Out of the Storm, Into the Thunder

Author's Note: Okay, I had this fanfic idea in my head for a long time.

And, I was almost done, when my editor read it and said: "this sounds

like a Soap Opera." I was shocked, because such a though had not

occurred to me before. Then, rereading it, I realized it DID sound like

a Soap Opera! I called up my editor and told her I wasn't going on with

the fanfic, but then she begged me to keep writing. You see, this fanfic

has Nightshade and Satin, my editor's two favorite characters (for now

at least. I just know she'll tell me to kill them someday.) So, I had to

write it. She's my editor, and she has the right to boss me around:) Any

crappy lines are the work of sleep deprivation and Days of Our Lives

deprivation. Hey, I haven't seen my Soaps for a little while! So please,

don't blame me if reading it is a waste of your time (which I sincerely

think it is!) I warned you!!! (P.S. My editor is my good friend and

classmate Cordillya85, just to tell you! Blame her!)

**************

Killshandra looked over at Dinobot. The velociraptor's mind always

seemed to be elsewhere, but that was understandable. Dinobot did, in

some odd way, care for Nightshade. It was the same way he cared for

Rattrap. Dinobot and the Transmetal vermin hated each other, but it made

them close. Except with Nightshade, Dinobot's hatred for her was

one-sided because Nightshade was very friendly with him.

Maybe Dinobot is feeling regret that he was never nice to Nightshade,

Killshandra thought.

All in all, the fact that Dinobot did not pay a lot of attention to

Killshandra was only logical.

It was the way Killshandra felt about it that was illogical.

The winged velociraptor got angry whenever she saw that far away look in

Dinobot's eye. She ground her teeth together whenever he said anything

remotely related to Nightshade.

Killshandra felt sad at what had happened to the young raptor as well.

It was awful, to see Nightshade cooped up in a room with a cruel

disease, both of which she could not escape. But, it was the fact that

Dinobot thought about her all the time.... it just made her mech-fluid

burn.

"Have you seen any Predacons?" Dinobot asked, for the two of them were

on scouting duty.

Killshandra snorted. Asking about Predacons was just making some stupid

conversation away from the subject Dinobot really wanted to talk about.

But, she played along, for she knew Dinobot was not the kind of person

to reveal his emotions.

I used to think I was cold, until I met him, Killshandra thought. Then I

realized that he only acts cold, and there really is a beating heart

underneath that pillar of ice.

"None" she replied, shrugging her shoulders. She looked up into the sky,

and saw two familiar feathered friends.

"What I do see is Air Razor and Lotus" she commented. Killshandra waved

at them. It was not hard to mistake the swift, excited flight of Lotus

and the slow, calm way Air Razor soared through the sky.

The two birds had noticed her before that, with Air Razor's sharp vision

she could hardly miss anything, and landed in a tree beside Killshandra

and Dinobot. The winged raptor smiled, it seemed the two of them were

never far apart.

"Great to see you guys up and running" Lotus said, with a smile on her

thin beak.

"I'm grateful to be up and running" Killshandra replied.

"What have you to report?" Dinobot snapped, glaring at the three females

irritably. Killshandra again felt like she had done something wrong in

his eyes, and felt bad about it.

"Umm.....well, there are no Predacons anywhere in this sector, at least

not from the aerial point of view." Air Razor said.

"The wolves are eating the deer and the weasels are eating the mice and

the birds are singing sweetly" Lotus added. She chirped out a few sweet

notes of song to emphasize her point. "Other than that, nothing much."

Dinobot glared at Lotus and Air Razor coldly. "Foolish females!" he

snapped.

"Hey!" Lotus snapped back, her feathers ruffled. "Don't diss females!

Who has the kids? Who are the smartest? Which sex has been oppressed

since the late eighteen hundreds?! In Earth terms anyway. In Cybertron

it took a lot longer for women's rights to evolve, and that doesn't show

a lot for our society!!"

Dinobot gave a roar of frustration. "Smelt your slagging feminism! War

is more important than equality! The Predacons are always up to

something! If you are too stupid and air-headed to find out what it is,

then I must find out for myself!"

With those words of righteous anger, Dinobot stomped off through the

brush. Killshandra could still hear his grumblings and mumblings as he

left.

"OH!" Lotus shouted. "You male chauvinist! Come here and say something

like that to my face! I dare yah! You chicken!!"

"Calm down, my Sister Suffragette" Air Razor said with a laugh.

"Sorry AR, but I just get so mad when men think they're the dominant

species" Lotus replied.

"I don't think Dinobot blew up at you because of that feminine issue"

Killshandra remarked, staring at the path the velociraptor had taken. "I

think he was just upset."

"Well, all I've seen of him is when he's "upset" as you so aptly put it"

Lotus remarked. "How can you stand that guy?"

"He can be an okay person to be around if he feels like it" Killshandra

replied, not taking her eyes off the path.

Or, if you're the kind of person he likes, Killshandra thought. She

smiled.

She did not see the surprised look that passed between Air Razor and

Lotus.

"I think he's taking Nightshade's disease the hardest" Air Razor

remarked. Killshandra nodded ruefully, Air Razor had hit the nail on the

head, no matter how unpleasing that fact was to her.

"Well, anyway, I wouldn't want to be on scouting duty with him any day"

Lotus said. "In fact....I think I still have some scouting duty to do"

she said quickly. "Well, see you later fellow winged ones! I'm off to

rid the world of evil Predacons and evil males, ha ha!" Lotus jumped

into the air and flapped her wings quickly, and soon had zoomed out of

sight.

Air Razor watched her younger friend fly off. "She gains many enemies

because of her attitude, but they are surpassed by her amount of friends

who like her for that same reason" the falcon said with a chuckle.

Killshandra looked at Air Razor. "Was it just me, or did Lotus fly away

with an ulterior motive?" she asked, eyeing Air Razor with a sapphire

eye.

"I have no idea" Air Razor said, with a subtle smile on her brown beak.

"So, where's Birch?" Killshandra asked. Something told her that Air

Razor wanted to talk about something personal.

Maybe it's just my feminine intuition, Killshandra thought with a smile,

remembering all the fuss that had happened when Lotus had mentioned

feminism.

"She's in the base with Tigatron" Air Razor said.

Killshandra opened her mouth to ask a question, but hesitated. The

question she wanted to ask was kind of personal, and Air Razor might not

answer it. But, what was a better way to be part of the Maximals than to

have a Maximal confidante? So, Killshandra took a deep breath and asked

her question.

"Air Razor, what is it like being a mother?" the black and red

velociraptor asked.

Air Razor puffed up her feathers with pride at the mention of Birch.

"It's a wonderful feeling" she said. "To see this little darling

creature that is part of you make its way in the world. Just to be there

when it discovers how high a tree is, or that water is wet. All these

little things are so precious to me, and to her. I know she'll have to

grow up and get a personality, but right now..... she's just so sweet

and innocent. Birch needs so much care and love, and she's such a cute

little thing..." Air Razor stopped talking, and lowered her head in

embarrassment.

"Sorry Killshandra, I'm rambling" Air Razor said with a sheepish smile.

"It's okay Air Razor, there must be a lot to talk about" Killshandra

responded. Air Razor nodded. "And please, call me Killer or Killa, those

are my nicknames. Other than Killer-head, Lizard Lips and any other

flattering names Rattrap calls me."

"Sure Killa" Air Razor said. "You can call me AR, it's one of my

favorite nicknames."

"Thanks AR" Killshandra said with a nod. She felt like she had made some

sort of progress into being a fully-fledged Maximal.

"Now, enough about me" the falcon said "let's talk about you."

Air Razor had a surprisingly youthful grin, which Killshandra had never

expected to see on the face of a mother. The falcon was usually so calm

and cool that this kind of excitement seemed out of place coming from

her.

"What about me?" Killshandra asked suspiciously.

"I don't really know how to put this delicately" Air Razor said, almost

stumbling over her words in her eagerness. The falcon took a breath, and

went back to her natural calmness, which made Killshandra relax a bit,

though with caution.

"Killshandra, do you like Dinobot?" Air Razor asked, with an undertone

of excitement.

"What?!" Killshandra tried to act like she did not know what Air Razor

was talking about. Unfortunately, acting was not a very strong point in

Killshandra's set of skills. Air Razor could see right through her

transparent disguise.

"I knew it!" Air Razor said, triumphantly. Killshandra glared at her.

"I warn you that if you tell anyone-" Killshandra began, but she was cut

off by Air Razor.

"Don't worry, I won't" the falcon said, with a sincere smile. "I'm not a

tattle-tale. I wasn't that sure about Lotus, so I sent her off. So, are

you going to tell him?" she asked casually.

"I have no idea" Killshandra responded, which was the truth. She did not

know what Dinobot would think of her if she just went up to him and said

"hi Dinobot, did I ever tell you I loved you?" Besides, she did not even

know what Dinobot thought about her! Matrix, was this sentimental stuff

ever confusing!

"Well, just do what your heart thinks is best" Air Razor said.

Killshandra chuckled. "Do you know that's the same as saying "I don't

have any advice, figure it out for yourself"?"

Air Razor chuckled too. "I guess you're right. I never thought of it

that way" she admitted. "Well, you know Dinobot a lot more than I do. I

have to admit that most other females in the fleet would not remark

favorably on your choice of boyfriends."

"I guess I'm just original then" Killshandra responded. It felt odd,

discussing her emotions so casually with another person.... but it also

felt nice, in a way. Air Razor was turning out to be a calm,

non-judgmental person to talk to.

"Just try to consider all your options, and what Dinobot would feel

comfortable with" Air Razor advised. She looked kind of like a wise owl,

perched still in a tree, her head trust out and her eyes filled with

emotion. "I'm sorry I can't help you more Killa."

"It's okay, you've helped me just fine" Killshandra said, with a

grateful smile in the bird's direction. Air Razor nodded.

"You're welcome" Air Razor said. "I better get going. Lotus has probably

put on a cape and mask and is attacking Terrorsaur with supernatural

powers" Air Razor said, with a friendly laugh.

Killshandra laughed too. Lotus was a bit of a dreamer, and she did seem

like the kind of person who had enough strength and righteous

determination to become a superhero.

"Very well AR" the winged raptor said. "I'm going to go catch up with

Dinobot, and see if his temper is sufficiently cooled."

Air Razor nodded, which was kind of awkward because she hardly had a

neck. She launched herself off of her perch and sailed off into the sky,

barely needing to flap her wings to move.

Killshandra nodded, and proceeded to find the tan and beige

velociraptor.

*************

Nightshade opened her eyes. Her head was throbbing, her nose stuffy, and

her eyes blinded by sudden light. What was worse, her body seemed like

it had been shoved into a fire, and it was burning up. Nightshade was

sweating with heat only she herself felt.

The young raptor took a deep breath. She coughed a bit, but other than

that nothing much happened. Actually, she was feeling a bit better than

she had been yesterday, or however many hours she had been asleep. Her

terrible sneezing had gone away, and except for the heat inside her, she

felt fine.

"Pretty Lady?" came the British voice outside her door. Nightshade

smiled. Bouncealot was still there, waiting for her to wake up. She had,

and she was quite glad of it. All those horrible dreams were very

disturbing to her. And the fact that she remembered them even more

so.....

"Bounce, how long have you been out here?" Nightshade asked.

"I asked the Jolly Green Giant, and 'e said I've been 'ere for five

days" he said. "You know it took you a very long time to wake up? Well,

it did. And you were moaning and crying too. Oh Pretty Lady, did you

dream dreams? What were they about? I 'ad a dream once. Actually, I've

'ad quite a few dreams. They're the oddest things, you know? Quite

unpredictable really. I read a book once-"

"Yes Bouncealot, I did dream some dreams" Nightshade said. The best way

to deal with the sparrow/hare Fuzor was to respond to what he had first

said, to bring him back to his original point. That is, if you yourself

could remember what he had been saying.

"They were very odd dreams" Nightshade continued. "There were lots of

people from the Beast Wars in it, such as you, Killshandra, Dinobot and

many others." She coughed again.

"Bounce, you really should go and get outside" the young raptor said.

She was very concerned about the rabbit. He was acting like a dog,

filled with mindless devotion, but even devotion can have some

unexpected side-affects.

"Pretty Lady, I am not leaving from this spot until you get better"

Bouncealot said, closing the issue.

"It would make me feel better if you looked after yourself, instead of

just waiting around in a hallway for me" Nightshade said. "Go outside,

get some fresh air, eat some flowers."

"Well, if it'll make you feel better" the hare/sparrow Fuzor said with a

slow sigh. "But I'll be back some time soon."

Nightshade could hear the plop of his paws as he bounded away from her.

Nightshade sighed with mixed relief and worry. Now Bounce could get a

bit more exercise, and take his mind off of her for a little while. But,

now she had no one to talk to.

The young raptor coughed a few more times. How to pass the time now that

no one was around? The small raptor looked up at the gray metallic

ceiling of the cargo hold, with little to no enthusiasm. All she saw was

some boxes filled with who knew what, and some shadows.

For some reason, the heat that had been plaguing her disappeared, and

left her with an ice cold feeling all over her. Nightshade felt cold all

of a sudden, and she shivered with the feeling. What was wrong with her?

She had to try to forget about her body's physical pains, and focus on

something else.

What was there to do now? Stare at walls? It was times like these that

people needed their minds to be active. Nightshade decided to let her

thoughts drift in and out, to let her mind amuse her for the time being.

Well, I could make up a game, Nightshade thought. Games are always fun

to play! Hmm...I wonder what Dinobot would say if I told him that? He'd

probably say something like "war is even more enjoyable, you pipsqueak!"

or something to that extent. That's odd, why did I suddenly think of

Dinobot?

Because he did play a large role in my dreams, Nightshade thought with a

shudder. She could remember Dinobot's face, bathed in white

light......the way his red optics had glowed with unusual

intensity....the way Dinobot had suddenly morphed into Bouncealot, of

all bots. Nightshade recalled with even more vivid clarity and much

fondness Dinobot at the valley....the way he would have faced Megatron

and died for his longing to save the humans, and his longing for

redemption.....

Redemption? Nightshade thought. Dinobot felt he needed it at the time.

There were issues he had needed to resolve. Not with the Maximal team

though.

When I first met Dinobot I redeemed him right from the start. Optimus

managed to look past his bad sides as well. Rhinox was a little

skeptical, but he got over it. Rattrap....well, Rattrap didn't like him

at all. Neither did Malice, and Jade was pretty suspicious of Dinobot.

Satin....I don't know what happened between the two of them. They had

never even talked to each other before, or after, the appearance of

Phantom and Cloud Runner.

No, Dinobot had needed to redeem himself in his eyes, and he had issues

to resolve with himself. I don't know what those were though.

Nightshade shook her head. She had to stop thinking of Dinobot! He

always seemed to be in her head, and she had thought about him enough

already. Could she not think of another subject? Yes Dinobot was an

interesting person to have personal discussions about...but certainly

there were other people.

Evidently there were not any that she could think of at the time.

Nightshade continued to let her mind drift lazily from one Dinobot

subject to another Dinobot subject, only interrupted by fits of coughing

and a running nose. Soon, her mind reached the point of sleep, and

Nightshade was relieved of her thoughts of the tan and beige raptor for

a little while.

**********************

Malice looked over at Satin. There was a difference in the way she

walked. She had an almost hesitant step in her usually casual stride.

Instead of the way Satin swiveled her hips flirtatiously, the red and

white bot was just walking straight ahead.

Ah Nightshade, your plight affects even the best of us, Malice thought

with a bit of a sigh.

It was normal of course. Nightshade was in turmoil, and therefore the

whole fleet was. "When a Maximal falls, all the other Maximals fall" as

the old saying went. That saying certainly held true right now. But

still, that did not retract that all this fuss was about....Nightshade.

Malice had never really cared that much about Nightshade. She was like

an innocent, corny version of Marbelle. Marbelle was the only truly

innocent person he had known, and even she had her limitations. One

innocent person was enough for Malice's tastes. Nightshade was just so

caring and loving and happy... she was like a caricature of the sappiest

children's cartoon character. She made the hyena want to throw up his

breakfast.

Even a bot like Malice had to admit that innocence was like water, it

was refreshing and quenched the thirst for death and the feeling of

tragedy. But innocence was also like liquor: too much of it and you

found yourself flat on your skidplate.

"Satin, just forget about it" Malice said, looking over at her troubled

optics.

"Hmm? Forget about what?" Satin asked, regarding him curiously.

Malice silently cursed. He had never been good at starting

conversations.

But I was in my old life, Malice thought. I was in the Autobot army. I

could talk to Deathblow about anything. Her death changed me for the

worse I suppose.

"I meant Nightshade" Malice said. "Please, just try to forget about her.

It'll be a lot more healthy for you, instead of having this huge weight

on your shoulders."

