[G1 AU] Dinobots: Breeding Strategy (2)
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deceptikittyTitle: Breeding Strategy (part 2 - co-written with ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
okami_hu)
Arc: Sparklight
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Grimlock, Sludge, Swoop, OCs
Summary: Swoop has been captured by the Predacons - it's up to Grimlock and Sludge to find him. (sticky - glossary of terms)
The sun rose up on the sky, its rays warming up the ground, making the mist and the dew disappear. A glorious new day was beginning, full of possibilities. The young Dinobots came out of recharge one by one, and each of them saw after his morning routine: stretching and yawning, a quick splashing in the shallow waters or a few sips from the nice, cool cubes kept in the storage hole.
They actually noticed that one of them is missing, but it was nothing too out of ordinary - Swoop was prone to rise early and fly around a little, to stretch his wings. He always returned in time.
However, the minutes passed and passed; Sludge dried up out on the sun and Snarl warmed up nicely, too, Slag finished munching on the last bits of leftover metal from the latest prey, and the slender healer was still nowhere to be found. Tension was slowly rising, and if the Dinobots did not do well with something, it was tension. They kept glancing up to the sky, and they jumped every time a bird soared up, just to growl in disappointment a moment later.
Grimlock had not ceased growling since he first realized Swoop was late. It was not like Swoop to be late - Swoop was far too mature and responsible to simply lose track of time, and the more delayed he was, the louder Grimlock growled, until the rocks around him all but vibrated from the noise. He paced in a large circle along the rocky shore outside the cave, amazingly not tripping even though his red gaze not once left the sky. Something was wrong - something was very wrong.
It was Snarl who finally broke the silence. "You Grimlock make me Snarl's head hurt... Swoop must be in trouble. Him Swoop never leaves for so long. Us need to go and find him. Him Swoop might be injured."
Sludge whined at the announcement - he was worried for the healer, and the possibility that something happened to him tore at his spark. He stared at their leader, waiting for the orders - Grimlock had to know what to do next.
Slag, on the other hand, wasn't particularly disturbed - he never thought much of the flier of the group. He never went beyond growling at Swoop, or making comments, but only because Grimlock was quick to punish any harm, which befall on the healer.
Grimlock favored Snarl with a glare on impulse due to his foul mood, but he quickly looked back to the sky again. Much as he did not like Snarl's attitude, he knew the Cubemaker had a point. Something was wrong, and he needed to find out what.
"You Sludge come with me Grimlock," the leader barked. "Us go find Swoop. You Snarl and you Slag stay. If him Swoop come back before us find, tell him." He hoped that would be the case, and then Swoop could simply fly over the jungle and call him and Sludge back. Of course, if that was the case, Grimlock was going to give him a good throttle for worrying them so, but he would see to that later. Right now, they needed to find their healer.
Snarl nodded, and Slag smirked. He was not fancying prancing around sniffling for a weakling. Sludge quickly walked up to Grimlock and tapped at the ground impatiently.
"Him Swoop flies..." Snarl was thinking loudly, "If he is in trouble, him Swoop is in trouble far. You Grimlock and Sludge have to walk lots. Be careful."
Grimlock nodded before he glanced back at Sludge then started to the cliffs to begin the climb up. He told Swoop not to venture too far since there was the rare Predacon who could fly, but he could not exactly enforce that rule ground-bound as he was. It was more a request anyway - he did not like the thought of restricting Swoop who so belonged in the air.
Slag waited until after Grimlock was well out of hearing range before he snorted his contempt and threw a small rock out to the sea. "Better him Sludge than me Slag."
"Them Grimlock and Sludge will search far," Snarl said, glaring at his companion. Behind the passive demeanor, he was an excellent observer, and albeit it took him some time, he was able to notice connections, secrets, things that were off. And once he did, he was not above to use them to his advantage. "You Slag will go and search near. Around well, flying lizards' nests. Him Swoop can be anywhere. If you Slag not find, you will come back and wait with me Snarl."
Slag was in the middle of throwing another rock to the water when he was given the order, and his surprise nearly made him trip before he whirled on Snarl and glared at him. "You Snarl not order me Slag!" he hissed at the other Dinobot. "Besides, him Grimlock say me Slag stay here."
"Him Grimlock will not know," Snarl assured his companion with a small smile. "Area Slag has to cover small, not take long. Me Snarl will not tell." He turned a bit, offlining his optics, so the sun's bright rays would not disturb them. "If you Slag not go, me Snarl will tell him Grimlock about panel locks."
Slag's flinch was almost violent, and his growl lowered as he clenched his hands into fists. He did not doubt Snarl would do it - Snarl did not waste words or make false claims. Angry and defeated, Slag growled once more at the other Dinobot before he turned and stormed toward the cliffs himself to quickly do as he was told. A quick search around the well and the nests was much more appealing than their leader finding out about their youngest's problem.
When he was alone, the young Cubemaker let his vents huff with a sigh. He looked back over his shoulder, searching the sky, then slowly kneeled back on the shore, and began to pray to the great gods, for Swoop's safety.
