| abstract
| - Robustus leads the way to the prison complex where Chimera had been moved last solar cycle. He has one of the guards on duty open the door so he can step inside and kneels down to activate the sleeping beast. "She's all yours, Lord Megatron." he intones, standing back up and stepping out of the cell for the Emperor to enter. Chimera is bound so she cannot escape. Megatron grins as Robustus activates Chimera. The emperor has positioned himself so that he is the first Mech chimera sees. Although Chimera is bound, Megatron is still ready for the unexpected. "We meet at last, Chimera." Megatron rasps, opening the conversation with her. Still in her robot mode, Chimera finally stirs once Robustus starts her back up, the femme groaning groggily as optics came online. Her processors lag a few moments as she looks around before finally remembering what'd happened, quickly looking at her torso to see it was fully fixed although her limbs were bound. Great, just great. With a soft snort she'd look to Megatron, optics seizing him up and down. "Hmm.. So you must be Megatron. Heard a lot about you from your lackies." Robustus stands just outside the cell, being still and quiet. Megatron nods, "That is correct. I am Megatron, emperor of the Decepticon Empire." Megatron rasps, affirming as such. "And you would be an excellent asset to my empire. Our ideals are more alike than you think they are, Chimera." Megatron also sizes up Chimera after seeing her size him up. Chimera raises a brow slightly as she looks at the tall mech, lips drawn thin, "Oh really? How so? I doubt the Decepticons eat people too." She smirks, obviously being a wise-aft. Megatron grins, and dismisses the civilian casualties. "Those civilians? Collateral damage. Our ideals are alike because the Decepticons take what is rightfully ours - by force." Megatron leans in close, and rasps, "and I believe your ideals are very similar given your actions at the Radio Tower Forest." Chimera snorts softly, turning her head away as he moves in close on her, "Please, why should I join you? I've told your grunts, and the Autobots, that I don't take sides. I follow my own orders." Her wrists tug at the restraints a bit, not feeling very buddy-buddy at the moment thanks to recent events. Robustus moves a bit further away, just barely able to see inside. Here just in case he is needed. "You've already seen both the sides in this war. The Autobots? They turned their tails and rolled out after my Decepticons showed them their power. My Empire is the most powerful in all of Cybertron." Megatron boasts, inflating the image of the Decepticons. "There is no avoiding this fight. The only question is to which side you will choose, Chimera. You can either choose the Autobots and cower in fear of my might, restricted beyond measure. You would not be able to hunt to your spark's content. The Autobots do not like to fight, instead preferring.. diplomacy. Such is their weakness. By joining me and my Empire, you would be free to hunt any Autobot or enemy of my Empire as you please. You could take great pleasure in draining the lifeless shells of your Autobot victims as you mercilessly stalk your next prey." Megatron says this with a sinister grin, appealing to the femme's feral, violent nature. "Hmm..." Chimera's optics are cast downward in thought. Hunting all she wanted? But she'd have to follow his orders, and she hated being told what to do. However... maybe she could get even more out of this deal. "I'll think about it, handsome. But I'm curious what else I'd get out of this deal besides being able to hunt." Smooth lips curl in a smile as slender body leans forward, the vibe she gave off nearly dripping with appeal, wondering if charms worked on this so called leader. Robustus leans against a wall nearby, casually listening in. Megatron grins as his words begin to take hold, "I would ask your allegiance to me and my Empire. You would also be required to follow orders. An Empire cannot properly function without order. And it is by this order that all of Cybertron will be ruled under my Empire." Megatron rasps, indicating that his desire is to rule all of Cybertron. While Chimera pours on the charm, Megatron is aware of what she's trying to do, and tactfully avoids it. But Megatron is interested in what Chimera has to say. "What else could you possibly desire, Chimera? By joining me, you already know what you'd have to gain." Megatron rasps, indicating the