Satin looked at him, a genuine smile on her face. It was not the smile

of the flirt she usually portrayed. That smile was designed to attract

and seduce. This smile was a smile of happiness and love. And Malice

dreaded that smile.

It meant sharing emotions...it meant...talking! Even now, it was

something Malice hated to do. The hyena usually got uncomfortable when

Satin threw off her persona, and showed the vulnerable bot underneath

the exterior. Malice liked the way it had been between the two of them

before, back on Cybertron. Flirting, kissing, occasional snatched

moments of pleasure, all the basis of a loving relationship there, but

no actual relationship.

It had been fine for the two of them then, why was it not fine for them

now? What had changed Satin, what had made her want love? Malice had

never really talked any more about their loving relationship after he

had told Satin he had agreed to have one with her. He felt like he

should, but he could not force the words out of his mouth whenever he

needed to say them the most. He had not even told Satin about the Great

War or about Deathblow.

"You're right Malice" Satin said, her voice grateful, and reflective.

"It's just that, Nightshade's the all around angel. And when those

people disappear, everyone suffers. I never really cared that much about

her, and I guess I just took her loving attitude for granted. Now, we

might never be able to see her again...." the fembot trailed off,

leaving the thought unsaid.

"I understand where you're coming from" Malice said with a nod, and a

smile he hoped was sincere on his face.

"I'm glad you do" Satin said, giving him a loving glance, that made

Malice feel a bit guilty. He had never really looked at her like that

during their entire relationship.

"Nightshade wouldn't want us to worry anyway" Malice said, and knew that

he was probably right too. "Just put it out of your mind and relax,

okay."

Satin nodded. The red and white bot reached out and held his hand

gently.

Malice, surprised by the sudden move, whipped his hand away. He was

punished by a hurt look from Satin, and felt some remorse well up inside

him.

I was good in the War, Malice thought with a mental sigh, as a fighter

and a soldier. And soon I became good as a lover, with Deathblow. My

fighting skills have not deserted me, what happened to my ability to

love? Satin is loving me....why the slag can't I love her back?! What is

blocking me? Satin's a good bot, a bit of a bad girl, but so was

Deathblow, in a way. The only difference was that Deathblow had one

personality, and wore it all the time. She wasn't one-sided, but she

didn't have two sides to her like Satin does. One side of Satin is a

kind and caring Maximal, the other side is a bad girl. Now Deathblow

would have-

Deathblow! Malice suddenly reached the answer he had thought. Deathblow

is why I'm having trouble with my emotions. I'm always comparing Satin

to Deathblow, and finding out that Deathblow wins by a kilometer every

time. Yes Satin and Deathblow are two different girls, but one is gone,

and the other is still alive, ready for a relationship and ready to love

me. Now that I know what my problem is, I can conquer it.

Malice smiled to himself, a very satisfactory smile. His little

emotional turmoil was gone. Carefully, he reached out for Satin's hand,

and touched it, firmly wrapping his hand around it, but trying to be

gentle.

Satin looked startled, but she did not jerk her hand away. Instead, she

looked at him and smiled the same loving smile. This time Malice was

ready to accept it, and smiled back at her.

"Thanks for the encouragement Malice, I needed that" Satin said. For his

efforts, Malice was rewarded with a kiss.

Suddenly, Malice had a flashback to the Great War.

It was he and Deathblow. Her beautiful crimson, scarlet and brown body

flashing in the light of the Earthling sun. Her purple optics filled

with a kindly love.

"Hey Blackjack, glad you could make it out of that fight" she said.

"That one was a scorcher!"

"Not unlike yourself, my fiery one" Blackjack replied.

"Aren't you afraid people might see you flirting?" Deathblow asked.

"Your reputation might be damaged forever."

"Screw them" Blackjack said with a shrug.

"I'm glad; you have such a way with words" Deathblow said. Then she

kissed him.....

And it was the exact same kiss Malice was feeling now from Satin. The

same amount of love given, a fierce and strong type of love, this time

mingled with a bit of uncertainty. But, the love was given nonetheless.

Another disturbing thing was, when Satin pulled out of the kiss and

looked him in the face, Malice saw Deathblow's face flash before his

eyes for a few seconds. Deathblow's face.... the sharp nose, the thin

eyebrows, the large deep purple optics, the expressive mouth, the three

pointed battle helmet she always wore. Satin's white face, normal nose,

small mouth and medium sized red optics soon replaced them.

"Hey lovebirds" came Jade's voice from the hallway. A few seconds later,

the dragon's narrow head poked around the corner, his color changing

eyes lighting up a festive red. "Sorry to interrupt you, but Satin has

scouting duty to do."

"I'm on my way, Puff" Satin replied.

"Shaddup" Jade said, with a smile.

"See you later Lover Boy" she said to Malice, giving him her flirtatious

smile. Malice should have relaxed at this moment, it was after all the

smile he loved seeing on her face. But he could not. The flashback and

the face had unnerved him too much. Instead, he just gave a limp nod.

Satin and Jade both left.

Conquer my memories of Deathblow, Malice thought. It appears I can't do

that now. How the heck did that flashback come back? Why am I thinking

of Deathblow at the most inconvenient times? I loved her so much.....I

must still love her. Why do I still love her now? Shouldn't her memory

have left me by now? Shouldn't I be free to fall in love again and not

have these memories surface?

Malice tried to find an answer to all these questions, but he found out

he could not. There was one name that blotted out every other thought.

One name that was like a powerful magnet, drawing all his feelings to

it.

Deathblow.

*****************

Marbelle looked over Nightshade. The young raptor was sleeping almost

peacefully, unlike the last few days when she had been asleep. Her eyes

flicked rapidly underneath her eyelids, indicating she was having a

dream or a nightmare. Nightshade was lying on two boxes which served as

her bed, and which looked very uncomfortable, so it was amazing that

Nightshade could be able to sleep, in Marbelle's opinion.

Marbelle knew it was dangerous to come here. Nightshade's disease was

very contagious, and if the opossum caught it then there was a

possibility of everyone else catching it too.

But everyone had been so tense lately. They all silently demanded news

of Nightshade's well being. No one liked to talk about Nightshade much,

but whenever they looked at Marbelle they always had a questioning look

in their eyes. And, Marbelle somewhat blamed herself for not being able

to cure Nightshade, and having to shut her up in the cargo hold. The

prison hold had been suggested, but it was immediately dismissed. No one

could ever think of locking Nightshade up in a prison hold.

The opossum had come in robot mode. She had a theory that if she stayed

in robot mode it would be harder for her beast mode to catch pneumonia.

Marbelle had talked her theory over with Rhinox, and he had agreed to

let her check on Nightshade, but only to stay for a little while.

"Nightshade?" Marbelle asked. She took a step towards the twitching

body. When Nightshade did not respond to her voice, Marbelle tapped

Nightshade on the shoulder.

The sky blue eyes flew wide open, and the slitted pupils searched

frantically for the assailant. Nightshade calmed down, when she realized

it was only Marbelle that was beside her.

"Hi Marbelle" Nightshade said, nodding her head in a greeting.

"Hello yourself, Nightshade" Marbelle said with a smile. "How are you

feeling today?"

"Well..." Nightshade said, with a cough. " My nose is still runny, and I

cough a lot. Also, I'm getting cold and hot at the same time, which is

quite unnerving. Of course, this whole business about the pneumonia is

unnerving."

Marbelle nodded. "You're right about that Nightshade" she said with a

smile. "Are you still weak?"

"I feel....a bit stronger...." Nightshade mumbled.

"Try to stand up" Marbelle urged, hoping to see some progress with her

patient. It was important to everyone that Nightshade get better soon.

Her smiling face always seemed to improve morale, and she had the

general feeling of making (some people at least) happy. Even though

Marbelle did not know Nightshade well, she already knew she liked her.

Nightshade brought out those kind of feelings in almost everybody.

Nightshade lifted her head up. Then, she rolled over onto her stomach

with the speed of a turtle. The black raptor took a few deep breaths.

"It's okay Nightshade, just try your best" Marbelle said. She did not

want a creature with such a young beast mode to over-exert herself,

especially not after having battled with a deadly disease. Nightshade

looked at Marbelle and smiled, her eyes taking on a light of firm

determination.

"I will Marbelle" the young raptor said. Nightshade lifted her upper

torso off of the ground with her arms, which shook unsteadily. Next,

Nightshade slipped her two feet onto the floor. Half of her was resting

on the boxes that were her bed, and the other half was on the floor.

"That's very good Nightshade" Marbelle said. When she had trained to be

a doctor, her teachers had told her that praising people with lost

strength or broken limbs was a must. A healthy dose of encouragement

never hurt anyone.

With a supreme effort of will, and a giant shove from her arms,

Nightshade pushed herself off of the bed, until she was standing as tall

as her beast mode permitted her to be. The young raptor wobbled a bit on

her feet, but managed to stay upright.

Marbelle gave a short laugh of surprise. Nightshade was standing up!

"Nightshade...that was wonderful!" Marbelle exclaimed. "To think you

were only in bed for two and a half weeks, and to be almost over your

pneumonia so easily!"

"I was in bed for two and a half weeks?" Nightshade asked in surprise.

Marbelle noted how she shivered with cold. She was not completely over

the fever yet.

"That's a lot of time in the Beast Wars" Nightshade said.

"Yes, but it's not a lot of time if you look at it medical-wise"

Marbelle said. "I would have expected you to be an invalid for a month

or more!"

"Wow!" Nightshade breathed, looking at her upright body in awe. "Well,

is anything new in the fleet?"

"Nope" Marbelle said. "Other than the fact that everyone's been worried

stiff about you. Killshandra and Dinobot are in particular, but if you

ask Dinobot, he'll deny it. They're out on scouting duty right now. Even

Birch seems a bit subdued. Really, the fact that you're standing right

now will be excellent for the whole fleet to hear."

"I'm glad" Nightshade said, with a nod. "I really didn't mean to trouble

everyone so much. I just hate being a burden to people."

"Slag, it's not your fault!" Marbelle said.

I'm a Predacon compared to Nightshade! Marbelle thought with a mental

chuckle. And I thought I was innocent!

"Well, I might as well let you rest for a little while" Marbelle said.

Nightshade smiled. "Thanks for helping me" she said with a smile that

made Marbelle feel very proud.

The black and yellow raptor coughed, and lay back down on her bed.

Marbelle suddenly remembered something. Marbelle took her medical

backpack off of her back. She searched around, and finally found the

thing she was looking for. It was a vial filled with a purpley liquid.

"Here Nightshade, this will help calm the fever down" Marbelle said. She

handed the vial to Nightshade.

The small raptor took the cork off of the vial and sniffed it. "What is

it?" she asked.

"It's an Earthling cure for fevers" Marbelle said. "It turns out this

pack carries some Earthling stuff as well" she said, motioning to her

medical backpack. "It wouldn't work on a virus like pneumonia, but a

fever it can tackle. It doesn't taste that good though, and I haven't

had a chance to go search for some sugar cane to make it taste sweeter."

Nightshade smiled warmly. "It's okay" she said. "I can survive without

the spoonful of sugar to make this medicine go down. If it will make me

better I'll just have to take it!"

With those brave words, Nightshade gulped the contents of the vial down

her throat. Nightshade made a face as she handed the vial back to

Marbelle, who put it back in her backpack. Marbelle transformed into

beast mode, and twisted her narrow muzzle into a smile.

"You rest for a little while more, okay Nightshade?" Marbelle said.

Nightshade nodded. Marbelle looked back at her patient, and left,

hearing the door close behind her.

***************

When Killshandra came back from scouting, she found the surprise of her

life.

It was a little black and yellow dromaeosaurus, with sky blue eyes and a

yellow blaze down her back. The young raptor looked a little less lively

than she usually was, but she certainly was looking better than she had

been. Nightshade's nose was running, and her eyes looked a little

blurry, other than that though she looked like her old self.

Killshandra's jaw dropped open with surprise and shock. The winged

raptor was unsure of what to do in this situation, so she just stood

there limply. Finally, she opened her mouth to say something, but was

cut off by a happy squeal from Nightshade.

"Killa!" Nightshade said, grinning happily. "I'm back! I missed you

soooo much!" Here Nightshade sneezed, but covered her nose with her

three-fingered hand. She grinned sheepishly at Killshandra.

"Sorry about that! Marbelle said that the pneumonia had left me, and

that the fever I had had died down a bit! Oh Killshandra! I feel so

happy!"

"Y-you should be" Killshandra replied, finding her voice, and managing

to smile at Nightshade's enthusiasm. The angel was sent from Primus to

do her duties back on Earth again, and everyone would gain from it. She

did feel happy that Nightshade was back, and it would be good for the

rest of the team to hear it as well.

But would it be good for Dinobot? Killshandra thought, with a sudden

protective urge.

It was as if someone had been speaking of the devil, for just at that

very moment Dinobot came in. His green eyes widened as he took in the

black and yellow raptor before him.

"Nightshade?" he managed to croak, his words sounding stupid because of

his shock.

"Uh huh Dinobot, it's me!" Nightshade said, showing her white teeth in a

happy smile, which seemed to light up the entire room.

"You're back," Dinobot said, a slow smile lighting up his face. It was a

sentimental grin, one Killshandra had never seen on his face before. It

showed his true emotions, his relief and happiness.

"Did you miss me?" Nightshade asked.

The smile quickly disappeared.

"No I did not!" Dinobot said, with his trademark contemptible growl.

"Your disease must have messed up your logic circuits for you to even

think such foolery!"

"Not even a little bit?" Nightshade asked, giving him a puppy-dog look,

which was quite easy to manage with her beautiful eyes.

"Positively!" Dinobot replied with a snarl.

"Well, whether you like it or not I'm here to stay!" Nightshade said.

"Marbelle gave me the stats on how I am. Basically, I've got a bit of a

stuffy nose and small fever, but other than that I'm fine. So, I'll be

back to normal in a few days."

"And how I shall curse that day when it comes" Dinobot said.

Nightshade sighed, and smiled.

"Did I ever tell you how funny you can sound?" she said, with a childish

laugh, making her seem like a three-year-old.

"Great. Now I'm funny," Dinobot said with a defeated sigh.

Killshandra looked at the two of them. They seemed to have gone back to

their old "Annoy the Pitt out of Dinobot by being innocent" routine.

That was the way they had always been, and were always likely to be. At

least, as the casual observer would see it.

But, Killshandra was more than a mere casual observer. She was observing

with a purpose the scene that she saw before her. Dinobot looked as

infuriated as usual, but Nightshade....was there something different in

the way she was acting around him? The young raptor did seem a bit more

playful around Dinobot than she had been before. Maybe that was because

she had just learned she was safe from death. Or, did it have any other

reasons?

Killshandra shrugged, trying to keep away thoughts like those. She was

supposed to be happy, not jealous.

But still, the seed of jealousy had been watered.....it was only natural

that it would soon germinate.....and hearts would collapse to ruins on

that day.....

**************

Once everyone learned of Nightshade's wellbeing, they were as happy as

clams. And a lot more lively than clams as well. They surrounded

Nightshade with exclamations of happiness and fondness.

Bouncealot jumped six feet high in the air when he heard the news. Air

Razor had ran towards her young raptor friend and hugged her until she

had squeezed most of the air out of her. Lotus had given Nightshade a

high-five, and Cheetor had even done a little victory dance with Jade.

Optimus happily said how glad they were to have her back. Nightshade

accepted all this praise with humble modesty, which was the only thing

everyone had expected to see.

Dinobot, Rattrap and Malice had grumbled a lot, but even they seemed

visibly a bit more happy then they had been.

Silverbolt had then made a speech.

"Friends, let us all rejoice that our fair comrade is back" he had said.

"The vile disease has taken his filthy claws out of her. She is now as

pure and healthy as she had ever been. The worst is behind her, and so

the worst is behind us. We are out of the storm my friends!"

That had been accompanied by some scattered applause and boos from

Rattrap and Malice. But all and all, that was what everyone felt.

The storm had passed, and everyone had survived it.

But, let us not forget that after the storm, there are still remnants of

it. There is still a bit of rainfall once the lightning has ended. And,

when clouds are clearing, you can still here some thunder.

****************

Satin looked over at Nightshade. They of them were on scouting duty

together with Bouncealot, two days after Nightshade's miracle recovery.

Nightshade and Bouncealot were having some sort of discussion on how

pretty the landscape was, which was something that only mildly

interested Satin. The three of them were walking inside the jungle

nearest the Axalon. The sun was shining, making little beams of light

float through to the forest floor.

The little angel had come down from the heavens to grace them with her

presence once again. She knew everyone was happy that Nightshade was

back. The whole fleet seemed positively beaming today. Even Rattrap and

Malice had seemed a bit more light-hearted. They complained a griped,

but Satin knew that they were happier.

Malice, Satin's thoughts turned to her lover. There was an empty pit

that formed in her stomach whenever she thought of him. It was like

there was something missing in their relationship, something that could

not be filled, but which she wanted desperately to fill.