---
Miles away, in an ancient underground base, two Predacons were escorting a Maximal femme back to the cells, so they can pass their unconscious victim to the resident mad scientist. Then, they had to go to dutifully make their report to the lord of the place.
Charge was quietly murmuring to himself, probably rehearsing his speech. Longfang shook his head. He was the smarter of them, there was no doubt, but words evaded him every time he had to put together more than a few sentences. Somewhere deep inside, the sabertooth tiger thought, they caused quite some trouble to their Sire, and this made him constantly frustrated. And he barely had any chances to get rid of the tension.
Sundown's plates twitched and cabling creaked in tension with every step she took deeper into the Predacon fortress. She still could not believe her misfortune - it had taken careful planning, dozens of orns, and nothing short of a miracle for her to escape the first time. Pessimistic as the thought was, she could not deny the realization that she would not be able to escape a second time, especially not while she was carrying.
Finally, they reached a large door with energon-powered bars - it zapped any fool, who was stupid enough to touch it. Longfang punched a code in, and the crackling died. The bars slid to the side, and Charge nudged the femme to enter the sparsely furnished, but airy room, which currently held six other prisoners. Two femmes and four mech were enjoying the rather questionable hospitality of the Predacon lord. One of the femmes was quite young even, panel locks still intact; while one young male was lying in a corner, exhausted and aching from his recent delivery, which did not go well.
Sundown stumbled into the cell and quickly ducked over to a corner away from the others, ashamed and embarrassed for her failure. She knew a few of them even though she was not very sociable to begin with. She quickly shifted to her beast form so she could curl up into a tight ball and hide her face from the other slaves.
The bars soon closed and the crackling energy engulfed them again. One mech crawled up to his suffering companion. The latter was a Maximal, the former a Dinobot - a rare sight anywhere else, but here, they were a family, forced together by the circumstances.
The youngling femme inched closer to Sundown. She was another Maximal, reddish-colored with a long furry tail. "Are you okay?" She asked on a whisper, with honest concern written all over her faceplates. "I'm sorry that it didn't work..."
Sundown let out a noise which was half growl and half whimper as she forced her face up from her paws. "I almost made it..." she keened pitifully. "I was so close! Then I started Calling..." Sundown buried her muzzle in her paws once more at the too recent memory. She had tried her best to keep going, to ignore it, but after the second day, thoughts of escape no longer mattered, and all she cared about was finding a mech to satisfy her urge.
The youngling timidly reached out and scratched Sundown's neck. "But... weren't you Calling a while before...? Pathways says..." She glanced at the Dinobot trying to make the sick bot drink a little energon, "That we don't Call so often. Do you..." she lowered her voice again, leaning close to the lioness. "Do you think... He... will wait until I start to Call...?"
The green femme hesitated, not wanting to answer that. She knew he usually waited for the first Call, but sometimes he got impatient, especially if he found one of his slaves particularly appealing. Most of them only had to endure his attention when they were Calling, but some particularly unfortunate mechs found him between their legs far more often. "Probably," was all Sundown could say.
The youngling shifted into her beast form and curled up next to her companion. "You're not Calling anymore," she whispered. "It was not one of Them, right?" Of course, she meant Charge and Longfang.
Sundown shook her head and huffed out a sigh. "Dinobot flying by," she answered. "Wrong place at the wrong time...they brought him too." She felt a little guilty for basically baiting the poor Dinobot - Swoop, if she remembered right. Had she been thinking at all coherently at the time, she would have warned him.
"Sundown... Tell me what it's like."
---
One level up, Charge and Longfang approached the room, where the healer of the base was residing. He was a disgusting creature. Both the bear and the tiger were completely freaked out by him, not to mention the unfortunate victims. It was quite interesting, actually - Slither's frame was always immaculately white, his labs pristine and perfectly tidy, his speech was elegant and even his touch was somewhat... soft. But the way he was grinning, slanted red optics leering at others and his frame's coldness was repelling. The last trait might have had something to do with his alt-mode, which was a huge snake. Everybody agreed that he was insane, because he seemed the happiest, when he could slice up others with his tools, to see the inner workings.
Longfang let his brother slam his huge fists against the door, then, fighting with his churning fuel tanks, he entered, to deliver the latest captive. Slither wanted to see them all, and examine them thoroughly.
Slither hissed softly and turned to the doorway, tapping the floor with his tail. "What have we here?" he almost purred as his optics roamed eagerly over the two heirs' newest catch. "That's not another Dinobot, is it? You know he prefers Maximals." He let out a wheezing hiss and went to clear off an area so he could examine the new mech anyway, knowing their superior would not turn him away even if he preferred Maximals. The limited intelligence of Dinobots was not appealing though their considerable strength was impossible to ignore and, thus, a valuable addition to the mix.
"It was there," Longfang sneered unhappily. "We picked up the cat, and this too." He laid Swoop on the slab in the middle. According to his Sire's tales, the base was built by their ancestors in the faraway past. It was filled with many things wild Maximals and Dinobots could not even hope to comprehend – weapons, energon converters, and even a huge glass container, which was able to heal wounds. Slither knew his way perfectly around these things; he could rewire a mech, keep it in stasis for orns or replace complete limbs if the need arose.
