“EVERYONE TO THE COMMAND CENTER!!!”

 

Tsuki Hellcat awoke with a start, and then looked to Taiyoo . . . Dinobot . . . in his human mode, and looking back at her. Her ears rang at the sudden noise, but they shifted to their robot modes, nonetheless, and ran out, down towards the command room. Primal indicated that they look outside. She still hadn’t gotten used to the sounds of the Axalon, even two weeks later.

 

“What the Pit . . . I’m going out there.”

 

“It might be a trick, Hellcat,” Cheetor said quietly.

 

The femme shook her head. “No. He’s out cold, from shock. But . . . what could put Rampage out like that?”

 

Optimus sighed. “Don’t ask. You really don’t want to know.”

 

 

 

The cat Fuzor crept closer silently, watching around her, as she reached the bot. Finally, she was by his head, and could see recent damage that had healed over. “Xanthos.”

 

He groaned, moving slightly. “Prepare for death.”

 

“Xanthos, don’t make me throw you down the waterfall, Big Brother.”

 

He blinked, emerald optics blank. “I threatened you . . . I’m sorry.”

 

“It’s okay.”

 

Waves of energy washed over the Transmetal, and he screamed in agony, his hands clutching at his chest, curling up into himself. Megatron walked out from behind some rocks, holding aloft a SparkBox. “Aah, so you are alone.”

 

“Autoguns, online! Fire on my command!” Hellcat screeched, hissing, and transforming. She drew her double-handed sword, and readied herself for combat. “No more. This isn’t Cybertron, Megatron. There is no need for what you want to do to me.”

 

He paused. He hadn’t expected her to know about his plans for her torture . . . his pleasure. “What did you say?”

 

“You heard me. Not only did you want me the way that you did, but you also took away my life, my love, almost everything that was important to me.”

 

“Taiyoo.”

 

“Mm-hm. And if you take one step closer, I’ll prove that box in your hand to be useless.”

 

He laughed, squeezing the box. Rampage screamed, then passed out again. Within an instant, Dinobot was out with her. His rarely-used broadsword was in his hands, and a glare set upon his face. Megatron gawked at him. “You should be dead!”

 

“Should be,” Dinobot hissed. “Yet you know nothing about us, to try to make that accusation. And don’t think that she can’t do that.”

 

“I’ll make a deal with you, then,” Megatron crowed. “If she can cause Rampage to be independent from the box, then I’ll leave without one word. However, if she fails, she comes willingly to the Predacon base.”

 

~Don’t. Please. We can free him soon, Suu!~

 

~Taiyoo, let me do this. He’s been suffering, knowing that I was here, and that I couldn’t help him, until I helped you. I’m surprised that he has waited as patiently as he did for this long.~

 

~Tsuki . . . I love you. If he tries . . .~

 

~I’ll go to the base, if I lose. Once I’m in it fully, both feet, I’m blasting it apart. If I lose, that is. I don’t plan on it. You know about that last resort energy-blast I can do.~

 

~Fine. But I’m going to follow you.~

 

~Don’t be seen, please.~

 

Tsuki crouched down, placing a hand upon Rampage’s neck, feeling him come to. “You’ll feel a lot of pain in a moment, but it will be over soon. I promise you, that I won’t cause you to die.”

 

“I . . . I understand,” Rampage said weakly. “I’ll try to remember that I won’t hurt you.”

 

“You’ll be out cold, I’m sorry to say.”

 

“Hopefully. Hurry.”

 

She smiled, stood, and deactivated her optics, feeling the emotional connection between her own Spark, and Rampage’s. It was the connection between two siblings. With a flash, the white sensors were online again, and she was glaring at Megatron. “Place the box on the rock next to you, and stand two paces away from it.”

 

“I do hope that you’ll fail, sweetling.”

 

“Call me that again, and I’ll kill you.”

 

Something in the tone of her voice convinced Megatron to put the SparkBox upon the rock, and do as she said. Hellcat sheathed her sword, and felt the invisible energy wrap around her hands. With a yell, she spaced her hands unevenly, causing the half of the Spark to flatten.

 

Rampage screamed in his agony, but Dinobot placed his hand over the crab’s chest, blocking the pain.

 

Hellcat then pulled her hands towards her, squeezing the Spark through the spikes of Energon, and then released it. Dinobot backed away from the panting giant, and the half-Spark raced to its owner. The box hadn’t moved one millimeter from where Megatron had placed it.

 

Hellcat was glaring at Megatron. “You’ll leave now, without a word. Remember your promise.”

 

The tyrant turned and left, and Tsuki knelt by Rampage. Rhinox was out there in an instant, crouching by the Predacon femme. “Why hasn’t his Spark gone back in?”

 

“He’s too weak. I’d get back if I were you. He’d only let one of us do this. Dinobot, please, you too.”

