The Intergalactic Highway

“No, not yet. I haven’t had the chance to speak with him or the others before you returned.” Frilla told him with sigh, “And that’s why it hurt so much to hear those words come out of his mouth again Optimus; as hard as it might be to believe I’ve grown pretty fond of Rattrap too. But, I shouldn’t have been as cold as I was either given the circumstances.” She had been thinking about it since they had left the infirmary earlier before Zodiac had been brought to their base.

Given the need to make sure Nemesis didn’t do something either, the frilled lizard had had little time to fully process the situation until now, much less realize how guilty she was too for acting as she did. “Really has been no one’s day today.” She muttered.

Upon arriving in the infirmary, it was a bit of a concern if Nemesis believed Zodiac was alive or not. Guilt was a strong emotion, but so was fear. Whether the fear would outweigh the guilt would be something they would see in time and part of her hoped the two males were right, “She didn’t really comment about it when I urged her away. It seemed too much of a sight at the time so I suggested we leave, I guess we can hope she’s not that desperate.” She told them in a low voice, not quite so convinced it was an unlikely outcome. Knowing Megatron, the slightest detection of falsifying claims and it could spell trouble. As much as Frilla wanted to give the avian Predacon the benefit of the doubt, it was difficult not to feel some doubt given what had happened today....

Tigatron couldn’t help sharing Rattrap’s sentiment about the two young Maximals, wondering if they were pushing too far for too much. Aurora’s quarrel seemed to be with strictly Optimus alone, but Cheetor’s seemed more out of anger and spite towards the Predacons, which he had shown many times. But this seemed beyond wanting to prove himself a she normally did. “We’ll figure both problems out in time you two.” The older feline told them, urging them to keep some patience and that a solution to their problems would happen.

It just would take a little time.

Turning towards Rattrap and Airazor, the white tiger couldn’t help giving the faintest of grins, “I made the infamous Rattrap laugh? What an honor.” The white and green mech mused before regarding the two with a thoughtful expression. He knew Airazor was right. They had become it of the loop with the others and had spent much of their time scouring the Earth, documenting any remaining stasis pods or other possibly strange areas, as was common with their Vok foes. “I have no plans to go anywhere else, we’ve done quite a bit of traveling so it wouldn’t hurt to stick around here from now on.” Tigatron agreed.

But with things gradually winding down, the white tiger decided to lay down the tools he had been using and cane to Airazor’s side, glancing at Aurora as she announced she would be outside, “We’ll be here Aurora, I’ll take over the repairs while you’re gone.” He assured her before his attention shifted to the falcon, “As for you my love, I am glad to see the Predacons failed to dampen your spirit.” The white tiger spoke tenderly, optics glancing down at her leg, wondering how badly their enemies had truly damaged it before.

Though Dinobot found it as annoying as ever for the rodent to wave off his comebacks as weak, to see the smirk and glint of humor was something a glimmer of hope that the rodent hadn’t completely lost his confidence. Or, at least not his humorous side. There was a ghost of a grin that showed on his face despite the remark, “I was counting on it, vermin.” Dinobot’s voice lacked the usual snide he held towards the rodent, rather being quite genuine and still expressing concern despite how transparent the rat chose to be with him.

“You still show humor rodent, I think that is better than nothing.” Dinobot once more became dismissive, the sentiment in the room making him uncomfortably happy and sick all at once. Leaving the bridge eased that feeling slowly until they had crossed paths with Frilla whom he could sense had something important to speak with Rattrap about. Whatever that may be, he left the two to their own devices, making his way towards the brig that he saw was still in shambles but not nearly as messy thanks to the rodent’s earlier cleaning duty.

The stench of his former comrades also filled the room still, faint but strong enough to tell him who had been there, especially Megatron. How on track minded you are Megatron. You get proven right, and now what? You think you can waltz around as if you own the whole planet. Dinobot monologue to himself, stepping over towards the gaping hole leading outside, looking back and forth at the now open landscape and trying to imagine what had gone through the minds of the Predacons. “Hmm, perhaps the falcon is right.” He spoke to himself, picking up a piece of what had once been the roof, or maybe the wall, and examining it closely, “Perhaps returning to one’s roots aren’t such a bad idea.” Such a thought made Dinobot rub his chin, mind formulating a potentially dangerous idea.

After leaving the infirmary, the last bot she would have expected to run into so soon after telling Optimus she still had to talk to him was Rattrap, with Dinobot no less.

In fact, the rodent appeared as sheepish as she was when she explained what she was doing, briefly looking at him with curiosity as he spoke of wanting someone to listen. Perhaps that was what Dinobot had been intending to do, something of which the raptor heard as well. “I wasn’t sure if your repairs were fully finished is all Rattrap.” She apologized, “And I won’t keep you long.” But it was by then that Dinobot seemed to have realized there was more tot his than what he was seeing. Surprisingly with little comment involved, making her wonder if the raptor maybe had some compassion and sentiment in him after all this time.

Before she could say a word now that they were alone, it was Rattrap who was first to pop off with an apology, quietly listening with a searching expression. “Rattrap, I forgive you.” She told him, embracing the rodent without a second thought despite their size difference. “And I’m sorry too, for being so cold and jumping to my own conclusions. You’ve been dragged through the pit and back today, and I should have taken that into account when you said those things.” After a moment she released the hug, giving a bit of an embarrassed smile, “Yes it did hurt, probably more than I would have imagined, but I hurt you as well blowing it off without thinking.” Frilla signed then and shook her head, “Trust me though, I was as furious as everyone else for what Nemesis did to you. I may not have witnessed what happened, but I heard enough. But I also had to remain calm to avoid her on a skewer and you doing something you might regret, worse than what you said.” She explained, hoping it might further clear the air between them.

——————————————-

Well, the pterodactyl was in a foul mood wasn’t he. Maybe more so than the usual that is. Waspinator regarded his fellow flier curiously, tempted to ask what had his wings in a bunch before deciding against it, “Waspinator was told to stay and watch the base, so Waspinator did so. Waspinator know how to follow orders unlike pterodactyl idiot.” The transmetal wasp countered, no doubt potentially earning ire from his usual partner. But the two bickered like this all the time anyway, so he wasn’t exactly expecting much retaliation.

Turning on the monitor, the wasp merely snickered, “Waspinator have no problem with that, can keep up with Terrorsaur and bird-lady easily now.” It was hard for Waspinator not to be somewhat prideful that his upgrade and some influence from Starscream’s wayward spark had allowed for such a thing. But it was as the wasp turned to the now onlined monitor that he spotted the mentioned latter had returned. She appeared to be holding a strong front, making the insect wonder how she would get herself out of the sticky situation.

Changing the camera view, he flicked through each one until he found where Nemesis was headed, right for the medical bay where he assumed Megatron likely was. “Oooh! Things are about to get interesting.” He smirked.

((Hey Phoenix, let me know if Tarantulas laughing was just for the creepy factor of well...Tarantulas being himself or was suppose to be audible. Wintersong was outside so I just assumed for the moment it might be. Feel free to correct me and I’ll remove that part!))

“What? No! It’s not a mutiny Rattrap.” Cheetor assured the rodent, “But, some things might need to change around here after everything that’s happened.” The young cheetah pointed out.

Cheetor held far too much respect for Optimus to resort to outright mutiny, and the Maximal commander was far too compassionate and fair to them to consider such a thing. But, that appeared to be the problem. One of the mechs he had looked up to for much of his function was taking risks that could cost all of them, or extending his trust too far towards their enemies. It was concerning, clearly to more than himself given what Aurora had said. He mostly was worried for the ape’s safety and the safety of the other Maximals aboard the ship.

But Rattrap’s attempts for him to ease back on the throttle was met with stubbornness as Tigatron had earlier, “You may not want it, most of the others don’t, but I do. I’m tired of seeing all of us nearly creamed and our home trashed because the Predacons think they can take advantage of our generosity and compassion.” The teenager growled softly. It wasn’t just about what they had done to them today, but every time prior to this and probably how things would be in the near future. Sighing, he finally dropped the subject, figuring it would be something to address much later and after he had time to collect his thoughts.

Still, he briefly grinned at Aurora’s remark, “Duly noted.” He chuckled before she separated from the group to step outside, hoping she too was alright after everything.

“No first-class flights, got it.” Airazor chuckled, “But the option is still open for emergencies.” She told him, referring to the many times she had had to carry or get the rodent out of some hairy situations in the past. Or even vice versa with the rodent saving her. The falcon just hoped in time Rattrap’s confidence would recover and he’d take what they had told him to spark, that they did care about him regardless of what happened or the outcome of the conflict.

But clearly, he needed time to gather himself after such an experience and everyone else was slowly finding ways to keep themselves busy.

Turning towards the white tiger, her smile softened as she rested a hand on his cheek, turning Tigatron’d gaze back to meet hers, “Its as I told Rattrap, this was my own fault and something also out of my control. We’re in a war Tigatron, unfortunately these incidents will happen.” She tried to be reassuring, and with all the tension that had built up since earlier that day the last thing she wanted was her loved ones worrying. “We should tend to what we can be certain can be fixed and prevent more injuries like this in the coming future.” She told him, ever the calming and optimistic presence as she lifted a tool and placed it in one of her lover’s hands and letting the other fall back to her side to grab another tool. “We got a bridge to fix.”

Well, that was one way to resolve the issue of Zodiac not knowing of his nanomachines. He could imagine it wasn’t the most ideal situation for any of them to be telling the mech lies and half truths, ones that could easily backfire if they weren’t careful. But, Tigerhawk was willing to give the young dragon the benefit of the doubt and perhaps a new lease on life.

Perhaps Tarantulas’ attempts of taking Zodiac for his own selfish gains could be a blessing in disguise.

“Any time. If all goes well I imagine you will make a swift recovery and be on your feet in no time.” Tigerhawk assured him as Rhinox and Optimus attested to Rhinox’s claims. The rhinoceros certainly has a knack for making the impossible possible from what he had heard, and had seen Rhinox handle some particularly nasty medical issues since his arrival. This would just have to count as one of those “miracles” they had spoken of. But seeing Zodiac having slowly opened up before withdrawing again gave Tigerhawk some hope they might be getting through to the young dragon, slowly but progress was being made.

‘Small steps.’ He thought, offering a faint smile at seeing Zodiac seemed to relate after all, which was a relief since the large fuzor had not been so certain it would work. “That makes two of us my young friend, but perhaps I can give you some pointers others here have given me. My flying took trial-and-error, but it’s worked in th end; I just highly recommend open spaces until you get your bearings.” Tigerhawk chuckled slightly finding it surprisingly easy to speak with the amnesiac dragon but if they could forge a connection of some kind now, it could perhaps help them in the long run.

Seeing the young dragon finally stand though, it appeared he was becoming more confident and less terrified, perhaps slowly allowing himself to let his guard down little by little. Though relieved, he soon turned to Optimus as the Maximal leader approached him with a quiet request, offering a thoughtful glance towards Zodiac then back at Optimus, “Understood. But maybe we should see this as an opportunity Optimus. He was raised as a killer, and had few positive role models, no offense to the late Nexus Prime, maybe we should take this chance to show him a newer perspective. It might be the humbling experience he needs as a wake up call.” Tigerhawk suggested quietly. Though he left it for Optimus to consider, transforming to robot mode to head out as ordered and making his way to the room once belonging to Zodiac in a disguise he had not personally seen as much of the dragon’s earlier attempts had been before he arrived to the crew.

Stepping inside, the large fuzor scanned the room briefly, taking in the items and set up before he carefully gathered certain items that stuck out that may trigger anything. He was careful to examine every nook and cranny of the place before he felt satisfied he had gotten everything, gingerly stowing it away in a crate and removing it to his own quarters for safekeeping for the Maximal leader to retrieve later. “All set when ready Optimus.” He reported over his com. link.

On the roof outside, Wintersong had put much of her attention into repairing the outside hull of the ship, patching the holes or minor damage caused by Waspinator’s solo attack. It wasn’t the most ideal activity to take her mind off the Vok issue she was facing or worrying about what the Predacons could do in the coming weeks, but it was better than nothing. And it gave her an excuse to be out of the cramped, stuffy bridge or inside in general which had more than made her anxiety go through the roof a little.

The transmetal tigress only paused briefly when she heard the sound of the lift, curiously peering over the roof to see Aurora stepping outside, likely to get her own thoughts in order.

Shrugging to herself, Wintersong turned back to her work at hand, carefully patching the area and being mindful of larger damage in the ship, such as the smaller hole left by Terrorsaur and Nemesis when they were getting their own way inside earlier that day. “Good thing he didn’t come to the battlefield as back-up, the Predacons likely would have gotten what they wanted.” She reflected outloud, finishing up one patch job just as the spine chilling creepy laugh of Tarantulas filled the usually serene surroundings.

Feeling her entire frame tense, the tigress whipped around as she drew her sword, her thoughts immediately going to the young fuzor. But, she saw the ermine no where in sight, causing a sinking feeling to rise in her spark, “Aurora!” Wintersong immediately called out, leaping down from the ship’s roof and making her way towards the nearby forest where she caught the scent of the young fuzor having been there. “Aurora!” She called a bit louder and some urgency. “And where are you arachnid.” The femme muttered, scanning her surroundings as she stepped further into the trees.

++++++++++++++++

“Spoken like a true Decepticon.” Spineback complimented, an all-too-common belief system among their ranks years prior to the Predacons even being a thought. And quite frankly, it was true given the state of their society. Despite what Rodimus Prime and Optimus Prime had claimed towards the end of the Great War, not all were one and peace was never truly forever. They had a fool’s dream, and were even more foolish to have thought that conflict would be gone forever from Cybertronian society.

Conflicts such as their current one were proof of that.

Though she gave a small nod in response towards the new recruit as she had worked, “Some of us know our place in the food chain right away, and some don’t. If we’re lucky, he won’t be another Terrorsaur or Tarantulas.” That was the last thing they really needed these days. Many of the Predacons seemed rather off the rails and beyond hope of conforming to Megatron’s view of things or at least being compliant. If they could pool their resources together like they had that day they likely could finish the Maximals once and for all. Though, that was a bit of a stretch for a certain spider, “Quite tragic. Don’t forget to swoon if you ever have to make euology for the occasion, it really gets the tears rolling.” She chuckled as she did the finishing touches on the repairs.

Once they were done and Megatron seemed satisfied with the results, she took the mirror back to free up his attention for Nemesis’ arrival, placing her tools back upon the table, “You’re quite welcome sir. If you’re still feeling any discomfort lingering or after give me a call anytime, I have some pain killers that can ease that.” She added per medical protocol as she pushed the mobile table over towards the counter only briefly glancing back when she heard Nemesis arrive.

Though finding it rather curious that Megatron decided not to dismiss her, Spineback did not intervene or protest to being there. She simply turned back to putting her tools away and cleaning them for sanitary reasons, being somewhat quieter than usual as she listened to Megatron’s questioning to hear what Nemesis had to say. While doing so she took out her old storage container along with her chipped and worn Decepticon insignia, pressing it against a similarly shaped indention in the middle to stow away the sample she had from Rampage along side the mutagenic compounds she had separate prior before closing the container with a soft click.

Waspinator did in fact earn some ire from Terrorsaur who merely growled under his breath at the wasp. But he finally gave a dismissive grunt at the insect’s words, “Whatever. Next time I’ll drag you along for the ride one way or another, let the Maximals or our superiors best on you for a while.” He grumbled bitterly, still fuming about his damaged pride earlier. He still wished to get back at both Megatron and Nemesis for their verbal remarks earlier, but for not resigned himself to his current grumpy state.

Though he did perk up when he noticed how giddy Waspinator seemed to be, peering over at his monitor to see Nemesis finally around. “I suppose so. She was supposed to be right behind me when we were battling at the Axalon but never knew what happened.” Come to think of it, what had stopped the avian from following? She had been right behind him far as he had known, and the next thing he knew she wasn’t. “What are you getting at Waspinator? You know something we don’t?” He asked curiously, his previously annoyed state forgotten for now.

(ooc: No worries, WS! Tarantulas' creepy laugh could very well have been picked up. Also sorry for late response.. Working life.)

Nemesis remained at a respectful, and also safer, distance when Megatron took note of her presence. Although she avoided staring at him, she couldn't help noticing yet more scarring present on the tyrant's armor, this time on his neck, despite their only medic's attempts at minimizing the injuries. The avian female could only imagine what must have transpired between the renegade and the tyrant to result in such an injury, but Zodiac's condition upon being brought back to the Axalon seemed to indicate the encounter had been quite violent.

And for a brief moment she wondered if Zodiac had perished from his injuries or if the Maximals had managed to save him somehow. They had proven to be able to create such miracles before, specifically when Optimus had come back to life.. Somehow. The details of his return still escaped the avian female. And truthfully she questioned if the Maximals would really have the resources or even desire to go to such extreme lengths to save someone who had done everything in his power to wipe them out. Or if they even needed to do much considering the shape shifter's abilities that outmatched even her own.

Well, whatever had been the outcome, it wasn't a topic she wanted to bring up with Megatron. At least not at this time, since it was doubtful hearing about his arch enemy's possible survival would do anything to improve the tyrant's mood.

"So, you have,"

She paused and inclined her head for a moment, still feeling his gaze upon her though. Ever searching, ever accusing, no matter how calmly he presented himself. Or maybe that was just her own fear of him projecting itself. It was hard to tell.. In a way she felt fortunate that Spineback hadn't removed herself from the situation, since the other female could potentially help to reel the tyrant in should his temper get the better of him. Oh yes, her leader's treatment of his crew who had succumbed to that temper was very much on her mind as she stood there in plain view of his questioning optics.

She started to explain herself, attempting to sound confident as she did. Grovelling had never won any favors from the tyrant, and she wasn't the type to do so anyway. No matter how uncomfortable she felt with the situation right now.

"Elaborate. Where have you been?"

Ah yes, the inevitable question about her whereabouts while Megatron's throat was being damaged by their kidnapped victim. Even though she had some time to consider her options, she still was none the wiser about which answer would benefit her the most. Unable to really come up with a lie that would sound believable, she let out a faint sigh before explaining. Or at least attempting to do so, since the words got stuck in her throat. And before she had a chance to try to elaborate, Megatron's voice grew more demanding and threatening. His patience, what little he possessed of it, was clearly being tested.

"You were absent during the battle. Had you participated, we might have overthrown the Maximals again. I hailed you on your communication link and received no response. I return to the Darksyde, and your absence persisted. So, I ask you, Nemesis...,"

Most others would have been quivering at this point. And it took every bit of strength the avian second in command had to stay her ground with as intimidating as the tyrant's words sounded. He may not have been aiming any weapons at her, but his words still stung her. Beating down her self confidence and leaving her vulnerable for the plucking.

"where have you been?"

The avian female waited for the tyrant to finish, not daring to interrupt him until he gave her pause to do so. Although the words still felt like they were stuck in her throat, threatening to choke her, she did manage to get them out after a bit of struggling. And surprisingly she started with a true statement.

"When you called for the retreat, I remained behind at the Axalon."