The tiger Predacon shuddered, as Slither began to check the motionless body thoroughly. "Keep him knocked out," he advised to the healer, then began to inch toward the door. "We need to report to Sire."
Slither hissed again and made a "shoo"ing motion with one hand before he immediately started running his claws over the body of their newest "recruit", examining his physical condition. "Yes, yes - do not tell me how to do my job," he cautioned, slipping his claws under armor panels curiously as he muttered to himself. "Fascinating...quite a weak specimen, but flying Dinobots are quite rare."
Longfang didn't make another command aside a quiet growl, and he fled.
---
Soon, they were standing in front of the main room's door, behind which, the Predacon overlord's private quarters lie. Charge was scratching his neck nervously while his brother knocked, but pulled himself together as their Sire called them in. It was not easy to stay brave in his presence.
The huge, menacing form turned to them slowly, burning red optics fixing on the mechs. He was dark, his frame the different shades of dark gray and brown. The dangerous fangs of his beast-form were curling over his broad shoulders. He took the form of a tar-boar, one of the few mechanical life forms on the planet. When he spoke up, even though he kept his volume down, his voice rumbled - probably that's why he bore the name Thunderclap.
"Speak, my heirs, but don't shout - Crystal needs her recharge." In the background, one of his femme heirs was resting, slender frame curled around a little mech, the prisoner's newborn.
Charge grunted and scraped at the claws of one hand with those of the other. "We found the cat," he answered with a growl. "She was Calling, but a Dinobot beat us to her." He shifted his gaze up to his sire, quickly adding lest his statement earn him Thunderclap's wrath. "We brought him in too - left him with Slither."
"Good!" Thunderclap smirked, and stepped closer, caressing his heirs' heads. "You are good heirs, both. I was not counting on a new bearer this soon. And if the little Maximal is carrying already, let it be - either another Maximal, or a Dinobot heir will suit our needs. This pleases me." He nodded. "I'll see your new catch soon. Where did you find it?"
After all, Dinobots hunted in packs and lived in tribes. If there was one... maybe there will be another.
Charge growled quietly at the touch, but he knew better than to pull away and instead answered, "Near the cliffs. It's a flying one though - not sure how far it was from its tribe." He knew capturing a flying Dinobot was indeed an accomplishment though he doubted its pack members were as well. Flying Dinobots were rare. "I'm sure it has one though - it's weak for a Dinobot. Couldn't survive on its own."
"My thoughts exactly," the Predacon rumbled. "You two can have some rest and fun, you deserve it. But, dispatch Slick; tell him that he should take a look around. It'll be his first real assignment, and I expect him to do well. He is to stay low and just look."
He was interrupted by a few sharp clicks - the sparkling was wiggling in the femme's embrace, and demanded nourishment. Thunderclap let out a short growl. "We'll have to see that matter, too... Charge, go and bring me a few cubes from the storage. Longfang, fetch me the older femme from the cell. I've been neglecting her lately... After you spoke to Slick, I don't need you for the rest of this orn. When I do, I'll call you. Go, my heirs."
Charge grunted but nodded his acknowledgment, almost disappointed. He wanted to be the one to go out and locate the Dinobot's tribe in the hopes that he could have a little fun of his own before turning the unfortunate mechs over to his sire. However, Thunderclap's word was law, and while Charge was not the smartest of his heirs, even he knew better than to question him.
Longfang, who was nearly purring from his Sire's caress shook himself and bowed lightly. He was glad Thunderclap was pleased with them. And, he even let them to do whatever they wanted… the tiger, as he headed back toward the cells, was already planning a hunt.
---
In Slither's lab, Swoop slowly regained consciousness. His head was aching from the attack, the sharp light bothered his optics, and soon enough, he found out that he was unable to move. First, he almost panicked, twisting on the cold metallic slab, trying to wiggle free, but with no avail. The young healer let his insides cool a bit with a few long intakes then tried again, calmly this time. Still, the restrains held out. Swoop hissed. He was extremely vulnerable like this, hands secured above his head, his legs stretched, and the ropes curling around his feet. He couldn't even move much.
Slither stepped over to Swoop upon hearing the Dinobot's struggles and let a small grin cross his face. "Rise and shine, Dinobot," he hissed softly. "You had best not waste your energy struggling - not even a Dinobot can break my restraints." He hissed out a snicker and walked around to Swoop's other side as he spoke, "You are in excellent health - quite a find, I must say. I must remember to congratulate Longfang and Charge again."
The young healer hissed again, louder and angrier this time. "You Predacon will be sorry - me Swoop will get free and feed you to younglings!" He was sure Grimlock will come for him - he could be extremely dense at times, but he was a good leader, and he'd never leave any of his own in trouble. Swoop finally managed to tune his optics so the lights won't blind him anymore, and he peered around the room, measuring the white mech from top to toe as well. The environment grabbed his attention more effectively, though. It seemed so... old and yet, more sophisticated than anything he had ever seen before. "Where we are...?"
