The sky's the limit

Chapter 11

His processor was too boggled. The constant thoughts of carrying out his orders and having to live to with Shade hating him for the rest of their lives hurt too much; much like the thought of living without her. His spark ached just thinking of such situations. She was truly what he needed. Since meeting her he couldn't help but watch her; learning from her about the true nature of why she fought meant that he learned too. He'd learned to fight for the right reasons which made him doubt why he fought now.

Even now he could see that Shade was right. She had something terrible happen to her that she could not control but instead chose to control what she did now. Shade chose to fight in the name of her parental units and for Optimus and the autobots instead of letting her emotions about it all get to her and make her seek revenge. It was something that she had been trying to teach him but he didn't want to listen. Predaking was still debating listening.

Shade let out a small growl not liking the silence that they were in. Only when Ratchet emerged from behind her did the silence break. He limped a bit from his injuries but managed to situate himself in front of Shade. "If you really want to avenge your kind then go ahead but don't stop with me" Ratchet almost lost his balance but Shade was quick to react she bowed her head down and catch him, allowing him to lean on her for support. "Keep going. All the way to Megatron"

Predakings eyes widened. Was Shade right? She had been trying to tell him something similar but didn't believe it. "What are you talking about?" Predaking took a step towards them but he was cautious as Shade was still being protective.

"Your high and mighty leader wanted your predacons exterminated and simply allowed us to do his dirty work for him"

The predacon looked to Shade and back to the medic. It was as she had been trying to tell him. "These are false claims"

Predaking went to attack Ratchet but was pushed back Shade swung her tail at his and his him dead on. His body was pushed back and his armour slightly dented from the attack. "You consider yourself an intelligent being don't you?" Predaking didn't reply as he picked himself up "then rise above your basic instincts and analyse the situation" he was going to go in again but Shade shot forward a little she prepared to use her fire attack against him but didn't actually attack. She would wait until he would really attack and for now it seemed that Ratchet was getting through to him. "We followed a trail that came with a desperate hope that it would lead to an energon mine. We had no idea that it would lead to Shockwaves laboratory"

"A coincidence that hardly seems plausible" Predaking spoke gruffly and Shade couldn't help but noticed that when he gave her a quick glance his face plates softened.

"Because it wasn't a coincidence. The energon was clearly planted to lure us there by Megatron" by now Ratchets injuries were now taking their tolls as he sounded more tired than before. He wiped some more energon away from his faceplates and and rested more of his weight on Shade.

Predaking thought for a moment. It was as Shade tried to tell him before. When she explained that energon couldn't be detected underground because of the mineral deposits and that it would seem right that Megatron would have to put out exposed energon to get the autobots to come to Shockwaves lab. The more his processor thought the more he felt confused "Why would my liege wish to destroy us?" Shade then used this moment to transform into her bi-pedal form. Her armour shifting to their right positions as the femme made sure that she still supported Ratchet. Her servos holding on to him. She had had enough of listening to this conversation now. Ratchet seemed to be getting through to Predaking which really annoyed her which was why she was going to finish this debate.

"For the same reason that I have been trying to tell you. Take a look at Ratchet; this is what you did to him in only a few minutes so isn't it obvious" there was no reply again "Megatron fears you! Why do you think he went to order you to impregnate me? It would be the only way that he could grow an army that would be loyal - that he could have complete control over"

Taking this in Shade worried that Predaking wouldn't believe her again. But then she saw him shake. The mech clenched his fists hard and his optics were glowing with rage. And that was when she heard him; his yelled out his spark could have exploded there with the amount of emotion that he was feeling. At that moment Predaking turned tail and ran straight inside the ship past his comrades who didn't hesitate to follow him while Shade, Ratchet, Skylight and Nightblade were left behind. The two femmes coming up to Shade and the medic for help them.

"Shade, where's Predaking and the others going?" the femmes couldn't help but worry about the new mechs that had entered their lives.

"They're going to face Megatron" Shade began to walk Ratchet towards the door leading inside. There was no way that they would all get off the Nemesis without backup and no matter what she couldn't leave Predaking. Not now. Shade refused to abandon him but she couldn't let anything happen to Ratchet and the others either. Out of all of them she was the strongest and needed to be there for them. Her processor raced as she thought of what would happen to them now that they were going to fight Megatron. She hoped that if he did learn the truth then he would try to follow in her footsteps but it didn't seem that way. Learning the truth it only seemed to have changed his need for revenge away from the autobots and on to the decepticons.

Shade was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice Nightblade had transformed into her feline beast mode and was stood on the other side of Ratchet as they made their way through the warship. "Shade? You okay?"

"Yeah, just thinking"

Skylight nodded to Nightblade "About Predaking? Here put Ratchet on Nightblade; it'll be easier to move about the ship and you won't have to worry about him" Shade was about to say something but Skylight continued "go after them. We'll see if we can use the communications to contact the other autobots"

"You sure? I don't think I should leave you" Shade was concerned. It was a good idea to have Nightblade carry Ratchet. It would save his energy and make it easier to get away should need be but she didn't think she should leave. If anything she would be more useful with them.

"Shade, they're fighting Megatron - they will need you. We'll try and get off the ship" before anything more can be said Nightblade ran off with Ratchet on her back and Skylight following closely behind.

Shade stood there watching her friends disappear and had to fight the urge to go after them. Her spark wanted to protect them all but she knew she couldn't. It was too much for her so now she had to choose. She felt that she trust her friends to protect themselves but she couldn't help the overwhelming feeling that took her over that it might be the wrong decision. She hadn't been with her family for so long and missed them all; going with them might be her only chance to actually see them. To be with them all again and put the whole experience behind her but then there was Predaking. He had changed her, since she had been with him she had grown stronger. She was less scared but her spark had never felt so much emotion with the amount of things that she had experienced. This being one of them. She had learned to love Predaking which was one reason why she wanted to go after him but there was still an equal amount of love for the others that was conflicting with her.

Air quickly passed through her vents as her processor worked. She didn't doubt Predakings abilities but when she fought Predaking they always seemed to be evenly matched. It made her a valuable ally with her growing skills and fighting knowledge from Optimus himself. Taking a moment for herself to blank out her thoughts she listened internally to her spark and moved quickly. There was no point in thinking herself to death for it all so she would go with what her spark told her to do.