The Intergalactic Highway

(( OOC: at una ))

I won't let our connection fall, Optimus. I won't let you go.

I know, thought Optimus, which was why he had to do it. If Whitegrazer was feeling everything that the Predacons were putting him through, then she wasn't concentrating on what he really needed her to do now, and that was helping the rest of the Maximals pull together, formulate a plan, and execute it. As much as he was going to miss feeling her, sensing her, and helping him take so much of this suffering away, he couldn't be selfish. He could carry on while she did the same without any distractions.

"Maximal honesty, how quaint, I had begun to wonder what it sounded like, such a rare treat"

Primal had felt that way toward the Elders for quite some time, ever since he was ordered to follow Megatron here and recover the golden disk, he and Megatron just never had a chance to chat about it. But now he knew. So, in a way, all of this was Megatron's fault. If only Optimus had known better than to obey the Elders' commands and throw his entire crew into this turmoil. At the time, however, all he wanted to do was please them and prove himself and justify what he had done wrong. But it was what it was. And the Maximals had come this far, so he was not about to give up.

"My methods get results Primal, which is all that matters in the end, yyyessss"

Oh, "mighty" Megatron, he was just as blind as the tyrant thought Optimus to be. Meanwhile, the Maximal leader continued to try and pry the t-rex's foot off of his hand, but in his weakened state and the Predacon's weight, he wasn't even budging one of his clawed toes.

"An undetectable combination beacon/spark monitor? Really Primal? I realize we've all had to make due with substandard equipment since arriving on this primitive planet, and we've all managed to work technological miracles, but really, THAT is pushing it, especially if you expect me to believe your maximals whipped such a useful device up just in time for our little "sleepover." Good effort though, I might have believed it if you hadn't oversold it.

It could have been installed some time ago, after he had been brought back to life, but it would appear that further explanation would not be heeded by Megatron by this point, whether it was the truth or a lie. Perhaps only sonar could sense it? After all, they hadn't really frisked him as well as they should have when they brought him in. The only thing he feared now was someone finding out who he shared his link with. Although, he and Whitegrazer had been prepared for such situations ever since they had fallen for one another. They knew the risks, pros and cons. But if he were to lose her, or any more of his Maximals, by his fault...

Maximals are terrible liars, its your Elder's fault really, they fill your heads with so many unobtainable notions of being the undisputed, self-proclaimed "guardians of the universe" that many of you blindly try to live up to that false image and thus never acquire any real talent for deception, a skill essential to survival. I can always tell when you're lying Primal, you're better at it than most of your kind I confess, I wager you must have been quite good at it once upon a time, but you've fallen out of practice, and I see, hear, and FEEL your desperation, in your voice, optics, and even your very spark. You can hide nothing from me Primal, you every word, thought, feeling, and action have been my spies. All of them."

What was he babbling on about...? The Maximal's coherency was in and out, picking up words here and there and trying to piece them together to understand. Oh, what was the use. His power levels were dropping, his face and body beaten. And then he thought, For you to understand what I'm feeling, you have to actually have a diverse amount of emotions, not just one or two. He thought he had said it out loud but his torn lip only showed very faint movements as if he was trying to speak but nothing came out. And there was still something growing inside... It just needed a little push...

"There are always new lessons to be learned Primal, some are merely too slow to learn them before its too late, not unlike yourself I'm afraid"

"Oppression. Oppression only lasts... for so long... Megatron. Then comes the revolution... and your entire empire... that you... that you worked so hard to... to build... comes crumbling down." Optimus told him with his one functioning optic glancing up at him. "And you'll sit there... in defeat... alone... wondering what happened... where did it all go wrong? And you'll think of me... back on this day. There needs to be... a delicate balance." A loud growl suddenly escaped his ruined mouth when Megatron applied more weight to his foot that clamped his hand to the floor. He felt his fingers crunching, their joints snapping all at once, almost like his digits were popping like bubble wrap with a steamroller on top of them. And as if that wasn't painful enough, then the Predacon activated the wheels in his foot and stood in place as they ripped his hand apart. "AAAAAAARGGH!" he cried out, writhing on the floor on his back and grabbing his enemy's ankle, desperately trying to push his slagging foot off of his appendage.

"Oh, call me stubborn, but somehow I sincerely doubt that" "If your guardian angel cannot hear me, perhaps they felt that"

"Lord Megatron, this is Lord Night Terror. I apologize that I must interrupt your conversation with your prisoner, but I must speak to you immediately. It is a matter of grave importance."

The Maximal Commander's cry of anguish was silenced by Megatron's swift kick to his face that nearly rendered him unconscious. He laid there quietly, dizzy, in pain with a merciless pounding and aching, quickly trying to maintain functionality while another voice suddenly entered the brig. Primal didn't recognize who it was, or even his name, so he assumed it was one of the new Predacons. Night Terror? Nothing came to his foggy mind. And where was Nexus? Should he have presumed he was already dead? No. No, that wasn't like him to think like that. There was always hope as long as his spark still pulsated. Once Megatron had stepped back, Optimus hesitated to look at his hand. Slowly, he lifted it in his view as he laid there, examining it with his one orange eye and a blank expression. There wasn't much left of it; some wires and pieces of metal that still clung to them. Sparks popped here and there. One couldn't tell it was a hand at all. He lowered it as his breathing increased, deeper and quicker.

"Lord, did you call yourself? Presumptuous considering you are new around here, PRIVATE.

It was time for Megatron to learn a lesson; a prime example of just a taste of oppression that he will face some day. Heat was filling Primal's body now, consuming the pain and injuries he had acquired from these Predacons. Not a single one felt remorse. Not a single one helped him. Not. A. Single. One. His spark raced, he felt the nanobots scampering around that were being fueled by the sudden jump of energy and the side of his chest started to glow blue. He had never treated any of them the way they were treating him. How dare they. HOW DARE THEY!

Speak quickly, I am in the middle of something important myself, and I do detest unnecessary interruptions, so this had better be worth my time, for your sake."

Why couldn't he be like them? What was stopping him from putting them through the Inferno? Why was he so merciful? He didn't have to be. Very few of them hesitated to tear him and his Maximals apart, so why should they hesitate? Hunt or be hunted. Kill or be killed. Kill. Or be killed. There was a redness that wrapped around Optimus like a blanket, and fury and rage exploded inside of him. He didn't think, he just reacted. He wasn't really in control, it was something else. Anger? Perhaps that was part of it. Hunger? Ah, yes, hunger. He needed to satisfy the nanites. He needed to rectify the injustice. An eye for an eye. Kill or be killed. While Megatron spoke to Night Terror, Primal used his good hand to rip off one of his shoulder plates and he tossed it at Megatron's head as a diversion so he could slide himself across the floor on his back closer toward the rogue Predacon and use a sweep kick to his heels in order to bring him down by losing his balance. There was no pain that he was feeling right now, as if he had forgotten all about his wounds and they weren't somehow phasing him. And as soon as Megatron had fallen, with surprising speed considering Primal's condition, the ape went straight for his head, using his good fist to punch his face repeatedly and his elbow with the hand that Megatron had smashed to hit his temple, each simultaneously back and forth.

(( OOC: I hope OP's rampage is okay, DarkSpark. He's just getting in some hits for once, finally snapping - so to speak - considering the nanites are somewhat in control similar to what happens with Nemesis. Megatron should be able to subdue him again. Maybe. ))

-----

"She's talking about Darkwind being on his way here,"

All he was looking for was clarification, so Rhinox disregarded the avian Predacon's attitude. And, that's what he was afraid Whitegrazer meant. Darkwind coming here might deter all of their plans and throw them off.

"Good luck with that. If I'm correct, Saber is no doubt running around seeing dead people. And negotiating with Megatron..."

Rhinox sent a glare to Sonar's outburst of laughter. This was no laughing matter.

"If only I was that brilliant, Maximal. I didn't create the monster that is inside her, it was inside her the entire time. Ask her yourself! Oh wait... she doesn't trust you.... in fact she fears what you'll think of her. This is just too good!"

"You finally admit your incompetence," the rhinoceros said bluntly, growing tired of his uselessness. "If you have nothing helpful to offer, then I suggest you keep quiet before I staple your mouth closed."

"It doesn't matter, Sonar," "Despite her distrust, as her comrades, her friends, we will help her no matter what."

Of course, Whitegrazer was nicer about it than Rhinox.

"I volunteer Sonar for the task. He's had past dealings with the crazed feline and I'm sure he'd love a chance to settle the score."

"That's not a bad idea," Rhinox said with a sly smile at Sonar. "After all, he's not providing much help here," just finding humor at Saber's expense. He paused before adding, "But we can't trust him. For all we know, he'll go straight to the Predacons with it."

"Better you than me,"

The engineer glanced at Nemesis, who shouldn't have worried or cared about it anyway because she wasn't infected and she couldn't care less about any of them.