Slither merely grinned at the Dinobot's stubborn resilience. It could get tiring very quickly, but it just would not be a Dinobot without that stubborn streak - and it just made them that much more entertaining to break. "My laboratory," Slither answered without bothering to mask his amusement. "You belong to the Lord Thunderclap now."
'Laboratory'...? Lord...? The flier had never heard those words before. But he was smart enough to guess; and the last sentence was unsettling enough. "Me Swoop belongs to tribe, not Predacon. Predacon can kill me Swoop, but not else. And me Swoop important, a healer. Predacons have no good healers."
That earned him an indignant hiss. "The Predacons need no healer other than me." Slither scoffed and flexed his claws before he began to survey Swoop's structure again, fascinated. It had been a long, long time since he had last held a flying Dinobot in his clutches. "So your name is Swoop, is it? Accurate, I suppose. Dinobots always did give absurdly simplified names to their offspring."
"Dinobots need no fancy names," Swoop shot back "Us Dinobots have strength and spirit instead!" but, he didn't miss the other information. So this white mech was a healer, too! He always respected other healers for their knowledge. And, now that he could take a closer look... this one seemed... odd. He was in a perfect condition, armor clean and carefully maintained, without scratches... but yet, he seemed... No, no, he did not seem old... he felt like that. His touch made Swoop uneasy, and he involuntarily squirmed a bit, to avoid contact.
"And look where that 'strength and spirit' has gotten you," Slither snickered, a few hisses mixed into the noise. "Into the well of one of our femmes and now here to join the rest of the breeding troupe." He ignored the Dinobot's squirming and began to open him to check his life holder. Swoop certainly seemed old enough to have conceived before, but the best way to be positive was to check for himself.
Okay... it was getting very offensive very fast. The young Dinobot growled at the Predacon, but he didn't squirm... It was useless anyway, and he was not about to give the white mech the satisfaction to see him panic and trash around like a scared youngling! But... he was getting the plating off, at the most sensitive area...! Swoop shuddered as the claws worked the tiny clasps open one by one, which held the abdominal plating firmly in place. Somehow, he didn't want the Predacon to see his insides... the younger healer was not sure why, after all, when the offspring was taken out of the body, the whole tribe was supposed to watch, to marvel at the wonderful accomplishment, and celebrate the new life's arrival. But the thought, that his life holder will be exposed to this mech, just made Swoop's fuel tanks churn. Still, he forced himself to stay as still as possible, and endure the cold touch.
Something hissed, and the sound of heavy footsteps echoed in the room; then, a low, rumbling voice rose from the shadows. "Slither. How is it going? Is the new catch worthy of any attention?"
Slither looked up from his work at Swoop's abdomen and hissed once before he responded, "Yes, my lord. He is a flying Dinobot - quite rare, and he is in excellent health. He will make strong heirs." He looked toward the entrance to the room. "He appears to have conceived before, and his successful mating with Sundown should produce an interesting heir."
Swoop tensed up. He was not exactly keen on remembering that. His blue optics burned with hatred as he watched the other Predacon to approach. He was big and dark... and had a very dangerous air around him, thought it was not like the white healer's... It was more earthy, more clearly defined. He was a Predacon, who was ready to tear others apart with bare hands if necessary.
Thunderclap drew close to the examination table and leered at the Dinobot. His dark fingers stroked the exposed life holder slowly. "Well-well... so young, and already experienced. At least he knows how to deal with it. And he gave me another soldier." He smiled, and Swoop wanted to curl up and click from that smile. "You'll bear my heirs from now on, Dinobot. If you behave, you might even get into my good graces. And if you don't, well, you will be denied the choice, then. Right, Slither? You make the best poisons on this planet."
Slither wheezed out a long, low hiss, the best attempt at a purr he could manage. "Indeed. We have ways of making you...compliant." He took his turn to trace his claws over the Dinobot's life holder, eager to see it work so he could extract a new soldier. That was his favorite part in this whole operation.
"Patience, Slither," Thunderclap chuckled. "You just freed a sparkling from a body. The little one seems to have stabilized, by the way. All the femme fluids really did well on him. It was a great idea. It got Crystal a bit exhausted, but it's nothing what a cube and some rest won't cure. Now, when you're finished, call Talon so she could take this new breeder to the cell. And make sure Sundown eats - we can't have more of that foolishness that mech pulled on us."
"Yes, my lord." Slither bowed his head respectfully and swiftly closed up Swoop once more. He still had a few more tests he wished to run, but as soon as he was finished, he would do as he was told. "Yes, that was quite unfortunate. The stupid beast still has not fully recovered."
"And if he won't... The sparklings will have a lovely meal." Thunderclap nodded to the healer and walked out. On the table, Swoop was getting desperate. They talked about him as if he hadn't been there...! As if life wouldn't be anything but a cube, or a net, a simple tool! The young healer's spark pounded in its casing - these Predacons were merciless and cold. Swoop heard many stories about their kind, but somehow, he suspected, these mechs were far worse than the scariest tale of the elders. And he just ended up in their hands.
