Transformers Prime: The Risen

Chapter 22: Day Two

Emma's POV:

Megatron glares at Mithra as she knocks on his shins, and grabs and fiddles with his peds, giggling happily. Optimus stands near, watching; he's got that look that reminds you of a guard dog, the look that says 'touch them and you die'. Mithra uses the Warlord's shin to pull herself into a standing position, using his leg for leverage. She's been doing things like this, in advance to learning to walk. It's just how they learn.

"I'm suprised she's playing with such a downer." Raising an optic ridge, Crimson teases, earning a glare from Megatron.

"Downer?" He growls. "If anything, I am not a downer."

The red femme laughs. "Then ask her yourself."

It catches Megatron by suprise, but he looks down at the sparkling, his voice laced with light amusement. "Do you agree I'm not a downer?"

Mithra looks at him, blinking, before opening her mouth and speaking: "No."

Laughter overwhelms me; the look on Megsy's face was PRICELESS.

"Did... she just..." Blinking with suprise, Wheeljack sputters, his expression shocked.

"Yes she did!" Malachite laughs, her optics soft, as she approaches Megatron, bends over, and brings her sparkling into her arms. "She spoke for the first time!"

Ratchet laughs, both in joy and at Megatron, and Optimus smiles warmly.

Megatron blinks, his optics wide. Ha!

"Perfect. That was perfect." Crimson nudges Bumblebee with her elbow playfully, laughing beside the scout.

"You've been rejected, Megatron." My voice teasing, I add.

~~
Ratchet's POV:

Amusement warms my spark as Mithra said her first word; she's going to be a fine Autobot. I'd love to meet Megatron's parental units- if they were smart, his oil bath toys would be a a plugged in iron and a toaster.

The computer interupts my thoughts, a steady beeping. Hmm. Two life signals, neither Autobot or Decepticon, in Juneau, Alaska, a few clicks away from an energon signal.

A servo meets my shoulder; Darkplague greets me with warm optics. "Wanna check it out, Doc?"

"Very well." Entering the coordinates and nodding to Optimus, I reply.

"Be careful." Malachite smiles in goodbye.

~~

Darkplague hisses in beast mode, snapping the second Risen warrior in half, her optics glowing something fierce. I had let her engage them, considering she loves combat when she's in beast mode, while I snatched the energon crystals they had been here to collect.

"Not much, but it will help." I state as I stride back over to her.

Much to my surprise, when she looks at me, her optics are bright yellow, and she lets out a shriek of anger, lashing her long serpent tail around, the tip slashing a thin cut across my chest.

"ACK!" Gasping, stumbling backwards, alarm clutches my spark as she lunges, whipping in a circle and knocking me to the ground. She transforms a few yards away, her faceplate grim. Moving to one knee, and feeling some energon trickle from my chest, I gaze at her, worry filling my processor. "D...Darkplague?"

Darkplague's response is another hiss, and she steps closer, slightly tilting her helm. What's wrong with her?!

I attempt to rise to a standing position, but she swiftly whips around behind me, faster than I've ever seen her move before, she brings a dagger to my neck, pulling it dangerously close.

"Darkplague no!" Gasping, I struggle to inch away from the blade, but she holds me there, one servo on my shoulder, the other holding the dagger.

"Walk." Her voice comes out fierce, and dangerous; not the femme I know.

"Darkplague--"

"Walk." She repeats, bringing the blade closer to my throat.