Mystery Solved

By: Sapphire

Part Three

Optimus stood at full height and looked directly at Rampage.  His presence had obviously been undetected previously by the empath, as a look of surprise came upon his face.

Depth Charge turned to give the Maximal a reproachful look.  "What do you think you're doing?!" the mantabot hissed.

"Making sure you don't do something you'll regret," Optimus answered under his breath.  He spoke up so Rampage could hear.

"How do we know for sure the converter's in the weapon?" he demanded from the crab.

Rampage looked agitated, but his cool demeanour gradually returned.  "It's obvious!  Why else would Myst be raped of such a complex part?"

"Tarantulas did it.  He could be using it for his own designs," Optimus pointed out.

Rampage scowled a little. "Well then I guess you'll just have to see for yourself."

Optimus glanced sidelong at Depth Charge.  "Fetch it."

Depth Charge had no objections in checking for a lie in Rampage's claim.  He was hoping he had been lying, as it would make this situation a lot easier to handle. 

The raybot slowly turned and headed towards the weapon, knowing that Optimus would cover him.  Rampage had virtually no doubt that the converter was powering the weapon and so he fixed his glare on Optimus, making sure he didn't make any hostile moves.  While he may have been immortal, he was not indestructible, and Optimus was a formidable foe.  

Depth Charge knelt by the smouldering gun.  It was largely intact, but it was charred and damaged.  Wisps of smoke wafted upwards from fissures in its metal.  He touched it and drew back his hand quickly.  It was still hot.  He frowned at a sudden realization.  He didn't really know what to look for.  He wasn't entirely sure what a power converter looked like.

Before he could decide what to do, his and Optimus's comm. links crackled on.

"Rattrap ta Optimus!  Can you talk right now?"

Optimus's hard stare on Rampage never wavered.  "Yes, I've got things under control, for now."  Rampage could hear the comm. link clearly and listened with interest.

"I brought Myst back, but she's gone offline!  Big Green an' I are tryin' ta revive her, but she ain't responding."

Optimus groaned softly, not realizing the full significance of this new development.  He failed to notice the flicker of panic and shock cross Rampage's face.

Optimus knew that this stand-off couldn't drag on any longer.  "Hang on, we're coming." He closed the transmission and hollered to Depth Charge:  "Is it there?"

Depth Charge frantically pawed at the ashy exterior of the weapon.  "I-I don't know!  I don't know what to look for!"

"Pah, it's there!  Now make your choice!" Rampage snapped.

"Just bring it over, Depth Charge.  We'll check in the base.  If it's there, it's our best chance at rescuing Myst.  If not..." he trailed, unwilling to finish his sentence.  There was no point.

Depth Charge hefted up the burning hunk of metal and grimaced.  It was scalding his arms and hands, but he didn't have a choice.  He walked hurriedly over to Optimus, who took it and ignited his feet blasters.   "Let's go.  We'll be back for Rampage," he said coolly, making sure the threat in his voice could be heard by the crab.  The mantabot transformed to flight mode and the two of them headed quickly to the Ark.

Rampage watched them disappear over the edge of the small canyon, trying to quell the flurry of panic he was feeling.  Myst was offline.  She could be dead within a few cycles.  How long would it take them to re-install the converter, and was it too late?

"Ohhhhh..."

Rampage swivelled around at the noise.  It took him a moment to realize it had come from the crumpled little heap that was Waspinator, a few yards away.

He was feeling edgy and anxious and hearing the groan of pain from the wasp-bot reminded him of what had happened.  He'd killed Megatron, and he'd intended on doing more than just that, before he was interrupted.  

He strode over to the twitching Predacon and looked down at him contemptuously.

Waspinator's bulging eyes always seemed open, but Rampage detected a faint change in brightness when his shadow fell over him.  Waspinator let slip a small moan of terror and Rampage could sense the fear radiating from the small bot at his feet.

"What's the matter?  You were always wisely cautious of me, but now you seem terrified.  What's changed?" Rampage asked him causally.

Waspinator stared up at him, mandibles slack and eyes fixed wide.  "Cr-crabbot killed..."

"Crabbot killed Megatron!  Yes!  You knew that would happen," Rampage stated.

