"Oh, from failed escape attempts to feigning unconscious. Sometimes, the scientists were just too stressed out to care about what I heard or not."
That was what Primal had assumed but it hardly offered up any proof. Could he really take his word for it?
"Don't be too sad. They all dead anyway. They got what they deserved. Hah. They caused me nothing but great pain and suffering. Laughed with joy and pleasure. Yet, when I returned the favor, they didn't seem to enjoy it too much."
Well, whether they deserved it or not, Optimus didn't condone that kind of violence or taking their lives. In some strange way, however, murdering them seemed to have helped X's attitude toward what he was put through. Most bots had consciences that haunted them forever doing what he did, and taking someone's life would not help them feel better or get past what was done to them. He honestly thought he would be much angrier toward him, but he didn't seem to be in a rush to harm him. Then again, that was often what the reports claimed, that X preferred to make his victims suffer slowly so he could gain the pleasure and satisfaction out of their prolonged but inevitable deaths. Not to mention that if no one or nothing could kill him, then he had all the time in the world to seek his revenge.
Optimus... the High Council used you as a scapegoat to blame for whatever happened to the project. The fact that they talked to the scientists to undermine your orders makes their view of you clear. They didn't give you a chance. Not even the scientists. It is clear they wanted quick results and didn't care for how they got them. It shows you were a good man. You might have been fooled and ignorant of what was happening, but you were a better man than they were.
Briefly, Optimus's gaze fell away from X when Whitegrazer reached out to him. While he agreed with her and accepted her support and understanding, it didn't exactly make him feel any better. He could feel her relate to his emotions with his situation, so at least he wasn't alone, but in turn he felt bad that she, too, had dealt with similar circumstances at some point in her life. Even if they were ever going to get home, would he want to face the challenges ahead by the Maximal Elders and the repercussions for his unusual and sometimes unorthodox methods of leadership during these Beast Wars? Of course he would. He had a strong desire and determination to straighten all of this out.
"I too feel regret for what happened on Omicron and even towards the scientists."
Primal watched X look up and smile... if one could call it a smile. He was difficult to read but something told him that he didn't really regret any of his actions. He enjoyed feeding off of their pain and fear. And while Optimus wasn't afraid of him, he certainly had some pain in his arm as it sparked a little again. He hoped X hadn't noticed it.
Optimus... watch yourself. X may be telling the truth, but he is holding something back.
Noted, he told Whitegrazer without looking back at her. He kept his full attention on X who appeared to suddenly have an ominous aurora about him, like the calm before a storm. Suddenly, however, he was thrown off of this path by Terrorsaur's attack that blew Whitegrazer off of her feet. Primal tried reaching for her to catch her as she flew forward, but his injured arm prevented him from being quicker. Laying ahead of him on the ground, he realized how close she was now to Rattrap's explosives. Everything with his and Rattrap's plan fell apart in that moment when X suddenly spun around and ran in the opposite direction. Without understanding what the slag was going on, and without knowing what Banshee was up to with Starshadow since X's large form blocked his view, he immediately addressed the situation.
"Rattrap, abort! Abort!" he cried out to him loud enough for him to hear without giving away his position.
"SHE IS MINE!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Witnessing Whitegrazer fly forward from a shot to her back, Rattrap had gasped in his hiding place and was already in the process of disarming his demo charges with his handy, wireless remote just before he heard Optimus holler to him. This way no one on their team would accidentally get blown to slag by friendly fire.
What the slag?! X took off back into the swampy treeline. Following his movements with his optics, he saw Banshee attacking Starshadow.
What're you doin', Banshee?! he thought. She may have just jeopardized their whole mission. He remained hidden, however, as he watched everything unfold, waiting to see who he could help. But then he observed X grab Banshee and pin her against a tree.
No!
Probably not the best choice, but doesn't matter.
"Like I care!" Terrorsaur squawked at Umbra, emerging from behind the tree after he had chuckled with his direct hit on the Maximal female.
"Unlike you, I don't waste my time helping the Maximals! Just wait until I report this to Megatron!"
Sitrep, Starshadow's free from the collar's control and gone rogue, that giant over there appears to have close ties to her and seems to be just as abnormal.
"Sounds like you're all kinds of failure today, squid," the Predacon flier commented with a smirk.
