Code of Honor: The Agendas part 4

Question: Since everyone who voted wanted to see that duel, what kinda duel would you like to see? An epic one? An explosive one?

Note: I’ve only seen G1 in Chinese, so if I get anything, such as Cassetticon telepathy, wrong, tell me.

In the clear, blue skies, only Ravage’s sleek, bird-like ship distorted the natural wind currents.

“So this is it? We just blast our way in and finish this thing?” Asked Rattrap.

“We have this ship to our advantage.” Ravage grinned as he cloaked the ship and all but Dinobot jumped back in surprise as they saw themselves disappear.

“Man, I hope this is enough. I hate it when I can’t see even a blip of myself.” Whined Rattrap as he tried to find his newly invisible self.

“Oh, we have one other advantage as well.” Ravage grinned when the ship passed over Tarantulus’ lair. Even from the heights of the unseen ship, the Maximals could hear alarm klaxons ringing.

“Why was I not informed of this other advantage?” Asked Dinobot upon recognizing the location as that of Tarantulus’ lair. As far as he knew, Tarantulas was nothing but a traitorous scientist from one of the Predacons’ secret labs.

“You were five star systems away when the decision was reached.” Ravage said out loud and then sent to Dinobot the remainder of the message telepathically, hoping that the raptor would get the message that was reserved for Predacon receptors. I believe you were extending the territory of the Predacon Empire.

When Tarantulus’ sensors detected the rush of wind that only Ravage’s ship could stir, he immediately transformed into motorcycle mode and followed, leaving behind a massive cloud of dust.

In the Predacon base, a newly repaired Inferno towered studiously over a console as he excitedly clicked switches. “Activating scanners now, Royalty.”

“Don’t bother.” Megatron, ignoring his loyal subject’s eagerness, wave his purple hand in an insulting and dismissive manner. As a former Predacon Elite, he recognized the source of the faint noise above the Darkside as something that only the Predacon government could manufacture. “Just fire our weapons!”

“These guns will target Maximals signatures; just activate them. And stop calling me that!” Megatron gnashed his perfectly white, metallic teeth as he tried to restrain his anger and frustration at the fire ant.

“Yes, my Queen.” Inferno’s response, though automatic, came out slightly dejected and more submissive than usual.

Outside the Predacon base, Ravage’s ship slowed to a hover before uncloaking. On Optimus’ signal, Ravage opened a floor hatched and all of the Maximals dropped out of his ship, each transforming into his most suitable mode.

Detecting the Maximal signatures, the Predacon autoguns sprang up as they were programmed to do and fired dozens of rounds, all of which missed the Maximals and headed for Ravage’s ship.

“Is that the best you have, Megatron?” Ravage muttered as he skillfully maneuvered the ship to avoid each and every attack. Then, upon returning fire, Ravage added. “But it will not matter.”

Twin beams shot out from the tips of the ‘wings’ on Ravage’s birdlike ship and sublimated the autoguns in pairs. When the metallic gases condensed, there was nothing but pieces of scrap in the turrets.

In response to the attack, Inferno rose from a hatch and began to throw flames at Ravage’s ship. The deranged ant grinned. “Burn!”

“Alright, very impressive, but let’s try this.” Ravage’s ship, as if rotating on an axis, spun so that the tips of its wings faced Inferno and before the bug had time to react, a blast of plasma sent him into stasis lock. Shocked to see her ‘fellow bug’ dead, Transtermite turned toward Ravage’s ship and attempted to jump, but she smashed into Waspinator and landed flat on her back.

“Megatron want Waspinator and bug-bot at coordinates. Megatron give bug-bot and Waspinator special assignment. Waspinator take special assignments.” Buzzed the wasp, who just emerged from the Darkside in beast mode and landed at the bottom of its hull. Thanks to the deafening noise of the battle, only Transtermite could hear the wasp.

As Dinobot’s feet smashed against the metal hull of the Predacon base, Quickstrike greeted the former Predacon with a laser attack.

“Well, howdy, partner! It’s good seein’ you again. This time I’ll whoop your skidplate for real!” The fuzor laughed, but soon turned serious when Dinobot met the attack with the eyebeams. Leaning forward slightly, Dinobot pressed his front until he and the Predacon were mere meters apart.

“You leave much to be desired in an opponent. I hardly find this battle worthy!” Dinobot snarled as he reached back for his sword without breaking contact with Quickstrike’s combination of laser and cybervenom.