Waspinator paused a few moments as he tried to formulate a sentence in his spinning  head.  "Crabbot going to kill Waspinator, too?" he finally managed.  There was a hint of resignation in the wasp's voice which Rampage found mildly irritating.

"Crabbot is still deciding," Rampage replied a touch sardonically.  Rampage didn't have any morals, but he was vaguely aware that he really shouldn't kill Waspinator after what the little guy had done for him.  But, he was in a bad mood and Waspinator presented a small opportunity to blow off some steam.  

"Is fuzor femme going to make it?" Waspinator asked suddenly.  The question seemed strained, tired, as if the wasp had already decided his death was imminent, and this was just to fill in the gap before such time.

Rampage's gaze drifted slightly.  "I don't know."

"Why?"

Rampage refocused on Waspinator, annoyance evident on his face.  "What do you mean, 'why'?"

"Why doesn't crabbot know?  Waspinator thought crabbot going to do something about it."

"What gave you that idea?" Rampage asked, his posture tensing and his body language becoming hostile.  He had never mentioned to Waspinator that he intended on retrieving Myst's power converter.  Rampage had wanted to do it partly to save Myst and partly because he wanted to kill Tarantulas in the most inventive, cruel way he could think of.  

"Waspinator thought fuzor femme and crabbot friends," the wasp muttered, withdrawn.

Rampage nearly laughed at the statement.  If he had, it would have sounded ugly and bitter.  The bug's words did nothing to absolve his ill feelings at that moment and so he balled his hands into fists.  "I've decided what to do with you, Waspinator."

Waspinator buzzed miserably.  

Depth Charge was the first to enter the base.  He transformed to robot mode and landed a meter from the lab table on which Myst lay, limp and unresponsive to the shocks of energy pulsing through her from the life support systems.

Optimus was beside him a moment later.  The Maximal leader gave Myst a worried once-over and turned to Rhinox.

"Whoa, is dat da---" Rattrap started as he caught sight of the weapon, but Optimus cut him off.  "Yes, and its battery is Myst's power converter.  It's damaged, but it's what she needs," Optimus looked at Rhinox, who had paused in giving Myst manual chest repairs.  

"Give it to me," he said, dropping his tools and taking the weapon from Optimus.  He placed it on a side table and looked it over, while the Maximals crowded around him.  Rhinox shook his head grimly. "It's possible I can fix it, but it'd take hours of careful rewiring and melding.  It can't go back into her like this."

"But she won't last that long!" Silverbolt protested.

"I know that!" Rhinox snapped irritably.  He shuffled over to her and took up his tools again.  He dug his hand into her chest and started to repair a ruptured tube.  "The energon's doing this to her.  It's corrupting her entire systems, causing her wires to short-circuit and a few of her tubes to expand and crack due to the heat.  She needs some energon in her system to survive, but even a small amount will cause terrible damage if it's not processed properly.  I can't make her another converter, nor can I repair the one she had in time.  I can try my best to bring her back for a few cycles, tops, but after that..." he paused in his work to look up at his fellow Maximals, "I'm afraid she's a goner."

Silverbolt slumped.  He didn't know Myst, but somehow he felt sorry for her.  It wasn't right for her to die.  She hadn't caused anyone any harm, and he wouldn't wish Tarantulas on his worst enemy.  

Rattrap had mixed feelings.  He didn't like her one bit, but he admired her bravery and her determination.  As for Optimus and Rhinox, they simply wanted to do the best they could for a fellow bot in need.  Myst was not an enemy, even though she was Predacon.

Depth Charge, however, was angry.  She had just walked into their lives, thrown a spanner in their works and caused all kinds of chaos.  It was her dratted power converter that had powered Megatron's means of destroying them!  She'd been nothing but trouble since she got here!  Why should they care what happens to her?  What had she ever done for them?  And, she had chosen to befriend the sick maniac that he had hunted for years.

"Too bad," he uttered, and turned away.

Cheetor gaped.  "What?"

He glanced over his shoulder balefully.  "Well?  There's nothing we can do for her.  She's going to die anyway.  We might as well repair the weapon as a whole so that we have something to use against Rampage later."

