"More Than Meets The Eye: Part III"

[Phoenix]

Aurora couldn't help but notice Whitegrazer's smile.. or at least what she presumed was one. It looked pained, tired, fatigued.. but still so genuine, soft and caring. Where the white mare conjured up the energy to try to encourage all of them at a time like this, at a time of such darkness, was beyond the little fuzor's comprehension. Her hands were still applying pressure, attempting to stop the bleeding, and to some extent she was successful too. Unfortunately the other female had already lost so much fluid that she was struggling to stay awake. Her courage and determination to do so was truly amazing.

Slowly, unknowingly, the fuzor's lip curled up into something of a smile too. The mare's spirit was infectious for sure but the fuzor was more than a little scared that she wouldn't have the strength to go on much longer. As she watched her, gingerly smiling back at her, a tear trickled down her cheek.

Nemesis watched as the two female Maximals smiled at each other, finding their little bonding ritual odd to say the least. Especially given the circumstances which would likely end Whitegrazer's life within a few nanoclicks. The warm mech fluid that had pooled around Whitegrazer slowly crept outwards but the avian female paid it no heed. It wouldn't be the first time she had been covered in the other female's blood albeit the first time the damage had been by Nemesis' own hand. She, too, had gone for the chest when she had tried to finish the other female off. Even now she could see the pulsating light from the spark through the large puncture wounds in her chest, but she wasn't looking directly at the spark like she had been the last time. That time she had used Optimus' stolen sword to crack open the chest yet somehow she'd been unable to finish the job. Weakness.. Pathetic.

"I saw...an... an explosion... Bomb.."

Whitegrazer's voice was barely more than a whisper, all her remaining energy going into staying alive. Still Nemesis could only assume that everyone around them caught what the mare had said, for their optics seemed to widen a bit in shock. Personally she wasn't very surprised by the revelations the mare was uttering, having suspected trickery like this from Zodiac. It would be just like him.

"The pod... Check the pod."

Aurora almost stopped applying pressure for a moment, her green optics scanning the small group of Maximals and Predacons alike that were standing there. What pod?

Nemesis, on the other hand, knew exactly what Whitegrazer had meant. She had been close enough to the pod earlier that she'd been able to read the inscriptions on it.

"Chosen one..," she uttered, finding herself wondering in just how great detail Zodiac had planned this. When she first read it, she'd assumed he had been referring to himself.. But instead it had been a sign of which stasis pod to bring aboard. The bastard had been planning to kill them all with a bomb all along.

Anger rising within, she sent a glare in Zodiac's direction as Landslide left with him. He hadn't even attempted to separate her from the Maximals so obviously she had been deemed just as expendable as they were. And that notion infuriated her.

Optimus nearly went crashing in a heap on the floor, drawing everyone's attention to him. Aurora looked on with a great deal of concern visible on her face, the transmetal monkey really taking the news hard. Well, not that she could blame him. She knew all too well how much the Maximals.. and Nexus.. meant to him and within a few short nanoclicks he had learned that everything he cared so deeply for could have been snatched away from him.. by his own hand. That needed a moment to sink into the fuzor's mind. Had Nex.. this Zodiac really meant for all of them to die.. and make Optimus responsible? Even Megatron hadn't stooped to that level! Of course she couldn't know that Optimus had just seen one of Whitegrazer's visions and that it was the cause of his sudden breakdown.

Fortunately their leader seemed to at least partially recover quickly enough.

"She's lost too much blood," "She'll die if you don't replace it soon." "She needs a transfusion.. Either from one of you, or you can use your CR chamber to duplicate some of the fluid she's already lost and simply administer that."

"Aurora knows what she's doing,"

The fuzor tugged so hard on her lip she almost caused it to break when Optimus said those words. His faith in her was a great honor, of course, but all she could think at that moment was that she wished she knew what she was doing. Yes, she knew some basic medical skills but she was far from an expert. If anything her field of expertise was actually electro-chemical engineering due to all the research she'd been doing in that field.

"But she needs someone to help her carry her to the repair chamber,"

Nemesis raised an optic ridge at that. Optimus couldn't have been more clear even if he had spelled it out for her.It really hadn't been a request as much as it had been an order but Nemesis was not one of his Maximals so a part of her felt like refusing. Not that she minded assisting them after they had given her the cure and all, but she certainly didn't appreciate Primal's tone on the matter. She sent him a glare as she stepped closer to Whitegrazer, kneeling down next to the other female. Without saying anything, she merely picked her up and stood there for a moment with the white female in her arms. The other female was the same size as Nemesis herself, but her body had gone limp which made her a little more difficult to hold onto. Still she could manage without too much effort.

The bitterness in Primal's voice as he spoke again was more than clear enough, leaving no room for doubt as to what his thoughts were on the matter. Nemesis merely shot Optimus a grimace at his remark then stepped closer to the railing, Whitegrazer cradled in her arms.

"And when you give Megatron that antidote, tell him I said he's welcome."

"I have a feeling you'll be able to tell him yourself some day," the female reminded him. They both knew Megatron wouldn't harbor any gratitude towards any of them even if he knew how she had come in possession of the cure. On the contrary.

Placing one foot on top of the railing, Nemesis almost looked as if she intended to drop Whitegrazer to the ground below. But instead she suddenly leaped off the edge, spreading her wings wide and using them to glide herself and Whitegrazer safely to the ground level.She landed with a small thud then continued on to the cryo chamber with her cargo.

Meanwhile Zodiac remained asleep,even though his wounds had already healed which indicated that the nanomachines had rebooted and were functioning normally again. Unfortunately for him the tranquilizer Rhinox had given him was very potent so aside from the occasional twitch and slight movement, he was unable to offer much resistance at present.

[una]

Hold on, Whitegrazer, just a little longer, he told her quietly, distantly. I know you've been through a lot already, some far worse... And there is probably more to come... I still need you. I need you. I can't...

Optimus... She saw how the skies changed to a greenish color. Once more, she couldn't contain the emotions she felt, knowing and feeling Optimus' turmoil. It wasn't his fault. He didn't know. He was being manipulative by one who he thought was a friend, his own mentor. If their situation were switched, no doubt she would feel the same way if TyCross was telling her to do something she thought was important. The cool air turned still. She wanted to reassure him. It's okay. It's going to be okay. I know that it doesn't feel like it now, but trust me, it will be all right. We will all be all right.

The green meadow was the only thing she could see clearly now. A cool breeze blew lightly. Here she was standing in a field of endless grass and sky visage. No beginning, no end. Endless. A person could feel lonely here no matter how peaceful it was. But she wasn't alone. It was sort of ironic. She was in terrible pain both emotionally and physically. Yet, because of the pain she was feeling, her abilities were greatly enhanced. She didn't need any sight, hearing, or touch to know what was going on around her. Her spark.... She concentrated on the beat of her white spark. She felt them. She felt them all. Optimus. Aurora. She could feel the little one's desperation. But the little one had not worry. She was doing well with what she could do, and it was working. Umbra. Nemesis. Zodiac, even. But there was more. Banshee. Rhinox. Landslide. Everyone in the hangar bay. Reaching out even more, Rattrap and Blackarachnia. Everyone had... a distinct type of feeling that made them unique. She found it very relaxing and wondered if they felt her back.

She placed a hand over her spark, caressing it a bit. It was what she did before when Optimus was having trouble back in the Darksyde. Hopefully, it would help him again.