What in the world is wrong with him? Satin thought. He acts like he's

never been in a relationship before! He's probably fallen in love with

tons of girls, for all I know about him.

All I know about him.....that isn't much, the red fox thought with a

grimace. Maybe this is the first loving relationship he's ever been in.

Slag, how am I supposed to know?! I should probably ask him about it

sometime. I wonder what he'll do if I ask him, though.

Let's face it, Malice can be pretty unpredictable. He may seem

mysterious and vague, but he has a bad temper when it comes to

Predacons, and his past. I just wish I could break through that

protective layer of his. At first I thought I had. When he actually

committed to a loving relationship I thought he had broken down his

barriers.....but now I'm not so sure. Primus I love the guy! But why

does love have to hurt so much?

"Satin, what's wrong?" Nightshade asked, breaking through her reveries.

The red fox blinked her topaz eyes and glanced over at Nightshade.

"Nothin' much darling" she fibbed. "Just thinking about how glad

everyone is to have you back, that's all!"

"Of course we're all glad to 'ave 'er back!" Bouncealot said, puffing up

his chest, as if he himself were responsible for Nightshade's recovery.

"When she was down in the cargo 'old, I swear there was no sun in the

sky! Well, there might 'ave been, but I 'ardly went outside to check.

You know-"

"I'm pretty sure there was a sun in the sky, Bouncealot" Night replied,

giving the sparrow/hare an affectionate smile. "The world doesn't stop

just for me."

"Well, I think it should" Bouncealot said, resolutely. "Nothing should

ever work if you're not around."

Satin chuckled. "Bounce, you have the weirdest style of flirting" she

commented.

Nightshade gave Satin a "curious dog" look. Apparently she had not

thought anything Bounce had been saying flirtatious at all.

Bouncealot's ears stood straight up surprise and embarrassment. "I

wasn't flirting!" he snapped, glaring at Satin. He turned back to

Nightshade, rubbing his huge hind feet on the ground in embarrassment.

"I really wasn't flirting" he looked up at her. "It's just

that.....well....I really.....think that it was just awful that you were

hurt and all that stuff" he finished up quickly. "I wasn't flirting" he

grumbled.

Satin smiled. It was clear that Bouncealot adored Nightshade terribly.

Probably not as a lover, but at least as an older sister, or as a very

good friend. Back on Cybertron, Bouncealot, he had been called Chance

back then, had been generally good-natured to all the females he met.

The ones he had really liked he had began to flirt with.

But Bouncealot isn't Chance, Satin reminded herself. We're all not the

same people we used to be. Rattrap isn't as stand up and commando as

Locke had been. Marbelle isn't as young or innocent as Sparkplug. I'm

even less of a bad girl than BendBlade! And Malice....hopefully, he's

kinder than Blackjack.....

"Well, I'm flattered that you should think that way Bounce" Nightshade

said. She gave Bouncealot an affectionate pat on the head. The winged

rabbit nuzzled her hand happily. Satin chuckled. It was such a cute

scene, like a sweet five-year-old girl petting her little puppy dog.

"You're flirting again, Bounce!" Satin said. Bouncealot hopped away from

Nightshade's hand quickly. He lowered his eyes in mortification, and

covered his face with his brown wings.

"I'm going to go eat some flowers" he mumbled. "Call me if you need me."

The hare/sparrow Fuzor hopped off. One of the many odd things about

Bouncealot was that he never seemed to use the sparrow wings he had been

given.

"And I wasn't flirting!" Bouncealot shouted indignantly, when he was out

of sight.

"That wasn't very nice," Nightshade said, turning to Satin.

"Well, nice is something I ain't, girl" Satin replied, with a sly smile.

Nightshade shrugged, not commenting on her remark. "I'm sure he'll come

back sometime," she said.

"Don't worry, Bounce will" Satin said. "He's always one for having

company around him. He needs people to talk to. Without company he'll

probably die of all his unsaid words."

"How exactly do you know Bouncealot?" Nightshade asked curiously. "If

it's private or anything you don't have to tell me, of course."

"It's a long and pretty ugly story, darlin'" Satin said. "Best left

unsaid so as not to tarnish your innocent air."

"Everyone always thinks I'm innocent," Nightshade said. "Except for

Dinobot of course. Well, he thinks I'm innocent, but he also thinks I'm

the worst little monster on two feet."

Nightshade had an odd look when she said that, one that Satin picked up

on right away. The young raptor seemed.....almost wistful when she spoke

of Dinobot. It was as if Nightshade was staring at some wonderful thing

that no one else could see. Satin blinked, and looked at the raptor's

face again. There was something in those sky blue eyes that made them

shine with an extra light.

Maybe....Satin thought, staring intently at the light in Nightshade's

eyes. Just maybe....

Satin had never really taken the time to know her son, Phantom. Any urge

to communicate with him was taken away when she saw how obnoxious her

son could be. But, if she had wanted to find out about him, she would

have found a few things in common with him. One was the ability to jump

to conclusions on private matters.

"By Primus!" Satin said. The wistful look in Nightshade's eyes faded,

replaced by curiosity.

"What?" Nightshade asked.

"I can't believe I didn't figure this out before!" Satin said, with a

laugh.

"Figure what out?" Nightshade asked, becoming impatient.

"The reason why you hang around Dinobot so much!" the red fox said.

"Come on girl! It's obvious you got a thing for him! There's something

in your eyes, and the way you act."

Nightshade stared at her, shock in her sky blue eyes. The young raptor

shook her head, and stared at Satin.

"I don't love him!" Nightshade said, when she had found her voice again.

She seemed to find this idea quite hard to swallow.

"Hmm.....and what was that look I just saw in your eyes when you said

his name?" Satin asked sweetly. "Own up, girl: you got it bad!"

"Satin, I don't love Dinobot" Nightshade said, a bit more calm now. "I

don't know why you and your son seem to think so, but I don't. Okay?"

"Fine, deny it" Satin said with a sigh and another chuckle. She had seen

the movies, read the compu-books, seen too many girls with that

expression on their faces. Slag, Marbelle had that look whenever she was

thinking of Rattrap!

"I don't-" Nightshade began, getting visibly annoyed. "Oh never mind.

You can think whatever you want, but it won't affect what's true. Sticks

and stones may break bones, but I shouldn't get uptight over a bunch of

words."

"You have this angel thing down pat, don't you?" Satin asked. "You could

give Marbelle lessons in kindness!"

Nightshade chose not to comment on that remark.

Suddenly, Satin heard a noise. It was something rustling through the

brush. Was it a Pred, or just a harmless animal? She did not know. But

she wanted to find out.

"Stay here, girl" Satin ordered. "I'll be back."

The red fox went in search of the rustling noise, leaving Nightshade

alone, at the worst possible time.

*************

Killshandra was on scouting duty again. This time, she was scouting an

area Predacons usually took when attacking the base. That meant more

chance of a battle.

Killshandra's world did not center war and killing, for she was much too

caring for those things to take up her whole life. But, she was a

warrior and assassin. Why should she not enjoy a good fight once in a

while?

The land around her was very dry and stunted. There was almost no grass,

just a few stunted patches of brownish weeds here and there. Other than

that there was just gray ground, cracked from dryness. No water seemed

to soak the earth here. A few stunted trees grew as well, with hardly

any leaves on their branches. Their twisted brown limbs seemed to reach

up to the sky and plead for water it would not give.

The sun beat down on Killshandra harshly. Oddly enough, she did not mind

the sun too much.

My velociraptor beast mode must be used to such hot climates, she

decided. Or maybe since Firecat magically created me, she unknowingly

gave my skin extra protection from the sun or something like that. Too

bad it could not help me when I was in the arctic.

Behind her was the emerald jungle, the one near the Axalon. Killshandra

never really liked it there, it was always too steamy for her liking.

The preferred the dry kind of heat from the steamy stickiness of the

jungle.

Killshandra looked up at the clear sky, with hardly a cloud to mar the

perfect blue. She smiled and opened up her wings, feeling the dry air

rush passed them. What better time then right now for a quick flight?

Her damaged wings and sorely needed some exercise.

With a powerful thrust of her thigh muscles, Killshandra jumped into the

air. As soon as her feet left the ground she quickly sent her wings in a

downward ark, pushing herself farther off of the ground, and raising up

dust from below her. Killshandra flapped her wings again, and pointed

her barrel shaped raptor torso upwards. Her wing muscles, still a bit

weak from lack of use, strained against the pull of gravity, and managed

to beat it. Killshandra rose up into the air, leaving the gray ground

behind her.

The winged raptor smiled as the air rushed past her raptor snout. She

took in a deep breath and smiled happily. It was times like this that

she pitied Dinobot for not being able to feel this sensation. Using her

long tail as a rudder, Killshandra flew in a circle like a black and red

vulture.

Some might think it would be quite awkward for a velociraptor, a ground

running predator, to fly, but for Killshandra it was quite easy. Her

wings sprouted from her shoulders, and folded nicely down the sides of

her back. That meant when she was running her wings did not create much

wind resistance. Her bat-like wings were about a meter long, so that

they were not big enough to give her excess weight, but they were enough

to lift her off the ground. When flying Killshandra usually looked like

she did when she was walking, except her back legs were tucked up

beneath her torso, and she held her neck in a horizontal position when

she wanted to fly quickly.

When she was up high enough, Killshandra did some flying tricks.

She tucked her wings close to her body, entering into a dive. The ground

rushed up to meet her, as it always did when something was falling.

Killshandra did not falter from her course, until the last possible

second. Then, with lightning fast reflexes, she opened up her wings. Air

rushed up underneath the two black sails, stopping her descent and

lifting her upwards like a piece of paper. With one mighty flap

Killshandra soared back into the sky again.

This time, Killshandra did a roll in mid-air. She lifted up one wing and

lowered the other. Since her weight was not evenly distributed amongst

the air currents, Killshandra rolled over, stopping where her body had

been before. The ground and sky spun before her eyes. The raptor smiled

at the dizzy sensation, and rolled over again, for the pure adrenaline

rush.

The next thing the black and red raptor did was a flip. She tilted her

wings upwards and kept them locked in the position. The rest of her body

followed the direction of her wings, and lifted upwards, over, and down,

successfully completing a flip. Killshandra smiled and did another one,

this a downward flip.

The raptor smiled. Matrix was this ever fun! She wished she had someone

around to enjoy it with, such as Lotus or Air Razor. Even Tabitha would

have been nice, Pred though she may be.

It's strange, Killshandra thought. I always thought that Tabitha was too

sentimental to make a truly good Predacon. She always cared too much

about the underdogs such as Waspinator and Unnamed Flyer. And yet here I

am, an ex-Pred fallen in love! And that's not supposed to be

sentimental!

The flying raptor was suddenly stopped in her acrobatics by a bullet

shot. She whipped her head around, to be met by Terrorsaur, Tybault and

Serpentess, all who were grinning evilly, in robot mode with weapons

ready.

"You're gonna pay for whipping my butt up in the arctic, you flying

snake!" Terrorsaur shouted, firing at Killshandra again.

The flying raptor dodged the bullet and silently cursed her

carelessness. She had not been paying attention, and now look what had

happened to her! She was outnumbered and out gunned.

But, that was no reason for her not to enjoy the situation.

"I'm surprised Megatron even bothered to salvage you, you flying slag

heap!" Killshandra taunted. "Killshandra, maximize!"

In her robot mode Killshandra's face was a blood red. Her nose was small

and round, and did not point or stick out like Dinobot's did. Her mouth

was regular sized neither big nor small. Her face was round, but not fat

looking. Her chin was not pointed or jutting, it was round.

Killshandra's optics were the same sapphire color. Her eyes were oval,

but slanting upwards, giving her a somewhat Oriental look.

The rest of Killshandra's head was smooth and black. She had something

like a "cap" on, which had two small points on it, and it framed the

upper part of her head, giving her something like an eyebrow above her

eyes. Killshandra's neck was small and black.

The rest of Killshandra was all black with red stripes, except for her

"shoulder pads", which were all red. These shoulder pads were actually

armor plating on her shoulders. They gave Killshandra a bit of a stocky

appearance, but looking at the rest of her body one would find that the

word stocky clearly did not fit.

Killshandra was sleek and streamlined. Her arms were long, with no

spikes on her elbows or anything. Killshandra had five deft fingers. On

each finger ending in a sharp point, which sometimes served as claws.

The female raptor's legs were long and sleek, with no spikes anywhere.

At the calf area the black and red stripped pattern that dominated her

arms, legs and torso stopped. Those colors were replaced by blood red

"boots" that ended in a high heel type fashion, that made Killshandra's

feet were slim and pointed.

Killshandra had wings bat-like wings on her back, like Silverbolt or

Tabitha did. These wings did not fire missiles however, and were used

for flight only, and occasionally could be used as shields.

Killshandra's chest was moderate sized, not as big as Blackarachnia's,

but more than Air Razor's. Killshandra had an hourglass figure.

For weapons, Killshandra had a two katanas, or Japanese style fighting

swords, both attached to her sides. She also had two daggers, one

attached to her lower left arm, and the other attached to her right

thigh.

Killshandra fired on Terrorsaur with her gun repeatedly. Terrorsaur got

hit by three shots right in the torso, but the rest he managed to dodge.

Killshandra was taken from behind by Tybault, who lanced his javelin

right at the small of Killshandra's back, where her two wings met.

Fortunately, Killshandra had moved aside to dodge a shot from

Serpentess, and the javelin only hit Killshandra's left wing. That did

not make the pain any more bearable though.

Killshandra fired at Serpentess, who managed to dodge the shots.

Killshandra snarled to herself. She never had been the best marksman.

Instead, Killshandra tried a different approach. She ripped Tybault's

javelin out of her wing, and threw it right back at him. The black and

white cheetah managed to dodge aside. Killshandra then took out her

katana, and a dagger. Terrorsaur, who was rapidly closing in on her, hit

the winged raptor a few times in the chest. The dactyl was twirling

around her, showing her just how stylishly he could fight her.

Just a bit closer, Killshandra thought, dodging some shots from

Serpentess' ray gun. Tybault's gun then hit her in the back of her leg,

making Killshandra clench her teeth in pain. She would take care of the

two ground reinforcements as soon as she could, but she had to eliminate

Terrorsaur, the aerial threat.

Terrorsaur swooped in closer, preparing to strafe her with his gun and

shoulder cannons. Killshandra smiled.

"Hey Terror, your fly's undone!" she laughed.

Terrorsaur paused in mid-flight for just an instant, and stopped. He

glanced down.

"No it's not, you moron!" he snapped. "Were robots, remember?"

"Actually, you're going to be a carcass!" Killshandra shouted. She threw

her dagger right at Terrorsaur's chest. She did not wait to see if

Terrorsaur was inoperative, and began shooting at Tybault and Serpentess

down below. Terrorsaur's squawk of pain, and the sickening crash told

her enough.

After exchanging a few more shots with the two Predacons, Killshandra

flew towards the jungle. She was not retreating however, she was merely

going for a bit of shelter. Her left wing was beginning to grow too

painful, and it was interfering with her aim.

If she was going to fight on the ground, she might as well fight in a

sheltered forest rather than on an open wasteland.

Killshandra landed on the outskirts of the jungle, and stepped into its

leafy protection. Almost as soon as she had arrived, Tybault was there,

firing at her. Killshandra shot back at him with her gun. She threw her

katana at him. He managed to dodge it, but he tripped over it at the

same time, landing on the ground with a thud. Killshandra jumped out at

the cheetah. She stood over him and took out her katana and advanced

towards him.

"Any last words, Predacon?" she asked, sneering.

"Just two, lady" Tybault replied, a slow smile lighting up his brown

face.

"What's that?" Killshandra asked, feeling a little nervous because of

that smile.

"Watch out" Tybault replied, his voice smug.

As soon as he said that Killshandra knew she had done something wrong.

She quickly jumped back from Tybault, but it was too late. Serpentess

landed on top of her, her weight forcing Killshandra to the ground.

Killshandra tried to get up, but felt the sharp press of Serpentess'

dagger on the back of her neck.

"Make one move, Killshandra, and you'll have some nice little poison

flowing through your veins" Serpentess hissed, her voice the same

ice-cold monotone.

"She may not be able to make a move" came a hissing voice that

Killshandra knew too well "but I can."

Killshandra heard the firing of lasers, heard Serpentess' scream and

felt the cobra fly off her back. Killshandra quickly spun upwards and

took out her gun all in one motion. The female raptor fired at

Serpentess' arm as she tried to take out her ray gun, causing the gun to

fly out of her hands. The cobra, after being fired at by Dinobot,

transformed into beast mode and quickly slipped off.

Killshandra and Dinobot both turned around to see Tybault, injured,

battered and trying to look as dignified as he could.

"My reptilian enemies" Tybault began, standing up in an act to look

dignified. "If I might quote Shakespeare-"

"You can quote the entire act two of the Mikado and it wouldn't help

you" Killshandra said with a smirk.

