29.June.09

Reconciliation

By: Spectre the Hechidnat

Chapter 15: Resolution of Rage

High above the wilderness that existed between Cybertropolis and the other cities of Cybertron, Silverbolt felt his heart soaring as high as his body. The sun shone brightly, illuminating the techno-organic landscape below. Wide green plains stretched below, occasionally broken by various land features. Resemblance between his homeworld and his "birthplace" on prehistoric Earth only served to heighten his feelings of freedom and exhilaration.

 Pincer-like hands wrapped around his neck as Blackarachnia leaned forward and whispered in his ear. "It's nice to see you happy again."

 Grinning hugely, Silverbolt replied. "All the more for having you beside me, my lady."

 Chuckling, Blackarachnia held on even tighter, letting out a yell as Silverbolt went into a spiral, giving her a thrill she had not enjoyed since the Beast Wars. Her love continued his descent, dropping to the ground and folding his wings, bending down to allow her to get off. Once she had done so, he transformed into robot mode, pulling her into a kiss. Blackarachnia reciprocated with full force, silently cheering the transformation that had come over Silverbolt since the battle in which Scavenger had been destroyed.

 Breaking away, Silverbolt gripped her hand tightly, walking side by side with her as they admired the landscape. It was largely a mixture of nature and civilization, but large metal patches dotted here and there. As they walked onto a pair of these, Silverbolt spoke up. "I'm grateful that Primal Prime gave us some shore leave; the conflict with our enemies should have us out looking for Predacons."

 "Well, even warriors need a break sometimes," Blackarachnia replied. She smiled again as Silverbolt drew her close for another kiss. Before they could make contact, however, a missile shot out of nowhere to strike her, sending her flying to land heavily a short distance away.

 Horrified, Silverbolt was unable to defend himself as the massive form of Rampage's tank mode emerged from hiding and opened fire again, this time hitting the chivalrous Maximal. Too heavy to be knocked back, Silverbolt nevertheless fell to his knees. Cackling, Rampage transformed into Beast Mode, grabbing Silverbolt in one of his crab claws. Digging one of the appendages under Silverbolt's armor, the Transmetal ripped out a small component. Silverbolt roared in agony, falling limp from pain.

 "You may be asleep for now, hero, but you won't save yourself from my tender care by going into stasis lock!"

 Megacycles later, Blackarachnia regained consciousness. For a moment, she was left delirious by what had knocked her out. After a second, her memories returned to her, and she remembered seeing Rampage drag Silverbolt off, the monstrous Predacon laughing with insane glee. Groaning, the Transmetal 2 spider got to her hands and knees.

 "I've seen some tough femmes, but you take the cake."

 Eyes going wide, Blackarachnia looked up to see Depth Charge descending, the Maximal hunter in his vehicle mode. Transforming into Robot Mode, he examined her briefly, grunting with satisfaction as he determined that she wasn’t fatally injured. He then set about investigating the area.

 "Let me guess: you and lover boy run into Rampage?"

 "Yeah; he dragged him off after I got punched out."

 "BY THE INFERNO!"

 Rushing up to Depth Charge, Blackarachnia looked over his shoulder. Her stomach heaved as she saw a puddle of mech fluid pooled on the ground. Its coloring clearly indicated that it came from a Maximal. A small object was partially submerged; as she watched, Depth Charge took it out. His eyes narrowing, Depth Charge muttered under his breath. "Slag from the Pit!"

 Even Blackarachnia, no expert when it came to internal components, recognized the tiny bit of circuitry. There, partially crushed by the crushing appendage that had ripped it out, was a Maximal locking chip. Given that there were no Maximals near Cybertropolis except for the Axalon crew and that only three were anywhere in the area, it wasn't hard to figure out who it belonged to. "Silverbolt..."

 Abruptly, Depth Charge dropped the component, drawing his combination scanner/rocket gun. "Let's go; X is going to leave a trail, and Silverbolt's life depends on us not letting it go cold."