Could be because of what has happened, but her abilities had always seemed to show up in surprise ways when there was turmoil and chaos around. She thought it was a protective instinct, but maybe it is more than that. Maybe it was the extension of who she was in some sort of fashion. It intrigued her yet long ago, she was disgusted at such of a thing. She misunderstood what she had, thinking of it as a curse. It wasn't until after the war and living on Cybertron where she learned to harness and use it wisely due to TyCross' assistance that she became one with who she was.

She felt light. She wondered why, but then she felt Nemesis. She wanted to say something towards the woman. The only thing she managed to do was smile, just like she continued to do. She really did appreciate her help, but she knew that Nemesis wanted to do other things right now. Also, she could feel intense emotions coming from her. Anger. Betrayal. Then she dropped the smile, looking up at the woman, "Y-you didn't know, did you?"

[Optimal Optimus Primal]

"I have a feeling you'll be able to tell him yourself some day,"

Primal didn't comment. He'd rather not see Megatron again because he wasn't certain what he might do. ...All the torture and pain...

Field repairs are the best I can do in this situation.. As it stands I suppose the contract is now complete, I'll begin departing. I will offer taking Blackarachnia off your hands as I imagine keeping her as a "guest" could be troublesome, of course that's up to you.

"Yes, take her with you," Optimus told Umbra without looking at him as he and Rhinox descended the stairs and finally planted their feet on the floor. The less Predacons around there, the better.

I don't think you'll be able to keep him alive forever.. His skill set is similar to my own or Nemesis. He'll get out again..

"Not alive," Primal said with coldly. Rhinox glanced at him with concern. Had he meant it? It sounded genuine but everyone knew Optimus refused to take lives. At least, that was before everything else. Now he seemed different. Changed. Detached. It wasn't certain, however, if he was aware that he had just said those words. "Follow us," he told the Predacon octopus never having looked at him as Rhinox continued supporting the leader.

"Understood,"

The Maximal Commander glanced at Banshee while she positioned herself at the dangerous pod before his optics caught Nemesis flying down to the CR with Whitegrazer in her arms. Surely that hadn't been the easiest thing for Nemesis to do, and Optimus didn't expect her to have done it as if she were carrying out a order. But had she done it out of common courtesy? Had Whitegrazer actually getting through to her after all? He didn't know, he was just grateful that she even considered lending a hand despite the differences between her and the white equine.

"Aurora, help her with the CR," Rhinox asked of the Fuzor, glancing over his shoulder up the stairs at her just as Nemesis had spread her wings and leaped off of the railing.

He and Rhinox continued on their stroll, exiting the hangar and heading down the corridors. "Optimus, are you alright?" his friend inquired.

"Do I look alright?" he answered with a snappy tone.

"You know what I mean."

"No, I'm not alright!" Primal confessed angrily. "Everything is falling apart right before my eyes. I almost killed everyone!"

Optimus... It's okay. It's going to be okay. I know that it doesn't feel like it now, but trust me, it will be all right. We will all be all right.

How can you possibly now that? How can anyone possibly know? he sent Whitegrazer with some desperation, skeptical of his own optimism. There was a brief gust of wind across their meadow as the green hue lingered in the heavy clouds. He still felt her pain, the piercings; it tingled. He didn't know what he could do to help, not like how she had helped him. He was too confused and angry and lost. He couldn't help himself let alone anyone else. He wanted to but he was too weak, in more ways than one.

"But you didn't," Rhinox told him.

"Because Whitegrazer stopped me! If she hadn't, you'd all be gone. And I'd be a heap of mess like I am now. Zodiac manipulated me this entire time with everything. He made me believe he was Nexus. He gave me hope. It's all gone now. All of it. I was a fool to trust him. I'm a fool to trust anyone. I'm a fool to think I can wi-" He cut himself off before finishing his sentence as it would have been "win this war". "I don't know why he's here or what he wants other than terminating us and putting me through the Pit. But I'm going to find out."

"And then what? What are we going to do with him now that we know his intentions?"

"I may be indecisive about that until the time comes."

Rhinox was quiet for a moment in reflection, discouraged by his words. Then he said, "You're not a fool. You've been through a lot, we all have, but we keep moving forward. That's all we can do. And when we finally get back to Cybertron, we'll have a pretty good story to tell."

That wasn't quite the way Optimus saw it. He lost lives under his command now. And they were friends. He never thought that would happen because he wasn't a military or a war leader, he was a scientist and an explorer. He could feel Whitegrazer trying to sooth him, calm him. He took a breath as he limped along side of Rhinox but it was all a mess. He was a mess. "You and Landslide make sure that Zodiac is properly restrained. I don't want any mistakes, and we can't afford him escaping."

"We'll do our best," he assured him but he wasn't certain he could be convinced.

"Rattrap, any word from Cheetor and Ironclaw?" the broken Maximal leader asked him as he and the engineer approached the command center.

"Nada from 'Claw. Cheetor's headin' out ta broaden his search," answered the rat, glancing at them as they stood at the doorway.

"I need you back in the hangar. Whitegrazer discovered that the pod with the foreign inscriptions on it has or is a bomb. That's why Zodiac wanted everyone gathered there and to use the scanner to detonate it." He heard the screams and saw the body parts again causing him to swallow and clench his sore mouth. Whitegrazer's motion of caressing her spark somewhat helped him remain focused. "Banshee is standing guard with it right now."

Rattrap's mouth hanged open for a moment as he realized that they were that close to being nuked. But why? What the heck did this guy have against them? WHO was he?! "Okay, but I'm workin' on Sentinel. I've added more encryption and defense ta keep ugly, sneaky jerks like Zodiac from overridin' the system."

Optimus started at him, refusing to repeat himself.

"Uh... I mean, sure thing. You're da boss monkey." Rattrap updated his progress with Sentinel before getting up out of his seat with his gun and stepping around the two to exit the bridge and walk down the corridor. He glanced at Umbra ((OOC: assuming he followed them)) and then to Rhinox with a frown before he turned and headed toward the hangar that was very close to being their death trap. He was the right man for the job but he didn't feel like getting close to the thing in case anything was to happen. What if the shapeshifter still had some kind of remote detonation? That thought made him move a little quicker.

With the rodent on his way, Optimus and Rhinox went to the room with the CR chambers. Blackarachnia's readings were well enough for her to get around and make it back to the Darksyde, so the TransMetal gorilla punched in the code to release her. As the chamber powered down and hissed for the door to open, he and Rhinox stood back with Umbra to give the black widow some space. "Umbra will escort you back to the Darksyde. Now," Primal emphasized. "I'm sure Tarantulas has missed you. Rhinox, make sure our two 'guests' leave without incident."

Big Green nodded and helped Optimus into the CR.

Entering the hangar, Rattrap spotted Banshee by the pod and immediately headed over, putting his gun away. "What do we got, Ban Ban? A bomb, eh? Ya might wanna step back so I can get a look at dis." He examined the exterior and found nothing out of the ordinary. "'Course it can't be easy," he said with disappointment. "I hope yer up to date on your credentials and schooling, doc," he said to Banshee, "'cause Optimus is gonna need a really good psychiatrist."

[NaitoKage]

"Yes, take her with you,""Not alive," "Follow us,"

Umbra observed Optimus as he spoke, mostly his tone of the matter. The brightest lights create the darkest shadows? he thought to himself, it'd seemed Optimus was starting to fall like many other Maximals.. the higher the rank, the worse their deeds at times in the name of duty, justice,or even love.

"Optimus, are you alright?"

"Do I look alright?"

"You know what I mean."