Not sure you want to have two groups of enemies to deal with, least the Maximals aren't into cannibalism like those two.
"Save your lousy excuses for Megatron, and see if he'll buy any of them as some kind of pathetic justifications," Terrorsaur rolled his optics. They outnumbered this Protoform X guy, anyway, not to mention he knew Umbra had some tricks up his sleeve to slow him down. To say the least, he wasn't worried.
Well.. slag. Appears I've been infected as well.. Make whatever choice seems wise to you, but you'll soon be alone. I wont live like a slagging monster..
Approaching Umbra, Terrorsaur noticed his cough and the veins protruding on his tentacles raising a brow with a quizzical expression.
"What the slag are you going on about?" he asked, confused and wondering what was wrong with him. But the squid leaped into the air and flew off toward X. Terrorsaur threw his hands up in the air as if to say he was giving up on everything. He turned about to continue firing at the Maximals...
"Whitegrazer!" Optimus cried to her as he saw the holes in her back that were still smoking from two familiar laser beams as she laid there on her stomach. Growing angry, Primal turned around and activated the guns on his back as it lifted over his head. As much as it hurt to lift his wounded arm up to use it, he ignored the pain and began firing relentlessly at Terrorsaur who left himself wide open just as Umbra departed to chase down X.
Terrorsaur managed to get a short blast of his lasers off in Primal's direction before he was forced to use one of his blades to help ricochet his onslaught of firepower. Unfortunately, his lasers missed and he had to step backwards while he was pummeled by the Maximal's weapon.
I can't keep this up, he admitted to himself as his blade started to weaken under the gun fire. Peeking around it, he risked firing another at Optimus, this time grazing his leg, just enough to distract him so he could escape.
Primal halted his firing when Terrorsaur's optic laser skimmed across his leg, causing it to buckle for a moment before regaining his posture to continue firing. However, the Predacon took advantage of him pausing and reverted to his beast mode, flying up out of the canopy of the forest. He may not have had his jet engines to use for flight, but he still had his wings to flap. Optimus deactivated his weapon and hurried to Whitegrazer's side, kneeling down beside her.
"Are you alright?" he asked, carefully examining her back with a frown on his face. He lifted his head and looked into the treeline when he heard Umbra's demo charge explode.
"Banshee?!" Where was she?!
Just before Umbra appeared with his attack, Rattrap had jumped out of his hiding spot and started firing at X with his gun as he ran toward him.
"Let her go, crab cake!" he demanded. He immediately stopped when he heard an explosion and saw a slimy, green substance decorate the area, some of it even getting on him because of his close proximity, and no doubt a ton of it getting onto to Banshee as well. He gasped as he watched the tiny bubbles form and burst and felt it starting to burn on his armor. Fortunately, it wasn't enough to seriously damage him, not like what he saw all over X. But Banshee was probably hit hard with it as well.
"Dragster mode!" he ordered his body, and it shifted from robot to a rat with wheels. Rattrap sped off across the forest floor toward X, kicking up leaves and mud along the way. He straightened his tail and slammed his breaks, sliding in the mud and turning just enough to swing his tail into X's ankles to knock him off balance so the rodent could get between him and Banshee and drive her out of there.
"I don't know what were you thinkin', Banshee, but let's get the heck outta here!"
Back at the
Darksyde, the computer had finalized the construction of the energon blade that Megatron had instructed to be made, and he held it in his hand as he admired the beauty and potential advantage it would give him.
"I believe it is time for my.... surgical strike. Yesss." In the distance approaching from the air, the flying TransMetal t-rex was inbound, but he would not be so careless as to announcing his introduction to everyone. First, he would stay back, unnoticed and undetected, and observe the situation to see what they were dealing with, and to see the damages already inflicted upon the others. Tracking them down had been a little tricky, especially with the fog, but now he was close enough to zero in on their signatures, including the Maximals'.
So the protoform did indeed survive. And it would appear that they're still dealing with the situation, he deduced as all of their signatures on the horizon were localized and crowding each other on his sensors.
at starshadow. XD I'm not sure if you're waiting or have anything to post, but if not, hopefully my post here will help get things rolling again for all of the characters involved.
I was actually gonna have Banshee wait til the trap is triggered. Buuuuuut, to make things more interesting, I could trigger....someone else. 
))