The Intergalactic Highway

((OOC: I meant to get this post in a bit earlier today but it was long day, sorry. Well here you go. I put in a quote at the very end there. I felt it was a bit appropriate. This battle is about to get a lot more interesting ))

All around Night Terror, the battle was was raging. Using Dirge as cover, he continued to fire on Dinobot and Rattrap. Laughing all the while. They had taken cover behind a group of rocks.

He took a brief moment to glance around the battlefield. Terrorsaur was taking the prisoner out of the line of fire. Landslide spraying the area with suppressing fire. He need to be taken down quickly for the Predacon forces to act effectively. Night Terror turn back to his minion.

"Dirge, destroy that cover those vermin are hiding behind, then I need you to take out that oversize beetle so we can-" Night Terror never got to finish giving his orders to his minion.

Being slammed to the ground, Night Terror to look up and see a Maximal pinning him to the ground. Instead, there stood Megatron. There was not very many times in Night Terror's life that he had been stunned, but this was one. He watched as Megatron began to halt the battle. He looked on in horror as his troops began to obeyed and the Predacons lost the initiative.

Megatron said: "THERE SHALL BE NO GLORY FOR YOU TODAY, GRUNT!!!"

Night Terror's expression changed from shock, into a viscous snarl. All he kept hearing was Megatron's words echoing in his head. Grunt. Megatron had use this term on him before. He let it slide then, but now in the midst of battle...

No. Night Terror would not stand for that. I am a Predacon lord! I was a chief adviser to the Tripedacus Council! And this thief presumes to order me! He had not originally wanted to use this plan, but now the Tyrant had left him no choice. He took out the vial, that Zodiac had given him. Night Terror just kept staring up at Megatron. He smashed the vial against Megatron's leg, releasing the virus.

"I can no longer obey; I have tasted command, and I cannot give it up."

We are going to get you outta here. Soon. Soon.

Optimus withdrew his damaged arm, limply laying into her embrace, nodding lightly at the mare in their bond as it wavered. I am weary... I need rest... I need rest, he repeated in a soft, exasperated voice.

"Ironclaw! No!"

"Not so fast! One more Maximal walks over here and I WILL shoot!"

The Maximal Spy-turned acting Commander glanced to his side when Arachnitron shouted her threat because of Dinobot's approach. What was he doing? Didn't anyone ever listen to him?

"Shoot, and I WILL destroy the disk!"

Rattrap held the disk tightly in his little hand, and then suddenly gasped when Ironclaw recklessly moved forward into the Predacons that were surrounding their mangled leader. Quickly, he hugged his arms around the gold disk that was still in his grasp to protect it before he could safely slide it back into his subspace while he took a few steps backward away from the battle that was about to begin. The only success he witnessed so far was the badger injecting Optimus with the antidote for the virus, but he did it quite harshly. Seeing the newer Predacon take on Ironclaw, Rattrap drew his weapon as Dinobot had and aimed at the Predacons until he felt the ground underneath his feet tremble. Looking down, he was puzzled at first before he recalled that Inferno had been missing from the group and that he was an ant. Ants dig. Usually they saw Inferno flying around during these events because flight was a huge advantage, but this whole time Megatron had him hiding under ground! That slagging, cheating, liar! But it wasn't Inferno who he saw first erupt from the earth like a volcano...

"DIIRRGGE!!"

"WHAT?!"

That.. is one big grub.

Dirge? Who the heck was Dirge? Rattrap watched everything unfold in slow motion, dirt and rocks spewing everywhere into the air. He assumed this Dirge guy was the one who arrived with the other newbie, both of whom Nexus had had a friendly chat with when they went to investigate their ship. At any rate, this guy sure was ugly. Wow, was he ugly! And enormous. How did these guys, whose beast modes were selected from such small creatures, manage to acquire such huge bodies and robot modes? Where did they fit everything? Well, despite Rattrap being vertically challenged, it made him quicker and a smaller target to hit, which was about to prove useful, but not before both the rodent and the velociraptor fired off a few shots at Dirge and the other new Pred who were tag-teaming against Ironclaw. He ceased fire when he watched in awe as the ugly bug's armor changed to mimic Ironclaw's - did he have nanobot tech, too?? - and then looked onward in horror as the new bat Pred attacked dishonorably by stabbing his sword into the badger's back. Even though Rattrap hadn't care much for Ironclaw's behavior ever since he met him, and how little he obeyed orders (more so than Rattrap) he still needed Ironclaw to help with Optimus, and he refused to let any Maximals die here and now! The two Preda-scumbags were annihilating the TransMetal honey badger, and there wasn't much Rattrap could do.

"Well done. Now destroy the rest! Kill all the Maximals! For the glory of the Predacons!"

Who the heck was in charge here?! This jerk, or Megajerk?! Rattrap leaped backwards away from the laser beam, more gracefully than Dinobot had, as it blew across the ground in front of them, spitting up a wall of debris that gravity quickly yanked back down. He tried keeping an eye on Optimus, but during the fiasco Terrorsaur had lifted him up into the air out of the way of the chaos. A shocking maneuver by the metal beak dork, to say the least. Or maybe this disk truly meant a lot to Megatron, more than the satisfaction he would get by finally defeating Primal, which made Rattrap wonder what exactly was on it that was so valuable to him. He simply kept the gold disk safe because it was his only means of getting the monkey back alive.

"Don't thank me yet"

Speaking of the ape, Primal had cringed at the syringe that Ironclaw had brutally administered directly into his already beaten chest, but it didn't take long until he started feeling its effects. There was a deep warmth that swiftly flooded throughout his body, the cure aggressively overtaking the virus, crushing the awful voice that had been overwhelming in his mind. As he laid there with the antidote doing its thing, thanks to Aurora and Ironclaw, his systems were having a difficult time depicting what was going on around him. His one optic tried focusing on what he could see from his back, which wasn't much, and his audio sensors were frantically trying to keep up with the voices and all of the noises from the gunfire before he was abruptly lifted into the air with Terrorsaur in control of the hovering platform.

"Are you slagging nuts?!"

I'm coming, I'm coming, Optimus! You are coming home with us. I made a promise to bring you home. I'm going to keep it.

Optimus feared this might be the end, whatever had happened that caused Terrorsaur to abruptly lift him vertically into the sky, but he knew Ironclaw and Landslide were still nearby. And Whitegrazer. She was very close, but he could barely hang on. His consciousness faded in and out.

"Hope whatever he jabbed you with was worth it Primal, cuz if your pal keeps this up a little booster shot isn't going to help you much in the long run"

The Maximal Commander wanted to smile, feeling the cure working inside and finally easing his mental instability, but his physical pain maintained his wary appearance.

Ahhhh!!!

For a quick moment, Rattrap watched Waspinator get fried by Landslide and plummet to the ground. Typical. Even as a TransMetal, Waspy was still the weakest link.

"Inferno, you fool!"