 

“If he forgets . . .”

 

“Then you can slag him within an inch of his life, or until he comes to.”

 

“Very well.”

 

“Don’t enjoy it too much.”

 

“You always have to spoil my fun.”

 

“Well . . . yeah.”

 

Dinobot walked a good few paces away, and Tsuki rested her hands upon Rampage’s chest. “You’re gonna hate me, but I have to do this.” She ripped a hole in his outer armoring, causing him to awaken, but, surprisingly, he stayed still. She glanced at him, and saw that the other half of his Spark was over his face. He was staring at it, distracting himself from his pain.

 

Hurrying, she reached his true Spark, then widened the hole slightly, feeling him tremble beneath her touch. The other half raced in, and she leapt away, as he healed himself in record time, curling around his chest, shaking with pain. Hellcat gently pulled him out of that position, and sat him up, standing in front of him. He was still trying to regain his balance completely, so Dinobot stood next to him, steadying him with a hand to his shoulder. Rhinox and Optimus walked around so that they were standing behind Tsuki Hellcat. The giant Transmetal sighed shakily, whispering, “I’m sorry. I wish that I had known that he was going to try something like that.”

 

“Where’s the chip, Rampage.”

 

“T . . . Dinobot.” He looked over at the slightly younger bot, who had spoken. “My back. Between my shoulders. I can’t reach it. It will be protected.”

 

“Slag. How?”

“Dunno.”

 

“I can nullify that,” Tsuki whispered, smiling. “May Dinobot remove it?”

 

Rampage nodded, and shut his optics off, preparing to hold off his healing process, until the chip was out. He felt pain, near his spine, and had Hellcat not grabbed his face, and angled it up towards her own, then he would have all but killed Dinobot.

 

“Slaggit! There it goes!”

 

Hellcat’s optics shut off, and she pushed her consciousness into Rampage’s body, rasing ahead of the virus that would attach his Spark. She knew that it was the one thing that could kill him.

 

It was the control virus.

 

“Forgive me,” she whispered, as she cut her own hand, drawing mech towards the surface. Without thinking, she thrust her hand into Rampage’s chest cavity, and then guided the virus to her open wound upon her hand. Once she felt it completely within her own system, she pulled free, and fell to the ground.

 

Dinobot reached her, and pulled her up towards him, bowing his head over hers, and whispering, “Tsuki . . . stay with me, Suu . . .”

 

“I . . . I am. Primus . . . This hurts . . .” He would have opened their connection, but she shook her head, quickly feeling his want to heal her. “It’ll attack you, too, and . . . and I don’t want to see you back on that bed.” Dinobot nodded brokenly, and she whispered, “Don’t even talk through our Spark. I . . . I can beat this, but . . . hold me.”

 

Rampage saw the two, and then looked at Rhinox. “Could you heal . . . repair her?”

 

He shrugged, and crouched next to the couple. “Hellcat, listen to me. Stay alert.”

 

“Am.”

 

“Good. What did you take on?”

 

“Virus . . . attacks Spark . . .” Dinobot’s face lost color, as he looked down at his life-partner. She took in a painful deep breath. “I can overcome it . . . I . . . I think. But . . . I don’t know.”

 

“Why did you take it on?” Optimus asked quietly. The other Maximals were around him, now, watching, silent. They had seen a scene like this before, and not too long ago. Painful memories were resurfacing; only Rampage could watch without feeling a sort of regret . . . but he was angry at himself that it had happened, that he had caused Tsuki pain and suffering.

 

Rattrap was kneeling on the ground next to Rhinox. “Is dere nothin’ we can do?”

 

“It’s attracted . . . by Spark signature.” Hellcat’s optics hadn’t reactivated since she had taken on the virus.

 

An idea started to blossom within Rhinox’s mind. “How long does it take to kill?”

 

“A nanoclick.” Tsuki Hellcat activated her optics, and grinned at him. “I . . . should have died the moment I . . . pulled my hand free . . . you know.” She sighed, and clenched her wounded hand, then healed it as best as she could. “But we were . . . tested for this kind of thing. . . . I was one of the best at getting over it.”

 

“You have . . . an immortal Spark?”

 

“No . . . but closer to it than Xanthos has.”

 

Rattrap blinked, and Dinobot indicated Rampage, who was still sitting behind them, watching Tsuki. The rodent asked the killer in a cynical, accusing voice, “Well? You happy?”

 

“No. Never was, either, unless I was around Hellcat, Dinobot, and their friends.”

 

Rattrap shut up, and looked at his hands. Rampage stood, rubbed the shorter bot’s head affectionately, surprising him, and then said, “I know how to get it out of her system, and how to get rid of it.”

 

Rhinox blinked up at Rampage. “First off, is she safe to move?”