"Are.. you sure? It seems to kill the virus but we don't know how it will affect your systems.. "

"Oh for pity sake..,"

Rhinox ignored the female Predacon and nodded at Aurora whom he could see her confidence growing inside of her. "There's no time." He held out his arm for her to make the injection. Optimus trusted Aurora, so he did, too. Her wisdom and intelligence surpassed more than those her age. Maybe it was because of how she came to be but it didn't matter. He was fortunate to have her stand beside them and accomplish the things she could. He was not concerned for the outcome of this antidote and the possible side effects. Either it worked or it didn't. Big Green was glad that Aurora didn't let Nemesis's words get to her. She remained calm and focused as she administered the cure.

"Aurora, it will work, and whatever it happens, I know you will be able to conquer it."

The green and brown scientist agreed with the mare and smiled down at Aurora. Suddenly, they witnessed Whitegrazer get shoved into the wall by an invisible force. As much as Rhinox wanted to rush to her side and make sure she was all right, he instead kept himself still so Aurora could inject him without getting herself infected. Still, his face showed grave concern because he knew whatever the white equine was going through, it was much, much worse for Optimus. As much as he worried for their commanding officer, he knew how much spirit he had and with all the optimism in the universe, he'd never give up or cave to pain, so Rhinox appeared to care a lot more for themselves and their survival. Of course, the word "never" was a little bit of an exaggeration. After all, one's body can only take so much abuse before it quits, and Optimus had already been exhausted and damaged from the Akira's rescue mission. No one even had any clue as to how Nexus was doing.

"Is everything ok..?"

"He's coming for me. They will come here." "If I stay, they will attack the base. They will disrupt everything that we hoped to achieve here.

Rhinox's crimson optics studied Whitegrazer closely while she was on the floor on her hands and knees. Well, despite his vision impairment and wooziness. There was something suddenly different about her. "For you?" he repeated. "Why you?" Did they know? Did the Predacons know about her bond and relationship with Optimus? How?

Optimus has severed the link, but I know he is alive. He knows of the cure, so he will not allow Megatron to succeed.

That's what it was about her; Optimus discontinuing what he was feeling so she could no longer go through it. He imagined it was either because it was too much, Primus forbid, or that he wanted all of her attention here and not on him. Understandable, and it was relief that she could still sense his spark.

And I can't not allow them to destroy one ounce of our achievements here." "I don't ask you to fight with me, Nemesis. But if you wish to see the man who has wronged you, following me may be the best option. Though, it would be dangerous. Risky. I don't know who he will have with him. But no matter the outcome, we will gain the advantage of seeing him and how he operates."

Rhinox started shaking his head in disagreement with Whitegrazer's suggestion while he watched Aurora finish injecting him. At first, he couldn't feel anything, but then there was a subtle warm sensation that traveled from his arm and through his entire body. He could feel it racing through his system, causing him to take a seat on a chair that was nearby. He grew dizzy and dimmed his optics while the others continued discussing the situation.

"I follow nobody," "This is my fight and neither you nor anyone will keep me from finishing it."

"I don't think we should split up," Big Green finally said as he illuminated his optics. "We'll be outnumbered if they pick us off one-by-one before the rest of them show up." The same method they were just talking about using on the Preds in the command center. "Nemesis is probably the only one who stands a chance against Darkwind because of her technology. Now, we can still help her if we have any weapons to do so, but I don't want anyone recklessly putting themselves in the middle of their face-off. Especially you, Whitegrazer. If they're coming for you, then we should deny them the chance of succeeding and not give them the advantage by putting you out there on the front lines. It's an unnecessary risk." He was also afraid of losing her if she was such a significant target for them. What if they got Optimus back and lost Whitegrazer in the process? Optimus would never be the same after that, especially if he would go through the same thing she did when he was killed by the Vok's lunar weapon.

While the ermine Fuzor was still close to him, he looked to her and nodded, saying, "I think it's working, Aurora. Just give me a few moments as my systems adjust." He did have a large body, after all, for the antidote to get through and snuff out the virus. His vision was improving as well as his equilibrium. So far, so good.

-----

"Rattrap, Aurora has something. It just might be the cure. Rhinox has volunteer to try it out, but it looks very promising. They will keep you posted."

"Finally, some good news in dis place!" Rattrap joyfully returned to Whitegrazer as he looked to the others in the bridge with him, glancing at Ironclaw as he stepped out.

"Rattrap, we might be having trouble here soon. I believe that the shapeshifter and some others... they are after me.

Sighing, knowing it was too good to be true, he then said with disappointment, "Easy come easy go."

It might be wise if I redirect them away from the base to avoid them from distracting us or worse, destroy what we hoped to achieve."

"Leave it ta Nemesis. She's got a beef with him, doesn't she?" he asked rhetorically while watching her beacon signal exit the med bay and head his way to the command center. Speak of the devil. She thought she was so tough and didn't want to help them, so let her duke it out first. "I got some weapons here dat might help, thanks ta Landslide, but we kinda have ta be careful not ta hit Nemesis in the process. It doesn't have the greatest accuracy. Why'd they be after you anyway, 'Grazer? Dey should be more worried 'bout Landslide, Rhinox and Ironclaw. Besides, we got Sentinel."

Rattrap turned to Dinobot and said, "Get dat disk in yer quarters. Before dis gets ugly, we might be able ta delay this attack if we start negotiations with ol' grape face."

Looking at Wintersong, Landslide, Cheetor and Banshee, the rodent said, "You guys get ready fer combat."

"Axalon to Darksyde. You read me, you snakes?" Rattrap opened an unpleasant channel to the Predacons.

"I volunteer Sonar for the task. He's had past dealings with the crazed feline and I'm sure he'd love a chance to settle the score."

"Oh, you have no idea." Sonar said with a wicked grin.

"This is my fight and neither you nor anyone will keep me from finishing it."

It would appear that the freak of nature and myself have something in common. Sonar mused to himself.

"You finally admit your incompetence," the rhinoceros said bluntly, growing tired of his uselessness. "If you have nothing helpful to offer, then I suggest you keep quiet before I staple your mouth closed."

"I wouldn't exactly call it incompetence. I simply know where my skills and my strengths are."

"It doesn't matter, Sonar," "Despite her distrust, as her comrades, her friends, we will help her no matter what."

"You say that now, but you'll be singing a different tune after she's slaughtered a few of you." He gave another wicked grin.

"That's not a bad idea," Rhinox said with a sly smile at Sonar. "After all, he's not providing much help here,"

Sonar's interest peaked and he allowed himself to hope.

"But we can't trust him. For all we know, he'll go straight to the Predacons with it."

The bat rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. I'll probably use it on myself then sneak off back to my lair and let you guys go back to killing each other."

"I think it's working, Aurora. Just give me a few moments as my systems adjust."

Sonar quietly watched Rhinox, it seemed to be working, he was getting steadier on his feet.

She's smart for a kid, to bad she's a soft sparked Maximal. He mused as he continued to watch.

((OOC: Never mind. It works! But too tired to finish my post now. Oh well, I should have it by tomorrow morning.

Edit: I will post for Blackarachnia! Whitegrazer's... decided to wait a bit on that one. ))

DarkSpark wrote:"All good things must come to an end" Tarantulas replied before adding "Not long I wager, the ape is stubborn but we've softened him up substantially for Megatron, he'll get what he wants out of Primal soon enough. In the mean time, do your job, last thing we need are anymore surprise guests."

"Oh, sticking me with watching while you and Arachnitron have fun working on Starshadow, huh?" She smiled, "I wish you luck... but I will be lying." A huge part of her really wanted Starshadow or whatever she was to give Tarantulas a hard time. Maybe Arachnitron too. After all, she was still sour over the little widow's inference. But right now, all her focus was on the situation at the moment.

She watched as one of their new recruits went inside their new humble prison area. Hmmm, what was going on? She hated not knowing. It was then she smirked. She went to the little monitor screen. Small but she was able to twerk it a bit just to see what was going on in there while she stood guard. Hey, might as well have some entertainment.

The sight of Megatron looming over Optimus made the widow all too eager and warm inside, watching to see what little the Maximal leader could take. She had never been one under any of Megatron's ruthless beatings. Only that backhand he gave her. Still sour about that! But others had worst. at least she was smart enough to keep herself useful. Then it seemed Optimus was growing furious and started attacking Megatron. Oooooooooo how was this going to play out?

If only she had something to munch on while she was watching the show.

She saw a blip and heard the annoying voice of that vermin she really wanted to string up in her web and kill him slowly and painfully. But She will let the others get it. Too much fun here.

OOC: Sorry for not waiting for AdmiralGrim & Blackrose a bit longer, but figured I should get a post in for Megs and the other preds I play while my back is feeling better. I hope my post regarding what Big T learned about the vampire condition is okay, otherwise I can alter it Starshadow.

OOP wrote: "Oppression. Oppression only lasts... for so long... Megatron. Then comes the revolution... and your entire empire... that you... that you worked so hard to... to build... comes crumbling down." Optimus told him with his one functioning optic glancing up at him. "And you'll sit there... in defeat... alone... wondering what happened... where did it all go wrong? And you'll think of me... back on this day. There needs to be... a delicate balance." A loud growl suddenly escaped his ruined mouth when Megatron applied more weight to his foot that clamped his hand to the floor. He felt his fingers crunching, their joints snapping all at once, almost like his digits were popping like bubble wrap with a steamroller on top of them. And as if that wasn't painful enough, then the Predacon activated the wheels in his foot and stood in place as they ripped his hand apart. "AAAAAAARGGH!" he cried out, writhing on the floor on his back and grabbing his enemy's ankle, desperately trying to push his slagging foot off of his appendage.

