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wyntir_knightTitle: The Devil You Know
Series: G1 universe, focusing on Original characters
Rating: R
Summary: In the early days of the civil war on Cybertron, Sentinel Prime authorized several refugee vessels to take Neutrals away from the planet in hopes that they could start peaceful colonies where they would be safe. Many of these refugees were never heard from again; lost to us through time and distance. But history does record the fate of one of the vessels. The Stormchaser was three orns away from its destination when it was shot down by Decepticons in an act of cowardice and deceit. There were no survivors. That is what history tells us. But in this case, history is wrong.
Author's Note: Day 13 and another chapter done. I think that I'm contradicting myself on several points, but I'm going to resist the urge to go fix the problems. ... I have also found that the Windsaber is acting like an Autobot and Cobalt is acting like a Decepticon. Go figure!
21706 / 50000 words. 43% done!
Chapter 8
The moment’s distraction was all that Windsaber needed. He rolled away from the Autobot, spinning away and getting his feet under him. In a moment, he was standing at the ready, his arms raised, guns aimed at the space the Neutrals were running from. The crowd ran toward Cobalt and Windsaber in a rush, desperate to get away from the edges of the wood. Cobalt didn’t let the panicked mob stop his forward momentum, his goal of killing Windsaber still in his sights. With a guttural cry he raised his hands in front of him, keen on using the chain as a garrotte.
“Cobalt!” Arclight screamed. “We don’t have time for this!”
Windsaber spun on Cobalt aiming his weapons at the Autobot.
“Your friend’s right,” Windsaber growled. “We do not have time for this. We’re under attack and I don’t need your idiocy!”
Cobalt struck out at Windsaber with a deep throated growl, punching the Decepticon in the midriff. Windsaber fell back from the blow, his legs falling out from under him. He rolled out of the way just in time to avoid Cobalt’s next blow. Bringing his left leg up, he swept Cobalt’s legs out from under him. With lightning quick speed Windsaber pinned Cobalt to the ground, pressing his gun to the Autobot’s temple.
“Calm down or I will kill you,” Windsaber growled.
“Then do it!” Cobalt spat, staring up at the Decepticon defiantly.
“Stop it! Both of you!” Arclight yelled.
Behind her, the Neutrals huddled at the center of the clearing, circling the fire, optics wide with fear staring at the edge of the woods and the battling mechs.
Windsaber looked up at Arclight and the Neutrals, then down at Cobalt. Slowly he stood and moved away from the Autobot.
“She’s right. We don’t have time for this,” he growled. “I will let you go and let you live, but only because I’m not done with you yet.”
“I will come after you if you don’t kill me now,” Cobalt sneered.
“Fine. You do that,” Windsaber dismissed. “But right now I need to help these people. … Funny, I thought that was what you Autobots claimed to be all about.”
Cobalt’s optics narrowed angrily, but he stood calmly.
“You’re right. I lost my head,” he said. “But don’t think that I have forgotten about you.”
“Now, will someone tell me what is going on here?” Windsaber demanded, ignoring Cobalt.
“The trees! They took Pitstop!” a jet black mech cried, hysterical with fear.
“It’s all right, Obsibian,” Windsaber said calmly. “I need you to calm down and tell me exactly what happened.”
“I … I saw it!” Obsidian said, gulping air in an attempt to cool his systems and calm down. “I was talking with Pitstop when these vines came out of the wood and took him away!”
“That’s ridiculous!” Cobalt grumbled. “Trees don’t take people. This is all just part of your plan to avoid fighting me.”
“Yes, that’s exactly it,” Windsaber snapped. “After all, you were doing so well up until now.” He turned back to Obsidian and looked the mech in the optics. “Are you sure that what you saw was vegetation?”
“I think so … I don’t know. It’s dark over there,” Obsidian replied. “Just, don’t let them get us, please!”
“Nothing’s going to get you. Just calm down,” Arclight said as she stepped up to him, placing one hand on his neck to take a reading.
“Are … you sure?” Obsidian asked doubtfully.
“Yes, I’m sure,” Windsaber replied.