Suddenly, Rattrap's attention was diverted to Inferno's rocket slamming into the beetle's chest after the red ant shimmied his way out of the dirt and joined the fray, Megatron's voice bellowing after his disobedience. For once, Megatron's glorious, well-thought-out plan was crumbling apart right before his eyes. What goes around comes around. The rodent wished he could have savored the moment longer.

"You will stay put and not add to this chaos! I WILL HAVE ORDER!"

Wow. Ol' Grape Face was furious. And he was actually trying to stop the fight...? How bizarre...

"Rattrap," "This is useless. Come with me and we'll get the last disk to safety! The Predacons want the disk! They'll follow us and the others can focus on getting Optimus back! But we must do something or the Predacons will over take us and they'll end up with both disks AND Optimus still as their prisoner!"

"Dirge, destroy that cover those vermin are hiding behind, then I need you to take out that oversize beetle so we can-"

"THERE SHALL BE NO GLORY FOR YOU TODAY, GRUNT!!!"

As Dinobot pulled on Rattrap to escape the wild gunfire, the rat yanked himself out of his grasp and stopped in his tracks, looking back at Megatron who had just tackled the new Pred. Although what Dinobot had suggested had it perks, this was a sight to see. "Wait," he told the warrior calmly, while his index finger thoughtfully stroked the trigger on his gun at his side. He wasn't sure who or what the raptor was trying to protect. Himself? The disk? Surely he didn't care for the vermin's life. But maybe they could get this fight under control and this transaction back on track after its horrifying derailment.

"CEASEFIRE! ALL OF YOU! CEASEFIRE! ALL PREDACONS STAND DOWN NOW OR ELSE FACE MY JUDGEMENT! I, MEGATRON, COMMAND IT!"

Man, he was so high on himself. But did Rattrap's audio receptors deceive him? Was Megatron actually calling for a ceasefire from his own ruthless Predacons?

"Get.. Optimus.. out.. of.. there!,"

Rattrap glanced over his shoulder at Nexus crying out for Primal's rescue, glaring at him for a moment under suspicion but motioned him to stay behind the boulders and to stay put.

"You too maximals! You ceasefire as well and I will honor our original agreement and hand you Primal in exchange for the last disk! And then depart immediately from this wretched place to return home and inflict punishment upon those responsible for this...This...This...BAD COMEDY"

The t-rex had finally snapped. Was he really fed up with this already? The Spy guessed so since his whole surprise ambush had been thwarted and he still didn't have the other disk. Although Rattrap had no reason to trust Megatron after the enlightenment he had just been given by the opposing leader's true intentions, he sensed the urgency in his voice and it sounded authentic. Still, he hesitated to give an official ceasefire order to his Maximals.

"Megatron, you can't be ser..."

"Get down here NOW"

"Better... do as he says... Terrorsaur," Optimus muttered, re-enforcing the bird's insignificant rank. Even if he could show a smidgen of a grin, no one could probably see it from his swollen and torn mouth. He then felt the platform being slowly lowered back to the ground.

Meanwhile, from the ground, Rattrap watched Terrorsaur and Inferno return to the same plane, relieved that they hadn't tilted it to allow his fearless leader roll off and fall flat on his already broken face. As they returned to the ground, Rattrap motioned with his free hand to Landslide to follow them down. "Cease fire, you guys," he finally ordered the Maximals.

"I think for once we can all honestly agree we just want to get this over with and go home already, so what do you say maximals? I shall send Terrorsaur over with Primal and you can send Whitegrazer over with the disk. He knows better than to cross me as my new recruits have and she cares for the damn ape too much to risk his spark further than the badger already has, agreed?"

The Spy gestured Whitegrazer to stay put. "And I know better than ta risk someone else's life whose 'secret' you know," not that it was ever a secret but the Preds were too dumb to notice it sooner. Did Megs really think he was foolish enough to let him get a clear shot of the mare like that when he knew that they knew about her Empath ability now and the fact that she and Optimus were a couple? He sure as heck wasn't going to make Whitegrazer such an easy target when they were about to get Primal back only to lose her in the process. "So I'll hand over the disk as was originally planned," Rattrap emphasized at Megatron. He didn't move, however, nor did he bring out the disk again; he kept it hidden in his subspace. He didn't trust him... or Dinobot at this time. "And since dis whole shenanigan of deception of yers didn't work out, you're gonna hand over Optimus first. As was originally discussed," he glared at the Predacon overlord.

"I can no longer obey; I have tasted command, and I cannot give it up."

Rattrap's gaze shifted at the new Pred who suddenly smashed something against the leader's leg. His optics widened. Was that...? Was that the virus? Or another virus? For bootin' up cold, they couldn't go through that again. Forzen for the moment, he watched in a panic for Megatron's reaction.

-----

On it Big green!

FROM RHINOX: Rattrap, reinforcements on the way. END TEXT, the rhinoceros alerted him.

Well, that made the rat feel better but now they may not need them.

Rhinox's attention went back to Nemesis, watching her shuffle a little as she stood there uncomfortably, and she remained quiet a little longer while her gaze stared into the room. He wondered what she was thinking, obviously carefully choosing her words.

"They were mercenaries assigned with the task of bringing back a rogue soldier."

The scientist remained quiet, filtering through his own thoughts now. It seemed to him that these "mercenaries" didn't want their experiment to escape. Perhaps they had realized how dangerous or unpredictable someone with Nemesis's capabilities could be. But maybe she wouldn't have been so "dangerous" had she been treated better.

"The ship was of an experimental new fighter class, so they should have had the advantage. It had some of the most advanced weaponry and equipment to date, virtually undetectable until they opened fire on you."

On the other hand, maybe it was a simple game of cat and mouse. Nemesis could have been the perfect subject to test their new vessel on considering her new abilities at the time.

"But they must have been new recruits.. They made mistakes, errors in judgement. I managed to get in enough shots to ignite their fuel tanks. Their fate was sealed at that time, and as was mine I suppose."

And perhaps they had underestimated her. Good on her. No one should be hunted and taunted like that. Rhinox would have liked to have known the names of the crew members, and the name of the ship, but he had a feeling that information would've been under lock-and-key a long time ago, never to resurface for the public eye. ...Just like the Axalon's secret cargo that was on board until Optimus had ordered the departure of all the pods into Earth's orbit which then were forced to fall onto the planet's surface thanks to the Vok. Maintaining his silence, clearly distracted by his own mind, he gave her a break and stopped questioning her despite his curiosity. For now.

OOC: Okay, this one was a doozy for me, was feeling down the other night but this post quickly made things interesting for me again despite the ambush not working out as planned. I kinda hope Megs can engineer the cure relatively quickly though because I'm already a bit bummed by how badly the ambush went & unlike OOP, I have NO IDEA how long I can keep the "mind trip" stuff going, but, for now, hope you guys enjoy.

