[G1 AU] Dinobots - Breeding Strategy (part 3)

[nkfloofiepoof]

Title: Breeding Strategy (part 3 - co-written with okami_hu)
Arc: Sparklight
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Grimlock, Sludge, Swoop, OCs
Summary: Grimlock and Sludge search for Swoop who isn't taking his captivity lightly. (sticky - glossary of terms)


Sludge couldn't remember when he was last so frustrated.

They searched high and low, all day, at every place they could think of, and still, there was no sign of Swoop. The tall youngster's insides were trembling, and he was growling in synch with Grimlock. He was so worried! And strong feelings always got the better of him, making him pretty one-track minded. His attention wavered, and he even missed the more obvious signs... like torn branches, disturbed ground, and scratch marks on tree trunks.

Grimlock was not so oblivious. Every strange sign he saw, he quickly stooped to sniff and investigate in an attempt to determine who had trespassed on their territory. He knew not if there was a connection between the trespassers and Swoop's disappearance, but he could not afford to take any chances. Grimlock's growl had not ceased since they left the coast and instead only deepened the longer their searching proved fruitless.

Grimlock snarled softly as he stooped to the ground again to sniff a patch of disturbed ground, growing desperate as the sun reached its highest point in the sky.

"What you Grimlock found?" Sludge stomped his feet impatiently, eager to know the details, to have at least a clue as to what might have happened. He did not like this situation at all -Swoop was missing, Grimlock was silent, and his back plating was crawling. Sludge glanced around, sneering. He was eager to vent a bit, so if somebody was watching them, all the better - he'd find it and chew on it!

Grimlock growled again and pushed himself up a little, brushing aside some of the dirt and dead leaves. "Someone mated here," he answered, his voice vibrating as he continued to growl. "Still some left. Smell like him Swoop." He pointed to dry spattering of lubricant energon coating some of the leaves though any other signs had likely been absorbed by the dirt long before now. As he spoke, Grimlock lifted his head to sniff the air and glare around at the thick foliage. The scent was not very old, so this was the best lead they had come across all day.

That definitely caught Sludge's attention. He forced himself to look around properly, and noticed other signs which proved Grimlock right. He growled and nodded, more than willing to continue searching.

But the nagging feeling didn't want to go away. There was something... Something watching them. Sludge let out a deep purr, and he brushed against Grimlock, growling quietly into the young leader's audios. "Me Sludge feels something... Like optics on back, might be intruder."

And that would be one of the many reasons why Grimlock preferred to hunt and track with Sludge than any of the others - Sludge may not have been the brightest of the pack, but he was certainly perceptive. Grimlock had not noticed the nagging feeling of being watched until the other Dinobot said something.

Grimlock did not respond with more than a softer growl, and he stood slowly to sniff the air higher where a breeze was drifting against his back. They were upwind, so he hoped the breeze would carry the scent of the intruder if there was truly one nearby.

Sludge idly sniffled around, but he was actually training his senses on the forest, trying to pinpoint something that was off. Eventually, he shifted into his beast-form and walked around, nosing the ground under a tree. The crawling intensified to a nearly unbearable level, and the young warrior, after a long, almost painful growl, suddenly stomped heavily. The ground shook beneath his feet, birds rose with frightened screeching, and something fell down from the tree. It landed with a metallic thud on the ground, and before it could move, Sludge, demonstrating his fastest action since probably his birth, was pinning it to the ground, snarling menacingly.

Grimlock was about to turn around to survey the jungle behind them when Sludge shook the ground, and the pack leader had to brace himself before he fell over. Any urge to reprimand Sludge for not warning him died in his vocal processor when he saw the larger Dinobot pin down whatever he shook from the trees, and Grimlock was at Sludge's side in an instant, shifting at once to his own beast form and snarling loudly enough to shake the foliage around them. He snapped his jaws threateningly as he worked his way around Sludge's larger body to see who or what his pack member found.

It was a lizard - a bit like their second forms, but smaller, lighter, and more organic in appearance, identifying it as a Predacon. The green finish with orange flecks blended it perfectly into the environment - whoever he was, he was meant to spy on others. The bright amber optics had a sharp gaze, and the hiss it let out was high-pitched and very angry. It also seemed rather young.