Another cry rang out in the night, proving Windsaber wrong. He spun just in time to see a red and black form being dragged into the woods, a thick green cable wrapped tightly around his legs.
“Roulette!” Twostrike yelled.
He ran forward and grabbed Roulette’s arms in one of his massive hands. He planted his feet firmly, and brought his guns to bear on the vine. He gave a mighty tug on Roulette and fired at the vine, but as if it had anticipated the move, the vine twisted violently, thrashing violently in an attempt to avoid the blasts and to wrench free from Twostrike’s grip.
“What the slag,” Windsaber and Cobalt breathed, frozen by the site before them.
“Help me!” Twostrike screamed.
That was enough to bring the others out of their stupor. The Neutrals screamed as one, running from the danger like a flock of avians fleeing a predator. Cobalt was bowled over in the panic and it was all Arclight could do to prevent Obsidian from being trampled by the mob.
It was Windsaber who brought order back. His normally silky voice rang out like a gunshot silencing the crowd.
“I want the smaller mechs in the middle, the larger on the outside,” Windsaber ordered. “And I want those of you who can fight up here!”
With that, he ran forward, firing at the vine that had now wrapped itself around the entirely of Roulette’s body.
This time the vine failed to anticipate the shots. The laser blasts hit dead center in a thick part of the vine just below Roulette’s feet. The green of the vegetation hissed and blackened, but it didn’t stop the attack. With a sudden burst of speed, the vine gave a mighty tug and pulled Roulette harder toward the woods. Roulette’s hands slipped from Twostrike’s grasp and before anyone could react he was gone leaving only a gurgling scream behind.
“Roulette!” Twostrike screamed as he lunged toward the forest.
He was three steps from the tree line when he was bowled over by Windsaber.
“No! Twostrike, we need you! You can’t do anything now and they need you!” Windsaber yelled, grabbing Twostrike’s chin and forcing him to look at the other Neutrals as they huddled away from the forest.
Arclight had placed herself between the Neutrals and the woods. He had drawn her laserswords and preparing to defend the group. She was flanked by Cobalt on one side and Waverunner on the other.
“You need to get back, sir!” Arclight said to Waverunner.
“I am perfectly capable of fighting, and I will not leave the defence of my people in the hands of outsiders,” he snapped back.
Waverunner raised his gun, aiming it at the woods, Cobalt at his side, his hands raised before him.
An unearthly silence fell over the woods. The animals stopped making noise, the cries of the Neutrals fell to soft hiccoughing, even the fire seemed to be quiet as it crackled and popped.
Windsaber helped Twostrike to his feet and led him to the fire and the rest of the Neutrals. The large Neutral was sobbing miserably, looking like a broken weck.
“He’s gone,” he whispered. “He was right there and I couldn’t save him. He was right there and I couldn’t stop it. I had him … I had him in my hands and I …”
Arclight sheathed her swords and pocketed the hilts. She moved forward and took Twostrike’s hand in hers.
“It’s all right,” she whispered. “It’ll be all right.”
“It won’t be,” Twostrike sobbed. “It won’t ever be okay …”
Arclight moved to comfort him when all hell broke loose. Another scream ripped through the night, and suddenly, they were all surrounded by the forest.
The Neutrals screamed and wailed, huddling in against the fire as the few warriors tried valiantly to defend them. The sound of panic was enough to wake Twostrike, and instantly, his sorrow was turned to rage. He leapt to his feet and began to shoot at the trees rushing forward to attack the vines that lashed out at them all.
Arclight pulled her swords again and attacked fiercely, Waverunner at her side, firing his small pistol in an attempt to provide cover. She spun out and struck, lashing out at the vines, moving quickly and efficiently. All her training came back to her as she fought, but this time she wasn’t in a competition. This time she was fighting for her life. Fighting for the lives of everyone here. Far too quickly she found herself overwhelmed, pushed back by the woods. Far too quickly she found herself a victim rather than a saviour.
On the other side of the camp Windsaber and Cobalt fought back to back, trying desperately to keep the trees back from the Neutrals. Windsaber fired at the vines while Cobalt fought desperately with his bare hands.
“I would be more effective if you released me!” Cobalt yelled to Windsaber, his hands held out to the Decepticon.