"No, I'm not alright!" "Everything is falling apart right before my eyes. I almost killed everyone!"

"But you didn't,"

"Because Whitegrazer stopped me! If she hadn't, you'd all be gone. And I'd be a heap of mess like I am now. Zodiac manipulated me this entire time with everything. He made me believe he was Nexus. He gave me hope. It's all gone now. All of it. I was a fool to trust him. I'm a fool to trust anyone. I'm a fool to think I can wi-""I don't know why he's here or what he wants other than terminating us and putting me through the Pit. But I'm going to find out."

He felt guilt over the situation? That wasn't too much of a surprise.. but it was out of his hands. He was being manipulated by a master puppeteer who stringed both sides like childs toys. Umbra glanced at one of his tentacles for a moment. His body had similar capabilities, though the Mimic Octopus was made to hide in plain sight as a master of stealth, not exploit the weaknesses of other's sparks.

Following Optimus and Rhinox along, Umbra transformed in the hallway. His body still ached from it's damage, but he was able to hold his form and walk, the damaged skin like layer of his epidermis still flapped freely in some areas. His tentacles worked behind him to disarm and take apart the improvised acid bomb and stealthly slip away the contents without the two Maximals noticing, as he didn't want to alarm them carrying the bomb out freely still.

Walking to the CR chamber, Umbra watched as Optimus entered the code allowing Blackarachnia out.

"Umbra will escort you back to the Darksyde. Now," "I'm sure Tarantulas has missed you. Rhinox, make sure our two 'guests' leave without incident."

Umbra glanced down towards Blackarachnia, it'd seemed luck would have it she wasn't disassembled by Zodiac. Phew.. Er.. Ahem. Miss Arachnia, we best be on our way. You'll still be needed.. if Megatron has disposed of Tarantulas as he had intended.. you'll be the only one left with skills in Bio mechanics and virology needed to culture more of the cure.

Umbra looked towards Optimus Just to be aware.. Night Terror was captured, but Dirge was not. Zodiac may use that in his favor.. If he escapes,I ask to be made aware of this in case he tries to come to the Darksyde.

___________________________

Landslide finished cutting up the metal tubing for the frame of the structure that would be made, then setting the parts down stood observing Zodiac until Rhinox had returned. Leaning down to start work on assembling the containment would be too dangerous as even though Zodiac was held firm by the shield's claws, and the shield was immune to being consumed by nanomachines like himself, he didn't doubt for a second Zodiac could escape. He however doubted he'd get another chance to easily blindside Zodiac with his lightning laser again if he did get free.


______________

Cheetor popped out his cyber thrust wings, flying down the cliff to the ground. Upon landing, he started to look for Ironclaw's footprints, his thrusters folding away starting to following Ironclaw's trail along the lake.

[Phoenix]

Nemesis wasn't exactly hurrying as she carried Whitegrazer in her arms towards the CR chamber. The other female had a strong will to live, she'd seen that before when she had nearly stabbed her through the spark. She was a fighter, not one to give up so easily, so a few moments longer to get there wouldn't make much of a difference. Still.. carrying the still-bleeding female wasn't exactly what Nemesis would rather be doing this very minute. Her thoughts wandered to what was going on at the Predacon base, if any of them were even still alive, and if she shouldn't just drop her cargo and rush over there with the cure for the few that were still plagued by the virus. Could any of them be saved? And what of Umbra, BlackArachnia and herself? She had a feeling Optimus would let them go but she wondered what would greet them when they got back. This strand of the virus had been even more potent than the one used on the test subjects back in those days so she could only imagine what havoc an outbreak in an uncontrolled setting would cause.

She could feel the other female stirring a bit in her arms but she paid it no heed. Again her thoughts drifted to the situation at hand, to Zodiac, their history, and the trouble he had just caused for all of them. The pod that had been rigged as a bomb.. Her pace quickened a bit as that thought entered her mind, not exactly wanting to be present should that thing go off. She wondered if the Maximals would be able to contain the shapeshifter.. and if he would tell them anything about the project.. Hopefully he wouldn't since that would be as good as a death sentence to both of them. General Stormblaze.. Outpost 25.. The rescue squad that had come to save them.. It had been a slaughter. It had been her job to infiltrate the outpost and plant the explosives. Zodiac was already there, he had been for a while, but she didn't know exactly what his assignment was. He didn't talk about it.. and in fact she'd really started to wonder if he was truly there until he suddenly showed up when she was making her escape. They were spotted and the guards opened fire on them, but their ability to regenerate had saved them.

The memories were clear as if they had just happened and she remembered wanting to ignite the explosives but Zodiac had stopped her, telling her to wait. So they did. She found out why a short while later when a group of rescuers rushed past them to save the workers still inside. Only when they were all inside did Zodiac hit the button, burying them all in a flaming inferno. She could still hear the screams, their agonized terror as they burned to death. The lucky ones only got buried in the rubble as the building came down, getting crushed to death by molten building parts. They had waited long enough to make sure nobody were trying to escape and the few that did were cut down swiftly and mercilessly. Their bodies were partially melted as they tried to climb out of the ruins, the smell of burnt circuitry and metal tickled her nose. It had not been her proudest moment, still their mission had been considered a success. All those Maximals dead in an instant, in a fiery torment of an instant.. And just now Zodiac had attempted to give her the same fate.

"Y-you didn't know, did you?"

For the first time since they were at the top of the stairs, Nemesis glanced at the other female if ever so briefly before shaking her head.

"If I did, I certainly wouldn't have been standing there right next to a bomb about to go off," she answered bluntly, secretly wondering how much of her conflicting thoughts and emotions the other female had been able to pick up.

"Aurora, help her with the CR,"

Aurora nodded and scrambled to get down the stairs to catch up with the other two females who were already heading out of the cargo bay. She'd watched on in horror as Nemesis had looked about to drop Whitegrazer over the railing only to draw a sigh of relief when she instead glided down safely to the ground. Unfortunately it didn't occur to her that she could do the same until she was at least halfway down the stairs so she simply kept running. Finally catching up to them in the hallway outside, Aurora panted as she took Whitegrazer's hand and squeezed it. "Let's get.. you... fixed up," she said, slipping in front of them to show the way in case Nemesis hadn't familiarized herself with the base yet.

Zodiac was growing increasingly restless as he slept. His dreams tended to be chaotic in nature, unpredictable and sometimes painful. In his dreams he lacked the control he normally had, no longer able to focus on a single goal. Instead he was just a passenger along for the ride. He had never been a good sleeper, starting to have nightmares at a young age. While awake he could always force himself to resume focus on the task at hand but while asleep he was adrift, helplessly watching as parts of his life played before him. Yet as usually is the case while dreaming, he was unaware that the scenes in his mind were but memories. Some a little more faded, perhaps, but others returned to him clear as daylight.

He was standing in a large and beautifully decorated office, beautiful images from a long military career displayed on the walls and a desk made from the finest of materials was right behind him. Finding himself staring in awe at all of the diplomas, books and other trinkets carefully lined up along the walls, he could not help noticing the sharp contrast to the environment he was used to.. A bare cell with a simple cot for him to rest on, lit up with that flickering artificial light he'd grown so used to. No windows, nothing telling whether it was daytime or nighttime, just a hard floor, dirty walls, and bars covering the opening. He kept mostly to himself in that place other than those precious conversations with the female in the next cell. Seeing her was always the highlight in an otherwise bleak day, something to keep him going during those long hours of torture.. Of course that's not what the scientists referred to it as, to them it was simply experimentation. But they were not the ones getting cut open, having their very spark chambers exposed, nor did they have to endure the constant ache of having the nanomachines run rampant through their bodies. Well.. At least it used to be painful but after they had finally perfected the technology and his body had accepted them, they didn't bother him anymore. And after he had learned to control them, he actually found himself grateful of their presence.