P.S. lemme know if crushing Night Terror's head isn't okay Admiral, but to be honest, Megatron has every reason to KILL Night Terror after the way he's acted, more blatantly out of control treacherous than Terrorsaur, so a boot to the head to keep him out of trouble until they can get back to base is pretty merciful of Megs at this point. I can edit it out if its necessary though...I recommend Night Terror start thinking up ways to persuade Megs to spare him because I honestly can't think of anything myself lol.

OOP wrote: "Better... do as he says... Terrorsaur," Optimus muttered, re-enforcing the bird's insignificant rank. Even if he could show a smidgen of a grin, no one could probably see it from his swollen and torn mouth. He then felt the platform being slowly lowered back to the ground.
Meanwhile, from the ground, Rattrap watched Terrorsaur and Inferno return to the same plane, relieved that they hadn't tilted it to allow his fearless leader roll off and fall flat on his already broken face. As they returned to the ground, Rattrap motioned with his free hand to Landslide to follow them down. "Cease fire, you guys," he finally ordered the Maximals.

"Don't talk back to me you damn dirty..." Terrorsaur began to retort furiously, eyebeams charging to shoot Primal until Megatron coldly said "Do I need to plan three executions today, Terrorsaur?," the tyrant no doubt referring to his plans for Dirge and Night Terror.

"Gulp, no Sir" Terrorsaur replied dejectedly as he powered down his optic weapons and awaited further orders, chewing on his lower lip angrily til it bled.

OOP wrote: The Spy gestured Whitegrazer to stay put. "And I know better than ta risk someone else's life whose 'secret' you know," not that it was ever a secret but the Preds were too dumb to notice it sooner. Did Megs really think he was foolish enough to let him get a clear shot of the mare like that when he knew that they knew about her Empath ability now and the fact that she and Optimus were a couple? He sure as heck wasn't going to make Whitegrazer such an easy target when they were about to get Primal back only to lose her in the process. "So I'll hand over the disk as was originally planned," Rattrap emphasized at Megatron. He didn't move, however, nor did he bring out the disk again; he kept it hidden in his subspace. He didn't trust him... or Dinobot at this time. "And since dis whole shenanigan of deception of yers didn't work out, you're gonna hand over Optimus first. As was originally discussed," he glared at the Predacon overlord.

Megatron glowered at the rodent, imagining how he'd look splattered across the landscape, but controlled his bloodlust, something he wished his useless troops knew how to do without having to be told how to do it, and said "No. We do this at the same time, your side struck first mammal, so you cannot take the moral high-ground anymore than I can. We do this at the same time and both go home, you bring me the disk and I'll personally give you the ape, even trade. Terrorsaur, bring me Primal."

Megatron wanted this over with now, the sooner the better, his own troops had already made a mockery of his plans, he wouldn't allow the rat to seize anymore control of the situation than he already had. Terrorsaur carried Primal off of the platform and brought him over to Megatron, who in turn slung Primal over his shoulder, leaving his gunarm free to grasp the disk and defend himself if necessary.

AdmiralGrim wrote:
Night Terror's expression changed from shock, into a viscous snarl. All he kept hearing was Megatron's words echoing in his head. Grunt. Megatron had use this term on him before. He let it slide then, but now in the midst of battle...
No. Night Terror would not stand for that. I am a Predacon lord! I was a chief adviser to the Tripedacus Council! And this thief presumes to order me! He had not originally wanted to use this plan, but now the Tyrant had left him no choice. He took out the vial, that Zodiac had given him. Night Terror just kept staring up at Megatron. He smashed the vial against Megatron's leg, releasing the virus.
"I can no longer obey; I have tasted command, and I cannot give it up."

Megatron saw red as the fool he'd already scheduled for death once they got home shattered a vial of Primus knew what all over his leg, as if he had not already signed his own death warrant with the tyrant already.

"Taste humility" Megatron growled, savoring the look of shock in Night Terror's eyes as the tyrant brought his foot, the very same one the traitor had splattered in the first place, down on top of him of his chest, leaving a massive dent that no doubt felt more than a little uncomfortable against his spark chamber.

Granted, the fool would survive if rushed to a CR Tank quickly enough & so long as no one inflicted additional damage to him in the mean time, but the nature of his rather serious injury would mean Night Terror could no longer endanger Megatron's plans anymore than he already had. Unfortunately, there was still the matter of what he'd been splashed with, the tyrant expecting to feel the effects of cybervenom assaulting his system, or acid eating through his exostructure, instead he felt...Strange...Uneasy even, and not just because the disks were in danger and his ambush had failed...Something was wrong with him, but he couldn't afford to let whatever was afflicting him to interfere with his plans further, nnnooo, the fate of Cybertron and his people were at stake...

"Yes Mighty Megatron, you just keep telling yourself that" spoke a raspy, taunting voice inside his mind, "You tell yourself whatever you need to hear to make you feel better about yourself. You're doing it for your people! For Cybertron! I told myself that all the time, and how far that mindset took me?"

Megatron's optics widened in a mix of anger and surprise, recognizing the voice despite all commonsense telling him it could not be him.

"You again...." Megatron replied to the specter haunting him, who finally manifested before him as he answered "Yes, here I am! At very long last!"

"Starscream" Megatron growled, continuing to not speak aloud despite the alarming appearance of the Ghost of Starscream, the most notorious traitor in decepticon history, and an annoying relic of the past who once inconvenienced him before getting himself killed and banished to deep space, again.

"That's my name don't wear it out! AHAHAHAHA!" Starscream jeered, appearing in his original form, towering over Megatron, a true giant compared to modern cybertronians, "What? Is that all you have to say Mighty Megatron? Aren't you glad to see me? Your namesake would have at LEAST given me a proper greeting...Hey, where are you going? I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU!"

"I don't have time for this, go haunt the Widow, she's the one who killed you after all, even your primitive processor should be able to recollect that" Megatron retorted coldly, forcing himself to walk right under the decepticon giant as if he wasn't even there, repeating to himself over and over again that he wasn't there, he wasn't real, all the signs pointed towards that absolute truth.

Starscream was dead, Blackarachnia destroyed him, his immortal spark had been cast to the stars without a vessel to hold it, wandering time and space helplessly, he could not appear before him now in his original form, and putting all that aside, no one else was reacting to him, so clearly, it was all in his mind...Yessss...This was a trick, an over the top but obvious trick, something was wrong with him but he would not let it stand between him and his victory!

"Indeed, victory is all that matters in the end, no matter who or what must be sacrificed to achieve it, even one's very spark if need be" spoke a deeper, far more threatening voice.

"You...No...No no no! NOT AGAIN! YOU CAN'T BE HERE! YOU CAN'T BE..." Starscream began to, well, scream in panic before suddenly being blown away with a single shot of a absolutely devastating weapon, one that made even Megatron stare in awe and envy at its destructive power as it reduced the legendary Seeker into a pile of cosmic dust, quickly swept away by the wind.

The owner of the weapon, standing proudly over where the maximals now stood, still strangely oblivious to the presence of giants among them, blew on the tip of his weapon like an gunslinger of the old west, before saying "I swear, killing him never gets old. But you know all about the joys of executing traitors to your noble cause, don't you Little Tyrant? You who would claim the name I discarded in favor of one more befitting my regal bearing."