"I suggest you leave, Predacon" Dinobot growled. "It would be

unhonorable to shoot you unless you gave us reason to. But, I am always

ready to destroy people who fight without honor, as you just did in

tricking her," he nodded to Killshandra.

"Honor" Tybault paused. He looked as if he was going to say something

more upon the subject, but he did not, obviously realizing he was not

among friends.

"I am sorry to cut this visit short, but I must be on my way." He nodded

curtly to the two of them. "You put up a good fight, Maximals. And I do

not think it shall be our last."

With those words Tybault transformed into beast mode and ran off, his

four toothpick legs carrying him at a tremendous speed over the gray

dirt. The cheetah stopped momentarily to pick up Terrorsaur's body, but

ran off again.

"Now that's a Pred with a bit of dignity" Killshandra commented,

glancing at Tybault's retreating form. She quickly turned to Dinobot.

"Indeed" Dinobot replied. "Though he lacks the necessary strength to

make him an expert at combat."

"Well, I gotta admit our team wouldn't benefit if the Preds were a team

of Megatrons" Killshandra said, and Dinobot nodded his head agreement.

"Would you care to accompany me for the duration of my scout patrol?"

Dinobot asked, with a bit of hesitation. "Unless your wounds would

prevent you from doing so" he added quickly.

Killshandra looked herself over. Other than the hole in her wing she had

no major wounds. Her wing hurt, but as long as she did not move it her

wing was fine. The wound was not even that big, it was only the pain it

had caused that had made it seem big.

"No, I'll be fine for a few hours" she estimated, looking at her left

wing.

Dinobot nodded. He held away the plants that blocked her entry to the

jungle.

"Ladies first" he said with a smile. Killshandra smiled back, and walked

through the parted wall of ferns and leaves and into the jungle.

Scents and smells, sounds and sights bombarded the red and black raptor,

so many that they were hard to pick out all at once. There were the

squawking of parrots, and the crackling of overhead branches made by

tree-dwelling animals. Shafts of light littered the forest floor.

Brightly colored birds flew through the thick foliage.

Killshandra looked at Dinobot, who had followed behind her. She loved

him, she had admitted that to herself and to Air Razor. Why not tell

him? When she looked at his face, thinking thoughts of what could be.

What would a two-sided relationship with Dinobot be like? Probably

different for both of them. It would probably be difficult. It would be

a challenge.

And Killshandra was never one to back away from a challenge. She was

certainly more than ready to accept this one.

Matrix! Killshandra thought. Is this the best time to tell him? It's not

even romantic! I can't tell him anything now. That's being way to

forward. I barely know the guy! What if he has some deep dark and

terrible secret that I find out about and it ends up destroying our

lives together? Or, what if something happens to him on the battlefield

and he's mentally insane for the rest of his life? Jeez! Anything could

happen in this war! Anything could happen to him, or to me.

These thought began to play around in Killshandra's head, bringing up

crazy scenario after crazy scenario. Soon, Killshandra had to mentally

laugh at her foolishness.

So that's it? Came another thought. You're going to give up everything

just for a bunch of what ifs? What ifs are mere distractions, things

that should be ignored. You can't waste every single opportunity because

all you can think of are the risks involved. Every cloud has a silver

lining.

Too many Maximals sit around and think, never doing anything. It's up

for me to change that.

Killshandra took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. The first

kiss was always the hard one. Dinobot sensed the change in chemistry

between them, and looked at her a bit warily.

Then, Killshandra did the only thing never done by any female.

She kissed Dinobot.

As soon as their lips met, Killshandra could feel Dinobot tense up. In

response to this she put her arms around his back, and drew herself

closer to him. She wrapped her wings around him, ignoring the pain in

her wounded one. Pain had no place in this moment. This was a time for

only pleasure.

Slowly, Killshandra felt Dinobot get a bit looser. He felt no longer

like the block of ice, but more like the bot he was. Dinobot's hands

slowly raised from his sides and gently grasped Killshandra's shoulders.

Killshandra felt a warm and fuzzy feeling. Dinobot was responding. That

meant, she hoped, that he did love her back. Maybe it did not really,

but it was good enough.

Dinobot suddenly pushed out of the kiss. Killshandra looked at him to

see what was wrong. In his eyes she saw confusion and bewilderment, as

well as fear.

"I-I?" the tan and beige raptor stuttered. He then shook his head, as if

trying to clear it. Dinobot glanced at Killshandra again. Killshandra

wanted to ask him what was wrong, but she was too shocked by the way he

was acting.

Dinobot, still with the scared look on his face, quickly walked off

through the brush, casting one last confused look at the flying raptor.

Killshandra wanted to go after Dinobot. She wanted to say "I'm sorry!"

and apologize for what she had just done. But it was too late. Dinobot

had walked off and she had not done anything to stop him. Truth be told,

Killshandra was too scared to go after him. What if he was too mad at

her to want to see her? What if he never wanted to talk to her again in

his life?

Instead, she just stood limply in the forest, wondering if she had

perhaps made the stupidest mistake in her life.

Neither she nor Dinobot saw the sky blue eyes that had watched the whole

thing.

***************

Nightshade sat down in the leafy jungle, her mind still in a state of

semi-shock. Her heart was beating wildly, and her mind kept on replaying

the scene she had just seen. Dinobot and Killshandra kissing. It was if

her mind delighted in torturing herself, for some odd reason.

"Okay" she said out loud. It was comforting to hear her own voice, even

though her voice was shaky.

"Okay, now the first thing I have to ask myself is why do I feel so

upset?" Nightshade asked herself, as if she expecting the answer to just

drop out of thin air. She knew it would not however, she had to face the

answer herself.

Because I just saw Dinobot and Killshandra kiss, Nightshade answered

herself. Now, why should that upset me? Dinobot and Killshandra have

lives of their own. They're allowed to do whatever they want. They're

allowed to have a personal life, and it is okay if they fall in love.

Nightshade smiled at the answer. Then she frowned. That answer did not

seem to satisfy her. There was some part of her that resented the

answer....some part that wished it were not true.

Am I jealous? Nightshade thought suddenly. She shook her head. She was

not....was she?

What do I have to be jealous of? she thought. Killshandra and Dinobot

love each other....so why should I care? Love happens. Dinobot and

Killshandra and I can still be friends...well, as much as Dinobot and I

could ever be friends. So....what in the Pitt is wrong with me?!

Is it possible that I love Dinobot? a thought came into Nightshade's

mind that made her catch her breath with shock and fear. Satin had said

that she had, but then Satin was just trying to have some fun with her.

Nightshade had not taken the red fox seriously.

No, I don't love Dinobot! Nightshade reprimanded herself. It's foolish

for me to ever think something like that! I don't love him. I never did!

Sure, he looks kind of cute in his beast mode, and yes I did go back in

time to save his life....but I don't love him!

Satin's words came back at her: "Come on girl! It's obvious you got a

thing for him! There's something in your eyes, and the way you act."

Nightshade suddenly laughed. This was foolishness! Satin was not right.

If there was a difference in the way Nightshade acted it was because she

had just gotten up from her deathbed. The difference in her eyes must be

that she was happy to be alive again. Nightshade knew her feelings. She

did not love Dinobot, and that was that. Why was she thinking otherwise?

There must be a bit of her fever left in her.

Besides, Nightshade thought with a smile, if I did have a relationship

with Dinobot, what in the Pitt could we do? We'd fight all the time, and

everyone would bug him about being in love with me. It wouldn't work

out! He wouldn't look at me the way he looks at Killshandra, and he

never will. I shouldn't even think about him ever looking at me with

love in his eyes. Dinobot and I are too different to get along together.

It wouldn't work....it never will....by Primus why do I want it to?!

Suddenly Nightshade began to cry, much to her amazement. She sniffled as

tears fell down her face. She wished she were not. How come she could

not control herself? There was a feeling of pain inside her, like

something had taken it's claws and slashed at her heart.

No...she moaned to herself. I don't love him! I don't love Dinobot! No!

Yet, still she cried, unable to stop herself. Even when Satin came up

behind her, she was still sobbing.

"By Primus!" Satin exclaimed, and ran over to Nightshade. All

Nightshade could see was a red blur through all her tears as the fox ran

up to her. Satin nuzzled underneath the young raptor's eyes, wetting her

muzzle with Nightshade's tears.

"Oh Satin!" Nightshade said through her sobs. "Slag! I don't love

Dinobot! I don't! But...some part of me does....it's stupid! This thing

I have for Dinobot is completely stupid! But why is it still here? Why

hasn't it gone away?"

"Sh" Satin whispered. "Oh Nightshade! Dear little Nightshade! Come on

girl. It's okay, just tell me what you saw."

"I don't want to remember it....Dinobot and Killshandra...." Nightshade

said, but her throat closed up, and no more words could come out. She

gave a short wail.

Why am I acting like such a baby? Nightshade growled to herself. I've

got to stop this! Why can't I stop it?!?!

Her heart would not listen to her mind though, and Nightshade continued

to cry, with Satin by her, to share some of the burden of heartache.

***********

Killshandra sighed, and watched at the spot where Dinobot had fled. Her

former anxiety attacked her with suddenness, and it made her want to

retch at her stupidity. Killshandra felt bad about doing something so

forward around Dinobot.

What was I thinking?! she thought to herself angrily. He's probably

never been in a relationship with a female ever before! And to think I

was stupid enough to go up and just kiss him like that...ugh! I feel

worse than Blackarachnia. Why did I have to scare him off like that?

Maybe it wasn't me who scared him off, came a thought that seemed to

dominate Killshandra's brain. Dinobot did kiss me back, and he seemed to

like it. But why did he turn away like that? What made him put his

feelings on hold? Perhaps, it was the feelings he has, or thinks he has,

for another female.....

Two and two clicked together in Killshandra's brain. Dinobot cared for

Nightshade! The pleasantness of this discovery was non-existent for

Killshandra, of course. The winged velociraptor growled, and slashed her

killer claw on the leaf-littered jungle floor.

She had been able to live with Dinobot's constant thoughts of Nightshade

during the time she had been sick. That had been understandable, if not

somewhat annoying.

But now Dinobot was thinking of her even after she was alive and well.

Why could he not forget about her? Why could he not see that Nightshade

was just a stupid little child? What was the attraction he had towards

her?

I shall have to make sure that attraction is not, and never can be

mutual, Killshandra thought. A cold glare came to her sapphire eyes,

making them look like ice.

Ice her eyes seemed, and ice her mind had become. It was fixed solid on

one certain purpose, one achievable goal. That goal was winning over

Dinobot, and come the Pitt or Smelter she would achieve it. Her heart

was still warm and beating, and all the fire she ever possessed was

centered in her heart, freezing her mind in a state of anger, hurt, pain

and shock.

And a desire to make things right.

Killshandra transformed into beast mode, and sniffed the air. She

detected a faint scent of dromaeosaurus, as well as a fox. So, Satin had

come to comfort the little black witch? It did not matter. Once

Nightshade was found, nothing would stop Killshandra from her goal.

The winged raptor followed her nose, and set out towards the scent.

**********

Nightshade had finally stopped crying, much to her relief. It had taken

fifteen minutes, but finally the tears were gone.

It's odd, Nightshade thought, I never thought I'd be sharing my tears

with Satin, of all bots. We're two different people...but I supposed

even differences can be set aside when something as universal as

heartbreak befalls someone.

"Are you feeling better girl?" Satin asked, her voice warm and

comforting. Nightshade had never heard Satin's voice sound like that. It

was kind of odd.....but becoming.

"Yeah, I think so" Nightshade said. She looked at Satin's topaz colored

eyes. How they shined with warmth right now!

She must think of me as some sort of infant, Nightshade thought. Some

little girl that has just been through her first breakup. But I'm not a

child. I'm an adult! I'm not a baby!

"Satin" she began. "I really didn't mean to cry. It's just...I don't

know why I cried. I felt so foolish, because, you see, I DON'T love

Dinobot-"

Satin chuckled. "Yes you do darling" the red fox said. "It's clearer now

than ever before. You do love him."

Nightshade looked up at Satin, who gave her a motherly smile.

"I didn't mean to bring you down with me, Satin" Nightshade said

quietly. "I didn't mean to involve you in my troubles. I know sometimes

it's good to spill out your emotions on someone....but everyone's been

so worried about me lately, and I don't want anyone else to be."

"It's okay angel," Satin said. Nightshade felt comforted by the smile

the red fox wore. "We all need to cry sometimes, it helps us get over

things. Primus only knows how many times I should have cried in my past"

Satin mumbled to herself, but Nightshade caught the words.

"I'm going to have to face my feelings Satin" Nightshade said, taking a

deep breath. "And my fears" she added quietly. "I'm going to go talk to

Killshandra. I don't know exactly what I'm going to say....but I'm sure

I'll think of something." Nightshade stood up.

Satin looked at her. "You ain't just an angel, girl, you're a saint" she

said, with an affectionate smile. "I'll leave you alone now. There's

some business I have to take care of too. I wish you good luck."

"Thank you Satin" Nightshade nodded. "Thanks for just being there for

me."

"You're welcome" Satin replied, dipping her muzzle in acknowledgement.

"Just try to stay here in this clearing girl, so I'll know where to find

you."

Nightshade nodded. It would be nice to know that she had backup for

whatever uncertain confrontation she would have to face.

The red fox leapt into the brush, with hardly a rustle to alert anyone

of her passage. The fox was soon out of hearing range, her silent paws

guiding her on the most soundless pathways.

Nightshade sighed and looked around her. Now she felt alone and

vulnerable. At least with Satin she had had someone to confide in. Now

it was just herself.

It was as if some maniac director suddenly said: "Satin exit stage left,

now bring in the villain." For, at that very moment, Killshandra stepped

into view.

"Oh, hi Killshandra, I was just looking for you" Nightshade said.

Instinctively, her muscles tightened, preparing to flee at any moment.

Indeed, she seemed to have reason to.

Killshandra looked positively evil minded right then. Her eyes were

glowing with a fiery intensity. Her large fangs were bared in a menacing

grimace. She growled a low, guttural growl.

"I think we both know the answer to that, Weak One," the flying raptor

said. "I have seen you with Dinobot. I know you have feelings for him.

Let me tell you this: I want you away from. And I will do anything to

get my way. The feelings you have for Dinobot are best left hidden."

"Excuse me, Killshandra, they have been hidden," Nightshade replied. She

hoped this would make an impression on her.

"You're right, I do care about him. But I didn't mean to make that

obvious. And besides, look at me! I'm a little kid! It's just a mere

infatuation that'll blow over in a few days. I'm young in body, and in

mind as well."

That was a lie, and they both knew it. While Nightshade was not

completely sure if she was actually in love with Dinobot, she knew her

mind was not completely that of a child's.

Nightshade continued. "I don't want to fight you over this. Dinobot is

yours. He was never mine anyway! You guys are perfect for each other! I

would never want to interfere with your happiness. You are both my

friends, why would I want to destroy our friendship?"

Nightshade felt words cling to the back of her throat as she spoke.

Words she wanted to say. She wanted to cry out "no! I love Dinobot! I'll

fight for him, he's mine!!!" But she knew she just could not.

Nightshade felt tears come to her eyes, but she did not shed them. It

would hurt, she knew, but with time it would pass. She would be able to

forget about Dinobot, and move on.

Killshandra stared long and hard at Nightshade, evaluating in her eyes

whether it was true or not. Nightshade herself just kept watch on

Killshandra.

Killshandra had very prominent neck and legs muscles, signifying that

she could run and dodge quickly, and that her bite would come just as

swiftly. Her wings were big, with three bat-like membranes connecting

them. Nightshade knew that Killshandra was wounded in her left wing, but

that would not stop the flying raptor. They were attached to her

shoulders, just above her powerful arms.

Oh Grandma, what strong limbs you have, Nightshade thought silently,

taking a quote from Little Red Riding Hood. It seemed to suit the

occasion.

All the better to hunt you with my dear.....

The winged raptor's long black hand claws were straight and sharp, like

miniature spears, but just as deadly. They could rip open Nightshade's

flesh, and tear into her vital organs. The killing claw on Killshandra's

hind foot, so proudly displayed. It curved like a sickle....to

Nightshade it looked like an executioner's axe, black as onyx.

Oh Grandma, what sharp claws you have.

All the better to rip flesh from your bones my dear...

Killshandra's teeth were bared, curved and sharp, sharper than steak

knives. Nightshade knew that those teeth were set inside a narrow,

deadly muzzle with a crushing bite.

Oh Grandma what big teeth you have.

All the better to eat you with my dear....

Nightshade reviewed her own anatomy. She was half the size of

Killshandra. That meant she would be good at dodging blows...but once

attacked she could be easily terminated with a well-placed bite.