"Who you?" Sludge bellowed, baring all his metallic teeth. "Why you spy on us Dinobots? Where him Swoop?" He was at the end of his patience, and the Predacon's armor creaked beneath his powerful foot.

As much as Grimlock desperately wanted those answers as well, he nudged Sludge with his nose when he heard the Predacon's armor protest the pressure. They needed the awful creature alive if they were to find Swoop. "You answer him Sludge now," he ordered the small Predacon regardless, "or me Grimlock start eating bits and pieces." He snapped his jaws again to emphasize that threat.

The Predacon screeched and clawed madly at the offending foot, but his smaller claws were not enough to do more than to scratch Sludge. His tail swished frantically, and he eyed the two metallic monsters with hatred. "I'm called Slick! I'm Sire's best scout, and I was searching for you... Sire wanted to know where the companions of the flying wretch are, who was brought to our hideout."

The Dinobot leader's growl deepened at the mention of a "flying wretch". He did not know what a "wretch" was, but the "flying" part was enough to make him feel a strange combination of both hope and intensifying anger. He must have meant Swoop. "Who Sire?" Grimlock demanded. "Where him take Swoop?"

"He's called Thunderclap," the gecko hissed. "He's the biggest, most fearsome mech around, and he'll rip you to pieces if you hurt me! He eats Dinobots and Maximals! You should see his lair... underground, so ancient, you stupid things would gape at the weapons we have...!

"Where lair?!" Sludge hollered. As kind he was with his own, he became just as intimidating and fearsome when angered and facing an enemy. "Tell, or me Sludge crush you like twigs!"

"You weapons not mean much when you sitting there under him Sludge's foot," Grimlock snarled. "You not tell us where, me Grimlock tell him Sludge to crush, then us feed to rest of pack!" He fully intended to bite off one of the Predacon's limbs if he did not cooperate soon which brought forth another question he had been wondering. "Why him take Swoop?"

The small lizard squirmed. "Thunderclap needs breeders to give him strong heirs," he reluctantly admitted. "Your Swoop will be good for him because he flies." The yellowish optics glinted maliciously. "Release me, and I'll take you to my Sire. You'll see how strong he is..."

Impulsive as he was, Grimlock did not believe that for an astrosecond. As small as Slick was for a Predacon, he was positive the slippery creature would run as soon as Sludge lessened pressure on him. Instead, Grimlock shoved his beast form's massive nose against Slick to more securely acquire his scent. With that, he hoped to be able to trace the Predacon's steps through the jungle, so once the scent was stored in his databanks, Grimlock stood straight and looked at Sludge.

"Him Slag still needs parts to grow, yes?"

"Bits," Sludge growled maliciously, obviously liking his leader's mindset. "Him Predacon is a bit." And it was not as if a grown mechs' systems couldn't cope with some metal or the fuel and fluids of another mechanoid.

Grimlock gave an approving growl and jerked his large head in the direction of the coast. "You Sludge take Predacon to him Slag. Me Grimlock keep looking." With any luck at all, the lair Slick mentioned was nearby, so he would not have to track his disgusting Predacon scent for long.

"You can't eat me, glitches!" the lizard squealed. "Release me, and I'll lead you to the lair!" He might have continued, but in the next moment, Sludge's powerful jaws crushed his skull with a sickening crunch. The headless body jerked a few times under the large foot then stilled, just giving a sizzle or two occasionally. The Dinobot's fangs precisely ground the metallic head to smaller pieces, then he simply swallowed them. Letting out a satisfied growl, Sludge turned to the leader. "You Grimlock sure you go alone? Tribe will follow! Tribe wants Swoop back. Go alone dangerous. Please, Grimlock...?"

Grimlock shook his head firmly, adamant. "Me Grimlock go ahead, make sure it safe," he countered. "Less of us out means less of us in danger. You Sludge leader if Grimlock not back by sun up." It was bad enough that Swoop was in trouble while under Grimlock's care - he was not about to risk any more of his pack.

"You Grimlock come back...!" Sludge pleaded, but he lowered his head as a sign of acceptance. He didn't want to loose any of the tribe either. "Him Predacon can have bearer, him Predacon's Sire can have heirs, lots of Predacons...! You Grimlock..." He hesitated. "Tribe stronger together," he finished quietly.