"Speak up Night Terror, I can't hear you over Primal's whimpering" Megatron growled, impatiently waiting for the newcomer to speak his peace already so he could return to the interrogation, Primal's last little speech being rather annoying and full of maximal arrogance, though the sounds of his suffering over the loss of his hand certainly helped to balance out his mood.

He definitely planned on taking the recording of his session from the security cameras for his own personal amusement later, he could fall asleep to Primal's screams every night all the way up to the day of his coronation as Lord and Master of all Cybertron.

OOP wrote:
It was time for Megatron to learn a lesson; a prime example of just a taste of oppression that he will face some day. Heat was filling Primal's body now, consuming the pain and injuries he had acquired from these Predacons. Not a single one felt remorse. Not a single one helped him. Not. A. Single. One. His spark raced, he felt the nanobots scampering around that were being fueled by the sudden jump of energy and the side of his chest started to glow blue. He had never treated any of them the way they were treating him. How dare they. HOW DARE THEY!

As he waited for Night Terror to speak up already, Megatron noticed a strange blue glow out of the corner of his optics...

OOP wrote:
Why couldn't he be like them? What was stopping him from putting them through the Inferno? Why was he so merciful? He didn't have to be. Very few of them hesitated to tear him and his Maximals apart, so why should they hesitate? Hunt or be hunted. Kill or be killed. Kill. Or be killed. There was a redness that wrapped around Optimus like a blanket, and fury and rage exploded inside of him. He didn't think, he just reacted. He wasn't really in control, it was something else. Anger? Perhaps that was part of it. Hunger? Ah, yes, hunger. He needed to satisfy the nanites. He needed to rectify the injustice. An eye for an eye. Kill or be killed. While Megatron spoke to Night Terror, Primal used his good hand to rip off one of his shoulder plates and he tossed it at Megatron's head as a diversion so he could slide himself across the floor on his back closer toward the rogue Predacon and use a sweep kick to his heels in order to bring him down by losing his balance. There was no pain that he was feeling right now, as if he had forgotten all about his wounds and they weren't somehow phasing him. And as soon as Megatron had fallen, with surprising speed considering Primal's condition, the ape went straight for his head, using his good fist to punch his face repeatedly and his elbow with the hand that Megatron had smashed to hit his temple, each simultaneously back and forth.

...But did not react in time to avoid or block whatever Primal had hurled at his head, growling in frustration over this sudden indignity, after he'd been handling the damn ape so gently up to this point too, but it wasn't over yet as he then suddenly had his legs kicked out from under him and landed flat on his back with a furious bellow of surprise. From there, things only got worse as Primal then proceeded to beat his face with blow after blow from his one remaining good fist and the elbow belonging to the arm that no longer possessed a hand, the blows coming over and over again, the wild, uncontrolled fury of blows being most uncharacteristic of Primal, as though he were back in his "Gorilla Warfare" state of mind from all those years ago.

However, the shock and surprise of the situation soon gave way to steadily rising rage as Primal's blows went from annoying to painful, the taste of mech fluid, HIS mech fluid, touching his tongue and making the world go red for the transmetal tyrant.

"How dare he, how DARE HE?!" Megatron thought to himself as his anger built with every hit the mammal landed, the predacon leader finally putting a stop to this outrage as he caught Primal's good fist with his tailgun's pincer and twisted it til he heard it crack, and then kicked Primal off of him with as much strength as he could muster in that position, hearing the primate lad with a thud across from him.

From there, Megatron rose to his feet with a look in his optics that Primal had never seen before, one of undisguised, pure loathing and unbridled rage, darker and deeper than what Nexus had coaxed out of him earlier. The tyrant's hand trembled with this rage as he touched his face with his hand, finding it smeared with mech fluid which dripped from both his lip and his nose.

From there, Megatron repeated what he'd been thinking to himself all along, only this time aloud for Primal to hear "How dare you...HOW DARE YOU?!"

With that, Megatron unleashed a furious bellow that quickly transformed into a roar along with his body as he changed to beast mode, the transmetal t-rex's teeth drooling and eyes wide with bloodlust as he charged, his footsteps shaking the floor as he sank his teeth into Primal's legs, shaking him violently like a mad dog ripping apart a bone, his teeth chewing into him, the taste of Primal's mech fluid filling his jaws feeding his fury, telling him "Yes yes! Make him bleed, make him suffer! He struck you! HE STRUCK YOU! NO ONE STRIKES YOU AND LIVES! YOU ARE MEGATRON! ALPHA AND OMEGA! MAKE HIM SUFFER! MAKE HIM BLEED!"

Una wrote:
"Oh, sticking me with watching while you and Arachnitron have fun working on Starshadow, huh?" She smiled, "I wish you luck... but I will be lying." A huge part of her really wanted Starshadow or whatever she was to give Tarantulas a hard time. Maybe Arachnitron too. After all, she was still sour over the little widow's inference. But right now, all her focus was on the situation at the moment.

"We all have our roles to play, some learn theirs faster than others" Tarantulas replied back to Blackarachnia, ignoring her taunts for now but reminding himself to torture her later for her mockery, for now he was more interested in the data he was examining.

The data revealed that Starshadow's fluid samples were unnatural to say the least, hers was a disturbing dark blue hue, almost purple, whereas a normal cybertronian's fluid was light blue, and even more shockingly, contained what appeared to be microbots! Bigger and cruder than the nanotechnology scientists back on Cybertron had been developing, and which appeared to be the source of Nemesis' healing factor, but totally alien to him, not remotely Cybertronian in origin...Meaning Starshadow's vampiric nature stemmed from alien influences...Could she be a servant of the Vok? Those who had destroyed his lair and nearly him as well? He would need to study the fluid samples themselves more thoroughly to be learn more, though the data they'd compiled so far was off to a great start, and he did not see any signs of infectious potential within the microbots, but that could only mean the fluid lost its potency along with its glow over time, he'd need a fresh sample to learn more.

Oh, if only he could bring this data to his lair now and leave Megatron to figure it out for himself, but given the situation and the tyrant's current mood that could prove disastrous at the moment. If they were about to win the Beast Wars he didn't want to let Megatron out of his sight, so that he could thwart his plans for toppling the Tripredacus Council as well as so that if he found a means off the planet he wouldn't be left behind to rot alone. The complications of being a double agent AND brilliant scientist were many indeed.

OOP wrote:
"Axalon to Darksyde. You read me, you snakes?" Rattrap opened an unpleasant channel to the Predacons.

"Vermin?" Tarantulas inquired from the science station, surprisingly looking up from his work to pay attention, the annoying voice of one of his least favorite maximals getting his attention.

"Answer that widow" Tarantulas said as he took charge of the situation, none of Megatron's loyalists around to get in his way, removing the data port from the science station and storing it away for further study so no one else could see it.

"To what do I owe the displeasure of your uncultured voice, rodent?" Tarantulas chuckled, sensing in the vermin's tone that he wasn't his usual jovial and sarcastic self, perhaps implying the maximals knew they were backed into a rather serious corner this time, one without a mouse hole for even him to squeeze through.

"Is that the sound of an unhappy mousy I hear?" Terrorsaur jeered as he rose from the CR Tank, the transmetal pterodactyl healed just in time to join in on picking on Rattrap and the suffering of the maximals, almost as if on cue.

"Miss your monkey already? Too bad, you traded him for the kitten and the bat fair and square, not our fault you didn't know his collector's value, heheheheheh!" Terrorsaur mocked, Tarantulas chuckling along with him despite himself.

((OOC: LOL MAN! Poor Optimus! ))

Phoenix wrote:"Is everything ok..?"

Whitegrazer nodded at Aurora, smiling, "Everything will be okay." Everything looked so chaotic and hurtful now, but they were so close to the end of this nightmare. With the cure, they would be able to execute their plan to rescue Optimus, one way or another.

Optimal Optimus Primal wrote:"For you?" he repeated. "Why you?"

"Maybe it is just a feeling. I could be wrong. All I know is something is happening. That's all."

Flashes of Megatron staring back at her through Optimus did faze her a bit. As well as the intentions of the new Predacons and Darkwind.

Phoenix wrote:"I follow nobody," Nemesis retorted, a slight irritation present in her voice, "This is my fight and neither you nor anyone will keep me from finishing it."

She watched as Nemesis left. She shouldn't leave Nemesis to go through this alone. She was about to leave forward when Rhinox gave his opinion on the situation. She smiled warmly at the Maximal rhinocerous. With the injection Aurora gave him, he seemed more like himself than before. That was a wonderful sign and hopefully, a sign that showed that future of this endeavor.

Optimal Optimus Primal wrote:"I don't think we should split up," Big Green finally said as he illuminated his optics. "We'll be outnumbered if they pick us off one-by-one before the rest of them show up." The same method they were just talking about using on the Preds in the command center. "Nemesis is probably the only one who stands a chance against Darkwind because of her technology. Now, we can still help her if we have any weapons to do so, but I don't want anyone recklessly putting themselves in the middle of their face-off. Especially you, Whitegrazer. If they're coming for you, then we should deny them the chance of succeeding and not give them the advantage by putting you out there on the front lines. It's an unnecessary risk."

