Chronicles of the Doomcat
Part Ten: Dissection
By: Miss Special
The first thing it was aware of was a horrible, throbbing pain in its midsection, where its Spark was. It was laying, inert, on a cold surface. It couldn't summon the energy to open its eyes- it couldn't do anything that required effort. So it listened.
"Sir," said a female voice, "I can't hack into it. Every time I try, I get a symbol on the screen, and then the computer freezes."
"Then try again," an agitated male voice answered.
"Yes, sir."
Silence.
"Derpolitzt, sir?"
"What is it now?"
"She's conscious."
"No she isn't. She's not doing anything."
"Her energy levels are at zero. She can't do anything. But she's awake."
"If only that wretched Belladonna hadn't been so foolish?"
"Or if the Doomcat hadn't gone berserk. That seems to be a major draw on her energy."
She'd gone berserk? When?
"Sir, energy levels are fluctuating."
Her Spark hurt worse. Her eyes opened the slightest bit.
She was in beast mode, in a stark white room, on a metal table.
A dissection table.
A mech's face entered her vision.
"Ah, miss Doomcat. Good to see you're awake. We thought we'd made a grave mistake- we thought Belladonna had killed you. I'm rather glad we were wrong."
The Doomcat did nothing.
"You're probably wondering what we're doing. Gulo is trying to hack into your core processor. We're trying to figure out what makes you tick."
Destroyer Angel tried making noise, but it made her Spark hurt more.
"I would spare myself the effort if I were you. See, we've already figured out that when you are out of energy, you draw energy off your Spark And your Spark was heavily damaged by your weapon."
"Wh-at. hap-pened??" Each sound caused more pain.
"Don't you remember? You were sitting in the midst of a lighting storm, my agent Belladonna thrust your sword through your Spark, and then she was apparently hit by lightning shortly after she radioed us. We have reason to believe you went berserk and electrocuted her."
"Is...she?-"
"Dead? That remains to be seen."
"Sir?" Gulo's voice came up.
"Yes?"
"I still can't get in."
"Keep trying." Derpolitzt turned back to Destroyer Angel. "You are a very interesting specimen, miss Doomcat. Never could I have imagined a Transformer capable of such destruction. We have already discovered your ties to the Vok- yes, we know of the Vok. But, I wonder, where do your loyalties lie? With the Vok, or with the Maximals?"
Where did they lie? Derpolitzt sported a Maximal insignia, as did Belladonna. Destroyer Angel had learned that Maximals couldn't be trusted.
But she was not loyal to the Vok, either. If she were, she would've gone back to them long ago. The idea had crossed her mind, but she preferred her freedom. Though she wasn't free anymore.
"Derpolitzt, this isn't working. I can't get past her defenses. All I get is that slagging symbol."
Derpolitzt's cold hands grabbed the Doomcat's head and made her look at where Gulo was working. He turned Gulo's computer screen so Destroyer Angel could see it.
"Explain this, miss Doomcat."
On the screen, there was the same symbol as on Destroyer Angel's left shoulder.
Angel was able to force out a weak chuckle. One small victory for the Doomcat. They wouldn't be able to get any farther into her head. The Vok had put up safeguards to keep people from tampering with her programming.
Derpolitzt glared at her.
Knowing she was safe for at least a little while, the Doomcat closed her eyes and drifted off into sleep.
The dull pain was finally leaving Spirit's Spark.
"Earlier reports of Destroyer Angel's capture were false," the newscaster on the video screen droned, "But we now have absolute confirmation that she is being held in an undisclosed location. Her capture can be attributed to one Belladonna, who actually met face to face with Destroyer Angel and brought her down. A sad note, though, as Belladonna, who is being regarded as a hero, lies in grave condition at Cybertropolis Mercy Hospital. You can send your cards and goodwill to..."
"That's disgusting," Cheetor grumbled. "Angel's being treated like a monster."
"Feeling any better?" Botanica kindly asked Spirit. A couple weeks ago, when they'd been trying to track Angel down, Spirit's Spark felt like it was being ripped apart.
"Yes, much, thank you." They'd guessed Spirit's pain had something to do with Angel getting caught.
Though no one had made fun of him since Angel's capture, Entropy had been growing despondent. This was all his fault, really. If he hadn't let Angel walk out, everyone would've been happy.
"Dis is what we need ta do," Rattrap said. "We need ta find out where dey're keepin' her, then wail on 'em Beast Wars style."
"And what exactly is Beast Wars style?" Silverbolt wondered.
"Yeah, and what if we weren't in the Beast Wars?" Nightscream added.