She paused, forcing herself to look Megatron straight in the optics to try to read him the best she could, but then quickly continued before the tyrant had a chance to fire his weapon at her or whatever other extremely cruel and painful punishment he was no doubt considering at that time.

"The chaos in the wake of the battle seemed like an opportune time to search their base for technology or information that would benefit our cause. I was in the process of securing you a sample of the substance that Primal must have been coating himself with when the Maximals found themselves under attack again.. By Waspinator. His decision to attack the Axalon resulted in the Maximals doing a more thorough search within their base, which in turn resulted in me getting discovered."


She let out a slight grumbling sound, sounding a bit irritated with the wasp's interference. Of course it was unlike her to throw another Predacon under the proverbial t-rex the way she just did, but since she was trying to save her own skid plate here she felt there were few other viable options.

"The Maximals blocked off my escape route and I was captured for a time. It wasn't until Primal returned after his failed rescue mission that I was able to escape, at which point I returned here as promptly as I could."


She paused again, waiting for Megatron to either accept her little speech or form his own rebuttal to her explanation.

Zodiac shifted his weight a bit as he got back on his feet. He still felt more than a little shaky, but at least some of his strength was returning to him. And as much as he scanned his environment for any immediate threats, these Maximals didn't seem to want him any harm. So bit by bit he started relaxing more.

"So I've been told. I've just had a lot of experience with repair work,"

The bulky male whose appearance seemed to indicate he was anything but a medical tech yet despite his looks he was reportedly highly skilled in his field, seemed quite humbled by Zodiac's praise. The young dragon couldn't fathom why, honestly, since clearly the rhinoceros had gone out of his way to help him. Of course he had no idea it was his own nanomachines that had managed to repair his physical injuries to the point there weren't even any scars showing anywhere on his armor.

"It seems to have paid off," the renegade mused while forcing a hint of a smile to show his gratitude. He still felt a bit off, yes, like he didn't truly belong here. But since this was all he knew, he had little choice but to accept it and to deny those instincts of his.

“Any time. If all goes well I imagine you will make a swift recovery and be on your feet in no time.”

On his feet.. Yeah, his feet weren't really the issue, although the dragon understood the reference. "I trust some of you will be willing to show me the ropes a bit?," he asked in a hopeful and surprisingly friendly tone. Indeed he was acting quite differently from the foe who had attempted to murder them all at Optimus' own hands not too long ago.

“That makes two of us my young friend, but perhaps I can give you some pointers others here have given me. My flying took trial-and-error, but it’s worked in th end; I just highly recommend open spaces until you get your bearings.”

"Maybe you're right," the dragon offered with a sheepish grin of sorts. "I certainly would appreciate your tutelage if you happen to be willing."

"Well, then I'm glad to hear that there's nothing ailing you now aside from losing your memory,"

Yet none of them seemed overly upset about the major lapses in his memory. Of course it would make sense if he had not been one of them to start out with, that he had indeed just been wandering about and somehow managed to get injured severely enough to prompt this memory loss. The two that had saved him seemed kind enough as well, so did the two males present, and even the gorilla who had joined them. Zodiac had taken taken note of the way the ape looked at him with a great deal of concern visible in his optics. Somehow the Maximal, whom he would soon get to know as Optimus, seemed familiar. Not that the renegade specifically recognized him, no, but just something about his presence that felt like he knew him. And it made him feel safe in a sense.

"He's an excellent medic. One of the best," Optimus agreed with Zodiac. "And my oldest friend. As for your memory, that may return in time. We can hope, anyway."

His oldest friend? Yeah, the renegade could see that. The two of them had moved away to talk in private as soon as this Optimus had entered the room. But Zodiac didn't mind, in fact he had barely even paid attention when the two of them had conversed with low voices not meant for him to overhear. His mind was still somewhat overwhelmed and he struggled to process all the new impressions and information. Yet the virus within him seemed to have gone dormant, the only effect it had on him right now was the amnesia.

Primal's description of his relationship with the bulky medic did leave Zodiac pondering about his own friends, if he had any. It seemed he hadn't been a Maximal when he appeared in this place, or at least not been part of this group, so where had he come from? And where was his own group provided he had one? Had he just come online in this place, lost in the wilderness before his accident? Or was there something more sinister at play here? He was almost leaning more towards the second option, since certain things seemed familiar even if he couldn't recall where he had encountered the before.

"I hope you're right.. About my memories, I mean," the dragon responded, only now starting to budge a bit from where his backside had been pressed up against the wall. "It's a strange sensation when you feel like a huge gap of your life is just missing."

"I think we can arrange that. If you'll allow Rhinox to finish up his examination with you, we'll get you to your quarters so you can rest up,"

Zodiac paused for a moment, considering Primal's offer. It did sound nice to be able to rest for a while, perhaps even sleep for a few hours. Of course he had no idea of the sleep disruptions he had struggled with for most of his life due to the horrific experiences he had gone through which now prevented him from settling down properly. He had also forgotten all about the whispers he could sometimes hear in his head when he slept, whispers which prompted him to recreate symbols he no longer knew what meant. If he ever had. Even though Zodiac was part vok due to their technology and whatever he had inherited from his 'mother', he remained blissfully unaware of the true extent of their influence on him. Now more so than ever.

"Thank you for your kindness," Zodiac then said, hopeful some rest could make him feel better. Perhaps even help his memory issues a bit. He then glanced briefly over at Rhinox before giving a slight nod. "He can complete his examination of my systems if he wants," the young dragon added as his gaze once again met Optimus', however briefly, before he took his first few steps away from the wall and towards the examination table he had fled from when he first woke up. He stopped, however, when Rhinox gestured for him to do so, willingly following his instructions to allow him to examine whatever it was he was looking for.

"Now, I know I ain't hearin' talk about a mutiny here,"

Aurora grimaced a bit at that. "It's not like we're asking him to walk the plank or anything," she told the rodent. "We just want a few changes implemented to reduce the risky behaviors the banana muncher has partaken in lately." It was true that Primal had made some rather ballsy moves as of late, some of which could have had dire consequences for the Maximals. Surely the rat could appreciate their concerns, perhaps especially after the nightmarish ordeal he'd just been through.

“We’ll figure both problems out in time you two.”

The little fuzor turned her green optics on the white tiger, who seemed to be siding with Rattrap about all of this. Go figures the older bots wouldn't understand the impatience of the younger ones. But in all fairness, Aurora felt she had been more than patient enough with their leader up until he broke a promise he'd made to her. Yes, the outcome hadn't been bad this time, but what about next time or the time after? Sooner or later Optimus' reckless decisions would come back to haunt them. Like it already had that dreadful day he got himself blown up.

"I just want to talk to him..," Aurora muttered, quieting down. She really needed some fresh air, to get away from the dust in base as well as the headache she was starting to get from being there.

“We’ll be here Aurora, I’ll take over the repairs while you’re gone.”

"I appreciate that," she told Tigatron, attempting to sound cheerful but not entirely succeeding at it since she truly felt anything but. So she made her way outside and was actually starting to feel better the moment the ramp lowered.

Of course that wasn't going to last long. The unexpected visit by Tarantulas made sure of that, resulting in the fuzor screaming in horrified surprise when his slender spider limbs wrapped themselves around her like a predator about to devour his prey.

"Heheheh, there's no point in struggling, foolish child," the spider cackled as he managed to muffle her scream with one of his limbs across her mouth. Aurora, of course, then fought him as best she could, but alas the spider was stronger.. And bigger. She soon came to realize her legs were dangling off the ground, and a small horde of the drones were gathering around them to assure she wouldn't be able to get away. She then felt something sharp poke her at the side of her neck, as if something was biting her, injecting something into her.. The burning sensation only lasted for a few moments before she started to feel drowsy, her limbs growing weak and then limp, before she lost consciousness altogether.

“Aurora!”

The only one who heard the frantic call was the spider himself, as his victim was already down for the count. Yet he remained still, ignoring the other Maximal for the time being since she wouldn't have time to interfere even if she was to see them against the background.

“And where are you arachnid.”

Where you'll never find us.., the scientist arachnid thought smugly to himself. Overall he was fairly well concealed against the background, something that wasn't necessarily the case for his white cargo. Still there was nothing a lone Maximal could do. Should she get too close, he'd just release his little drone armada on her.

He waited for but a moment until he was fairly certain his cyber venom had fully kicked in before he threw the little fuzor over his back and retreated through the hole in the ground he had emerged from. It really didn't matter if any of the Maximals had heard the fuzor's muzzled scream, they'd be too late to stop him anyway. As soon as he and his victim had disappeared underground, his small army of drones immediately got to work on blocking off the entrance so that the Maximals wouldn't be able to follow them. He then placed the fuzor in the underground digger he had arrived in before climbing in himself as well. Next stop would be his lair so that he could make the necessary changes that would render the little fuzor loyal to nobody but him.

And then.. the fun would really begin!

“No, not yet. I haven’t had the chance to speak with him or the others before you returned.” “And that’s why it hurt so much to hear those words come out of his mouth again Optimus; as hard as it might be to believe I’ve grown pretty fond of Rattrap too. But, I shouldn’t have been as cold as I was either given the circumstances.”

Optimus had placed a hand on Frilla's shoulder adding a soft smile as a gesture to tell her that everything was going to be okay. And he was sure of it. It was also to encourage her to speak with their resident rodent whenever she would have time so they could clear the air between them. Yes, Rattrap had been through a lot that day, and Frilla had been under a lot of pressure keeping Nemesis detained and out of trouble, so Primal was certain that the both of them merely said things they shouldn't have in the heat of the moment without the intention of truly trying to hurt each others' feelings.

“Really has been no one’s day today.”

"It hasn't," he agreed with her, "but we're all here together. And tomorrow is a new day." Ever the optimist to see the brighter side of recent events.

“She didn’t really comment about it when I urged her away. It seemed too much of a sight at the time so I suggested we leave, I guess we can hope she’s not that desperate.”

The TransMetal gorilla nodded thoughtfully at the frilled lizard agreeing once more with her thoughts and actions. It was an interesting observation Frilla had made with Nemesis, and he believed that she had done the right thing by leading the Decepticon-turned-Predacon out of there when she had considering Zodiac's highly unusual condition that he had been in that was so fragile and weak. Now that he was awake, his body was full of life again, but he still appeared meek and timid. Optimus presumed that behavior wouldn't last too long once Zodiac grew more confident and comfortable around them. He would eventually come out of his shell with his true personality shining through, but Primal hoped he would be able to influence him more positively than Cryotek had. It would be interesting to see if the renegade would change his way of thinking and end up on a different path than the one he had been previously set on that caused so much pain and destruction to himself and so many others.

"It seems to have paid off,"

Rhinox had sent Zodiac a smile in response as he attempted to continue taking credit for his nanobots. He wasn't too comfortable about it, but for Zodiac's sake and to help their leader "re-shape" him, he kept up the facade.

“Any time. If all goes well I imagine you will make a swift recovery and be on your feet in no time.”

"I trust some of you will be willing to show me the ropes a bit?,"

Both Optimus and Rhinox added a reassuring smile to Tigerhawk's statement toward Zodiac before Primal said, "Of course. But, for now, you should get some rest."

“That makes two of us my young friend, but perhaps I can give you some pointers others here have given me. My flying took trial-and-error, but it’s worked in th end; I just highly recommend open spaces until you get your bearings.”

"Maybe you're right," "I certainly would appreciate your tutelage if you happen to be willing."

The gorilla nodded since he could relate to the flying even though it might have appeared to the dragon that he didn't have the ability of flight considering he obviously didn't have any wings and his hover board was currently "tucked" away, so to speak. Nevertheless, being a master of aerial acrobatics and maneuvers, almost as skillful as Airazor was considering it came to her naturally, Optimus had helped a few of them learn how to fly or glide; Aurora, Cheetor, Tigerhawk. It came in handy especially during combat and when one would encounter wounds that would inhibit their steering or guidance and navigation systems, not to mention causing crash landings and lessening them to a degree in order to avoid serious injury. Aviation wasn't as simple as it may look observing it from the ground.

“Understood. But maybe we should see this as an opportunity Optimus. He was raised as a killer, and had few positive role models, no offense to the late Nexus Prime, maybe we should take this chance to show him a newer perspective. It might be the humbling experience he needs as a wake up call.”

Primal smiled lightly at the larger Fuzor since he was glad that someone else in his ranks was considering helping the shape shifter and unwilling to simply throw him to the curve after all of his threats and ill intentions. "My thoughts exactly, Tigerhawk," he agreed with him. "Thank you," he added as the bigger Maximal complied and exited the infirmary to ready Zodiac's room. Optimus had then turned around to rejoin Zodiac and Rhinox as the conversation carried on.

"I hope you're right.. About my memories, I mean," "It's a strange sensation when you feel like a huge gap of your life is just missing."

Nodding, the Maximal Commander tried to relate to what he was going through, but truth be told, that one of the few things he had yet to experience in this war. "It must be frightening to not who you are or where you came from," he said softly. "We'll do everything we can to help you, Zodiac," he assured him again.

"Thank you for your kindness,"

"You're welcome," although Zodiac's gratitude wasn't necessary. This polite and somber side of the shape shifter was a complete 180 from the one who had arrived there disguised as Nexus Prime. Primus, what would the Admiral think of him now? What would he think of this entire situation? Was Optimus playing with fire? Was he reaching beyond something that was completely out of his abilities? Was putting his entire crew at great risk? Was he even doing the right thing? He almost looked to the ceiling in search of guidance from his dead mentor as if he could give him any inkling or sign from beyond his grave as to what he should do. But he wouldn't be there... Primal could only listen to his spark. But were his emotions and desire to help Zodiac compromising his logic circuits? Shouldn't he just cast the amnesic dragon to the outdoors and let him figure it out on his own, or be picked up by the Predacons only to be killed? He couldn't do that. Like Tigerhawk said, this may be their only opportunity to set him on a better path. Was that their right though? What if Zodiac wouldn't have wanted to do with any of this? Well, it wasn't like he had a choice anyway. If Megatron found out that he was still alive, he wouldn't hesitate to try and kill him again. Or Tarantulas would love to get his claws on him and dissect him. No, as far as Primal could see, this was the best course of action.

"He can complete his examination of my systems if he wants,"

Optimus nodded while Rhinox said lightly, "I promise it won't hurt." He proceeded to hook up the diagnostic again to one of Zodiac's arms once he moved away from the wall and toward the cot, making sure all of his movements were slow so that he wouldn't startle or make the shape shifter uncomfortable. While the computer recorded his vitals and other readings, the Chief Medic resumed his visual examination of the exterior of his body.

“All set when ready Optimus.”

It didn't take too long for Tigerhawk to let Primal know that Zodiac's quarters were available for him. "Copy that, Tigerhawk," he returned. It was then when Optimus opened his comm. link to all of his Maximals, and Predacons, and announced, "Everyone, gather in the Command Center immediately," completely unaware of Aurora's disappearance outside.

"Rhinox, show Zodiac to his quarters once you're finished here."

"Alright, Optimus," he obeyed but kept in mind to put some security measures in place just to keep an optic on the shape shifter given his past.

"Everything will be okay, Zodiac," Primal told him with confidence and a brief smile on his shiny, blue face before he turned and left the medical bay while gathering his thoughts to address the rest of his crew in a few moments...

In the meantime, Rhinox finished up his exam on the dragon and smiled lightly at him. "That's everything I need, Zodiac," he told him as he unhooked his arm from the computer and stepped back to give him some space after looking him over, which may have made him a little uncomfortable. "Let's get you to your quarters so you can relax," he suggested as he led him out the door, down the corridor opposite of the end from the bridge, and into the room that was once his as Nexus Prime and that Tigerhawk had cleaned up.

-----

“What? No! It’s not a mutiny Rattrap.”

Rattrap studied Cheetor closely as if he was still making his own conclusion about that. Since he really wasn't being serious about them planning a mutiny, he almost ended up smirking at the cat, but the humor behind it had quickly slipped away from him.

“But, some things might need to change around here after everything that’s happened.” “You may not want it, most of the others don’t, but I do. I’m tired of seeing all of us nearly creamed and our home trashed because the Predacons think they can take advantage of our generosity and compassion.”

"It's not like we're asking him to walk the plank or anything," "We just want a few changes implemented to reduce the risky behaviors the banana muncher has partaken in lately."

Eh... Brave words, thought the rat, but he only sighed and bowed his head for a moment wondering how the Boss Monkey was going to address this more aggressive approach to dealing with the Predacons that Cheetor was apparently suggesting, as well the idea that Aurora was bringing to the table. He was glad he wasn't in the position to tackle such suggestions. But it did remind Rattrap how much the cheetah was growing up. And doing so in a war like this was obviously not ideal for anyone as young as he and Aurora were. He almost thought he felt a hint of Cheetor willing to challenge Optimus, but perhaps that was just his adolescent attitude. Teenagers, you know. Rebels and the like. But he was growing more independent and becoming his own Maximal. Yeah, he'd hate to be in the ape's shoes right now. Maybe Cheetor and Aurora had a point, but the Spy was too distracted to focus on it much. After all, Rattrap had his own issues to work through now.

“We’ll figure both problems out in time you two.”

Without Rhinox being present, Tigatron stood in as the voice of reason and wisdom, which helped keep Rattrap from commenting on the matter since he really didn't know what to say. He was torn between agreeing with Cheetor but also sticking to their guns and their roots and not resorting to Predacon-like behavior. Granted the Preds often ruptured their base and wounded them greatly, but they were still alive. They had survived this long doing what they do best to defend themselves, so why change their approach? Eh, he couldn't be bothered with the pros and cons at that moment.

"I just want to talk to him..,"

Don't we all, Rattrap thought since it appeared that everyone had something to say to Optimus. He just hoped it wouldn't be too overwhelming for the monkey to handle all of it at once.

“No first-class flights, got it.” “But the option is still open for emergencies.”

"Dat's a given," the rat told Airazor with a shy grin. When it came to life or death, Rattrap was obviously going to choose life even that meant hitching a ride with the peregrine falcon despite how much he hated flying. At least she was good at it. She was probably the best flier on their team, so he would never doubt her abilities.

“I made the infamous Rattrap laugh? What an honor.”

"Don't let it go to yer head, Tigatron," Rattrap teased the older feline.

“I have no plans to go anywhere else, we’ve done quite a bit of traveling so it wouldn’t hurt to stick around here from now on.”

Good, thought Rattrap. Although it was entirely up to their fearless leader whether or not he wanted the couple to hand around there more or continue venturing out into the wilderness in search of more alien artifacts, sites or anything else of significance. He kind of hoped he wouldn't. Especially with Cheetor's new attitude, Tigatron might be better at keeping him grounded than Optimus since the ape was so busy focusing on everyone and whatever their future might hold. Despite how much Primal tried, it was obviously difficult for him to maintain one-on-one mentoring when their crew numbers kept growing and the Predacons kept attacking. He had to give him credit for trying though. Juggling all of that while trying to keep everyone alive was no easy task. A task that Rattrap definitely didn't want. At least not any time soon.

“I was counting on it, vermin.”

