Megatron led Hammertread through the Nemesis, the tank not remembering anything, not even his own name.
"I... live here?" the tank asked.
"Why of course." Megatron smiled deceptively. "You're one of our finest warriors!"
"I...am?" the tank blinked.
Orcus looked at Hammertread. He raised an optic ridge. He knew who he was.
HT looked around. "a bit dreary, isn't it?" he asked. Megatron gave him a wierd look, then chuckled.
"I mean.." the tank chuckled. "I kinda like it. Gives the whole ship a... deep dark tone to it." he smirked.
Orcus chuckled.
"I'm glad you like it." megatron said, amused. "You're sure you don't remember anything?" the silver Decepticon leader asked.
"No, nothing." the tank shook his head, confused. "How... damaged was I?" he asked.
Megatron glanced at him. "Oh, you would have gone offline, if it hadn't have been for Hook repairing you so quickly!" Megatron lied, but HT was convinced. He only nodded.
HT glanced at Orcas. "Do I know you?" he asked.
Orcus grinned, but shook his head. "No. Not really."
Megatron intervened. "Orcas was one of the Decepticons that rescued you after the Autobots ambushed us on our last energy raid." he supplied, then glanced at Orcas to play along.
Orcus nodded. "Yes, but we've never...really met. I'm Orcus." He introduced, holding out his energon stained paw. He smiled at the tank.
The tank noticed the dried fluid and smirked. He shook the profferred hand. "Hammertread. but Megatron tells me you guys call me HT." he smirked, nodding.
Orcus nodded. He smirked. "Pleased to meet you, Hammertread." He grinned.
"Have I been with you guys very long?" HT asked Megatron. He nodded.
"Oh yes, why, since before we came to Earth." he said.
That part of his memory, Hook had not erased. He still remembered the assault on Iacon, at least.
Orcus nodded.
HT nodded. He followed Megatron down the hall.
Orcus watched. Something was wronog...and Megatron was in on it.
HT headed to his quarters, with Megatron's reassurance he would remember more the following day. He went in and sat down on his recharge berth. He then noticed the broken datapad on the floor. The screen was shattered, and the casing was broken, but the chip was still intact. He picked it up gently, and brought out another one. He hooked it up to the damaged one, and started to transfer the files...
The group got outside, and Syus looked at the group. They knew what would be next.
"At attention!" Syus barked. They stood straight instantly, shoulders back, staring ahead.
"Transform!"
the cars did so.
"WingsUp!"
Winstriker let her wings unfold and stick out all the way.
Syus took his place beside her. He transformed. he glanced at her out of the corner of her optic, she did the same back.
He nodded.
The two ran and leapt into the air, and Mic and Needle did a peelout, chasing after them.
the two twirled and did a dip, then shot straight up vertically, they came together and spun, parting momentarily at the apex, only to turn sideways and pass mere inches from each other on the way back down, flying apart again. Finally, as the thin stream of grey dissapated, they came straight at each other, turning sideways to stop and slide sideways in a circle facing each other, creating a miniature whirlwind of dust from the earth beneath them, the car and truck on the ground mimicing them. W
indstriker pulled out of the sideways aerial skid-maneuver, Syus following after. Mic slid sideways to a stop and took off towards the Ark, Needle accelerating to catch up. Windstriker and Syus shot back up going into a loop before coming back down again as the rest of the grey dust left the container, and the heat from the jet's engines incinerated the container itself.
They landed.
Mic and Needle pulled up.
"Now what?" Windy asked breathlessly after a moment.
Alpha and Omega watched. they blinked.
The group just stood there for a second, then realized they were being watched. The black and white figure dissapeared back inside, leaving Alpha and Omega to be seen by the others.
The twins swallowed. Omega disappeare dand Alpha quickly replicated. Ten of her appeared and they scattered.
Mic raised an optic ridge. Windstriker shook her head.
Syus spoke first. "There is no need to fear us, now." he said.
They headed inside, ignoring their 'audience'.
The twins then reappeared in the rec room.
Syus started to head to their quarters. "I'll go get some energy." Windy offerred, heading for the rec. room.
Syus changed his mind and followed.
The twins stood in the doorway as the watched Alpha's copies try to catch Kit, who was running around with a toy in her hands. They sighed, shaking their heads.
"Can't catch me!" Kit giggled as two Alphas ran into one another.
Alpha winced. "ooh..."
"That-"
"One-"
"Hurt." they finished together.
"It did." The copies nodded.
Windy shook her head at the child and smiled. Syus also watched; Mic was bored; Bullet was deep in thought, and Needle... you couldn't reallt tell for his sunglasses-shaped visor.
