Transformers: Honor and Loyalty

Chapter 8: Trust or Lack Thereof

Tarn stands at the entrance of a cave he and his team had found and decided to camp in for the night. His optics are closed as he listens to his music, occasionally swaying slightly to it. In the cave behind him Bludgeon sits in meditation with his head down, while across from him Helex and Kaon are playing a game of Cyber-Poker. It's actually quite pleasant, Tarn has to admit, and rather calming.

The group has spent several Earth cycles hunting their prey without success, and Tarn is getting rather impatient.

Given his and Bludgeon's alternate forms, that left only Kaon and Helex to do any real searching, especially in the more populated areas. Kaon had made note that the signal's getting stronger, albeit by only a slight margin. The pod is most likely losing its power soon, he also noted, which means they won't have anything to track anymore.

Tarn's retreat into his music is interrupted when Kaon speaks up. "Hey big guy, you want in on the next hand?" The soft groan from behind him told Tarn Kaon is addressing Bludgeon, who has no interest in their game.

The assassin is tired of having to associate with this group. All he wants to do is get this mission over with so he'll never have to see them again. Even though he has proclaimed his loyalty to the Decepticons several times over, he can still tell that they have their doubts.

Kaon especially. "Come on, don't be antisocial." He chuckles, a snide, taunting tone to his voice.

Bludgeon remains still. "If I wish to play games, it would not be with the likes of you."

Tarn switched off his music and turned his head slightly to listen in.

He heard Kaon speak next. "'The likes of us?'" He jabs, laughing and leaning his back against the cave wall. "My, my, he must think he's better than us, Helex."

The larger Con in question, simply glares down at his companion as if to say to 'leave him out of this'.

Bludgeon raises his head to shoot Kaon a glare of his own. "Whenever I have a target, I don't waste my time, or theirs, by administering pain. I do what is necessary and move on. Unlike your brutal methods."

Kaon laughs harder at this accusation. "We have brutal methods?" Even though Tarn still has his back turned, he could tell Bludgeon is on edge as Kaon continues. "Look, mate, I read your last mission report. Apparently, when you got back to base, you were covered in the Energon of all your victims. Refugee camp, wasn't it?" Next to him, Helex slowly backs away. Not noticing, Kaon goes on with his taunts. "It would seem to me that you're just as bad as we are. No mercy, no survivors, just results. You know, I've heard about your little Metallikato, and from what I understand, you don't qualify to be accepted." Tarn can tell Kaon just crossed a very sensitive line with Bludgeon. But he chooses not to interfere just yet. "So, by all accounts, you deserve to be stuck with us." Kaon chuckles sadistically. "What you did and what you're capable of doing shows you don't have what they call 'honor'-"

A loud shot echoes sharply through the cave and Tarn spins around to see Bludgeon pointing a blaster at Kaon, a smoldering hole just an inch from the smaller Decepticon's head. Kaon eyes the hole, wide eyed in fear of what just happened.

Tarn calmly walked toward Bludgeon, his voice casual. "I may not know as much about Metallikato as you do, but I think I recall hearing something about firearms being seen as dishonorable."

Bludgeon lowers his blaster and glares up at Tarn. "Things change in a warzone." He replies coldly. "You must be willing to make certain sacrifices in order to achieve victory."

Tarn glances at the new hole in the wall, then at Kaon, then back to Bludgeon. "Does that include shooting at a fellow Decepticon on a mission?" he asks dryly.