Rattrap narrowed his optics at Dinobot for a second. Not seriously, of course, but in a way to continue their lighthearted bantering. Yeah huh, sure you were, lizard lips, he thought jokingly.

“You still show humor rodent, I think that is better than nothing.”

The Spy's face softened at that honest comment made by Dinobot, but all he could think about was him using his sense of humor as a disguise to hide how he was really feeling inside. Turmoil, anxiety, low self-esteem... He hated these new emotions. Sure, he was usually pretty negative about certain situations and bots, but this was more like... depression? Was it some kind of post traumatic disorder? Far from being a doctor, he couldn't diagnose himself, but he did know that he wasn't feeling quite like himself ever since Nemesis fried him against the shields. And he hoped he would be able to dig his way out of this trench he found himself in with the help of his friends who clearly cared about him. He had never had so much of that before, so all of these Maximals showing their concern for him was a bit overwhelming. He even thought Dinobot was feeling a bit overcome by all of it as well, who he watched walk off toward the brig without him while Frilla spoke with him.

“I wasn’t sure if your repairs were fully finished is all Rattrap.”

The petite demolition expert shrugged lightly. "I think so, I'm just a little sore. Either that or Aurora is stronger dan she looks with her hugs," he tried to smirk off but fell a little short before uncomfortably clearing his throat.

“And I won’t keep you long.”

Okay... he thought hesitantly and somewhat reluctantly since he wasn't sure what she was going to say while he stood there facing her in the corridor. But then he had dribbled on about what was his mind before she could speak, trying to get everything off of his chest and apologizing to her profusely.

“Rattrap, I forgive you.”

The rat froze as though he wasn't expecting those words to come out of the smaller lizard's mouth. And he suddenly felt a weight lifted off of his shoulders, but also a pair of arms wrapping around him. He almost didn't know how to react as he blinked and stared over her shoulder for a second before returning the hug to Frilla. He was hugging a Predacon. A Predacon! He never thought he would ever do that in his entire lifetime. But she and Dinobot had shown him first-hand how not all Preds were horrible, diabolical, power-hungry murderers. Some of them were as caring, level-headed and honorable as some Maximals were. It was in that moment of their embrace that he hoped he had shown them how not all Maximals were as awful, conniving and corrupted as the members of the High Council were even though he had often been selfish and cowardly sometimes, but that didn't accurately represent his reputation. Or if it had, he had changed along the way in the war like most of them, and he wasn't nearly as self-centered as he used to be. It was also then that Rattrap started to understand what Optimus's goal was for a better Cybertron in the future; to reduce the stereotypes between the factions that often led to disputes, promote equality, eliminate the oppression and work together. It sure sounded like a long shot though... How could one bot even begin to change all that had gone wrong under the Elders' ruling and accomplish such a feat? It seemed impossible. Getting off of this rock seemed impossible. Defeating Megatron seemed impossible.

“And I’m sorry too, for being so cold and jumping to my own conclusions. You’ve been dragged through the pit and back today, and I should have taken that into account when you said those things.”

Rattrap lowered his head seemingly out of shame and embarrassment since he knew that really wasn't a excuse for his poor behavior, but he had already apologized for it. At least it showed him that she understood why he lashed out but that it really wasn't what he thought about her.

“Yes it did hurt, probably more than I would have imagined, but I hurt you as well blowing it off without thinking."

He looked at her when she released him as he still appeared to be ashamed and disappointed of himself having hurt her feelings, but it wasn't as evident anymore. "Eh... It's okay. I, uh, forgive you too, Frilla," he tried saying honestly since this was very much out of his normal element, and he still felt like he should have been taking the blame for all of it somehow. "You were under a lotta pressure, and I didn't take dat inta consideration. I saw what she was doin' to ya, and I just wanted to, you know, protect you. And then when you defended her, I just lost my senses and didn't think it through. I had also jumped ta conclusions," he explained sorrowfully.

“Trust me though, I was as furious as everyone else for what Nemesis did to you. I may not have witnessed what happened, but I heard enough. But I also had to remain calm to avoid her on a skewer and you doing something you might regret, worse than what you said.”

The Spy lowered his head again and nodded as he understood and tried not recalling all the pain he had endured by Nemesis's actions while using him as leverage. "You did the right thing, Frilla," he admitted. "I know you were just followin' orders, even if I disagreed with 'em." Releasing a deep sigh of relief over all of it, he added inquisitively, "So, are we cool? 'Cause I don't want either of us feelin' weird, heh."

Hearing footsteps approaching them down the corridor, Rattrap peered past Frilla to find them belonging to the monkey. Surprisingly, after everything that day, he looked fairly good. The rodent honestly thought he would look much, much worse. "Hey, Fearless Leader," he acknowledged him as the blue ape walked up to them.

"Rattrap," Primal happily greeted him and gave a nod to Frilla acknowledging her presence as well. "I hope I'm not interrupting. It's good to see you fully functioning."

"Yeah. Close call, right?" he attempted to smirk at to hide his true emotions about it and avoid bringing up Nemesis at that moment.

"Too close. Are you alright?" he inquired more seriously. Like Dinobot, he could tell there was something off about his spy.

Rattrap hesitated answering him as he glanced at Frilla and found it hard to lie in front of both of them especially after the conversation he had just had with the frilled lizard. "No... I mean, not really. I don't know," he stammered.

Frowning, Optimus gave him a nod as if he understood and assured him, "We'll discuss it later."

The rat nodded before hanging his head for a moment.

Assuming the two smaller bots had made up after their hurtful confrontation from earlier, Primal started walking again toward the bridge expecting them to follow. "Come on," he told them without looking back, "We have a lot to cover."

Sighing, somewhat relieved, Rattrap looked at Frilla before he fell in line after their leader and headed toward the large, round room.

(( OOC: I'm just going to have Optimus begin the debriefing, so whoever isn't present, you can just have your characters show up and respond accordingly, just to save some time here without having to wait for everyone. ))

Entering the command room, Optimus gave a quick glance at everyone before taking an accurate head count and beginning the discussion as a few continued to file in.

Rattrap slipped in around him and found a spot next to Cheetor where he leaned back against a console and crossed his arms over his chest. Occasionally, he glanced at the entrance as he secretly waited for Dinobot to arrive. He would have liked to have spent some time with him during their clean-up in the brig, but Optimus had prevented that from happening, for now, with this "family meeting".

"I know it's been a long day," their leader began, "and most of you need rest," himself included, not to mention his own repairs, "so I'll try to keep this brief. First off, I just want to say how proud I am of all of you. Despite everything we've been put through today, you still came through strong, and we prevailed. Our greatest strength is working together as a team, watching each other's backs and caring for one another. That being said, I must advise all of you that the Predacons gained another member. I don't know his name," he admitted. "He arrived at the last battle seemingly out of no where, but I believe he has an aquatic-based beast mode; a reptile of some sort. He's large and packs a lot of firepower. The more information we can gather on him, the better we can formulate a file in our records. If he arrived via a stasis pod, I'll search through the ship's roster and try to find a profile that might best fit his description. Now, the other matter," Optimus hesitated to address with a pause as he stood there in his beast mode looking at them. "Zodiac. I'm sure all of you know by now that our rescue mission was a success. To an extent. Zodiac is alive, but Tarantulas has injected him with an unknown virus that seems to have erased his memory. Whether it's permanent or just temporary, we don't know yet."

Rattrap was about to interject with his usual paranoia and skepticism on this turn of events, but Primal was quick to continue speaking.

"Now, I know what some of you are thinking, that he's just putting on an act, but I can tell you right now that that isn't the case. Not this time. And when you see him for yourself, you'll immediately know what I'm talking about. His entire demeanor is significantly different. He doesn't know anything about his abilities, or the Predacons, and I want to keep it that way for as long as we can."

Rattrap shook his head. "So, what, is he like yer pet project now? We're just gonna let 'im roam the base as he pleases? You don't see the danger in that, Optimus? How do you know for sure dat he ain't playin' you like a fiddle?"

"In Rhinox's expert opinion, Zodiac isn't playing a game, Rattrap. Airazor also witnessed Tarantulas injecting him with something. We can either take advantage of this unique situation and help him, or we can let him fend for himself out there and allow the Predacons to murder him or try to harvest his nanotech and use it against us," Primal pointed out in a calm tone as an attempt to keep the discussion from getting heated or hostile. Looking around the room, the gorilla took notice of his Chief Biologist who was missing among the faces. He had expected her to be among the ones who would not only disagree with him on the matter, but also confront him on the promise he had broken. He hadn't seen her ever since he returned from the battle that she might have thought he could have lost his life over, much like Nemesis had presumed. "Where are Aurora and Wintersong?" he asked everyone who was present. Even if they had gone outside to get some air, especially knowing how the tigress didn't like confined and crowded spaces, they still should have obeyed his order and shown up.

-----

“Spoken like a true Decepticon.”

"Hm," Megatron mused thoughtfully for a moment as he recalled that Spineback had been a Decepticon as well some time ago. There was no doubt that she held a lot of experience and knowledge as well.

“Some of us know our place in the food chain right away, and some don’t. If we’re lucky, he won’t be another Terrorsaur or Tarantulas.”

"Yesss. Let us avoid that, if we can," he glowered a bit in his response. He clearly didn't want to put up with another disobedient or treacherous Predacon like those two within his ranks.

“Quite tragic. Don’t forget to swoon if you ever have to make euology for the occasion, it really gets the tears rolling.”

The Predacon leader chuckled softly with his medic while his imagination jeered for the spider's demise. For now, though, his existence may yet be useful to the tyrant.

“You’re quite welcome sir. If you’re still feeling any discomfort lingering or after give me a call anytime, I have some pain killers that can ease that.”

Megatron nodded as he handed the mirror back to Spineback as Nemesis appeared in the dimly lit infirmary. Like most of the Darksyde, its corridors and rooms were gloomy and too warm to be comfortable unless you were a reptile. He stood there peering at black female as she started to explain her whereabouts studying her carefully.

"When you called for the retreat, I remained behind at the Axalon."

Almost taken aback by her actually being honest with him, he lifted his chin a little with a raised brow before returning to a more stoic expression while she continued. So far she had proven Waspinator's report to be accurate. Lucky for her, although he didn't care for her having remained at their enemy's base. Why do so? It still hadn't made much sense to him.

"The chaos in the wake of the battle seemed like an opportune time to search their base for technology or information that would benefit our cause.

Now, he suddenly grew more suspicious of her actions. "You deviated from the plan," he interjected with a grumble of irritation while trying to remain calm. "That is not why we attacked them, therefore, for an opportunistic action like that to even enter your mind while you were alone with the Maximals aware of your presence in their base is rather... convenient." His optics narrowed slightly at her as he recalled her and Terrorsaur infiltrating the command center during the wreckage and confronting some of the Maximals. Unless they had knocked the Maximals unconscious and they had lost track of her whereabouts, that may have passed for her being able to roam their base as she claimed to have done, but why even bother doing so with such a limited time frame before being caught in search of something that seemed completely random and not worth it at that time when all Megatron had wanted was to procure Zodiac and finish him. It just didn't make sense to him, so he was suggesting that perhaps she had remained behind for another reason. One that he was obviously trying to pry out of her if there ulterior motives behind her actions.

I was in the process of securing you a sample of the substance that Primal must have been coating himself with when the Maximals found themselves under attack again.. By Waspinator.

How did she know about that nanobot substance on Primal...? Had she seen it happen before and failed to report it to him? Megatron became intrigued, but he was still very skeptical of her while he scrutinized her words that she seemed to be choosing carefully, almost as though they had been rehearsed. "And where is this alleged substance that you were suddenly made aware of and discovered in their base?" he inquired as he searched for some proof to back up her claims.

His decision to attack the Axalon resulted in the Maximals doing a more thorough search within their base, which in turn resulted in me getting discovered."

Naturally, he thought, unconvinced, even with the addition of her verbal aggravation toward Waspinator. Given her size, there wouldn't be too many places she could hide in their base. If in fact that's what actually happened. "So, you failed to even acquire the sample that you claim to have stumbled upon," he surmised, again pointing out the convenience of it all with the accusing tone in his voice and a dismissive look of his optics as he casually turned his gaze away from her with disappointment for a moment before letting it fall on her again as she continued.

"The Maximals blocked off my escape route and I was captured for a time. It wasn't until Primal returned after his failed rescue mission that I was able to escape, at which point I returned here as promptly as I could."

"Yes, I am certain you did," Megatron sarcastically concluded to show her how he wasn't buying everything she said, and yet, he was managing to keep his anger in check. If anything, that was a sign of something worse than condemning her to death.

"Waspinator, report to the infirmary," the t-rex demanded over his comm. link transmission to the TransMetal insect while he continued his questioning with his second-in-command.

Megatron took a moment to calculate his words before he began speaking in his deep voice. "How do you know Primal's mission failed? After all, the Maximals had successfully acquired Zodiac, no thanks to your absence from the battle," he bluntly pointed out again. "Granted, I had stabbed the traitor in his spark which had surely expired, but... did you see his body when they brought him back?" he asked her. Not only that, but the timing of her explanation didn't quite add up.

"Might I also point out that Waspinator's attack on the Axalon does not coincide with the timeline of your proclamations. You see, he reported his status of searching for you, as well as his attack on their base, to me by the end of the battle over Zodiac, when, according to you, you would have long since been captured by the Maximals because you claim that Waspinator's attack happened sooner. I am curious to untangle this bit of confusion," he allowed her to entertain him with as he played up his curiosity with his thumb and index finger thoughtfully stroking his chin. "And," he added, since she had avoided answering him on this matter, "if my transmission was able to reach Waspinator over that distance, why had you not responded to me earlier?"

The warlord reminded himself that Nemesis had saved his life only a few days prior, and that her abilities were far too valuable to the Predacons, not to mention her intelligence in the battle field. All of those qualities that she possessed were the only things keeping her from a very brutal and messy physical punishment; possibly even death. She should count herself lucky. However, it didn't hurt to put her in the hot seat and watch her squirm as he enjoyed watching, and having that kind of control over his minions, instilling fear and terror in them in order to keep them in line and bend to his will without question. And on the off chance that she might actually be fraternizing with the Maximals, if there were friendships or opportunities happening between, he would keep them open to use them as any means necessary for his own benefit, at her expense, of course. But that remained to be proven despite his suspicions.

(( OOC: Sorry for anything that's rushed here, guys. We're wrapping up this episode now, and I'm not sure what everyone wants to bother playing out or not; like the discussion Cheetor wanted to have about the Maximals being more aggressive. Whatever we don't cover here could be touched upon in the next episode. Just a thought. I'm sure FF has been waiting very patiently for the new episode to begin so he can get involved with his character. Soon! ))

((Have bad timing for once apparently. I actually just peeked in and was about ready to read through and do a post, but I guess I’ll hold off. So just wait until the new episode is up correct? Just being certain.))

(ooc: don't hold off on posting your replies in this episode just because we are wrapping it up, NM. There's still time to respond to everything that's going on right now. We're just setting the chess pieces so to speak so the next episode thread can pick up a couple of weeks after this one ends by the timeline we're following. )

(( OOC: Sorry for the confusion. Keep posting here! Phoenix and I are still working on setting up the beginning of the next episode. ))

((Okay, there we go! Hope I got everything and my transitions aren’t so awkward.

As for Quickstrike and Terrabite, those two will come back in the next episode for now.))

Frilla could only imagine how awkward the hug must have been, one that had been spur of the moment for her but had felt right for the moment. She wanted Rattrap to see even if she was technically still a Predacon, she was nothing like those back on Cybertron or Megatron and his crew, as Nemesis had so obviously pointed out. She was a pacifist and actually cared about life, something she hoped she could relay towards the rodent in that moment. But the returned hug after a moment of pause caused her some relief and faintly smile, figuring the rodent got that. And despite his sometimes self-centered and paranoid behavior, he certainly was nothing like most Maximals she had met.

Most of the crew wasn’t in fact.

Still, upon releasing the brief embrace, her gaze became concerned and she gently laid a hand on his shoulder, “Rattrap, you did what you thought was right, and I greatly appreciate that. I shouldn’t have faulted you for doing what you thought was necessary, and I hated having to side with Nemesis but for the sake of the situation I had to.” She tried to assure him she had appreciated his concern and need to protect, it was what made Rattrap such a good mech at spark. Despite his somewhat boorish behavior he always meant well.

Still, she gave a small mischievous grin, “Yea, we’re cool. Unless you need me to spit ink at your feet a few times, for old times sake.” She teased lighteneartedly, referencing their first combative interaction turned joke when she had first joined the Maximals and had been an occasional gag between them. Though she also still expressed worry for his situation, one she could not inquire further about when Optimus joined them.

Turning to look at the blue ape, she merely shook her head, “No interruptions required Optimus, we just finished.” She assured him as they had a brief exchange as well, causing her to give the rodent’s shoulder a light squeeze, silently showing her support that they would find a way to help him out of his depressive state. Just a step at a time.

“Still, I wish I had been able to do more.” the feline sighed, wishing he had been capable of better timing or made better use of the cover for his stealth tactics. That was what made him so efficient, being able to slip into enemy lines and taking them down before they least expected it. But with so many optics on him and so much going on that had gone down the drain, only able to give cover fire and make some hits on the fliers. If even that.

But, the white tiger leaned into her touch, giving an affectionate smile and purr that came with his beast mode choice. “I suppose you are right Airazor, we’re alive and that is what matters most.” He sighed, part of him feeling the warrior side of him had been lacking that day, but still not quite so comfortable having to resort to the use of such violence to win their war. But he had done what he felt was necessary now especially after his long talk with Dinobot and the lesson he taught him that this war was for survival of the fittest, those who could maintain the top of the food chain.

Smiling softly as he took the tool, he was about to add some final words before the others made their way into the room, causing the white tiger to turn his full attention to what was soon to be a debriefing.

Once they arrived, Frilla found a spot next to Tigatron and Airazor, offering a greeting smile towards the two that Tigatron returned, having not seen them in her few month absence. But like the older feline, she quietly listened to Optimus’ speech about their team work and pulling through that day, but of course not without their rough spots. As seemed to be their MO, they had persevered through another harsh, rough day for them all and they were all amazingly alive despite it all. But Frilla spoke up when Optimus finished about Zodiac and Rattrap’s questioning, “I saw him with my own optics, he’s not the same Predacon that came here seeking revenge and bent on killing Optimus. At least for the moment, he’s a blank slate that remembers almost nothing of his past.” She confirmed to them.

By then, Dinobot was also making his way a little late to the debriefing, having finished some further clean up in the brig while contemplating a rather...risky plan. But that would appear to have to be put on hold as he heard the words of Optimus and the others travel down the hall, stepping into the room to take a place near the blue ape, quietly listening to the present situation. So, they had been successful in saving the dragon, but not enough Megatron hadn’t still enacted a plan.