Optimal Optimus Primal wrote:"Leave it ta Nemesis. She's got a beef with him, doesn't she?" he asked rhetorically while watching her beacon signal exit the med bay and head his way to the command center. Speak of the devil. She thought she was so tough and didn't want to help them, so let her duke it out first. "I got some weapons here dat might help, thanks ta Landslide, but we kinda have ta be careful not ta hit Nemesis in the process. It doesn't have the greatest accuracy. Why'd they be after you anyway, 'Grazer? Dey should be more worried 'bout Landslide, Rhinox and Ironclaw. Besides, we got Sentinel."

She closed her optics, contemplating what she felt was the right thing to do along with what Rhinox and Rattrap told her, ""I don't want anymore people getting hurt, especially if they are after me. If I can draw their fire, I would gladly do it to protect everyone here. And despite the fact that Nemesis is a formidable opponent, we don't know if the shapeshifter is alone or has brought in some people with him. She might need backup." They couldn't just allow her to go alone. She may still be looked upon as an enemy, but they had a greater threat with this shapeshifter. This shapeshifter... he played both sides. He might be on the Predacons' side, but it seems he answers to no one. At least, no one here on this planet. She wondered who this being really was.

Despite her curiosity of the shapeshifter, she returned to her thoughts, smiling towards Rattrap's comments, "Yes, I know. But I believe since some Predacons are coming here, it may be unwise to give them an opportunity to infiltrate our base, especially with the disks on hand. We can't risk them being taken, and the only thing I have been doing here was relying information on Optimus and..." She looked out the tiny window of the lab, noticing Ironclaw standing in Nemesis's way. What was he doing? "...watching Nemesis. Optimus cut off my link with him and Nemesis will be going out there."

There was also another reason why she wanted to help Nemesis: she had a debt to repay. Nemesis spared her life. Showed mercy towards her. What would it say towards her, a Maximal, if she didn't help when Nemesis was in danger? It didn't matter if Nemesis wanted to do this fight on her own or not. But she couldn't do this recklessly. They were right. She wasn't planning on going in all out. Also, Rattrap was probably communicating with the Predacon base now. "I could keep them away until a deal has been made and make sure they don't try anything. If they are after me, they will come and if I'm wrong and they are looking for something else, I will do what I must to make sure they don't interfere."

Before Rattrap could reply to her, she gave Rhinox and Aurora one last look, smiling as she repeated the words she said to Aurora moments ago, "Everything will be okay."

She exited out of the lab, heading towards Nemesis and Ironclaw, "Is some thing the matter?"

OOC: Okay, I got as caught up as humanly possible. As before, since it has been so long since some of these posts, I have decided not to respond to everything. It's just not worth anyone's time to have to read through responses from things that happened three pages ago......so I responded to current things and Dinobot-related things.....

Sorry I couldn't be here to respond when it was actually relevant......

BIC:

"Dinobot, I hate to argue but it seems you're not willing to take risks. I said..the assault team should not carry any weapons that are infected with the virus....." her with fur was bristled but immediately calmed down as soon as she realized her anger was getting to her, "Risks...must be taken...otherwise, you won't get anywhere. There might be a small chance that we may succeed, even if Megatron goes berserk or not."

Dinobot narrowed his optics in frustration at the other former Predacon. "Calculated risks must be taken..." Dinobot corrected. "Risks are necessary, but in this case, the risks are far greater than the rewards! What you are suggesting is not only rash, but complete lunacy!" Dinobot changed his tone. He spoke more evenly and lowered his voice to a growl. "We are two lions litter'd in one day, and I the elder and more terrible......do not speak to me as though I do not know the costs of war."

Dinobot understood far too well what it meant to take risks....after all, he had taken the biggest risk of them all. He had come here....with these Maximals! He did so to make a stand for what he believed about what it meant to be a Predacon. He did so to hold true to his Honor....something he acknowledged Megatron did not have. And he knew that by doing what he did he'd either inspire others to turn against Megatron as he had done or inspire others to come after him for revenge for his treachery. His betrayal of Megatron had come with risks, but he did not hesitate to take them. Because he knew that one day other Predacons would do the same. They would realize that Megatron would sully the Predacon name. Maybe he would destroy the Maximals, but he just might take the Predacons with him.

"Optimus is in the hands of the Predacons because of my failure! Giving the disks won't solve anything!"

"Thaaat's debatable but we ain't gonna waste time pointin' fingers," he said, putting an end to any arguments with her confession from Ironclaw and Dinobot.

Dinobot snarled at Rattrap catching his unspoken meaning. He knew he was to blame for Aerostriker's death, but he would not take the blame for Banshee and Cheetor's capture! He gave very specific orders that went unfollowed! If he was guilty of anything it was in thinking that Ironclaw could be reasoned with!

"As much as I'd love ta watch 'em squirm in deir own fears, we gotta take what Dinobot witnessed with the virus inta consideration. None of us have seen its effects like he has, except for de aftermath around here, and Optimus is already infected with it. Wouldn't surprise me if Nexus is immune to it if he's a shapeshifter and was the one who started dis whole mess in de first place. But we still don't know if it's contagious, and we still need a cure before we tamper with it, so our greatest leverage right now are the golden disks."

"Look, the virus is a last resort, guys, and something we could implement after we've rescued our fearless leader. Our priority is gettin' Optimus back in one piece and the disks might be enough in exchange for his life. ...If we ain't too late. No offense, Banban, but you just got here. Dis ain't exactly an attempted assassination, it's a hostage situation with our highest ranking officer who's been nothin' but a constant nuisance to one of the worst and most ruthless Predacons ever since we crashed here. We gotta approach it delicately 'cause we're only gonna get one shot at dis. One slip up and dey're gonna kill Optimus, defeat us, and take the disks."

Finally! The vermin came to his senses and sided with Dinobot on the matter. The raptor looked at the rat and nodded. "Agreed," he responded.

The virus could be a great addition to the rescue mission, but only once Optimus was back in their ranks. Rattrap ended the debate by pointing out that Megatron would take the bait because of his interest in the surrender of the Maximals. He'd take the disks back thinking he had finally won the Beast Wars. It was the perfect plan to lure him out to neutral territory and get Optimus back.

"Cure first, infect Preds later," he finalized.

"We must be prepared for Megatron to attempt to go back on the deal and not release Optimus...." Dinobot cautioned.

Just then Whitegrazer's voice came over the comms.

"Rattrap, Aurora has something. It just might be the cure. Rhinox has volunteer to try it out, but it looks very promising. They will keep you posted."

"Finally, some good news in dis place!" Rattrap joyfully returned to Whitegrazer as he looked to the others in the bridge with him, glancing at Ironclaw as he stepped out.

"Rattrap, we might be having trouble here soon. I believe that the shapeshifter and some others... they are after me.

Sighing, knowing it was too good to be true, he then said with disappointment, "Easy come easy go."

"Hmmmm....interesting...." Dinobot muttered. He wondered if Megatron had ordered such an action or if they were acting on their own.

"It might be wise if I redirect them away from the base to avoid them from distracting us or worse, destroy what we hoped to achieve."

"She may be right," Dinobot admitted. "Perhaps a small team can engage the enemy there. It would cut down on the number of Predacons that assist Megatron with the exchange of the disks later."

Rattrap turned to Dinobot and said, "Get dat disk in yer quarters. Before dis gets ugly, we might be able ta delay this attack if we start negotiations with ol' grape face."

Dinobot snarled at the rodent again. "Fine," he answered. He did not want to give up the golden disks so soon. He exited in the bridge and returned to his quarters to retrieve the disk.

OOC: Arachnitron will have to wait....I'm exhausted. One of my coworkers quit, so we've been short handed and busy. I'm too tired to keep writing tonight....

((OOC: Sorry guys. It has been a busy weekend. Some family was in the hospital, but they are fine now and getting out.))

Megatron said: Lord, did you call yourself? Presumptuous considering you are new around here, PRIVATE. Speak quickly, I am in the middle of something important myself, and I do detest unnecessary interruptions, so this had better be worth my time, for your sake.

"I think that went rather well." he said with slight smile to his comrades.

Megatron's anger did not even phase him. He did not even acknowledge the demotion. In fact it amused him. This renegade, thought he had the ability to take away Night Terror's laurels. The Predacon aristocrat suppressed a chuckle.

He paused a moment thinking over Pheonix recommendation. From the sound of it, Megatron was still around the Maximal commander. He had to go ahead and implement the plan before telling Megatron, otherwise Optimus might catch on. He might pay for lying to Megatron later, but in the end this would help defeat the Maximals.

Megatron: Speak up Night Terror, I can't hear you over Primal's whimpering.

Night Terror snapped back from his thoughts.

"Apologies my lord. I feel it necessary to inform you that one my operatives shall be taking the Golden Disks from the Axalon. He will then put them in a safe place until we have secured our victory. Night Terror paused for a moment before continuing. He want to make sure the the Maximal would hear the name. "Dinobot will then complete finish his mission, helping to destroy the Maximals. After which he will return the Golden Disks."

