The Intergalactic Highway

The badger observed the Predacon base and realized it would remain on high alert while this run-away Predacon was still on the run. He decided that it was bad idea to try a rescue mission now, despite feeling slightly responsible for their capture in the first place. He still thought that Dinobot was to blame for the adversity but none the less he felt the responsibility weigh heavy on him. You're not the only one with broad shoulders Optimus Ironclaw thought to himself while he scowled at the enemies base. He rose from the ground, taking the weight off his one knee and stood facing towards his way back.

On his way back he looked up to the sky to see that same Predacon flying through the sky at a fast rate. It would be impossible for him to catch up to her so he thought little of it and carried on his journey back to the Axalon.

Ironlcaw was quite close to the base by now. He was ready for whatever would happen in that place. Expecting that some of them would try to have words with him and try to lecture him, like a teacher and a pupil. The soldier wasn't going to accept any of it and just stride in there. As he approached an emergency signal popped up on his internal scanners (Can he do that?). Ironclaw was curious so he headed towards this signal.

From her position hovering in the air behind Rattrap, Aurora could only make out bits and pieces of the conversation the wheeled rodent was having with the white mare. Between the sound of galloping hooves and the spinning wheels of the rodent and Nexus' vehicular mode immediately behind them, not much of their voices carried well enough for her to hear.

Rattrap wrote:"..leader .. unleashed .. effected .. base. ..funny. . careful."

What was going on? Aurora attempted to perk up her ears to hear better, but the immediate greeting from the oncoming wind only made it even harder to eavesdrop on her comrades so she quickly flattened the ears again. Why were they being so secretive about it anyway? She'd just have to persuade them to tell her the truth when they eventually stopped..


Nexus had no trouble keeping up, especially since the transmetal rat slowed down a bit so that Whitegrazer wouldn't get left behind, but he respectfully maintained a short distance between himself and the other Maximals since the two seemed to have something to talk about. Above him the smaller of the females hovered in the air, hanging after Rattrap like a kite, but that didn't phase Nexus much. In fact he rather enjoyed the solitude for the short while it lasted, his thoughts still lingering on the confrontation with the Predacons just a short while prior. Of course it didn't take long before the rat called him out on what he had done back there.

Rattrap wrote:"Hey, you got a lotta nerve walkin' up to a Pred ship like dat and givin' us all away," "I mean, everybody else was aware of who was in charge 'ere,"

The aging admiral paused for a moment before responding, the words catching a bit in his throat as he did. Even so he sounded very genuine, not exactly apologetic, but still as if he was reflecting over his own actions and the rodent's scorning words.

"My apologies, Rattrap, I guess I have spent far too long in active service to successfully acclimate to a civilian status."

It seemed plausible enough that someone of Nexus' rank would feel uncomfortable with the idea of following the orders of others. He had always fought wars in his own unique ways, often taking his enemies by surprise.

"But rest assured those Predacons were already aware of our presence. That ship of theirs is capable of surveying vast areas, so I doubt they arrival here was accidental. I merely wanted to protect the Maximals by redirecting them elsewhere."

Again he fell silent. Up ahead the Maximal base was coming into view, the dawn of a new day fast approaching. Nexus could only imagine what scenes were unfolding within the apparently safe walls, the thought exciting him but he couldn't exactly show it. Not just yet..

(

Mystrea wrote:As he approached an emergency signal popped up on his internal scanners (Can he do that?). Ironclaw was curious so he headed towards this signal.

Normally speaking, yes. Every Maximal in the area should be able to pick up that radio signal, because an emergency signal is usually to be broadcasted so that the person in distress is found, specially if you have similar equipment.. which you do. but OOP may shoot this down due to the maximal radios being altered to work more like wifi or cellphones. In which case, Aurora or the Axalon is more likely to pick it up. Strange, I realize.

Anyway.. guess I'll get to posting. Also to note, Starshadow is on vacation again until the 20th, so her wifi will probably be crap if she's around the same area I think she's heading, so she probably wont be able to post for a few days as a heads up.)

Megatron wrote:"Open communications you fools!"

Quickstrike opened the communications with a quick response Er.. yes boss!

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Banshee wrote:"I'll cover you if the Predacons opened fire on us.."

Cheetor gave a short nod, then fired up his thrusters flying out of the cage and hovered upward from the lava pit they were suspended over.

As they flew up, Umbra and Inferno came to the cages.

Umbra let out a sigh, not surprised at all by the situation considering the level of incompetence normally seen at the Pred base. You're not very good with prisoners.. are you Commander? Umbra spoke up to Inferno as he drew his Gauss rifle.

Cheetor gave a wide opticed yipe looking at Inferno and Umbra, then started to fly away at high speed above the lava pits.

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Terrorsaur wrote:"Waspinator! You like defense right? You target the weapons while I target the engines! This hunk of junk will be as helpless as a turtle on its back if it can't shoot or take off! RAWK!"

Oooo.. Wazzpinator can take out gunz! he then responded, after releasing buster he transformed to his Jet mode taking off into the air at high speed as the Predacon ship started to rise.

He pulled down in a dive as he opened fire with rapid high powered plasma shots onto the ship's shields hammering them as he then pulled up flying by the ship and soon into the distance as he turned to make another run on the ship.

OOC: Sorry this got up later than planned. I was supervising my "children" as they played. Grizzly (my cat) was no longer looking at Ninpo (the chinchilla) in an "I'm watching his every move because I'm terrified of him and want him to go away" kind of way. It was more like an "I'm watching his every move because he looks like food" kind of way. I was worried she'd try and attack him. But it was such a silly thing to worry about because she ended up bolting! She is such a scardy cat. Watching an animal around the size of a mouse (maybe a bit bigger than a mouse) chase a cat is pretty much the funniest thing ever. Neither of my animals are scared of her...they don't seem to be aware that she's a carnivore.

BIC:

"Come along my dear, we have much work to do and little time to get it done, the situation is growing dire, as is Megatron's mood" Tarantulas explained to Arachnitron as he led her to his ship lab to gather the materials they'd need for a makeshift state of the art prison on such short notice...Granted, since the Darksyde's usual brig consisted mostly of cages suspended over lava with electronic locks, topping such measures shouldn't be too difficult.

