I will see if I could find what triggered the involuntary action.
Zodiac lifted his gaze from the floor while lowering his cuffed hands as he listened to the female invading his mind. Oddly enough he wasn't really angry with her for breaking her promise to leave him be, not anymore. His repairs were still ongoing but they were far enough along now that he was no longer on the brink of stasis, in fact he felt better than he had since he lost his powers. It may have only been a couple of weeks according to this planet's timeline, but to him it felt like an eternity.
She said she'd try to find out what triggered his response earlier, what made him attack Rhinox and nearly overpower him despite his injuries. Heh..
Zodiac leaned back against the wall of the CR chamber, pondering her promise. He was fairly certain he already knew what had possessed him. He had realized it when the fog eventually cleared from his mind. The sensation had been familiar, if unexpected. Or was it? The aliens would have received the signal from their machine in the mountain. Yet had they really wanted to target him, now that they knew where he was, it seemed unlikely they would merely have him attack some insignificant Maximals for a few moments. He had been around them long enough to know that wasn't how they operated.
He knew.
So the question remained.. Why had his old Vok programming resurfaced so long after he had rid himself of their influence? He was sure they were involved but it just didn't seem like them to target someone without having some greater plan in mind. Were they trying to force the Maximals to kill him by having him attack them like that? No. That wouldn't have amounted to anything worthwhile for them. Yes, he would have been dead and not able to cause any more problems for them, but it wouldn't fix anything he had already set in motion.
I know you will, he told the female using the exact same words Primal had told him right before locking him inside this chamber. Still his thoughts were racing.
Ironclaw, I believe, has been reasoned with. You saw him. He could have, but he didn't attack you. And Ironclaw isn't, wasn't the type to care with Optimus and the rest of us felt.
Give it time, Zodiac responded with a sigh. Yes, he was surprised Ironclaw hadn't jumped at the chance to wipe him from existence much like he had done to Dirge. But he was also aware that the influence the High Council held on their followers was without comparison. When the Council wanted someone dead, they would never tolerate failure to do so. Nor would they tolerate disloyalty. In the end Ironclaw was bound to fall in line and do their bidding. Unless, of course, the Maximals found a way to return to Cybertron before then. With him in tow. And that would be a fate almost as bad as if the Vok got a hold of him for good.
Indeed. Zodiac had no shortage of enemies. But that was hardly a surprise given his often violent history. He had infiltrated, killed, and stolen from his enemies. Now that he was vulnerable, they would no doubt line up to collect the debt.
He had to get out of here. As much as Primal had promised his Maximals was the renegade's best chance to stay alive, Zodiac knew better. And these Maximals were terribly naive if they honestly believed they would be able to withstand the assault that was no doubt coming. Megatron, for all his ruthlessness, was but a child compared to other threats out there.
Something is at that site. Something.... big. Powerful. Devastating. I had hoped Rhinox, Aurora, and I would have found something, but if it is something type of weapon, I don't think the Vok would make it so easy to find.
Her words left him with a small bewildering smile.
You are very astute, he told her after a brief all-telling pause.
There's no point denying it now. That weapon at the volcano? That was nothing compared to the treasures, or should I say terrors, hidden at their other sites.
He shook his head slightly while letting out a low, humorless chuckle.
That signal from the volcano did more than merely notify the aliens that this planet is still occupied by intelligent life. It also activated some of their other sites, of which the one you found me at is the more dangerous one.
Pausing while looking at his shackled hands and feet, the smile faded from his face.
As much as it pains me to admit it, I was actually at the site with the intent to stop them from destroying us all.
He let the words linger for a moment while he collected his thoughts on what he was trying to say.
Yeah.. I can almost see you smiling. But no, I haven't lost my sanity and suddenly started caring about your precious Maximals. It was merely out of self-preservation. I'm as stuck here as the rest of you are now, after all, and I have no desire to suffer the aliens' wrath. Why should I care what happens to the rest of you?, he said, almost sounding insulted at the notion. But his disposition seemed to soften a bit as he continued. I shouldn't have said that.. That was uncalled for.
