Stolen Virtue

By: Sinead

Part Five: A Parting

            Starath awoke in an empty chamber. Megatron was nowhere to be seen. The young woman sighed. He’d been like this ever since the fight. He’d been avoiding her. She felt it.

            Sighing, the author changed into jeans and a sweater then walked to the sickbay. She opened the door so see Megatron talking with Sinead and Dinobot. The Predacon’s face lit up. “You’re awake. I was just going to check in on you.”

            Sinead was sitting up, playing a card game with Dinobot. She smiled. “Breakfast is untouched by me. It’s on the bed over there, so help yourself.”

            “You’re not hungry?” Starath asked, walking in and closing the door.

            “I can only keep liquids down. That tea stuff that Silverbolt makes is amazing.”

            Starath snagged some meat from the makeshift but clean plate, then stood next to Megatron. His sigh caused her to look at him. His optics were sad. “I’m sorry about yesterday.”

            Two sets of cards were slapped onto the sheet as Sinead and Dinobot glared at Megatron. The tyrant glared back. “This is the last apology, I slagging swear it!”

            Picking her cards back up, Sinead growled, “Better be. I can’t stand hearing you gripe to everyone about why and how you couldn’t keep your rage and instincts from taking over.” She looked to Starath. “He wasn’t ignoring or avoiding you. He just couldn’t figure out how to say sorry to you since you’re his Bonded. Just don’t let him whine. He gets really pathetic.”

            “I’m still here,” Megatron growled.

            “Physically, yes, but mentally? Not a chance.”

            “You’re really starting to get on my nerves, human.”

            “It’s my job. Complain later. Oh, and Dinobot? I win.”

            The ex-Predacon swore, blinked at Sinead’s empty hands, then sighed. “I’m never playing this against you ever again.”

            Starath climbed onto Megatron’s lap and leaned against his chest, smiling and listening to Sinead and Dinobot argue. Maybe the day would be a good one after all.

            The goodness of the morning didn’t last. Rampage was the next Predacon to arrive at the Maximal base. Lady Venom’s Rampage snarled curses to himself as he sat with Sinead, Dinobot, and his own Bonded. Sinead was sitting, watching him and grinning from time to time. Finally, they heard Starath grumbling in the hall. Her grumble was answered by a much deeper one, that managed to startle even Rampage.

            Megatron was, to put it lightly, in a very dark mood.

            The door slammed open. “Rampage. We’re not going to play by the rules. Get up.”

            The Transmetal crab snorted, following his leader out. “Since when do we have rules?”

            Sinead curled up beside Dinobot, burying her head in his side. Starath and Lady Venom sighed, each pulling a stool over, neither one ready for the scream when it came. Sinead jumped upon hearing it, and clung to Dinobot even more so than she already had been.

            The screams continued.

            The scarred Rampage had started the fight with Tarantulus. Luckily, the spider was fast, and so he dodged most of what Rampage had aimed at him. Before long, however, The other Rampage and Megatron stormed out. Tarantulus had sustained a few damages in those few minutes, but it was nothing serious. The scarred Rampage turned his attention to his unscarred twin-image and Megatron. His grin was evident in his optics. “I have both halves of my Spark. What are you going to do, hm? You can’t stop me, and I plan upon getting into that base. I’m going to find Dinobot, and I’m going to break him in such a way that what I had done to him before he had been rescued was only a day in the playground.”

            Megatron looked at his Rampage, who gave him a cold look. That was a disadvantage, and a rather poignant one at that. Not to mention that the scarred Rampage had said what would happen if they were to fail.

            With a sigh, Megatron pulled out the half of Rampage’s Spark that he had taken from him. “I hope that you know what you’re doing. And I hope that Lady Venom will keep you in check, yes indeed.”

            Tarantulus began trembling. What he really . . . ?

            Megatron broke the compacting box apart, releasing the Spark.

            The unscarred Rampage’s hand shot out and he cupped the sphere gently, then roared in triumph, green optics lighting up with an eerie glow. This was a bot to be reckoned with, and to be avoided at all costs when in a “regular” sour mood . . . but now . . . Tarantulus shuddered with pure and unadulterated fear.

            Rampage joined the lost half of his Spark with the rest of his soul, then snickered, lighting his optics upon the other Predacon watching in bemused shock. The scarred one was hit with an onslaught of rapid-fire punches. They were faster than his own! How can that be?! How . . . how can he, a mirror-image, be faster than himself?!