While Slither finished his examination, and the black femme with the long claws dragged him to the cell, Swoop was silently praying to the great Gods; and hoping that Grimlock would come soon. Though, he couldn't help but wonder - will he be able to defeat Thunderclap and his pack...?
okami_hu)Arc: Sparklight
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Grimlock, Sludge, Swoop, OCs
Summary: Swoop has been captured by the Predacons - it's up to Grimlock and Sludge to find him. (sticky - glossary of terms)
The sun rose up on the sky, its rays warming up the ground, making the mist and the dew disappear. A glorious new day was beginning, full of possibilities. The young Dinobots came out of recharge one by one, and each of them saw after his morning routine: stretching and yawning, a quick splashing in the shallow waters or a few sips from the nice, cool cubes kept in the storage hole.
They actually noticed that one of them is missing, but it was nothing too out of ordinary - Swoop was prone to rise early and fly around a little, to stretch his wings. He always returned in time.
However, the minutes passed and passed; Sludge dried up out on the sun and Snarl warmed up nicely, too, Slag finished munching on the last bits of leftover metal from the latest prey, and the slender healer was still nowhere to be found. Tension was slowly rising, and if the Dinobots did not do well with something, it was tension. They kept glancing up to the sky, and they jumped every time a bird soared up, just to growl in disappointment a moment later.
Grimlock had not ceased growling since he first realized Swoop was late. It was not like Swoop to be late - Swoop was far too mature and responsible to simply lose track of time, and the more delayed he was, the louder Grimlock growled, until the rocks around him all but vibrated from the noise. He paced in a large circle along the rocky shore outside the cave, amazingly not tripping even though his red gaze not once left the sky. Something was wrong - something was very wrong.
It was Snarl who finally broke the silence. "You Grimlock make me Snarl's head hurt... Swoop must be in trouble. Him Swoop never leaves for so long. Us need to go and find him. Him Swoop might be injured."
Sludge whined at the announcement - he was worried for the healer, and the possibility that something happened to him tore at his spark. He stared at their leader, waiting for the orders - Grimlock had to know what to do next.
Slag, on the other hand, wasn't particularly disturbed - he never thought much of the flier of the group. He never went beyond growling at Swoop, or making comments, but only because Grimlock was quick to punish any harm, which befall on the healer.
Grimlock favored Snarl with a glare on impulse due to his foul mood, but he quickly looked back to the sky again. Much as he did not like Snarl's attitude, he knew the Cubemaker had a point. Something was wrong, and he needed to find out what.
"You Sludge come with me Grimlock," the leader barked. "Us go find Swoop. You Snarl and you Slag stay. If him Swoop come back before us find, tell him." He hoped that would be the case, and then Swoop could simply fly over the jungle and call him and Sludge back. Of course, if that was the case, Grimlock was going to give him a good throttle for worrying them so, but he would see to that later. Right now, they needed to find their healer.
Snarl nodded, and Slag smirked. He was not fancying prancing around sniffling for a weakling. Sludge quickly walked up to Grimlock and tapped at the ground impatiently.
"Him Swoop flies..." Snarl was thinking loudly, "If he is in trouble, him Swoop is in trouble far. You Grimlock and Sludge have to walk lots. Be careful."
Grimlock nodded before he glanced back at Sludge then started to the cliffs to begin the climb up. He told Swoop not to venture too far since there was the rare Predacon who could fly, but he could not exactly enforce that rule ground-bound as he was. It was more a request anyway - he did not like the thought of restricting Swoop who so belonged in the air.
Slag waited until after Grimlock was well out of hearing range before he snorted his contempt and threw a small rock out to the sea. "Better him Sludge than me Slag."
"Them Grimlock and Sludge will search far," Snarl said, glaring at his companion. Behind the passive demeanor, he was an excellent observer, and albeit it took him some time, he was able to notice connections, secrets, things that were off. And once he did, he was not above to use them to his advantage. "You Slag will go and search near. Around well, flying lizards' nests. Him Swoop can be anywhere. If you Slag not find, you will come back and wait with me Snarl."
Slag was in the middle of throwing another rock to the water when he was given the order, and his surprise nearly made him trip before he whirled on Snarl and glared at him. "You Snarl not order me Slag!" he hissed at the other Dinobot. "Besides, him Grimlock say me Slag stay here."
"Him Grimlock will not know," Snarl assured his companion with a small smile. "Area Slag has to cover small, not take long. Me Snarl will not tell." He turned a bit, offlining his optics, so the sun's bright rays would not disturb them. "If you Slag not go, me Snarl will tell him Grimlock about panel locks."
Slag's flinch was almost violent, and his growl lowered as he clenched his hands into fists. He did not doubt Snarl would do it - Snarl did not waste words or make false claims. Angry and defeated, Slag growled once more at the other Dinobot before he turned and stormed toward the cliffs himself to quickly do as he was told. A quick search around the well and the nests was much more appealing than their leader finding out about their youngest's problem.
When he was alone, the young Cubemaker let his vents huff with a sigh. He looked back over his shoulder, searching the sky, then slowly kneeled back on the shore, and began to pray to the great gods, for Swoop's safety.
---
Miles away, in an ancient underground base, two Predacons were escorting a Maximal femme back to the cells, so they can pass their unconscious victim to the resident mad scientist. Then, they had to go to dutifully make their report to the lord of the place.