"How can you be so callous?" Cheetor erupted.  "I know she's not one of us, but she's done nothing TO us, either.  She deserves a second chance!"

Depth Charge turned sharply to face the catbot.  "There is NO chance left for her!  So why don't we leave her to die in peace?  It's what she'd want."

"Be quiet, all of you!" Optimus ordered.  The room went silent, save for the urgent bleeping coming from the life support systems.  The computer punctuated the silence with: "Spark fading.  Life expectancy: 5.3 cycles."

Optimus turned to Rhinox.  "Is there anything we can do to help her."

Rhinox frowned thoughtfully.  "Well, when I first examined Myst I found that she had undergone partial repair treatment.  Now, her converter was missing for some time when she was brought to us, but she was in a far better state than she should have been after so long without it.  I'm wondering how that was possible."

Depth Charge looked at his feet.  He felt something twist in his stomach at Rhinox's words.  He hadn't told him about Rampage's healing ability, because he hadn't wanted to believe it.  But now he heard it coming from the scientist's mouth, he realized that Rampage had to have told the truth.  It also meant that the crabbot was Myst's only chance at survival now.  What an ironic twist of fate...

The Maximals exchanged curious glances at the question.  "Well, only she can tell us, so maybe if you try and bring her back for those few cycles..." Optimus suggested.

Rhinox nodded, but there was a look of defeat in his eyes already.  Myst had such a short time left, the chances of his bringing her back in time were slim.  Depth Charge noticed it.

'If she dies, she'll be one more death on my conscience.  If I don't tell them, I'll have to live with the fact that she could have made it if I had only allowed Rampage to...'

Depth Charge felt sick at the thought of what he had to do to save this wretched femme's life.  But his morals, his instinct as a guardian, a protector, won over his hatred and stubbornness.  

"I know how she made it," he spoke up.  He was under the intent gazes of every bot in the room.  He sighed.  "Rampage...Rampage used his spark's healing qualities on her.  He repaired her."

"He did WHAT?" Rattrap uttered, completely taken by surprise.  Blackarachnia and Rhinox were the only bots who weren't very surprised.

"It's possible, since Rampage is an empath and all he had to do was tune into HER pain," Blackarachnia explained.

"Yes, but we don't have time to ooh and ah over it, we need to make a decision on what to do with her before it's too late!" Rhinox cut to the chase.

"I tell you what we do," Depth Charge growled. "We put her crispy power converter BACK inside her, toss her outside for Rampage to deal with and he can repair both it and her at the same time."

Optimus was unable to suppress a smile at the ex-guardian's decision.  He knew what Depth Charge was giving up, and that it hadn't been easy for him to do.

"You agree with that Optimus?" Rhinox asked, already moving to the weapon.

"Completely," the leader responded calmly.

"You sure it's a good idea ta give her BACK to dat crab?  I mean, how do we know he's gonna, you know, look after her instead of tear her ta pieces like he did Megatron?" Rattrap wondered.

"It's possible she might die at his hands, but it's certain she'll die at ours if we keep her here," Rhinox replied and all but tore out the converter from the weapon.  He inclined his head towards a blade on the side table.  "Blackarachnia, make the incision."

"Lovely," she grumbled and took the energy blade.  She cleanly cut Myst from her already open chest to her stomach.  She pulled apart the sides and Rhinox inserted the converter into her body.  "Spark fading. Life expectancy: 2.5 cycles," the computer droned.

"Let's move her!" Rhinox urged.  "I'll take her," Depth Charge declared and gathered her up carefully.  He wanted to see this for himself.

Rampage wiped his hands on a rock.  The mech fluid had caked onto his hands and so he thought an abrasive surface might flake it off.  He was still hovering around the Ark.  He should have left by now, considering they now had a weapon that, once repaired, could take him down.  Yet he felt drawn to the base.  He wanted to know what became of Myst.

He noted Inferno was twitching slightly.  He stopped cleaning his hands and stared at the antbot.  He had forgotten about him.

"What should I do with you, I wonder?" he muttered absently.  "Hmm...  I'd rather like to...heh...buuuurn you alive. Slowly. Give you a taste of your own medicine."  He smirked at a memory.  He remembered dipping a scientist on Omicron into the tank of chemicals they'd concocted to drop onto his naked spark, to see how it reacted.  It had reacted 'unpleasantly', but he had survived.  The scientist might have survived too, had his chest not been torn open and his spark exposed.  