He tapped the com-link and continued the trek to the Maximal base with his squad.

"That should at the very least disrupt them momentarily. When we strike, we must strike quickly. I suggest Umbra and you infiltrate and attempt to assassinate the target and disrupt them when possible." He said to Zodiac, before turning to Dirge. "Dirge things turn bad, you must keep the other Maximals off our backs as we eliminate our target. Once completed provide cover fire as we pull back. Any suggestions on how you will infiltrate?" He said turning back to the two who actually be entering the base.

Night Terror knew he would most likely be in the fight. However he was not an assassin, he would not like stooping to such levels. While he did enjoy the intrigue, he preferred to have his subordinates do the dirty work.

((OOC: Sorry there is not much. I really just need to respond to Megs.))

Zodiac wrote:"My motives are none of your business, cephalopod. And I fear you fail to grasp the point of targeting Dinobot. Indeed he has been with the Maximals for a while, a fact that has given him access to a lot more information than that new female. If we plant the seed of doubt about where Dinobot's true loyalty lie, it would cause a tidal wave of distrust among the Maximals. As opposed to the mere ripple that would spread if we make it seem like this Banshee is the culprit. "

Zodiac wrote:"Proceed with your idea and then meet up with me at the Axalon. I'm going to set the stage, if you will, in the meanwhile,"

Umbra observed quietly as the shapeshifter seemed to have had a nerve struck in the conversation. Umbra raised a tentacle to his mantle as he watched Zodiac fly off into the air Hm.. He can even copy the users physical traits.. Fascinating..

Night Terror wrote:"That should at the very least disrupt them momentarily. When we strike, we must strike quickly. I suggest Umbra and you infiltrate and attempt to assassinate the target and disrupt them when possible. Dirge things turn bad, you must keep the other Maximals off our backs as we eliminate our target. Once completed provide cover fire as we pull back. Any suggestions on how you will infiltrate?"

Er.. I suppose it depends on the situation ahead sir, if undetected then I'd probably just slither inside without too much effort.. if a battle is taking place, then I'll just have to use my own tricks..And if the target is already outside.. simply hang back and snipe her. Also I must apologize for causing a bit of friction just then.. Umbra responded on the radio to Night Terror.

________________________________________________

Whitegrazer wrote:"Rattrap, Aurora has something. It just might be the cure. Rhinox has volunteer to try it out, but it looks very promising. They will keep you posted."

Rattrap wrote: "Finally, some good news in dis place!"

Landslide smirked observing Rattrap, with the cure found some good might turn up after all. At the least they'd be able to transport Optimus safely..

Whitegrazer wrote:"Rattrap, we might be having trouble here soon. I believe that the shapeshifter and some others... they are after me.

Rattrap wrote:" "Easy come easy go."

Whitegrazer wrote:"It might be wise if I redirect them away from the base to avoid them from distracting us or worse, destroy what we hoped to achieve."

Dinobot wrote:"She may be right," Dinobot admitted. "Perhaps a small team can engage the enemy there. It would cut down on the number of Predacons that assist Megatron with the exchange of the disks later."

Rattrap wrote: "Leave it ta Nemesis. She's got a beef with him, doesn't she?"" "I got some weapons here dat might help, thanks ta Landslide, but we kinda have ta be careful not ta hit Nemesis in the process. It doesn't have the greatest accuracy. Why'd they be after you anyway, 'Grazer? Dey should be more worried 'bout Landslide, Rhinox and Ironclaw. Besides, we got Sentinel." "You guys get ready fer combat."

Whitegrazer wrote: "Yes, I know. But I believe since some Predacons are coming here, it may be unwise to give them an opportunity to infiltrate our base, especially with the disks on hand. We can't risk them being taken, and the only thing I have been doing here was relying information on Optimus and..." "...watching Nemesis. Optimus cut off my link with him and Nemesis will be going out there." "I could keep them away until a deal has been made and make sure they don't try anything. If they are after me, they will come and if I'm wrong and they are looking for something else, I will do what I must to make sure they don't interfere."

Landslide shook his head listening to Whitegrazer on the comlink, then gave a nod towards Rattrap.

Rattrap wrote:"Axalon to Darksyde. You read me, you snakes?"

Turning, he walked out of the bridge into the hallway with heavy steps, noticing Whitegrazer, Nemesis, and Ironclaw in the hall, he leaned to the side making path for Nemesis, as while Ironclaw was standing in Nemesis's way.. the only one who was wide enough to take up the entire hallway was himself.. Landslide looked towards Whitegrazer Grazer.. it'd be wise if you stayed here with the others.. After all, if you go ..who will go to bring you back? Optimus wont be in a state for it and we already have Saber lost somewhere.. Leave Darkwind to Nemesis.. If she can't stop him.. then I will need your help to stop this..

(ooc: So sorry for delay.. I've been busy with work and spending time with the in-laws since they are in their final week of staying here before they go back to their place in Belize. Yes, they retired and moved to Belize. Yes, it sucks since babysitting is such a costly affair and they won't be back for half a year. Trying to work on a post now since I have a 16 hour shift tomorrow. For that very reason, this post isn't going to be very long. I just don't want to hold everyone up.)

Not wasting any time, Nemesis had exited the medical bay and left those foolish Maximals to celebrate their socalled cure. This opportunity was simply too great to waste, so she hurried along on her way to the outside.. to where that traitorous bastard was. And this time she had the upper hand, knowing that he'd be there when he had no idea they were expecting him. She supposed the white female who was pretty much her opposite did come in handy once in a while, even if she would never admit to it. It was an advantage she was certainly not about to let slip, and a mistake that would be Darkwind's downfall.

So determined was she that the looming presence of the silent but oh so stubborn Ironclaw nearly escaped her, and she almost crashed into him when he suddenly appeared in the hallway, blocking her path. Annoyed, she glared at him for a brief moment while attempting to step around him. When that didn't work, she spoke.

"Move. I have important business to attend and I don't recall inviting you."


She tried her best to conceal her increasing anger levels, but wasn't entirely successful in doing so.

"Everything will be okay."

"I don't think we should split up,"

Aurora kept a keen eye on Rhinox, watching for any sign of the antidote having gone wrong. But after several moments of intense staring at the injection site, without noticing anything out of the ordinary, she slowly started to relax again. The avian Predacon had already stormed out the doors, and quite frankly Aurora was happy to see her go. Sonar was bad enough, but that female put her on edge. Sure she seemed to be willing to help, but Aurora couldn't bring herself to trust her.. Or any Predacon. Aside from perhaps Dinobot. The others who once served Megatron but had decided to join their side instead all used to be Maximal prototypes at one point, so she had never really considered them to be Predacons. Not true ones.

"We'll be outnumbered if they pick us off one-by-one before the rest of them show up. Nemesis is probably the only one who stands a chance against Darkwind because of her technology. Now, we can still help her if we have any weapons to do so, but I don't want anyone recklessly putting themselves in the middle of their face-off.

Not.. exactly, Aurora thought to herself, not wanting to interrupt the rhino. Whatever the deal of this shapeshifter was, he clearly had an advantage over Nemesis given that he appeared to surpass her abilities.

Especially you, Whitegrazer. If they're coming for you, then we should deny them the chance of succeeding and not give them the advantage by putting you out there on the front lines. It's an unnecessary risk."

Nodding in agreement, the fuzor finally dared to look up from Rhinox' arm, feeling more confident now that nothing bad would come from this attempt of a cure. And as if to confirm her suspicions, the larger Maximal decided to address her concerns.

"I think it's working, Aurora. Just give me a few moments as my systems adjust."

She drew a sigh of relief as she glanced over at Whitegrazer, hoping the mare would have the common sense not to barge out in the open. Not if she was the target. Surely she wouldn't..

""I don't want anymore people getting hurt, especially if they are after me. If I can draw their fire, I would gladly do it to protect everyone here. And despite the fact that Nemesis is a formidable opponent, we don't know if the shapeshifter is alone or has brought in some people with him. She might need backup."

She would.

Aurora felt her hopes sink, worried that Whitegrazer would put herself at risk. It was bad enough that Optimus was in such grave danger, she couldn't allow the same to happen to the white female.

"She's a Predacon!," Aurora protested, "If she wants to go, then let her! We can't afford to mourn any more lost friends, I can't.."

She paused, realizing what she had just said. Knowing the white mare would disagree with such a statement, Aurora merely watched her sullenly, pleading with her to stay with her eyes.

It failed. A moment later Whitegrazer was out the door, approaching.. Ironclaw?

Aurora tilted her head, watching the scene unfold with interest. Although she couldn't hear much, she could see them talking through the little window.

"Is some thing the matter?"

Oh great..

"Nothing worthwhile," Nemesis responded, taking the opportunity to squeeze by not only Ironclaw but also the other oversized Maximal who had decided to join them.

"That should at the very least disrupt them momentarily. When we strike, we must strike quickly. I suggest Umbra and you infiltrate and attempt to assassinate the target and disrupt them when possible."