“I can’t trust you,” Windsaber retorted as he fired at an approaching vine.
“You have no choice!” Cobalt cried as he beat away at a vine with his fists.
Suddenly, Arclight was thrown through the crowd, landing heavily at Cobalt’s feet. She rolled up to her feet and spun out again against the vines in savage slashing release.
“Let me loose!” Cobalt yelled. “You need my help and I need my hands!”
“Windsaber!” Arclight yelled. “We need his help! Now let him go!”
Windsaber paused for a moment before finally giving in. He spun and with a deft motion he released the bonds the held Cobalt’s hands and legs. With a quick nod, the Autobot spun out and attacked the vines savagely, using previously unavailable weapons to strike out at the offending vegetation.
The battle continued as the defenders fought for the safety of the Neutrals, but it seemed that every vine that was destroyed, two more sprang up and the screams continued to rise in the night as the vegetation continued to take victim after victim.
Then, suddenly, the battle was over as quickly as it began. Windsaber, Cobalt, Arclight, Twostrike, and Waverunner stood in a circle around the Neutrals, coolant fans cycling loudly desperately trying to cool overheated systems.
“Waverunner, I need you to do a head count,” Windsaber ordered. “Who did we lose?”
Waverunner moved among the sobbing and injured Neutrals slowly, speaking to everyone momentarily, trying to bring calm to his people. When he returned, his face was grim.
“We’re missing five mechs,” he said sadly.
“Who?” Arclight asked.
“Syzygy, Swash, Roulette, Carbine, and Pitstop,” Waverunner replied mournfully.
“All right,” Windsaber said with a sigh. “It’s obvious that we aren’t safe here, but I don’t trust moving at night. We’ll head out at first light. After my troops return from patrol.”
“We need to leave now,” Cobalt argued. “And screw your troops!”
“I would expect that kind of attitude from an Autobot,” Windsaber growled. “Oh yes, we’ve heard the stories of you leaving your own behind.”
“I think you’re mistaking our crimes with yours, Decepticon scum,” Cobalt shot back.
“This is neither the time nor the place for this kind of argument!” Arclight said. “We have injured mechs here. They’re frightened and they’re convinced that another attack is coming. We need to put up a united front and make them feel safe!”
“No, we need to make them safe,” Windsaber replied. “And to do that we need to get them somewhere we can fortify. But we don’t dare move at night. We don’t have enough fuel to provide the required light.”
“So we’re back to the city are we?” Cobalt sneered. “Why are you so fascinated with it anyways?”
“Because it’s defensible, you idiot!” Windsaber yelled as he closed the distance between himself and Cobalt.
“The ship is just as defensible, and there is a weapons cash there!” Cobalt shot back.
“And we don’t know where it is!” Windsaber said. “We know where the city is!”
“So you say,” Cobalt sneered.
“Yes! So I say! I have not once lied to these people. Can you vaunted Autobots say the same? After all, didn’t you promise that the refugee vessels would not be used for transporting weapons?” Windsaber asked.
“I was only following orders,” Cobalt said. “Besides, you Decepticons were never planning on keeping your side of the bargain, now were you?”
“I guess we’ll never know, now will we?” Windsaber asked.
Cobalt’s optics darkened. He seemed fully prepared to launch himself at the Decepticon, but his attention was distracted by the sound of something crashing through the woods, racing at them at full speed. All arguments and faction loyalties were put aside as Autobot, Decepticon, and Neutral stood side by side, weapons raised, prepared to defend the camp from this newest threat.
Closer it came, screaming and wailing, crashing through the trees and undergrowth. Behind the defenders, the Neutrals huddles together, whimpering softly, some of them saying prayers to a god who hadn’t listen for millennia.
The form crashed through the trees, throwing itself into their midst. Thankfully, both Arclight and Windsaber were attentive.
“Hold!” Windsaber cried, raising his weapon.
“Cobalt no!” Arclight yelled, lunging at the Autobot and throwing off his aim. “It’s Updraft!”
“They took him!” Updraft screamed. “I couldn’t stop it! Strobe is gone! They took him!”