"Galvatron" Megatron whispered in awe and admiration of he who was considered by many to be the second greatest leader of the decepticons, hindered in his greatness only by the madness that beset him during his reign.

"Yes, boy, say it again if it makes you feel better, GALVATRON" the crowned phantom replied smugly, before adding "Well? Aren't you here for a reason? Don't you have a prize to claim? Or are you truly yet another in a long line of pretenders who've tried to follow in my footsteps, all words and no action, hm?"

Megatron remained silent this time, the appearance of Galvatron having a much stronger affect on him than the likes of Starscream...But regardless, he concentrated on the task at hand and trudged onwards, one step at a time, approaching the rat as quickly as he could without looking weak or desperate, even if he did want more than anything to get this over with so he could deal with whatever was afflicting him, conjuring up these specters of leaders past.

OOP wrote: Rattrap's gaze shifted at the new Pred who suddenly smashed something against the leader's leg. His optics widened. Was that...? Was that the virus? Or another virus? For bootin' up cold, they couldn't go through that again. Forzen for the moment, he watched in a panic for Megatron's reaction.

With a stony, serious look of determination on his face, Megatron said "You better have my disk ready by the time I reach you rodent, enough of my time has been wasted this day."

Galvatron, or at least the figment who claimed to be him, let out a hearty laugh at Megatron's words, arms folded across his chest as he beheld the proceedings and said "Well said Little Tyrant, well said. You may live up to my expectations of you yet...Assuming you don't foul this up anymore than you already have."

Megatron kept silent, ignoring Galvatron's words and trying his damnedest to focus on the task at hand, returning Primal to the maximals so he could have his disk back and leave, that was all that mattered, not the words or opinions of a dead decepticon despot.

"You'd be wise to heed and fear the word of Galvatron, Little Tyrant, I am not one to be taken lightly" Galvatron warned, ruby optics narrowed in judgement of the predacon leader standing so far below his terrifying gaze.

"Nor am I" Megatron whispered to himself and the ghost as he continued his march, carrying Primal all the while without giving him a second glance.

( Ho boy. While technically.. yes, smashing the head would more then likely destroy the brain module and kill the transformer.. As the Brain module, spark, and T cog are the most important bits.. I think we'll overlook that issue if he gets repaired, either via CR chamber or if Zodiac decides he still needs to keep Night Terror around to control Dirge.. since I assume he can probably use nanomachines to repair objects or others. As for keeping Night Terror around after, I can think of something..

As for Dirge and Nanomachines.. there's nothing in his profile saying he is made of Nanomachines, I assume it was merely a description on his transformation as it sounded similar to how bayformer style transformations happened in the movies with the shifting plates of metal here and there.)

Blackarachnia wrote:"Take a look at this.""Someone is going to have a beating when they return."

Quickstrike peeked his Snake head out observing, his Scorpion head giving a light chuckle watching the chaos.

________________________________

Landslide fired onto the Predacons in a scene almost like out of a bad action film with a small pile of empty shells forming at his feet as he then suddenly heard with surprise over the sound of his own gunfire Megatron screaming.

Megatron wrote: CEASEFIRE! ALL OF YOU! CEASEFIRE! ALL PREDACONS STAND DOWN NOW OR ELSE FACE MY JUDGEMENT! I, MEGATRON, COMMAND IT!"

You too maximals! You ceasefire as well and I will honor our original agreement and hand you Primal in exchange for the last disk! And then depart immediately from this wretched place to take my precious cargo home and inflict punishment upon those responsible for this...This...This...BAD COMEDY"

Rattrap wrote:"Cease fire, you guys,"

Megatron wrote: I think for once we can all honestly agree we just want to get this over with and go home already, so what do you say maximals? I shall send Terrorsaur over with Primal and you can send Whitegrazer over with the disk. He knows better than to cross me as my new recruits have and she cares for the damn ape too much to risk his spark further than the badger already has, agreed?"

Landslide stopped firing, the barrels of his guns showing a light red glow at the end as they spun down with smoke and steam pouring from the barrels, his wings and back closing, he turned as he noticed Whitegrazer touching his arm, then sidestepped and turned looking at Ironclaw. Looks like yer holdin' up lad.

While Landslide would like to repair Ironclaw's damage, he simply didn't have the opportunity at the moment, the situation was far too dangerous and Landslide's own role was spread between protecting his allies, and carrying Optimus and Nexus back.

Night Terror wrote: "Dirge, destroy that cover those vermin are hiding behind, then I need you to take out that oversize beetle so we can-"

Hearing Night Terror speak again, Landslide stepped forward slightly raising his sword in a mid guard with both hands on the chainsword's hilt, only to then hear Night Terror interrupted.

Megatron wrote: "THERE SHALL BE NO GLORY FOR YOU TODAY, GRUNT!!!"

Night Terror wrote: I am a Predacon lord! I was a chief adviser to the Tripedacus Council! And this thief presumes to order me!"I can no longer obey; I have tasted command, and I cannot give it up."

Landslide's optics widen slightly under his strange visor as Night terror broke the vial on Megatron's leg. More of this virus? He didn't have much of the cure left, and wasn't sure if more could be produced with Aurora in the CR chamber.. even worse, he wasn't sure what to do if he became infected.. his armor plating was too thick for the needle to break, the only soft spots on his body that was accessible being his tongue.. He may need to contact Rhinox for advice..

_______________________

Banshee wrote:"Cheetor, I have a very bad feeling about the exchange. We should get there as soon as possible."

Cheetor nodded I think so too.. he responded, his jets accelerating, but still trying to allow Banshee to keep up with his flight speed. He could only hope nothing bad had happened.

(I like the way you left it Whitegrazer, it inspired me!)

Ironclaw looked up to see Inferno take aim upon him. He opened fire on him and although Landslide dropped from the sky to intercept the rockets, one got by him and came hurtling towards the badger. He threw himself to one side landing on all fours. The impact of the rocket was still close enough to feel, the debris ricocheting off his armour. No one asked him to interfere but there were a lot of Predacons around so his presence did provide the right distraction for Ironclaw to carry on with his mission. He looked up only to be suddenly supported by Whitegrazer.

Dirge was scanning the battlefield in his turret mode when Megatron started to bark orders across the ranks. At this point he had actually stopped firing looking to acquire his next target. He did see a very large target come into visual range, ripe for a blast to the rear. However his circuitry became distressed when Megatron assaulted his master, pinning him to the ground and threatening him. He just paused, unsure what his next action should be. Most of the time he did not have to make decisions like these, he was simply told what to do or followed very strict instructions. He started to get peppered by Maximal small arms fire so he transformed anyway. By this time Night terror had injected him with the virus. Even though his priority was to aid his master his eye had spotted an opportunity. He did the math' and decided to multi-task. Marching forwards he put his arm out to ATTEMPT to pull Megatron off his true commanding officer. Dirge carried on marching, the one eye focussed on the badger being helped by a female Maximal. He primed his arm cannon and fired a blast at them.