Nightshade's hand claws were smaller, and not as curved or sharp. That

was because Nightshade's beast form was still that of a baby's. The

young raptor's killer claws were, while bigger than her hand claws, at

least two times smaller than Killshandra's flesh ripping weapons.

Nightshade's muzzle was thick compared to her size. It meant a strong

bite. But it was still not as big as Killshandra's. And her

teeth....they were even smaller.

If she does attack me, it's not going to be to my advantage, Nightshade

concluded what she had secretly known and feared all along.

The muscle that controlled Killshandra's foot claw spasmed, sending the

claw biting into the forest floor.

"You bluff," she snarled.

"No, I don't," Nightshade said simply. Surely, faced with logic such as

this, Killshandra would back down! Nightshade hoped she would, for she

had seen the flying raptor facing her enemies. She was not a force to be

tampered with. But, Nightshade also knew that Killshandra was capable of

showing mercy.

Nightshade just hoped she would show her some.

She saw Killshandra's pupils expand and contract. Maybe it would be all

right? Killshandra started to back off. Nightshade sighed, things would

be okay!

"Thank you Matrix, now everything will be good again," Nightshade

whispered. She felt just a little happiness inside her. Now Dinobot

could be happy with Killshandra, who wouldn't have to worry about

someone else interceding with their relationship.

Still, it was twinged with sadness at the thought of loosing Dinobot.

But, at least she would still have his friendship.

Suddenly, Killshandra landed on Nightshade's back, and forced the

smaller raptor to the ground. Nightshade lifted her neck up off the

ground. "But I told you everything! I don't..."

"Stop your lies, Weak One" Killshandra spat out. "No one is that self

sacrificing. I know you are a liar. You will not have my mercy,

Weakling. I will give you a few seconds to get up, before our duel

begins."

DUEL! By the Matrix! Nightshade stood up. As she did, she noticed a

strange scent in the air. She herself did not know what it was, but her

beast mode did. It was a fight-provoking scent, which was coming from

Killshandra's throat glands. To be more specific, it was a threat scent

used between female raptors, which need to protect their relationship

with their mates.

And she sees me as a usurper, who will take over her place as Dinobot's

mate, Nightshade thought. To her, I am only a chick, young, and with no

rights to breed or reproduce. And of a different species too! No wonder

she is acting so violently towards me.

Killshandra got off of Nightshade, and moved a few feet away from her.

The small raptor gulped with fear at the evil look in Killshandra's

eyes.

How can I fight her? Nightshade thought. Killshandra's my friend! I

can't hurt my friend! Unless....is it possible that I could....

Nightshade smiled to herself, and idea had been formed. Now all she

needed to do was to put it into action.

"Prepare yourself, Weak One" Killshandra said, her words more like the

growling of a rabid animal than that of a sapient bot. Killshandra

growled, like the motor of some car from the Pitt. That growl chilled

Nightshade to the bones, but she could not forget her plan.

Without warning, Killshandra charged at Nightshade, her jaws opened,

preparing for a killing bite. She did look like a complete animal at

that moment, and probably was. Nightshade could feel the vibrations of

Killshandra's feet as they pounded the ground. The young raptor felt a

sudden urge to run. The evil gleam in those sapphire eyes was enough to

make anyone quiver.

Just a few more seconds.... Nightshade thought, seeing Killshandra run

closer.

Finally, at the last second, Nightshade sprang to the left, and out of

Killshandra's path. The winged raptor fell into the bushes, and tripped

on a root, falling down onto the jungle floor. Killshandra fought

valiantly to get up, while Nightshade edged away from her.

"Killshandra, this is stupid!" she said. "I don't want to hurt you, so

don't make me. Please, just walk away from here now. We don't need

this."

"Raaar!" was all Killshandra said in response. She got up, and dove at

Nightshade again. The young raptor had less time to react, but she

managed to dodge away from the teeth by jumping to the right, which

Killshandra had not expected.

I'm here with someone who wants to kill me, came Nightshade's thought.

It did seem to be quite true.

Killshandra spun around and lunged at Nightshade. The black and red

velociraptor had gotten used to Nightshade's ways of dodging, and she

had expected her to go to the left or the right. Nightshade suddenly had

an idea of how to dodge the next attack. The look of surprise on

Killshandra's face was almost funny as Nightshade jumped over her head,

and landed behind her.

I'm running out of options, Nightshade thought. She knows which ways I'm

going to jump. Now what can I do?

Nightshade looked around her small clearing. Behind her were some dense

bushes, so she could not escape there. To her left there was a clear,

open path. To Nightshade's right there was a huge tree. And in front of

her was Killshandra.

"Killshandra, I ask of you again-" Nightshade began, but she was cut off

by a growl from the velociraptor.

She's acting like an animal! Nightshade thought with some annoyance.

She's a stupid animal right now! But...if she's an animal, then why

can't I be one? I can communicate with her better if I'm an animal.

Nightshade searched her mind for the proper raptor etiquette to get out

of this situation. Before Killshandra could charge at her again,

Nightshade made a slow squawk. She whimpered and squawked again, bobbing

her torso up and down. She hid the killer claws on her toes, trying to

make herself non-threatening.

Nightshade knew these gestures automatically. They did not come from her

memory circuits, or any sapient part of her mind. It was pure animal

instinct that coursed through her; for now it controlled her. Nightshade

could easily get back the mechanoid part of her mind, but she let the

ancient raptor instincts take over.

There Killshandra....I'm submissive, Nightshade thought. Look at me,

see? I'm bowing to you. You are great and better than I am. I am

nothing. Hear this squawk? I bow to you. Come on Killshandra, realize

this. Dinobot is yours!

Nightshade made a squawk again, and cast her eyes to the ground,

wriggling her body. She then lowered herself to the ground, all the

while keeping her head and eyes downcast.

Suddenly, Nightshade felt a weight on top of her. She looked up in

shock, and saw Killshandra standing over her, her claws glinting the

rays of light that fell through the trees, and her teeth bared.

Nightshade groaned. Her plan had not gone as she had hoped.

***********

Right now Dinobot felt like a coward.

Why the slag did I run away from Killshandra?! he berated himself.

I was just scared of the implications of that kiss, came the mental

reply.

Why should I have been afraid? Killshandra is not an enemy, or anything

else. She's just a female who likes me.

Likes me, Dinobot thought with a wry chuckle, I think it is more than

that. Why else would she kiss me? She loves me.

Slag, that's even worse! I can't be in love! I'm a warrior, and a

Predacon. Love only makes you weak. This is a war, I do not have time

for such foolery!

Yet, if I do not have time for it.....why do the other Maximals? Dinobot

thought. Tigatron and Air Razor love each other. Cheetor and my daughter

do as well. Satin and Malice, Rattrap and Marbelle. Optimus does not

even seem to mind about love! He just lets them carry on, as if love

will not affect this war at all! It will. Love and sentiment could be

the key to the undoing of the Maximals!

Dinobot grumbled to himself. He knew he was avoiding the question. Much

as he wanted to he knew that right now he could not. Did he love

Killshandra or not?

I can't answer that! Dinobot raved mentally. I'm no damn expert! I don't

know what love is!! I respect Killshandra greatly. She is a formidable

warrior, and she's very beautiful. Nightshade is beautiful as well, but

does that mean I love her? No! Satin was beautiful as well, and I never

loved her in my life!

Who ever knew being a Maximal was so hard? Dinobot thought with irony.

Who ever knew that sentiment was such a hard thing to deal with? Slag

it! It's times like this that I wish I had stayed a Predacon. At least

then all I would have to deal with were things I was familiar with. War.

Backstabbing. Treachery. I knew, or I should say, I know about all those

things. But love? Compassion? Here, I am just a beginner. An amateur. I

have so much to learn.

Why not let Killshandra teach me? was the thought that came next. She

seems willing enough to love me.

An image came to the velociraptor's mind....the love he had seen in

Killshandra's sapphire eyes. The way they had sparkled with warmth he

had never expected to see in a warrior. He wondered what his own eyes

had looked like. The eyes of a coward?

Damn it! Dinobot thought. She kissed me! Other than the shock, I also

felt something else! I think it must be as close to love as it can get!

Matrix, why did I run off? I should probably go back and tell her....but

no. What if she thinks me a worthless loser? What if she has lost all

respect for me?

A crackling of forest undergrowth interrupted his thoughts. Dinobot

turned and took out his spinning sword, in case it was a Predacon. He

hoped it was. Fighting was something familiar to take his mind off of

his romantic problems.

As it turned out, he would get a fight. But not the physical kind.

But not with a Pred, or anyone else he had expected.

He would fight Satin.

The red fox walked calmly towards him, her topaz eyes flashing malice

and anger. She had an unusually purposeful stride in those black legs,

and in the way she held her head high and almost proud.

Dinobot stiffened immediately, wondering why she was here. Whatever it

was it could not be good.

Optimus probably sent her to relieve me from scouting duty, he thought

desperately. If not, then she is here on her own accord. And, if she

came here willingly, that can mean two things. She wants to seduce me,

or she wants to talk about the children. Both of which I do NOT need

right now!

Satin glared up at Dinobot, her narrow face in a half snarl that made

the raptor think both of his reasons were false.

"Satin, Maximize" the red fox said. Her beast form twisted around to

form her robot mode.

This made Dinobot even more confused and wary. The last time they had

met alone, and until now the only time, her voice had been in a

seductive purr. But this time it was hard and harsh.

The two of them stared at each other, each trying to be the last to look

away. There was no love lost between the two of them. They had never

cared for each other, and they did not now. They had only been together

for one night and then had never thought of each other again. Dinobot

felt the familiar remorse and disgust that he always felt when he looked

at Satin. To think that he, an honorable bot, had had an affair with

such a lowly slut....it made him sick.

He had made one immoral mistake and it had come to haunt him for the

rest of his life. Cloud Runner was a daily reminder of that, although

she did not do it intentionally. That was the main reason he avoided

Satin and she him. She reminded him of his greatest sin.

Even as she did stand there, Dinobot still had to marvel at her beauty.

Much as he hated and loathed himself for admitting it, Satin was a

beautiful female. She was graceful and well proportioned, and very

streamlined. Not a proverbial hair seemed out of place with her. She had

no jets to mar her smooth back, no claws to distort her perfect fingers,

no spikes on her elbows or knees. She was a very humanoid looking bot,

which was probably why she was a symbol of beauty to most males.

She was beautiful, but the feelings of lust he had once had for her a

long time ago had evaporated as quickly as fog does with the rising of

the sun. He felt no emotion other than contempt for Satin.

"Aren't you going to put your sword down, warrior?" Satin said, glancing

at the spinning sword he still held in his hands.

"I would never put down my weapon with the likes of you, fox" he

snapped, making his disgust for her evident.

"Brave words, for a life destroying slug" Satin snapped back, fire in

her red optics.

"What in the Pitt are you talking about?" Dinobot growled. She could be

talking about one of many situations.

"Ah men, they just can't figure anything out," Satin said, with a

taunting smile. That smile disappeared quickly though, and her face went

back to a bland mask. "You just kissed Killshandra." It was a statement,

not a question.

Dinobot paused. How did she know that?

"I do not see what you have to do with it, fox!" Dinobot said, raising

his voice to cover up the embarrassment he felt. Satin had no business

prying into his personal matters. She was almost as bad as Rattrap when

it came to taunting him.

"Even if I did, what concern is it of yours?" he said.

"I'll tell you, Bronto-Brain" Satin replied, her voice getting hard. "I

didn't see anything, but Nightshade did. She saw the two of you kiss and

she saw you run off, like a yellow-bellied coward. Now, do you know what

she did after that Dinobot? Oh wait! You probably don't want to know,

because you're just going to turn tail and flee again."

Dinobot let out a low growl, and held his spinning sword in a more

threatening position.

"I don't care what games you're playing, fox" he began, but Satin cut

him off.

"It's not me playing the games, Lizard-Butt" she replied. She crossed

her arms over her chest, and glowered at him. She stepped towards him,

her eyes seeming to bore holes into him. Dinobot instinctively moved

backwards. The two of them almost always stood a meter away from each

other, as an unspoken rule. A rule that Satin, in her anger, was slowly

breaking. This only served to further Dinobot's suspicion.

"I'll tell you what Nightshade did" Satin growled. "She started crying!

You know why? Give me your best guess."

Dinobot froze. Nightshade had cried? Of all the things he had expected

the child to do it had not been cry. But the important thing was why she

had cried. She had seen himself and Killshandra kissing....why would

that make her cry?

Unless?.the suspicion hit Dinobot full force. Was it possible that

Nightshade....Primus no....the child could not care for him that much,

could she?

But Satin's next words made it painfully evident that Nightshade could.

"She loves yah!" the red fox snapped. "Nightshade and Killshandra both

love you. I have no freaking' idea why, but they do. They've gotta see

some crazy things in you, buddy. But, they love you, plain and simple.

Betcha never thought that could happen, eh?" she mocked.

Dinobot gulped. Satin was right, he had never thought two females could

ever fall in love with him. He had never thought ONE female could ever

fall in love with him!

Slag! Dinobot growled inwardly. This makes the situation a thousand

times worse! Damndamndamndamndamndamndamndamn!!!!!! I feel like hitting

myself! First I have to face Killshandra and tell her I acted like a

fool, now I have to choose between her and Nightshade!

That part shouldn't be that hard, another part of him responded. Your

choice is obvious. It must be Killshandra. You care for her more than

you ever did care for Nightshade. She is a thousand times better than

that small little pipsqueak is! Killshandra is smart, funny, intriguing

and pretty. She and I have many, many things in common. Nightshade and I

are as different as night and day. She is kind, pure and disgustingly

sweet. I am certainly none of the above. Therefore it must be

Killshandra whom I love.

Dinobot sighed, a sigh mixed with relief and unease. He knew he cared

for Killshandra a lot. Even if he did not truly love her, he knew that

he would learn to, in time. Yet, there was always a yet, there was a

nagging doubt within him.

Nightshade and I are as different as night and day, yet even night and

day can work out a system and get along well, came the doubtful thought.

Nightshade is not stupid as I so often say she is. She can be quite

smart and mature when she feels like it, or when she must be so.

She is, Primus I hate to say it, interesting in a way. Her views are so

different from my own, and so Maximal. She is kind and caring, but knows

instinctively who not to trust. She is not some foolish child, but knows

the differences between right and wrong, and can even find her way

through those moral gray areas. Our discussions about Maximal and

Predacon policies have showed me that much. She is all in all a very

interesting....woman.

But one I should love? Never! Just because she is interesting is no

reason in hell to love her! He thought back.

Who says I need to love either of them? Came a thought. Who says I need

to care about them? I can choose not to love. I can choose to never go

near them, or never to see them ever again.

Can I really? Dinobot reasoned with himself. No. I cannot. Nightshade

and Killshandra will both be there in my life, or at least in the Beast

Wars, which shows no signs of abating. I cannot run from them forever.

That would be a coward's answer, and that is one thing I am not, nor

ever hope to be. There is no honor in running.

Dinobot's face twisted into a hopeless glare. Well, he had solved one

problem. He knew with all his heart that he would have to face the two

of them, and he would have to choose between them. He did care, an odd

feeling but one he was getting used to, for the two of them, though in

different ways. Now he had to try to figure out which one of those ways

was love.

Dinobot growled out loud. He was being skewered slowly and painfully on

a weapon much sharper than the sword he held in his hands. The weapon of

indecision. The double -edged sword of sentiment. It was something he

had never faced before, and he was finding this enemy hard to conquer.

"You having fun roasting in that hot water?" Satin smiled sweetly.

"Well, I got some more news for you, buddy. I-"

The velociraptor glared at her, his thoughts turning from his romantic

life to those of anger. Dinobot's face, instead of the masquerade of

emotions it had been, contorted into an angry snarl. His breathing

became ragged and he shot her a murderous look.

"Be careful what you say, slut!" he said, in a low guttural growl. "I am

not in the best of dispositions!"

His threat appeared to work for a few seconds, for Satin paused and

faltered. Her hand disappeared into subspace and pulled out her fox head

shaped shield. Feeling a bit more protected she took a deep breath and

began again.

"I got some more news for you, Romeo" she said. Her voice betrayed the

bit of unease she felt at the murderous look on his face. Dinobot smiled

grimly. So, Satin was afraid of him. Good. That little tramp deserved to

realize that he was not just a bot who would be mocked.

"Nightshade is in a clearing a few clicks from here" Satin announced.

"And I'll bet you that Killshandra's there with her. They might not be

having the most friendly of chats right now, and it's up to you to help

them."

"Why should I listen to anything you say, fox?" Dinobot growled.

Satin was not going to tell him what to do! That fox had no business

being here! She could not boss him around! This was his problem, and he

could deal with it without the help of anyone else! And, he admitted, he

would never ask Satin for help for anything in the world. He would

rather be dead than associate with the red fox more than he needed to.

"Because you need me," Satin said, almost as if she herself hated

admitting that. "I'm no expert on love. Primus, I don't think anyone is.