Grimlock touched his nose to Sludge's and purred at him soothingly. "Me Grimlock strong," he assured the larger Dinobot. "Predacons no match for me Grimlock." He left it at that - any further reassuring of Sludge would only waste time and make it harder for Sludge to resist the urge to follow him. With a final growl, Grimlock sniffed the tree Slick had been hiding in and started into the dense foliage to follow his trail in search for the lair.

Sludge was gazing after his Chief for a while then took the lifeless body, still not completely cooled, and headed back to their lair. Slag would like the catch, and the tall youngster felt more secure with the others, especially because they were quicker thinkers. Together, they would do it... Grimlock would come back, and they would free Swoop.

…

Said flier finally finished calming down and sorting things out. He crawled forth from his chosen corner and smiled when the other Dinobot kneeled down in front of him with hands held out with the palms turned upwards in an ancient greeting. Swoop took those hands and nodded. "Me called Swoop."

"Me called Pathway," the yellowish Dinobot replied. "Tale-keeper of tribe. You Swoop alright?"

"Yes, him Predacon just looked and talked." He stood and pulled Pathway up, targeting the sick Maximal to have a look at him. "What Predacon want? Said me Swoop breeder now. Me Swoop not like how him Predacon talks about life…" He scowled as he sank down next to the gray Maximal. "Like heirs would be nothing but cubes to stock."

"For him, they are," the Maximal said quietly. "My name is Sharpclaw… Slither, the white healer – if you can call him that – had my first heir, and Thunderclap now has the second… He tries to gather mechs who are loyal to him so he can have an army."

"What is 'army'?" Swoop blinked as he checked Sharpclaw's vitals. The diagnosis was simple – deprivation and slight internal damage. Apparently, he did not have enough energon while carrying.

"Army is like big tribe, lots of fighters who do what chief says, go on, kill others, taking energon and metal," Pathway explained.

"Why Predacon wants that?" Swoop still couldn't understand.

"Tales say," Pathway began, settling comfortably on his heels, "that ancestors came from stars. They made metal places in forest, left us songs and dances and great gods, him Primus and him dark star Unicron. But tales say ancestors knew much more. You Swoop seen Slither's place?"

"Laboratory," the flier murmured the unknown word. "That-" he glanced around and reconsidered. "This place built by ancestors. Him Predacon wants gather what ancestors knew."

"And he knows he'll have to fight for it," Sharpclaw nodded. "My pack wanders, and we've met Maximals who lived at a similar place. They were so… smart and… I don't even have the words for it. Like how our ancestors could have been."

Swoop smiled and lightly patted the Maximal's shoulder. "You Sharpclaw rest now, let body heal. You'll need strength when us escape."

"Escape?" another Maximal, a strong, bluish gray one, spoke up, his tone sarcastic. "Do you think if escape would be possible, Thunderclap would still have us? Please! His heirs are strong - they're armed with weapons I've never seen before."

"I managed to get out!" Sundown rose with a growl, nearly throwing Flare off of her. "You're just too numb, too used to this to try as well, or maybe you're scared!"

The mech snarled and rolled to his feet to silence the femme, but Swoop snapped on them. "No! We can only get out if we work together! Me Swoop's tribe will come, four Dinobots, all strong warriors. We need to think of plan, good plan! Snarling will not get us free!"

Pathway chuckled quietly and clapped his hands. "Him Steadfast not listen to anybody, not even her Heatwave, but him Steadfast listen to insults."

Flare giggled in the background, and Steadfast's growl was now targeting Pathway, but the slender yellow Dinobot did not back away. Not anymore. The first time they landed here, somebody was talking about escaping, freedom for all of them.

"How many warriors him Predacon has?" Swoop asked, sitting down in the middle and tapping his chin. "You Sundown escaped - what way? Him Sharpclaw needs energon… or something better. Others are well, no injuries? Every breeder here?"

The last mech, a sand-colored Maximal, settled down next to the slier. "I'm Longleap. All the breeders are here aside Heatwave, who is, for lack of better word, our Chief. Thunderclap has about ten heirs already; I counted. Plus Slither and him."

"But… You can't see them," Flare spoke up timidly. "Only Charge and Longfang and Talon, and the tall green one and the lizard are around."