Hopefully the female would reach this point soon too. She hadn't been there for quite as long as he had yet so it shouldn't be too long before her processes grew to accept the nanomachines as well. To an extent they had already as she displayed a similar ability to self-heal as he did, if not quite as efficiently just yet. But he had no doubt she'd get there. Otherwise she would have succumbed to the nanotechnology already like so many of their peers had done. Only a very few of them were compatible. And he'd been the first one to 'graduate' so to speak. A pity the scientists didn't want him to share the information with the others but part of him understood why they would want to keep their breakthrough a secret. If their foes found out about the project before they were ready, the risk of them retaliating would be too great. So far they remained clueless, however, leaving the shapeshifter as the single most valuable asset they had at their disposal. And they had certainly wasted no time sending him on missions. Mostly he was by himself, his task to infiltrate and sabotage Maximal operations. A few times they had partnered him up with the female as well.

And now he was here, standing in this magnificent office, more power at his fingertips than he could ever have imagined. It was an overwhelming sensation, truly, but certainly not an unwelcome one. This particular assignment was going to be quite enjoyable indeed.

A knock on the door caught his attention.

"Enter," he said, pleased to hear that his voice had adapted perfectly to that of his target. The doors opened immediately and another male entered. The shapeshifter could tell he held a respectable rank given all the decorations on his armor and simply the way he carried himself with pride.. honor.. almost demanding respect from the moment he walked through the door. It only took the shapeshifter a quick search in his databanks to realize that it was Nexus Prime himself who had come to pay him a visit.

"Can I help you with something, Nexus?," the shapeshifter asked, hiding the fact that the Maximal's unexpected arrival had thrown him off guard.

Nexus approached him with determined steps, his hands folded behind his back as he walked. "We've had a breach in security," the middle-aged warrior responded in calculated words as he stopped to look at his fellow officer. The shapeshifter swallowed at that but maintained his poker face. Nexus came closer still. "I'm afraid I need to ask you to come with me.. for your own safety."

[una]

((OOC: Ooooo are we going to see what happened to Nexus now?

Edit: I just edited one piece of dialogue. That's it.))

How can you possibly now that? How can anyone possibly know?

Desperation. Guilt. Anger. Fear. All these emotions were swirling around Optimus. Not to mention he was feeling her injuries coupled with all of this. That just made it worse for him. It pained her deeply. Though, she had gotten used to the pain now. By seeing the green meadow, despite it's state, it kept her focused and clear while if she didn't, she wouldn't be in no state to help Optimus. Hopefully, by not allowing the pain to hurt her, that determination would transfer to Optimus, soothing away those dull, ghostly wounds. Still, she wished she dodged Zodiac's attack. She wished she had come to Optimus sooner. She had wished it never went this far, wished Zodiac never got this close to destroying them all. Using Optimus to do the deed. Cruel. She wished she had the vision sooner. Put the pieces together. But everything happened so fast. She guessed that's what Zodiac wanted. Chaos causes confusion and in confusion, people make mistakes. Sometimes, grave ones. She knew that all too well.

Optimus, it was Zodiac who almost killed us. Almost. He failed. It may have been by the finish of our metal, but we have stopped a horrible tragedy.

Optimus could talk about how he was going to push the button all he wanted, but it wasn't he who implanted the bomb, it wasn't him who masqueraded as a friend to deceive and cause mistrust, and it certainly wasn't Optimus who tried to kill them all. Zodiac. It was all him. And why Zodiac wanted to destroy Optimus' life? That remained unknown to her, but no matter what reason, justified or not, it didn't excuse the harm he caused. Especially the fact he was willing to take Nemesis along with all of them. She remembered what she felt from Nemesis. Anger. Betrayal.

Optimus... her voice was soft against the wind that blew around her. You won a battle here today. Hopefully, with time, you will learn to forgive yourself. To have faith in yourself as I and the others still do.

He seemed to be settling down now. At least. Her caressing her spark seemed to help even if it was only a little bit. She continued to do so. It was the only thing she could do in a form of comfort that wasn't just words. Maybe after some time in the CR for the both of them, after some time passed, she really wanted to see Optimus have a chance to talk about what has happened, meditate, heal, with whoever he trusted enough to confide in. She prayed that because of the events that occurred, her friends would be able to rest and not have to worry about Predacons attacking or some type of disaster. A day or two.

"If I did, I certainly wouldn't have been standing there right next to a bomb about to go off,"

She wondered how Nemesis was feeling about Zodiac's capture, "W--What would y--you do?" It may have seemed like an odd question for her to ask, but Nemesis and Zodiac... from everything she felt and saw, Nemesis may have a stake in this. Did she agree? Did she hate them for not killiing him? Or did she want a chance to talk to him and demand answers? Or was there something else she was missing? Nemesis seemed to be worried about something. Was it the Predacons and the fact that there might be a chance they were gone?

"Let's get.. you... fixed up,"

She felt someone... Aurora. The little one held her hand in reassurance. Whitegrazer smiled, squeezing the ermine's hand gently to let her know she understood and was still here.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Umbra will escort you back to the Darksyde. Now," Primal emphasized. "I'm sure Tarantulas has missed you. Rhinox, make sure our two 'guests' leave without incident."

Blackarachnia watched through the door, seeing Optimus Primal open the door to her CR chamber/prison. Still looking as peachy as ever. Though, she narrowed her eyes when he said Tarantulas missed her. Very funny. All she knew was when she returned to the Darksyde she was going to see a mess that she would be forced to clean up, dealing with Tarantulas' control over her mind and his slave pathetically pining for his attention. Blah! At least, she was able to be herself a little more here. Even if it was with Maximals.

"Aww geee, no celebratory gunfire or weepy Maximal speeches?" She fluttered her optics and placed her pincher on her face with a mocked horror expression before she sniffed with a sharp laugh. She really had a lot to say... or rather do to the Maximal ape for shooting her up like that. Oh, she was going to pay him back for that. But as for right now, she didn't want to push her luck and end up like a smear on the Axalon. Optimus looked like if he could snap hre in half right now with no remorse. She was going to cut her loss... for now.

Phew.. Er.. Ahem. Miss Arachnia, we best be on our way. You'll still be needed.. if Megatron has disposed of Tarantulas as he had intended.. you'll be the only one left with skills in Bio mechanics and virology needed to culture more of the cure.

"Heh. Don't fret. Tarantulas would probably find some way to stay alive." An image of Tarantulas leaking lubricant as a infected Megatron hunted him down made her feel a bit better at the moment. "Also, I can't wait to tell Megatron a few things." Especially the situation with Zodiac. And the state of the Maximals. Once Megatron and the other Predacons healed from their infection.

[Optimal Optimus Primal]

Phew.. Er.. Ahem. Miss Arachnia, we best be on our way. You'll still be needed.. if Megatron has disposed of Tarantulas as he had intended.. you'll be the only one left with skills in Bio mechanics and virology needed to culture more of the cure.