His optics rolled back into his head and he collapsed into a miserable heap on the ground.
Series: G1 universe, focusing on Original characters
Rating: R
Summary: In the early days of the civil war on Cybertron, Sentinel Prime authorized several refugee vessels to take Neutrals away from the planet in hopes that they could start peaceful colonies where they would be safe. Many of these refugees were never heard from again; lost to us through time and distance. But history does record the fate of one of the vessels. The Stormchaser was three orns away from its destination when it was shot down by Decepticons in an act of cowardice and deceit. There were no survivors. That is what history tells us. But in this case, history is wrong.
Author's Note: Day 13 and another chapter done. I think that I'm contradicting myself on several points, but I'm going to resist the urge to go fix the problems. ... I have also found that the Windsaber is acting like an Autobot and Cobalt is acting like a Decepticon. Go figure!
The moment’s distraction was all that Windsaber needed. He rolled away from the Autobot, spinning away and getting his feet under him. In a moment, he was standing at the ready, his arms raised, guns aimed at the space the Neutrals were running from. The crowd ran toward Cobalt and Windsaber in a rush, desperate to get away from the edges of the wood. Cobalt didn’t let the panicked mob stop his forward momentum, his goal of killing Windsaber still in his sights. With a guttural cry he raised his hands in front of him, keen on using the chain as a garrotte.
“Cobalt!” Arclight screamed. “We don’t have time for this!”
Windsaber spun on Cobalt aiming his weapons at the Autobot.
“Your friend’s right,” Windsaber growled. “We do not have time for this. We’re under attack and I don’t need your idiocy!”
Cobalt struck out at Windsaber with a deep throated growl, punching the Decepticon in the midriff. Windsaber fell back from the blow, his legs falling out from under him. He rolled out of the way just in time to avoid Cobalt’s next blow. Bringing his left leg up, he swept Cobalt’s legs out from under him. With lightning quick speed Windsaber pinned Cobalt to the ground, pressing his gun to the Autobot’s temple.
“Calm down or I will kill you,” Windsaber growled.
“Then do it!” Cobalt spat, staring up at the Decepticon defiantly.
“Stop it! Both of you!” Arclight yelled.
Behind her, the Neutrals huddled at the center of the clearing, circling the fire, optics wide with fear staring at the edge of the woods and the battling mechs.
Windsaber looked up at Arclight and the Neutrals, then down at Cobalt. Slowly he stood and moved away from the Autobot.
“She’s right. We don’t have time for this,” he growled. “I will let you go and let you live, but only because I’m not done with you yet.”
“I will come after you if you don’t kill me now,” Cobalt sneered.
“Fine. You do that,” Windsaber dismissed. “But right now I need to help these people. … Funny, I thought that was what you Autobots claimed to be all about.”
Cobalt’s optics narrowed angrily, but he stood calmly.
“You’re right. I lost my head,” he said. “But don’t think that I have forgotten about you.”
“Now, will someone tell me what is going on here?” Windsaber demanded, ignoring Cobalt.
“The trees! They took Pitstop!” a jet black mech cried, hysterical with fear.
“It’s all right, Obsibian,” Windsaber said calmly. “I need you to calm down and tell me exactly what happened.”
“I … I saw it!” Obsidian said, gulping air in an attempt to cool his systems and calm down. “I was talking with Pitstop when these vines came out of the wood and took him away!”
“That’s ridiculous!” Cobalt grumbled. “Trees don’t take people. This is all just part of your plan to avoid fighting me.”
“Yes, that’s exactly it,” Windsaber snapped. “After all, you were doing so well up until now.” He turned back to Obsidian and looked the mech in the optics. “Are you sure that what you saw was vegetation?”
“I think so … I don’t know. It’s dark over there,” Obsidian replied. “Just, don’t let them get us, please!”
“Nothing’s going to get you. Just calm down,” Arclight said as she stepped up to him, placing one hand on his neck to take a reading.
“Are … you sure?” Obsidian asked doubtfully.
“Yes, I’m sure,” Windsaber replied.
Another cry rang out in the night, proving Windsaber wrong. He spun just in time to see a red and black form being dragged into the woods, a thick green cable wrapped tightly around his legs.
