. You're better than this. You're better than Zodiac and Megatron."

"He is.. not ..better than me..!," the shapeshifter protested, sounding quite enraged by this point just as his arms started to buckle as well.

Just then the surges stopped as suddenly as they had appeared, causing the two-faced prisoner to glance up at Optimus with hate in his eyes. Slowly he forced himself up again as soon as his weakened limbs would allow it, refusing to kneel down to someone who was clearly inferior to him.

"My apologies... You were being honest."

Had he not been surrounded by electric walls on all sides, the shapeshifter would have lunged at Optimus and ripped him apart at that moment. The scowl he sent him made his intent to do so obvious. In fact he was so angry his clenched fists were trembling ever so slightly.

"You will.. beg for death.. when I'm through with you," Zodiac promised him, finding little comfort in the apology.

Nemesis listened intently as Megatron explained his intentions, finding the idea intriguing even if a little disappointed he intended to downsize them to Predacon scale. Most of the raw energon had exploded when the planet buster swept the area so she didn't foresee that being much of an issue. Of course there could be more raw energon hidden elsewhere that had not been affected by the lethal beam.

When Megatron finished she merely nodded and smiled. "I'm honored to take on this task," she responded.

[una]

As long as he is conscious, we will always be in danger!

It's not enough,

I will do what needs to be done

Whitegrazer shook her head sadly. Not that she disagreed with Optimus on one of those accounts, but she disagreed with the "why" Optimus said such things. Zodiac, yes, she agreed, he was a threat. No doubt he would try his hardest to get out of that jail cell they created. They couldn't be complacent. If Zodiac got out, he would begin again, causing chaos and pain. If it wasn't for that desperate vision she had in that moment. They would all be dead. Soon after, Optimus would have been too. Her spark ached and shook in terror at such a thing, but it was normal for a person to feel such a way after being in such a life-or-death situation. That feeling in her spark won't be going away soon. It would fade though with time.

That was all the more reason for them to take this opportunity they had with Zodiac. Now... before it was too late. Maybe it was already, but they have to try. They won't know the possible outcome unless they tried. For their sakes. For Optimus' as well. She could feel... could feel it stronger now that she was closer to him. Even flashes of some unknown place. Smoldering ruins. Fire. Stench of death. She placed a hand over over spark. Such turmoil. Such pain. The pain Zodiac caused her by his attack pale in comparison to what was going on with Optimus.

She hid those holes on her back. She kept her position calm and composed, ignoring the glance Wintersong had towards her backside as she left them as well as Rhinox's glance. She looked back with just her head turning. Wintersong... She was worried about Ironclaw and no doubt still held some grudge at a few of those who accused him back when Zodiac tried to throw away suspicion on himself. Ironclaw did deserve an apology.

Aurora smiled up at her, returning the smile she gave her. Another reason why she must bring peace in this chaos.

"By whom?!" demanded Primal, angrily; insulted and offended. But at the same time, IF this fraud was telling the truth, he was relieved that Nexus may still be alive somewhere. "Who sent you?! Whose orders?!"

"Lies! Nexus would have nothing to do with someone like you! I told you I wanted the truth!"

"Optimus!"

"This is what it has come down to, Rhinox!" he told him. "I have been merciful for far too long."

"But that's exactly what you have to hold on to!" the rhinoceros argued, unwilling to back down. "Optimus, if you go down this path... you won't be coming back. You can't go back. You won't be able to tell yourself that you didn't torture someone, that you upheld everything that you stand for, that you defied the odds against Megatron's brutality by maintaining your morals and ethics. You'll be throwing all of that away with this single circumstance. This isn't you. You're better than this. You're better than Zodiac and Megatron."

"Optimus..." she called to him softly, gently. Rhinox was right. If he continued this course of action, he would have to live with the fact that he tortured someone. It would stain his conscience with an ugly realization that he committed an act, which Cybertronian law specified to never do. Even though, people on both sides have forgotten or threw away such law because they felt it was unrealistic. People always throwing away the rules of warfare. She didn't want Optimus to have to deal with such consequences. Didn't want someone finding this out when they returned to Cybertron, and telling the High Council. So they could use Optimus in a twisted game of politics and espionage.

She knew what that was like. Blackmail.

Zodiac was going through something due to Optimus pressing the button. She watched in shock at the split between his facade and his true self. Like two sides battling. It made her wonder how many people he masked himself with. How many lives did this shapeshifter live? So many faces. So many souls. Did Zodiac even have a true face, a true self? Living other people's lives and not living one of his own.