Charge was quietly murmuring to himself, probably rehearsing his speech. Longfang shook his head. He was the smarter of them, there was no doubt, but words evaded him every time he had to put together more than a few sentences. Somewhere deep inside, the sabertooth tiger thought, they caused quite some trouble to their Sire, and this made him constantly frustrated. And he barely had any chances to get rid of the tension.
Sundown's plates twitched and cabling creaked in tension with every step she took deeper into the Predacon fortress. She still could not believe her misfortune - it had taken careful planning, dozens of orns, and nothing short of a miracle for her to escape the first time. Pessimistic as the thought was, she could not deny the realization that she would not be able to escape a second time, especially not while she was carrying.
Finally, they reached a large door with energon-powered bars - it zapped any fool, who was stupid enough to touch it. Longfang punched a code in, and the crackling died. The bars slid to the side, and Charge nudged the femme to enter the sparsely furnished, but airy room, which currently held six other prisoners. Two femmes and four mech were enjoying the rather questionable hospitality of the Predacon lord. One of the femmes was quite young even, panel locks still intact; while one young male was lying in a corner, exhausted and aching from his recent delivery, which did not go well.
Sundown stumbled into the cell and quickly ducked over to a corner away from the others, ashamed and embarrassed for her failure. She knew a few of them even though she was not very sociable to begin with. She quickly shifted to her beast form so she could curl up into a tight ball and hide her face from the other slaves.
The bars soon closed and the crackling energy engulfed them again. One mech crawled up to his suffering companion. The latter was a Maximal, the former a Dinobot - a rare sight anywhere else, but here, they were a family, forced together by the circumstances.
The youngling femme inched closer to Sundown. She was another Maximal, reddish-colored with a long furry tail. "Are you okay?" She asked on a whisper, with honest concern written all over her faceplates. "I'm sorry that it didn't work..."
Sundown let out a noise which was half growl and half whimper as she forced her face up from her paws. "I almost made it..." she keened pitifully. "I was so close! Then I started Calling..." Sundown buried her muzzle in her paws once more at the too recent memory. She had tried her best to keep going, to ignore it, but after the second day, thoughts of escape no longer mattered, and all she cared about was finding a mech to satisfy her urge.
The youngling timidly reached out and scratched Sundown's neck. "But... weren't you Calling a while before...? Pathways says..." She glanced at the Dinobot trying to make the sick bot drink a little energon, "That we don't Call so often. Do you..." she lowered her voice again, leaning close to the lioness. "Do you think... He... will wait until I start to Call...?"
The green femme hesitated, not wanting to answer that. She knew he usually waited for the first Call, but sometimes he got impatient, especially if he found one of his slaves particularly appealing. Most of them only had to endure his attention when they were Calling, but some particularly unfortunate mechs found him between their legs far more often. "Probably," was all Sundown could say.
The youngling shifted into her beast form and curled up next to her companion. "You're not Calling anymore," she whispered. "It was not one of Them, right?" Of course, she meant Charge and Longfang.
Sundown shook her head and huffed out a sigh. "Dinobot flying by," she answered. "Wrong place at the wrong time...they brought him too." She felt a little guilty for basically baiting the poor Dinobot - Swoop, if she remembered right. Had she been thinking at all coherently at the time, she would have warned him.
"Sundown... Tell me what it's like."
---
One level up, Charge and Longfang approached the room, where the healer of the base was residing. He was a disgusting creature. Both the bear and the tiger were completely freaked out by him, not to mention the unfortunate victims. It was quite interesting, actually - Slither's frame was always immaculately white, his labs pristine and perfectly tidy, his speech was elegant and even his touch was somewhat... soft. But the way he was grinning, slanted red optics leering at others and his frame's coldness was repelling. The last trait might have had something to do with his alt-mode, which was a huge snake. Everybody agreed that he was insane, because he seemed the happiest, when he could slice up others with his tools, to see the inner workings.
Longfang let his brother slam his huge fists against the door, then, fighting with his churning fuel tanks, he entered, to deliver the latest captive. Slither wanted to see them all, and examine them thoroughly.
Slither hissed softly and turned to the doorway, tapping the floor with his tail. "What have we here?" he almost purred as his optics roamed eagerly over the two heirs' newest catch. "That's not another Dinobot, is it? You know he prefers Maximals." He let out a wheezing hiss and went to clear off an area so he could examine the new mech anyway, knowing their superior would not turn him away even if he preferred Maximals. The limited intelligence of Dinobots was not appealing though their considerable strength was impossible to ignore and, thus, a valuable addition to the mix.
"It was there," Longfang sneered unhappily. "We picked up the cat, and this too." He laid Swoop on the slab in the middle. According to his Sire's tales, the base was built by their ancestors in the faraway past. It was filled with many things wild Maximals and Dinobots could not even hope to comprehend – weapons, energon converters, and even a huge glass container, which was able to heal wounds. Slither knew his way perfectly around these things; he could rewire a mech, keep it in stasis for orns or replace complete limbs if the need arose.