Once Ironclaw was aware of who was helping him he looked at her with disgust. His eyes narrowed but he looked round behind the two of them and saw the energy blast coming towards them. The badger instinctively pushed Whitegrazer away from him thus causing him to push himself away, leaving them both on the floor. However the blast missed them and travelled towards Landslide. Ironclaw grunted a little, thinking that he had spent too much time on the floor in this battle. His hands were pressed against the ground. He could feel vibrations trembling, one after the other like foot steps. Looking over he saw it, that thing was marching upon him. He got up on one knee and looked over again. The giant wasn't coming for him, he realized its gaze was set on Whitegrazer. He hadn't anticipated this, his eyes went from Optimus to Whitegrazer as the big Predacon moved ever closer. There was a decision to make and there was a choice he didn't like.

Dirge stomped closer to his prey, seeing her struggle on the floor. When he got close, he loomed over her and the red light from his eye illuminated her. His arm raised up to crush her, to deal the killing blow. The fist came crashing down only to suddenly halt.

Ironclaw had run over and was currently holding Dirge at bay. He was strong, the badger gritted his teeth and planted his back into the ground as he was pushed downwards.

(If you have any problems with that Whitegrazer just say, to me, please)

(ooc: Great post, Mystrea! )

Nemesis briefly shifted her gaze to Rhinox, studying the contours of his face and more importantly.. his eyes. She was pleased to see that he seemed to be taking her words to heart. He was still curious, of that she was certain, but to her relief he didn't push her. The avian female maintained eye contact for a few moments longer, letting the silence between them linger. There was a certain comfort in it, honestly, a distinct sense of understanding and perhaps even mutual respect. The rhinoceros had certain traits in common with Optimus, and his ability to just listen was one of them. However now that he'd gone quiet, Nemesis did the same, unsure of how to break the silence between them.

She turned away, in the process bumping one leg against the chain around her ankle that the rodent had placed there earlier. She'd almost forgotten it was there for a while, although she still had not gotten the privacy she needed to try to remove it. Looked like she still had to wait a bit. Perhaps once Optimus had been returned and the Maximals were all too busy with him..

Nexus' severely damaged face stared on in silence as Megatron finally snapped at Night Terror, using his large foot to seriously dent and even crush part of the bat's armor, but not before his crew member had crushed the small vial against the tyrant's leg. The pretender's face remained neutral through it all, not revealing of any emotion at all. Of course on the inside he was amused, knowing full well that now Megatron and anyone close enough to him to be exposed to the virus would soon be reduced to terrified shells of their former selves. The timing wasn't perfect, of course, the effects would have been more stronger if it had taken place indoors in a less ventilated area. But that hardly mattered. It would still expose and spread among the Predacons, soon rendering them helpless.

To sweeten the deal, should Megatron somehow figure out a way to rid himself of the virus, there was nothing implicating Zodiac had anything to do with it. He could merely feign innocence, letting Night Terror take the blame. Not that he believed this would even become an issue. Megatron had been exposed to the full dose up close so he was no doubt already starting to feel its effects. And those effects would just worsen as time progressed..

In the midst of the chaos, he had lost sight of Optimus so his fate remained a mystery for the time being. He had seen the large Maximal storm over there, stabbing him with something, but the fight that had started afterwards had caused him to lose track of his intended target.

And as things were, this little cease fire between the two teams was barely holding up. Megatron appeared to be holding his own, even though his changing facial expressions revealed that not all was well for the Predacon commander. The pretender turned his attention fully to Megatron instead, interested to see how this would play out. He had no doubt that Night Terror would survive the onslaught, if a little shaken up by the experience, which was definitely helpful for his cause. Without the council adviser, there would be nobody to restrain Dirge. And unintelligent as the giant worm was, even Zodiac had to admit that he was capable of inflicting harm.

Of course there were ways around that, yes, but in order to keep this operation running with as flawlessly as possible he'd rather keep his loyal companion around. Night Terror hadn't failed him yet, after all.

Whitegrazer was glad that the voice was gone. Thanks to Ironclaw's move despite her disagreement over his actions.Not forever, though. The virus may be gone, but it wasn't over yet. It would always be there. Everyone always had a voice that perked up now and then. A voice that wanted to hurt, to make deplorable people pay for their actions towards loved ones or themselves, to kill.... But it was a voice that could be ignored. Ignored by the conscience of oneself, the balance of reason. Balance of light and dark, order and chaos that laid in everyone and everything in life. She could feel the exhaustion radiating from Optimus. She felt the wariness of everything. He had been through a lot for the few past days.

Optimal Optimus Primal wrote: I am weary... I need rest... I need rest

Optimal Optimus Primal wrote:"And I know better than ta risk someone else's life whose 'secret' you know," "So I'll hand over the disk as was originally planned," Rattrap emphasized at Megatron. He didn't move, however, nor did he bring out the disk again; he kept it hidden in his subspace. He didn't trust him... or Dinobot at this time. "And since dis whole shenanigan of deception of yers didn't work out, you're gonna hand over Optimus first. As was originally discussed,"

She didn't really care for her well-being. She cared about everyone else's. But before she decided to walk towards Rattrap, she obeyed his order to stay. Through Optimus and her bond, which was now greater than ever, she could see the green meadow again. Yes, it still carried the pain, the cracks, the dampness left of horror and torment. The weather stopped beating against the green grass and the bald spots of dirt. Grey, the clouds still covered the sun. It was quiet but there was a gentle breeze. The clouds were moving away. There was a shine of the sun, the sign of the hope. Life. Those bald spots of dirt would soon be covered in green again. Those cracks would soon mend. Though there would always be a hint, a reminder of what transpired here, it would soon be a distance memory. She hoped Optimus knew that despite everything. She kept herself, embracing Optimus. I know you are. But you are almost there. She wasn't going to let go. She was going to help him... she was going to help him through this. If he fell, she will be there to pick him up. If he was too tired to carry on, she was going to put him on her back and carry him the rest of the way. All she really wanted to do was pick up his exhausted, beaten body and have him rest upon her arms.

She noticed Ironclaw's look of disgust when she helped him and just smiled, waving it off, "You are welcome."

DarkSpark wrote:"No. We do this at the same time, your side struck first mammal, so you cannot take the moral high-ground anymore than I can. We do this at the same time and both go home, you bring me the disk and I'll personally give you the ape, even trade. Terrorsaur, bring me Primal."

She kept Optimus in her views. As Megatron mentioned the fact that a maximal struck first, it pained her. It pained her to know that they were responsible. Even if she didn't do it herself, she could have done something instead of standing around, watching the chaos around her. Delaying their time to gain Optimus back here. Though, it did ruin Megatron's ambush... Yes, that was why Megatron was most unimpressed. But it wasn't like Rattrap and the others didn't know what was going to happen. Cheetor and Banshee were probably on their way here. Every thing would have been okay, but now, anything could happen and she didn't know nor could warn anyone. There was still a danger. Optimus and her comrades' lives were still in jeopardy. She couldn't let anymore harm come to them.

admiralgrim wrote:"I can no longer obey; I have tasted command, and I cannot give it up."