Arachnitron did as was instructed. She felt a bit overwhelmed by the idea of being entrusted with such a task. Before landing on Earth, she had lived much of her life shuffled from one location to another; one locked cell after another....on bad days she was shackled to the wall...a good day brought isolation. She had never before worked with a crew of any shape or size nor had she ever constructed anything (with the exception of the crude power supply she had created to get Tarantulas' core consciousness out of Blackarachnia's body). Here she was entrusted with helping to create a prison to hold some important prisoners. She wasn't sure she was going to be able to do it.

Luckily for her, Tarantulas spear headed the project. Once in the lab, he began working on some restraints. He liked to be the one in control and he liked to be the smartest one in the room, so Arachnitron just let him lead.

"Pass me that laser torch my dear"

Arachnitron learned the names of the tools they were working with quickly; mostly through observation. She had seen them in Tarantulas' private lair and had watched Blackarachnia use them, but that didn't mean she knew what they were called. But she knew better than to admit that she had no idea what something was. She watched Tarantulas' body language when he asked for things. Sometimes he pointed to the objects without even realizing it or he leaned his head towards them. She followed his gaze too since sometimes he would look in the direction of the object he wanted. If she didn't know which tool he wanted, Arachnitron guessed. She usually guessed right.

As Tarantulas worked, Arachnitron handed him the tools he asked for, stripped wires, cut metal, soldered things together, ran errands, and prepared the equipment Tarantulas was using. She enjoyed trying to guess what the end product would look like since Tarantulas didn't usually share that with her. They didn't brainstorm ideas either; Tarantulas just set to work and Arachnitron assisted as she usually did. But her mind (which usually wandered) was focused on learning as she assisted. She wanted to memorize the names of the tools they were using, remember the techniques she observed, and learn the science behind what it was they were doing.

She was actually surprised that she was enjoying assisting Tarantulas. Back on Cybertron, it had become painfully aware that Arachnitron was only good at one thing....disappearing. Sure she could shoot and fight, but she wasn't a marksman nor was she particularly skilled at hand to hand combat. But if she wanted to disappear and never be found; she could do it. She was small so she could hide well and she could move through the trees without making noise. She never imagined she had other skills.

"Megatron should have thought to upgrade our security measures a long time ago, as opposed to waiting til the last minute for a time critical crisis like this to emerge, far too many maximals has slipped out of this base since the Beast Wars began. Its embarrassing to dwell upon..." Tarantulas explained, his three fingered hands installing circuits and wires one after the other, putting these restraints together seemingly out of scratch.

"Perhaps he didn't expect to take prisoners," Arachnitron offered remembering the Predacon Glowstick and how he met his demise (or at least what she was told...the Hybrid hadn't been in control of the body at the time so she hadn't witnessed the execution). Megatron seemed more focused on winning the war by exterminating his enemies instead of waiting around for them to surrender peacefully.

"There, all done, not bad on such short notice if I don't say so myself"

"Now all we need to do is test them, Megatron certainly won't be pleased if these little beauties short out while trying to restrain Primal and Nexus" Tarantulas said nonchalantly to Arachnitron, fiddling with the control he'd developed for the power bonds, the devices levitating off the floor and floating over to Blackarachnia, encircling her like a swarm of insects before activating, each bond connecting to the next via powerful strands of solid light that enclosed and constricted around the black widow, effectively trapping her.

"Tell me Blackarachnia, how does that feel? Too tight? Too loose?" Tarantulas inquired in a mock tone of scientific interest, fighting back the urge to laugh maniacally at the witch's expense.

Arachnitron grinned slyly at Blackarachnia as she watched Tarantulas test out his new creation. She folded her arms over her chest plate. When Blackarachnia didn't answer Tarantulas' question, Arachnitron took a step closer.

"Yes, Blackarachnia, do enlighten us. It is so very important to our research," she said with a wink.

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"Do not bother Subcommander, alas, no one here left at base besides myself is fast enough to catch up with that traitor, not with Terrorsaur and Waspinator out in the field and currently preoccupied with the mystery ship. We cannot afford to waste time chasing after rogue elements when we have a prisoner exchange to see to, and no doubt the maximals will do what they always do in these situations, risk everything they have on the slim hope of rescuing a few expendable pawns. Granted, I hope to turn that instinct against them this time, but one must expect these fools to do both the irrational and the unexpected to save every piece they have on the board rather than sacrifice them for the greater good...Want to make yourself useful Inferno? Take Umbra and go check on the prisoners, make sure they're still secure, I don't need anymore surprises today."

Inferno was a bit disheartened that his recent failures caused the Royalty to doubt the red ant's ability to catch the traitor in flight. He would have to do better at this next task.

Inferno saluted. "Yes, Royalty."

"Lets go, Sub commander."

Inferno heard Umbra, but did not move at his request. He lowered his salute, ignored Umbra's blatant disregard for rank, turned towards him and continued on as though Umbra had said nothing. "Come, let us check on the Maximal prisoners."

Inferno led Umbra to the brig where the prisoners were locked up....well, where the prisoners were supposed to be locked up. Both Maximals had escaped. He refrained from sending word to the Royalty for now. He had more pressing matters at hand....get the prisoners back into their cells.

Umbra let out a sigh, not surprised at all by the situation considering the level of incompetence normally seen at the Pred base. You're not very good with prisoners.. are you Commander? Umbra spoke up to Inferno as he drew his Gauss rifle.

Inferno silenced Umbra with a glare. "I secured the prisoners as instructed!" the ant insisted. "There must have been someone absent from guard duty!" Inferno suggested with a long, meaningful look at Umbra insinueting that the octopus may have been that very someone.

Inferno raised his rocket launcher weapon.

"We must return them to their cells!" Inferno stated changing the subject. "FOR THE ROYALTY!!!" he shouted sending two shots of his rocket launcher in the Maximal's direction!

