CHAPTER SIX
Under the guise of night, Noctorro watched as the Maximal party traversed through the jungles. He knew where they were headed, what they wished to accomplish. He knew they would find nothing but death.
Below him, Bantor clung onto the tree on which they were perched. The Fuzor's mandrill face was fixated in a frown as he watched the assorted animals. "We should warn--"
"No," Noctorro firmly interjected. "It is not our place to intervene in their fates."
Bantor let out a low growl. "I'm sick of this, Noctorro. We can't just remain sitting in the sidelines forever."
"There is no place for us in this war, Bantor."
"According to what? The stars?" The younger Fuzor shook his head. "I've had it with your astrology scrap."
Noctorro frowned. "The stars were made to guide us."
"And what? We're made to follow their every word?" Bantor shook his head again as he began to climb down the tree. "I'm sorry, Noctorro, but I'm done listening to you. Maybe Quickstrike and the others had the right idea in leaving."
"You're going to join the Predacons?"
"I don't know," Bantor admitted, touching ground. "All I know is that I'm going to play some sort of role in this, regardless of what the stars say."
"So be it," Noctorro said glumly, gazing at the twin moons. "Let fate do as it will with you."
* * *
"Keep your optics peeled, my friends! They can't have gotten far."
The Insecticons marched over Tigatron and Blackarachnia, unaware of them hiding in the dungeon below. They waited until the footsteps were distant enough before pushing open the grate.
"I hadn't realized Crawlers were so easily recruited," Tigatron muttered as he helped his unlikely ally up.
"She didn't recruit them, she made them," Blackarachnia replied. "Just like the Fusers or whatever you call them."
Tigatron frowned. "Wouldn't that require a lot of sparks?"
"Yes. I don't know where she gets them; I know the hot spot here on Animatron has been dry for millennia...." Falling silent, Blackarachnia quickly looked around before motioning Tigatron to follow her. She led him down an adjacent corridor before reaching an empty room, which she quickly guided him into.
"What even is this place?" Tigatron asked as Blackarachnia closed the door. "It almost feels like a fortress."
"It is a fortress," Blackarachnia said dryly, beginning to pace around the room.
"But... how? How can a Fateweaver command a fortress without anyone else knowing about it."
"She uses a wide array of stealth and camouflage tech. Plus, she only just moved in here recently -- say, about a month ago."
"Did she build it then? Or did someone else once live here?"
"Don't give me your insipid questions," Blackarachnia scoffed. Moving past Tigatron, she tapped a claw on the wall, which promptly split open, revealing a gray-plated Cybertronian who was most definitely not a beast-former.
"Ask him."
* * *
"I'm starting to regret agreeing to this."
Rhinox glanced up at Rattrap, who sat across his back as the Maximals lumbered into the ravaged Fur Walker camp. "You're welcome to walk back to the fortress on your own."
"No, no," Rattrap said hastily. "That's quite all right. I was just... it's fine."
Overhead, Airazor surveyed the site with fellow flier Sonar. With the help of the claw-baring Diablo, they were able to bring down those in web-cocoons and liberate them. Unfortunately, their efforts ended up looking more and more futile with each one they freed.
"Dead," Diablo growled, looking over a feline Fur Walker. "Just like the others."
"I know this one." Wolfang came up from behind the younger Maximal, sniffing the black-furred Eukarian. "His name was Panther."
"Friend of yours?" Diablo asked.
"Not really," Wolfang muttered. "He was bit of an oddball. Always talking to himself."
"Hold on a nanosec." Everyone turned to see Cheetor standing over another Fur Walker, examining the back of their head. "These guys are missing their brains."
"And how, dare I ask, do you know that?" Rattrap asked.
Cheetor turned over the Fur Walker, revealing a gaping hole in the back of their skull. Diablo did the same with Panther, uncovering a similar wound.
"Okay," Rattrap murmured, beginning to slink down Rhinox's side. "I'm starting to think walking back to camp doesn't sound so bad. You're all welcome to join me."
"We can't leave this behind," Airazor said firmly. "We have to find out who's doing this and stop them."
"Yeah, well, I'd rather wait until it's a time of day where I can see. I mean, I don't think any time of day is a good time when it comes to this, but if we're gonna do something against orders, let's at least be smart about it."
"Ignoring the rodent's cowardice, we don't exactly have any kind of lead," Wolfang said. "While the webbing may indicate a Fateweaver is responsible, we don't know any to go to or even begin to suspect. They are more or less extinct."
"That is where you're wrong."
Rattrap screamed as a lithe creature emerged from the bushes, wearing the face of a mandrill but carrying the body of a tiger. The rodent transformed to his robot mode and pointed his gun at the Fuzor.
"Don't move a single piston," he warned shakily.
"I'm not going to hurt you," the Fuzor said calmly. "I am a friend."
"You don't look like any friend I know."
"Let me adopt a form that's a bit less... unsettling." The Fuzor transformed, revealing a robot that was more or less normal... if one ignored the mandrill head on his right shoulder and the tiger legs dangling from his left arm. "Better?"
Rattrap was silent, not lowering his gun. Airazor took the opportunity to stand between the two, converting to her own robot mode.
"Who are you?" she asked politely.
"My name is Bantor. I am what you would call a Fuzor." He inclined his head to the deceased Fur Walkers. "I know why you're here. I can help you."
"How so?"
"The one responsible for this is the same one responsible for... this." Bantor gestured at his unusual appearance. "I know where she operates. I can take you there."
"How do we know we can trust you?" Rhinox asked.
Bantor shrugged. "I'm not asking you to. I'm just offering you my assistance. You want to find your friend, don't you?"
"I don't buy any of this," Rattrap said. "It's obviously a trap!"
Ignoring her teammate, Airazor stared down at the Fuzor. "Why do you want to help us?"
"Because unlike some people I know, I don't believe our fates are intertwined with the stars. I believe we are free to choose our own destinies and prevent even those we care for from meeting the worst possible fate."
"See, he's not even making sense!" Rattrap cried. "It's obviously some kinda--"
"All right," Airazor said. "Lead the way."
"Oh, for bootin' up cold!" Rattrap threw his arms up in defeat. "That's it. We're all gonna die."
"Shut up, Rattrap."
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