 

“Of course. Her condition is stable, and is actually slowly improving. Wouldn’t count on her beating it within three, five days, though.” He blinked at the Axalon, changing the subject. “I won’t be able to fit in it.”

 

“Your pod did,” Cheetor said, his naivete getting the better of him. He remembered who he was then speaking to, and stiffened, readying for a fight.

Rampage shook his head. “My shape changed, you must remember. I didn’t have these hanging off of my back when I was forced into the pod.”

 

“O-oh. Right.”

 

“Let’s get her inside, first, and then we’ll worry about that in a moment. Rattrap, get Sentinel. You know what to do.”

 

Rattrap nodded, remembering the defense program he had made. It was a threat program. If a Spark signature was entered into the database, Sentinel would monitor the activity of the individual at all times. If the bot did something questionable then Sentinel would kick in, if there was any malice in the Spark’s emotions.

 

Rattrap ran inside, something to do to distract himself, and programmed Rampage’s Spark signature into the program, then called, “Rattrap to Optimus. It’s done.”

 

“Good.”

 

The comm cut out, and the others were soon in. Rattrap looked to Silverbolt. “Where’s Hellcat?”

 

“The cargo bay. She wanted to be near Rampage, and I have the feeling that he felt the same way.” He paused. “But isn’t she and Dinobot together?”

 

Rattrap nodded, smiling. “Yeah, but remember dat she called Rampage ‘Big Brother.’ Dey ’re as close as family. Dat’s why.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“Go get sleep. I’ll take ’ya shift. I have a few programs ta work on, anyways.”

 

 

 

Rhinox looked to Rampage, who handed him a small component. “That one you just put in won’t work. The charge is wrong.”

 

“The virus has a charge?”

 

“Sparks have a positive charge, you have to remember. Virus has a negative charge; so does that.”

 

“It would dig deeper into her Spark, you mean.”

 

“And we don’t want that.”

 

“Gotcha. How is it transferred?”

 

“Mech-fluid. I’m donating it, so don’t ask anyone about it. It will recognize mine.”

 

“If you insist. What will happen to Hellcat?”

 

“She’ll most likely pass out. I’ll have Dinobot beside her. Not like he’ll move from her side anytime soon.”

 

“I thought I told him to get rest.”

 

Rampage snorted. “Hah. Yeah. Rest. He’s resting his lips against hers.”

 

“ . . . I really didn’t need to know that, Rampage.”

 

“Now you do!” the killer replied cheerily.

 

 

 

Tsuki Hellcat was sleeping lightly, her breathing unsteady, but there. Dinobot was holding her hand in both of his, watching her face. He didn’t notice when Rampage came up behind him, until the hand rested upon his shoulder. “How is she?”

 

“Primus . . . announce when you’re coming up behind me, slaggit . . . she’s asleep, but is alive.”

 

Rampage sat on her other side. “She’ll have some pain, when we extract the virus.”

 

“Define ‘some.’”

 

The Transmetal rubbed at his head, then looked back at the ex-Predacon, sighing. “She might beg for you to kill her.”

 

“You showed no pain.”

 

“I had her slagging hand almost up to her elbow in my chest! Do you expect me to feel the virus leaving my system, when she’s digging through my internal sensors?!”

 

Dinobot looked away, angry at himself for snapping out that comment. Rampage shook his head. “I could distract the pain, and so could you. But we both know that neither of us would do that willingly.”

 

“Affirmative.” He paused. “When . . . when will the process be ready?”

 

“Not too long. That’s why I came to speak to you. I wanted to warn you.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

 

Kelsi’s face drifted past Tsuki, as she dreamt. Satsujinhan’nin was there as well, watching her, silent, but steadfast. Wrangler stood closer to her, his hand held out, as if he were going to help her up. She reached out towards him, and felt his hand grasp hers, then pull her upwards.

 

She activated her optics, and saw Dinobot where her father had been; Rampage was where Satsujinhan’nin was. She looked back to Dinobot, who held her tightly to him once. “It will hurt, Tsuki.”

 

She sighed, then looked up at him and asked, “How much?”

 

“Remember when we had the original tests against this type of thing?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“More than that.”

 

“Primus . . .”

 

Rampage said, “We have to hurry. The primer won’t last too much longer.”

 

She looked to him, and nodded, then hid her face against Dinobot’s shoulder. “Get it over with.”

 

Dinobot’s arms wrapped securely around her, as Rampage made a quick incision where there were only a few nerves close to the surface. He pressed the small devise against the wound, and activated it. Instantly, Tsuki whimpered with the pain. Dinobot bowed his head, deactivating his optics, and clutching her close to his chest.

 

Tsuki felt as if everything from inside her were being crushed, then sucked out through the small wound. It seemed as if there were something else, though, that wouldn’t let go of her . . .

 

“Xanthos . . .” she whispered.