Whitegrazer watched in shock at Predacon Night Terror's action. Did he just infect Megatron with the virus? There was nothing she could do but watch as Megatron react to such an attack from his own man. Or was Night Terror really on Megatron's side? Breaking the vital against his leg, which meant that the virus could also be in the air. Megatron didn't take well to Night Terror's interference. She cringed when Megatron seemed to crush into the Predacon's chest, but her concern was those close to Megatron...

And that was when the Predacon Dirge attacked, shooting a cannon at Ironclaw and her. She was pushed back by Ironclaw. The blast nearly swept her off her feet, but she covered herself from the resounding force, her feet nailed to the ground. Dirge had a fist that was coming towards her. Ironclaw had halted its approach, but how long could he hold it? And she wasn't going to stoop to any sort of aggression despite what had transpired.

She held her hand out towards the gigantic bug, "Stop. Cease your attack. If you don't, you might do more harm towards the one you wish to help." She had noticed the bug's actions. It was protective. Maybe because the Predacon Night Terror was the only one he listened to? She didn't know much about these two, and yet, what little small details have surfaced were interesting. "It would be unwise to anger Megatron or attack my comrades and I any further. Also, I don't think you would want to be infected. For your own survival as well as you friend's, I suggest you cease." She glanced at Megatron, who was holding Optimus. She looked at Optimus. She was concerned. She hoped Optimus didn't get re-infected. She looked at Rattrap, Landslide, and the others.

As soon as Banshee and Cheetor were about to reach their destination, her bat ears picked up the commotion between the two factions. Just as she suspected, they fought. When will Predacons and Maximals learn peace..? She shook her head at that thought and landed behind some large boulders far away from the group as cover. But what was the current situation now? The ghost bat lifted her head up in between the boulders at let out a strong echolocation wave and waited for it to bounce back to her before concluding.

"Hmm...not good. Everyone is in a mess..." she pulled out her gun just in case if another fight broke out and looked towards Cheetor, "prepare yourself, it might get nasty.."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It has been quite awhile travelling through the vents. Starshadow kicked the openings and found herself in the armory. What luck! She smiled and landed on her feet looking at the weapon. "Waspinator's...Inferno's...hmmm..." a gold colored gun caught her attention, "Cecaelia's old cybervenom blaster. Packs quite a punch."

Now she would not need to get close to those troublesome fools to take them out. The catbot picked up the blaster and kept away one of her own spare guns then flew back into the vents. Now to charge up a little more so she could finally settle some scores when the others return.

"Do as the maximal says Dirge, if you value your foolish master's life" Megatron warned the insect, rolling his eyes at the bug's poor choice in leadership, wondering if the dumb brute's taste in commanders would improve once Night Terror was dead.

"Umbra, kill Night Terror if Dirge does not comply with my wishes" Megatron ordered, forcing himself to be as composed as possible.

"Excellent Little Tyrant, never show weakness in front of your troops, it's bad for morale and encourages treachery, though given recent events I shouldn't have to tell you this" Galvatron's ghost said.

"Be silent, I'm busy" Megatron replied curtly, refusing to spare the phantasm a glance despite literally walking in his shadow.

Galvatron's eyes flashed dangerously at Megatron, raising his cannon to shoot him, but instead threw his head back and laughed heartily and said "Few have the nerve to speak as such to Galvatron, Emperor of Destruction, I admire your gumption boy, but don't get too carried away, patience is not one of my virtues and you would be wise to remember that Little Tyrant."

"Stop calling me that" megatron growled under his breath, teeth clenched as it became harder to ignore the specter.

He finally reached the rat and said "take your ape and handover the last disk, I am at the limit of my patience."

Megatron kept his shoulder guns poised and ready just in case as he reached for the last disk with his free gun hand and waited for the rat to take his precious leader back.

"Hmph, I would have just shot him already and taken it" Galvatton mused, eliciting a groan of annoyance from Megatron.

(Haven't been in this RPG for over a year, so I might be a little rusty. Likely won't be much of a post, but making do of what I remembered from the last episode I posted in. If anything is wrong just let me know, my memory is a little fuzzy too. Still, I hope this post works in rejoining the story. )

Onyx couldn't name the number of days he had been out, maybe weeks. His memory was a blur and he was rather groggy from the last battle he had been in, which had resulted in his ultimate choice of joining the Maximals there on Prehistoric Earth, albeit until they returned to Cybertron. If they ever did. But all he could really recall was being helped by some of the Maximals and being shot at from different places, possibly even one from Megatron that had resulted in him being in stasis all this time while his body had completely recovered, though it had been slow going. His entire left side felt sore still it seemed or that probably was in his mind. It was hard to say at the moment.

The black equine had just gotten back on his feet, but was given some support by the younger Maximal and cyber ninja known as Silverstreak. She had been nice enough to watch him this entire time, having likewise been recovering from the same battle. The two had seen better days but the young femme was fairing better then her apparent new teammate, to the point she was giving him a hand since he seemed a little unsteady for not walking around in what felt like months to him. And at his request to get some time to walk she now had one of his arms over her shoulders, giving him some chance to move about and walk the halls of the Axalon, all of which seemed eerily quiet to the two where it normally might be noisy. Were the Maximals on a mission? Maybe in the bridge? It was hard to tell at first, everything seeming to be so quiet and peaceful, it was almost a little unsettling for both as they exchanged a glance after coming down a few halls.

But Silverstreak's ears twitched, for a moment catching two voices at least until they went silent. Someone was here! "It's coming from the bridge, one I think is Rhinox but the other...its not one I'm familiar with." Silverstreak told him, seeing the searching gaze behind his optics as he nodded and they carefully moved, though somewhat being slow in pace until they made their way down the hall to which Onyx frowned. Was he seeing this right? The closer they got the more he realized his optics weren't playing tricks on him. It was Nemesis! But why in the name of Primus was she here? Yes, she was chained at the leg but it puzzled the mech to know she was here and his Spark seemed to sink slightly at the possibility of maybe facing her if she wanted to try something. He just hoped she wouldn't, especially since Rhinox was no longer alone as the two finally came within sight. "Nemesis, your a sight for sore optics." Onyx said, though nevertheless still greeted her with some respect, "But otherwise you seem well." He told the avian female as he sat down in the nearest seat to rest a moment.

With that done Silverstreak looked towards the scientist, equally confused as to why Nemesis was there and with the place seeming to be so empty. "Rhinox, where is everyone? And why is she here?" Silverstreak indicated to Nemesis, not necessarily being hostile but curious as to what had been going on since they had seemingly become out of touch with the crew and the situation at hand.