Tapping his chin, the raptor was the next to speak up, “I agree and disagree Primal.” He grumbled softly, “Tactically speaking, if we were to mold this new blank slated Zodiac, he could prove quite the powerful ally if we were to “act” as if we had no idea about his abilities should he discover them at his own accord. However,” Dinobot continued, “Keeping him sheltered seems...stupid. Eventually the Predacons will find reason to attack us directly again or our skirmishes will be noticed from urgency and marred frames. Sooner or later he will have to know about our enemies, albeit twisting of the truth should his amnesia last long enough.” Dinobot pointed out seriously,

Though Dinobot wasn’t thrilled at the idea of having such a dangerous enemy within their midst, freely roaming around with the possibility of remembering at any moment it seemed a necessary evil.

The question about Aurora and Wintersong though has Dinobot and Frilla glancing around, realizing neither of the two femmes had joined them as of yet. “They both were outside. Wintersong was working on the roof and Aurora said she needed some air.” Tigatron spoke, wondering if they had just gotten caught up in what they were doing to have gotten the order.

——————————————————

Waspinator rolled his optics, finding Terrorsaur’s complaining and wounded pride to be something of a nuisance right now. “Maybe if Terrorsaur listened more often, he wouldn’t be everyone’s punching bag.” The wasp countered, clearly finding some aggravation in the pterodactyl’s constant whining about being thrwarted or belittled. At this point in the war, he was lucky not to be dead or molten slag in the lava pits. He was one of their best fliers and their heavy hitters, so far as Waspinator was concerned he should be grateful for even being alive.

After all, they had all seen what Megatron was willing to do to keep his troops in line.

Turning back to the monitor, he listened as Terrorsaur explained why Nemesis had been at the Axalon, causing him to squint with suspicion. Had Nemesis purposely stayed behind then? She had seemed awfully chummy with Optimus and their former comrade had allowed her to leave without further incident. And no where had the avian attempted to struggle free. “Waspinator think bird-lady too cozy with Maximals.” He commented to the transmetal flier but could say no more once Megatron demanded his presence in the medical bay. “Waspinator get to testify her claims, this should be interesting.” He snickered, more than willing to save his own hide and confirm what he had seen yet again.

Leaving behind his partner-in-crime, the transmetal wasp flew off towards the medical bay, his buzzing clearly heard from down the halls before he reached the room, landing in the door way. His optics scanned the three present, finding Spineback still present before his gaze turned towards his leader and second-in-command, standing at attention when he came in and ready to speak.

((Sorry if mine is a little rushed, but going to be busy the next week, maybe two and don’t want to hold up this round. We don’t really have to go in-depth about Cheetor’s thoughts on the matter, more or less it’s him voicing his view on the matter. Something that can be explored as the rest of the season/story progresses.

I also wanted to give a little more of a nod to Cheetor growing up earlier on than waiting until later on as the show did.))

Wintersong had gone a pretty decent distance into the forest by now, trying to pinpoint where she had heard Aurora’s muffled screams. Given that the ermine was white in color and should have stood out in this setting, she should have been relatively easy to spot.

It was only a brief flash, but the white tigress noticed the movement from the corner of her optic, further away than she had been hoping for. “Tarantulas!” She snarled, trying to sprint after the mad scientist, dreading what exactly the spider had planned for their youngest member. The little fuzor has been through the pits and back enough already, the last thing she needed was adding Tarantulas doing some twisted experiments on her to that list. But her pursuit was cut short upon coming face-to-face with the spider’s personal drones. “Oh no...”

Several of the little drones immediately began to swarm the transmetal feline, causing her to gasp and begin sweeping her sword at them or ripping them away from her frame. Some nipped at her armor while others began to administer electrical shocks, eliciting yelps of pain and furious growls. The onslaught not only forced her to back off the path but also resort to transforming to her beast mode, clawing, biting, and shaking them free from her body beofre she could back away as quickly as she could. All the while at the back of her mind she could only think of where Tarantulas could be taking the ermine and what plans he had for Aurora, or what he even needed her for. Was this a response for taking Zodiac? Had their rescue become Aurora’s demise?

For once not plagued by the voices of her unwanted “hosts”, Wintersong could only feel a mix of dread, urgency, and guilt for not watching her back better. She had been right there! Furious at the tarantula and herself, Wintersong chomped down on one last drone, feeling some numbness in her limbs from the many shocks but forced herself to sprint back towards the Axalon after ignoring Optimus’ first order, her sense of urgency filtering through the bond she had with the ape. And just a small hint of the underlying guilt.

“Of course, and a tour when you feel up to it. But, all in due time.” Tigerhawk assured him honestly, relieved that little by little Zodiac was finding his voice and his confidence. He had not known the shapeshifter long before this, only by reputation from what the others had mentioned over the course of his stay. But given said reputation, this was a drastically different Zodiac, no signs of deceit or hostility that the large fuzor could pick up on. Whatever that substance Tarantulas had injected it seemed to genuinely changed the young dragon.

Perhaps he had been given a blessing in disguise, a chance to shed the past should he ever remember and see a better way, a brighter future.

With a soft chuckle, the older mech nodded, “We’ll take you under our wing whenever Rhinox clears you young one. Who knows? Maybe you’ll catch onto this flying thing faster than I did when I first started.” He mused, recalling how flying was still not quite second nature to him, but slowly it was.

With a nod the large fuzor had headed out and cleared the quarters as ordered. For Tigerhawk, the decision only seemed natural and perhaps kind of impartial since he had not quite been at the same mercy of Zodiac’s revenge streak as the others had. Or perhaps his own past was coming back to haunt and influence his decisions. He had made horrible mistakes, committed some acts he would never be proud of, and the worst part being given a slap on the wrist or his actions swept under the rug due to the Maximal High Council. If he could find a way to seek redemption and a second chance, why couldn’t someone such as Zodiac who was still young and could yet find a new purpose in his life. But such thoughts were put aside once he finished and contacted Optimus, finally heeding his next order to meet in the bridge.

As he made his way there though, the large fuzor saw both Rhinox and Zodiac after the exam had been finished, offering a brief smile and nod in greeting, “Rest well.” He spoke towards the young dragon in passing before he arrived to the bridge, slipping to a spot near Frilla and Tigatron just before Dinobot himself would arrive.

“Sometimes you worry yourself too much dearest.” Airazor told him with a soft smile, glad to see a slight shift in his attitude. She could still see the lingering concern from the white tiger, but despite everything he seemed to be relaxing and accepting there were just some things that couldn’t be helped. There was always the next time, and they would be ready after so long of being out of the battle themselves. Perhaps they were just a little rusty and needed time to get back into the groove of the battle again.

By then however, the others had began to gather in the bridge, the activity even bringing Cheetor out of his stupor, having been quiet for a little while with his own thoughts. He had calmed down slightly since, but he became rather attentive with the others as Optimus explained the situation with Zodiac, looking with some disbelief that they were considering housing the dragon again after what had occurred. “Big Bot are you crazy? Megatron was willing to go the distance today just to end his blood feud with Zodiac. We’re going on a huge “if” here that none of the Predacons happen to know he survived the torture they put him through.” Cheetor spoke up skeptically, “Don’t get me wrong I feel bad for the guy, but he’s been nothing but bad mojo all around. Not to mention we’ve tried extending our compassion just as equally to the Predacons and it’s gotten us no where.” The young feline pointed out.

But surprisingly, it was Dinobot who also threw his support behind Optimus, looking with disbelief towards the raptor. He supported the idea of keeping Zodiac but becoming more aggressive with the Predacons? He never would understand the raptor. And he was left sighing in frustration as Tigerhawk stepped in, “But if there is a small hope we can change one individual for the better, it’s worth taking.” The fuzor spoke towards the cheetah and Rattrap towards their skepticism, “We have two former Predacons among our ranks, what’s to say we can’t give...” Tigerhawk’s voice trailed off as he heard the lift suddenly moving, curiously turning his gaze towards it.

By the time the rest of her teammates had launched into a discussion of the current matters, Wintersong made it towards the Axalon again, panting heavily as the lift had started going down upon the ship picking up her signal. She hardly waited for it to fully reach the ground before she was clambering onto it, “Guys!” She called in a muffled voice as the lift began going right back up after she had scrambled on. Adrenaline pumping, she impatiently leapt into the ship, dropping the arachnidroid she had chomped down on before, pushing her way past Dinobot and Tigerhawk with little care to what she was presently interrupting, “Tarantulas! H-he has...Aurora! Couldn’t reach...her in...time.” She spoke between breathes, body aching from the nips and electrical shocks.

++++++++++++++++++++++

“Hm, only time will tell.” Spineback commented, noting the new reptilian Predacon has arrived rather unexpectedly. It appeared like her he has been aboard the Axalon, but per orders of another commander compared to someone such as Spineback who had voluntarily joined. Though, that had been mostly to alleviate restlessness due to lack of action and being watched closely by the remaining Autobots who still existed.

By then however, Nemesis had arrived and Spineback kept herself somewhat busy tidying up her medical bay, audios focused on the conversation. The explanation Nemesis offered puzzled her though, having remained behind a little longer to see Terrorsaur and Nemesis out in her final attack, but only one of them had escaped. She turned then to raise a quizzical brow towards her fellow former Decepticon, searching her as well before Megatron stepped in to test those words himself.

There were far too many variables that didn’t add up in her account, especially when Spineback had hung back in an attempt to give the two fliers cover fire. So what went wrong? Was the avian just trying to avoid looking weak for getting caught by the Maximals? “Might I also add I lingered behind as well after the order was given to fall back to see you and Terrorsaur out. But only he got free.” Spineback prompted, crossing her arms as she leaned against the counter that made up her work space, “Unless Waspinator was an ace in the hole lying in wait to cause a scene?” She pointed out, finding herself rather confused by Nemesis’ claims which only caused further muddling of the situation.

Hopefully, the wasp’s presence would shed some light on what exactly was going on.

Terrorsaur clenched his jaw and dug his sharp tipped fingers in the console slightly, trying incredibly hard not to rip the wasp’s wings from his back and shove him in the lava pits for that remark. The audacity of the insect! “You’re a fine one to talk bug boy! At least I don’t fall apart every other mission.” He finally snapped, tone becoming slightly high pitched in his angered state until their attention had been diverted to Nemesis’ arrival thankfully.

Cozy with the Maximals? Nemesis? Terrorsaur wanted to genuinely laugh at such a notion. “You sure this heat isn’t finally getting to you Waspy? Nemesis is an annoying brown-noser, but even she wouldn’t go that far.” At least, he never pegged her to be that sort. Sure, she wasn’t as treacherous or backstabbing as the rest of them unless she needed to be, but to be friendly with Maximals seemed far fetched even for her. Still, he watched Waspinator buzz off towards the medical bay, being left to wonder how true the insect’s words were.

(ooc: My apologies for the wait.. I've been rather sickly this week and never got a chance to recover properly due to work. Finally felt I had to call in for today because I can't stand this feeling anymore and needed time to rest.)

Zodiac..

Once considered the impossible creation among Cybertronian scientists.. A being with abilities that eluded most of their populations' imagination now seemed far from the threat he had initially presented himself as upon first arriving on this planet. He had showed up with the intent to kill off every single one of the Maximals who were now surrounding him. Yet now, in his present state, he seemed so lost and vulnerable. Even innocent with no recollection of all the atrocious acts he had committed.

How things had changed..

His battle armor had been safely stored away, which left the renegade looking quite the shell of his former self. His dreadlocks draping his face seemed quite unkempt at the moment, his features doing little to hide his age and his confusion and fears. He was still covered in spots of dirt from his woodland encounter with the Predacons, but otherwise he seemed undamaged at least physically. It was quite the peculiar scenario for the Maximals who had met him at his worst.

“Of course, and a tour when you feel up to it. But, all in due time.”

The tall fuzor was quite kind for making such an offer to someone he barely even knew. Or did he? Zodiac was a little lost about his true relationship with these Maximals given their slightly conflicting explanations, but he had merely figured he had only met a few of them briefly before.

A tour would be nice too so he wouldn't get lost while travelling in this ship, provided it was as big as the impression he got from the size of this room alone. Yet there was a sense of familiarity towards this vessel as well as some of its occupants, even if the dragon didn't know how or why.

"I look forward to it," the dragon replied in a friendly tone.

“We’ll take you under our wing whenever Rhinox clears you young one. Who knows? Maybe you’ll catch onto this flying thing faster than I did when I first started.”

Shrugging a tad which caused his own large wings to lift off his shoulders for a moment before settling back down like a cape of sorts, Zodiac couldn't help wonder how falling out of the sky and crashing could possibly leave him with amnesia without any physical injuries to show for it. But who knew how long he'd been out for. His wings certainly seemed sturdy enough for flight, so when the fuzor was ready he would certainly be waiting.

"I don't suppose I can come with you?," the dragon suddenly asked as Tigerhawk excused himself and started making his way out of the room. Not that he fully expected the other male to allow him to, but there was something about him that just helped Zodiac release that built up tension. And at the very least they seemed to have something in common in the form of their flight capabilities, or lack thereof as the case almost seemed to be. His request was quickly turned down, however, when the leader figure in the room cut in.

"Of course. But, for now, you should get some rest."

The dragon nodded, offering the tiniest of grateful smiles at the two Maximals who appeared to be in charge. They seemed trustworthy enough, so did the taller fuzor who seemed willing to take the young dragon under his wings so to speak. All in all he seemed to have been picked up by friends, even if he didn't recognize any of them as such. They had been a little vague as far as answering his earlier questions, but he didn't question that too much. After all they hadn't been there, so they couldn't know for sure what had happened.


"As long as Rhinox has cleared me medically," Zodiac replied, apparently having developed the utmost respect for the chief medical officer. Hopefully he would, since he really felt more tired than anything and with any luck some rest could help prompt his memories to resurface.

The other Maximals then seemed to move away from him a bit to talk in private, but Zodiac did nothing to intrude on them. He really had no reason to, so he could only place his faith in them.. And his well being in their hands. So he merely stayed where he was until they returned their attention to him.

"It must be frightening to not who you are or where you came from," he said softly. "We'll do everything we can to help you, Zodiac,"

His guest made a slight shrugging motion of the shoulders upon hearing Optimus' reflections on his current state. "It is rather unfortunate," he admitted, "But at least I have you to fill in some of the blanks." Now that his head was starting to clear a bit, even if his memories were still missing and likely would be for some time, he was able to piece some things together now. The Maximals must have known him prior to his accident, or they wouldn't have known what his name was. Yet the full extent of his relationship with any of them remained a bit of a mystery to him thus far.

"I promise it won't hurt."

While Optimus gathered his remaining troops, Zodiac remained behind with Rhinox and willingly allowed him to perform the scans and other testing he needed. Yet he wasn't quite sure what the other mech was looking for, since he honestly felt fine and his self-diagnostic systems couldn't detect anything wrong with him beyond the lack of memories. And that, too, should return at one point. He hoped.

Rhinox didn't take long to finish his assessment and he addressed the renegade as he started packing up his gear.

"That's everything I need, Zodiac,"

Well that was fortunate. Honestly Zodiac couldn't wait for a little alone time to digest all the impression he had been left with this very long and strange day, so as much as he respected the medic for the care he'd taken while looking after him, he certainly didn't mind the opportunity to have some much needed alone time to gather his thoughts and simply rest for a little while. The hybrid slowly lowered his arms he had been keeping stretched out so that Rhinox could complete his assessment, giving the superior officer a rather quizzical look while he waited for the final verdict.

"Let's get you to your quarters so you can relax,"

"Just the words I was hoping to hear," the renegade admitted with a relieved sigh, assuming the medic would have said something if he had noticed anything wrong. At least there was no physical reason he shouldn't be able to regain his memories. He then let the medic lead him back to his assigned quarters, remaining behind him until the bulkier male gestured for him he could enter. So he did, taking in the rather barren looking room with just a hint of disappointment. There really wasn't much for him to do in here, but at least the room contained a bed where he could rest up. Hopefully he'd be able to decorate it a bit more to his liking soon.

"Thank you, this will do nicely," he then said as he looked back at the medic, offering a smile to go along with the words since he didn't want to come across as ungrateful. He then made his way over to the bed for that much needed rest.

"Tarantulas!"

The spider had heard the female tigress call his name, but he had certainly not let it slow him down any. Instead he merely sent a few of his drones to greet her, not that he fully expected them to do much damage to her.. sadly. Maybe another time he would get the chance to feast on the tigress himself, but that time was not now. Not here.

Tarantulas was less than gentle as he carried his limp hostage off towards the get-away vehicle where he promptly deposited his cargo. It was a snug fit with the two of them inside, but the spider didn't waste any time lingering before maneuvering his invention into the hole in the ground it had emerged from before quickly disappearing. For good measure he made sure to leave some demolition charges behind so that the tunnel would collapse in on itself after he had passed through to make sure nobody else followed them. All in all he couldn't have asked for better luck, since he hadn't even had to find a way into the Axalon to obtain his target this time.

Zodiac, however, was another matter altogether. The spider was certain he was still alive, no doubt being sheltered by the Maximals, but getting him back could be a bit more tricky.. So for the time being he would just wait patiently.

The trip back to his hideout was otherwise uneventful as the little fuzor snoozed for the duration thanks to his cybervenom. And when his hostage eventually started coming to a bit, just as he was strapping her into the device meant to start the reprogramming process, he merely injected her again. Mmm.. She does taste quite yummy, he thought as his fangs again sunk into her neck near the shoulders, the warm flow of energon tickling against his taste receptors. It took every ounce of self control the spider possessed not to simply devour the little furry creature right then and there. But no, he had other plans for this one so he quickly withdrew before went too far.

Aurora let out a faint moan while she got strapped into the spider's machine and the helmet portion of the device lowered itself until it was cradled around her head. Yes, the spider could have done this manually, but he also knew the temptation could prove to be too great for him. He was, after all, rather hungry. And if he was going to be able to take advantage of the little fuzor's intellect and make her his new assistant, well, he couldn't very well eat her.

"Don't worry, my dear, the pain will subside soon. Hehehehe," the spider chuckled darkly as he flicked the switch and watched with keen interest as the machine hummed to life. Aurora, on the other hand, couldn't say anything. Only fight to persevere as the process began, causing her very essence that made her who she was to fade out of existence circuit by circuit.

Nemesis had briefly glanced over at the other former Decepticon, finding at least some comfort in the fact the other female had remained since she might just help keep Megatron's infamous temper in check. So far the tyrant had remained fairly calm, however, like a volcano right before erupting. Although she attempted to remain stoic, a part of her was feeling almost terrified by being unable to read Megatron's mind on this matter. She was certain he was angry, of course he had to have been, and it was unlikely he would just let this go without some scrutiny.

Still, she managed to stay still even though every circuit within her was telling her to get out of there. It was almost eerie how much power Megatron held over her..

"You deviated from the plan,"

Lowering her gaze, she merely nodded. There was no point in denying the obvious.

"But for what seemed like a good reason at the time," she countered before quickly quieting down when the tyrant continued his tirade of questions and accusations.

"That is not why we attacked them, therefore, for an opportunistic action like that to even enter your mind while you were alone with the Maximals aware of your presence in their base is rather... convenient."

