CHAPTER FOUR
"The signal's been sent. We should be expecting new arrivals at any moment now."
"Excellent." Gnashteeth stretched his arms as he relaxed on the throne that had once been Cryotek's. He found this fortress -- rewarded to his predecessor for successfully taking back Talon Valley -- to be much more suitable for one such as himself than the one Razorclaw and his ilk had once dwelt in. He only needed one throne to lounge in, not five.
After making himself comfortable, Gnashteeth's optics roved over to the scaled Predacon still standing dutifully before him, blue face permanently fixed into an awaiting scowl.
Gnashteeth couldn't help but smirk. Even after all these years, Dinobot was still a complete mystery to him. He had already been a member of Cryotek's crew when Gnashteeth had joined and seemed to be older than most on board. Naturally, many found it curious he shared his name with the infamous Autobot unit, but his loyalty to the Decepticon cause was never put into question; especially not after he tossed Backlash and Buzzbomb out the airlock for their failed mutiny attempt.
Because of that particular display, Gnashteeth had been pleasantly surprised when Dinobot was one of the first to agree to his proposed coup. It assured him that Dinobot, while loyal, was not blindly so. He already had one fanatic; he had no need for more.
Of course, this all meant Dinobot required some scrutiny. After all, he had already just betrayed one leader; what was stopping him from betraying another? He was still more trustworthy than most of the Predacons -- especially Terrorsaur -- but one could never be too careful.
Straightening in his teeth, Gnashteeth eyed Dinobot carefully. "Anything else you would like to report?"
Dinobot stiffened. "No. I was simply wishing an audience with you."
"Well, you have it." Gnashteeth waved him on. "What is it?"
"What exactly is it you want from this?"
Gnashteeth raised an optic ridge. "From what?"
"This." Dinobot waved his arms at the entire room. "Don't tell me all you wanted to do was to remove Cryotek from power. There's something else at work. Some ulterior motive."
Gnashteeth threw one leg over the other, steepling his fingers as he leaned back. "Why do you think that?"
Dinobot scowled. "You've been subservient to Cryotek for nearly two centuries. Not once have you ever expressed desire to seize control from him or Razorclaw. Why now?"
"I saw an opportunity and seized it," Gnashteeth replied matter-of-factly. "It's how anyone gets up the ladder. You of all people should know that by now, Dinobot."
"There must be more to it than that. Why are we even still on Animatron now that we have a working space bridge? What's here that could be of any worth to us?"
Gnashteeth smiled. "Nothing. At least, nothing that I didn't already know of before."
Dinobot stared at the new Predacon ruler. "I don't follow."
"You think I reactivated the space bridge just to summon reinforcements?" Gnashteeth chuckled. "No, my friend, I intend to go through that portal and take what's on the other side."
"And what could that possibly be?"
Gnashteeth's mouth practically glowed white as he grinned. "Tell me, Dinobot... do you pay much attention to legends?"
* * *
"So she can't tell us anything?"
"Not at the moment," Primal said, watching as Backstop and Santon looked over Chipper, making sure she was physically (and mentally) well. "From what little she's been able to communicate to us, I get the impression she doesn't remember what happened."
"That is unfortunate." Turning away, Leo Prime lumbered out of the medbay. Primal followed him. "I find it unsettling that, even after living on this planet for well over a millennia, there are still things on it we know so little of."
"Agreed," Primal said. "For what it's worth, based on what Airazor told us of the creature, we believe it to be a Fateweaver, or a rogue one at least."
"The Fateweavers have not been seen since the Predacons took over," Leo Prime pointed out. "I was certain Razorclaw had them all executed."
"Perhaps they missed one."
Leo Prime shook his head. "It's useless to speculate. All that matters is that we must rescue Tigatron and terminate the creature before it can carry on with its devices."
The two walked on in silence through the fortress. At first Primal thought they were headed back for the command center until Leo made an unexpected turn and led Primal to his personal office. Primal stopped in his tracks.
"Sir?" he started to say.
"Relax," Leo replied, opening the door. "You're not in trouble. Come in."
Hesitantly, Primal complied and the door closed behind them. Walking past him, Leo moved over to his wooden desk and sat down. His chair, made of bark, creaked under his weight.
"Primal," the Maximal leader began, his eyes trained on the other. "You have been serving under me for nearly two hundred years now."
"I haven't been keeping track," Primal said, hoping to relieve the tension he was feeling. "But it's been an honor, all the same."
Leo nodded. "I know we've had our grievances here and there, but I have come to trust you more than anyone else. You are a capable leader and a skilled soldier."
"Thank you, sir," Primal replied, unsure where this was going.
Leo's shoulders heaved as he let out a heavy sigh. "As such, I've decided that I can trust to speak with you over a subject that is... rather sensitive to me. It is something I have not spoken to anyone about -- not even Backstop."
Primal frowned as Leo locked eyes with him.
"You haven't, by chance, heard of Primus apotheosis, have you?"
Primal stiffened. "Are you saying...?"
"Surely it's obvious." Leo gestured at his face, covered by a silver faceplate with a blue helm over it. "Grimlock's pointed it out before. I'm sure you crew have noticed it."
"But... surely it's a coincidence," Primal said. "You started the Maximals a thousand years ago, a decade before Optimus became Prime. How could--"
"Optimus?" Leo snorted. "You think Optimus is the cause of this?"
"Well, I mean--"
"I used to be an Autobot." Leo looked amused at Primal's surprised reaction. "I know. Shocking, coming from someone like me. You'd be surprised to find that a lot of us Maximals came from Cybertron originally. The Axalon wasn't the first ship to crash here."
"I'm sure I would've heard of you," Primal murmured.
"You wouldn't have. Shortly after I graduated from the academy, I joined a secret Autobot unit called the Convoy Corps, formed to deal with the Destructon threat. All members were distinguished by helmets and faceplates similar to our commander, Optronix."
"Ah. That explains the helmet design. But where does Primus apotheosis come into play?"
"Well, even back then Optronix was believed to be a shoo-in for Primehood. Plus, we all answered directly to Sentinel Prime." Leo shrugged. "Honestly, it'd be more surprising if I hadn't developed it."
Primal dipped his chin. "So why are you telling me all this?"
Leo sighed, looking down. "Because it's been getting worse. Each day, I've been growing more and more tempted to just storm into the Predacons' fortress and take out as many as I can, even if it means my own death. I just want this war to end."
He looked up at Primal again, a pleading look in his optics.
"I need your help, Primal. I need you to help me keep myself in check."
Primal frowned. "How can I do that?"
"Be my conscience. My inner voice. Remind me to think before acting. Otherwise... it may fall to you to lead the Maximals."
Primal opened his mouth to protest but stopped himself. This clearly meant a lot to Leo Prime; the same Leo Prime who had repeatedly refused help from Optimus Prime. For him to be asking for help now, from Primal of all people... it almost made Primal forget of his own condition.
Despite all better judgment, Primal nodded.
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