"He is.. not ..better than me..!,"

"Then stop this." She stared at Zodiac. Her face calm and eyes resolute. "No more mind games. No more deceptions. If you have a story to tell, then tell us. Tell us about yourself."

"My apologies... You were being honest."

A split second she saw and heard something. A voice. Was it Nexus? Optimus must have remembered something. She could feel the disgust he felt over what just happened moments ago. Stay true to yourself, Optimus. He wants you to lose yourself. Keep in control of yourself. I know it is hard after everything that has happened, but you are not alone here. Rhinox is here. Aurora is here. And so am I. Like I said to you before, we will not let you fall.

"You will.. beg for death.. when I'm through with you,"

Whitegrazer looked back at Zodiac, watching his facial expressions. She ignore his threat at Optimus after his genuine apology. After all, the threat was empty as he was, for now, stuck in this cell. "What did they do to you? What happened to you?"

[DarkSpark]

OOC: I was gonna have Megs just have the device ready and on hand, but was worried that would be too OP since I made no mention of it earlier, which I had thought of it sooner.

Phoenix wrote: Nemesis listened intently as Megatron explained his intentions, finding the idea intriguing even if a little disappointed he intended to downsize them to Predacon scale. Most of the raw energon had exploded when the planet buster swept the area so she didn't foresee that being much of an issue. Of course there could be more raw energon hidden elsewhere that had not been affected by the lethal beam.

When Megatron finished she merely nodded and smiled. "I'm honored to take on this task," she responded.

"I am happy to hear it, it is of vital importance. Now, as for how we shall uncover these long lost decepticons, particularly given how they have not shown up as so much of a blip on our scanners since we've landed here, fortunately my namesake once again thought of everything. The disk includes design schematics for a portable external scanner that can home in on decepticon energy signatures no matter how well hidden they might be...Understandably, you must be sure NOT to lose it, or to destroy it completely should a maximal get their rusty hands on it. The device itself is a bit archaic but that can be forgiven considering the date of its design and was clearly meant to be user friendly for future generations, and allows me to take the liberty of adding some improvements to modernize it of course. I might be tempted to entrust its construction to Tarantulas but...I don't want him to know about this until AFTER its too late for him muddle up the works as it were, yyyyyeeesssss. So feel free to return to your quarters and prepare yourself for the mission at hand while I finish building your D-Tracer, relax even, I'll need you at your best for this mission, thank you for your assistance Nemesis, and your digression" Megatron said, as he hid the disk away again and pulled out the beginnings of the D-Tracer, an odd mismatch of primitive Decepticon technology and modern Predacon technology, and went to work completing it with a smile on his face.

Wintersong wrote: "We'll have to make it as workable as we can...given the damaged state this room has become." Spineback observed, already aware the ship had been in bad shape before this little outbreak and now it was in even worse shape, from what though she could only imagine. "By the Pit, hope we never go through that ordeal again." She muttered, shuddering at recalling what the virus had caused her to recall in those days as training among the Decepticons yet actually seeing combat had been rather swift back in those days, days she doubted she would ever truly come to relive. Sighing softly she carried to pile over to the rest of the items they were disposing of though sorted through some of it for other items they could still make use of in the coming repairs.

"Agreed, such a disaster must never be allowed to be repeated within the Colony's walls again, we must endeavor to serve the Royalty even more diligently than before to do so!" Inferno stated, finding Spineback to be more and more agreeable by the moment, perhaps she would shape up to be a decent servant of the Royalty after all.

NaitoKage wrote: Opening the compartment on his leg, he pulled out a flexible band, then leaned down putting it around Star's neck, then locked it in place with a small light coming on at the center, then grabbed her by the ankle, leaving her room and dragging her through the halls of the ship to the CR tanks. He tossed her unconscious body into the CR tank.

Inferno observed as Umbra returned with his catch of the day and dumped her into the tanks to heal, saying "So the traitor has been apprehended! You have served the Royalty well this day, does the Royalty know of your success?"

Inferno watched Umbra and waited for his reply, already thinking to inform the Royalty himself if Umbra had not done it already...Perhaps the Royalty would give him the order to burn the prisoner? That would more than make the fanatic fire ant's day.

[NaitoKage]

"So the traitor has been apprehended! You have served the Royalty well this day, does the Royalty know of your success?"

Umbra shakes his head, rubbing the wound on his neck from Starshadow's bite. Ah, no. Not yet. I just arrived. I'll head there now, I'll need to discuss with him certain details on Miss Shadow.

Umbra made his way towards Megatron's quarters, then knocked on the door. Lord Megatron, Miss Shadow has been dealt with.. again. If you have the time, I will need to discuss a matter about her with you.