            With the screaming of wrenched metal, the crab legs upon the scarred Rampage’s back were ripped free. They were immediately pierced through his arms and twisted as easily as a human would play with twistie-ties from a trash bag. The scarred Rampage screamed, his voice carrying. He was unable to move.

            “How can I be faster than you, you’re thinking,” the unscarred Rampage hissed evilly.

            The scarred Rampage nodded the tiniest piece.

            “Because I have been Bonded.” His face twisted into a sneer. “And because you’re afraid that you’re going to be killed. How about we test that?”

            By the time that Rampage and Megatron had cleaned up and returned to the sickbay, they saw all three humans huddled around Dinobot. Sapphire was also in the room with Rattrap, each trying their best to comfort Starath and Lady Venom. Rampage swallowed, and said quietly, “Lady Venom, if . . . if I can do anything . . .”

            She leapt off of the bed, stumbling towards the door. Rampage started to move to let her pass, but she altered her course to stumble into his waist and hold on. Starath looked up, and sniffed. Megatron rested his large hand upon her hair and brushed it away from her face before opening his arms to her. She practically flew to him and buried her head into his neck. He looked at Dinobot, and sighed. “Thank you for watching out for Starath.”

            Dinobot shrugged, not pausing his hand from passing through Sinead’s hair as he replied softly, “Sinead considers these authors her siblings in a way. Starath is certainly no exception. That makes her something of a sister to me as well.” He sighed, and looked down at Sinead. The human had fallen asleep, but her face was still troubled. His hands paused, and he carefully moved Sinead so that she wouldn’t wake up with a stiff neck. “Matrix, but would I could get her and the other humans away from this.”

            “That . . . isn’t that bad of an idea,” Rampage said from where he was sitting with Lady Venom trembling in his arms. “I want Lady Venom to see no more of this. To even be far enough away that she wouldn’t feel the horrors that happen here.”

            “I wish no risk to Starath, either,” Megatron added. “I’ll propose this to Optimus.”

            “I’m staying with you,” Starath whimpered. “Don’t leave me.”

            Megatron shifted his hold slightly, then smiled as best as he could and replied, “That would increase my chances of getting killed. If you’re safe and away somewhere, then we will both live.”

            Starath looked up at him, her face showing openly her fear and sadness. “I don’t want you to leave me.”

            The tyrant sighed, and bowed his head slightly. “Starath, if you were ever hurt, I’d never forgive myself. I can’t have you around here and have the possibility that you’ll be injured.”

            “That’s why I’m having Sinead go,” Dinobot whispered. “I have to face my fears sometime.”

            “You’re not gonna stay with ’er?” Rattrap asked softly.

            Dinobot shook his head slowly, and then laid back, one hand resting behind his head, the other resting lightly upon Sinead’s head. “I feel the same as Megatron. I cannot allow Sinead to be injured. I’d . . . I’d slagging go berserker. I wouldn’t be able to control myself. I know that. I nearly lost it yesterday, when the other Megatron came around. And Sinead hadn’t even been threatened in the least. Imagine what could happen if she were hurt. I . . . do not trust myself.”

            Rampage swallowed, then looked at Lady Venom. She was still holding onto him, eyes squeezed shut. With a sigh, he held her close, then whispered, “I want you to do the same. Please. I have my Spark to myself again, and I have more speed than I ever thought possible, but I want you to stay safe.”

            “And that means that I have to get as far away as possible?” Lady Venom asked.

            Sapphire held into Rattrap’s hand, then sighed and rested her head upon his shoulder, closing her eyes. She knew that she would have to go as well.

            Nurannoniel and Optimus were sitting in his quarters two nights later. Sinead was well enough to travel, so they would be leaving the next day. The humans weren’t all that happy about leaving, but they knew that it had to be done. Optimus sighed and reached over to push hair behind Nurannoniel’s left ear. “You’re going to be missed, Nurann.”

            “I . . . I know. I just . . . I just don’t want to leave you,” she whispered, moving closer to her Bonded. Optimus pulled her into a gentle embrace, and she continued. “I want to see your face every morning when I wake up. I want to fall asleep knowing that you’re sitting behind me. I . . . I just want . . .”

            “Me?”

            “Yeah.”

            The Maximal chuckled kindly, then replied softly, “If you think that I don’t feel the same way, then I’ll have to kindly say that you’re wrong. I really don’t want you to leave, any of you humans, but Megatron, Rampage, and Dinobot have a point. Not everyone can handle the stress of dealing with war and battle.”