The tiger Predacon shuddered, as Slither began to check the motionless body thoroughly. "Keep him knocked out," he advised to the healer, then began to inch toward the door. "We need to report to Sire."
Slither hissed again and made a "shoo"ing motion with one hand before he immediately started running his claws over the body of their newest "recruit", examining his physical condition. "Yes, yes - do not tell me how to do my job," he cautioned, slipping his claws under armor panels curiously as he muttered to himself. "Fascinating...quite a weak specimen, but flying Dinobots are quite rare."
Longfang didn't make another command aside a quiet growl, and he fled.
---
Soon, they were standing in front of the main room's door, behind which, the Predacon overlord's private quarters lie. Charge was scratching his neck nervously while his brother knocked, but pulled himself together as their Sire called them in. It was not easy to stay brave in his presence.
The huge, menacing form turned to them slowly, burning red optics fixing on the mechs. He was dark, his frame the different shades of dark gray and brown. The dangerous fangs of his beast-form were curling over his broad shoulders. He took the form of a tar-boar, one of the few mechanical life forms on the planet. When he spoke up, even though he kept his volume down, his voice rumbled - probably that's why he bore the name Thunderclap.
"Speak, my heirs, but don't shout - Crystal needs her recharge." In the background, one of his femme heirs was resting, slender frame curled around a little mech, the prisoner's newborn.
Charge grunted and scraped at the claws of one hand with those of the other. "We found the cat," he answered with a growl. "She was Calling, but a Dinobot beat us to her." He shifted his gaze up to his sire, quickly adding lest his statement earn him Thunderclap's wrath. "We brought him in too - left him with Slither."
"Good!" Thunderclap smirked, and stepped closer, caressing his heirs' heads. "You are good heirs, both. I was not counting on a new bearer this soon. And if the little Maximal is carrying already, let it be - either another Maximal, or a Dinobot heir will suit our needs. This pleases me." He nodded. "I'll see your new catch soon. Where did you find it?"
After all, Dinobots hunted in packs and lived in tribes. If there was one... maybe there will be another.
Charge growled quietly at the touch, but he knew better than to pull away and instead answered, "Near the cliffs. It's a flying one though - not sure how far it was from its tribe." He knew capturing a flying Dinobot was indeed an accomplishment though he doubted its pack members were as well. Flying Dinobots were rare. "I'm sure it has one though - it's weak for a Dinobot. Couldn't survive on its own."
"My thoughts exactly," the Predacon rumbled. "You two can have some rest and fun, you deserve it. But, dispatch Slick; tell him that he should take a look around. It'll be his first real assignment, and I expect him to do well. He is to stay low and just look."
He was interrupted by a few sharp clicks - the sparkling was wiggling in the femme's embrace, and demanded nourishment. Thunderclap let out a short growl. "We'll have to see that matter, too... Charge, go and bring me a few cubes from the storage. Longfang, fetch me the older femme from the cell. I've been neglecting her lately... After you spoke to Slick, I don't need you for the rest of this orn. When I do, I'll call you. Go, my heirs."
Charge grunted but nodded his acknowledgment, almost disappointed. He wanted to be the one to go out and locate the Dinobot's tribe in the hopes that he could have a little fun of his own before turning the unfortunate mechs over to his sire. However, Thunderclap's word was law, and while Charge was not the smartest of his heirs, even he knew better than to question him.
Longfang, who was nearly purring from his Sire's caress shook himself and bowed lightly. He was glad Thunderclap was pleased with them. And, he even let them to do whatever they wanted… the tiger, as he headed back toward the cells, was already planning a hunt.
---
In Slither's lab, Swoop slowly regained consciousness. His head was aching from the attack, the sharp light bothered his optics, and soon enough, he found out that he was unable to move. First, he almost panicked, twisting on the cold metallic slab, trying to wiggle free, but with no avail. The young healer let his insides cool a bit with a few long intakes then tried again, calmly this time. Still, the restrains held out. Swoop hissed. He was extremely vulnerable like this, hands secured above his head, his legs stretched, and the ropes curling around his feet. He couldn't even move much.
Slither stepped over to Swoop upon hearing the Dinobot's struggles and let a small grin cross his face. "Rise and shine, Dinobot," he hissed softly. "You had best not waste your energy struggling - not even a Dinobot can break my restraints." He hissed out a snicker and walked around to Swoop's other side as he spoke, "You are in excellent health - quite a find, I must say. I must remember to congratulate Longfang and Charge again."
The young healer hissed again, louder and angrier this time. "You Predacon will be sorry - me Swoop will get free and feed you to younglings!" He was sure Grimlock will come for him - he could be extremely dense at times, but he was a good leader, and he'd never leave any of his own in trouble. Swoop finally managed to tune his optics so the lights won't blind him anymore, and he peered around the room, measuring the white mech from top to toe as well. The environment grabbed his attention more effectively, though. It seemed so... old and yet, more sophisticated than anything he had ever seen before. "Where we are...?"
Slither merely grinned at the Dinobot's stubborn resilience. It could get tiring very quickly, but it just would not be a Dinobot without that stubborn streak - and it just made them that much more entertaining to break. "My laboratory," Slither answered without bothering to mask his amusement. "You belong to the Lord Thunderclap now."