There was silence for a while then Steadfast grunted. "The sparkling's right. Maybe the rest is already out hunting for whatever Thunderclap wants."

"Best time to escape!" Swoop declared. He glanced around and began to count on his fingers. "Heirs and healer and Sire, seven. Breeders, with me Swoop, eight, then me Swoop's tribe, four… Seven against us twelve. Sundown carrying, but she strong. Sparkling and him Sharpclaw weaker, them should go together."

"You know, Swoop…" Sundown remarked. "For a Dinobot, you're kinda smart."

The slender flier grinned at her. "You Sundown should see tribe… If me Swoop not smart, none of tribe smart."

Pathway tapped at the healer's shoulders. "Me Pathway's leg injured… sort of. Him Slither did not fix. Him Steadfast brags about big cannon, but him Slither must have broken that."

Swoop nodded. "Me Swoop will fix. Us will wait for Heatwave then discuss plan. She youngling should help Sharpclaw."

"I'm Flare," the young red femme introduced herself and blinked at Swoop with big optics. "How could I help him…?"

"Energon good for injured," Swoop explained, "but well energon even better. Makes injured heal faster, heirs grow strong. Heatwave probably used by Predacon now. she Sundown carrying, doesn't have much in her now. You Flare young, if heated, drip lots."

"B-but my panel locks…!" Flare's faceplates heated up. "T-they're not broken yet…"

"Me Swoop can open them," the flier said quietly. "If you Flare want really help. You Flare not have to. Me Swoop not know about Maximals much, so if you Flare's locks have to be broken by someone else, it's alright. You Flare think until plan ready, hmm?" He caressed her head gently and, with a last smile, left the young femme to think. He had some fixing to do.

…

If Grimlock was only angry earlier in the day, he was absolutely furious by now. For such a smelly beast, the Predacon he and Sludge found had not left much of a trail to follow. Even Grimlock's beast form's superior olfactory sensors failed him shortly after he parted ways with Sludge, so he had been shuffling through the dense vegetation of the jungle in the hopes of stirring some vague remnants of scent for the past cycle. Now, the sun was long past its highest point in the sky and had already begun its descent, and Grimlock had nothing to show for his effort in his search for Swoop.

His temper was even further flared by the fact that he was incredibly hungry, and his systems were growing hotter by the minute. Of all times for Swoop to go missing - it was imperative that a healer be on hand whenever a youngling mech Called for the first time in case anything went wrong, and Grimlock knew from Swoop's lessons that his own first Call was fast approaching. An annoying buzzing had been growing steadily worse deep inside him, his life holder shifting into reproduction mode, and Grimlock knew his body would soon demand a partner regardless of the unfortunate circumstances.

It was that abrupt realization that brought to mind an idea.

The Predacon - Grimlock tried to remember its name then decided he really did not care to bother - mentioned something about "breeding". The Dinobot wracked his databanks for a meaning to that word - it sounded incredibly familiar, but it was not a normal part of his limited vocabulary. Was it not the fancy word Maximals and Predacons used for mating? Now that he thought about it, Grimlock thought he remembered Landslide or Oceanborn say it once a long time ago. If it was what he was thinking of, maybe he could use it.

Grimlock raised his gaze to the sky and snapped his beast form's massive jaws together, the gesture both a threatening one as well as one he used when he needed to concentrate. The Predacon said his sire needed "breeders", and Grimlock could only assume that meant he needed mates. If that was the case, he could use his rapidly approaching Call to his advantage - make the Predacons come to him. Using himself as bait for the Predacons was a risky idea, he knew, but it was truly the only option he had left.

Shifting back to his primary form, Grimlock made his way through the foliage and up the slight hill he had passed not long ago where he crouched down and waited for his systems to send out the Call. He could only hope he would not be too late.

Comments

[aria60.livejournal.com]

Hi NK! Were you trying to get in touch with me? My mom shut down my computer and mentioned someone named Nemi trying to speak to me... which was nice since it wasn't in my buddy list and there's no way to search for all Nemi's on AIM that I could find. Then I got a weird whisper a couple days later... anyway, if that was you and if you want to talk to me, I'm still AriaDreamcatcher on AIM. :) And I'm Wildroses of Suramar on WoW... if this is even the right person, I searched through ffnet to find your fics. Meh. The madness of it. Anyway, ttyl!