            Nurannoniel nodded and looked up at Optimus. He smiled as gently as he could, but was pleasantly surprised when the human planted a soft kiss upon his cheek before settling against his shoulder, content to be with him. A teasing whistle sounded, and they glared at the door. Rattrap winked, and then said, “Yeah, ’ya left da door wide open for a viewin’ party ta watch.”

            “Oh, who the slag is out there with you?” Optimus grumbled.

            “My shadow.”

            The leader scowled at the short spy. “Close the door, Rattrap.”

            Rattrap did, then smiled as he saw Sapphire peek out of the boys’ room door. She grinned, and he darted over to catch the door before it closed fully. Pushing it open, he caught Sapphire up and under one arm, before nodding to the boys. They were playing cards on the floor, watching the spectacle with a semi-bored look. Sapphire crossed her arms and let herself be carried to Rattrap’s quarters, where he sat her upon his desk, resting one hand upon either side of her. “So what are ’ya gonna do, eh?”

            “Why would I want to do anything?” Sapphire countered, smiling sadly.

            “No, I’m ain’t talkin’ ’bout right now, Sapph. I’m talkin’ ’bout if you’re gonna go with da others.”

            The human sighed and nodded. “I . . . I don’t want to see you hurt, and I don’t want you to see me hurt. I only want you to be safe.”

            “Doll, war ain’t safe.”

            “Then as safe as you can be.”

            Rattrap leaned his forehead against her shoulder, feeling her wrap her arms around his neck. He sighed wistfully and whispered, “Do ’ya think dat da others’ll take t’ dis idea?”

            “Maybe. The guys most likely won’t, but we can convince them.”

            “I hope that you’re right.”

            “No! I’m not running from this!”

            “Oh, for the love of all that is good and holy, Skyfire!” Sinead roared, slamming the pals of her hands upon the map-table, a deep glare upon her features. “I’m not letting anyone stay behind! We have to stay as safe as possible!”

            “Meaning that you’re deserting your . . . what are they? Your Bonded? You’re deserting those who you love the most? Sure, you go right on ahead. I never ran from a fight, and I’m not running way now,” he hissed back.

            “First off, who said that we were deserting them? They suggested that it would be safer for both them and us if we went! If we’re together, we can be killed easier, and none of us want that to happen!” She took a deep breath in, trying to cool her temper a little. It was starting to work. Her voice was calmer when she spoke next. “And second off, Skyfire, we’re not in this fight. This isn’t our war. It’s the Beast Warriors’, and they have been fighting it well before we came.”

            “Not until Dinobot was captured,” Skyfire snarled out, not caring what he was saying anymore. He was sick and tired of not being able to do anything. He wanted to fight. He wanted a brawl that would get his blood pumping. He didn’t want to go back out into the wilderness where he could only hunt.

            Lady Venom was about to speak up, when Sinead held her hand out, stopping her. After a small bit of silence, Sinead had finally gotten her temper under control, despite what Skyfire had just said. He was angry. Let him be angry.

            But before Sinead could say anything, Dinobot stood behind her, his crimson optics locking upon Skyfire’s eyes. “Skyfire, I made no mistake, no err, when I willingly let them disarm me and take me in Rattrap’s stead. I knew full well that I would be tortured.”

            “Just tortured?”

            “No, not ‘just tortured.’” The tall warrior sighed, his face falling from the _expression denoting his fierce will to stand up for both himself and Sinead, to something between sadness and melancholy recollection. “Tortured and raped.”

            Silverbolt and Cheetor stared at Dinobot, neither knowing what to say or think. He didn’t look at either of them, keeping his optics upon Skyfire. The young man dropped his gaze, knowing now that he had gone too far. Dannn and Sharpshot exchanged a glance, and they looked to two of the other girls, seeing that they knew of what had happened to Dinobot. It was a silent agreement that they had made, so that the others who looked up to Dinobot wouldn’t be hurt by the knowledge of what had really happened.

            Cheetor yelled and hit a wall as hard as he could. He started to storm out of the room, when Dinobot grabbed his arm and spun him back around. Gradually, the younger bot looked up at the ex-Predacon, meeting his optics for but a split-second before looking away again. Dinobot put his hands upon Cheetor’s shoulders and squeezed gently, regaining the younger’s gaze. All the boy could whisper out, was one word. “Why?”

            It was Dinobot’s turn to look away. “Because they couldn’t break me in any other way. Because they knew that it would tear my mind to shreds, leaving me with nothing but for the want of death.” He raised his optics to look at Cheetor. “Because they knew that it would hurt the entire team if they did that to me.”