Wait.. what? Was he insinuating she had been captured on purpose, because that truly hadn't been the case. She had attempted to get away, although had found herself in a situation where she didn't want to go up against Optimus. Yes, that compassion was a flaw in her personality as she had become painfully aware of, but it certainly hadn't been the reason she lingered.

Her optics narrowed a bit at the accusing tone in the tyrant's voice, much like the gaze he was giving her back, yet she refrained from blurting out an excuse before he finished.

"They were not aware I hadn't departed yet," she rebutted with some annoyance, "Not until Waspinator showed up and demanded to know where I was. Yes, I did have to remain hidden for a period of time, but I had overheard the Maximals discuss this technological advantage and wanted to secure it for our side."

"And where is this alleged substance that you were suddenly made aware of and discovered in their base?"

The avian female shook her head ever so slightly as she let out an exasperated sigh. "The Maximals confiscated it when I was captured," she replied in a slightly quieter voice. There was no way in the Pit she was going to tell Megatron that Tarantulas now had it, since it would obviously prompt the tyrant to wish to speak to the spider. And clearly Tarantulas knew more than she wanted him to reveal about her, and she could certainly not afford to give the spider any reason to be truthful for likely the first time in his lifetime. And since he had nothing to lose and she had everything at stake, it really seemed like she had no other options available to her.

"So, you failed to even acquire the sample that you claim to have stumbled upon,"

"Stumbled isn't exactly how I would describe it.. The Maximals were already planning a counter-attack when I overheard them while in the process of leaving the Axalon. They knew of the location we were meeting at since they had implanted Zodiac with a tracking device to avoid any further.. incidents. I did what I felt was the better option for my comrades and my leader," she tried arguing as her desperation grew.

"Yes, I am certain you did,"

The tyrant did not sound convinced. And honestly she probably wouldn't either had their roles been reversed. Ugh.. Why did she have to be so .. weak? Why couldn't she just have left the moment Megatron had called for a retreat instead of remaining behind to make sure the other Predacons managed to escape first? And why couldn't she just have done the sensible thing and blasted the already wounded Primal when she encountered him in the hallways of the Axalon..?

"How do you know Primal's mission failed? After all, the Maximals had successfully acquired Zodiac, no thanks to your absence from the battle," he bluntly pointed out again. "Granted, I had stabbed the traitor in his spark which had surely expired, but... did you see his body when they brought him back?"

Growing frustrated, the avian second in command shook her head at the tyrant. "The traitor is dead. They brought his body back with them, that's how I know. There were no signs of life." Although she had felt guilty when she had first seen Zodiac in that condition, she could only hope his spark had since merged with the Matrix since now she felt as if her own life was at stake. Yes, she felt a certain sense of guilt for what had happened, perhaps she'd even mourn the renegade in her own way in time, but right now her priorities had shifted and her own self preservation was the most important.

"Might I also point out that Waspinator's attack on the Axalon does not coincide with the timeline of your proclamations. You see, he reported his status of searching for you, as well as his attack on their base, to me by the end of the battle over Zodiac, when, according to you, you would have long since been captured by the Maximals because you claim that Waspinator's attack happened sooner. I am curious to untangle this bit of confusion,"

Taking a step forward, seemingly angered by Megatron's refusal to listen to her explanation and his endless accusations against her, the avian's voice picked up a bit in volume when she replied.

"Just listen to me," she pleaded with the tyrant, "I was on my way to depart when I came across some of the Maximals discussing how to sabotage our plans. I hid so they wouldn't find me so I could find out more. I obtained the sample during this time frame as well, before Waspinator showed up and ruined everything."

"if my transmission was able to reach Waspinator over that distance, why had you not responded to me earlier?"

Her expression grew a bit more puzzled, when in fact she knew perfectly well which transmission he was referring to. Of course she couldn't very well admit that to him, so instead she played the clueless card.

"My apologies, our liege, but I didn't receive any such transmissions. The Maximals did blast me with some experimental weapon, so it's possible that messed up my long range radio," she went on to explain before pausing.

Just then Waspinator joined them as instructed to by Megatron, resulting in Nemesis sending him a glare before turning her attention back to the tyrant.

“Of course, and a tour when you feel up to it. But, all in due time.”

"I look forward to it,"

Rhinox listened quietly to Tigerhawk and Zodiac's conversation while he performed his examination on the dragon only glancing at the large Fuzor and Optimus every so often.

"We’ll take you under our wing whenever Rhinox clears you young one. Who knows? Maybe you’ll catch onto this flying thing faster than I did when I first started.”

"I don't suppose I can come with you?,"

The engineer was about to intervene to keep Zodiac there while Tigerhawk prepared his quarters, but Optimus interrupted him anyway and suggested that he find some rest to gather his thoughts instead of roaming about. He studied the monitor for a moment that was hooked up to the shape shifter and found nothing out of the ordinary other than his nanotech showing that the tiny bots were fully functional, but they already knew that judging by his injuries being completely repaired and his entire body camouflaging in the room although seemingly unaware of it happening at the time.

"As long as Rhinox has cleared me medically,"

Primal had sent a nod to Zodiac and Rhinox since they were all in agreement with that. As much as Optimus enjoyed this "new" shape shifter, he was hesitant to get too close and warm up to him so quickly. While Zodiac remembered nothing, the Maximal leader could recall everything, and it was quite fresh in his head, so it was difficult for him to feel even the slightest bit of disassociation. This bot murdered his mentor. He tried killing him and his crew. He nearly killed Aurora only days ago. He had been relentless, callous and persistent. ...But Optimus had also been making progress with him, he was sure of it. He wasn't about to give up on this opportunity to help "re-shape" him, but there was a strange and perhaps confusing feeling about it for him on a personal level.

"It is rather unfortunate," "But at least I have you to fill in some of the blanks."

The gorilla disguised his guilt about that as well as he could with a soft smile, reminding himself, All in due time, before he exited the brightly lit infirmary.

“Rattrap, you did what you thought was right, and I greatly appreciate that. I shouldn’t have faulted you for doing what you thought was necessary, and I hated having to side with Nemesis but for the sake of the situation I had to.”

And what about my situation? thought the rodent as he recalled being electrocuted by the one Frilla had sided with. Nope. Nope, nope, nope, I ain't gonna go there, Rattrap told himself. We've already settled it. It's history now. He took a deep breath and smiled lightly at his Predacon friend.

“Yea, we’re cool. Unless you need me to spit ink at your feet a few times, for old times sake.”

"No!" he suddenly blurted out before he calmed down. "Heh, uh, no. You know, yer more irresponsible with dat stuff than I am with my explosives," he joked. It had been quite some time though since she had done that, but he didn't really miss it.

“No interruptions required Optimus, we just finished.”

The blue gorilla smiled at both of them having caught their embrace just before they separated when he had rounded the corner at the other end of the corridor. He was glad to hear that.

The Spy merely smiled innocently at the ape before he glanced at Frilla's hand that gently squeezed his shoulder and gave her a light nod. He briefly wondered why Primal was still wandering around the base in his beast mode. But when he had started following their leader to the bridge, he could tell that the lower segment on one of his legs was severely damaged. It appeared as though it had been bitten badly with several deep punctures and had been bleeding earlier but since stopped and was dry now. Ouch. He immediately blamed Megatron, of course. The pattern of the holes and their sizes closely matched the t-rex's teeth according to his memory.

"Just the words I was hoping to hear,"

Rhinox smiled as he put his equipment away and secured the computer so no one without the right authorization could snoop around in the recorded data. At least not at the moment. He had to be careful considering Zodiac's specialties, even if he didn't remember what he was capable of at that time since, apparently, he could still do things unintentionally. In any case, keeping his cool and playing along with not volunteering information about his past, the robust Maximal took the renegade to his room. As the door opened for them, Rhinox stretched out his hand as a gesture for the dragon to proceed him and take a look around inside.

"Thank you, this will do nicely,"

"You're welcome. It's not much, but feel free to make it your own," he suggested. "I've got a lot of plants in mine," Rhinox shared openly. "I'm a bit of a horticulture enthusiast, I guess you could say." He gave a slight chuckle at himself, but since plant life was scarce on Cybertron, he had been enamored with it on this planet which was abundant with tens of thousands of different species. He only hoped Zodiac wouldn't pick up any of Rattrap's hoarding habits, or decorate it with hundreds of engravings from Vok symbols and words from the floor to the ceiling like their commanding officer's room.

Appreciating his smile that he assumed was for their hospitality, he nodded and said, "Well, I'll let you be, so you can settle in. Like Tigerhawk said, rest well, Zodiac. Your bed will be able to replenish your energy in case you're hungry or feeling low. If you need anything else, just let us know, and we'll accommodate you as best as we can." With that, the maximized rhinoceros smiled once more and stepped out as the door closed behind him. He then made his way to the bridge with a deep sigh.

“I saw him with my own optics, he’s not the same Predacon that came here seeking revenge and bent on killing Optimus. At least for the moment, he’s a blank slate that remembers almost nothing of his past.”

Optimus nodded in agreement toward Frilla's assessment of Zodiac before he shifted his gaze to Dinobot who was the next one to speak up about it.

Rattrap was still extremely skeptical of this entire scenario despite Rhinox's and Frilla's opinions. The way he saw it, it would be really easy for someone to pretend to lose their memory. So what? Anyone could do that. Even Megatron could fake it, although he probably wouldn't last long until he screwed up because that's just how short-tempered and egotistic he was. But Zodiac had been trained specifically for grand illusions. If he was pretending, Rattrap would sniff him out on his first mistake and reveal it to everyone.

“I agree and disagree Primal.”

Ever respectful of the raptor's insight, the intrigued Maximal leader waited for him to continue in his thoughtfully slower, raspy voice.

“Tactically speaking, if we were to mold this new blank slated Zodiac, he could prove quite the powerful ally if we were to “act” as if we had no idea about his abilities should he discover them at his own accord. However,” “Keeping him sheltered seems...stupid. Eventually the Predacons will find reason to attack us directly again or our skirmishes will be noticed from urgency and marred frames. Sooner or later he will have to know about our enemies, albeit twisting of the truth should his amnesia last long enough.”

"I am aware of that, Dinobot, but we need to tread lightly here. Throwing everything all at once at him about our situation might be overwhelming and cause more stress. He hardly remembers his own name," he pointed out to show how delicate this precarious opportunity was. "In time, it will be inevitable, but for now, I'd like to keep it low key."

“Big Bot are you crazy?

Cheetor's blunt comment captured Primal's attention next causing him to raise a blue brow as he was taken aback by it. As disrespectful as it was, the young cat was fortunate that Optimus wasn't one of those by-the-book military leaders that would have reprimanded him for such an accusation and insubordination. But he hadn't forgotten what the TransMetal cheetah brought up after the last battle about growing increasingly intolerant of the Predacons' behavior and the Maximals' alleged lack of aggressive retaliation, so he assumed that his current mood was a result of that. He listened though, like he always did with each of them.

Rattrap's gloomy expression on the matter had suddenly lifted to one of surprise toward Cheetor calling their leader crazy. Obviously, Optimus was crazy - his unorthodox leadership in the past had proven that already despite how successful it had also been with their survival - but the rat thought he was the only one who would openly admit it to the monkey. Boy, was he wrong. He kind of felt that the kid was being too-headed at the moment to think clearly on this dangerous risk they might have been willing to take on, and he ended up faintly shaking his head at Cheetor to let him know that that was the wrong way to address their commanding officer about it. Interestingly enough, Optimus didn't seem too phased by it, and instead, looked just as intent on listening to the feline as he did with everyone else so far.

Megatron was willing to go the distance today just to end his blood feud with Zodiac. We’re going on a huge “if” here that none of the Predacons happen to know he survived the torture they put him through.” “Don’t get me wrong I feel bad for the guy, but he’s been nothing but bad mojo all around.

As one of his youngest crew members, Cheetor had some valid points, but they weren't enough to convince Primal to ignore his instincts and his spark on helping Zodiac, the very same bot who had tried to kill all of them.

Not to mention we’ve tried extending our compassion just as equally to the Predacons and it’s gotten us no where.”

Optimus was about to correct Cheetor on that and point out three Predacons who had decided to join them because of the compassion that he and his crew had extended toward them in their times of need to escape Megatron's wrath; Dinobot, Frilla and Blackarachnia, but Tigerhawk was quicker to comment on it.

“But if there is a small hope we can change one individual for the better, it’s worth taking.” “We have three former Predacons among our ranks, what’s to say we can’t give...”

As his tired thoughts raced to keep himself on his toes in the conversation, Primal hardly noticed the Fuzor's voice trail off with his diverted attention as he broke in and said to Cheetor, "I have no doubt that Megatron still has targets on their backs as well, but that doesn't prevent us from offering them our protection and putting our lives on the line for them. I realize Zodiac's history is a bit different from theirs, and he has put us through the Pit and back, but we should at least try to take advantage of this while we can still make a positive influence on him, and at the very least extend a helping hand since that is what we, as Maximals, do. He's too vulnerable to leave him to fend for himself. Whether Megatron knows he's alive or not has yet to be determined, so until we know for sure, I feel that it's in our best interest, as well as Zodiac's, to do what we can for him right now."

“They both were outside. Wintersong was working on the roof and Aurora said she needed some air.”

Looking at Tigatron, a little bit of confusion appeared in his pink optics since neither of them had responded to his hail or gathered with them there in the large, round room. He tried again to contact them. "Wintersong, Aurora, report to the bridge. Do you copy?"

"But is it worth the risk, Optimus?" Rattrap broke in again with his arms still folded across his chest while the monkey tried reaching the two females outside. "We lost the battle earlier today, de Preds took some of us hostage, I was almost fried ta death against the shields, Airazor's got a bum knee now, our base is trashed, and all of you who went after Zodiac to rescue his sorry butt could have been killed considerin' how angry and desperate Megajerk was. What's gonna happen next time when they find out? Or are you relyin' on yer good pal, Nemesis, ta keep it a secret? You really expect her not ta sell us out in order ta save her own hide?"

Without the intention of being rude, Primal couldn't help his attention fading away from Rattrap's concerns when a sense of urgency invaded his mind coming from outside. He turned his head toward the interior wall of the command center as though he could see through it, vexation and worry written on his blue face. "Something's wrong...," he muttered right before Wintersong's voice could be heard as the platform lifted where Tigerhawk had already been staring.

Rattrap quieted down as he noticed their leader's attention drift off. "Hey, don't be spacin' out on us now," he said annoyed. He almost snapped his fingers at him to point out to everyone how rude he was being and embarrass him, but the frantic voice and clambering within the elevating lift had suddenly stolen his attention as well.

“Guys!”

"Wintersong, what happened?" Optimus approached her almost cautiously given the influence that the Vok had in her and considering how she was acting, but he went to her nonetheless.

“Tarantulas! H-he has...Aurora! Couldn’t reach...her in...time.”

Rattrap gasped in shock and horror.

What?! What the slag could Tarantulas possibly want with Aurora?! Why?! Hadn't his Maximals been through enough today?! So many questions but not time for answers, accept for one, "Where were they last located, Wintersong?!" They had to act quickly, so Optimus immediately began barking orders. "Airazor and Tigerhawk, aerial reconnaissance. See if you can track them from above. Hurry!" he urged them. "Rattrap, Frilla, search for underground burrows or tunnels that Tarantulas might be utilizing to avoid detection! Beware of traps. Dinobot, Cheetor, Tigatron, fan out and search the area!" The TransMetal gorilla then turned to the center console that Rhinox had repaired earlier and addressed the Axalon's computer with a distraught tone while everyone else scrambled to his orders. "Sentinel, locate Aurora and Tarantulas."

Despite his lack of confidence recently, the Spy jumped into action by following the ape's orders and hopped onto the lift to be lowered outside. Like Optimus, he didn't understand why the creepy tarantula would want to kidnap his friend, but he couldn't let him get away with it! He was determined to help Aurora who was like a niece to him. Oh, why did she have to step outside and venture far enough away from the base to make herself an easy target? No, this wasn't her fault. She should have been safe. This was Tarantulas's doing, or whoever's orders he might have been under. Whoever it was, if they brought any harm to the little Fuzor Rattrap was going to strip their gears and wires and make them suffer a memory loss worse than Zodiac's... permanently.

"Unable to detect their signatures," the male voice responded after a quick scan of the area as well as the base. "Maximal unit Aurora and Predacon unit Tarantulas are currently out of range."

Out of range? That could be due to a number of reasons! Being in beast mode, being too far underground, or simply being beyond Sentinel's reach already, which may have been possible given the spider's motorcycle-like vehicle mode. But with Rattrap's dragster mode, or with any of their fliers, there was still hope that they could spot them. By Primus, this couldn't be happening. Not now. Why?! Was Megatron behind it as retaliation for them taking Zodiac? Optimus tried not to panic. He tried not to imagine what Tarantulas might do to his youngest Maximal. As far as he knew, she didn't have any weapons on her. According to Tigatron, she had merely been out for a peaceful stroll to get some air and relax after such a stressful day. He couldn't fathom why the mad scientist would target her, and that worried him greatly. Without any other details, he couldn't predict the spider's motives or movements. He couldn't protect the ermine/butterfly Fuzor. She was vulnerable and alone. He desperately tried to contact her again through his comm. link. "Aurora, this is Optimus. Please respond!" After a few moment's pause, he made another attempt. "Aurora, do you copy?!" This was precisely why he constantly put his life on the line for his Maximals even though she had forbidden him to keep doing so.

(( OOC: FYI, no one is supposed to be able to find them, but tracking down their scents to at least determine which direction they went, but that they're no where in sight, should be viable. ))

-----

“Hm, only time will tell.”

"Such is its destiny," Megatron commented to his medic as she was cleaning up.

"But for what seemed like a good reason at the time,"

"I disagree, and I find that very disappointing considering the rank I have graciously appointed you," Megatron scowled at his second-in-command while she lowered her eye contact from his. It sounded as though he was beginning to rethink his decision of replacing Inferno with Nemesis, but he failed to comment on it further. Perhaps he was still debating with himself about it depending on the outcome of this interrogation.

“Might I also add I lingered behind as well after the order was given to fall back to see you and Terrorsaur out. But only he got free.”

"Explain," Megatron told Nemesis after turning his gaze from Spineback back to the other female. How did Terrorsaur escape and Nemesis didn't? She was supposed to be quicker on her feet and more opportunistic than the treacherous TransMetal 'dactyl.

“Unless Waspinator was an ace in the hole lying in wait to cause a scene?”

"I should think Waspinator would have led to a means of escaping by way of distracting the Maximals for you. But instead you claim his appearance only provided an additional grievance which somehow prohibited you to take advantage of the opportunity and made your situation worse," which didn't quite make sense to him unless she had been immobilized or unconscious. But she hadn't mentioned anything like that happening to her. Yet. Nemesis seemed to keep adding little by little to her evolving story the more they questioned her about it in Megatron's attempt to catch her in a lie or some any kind of deception.

"They were not aware I hadn't departed yet," "Not until Waspinator showed up and demanded to know where I was. Yes, I did have to remain hidden for a period of time, but I had overheard the Maximals discuss this technological advantage and wanted to secure it for our side."