Sensing a repeat of his previous two battles with Dinobot, Quickstrike tried to divert Dinobot’s attention. The defeats in the forest and in front of the Axalon were embarrassing and the one at the arena even worse. Ain’t going to make me look bad in front of sugah-bot ‘n’ get away with it. “Yo, bro! Do you see that big bird up there?”

“Yes. That bird will be the end of Megatron. What a shame.” Dinobot replied without tearing his gaze away from Quickstrike’s shot. He then rammed his sword into the fuzor and sent the Predacon to stasis lock.

“Jets…” Cheetor attempted to transform into vehicle mode, but he was dropping too quickly. When they finally came out, the cat was flat on his back and the jets merely sent him ramming into a mass of rock in the background.

Meanwhile, Rattrap, Optimus, and Rhinox chipped away at the Predacon base’s remaining defenses. Suddenly, Optimus’ optics widened as he saw Blackarachnia point her weapon at Silverbolt, who was hovering idly above the Predacon base.

“Silverbolt, behind you!” Warned the transmetal leader. In response, the fuzor spun around and aimed his wing missiles at the gold and black femme, who stood atop a stasis pod that was turned into a flying vehicle.

“Take her down!” Ordered Optimus. However, the orders merely triggered Silverbolt’s aim to waver. The fuzor was visibly torn, but Optimus ignored the fact. “Do it!”

“I-I can’t. It is not proper to strike a lady.” Silverbolt sighed as he dropped his twin missiles after several shaky attempts to fire, allowing Blackarachnia to fly away into the distance after Waspinator with a half-mocking smile and a wink.

Optimus narrowed his gaze angrily, but before he could reproach Silverbolt, a bullet from one of the remaining autoguns found a home in his shoulder. Quick to respond, Optimus soon rejoined Rhinox and Rattrap in hammering and pelting the Predacon base with fire.

In the Predacon base, rocks rained from the roof hatches as the Maximals did their damage. The ship quaked on a regular basis, even though there was no seismic disturbance within kilometers.

“No, keep fighting!” Ordered a frustrated Megatron. “Backup autoguns online!”

“Backup autoguns acti…” The Predacon computer began, but trailed off as it powered down. The backup autoguns began to emerge from their hiding places when they simultaneously decided to shut down and return. Then, as if everything in the Predacon base was acting in some strange accord, everything powered down.

“What is this?” Demanded the transmetal T-Rex as he pounded his fists against the arms on his chair. Without warning, three power bonds appeared out of nowhere and tied themselves around his midsection and his wrists, binding the leader to his throne. Megatron’s suspicion rose to an agitating level as dark, rumbling laughter echoed throughout the Predacon base.

With a shimmer, Ravage uncloaked and appeared in the air, hovering above the lava with his jets. The panther grinned triumphantly. “Greetings, Megatron. In the name of Pax Cybertronia and the Predacon Alliance, you are under arrest.”

As if by magic, several back-up lights switched on, revealing the Maximals, who had also found their way into the Predacon base. Standing off to the side was Dinobot with a ghost of a triumphant grin, which served to only further agitate Megatron. The minute Megatron turned away, however, all traces of the smirk were wiped from Dinobot’s face as anguish set in. He was a criminal just like Megatron, for they had conspired together and betrayed the same people, yet he was allowed the dishonor of walking free!

As Dinobot began to turn away, he saw flashes from his past. The first, a memory from the first time Dinobot served under Megatron’s command, from the days when both were law-abiding, bloodthirsty Elites, flashed quickly. Then came Megatron’s resignation and the duel for leadership, which Dinobot had won, but that also passed instantly.

The pre-Beast Wars Dinobot stood before Megatron’s four surviving followers, examining the blazing environment as he and Megatron debated about the Predacon goal of conquest. To the purple leader’s right stood Dr. Machination, a Class Four scientist with one optic and a stupid-looking lab technician, whom Dinobot recognized as the notoriously incompetent Scorponok. Flanking the other side of Megatron were two flyers, a mostly red prison inmate named Terrortron and an obviously mistreated, dissatisfied bot whom Dinobot would later know as Waspinator.

Jibes, taunts, and sarcastic laments flew between Dinobot and Megatron, but the war of words soon transformed into a political debate and Dinobot had lowered his weapons. At the time, Dinobot thought the words were his turning point, but in this memory, they seemed inconsequential compared to one object in the background, which the former Predacon could not help but stare at.