Zodiac, now in Darkwind's form, smiled to himself from his perch overlooking the Axalon as he awaited the arrival of his team. "Oh trust me.. If my suspicions are right, as they usually are, our target will be coming to us. So I'm staying put here for the time being, of course Umbra is welcome to go flush the target out a bit more quickly if he wishes."

Even his patience did have their limits.

Pounding after pounding to Megatron's head and face, Optimus wasn't even aware of who it was by this point that he was being so violent to. He wasn't much aware of himself. The nanobots were frantically scattering and scurrying around where Aurora had applied the gel from his wound he had acquired when the Akira had blown to smithereens. It was as if they were panicking because his energy levels were getting too low thanks to the spiders' and Megatron's constant brutality. Even after Megatron had caught his fist and "crimped" it with a nasty clamp from his tail gun, Primal seemed to ignore the pain and continued to use his other elbow to get in as many hits as he could before the t-rex used his legs and feet to kick him off and across the cell. Optimus landed on his back with a groan, confused by what just happened. He felt his hand that was mostly numb with some throbbing, looking at it with his one functioning optic as if he didn't understand why it was hurting.

Sitting up, he observed Megatron gingerly touching his bruised and bloody face with a shaky hand. He looked awfully angry. No, much more than angry. There was an unfamiliar, almost indescribable rage in his carnivorous eyes; pure hatred, and a loathing for the ape. This probably wasn't going to be good... Primal was actually taken aback by the injuries he had caused to his enemy's face.

"How dare you...HOW DARE YOU?!"

His thoughts exactly! How ironic. Although, Optimus's was far more justified. How silly it seemed for Megatron to lose his temper after a few slaps in the face from his nemesis after all that they had put Primal through, who had been unarmed and already damaged and exhausted when he showed up. The tyrant's furious bellow nearly deafened the Maximal who swore he could feel the sound waves reverberating off of him and the surrounding walls while he tried scrambling to his feet to escape his inevitable wrath. But he lost his balance without the use of his hands and the floor trembling like an earthquake with each of Megatron's TransMetal dinosaur feet, slipping and landing on his back again. Then came the teeth, sharp daggers that pierced right through the armor on his legs. Unimaginable pain caused Optimus to scream as Megatron shook him like a rabid dog until the nanites' hunger took control again. Using his thick forearms, the Maximal Commander drove them into his attacker's snout and at his eyes repeatedly as hard and as fast as he could to break Megatron's grip with his powerful jaws. As much as Megatron hated beast modes and the animalistic instincts it gave all of them, it seemed like he was letting his tyrannosaurus side get the better of him. He might even eat the ape alive. Would that be considered cannibalism? Punching Megatron was all Primal could do with his legs clamped in a vice, bleeding all over the floor and into the Predacon's mouth, no doubt the taste of his fluids fueling his aggression even more.

WARNING: Systems at 18% and failing. Stasis lock is imminent. The warning didn't really register with Optimus during his blind aggression and instinct for survival. He could feel himself draining, both physically and mentally, but it didn't stop him from fighting for his life against this horrible, manipulative, evil predator. He could think of nothing and no one else in this primal state of mind. The nanobots were hungry, looking for a feast, and that was the only satisfaction he was trying to fulfill.

-----

"To what do I owe the displeasure of your uncultured voice, rodent?"

Rattrap was offended by the spider's remark considering how eerie and unpleasant the Predacon scientist's own voice was but he chose to ignore it and stay focused. His cackling literally sent chills down others' spines every time. Creepy.

"Miss your monkey already? Too bad, you traded him for the kitten and the bat fair and square, not our fault you didn't know his collector's value, heheheheheh!"

And then he heard Terrorsaur butt in, one of his least favorite Predacons. "Birdbrain's dere with ya, eh? Couple o' peas in a pod, aren't ya? I ain't callin' fer you motor heads. I'm callin' for your master, your ruler, de one who surpasses both your intelligence an' power combined," he deliberately told them spitefully. If his words didn't bother Tarantulas, they more than likely hit a nerve with Terrorsaur who was always so eager to be better than Megatron at everything. Anything to make that flying fossil angry. It never took much. "Patch me through before a certain couple o' disks find demselves in the trash compactor," he warned them.

"We must be prepared for Megatron to attempt to go back on the deal and not release Optimus...."

Rattrap glanced at Dinobot, agreeing with his words. "If he does, then so do we." And then Megs loses his disks for good.

"She may be right," "Perhaps a small team can engage the enemy there. It would cut down on the number of Predacons that assist Megatron with the exchange of the disks later."

"You do realize how slim our numbers are already," Rattrap pointed out. And he was afraid of any injuries now would reduce their numbers even greater for the exchange the Preds still had plenty of troops to spare. Although, it might be wise to interfere with those Preds before they reached the Axalon in case they had a plan of their own to infiltrate it.

"Fine,"

Watching both Dinobot and Landslide exit the bridge, Rattrap thought about hiding that golden disk that the raptor had in his quarters with someone else. Surely the Preds knew who stole them, after all, Dinobot was the only one who infiltrated their ranks and slipped away with them. He might end up being their primary target to take them back from, but if he didn't have them on him, then the Preds would be duped into figuring out who did. Wherever he had hidden the other disk, well, they might as well keep it where it was as a bargaining chip.

"Yes, I know. But I believe since some Predacons are coming here, it may be unwise to give them an opportunity to infiltrate our base, especially with the disks on hand. We can't risk them being taken, and the only thing I have been doing here was relying information on Optimus and..." "...watching Nemesis. Optimus cut off my link with him and Nemesis will be going out there." "I could keep them away until a deal has been made and make sure they don't try anything. If they are after me, they will come and if I'm wrong and they are looking for something else, I will do what I must to make sure they don't interfere."

"You ain't gonna take no for an answer, are you?" the rodent asked the white mare of their transmission and sighed. Maybe she and Dinobot were right. And now they didn't know what was happening to Optimus because he cut their link? Great. "Let Nemesis go. She can face Darkwind. We'll help her if she gets inta trouble, but if there're other Preds comin', den we hold back and wait for 'em until they're in Sentinel's range. I ain't sendin' anybody out there for no reason if Darkwind's comin' alone. Whitegrazer, Ironclaw, Cheetor, you guys get ready to head out just in case. I'm tryin' ta reach Megatron now and see if we can stop this attack an' set up a meeting for de exchange."

-----

"Oh, you have no idea."

Rhinox simply didn't understand the bat's obsession with Saber-Fang. Perhaps Optimus was right in putting an end to it in one way or another. It was distracting and unhealthy.

"I wouldn't exactly call it incompetence. I simply know where my skills and my strengths are."

"No, you don't," the engineer's voice rumbled deeply. "That's why we're in this mess in the first place."

"You say that now, but you'll be singing a different tune after she's slaughtered a few of you."

"We've been here for quite some time and she has yet to slash out at any of us," Rhinox told the grinning Predacon. "Perhaps there's something we are doing for her that you can not."

"Oh, please. I'll probably use it on myself then sneak off back to my lair and let you guys go back to killing each other."

"No wonder your 'comrades' have made no effort to rescue you." Rhinox shook his head, unable to understand how little some Predacons cared for one another. Not even enough to keep their numbers, as selfish as that would be but right up Megatron's alley.

"Everything will be okay."

"Maybe it is just a feeling. I could be wrong. All I know is something is happening. That's all."

He watched the exchanges between Aurora and Whitegrazer, and looked to her when she addressed his question. Whitegrazer, just as optimistic as Optimus was. Maybe even more so. Optimus had his doubts every now and then but he couldn't remember a single time when Whitegrazer lost hope or confidence in anything or any of them. She was a good asset to have when their leader wasn't there to shovel out the optimism that kept them going. It was another reason why he wasn't so keen on letting her go out there and facing those Predacons. At least not on her own.

"I don't want anymore people getting hurt, especially if they are after me. If I can draw their fire, I would gladly do it to protect everyone here. And despite the fact that Nemesis is a formidable opponent, we don't know if the shapeshifter is alone or has brought in some people with him. She might need backup."

"We're a team, Whitegrazer," Rhinox reminded her. "No one should be sacrificing themselves if we can devise a plan that involves more candidates and protects the others. If Nemesis chooses to face Darkwind, then that's her choice. We have no authority or command over her. There's no need for the rest of us to rush out into the fray before we know who we're dealing with. Sentinel should be able to pick up their signatures when they're in range." The warmth in his body started to disappear to a normal temperature and his dizziness subsided as well. Finally, Rhinox was feeling like himself again.

"She's a Predacon!," "If she wants to go, then let her! We can't afford to mourn any more lost friends, I can't.."

"Don't lose faith, Aurora," Rhinox highly recommended to her. He understood her pain and sorrow, and in a war like this, it was almost guaranteed to happen again. It must have been difficult for someone her age to cope and comprehend this as a "normal" life. It was all she had known since her creation, and he knew Optimus hated for it to be this way for her. "Anything can happen, good or bad, but we must never give up."

"Everything will be okay."