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Dinobot was repaired long before he emerged from the CR chamber. Some time had passed since his return from the botched battle with the Predacons and he stood in the open CR chamber reflecting upon what had happened before. He disagreed that he was to blame for the failure of the mission and the loss of his comrades. Although, he supposed he could have been a bit less stubborn. There was no reason to refuse to shoot at Umbra...it was a matter of pride more than anything else.

He knew Ironclaw was young and reckless and was probably speaking without thinking much about the truth behind his words or without thinking much about whether or not he really meant them. Ironclaw had been angry and had been looking to elicit a reaction; still, his words had gotten Dinobot thinking: Why did he still hang on to these antiquated views about Honor? No one else seemed to have them. And why continue to hold on to them when, as Ironclaw pointed out, their enemy didn't follow those same rules?

Dinobot sighed. Perhaps he was getting too old for battles, glory and honor. After all, didn't he once think those same thoughts? Only by destroying the Predacons would the Maximals truly be victorious. And hadn't he once believed as Ironclaw believed...that it was better to shoot first and ask questions later? And hadn't he once been the one to argue with Optimus about his tactics? Dinobot let out another sigh. What had changed to make him sound so much like....like...well, like Optimus? Perhaps, he was getting soft.

Dinobot heard voices in the command center and snapped back to reality. The CR chamber door had blocked his view so he hadn't seen who had returned to their posts, but the ruckus he heard from the other Maximals was quite out of the ordinary. There were shouts and yells...and then a loud thud from over by the lift. Curious, he emerged from the CR chamber to investigate, but by the time he entered the room, whomever had jumped down the lift was gone and only Optimus remained discussing a prisoner exchange with none other than Megatron.

Dinobot wanted to protest, but he knew this conversation with Megatron was important so he waited until Optimus was finished with his transmission.

(OOC: Post was EDITED to account for some errors. Sorry for the confusion...must have skipped over the post where they all returned to the command center when I was speed reading to get caught up.)

OOC: playing villains can be so much fun, mahahahahahaha!

Glad you're enjoying Megs, OOP, you're doing great too :3. Excellent post Blackrose, glad you're feeling better, and yeah, pets can be funny sometimes lol.

OOP wrote: The Maximal Commander shot Megatron a scowl as his orange optics locked with his enemy's on the monitor. "Spare me your false pleasantries and condescending tone, Megatron," he said in a deep voice. "What are your conditions for the exchange of myself and Nexus with Cheetor and Banshee released unharmed?" He knew how the Predacon leader was feeling right now; proud of himself and practically giddy with glee over the unfortunate circumstance for the ape. He may have even thought that this would finally be his demise. Megatron knew how to manipulate Optimus with his Maximals; it had always been one of his greatest weaknesses, but it was also a strength in loyalty and integrity to his crew. It didn't even matter at this point that Dinobot and Ironclaw had allowed the Predacons to capture them. All that mattered to Primal now was getting them back safe and sound. And he had no other plan than to simply hand himself over. In the end, it was going to be a mistake on Megatron's part because Optimus knew his crew would do whatever it would take to get him back, even if he didn't want them to risk their lives for his. And they would prevail.

Dinobot had long since been in the CR for repairs, but Ironclaw had never returned. Not that Primal was aware of, anyway. He was concerned for the badger despite him disobeying orders to return to the base because he had no idea where he was by now. Although they had squabbles and disagreements, Optimus still cared for his well being. But while that churned in the back of his mind, waiting for Megatron's answer and more gloating, an emergency signal that seemed to be of Maximal origin alerted him next to the screen that the Predacon renegade was airing on with a flashing button and a beeping nose. Reaching over, Primal muted the alert but then hit a couple buttons on the console commanding the computer to bring up the signal's coordinates on a separate screen from the one Megatron was on. ...Odd. It wasn't too far from the Axalon's location. Since Rhinox was busy with Saber-Fang, and Orcariner was long lost in his own hallucinations, he would have to check out this distress signal himself. At least that meant keeping his unpleasant conversation with Megatron short. Hopefully Rattrap and his team would be arriving soon.

Megatron put on an expression of mock hurt as he replied "Optimus, please, you wound me! I thought you enjoyed our little chats? I know I certainly do, but very well, if you wish to be all business then let us cut to the chase shall we? Yesss? Good. You and Nexus shall travel to the Darksyde alone and unarmed, once there, I shall release the cat and the bat unharmed to toddle off back to your base, as soon as you turn yourselves over to me of course. I'll be watching you both closely Primal, I WILL notice if you brought any weapons with you of any sort, or if you have backup waiting in the wings. Any of your usual maximal tricks and I shall execute the prisoners immediately and without hesitation, I repeat, immediately and without hesitation. Your heroics will only serve to get your troops killed this time Primal, DO NOT test me on this, death by lava pit is a terrible way to go, and the kitten is so young...I doubt even with his new transmetal hide he'd last more than a few nanoclicks under that level of heat, nnnoooo..."

While Megatron had been issuing his demands he'd noticed some sort of beeping noise, only for a few moments, before Primal moved his hand and it just as suddenly stopped...Megatron suspected Primal was hiding something from him but it wouldn't do to let the ape know he knew something was up, chances were it was probably "Team Terrorsaur's" actions that had Primal worried...Or perhaps the traitor was trying to get in touch with her new master? Either way, it wouldn't matter in the end, Primal had no choice but to accept his terms or have the deaths of two of his own on his conscience, something he doubt the gorilla had the stomach for, nnnooo.

Blackrose wrote:
Arachnitron grinned slyly at Blackarachnia as she watched Tarantulas test out his new creation. She folded her arms over her chest plate. When Blackarachnia didn't answer Tarantulas' question, Arachnitron took a step closer.

"Yes, Blackarachnia, do enlighten us. It is so very important to our research," she said with a wink.

"Now now Arachnitron, we mustn't tease her too badly, after all, she's one of us! Spiders need to stick together, don't we Blackarachnia?" Tarantulas said as he knelt down and grasped her by the chin roughly with his sharp talons, forcing her to look at him straight in the eyes, "Don't we?"

Tarantulas was still furious over Blackarachnia's actions in the cave, and would not tolerate a repeat of that incident, either she would get with the program or he'd do away with her for good. There was more than one way to extract the information she hid from him than verbal communication or telepathic probing after all, and none of them would be pleasant...FOR HER.