“Roulette!” Twostrike yelled.
He ran forward and grabbed Roulette’s arms in one of his massive hands. He planted his feet firmly, and brought his guns to bear on the vine. He gave a mighty tug on Roulette and fired at the vine, but as if it had anticipated the move, the vine twisted violently, thrashing violently in an attempt to avoid the blasts and to wrench free from Twostrike’s grip.
“What the slag,” Windsaber and Cobalt breathed, frozen by the site before them.
“Help me!” Twostrike screamed.
That was enough to bring the others out of their stupor. The Neutrals screamed as one, running from the danger like a flock of avians fleeing a predator. Cobalt was bowled over in the panic and it was all Arclight could do to prevent Obsidian from being trampled by the mob.
It was Windsaber who brought order back. His normally silky voice rang out like a gunshot silencing the crowd.
“I want the smaller mechs in the middle, the larger on the outside,” Windsaber ordered. “And I want those of you who can fight up here!”
With that, he ran forward, firing at the vine that had now wrapped itself around the entirely of Roulette’s body.
This time the vine failed to anticipate the shots. The laser blasts hit dead center in a thick part of the vine just below Roulette’s feet. The green of the vegetation hissed and blackened, but it didn’t stop the attack. With a sudden burst of speed, the vine gave a mighty tug and pulled Roulette harder toward the woods. Roulette’s hands slipped from Twostrike’s grasp and before anyone could react he was gone leaving only a gurgling scream behind.
“Roulette!” Twostrike screamed as he lunged toward the forest.
He was three steps from the tree line when he was bowled over by Windsaber.
“No! Twostrike, we need you! You can’t do anything now and they need you!” Windsaber yelled, grabbing Twostrike’s chin and forcing him to look at the other Neutrals as they huddled away from the forest.
Arclight had placed herself between the Neutrals and the woods. He had drawn her laserswords and preparing to defend the group. She was flanked by Cobalt on one side and Waverunner on the other.
“You need to get back, sir!” Arclight said to Waverunner.
“I am perfectly capable of fighting, and I will not leave the defence of my people in the hands of outsiders,” he snapped back.
Waverunner raised his gun, aiming it at the woods, Cobalt at his side, his hands raised before him.
An unearthly silence fell over the woods. The animals stopped making noise, the cries of the Neutrals fell to soft hiccoughing, even the fire seemed to be quiet as it crackled and popped.
Windsaber helped Twostrike to his feet and led him to the fire and the rest of the Neutrals. The large Neutral was sobbing miserably, looking like a broken weck.
“He’s gone,” he whispered. “He was right there and I couldn’t save him. He was right there and I couldn’t stop it. I had him … I had him in my hands and I …”
Arclight sheathed her swords and pocketed the hilts. She moved forward and took Twostrike’s hand in hers.
“It’s all right,” she whispered. “It’ll be all right.”
“It won’t be,” Twostrike sobbed. “It won’t ever be okay …”
Arclight moved to comfort him when all hell broke loose. Another scream ripped through the night, and suddenly, they were all surrounded by the forest.
The Neutrals screamed and wailed, huddling in against the fire as the few warriors tried valiantly to defend them. The sound of panic was enough to wake Twostrike, and instantly, his sorrow was turned to rage. He leapt to his feet and began to shoot at the trees rushing forward to attack the vines that lashed out at them all.
Arclight pulled her swords again and attacked fiercely, Waverunner at her side, firing his small pistol in an attempt to provide cover. She spun out and struck, lashing out at the vines, moving quickly and efficiently. All her training came back to her as she fought, but this time she wasn’t in a competition. This time she was fighting for her life. Fighting for the lives of everyone here. Far too quickly she found herself overwhelmed, pushed back by the woods. Far too quickly she found herself a victim rather than a saviour.
On the other side of the camp Windsaber and Cobalt fought back to back, trying desperately to keep the trees back from the Neutrals. Windsaber fired at the vines while Cobalt fought desperately with his bare hands.
“I would be more effective if you released me!” Cobalt yelled to Windsaber, his hands held out to the Decepticon.