The badge that identified Dinobot as a Predacon Elite and symbolized the Predacon’s honor lay on the cold, metallic floor, torn and soaked with mech-fluid. In hindsight, Dinobot saw the battered badge, or rather, its absence, as a betrayal of everything he fought for, as treason of the highest order against the Predacon race, as the symbol of a crime that could have only been mitigated in a warrior’s death. By allowing that badge to come off of him and then joining the enemy, Dinobot had cheapened the deaths of his comrades.

Finally, the debating stopped and Dinobot nodded before gesturing for the other five Predacons to follow him over an expansive pile of casualties. The group soon stopped at the door that Dinobot had previously been guarding and Dinobot entered some access codes. The door snapped open and the six Predacons entered what seemed to be a maze. After sneaking past what seemed to be countless layers of security, the six came upon two golden disks suspended in midair.

As Dinobot and Megatron each took one of the golden disks, the alarms finally started to blare and Dinobot volunteered information on the nearest ship that he could access, a warship called the Darkside.

Dinobot wanted to shake his head at the memories of his series of betrayals, but dared not to in the presence of others. He had made some of his biggest mistakes in and around that museum, but past mistakes were just that and they could not be changed, no matter how serious they were.

Dinobot’s grip on his sword tightened as he snarled and paced around the Axalon’s bridge. Too many regrettable memories were being activated and too many things were going wrong. Optimus had ordered them all back to base when they should have remained to exterminate the enemy once and for all. “The fuzor chooses an enemy over his own comrades, all for this useless notion of romance! Allow me to carry out his sentence.”

“No, Dinobot, allow me. We need you out on patrol.” Optimus grabbed the tip of the drill-bit sword and pushed it aside. Dinobot wanted to insist, but he then remembered his suspicions about Ravage, whom the Maximals left alone with Megatron.

“Very well.” The raptor grunted after transforming into beast mode and then left the base.

Despite the recent battle, the scene of the office was quite serene and natural, with a potted plant and everything, depicting none of the turmoil within the owner of the office.

Optimus sighed as he contemplated the recent events in his office. So much was happening, with the appearance of a Decepticon, Silverbolt’s possible affair, and then Cheetor’s breaking news, or rather, memories. Everything was just so compounded, with Silverbolt possibly pulling off a Romeo and what might be Cheetor’s shared origins with a Predacon.

The voyage that started out as an operation to explore planets and dump Protoform X was not supposed to transform into a large-scale battle to preserve history and then a massive, family mess.

Optimus did not want to do what he was about to do, but for that very reason, it must be him who did it. As much as he disliked Dinobot’s aggressive, unforgiving attitude, he had to admit that the former Predacon was correct in saying that Silverbolt’s conduct was unacceptable.

After an eerily silent eternity, the doorbell rang.

“Come in.” Said Optimus as he tore his gaze away from the expansive window and sat down behind the desk in the sparsely furnished room. The doors hissed open to reveal Silverbolt in robot mode, who stepped into the room nervously.

“You wanted to see me?” The fuzor began.

“I did.” Optimus replied, eying the fuzor carefully for a long moment. “I don’t know what’s been going on, but it stops right now, understand?”

“I am not certain to what you’re referring.” Answered the puzzled Silverbolt.

“I’m talking about you and a certain female Predacon. Or am I wrong? Tell me I’m wrong and I’ll apologize right now. Hmm?” Optimus almost pounded on his desk as he gave a pleading glance at Silverbolt, begging the fuzor to prove him wrong. He prayed to Primus that it was just a hole in his judgment, but the prayer apparently went unanswered. When Silverbolt remained silent, the leader sighed. “Well, that’s just prime.”

“I believe I can bring her around.” The desperate Silverbolt brought up the argument.

“Don’t be an IDIOT! She may have been made from Maximal parts but she is a Predacon to the core!” Optimus exploded, smashing his fists against the desk so hard that the lighter things flew off of the surface and landed on the floor.

“As I was once!” Protested Silverbolt.

“You didn’t know better!” Optimus allowed his temper flare to subside before continuing, composing his words so that they would serve their purpose but do minimal damage. “Silverbolt, you are one of the noblest individuals I know. That is your greatest strength, but it is also your weakness! Blackarachnia is using you!”

“I do not believe that, sir.”