He began making a move towards the ant when he heard the blast doors opening from a distance.  He tensed.  Slowly he turned around and waited to see what had emerged.  A few moments later, Depth Charge flew up above the cliff line, Myst on his back.  He jerked upwards and she went up into the air, he transformed to robot mode, landed on his feet and caught her neatly.

"She's limp as a doll," he told the crabbot.  "Completely unarmed, vulnerable, helpless.  But you know what?  There's absolutely nothing we can do for her now.  However, if I remember correctly, you healed her prior to bringing her to us." 

Optimus and Silverbolt appeared on either side of Depth Charge and transformed to robot mode, landing a few paces behind him.  They had their weapons ready.

Rampage watched Depth Charge closely, not bothering to hide his hatred towards the mantabot at that moment.  He did not care for the arrogant haughtiness in his tone.

"That's true," he replied levelly.

"Well then, I leave her to your healer's touch," Depth Charge said as he knelt.  He placed Myst's body on the ground and stepped back.  He looked back at the crab expectantly.

"Spark in jeopardy.  Life expectancy: 1 cycle."

Myst's body began to convulse violently and her spark pulsed rapidly in a last ditch effort to fight off the energon corruption.  Rampage could feel its distress well.

He looked down at the dying bot and remained motionless.  Depth Charge waited anxiously for him to do something.

"40 nano-clicks remaining."

Silverbolt glanced worriedly at Optimus, who shrugged lightly.  This was one situation that was out of his hands.  There was no point threatening Rampage to do it.  If the crab refused, there was nothing they could do.

Depth Charge's nonchalance faded with the seconds of Myst's life.  "Aren't you going to do anything?"

Rampage stared intently at her.  He saw the slice from her torso to her tummy and it reminded him of the wound Tarantulas had inflicted on her the first time he'd attacked her.  Tarantulas was responsible for all this. 

A sudden, intense hatred rose up inside Rampage at the thought of the spider. It was enough to spur him into action.

"20 nano-clicks remaining."

He glanced up at the mantabot.  "I suppose you want to watch?"

Depth Charge blinked at the question, then scowled.  "I'll believe it when I see it," he stated.

Rampage moved forward and all three Maximals stepped back cautiously.  He came up to Myst and dropped to his knees.

"I think you ought to know I'm getting awfully sick of repairing you like this, Myst," he told her, even though she was unconscious.  He waited patiently for his chest plates to open.

"10 nano-clicks to termination."

"Don't be so hasty to leave, it's not over just yet," he breathed, acutely aware of the fascinated bots watching his every move.

His chest was open, and he placed his hands in her and onto her burnt power converter.  The healing trail of energy wound down his arms.

"5. 4. 3."

The trail hit her shuddering body and it jerked an inch off the ground.  

"2. 1."

There was a bright flash of light and Depth Charge and his fellow Maximals stumbled back in shock, raising hands to shield their eyes.

When they looked again, Myst was lying still in Rampage's arms, and the crabbot was looking calm.  The healing trail was still going down his arms and into her.

"Spark stabilized," the computer informed.

Rampage looked up at his archenemy with child-like surprise.  "That was close.  Almost didn't make it."

Depth Charge stared in total wonder at the femmebot in the killer's grip.  Her power converter was silver again, and he could actually see the wires re-attaching, the cracked tubes repairing and the slice on her stomach zipping up.  The process was simply amazing.

"By Primus," Optimus muttered.

Rampage snorted in a mix of amusement and condescension.  The entire situation was so absurd, but he found he was getting some pleasure from the shock of the bots in front of him, particularly Depth Charge.  This must be playing havoc with his mind.  X the healer!  What a thought.

Myst's chest panels slowly began to close and her systems made a gentle whirring noise as stasis unlocked and she came back online.  Her optics relit.

She cursed colourfully.  Silverbolt blushed while Optimus raised an eye ridge.  

Rampage looked down at her softly.  "Welcome back, Myst."

Myst shifted uncomfortably.  "Am I back for good?"