"Does it really matter?" Blackarachnia mused. "We don't have any idea where they've got her, and I'm willing to bet they don't have any record of where she is."
"So we infiltrate," Rattrap answered definitively. "And den hack inta someone's computa'. Dey're probably keepin' a lot a' scientists around where she is."
"So they can take her apart," Spirit said. "Besides, it's infiltration that got us into this mess."
"No, it's me who got us into this mess," En said. "It's my fault."
"Entropy, get over it," Spirit growled. "It's not your fault. Destroyer Angel wanted to leave, and she would've gone whether you let her or not."
The Seer had remained quiet until now.
"I have an idea." Everyone looked at her. "Destroyer Angel is the only remaining dark spot."
Spirit was confused.
"I thought En and I were dark spots."
"You are no longer in the vicinity of the Doomcat, so you are becoming known to the Matrix again."
"So if you find a dark spot, you find Angel."
"Precisely."
When the Doomcat awoke, she was no longer on the dissection table. She was on the floor of a room with glass walls.
She got up. Slowly- her midsection still hurt badly, but not as much as earlier.
How much earlier, though? How long had she been out?
She lifted a paw to feel the back of her head- she could still feel where the wires had been inserted. They had invaded her mind. And gotten nowhere.
Making her way to the wall, she assessed her surroundings. She dragged her claws down the glass- this wasn't ordinary glass. Her claws didn't leave so much as a scratch.
The room wasn't airtight. She knew this because there was no ventilation shaft. They wanted to keep her alive, so air had to be getting in somehow.
Bots of various sizes and shapes made their way two and fro, ignoring the pacing Doomcat. They were carrying clipboards, typing at computers, reading data off scans and charts. They were studying her. Derpolitzt was nowhere to be seen.
She made her way around the enclosure. She could find no weakness in the walls, the roof, anywhere. She was trapped, caged, like an animal. Or a freak.
"Good morning!" a cheerful voice said. Destroyer Angel looked at the speaker- a short mech of varying shades of yellow and orange.
"Or afternoon, really. Miss Doomcat, please allow me to tell you what an honor it is to come face to face with a-" He stopped.
"A what?" Destroyer Angel's metallic voice hadn't completely recovered its fearsome timbre.
"A... fighter...of you magnitude."
"What were you really going to say? Monster? Freak?"
"Well, 'killer', actually."
"I haven't killed anyone. I'm not a killer."
"But Derpolitzt said-"
"Look, mister, I may have destroyed a few lives, and caused a lot of damage, but I have killed no one. Derpolitzt doesn't know everything about me."
"Well, anyways, he is the leading researcher on Doomcats."
"He researches Doomcats? Why?"
"Oh, for various reasons. Preventative measures, military applications-"
"Military applications? Preventative measures? He makes it sound as though Doomcats are a plague."
"I believe the term he used is 'double-edged sword'. He said if we could control Doomcats, they could be used to our advantage."
"Ah, yes, that's what it comes down to. Not whose side I'm on or what I've done, but what I'm capable of."
"With all due respect, miss, you're like a loaded weapon. If you're allowed to run free, there's no telling what kind of destruction you might cause."
Destroyer Angel nodded sadly.
"Anyways, my name is Apollo. I've been assigned to interacting with you."
"What kind of interacting?"
"Well, I'm not at liberty to say, but would you mind if I asked you a few questions?"
"Depends on what they are."
Apollo checked his clipboard.
"Um...wow, this is awfully direct. Okay, how did you become a Doomcat?"
"How did I become a Doomcat?" she repeated. "Well, I woke up one day and said, 'Gee, I think I'm going to get myself immense power so I can get myself into trouble, wreck my life, wreck others' lives, and then run away from it all!' So I went to the doctor and told him, 'Doc, make me a Doomcat!' and the doctor said, 'Would you like fries with that?' Got all that, Apollo?"
"Hold on?" Apollo busily scribbled notes onto his clipboard. "Um, where was this doctor?"
Destroyer Angel stared at him. Apollo looked at her, looked at his notes, and back at the Doomcat.
"You're making this up, aren't you?"
"Did the french fries tip you off?"
"Sorry, it's just that I'm kinda star-struck."
"Apollo, becoming a Doomcat didn't just happen overnight."
"Well, you don't have to tell you life's story, do you?"
"Well, yeah, actually. It doesn't make sense otherwise."
"Oh."
"Better pull up a chair. This is going to take awhile."
"Seer, have you found her yet?" En's patience was wearing out.
"Shut up, En!" Spirit hissed. "You're going to break her concentration!"
The Seer, sitting cross-legged on the floor with her optics shut off, did nothing.
"Hey, Spirit, can't you talk to Angel through your Spark?"