"How valiant of you," he said with some sarcasm to see how deep he could get under her armor and possibly make her tongue slip out of anger even though she was normally more level-headed with her emotions than he was at times. But under the right pressure, she could lose her temper. Earlier that day, for instance, he had witnessed her from afar take her frustration out on Airazor nearly paralyzing her leg. Nemesis was walking on a tight rope as she narrowed her optics at the tyrant, but part of him could appreciate her tenacity in defending herself the way she was, even if it felt like - according to his instincts - she was guilty of something or hiding something. "It hardly seemed to be the opportunity for them to discuss such an advantage given that most of them had joined the battle almost immediately, while the rest who were wounded remained behind for repairs, most of which likely took place in the silence of their repair chambers," he contradicted her explanation still finding it illogical. The timing of Waspinator arriving didn't add up either, but he didn't bring it up again at that time while he waited for the insect to join them.

"The Maximals confiscated it when I was captured,"

"Of course, they did," he glowered as if he already knew that. "You must not have had the time to store it in your subspace and over throw them for an escape," he began explaining the situation for her instead. "I left Optimus and Rhinox buried in their brig; two of the strongest Maximals you would not have needed to contend with until they were freed. Airazor was critically injured, and I can only assume you took care of the rodent. Indeed, most of them were injured," he concluded as his mind went over the ones he was certain of, plus the ones Quickstrike had failed to keep imprisoned under his watch, and then some of the others he never saw later and could only surmise that they too had been wounded. "But you allowed yourself to be captured because you wanted to obtain that substance that you are just remembering now how you were even aware of its existence when it would have been of far more importance to have left when I had ordered the retreat. And do you know what else I find very fascinating?" he asked Nemesis accusingly, "How quickly the Maximals discovered our secluded location with Zodiac." Surprisingly, she had an answer for that already.

"Stumbled isn't exactly how I would describe it..

Yes, now that you have much more information to share, he thought in his aggravation.

The Maximals were already planning a counter-attack when I overheard them while in the process of leaving the Axalon. They knew of the location we were meeting at since they had implanted Zodiac with a tracking device to avoid any further.. incidents. I did what I felt was the better option for my comrades and my leader,"

Megatron finally grew quiet as he considered the ebony, female raptor's words that were more sound than anything else she had said so far. He felt foolish for not having made sure that Zodiac didn't have a tracking beacon on him. But then he doubted that Zodiac would have since his sensors never indicated any transponder frequencies on him. However, that didn't necessarily mean that the Maximals hadn't hidden something else on him that his nanobots had deliberately devoured to avoid detection but still allowed to function and transmit his location. Unfortunately, they didn't have the body to do an autopsy on and find out for certain. Her last sentence made him narrow his optics again though, her words almost sounding too desperate and inveigled. "Be that as it may, I should have been informed of your intentions to remain behind. Your presence on the battlefield would have been far more valuable," he concluded with a slightly calmer voice.

"The traitor is dead. They brought his body back with them, that's how I know. There were no signs of life."

Now, he was even quieter. His optics stared at her, or right through her, while his mind swirled over her admission. The warlord was already certain that he had killed Zodiac and had declared himself the victor of their once thought-to-be endless feud, but hearing it from Nemesis, who had allegedly seen his body long after the battle, really reinforced the success of his actions. So, a sly, deviously dark smile of gratification crept onto his face, and for a brief time he had forgotten how suspicious and angry he was with Nemesis as he felt a chill run up his spine. A chill that he very much welcomed. "Thus concludes the insignificant saga of a pathetic rogue named Zodiac who shall soon be forgotten for all eternity," he said in his deeper voice, uncaring whether or not his words hurt her to any degree since there was a history between them. "Good riddance. It would seem Cryotek chose wisely after all, as if there was hardly a question of doubt," he said proudly about himself. The grin suddenly fell off his face when he noticed Nemesis move toward him. He nearly grabbed his tail gun in a natural reaction to defend himself until he realized that she was merely adding emphasis to her obviously damaged innocence when she continued her defensive plea against his onslaught of accusations... or delusional paranoia. So, his hands remained at his side.

"Just listen to me,"

He raised a brow at her desperate tone. My, my, he thought.

"I was on my way to depart when I came across some of the Maximals discussing how to sabotage our plans. I hid so they wouldn't find me so I could find out more. I obtained the sample during this time frame as well, before Waspinator showed up and ruined everything."

Since she was now adding more details about her short stay with the Maximals, it sounded more believable, but the timing still wasn't adding up, and he didn't care for her shifting the blame back on to Waspinator. Megatron came to a fork in his mental road; continue pressing her on the matter until she fell apart and punish her, or pretend to accept her explanation in order to maintain whatever might be going on between her and their enemy in order to benefit him in the future. "Despite Waspinator's interference, you should have been more than capable of handling yourself." Given her abilities, intelligence and tactics, he was clearly disappointed in her lack of innovation to be successful. "Or you should have devised a back-up plan that would have avoided your captivity in the first place considering how willing you were to put yourself in such a less-than-strategic position."

Then when he mentioned his radio transmission once more, he watched her expression falter to one of being vexed, as though she didn't know what he was talking about.

"My apologies, our liege, but I didn't receive any such transmissions. The Maximals did blast me with some experimental weapon, so it's possible that messed up my long range radio,"

The Predacon leader's optics narrowed again at her. Now, there was a weapon involved? Where were all of these tiny details before that were just now sprouting into their conversation like she was conveniently recalling them the longer he continued questioning her. "What kind of experimental weapon?" he demanded to know for future reference and to judge whether or not it would have had the ability to scramble her comm. link.

Although everyone's audio receptors could hear Waspinator's approach down the dark corridor, Megatron's slit-like pupils only wavered from Nemesis's optics when the TransMetal wasp had entered the room and obediently stood at attention for his commanding officer. "Waspinator, would you kindly explain to me exactly what you witnessed at the Maximals' base?" he asked him a bit more politely than he had been treating Nemesis. "There seems to be some confusion about the timing of your involvement and interactions thereof."

((I also want to apologize if my playing of Waspinator isn't totally accurate. His speech pattern is a pain and difficult to completely get down. Or is that just me?))

"Perhaps not all at once, but given our circumstances we cannot spoon feed him everything Primal. A trick or truth, he will eventually have to adapt to the fact war is a part of our every day lives now or he will surely perish regardless." Dinobot both acknowledge yet still argued against. Truth be told, the raptor was highly on the fence about the situation.

On one hand, Zodiac could prove a rather valuable asset if they could teach and tutor him in a far different path than he had known. In which case, the re-discovery of his abilities could be put to greater use for their cause and perhaps give them a rather unexpected edge. But on the other, it could trigger unfortunate memories or deja vu moments he could not otherwise explain and cause tension in a far more unexpected manner. But it would be better to have Zodiac here where they could not only monitor such behavior but also keep those unique capabilities out of the hands of his former comrades.

"But yes, I have to say it is more...logical to have him where we can monitor him for multiple reasons." He finally admitted, optics briefly going towards Rattrap, understanding the rat's reluctance to do so.

But Cheetor speaking out as he did greatly surprised the raptor and Frilla, and most of all Tigatron.

Such an outburst from the cheetah was rather shocking. Frilla had always known Cheetor to admire and look up to Optimus, rarely questioning him unless it was to prove his worth. But this went beyond the youthful recklessness Cheetor had been known for, and the frilled lizard half wondered if the transmetal cheetah meant all of them or just the Darksyde crew. She was well aware herself and Dinobot had come to the Maximals under very different circumstances; the raptor had questioned Megatron but had little other choice other than to turn to the Maximals for help and she had spared Optimus in a moment of being able to rid of the Maximal Commander a few years prior. Blackarachnia she could only imagine given the nature of the black widow. Possibly a case of stretching her chances far too many times to risk going back to Megatron.

Still, the young feline was lucky the crew was so tight-knit and Optimus was far more patient than most commanders. Such words would have quickly earned him an honorable discharge or punishment of some kind.

"We are not the Darksyde crew, no matter how rough or difficult this gets." The white tiger asserted to both Cheetor and Rattrap, the rodent being surprisingly less blunt than his fellow feline. "We senselessly put this world at risk for the selfish gain of one crew, and some have been willing to see it our way. That is worth all the effort, and if it means trying to correct the wrongs of someone else's past then the chance shouldn't be thrown away." The white tiger told them before noticing Optimus seemed to be spacing out.

Confused, he was about to also ask what was wrong until Wintersong's urgent tone caught his attention followed by an annoyed snarl by Dinobot being pushed aside in her urgency to get to them. But the news they got wasn’t exactly what they could have expected.

Gasping in surprise, the last thing Tigatron would have expected was the little ermine to be taken and even Dinobot’s optics had widened at this turn of events. Why the little fuzor of all individuals? Once they got the general location, Frilla immediately rushed over to one of the lifts to join Rattrap, transforming to beast mode before they reached the bottom before sprinting off in the direction Wintersong had gone, back tracking to follow the scent trail and seek out something, anything that could point them in the right direction.

Tigatron and Dinobot likewise did as ordered, taking the second lift down as they transformed to their own beast modes and heading closer towards the woods and taking separate directions to begin their own search.

——————————————

Waspinator had caught the tail end of most of Megatron's interrogation with Nemesis, but what he heard more than caused his energon to boil with anger. The avian was throwing him under the bus? After going through all that trouble in an attempt to save her skid plate and she decided to shift her troubles and conflicting relationships on him?

What little respect he might have had for the avian was quickly waning as he met her glare with his own. He had found the avian a far more tolerable second-in-command compared to the insane, pyrotechnic Inferno and jittery, indecisive late Scorponok, but this was quickly dashing what hopes he had towards her. At the end of the day she was just as back-stabbing and worried for herself as any other Predacon. "Gladly." Waspinator spoke with a cold glare never leaving the avian.

Clearing his throat, Waspinator dove right into his explanation, "Waspinator arrived to the Maximal base to seek out our missing second-in-command, figured bird-lady might be having trouble. Waspinator tried to go through the destroyed brig during the battle over Zodiac, but was confronted by the Maximal rhino. Was told Nemesis had left the base prior to arriving and attacking their base, but Waspinator had little evidence at the time so was forced to go looking." Waspinator was more than willing to further poke holes in Nemesis' story and her timeline, make her even more uncomfortable than she already was. "Waspinator scoured the area but found no signs of her, so Waspinator return to the Axalon in hopes of confronting the lie."

"But, Waspinator spot Nemesis with traitor little lizard, uncuffing her without so much of a fight. Optimus Primal return to base by then and confronted bird-lady, but she still did not fight." Waspinator's tone became accusatory then, "Watched entire exchange, didn't get whole conversation but Waspinator heard Nemesis putting blame on someone else for the attack on the Axalon and taking of the deceased shapeshifter when confronted by Primal. Yet, bird-lady wasn't so keen to fight back against our enemies and I came back the moment Megatron called."

Cheetor shook his head slightly in disbelief. Were most of his friends crazy? After everything that day, Cheetor’s perspective of having Zodiac around had quickly changed. If this had been spoken of earlier be likely would have thrown his full support behind Optimus in giving the shapeshifter a chance. He had defended Optimus in fact, confident his leader and father figure had had his reasons for doing what he did.

That opinion had quickly changed over the course of the day.

“I hope you know what you’re doing Big Bot, because I’m not so convinced anymore it will matter if they know or not. Three Predacons willing to give our perspective a chance is one thing; they came to us willingly and might as well be part of the team. But this is Megatron and the other Predacons we’re talking about here.” He grumbled, crossing his arms over his charred chest plate and finally deciding to drop the subject. No matter what the others said, the young cheetah still was skeptical and doubtful about the whole thing and he mentally noted to himself he would likely have to make his own calls in the coming future.

Airazor, on the other hand, silently watched the exchange, her green optics shifting back and forth between everyone who gave their views and opinions. So many perspectives, so much uncertainty. The team would have its work cut out for them in the coming future and she could only sigh and close her optics in thought.

Personally, she was neutral on the matter. On one hand, she was indeed concerned for what Zodiac could do if he recalled his past and found out they had tried to shape him very differently or what the Predacons would do if they discovered Zodiac alive, and on the other she felt he was better off under their protection and watchful eye just in case. But who was she to deny a chance for someone to find peace after their past had been nothing but pain and suffering. ‘Peace needs a chance,’ she thought to herself before the sound of Wintersong calling out to them caused her to glance over along with Cheetor.

By then however, Tigerhawk already had had his attention diverted towards the arriving tigress, finding himself having to move as she pushed her way into the debriefing.

Getting a few deep breaths, Wintersong was able to answer a bit more clearly, “Around the edge of the forest, maybe a couple yards in. I couldn’t follow too far before those little drones of his cut me off, so follow the trail of destroyed mini-spiders.” The tigress told them shortly before Optimus began giving out orders of what to do.

“We’re on it!” Airazor spoke finally as the roof hatch opened as Tigerhawk nodded, following the falcon femme into the skies above the base. “I‘ll go high, you go low.” The falcon directed, “Got it.” The fuzor separates from his fellow flier, activating his thermal vision to scan the trees and shallow underground for signs of heat signatures. Meanwhile, Airazor transformed to her beast mode, using her telescopic sight to scan the nearby area, even going some ways away from the base.

Motor cycle mode or not, she doubted Tarantulas would have gotten far in such a short time especially with one additional cargo slowing him down. But a quick scan from the surface seemed to give her no talltales of his direction, no tracks, no sound, nothing. “I’m not seeing any trails out in the open from here, anyone else got anything?” Airazor reported, hoping someone had a lead somewhere.

Cheetor has followed right behind Tigatron and Dinobot, fanning out into the forest as Wintersong had indicated to begin sniffing out a trail. But, the drones having been lurking around and their destroyed parts scattered about didn’t help, throwing off the scent trail in his area to some extent. Growling, he quickened his pace as he tried searching the branches, trunks, and low growing foliage. “Just a bunch of arachnidroids like Wintersong reported, his stench is all over them.” Cheetor commed in.

Deep concern in the young mech’s voice had quickly replaced his previously frustrated and angered tone during the debriefing. He knew all too well what the creepy mad scientist was capable of, having only seen a glimpse of that psychotic side when he had been dragged down into the spider’s lair earlier in the Beast Wars. Such a thought of what Tarantulas could do to the even younger member made his armor crawl and a disgusted shutter run down his spinal strut. They had to find Aurora, and soon.

But Tigerhawk’s deep voice soon chimed in, “Its faint, but I got some tracks close to a clearing near to the edge of the forest. I can’t see everything but...” The large fuzor lowered closer to the forest canopy, having to move aside a branch or two to better view the lingering invisible tracks left behind, “Looks like Tarantulas headed towards the forest edge after snagging Aurora, quite a few scattered rocks around there that might give us some clues.” The fuzor told them, hoping they might be on the right track. But by the time they found anything who knew what they would find, if anything or anyone.

With the others hard at work trying to track the two down, Wintersong turned her attention to Optimus, placing her front paws on the middle round table within the bridge, “Optimus I’m so sorry, I should have been watching her back. I thought everything was settling and...Primus, I should have been keeping a better optic on our surroundings.” She blamed herself for not being quick enough, knowing despite the end of the day there had been no telling what could have happened. But this? Why would Tarantulas want the young ermine fuzor anyway? Was it for thwarting his plans for Zodiac and retaliating in kind?

“Do you think this has to do with Zodiac?” She finally questioned, wondering if their saving the dragon’s life had become one of their own’s demise.

++++++++++++++++++++++

Back and forth the interrogation went.

Spineback could offer little insight to the actions Nemesis had taken, ones that seemed highly unlike the avian. In fact, the veteran felt their second-in-command had taken a huge gamble on the fact of overheating about this regenerative substance Megatron had accused her of never picking up on. More so of the fact the Maximals would have openly mentioned such a thing, or perhaps Nemesis had seen it with her own optics once? Opportunity given, it still seemed bad timing on her part to suddenly make a grab for such a substance, wasted time and effort to come back rather empty handed. Spineback could only mentally shake her head at that.

Unfortunately, Spineback could not confirm or deny some of Nemesis’ claims, not when she had taken an outside perspective. Therefore, she too could only assume Nemesis had either been captured in the process of this grand adventure of hers, or had slipped up and allowed for the Maximals to stop her for whatever reason. The mention of Rattrap though has Spineback briefly being more attentive, looking past Megatron towards the SIC, trying to lock optics with her with a knowing expression of what she had truly done with the rodent. The former soldier had tried to finish the rodent herself, but had been cut short when the two white tigers had jumped in to save his wretched life. ‘You’re lucky I don’t tell him you left the rodent with a chance to live.’ It took every ounce of Spineback’s will not to blurt out that the tyrant was in fact wrong about one thing, but kept her mouth firmly shut as Nemesis became more desperate and Waspinator soon arrived.

The avian was already under enough fire as it was, and likely was about to face more poking and prodding at her story.

Waspinator didn’t hesitate to give his own perspective of what happened, his tone becoming more and more accusatory the more he spoke. The wasp didn’t take lightly to being blamed in the least, making the medic vaguely wonder where this fire was when they needed it most. Or, perhaps being transmetal had an effect on the transmetal insect to be braver in his words and bold in his attitude. So many accusations flying back and forth, but who was lying and who was the truth-teller?

"I disagree, and I find that very disappointing considering the rank I have graciously appointed you,"

A rank Nemesis had honestly never asked for.. or even hoped to acquire. Considering she had made herself indispensable enough for the tyrant to bestow such a title upon her, she had viewed it as an honor of sorts though. The rank certainly came with some perks, such as their leader trusting her enough to confide in her as well as having some say in how to proceed with important matters.

Trust.. Yeah, it was fairly obvious the tyrant's opinion of her had changed. Not that his suspicions weren't entirely warranted. Nemesis was certainly not proud of what she had done, yet she couldn't exactly change how she felt. Oh, she had tried to block out those emotions. She had tried so many times and failed an equal amount. But unlike what appeared to be most of her cohorts, she couldn't rid herself of that compassion that lurked beneath the surface of her armor. She was a warrior, true, likely one of the better soldiers at Megatron's command, but as much as she trained and fought she could never destroy that weakness within her. That compassion she harbored.

"It will not happen again," she assured her leader with an inclination of her head. Of course it was unlikely Megatron would believe her.

It was at this point that Spineback offered her own take on the events that had gone down, which didn't really back up nor refute the avian female's claims. The tyrant then demanded that his second in command explain her actions, which she did, albeit upon doing so it quickly became clear that Nemesis was not a specialist in lying. Her explanation was a lot more broken up than she cared for, but she tried to stick to the facts as far as she could and then only bend the truth ever so slightly where it could hurt her.

"I had stayed behind to make sure the other Predacons were able to escape. Obviously I lingered longer than I should have, but upon overhearing the Maximals talk about a counter-measure against us I made the mistake of wanting to find out more. Which ultimately became my undoing after Waspinator revealed my presence there," she tried to clarify since it was becoming abundantly clear Megatron distrusted her. And that could be a lethal combination.