If that were true, then that would leave Megatron's life in her hands. What an interesting turn of events that would be. And although Primal's comment about Tarantulas missing her was a little cruel, in some bizarre way he had hoped she would reconsider and let them help her get the sneaky tarantula out of her head. But since she was stubborn and had decided a long time ago to turn her back on her original programming - thanks to Tarantulas - he had let it go. Why should he offer her their help anyway? Why should he help any of them? If they hadn't partaken in his beating while at the Darksyde, then they were just standing on the sidelines watching. So much for their help.

Just to be aware.. Night Terror was captured, but Dirge was not. Zodiac may use that in his favor.. If he escapes,I ask to be made aware of this in case he tries to come to the Darksyde.

The Maximal leader simply looked at Umbra, studying him silently. Although he didn't say anything and appeared to be reluctant to help the octopus with Zodiac's whereabouts, he remembered watching him back in the hangar just moments ago helping Aurora with Whitegrazer. Of course, him infiltrating their base was still frowned upon by the ape, but he managed to tell him, "Thank you... for your help..." licking the liquid from the gash across his mouth. So, he wasn't completely gone, but he was still suffering deep down.

"Aww geee, no celebratory gunfire or weepy Maximal speeches?"

"Next time you're looking for help," Optimus said to Blackarachnia and Umbra just before he stepped into the chamber, referring to the antidote they needed for the rest of the Predacons, "try knocking first and asking politely." The last part was directed more toward the black widow, reminding her and her snide remark how easily he took her down and spared her life, even giving her repairs despite everything.

"Alright, Optimus, get some rest. The Predacons will also be on a long road to recovery, assuming they've survived the hallucinogen this long," Rhinox said as he closed the CR door so the chamber could start the repairs.

Primal sat back on the chair in the chamber, staring at his friend for a moment while the door closed, realizing that he had deliberately interrupted him. Was it something he said? The way he said it? He brushed it off and took a deep breath. Finally, he was alone in silence, and he was safe. He never thought he'd welcome solitude this much.

"Heh. Don't fret. Tarantulas would probably find some way to stay alive." "Also, I can't wait to tell Megatron a few things."

"I believe you've overstayed your welcome," the engineer said firmly, directing the two Predacons out of the room and toward the bridge so they could leave using the main lift. "Nemesis will bring the antidote." He paused thoughtfully for a moment before adding, "Or not. It's up to her. Good luck."

Optimus, it was Zodiac who almost killed us. Almost. He failed. It may have been by the finish of our metal, but we have stopped a horrible tragedy.

Optimus felt Whitegrazer trying to sooth his guilt even though she herself was hanging on by a thread. It was admirable since she was clearly holding on to reality and her integrity better than he was. Her pain that he could feel through her didn't bother him at all because his own injuries had been numbing him enough to cope with the tingles he was feeling in his chest from the spikes that Zodiac had stabbed through her body, nearly piercing her spark. What he felt toward that was fury and rage. I saw some of what you visioned through him... It was my worst nightmare come true... I don't know if I can keep carrying on like this. Being strong enough? Holding us together? I was fooled into trusting someone I thought was actually Nexus Prime. I put my entire crew in grave danger more than once since his arrival. I fell... I fell at Megatron's feet. He's more powerful than me... He's more intelligent... And now I've lost the hope I thought I had to gain an advantage in this war. Everything is worse now than it was before Zodiac showed up, as if that was even possible.

Optimus... You won a battle here today. Hopefully, with time, you will learn to forgive yourself. To have faith in yourself as I and the others still do.

He bowed his head in the chamber, her words resonating with him while listening to her voice and his spark, feeling the chamber probe his wounds and gradually flex his armor to its original TransMetal mold where it had been crimped by the energy bonds save for the areas he had managed to protrude by the pressure of his scream earlier. Optimus fell silent for a time while Whitegrazer seemed distracted with whoever was around her in person, his optics dimming as he rested. Finally, some real rest. He was still concerned about everything and everyone that was now out of his hands while he got his repairs, but some how he was able to push most of his worry aside. His and the mare's meadow remained the same way he last visited since he hadn't touched it again. Well, at least his energy and perspective of it lingered. The dark, ominous, troubling unpredictable clouds transitioning to a green hue deep inside of them as they slowly rolled across the sky.

(( OOC: That's all I have for now. Getting late and I've lost my steam and motivation to write. ))

[NaitoKage]

"Heh. Don't fret. Tarantulas would probably find some way to stay alive." "Also, I can't wait to tell Megatron a few things."

Umbra raised an optic ridge. She did show up before he did to the Axalon he assumed, so she probably didn't see the madness that was starting to consume the ship as he left. Though he didn't want to say it, if you could reason with crazy to begin with, they probably wouldn't be having this war to begin.. even if that was unprofitable for Umbra to think.

"Thank you... for your help..." "try knocking first and asking politely."

Umbra nodded I'll remember that. he responded, though knocking wasn't normally Umbra's style, if such a situation did come up and the axalon wasn't under control by a mutual enemy again, he could make an exception.

"I believe you've overstayed your welcome,"

"Nemesis will bring the antidote." "Or not. It's up to her. Good luck."

Umbra gave a nod, walking along side Blackarachnia to the lift, then stepped inside first taking up the back of the lift Well if that's the case, it just means you'll be having even more "fun" Miss Arachnia..Though be warned.. I'm the only one currently immune.. the ship is almost completely infected and every individual has about lost their minds.. and Megatron was attacking his own men..But I guess that's just another day at the office really. Umbra gave a warm chuckle and crossed his arms.

With the lift going down, he stepped down from it, then started to walk towards the Predacon base, turning to look towards Blackarachnia to make sure she was coming, or not doing something to anger the maximals further.

[Phoenix]

Nemesis paid no attention to the pint sized furball that joined them, instead continuing on her way to the CR chambers. She'd been at the Maximal base long enough to know her way around now so she really didn't need the small Maximal's assistance. This place was really starting to get to her, though, most of the Maximals had shown her little but contempt and the few that didn't would never be able to change anyone else's opinions. Not that it mattered. If Rhinox and Whitegrazer knew the details of her past they would more than likely turn their backs as well. Just like Zodiac she, too, had been designed to be a weapon, molded into whatever they needed her to be. It could just as easily have been her trapped in a cage, awaiting whatever fate the Maximals deemed to be a proper punishment. She had the same advanced technology within her that he did, only real difference was that Zodiac had allowed the process to continue further. She still didn't know exactly what had happened to him during that fateful mission where he suddenly disappeared for a prolonged period of time only to reappear.. changed.. different.. colder. He never spoke much of it for the short duration they were remained together after that. Then.. she had escaped, leaving him, the guards, the scientists, the experiments, the cell and everything else. The only one she had ever looked back for was.. him.. Her cell mate, her friend.

But tracking him had proved difficult. He only occasionally resurfaced. She'd hear rumors but the time she managed to find him, he always disappeared. Ever hiding in the shade.. or as she now knew to be the case.. hiding in plain view as somebody else. And then that catastrophic event at that outpost happened. There had been no survivors or at least so she had assumed. She'd let go of her feelings that day, buried them in the ashes of the outpost. Her friend gone and with him the last remnants of her past worth holding onto. From then on she was little more than a fugitive on the run, always looking over her shoulder in case she was being followed. They found her a few times but she always managed to escape, if barely sometimes. Until that fateful time they cornered her in space, a confrontation that left her for dead.. Then she woke up here on this planet in a different time than what she remembered.

And with a cruel and unusual twist of fate, he was here now as well.

The avian transmetal female sighed, her pace picking up a bit as she saw her destination up ahead. The sooner she could deliver her cargo, the sooner she could get out before the truth came out.

"W--What would y--you do?"