(( OOC: This is a good way to get back in, Wildfire. Well done. Easy peasy. It's great to have you back! ))

Dirge kept forcing his arm down on the Maximal so seemed to be quite resilient compared to rest of them. Though he still had his focus on the female, she seemed to be fully functional and decided to stand up to him. Her words meant nothing to him and they completely washed over his head. He would kill them for merely being Maximals, they were just targets to him. However once he heard Megatron's voice and what he said in particular he paused. The criminal threatened to destroy his true master. While he did not value life as such he saw the logic behind him desisting. To him life and death were just states of being and did not understand why bots hung onto it to desperately. However if his master was to die then he would cease to have purpose, that was something he could not comprehend. He lifted his arm off the badger and stood there, motionless, simply waiting for further instructions.

Ironclaw let out a sigh of relief as the weight was lifted off him. He could see and hear that Megatron was having a tantrum over his failed ambush. He took pride in his, while most would disagree with his actions he knew that he and forced Megatron's hand to the extent of foiling his plan. Ironclaw almost smirked but realised who was still in front him. He also remembered his unlikely accomplice stood next to him, Whitegrazer. The badger looked over to her briefly then over to Rattraps position, they had Optimus. There was no reason to continue the fight, they had no advantage and they had what the wanted. "We're not finished" Ironclaw said as he walked away. He had a feeling that he would meet the monster again. Despite the amount of punishment he had taken, the solider made it back to the Maximals with only a slight limp and flicker of sparks.

(( OOC: DarkSpark, I'm not entirely sure what's being said out loud with Megatron and what isn't, so I'm going to ignore most of it to be on the safe side.

Happy Birthday to you, admiral! ))

"Don't talk back to me you damn dirty..."

"Do I need to plan three executions today, Terrorsaur?,"

"Gulp, no Sir"

Optimus almost managed a smile, but threats from Megatron were no laughing matter. Even though Terrorsaur was a great nuisance and a very dangerous, merciless Predacon, he didn't deserve death. Well... No. No, that voice was gone now, he couldn't think like that. Terribly weak despite the cure defeating the virus, Primal hated feeling this way; down, vulnerable, helpless and completely broken. He'd much rather be standing strong and leading his Maximals on the front line, facing the inevitable and uncertainties.

"No. We do this at the same time, your side struck first mammal, so you cannot take the moral high-ground anymore than I can. We do this at the same time and both go home, you bring me the disk and I'll personally give you the ape, even trade. Terrorsaur, bring me Primal."

No thanks to Ironclaw. Although, on the other hand, Ironclaw's reckless confrontation foiled Megatron's surprise attack, so Rattrap couldn't be too upset with the badger. He supposed he had no other choice but to agree with the Predacon leader and make the exchange together. After all, Optimus was looking weaker and weaker.

Groaning in pain from every movement as Terrorsaur pulled the TransMetal gorilla off of the hovering pad and handed him off to Megatron, Primal wasn't too coherent as to what was going on and whose "care" he was in. The agony was too great and it drained him significantly. He coughed up some fluid when Megatron slung him over his shoulder, more pieces of torn and bent armor falling to the ground with some grinding and crunching that could be heard under the bonds that were still restricting his movements.

"Taste humility"

Was Megatron talking to him? He didn't know. The Maximal leader was fading fast and petty words meant nothing to him now no matter who they were directed toward. All Optimus really comprehended was the voices.

"Easy!" Rattrap protested at Megatron and Terrorsaur as they carelessly passed Primal around like a hot potato. Then the rodent watched the t-rex closely as he seemed terribly distracted. If that was the virus taking effect, he had to hide his satisfaction in knowing that the Preds would have to deal with it now. And if the Maximals were lucky, they'd kill half of themselves over the side effects and save them the trouble. He just hoped the antidote that Aurora had concocted and Ironclaw had administered would make Optimus immune to whatever was filtering through Megatron's body now. As the tyrant cautiously approached him, Rattrap carefully pulled the last disk back out of his subspace, keeping his weapon in his other hand, ready to defend himself and the others if need be.

I know you are. But you are almost there.

Optimus barely felt Whitegrazer now, and as a result, he failed to respond. He didn't see the meadow, he didn't feel her embrace. He was on the brink of stasis lock to save what precious energy he had left to preserve his spark.

"Stop. Cease your attack. If you don't, you might do more harm towards the one you wish to help." "It would be unwise to anger Megatron or attack my comrades and I any further. Also, I don't think you would want to be infected. For your own survival as well as you friend's, I suggest you cease."

Unlike Whitegrazer, Rattrap didn't give a hoot what the ugly grub's reason was for his reactions. He better settle down before another battle breaks out and the disk gets damaged accidentally on purpose. His gaze shifted from Ironclaw to Dirge and that other newbie back to Megatron.

"Do as the maximal says Dirge, if you value your foolish master's life"

it was shocking to hear that come out of his purple mouth, but the rat hoped that things would remain calm. Like Megatron, Rattrap just wanted to get this over with.

"Umbra, kill Night Terror if Dirge does not comply with my wishes"

They finally had a name! Night Terror. So he was in charge of Dirge or what? Was Dirge his personal body guard? The dumb brute kind of guy that would probably blindly follow his master into the fires of the Inferno? Much like Inferno was to his "queen". Rattrap bet that this was going to cause some ruckus within Megatron's ranks. In fact, it seemed like it already had, which could be beneficial for the Maximals. Unless, of course, Megatron just decides to kill those two.

"take your ape and handover the last disk, I am at the limit of my patience."

Rattrap remained calm and confident. "Whitegrazer," he motioned the mare to step forward and take Optimus while he stepped up to Megatron and slowly handed the disk to him while his index finger lingered on his trigger with his gun in his opposite hand. Ironclaw probably would have made carrying Optimus less awkward but since the badger was damaged and had completely thrown caution to the wind earlier, he didn't want the same thing to happen again, not when they were so very close to finally accomplishing this endeavor. "Take Optimus ta Landslide immediately."

Primal heard Megatron and Rattrap's voices, and Whitegrazer and Ironclaw earlier but didn't understand what had been said. He felt like it was almost over, but maybe that was just his systems on the verge of shutting down. Nexus crossed his mind. Where was he? Was he alright?

-----

When Nemesis and Rhinox finally broke eye contact, immersing themselves in the silence surrounding them, the engineer went back to his monitor duties to make sure everything was still as peaceful outside as it was earlier. And then he heard footsteps down the corridor, accompanied with voices.

"Nemesis, your a sight for sore optics." "But otherwise you seem well."

Rhinox jumped out of his seat upon Onyx's and Silverstreak's arrival with surprise. It had been quite some time since he had last seen them, ever since Onyx had joined the Maximals.

"Rhinox, where is everyone? And why is she here?"