Rhinox was able to send Whitegrazer a small smile as she left the med bay but he had a bad feeling about all of this. Looking at Aurora, he said, "It must be working efficiently." He stood up and moved around a little to make sure his processor was back to normal. All systems were functional. "I knew you could do it, Aurora," he smiled broadly to her. "Go ahead and give the injection to Sonar." He stepped out of her way but didn't move out of reach of the bat who was restrained to the cot. "And don't worry too much about Whitegrazer. She can handle herself. Rattrap isn't going to let her go out there alone, anyway."

Ironclaw stood his ground as Nemesis approached, at first she tried to squeeze by him but he would not allow it so eventually she spoke. The badger was almost amused, surely she did not think that she could just tell him what to do, however it did not show on his face. He looked down at the Predacon unwilling to let her leave. He narrowed his eyes at her, "Where do you think you're going?" he asked. She was a formidable opponent but she was also their prisoner according to Ironclaw. As Whitegrazer came over to them, Nemesis took her chance to get past him. She almost got away but he grabbed holdof her arm tightly so she couldn't just pull away. Then the badger turned to face the untrustworthy peace lover, not to answer her question but to throw one back at her.
"What are you up to?" He accused her more than asked. It felt like they were scheming.

OOP wrote: His thoughts exactly! How ironic. Although, Optimus's was far more justified. How silly it seemed for Megatron to lose his temper after a few slaps in the face from his nemesis after all that they had put Primal through, who had been unarmed and already damaged and exhausted when he showed up. The tyrant's furious bellow nearly deafened the Maximal who swore he could feel the sound waves reverberating off of him and the surrounding walls while he tried scrambling to his feet to escape his inevitable wrath. But he lost his balance without the use of his hands and the floor trembling like an earthquake with each of Megatron's TransMetal dinosaur feet, slipping and landing on his back again. Then came the teeth, sharp daggers that pierced right through the armor on his legs. Unimaginable pain caused Optimus to scream as Megatron shook him like a rabid dog until the nanites' hunger took control again. Using his thick forearms, the Maximal Commander drove them into his attacker's snout and at his eyes repeatedly as hard and as fast as he could to break Megatron's grip with his powerful jaws. As much as Megatron hated beast modes and the animalistic instincts it gave all of them, it seemed like he was letting his tyrannosaurus side get the better of him. He might even eat the ape alive. Would that be considered cannibalism? Punching Megatron was all Primal could do with his legs clamped in a vice, bleeding all over the floor and into the Predacon's mouth, no doubt the taste of his fluids fueling his aggression even more.

WARNING: Systems at 18% and failing. Stasis lock is imminent. The warning didn't really register with Optimus during his blind aggression and instinct for survival. He could feel himself draining, both physically and mentally, but it didn't stop him from fighting for his life against this horrible, manipulative, evil predator. He could think of nothing and no one else in this primal state of mind. The nanobots were hungry, looking for a feast, and that was the only satisfaction he was trying to fulfill.

Megatron snarled viciously and bit down even harder, intensifying his attack, each desperate blow to his face by Primal only enraging him further, fueling the bloodlust of the beast within him. He wanted to mangle Primal, rip him to pieces, stain the entire ship with his insides and use his corpse as a reminder to those who dared to disrespect him, MEGATRON! He bit down harder on Primal's legs, penetrating his weakened armor with ease and crushing the servos and mechanisms buried deep within, crippling the legs completely, only a CR Tank could restore them now...And Megatron wasn't finished yet.

Mech fluid staining the floor and his face, Megatron slammed Primal into the bars of the cage and dragged him across the floor before raising him upon again only to bring him slamming down to the ground, not once, not twice, but three times, knocking the wind out of Primal so to speak, before finally releasing his grip on his ruined legs, his face drenched with Primal's as well as his own mech fluid as he brought his clawed feet down upon his chest and sank his teeth into a new target, Primal's only remaining fist, which he tore into savagely, biting and tearing, the sound of crushing metal filling the room as he made it his goal to crush that hand and rip it from its socket entirely...Which he did, with sickening, most satisfying crunch of his jaws.

Bits of Primal's partially devoured hand dripped out of Megatron's mouth and onto Primal's face, Megatron panting heavily like a wild animal who'd finished a challenging hunt. The transmetal tyrant, still consumed by rage and a need to kill, threw his head back and roared, the sound so loud and haunting even Inferno outside the room could hear it...Those who heard it would liken it to the battlecry of a god of war, or a mad beast...Possibly both.

He then looked down at Primal, optics meeting, seeing him but not seeing him as he opened his jaws wide and prepared to do to his old foe's head what he'd done to his legs and hands.

OOP wrote: And then he heard Terrorsaur butt in, one of his least favorite Predacons. "Birdbrain's dere with ya, eh? Couple o' peas in a pod, aren't ya? I ain't callin' fer you motor heads. I'm callin' for your master, your ruler, de one who surpasses both your intelligence an' power combined," he deliberately told them spitefully. If his words didn't bother Tarantulas, they more than likely hit a nerve with Terrorsaur who was always so eager to be better than Megatron at everything. Anything to make that flying fossil angry. It never took much. "Patch me through before a certain couple o' disks find demselves in the trash compactor," he warned them.

Tarantulas clenched his fists in quiet fury, resisting the urge to chew the vermin out or cut off the transmission...If Dinobot had finally revealed the disks to the maximals he couldn't risk losing them forever, even if he had his doubts even the maximals would be foolish enough to destroy such valuable, irreplaceable artifacts of both historical import and power, they were after all the reason everyone was stranded on this world in the first place.

"Dirty garbage gulper, no one surpasses...Ack!" Terrorsaur began to rant before Tarantulas elbowed him in the gut to silence him, saying "Such poor manners, all you had to do was ask, rodent. A moment if you please."

Tarantulas switched off the feed so the maximals wouldn't overhear or see anything they didn't want them to see and contacted Megatron in the brig, "Tarantulas to Megatron, the maximals have contacted us and wish to speak with you, they have threatened to destroy the golden disks if you do not comply."

Meanwhile in the brig, Megatron's razor sharp teeth were inches away from crushing Primal's head, but stopped short of doing so as Tarantulas' words, especially mention of the golden disks, brought him back to his senses and subdued the beast within him.

Megatron rose up and said "Megatron, terrorize!" and with that returned to robot mode, still stained with the fluid of his nemesis and sporting minimal damage to his face, but was in far better shape than the proverbial "other guy."

"I shall be with you shortly, and keep alert for intruders should this be another one of their famous distractions. Megatron out" the tyrant said, disgusted with himself for losing his cool even if doing Primal harm had truly felt good, he just liked to be in control of life's many pleasures rather give himself over to them...Primal truly did bring out the worst in him

Looming over Primal, staring coldly down at him as he wiped some fluid off his lip and said "We truly do bring out the worst in each other, don't we Primal? Don't go anywhere, I shall return shortly," mustering an evil grin as he turned away, left the cage, and locked the door behind him before exiting the room and telling Inferno "Go in there and watch him until I return, do him no harm, he's already incurred my wrath and shall not require another lesson. Understood subcommander? Good."

With that he made his way to the bridge at a brisk pace, keeping the maximals waiting just long enough to make them sweat without losing them, keeping control as he preferred to do. He removed a cloth from his subspace and began to clean himself off, wishing to look presentable for his callers, even if they were only maximal filth. He was leader of the predacons and future ruler of Cybertron, he should always try to look his best whenever possible, it was only fitting for a mech of his station.

AdmiralGrim wrote:
"Apologies my lord. I feel it necessary to inform you that one my operatives shall be taking the Golden Disks from the Axalon. He will then put them in a safe place until we have secured our victory. Night Terror paused for a moment before continuing. He want to make sure the the Maximal would hear the name. "Dinobot will then complete finish his mission, helping to destroy the Maximals. After which he will return the Golden Disks."

"You'll have to excuse me Nightterror, I was otherwise occupied for some time, the maximals have contacted our base and supposedly know about the disks Dinobot has been hoarding to himself. You and your team will not take action against them until I've had a chance to ascertain what they want, and can judge whether they would truly be foolish enough to destroy the artifacts. Understood?" Megatron told Nightterror, not wanting to risk these newcomers costing him the greatest prizes this planet had to offer.

Finally arriving at the bridge, Megatron looked to Spineback and said "Doctor, welcome back. Go tend to Primal in the brig would you? He's seen better days and I may need him alive yet, no need to go all out, just keep him stable, and be sure to tell Inferno I sent you or he'll raise a fuss" before motioning to the spiders to switch the audio and visual feeds for the maximals back on, the tyrant taking a seat on his throne as he finished cleaning up what was left of the mess Primal had made, tossing the rag aside just as Rattrap appeared onscreen.

"Greetings Rattrap, to what do I owe this welcome but unexpected call?" Megatron inquired with a winning smile and feigned sincerity, the friendliness in his voice disturbing, as if the maximals were neighbors calling him for a cup of energon rather than mortal enemies he's attempted to kill off for ages now.

Phoenix wrote:"She's a Predacon!," Aurora protested, "If she wants to go, then let her! We can't afford to mourn any more lost friends, I can't.."

Optimal Optimus Primal wrote:"We're a team, Whitegrazer," Rhinox reminded her. "No one should be sacrificing themselves if we can devise a plan that involves more candidates and protects the others. If Nemesis chooses to face Darkwind, then that's her choice. We have no authority or command over her. There's no need for the rest of us to rush out into the fray before we know who we're dealing with. Sentinel should be able to pick up their signatures when they're in range."

