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randomplaces2008-10-13 12:56 pm
random_xtras) wrote in randomplaces2008-10-13 12:56 pm
Entry tags:
Fusion-'verse. Various locations. Reformat ((Warnings: character death))
Megatron frowned deeply as he listened to Rodimus Prime's report, his arms crossed over his chest where he and Oriana Pax's combined sparks ached at the words of the young Autobot leader.
"Soundwave and his recorders were found dead, with no marks on them. Skywarp and Thundercracker are missing." Rodimus' jaw clenched. "The bodies were left where they lay, and the security footage was wiped. It's the same MO as for the attack at the rebel base, except that no one disappeared there."
Megatron glanced at where Ultra-Magnus sat with bowed head next to him at the table, then looked over at Jazz, who was leaning against the door frame and staring blankly out into the Cybertronian dawn.
Rumbling, he bowed his own head, fists clenching. Soundwave... faithful retainer. And Starscream... I carried her through the bowels of Unicron to save her life, and then carried her through the bowels of Primus to try and get her life restored... and she's gone too now.... I will never be able to right the wrongs that I did to her.
-Primus has her.- Oriana's thought was a soft caress.
His optics flickered, and then he nodded. -That... doesn't ease the pain, Optimus.-
-I know.-
He shut his optics off, trying to lose himself in her spark snuggle, but then leaped to his feet and sent the table crashing onto its side as Jazz fell with a strangled cry.
"No!" Rodimus vaulted the fallen furniture and rushed the figure who stepped inside over the black and white mech's body.
As Megatron, Oriana, and Ultra-Magnus watched in startled horror the intruder punched a hand through the young Prime's chest, then shot him at point blank range as she wrenched the Matrix free and held it up with a triumphant cackle.
It was a Seeker, yet not a Seeker. Slender. Black as the death of hope. She swept the room with a crimson gaze that was pitiless, scornful, and mad.
"What... Starscream?" Megatron took a step toward her, but then stopped as she pointed that fatal weapon at his chest.
"Starscream was a weak fool," she said, her voice cold as the void of space. "She threw her life away for naught. Look on me and despair, for I am Deathscream!"
He frowned at the feeling of wrongness that came from her. "What do you want?"
She smirked and kicked Hot-Rod aside, then sauntered closer, not looking around at the two other Transformers who followed her inside. "It's not a matter of what I want. You want this trinket, and Unicron wants a word with you. You know what to do."
Her smirk widened as she pointed her gun at Ultra-Magnus' head without taking those fiery cold optics from Megatron's.
"My lady," said the femme who had followed her. "There's a squadron of Seekers coming."
"Oh really?" Deathscream stood poised for a moment, but then transformed and shot skyward, going through the ceiling and roof as though they had been paper. "Cyclonus! Scourge! To me as we hunt!"
"No!" shouted Megatron, launching himself after her, only to fall with a clatter and a grunt as Ultra-Magnus flying tackled him to the ground.
"Seeker squadron, abandon attack!" shouted the Autobot over his communicator. "I repeat, abandon attack and disperse! Get the slag out of here NOW!"
"Let go of me!" Megatron wrenched an arm free, only to sputter and see static as Ultra-Magnus punched him in the face.
"You go out there now, and you die! Just like Jazz and Rodimus did...."
Oriana's rage, which had been as hot as his own, faltered and tumbled toward grief. Megatron winced and stopped fighting. "Let me go."
"No stupid stuff?" Ultra-Magnus looked at him, wincing slightly as the sound of a fuselage hitting the ground came from outside.
"No... stupid stuff." Megatron's voice was resigned. "Let go."
The Autobot did so, eying him warily the whole way. "They're gone. Some kind of warp gate."
"That explains how they came and went at the other sites," said Oriana as her mate pushed himself up and turned toward Hot Rod's crumpled shell. "Though, if that was Starscream... she must have been changed days ago. And Soundwave...."
"I don't want to think about it." Megatron hunkered down and gently turned Hot Rod over, his optics switching off for a moment as he saw the peace on the young mech's dead face. "Primus...."
-He's with Arcee, and Springer,- murmured Oriana brokenly, her affection and grief for the two murdered mechs flooding her senses.
Megatron stared, trying to understand the feelings and how to deal with them, then just cradled Hot Rod's broken shell and wept.
"Soundwave and his recorders were found dead, with no marks on them. Skywarp and Thundercracker are missing." Rodimus' jaw clenched. "The bodies were left where they lay, and the security footage was wiped. It's the same MO as for the attack at the rebel base, except that no one disappeared there."