 Silverbolt woke with a dull ache in his shoulders, and wondered what it was. It was only when he was able to open his eyes that he realized that a pair of his own feather weapons had been driven through his body, pinning him to a rock that he now hung from, several feet above the ground. Any movement other than that of his head was impossible, and he could feel the pain of several minor injuries.

 "Rise and shine, sleeping beauty."

Turning his gaze, Silverbolt glared weakly at Rampage. "What...do you want with me...monster?"

 Laughing, Rampage transformed into his robot form. "A better question is, what do I not want with you? I'll tell you why I've taken you, hero; it's for revenge. Vengeance against you and your little sweet-Spark.

"Do you feel pain, Maximal? This is nothing compared to the agony I felt in my Spark when your idiocy took away the only Transformer I ever cared for. Transmutate was my soulmate; she was an echo of my own darkness. Because you tried to take her from me, she was lost to us both! And then, when I knelt amidst her shattered remains, cradling her head in my hands, you had the nerve to call me BROTHER!?

 "That wasn't all of it. Before even that, you humiliated me by defeating me and leaving me helpless, allowing Megatron to enslave me! Because of you, I had to serve that megalomaniac for the entire duration of the Beast Wars! Worse, I was cheated of vengeance on you when your Transmetal 2 witch prevented me from killing you and then defeated me with her freakish powers on two occasions!"

 Growling, Silverbolt replied in a pained whisper. "I do not fear your torture, and my beloved will repay you tenfold!"

 "I'm shaking," Rampage laughed, reaching towards Silverbolt. Howls of pain rose into the sky as the knight-like Maximal cried out in pain.

 Two wars on worlds that were either entirely wilderness or entirely civilization had given Blackarachnia a lot of experience. She had witnessed and endured things that would have cowed some of the greatest Cybertronians in the Great War. With all that she had gone through, few things could surprise her.

 Nevertheless, her crimson eyes widened in astonishment as she stared at Depth Charge. The Maximal hunter was a study of frenzied determination, so focused that it surpassed even his previous madness in hunting Rampage. At length, she gathered enough courage to inquire as to his behavior.

 "Why are you so determined? Even Protoform X hasn't put you on edge like this before."

 Looking at her, Depth Charge stopped. "Do you really want to know?" When she nodded, he sighed. "I owe the canine, okay?"

 Jaw dropping, Blackarachnia stared. Seeing that she needed a better explanation, Depth Charge took a deep breath. "Back when I first entered the Beast Wars...he said something to me. It was during that whole Sentinel fiasco. Silverbolt asked for my help, but I was so focused on getting rid of Rampage that I refused. He attempted to goad me into coming with him, and accused me of not having the right to call myself a Maximal. That, more than anything else, influenced my decision to join you bozos. Your boyfriend helped me, so I'm going to help him."

 Silent, Blackarachnia merely nodded. Smiling slightly, Depth Charge went back to his work, heading deeper into the wilderness. Blackarachnia followed him, wondering what other secrets her companion had.

 Gazing down upon a large lake, Depth Charge and Blackarachnia spotted Silverbolt. Rampage was nowhere to be seen, but the sight of the Maximal alone was enough to convince Blackarachnia that action was required. "He looks like he's been through Great War 3!"

 Realizing that they were being set up, Depth Charge spoke quietly. "Rampage is down there somewhere, and there's no doubt in my mind that Silverbolt is bait. You go down there, and Silverbolt gets blown to the other side of the Matrix. Stay here until I get X, then see to Silverbolt."

 Not waiting for a reply, Depth Charge crept down towards Silverbolt. Once he was close enough, he spotted Rampage, gun raised, with his sights on Silverbolt. Putting stealth aside, Depth Charge lunged forward, slamming into Rampage and knocking him off a nearby ledge into the lake. Both warriors fell, grappling even as gravity pulled them towards the water below.

 Once Depth Charge and Rampage were submerged, Blackarachnia ran forward with speed that Cheetor would have whistled at. Focusing her mental energies, she telekinetically ripped out the feather weapons holding her love. She caught him just before he would have crashed into the ground, lowering him to his back. Opening his torso, she gasped as she saw the extent of the internal damage inflicted on Silverbolt. "Hang on, Bowser."