Windy brought back the armload of cubes and set them down, then sat down. "I wonder what they did with our old quarters." she mused...
Dunno..." Mic muttered, taking a sip of his cube.
Meanwhile, in the group's old quarters, Driveby had fallen asleep, and rolled over, putting her arm around the black and white Datsun next to her.
Prowl smiled, and went back to sleep. "Five more minutes..." he thought. "My comm's turned on, if anyone beeps me..." then he was asleep.
out in the living room, Cable and Beacon concentrated on their videogame, pretending not to notice.
Gunlock and Ty returned from the shooting range, and sat down on the couch to watch tv.
In the lower part of the ark, Cap rolled over and snuggled up to Terra, who was allready asleep.
Terra yawned and wrapped her wings around Cap.
Cap rolled over, noticing the time. Someone would start noticing their abscence if they didn't return soon. "Five more minutes, love. Then we gotta go, or the crew's gonna be sendin' search parties, I just know it."
Terra muttered something and yawned, showing her fangs. She wrapped her wings around herself.
Cap mumbled something and checked his chronometer. "Hey, Terra?" he whispered, kissing her.
Terra opened her optics. "Yes?" She asked, looking at him.
"Honey, we gotta go." he kissed her again, and started to get up. "there gonna send the Cavalry after us if we don't get back up topside."
Terra nodded. She sat up and then unwrapped her wings from her body.
Cap helped Terra to her feet, and headed for the lift.
Terra smiled and followed him. She flapped her wings a bit.
Alpha looked at the group. "Sorry. Alright, guys! Time to go back where you came from."
"but-"
"Sorry." Alpha cut off their cries. "3...2...1!"
The copies disappeared.
Kit mumbles something. She then glomped her uncle's head. "Hey, Unlce Omega!"
Omega offed. "Ow..."
Alpha and Kit giggled.
Bullet sipped his own cube, then said: "Perhaps we should find out, then." Syus nodded. So did Windy.
The two reached the lift, and cap hit the button after closing the door, just wanting to head to bed.
"You can stay with me if you want. It's closer." he said, glancing at her.
The bat nodded. She wrapped her wings around herself and then yawned a bit.
Meanwhile, at the group's quarters, The evening news came on. Beacon rolled his optics. "Please turn that down. We can't hear our game." Gunlock turned it down a little. The game soon ended, and the nes turned to weather reports. "And it seems a little rainy outside this evening... the reporter mumbled on in the background, drowned out by the music of the videogame, and went on to show some raincoluds, with bits of sunlight filtering through.
The group got up, when Windy happened to catch the news report.
"Look." she smiled. The screen showed rainclouds, but the oddest thing was taking place. The rainclouds had broken apart in places, allowing the sun to shine through in places.
Mic looked up and shrugged. The group turned to leave, and froze.
The rec room went completely silent.
The figure in the doorway, leaning against one side grinned.
"Miss me?" the femmeseeker grinned. Jade walked in, as real and as solid as she was before.
Alpha, Omega and Kit all grinned.
"AUNT JADE!!!!" Kit squealed, glomping the crap out of Jade. "Aunt Jade's okay!"
Jade grinned and pulled Kit off her leg, and up into a real hug, spinning around once before letting go. She grinned, and looked at Syus and the others.
"She's Alive!" Jazz sprang out of his seat and ran over to glomp the femme.
"AACK!..."
"Oof! Help! I'm being PoscheyGlomped!!!" she laughed.
Jazz laughed as she hugged him back.
Kit giggled. She managed to get out of the hug and let Jazz and Jade hug. She then landed in her mother's arms.
Jade grabbed the Porsche and have him a full-on kiss. He blushed pink. She smiled and pulled away.
She turned to Syus, who smiled (genuinely, for sure this time), and reached out to pull her into the bear-hug he was known for. He looked down and growled softly, as though to say "Don't ever do that again." She nodded, understanding him.
Kit smiled.
Alpha smiled as well.
Cap and Terra both yawned and stumbled into the room. They flopped down on the couch that wasn't being used.
We should probably all get some rest." Jade yawned. the others nodded. They walked out.
"See you guys in the morning." she called.
"See ya!" Alpha called.
Kit yawned.
"Let's let you get some sleep." Alpha said, carrying her to her room.
Terra smiled at bit at him and then yawned.
Cap smiled and wrapped his arms around the femme.
the videogame finally ended, and Cable set down his controller. "Want a rematch?" he asked.
"no, it's getting kind of late." Beacon stood and stretched.