The other female's voice sounded weak, vulnerable, but very much so curious. It was a genuine question, not a judgmental accusation. Nemesis couldn't help the brief shrug of the shoulders that followed the question.

"I'm not sure anymore," she responded honestly. It was the truth, for had she been asked that question some time ago she probably would have done the same thing as Zodiac had attempted to do. Well, perhaps not with exactly the same. She felt so torn, so conflicted about what was going on. Despite their differences, she and Zodiac were very much the same. She didn't know of any other survivors from the project so finding him now proved that she wasn't alone, that there was someone else of her own kind. Because they were different, separated from everyone else, and he was the only one who could really relate to what she'd been through, she did feel something of a bond between them. And still there was the anger, the hurt at his betrayal, the desire for revenge for what he almost did to her.. And at the same time a twinge of regret that she hadn't been able to convince him to come with her when she escaped imprisonment in the first place. So many conflicting emotions..

They'd arrived at the open CR chamber so Nemesis merely placed the wounded female inside and stepped back. Aurora swiftly sprung into action, programming the chamber and making sure that Whitegrazer was properly secured. Meanwhile Nemesis merely slipped away without saying anything further, taking the lift down to ground level outside the Axalon. When outside she spread her wings wide, letting her transformation process take place. She needed to get to her destination quickly so she changed into her transmetal jet form. It wasn't quite as maneuverable as her avian form but it was faster. Engines roaring, she took off and reached cruising altitude within a few moments. Then she adjusted her course towards the Darksyde, still not sure what exactly would be waiting for her when she got there.

(ooc: Hopefully this coincides okay with the end of DS' hiatus.)

A few days had passed. Initially there had been what seemed like a never ending flood of military personnel, guards, and some science officers that had stopped by to see him. Most of them had merely watched him through the small opening in the door they used to pass him his food, some even talking about him with others right in front of him as if he couldn't hear them.. or perhaps they simply didn't care if he did. He was no threat to them now that he was locked up, or at least so they thought. Nexus Prime had not been back since that fateful encounter where he lead him away from the magnificent office he had taken for himself, instead leaving him under constant guard to make sure he did not escape. Part of the shapeshifter had wanted to ask how he found out that he was a fraud but that hardly mattered anymore. And of course he was going to escape, he'd been trained for every possible scenario and capture was certainly one of them. He just had to wait until he had a chance to catch them off guard. After all they were still unaware of the extent of his powers, a fact he had every intention of taking advantage of.

There was some chatter from outside his cell, he couldn't quite make it out. But it sounded like someone was coming. Someone important. The young shapeshifter braced himself, staring at the heavy doors as he heard the lock being opened. It swung open and a number of soldiers stepped inside, causing the young male to shift his weight somewhat nervously. And there, in the midst of the group, he saw a familiar face.

"I trust you're well rested," Nexus said, dispensing with the formalities for now. It was apparent he wasn't in any mood for nonsense. It was in fact his visitor's formal demeanor that prompted the rather flippant response from his captive.

"Can't complain on such splendid service now can I?," the young shapeshifter replied, sarcasm dripping from every word. "It's quite a party you've arranged for me. What's the occasion? Come here to announce your retirement?"

He smirked a bit as he spoke the last sentence, obviously not having much respect for the Maximal or his kin.

Nexus, much to the younger shapeshifter's dismay, didn't react in the least to the futile attempt at an insult. Instead he merely nodded to his men. "Optimus has informed me they are ready."

The shapeshifter was immediately on high alert. What were they planning to do?

"Prepare him for the procedure."


-----
Zodiac jerked hard at his restraints, slamming his backside against the containment unit Landslide had placed him in. His optics flickered on and he tried to take in his surroundings, albeit he was still too groggy for anything to make much sense.

[starshadow]

((OOC: Omg...I keep losing track to this thing...))

"What do we got, Ban Ban? A bomb, eh? Ya might wanna step back so I can get a look at dis. Course it can't be easy, "I hope yer up to date on your credentials and schooling, doc, cause Optimus is gonna need a really good psychiatrist."

Banshee blinked looking at Rattrap. Ban ban huh? At least she knew he isn't the shapeshifter after calling her that. "I will help Optimus with the best of my abilities. Just asking out of curiousity...You're trained as a bomb specialist?" she asked. She hadn't got a chance to read her crewmates' profile before this ugly situation happened. She might have to do it later after everything has been settled.

[una]

"Next time you're looking for help," Optimus said to Blackarachnia and Umbra just before he stepped into the chamber, referring to the antidote they needed for the rest of the Predacons, "try knocking first and asking politely."

Yeah, like, knocking and asking politely was going to change the fact she caused nothing but trouble for the Maximals as well as participated in Optimus' torture. Even though she didn't do as bad as Tarantulas and Megatron subjected him to, she gave the Maximal leader a few good licks in both kicks and remarks to dampen his spirits. No doubt Optimus didn't forget that little detail. If it wasn't that, she didn't trust the Maximals to give her such an antidote. Predacons were in trouble only, not them, and why spare an enemy who has done nothing but try to kill you? She wouldn't tolerate it nor did she expect the Maximals would either. Optimus didn't seem like he trusted his own words. He may be true in his statement, but she was hesitant. she probably wasn't the only one who sensed the change. whether that was good or bad for the Predacons, that remains to be seen. Hmmmm, now that she thought about it, she could use it for her advantage.

Or what was she thining about?! Bah! She would not stay here.

Well if that's the case, it just means you'll be having even more "fun" Miss Arachnia..Though be warned.. I'm the only one currently immune.. the ship is almost completely infected and every individual has about lost their minds.. and Megatron was attacking his own men..But I guess that's just another day at the office really.

Some part of her actually wanted to be greeted with Megatron and Tarantulas' corpses. Maybe they would tear each apart, leaving her free. But such a wish was too good to be true for her. She joined Umbra on the lift. "Well, maybe, with both of our stealth abilities and Nemesis' flying skills, hopefully we can cure... our beloved comrades without them getting their infected claws on us." She raised an optic.

Umbra was off the lift, but Blackarachnia remained where she was. Oh no, was she really thinking about it? What was waiting for her back in the Darksyde? Tarantulas making her his slave once more? Being sneered and kicked around like she was nothing. Also, not to mention, she was no longer holding any cards to keep herself safe from Megatron, thanks to the Maximals giving up the disks. Tarantulas still would do what ever it took to rip apart her core processor to get the information he wanted, so he could one up Megatron. But here... she was useful. She had the access codes, and no doubt, her services here would be useful, especially from what she learned with Tarantulas' psychic link. The Maximals were all but clueless as to what Megatron had planned. And she could used that. Giving the alternative of them, removing the last bit of control Tarantulas had on her, she would helped them. She would keep the information though if they tried anything funny. A mutual benefit for both them and her. She would get her freedom, They would get information. Then when they least expect it, she would escape out of here. Go to Cybertron and live a different lifestyle. Away from this forsaken planet.

Blackarachnia called out to Umbra, "Sorry, Umbra. I can't go back to the Darksyde. I'm sure you and Nemesis would have everything in hand." She winked before she did something she thought she would never do.