 Her delicate fingers working speedily, Blackarachnia hurried to enact repairs that were essential if Silverbolt was to be kept alive. As she did so, his eyes fluttered open. "Beloved..."

 "Stay with me, Rover. I'll have your emergency life support systems up and running in no time."

 "Blackarachnia...I am not worth the effort. It would be in your best interests...in the best interests of everyone...if you let me go."

 Vehemently, Blackarachnia shook her head, tears coming to her eyes. "Don't talk like that. I'm not going to let you go, and you're going to be alright. Just rest, Silverbolt; I'll take care of you."

 Exhausted and in pain, the knight let his love's gentle voice lull him to a state of semiconsciousness.

Underneath the surface of the lake, Rampage and Depth Charge wrestled like mythological sea monsters. Converted to beast mode, the king crab and manta ray rolled around on the bottom of the lake and through the water. Rampage's claws clamped onto Depth Charge's fins as the Maximal's stinger tail bit into the Predacon's shelled form.

 "Just like old times, isn't it, old playmate? This reminds me of our little get-together on Starbase Rugby!"

 "Quiet, you annoying crustacean! I'm having a hard enough time focusing with you breathing in my face!"

 Landing on the floor, both converted to robot mode with their respective activation codes:

 "Rampage, Terrorize!"

 "Depth Charge, Maximize!"

 Pulling out their weapons, each fired upon the other. Missiles that worked equally well in atmosphere and underwater shot between them, exploding on their dense armor. As though they were merely insect bites, the impacts were shrugged off by hunter and murderer alike.

 Caught between being online and offline, Silverbolt found himself staring upon a wondrous apparition. A giant Transformer towered over him, covered in silver and red armor. The proud insignia of the Autobots stood out on his form, and blue eyes glowing with experience stared down at him.

 "Here my words well, Maximal. I am Silverbolt of the Aerialbots, your namesake and one of many heroes who fought in the Great War. From my place of rest in the Matrix, I have watched proudly as you brought further honor to my name. However, I am now ashamed of your display of self-pity. Are you so weak that the pain that courses through your circuits is enough to make you wish for death? Optimus Prime, when he was known only as Orion Pax, had the courage to stand up to an overwhelming enemy force, even when he had no weapons of his own. You are of the same class of hero as he, and yet you cannot endure a little agony? Fight on, and demonstrate that the name of Silverbolt still means something!"

 Depth Charge tossed aside his weapons, drawing his spear and knowing that it stood little chance against Rampage. However, before he could think to utilize it, he found his mind caught up in a vision. Just like Silverbolt, he found himself gazing up at the massive form of the Aerialbot.

 "Okay, I need to lay off the radium," Depth Charge muttered.

"Your cynicism is unwarranted, Depth Charge. It cannot defeat Rampage, and neither can you. However, there is one thing that can: your anger."

 "My anger?"

 "X is an empath; he can sense the emotions of those around him. Release your hatred, grief, and anger; let it shoot forth in a torrent. Release it, and it will shatter Rampage's immortality. Only then will he fall to your weapon."

Blinking, Depth Charge shook his head to clear it. He quickly dove back to avoid an attack by Rampage, his mind struggling as he did so. The words of the original Silverbolt made sense, and yet at the same time he had no idea how to put them to use. How was he supposed to rid himself of everything he felt towards Rampage?

He thought back on the stellarcycles he had spent hunting Rampage, trying again and again to put an end to his reign of terror. It had begun on Colony Omicron, after Depth Charge had watched Rampage butcher his fellow Peace Marshals and the innocent civilians living there. He had been immobilized by terror— him, a law officer of the most elite branch of Cybertron’s police forces. That terror had become a grim resolve, and then hatred, as he had pursued Rampage— then Protoform X— for stellar cycles across dozens of worlds, often arriving only in time to witness the evidence of yet another killing spree. At last he had caught the monster, and as an honorable officer he had turned him in to the Maximal Council of Elders so that he could face justice.