His inner voice quieted as he trailed off and went silent. The renegade seemed almost lost in thought for nearly a minute, not saying anything more for that time.
I had to the do the same thing, and it wasn't easy, believe me. I felt the same way you felt when you came here. Vulnerable. Frustrated. Eager to find a way out. Away from those I... held contempt towards. But I realized, after a while, I had made mistakes. Did horrible things. I accepted it. Did my hardest to try and understand why I did what I did, so that I didn't make the same choices. It was difficult, but if you truly want to change, to walk a different path, you will find a way.
Despite all the things he'd done.. and said.. she still hadn't given up on him. That fact puzzled the renegade as he wasn't used to being treated that way. But her words made him break his silence.
I'm not sure I'll ever understand why you insist on helping me. You're.. the first to ever believe in me this way.
He sighed inwardly at that observation, seemingly unsure of how he truly felt about it.
Anyway.. I went to the site to try to stop them but I was struggling due to my injuries. When your friends showed up, I decided to try to use them to get repaired.. and to keep them away from the alien site. If they would have entered the site, they could have set off the security system there. The aliens protected themselves by implementing safeguards at their bases. Only someone with their own technology, their energy signature, or who had access to certain keys are able to enter their territory undetected.
His gaze lowered to the ground again as he pulled his chained legs up close to himself.
So you see.. it had to be me, he told her in a softer tone. I have their technology inside me so I can bypass their security measures. Now that I'm trapped here, in Maximal custody, I can't stop them..
A thought seemed to hit him and he sat up straighter, staring straight ahead as if he could see her through the walls of the chamber and all the other corridor walls that separated them.
But maybe you can! You were once one of them, after all, and the technology they used in me originated from you. So you should be able to go there in my place. I'll guide you on what you need to do, if, of course, you're willing to do this.
A smile crept back on his face, and he sounded hopeful, certainly more so than he had until now.
But you would have to hurry. And difficult as I know it would be for you, I strongly advice you not to tell Primal about this.. about any of it.. because he would surely try to stop you.
Nemesis, or rather AirRazor as she was pretending to be, waited as patiently as she could while Tigerhawk contemplated his next move. They didn't have much time before the others would be upon them, so she finally gave a little nod in the direction they would be going. Never had she seen anyone acting so suspicious of her motives when she'd done nothing to warrant it. At least not yet.."Well..."
The rumbling sound of a sonic boom caught the female's attention as well and she impatiently reached out her hand towards the new arrival to forcefully drag him along. But it was too late. The newcomer was already heading in the direction of the sound.
She sent him a highly disappointed look. "I'm quite certain your speed will be adequate enough to..""Seems our journey will have to take a small detour. Whoever made that sonic boom is heading our way swiftly, and without a vehicle mode such as yourself I'd slow us down."
He interrupted her.
Wait!, she wanted to tell him, her frustration with this male's stubbornness reaching new heights, but she quickly realized it would be to no avail and the word simply died in her mouth. Mumbling something incoherent, she pondered simply pulling out her weapon and shooting the fool while his back was turned. As he had so accurately pointed out, he did not have the advantage of having an alternative mode yet so she doubted it would require much effort to bring him down in aerial combat."Wait here if you wish Airazor, but I'd rather be certain this is your comrade or not, and if it is they can come with."
As the fuzor disappeared out of listening range, she contacted the approaching Predacons via comlink.
"The target is awake and airborne. He goes by the name of Tigerhawk and believes I'm the Maximal AirRazor," she explained quickly and as quietly as possible on the private channel before adding, under her breath, "And he should have picked a mule as his animal form because he's certainly stubborn as one.."
Against her better judgement, she followed Tigerhawk at a distance. She wasn't sure who had caused the sonic boom just yet but it certainly wasn't looking like this would be an uncomplicated extraction.
"Leave him intact if you can. But if he starts resisting, just blow him out of the sky. Perhaps we can salvage the remains. If not.. well.. no great loss," she continued to her Predacon comrades, making sure she stayed well out of range for Tigerhawk to hear her.
She readied her weapons.