The doors swished open, and there stood a green dragon-armored mech, with a Megatron mimi, and a white camaro, and a black-green, and blue pickup truck on one side, adn Jade and a purple and tan femmeplane on the other. Syus looked at the group.
"who'er you?" Gunlock and Syus both said at once.
Terra smiled and then looked up at the group. "Uh..." Terra blinked. "Who 're you?" She asked, "I'm Terrablast." She added.
"I forgot to mention them." Jade admitted sheepishly. "they're Driveby's team, the Marauders." she said.
"The who?" Mic asked.
Driveby heard voices and rolled over. Prowl onlined one optic, and she rolled over.
"I'll be right back." she got up and walked out sleepily.
"We're Kintari, like you guys." Cap mumbled loudly.
Syus blinked.
Driveby staggered out of the bedroom. Prowl trailed after. Syus looked at the femme, and then at the mech, and his jaw dropped. even Jade looked suprised. Then she chuckled. "Only a matter of time, was it?" she grinned at the tactician. Prowl didn't looked enthused in the least.
Terra looked at them and then snuggled into Cap's arms. She continued to watch.
He calmly proceeded to explain the situation with the Marauders taking up residence in the old crew quarters during their abscence, and not expecting them to return. He then explained why they had not returned to their cave (Klutch still had his cronies sneaking about, or worse yet, had told the Decepticons where to find the cave) and waited for a response.
Bullet nodded. "It sounds logical enough. I would suggest we all get some rest, since it is getting late, and discuss things further in the morning." he said.
Prowl nodded, then turned to Driveby, trying to conceal his embarrassment. "I have some work that has to be done. excuse me." he said, and headed for the door, trying not to look at the group who moved aside to let him through.
"What did you mean matter of time?" Needle asked innocently. Jade grinned.
"Nothing. They used to be boyfriend/girlfriend." she shrugged, and grinned/winked at Driveby, who gave her a knowing look back.
"We can take the human-sized bedroom." Jade said "Unless it's being used, too." she gave everyone present an accusing glance.
"nope go ahead." cable motioned from the floor in front of the couch.
"Hey! is that my gamecube?" Bullet asked.
"Mm-hmm." came the reply. "You got good taste in games." was added on.
Bullet shrugged it off. He'd confiscate it back later. The group trudged up the steps.
"I'll take the couch." Syus offerred.
"Floor." Windy added.
Jade looked at Mic and Needle. "I suppose you two want the bed." she said.
the two gave each other a look. "no...no no no!" they shook their heads and said simultaneously.
"That wasn't what I meant." she added.
They finally got it worked out, and trudged up the steps. Jade went looking for her inflatable matress (for Needle) and extra blankets/pillows. Windy took the floor in front of the t.v. and Jade took the floor in front of the couch, on the other side of the coffee table from windy.
They all drifted off to sleep.
"Goodnight Cap, goodnight Terra, goodnight Beacon..." Cable started
"Shut up!" Beacon hissed.
Terra laughed. She then shook her head and fell asleep in his arms.
"Goodnight beacon" Cap said.
"goodnight Windy, goodnight Cable, goodnight Gunlock, goodnight Driveby, goodnight Ty, goodnight Syus goodnight Jade, goodnight Needle, goodnight Mic, goodnight whoever I forgot. zzzzz..."
he promtly fell asleep, snoring loudly.
Beacon went over and whapped him one.
"whuh?"
"Shut. Up."
Cap mumbled something and buried his face in Terra's fur. He made a sound like "bite me."
Jade smirked. "goodnight people, goodnight all, goodnight to those out in the hall. goodnight here, and goodnight there.. I'd say goodnight cons but who the...
"Anni!!!" Windy exclaimed.
Jade laughed. "Sorry, couldn't help it."
she giggled, and buried her face in the pillow.
there was silence after that.
Terra laughed. She wrapped her wings around Cap and fell asleep in his arms, smiling.
Morning came, and Jade awoke to the sounds of the others milling about, getting recharged and chatting. Windy was still asleep, and most likely Mic and Needle in the bedroom. Bullet and Syus were up, and chatting with Beacon, Gunlock, Ty, and Cable, over by the couch.
Terra opened an optic lazily. She perked up a bat ear and then unwrapped her wings from around her and Cap. the femme looked around then room and then shook her head. She stood up and went to leave the room.
The mini-tank just rolled over and went back to sleep, mumbling something in his sleep.
Terra giggled. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and then flew out of the room to find something to do.
Jade woke up and went down the steps, carefully edging into the kitchen to find something to much on.