"It doesn't help if she doesn't answer."
Cheetor caught onto En's idea.
"Yeah, but now that she's caught, she might answer!"
"I guess I could try..."
"It never hurts!"
"Okay, here goes something..."
"And so then Optimus said-" The Doomcat yowled loudly and clutched her chest.
"Hey, miss Doomcat, are you okay?" Apollo looked up from his notes.
Scientists scurried everywhere to figure out what was happening.
"My Spark..." Destroyer Angel mumbled.
"It's her Spark!" Apollo told the scientists. They stopped what they were doing. There was nothing they could do.
The gripping pain subsided, and the Doomcat relaxed.
"I'm fine," she said, not knowing if anyone cared.
"What happened?" Apollo asked.
"I don't know. "
"Someone was trying to contact you," a familiar voice said.
"Derpolitzt!" Apollo stood up. "I didn't know you were here!"
"I was just checking up on the Doomcat. Apparently she doesn't know every aspect of her is constantly being monitored. We picked up a subspace signal, probably an attempt at communication."
"That doesn't explain the pain," Apollo said.
"Her Spark is still too weak. It can't handle such things yet."
"You do know it's rude to refer to someone in the third person when they're standing right there, don't you?" Angel grumbled.
"And what exactly are you going to do about it?" Derpolitzt sneered. "Currently, you are powerless. You can harm no one."
"Just you wait," the Doomcat growled in Cat, "when I'm healed, you're slag."
"Ah, isn't is poor manners to speak to someone in a language you know they don't understand?"
"Aren't you supposed to be of the moral high ground, though? I'm just an ignorant Doomcat. Manners aren't part of my programming."
"I have better things to do than stand and argue with something like you. Apollo, get back to work."
"Yes, sir." Apollo sat back down. "Alright, miss Doomcat, where were we? Oh, we were at, 'And so then Optimus said'."
"Forget it. This 'thing' is finished being nice. Go slag yourself." Angel curled up into a tight ball facing the wall, and ignored Apollo.
"Alright, who's the wisebot who said trying never hurts?" Spirit glared at everyone. "Whoever said that needs to try what I just did and then try saying that again."
"Painful?" Cheetor asked.
"Very."
"Sorry. So she didn't answer?"
"What do you think?"
"You don't have to get all grouchy about it."
"Try it sometime and see if you get grouchy."
Sleep made her stronger. She need strength if she was going to have any hope of escaping. She wasn't sure how much time she had, but maybe- just maybe- if she tried hard enough, with everything she had, she could break out.
She could hear the morning shift switching places with the night shift. She didn't turn around to look. She was pretending to be disinterested in everything. She hadn't moved since last night.
Yesterday, Apollo had desperately tried to get Angel to talk again for more time than she expected. And he didn't resort to prodding or punishment. He seemed to be a nice guy. Just a little confused. She wondered if he would be back today. If she had succeeded, no one would try to ask her for anymore information.
Fat chance, Desty. You're not that lucky.
She heard footsteps behind her.
" 'A mighty warrior came down from the sky,' " Apollo's voice read. Angel's ears pricked up. " 'And a rainbow was upon his head, and his feet pillars of fire,' " Apollo continued. Angel turned around. " 'And the great dragon was cast down onto the earth, and his followers with him,' " Apollo finished.
"Where did you get that?"
"Why? Was that talking about you?"
"No. Where did you get it?"
"It was in Megatron's stuff. We found it after Cybertron was restored."
"Do you even know what that is?"
"Not really?"
"That's the Covenant of Primus. Megatron had one of only two copies ever made. It seems to predict the end of the Beast Wars."
"So, who was it describing?"
"Tigerhawk."
"Who's he?"
"He was a Doomcat."
"So there ARE more! I should tell Derpolitzt-"
"No, there WERE more. Tigerhawk is dead."
"But how? How does a Doomcat die?"
"Just because we're Doomcats doesn't mean we're the same. Tigerhawk's Spark wasn't as strong as mine."
"Why doesn't the Covenant of Primus talk about you at all?"
"I as I am wasn't around then. I haven't gotten that far in telling you."
"Then, you were still Angel?"
"Yeah."
"And she wasn't a Doomcat."
"She was. She just didn't know it."
"But the Covenant of Primus foretells Tigerhawk, so why not Angel?"
"Angel was an accident. I am an accident. Happy now?"
"Not really."
Angel made to face the wall again.
"Hey, hold on!" Apollo pleaded. "I'm not done yet!"
"Who are you to decide whether or not we're finished? I am a Doomcat. You don't give me orders."
"Sorry, it's just... Derpolitzt threatened to fire me if what happened yesterday was repeated."