'Laboratory'...? Lord...? The flier had never heard those words before. But he was smart enough to guess; and the last sentence was unsettling enough. "Me Swoop belongs to tribe, not Predacon. Predacon can kill me Swoop, but not else. And me Swoop important, a healer. Predacons have no good healers."
That earned him an indignant hiss. "The Predacons need no healer other than me." Slither scoffed and flexed his claws before he began to survey Swoop's structure again, fascinated. It had been a long, long time since he had last held a flying Dinobot in his clutches. "So your name is Swoop, is it? Accurate, I suppose. Dinobots always did give absurdly simplified names to their offspring."
"Dinobots need no fancy names," Swoop shot back "Us Dinobots have strength and spirit instead!" but, he didn't miss the other information. So this white mech was a healer, too! He always respected other healers for their knowledge. And, now that he could take a closer look... this one seemed... odd. He was in a perfect condition, armor clean and carefully maintained, without scratches... but yet, he seemed... No, no, he did not seem old... he felt like that. His touch made Swoop uneasy, and he involuntarily squirmed a bit, to avoid contact.
"And look where that 'strength and spirit' has gotten you," Slither snickered, a few hisses mixed into the noise. "Into the well of one of our femmes and now here to join the rest of the breeding troupe." He ignored the Dinobot's squirming and began to open him to check his life holder. Swoop certainly seemed old enough to have conceived before, but the best way to be positive was to check for himself.
Okay... it was getting very offensive very fast. The young Dinobot growled at the Predacon, but he didn't squirm... It was useless anyway, and he was not about to give the white mech the satisfaction to see him panic and trash around like a scared youngling! But... he was getting the plating off, at the most sensitive area...! Swoop shuddered as the claws worked the tiny clasps open one by one, which held the abdominal plating firmly in place. Somehow, he didn't want the Predacon to see his insides... the younger healer was not sure why, after all, when the offspring was taken out of the body, the whole tribe was supposed to watch, to marvel at the wonderful accomplishment, and celebrate the new life's arrival. But the thought, that his life holder will be exposed to this mech, just made Swoop's fuel tanks churn. Still, he forced himself to stay as still as possible, and endure the cold touch.
Something hissed, and the sound of heavy footsteps echoed in the room; then, a low, rumbling voice rose from the shadows. "Slither. How is it going? Is the new catch worthy of any attention?"
Slither looked up from his work at Swoop's abdomen and hissed once before he responded, "Yes, my lord. He is a flying Dinobot - quite rare, and he is in excellent health. He will make strong heirs." He looked toward the entrance to the room. "He appears to have conceived before, and his successful mating with Sundown should produce an interesting heir."
Swoop tensed up. He was not exactly keen on remembering that. His blue optics burned with hatred as he watched the other Predacon to approach. He was big and dark... and had a very dangerous air around him, thought it was not like the white healer's... It was more earthy, more clearly defined. He was a Predacon, who was ready to tear others apart with bare hands if necessary.
Thunderclap drew close to the examination table and leered at the Dinobot. His dark fingers stroked the exposed life holder slowly. "Well-well... so young, and already experienced. At least he knows how to deal with it. And he gave me another soldier." He smiled, and Swoop wanted to curl up and click from that smile. "You'll bear my heirs from now on, Dinobot. If you behave, you might even get into my good graces. And if you don't, well, you will be denied the choice, then. Right, Slither? You make the best poisons on this planet."
Slither wheezed out a long, low hiss, the best attempt at a purr he could manage. "Indeed. We have ways of making you...compliant." He took his turn to trace his claws over the Dinobot's life holder, eager to see it work so he could extract a new soldier. That was his favorite part in this whole operation.
"Patience, Slither," Thunderclap chuckled. "You just freed a sparkling from a body. The little one seems to have stabilized, by the way. All the femme fluids really did well on him. It was a great idea. It got Crystal a bit exhausted, but it's nothing what a cube and some rest won't cure. Now, when you're finished, call Talon so she could take this new breeder to the cell. And make sure Sundown eats - we can't have more of that foolishness that mech pulled on us."
"Yes, my lord." Slither bowed his head respectfully and swiftly closed up Swoop once more. He still had a few more tests he wished to run, but as soon as he was finished, he would do as he was told. "Yes, that was quite unfortunate. The stupid beast still has not fully recovered."
"And if he won't... The sparklings will have a lovely meal." Thunderclap nodded to the healer and walked out. On the table, Swoop was getting desperate. They talked about him as if he hadn't been there...! As if life wouldn't be anything but a cube, or a net, a simple tool! The young healer's spark pounded in its casing - these Predacons were merciless and cold. Swoop heard many stories about their kind, but somehow, he suspected, these mechs were far worse than the scariest tale of the elders. And he just ended up in their hands.
While Slither finished his examination, and the black femme with the long claws dragged him to the cell, Swoop was silently praying to the great Gods; and hoping that Grimlock would come soon. Though, he couldn't help but wonder - will he be able to defeat Thunderclap and his pack...?