AdmiralGrim wrote: He glared back towards Nexus. When this is over I may have to have a talk with him...

He fired his energy weapon from his left eye at the flyer that was leading the attack. Night Terror ran to the bay door of the ship. He had to get his ship in the air.

"Dirge, engage those Predacons! Protect the ship!

Night Terror rushed to the controls and began to power the ship. Some of the control panels were already sparking from the damage to the engines.

Terrorsaur did a barrel roll and evaded Night Terror's laser shot, taunting "Whoops! Eheheheheheh! Better shots than you have tried to take me down stranger, trust me, you don't have what it takes to ground Terrorsaur! RAWK!"

Terrorsaur then fired four shoulder missiles at the ship's shields, determined to break them and get at those vulnerable engines again.

"Alright boys, we can't wait for that slowpoke Tantrum anymore, lets combine firepower and crack open this egg. You on board with that newbie?" Terrorsaur inquired of Buster, as he then fired a barrage of missiles in tangent with Waspinator's shots, hoping that would be enough to shatter the shields so they could get at the ship directly, and then the real fun would begin.

((OOC: I'm sorry I couldn't help it. To great an opportunity. Lol. Fyi, I've never seen an old school scraplet so I'm going with the Prime version.))

Sonar groaned softly as he slowly regained consciousness, his brow furrowed when he felt something crawling around on his chest. He opened his opened his optics and his spark skipped a beat when he saw it.

Big head, even bigger optics and tiny legs. He made the mistake of letting out a terrifed gasped because it turned around and looked at him with those pinkish purple optics. He wasn't even aware that his torturer was in the room until he spoke.

"Avoid his spark and any major energon lines, I want him alive."

Sonar's screams filled the Axalon as he writhed on the floor as he was being "eaten" from the inside out.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT FROM ME! I DON'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION THAT COULD BE OF USE TO YOU!" Sonar howled as he continued to writhe and claw at the floor.

( Scraplets: http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/ori ... sue_30.jpg They tend to not all look the same, and transform into nuts, bolts, screws, etc.. about the size of nuts, bolts, and screws in real life. So they're very tiny. G1 Scraplets also die from the miraculous solution known as "water", as Cybertron doesn't have any.)

"Optimus, please, you wound me! I thought you enjoyed our little chats? I know I certainly do, but very well, if you wish to be all business then let us cut to the chase shall we? Yesss? Good.

Optimus simply stared at Megatron, impatiently waiting for him to get on with his demands.

You and Nexus shall travel to the Darksyde alone and unarmed, once there, I shall release the cat and the bat unharmed to toddle off back to your base, as soon as you turn yourselves over to me of course. I'll be watching you both closely Primal, I WILL notice if you brought any weapons with you of any sort, or if you have backup waiting in the wings. Any of your usual maximal tricks and I shall execute the prisoners immediately and without hesitation, I repeat, immediately and without hesitation. Your heroics will only serve to get your troops killed this time Primal, DO NOT test me on this, death by lava pit is a terrible way to go, and the kitten is so young...I doubt even with his new transmetal hide he'd last more than a few nanoclicks under that level of heat, nnnoooo..."

At the beginning of his enemy's list of terms, the Maximal Commander's expression was firm and focused. But by the end of it, Primal's head lowered a little with ease and worry. His connection with Whitegrazer flickered about unintentionally. Images of Cheetor and Banshee - his imagination used her Cybertronian form when he had last seen her - plagued his mind of their bodies torn and mangled and lifeless. The virus within him didn't help at all and a very troubled expression crossed his face for a moment before he tried composing himself. His thumb gently rubbed the side of the taser in thought which he gripped in his hand out of Megatron's sight. What could he do? Optimus didn't dare underestimate Megatron's threats and intentions; he knew fully well how merciless he was. He couldn't allow anything to happen to either of them. And of course Megatron made sure he and Nexus would be helpless and vulnerable. As much as it frightened Primal to surrender and fearing the unknown of his fate at this point, Cheetor and Banshee's safety and survival far outweighed his own concerns. It was the way it had to be. It was his responsibility and function. Optimus wouldn't be alone, of course, but he would have preferred not getting Nexus involved with this transaction because there was a high probability of no return... for both of them. Once Megatron would have them in his grasp, how long would he bother holding them prisoners? Why hesitate at all to kill them? After all this time Optimus had lead his Maximals to successfully interfere with every plan of the rogue Predacon, and to perish would make this war so much easier for Megatron to win, so why keep him around for long and risk an escape? He supposed... that he would find out soon enough. What his decision would mean to the rest of his Maximals... was unbearable, and Primal thoughtfully shook his head while it was still bowed before the Predacon leader.

"All right, Megatron," he finally said calmly and reluctantly, lifting his head to look at him eye to eye on the screen again. "We will accept your terms. But if Banshee and Cheetor are intentionally injured in any way, then we will retaliate with full force. And you would do better than to underestimate our power," the Maximal Commander warned him as his tone grew stronger and definitive. "We should arrive in 30 cycles." Plenty of time to take care of this Maximal in distress and then be on their way. ...To death... Or torture and then death... Optimus tried not to think about it. His Maximals will have to find out the cure for this virus on their own. Abruptly ending his transmission with Megatron, Primal heard someone moving about and approaching him. Without thinking, only reacting, he grabbed his gun from his hip with his free hand and targeted Dinobot's chest. It took him a couple moments before his glare and bared teeth relaxed and he lowered his weapon, holstering it back to its place before there were any accidents. He also stowed away the taser in his subspace.

During that time, Rhinox had given up hope tracking down Saber-Fang, so he carefully held on to the lift as it brought him back up into the bridge where he now found Dinobot occupying the room with their commander. "I'm sorry, Optimus. Saber-Fang took off into the darkness," he explained as he approached them, almost on his tip toes as he tried keeping his balance.

Shaking his head in disappointment, Primal said, "She may be better off out there until we can find an antidote for this." She would have plenty of space to roam, after all, and to deal with her hallucinations without harming anyone in case her beast would show itself once more.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT FROM ME! I DON'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION THAT COULD BE OF USE TO YOU!"