"The jerk! He was the one provoking me! That's no reason to punish you!"
"Yeah, but he's in charge."
"He's a jerk. I wouldn't mind meeting him down a dark alley. Then, I could have some fun."
Apollo took a step back. Destroyer Angel rolled her eyes.
"I'm not serious. Slag, you people are too jumpy."
"Miss Doomcat, you are very violent."
"Is there something wrong with wanting to brutally attack your captor?"
"No, but..."
"Hmph."
"Why don't we get to work?"
"Whatever."
"Okay, yesterday you left off with, 'And then Optimus said'."
"Long story short, Angel found out she was supposed to be Destroyer, Megatron caught her, loaded the Destroyer program into Angel, Angel and Destroyer fought, Angel defeated Destroyer. Then, Tigerhawk came along, taught Angel how to use her Vok power, and died. Angel goes to Cybertron, splits her Spark in half to save Spirit, and doesn't do much else after the Battle for Cybertron is over. Lastly, the Vok catch Angel, load the Destroyer program into her, and she combines the programs to create me."
"Wow. With what you told me about Angel, everything must've been terribly traumatic for her."
"Imagine spending your last of moments of life as you know it living your worst nightmare."
"But the terror didn't carry over to you, did it?"
The Doomcat laughed cynically. "That's partially why I'm a berserker. All that fear is now rage."
"You're a berserker?"
"What?" Angel's eyes grew wide. "He didn't tell you?"
"No."
"That little..." Destroyer Angel's feathers puffed out, and her fur stood on end. "He's been keeping things from you to make me look bad! I'm gonna slag him!"
Apollo looked terrified. "Security! Someone! This is an emergency! The Doomcat is going-"
"No, she's not," a technician told him. "She's not strong enough to do anything. She can't get to anyone."
Destroyer Angel recovered her composure. All she was doing was scaring people, and that wouldn't help her. She smoothed her fur and feathers down, and sat down.
"Sorry, Apollo," she said quietly. "I can't help it."
Apollo saw how quickly the Doomcat changed from anger to remorse. And she hadn't even done anything.
"I'm sure it was just an oversight, miss Doomcat," Apollo said nervously.
"Quit calling me that."
"Calling you what?"
" 'Miss Doomcat'. I have a name."
"Yes, what is it?" Apollo rifled through a few papers. Angel managed to keep her automatic response to an inaudible mumble. "Ah, Destroyer Angel." He looked at her. "That makes sense."
"Yep."
"So, Destroyer Angel, let's see what's next on this list. Okay, where did Doomcat's Bane come from?"
"Doomcat's Bane? What the Pit is that?"
"It's your sword. Someone called it Doomcat's Bane, so we all started calling it that."
"It's name is Ace," Angel said indignantly. "The Vok gave it to me, along with my armor. Don't tell me you named the armor, too."
"Not that I know of."
"Next question. Combat capabilities. What weapons are you proficient with?"
"Any and every. Do you require a demonstration?"
"No."
"Slag."
"Moving on, what is the range of your destructive capabilities?"
"I play the flute."
"Excuse me?"
"I'm not the best at it, but I play the flute. You didn't know that, did you?"
"Uh, no. How does playing the flute fit with any of this?"
"I am a sentient being. I have a personality, I have feelings. I was designed to be a weapon, but that's not all I am. So quit treating me like one."
"I'm sorry. I had no idea-"
"You're just doing what Derpolitzt told you. Come back when you grow a backbone, Apollo." The Doomcat turned and faced the wall again.
"I've found her!" The Seer smiled.
"Where is she?" The Maximals gathered around her, eager to hear.
"She's on a moon orbiting Cybertron."
"Which one?"
"I don't know what it's called, but I'd know it if I saw it."
"Okay," Cheetor said. "Botanica, take the Seer and figure out which moon it is. Everyone else, we need a strategy."
"I suppose going in with guns blazing is out of the question."
Everyone stared at the small white cat.
"What? I can dream, can't I?"
"This is going to have to be covert," Cheetor said, getting back on track.
"Why is it always covert? I want to be overt for once!"
Everyone ignored En.
"Rattrap, you and Spirit are the best for sneaking around. You'll have to go in first, then let the rest of us in."
"Understood."
"Alright, they've probably got her in a research facility, which means it'll be crawling with scientists."
"They'll probably be unarmed," Blackarachnia said.
"Probably, but she's going to be heavily guarded, probably by autoguns."
"Why autoguns?" Nightscream asked.
"It's easier for and autogun to tell the difference between a scientist and a bad guy than it is for a guard."