items he's already put on the table are enough in his eyes. "Possibly a higher position than grunt? I mean, the closer to you means the easier to watch me, right?" Optics casually look over her claws, inspecting them for nicks. "You've already got me on a tight leash with these restraints, so what harm could I do? Besides, your minions took me down pretty fast, so imagine how easily you can watch me." Chimera smirks softly at him. C'mon fishy, take the bait. Megatron rasps, "The missions I give you will be at MY discretion. Not yours." Megatron reprimands, "And you have yet to prove yourself to me. You must EARN your position, respect, and rank in my eyes. And I will only release you when I see fit!" Megatron doesn't take the bait, instead admonishing Chimera for making such a suggestion. Megatron considers pointing his fusion cannon at Chimera, especially since she's pretty much asking for it. But he keeps the cannon in check - for now. Robustus sighs softly, continuing to watch on quietly and not interfering. Chimera grimaces slightly. Damn, guess he was a leader for a reason. "Well then, I think I'll just start to get comfy in this cell since I'm gonna deny the offer... for now. Maybe you can convince me later, yeah?" That grimace changes right back to a smug smirk as she leans back against the wall, decidedly finished with this conversation. "You dare deny ME!" Megatron rasps, his anger instantly raised. Megatron raises his fist, and backhands Chimera right across her smirked visage. The clang of metal on metal rings throughout the prison complex as he does so. It seems that Megatron isn't done with Chimera, even though she might be done with him. "You have yet to learn who I am, and you also have yet to learn true power." Megatron rasps, his red optics staring angrily into Chimera's. Robustus grimaces at the sound of the impact. The footfalls of Goa's tires as he walks down the hall barely echo. He rubs one of his temples -- maybe he was missing Depth's point, but /someone/ needed to talk to Chimera before she got herself hurt. He rounds the corner and observes the scene in the cell before him with a very much deer-in-the-headlights look. "I uh... I'll... I'll come back later." He kicks into reverse and quietly wheels away. Robustus glances over at Goa. Nodding a bit to the mech's words. Chimera doesn't make a sound as the back of Megatron's hand is swiftly swung across her face, the femme's head laying limply to the side a few moments. Eventually she recovers, ears twitching before she brings her head back up lowly, the soft glow of energon lighting her face as it trails from the corner of her mouth. "Heh.. Tough guy beating on femmes.... Nice try, but I'm tougher than most girls you've met." The bruise on her silicon face was already evident, though it certainly couldn't hide that cheshire grin as she daringly tilts her head up and spits a wad of energon-laced lubricant at the side of his face. She was either very brave or very stupid to defy and mock Megatron in his own base. Megatron's anger raises as Chimera continues to disrespect him. He wraps his metal fingers around Chimera's throat, and squeezes. He would be lifting the Femme, were she not restrained. His red optics stare directly into Chimera's, "You WILL respect me and my Empire!" Megatron releases Chimera from his grasp, and smacks the Energon straight out of her mouth. "Or do I need to teach you a firmer lesson about respect and the power of the Decepticons?" Megatron says this with a sinister rasp, his optics now narrowed. Chimera is definitely surprised when she finds Megatron's hand firmly gripping her neck, her optics open a bit wider as she struggles against the crushing force with fingers flexing and legs straining against the tight cuffs holding her to the wall. She'd get a moment of relief once he lets go, but not long enough as another smack sends a spatter of energon on the wall as well as Megatron's hand. Heavy drops flow from Chimera's mouth as she nearly hangs from the restraints, vocals coughing from being crushed a bit. "N..N-Never. B-Beat me all you want... you can't break me.." Her words are a painful rasp now as she coughs again and spits more energon upon the ground, not bothering to lift her head to face him. "Join us.. Your unique skills will allow me to show the Autobots a new face of terror. Oh, how you must love terrorizing your enemies. As a Decepticon, you will have plenty of outlet for your terror and