So, the bat was conscious again. Good. But his screams actually made Optimus feel bad for him. What could he possibly be afraid of? "Dinobot, see to Sonar and take him back to the brig before he hurts himself or one of us. But be careful!" he pointed out with more enthusiasm than was needed. "He set loose this hallucinogen and we don't know all of its effects and parameters yet."

"Rhinox, check on Orcariner. We don't need any more renovations in our ship. I'm going to find out who this distress signal belongs to," Primal informed them as he pointed at its coordinates on the monitor. With that, he walked to the lift and was lowered outside. Transformering to his hover board, he took a quick flight to the higher elevations of the waterfall and zeroed in on the signal's origin.

"Rattrap, where is your team?" he radioed the rodent, unaware of Ironclaw's presence nearby as well.

"We're right outside at de hangar, Boss Monkey," Rattrap quickly returned. "Everythin' okay?"

"Hang around, would you? We seem to have a visitor in the area." Pausing for a moment, he added, "And bring Nexus." Then he cut off his comm. link.

"Eh, okay. Optimus? ... Yo, Optimus?" he tried hailing him and sighed. "Somethin' ain't right." But his keen vision caught the ape's purplish glow from his hover board thrust not far from them in the dark sky. In the distance could be heard the Predacons' firing upon that ship that had just landed. It was far enough away to be safe from it but it still had Rattrap on edge.

"So, that's what I was feeling from Optimus."

"Yeah, you see what we gotta deal with? As if Optimus under normal functioning ain't difficult enough already," the TransMetal rat teased the mare and glanced at Aurora.

"Someone else is here."

"We gotta follow the big ape up there," Rattrap pointed out to the forested area at the top of the waterfall. "Dat's where he was heading."

"My apologies, Rattrap, I guess I have spent far too long in active service to successfully acclimate to a civilian status."

Yeah, sure, thought the rat toward Nexus Prime. Sarcastically, of course. Bologna.

"But rest assured those Predacons were already aware of our presence. That ship of theirs is capable of surveying vast areas, so I doubt they arrival here was accidental. I merely wanted to protect the Maximals by redirecting them elsewhere."

"Fancy that. I really doubt their arrival was accidental, too." It was difficult to distinguish if his tone was just agreeing with the Admiral in an irritated voice, or if he was accusing him of knowing more about it than he was letting on. "Come on, we betta make sure our fearless leader isn't flying into a trap." Carrying his gun, he started to jog up to the forest.

Cutting the power to his vehicle mode, Optimus deactivated his board as it separated on command and landed on his feet in beast mode several feet away from the beacon's location. His bright pink optics scanned his dark surroundings, feeling uneasy because of his infection, as well as the tiny bots from the nanogel scurrying about on and inside his body. "I know you're there. Show yourself," he demanded. "Are you injured?"

Meanwhile, back inside the Axalon, Rhinox had looked to Dinobot with some concern before heading into the corridor where the Predacon bat was rolling around in pain and terror. Frowning as he walked awkwardly in the hall, he returned to Rattrap's quarters and saw Orcariner was still inside, but not wreaking havoc. He was actually sitting down, almost as if he was meditating.

"And Icebreaker was cremated," "This isn't real."

"Orcariner?" Rhinox spoke softly as he approached him cautiously. "It's me, Rhinox. Do you understand what I'm saying?" He stopped in front of him on the floor and slowly sat down.

Rattrap wrote:"Somethin' ain't right."

Aurora had landed a little more gracefully this time, only a short distance from the others, after getting hauled back to base. Her magnetic hook immediately retracting, she looked around.. if a bit wearily. On the outside the base seemed quiet enough, but there was just something looming in the air.. a strange, unsettling sensation creeping upon her.

"I think you're right," she replied, glancing up at the direction Optimus had just flown off to without as much as saying hi. Suddenly loud screams from inside the base caused Aurora to jump, her initial instinct to run inside to check it out. Someone sounded truly terrified in there, the sound of those terrified screams of horror bouncing off the walls down the corridor before a somewhat distorted version made it outside.

"What in the Pitt was that?!," Aurora demanded, glancing back at her colleagues. Nexus had walked up next to her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, giving her a reassuring smile as their gazes briefly met. "Whatever it is, we'll handle it together."

Rattrap wrote:"Yeah, you see what we gotta deal with? As if Optimus under normal functioning ain't difficult enough already,"

Aurora hesitated, unsure whether to investigate the screams inside the base or follow their strangely acting leader up to the top of the waterfalls. "Maybe we can lure him back.. Did anyone bring bananas?," she suggested, trying to sound more confident than she really felt. Above her she could hear Nexus chuckle lightly at her comment before his large hand finally slipped off her shoulder.

Nexus followed the self-proclaimed team leader as he started the trip up the hill towards the top of the waterfall. "Perhaps we should split up the group," he suggested to no-one in particular as he picked up his pace a bit, "Some of us can go after Optimus and the rest investigate what's been going on at the base. There's still a bit of commotion going on in there.."

He was interrupted by Rattrap's somewhat accusing tone.

Rattrap wrote:"Fancy that. I really doubt they're arrival was accidental, too." "Come on, we betta make sure our fearless leader isn't flying into a trap."

It was hard to tell if the rat was merely being sarcastic or if there was something brewing within. The rodent had something of a poker face at times, making him a bit of a wild card. Nexus was certainly not above a little wager here and there, but he preferred to be able to read the individuals he was playing against. Well.. The rat seemed harmless enough, but Nexus had made it too far to take foolish chances. Rattrap would simply have to be disposed of sooner rather than later.

Nemesis did not have to wait long before a familiar voice caught her attention.

Optimus Primal wrote:"I know you're there. Show yourself,"

Yet.. familiar as the voice was, there was a troubled urgency in it that seemed foreign to her, causing her to hesitate.

What was she doing here? This.. was a mistake. She would have to find another way, one which did not involve seeking out the Maximals. They would hardly welcome her with open arms, now would they, after everything that had transpired between them.. everything she had done. Not that she regretted her actions against them, but whereas she found them to be justified or even beyond her control, a majority of the Maximals wouldn't see it that way.. They wouldn't understand, they would just put her back in a cell like before.. to rot away while facing her own demons.