The human got herself a cup of cofee and sipped at it, watching Cable, Beacon, Bullet and Syus start a game of DRL Thunder Tanks (a battling tank videogame) on the playstation.
"Dibs on winner!" she called.
"Beacon allready called it." cable pointed, eyes never leaving the screen.
"Aww." Jade pouted. "I'll be around, then." she finished her coffee in one giant gulp and transformed with a blue flash, heading out to the rec. room to see who else was up and see if Prowl had put her back on the duty roster.
The twins, who had been wrestling for a bit, looked up when Terra entered the rec room. They smiled.
"Hi!" Omega said from under his sister.
"Sup?" Alpha finished.
Kit perked up from where she, Wheeljack and Jazz were watching the twins wrestle.
"Hi." Terra waved. She flew over to the energon despenser. "Nothing much."
"Cool." The twins nodded. They flipped so Omega was pinning his sister down. "We're a bit bored too..."
Flip.
"Ha ha." Alpha smiled.
Alpha grunted as she was smacked in the jaw.
Kit let out an "ooooh..."
Omega threw his sister into the wall and then stood, grinning proudly. He hurried over to her, only to run into the wall when she dodged.
Terra giggled.
Omega as Alpha shoved him into the wall. "Getting better, sis."
"Thanks. Learned from one of the best." Alpha winked as she pinned his arm behind his back.
Jade walked in and blinked. "are you guys just gonna let them do that?" she asked after a minute.
Kit looked over.
So did Terra.
Wheeljack and Jazz stole some of Kit's popcorn. "It's free entertainment." Jazz shrugged.
"HIT THE DECK!" Kit yelled.
They all hit the deck as Omega flew over their heads and into the wall.
Alpha smirked.
"Oh it's on, big sis." Omega said. He ran at her.
The two wrestled again.
Jade blinked and stared as she pressed the button for energon. "You know Hoist is gonna be mad he has to repair that." she noted. She took the cube and took a sip, then choked. she'd accidentally hit the button for hot oil. "Guh!" she glared at it, and hit the correct button.
The three spectators shrugged and went on watching.
Omega kicked his sister into the wall and Alpha oofed.
As he ran at her, Alpha yelped and moved out of the way, catching his wing. She pulled out a sword and held it to his throat. "Say it..."
"Dream on." Omega hissed, pulling out his own sword. he stabbed it backwards, causing the butt of the weapon to hit Alpha's stomach.
The femme stumbled back with a cry. She held her gut, but found herself on the floor in seconds with her brother ontop of her, holding the sword against her throat. His optics were flashing.
"Okay, okay! Uncle." She muttered.
Omega grinned and put his sword away. He stood up, but was kicked into the wall.
Alpha laughed. "One thing you should learn, Omega, we girls fight dirty sometimes."
"Get him, mom!" Kit cheered.
Jade shook her head and smirked.
Alpha grinned widely. She then ran at her brother, who threw her over his shouler.
Alhpa hit the wall. "Ow."
Jade shook her head at the fighting twins, and heard footsteps. she went to the door and glanced out. "You guys better quit! Ratchet's coming!" She hurried over to where Wheeljack, Jazz and Kit were sitting and sat down, pretending nothing had happened.
Alpha and Omega yelped and split apart. They whistled and Alpha grabbed Kit. Omega took his spot at the poker game he ad Jazz were playing as a cover story.
Alpha drank some energon as Kit rolled on the ground with a big ball of yarn.
said CMO walked in, loked at the scratched and dented twins, eyed the dents and scratches on the wall and floor, and shook his head, going to the dispener, mumbling something about "Too early in the morning for this."
Alpha giggled.
Omega smiled. He returned to the poker game.
"sorry, Ratch." Alpha smiled. "But we, uh...kinda got a bit bruised and battered...he started it!" She pointed to Omega.
"Did not!"
"Did to!"
"Did not!"
"Did to!"
"Did not!"
"Did to!"
"Did not!"
Kit looked up from where she was playing with her yarn ball. She looked at Jade. "They're worst than me sometimes." She muttered.
"Am not!" Both twins said. They laughed.
Ratchet mumbled and took a seat.
"I don't care. I don't wanna know."
he took a sip of his energon
"...too early."
The tiwns shrugged. "Okay." They muttered.
Hammertread stared at the images on the datapad. Who was this femme? and why was he at the Ark? He found there were several test files... a personal log, perhaps?
who was he?
Megatron watched from the camera he had placed in the tank's quarters. He would have to make sure there were no more 'reminders' of the tank's past before erasing his memory again. Or, simply lie.
HT opened the text files and started to read...