She didn't wait for the lift to bring her back up. She jumped and grabbed the edge, pulling herself back up with a flip into the Axalon. She knocked on the command console.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

"I'm not sure anymore,"

Whitegrazer understood. She wanted to say something to Nemesis, but she placed her in the CR chamber. The door shut inbetween them. Nemesis was going to be gone when she woke up. Back to the Predacons, back to her facing the black bird in the battlefield, she knew that this was the logical path the events would take. Whitegrazer had wished things turned out a bit differently in the Axalon. She had sensed Nemesis' emotions. Like there was no hope for her in a place like this despite a few that welcomed her. There was also a bit of apprehension. Nemesis... There seemed to be something else, but Whitegrazer didn't know what it was. But whatever it may be, she didn't think it mattered. She would always welcome Nemesis with open arms. Though, her comrades... It would be the same way if she joined the Predacons. Some may tolerate, but others might see her as nothing more than an enemy, a Maximal. May kill her out of spite or on principle.

She thought about Zodiac. Yes, she must talk to him. Despite everything he done, she still believed he had a right to speak his peace. Even though, she felt like what ever he said might be a dagger to the spark for Optimus. This was going to be difficult.

I saw some of what you visioned through him... It was my worst nightmare come true... I don't know if I can keep carrying on like this. Being strong enough? Holding us together? I was fooled into trusting someone I thought was actually Nexus Prime. I put my entire crew in grave danger more than once since his arrival. I fell... I fell at Megatron's feet. He's more powerful than me... He's more intelligent... And now I've lost the hope I thought I had to gain an advantage in this war. Everything is worse now than it was before Zodiac showed up, as if that was even possible.

Oh, he saw that, didn't he? Oh, of course, he did. How careless of her.I didn't want you to see that. Optimus kept talking through the connection they had, and she could feel his emotions. She said nothing, choosing to listen. Hope, yes. It seemed like a lot of people's hope was wavering because of the last two days. Who could blame them? Especially Optimus. He had been gutted through his own spark when his old friend turned out to be an enemy inside his old friend's skin. He had been violated by that spider. Stripped and humiliated by a ruthless. vindictive tyrant. She was disgusted at their tactics. No doubt Megatron would boast about this every time he wanted to get under Optimus' skin. But she had no respect nor cared about that tyrant's taunts and boasts. She, Rhinox, and the rest of the Maximals would stand by their leader. Nothing this day changed her view of him.

In war, Optimus, there would be good days we celebrate in triumph, and there would be bad days where we feel like we may never recover. But tomorrow is a new day. Just as the darkness falls every night, so too does the sun come up again, bringing it's warmth and light. We will regain what we have lost. As long as we don't give up, there is still, and always will be, hope. I and the others would stand by you just as you stood by us in our time of need. She smiled warmly. She promised that she would be here for Optimus as always and will continue to be. She could feel that Optimus seemed to be resting now. Good. He really needed it. The CR chamber was going around her abdomen and chest area, fixing the tubes as well as replenishing the fluid she had lost in a steady and focused manner.

[DarkSpark]

OOC: I'm bbbbbbaaaaacccck!

Starshadow wrote: Starshadow took cover again, hissing at the tyrant or rather chief security officer and the spider. Once Megatron started firing his shoulder guns, the computers exploded, sending her to the direction of the lava pits with large shrapnels flying through her. The shockwave almost knocked her unconcious, her vision distorted and glitching out. Starshadow quickly slammed her claws on the metal flooring as she skid causing loud piercing screeches. Unfortunately, one of Tarantulas missiles got through the explosion and exploded infront of her, sending her further away to the edge, causing her to fall. Fortunately, she grabbed hold of it. The extra shockwave dulled her vision even more, leaving the catbot groaning in agony, her systems showing signs of giving out from the intense fight. Will she survive or let her resting place be in the fiery pits of heat and doom?

Megatron peered down at Starshadow coldly as she dangled helplessly over the edge of the platform, his face obscured by darkness as he gazed down at her, his hateful eyes burning more brightly than the lave pits below her, judging her even now like some malevolent Fallen God of the Pit.

"Is there a reason? Is there ANY reason at all why I should spare you? Can you think of even ONE?" Megatron said as he placed both feet atop Starshadow's hands, digging his claws & heels into them, grinding them slowly into the floor mercilessly as he pointed his tail cannon down at her, the weapon lit up already with burning plasma.

If he fired at her face at this range, she would be killed instantly, if he pressed down on her hands any further he would crush them, and she would fall into the lava below and surely melt...Starshadow's fate was completely in the hands of the most unforgiving transformer on the entire planet, one who was not even in his right mind at the moment, making him far less inclined to listen to reason and compromise as he had done with other traitors in the past. And yet, it was probably her only hope for survival at this rate.

Tarantulas meanwhile watched on in silence, working madly at his post to complete the antidote, he was SO CLOSE. As much as he would have liked to help execute Starshadow, or better yet, shoot Megatron in the back while he wasn't looking, he himself was infected now and it was in his best interest more so than ever to finish the cure and save himself before he became a drooling psychopath consumed by delusions of the mind like the rest of them...Besides, given Megatron's unreasonable durability, there was no guarantee shooting him from behind would kill him quickly enough to stop him from turning around and killing the spider before he could get away, just wasn't worth the risk this time.

"Better you than me feline" Tarantulas muttered as Megatron menaced Starshadow, ignoring everything else until he heard a splash in the CR tank as Terrorsaur reemerged at last.

"Eheheheheheh! EHEHEHEHEHEH! I'm back everyone! Miss me?" Terrorsaur boasted in his usual cocky fashion, only for Megatron to turn his gun on him in the blink of an eye and shoot him square in the chest, the transmetal pterodactyl only having time to say "But I didn't even do anything!" before he fell back into the tank with an even bigger splash than before, Megatron replying "I know, that's the point" before recharging his weapon and turning it back on Starshadow, still awaiting her answer.

"Oh my, he is in a mood today isn't he?" observed the figment of Cryotek as he shared a flagon of energon with the original Megatron, who replied "Who can blame him? He has big boots to fill, and things truly have not been going as planned for him as of late."

Megatron gritted his teeth as he growled "You're not helping" to his spectral mentors as he dug his heel into Starshadow's right hand, more so to make him feel better and give himself something else to focus on than the viral illusions that even now threatened to cloud his mind again.

[Optimal Optimus Primal]

(( OOC: Welcome back, Dark Spark! I hope your writing went well. Best of luck to you! ))

I didn't want you to see that.

Optimus had figured that but it had been so chaotic with so many emotions colliding and flooding each other that there was little control from both of them. It was a terrible vision for both of them but it was what it was.

In war, Optimus, there would be good days we celebrate in triumph, and there would be bad days where we feel like we may never recover. But tomorrow is a new day. Just as the darkness falls every night, so too does the sun come up again, bringing it's warmth and light. We will regain what we have lost. As long as we don't give up, there is still, and always will be, hope. I and the others would stand by you just as you stood by us in our time of need.

I am well aware of the constant rises and falls in this war by now, Optimus told Whitegrazer rather coldly. But hope... Hope? I am finding that harder and harder to grasp as each day goes on, with each attack by the Predacons, with each advantage they gain, with every friend I lose. I have been carrying on this false sense of strength on the outside as a disguise for quite some time so as not to worry anyone only to fool myself of the inevitable. I'm not even sure how I made it out the of Darksyde alive... I must have you and the others to thank for that. The truth is... The truth is is that all of you are stronger than me. Much, much stronger. And that's the way it should be. Zodiac's impersonation of Nexus was so incredibly flawless and convincing... it makes me wonder... Primus, it makes me wonder about the real Nexus, the one who taught me everything, the one who foolishly thought I was so pure and innocent... The tingling he could feel from her wounds gradually faded, telling him that she had made it to a CR and was being healed. There was a brief memory of his with someone screaming. No, not just someone, but someone invincible, incapable of dying, an experiment. An experiment he had been more directly involved with before he was assigned his own vessel and crew... to dump it. Not it, him. What kind of a scientist was he? Never mind that, what kind of a captain was he by keeping a dark, immoral secret like that from his entire crew? The one thing that could very well kill them all, besides Megatron and the Vok. All of their lives who were in his hands. There is such a great deal of weight on my shoulders... A great deal... Primal added to his connection with the mare before he started slipping into the unconsciousness of much desired sleep.