Nemesis remained perfectly still, sitting with her back pressed up against a large tree, her hands curling up into fists.

But what choice did she have? If she showed her face at the Predacon base, the punishment would more than likely be death. Megatron wouldn't even allow her to explain herself, much less be willing to listen to her suspicions. And why would he? If the roles were reversed, Nemesis probably would do the exact same thing..

Optimus Primal wrote: "Are you injured?"

Having clutched her hands together so tightly that it was actually starting to hurt, Nemesis dimmed her optics and eased up a bit. Still, she did not move, even as she heard Optimus tread dangerously close to her hiding spot.

The sun was starting to rise, allowing some still dim yet warming beams of light into the forest. Barely daring to move, frozen by her own indecisiveness, the winged female dared a glance. The Maximal male was standing with his back to her, temporarily distracted by the surprisingly beautiful view of the sunrise from his lookout point over the falls. He seemed lost in thought, at least for a moment. Making a decision, Nemesis stood up.

Her move was fluent and silent as the deadliest assassin stalking their prey, the firm grip on her weapon of choice loosening as she moved closer.

The brightly yellow piece of metal landed in the soil right next to Optimus' foot, whirling up a small cloud of dust as it impacted with the ground. The female had stopped about 20 feet away from the Maximal commander, her weapons still holstered as she did not want to appear aggressive.

"I found this in the forest..," she told him, her voice sounding quieter and more vulnerable than normal, much to her dismay, "Figured you wanted it back."

Ironclaw was getting close to the origins or the emergency signal when he heard com chatter from Optimus and Rattrap. He realised now that Optimus was on his way to the signal as well, it made sense since the Axalon was so close by. The badger continued through the jungle like area and then saw Optimus in the distance, flying by. He landed in a location which meant that the signal point was now in between them. Ironclaw was almost on top on the signal. A tree was in his way so he placed on one side and pushed it out of his path. The tree made a loud noise as it broke and fell to the ground. He couldn't believe it but he saw Nemesis stood right in front of him. She was focussing on Optimus, he had his back to her. Ironclaw realised what he had done worth the tree and rushed forwards but stopped a few feet from her.

Her connection with Optimus was... erratic. Multiple thoughts swirled around her spark. She tried to catch them. She could hear whispers of his thoughts and questions. She closed her optics to focus on what she could. It was then she caught the images of Cheetor and...a female bat-like figure...Banshee? That was her name? Was she new? She must have been. Optimus seem to suffer conflicting emotions on what he should do. Also, due to the hallucinogen, he was having trouble. What was going on? She hadn't seen Cheetor in awhile, but if Optimus was dwindling on these two, then something must have happened. But they weren't dead. No. Nothing expressed in that nature. Captured? Her eyes went wide with the revelation before her.

You-you are going to trade yourself for their release?

No. Someone else too.

Nexus too?

The Predacons, especially the vindictive and malicious ones, would have a field day with their arrival. She knew first-hand how Predacons treated their prisoners of war, especially the superior officers. To feel Optimus go through that... She really wanted to tell him not to do it. To not give in, but...she knew deep down. It was the only option. If she was in the same situation, she would do the exact same thing. It was the only way. This wasn't just about them. Comrades were in trouble. They needed to save them one way or the other. Right now, they had no choice but to do this. At least, Optimus did have one advantage. She was going to be there for him. Hopefully, alll their meditation sessions together would help ease the pain and suffering he would endure there.

I would do the same thing. Do what you have to do, Optimus, and we will make sure to do our ardest to get you and Nexus out of there. I promise.

Optimal Optimus Primal wrote:"Yeah, you see what we gotta deal with? As if Optimus under normal functioning ain't difficult enough already," the TransMetal rat teased the mare and glanced at Aurora.

Phoenix wrote:Aurora hesitated, unsure whether to investigate the screams inside the base or follow their strangely acting leader up to the top of the waterfalls. "Maybe we can lure him back.. Did anyone bring bananas?," she suggested, trying to sound more confident than she really felt. Above her she could hear Nexus chuckle lightly at her comment before his large hand finally slipped off her shoulder.

Whitegrazer noticed Aurora's uneasiness and placed her hand on Aurora, "Take deep breaths. It's all okay." She could feel it. She could feel Nemesis's uncertainty. Lost. These feelings didn't come off as anything dangerous but she was worried. The others wouldn't be so kind to her. There was a feeling dread, hoping the situation doesn't become violent on both sides. She must help her.

"Fancy that. I really doubt they're arrival was accidental, too." It was difficult to distinguish if his tone was just agreeing with the Admiral in an irritated voice, or if he was accusing him of knowing more about it than he was letting on. "Come on, we betta make sure our fearless leader isn't flying into a trap." Carrying his gun, he started to jog up to the forest.

She remained silent with Rattrap's statement and raced towards Nemesis. She did agree with Rattrap. Agreed wholeheartedly. She kept her eyes straight ahead to see Nemesis handing something to Optimus. She halted her and kept her distance as to not frighten Nemesis in any shape or form.

"Nemesis."

Whitegrazer kept herself in beast form, but she kept an eye out on Rattrap and the others, including Ironclaw, whom she just spotted there, "It's all right. She isn't here to harm us, are you Nemesis?" She asked the black winged Decepticon turned Predacon gently. Whitegrazer kept her eyes on everyone. She wasn't going tolerate any violence or sign of aggression towards Nemesis unless necessary.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Yes, Blackarachnia, do enlighten us. It is so very important to our research," she said with a wink.

She smiled back at Arachnitron. The smile was the smile of someone who had something up her sleeve, which she did. But right now, she was going to keep silent. She will let Arachnitron figure it out...since she thought she was so slick.

"Now now Arachnitron, we mustn't tease her too badly, after all, she's one of us! Spiders need to stick together, don't we Blackarachnia?" Tarantulas said as he knelt down and grasped her by the chin roughly with his sharp talons, forcing her to look at him straight in the eyes, "Don't we?"