            “They . . . they . . . Matrix, Dinobot . . .”

            The young Maximal started to sob. Rhinox nearly reached over to help Dinobot with him, but the taller bot sighed and looked at Sinead, clearly asking her what to do though his glance. She put an arm around Starath’s shoulders and squeezed them slightly. Briefly smiling, Dinobot nodded slowly, then pulled Cheetor into an older-brother type of hug, looking up at Silverbolt as he did so.

            “Why didn’t you let us know?” Silverbolt asked.

            Taking a moment to find the right words, Dinobot replied, “Because I wanted to protect both you and Cheetor. I didn’t want . . . I actually wouldn’t have been able to deal with answering your questions. I didn’t even want to admit to myself what they had done to me.” He sighed and glanced down at Cheetor. “Are you listening to this?”

            The boy nodded.

            “Then know that I was only looking out for you, in a sense.”

            “And we all helped,” Miss Special said. “We all had our reasons why we didn’t tell you, and I can bet that most of them are different.” She looked at Skyfire, who was still standing at the table, head bowed. “And we all have different reasons for leaving, Skyfire.”

            He looked up at her, then over at Dinobot, who was still keeping Cheetor in the hug. The human sighed and whispered, “Sorry for exploding like that. Sinead . . . yeah. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that, and said those things. I . . .”

            “You don’t like running,” Cheetor mumbled. Dinobot let the Maximal free, but still rested one hand upon his shoulder. Cheetor looked back at the ex-Predacon, smiled slightly, and then returned his optics to Skyfire. “I can get that. But . . .” he sniffed, still struggling with his emotions, “sometimes you just gotta.”

            Dinobot patted Cheetor’s shoulder once before nearly getting knocked over by Sinead. She laughed and moved so that she was hanging off of his back piggy-back style, her face peeking over his right shoulder. Silverbolt smiled a little, then said, “You’ve clearly recovered, though.”

            “Took time and a lotta effort from those of us who knew about it,” Sinead replied. “I mean, yeesh. You think that getting him to admit what had happened was hard, but . . . getting the lacerations repaired was a completely separate story.”

            Dinobot nodded once, then looked at Sapphire. “When are you leaving?”

            “Tonight, hopefully. Early tomorrow morning at the latest. We don’t need many provisions since we’re going to be hunting and all, but . . . some things would be nice. Like real blankets.”

            Sinead slid off of Dinobot’s back while Lady Venom started talking. “We can use the skins for sleeping on, with a cloth blanket on top, maybe? Then we’ll need some fire-making equipment–”

            “My wool blanket’s out,” Sinead said. “I can’t even find it.”

            “Oh, sorry,” Nurannoniel said, grinning. “I stole it and hemmed the torn side for you.”

            Sinead gave her a dull look, then rubbed the top of Skyfire’s head while the others were discussing what to bring. “Hey, look, you. I’m not all that happy of leaving, either, but it has to be done. One of the Bonded in these pairs have to stay completely safe.”

            “But I hate running.”

            “And you’re looking to fight. That’s why you were arguing with me.”

            “I can’t spar with you guys. I’m not as good with swords. Only shotguns, and you can’t use those in a close-combat fight.”

            “So wrestle with Dannn or Sharpshot,” Sinead replied, smiling. “They’re as bored as you are.”

            “Are you sure?”

            “Uh, duh? Have you been paying any attention lately?”

            “No.”

            “Oh.” Sinead chuckled, clapping his back affectionately. “Okay.”

            It was right before the humans were scheduled to leave. Dinobot looked down at Sinead while they were in his quarters. Since he had been in the best health of his life the past two days, Rhinox agreed to let him back into his room. The warrior was holding Sinead close to him, feeling her sobs shake her shoulders. No sound came from her. Finally, he picked her up and put her in his lap, cradling her. “You’re going to do fine out there, Sinead.”

            “I-I seriously don’t want t-to leave you . . .”

            “I know. I don’t want you to go, either.”

            They sat in silence until Sinead dried her eyes on the sleeve of her shirt, and rested her head against Dinobot’s chest. Simultaneously the two sighed, and Dinobot curled his body closer around his Bonded. “I’ll be thinking of you constantly.”

            “I know.”

            “I . . . I think that . . . Matrix and Primus. I love you.”

            “Inferno?”

            “Hm?” the Predacon looked up from the book he was reading. He smiled at Miss Special, and then moved the chair back a slight bit. “What is it?”