Megatron glanced at where Ultra-Magnus sat with bowed head next to him at the table, then looked over at Jazz, who was leaning against the door frame and staring blankly out into the Cybertronian dawn.
Rumbling, he bowed his own head, fists clenching. Soundwave... faithful retainer. And Starscream... I carried her through the bowels of Unicron to save her life, and then carried her through the bowels of Primus to try and get her life restored... and she's gone too now.... I will never be able to right the wrongs that I did to her.
-Primus has her.- Oriana's thought was a soft caress.
His optics flickered, and then he nodded. -That... doesn't ease the pain, Optimus.-
-I know.-
He shut his optics off, trying to lose himself in her spark snuggle, but then leaped to his feet and sent the table crashing onto its side as Jazz fell with a strangled cry.
"No!" Rodimus vaulted the fallen furniture and rushed the figure who stepped inside over the black and white mech's body.
As Megatron, Oriana, and Ultra-Magnus watched in startled horror the intruder punched a hand through the young Prime's chest, then shot him at point blank range as she wrenched the Matrix free and held it up with a triumphant cackle.
It was a Seeker, yet not a Seeker. Slender. Black as the death of hope. She swept the room with a crimson gaze that was pitiless, scornful, and mad.
"What... Starscream?" Megatron took a step toward her, but then stopped as she pointed that fatal weapon at his chest.
"Starscream was a weak fool," she said, her voice cold as the void of space. "She threw her life away for naught. Look on me and despair, for I am Deathscream!"
He frowned at the feeling of wrongness that came from her. "What do you want?"
She smirked and kicked Hot-Rod aside, then sauntered closer, not looking around at the two other Transformers who followed her inside. "It's not a matter of what I want. You want this trinket, and Unicron wants a word with you. You know what to do."
Her smirk widened as she pointed her gun at Ultra-Magnus' head without taking those fiery cold optics from Megatron's.
"My lady," said the femme who had followed her. "There's a squadron of Seekers coming."
"Oh really?" Deathscream stood poised for a moment, but then transformed and shot skyward, going through the ceiling and roof as though they had been paper. "Cyclonus! Scourge! To me as we hunt!"
"No!" shouted Megatron, launching himself after her, only to fall with a clatter and a grunt as Ultra-Magnus flying tackled him to the ground.
"Seeker squadron, abandon attack!" shouted the Autobot over his communicator. "I repeat, abandon attack and disperse! Get the slag out of here NOW!"
"Let go of me!" Megatron wrenched an arm free, only to sputter and see static as Ultra-Magnus punched him in the face.
"You go out there now, and you die! Just like Jazz and Rodimus did...."
Oriana's rage, which had been as hot as his own, faltered and tumbled toward grief. Megatron winced and stopped fighting. "Let me go."
"No stupid stuff?" Ultra-Magnus looked at him, wincing slightly as the sound of a fuselage hitting the ground came from outside.
"No... stupid stuff." Megatron's voice was resigned. "Let go."
The Autobot did so, eying him warily the whole way. "They're gone. Some kind of warp gate."
"That explains how they came and went at the other sites," said Oriana as her mate pushed himself up and turned toward Hot Rod's crumpled shell. "Though, if that was Starscream... she must have been changed days ago. And Soundwave...."
"I don't want to think about it." Megatron hunkered down and gently turned Hot Rod over, his optics switching off for a moment as he saw the peace on the young mech's dead face. "Primus...."
-He's with Arcee, and Springer,- murmured Oriana brokenly, her affection and grief for the two murdered mechs flooding her senses.
Megatron stared, trying to understand the feelings and how to deal with them, then just cradled Hot Rod's broken shell and wept.
Chapter 6
Scowling, he turned away and walked inside, making his way to the chamber where the spare sparks were kept. The damaged Sweep had already been replaced, and the new one was currently with her brothers and Scourge down on the surface of Cybertron.
Pausing a moment, he contemplated the empty flask where her spark had rested before turning his attention to the rest of the sparks. Six of them pulsated with lively light, but the other three seemed faded, though they moved more within the confines of their flasks.
Galvatron touched the nearest of these with his finger, trying to understand the difference, then jerked away as something spoke in his mind.