"I should think Waspinator would have led to a means of escaping by way of distracting the Maximals for you. But instead you claim his appearance only provided an additional grievance which somehow prohibited you to take advantage of the opportunity and made your situation worse,"

"It was due to Waspinator informing the Maximals that I hadn't returned with the other Predacons that prompted them to perform a more thorough search of their base, which ultimately lead to them discovering my hideout," she started explaining her situation in greater detail, using the knowledge she had obtained while residing with the Maximals to twist the truth to make her story sound more believable. Certainly more so than what had really happened.. Nothing could be worse than if Megatron knew the truth about her relationship with Optimus, since he would obviously not only punish her for it but probably also use her against his arch enemy.

She was about to continue but Megatron interrupted her.

"How valiant of you,"

Narrowing her optics at the tone in the tyrant's voice, Nemesis held back her initial response since she didn't want to come across as too brash or hostile. The tyrant was after all still her leader, and although there was some truth behind his suspicions of her motives it wasn't as if she had wanted to get captured. It had just been unavoidable at the time. So the female did her best to keep her growing frustration and anger in check as not to add fuel to the fire.

"It hardly seemed to be the opportunity for them to discuss such an advantage given that most of them had joined the battle almost immediately, while the rest who were wounded remained behind for repairs, most of which likely took place in the silence of their repair chambers,"

"Don't underestimate their persistence," Nemesis warned with a sigh and a slight shake of the head. "I'm not sure if it's pure stupidity or stubbornness inherent in the Maximal programming, but they proved more resilient than we imagined. Yes, I'm sure some of them needed repairs after our attack on their base, but most of them unfortunately didn't sustain severe injuries. Perhaps in part due to the healing gel at their disposal that I was attempting to acquire."

Truthfully the Maximals had been known to boast even bigger acts of stubbornness than the Predacons, since frankly Megatron had been known to call for a retreat sooner than his counterpart. Of course she wasn't about to mention this observation to the tyrant.

"Of course, they did,"

Ugh.. Well, Megatron didn't sound convinced. Not that she could blame him. Nemesis was a soldier, not a spy or an infiltrator like Zodiac. Lying didn't come quite as easily to her as it did to certain others, especially not when she was surrounded by those she thought of as her comrades. No, she may not always agree with Megatron about everything, specifically his methods, but she could certainly get behind him on the motivation requiring them. Still she was holding up better than she'd initially thought against the interrogation methods of the tyrant.

"You must not have had the time to store it in your subspace and over throw them for an escape,"

She wanted so badly to just stop him right there, to protest his poorly hidden accusations, and to explain to him what truly had happened. Yes, she'd been aware Primal had been in the brig when it collapsed. But still he had somehow managed to make it out of there not only in one piece but with enough strength and determination to confront her as she was making her way out of the Axalon. It wasn't that she had lingered behind an awful long time, not until Optimus had blocked her path since he knew perfectly well that she didn't have it in her to physically harm him. So he had used himself to trap her, forcing her hand. So obviously Megatron was wrong in his assumption of how damaged the Maximal leader had been, but yet again Nemesis wasn't about to make matters worse by correcting him on his mistake while he was barely able to control his rage.

"I left Optimus and Rhinox buried in their brig; two of the strongest Maximals you would not have needed to contend with until they were freed. Airazor was critically injured, and I can only assume you took care of the rodent. Indeed, most of them were injured,"

As far as she was concerned, only the rodent had suffered any serious injuries that could potentially have killed him. Or at least that was her assumption based on what she had seen upon remaining there as their very much so unwilling guest.

"You forget the untimely arrival of the remaining hostages," she finally muttered in dismay, only able to take so many poorly disguised accusations. "The white tigress who was missing for a time after the alien encounter showed up with some odd modified rifle that she shot me with. It scrambled my circuits, rendering my nanomachines and even some of my regular systems inoperative for a while. Some of them still are," she argued with a certain tone of indignation in her voice. Clearly it hadn't been her proudest moment.

And somehow she had managed to explain something without revealing anything about Primal's intervention being the true reason she couldn't depart.

"But you allowed yourself to be captured because you wanted to obtain that substance that you are just remembering now how you were even aware of its existence when it would have been of far more importance to have left when I had ordered the retreat. And do you know what else I find very fascinating?"

Allowed? Like she had actually wanted to be shot and held there while her comrades executed the plan she helped create? The very plan she had taken charge of, that she had denied to Optimus.. Thankfully he hadn't pursued the topic any further and certainly not given her the third degree like she was getting right now.

"I had seen the glow on Primal before," she countered, "But I wasn't quite sure what it meant until today when I overheard the Maximals discussing using the gel to speed up their repair efforts so they could launch a counter-attack sooner. Was it a risky and ultimately futile decision to stay behind to try to sabotage their efforts? Obviously it was. And I wish I had made a different call. I should have joined you and the other Predacons like we planned, and I can only apologize for my lap in judgement that resulted in the way things turned out. But know that my intentions were to help our comrades, nothing more or less."

"How quickly the Maximals discovered our secluded location with Zodiac."

Fortunately Nemesis had managed to come up with the excuse that Zodiac had been implanted with a tracking beacon, otherwise she likely would have been in agony on the floor right about now. It seemed plausible enough given the Maximals' misgivings about the renegade.. right?

"Be that as it may, I should have been informed of your intentions to remain behind. Your presence on the battlefield would have been far more valuable,"

Nemesis sighed and indicated the slight scorch mark on her chest, the only remaining physical mark left behind on the outside of her armor when she'd been hit by the Maximal weapon. A vast majority of the damage was internal, after all, and the weapon truly did have a strong impact on her nanomachines. Some of them were still in shambles even.

"Again I apologize for my lapse in judgement.. my liege," she responded in earnest with a slight bow of the head while using the same official title that some of Megatron's other more trusted troops had taken to using.

Fortunately the Predacons did not have access to Zodiac's remains to investigate the truthfulness of her claims. Although in all fairness if the Maximals had any common sense, they would have created such an implanted tracking device. The renegade had clearly proven himself an enemy to both sides after all.

"Thus concludes the insignificant saga of a pathetic rogue named Zodiac who shall soon be forgotten for all eternity,"

And finally something she said caused the tyrant to grin approvingly. Nemesis wasn't nearly as thrilled with this end result, and she couldn't even be sure Zodiac was indeed expired, but it seemed to be what her leader wanted to hear at that time. Judging by the mess of a bot the Maximals had brought in, he very well could be dead by now. And if not, well, she could only assume Primal was going to lock him back up into the darkest cell available and for Zodiac never to see the light of day again. So she merely returned the grin, a tiny bit forced for her though, and hoped this was the end of the seemingly endless accusations Megatron had hit her with from the moment she stepped into the room.

"Good riddance. It would seem Cryotek chose wisely after all, as if there was hardly a question of doubt,"

"Zodiac was an inexperienced child playing a very dangerous game. Hopefully he learned his lesson just before he died," she concurred with her leader's statement. As for Cryotek, well, Nemesis barely knew him. She knew of his connection to the experimentation done to her and Zodiac, of course, but unlike the younger male she hadn't really interacted with the warlord much. To her he was just another face in the masses of Cybertronians who had failed to live up to her expectations of a leader figure. And part of her still had some faith in Megatron's abilities to lead them to victory and to save their kin from the crimes committed against them back on their home world.

"Despite Waspinator's interference, you should have been more than capable of handling yourself. Or you should have devised a back-up plan that would have avoided your captivity in the first place considering how willing you were to put yourself in such a less-than-strategic position."

A back up plan.. Granted her only plan for getting out had been to avoid Primal at all costs, which obviously hadn't happened. Nor should she have put herself in the situation where she could get shot by a weapon they clearly hadn't had time to create to use against her specifically, so she could only assume it had been a remnant from their arsenal against Zodiac that had been re-purposed. As similar as their nanotechnology was, they shared weaknesses after all.

Nemesis had been about to reply to the latest of Megatron's lecture but incoming foot steps caused her to pause and glance over at where the giant wasp was now standing, looking surprisingly smug considering his overall low approval rating among the Predacons. Perhaps the wasp was trying to change that.. Yet the avian female had no intention of letting the wasp put her at risk. However before addressing the newly arrived insect, Megatron had one final question for her.. This time asking for more details about the weapon they had used against her.

"What kind of experimental weapon?"

"It seemed to be a modified energy rifle of sorts. Likely meant to be used against the likes of Zodiac, but alas it proved to be rather effective against me as well. The beam wrecked havoc with my systems, shorting out everything from my nanomachines to my communication systems, my stability and transformation modules were affected as well. Slowly but surely some of them have started coming back online, but not all.."

"Waspinator, would you kindly explain to me exactly what you witnessed at the Maximals' base?" "There seems to be some confusion about the timing of your involvement and interactions thereof."

"Gladly." "Waspinator arrived to the Maximal base to seek out our missing second-in-command, figured bird-lady might be having trouble. Waspinator tried to go through the destroyed brig during the battle over Zodiac, but was confronted by the Maximal rhino. Was told Nemesis had left the base prior to arriving and attacking their base, but Waspinator had little evidence at the time so was forced to go looking."

Nemesis couldn't avoid the rolling of the optics gesture she did upon hearing the wasp try to decipher what had happened from his perspective of things. Honestly the avian had never really cared about the wasp's views on things before, but he was clearly vexed right now and seemed determined to try to make things worse for her through some misguided belief it would somehow earn him points with Megatron no doubt..

Yet she wasn't about to let him incriminate her needlessly.. Not when her career and even life was on the line.

"At the time the Maximals no doubt believed I had departed already, thus why they told you that," she argued, not caring one bit if she was being rude by interrupting the wasp's explanation. "It was at that time they must have realized I was still there, which prompted them to come after me with that infernal weapon of theirs.."

"Waspinator scoured the area but found no signs of her, so Waspinator return to the Axalon in hopes of confronting the lie."

Nemesis scoffed at what the wasp was explaining, crossing her arms as she barely let him complete the sentence before countering with; "Yes, clearly it was a wise decision for you to return by yourself. Were you planning to take on the entire Maximal team by yourself? Perhaps you should leave making up a strategy to those who know how to." Granted her own had backfired..

"But, Waspinator spot Nemesis with traitor little lizard, uncuffing her without so much of a fight. Optimus Primal return to base by then and confronted bird-lady, but she still did not fight."

It took every bit of self control Nemesis had not to grab the wasp by his throat and put him in a choke hold against the wall. If at all possible, the insect had become even more annoying after receiving the transmetal upgrade, as he now had this really annoying self-righteousness about him. Yet fortunately she managed to remain calm, at least somewhat, and allowed Waspinator to complete his sentence before she intervened.

"They were letting me go, you moron!," she argued back. "Why would I fight them at that time with most of my systems still in a state of chaos? It would have been futile, and furthermore it would not have benefited me at all as it would no doubt have landed me in even bigger trouble."

"Watched entire exchange, didn't get whole conversation but Waspinator heard Nemesis putting blame on someone else for the attack on the Axalon and taking of the deceased shapeshifter when confronted by Primal. Yet, bird-lady wasn't so keen to fight back against our enemies and I came back the moment Megatron called."

By now it had become obvious the wasp was trying to shift all blame onto her, for whatever gain he hoped to get out of it. But she wasn't having it. Not at all.

"So let me get this straight.. Clearly you were watching from a distance and you weren't able to hear everything, as you already admitted, yet you seem surprised I didn't want to place myself in a situation where I would be forced to remain there as a prisoner. What do you think would have happened if Optimus knew the whole truth about the mission today? Are you truly gullible enough to believe I would have been allowed to leave if they knew the truth?"

Letting out an exasperated sigh, she then glanced over at the other female present in the room before letting her optics settle on Megatron once again. She was starting to calm down a bit after Waspinator had worked her up like that, and her fists that had clenched up while she responded to his mockery and accusations were starting to ease up a bit again. Yet passionate and frankly truthful as her reaction had been, it was hard to say how Megatron would react.

(ooc: Sorry for long wait.. Work's been murder this week and I've just been busy with other stuff too. Also my other characters don't really have anything to respond to right now as they are where I wanted them to be for the end of this episode so I'll hold off on posting for them. )

(( OOC: It's probably just you, NM... I'm kidding! I do think his dialogue is a bit difficult to write, but you can always make him your own, so I'm not that picky about it. How do you think I feel with Megatron? I keep using a thesaurus for his dialogue. ))

"Perhaps not all at once, but given our circumstances we cannot spoon feed him everything Primal. A trick or truth, he will eventually have to adapt to the fact war is a part of our every day lives now or he will surely perish regardless."

Of course, Optimus agreed with Dinobot on that point, but he still wanted to take things slow with Zodiac for now and try to make as few mistakes as possible with this unique opportunity. Should anything happen out of their control to "spoil" them from taking their time, then they would cross that bridge when they came to it.

"But yes, I have to say it is more...logical to have him where we can monitor him for multiple reasons."

"We are not the Darksyde crew, no matter how rough or difficult this gets." "We senselessly put this world at risk for the selfish gain of one crew, and some have been willing to see it our way. That is worth all the effort, and if it means trying to correct the wrongs of someone else's past then the chance shouldn't be thrown away."

After everything Zodiac had put them through, the Maximal leader was surprised to see how most of his crew were taking this turn of events. He really thought that they would be against it right off the bat. Ban the shape shifter, exile him, throw him out, toss him to the wolves. Instead, the majority of them seemed to be on board with the idea to help him since he was suffering from extreme amnesia.

“I hope you know what you’re doing Big Bot, because I’m not so convinced anymore it will matter if they know or not. Three Predacons willing to give our perspective a chance is one thing; they came to us willingly and might as well be part of the team. But this is Megatron and the other Predacons we’re talking about here.”

Studying the younger Maximal as he spoke, Optimus nodded lightly as he understood his opinion on the matter. Cheetor, Rattrap and likely Aurora weren't keen on the idea, and he respected their positions and thoughts, but what it really came down to was giving Zodiac sanctuary, at least for now, since if they were to leave him to fend for himself only to be captured by the Predacons, Megatron would surely have the advantage over him and terminate him. It wouldn't be very Maximal of them to abandon Zodiac under such a state of vulnerability that could very likely lead to his death. "For now, it matters very much," Primal told Cheetor. "We just need the time to help him settle in before the Predacons are aware of this situation. Once his memory returns, if it does, then we'll see which path he chooses and address it as necessary." Yes, it was a long shot. Optimus was aware of that as well as the risks involved. He did hope, however, that he wouldn't regret this decision.

“Around the edge of the forest, maybe a couple yards in. I couldn’t follow too far before those little drones of his cut me off, so follow the trail of destroyed mini-spiders.”

Primal's pink eyes had peered past Wintersong for a moment where the damaged arachnoid laid on the floor that had been chomped on in her mouth while he considered what she had witnessed. His emotions swirled inside of him as concern and worry erupted to the top of the list, although he was glad Wintersong was alright considering everything she was dealing with as well. The rest of the Maximals had heard her announce the last location she saw their little Fuzor and proceeded to head in that direction when they evacuated the Axalon.

“We’re on it!”

The rest of the Maximals had immediately taken action and fled the base in search of their abducted comrade, and the command center suddenly fell eerily quiet aside from himself and Wintersong remaining there and Rhinox approaching to join them. As their reports started to filter in over his comm. link while they communicated with each other outside, the gorilla walked over to the arachnoid, bent down and picked it up carefully despite a couple tiny pieces of it falling off. He examined it in his hands for a moment wondering if there was any information they could possibly gain from the small droid, but it was unlikely. These tiny spider-like robots were merely mindless drones designed to help Tarantulas construct things and lug equipment around. They were hardly spies, although that was something Optimus considered as well. Could it still be transmitting data back to the spider scientist? It appeared broken from Wintersong's sharp teeth, or at least malfunctioning, but until it was given a proper examination by Rattrap or Rhinox, he didn't want to presume that it was entirely worthless to them. Tarantulas was usually diligent covering his tracks though, but if they weren't able to find Aurora now, this robot might be their only hope considering how elusive the locations of his lairs were and how intricate the tunnels and booby traps were that led to them.

“I’m not seeing any trails out in the open from here, anyone else got anything?”

“Just a bunch of arachnidroids like Wintersong reported, his stench is all over them.”

“Its faint, but I got some tracks close to a clearing near to the edge of the forest. I can’t see everything but...” “Looks like Tarantulas headed towards the forest edge after snagging Aurora, quite a few scattered rocks around there that might give us some clues.”

Rattrap had converted to his dragster vehicle mode wasting no time to search for Aurora once the platform had lowered with him and Frilla on it, and he drove to the forest where Wintersong had been trying to rescue their Chief Biologist and where Tigerhawk had discovered some tracks. Skidding to a stop just short of the thick brush as he crushed some left over arachnoids on the ground with his weight, he lifted his wheels to lower his silver paws and used his nose to hone in on the scents. Blocking the foliage and other Maximals who were in close proximity, he zeroed in on Aurora's and the spider's. "Careful, guys," he warned Frilla, Cheetor, Dinobot and Tigatron near him as they fanned out. "He might have traps around 'ere ta slow us down or throw us off," the Spy commented as an expertise. When it came to helping Aurora, or any of them, in a panicked state like this he had practically forgotten how he almost died that day and just focused on trying to find her. Tarantulas was one of the worst Predacons to be captured by because he was not so easily fooled, he was highly intelligent, but he was also crazy, and that worried the rodent greatly. "I think I got somethin'," he reported in as he ventured further ahead with his nose sensors set on full capacity.

“Optimus I’m so sorry, I should have been watching her back. I thought everything was settling and...Primus, I should have been keeping a better optic on our surroundings.”

Having turned around and walking back to the round, center console in the middle of the room, Optimus carefully set the drone down on it and oversaw the monitors and scanners before the tigress spoke up with an apology. "This isn't your fault, Wintersong," he assured her as he looked at her differently colored eyes over his shoulder, both of them seeming to exchange the same gaze full of worry.

“Do you think this has to do with Zodiac?”

Growing thoughtful over her inquiry, he wasn't entirely sure. "Perhaps," he mused. "Tarantulas has been seeking a way to use Zodiac's nanobot technology, and whether he believes that Zodiac is dead or alive, he wouldn't have been able to infiltrate our base and capture him while all of us are present. Megatron, and quite possibly Tarantulas, witnessed the regenerative nanogel activate during the battle that Aurora had applied to me some time ago. He may have concluded that Aurora was the one who created it despite how careful I have been to keep that a secret so as not to put any targets on her back in fear of something like this happening." He shook his head at himself in disappointment before he admitted, "Not to mention the sample I willingly gave Nemesis to help her avoid Megatron's wrath and suspicions." Naturally, he felt responsible even though these actions were Tarantulas's alone. But he wanted to make it clear that this hadn't been Wintersong's fault at all. She had enough to concern herself with the Voks' infection than to blame herself for Aurora's abduction.

"Am I that late to the meeting?" Rhinox asked half jokingly as he looked around the bridge only to find two Maximals occupying it. "Where did everyone go?"