“I can’t trust you,” Windsaber retorted as he fired at an approaching vine.
“You have no choice!” Cobalt cried as he beat away at a vine with his fists.
Suddenly, Arclight was thrown through the crowd, landing heavily at Cobalt’s feet. She rolled up to her feet and spun out again against the vines in savage slashing release.
“Let me loose!” Cobalt yelled. “You need my help and I need my hands!”
“Windsaber!” Arclight yelled. “We need his help! Now let him go!”
Windsaber paused for a moment before finally giving in. He spun and with a deft motion he released the bonds the held Cobalt’s hands and legs. With a quick nod, the Autobot spun out and attacked the vines savagely, using previously unavailable weapons to strike out at the offending vegetation.
The battle continued as the defenders fought for the safety of the Neutrals, but it seemed that every vine that was destroyed, two more sprang up and the screams continued to rise in the night as the vegetation continued to take victim after victim.
Then, suddenly, the battle was over as quickly as it began. Windsaber, Cobalt, Arclight, Twostrike, and Waverunner stood in a circle around the Neutrals, coolant fans cycling loudly desperately trying to cool overheated systems.
“Waverunner, I need you to do a head count,” Windsaber ordered. “Who did we lose?”
Waverunner moved among the sobbing and injured Neutrals slowly, speaking to everyone momentarily, trying to bring calm to his people. When he returned, his face was grim.
“We’re missing five mechs,” he said sadly.
“Who?” Arclight asked.
“Syzygy, Swash, Roulette, Carbine, and Pitstop,” Waverunner replied mournfully.
“All right,” Windsaber said with a sigh. “It’s obvious that we aren’t safe here, but I don’t trust moving at night. We’ll head out at first light. After my troops return from patrol.”
“We need to leave now,” Cobalt argued. “And screw your troops!”
“I would expect that kind of attitude from an Autobot,” Windsaber growled. “Oh yes, we’ve heard the stories of you leaving your own behind.”
“I think you’re mistaking our crimes with yours, Decepticon scum,” Cobalt shot back.
“This is neither the time nor the place for this kind of argument!” Arclight said. “We have injured mechs here. They’re frightened and they’re convinced that another attack is coming. We need to put up a united front and make them feel safe!”
“No, we need to make them safe,” Windsaber replied. “And to do that we need to get them somewhere we can fortify. But we don’t dare move at night. We don’t have enough fuel to provide the required light.”
“So we’re back to the city are we?” Cobalt sneered. “Why are you so fascinated with it anyways?”
“Because it’s defensible, you idiot!” Windsaber yelled as he closed the distance between himself and Cobalt.
“The ship is just as defensible, and there is a weapons cash there!” Cobalt shot back.
“And we don’t know where it is!” Windsaber said. “We know where the city is!”
“So you say,” Cobalt sneered.
“Yes! So I say! I have not once lied to these people. Can you vaunted Autobots say the same? After all, didn’t you promise that the refugee vessels would not be used for transporting weapons?” Windsaber asked.
“I was only following orders,” Cobalt said. “Besides, you Decepticons were never planning on keeping your side of the bargain, now were you?”
“I guess we’ll never know, now will we?” Windsaber asked.
Cobalt’s optics darkened. He seemed fully prepared to launch himself at the Decepticon, but his attention was distracted by the sound of something crashing through the woods, racing at them at full speed. All arguments and faction loyalties were put aside as Autobot, Decepticon, and Neutral stood side by side, weapons raised, prepared to defend the camp from this newest threat.
Closer it came, screaming and wailing, crashing through the trees and undergrowth. Behind the defenders, the Neutrals huddles together, whimpering softly, some of them saying prayers to a god who hadn’t listen for millennia.
The form crashed through the trees, throwing itself into their midst. Thankfully, both Arclight and Windsaber were attentive.
“Hold!” Windsaber cried, raising his weapon.
“Cobalt no!” Arclight yelled, lunging at the Autobot and throwing off his aim. “It’s Updraft!”
“They took him!” Updraft screamed. “I couldn’t stop it! Strobe is gone! They took him!”
His optics rolled back into his head and he collapsed into a miserable heap on the ground.