your wrath as the enemies of the Empire become your own." Megatron would rather have Chimera join him willingly then have to force her. For now, Megatron is done with Chimera. "I am done with you, Chimera. For now." Megatron rasps, "Robustus, get in here and clean up this mess. I want her deactivated until I return to speak with her again. " Robustus sighs softly as he finishes the repairs from the damage that Megatron caused. "I'm sorry that had to happen." he tells her honestly. Once the smoke, so to speak, clears, Goa reappears from whatever quiet corner he was hiding out in. Red optics scan spastically for trouble before he speaks. "Robber," he whispers from outside, "Don't shut her down yet." He glances over his shoulder once, twice, like he doesn't quite trust this place. "Chimera." Robustus looks over his shoulder at the grounder, nodding to his request. Chimera snorts softly, allowing Robustus to work as she stays quiet. But his apology makes her frown softly, "S'okay. Not your fault. I can take it, though.." Ears perk, though, at a familiar voice, the femme lifting her head to see Goa at the door. "Hmph.. Hey there, little mech. What brings you to my lovely little cell?" Goa lays his antennae back at the term 'little mech'. He was here for a cause, slag it, not affections and in turn face-melting. "I'm sure you can," he mumbles. Then he steps inside, aside Robustus. "What are you doing here, Chimera?" Robustus nods to her as he puts his tools back into his forearm, going quiet as the two talk. "Uhm, why do you think?" Chimera looks at Goa quizzically, though it held a hint of 'seriously?'. "You were there when your femme lanced me. I doubt Megatron would've just let me go after Robustus here fixed me up." She gives a jerk of the head in Rob's direction. "Thanks, by the way.." She gives Robustus a thankful nod. Robustus nods back, "No problem. Just wish I could do more. But I doubt Megatron would be happy if anyone freed you." Goa looks around. Of course there isn't a seat. He clasps his back plate with his hands. "Why didn't you run?" is muttered toward the ground, with a tone somewhere between exasperation and sympathy. "What I mean is what are you gonna do next?" Chimera shrugs as best as she can in the restraints. "Haven't thought of anything yet, to be honest. Tried to play up the charm with Megatron, but he's not so easy to crack..." Robustus shakes his head, "I think he is impervious to femme wiles to be brutally honest with you." Goa runs a hand downward over his face. "Yeah. Lord Megatron doesn't work that way." He looks down and grimaces. Thinks. "Way I see it, ... Chim, no one's gettin' you out of here. So you're either a Decepticon, or wreckage. And much as you make my life facsimile of the Pit, I know you won't gun for that last one." He looks back up, into the femme's jade optics. "So are you thinkin'?" Chimera looks off a moment in thought before speaking her mind, thouh it was mostly to herself, "Heh.. Should've follow that Autobot when I had the chance..." But she was soon brought back to the present, optics blinking before she looked to the two again. "I'm thinking, though it's mostly about how I can avoid those two options. Goa..." She actually says his name, surprisingly. The femme frowns at the two mechs, looking very unlike herself. "Why do I have to join? The Cons, the Bots, any faction. I just want to be left alone. And if that means I have to stop attacking people, then I can do that. But it seems my own pride has landed me in the slag pit..." Robustus looks to Chimera quietly , considering. "Trouble is Megatron will not let you go without swearing allegiance. Anyone helping you to escape, no matter how noble that is, will get brigged or outright killed." the mech wisely notes. "It is probably better to join and have some form of freedom.." The green Decepticon steps close, into Chimera's face. His optics are wide, but not dim with anger ... bright. Perhaps with fear. "You've seen why. You don't join, you got something of value, someone does it for you. Slag, even if you don't," Goa steps away, frowning, motioning his arms to the sides. "You, you're already in the last part of that, so what you gonna do?" One arm flops to the side, the other gets his nosecone drilled into it. Said too much as it is. Ugh. "Noble?" He mumbles, glancing a moment to the side, to Robustus. What was noble about dooming two or more Cybertronians to being war casualties? It defeated the