Looking into Tarantulas' optics, she kept the smile, "Soon, there might only be one. But as for right now, I don't think you want to touch me or do anything. IF you do, you might lose some....valuable information." She smiled seductively, "And that's information you are really want so badly, isn't it? Darling."

Then she looked at her powerbonds, before she chuckled, "Torturing me...Interrogating me...I dare you to do it. I wonder how Megatron would react if I die, not telling you anything. You would be the number one target for elimination. " She looked at Arachnitron with the same seductive smile, "You wouldn't be safe either, my dear. I would wondering how long you last being in the crosshairs of Megatron's wrath?"

"So I suggest you release me or I do something that may compromise...your security." She smirked.

You-you are going to trade yourself for their release? Nexus too?

Optimus felt Whitegrazer searching for an explanation as he stood there while dawn gradually progressed. His shiny, blue head lowered in defeat as the answer to her questions. He tried embracing her compassion and understanding but the nanobots and the virus were competing and racing about within him and it was very difficult for him to concentrate on their sparks' connection. At least he knew she was on her way with Rattrap's group, and he longed to see her again. ...Especially if it was for the last time.

I... the same thing. ...have to do, Optimus, and we will make... get you and Nexus... I promise.

He couldn't pick up on everything she was trying to convey but it comforted him nonetheless just to know she was reaching out in that caressing way that she did. He may not have known her entire past and everything that involved TyCross, but who she had become because of it was all he needed.

"My name is Optimus," Primal announced to the alleged stranger in the shadows with a calm voice. "I'm not here to harm you." His head slowly turned until his gaze settled on the sunrise. He grew silent while he took in its beauty and wonder. For all he knew, it could be his last one. And for a moment he forgot why he was even out there. A dangerous thing to do but the planet always had a way of captivating him. It was uniquely different from Cybertron and he adored it. The rising sun's beams of light gleamed and sparkled off of the cleaner, less damaged parts of his chest and face and he embraced the warmth, breathing in the fresh air.

Unlike his reaction to Dinobot approaching him back in the command center, the TransMetal gorilla merely looked down at his foot when a noise caught his attention. He knew he wasn't alone, and judging by the object that landed beside him, he suddenly felt a Predacon presence. This was a trick? And yet, he didn't turn around to face this intruder. There was no fear coming from him. Optimus casually leaned down, slowly picked up the yellow piece of armor as some dirt slid off of it and stood back up straight examining it in the palm of his hand.

"I found this in the forest..,"

Nemesis. He should have known. But why? What was she doing there? Was she alone? Was this all a trap to grab him so they could start collecting more and more Maximals without returning their P.O.W.'s? Her voice suggested otherwise. It was probably the kindest and most vulnerable he had ever heard in her tone. Optimus continued to keep his back to her as he stared at the object in his hand, making no move to reach for any weapons or to attack.

"Figured you wanted it back."

Aerostriker... the Maximal Commander thought with sorrow as his death brought back many others that he had lost under his command so far. Wrapping his fingers around the armor in the middle of his palm, he clenched it tightly and then tighter; so tight that the strength in that hand alone bent the armor plating like putty that once belonged to a Maximal that hadn't survived the war for very long. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, seeing Aerostriker in his mind taking his last breath, and a lonely tear rolled down his blue cheek. "I have come so far through this war with my simple crew of scientists and explorers," Optimus said softly as he opened his eyes again and looked at the sunrise. "Why are you here, Nemesis?" he inquired as he finally turned around to face her, suddenly changing the subject since he didn't expect her to care, and wiping away the tear before lowering his fist to his side that held the piece of Aerostriker. He noticed that she hadn't been holding any weapons to him, and he was taken aback by that. Was she not going to harm him? In his beast mode, Nemesis was considerably taller than him because of his shorter legs, but he was not the least bit intimidated by her presence. He didn't even seem concerned. He wasn't conveying depression, or seeking pity, or giving up on his leadership and existence, rather he was standing there in full confidence with the desire to face his fate head on but there was a quiet stillness to his approach now. Just then, the snapping of an entire tree caught his attention, and he instinctively placed himself between the loud noise and Nemesis since he expected it to be one of his Maximals. But why was this bot being so destructive? Perhaps it was to frighten the enemy and catch her off guard. He relaxed when he saw who it was.

"At ease, Ironclaw," Primal ordered him. He was glad it was him for now he knew he was all right. He needed all of his Maximals to be all right. But then he started to growl and roll his shoulders when his vision began playing tricks on him again. Flashes of the Vok appeared on the badger and the Predacon bird, so he maximized to robot mode, still grasping Aerostriker's piece of armor in one hand and then pulling out the taser with the other. He held it to his side and shocked himself, which probably looked pretty odd to the others especially when the side of his chest under his arm began to glow. Sighing in relief, he didn't notice their reactions when he heard another voice that swiftly stole his attention.

"Nemesis."

Whitegrazer. He couldn't express how happy he was to see her, although his spark pulsated a little quicker in response. And with her, Aurora, Rattrap and Nexus. Putting the taser away, he held up his open palm at them as a signal to halt them and to not attack Nemesis, all the while feeling those itty bitty robots crawling around inside of him.

"I think you're right," "What in the Pitt was that?!,"

Rattrap had turned his head over his shoulder at the Axalon but since Optimus told him to follow them, he didn't think twice to question his orders. Although, under the circumstances, he probably should have.

"Whatever it is, we'll handle it together."

"Probably just one of the others seein' somethin' that ain't really there," he said in his jog, thinking about Rhinox, Orcariner and Saber. And maybe Sonar. Wait, did he care about him? Not really. Unless he had the antidote.

"Maybe we can lure him back.. Did anyone bring bananas?,"

"Just the peels dat I was savin' ta trip the Predajerks back there," Rattrap joked with the ermine/butterfly Fuzor.

"Perhaps we should split up the group," "Some of us can go after Optimus and the rest investigate what's been going on at the base. There's still a bit of commotion going on in there.."

"We stick tagether until we know what's goin' on," the Spy disagreed with the Admiral. If that virus was contagious in any way, he didn't want to risk the others and himself to get it. Optimus knew what was going on so they would just have to ask him for specifics.