-What?? Unicron? Master?-
-No.- There was a soft wash of sadness and apology. -I am Primus.-
He frowned, hand unconciously closing over the flask. -Who's Primus?-
-Creator of sparks. Your creator, child, though you don't remember me.-
-No. Unicron created me.- Galvatron shook his head, though he could feel the truth in the words of this unknown being. And then he realized that the voice was familiar. -I'm recharging again... because you're the voice from the dream.-
-I called you.- Primus' voice was heavy with grief. -But you didn't answer.-
-I'm... not dreaming.- His hand tightened as his spark shivered with fear.
-No. I am real.-
-But... if you're real, then that femme... Oriana....-
-Optimus Prima. Your mate.-
"Deathscream is my mate!" he took a step back, face creasing with anger.
-Yes.- Wordless comfort touched him, strange and frightening, but at the same time familiar and welcome. -Oriana was one with Megatron.-
His optics widened slightly. -Megatron.... I know that name.-
-You were reformatted from him, as Deathscream was reformatted from Starscream and Cyclonus was from Skywarp,- acknowledged Primus.
-Then he's gone, and there's only me left.-
-Yes.- The being's sorrow made his spark flutter.
-Wait... are you inside me? And if Megatron became me, who did Oriana become? Where is she?-
The sadness opened up like a gulf within him. -I don't know.-
-Unicron will know.- Galvatron started to reach out to his master, but then stopped as he remembered the mighty mech's cold offer to terminate and replace Deathscream. -...Did he have something to do with her disappearance?-
-He did.-
The flask in Galvatron's hand shattered, and the faded spark floated free. Surprised, he dropped the shards and opened his hand, and the spark rested gently in his palm. Once more the feel of another's presence filled his senses, and once more he nearly recognized it. -Who are you?-
-I was Soundwave, communications officer to Megatron, then co-leader of the Decepticons,- came the slightly echoing reply in his mind.
-Who are you now?- He frowned.
-Dead.-
-What??- He nearly tossed the spark away from him, but then stopped at the feelings and images that he sensed from it.
Respect
Hope
Wistfulness
-You were Starscream's mate....- He winced, feeling guilty. -And I've taken her from you.-
-She was never mine,- said Soundwave softly, his feelings full of forgiveness. -Take care of Deathscream.-
-I... will.- As Galvatron watched the softly glowing orb lifted off, fading as it went, till he could no longer see or sense it. -Where...?-
-I have him.- Sadness and gladness mingled equally in Primus' feelings. -He's come home.-
-You created him... can't you repair him?- Galvatron scowled unconciously, feeling an unaccustomed discomfort in his spark and a strange static in his vocalizer.
-I could. But he is tired and desires the peace of the song. Do not grieve, child. This is not your fault. Starscream's change is not your fault. In the end all will be one, and all things will be as they were meant to be.-
Galvatron's scowl deepened, and then he reached out and smashed the two other flasks that contained dead sparks, watching as the sparks floated and faded. His processor received the images of two mechs; one black and white, and the other bright with flame patterns. Both their faces were weary, and he could sense their desire to go to join that song that had called Soundwave away.
-Did I kill them?- For the first time, thought of a death touched him with something other than amusement.
-No. Unicron killed them.- Slight anger touched the sadness in Primus' voice.
-Why?- He startled himself with the force of his demand.
-He is the Chaos Bringer. He kills for the sake of destruction and confusion.-
-No more.- Galvatron clenched the fist that had held Soundwave's spark, raising it as his face twitched in a snarl. -I will serve him no more. He will not terminate Deathscream. This has to end.-
Then he paused and looked at the six remaining sparks. -They're different.-
-They live.-
-Can you give them bodies?-
-Not now. But I can protect them and send them somewhere safe.-
-Please do it. I don't want to kill anyone else right now.- Except for one....
A soft light grew around the flasks, and Galvatron felt the surge of power as they vanished.
"My lord?" Deathscream stepped through the door, hesitant question on her face.
He turned and pulled her close, hiding his face against her helm as his vision blurred.
She startled, but then hugged him fiercely. "My lord, what ails you? Is there anything I can do to fix it?"
He didn't reply except to put a hand to the back of her head and make his embrace more protective. -Primus, can you stop him?-
-Yes.- Affection and reassurance warmed the sadness and anger.
-Do you need to use me? Is that why you're in my spark?-
-It would make things easier, but I ask nothing that you are not willing to give.-
-Will Cyclonus and the others be safe?-
-They're on Cybertron. No harm will come to them.-
He nodded, still holding Deathscream tightly. -Do it.-