whole point. But ... coming from Robber? "Look, I can't force you to do anything. Pro'lly no one can, if what I just overheard's any indication. You just can't run from this war. I ran, sorta, and it found me eons and light years separated." He backs up further, leaning against the frame of the cell door, expression solemn as it gets. Robustus meets Goa's look. "Noble. It is possible for a Decepticon to be noble just as it is possible for a Autobot to be ignoble." he states. "And Goa is right, Chimera... we cannot force you.. but Megatron will certainly give it a try. He wants you as his to command. If he doesn't get what he wants.. I fear for your life." "Heh... you think you have freedom? Even a little? I pity you then, even though /I'm/ the one in the cell." Chimera smiles inwardly to herself, optics dim as the two speak. "Doesn't get what he wants? Makes him sound like a spoiled protoform, though I don't doubt that. It's not like I'm gonna go join the Bots if I refuse him." Robustus frowns a bit at the femme, "I can come and go as I please. That is freedom enough for me." is all he can say to that. "Is that why you joined, Robber?" Goa quips. He'd always wondered how Megatron got such a ... /normal/ mech aboard. Maybe he could get Robustus to snap a little, figure out what was going on, because he sure as slag didn't believe the story on record. Then he growls quietly after Chimera speaks. Yes, Megatron was a brat -- not that you'd get Goa to admit that at so much as gunpoint -- but what are you gonna do? "Way slag works around here, if you aren't a 'Con, you may as well be a 'Bot." He crosses his arms. "No one present buys that... so we do what we can, and it's pro'lly more good than we could'a done outside." He ignores the point about freedom, be it consciously or not. There can't be freedom on a Cybertron with Decepticons ... but Goa couldn't say that had ever bothered him. Robustus looks at Goa at his question, "I joined because he asked me to and was impressed with my skills as a medic. He knows I am just a civilian and I cannot offer more than medical care." "Maybe for you, but I need to be in the wilds with no strings attached to be free..." Chimera smiles at the thought of being outside again, though her optics soon drift to the cuffs binding her. "Hm... You mechs might wanna move back a bit. Don't want you to get hurt if these blow up or something." She flexes her hands a bit, shifting against the wall to brace herself and concentrate as a slow charge of neon green electricity began to crackle along the horns framing her face. Hopefully she can build up enough energy to short out these cuffs. And there had to be a reason Robustus thought caring for Decepticon soldiers was more important than tending to the less fortunate of Cybertron. He knew Megatron was involved, and Megatron's fists were usually a good reason for things like that. But this wasn't the time. Might never be the time to harass a medic, for Goa anyway, but it still bothered him on a level or two. He snaps out of his drifting to stare at Chimera's apparent energy buildup. "... What do you think you're doing?" His shoulder blades snap out. "If you're doing what I think you're doing, you're gonna get us all slagged. Stop." Robustus steps back to the door, snatching at Goa as he does so. "She's going to bust loose." then lowering his voice, "Let's make it look good." he hisses at Goa. "Chimera.. gonna have to hurt us both to make it convincing.. got it?" It doesn't take long for a whole swirl of electricity to encircle the horns, the lines then snaking off down her arms and around the cuffs. "C'mon...." Chimera hisses to herself, giving a last concentrated burst of energy in the electric lines to make the cuffs spark heavily before powering down with a soft 'bwoo' and stop glowing as they fall off with the leg ones. "Much better. Couldn't have done this with that lunk-head around." She steps from the wall, rubbing her wrists as she languidly stretches. "Alright.. Hope you boys can take a beating, yeah?" Chimera smirks playfully, brandishing her dangerous claws at them. Robustus smiles a bit to that question, "Only one way to find out isn't there." Then the medic charges at her.. obviously he is no fighter but hey it's worth a shot to make it look convincing eh? He moves to tackle her. "What are you DOING?!" Goa shrieks, apparently on his best Starscream impersonation. The mech kicks, but most of his weaponry requires having