But the Council’s idea of justice hadn’t been enough for Depth Charge. Banishment was too good for such a monster, but Depth Charge had been content to let Optimus Primal handle it. Then when the Axalon went missing, Depth Charge became consumed by a single thought: Rampage was out there, unchecked, unpunished. Ignoring all protocol he had taken his ship after Rampage in a vigilante action, finally trailing him to Earth. Just when he thought he’d ended it, the Dark Vok had intervened to save Rampage and restore him, after Depth Charge had destroyed his body.

Looking back on his past, Depth Charge felt a pit of guilt in his Spark. However noble his intentions, he had acted wrongly. Only by joining Primal’s crew had he brought any sort of legitimacy to his actions, and had it not been for Megatron’s twisted creation of the second Dinobot, Depth Charge knew he would most likely be guilty of murdering Rampage. Defying justice to bring a murderer down wasn’t the answer; to murder a murderer would have been a crime in of itself; one that he couldn’t begin to make up for. Now, as Rampage came at him with those mocking green eyes, Depth Charge found himself on that threshold again. He could murder Rampage, and in doing so betray every value he had ever held— or he could be the soldier who defeated an enemy.

In that moment, Depth Charge found realization, acceptance, and peace. Closing his eyes and ignoring Rampage’s juggernaut approach, he felt deep inside his Spark. He found his hatred of Rampage, burning like a fire, and with immense focus took hold of it. With his every fiber focused on ridding himself of that which had halted his progression towards being a better being than he had been born, he fashioned the fire in his mind’s eye into the shape of the Energon shard that had destroyed Rampage’s body on Earth. At last it was complete, and Depth Charge opened his eyes to see Rampage coming towards him.

Unlike every time he had witnessed the sight before, though, Depth Charge felt no hatred, no bitterness, and no desire to make his enemy suffer. All of that had been concentrated into the weapon that would prevent Rampage from becoming another Starscream, haunting the inhabitants of Cybertron as a disembodied Spark. Now his desire to kill Rampage was not personal, but moral. He knew that Rampage would cause more harm if he were not stopped; he knew that he had no means of restraining him. Most importantly, he knew that hundreds of slain Transformers were calling out for justice, and he had been chosen as its agent. And so, with the righteous fury of a noble and just avenger, he hurled the mental projectile. It was visible only to his eyes as it pierced Rampage’s Spark.

"AH!" Rampage screamed. Pain wracked his body, and he fell to his knees. Depth Charge realized that the Autobot's advice had been right, and he took advantage of it. Hefting his spear, he threw it like a javelin, causing it to pierce Rampage's torso like a shish kabob stick. Eyes widening, Rampage looked down at the weapon that had struck him. Then, most shockingly of all, he began to laugh. Knowing from experience what was coming, Depth Charge rocketed towards the surface, transforming into Vehicle Mode to give himself more speed. Behind him, Rampage continued to laugh, only silenced when his Spark and body were consumed by an explosion of energy that instantly dispatched him. When the light faded, only a few fragments remained of the once fearsome Predacon.

 Weary from her efforts, Blackarachnia was astonished when Silverbolt opened his eyes to look at her. Though weak, his smile still caused her heart to sing. "Thank you...for not giving up on me...even when I had given up on myself...my dark poison."

 From the lake came an explosion, and Depth Charge rocketed out of the water, flying some distance into the sky before swooping to land next to the others. Just as Silverbolt had when he had released his hatred for Jetstorm, the last survivor of Omnicron wore a smile on his face as though a great burden had been lifted from him. Looking at Silverbolt, cradled in Blackarachnia's arms, he winked. "You look like scrap, 'Bolt. What do the two of you say we get back to Axalon Tower; I beat X, but my body is screaming at me that he got in quite a few good hits."

 All three in good spirits, the three Maximals set off for home. The only thing they left behind was an inscription on the stone that Silverbolt had been pinned to. It was a simple memorial, dedicated to all those whom Rampage had ever killed and to Silverbolt, Autobot hero.

To be continued…