But, I know a lot more than you do now. And, if you don't listen to me,

I'm gonna know a lot more than you ever will. The three of you need to

have a nice long talk about your feelings." Satin sneered. "Something

hard for an ex-Pred like you. So, you're coming with me, and talking it

all out with the two ladies."

"I will never do anything you say, slut!" Dinobot growled, his anger

blazing even higher because he knew that Satin was right. Dinobot was a

bot of pride and honor, and those were his heaviest moral assets. They

were also the hardest to swallow and stow away.

Satin glared at him. It was odd seeing Satin like this. She never lost

her cool, and always had a calm head about her. But now, her eyes were

filled with anger, and her heart was filled with concern for Nightshade.

"Maybe I'm just going to have to make you then!" Satin growled, and

pulled her quasar out of subspace.

"You think you can defeat me?" Dinobot roared.

At last, he could finally squeeze in some bloodletting. Dinobot's nerves

were at the snapping point. He was trying to figure out the rules to the

game of love, a game he had never played before, and he could not find

the instructions for it. He was so frustrated he was ready to kill.

Satin lunged at him, but Dinobot quickly dodged aside with the reflexes

of an experienced warrior that he prided himself on.

He shot at her with his eye beams. The red fox managed to keep her

balance and dodge the lasers at the same time, which was quite a feat.

Satin lunged at him again, this time firing with her quasar. Dinobot

dodged once again, avoiding the shots. But, this time Satin stuck her

foot out and tripped the raptor.

Dinobot fell to the forest floor on his stomach. That meant his back was

facing the enemy, and it was a mistake he had to rectify. He twisted

around so that he was on his stomach.

Satin knelt beside him, preparing to stick her gun to his forehead, but

Dinobot was faster than the fox. He tensed his abdominal muscles and sat

up towards Satin, grabbing her arms and pushing her down to the ground.

Satin struggled and kicked, her eyes still blazing valiantly, but all

her struggling was in vain, for Dinobot was much stronger than her.

"I have heard it said that you served in the Great War, slut" Dinobot

growled. "If so, it is amazing with such pathetic skills that you

managed to survive it."

"I'm not the one with the relationship problem as big as Cybertron"

Satin spat back, still struggling.

Dinobot leaned closer to her, so that he was looking at her in her

blazing eyes. He activated his eyebeams, and felt pure electronic power

pulse towards his optics. He knew his eyes were their trademark green.

"Now we finish it, fox" Dinobot growled.

"I'm sure Optimus will be happy with that" Satin replied, the cool look

returning to her eyes.

"At the moment I don't give a damn about Optimus" Dinobot replied. "I

just care about shoving your worthless spark of this planet and into the

Inferno where it belongs!"

A look of shock passed over Satin's face, but it was quickly replaced by

a taunting "bring it on!" look. Still, that one second of shock brought

Dinobot some perverse pleasure. Satin knew that he would shoot her. That

was what he intended to do, and now she knew it. She knew and she was

afraid.

Dinobot's face twisted into a sick grin, showing his pointed teeth.

Satin glared back at him, with naked fear and hatred in her eyes. The

raptor slowly growled to himself. He would teach Satin not to mess with

him! The annoying tramp would bother him no more.

There was a thumping sound behind him that startled him out of his

bloodlust. Dinobot turned his head around and saw Bouncealot behind him.

The hare's black eyes were wide and staring at the two of them, in

shock. Dinobot deactivated his eyebeams. The rabbit rubbed his feet

against the ground nervously.

"You know" the hare/sparrow Fuzor said. "I COULD pretend I was never

ever here. 'Ear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil. It's obvious you

two need some time alone to sort out these feelings you to 'ave for each

other. Now, if you want, I know a good relationship counselor back on

Cybertron that could 'elp. But, just remember; use protection for Pet's

sake!"

Dinobot looked back at Satin, then finally realized what Bounce was

talking about. His eyes widened, and his heart thumped quickly in his

chest with mortification. He was lying practically right on top of her!

Satin's eyes were wide as well with the same emotion of complete and

utter embarrassment. Of all the bad positions to be in when someone

walked in on them, this was the mother of them all!

For a few seconds both of them were to embarrassed to do anything.

Finally, and he was grateful it took him only a few seconds, Dinobot

recovered. He literally shoved himself off Satin like she was a creature

from the Pitt, or like she was a hot iron that had burned him. Satin

responded just as quickly and slipped out from under him at the same

time. The two of them stood up almost simultaneously, facing each other,

their faces awash with embarrassment and disgust.

"Bounce, I don't care what you thought but it was not what it looked

like!" Satin turned to the rabbit, her voice rushing franticly.

"The day I touch her when not in battle is the day that I die a thousand

bloody deaths!" Dinobot agreed, emphasizing the last part of his

sentence.

"Same goes for me!" Satin nodded. She looked at her arms and began to

wipe them off, giving Dinobot the middle finger while she did so.

Dinobot growled.

"Oh, very well then" Bouncealot said. He genuinely looked like he

believed what they had said, and Dinobot was quite grateful for that.

"But, what were you two doing? Because I tell you it did look mighty

suspicious. Hmm...I wonder how you COULD indeed die a thousand bloody

deaths. I mean, you only live once, right? So 'ow could you die a

thousand times? Well, maybe you could fake die and then die again. And

finally when you've faked died a hundred and ninety-nine times you could

kill yourself for real, which could-"

"Bounce" Satin interrupted him. "The reason we were like that is because

Dinobot got all p-oed at me because he kissed Killshandra in front of

Nightshade who loves him as well as Killshandra and now he has to go

talk to them about his feelings."

Dinobot growled, now even more embarrassed. "Why don't you just call

Optimus on the damn com-link and tell him that?!" he barked at her.

"Hmm, I could do that!" Satin taunted. Dinobot let out a roar of anger,

as well as a brightly colored swear word in Cybertronian.

Satin raised her eyebrows. "Just kidding, Sir Fights-too-much" she

reprimanded. "Get a sense of humor! And wash your mouth out!"

"I'll show you a sense of humor!" Dinobot snarled. He was about to reach

for his sword again, when Bouncealot stopped him.

"Nightshade.....loves....you?" the hare/sparrow Fuzor managed to gasp

out. His eyes brimmed with tears, and his wings sagged visibly.

Dinobot shifted uncomfortably. "Do you think I asked her to, rabbit?" he

snarled, his words falling flat. He actually felt a bit ashamed.

Bouncealot's eyes were filled with so much pain that it made Dinobot

cough in discomfort.

I hate this sentimental crap, he growled to himself.

"Bounce" Satin looked at him with concern. "Do you...yah know...care

about...Nightshade?"

"Well," Bouncealot began. "She's a very nice girl. I don't quite know

what I think about her yet. She's a very nice girl. Pretty too. And I

thought, or I think I thought....well, never mind that now." The rabbit

gave a slow smile. He looked up at Dinobot.

"You better take care of 'er mate," he said, with a grin of forced

mirth. "She's a very nice girl, never mean, just very nice."

"Look rabbit" Dinobot snapped irritably. "I'm not going to fall in love

with...." He paused, wondering if that was the truth. "I mean, I don't

think I'm going to....I mean....I think that....maybe...argh...."

The raptor paused, letting an embarrassed silence swallow up his words.

Sentiment. It had gotten him into this awkward mess, and it was the only

thing that could get him out of it. He thought he knew what his

feelings, a word he had begun to loath, were, but how could he be sure?

How could he be sure about their feelings for him? What in the Pitt was

he supposed to do about it?!

He looked towards Satin, and realized that talking it all out would be

the only right thing to do. He could not avoid Nightshade and

Killshandra forever. Now was as good a time as any to face them. He

would have to accept his fate like a true warrior, like he had at the

valley when he had saved the humans. Except he knew that this would be a

bit more difficult.

"Primus's damn sake Satin" Dinobot barked. "Where in the Pitt are

they?!?! I'll talk to them, damn it!!! I'll have a nice freaking

discussion already!! Just get me there, you slut!!!"

Satin smiled at him victoriously, having won her case. That grin only

succeeded in making Dinobot angrier and making him feel lower than a

worm.

"Say please," she demanded with a smirk.

The final gauntlet thrown, the final insult.

"No" Dinobot replied.

"Say it or I'm not taking you anywhere" Satin replied in a singsong

voice.

Dinobot hissed. His honor and his dignity had been bruised enough so

far. Why should he bruise them further?

But it was painfully evident that Satin was staying put until he said

the magic word.

The raptor lowered his crimson optics. "Please" he mumbled quietly

through gritted teeth, so the word sounded more like a growl or a

bestial noise than anything else.

He could feel Satin's grin. "Can I tame 'em or can I tame 'em?" she

asked, evidently pleased. Dinobot raised his eyes and glared at her,

picturing his eyebeams hitting her snotty face.

"People, stop it!" Bouncealot's said, glaring at the two of them. "We

need to get to Nightshade, slag it! We can't rest until we don't do

that! Come on!!! Gloating can be done any other time except now!"

"Okay, fine" Satin said. She converted into beast mode, and Dinobot did

as well. Satin dashed off through the bush with the grace only a fox

could master. Dinobot followed, and Bouncealot brought up the rear.

"Might I just say fox that talking to you has been like banging my head

against a hard surface only more so" Dinobot snarled loudly, releasing a

bit of his frustrations.

"The pleasure's all mine, Casanova!" Satin shot back. "Maybe some day

you'll actually crack that thick skull, yah jerky boy!"

"RARGH!!!" was the response Dinobot gave as he walked onwards.

********

Nightshade whimpered in pain. Killshandra's claws dug into her rib cage,

slicing through some sort of vital organ. Nightshade did not know or did

not care which one. All she could feel was the never ending

pain.....never fading and never stopping....just blow after blow after

painful blow.

Nightshade had finally been forced to fight back. It had hurt her to do

so, but she was fighting for her life, even if she was fighting a

friend.

She had slashed at Killshandra with her killer claws, making two shallow

gashes on her upper arm. Nightshade had also tried to bite the red and

black raptor a couple of times. But, her attacks were too little too

late. Now she had hardly enough strength to attack, for she was just so

weak.....

Killshandra was an expert killer. She had done so before in the Great

War and she could do so in the Beast Wars. This was to say nothing of

her beast mode, which was controlling Killshandra's thoughts. That

velociraptor was one of the most efficient killers in nature.

Deep in her heart, Nightshade did not blame Killshandra. It was just her

beast mode instincts. Nightshade knew that Killshandra probably would

not kill her, just maim her. That would be so Nightshade would not be a

desirable mate for anybody, and Killshandra could remain the raptor

queen, of sorts.

At least, that was what she hoped would happen. Nightshade was not a

velociraptor, though related to them she might be. She did not know

completely how they thought. Killshandra might kill her, she did not

know. But she certainly wished she did.

Throughout the whole ordeal, Nightshade tried to reason with her.

"Killshandra!" she would call out. "It's me, Nightshade! We can work

something out, right? Please be there Killshandra! Don't let your beast

instincts control you, you're stronger than that!"

The real Killshandra had come back two times, but both of those times

her beast instincts had overridden her sapient mind. Nightshade had very

little hope of reasoning with her, but hope was one of the things

Nightshade never gave up.

"Killshandra" she whispered, now weak from the loss of mech-fluid.

"Please! It's me, Nightshade. I know you're there somewhere. Please, be

there. I need you. Please. Killa?"

Nightshade looked into Killshandra's sapphire eyes. Once they had

sparkled with cunning and intelligence. Now they glittered with

animalistic bloodlust and the protectiveness of a female for a mate.

Departed now was the intelligence in those eyes, and what took its place

was something a lot more dangerous.

Killshandra screeched, the bone chilling cry that only velociraptors can

seem to perfect. It was a screech of triumph and victory.

To Nightshade, it would probably be the last thing she heard before her

death....

********

Satin heard a screech coming from the left side of the jungle, and up

ahead a little ways. When she heard that bloodcurdling screech, one

thought popped into her head.

Killshandra.

The next thought that followed sent alarm bells off in her head.

Nightshade!

Satin glanced back and Dinobot and Bouncealot. The two males both looked

as uneasy and worried as she did.

"I think we better speed up this journey" Satin said out loud.

Dinobot gave her a curt nod, and started off at a quick run. Satin

followed him, her paws pounding the forest floor, her senses alert.

Bouncealot bounded in front of the two of them, the rabbit's speed

outmatching both the fox and the raptor.

I care for Nightshade a lot more than I've ever cared for Cloud Runner

or Phantom, came an intrusive thought in Satin mind. She shook her head.

Now was not time for a guilt trip. She could give herself enough of

those later.

As the trio got closer to the source of the screech, Satin smelt a very

peculiar smell, one that stained the area. It took a few seconds for her

nose to recognize it, and even longer for her brain to accept it. The

scent was mech-fluid. And Primus only knew whose.

I'm placing my bets that it's Nightshade, Satin thought. Killshandra's a

killer. Even if Nightshade did fight back, Killshandra is stronger than

her by a mile.

"I swear Dinobot!" she glanced at the raptor beside her. Satin's voice

came out as such a venomous hiss that she hardly recognized it as her

own. "If Killshandra did anything to Nightshade I'll kill her!"

Dinobot glared at her, but did not say anything, concentrating on the

terrain ahead. It was not very easy going. The vegetation in the jungle

was lush and full. It blocked most of their vision, and made the jungle

hard to travel through at a fast speed. Roots hidden by the underbrush

occasionally slowed Dinobot down. Even Satin tripped sometimes, her

fox's keen agility being rendered temporarily useless in such thick

vegetation.

I hope Bounce reaches those two soon, Satin prayed silently. I don't

think this scene is going to be very pretty.

The smell of mech-fluid was almost unbearable now. During the Great War,

Satin had smelled this sickening scent before. Dead bodies, slain

comrades, their mech-fluid staining the ground, the stench wafting up

from dead and charred bodies. Even in the Gang she had seen and smelt

her share of death. But, this smell caused her to feel more panick now

than it ever had.

Finally, Satin and Dinobot found the two female raptors, as well as

Bouncealot. It was just what Satin had feared.

Nightshade lay on the ground, barely moving. She had gashes, rips and

tears all over her. Silvery blue mech-fluid spilled out of her wounds.

Satin winced at the sight of Nightshade's gray metallic ribs, and the

dark gray innards they protected. Mech-fluid was spilling out of the

young raptor's throat. Nightshade's sky blue eyes were closed. On her

muzzle there was a huge gash that had taken off half of her lower lip.

Nightshade's bleeding gums and broken white teeth were made visible

because of that.

An infuriated Bouncealot was keeping Killshandra at bay. Every time

Killshandra tried to attack Nightshade's prone body, Bouncealot would

block her way, his sparrow wings spread out to make himself look bigger.

His brown fur bristled like porcupine quills, and his ears were flipped

against the back of his head, making him look like he was wearing a

battle helmet. His little hare nose was wriggling furiously, his

whiskers stood on end. Bouncealot hopped on his hind feet with amazing

agility and swiftness, looking like a boxer. He occasionally got close

enough to buffet Killshandra with his small clawed front paws, but he

did not try that trick often.

Killshandra was spitting and hissing at Bouncealot, who in turn was

shouting out anything that came to mind.

"You killed Nightshade you evil, evil witch!" he shouted, his black eyes

blazing with anger and tears unshed. "You killed 'er! I ought to ship

you off the Americas, you evil lady! You're dark! You're not pretty at

all! You're black, black, and black! You destroyed a nice, innocent

lady! Death to you! We should burn you at the stake! I'll rip you apart

with my bare paws! You'll pay for what you did!"

Satin took a few more seconds to absorb the scene. Then, all thought

disappeared from her brain, being replaced by raging emotions.

Anger.

Grief.

Regret.

Pain.

Satin gave a short fox bark, and dove at the winged raptor. Killshandra

had not been expecting her attack, and Satin managed to clamp her jaws

onto Killshandra's hind leg. Her jaws locked onto that leg, and Satin

bit in deeper, with a snarl of rage.

Killshandra turned around and screeched in surprise and pain. She bent

her muzzle towards Satin, intending to bite her. This gave Bouncealot

enough time to go up and kick Killshandra in the face with his hind

legs. Killshandra snarled at the blow, and shook her head in a daze.

Dinobot finally came up to Killshandra. He walked towards her, his

killer foot claws flicking up and down, his mouth half open, showing his

sharp teeth. His hand claws were extended, showing how deadly they

looked. Dinobot gave off a low growl, the steady growl of a rabid dog.

Everything in him looked fierce at that moment. The way he carried his

s-shaped neck, to the way he walked. Everything about him looked fierce,

poised to kill, and just plain deadly.

Killshandra stared back at him. She looked defiant. She hissed at

Dinobot, and stomped her foot, the one Satin was not biting, on the

ground. The flying raptor eyed him evilly, and snarled, slashing at the

air right in front of him. Killshandra took in an short breath, as if

trying to determine what raptor this was.