use of his hands to operate ... and he's not totally sure he wants to blast the room with fire yet. "How... you... ghahhhgh!" His optics bug out a little as Chimera gets loose. He's not totally sure he's not on board with Robustus' plan. Then the medic lets him go, and he fidgets, but apparently he's made his decision, as he isn't moving to signal the guards... But he isn't moving much otherwise either, sort of fixated to the spot. Broken logic board again, maybe. Chimera grins devilishly, loving a good fight. As soon as Robustus begins to charge, the femme dashes towards him with greater speed despite the small cell. With fluid motions she skirts around him before they hit, a clawed hand held out so it'd catch his chassis. The teeth-grinding sound of metal on metal rang out as a deep score of claw marks is dragged straight into the chest, a heeled foot also raising to kick him square in the back once they were behind one another and send Robustus towards the wall forcefully. Robustus grimaces as the claws tear through him, the added kick sending him into the wall with a resounding thud. He staggers back, hands clutching at the wound in his chest. "So owe us..." he murmurs to the femme. Goa's eyes continue to bug out until he shutters them and just backs up against the door, grabbing at the frame shakily. Slag this, slag everything, he didn't want to die for someone else's sake... "P-... please tell me you have something she can use to knock me out," he stutters. "Not happening, not happening..." Robustus sighs softly at Goa, "Take it like a mech." Chimera wasn't going to kill them, just thoroughly rough them up. With a smirk she stands up straight, sauntering slowly over to Goa with swaying hips. "Don't worry, Goa. I won't hurt you mechs too much. Just enough to convince people. Oh.. And if your femme gets mad at me for this, try and convince her not to try and kill me, please. One lance through the gut is enough." She raises both clawed hands, bringing them down quickly to create an X pattern on his chest plate. Unless he was too fidgety and made her miss. Goa warbles, ducking, covering his head and darting around Chimera ... to hide behind Robustus. "I'm not worried about you killing me! I'm worried about someone f..." He looks at the medic and suddenly lowers his screeching. "...finding out what a wuss I am, Primus." Slag, Chimera beat him up once, she'd have to work for it this time. Goa stands up, his blades folding away, arms held up in a fist fighting stance. "Alright, dreka, gimme your best shot." Robustus moves behind Chimera as she attacks Goa, trying for a choke hold on the femme while she's distracted.. he is well aware of the camera watching the room.. it has to look good. He glances toward Goa and misses the hold. Giving Chim a shot at him or running for the door. By now there are shouts down the hall from security guards. Chimera snarls as Goa quickly scuttles away, the femme quickly stalking after him which helps her duck Rob's grabbing hands. Lengthy tail quickly lashes back at the medic, though luckily it sails past him since the femme isn't looking. Instead Chimera's attention is getting a shot in at Goa as she rushes in like lightning, claws spread and ready to attack. As she closes the gap, though, she pulls a different move as a knee comes out of nowhere and straight into the poor mech's.. uhm.. lower plate. With the shock of the happening Chimera leans in close to him, saying softly while a claw lightly tweaks one of his antennae, "I'll see you around, Goa." With that said Chimera suddenly whips around, giving him a sharp elbow to the side of Goa's helmet to hopefully knock him out. Anything to make it convincing. "Alright, boys. I'm out of here. Give Megatron my regards, 'kay?" The femme flashes a toothy grin at Robustus before transforming into beast mode and quickly dashing out. Robustus makes a grab at her anyway to make it look good, the guards outside come running.. probably shooting at the femme as she runs for it. He frowns and turns to the injured mech, "Had to ask to be knocked out." he whispers, crouching to pick the mech up carefully. "Hnnnngk--" Goa remains stunned as Chimera speaks, faceplate contorted into an asymmetrical grimace. He manages to squeak out a "Why do they always hit /there/?" before the blow to the head keels him over, offline. Good thing, maybe, he looked like he was about to purge his tanks.
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