"Spirit 'n I'll hafta disable da locking mechanisms," Rattrap said, "and when we do dat, we can also turn off the autodefenses."
"Good. Now, just because these scientists are unarmed doesn't mean they won't try to stop us. Use only as much force as necessary."
"What are we going to do about transport?" Silverbolt asked. "They will not let just any ship onto the moon where the Doomcat is being held."
"We'll hijack a supply ship!"
Everyone stared at Entropy, who instantly wished he hadn't said anything.
"Congratulations, En!"
"What?" En groaned, bracing himself for the insult he was about to receive.
"You've come up with a good idea!"
"I have?"
"It's the only way we're going to get on that moon."
"We're set, then," Cheetor said definitively. "Everyone, get ready to move out. We leave as soon as the Seer's found the moon."
"Miss Doomcat, I need a word with you."
A yellow Doomcat eye opened a fraction, focusing on Derpolitzt. It was dark in the room, but light was coming in from the hallway, which was always lit.
"Stick it up your tailpipe. It's the middle of the night. Tell whatever it is you want to Apollo. I'm not talking to you." The eye closed.
"Transform."
"I can't. I'm not strong enough."
"Your vitals are being monitored every moment you are here. You've had enough energy for the past two megacycles."
"I'm so happy for me."
Derpolitzt called into the hall, "Bring it in."
Destroyer Angel heard wheels squeaking as something was rolled in, but she didn't look to see what it was.
"This, miss Doomcat, requires your attention."
"Does it, now."
"Turn it on," Derpolitzt ordered. Whatever it was made a buzzing noise. The Doomcat yawned and sat up.
"Betcha it cost a heap of money to put that together," she lazily observed. The thing was covered in a white cloth, so she couldn't tell what it was.
"I like to call it the Doomcat Destroyer," Derpolitzt said, pulling the cloth away. It was a very, very large cannon. "It's modeled after the cannon on the Nemesis. The one that destroyed the first Doomcat."
Destroyer Angel, now interested, transformed and went up to the glass wall to get a better look.
"Dare I ask what you're going to use it for?"
Derpolitzt chuckled- something slightly reminiscent of Tarantulas. "According to what you told Apollo, this will not kill you. It will just destroy your body, leaving only your Spark behind."
Destroyer Angel cursed her slagging Spark.
Derpolitzt continued, "Once we have your Spark, we will implant it into something. I haven't decided exactly what, yet. Maybe a power generator. Possibly a worker drone. The possibilities are endless. We may even be able to harness your Doomcat power, and use it for military purposes. No one would stand in our way."
"I can't let you do that. This Spark is property of the Vok. Same with this body. If you destroy it, they won't be happy."
"I'm willing to take that risk." He turned to Gulo, who was monitoring the Doomcat Destroyer (Angel thought the name annoyingly unoriginal). "Is it charged?"
"Yes, sir." Gulo aimed the cannon at Destroyer Angel. "Don't bother dodging. It won't do you any good."
If it were death the Doomcat was confronting, she would have no qualms. Death was a release. This, however, was far worse. She would still be alive, but in the existing sense only. She, Destroyer Angel the Doomcat- Vok or Maximal- would be lost. She glared at the cannon fearlessly, though. Doomcats feared nothing.
"Fire," Derpolitzt said lightly. Gulo pushed a button.
The cannon rumbled, smoked, and fizzled.
"You better have a good explanation for this, Gulo." Derpolitzt looked like he was going to blow a gasket.
Destroyer Angel blinked. She hadn't been blasted to small bits. She was still in one piece.
"Uh," Gulo stammered, "The cannon isn't working. There must be a glitch somewhere."
"I can see that. Fix it."
"It'll take time, sir."
"How long?"
"A day, probably."
"You have until morning. If it isn't ready then, you job is forfeit."
"Yes, sir."
Derpolitzt stormed away while Gulo opened up the cannon. Destroyer Angel sat down, leaning against a wall. She needed to escape, but she couldn't get out- especially not with Gulo in the area.
All she could do was sit quietly, waiting morning to come.
"Prrow."
The supply ship's pilot looked down at the white cat looking up at him inquisitively.
"Hello, little kitty. What is it you want? Are you hungry?"
"Meow," the cat replied sweetly. The pilot reached down to pet it.
He didn't know what hit him.
Cheetor slowly let the unconscious pilot down, then signaled for everyone else to come in.
"Check every room- make sure we have all the personnel under control. Make sure the captain stays conscious- we're going to need him to get us onto the moon without making anyone suspicious."
"Right." The Maximals scoured the ship until the entire crew was subdued. Cheetor piloted the ship towards the moon, hoping they weren't too late.
End Part 10