Satin let go of Killshandra's leg and moved off to the side. It was

obvious that this was some important raptor thing, and she did not want

to be in the way if a fight broke out. She looked around for Bouncealot,

but could not see him. He had obviously hopped away.

Killshandra merely glanced at Satin for an instant, then turned back to

Dinobot, giving him her full attention.

The two raptors stared each other down, hardly seeming to blink. Dinobot

let his guard down a bit. He shut his mouth, and stopped flicking his

killer claws. He still kept his fierce posture. Dinobot had never

stopped his steady growling. He had never changed his tone, it was the

same low and steady growl.

Killshandra seemed less aggressive, but she still looked a bit wary.

Dinobot slowly took a step towards her, and Killshandra hissed, as if

telling him to keep his distance. Dinobot obeyed, and did not move any

further, but still kept with his low, steady growling.

He's trying to calm her down, Satin realized. That growl must be calming

her down a bit.

Dinobot's tail began to flick from side to side with gentle ease now.

His muscles relaxed, and he bobbed his head a few times, as if in

greeting. Killshandra noticed this as well. She mimicked to head

bobbing, but did not loosen up, still cautious. Dinobot repeated the

head bobbing guesture again.

He lowered his growl a bit, until it was a soft trill. Satin looked at

Dinobot oddly. It was a bit funny, he was a warrior and a proud bot, and

now he was reduced to making purring noises. But, it also seemed right.

The trilling sound seemed to show Killshandra that he was benign, and

she loosened up as well. She bobbed her head more enthusiastically,

trilling happily.

"Killshandra...." Dinobot whispered. Satin blinked with surprise. The

way he had said it had made it seem like the name "Killshandra" was part

of the sound itself.

"Killshandra...." Dinobot hissed again. The flying raptor looked at him

oddly, stiffening up again and baring her fangs slightly in confusion.

Dinobot gave a small squawk, and bobbed his head again.

"Killshandra..." he whispered. "It's me, Dinobot. Your beast mode has

taken over, Killshandra."

He interrupted himself with another benevolent squawk. Killshandra

squawked back, this time in confusion.

"Killshandra?listen to me" Dinobot whispered, swaying ever-so-slightly

from side to side. "Come back, Killshandra. Come back to us..." he let

the "S" sound drift off.

Satin stared at Killshandra intently. She saw a flicker of recognition

in the black and red raptor's eyes. Killshandra was coming back, slowly

but surely.

"Don't let your beast instincts control you" Dinobot whispered, with the

expertise of a snake charmer. He still swayed slowly from side to side.

"You are a robot, Killshandra, first and foremost. You and your beast

nature must work together. Never let it control you. Come to us

Killshandra. Come to me, Killshandra."

This scene is no longer about Nightshade, Satin thought. It's about

giving Killshandra back her sanity.

"Squawk?" Killshandra answered, stepping backwards in confusion. But,

Satin saw that there was a difference in the way she spoke....there was

something more sapient.....

"Killshandra!" Dinobot hissed intently. Gone was the charming quality of

his voice, now his voice was iced over with urgency. "You survived the

arctic Killshandra. You can survive this. You are a warrior Killshandra.

Fight these instincts. You will conquer them, Killshandra! You will!"

Killshandra shook her head, and squawked again. She blinked her eyes,

and stomped her feet on the ground. She gave out a low hiss and snapped

at the air around her. Her tail flicked from side to side, and she

hissed again, this time adding a roar to the end of the hiss.

How long Killshandra fought with her beast nature could have been

anyone's guess. Satin was too intent on watching the scene before her to

keep track of time. Satin felt a bit of fear prickle her spine. If

Dinobot had not come, and if Killshandra had been a raving animal....she

could have stayed like that. She could have attacked anybody.

Killshandra had not been there when the energon damper of the Axalon had

been stolen, and everyone had been forced to remain in their beast

modes. That was when their beast natures had taken over. Even those who

had come out of stasis pods had not been able control theirs, except for

Tigatron, Air Razor and Jade, whose beast mode was so odd it seemed he

had no beast instincts. Everyone had gone wild and berserk, acting like

animals. Tigatron had eventually helped everyone to work through the

programming block that had stopped them from acting normal.

But, Killshandra had not been there, and had never had that lesson.

Finally, Killshandra's roar turned to a whimper. That whimper turned to

a whisper. The whisper turned to a sentence.

"Primus" Killshandra mumbled. "What happened?"

"THIS happened!" came Bouncealot's shout. Everyone turned and looked at

him. Bouncealot was hovering over Nightshade's body. His muzzle,

whiskers and paws were coated with her mech-fluid. He was glaring at

Killshandra, his mouth pulled into a snarl, showing his four buckteeth.

Satin nearly slapped herself. How had she forgotten about Nightshade?!

"She's still breathing" Bouncealot announced. "No thanks to you, you

evil lady!" he pointed his paw at Killshandra. "She might not breath for

very long!" his grief stricken voice seeming to take away all the sound

that anyone could have made.

Killshandra stared at Nightshade's body, her pupils getting wide with

fear and shock. Her jaw dropped open and her hands hung limply by her

sides. Satin opened her mouth to say something cruel, but found that she

could not. Killshandra looked so hurt, that she did not want to say

anything to her yet.

"No" Killshandra whispered, her voice cracking. "I didn't....I mean....

I didn't want to.... Primus I.... oh no...." the winged raptor

stuttered. Finally, Killshandra shivered with shock. She seemed to

totter with dizziness, and then she fainted.

********

Just stare at the floor, never lift up your eyes, Killshandra advised

herself. That was what she had done ever since she had gotten out of the

CR chamber. She had just stared at the floor.

The metal floor of the Axalon was the only comfort she could get. The

cold, smooth, gray surface offered little consolation to her. All she

could get out of the floor was her reflection, her haunted and desolated

eyes, and her generally sorrowful expression.

But, anything was better than looking up.

If Killshandra looked up she would find herself caught like a deer in

headlights by the glares of Satin and Bouncealot.

They had already shot her nasty looks when she had come out of the CR

chamber. Every single glance they had given her had drilled a hole in

her conscience. Their glares were sparks of hatred and loathing that

started a fire of self-hatred and remorse in Killshandra's mind.

The winged raptor felt like melting into the floor she was so intently

observing, or like disappearing into thin air. Even though she was not

looking up she could still feel their gazes pressing upon her.

Satin and Bouncealot were not asking her to explain their actions. The

two of them knew what had happened. Killshandra, a jealous lover, had

attacked the most innocent of bots because the green-eyed monster of

jealousy had taken over. Yes, her beast mode had taken over and made her

get even more blood thirsty, but that was not the real point. The point

was that she had attacked Nightshade. They were seeking a way to give

Killshandra her just deserts. They wanted to give her a punishment fit

for a criminal.

Killshandra felt even worse about what she had done to Dinobot. She had

only glanced at him once, to see if he could offer her any consolation.

Killshandra had not really expected any sympathy, but she had wanted to

see if Dinobot looked like he could redeem her in some way for her

crimes. His face had been etched with concern for Nightshade. For once

Killshandra did not feel jealous about that; she was too guilty to be

concerned about jealousy. But, also on Dinobot's face there was a look

of such consternation, a look of such helplessness that it made the

guilt pile on even more.

Oh, don't pretend I don't deserve this! Killshandra thought angrily to

herself. I'm the antagonist here! Nightshade didn't do anything to me,

and I tried to kill her! I was a jealous fool, a complete fool. How

could I even think such stupid things?! What Nightshade told me was the

truth, it was just an infatuation she had with Dinobot. Nightshade's a

smart girl, she knew a relationship with Dinobot would never work out.

She knew Dinobot and I were the perfect match.

But now I'm not going to be Dinobot's girlfriend, she thought glumly.

I'm not going to be his anything after this. He's going to hate me

forever.

Well, if you look on the bright side...maybe Dinobot wouldn't have

wanted a girlfriend anyway, Killshandra thought. He's still part

Predacon. Who am I to assume that he wants a romantic relationship with

anybody? Right now he's probably thinking he'd rather die than get into

a relationship with some crazy females.

Great, I'm a jealous maniac AND I see things that aren't there in

people, the winged raptor thought, thoroughly disgusted with herself. I

wish I had never been programmed. Now I've messed up Dinobot's life,

Nightshade's life, and mine as well.

Nightshade....she's probably never had a friend that attacked her like

this, Killshandra thought, her mind switching to an even more

uncomfortable subject. She was always so nice to me. She's

non-judgmental and very kind. And I attacked her in my stupidity?in my

foolishness. Now she'll probably never trust me again.

That is, if she survived my attack. There is some possibility she might

be dead. And there will be the Pitt to pay if she is.

What would Air Razor say if she found out what I've done? Primus, she'd

probably hate me as well, just like Bouncealot and Satin do right now.

Just when I think I'm turning into a fully-fledged Maximal, I go and

screw it up.

Maybe everyone won't be so harsh on me because it partly was my beast

mode's fault, came the hopeful thought, but it was swept away in an

instant.

I can't hide behind that lie, Killshandra thought. It was MY doing. I

started it, my beast mode only helped make the situation worse. But it

was my fault.

I'm a warrior. I've said so often enough, and I like to think that it's

true. I was a fighter during the Great War, and I probably vanquished

many Decepticons. Yes, I remember doing so. I have the strength and

skills of a warrior. Warriors, true warriors, do not run and hide behind

falsities and lies. I will have to be responsible for my actions. I'm no

child; I can except whatever punishment is dealt to me. By doing so,

hopefully someone will be able to redeem me.

It is not enough just to have the strength and skills of a warrior; I

must have the soul of one as well. I must be courageous and fearless

when it comes to emotional battles as well as physical ones.

That knowledge comforted Killshandra somewhat. If she accepted her

punishment, whether it be exile for attacking a comrade, or a lack of

friendship and trust, she would eventually be redeemed. If not by one or

two of her teammates then hopefully by Primus.

But even such knowledge did not quell the fear that was racing around in

her heart. It attacked her resolve, making her feel weak and vulnerable,

whispering chilling thoughts inside her brain.

Suddenly the CR chamber opened. Killshandra did not look to see who it

was, for she already knew. It was Nightshade, it had to be Nightshade.

It was easy enough to tell by the small pitter-patter of her small

raptor feet, and her ivory claws clicking on the Axalon's floor.

"Pretty Lady!" Bouncealot shouted. "You're back! Oh thank Primus!"

Killshandra could hear the hare/sparrow Fuzor bound towards Nightshade

in one huge bound. "I thought you 'ad been swallowed up by death! It was

quite a scary experience, just standing 'ere waiting. And slowly, slowly

going crazy, lalalala.....I always forget the rest of that song. But,

anyway I'm just terribly glad you're back Pretty Lady!"

"Glad to see you among the living AGAIN, girl" Satin replied.

"Thanks Satin, and you too Bouncealot" Nightshade said, obviously

subdued by the atmosphere in the bridge.

"Nightshade" Dinobot said. Killshandra nearly jumped at the sound of

Dinobot's voice. He had not spoken in a while. "We need to talk. The

three of us."

There was no misunderstanding about who "the three of us" were.

"Of course" Nightshade said, her voice seeming quite mature.

"Bouncealot, Satin, would you please leave? This is probably going to be

something you don't want to hear."

"Sure thing Pretty Lady" Bouncealot said, with palpable unease creeping

into his voice. "It's just...I hope you don't get hurt" he mumbled to

her in passing. Killshandra heard Bouncealot hop out of the bridge and

down one of the hallways.

There was still one more unwanted presence in the room.

"Satin?" Nightshade asked.

"No way!" Satin interjected. "I'm not leaving you alone with that flying

plague of death!"

Killshandra almost growled audibly, but stopped herself.

"Fox, you'll get moving or else my optical lasers will force you to"

came Dinobot's angry growl.

"Hmm, using force to get your way" Satin said. "So you and Killshandra

DO have a few things in common!"

Dinobot sighed. "Now I see where Phantom gets it" he mumbled out loud.

"Satin, please leave" Nightshade said, a bit more forcefully. "This is

something we have to do on our own. We're big kids now; we can solve our

own problems. Satin, please leave."

"Fine" Satin grumbled. "But I'm only doing this for you. Sir

Fights-too-much and his little threats don't scare me." The fox walked

off, her claws clicking on the floor.

"I take it that's going to be my official nickname now" Dinobot said.

Killshandra smiled at Dinobot's rare display of humor, but still kept

her eyes on the floor.

"Killshandra" came Nightshade's voice. Killshandra winced at the sound.

"Nightshade, I know what you're going to say" Killshandra said, finally

gathering enough courage to speak. Now it was time to put her warrior

self to the test. "And I'd just like to explain my side of the story."

"I know, it was wrong for me to attack you. It was wrong for me to even

dislike you. All through our arctic journey I was somewhat, just a bit

mind you, but I was still jealous of you. You just always got so close

to Dinobot. I hate to say it, even when you got a pneumonia I was still

jealous of you. Dinobot was thinking about you all the time?I knew why

of course. Your disease was deadly. I WAS worried about you like

everyone else, Nightshade. But I was also jealous of you. It was stupid

of me, and I was wrong. When you were well again, I was happy for you.

Jealousy did not consume my thoughts entirely. But it almost did. Then

I....well....I got a bit too forward with Dinobot...."

"You kissed him, I know" Nightshade interrupted.

"Oh" Killshandra said. She paused, and glanced over at the tan and beige

velociraptor, who shifted a bit uncomfortably.

If he thinks he's uncomfortable, he doesn't know how I feel, Killshandra

thought to herself. I hate admitting this! But, I have to.

"And then, well, Dinobot ran off..." Killshandra stopped and faltered.

And I thought it was because he loved you more than me.

Those were the words Killshandra tried to say, but could not. This was

just so embarrassing! Nightshade was probably looking down her nose at

her right now. The flying raptor was already ashamed enough, she did not

want any more. And to say all this in front of Dinobot. Sweet Primus was

there any worse torture?

Bots are sapient beings. They have logic circuits just like humans have

brainpower. They have sparks, just like souls. They can feel pain, like

humans.

The bodies of bots are made of metal, but their hearts are not. Bots

have emotions too. They have pride. They have humility. And they have

limitations.

Right now Killshandra had reached one of hers. Her words deserted her,

and her courage ran and hide in a proverbial hole, letting fear swamp

over her like a mist.

"Killshandra, you don't need to explain any more" Nightshade said. "I

understand."

Nightshade's voice was different than it usually was. This time her

voice was mature and calm, almost like Air Razor's voice. Gone was the

childish squeal and serenading voice, now it was much more deep and

profound.

Killshandra turned all her focus on Nightshade now. Dinobot, the bridge,

the CR chambers, everything else was unimportant. It was only Nightshade

she was concerned about now.

For it was Nightshade, the one she had attacked, that would select her

punishment.

It would be Nightshade who would or would not cast the stone.

Killshandra only silently prayed that the stone would not leave her with

a scar for life.

"I know that bot minds can be very complicated things. People need to be

harsh, and people need to be kind, depending on the situation. Or

rather, people feel they need to be harsh. There are many conflicts that

could be avoided if people only realize this. People don't need to be

violent, and to inflict their views so harshly upon others."

"I'm sure if you and I could have talked about this whole Dinobot thing,

we would have been able to work things out and not gotten into a fight.

Talking is always the best way of solving things first. That is what the

Maximals believe in."

"Killshandra, you haven't been a Maximal for that long. Some part of you

is still Predacon. Your probably just didn't realize these beliefs that

the Maximals uphold."

"Yes I did" Killshandra protested. "I won't have you thinking a false

image of me, Nightshade. I know Maximals believe in peace, talking

before fighting, and all that stuff. I knew it....but I did not follow

it."

Nightshade nodded, with a weary certainty in her eyes. She spoke again.

"Since you did know of our policies, then in your anger you forgot them.

Emotions are things that make are lives interesting, but no one ever

said they weren't dangerous. Too much of one emotion, such as jealousy

or anger, can be destructive."

"I don't understand why you were jealous of me. Slag, I didn't even know

I had any sorts of feelings for Dinobot until just before you attacked

me. I'm personally convinced that I STILL don't, no matter what Satin

says."

Nightshade cracked a short smile.

"I don't understand why you did it, but I know what your intentions

were. You wanted Dinobot for yourself, and you didn't want any other

female to have him. You did it out of love. Nothing done out of love is

ever wrong. People may be punished for the things they do out of love.

They may die. But an act done for love, not a twisted kind of love, but

pure love, is never wrong."

"Killshandra, I don't want you to live with this guilt for the rest of

your life. You did something wrong, yes. You yourself have admitted

that, which shows how noble you are. Nobility and a strong character are

things people look for in a friend, and you are still one of mine."