            “I . . . we’re leaving.”

            Inferno nodded, then caught Miss Special as she flew into his arms. Somehow he managed to whisper softly, “When will you be back?”

            “Oh, I don’t know,” Miss Special whispered into his shoulder. “But you have to be strong for both of us. I don’t know how long it’ll be before the others know . . .”

            “That you’re only pretending to be as strong as you say you are?”

            “Yeah . . .”

            “They’re pretending, too. You saw Sinead this evening. Every time she looked at Dinobot, she was silently telling him that she was crying on the inside.”

            “You saw this?”

            “I saw more that just that, but that isn’t for me to say. I also saw how Starath stuck next to Megatron, and how Nurannoniel and Optimus left the informal meeting early. Not to mention that Lady Venom and Rampage showed up almost near the end.” He chuckled, and brushed her hair back. “You’re just showing that you have a stronger front than they do at the moment.”

            She nodded and closed her eyes, feeling his arms around her shoulders. They had only minutes left together, and neither wanted to spoil them with unneeded words. Presently, though, Miss Special loosened her arms from her Bonded’s neck, and slid off of his lap. His own hands stayed on her shoulders, but they soon held her hands, gripping them just enough to make her look up at his optics. “You’ll still be able to speak with me. Just think the words. I’ll hear them.”

            “Will . . . will I be able to hear you?”

            “Yes. Go. I’ll see you when you return.”

            She nodded, and their hands dropped. Not letting her eyes do as her hands did, she picked her pack up and backed out from the room, feeling a single tear drop down her cheek. Inferno sighed, and whispered, “Safe journeys; safe hunting.”

            “Thank you,” Miss Special whispered. “Don’t get yourself hurt.”

            “I’ll try.”

            “I love you.”

            The door closed before Inferno could say the same. He ran up to open the door, but when he did, Miss Special was nowhere in sight. He sagged against the doorframe, letting his head fall. “Matrix and Primus, keep her safe.”

            Sinead kissed Dinobot’s forehead as he slept, then rested her cheek against his. Swallowing, she stood, but leaned back over him, rested her hands on either side of his head, memorizing every line of his face. Every detail that the television show didn’t fit in, didn’t reveal, she saw, and made note of it. The way that his mouth was set in sleep, the deep way that he breathed, the pattern of the stripes on his arms . . . everything was made a note of, filed away in her mind.

            She leaned closer, then softly set her lips against his in a goodbye kiss. He sighed and turned over, curling slightly. Sinead brushed his hair away from his face, then released a sigh that came from the very soles of her feet. The young woman picked her bag up and left the room, silent. She met up with Sapphire, who looked just as bad as she thought she, herself, did. Sapphire looked away from Sinead, and the slightly-older girl put her arm around Sapphire’s shoulders, hugging her in a side-hug as a sister would. They saw the others ahead, each as silent as the next. The group left by the elevator from the cargo hold, and set out towards the forest behind the rocky lands that lay around the Axalon.

            Dinobot watched Sinead go, then turned to see Rattrap and Megatron behind him. His shoulders fell, and he swallowed a few times before saying hoarsely, “I . . . I couldn’t even tell her that . . .”

            “She knows,” Megatron said softly, not bothering to hide how tortured he was at the fact that Starath had left with the others. He didn’t like being without her. “They all know.”

            “I wish that I could have walked with her just on those first steps.”

            “Da first steps? Choppuhface, don’t ’ya know dat dose are da hardest ones o’ all? She had ta do dat ’erself. She knew dat, too. If you walked with ’er . . . she’d never get anywhere. Neither would da others. Dey’d all follow ’er back,” Rattrap said, sighing and leaning against the window-frame.

            The three looked back out the window at the nine dark forms retreating into the darkness of pre-dawn. Megatron rested his hand upon the top of the window, then leaned forward, sighing. “Starath didn’t stop crying. She fell asleep that way last night.”

            “Sinead was the same.”

            “Yeah, Sapph too.”

            The three looked at each other, and Dinobot smiled slightly as Rampage, Inferno, and Optimus came in. They all looked worse for wear, and none were that happy. Rattrap looked at them as well, then asked, “Did dey cry?”

            “Yeah,” the three chorused.

            “They really are the sisters that Sinead calls them as. She calls them her sisters-in-spirit.” Dinobot turned once more, and saw them disappear into the forest. “They’ll look after each other. I . . . I believe that they will be fine.”