Legends

Chapter 8

 "Computron! How have you been?" "I have been well. How about you?"

Defensor smiled up at him. "I've been good."

CRASH!

Amusement flooded through him as Menasor and Superion wrestled on the ground not far from them.

Then his gaze lifted to Bruticus. He'd only heard stories that explained. That he had been close to Predaking, closer than anyone. That he had held his fellow combiner in his arms as he and each of his components grayed. Bruticus had lost a brother, and it made him bitter.

"Computron. . ." Defensor's smile had fallen. "How is your family?"

"They are well."

His family, which he had never met personally. Not Grimlock, his creator, not his uncles, nor his grand creators. Not Scattorshot and Strafe's lovers. And he only interacted with Dead End once. He only had the memories and stories his gestalt gave him.

"Come on! Let's do something before we have to work!" A servo grasped his own. And he let Defensor lead him away. But not without casting his gaze backwards one last time. Long enough to see Bruticus slip away.

~~~~

"Do you ever get bored of doing the same thing everytime we come home?"

"No."

Devastator didn't so much as twitch when he dropped down beside him. The twin moons of Cybertron loomed above them, while stars danced in the sky.

The room they were in was made of a type of reflective crystal. A splitting image of the sky surrounded them on all sides. And his favorite part, a large pool of heated oil lay in front of him. The pool was big enough for roughly 300 combiners to fit comfortably, 400 if they squished together.

It had been Predaking's favorite part as well.

"I can tell what you're thinking, Bruticus."

He stood up, and moved. Wading into oil until it reached his neck. Devastator didn't move from where he studied the blueprints in front of him.

"Meetings start at 8am." "I know."

Neither of them said anything.

"I wanna hurt them too. But charging in blindly will only get us all killed."

"Make your point."

"Taking your anger out on your components won't do anything to help Bruticus." And with that Devastator stood, gathered his things and left.

'I know. But what else can I do?'

He sank down until he was completely submerged in the oil.

– – Flashback– –

"J-Just hang on a bit longer!" He stumbled forward another step, and collapsed when his pede caught on something.

"Ya gotta go Brutes. Ya gotta save yourself." Predaking's voice was hoarse. The weight on his back shifted before disappearing.

Moving to his knees, he shifted, moving to grab his fellow combiner. Predaking slapped his servos away. "We're gone Brutes, you and your gestalt ain't."

"I can't just leave you-" "Yes you can! I'm a goner, Bruticus, but you'll live, and ya can make them fall to their knees!"

The blizzard howled around them. The snow stained a bright magenta from the battle. He moved, placing Predaking's helm in his lap.

Grey slowly crept up his arms and legs. Bruticus, for one of the rare moments in his function, he felt helpless.

He felt helpless, knowing the one he considered a brother was dying in his grasp.

And he couldn't do anything.

27 combiners went up against 50 guardians and 2,000 elite guard soldiers that day.

Only one combiner walked away.

– –Flashback End– –

'I miss you Predaking.'

~~~~

"RISE AND SHINE MOTHERFRAGGER'S! We gotta long day in front of us!"

He fell off the berth in a tangle of blankets as Superion's voice blared through the loud speaker.

'Son of a-! I'm gonna kill em!'

Storming out of his hab, he bolted for the communication room.

Superion was cackling when he got there, the sound only adding to his anger. So he did the only logical thing he could in the moment.

He punched Superion in the face.

~~~~

"Can you two not fight at 7:30 in the morning?"

They ignored him. "Don't bother Devs, you know how they are." Defensor muttered. Said combiner sat on the floor next to where he stood, swaddled in blankets still. Something shattered on the floor and Menasor and Superion began arguing about who broke it.

Defensor handed him a mug of steaming energon. "I put some copper in it for you." "Thanks." He took a sip, savoring the flavor. There was another crash.

'I'm too old for this scrap.'

~~~~Time Skip~~~~

"Prowler!" The smaller mech jogged up to him. Behind him, 25 guardians and 500 Autobots stood proudly.

"Jazz, it's good to see you." "Aww, so you did miss me." The corner of his lip tilted, the barest hint of a smile.

"I do believe we have some combiners to catch?"

"Indeed we do my Jazz, indeed we do."

As they marched into the forest, Prowl swore he saw a small flicker of guilt cross Omega Supreme's face.