___________________________________________________

"how is he? Are his injuries fatal?"

Landslide looked towards Banshee I can't say fer sure, he took on water..

"Both chambers by the command center are vacant," "The one in the hangar is still inoperable. What of Ironclaw?" "And beware that Night Terror might be lurking somewhere. We know how those two operate together. In fact, aren't they Zodiac's henchmen?"

Not sure where Ironclaw is. Should I look fer him after I handle Cheetor?

Landslide came down near bridge of the Axalon, walking onto the lift and raised up into the bridge of the ship. Without even speaking to the others on the bridge he made his way towards the Medical bay, hoping he could get Cheetor there in time.

Stopping in the Medical bay, Landslide leaned down and set Cheetor inside the CR chamber, reaching up to pull the chamber door down he then stood up. He shook his head for a moment, then noticed something on the edge of the door, mech fluid. Landslide looked towards his clawed hand with narrowed optics. If he'd listened to the Predacon, would Cheetor have not been injured? Likely not.. he thought to himself.

[Optimal Optimus Primal]

"That remains to be seen,"

The real Primal shot his clone a glare for a moment before letting it roll off of his shoulders and giving a small shrug.

"He is.. not ..better than me..!,"

Why had Zodiac said that? Was he just angry? His pride? Suggesting that his kind was better than Maximals, or that he was just better than Optimus specifically because of his abilities? Or could he know about Optimus' involvement with Protoform X, of which he was directly involved in? How could he? All of that had been highly classified, which was one reason why he hadn't spilled the beans yet about the Axalon's secret mission. Whatever he might have known, Primal knew the truth, and he was guilty.

The Maximal Commander watched the changeling's nanobots defect with the electricity. He was now looking more like a disfigured experiment gone horribly wrong instead of the threatening, menacing shape shifter he really was. A look of disgust almost appeared on Primal's scarred face but he suppressed it. Perhaps this was Zodiac's true self showing, a sheer monster. His orange optics surveyed his body, the two black wings that had burst out of his back, and his face that looked like two different personalities as half of it remained of Optimus' and the other more like his true form - Primal could only assume. The rest of his body looked similar to that of spots with frost bite that appeared erratically. At first, Optimus stood there as hard as a rock, stoic and unaffected by the pain he had obviously inflicted onto his prisoner. But then his well-known compassion began to settle in, along with pity and guilt. All of it told him to cut the voltage that was electrocuting Zodiac, which he did remotely. Another memory quickly surfaced because of the emotions. He recalled standing in a room with Nexus and they were looking at someone on the other side of a window that may have been a two-way mirror. This bot was on the floor, clearly in agony. Was Optimus... a part of this? He didn't recognize him, and the memory was only a fragment that lacked dialogue. According to Zodiac, Nexus was definitely a big part of his existence, even having been the one who named him. This troubled Primal. What troubled him even more was Nexus' current location and well being, both of which he had no definitive answers to because Zodiac liked to play with riddles and his mind.

"Optimus..."

He heard Whitegrazer's voice, so soothing, peaceful and warm. But Optimus didn't look at her. Instead, his gaze fell to the remote thoughtfully as he appeared to collect himself. "He's right," he finally said calmly, still staring at the remote in his hand. "Zodiac is right. I'm no better than him." He looked up at Whitegrazer, Rhinox, and Aurora with sorrow and remorse in his optics.

Rhinox frowned, understanding what his old friend meant by that. "We've all made mistakes, Optimus. Those of us who learn from them differ from those who do not. You aren't that bot anymore," he assured him.

But Primal was having a difficult time accepting that despite all of the wrongs he was trying to right ever since he had left Cybertron with his crew. He had been a part of some terrible things in the past, a past that wasn't that far away from the present just yet and already caught up to him rather quickly. Only a select few knew of his skeletons; two of them were in this very room with him. Rhinox knew of one. And Zodiac. Well, that was assuming Zodiac knew about his Protoform X project. Did Megatron have any secrets? Of course not. Anyone who knew anything about him that he didn't want whispered down the alley were likely terminated so they could never speak of them. But Megatron seemed to be the type to boast about everything, so secrets were unlikely with him. And yet, he still got away with all of his crimes and murders. There was no one chasing him to make him answer for his wrong doings, except Optimus, which made it a pretty bleak pursuit.

"You will.. beg for death.. when I'm through with you,"

"I wouldn't be making threats like that if I were at the mercy of the one in control of the electrocutions," Primal scoffed at Zodiac's words. Although it was certainly not an empty threat, he was well aware of that by now, but he thought it better not to give him the satisfaction of quivering at them under his armor. For the time being, Optimus was in control of his fate.