“Whether you believe it or not is immaterial. The fact remains that your emotions are starting to jeopardize our situation. And I won’t let that happen. Not now.” Optimus turned away. “You’re confined to quarters. I’ll send Cheetor to bring in the spider-woman.”

“But sir…” Silverbolt gave a worried protest, but a warning glance from Optimus prompted him to trail off.

“You have something else to say, Silverbolt?” The transmetal gorilla asked, turning his brownish-gold face back towards the fuzor.

“Sir -- Optimus -- I believe that Blackarachnia will not hurt me. But she would have no such compunction about Cheetor. For his sake if no other, please. Send me instead. I will bring her in.” Silverbolt stammered, hoping that his final pleas would work.

The leader weighed his options and after a long, pensive silence, he decided. “You’re confined to quarters.” He hated the ending as much as he imagined Silverbolt would, but orders had to be obeyed and Cheetor had a right to answers, even if the search would seriously harm the transmetal cheetah.

Cheetor nodded as he hid his true emotions under the façade of enthusiasm. “On my way, Bigbot!” If his suspicions about Blackarachnia’s origins were correct, then he needed to talk to both Silverbolt and the spider.

When the transmetal cheetah arrived at Silverbolt’s door, he dragged his hand, which weighed like lead, up and knocked tentatively. “Uh, Silverbolt?”

“Yes?” Replied the fuzor.

“Uh, I just wanted to say I’m sorry about all this and I promise I’ll—I’ll bring her in with minimal damage.” Cheetor once again tried to mask his nervousness, but his mask was more fragile this time.

“That is very considerate of you and I, too, am sorry.” Apologized the fuzor.

“What for?” The rate of Cheetor’s fluid pump slowed as his anxiety was replaced with curiosity. The feline relaxed his hands slightly despite his newfound knowledge regarding the Predacon spider.

“For this!” Before Cheetor could react, a piece of Silverbolt’s door crashed into him, throwing him off his feet. Once again, fluid traversed rapidly through the feline’s internal workings, but this time in anger. He was there to reveal to Silverbolt Blackarachnia’s origins and past, not take a mouthful of metal.

The remaining door opened smoothly and Silverbolt stepped out before grabbing a disoriented Cheetor. He asked the feline in a concerned tone. “Cheetor! How do you feel?”

“A little dizzy, but I’ll be fine.” The cheetah blinked confusedly as he replied. What was the fuzor thinking? Did he feel as if he had no choice but to break out?

“Then I am again sorry.” Silverbolt lowered his gaze momentarily in a sorrowful expression before slamming Cheetor into a wall, sending sparks flying from the feline’s optics. Cheetor then slumped into a heap at the wall that could go into stasis lock at any given time. If only Silverbolt was patient enough to hear his news.

“Hey!” Shouted Rattrap, who was paying attention to his guard duty for once. At the far end of the corridor, the rat depressed an alarm button. For a moment, he was not certain whether he preferred Dinobot’s subtlety or Silverbolt’s dramatic exit when it came to betrayal. Either way, treason was a count on both their score sheets and for that, he had a slight grudge against both.

“Ya sucker-punchin-spaniel!” Rattrap swore at Silverbolt’s rapidly disappearing form.

As Silverbolt sighted Blackarachnia’s stasis pod, a combination of a howl and a mimic of a police siren slipped through his fangs and suddenly, the world around him began to dim as a strange sensation came on to him, as if the siren was connected to some hidden party of himself.

“Ma’am, pull this vehicle over, please.” The words rolled out of his mouth without conscious thought and suddenly, Silverbolt saw many vehicles flash before his eyes. The bright daylight darkened to the eternal night of a colony and Silverbolt felt as if it was all connected to his forgotten past.

“No, get out of here! I am busy, can’t you see?” The annoyed and startled Blackarachnia hissed as she tried to repel the fuzor. However, the words merely rolled past his auditory sensors and landed deep in the recesses of Silverbolt’s circuits, arousing an automatic response.

If the spacing’s erratic, please forgive me and blame it on MSWord; I’ve had some formatting problems. To answer the question about DB going TM, I don’t remember much of s3 and I don’t have the s3 DVD’s anywhere near me, but if you want to see a TM or TM2 DB, I just might completely make up s3 and turn him into that. Be warned that I did something similar in a fic related to this and one reviewer said that the TM2 part was cheesy.