Optimus turned to see his old friend enter the room and only seemed to address his last question. "Aurora's been captured by Tarantulas. I've sent everyone out for a search and rescue. ...But it doesn't sound good..."

Puzzled, Rhinox looked from Primal to Wintersong. "Why would he want Aurora?"

"It might have something to do with the nanogel she invented," he answered the engineer a bit reluctantly.

Sensing both the ape's and the feline's grave concerns and self-blaming, Rhinox tried to remain more objective so as not to add anymore emotion to the obviously overwhelming atmosphere of the room. "If that's the case, then we can at least hope that he won't hurt her." Or worse, he kept to himself.

Primal looked at him curiously waiting for an explanation to his thought process, or perhaps just something positive to ease his tension.

"What I mean is, he'll probably force her to help him create something similar that he can use, either for himself or against Megatron. We all know the feud that's been progressively building between those two, and that Tarantulas has practically seceded from Megatron's crew. If he's recognized Aurora's biological skills, it's unlikely that he'll do anything that would put her life in danger," he surmised. But I've been wrong before. "If nothing else, that'll at least buy us time to find her and rescue her." It wasn't that he was trying to convince himself or underestimate the gravity of the situation, but from one scientist to another, Rhinox couldn't see the benefit of Tarantulas wasting a brilliant mind such as Aurora's. He would likely use her for his own gain. But he couldn't predict what his true intentions might have been, or if he was going to put her through any torture in the process. He hoped not. "Of course, I don't think Tarantulas understands the full spectrum of our tightly knit crew. Whatever he does to her, he'll answer for it," the rhinoceros seemed to uncharacteristically threaten the absent spider. After a deep sigh, he changed the subject entirely and said to Optimus, "Let's have a look at your leg there since I'm assuming that's the reason you're not out there helping with the search."

"Someone needed to remain behind to monitor the scanners," Primal corrected him. "Besides, I have my best trackers covering the area Wintersong last heard them." He nodded lightly at her for at least giving them that much to start with since she was the only one able to witness anything at the time of Aurora's abduction. "Maximize," he told his internal computer, and his body shifted to robot mode, but since he had forgotten just how damaged his leg was, he nearly tumbled to the floor before catching himself with the center console by his arms releasing a snarl of pain at the same time.

Rhinox practically lunged forward to catch him, and helped him stand up as Optimus put most of his weight on his good leg before helping him to one of the chairs and sitting him down. Kneeling, the medic started examining the wounds and dry fluid that had bled out. "The punctures are deep."

"You should've seen the other guy," Optimus managed to say lightheartedly referring to the wounds he left on his nemesis.

"Your lucky Megatron hadn't twisted your leg off completely." He could only assume that it had been Megatron judging by the holes that had to have been created by very sharp teeth and an extremely strong jaw.

"I didn't have time to let luck determine my fate," the leader pointed out. "You know how much I enjoy being opportunistic with Megatron's mistakes, especially when his anger gets the better of him." A faint smile appeared on Primal's scarred mouth.

The green and brown Maximal gave a soft chuckle with a few shakes of his head while he gently turned and peered around his severely injured leg to take in every angle of it. "Your beast mode made some internal repairs, but you'll need time in the CR for the rest. How did you get so clean?" he then observed considering how even Rhinox was still covered in some dirt, scrapes and dents from the brig's avalanche on them.

"I took a quick dip in the nearby river," Optimus said a bit inaccurately until he decided to answer his question more seriously. "Tigatron pulled me out after a new Predacon arrived on the scene and threw me in the water. He's strong, Rhinox, and his firepower packs a punch. Not to mention that he has aquatic abilities."

"Where did he come from?"

"I'm not sure. I can only assume from one of our stasis pods. And if that's the case, I'll need to scroll through the Axalon's roster and figure out who he might be. He's one more addition for Megatron to have gained in this war," he sighed inaudibly with some silent discouragement. "How is Zodiac?"

"He's settling in his quarters now," Rhinox addressed first before continuing with the gorilla's sense of disappointment. "Hm. We lose some and gain some. We just have to take it as comes to us, Optimus. We've faced far worse in the past," which went without any further explanation required. But since he was referring to part of that about the Vok, it reminded Rhinox to check in on their most recent victim. "How have you been holding up, Wintersong?" It wasn't like her exterior symptoms were hidden from anyone after all, but he couldn't know what might have been going on inside of her or mentally without her letting him know.

Knowing where Rhinox was going with his inquiry to the tigress, Optimus briefly recalled the emotion he had felt from Wintersong just before she returned inside of the base as it reminded him of their odd link they shared, but instead of interrupting them while Rhinox carefully wiped off the blood on his leg to better see the damage, he had shifted his attention to the monitors again in hopes of his other Maximals stopping Tarantulas and rescuing Aurora.

Cautiously, Rattrap came upon a large, sunken spot in the ground that had not formed naturally. There was debris scattered everywhere with dirt and dust covering the nearby brush leaves and tree trunks. "Rattrap, maximize," he returned to his robot mode quietly. "I think I found his tunnel," he alerted his comrades but didn't detect any hostiles or explosives. "But it's caved in." He was probably long gone with their friend by now, but Rattrap seemed to obsess over getting her back, so he immediately got down on his knees and started frantically digging at the loose dirt with his hands. "Hurry! We gotta follow 'em before we lose 'em!" he told Frilla and whoever else was near them since he didn't bother looking up.

Primal listened carefully now as Rattrap's update came in across his comm. link, eagerly anticipating them being able to catch up to Tarantulas and stop him from dragging the ermine/butterfly Fuzor away from them and to one of his secret lairs...

-----

"It will not happen again,"

"Be sure that it doesn't," Megatron seemed to grant her with another chance. Or it was a warning, or a threat. It was difficult to tell with the t-rex since he enjoyed keeping his troops on their toes without knowing his real intentions. Unlike Zodiac, he was a true master in manipulation.

"I had stayed behind to make sure the other Predacons were able to escape.

How considerate of her, but he hardly cared. The Maximals would sooner imprison any of the Predacons instead of taking their lives, so it wasn't like the Predacons couldn't easily reacquire their P.O.W.'s. It would end up being more trouble for the Maximals' than it was really worth. But this time Megatron didn't interrupt Nemesis as she continued.

Obviously I lingered longer than I should have, but upon overhearing the Maximals talk about a counter-measure against us I made the mistake of wanting to find out more. Which ultimately became my undoing after Waspinator revealed my presence there," "It was due to Waspinator informing the Maximals that I hadn't returned with the other Predacons that prompted them to perform a more thorough search of their base, which ultimately lead to them discovering my hideout,"

Some of the black female's story was beginning to come together and make more sense, but the timing was still off to Megatron who decided to follow his instinct instead of her calculated words. Regardless, he appeared to be backing off now with his onslaught of questioning and allowing her to speak somewhat more "freely", which was quickly soon to prove to be a mistake on his part.

"Don't underestimate their persistence,"

That remark, however, made the tyrant snap at Nemesis as it seemed to offend his intelligence about their enemy when he had been battling the Maximals now longer than she had. Suddenly stomping toward her with his sharp toes scratching the metal floor beneath them, he leaned forward in an intimidating stance and snarled as he said angrily, "Do not lecture me about the Maximals' persistence! If anyone should have learned something from them today it would be you, Nemesis. I expect your incarcerations to cease after what transpired today. After all, we wouldn't want their tricks to insult someone of your intelligence," he emphasized to make his point.

"I'm not sure if it's pure stupidity or stubbornness inherent in the Maximal programming, but they proved more resilient than we imagined. Yes, I'm sure some of them needed repairs after our attack on their base, but most of them unfortunately didn't sustain severe injuries. Perhaps in part due to the healing gel at their disposal that I was attempting to acquire."

Just as the Predacon leader was about to mention that she was practically proving his point about the less severely injured Maximals having the benefit to chase the Predacons to the battle field with Zodiac instead of remaining at the Axalon to find her and restrain her, he refrained from speaking when she brought up the regeneration element again. If all of them had it implemented on them to some extent already, it could make sense. But so far, Primal was the only one any of the Predacons had witnessed such an anomaly occurring on his armor. Although the TransMetal tigress known as Wintersong also had some strange illumination happening across her breastplate. Had it formed before or after Quickstrike had incapacitated her with his venom albeit briefly? He was not certain, but her recovery time after absorbing his doses of cyber venom had been rather quick.

"You forget the untimely arrival of the remaining hostages,"

His cold optics narrowed tightly at Nemesis as he corrected her, "I did not," since he had merely included them in his prior statement, although he obviously hadn't made himself clear about it. How dare she address him as though he was the inferior bot! He was her commanding officer! "But you see, Nemesis, some of them found the time to recover from their wounds and arrive rather quickly at the battle field, which leaves very little time for them to have been searching for you and detaining you." The accusation was still in his voice, but he seemed just a tad calmer now than he was moments beforehand since even he was growing tired of this interrogation now, especially with her having the audacity to talk back at him in such a demeaning manner whether she had intended to or not considering she was trying to defend herself to the best of her ability considering that Megatron's accusations may have been inadvertently suggesting treason. It took a lot of restraint for him not to whip out his tail cannon and fire it at her for her insubordination.

"The white tigress who was missing for a time after the alien encounter showed up with some odd modified rifle that she shot me with. It scrambled my circuits, rendering my nanomachines and even some of my regular systems inoperative for a while. Some of them still are,"

Oh yes, this allegedly new weapon that the Maximals had developed to specifically target her and Zodiac. Still, this time her explanation made him stop to give it a little more thought than he previously had. It was evident that her nanotech armor wasn't entirely functional, so perhaps this weapon did in fact exist and had stopped her in her tracks giving her little opportunity to escape. However, discovering the regenerative substance was pure skepticism since she had nothing to offer for proof, and that is what Megatron relied on. "You nearly accused me of undermining their ability for diligence and perseverance, but may I remind you that where they lack in tactical manipulation and firepower, they excel in their creativeness and scientific discoveries. So, given your last encounter and how your capture came to be, perhaps it is you who should not be so quick to underestimate our enemy." Clearly. It wasn't Megatron who had been captured by the Maximals. Not once during this entire war so far. Was it just luck? Were the good graces of the Inferno on his side to do his bidding and make sure he succeeded? Or did it simply come down to how cunning and ruthless he really was?

"I had seen the glow on Primal before," "But I wasn't quite sure what it meant until today when I overheard the Maximals discussing using the gel to speed up their repair efforts so they could launch a counter-attack sooner. Was it a risky and ultimately futile decision to stay behind to try to sabotage their efforts? Obviously it was. And I wish I had made a different call. I should have joined you and the other Predacons like we planned, and I can only apologize for my lap in judgement that resulted in the way things turned out. But know that my intentions were to help our comrades, nothing more or less."

Megatron lifted his chin slightly as he listened to her long-winded apology, and it was at that moment that he decided to play along and begin to decompress his rage and accept the explanation of her actions. To an extent. Although the timing of everything still hadn't added up quite right for him, at least she had gained and shared some other valuable information. And if there was anything else going on, in time it would show itself. So, for now, the powerful Predacon opted to let this play out, perhaps using any of it to his advantage later down the road, and keep a close optic on any of her future endeavors involving the Maximals. "Well, you have made your case," he stated casually as his body relaxed making it difficult for Nemesis to read between the lines, if there was anything there to find. "I do hope that you have learned from your mistake since we cannot afford any more misjudgments that would be detrimental to our cause."

"Again I apologize for my lapse in judgement.. my liege,"

His pupils followed her hand's gesture to the scorch mark on her armor that hadn't healed yet as an indication to back up her claims with the Maximals' new weapon, but if she was looking for pity, she would receive none from Megatron. After all, he stood there with a scarred neck now, along with the scar on his chest when Zodiac nearly killed him, and the smaller scar in his abdomen that he had received from Primal a while back. "Let that be a constant reminder," he simply told her as he watched her display much more respect toward him now than she had during their confrontation, but he could only take it with a grain of salt. She had recently saved his life, that was true, and he couldn't forget it. But at that moment he was sparing her's, whether she realized it or not, so now he considered them even. It wasn't quite fair but there was nothing about Megatron that had ever known to be equal. He was too greedy and selfish to care about anyone but himself and his lust for domination over the Maximals and Cybertron.

"Zodiac was an inexperienced child playing a very dangerous game. Hopefully he learned his lesson just before he died,"

"I couldn't care less whether he did or not," the tyrant said bluntly and truthfully. "But you are correct. He was incapable of ascending to a greater cause because he lacked the vision and the intelligence of foresight. However, I no longer wish to waste my valuable time speaking of his ignorance and the damage he has done interfering with my plans," he warned Nemesis as well as Spineback who was present. Now, moving on to more current events, he listened to the black raptor as she gave her report about the "mysterious" weapon that had immobilized her so effortlessly, according to her.

"It seemed to be a modified energy rifle of sorts. Likely meant to be used against the likes of Zodiac, but alas it proved to be rather effective against me as well. The beam wrecked havoc with my systems, shorting out everything from my nanomachines to my communication systems, my stability and transformation modules were affected as well. Slowly but surely some of them have started coming back online, but not all.."

As convenient as the situation sounded, Megatron would be a fool to dismiss it entirely. If there really was such a rifle that the Maximals had developed to specifically target Nemesis and her nanobots, then it would make it easier for them to bring her down in future battles, which was not good for the Predacons since they often relied on her ability to heal so quickly and continue fighting. They may have to find a way to rectify that potential danger, whether that meant removing Nemesis from the front lines of battles or destroying the rifle and all future inventions of similar weapons that could slow her down. Curse these nuisance Maximals and their scientific knowledge that continued to plague his ambitions! Maybe they should target the ones responsible for such ideas instead and be rid of them thus halting anymore ridiculous weaponry that would benefit them and interfere with the Predacons' plans. "We will just have to find a way to avoid or disassemble such an offensive neutralizer during any future encounters with them so that we may be graced by the continuation of your successful tactical maneuvers whenever you are left in command." Should Nemesis suspect him now smothering her with compliments instead of criticism? Absolutely. But the true meaning behind his words was left for interpretation should one be paranoid enough to lose their mind over such thoughts constantly debating with oneself over it. And that's the way Megatron liked it.

Now that Waspinator had arrived with the warlord's intention of him hopefully filling in some gaps about Nemesis' story, it almost seemed to backfire on him as he observed his second-in-command growing more defensive over the subject again or perhaps feeling incredibly insulted that her leader would actually consider anything that came out of the bug's mouth even remotely coherent over what she had already tried to elaborate on. Maybe Megatron was looking for something that really wasn't there. He was attempting to force a confession out of her under all of the pressure, but confess to what? What if his suspicions were wrong about Nemesis? He wouldn't want to force her to runaway and side with the Maximals if he pushed the matter too far or threatened her life over it. He couldn't afford to lose her and let the Maximals gain the advantage of her nanotech.

"Gladly." "Waspinator arrived to the Maximal base to seek out our missing second-in-command, figured bird-lady might be having trouble. Waspinator tried to go through the destroyed brig during the battle over Zodiac, but was confronted by the Maximal rhino. Was told Nemesis had left the base prior to arriving and attacking their base, but Waspinator had little evidence at the time so was forced to go looking."

He scrutinized her reactions and body language very closely under Waspinator's words.

"At the time the Maximals no doubt believed I had departed already, thus why they told you that," "It was at that time they must have realized I was still there, which prompted them to come after me with that infernal weapon of theirs.."

Megatron grew thoughtful but far from dismissive over the debate. He was intrigued, but it was difficult to listen to Waspinator's dribble longer than he already had given his poor grammar and always speaking in a third-person perspective. What was wrong with his circuits?

"Waspinator scoured the area but found no signs of her, so Waspinator return to the Axalon in hopes of confronting the lie."

"Yes, clearly it was a wise decision for you to return by yourself. Were you planning to take on the entire Maximal team by yourself? Perhaps you should leave making up a strategy to those who know how to."

The Predacon leader kept his delight to a smirk as he listened to them. What nonsense. "My, isn't that the pot calling the kettle black," he had turned his head to Spineback in an assumption of her agreeing with him about Nemesis's hypocrisy, although he wasn't really intending on making a point about it any further than that. He couldn't honestly compare Nemesis's intelligence to Waspinator's who was almost no more than a drone, as cruel as that sounded. Other than his firepower and TransMetal upgrade, the insect was still useful to the Predacons just not in the sense of being anything more than a pawn, or bait, or transport of equipment and weaponry. Who else could he appoint for such meaningless tasks? Although in the long run, they weren't entirely without meaning. Every Predacon did play a part in Megatron's success no matter how insignificant it may have seemed, but he often failed to give them recognition for it. Sometimes the minuscule tasks were just a means to keep them distracted, as well as the Maximals, while Megatron tended to far more important opportunities and secrets.

"But, Waspinator spot Nemesis with traitor little lizard, uncuffing her without so much of a fight. Optimus Primal return to base by then and confronted bird-lady, but she still did not fight."

"They were letting me go, you moron!," "Why would I fight them at that time with most of my systems still in a state of chaos? It would have been futile, and furthermore it would not have benefited me at all as it would no doubt have landed me in even bigger trouble."

Frilla. One of those loose ends that Megatron had failed to tie up yet. Likewise Dinobot and Blackarachnia. There were times he loathed them and their betrayals more than Optimus himself. One day, they would pay for their treachery. It didn't have to be immediate, nooo. But he was certain that they often peered over their shoulders since there would always be targets on their backs. In any case, Nemesis's argument was making more sense now since Waspinator's side of the story was only giving her more avenues to work with and make her look more innocent than she had previously been capable of on her own.

"Watched entire exchange, didn't get whole conversation but Waspinator heard Nemesis putting blame on someone else for the attack on the Axalon and taking of the deceased shapeshifter when confronted by Primal. Yet, bird-lady wasn't so keen to fight back against our enemies and I came back the moment Megatron called."

"So let me get this straight.. Clearly you were watching from a distance and you weren't able to hear everything, as you already admitted, yet you seem surprised I didn't want to place myself in a situation where I would be forced to remain there as a prisoner. What do you think would have happened if Optimus knew the whole truth about the mission today? Are you truly gullible enough to believe I would have been allowed to leave if they knew the truth?"

"My dear Nemesis, you should take pride in your accomplishments," Megatron finally broke in with encouragement after he crossed his arms over his scarred chest. "I certainly can not take all of the credit," he grinned as he assumed he was the one she had blamed. But that happy expression quickly deteriorated the more he thought about it. "One should wonder, however, why Optimus would even ask such a question. For you see, I had already told him that I was not entirely responsible. If he confronted you about it, why would your involvement matter so much to him, and why would you bother lying? Primal would have been too forgiving to have punished you, and with their ship in shambles, they had no room or resources to spare to hold you there." His gaze lingered thoughtfully on Nemesis giving her the chance to offer any kind of excuse or opinion to defend herself or clear up any wrong assumptions that he was making. But he was careful to keep his accusing tone in check this time since he was genuinely curious about this supposedly minor detail that the wasp brought up. Now, his inquiry sounded more innocent than their previous conversation that had been a bit more hostile before Waspinator showed up.