Regaining his composure, he sat back down and looked at Silverstreak. "They're retrieving Optimus and Nexus Prime from the Predacons. They had surrendered themselves to Megatron in order to get Cheetor and Banshee back alive who were taken prisoners earlier during a battle. Nemesis is here seeking refuge while we figure out why she was framed for something she didn't do by someone who recently landed here and has been giving us a lot of trouble. And we know how Megatron reacts to such instances when one betrays him." In other words, death was the female Predacon's only other option, and obviously Optimus wasn't going to allow that. "She has been assisting us and in return we're assisting her until we can clear her name. What happens after that will be between her and Megatron." So far, Rhinox was pleased to see such a calm and peaceful side to Nemesis despite what she had been through so far; well, from what she could recollect. She wasn't as awful as Rattrap made her out to be but perhaps those were two personalities that were always going to clash. After all, Rattrap wasn't as open-minded and accepting as some of the others were.

"How are you fairing, Onyx?" the robust Maximal inquired the stallion, giving him a quick examination with his red optics of how he was physically functioning and coping. He seemed a little weary on his feet, his balance wavering, so it was good that he had taken a seat. "And where have you been all this time, Silverstreak?"

Landslide watched as Dirge made his way towards them, as the laser shot came towards him, he didn't have time to react with his heavy body, taking the beam to the side of the chest with enough force to send him sliding back, his large toe claws digging into the ground. The impact area glowed of molten metal but didn't pierce to his vitals, some metal dripping from the affected area as it started to cool and dull in color. Landslide leaned up with a snear, his faceplate sliding up over his face as he observed Ironclaw managing to stop Dirge's hand from attacking Whitegrazer. Ug.. Hit's like a truck.

Whitegrazer wrote: "Stop. Cease your attack. If you don't, you might do more harm towards the one you wish to help." "It would be unwise to anger Megatron or attack my comrades and I any further. Also, I don't think you would want to be infected. For your own survival as well as you friend's, I suggest you cease."

Landslide shook his head Is this woman completely out of touch with reality? he thought to himself, but then to his surprise heard Megatron respond.

Megatron wrote:"Do as the maximal says Dirge, if you value your foolish master's life" "Umbra, kill Night Terror if Dirge does not comply with my wishes" "take your ape and handover the last disk, I am at the limit of my patience."

Landslide blinked his four optics, then looked towards Dirge. It took him a bit, but he eventually gave in. Well.. that happened? he muttered to himself confused, but also relieved as the sooner they got Optimus, the sooner they could leave and repair him..

Rattrap wrote:"Whitegrazer,""Take Optimus ta Landslide immediately."

Landslide lumbered closer, then turned as his wings and wing shield moved out of the way, his cargo container opening to allow Whitegrazer to load Optimus easily.

________________________

Umbra watched from behind his cover as Megatron had been hit with some sort of vial, then stomped on Night Terror in retaliation, before finally attempting the trade again. It was obvious just how important the disks were to Megatron at this point.. he'd even give up his best chance of removing Optimus for them. Whatever the disks were, the ninja didn't know as some of his memories were still damaged from his landing on the planet.

Megatron wrote:"Umbra, kill Night Terror if Dirge does not comply with my wishes"

Umbra moved out from behind cover drawing his acid short sword as he made his way towards Night Terror, keeping some distance as he observed the bat. I'd advise remaining silent for now. If Dirge or Night Terror acted wrongly, it wouldn't take but a fraction of a second for the ninja to rush in with his jump jet and stab the fallen Predacon, using a weapon that would not only punch through his armor, but also eat away at his structure and vital components.. a far crueler weapon then the poison blade Umbra normally preferred using.


Quickstrike looked towards Blackarachnia after observing the events Uh.. Now what?

(ooc: Sorry to hear about your troubles, DS. I can't help wondering if you're fairly close to where I am, since we also have been drowning in snow lately. And to add to matters, Warwulf is off work for 2 weeks due to a minor surgical procedure and since disability pays less than half of even minimum wage, I've had to really put in hours at work to make up for the lost income. This week I'm working 52 hours over 6 days. )

The pretender watched with increased interest now that Megatron had taken possession of Optimus and was literally waving him around like a rag doll while waiting for his new toy. The sight was a bit comical to behold, honestly, especially since Megatron looked increasingly distracted. Indeed, the tyrant was fighting demons of his own and they would only get more terrifying as the virus multiplied within him. And knowing this almost brought a grin to the shapeshifter's face. Almost.

On the ground at Megatron's feet, Night Terror lay almost motionless. For a brief moment Zodiac contemplated the possibility that his old comrade had met his end in such a humiliating manner, but he quickly put the thought aside when he saw a slight movement. Not that losing Night Terror would hinder his plans in any way, but he had to admit that the influence Night Terror held on the council had proven valuable a time or two. His strategic input and devotion to those few he considered friends were traits Zodiac had come to appreciate. Still.. his loss would be acceptable should it come to that.

Fortunately Megatron hesitated to make the killing blow, perhaps because the virus was already spreading and growing stronger by the nanoclick. The shapeshifter could not help but wonder how the tyrant would react when the virus reached its full strength. For now the Predacon commander seemed to be holding up.. for the most part.

(ooc: Great to have you back, Wildfire! Also.. Arachnitron could be close enough to get affected by the virus too if you want, BRF.)

The somewhat awkward conversation between the avian female Predacon and the Maximal scientist had dwindled away by the time the sound of approaching footsteps caught Nemesis' attention. Tensing a bit, wondering if the exchange had already occurred and the others had returned to base, Nemesis turned to face the latecomers as they walked into the room.

It wasn't the Maximal rescue team. Instead she was greeted by the familiar face of the Predacon stallion, long believed dead since he had left their base in anger after a fruitless squabble with Megatron. The once-Predacon, now traitor. Like her. Or at least she was in the eyes of the Predacons, even if she hadn't stopped considering herself one of them. For that her core programming as a Decepticon ran way too deep, multiple acts of murder and mutilation preventing any hope of ever getting redemption.. If that's what motivated her. Honestly she felt it had more to do with revenge and self-preservation than anything. No matter what good these foolish Maximals believed existed within her. She was a monster, after all, guilty of monstrous acts of violence.

"Nemesis, your a sight for sore optics."

"But otherwise you seem well."

Sending the male a warning look, the avian female suddenly opened her wings up wide, her wing span large enough to nearly smack Rhinox in the face, before folding them back in a bit.

"Indeed. You seem to be holding up well too.. For a dead guy."

It was not a threat, merely an observation. Still she didn't exactly look pleased to see him here, wandering the Maximal base without as much as a tracking mechanism around his ankle. Obviously he was welcome among them.

The female he was with she blatantly ignored, less than happy that the two of them had walked in on her private conversation with Rhinox and quite possibly overheard things she'd rather keep private. She did recognize her as that newer Maximal who'd attempted to hit her with knives at one time. Foolish mistake that had been.
The avian female snorted, letting the end of her wings drag on the floor as she walked a few paces to put a little distance between herself and the other two Maximals. Fortunately Rhinox kept his answer professional.

"She has been assisting us and in return we're assisting her until we can clear her name. What happens after that will be between her and Megatron."

Now that was a conversation Nemesis was dreading, even if it did seem inevitable. Provided they were able to bring Zodiac down..