 

“I can’t stop pulling the virus out, Tsuki.”

 

“It’s not letting go.”

 

He looked at her, then at Dinobot. “If you wish to kill me afterwards, then you may, Taiyoo.”

 

“Why? What are you . . .”

 

Rampage whispered a wish for forgiveness, before plunging his hand into Tsuki’s back. She felt it, and deactivated her optics, swallowing, following his movements, hoping that he knew what he was doing.

 

His hand grazed her Spark, then pulled free unexpectedly, drawing the last of the virus out, into the container, then sealing it. He was turning away, when Dinobot grasped his arm. “If you hadn’t warned me, then you would have been dead where you stand.”

 

Tsuki’s voice, weak, but there, whispered, “You know that I’ve always forgiven you, Xanthos.”

 

Rampage looked at her, smiling, and replied, “I know. Thank you.” After she fell asleep, he looked up at Dinobot. “If I had a femme like her for a life-partner, you can bet that she’d never leave my sight. You’re lucky, Dinobot. You’re really lucky to have someone like her.”

 

Dinobot shook his head. “I nearly lost her, Rampage. Twice now, I nearly lost her forever.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

Dinobot shook his head. “I’ll let her tell you, if she wants you to know.”

 

The larger Predacon nodded, and then placed the virus on the table, and sat, resting his head in his hands. Rhinox walked in, seeing them in the poses that they had taken on. Dinobot had laid Hellcat upon a bed, and was patching her up. He didn’t notice Rhinox entering, and the technician didn’t feel like announcing his presence. Dinobot’s movements were fluid, gentle, but purposeful. Not for the first time, did Rhinox wonder what horrors that bot had seen in his past.

 

With a sigh, Dinobot rested his hands upon the high bed, and let his head hang. Rhinox walked further into the cargo bay, up to Rampage. “How is she?”

 

“Surviving. Sleeping it off. Like the slagging human she is.”

 

“I’ll take offence,” Dinobot’s voice echoed over, the tones dull and tired.

 

Rhinox chuckled, and looked at the table. The component was there, looking harmless in the white light focused upon it. He sighed, and looked to Rampage. “How do we destroy it?”

 

“We can’t. I said I can get rid of it.”

 

“How?”

 

“You wouldn’t approve of my idea of infecting the Predacons . . . so I’ll say drop it in lava. I know of a lava stream that will erupt. I was hoping to throw Megatron into it, but that isn’t necessary now.”

 

“Bloodthirsty fiend,” Rattrap’s voice muttered. He appeared out of the shadows, and looked at the experiment. “I’d take ta da infection deal, but neither of dose two over there would let you.”

 

Rampage chuckled evilly, and looked to Dinobot, who was walking over. “Well?”

 

“She’s sleeping deeply. But you should stay still. I didn’t get that slagging chip out.”

The larger bot blinked. “What.”

 

“You heard me.”

 

“I didn’t feel it doing anything.”

 

“Someone’s controlling it.”

 

“How do you know?”

 

“The design.”

 

“Get it out now. I don’t want to turn on you. Not after what Tsuki did for me.”

 

Dinobot nodded, and said, “Apologies, since this will hurt.”

 

“Will you get it done already?!”

 

Dinobot fairly punched through the Transmetal’s armor, and grasped the chip, then stopped. “Oh, slag.”

 

“What now?” Rampage groaned.

 

“Explosive.”

 

“Oh, slag.”

 

Tsuki’s laughter sounded, and she walked slowly over, shaking her head. “You couldn’t wait the three minutes that I would take to get up, could you? Aah, let me see.”

 

Dinobot removed his hand, then let Tsuki see. “Oh, you big, strong men are too intelligent for words.”

 

They blinked at her.

 

She shook her head, and pulled the bomb free, then ripped it apart, literally, until she found a small component with three wires leading into it. She snapped that, and then blinked at the once-blinking light. “Simple.”

 

Rampage slumped, then sighed. “I don’t know what the slag we’d do without you.”

 

“Die.”

 

Rattrap laughed, as Rampage tackled the smaller Predacon, who easily moved out of his grasp, and lifted him over her head, to toss aside. “Remember that?! Do ’ya?!”

He was laughing, nodding.

 

Optimus walked in, and saw Rampage try to pin her again, only to be tossed aside once more. He blinked at Rhinox, who was laughing at the sight of the lithe femme tossing the big bulky one around like it was nothing. Dinobot was keeping out of the way, smiling. He ended up standing next to his leader, who asked, “Is there something about this that seems odd to you?”

 

“Negative. Why do you ask?” Dinobot replied, looking at Primal for one moment.

 

Optimus shook his head, and smiled. “She’s a good ally.”

 

Dinobot grinned to Rattrap, and replied, “As well as a good bed-partner.”

 

The leader hid his face in his hands, groaning.