She knew... She understood what Aurora felt and what Rhinox was trying to tell her. She wasn't trying to be reckless with her life. No. She wasn't going to allow herself to die. Not now. That wasn't her intent.

Optimal Optimus Primal wrote:You ain't gonna take no for an answer, are you?" "Let Nemesis go. She can face Darkwind. We'll help her if she gets inta trouble, but if there're other Preds comin', den we hold back and wait for 'em until they're in Sentinel's range. I ain't sendin' anybody out there for no reason if Darkwind's comin' alone. Whitegrazer, Ironclaw, Cheetor, you guys get ready to head out just in case. I'm tryin' ta reach Megatron now and see if we can stop this attack an' set up a meeting for de exchange."

Phoenix wrote:"Nothing worthwhile,"

When Ironclaw grabbed Nemesis, to avoid any harm from both sides, her hand quickly took Ironclaw's wrist into her hand, and quickly twist it once like one of her locking techniques that would make the Maximal badgar release his grip out of reflex. Ironclaw would only feel a slight discomfort that would dissipate in moments. A slight discomfort was better than whatever Nemesis might have done with Ironclaw's threatening grab.

"Nemesis is going to face the one responsible for her being framed and the virus. Leave her be," Whitegrazer kept herself in between Nemesis and Ironclaw to make sure they both didn't attack each other. It would be a waste of energy on both sides, especially since everyone needed to be functional just in case they were were needed for battle.

Mystrea wrote:"What are you up to?"

"I'm here offering my assistance," she smiled at Nemesis, ignoring Ironclaw's accusing tone, "An assistance that doesn't seem to be wanted."

Grazer.. it'd be wise if you stayed here with the others.. After all, if you go ..who will go to bring you back? Optimus wont be in a state for it and we already have Saber lost somewhere.. Leave Darkwind to Nemesis.. If she can't stop him.. then I will need your help to stop this..

She let out a sigh. Well, she couldn't ignore the voice of the majority. Rattrap. Rhinox. Landslide. They all had a point. A point she couldn't ignore. But she really wanted to face the shapeshifter or whoever he had with him. To see how he operates. To meet him face to face. Her legs were aching as well as her hands, various joints. Sore. She didn't feel it until now. Despite the fact that their connection was cut, her body and mind subconsciously still felt. Like an after-effect. She had to deal with the fact that spiritually and emotionally she was tired. She looked fine, but sharing Optimus' torture had been draining as it should be. Whatever was happening to him now, she prayed that it has been stopped since Rattrap was communicating with them. Maybe this attack could be stopped too. She prayed it did as Rattrap hoped.

She had faith in her comrades. She totally did. Maybe it would be wise to stay until needed.

She could use her time here to meditate and help regain strong spiritual health. But she won't remain idle either, "If you need any help, Landslide, then I will be happy to oblige," she said keeping a smile. "I will stay put for the time being. Nemesis," she turned around to look at the female face to face, "I still wish I could come with you. If you change your mind, I will come. But if you still wish to fight alone, I will be watching you as you face Darkwind. If things turn hairy for you, my team and I will rush to back you up. I promise. "

Something told her they might have to anyways if more Predacons approached.

((OOC: I will post for BA later. ))

"Don't lose faith, Aurora,"

The ermine fuzor paused to look over at Rhinox with a pair of large, green optics that revealed her emotions all too well. She never had been very good at hiding them, and one disappointment after another had torn down her defenses. Although she was happy the antibodies she had injected into Rhinox appeared to be working, part of her was very frightened they may be too late to save Optimus. Especially since Whitegrazer could no longer detect his thoughts, giving them no indication on what horrors their leader was having to face. Something told Aurora that whatever they were, they were horrific, otherwise Optimus wouldn't have closed down his connection the way he did. He was trying to spare Whitegrazer the pain, spare all of them the knowledge..

"Anything can happen, good or bad, but we must never give up."

"I know.. It's just so difficult with everything that's going on," she admitted as she carefully filled another few syringes with the cure. She was already fairly certain that it was working on Rhinox, a belief that only strengthened when the taller male started moving about.

"I knew you could do it, Aurora," he smiled broadly to her. "Go ahead and give the injection to Sonar."

Aurora nodded and picked up one of the syringes before moving closer to the Predacon bat. She honestly didn't trust him, still hadn't forgiven him for releasing this virus on the Maximals in the first place. In her opinion Sonar was as much to blame as this Darkwind. It didn't really matter how he had come into possession of this virus, what told her more about his persona was the fact that he had been willing to accept it and use it against her friends. So it was with a great deal of weariness that she moved closer to Sonar before finally dropping the syringe within reach of him, immediately stepping back.

"They say you're a scientist, so I assume you're capable of injecting yourself," she told him, a bit coldly perhaps. The fuzor didn't care how it came across, not trusting Sonar enough to want to be within arm's distance from him. For all she knew, he'd attack her.

"And don't worry too much about Whitegrazer. She can handle herself. Rattrap isn't going to let her go out there alone, anyway."

"I'd rather she didn't go out there at all..," Aurora muttered to herself, casting a nervous glance over at the window to see quite a few Maximals and one Predacon crowding the hallway outside.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Try as she might to ignore it, the insolent tone in the badger's voice irked her. She was just about to spread her wings to force the foolish Maximal out of her way, taking advantage of the distraction provided by the white female, when strong fingers clamped down around her arm. Nemesis' optics flashed red in irritation, her free hand immediately grabbing for her sword. When Ironclaw turned to phase Whitegrazer a moment later, Nemesis brought her sword up to the shoulder joint of the arm he was using to hold onto her. The only reason she stopped herself a mere inch before her blade cut into the male's armor, separating his arm from the rest of his body, was because the other female intervened by forcing his fist open so he was forced to release her.

"Nemesis is going to face the one responsible for her being framed and the virus. Leave her be,"

"What are you up to?"

Sneering angrily at Ironclaw, Nemesis withdrew and slowly lowered her sword. She was so tempted, so incredibly tempted, to simply end this fool's existence right here and now, but something told her that it would be difficult to keep these Maximals' cooperation if she did. And as much as she hated to admit it, she could still use their help.

"I'm here offering my assistance," she smiled at Nemesis, ignoring Ironclaw's accusing tone, "An assistance that doesn't seem to be wanted."

Taking a step back as she holstered her sword again, Nemesis huffed at the female. She certainly didn't require any help to fight this backstabbing shapeshifter, and to insinuate otherwise was a grave insult to her skills. The avian female opened her mouth to tell her just that, when a sudden realization made her rethink her approach.

Surely Darkwind realized they'd be aware of his presence, so he would be expecting them. If she merely walked out there by herself, he would have the upper hand. She needed a distraction, someone to keep Darkwind occupied while she figured out his exact position and launched her own attack.

"I will stay put for the time being. Nemesis," she turned around to look at the female face to face, "I still wish I could come with you. If you change your mind, I will come. But if you still wish to fight alone, I will be watching you as you face Darkwind. If things turn hairy for you, my team and I will rush to back you up. I promise. "

Nemesis watched as the other female drew back and prepared to leave, hesitating for but a moment.

"Wait.."


The words that followed seemed to snag in her throat, choking her. Nemesis attempted to swallow her pride, unable to release Whitegrazer with her gaze as she brought up the strength to ask.

"Come with," she finally said, unwilling to offer a long explanation. She had a feeling the other female would understand regardless. She then turned to leave, confident those two little words were enough to make her point come across. "Take the lift and I'll go take the roof hatch," she then told the other female, gesturing to her that it was time to leave. This way she could stay out of sight of whoever was out there waiting for them.. Prowling them.

"No, you don't," the engineer's voice rumbled deeply. "That's why we're in this mess in the first place."

Sonar rolled his optics and continued to stare up at the ceiling.

"We've been here for quite some time and she has yet to slash out at any of us," Rhinox told the grinning Predacon. "Perhaps there's something we are doing for her that you can not."

"Yet, Maximal. Yet is the key word. She may not have killed anyone of you at the moment, but it will happen. It's only a matter of time, He returned his smile, though a bit more creepy. "Yes, you're trying to save her, while I'm trying to kill her."

"No wonder your 'comrades' have made no effort to rescue you."

Sonar gave a small dramatic sigh. "Ah, yes. They are so busy with their own agendas to worry about little old me."

"Go ahead and give the injection to Sonar."

The bat's interest peaked even more at the mention of the injection.

Finally! He thought with glee and slight annoyance.

He turned his attention to the young Maximal as he approached.

So it was with a great deal of weariness that she moved closer to Sonar before finally dropping the syringe within reach of him, immediately stepping back. "They say you're a scientist, so I assume you're capable of injecting yourself,"

Sonar huffed in annoyance and growled with equal annoyance. "Oh, don't worry, I can manage."

He closed his eyes and sent out wave after wave of echo's, it gave him a 3 dimensional view of his surroundings. He took hold of the syringe and jammed ii into his thigh, then pressed down one the plunger, injecting himself with the fluid containing the cure.