Approaching Optimus and Nemesis, Rattrap gasped and held out his gun straight, immediately targeting her. A loud crash nearby in the forest made him jump but as skilled as he was, he didn't pull his trigger in the surprised moment. He did, however stop in his tracks until he saw Ironclaw emerge from the forest. What the heck was going on here?

"It's all right. She isn't here to harm us, are you Nemesis?"

"Did all of you suddenly go brain-dead?" he asked when Whitegrazer spoke up and Primal motioned them to stand down. He wasn't going to fall for it, so he kept his weapon trained on the Predacon, steady and calm. "She ain't here ta make friends," he pointed out.

Optimus didn't say anything. He waited for Nemesis to answer his question, but time was of the essence. And he needed to speak with Nexus as well.

Rhinox wrote:"Orcariner? It's me, Rhinox. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

The words were muffled at best, but Orcariner could easily recognize the voice.

"Rhinox? Is that really you?"

The orca continued to keep his optics shut. Whatever hallucinogen was plaguing him, it was powerful enough to overwhelm his senses. He figured that if he had minimized the number of sensations that he was experiencing, then perhaps he could successfully climb out of this nightmarish world. He was able to hear the sound of the real world again, although it was heavily tangled with this dark fantasy that he was experiencing.

"If that's really you. I can't understand what you're saying... not really anyhow. I think I'm hallucinating. I'm in a jungle island far from the Axalon. I'm surrounded by... by our deceased crew members."

Orcariner did not know why he was describing everything he had seen, but at least it made him feel better. It was as if by talking about this vision, he was able to lighten its burden over him. Either that, or perhaps Rhinox could somehow find a solution to make it all go away.

OOC: It is edited. Sorry for the confusion. I thought he was still out in the hall with the others. Must have skipped that part when I was speed reading through the posts to get caught up.

BIC:

When Dinobot emerged into the Command Center, Optimus jumped at the sound of his footsteps in a way that he had never seen the Maximal leader react. Optimus was usually calm and confident, but he seemed to be easily startled at this moment. The commander raised his weapon at Dinobot in response to his sudden presence. Dinobot raised his arms in surrender surprised by the reaction. He wasn't usually one to be startled himself, but the strange reaction from Optimus caught the raptor off guard.

As Optimus recognized Dinobot and put away his weapons, Dinobot took a moment to study the ape's face to figure out why he was acting so strangely. Suddenly, Rhinox entered the room climbing up from the lift. With his large size, Dinobot realized Rhinox had to have been the one who jumped down the lift before.

"I'm sorry, Optimus. Saber-Fang took off into the darkness," he explained as he approached them, almost on his tip toes as he tried keeping his balance.

Shaking his head in disappointment, Primal said, "She may be better off out there until we can find an antidote for this." She would have plenty of space to roam, after all, and to deal with her hallucinations without harming anyone in case her beast would show itself once more.

"Optimus, what is going on?" Dinobot asked hesitantly lowering his arms now that all the weapons were back where they belonged. "Antidote for what?" he asked himself silently.

It was at that moment that he heard a scream from the corridor outside the command center.

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT FROM ME! I DON'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION THAT COULD BE OF USE TO YOU!"

Dinobot was sure the voice belonged to Sonar and seconds later, Optimus confirmed his suspicion.

"Dinobot, see to Sonar and take him back to the brig before he hurts himself or one of us. But be careful!" he pointed out with more enthusiasm than was needed. "He set loose this hallucinogen and we don't know all of its effects and parameters yet."

So that was it.... some sort of hallucinogenic virus. No wonder Optimus had been so jumpy and the other Maximals had been shouting and yelling before. He could only imagine what sort of horrors he had been hallucinating when Dinobot approached him.

Again, he wanted to protest Optimus' choice about getting the prisoners back, but he held his tongue. He normally disagreed with prisoner exchanges as they were a waste of time. They normally had Predacon prisoners to exchange for Maximal ones and he usually believed it was to their benefit to get their teammates back without the courtesy of returning the Predacon POWs. This time was different. Instead of wanting Sonar back, Megatron was going to take two Maximals and exchange them for the Maximals he already had. Clearly, the Predacon leader had some sort of information he needed from the Maximal leader and the newest Maximal that he had yet to meet. Dinobot had only seen him for a few moments before putting himself in the CR chamber earlier. Normally, he would have voiced the opinion that they should attack while Megatron was expecting a peaceful exchange, but if Optimus was infected with some sort of virus, it may be worthwhile to allow this exchange to happen so as to infect the Predacons with it. Although, was this something Sonar did on his own or was Megatron aware of the virus? That would certainly changed how this would play out.

Dinobot nodded to his commander. "Go forth with caution, Optimus. I fear this may be some sort of trap," he warned him.

Dimobot left the bridge to go deal with Sonar. Sonar, he realized, must have been infected as well. He was writhing on the floor in pain screaming. This was not normal behavior for the Predacon bat; in fact, he almost never saw Sonar let down his guard about anything. He was always smug, cold, and calculating....never without a plan....but now? He was scared and pitiful. What was the Predacon seeing? But more importantly.....was this virus contagious? Dinobot wondered if he was being exposed to the virus just by being in the same room as the Predacon. He hoped not to expose himself to it....his commander needed someone to remain lucid. He must be careful.

To avoid touching Sonar and coming into any other kind of contact with him, Dinobot decided it'd be best to have Sonar walk himself to his cell in the brig. Dinobot raised his weapon and pointed it at the bat.

"Get up," he commanded keeping his weapon on the bat....

OOC: Will stop there and wait for a response from Sonar. Waiting on Darkspark before I post for Arachnitron and waiting on NK and Starshadow before I post for Inferno.

Sonar stopped thrashing around on the floor a moment later as his torturer removed the scraplet. He was now panting heavily, his optics clouded with pain after being used as a chew toy.

"Get up."

Like before Sonar heard something completely different, his optics widened when saw Dinobot's sword. But it was neither Dinobot nor the sword that he saw.

He quickly sat up and back peddled away from Dinobot/tormentor and into the hallway that lead to the brig while still believing he was chained to a wall.