"Then stop this." "No more mind games. No more deceptions. If you have a story to tell, then tell us. Tell us about yourself."

The Maximal leader grew quiet when the equine started making suggestions. It seemed to be a feeble attempt to calm the situation. Optimus wasn't sure he wanted things peaceful right now. Keeping the aggression and hostility could help coerce Zodiac to say more than he might intend to. On the other hand, he obviously despised Whitegrazer and her abilities as an Empath for ruining his "master plan" of murdering them all, so her mere presence might be enough to rattle the shape shifter.

Stay true to yourself, Optimus. He wants you to lose yourself. Keep in control of yourself. I know it is hard after everything that has happened, but you are not alone here. Rhinox is here. Aurora is here. And so am I. Like I said to you before, we will not let you fall.

I fear... it might be too late, he sent Whitegrazer. It wasn't true but he seemed to believe it. He kept the remote in his possession but down at his side again, almost as it he was trying to conceal it.

"What did they do to you? What happened to you?"

While Whitegrazer continued her own little interrogation, Optimus attempted to dig around in his memory, looking for recollections that he didn't even know were there, and had been there this whole time. That's what started to bother him now. It just took this horrible, shape shifting murderer to make them resurface. Why? Why him? What part did Primal play in this? And why hadn't he answered his previous questions?!

Not sure where Ironclaw is. Should I look fer him after I handle Cheetor?

"He wasn't out there at the lake or having a scuffle with Dirge?" Rhinox asked Landslide. "Yes, keep searching for him with Banshee, if you aren't injured. Try to establish communication." The engineer was growing more and more concerned about the badger's whereabouts. Dirge's disappearance after his random appearance was also a little troubling to him. What was the point of his attack? What was he even doing in their territory? Was he alone? "How is Cheetor?" he then inquired.

[Wintersong]

Wintersong paused as she heard Rhinox's warning, typing on a few keys to make sure the area sensors were at their fullest while she kept a close optic on the monitors to ensure no Predacon activity was happening. Though right about now she wouldn't have minded a fight just to unleash her own pent up rage and anger, not to mention her slight guilt but that would be wishful thinking and likely wouldn't make things any better on a personal level. "Everything seems fine for now Rhinox, I'll keep in touch if anything comes up." The transmetal tigress spoke up before looking back to the monitor seeing some of the Maximals were returning.

No sooner had she seen this did she hear the lift, turning in the chair to see the first one was the resident rat, "Oh you know Rat, the usual processor ache, couple of battle scars, the usual." Wintersong said in a half-hearted attempt to joke but even that seemed difficult in this bleak moments of dealing with someone who had wanted to wipe them out. But why? All for a personal vendetta? "And Primal is trying to get answers now from what I could see. But if he does escape, I can give our sneaky shifter four going away presents." Wintersong said, managing a small grin as she indicated her four small missiles which she was more then ready to employ at any time should a situation deem it necessary to do so. "But in all honesty Rattrap, Optimus seems to be trying and definitely seen him in better moods."

Even with the Vok Optimus had not been this way, not so furious and angry. It was uncharacteristic of the transmetal gorilla and downright terrifying when one thought about it. Maybe those like herself and Ironclaw, or even sometimes Rattrap or Rhinox if push came to shove. But Optimus? That was downright not a good situation for anyone to be in less they risk what ever Optimus was doing now towards Zodiac.

Though her attention went towards Landslide as he arrived with Cheetor, making her perk up a little. "Can say Cheetor has definitely seen better days." She added with a concerned look but there was also a frown at the fact they couldn't seem to just get a break that day.

------------------

"We'll do what we can to get this place in working order Inferno, but I can tell you...this isn't going to be a one night job," Spineback told him, her voice serious and downright honest. The damage was extensive and Primus only knew how many of their systems in this room alone needed repairs, especially their monitors which seemed to taking a beating all the time in her short tenure there thus far. They would have to make do though for the next few days until most of the repairs could hopefully be along enough progress could prove to be useful for them in this situation.

Glancing back though as she saw Umbra dragging a rather badly damaged looking Starshadow, Spineback couldn't help shaking her head. "Did everyone have a mental breakdown or something?" She said in exasperation, unable to wrap her processor around the fact all this had gone down hill so quickly and she didn't remember part of it following her brief confrontation against the ant and pteradon. Sighing she could only hope to hear what exactly went down as she began working on more repairs after moving away some debris.