"I don't want to stop being your friend because of one mistake that you

made. It was a big one granted, but still a mistake. If you can prove to

me, as I'm sure you will, that you will not act like that again, I'll

stick by you. Every experience helps people learn, Killshandra. I hope

this has taught you something, for no one ever suffers if they learn

something in the end."

Killshandra looked up at Nightshade's sky blue eyes, so different from

her own sapphire blue. The red and black raptor smiled as she saw the

pure and undying friendship in Nightshade's eyes.

Truly an angel of mercy, she thought to herself.

"I have learned something" Killshandra said with a nod. "I've learned

many things. I've learned not to let my emotions let me get carried

away. It's funny; emotions were something I never thought I had until

now." Killshandra gave a wry chuckle. "I've learned not to let my beast

mode control me. But most importantly I've learned what it feels like to

have friends like you in the Maximals, something I thought would take me

a long time to obtain. Thanks so much Nightshade."

Killshandra bounded to her feet, and walked over to Nightshade. She

nuzzled the youngster's muzzle in a raptor guesture of happiness.

Nightshade smiled and nuzzled her back.

The stone had not been cast, and there was no scar as the end result.

Nightshade would not blame her, or spread rumours to anyone else and

make them hate her. There would be only the memory to remind Killshandra

of her actions, and the lessons she had learned.

Learning without pain as an end result is often not possible in life.

Learning comes from pain more often than not.

Killshandra had already tortured herself enough with the guilt of what

she had done, and the thoughts of what could be if Nightshade had not

forgiven her.

A lesson in acceptance had sprung from that.

"You're welcome Killa!" Nightshade responded. The mature look was still

there in her eyes, but not in her voice. Her voice was now as squeaky

and childish as it had ever been.

"Thank Primus you're back Nightshade" Dinobot spoke up. "I was worried

that you were a clone." He gave a short-lived smile, but his face soon

settled back into his regular seriousness.

"Now Killshandra, I have to explain my actions to you" Dinobot said,

shifting his green eyes to the winged raptor. "You both know what

happened after Killshandra kissed me; I need not repeat myself," he

coughed uncomfortably.

"I didn't know what to think" Dinobot said. "I've never had anyone kiss

me before, it was very odd. So I left, confused and wondering what in

the Pitt to do."

"I'd like to say that I finally came up with the idea of having a nice

long talk with you two. I'd like to say that, but if I did I'd be lying.

In truth, I was scared of that. Fear isn't something that happens often

to me, you realize. It was the fox that finally pushed me to it. I did

not go willingly at first, but finally I did. I arrived not a second too

soon it appeared. That was why I left, Killshandra, and that was why I

came back. I admit what I did was cowardly and foolish."

"You couldn't help it Dinobot, you're just a guy" Killshandra said with

a smile and a laugh. She was just so happy that she felt like bringing

some humor to this awkward situation. That seemed to make Dinobot relax

a bit more, although he still looked a bit uneasy.

"Really Dinobot, it's okay" Killshandra said. "I suppose it's I who

should apologize for being so forward. Sorry, it's just you looked good

in that light."

Dinobot coughed uncomfortably, and Killshandra wondered if she had said

the wrong thing. But there was a glint of humor in his green eyes that

put her fears to rest. She had never seen his eyes like that, but she

did not object to it.

"And also because I just couldn't find another way to express my

feelings and all that stuff" she added.

"I do not blame you" Dinobot said. "I would have done a lot worse than a

mere kiss I assure you, if our positions had been switched."

"And now...I need to add something more to this conversation" Dinobot

said, drawing himself up to his full height. Killshandra felt his gaze

sweep over her and Nightshade like a radar, or a search light.

"You both....love me" he seemed to choke on the word for a few seconds.

"Is that completely true?"

He's still uncomfortable with the thought of romance, Killshandra

noticed. Maybe I am too, just a bit.

"For me, yes" Killshandra answered, quite sure in her belief. She knew

what she felt for Dinobot, as foolish and dangerous as the emotion may

be.

Nightshade paused, her muzzle wrinkled in thought.

"For me....I don't think so" Nightshade said. "No, I'm not hiding my

true feelings for you Dinobot. I'm just not sure what they are. Most of

me wants to be your friend...well, wants to keep going the way we used

to go. I annoy you and you get mad at me, that way. But another part of

me...I'm not sure. All in all, I don't think I love you, but I might."

"And you're supposed to be the sentimental Maximal who knows all about

romance" Dinobot sighed.

"Now that's just stereotyiping" Nightshade replied, her voice childish

again. "It's wrong to stereotype people, Dinobot. You could miss out on

a few valuable friendships if you do that. Some people could actually be

nice if you get the time to know them, and not care about their factions

or looks and stuff."

"Again I get anothe moral message from you, brat!" Dinobot snarled.

"Without me, where those messages come from?" Nightshade asked with a

smile.

"It's those messages I can do without" Dinobot replied with a growl.

The two of them paused, and slowly smiled at each other. Dinobot slowly

chuckled, and Nightshade snickered. Killshandra wondered what had passed

between them, and felt a bit of fear claw at her heart.

No, I'm not getting jealous again! Killshandra thought angrilly.

Whatever Dinobot decides has got to be right for him. Even though

Nightshade forgave me, like a true friend will, I shall have to accept

Dinobot's decision.

"I think we just demonstrated why a loving relationship between us would

never work" Nightshade commented. "If I were in love with you, I

wouldn't be able to be...me! I wouldn't bug you and stuff if I cared

THAT much about you. The relationship we have right now is fine with

me."

"And if I were in love with you I'd have to act....nice to you!" Dinobot

said, with a shudder half-faked disgust. "It would be quite an unnerving

experience. I've never cared about you before and I won't care about you

now."

"Oh really Dinobot?" Killshandra asked. "What about when she was in the

arctic?"

Dinobot glared at her irritably. Killshandra did not mind this time, she

smiled broadly back. He knew she was just teasing him.

"I don't know what I felt for you Dinobot, but I think it was just a

fluke" Nightshade replied. "Or maybe an act of my subconcious of

something. But....I don't think I do love you. I might think you look

good in beast mode, but I don't love you." There was a small twinge of

regret in her voice, but it slipped away quickly enough.

"And I don't love you then" Dinobot replied with a smile. "I suppose I

should say that you're a nice girl and that there's a man out there for

you SOMEWHERE....but I can't. You can't wring a compliment like that out

of me Nightshade."

"I wasn't going to try" the small raptor replied with a smile.

Nightshade, still grinning cheek to cheek, turned to Killshandra, her

sky blue eyes sparkling. She did not appear sad at all.

"Well Killshandra, since I don't want him, will you take him?"

Nightshade asked, motioning to Dinobot.

"Of course!" Killshandra replied with a smile.

"Do you think he'll let you?" Nightshade asked.

"I'm sure he will" Killshandra replied. Dinobot nodded his head,

wordlessly saying that he would take her as well.

"Fine. Talk about me like I'm not even here" Dinobot grumbled.

"Who said that?" Killshandra asked, looking around for an invincible

voice.

Abruptly, speech failed and the trio starting giggling and chuckling for

no apparent reason. Nightshade's high pitched giggles, Killshandra's

lower-pitched laughs, and Dinobot's low chuckles of mirth filled the

air, squeezing out all bad feelings. It was a symphony of joy, and...a

tribute to achieved harmony, without the use of weapons, it seemed.

Killshandra knew why they were all laughing. Everything had worked out.

Killshandra had been forgiven for her crimes. Nightshade and Dinobot had

broken up without tears of broken hearts. Nightshade seemed contented

without having any lover by her side. And now Dinobot agreed to love

her.

Killshandra grinned. She would not trade the feeling she felt now for

the world, or the galaxy. For all her troubles, this feeling of love,

joy and acceptance was all she needed.

A Maximal, Killshandra thought. I can call myself one now. Not an

ex-Predacon, and not a traitor. I'm a Maximal. A Maximal that has a

great friend like Nightshade, and a fledgeling relationship with

Dinobot.

Feldgeling relationships....they could be hard. And they could hurt.

Most of them end before the first two months.

But relationships, like the most beautiful of flowers, grow. Some

flourish and prosper, others wilt and die. It all depends on the two

people in the relationship to determine whether their flower will live

or die.

And Killshandra was quite sure that this little flower would live.

******

You have so many relationships in this life,

Only one or two will last.

You're going through all the pain and strife,

Then you turn your back and they're gone so fast

And they're gone so fast

So hold onto the ones who really care

In the end they'll be the only ones there

When you get old and start loosing your hair

Can you tell me who will still care?

Can you tell me who will still care?

-Mmmbop, by Hanson

******

Satin stalked down the corridors of the Axalon in robot mode, searching

for Malice. All this talk of Dinobot's romantic problems had given her a

need to fix her own ones. She wanted to talk to Malice, truly talking.

She did not want him to avoid her questions any more, like he usually

did.

I need to know as much about Malice as I can, Satin thought to herself.

I knew what he was like in the Gang, but even then I didn't know too

much about him. I never cared.

Well, now I do. And if he doesn't like that then he can go screw

himself. If he really does care about me, he'll answer what I have to

say.

It was these thoughts that had filled Satin with a sudden determination

so feirce and violent it blotted out almost every other thought. Usually

Satin was a bit scared of Malice. She did not want him angry at her; a

bot named Malice would certainly cary a grudge for a long time.

But now she was not scared, just angry and thirsting for knowledge.

Wanting a bandage for the emotional scars she had.

She mentally reviewed her questions in her head.

What did you do in the Great War? What were you like before you joined

the Gang? We you ever talkative and friendly, Malice? If so, why did you

change? What was a big important memory of your past life? Did you ever

have any other lovers? Why did you not stay with them? There, that's

good enough to start off with. Hopefully I can dig in deep with these

questions. A good starting point, that's what I need.

Instead of Malice, she found the person she had least expected to see.

Dinobot.

"I have been looking for you, fox" Dinobot said, his voice a low and

evil growl.

The tan and beige bot walked up to her, his crimson optics narrowing at

the sight of her. He still maintained his distance, keeping a meter

between them and coming no nearer. The darkness of the corrider the two

of them were in cast shadows over his features, making his optics shine

with a particular brilliance.

It also gives him sort of rugged good looks....no, don't start thinking

he's hot again girl, Satin reprimanded herself. I thought that once, a

LONG time ago, and it got me into no end of trouble. The guy's a jerk, a

jerk with a chin as long as the Nile and a nose as curved a beak. And

he's an honorable jerk too.

So, why did this honorable jerk come searching for me?

Satin automatically stiffened, and she noticed that Dinobot did to.

Whatever they had felt it was only for one night, and even then it had

been some Smelter inspired fluke. It would never happen again.

But, it was best to just be prepared to stop it happening again, if that

fluke reoccured.

"So, how did the talk go, Sir Fights-too-much?" Satin asked.

"A lot better than was expected, fox, and a lot shorter to" Dinobot

replied.

"Care to give me any details?" Satin asked, eager to know what had

happened. "If you hurt Nightshade, I swear I'll destroy you" she

growled. Satin cared for Nightshade, almost as much as she cared for

Marbelle. The two of them were kind of the same, except Nightshade was a

lot more innocent and childish.

"I am not going to tell me anything fox!" Dinobot snapped. "If you're as

smart as your beast mode is supposed to be, you shall figure things out

sooner or later. Although, I sincerely doubt that." He sneered.

"Okay, Lizard-Butt" Satin said. "If you're not here to give me the final

score, why are you here? And it better not be to kill me. Or to do

anything else to me for that matter."

"I swear to Primus and all other deities I would rather kill the entire

Maximal and Predacon fleet before I ever thought of coming this close to

you again" Dinobot vowed, and he looked like he meant it with all

certainty.

"Phantom did just that" Satin mumbled, remebering the reason her son was

exiled in the first place.

A embarrassed silence ensued for a few seconds that dragged by like

years. The two bots looked everywhere except at each other.

"I came....to...to" Dinobot stuttered. He snarled at himself. "I came

to....thank you, fox" he blurted out in a quiet voice.

Despite her best efforts, Satin could not refrain from gasping in shock.

Of all the things she had expected, this had not been one.

"You're thanking me" Satin repeated like a stupid echo. Finally she

recovered from her shock and was instantly suspicious again.

"You and that infernal hare pushed me to talk with the two of them"

Dinobot explained. "Without you, I probably would not have done so. And

Nightshade probably would not be among the living. I would have stalled,

hesitated and probably never would have sorted out anything. You saved

me from waiting too long and letting wounds fester, fox. That, is why

I....I thank you."

Dinobot glared at the floor for lack of a better place to look, as if

blaming the silver metal for his troubles.

"Oh, okay....well...I guess I can live with that...." Satin began, but

Dinobot raised his head again.

"I'm not finished" he snapped. "Although I wish I were" he added as an

afterthought.

"Okay then" Satin grumbled to herself.

"Since you saved me from having the death of Nightshade on my

conscience, and since you helped in such a...sensitive matter, I

grudgingly say that I am in your debt" Dinobot said, as if he was

vomited up the words. "It would be unhonorable if I did otherwise" he

added quickly as an excuse.

"Oh great, the man I hate most in the world is in my debt" Satin said,

making a face and groaning inwardly. "Well, stranger things have

happened today. I find out two girls are in love with you, you try to

kill me, and Nightshade almost dies. You do that freaky snake charmer

thing, which was really scary. And now you claim to have solved all your

romantic problems in twenty minutes, even though you have no prior

experiences in love whatsoever. This by far takes the cake though; me in

Dinobot's debt. It should make the headlines."

"Do not think I took any pleasure in doing so, slut!" Dinobot replied

with his trademark irritable growl.

Satin smirked back at him.

"Well, I release thee from thy debt, Sir Warrior" Satin replied. "I want

as little to do with you as possible. I was only in this for helping

Nightshade anyway. I'm personally looking forward to closing this

chapter of my life right now, and never speaking to you again."

"And I you, fox" Dinobot, looking considerably more relieved.

"Now get thee on thy way, Bozo, before thy stench makes me puke" Satin

said, with a wave of her hand. The two of them slowly edged away from

each other, and backed off. Because of that, Satin found herself walking

down the opposite corridor than she had wanted to go down.

That stupid raptor, Satin thought with a growl. I'm actually hoping he

didn't choose Nightshade as his girl. I hate to see Nightshade tied down

to that thing.

Fortunately, she saw a familliar shape in the hallway. His spikey,

almost punk-like robotic mane and his two roboticized beast mode ears on

his head stood out like a lighthouse in a storm.

"Malice!" Satin cried out, quite happy to have found him.

The hyena-bot noticed her and smiled. It was a friendly smile...but not

a truly loving smile.

That's one of the things I hope to change with this little questionaire,

Satin thought. It's time to love me or leave me, Malice.

I do hope you choose love.

"Hello, love, anything interesting happen to you?" Malice asked.

Oh yeah, Satin thought. Two girls admitted their love for Dinobot,

Killshandra went crazy and Nightshade almost died again. Now Dinobot's

chosen a girlfriend, and I was in his debt for five seconds.

"Nothing important, hon" Satin replied, with a slight smile.

She reached deep inside herself, trying to find the courage necessary to

confront Malice about his deep dark past. When she tried though, she

found her courage missing, and herself dry-mouthed.

What? Satin thought worriedly. How did this happen?! How can I still be

afraid, after all I had prepared and planned?!

I want him to love me, Satin thought. I don't want him to leave me. If I

make him talk, maybe he will leave. He probably will. Maybe I'm better

off not knowing what his past is all about. Maybe it will hurt both of

us too much. So that it will never be the same again, and we can never

have a true relationship.

And you call this a true relationship? Satin thought back venemously,

but with desperation. You're afraid of him! You're hiding from him! Why

can't you speak out and be the bold and confident Satin you've always

portrayed yourself to be?

Because I'm not bold or confident, the thoughts came flooding in. I've

built up my persona so quickly. I had to during the War; those kind of

people were promoted. That's how I got to be second in command of Covert

Ops with Rattrap. But really, I'm just a little girl, younger than

Nightshade, when it comes to some things. Love included. I'm just a

scared witless kid.

Right now someone loves me, and I love him. Maybe it's not true love, or

as pure as it could be. It's just a spring or a brook compared to a

ocean or sea. But it IS love, just as sure as a spring is water. Maybe

not a lot of water, but water notheless. If that love disappears, what's

left for me? If my spring dries up, where will I get water from?

"I'm just here to say, I missed yah, darlin' " Satin said, kissing

Malice quickly. Malice smiled back at her in surprise.

"I missed you too" he smiled at her. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have

monitor duty, so-"

"Of course" Satin said, making room for him to pass. She watched him

intently as he walked down the hall.

Anything is better than nothing at all, she tried to comfort herself.

Right. Just like poisoned driking water is better than no water at all?

came the taunting thought.

It is to me, Satin thought firmly.

She walked down the hallway to her own quarters, all the while trying to

ignore the reprimanding thought that was put into one word.

Coward.