-----

Rhinox had stepped out of the way for Umbra and Blackarachnia, and quite swiftly after them Nemesis, to exit down the lift and headed to the computer Rattrap was using earlier to reprogram Sentinel, checking the progress he had made earlier. He heard the Predacons' voices below outside of the base but didn't pay much attention to their words.

"Landslide, how are you holding up with Zodiac?" Big Green asked via his comm. link. He wanted to get back to him as soon as possible and help him build the force field to keep the shapeshifter restrained. Unfortunately, it wasn't going to happen as soon as he would have liked.

When he heard noises that sounded like someone coming back in right before he heard knocking, he instinctively wielded one of his chain guns and spun around with his large body to target the intruder. It was none other than the black widow who crawled back into their base, but why? Was she refusing to leave without the cure? If so, she would have to take it up with Nemesis who had just left in a hurry, not him. Maybe she wanted to cause more trouble knowing Optimus was temporarily out of commission? He certainly hoped not. Although his weapon was merciless, she was quite agile and had been successful in the past taking him down easily with her cyber venom. As was customary, however, he asked questions before resulting to any gunfire. "Did you forget something?" he inquired, watching her with great caution as his massive gun was trained on her.

-----

"I will help Optimus with the best of my abilities.

Rattrap glanced at the flying rodent with a quizzical and uncertain eye while he looked over the hostile stasis pod with the funny writing on it. He wasn't so sure of her abilities and expertise but Optimus was going to need someone other than Whitegrazer to help him through the trauma he had just been hurled into and out of in a matter of a couple days. Who better than a psychiatrist, right? At the moment, he had more faith in the white mare than he did Banshee, but then again, he hardly knew this "doctor" and what she was capable of, other than jumping into hostile situations with a trigger-happy finger. "How's yer arm?"

Just asking out of curiousity...You're trained as a bomb specialist?"

"Eh, no. Are you?" he joked with a smirk. "I'm a demolition expert so I prefer blowin' things up, particularly things dat belong ta Predascum, but I can disarm bombs," the TransMetal rat explained as he examined the pod's hatch to see if the threat was attached to it and might arm it if he tries to open it. "Of course, my record fer successful disarming ain't up ta par with the explosions I've made on purpose. Den again, you could consider an accidental explosion as a successful disarm," he said with a subtle smile at the corner of his mouth, purposely trying to make her feel uncomfortable without looking at her for his own entertainment despite how serious the situation really was. "You might wanna step back," he warned Banshee. "You know, in case I cut de wrong wire." There was a hint of a playful tone attached to everything he said, but she may not have known him well enough to recognize it. He grabbed some tools to help him assess the pod carefully as he knelt down beside it.

[NaitoKage]

(Welcome back to the madness Darkspark. )

Landslide watched as Zodiac struggled being restrained by the claws on his shield, he then heard Rhinox on the radio.

"Landslide, how are you holding up with Zodiac?"

Landslide pulled out one of the tranquilizers he usually used on Saberfang, the needle popping out as he walked over to Zodiac and jammed the tranquilizer into his neck. He woke up, it's taken care of fer now.. but I don't know how long.

"Just asking out of curiosity...You're trained as a bomb specialist?"

"Eh, no. Are you?" "I'm a demolition expert so I prefer blowin' things up, particularly things dat belong ta Predascum, but I can disarm bombs," "Of course, my record fer successful disarming ain't up ta par with the explosions I've made on purpose. Den again, you could consider an accidental explosion as a successful disarm," "You might wanna step back," "You know, in case I cut de wrong wire."

Landslide stepped back, still observing Zodiac as he overheard Rattrap and Banshee. If it's too risky, perhaps we should just chuck it into the lake? I doubt it has some sort of motion defense since it plowed into the atmosphere and earth.

________________________

"Sorry, Umbra. I can't go back to the Darksyde. I'm sure you and Nemesis would have everything in hand."

Umbra raised an optic ridge, then shook his head. If that's what you desire.. just don't regret it later..

Umbra then made his way towards the cliff edge. Normally being told this, Umbra would have to destroy her for defecting, but with the current situation, he'd pose risk to himself and more importantly to Nemesis. Curing the Predacons of their aliment had a higher priority. The situation did also pose for a possible profit, as Blackarachnia had now essentially put a target on herself, Megatron would pay big for any traitors brought in.

Umbra looked over himself for a moment, assuming he probably was still too damaged to attempt gliding down to the water way, or that his jump jet might malfunction making the landing inflict damage, it'd probably just be best to climb down and swim. Moving over the edge, his tentacles started to grip the rock wall as he made his way down, then released and plunged into the lake bellow. He transformed to his octopus mode, then started to swim towards the river that fed out of the lake.

Cheetor blinked as he heard a splash from the lake, turning to look around, then shrugged and continued back on following Ironclaw's trail.

_________________________

As the commotion at the Darksyde happened, Waspinator finally crawled out of his CR tank groggy.

[Phoenix]

Slowly the fog that was clouding up Zodiac's mind lifted and he started to see his surroundings more clearly. What was happening..? How did he get here? He tested the strength in his limbs only to realize they were all secured to.. something.. But at least all his functions seemed to be operating normally, including the nanomachines. The sound of footsteps approaching alerted him that he was not alone, prompting him to the fact he needed to get out of here quickly. He ordered the nanobots to consume the metallic restraints that were keeping him tied down. His wrists and ankles started glowing briefly, only to fade back to normal as the nanites swiftly realized that the restraints were coated in a substance that made it difficult for them to devour the material. The shapeshifter was surprised to find this since such technology was very rare and only a very select few had it.

The limited mobility he had in his current position did not allow for enough movement to break the restraints either.

Very well then..

The footsteps stopped right next to him but the shapeshifter did not waste time with trying to find out who it was. He could worry about that later after he was free. So with his first two options not working, he instead ordered the nanomachines to take on the form of a smaller bot so that he could simply wiggle his way free. The most recent smaller shape he had taken on was that of the butterfly winged fuzor so that was the one he selected for now. The change started instantly, his black scales immediately changing in shape, texture and color to resemble white furry patches and his frame started to shrink. It was at that time he felt something sharp stabbing through his neck. The effects of the tranquilizers were extremely rapid, especially when injected so close to his vital circuits. He started feeling dizzy and then drowsy within a few seconds and he struggled for a few more to stay awake.

It turned out to be futile and yet again he blacked out, just as the transformation to the small fuzor had completed. Now in a much smaller size, the Aurora-look-alike merely slipped out of the restraints and collapsed on the floor below.

Nemesis sped towards the Darksyde as fast as she could, leaving the Axalon and all its occupants behind. She hadn't even bothered to look for Umbra or BlackArachnia, believing they were safe from any further harm where they were. Up ahead the familiar contours of the volcanic terrain started to come into view so Nemesis used the opportunity to open a link to the Predacon base. "Darksyde come in, this is Nemesis. I have the cure for the virus in my possession and I'm approaching."

She paused briefly while awaiting a response.