"You've got your missing equipment now, yes."

She stopped squirming and her eyes widened. "You...got it back for me?"

"Not me specifically.  I found it.  Rhinox gave it back to you."

Myst went still as she wrestled with her emotions.  "But that wasn't enough, was it?"

"Obviously."

Depth Charge watched the two intently and found he was feeling ill.  There was something horribly wrong with this scene.  Rampage was cradling a worthless femmebot.  One who he didn't need, who he didn't care about....

"You've done your job, now let her go," he growled suddenly.  

Rampage's head snapped up and he engaged the mantabot in a stare.  "What's the matter, Fins?  Don't you trust me with her?"

"No, I don't trust you with anything.  I don't know what your intentions are, but I think they have something to do with messing me around, confusing me, making me second guess you.  It's not going to work. Now let her go, so I can see that you don't slaughter her at some later stage when you're tired of playing with her."

"Oh how typical of you," Rampage spat viciously.  Myst elbowed him sharply.  "Do as he says, Rampage.  Let me go."

Rampage drew back his arms abruptly and Myst fell to the ground.  She blurted an exclamation of pain and scowled up at him, before rolling onto her stomach and pushing herself up.  She faced the Maximals.

"Thank you for what you've done.  I ask that you leave me alone with Rampage.  I have some things to tell him.  I'll be rejoining you later, if you'll have me?"

Rampage was still on his knees, so he was eye-level with her.  He looked at her sharply.

Optimus nodded slightly.  "You're welcome to join us, but I don't advise staying with Rampage any longer."

"I'll be fine," she assured him.

Depth Charge shook his head with a look of wild disbelief.  "Don't be an idiot, Myst."

"I'm allowed to be an idiot when I want," she said placidly.  Depth Charge shot Optimus a desperate glance, but the leader merely shook his head.

"Let's go.  It's her decision."

Silverbolt shrugged at Depth Charge with a look of genuine sympathy on his face.  He could see how all this was addling and infuriating the ex-guardian.  He turned with Optimus and left the cliffs.  Depth Charge lingered a moment longer before finally giving in and leaving.

*

Myst turned around slowly to face her rescuer.  Rampage was glaring at her.  She folded her arms, trying to maintain a calm exterior when inside her spark was shuddering from the shock of near-death.  She wasn't fooling him.

"A thank you would be nice," Rampage broke the silence.

"A thank you?!  You expect me to thank YOU?  You lying, deceptive, homicidal psychopath!"

"Ooh, that hurt," Rampage sneered derisively.  "Now suddenly you call me that, after what the Fish told you.  It still doesn't change the fact that I RESCUED you.  Again!"

"You don't have to remind me, Rampage!  I remember each attack and each rescue clearly, I assure you," she said hotly.  An intense silence followed as the two locked eyes and stared at each other, emotions rising.

"So you're joining them, now, hmm?  You've got what you wanted from me, I got what I wanted for me.  Not exactly part of the original deal, but everything's settled now," Rampage finally said, a little softer and less viciously.

Myst's frown faded.  "What are you going to do now?"

"What are YOU going to do?  I asked for confirmation," Rampage pressed.

Myst sighed and looked away.  Why was she having this conversation with him?  Why had she stayed?  She wasn't sure what she was hoping to gain from lingering with Rampage any longer.  He was a killer, a monster...but he had saved her life all the same.

"I'm going to join the Maximals.  It's obviously too dangerous for me to be wandering this world without a faction," she said, eyes still gazing out into the distance.  She looked sad at her decision.

"You caved.  You gave in to the one thing you swore you wouldn't be a part of," Rampage observed, knowing it would sting her.  He got his intended result.  Myst turned to him sharply, eyes ablaze.

"Don't talk to me like you know me!  Because you don't!  And I don't know YOU.  So you can just keep your comments to yourself, and stay the hell away from me!"

Rampage stood up and Myst staggered backwards, alarmed at the sudden action.  He towered above her, and his dark glower never left his face.

"You're right, Myst.  I don't know you.  You see, I thought you were different.  Someone who didn't care for factions, for the conventions of society.  You were supposedly an outcast, and so you wouldn't care if I were one too.  I'm an outcast, Myst, not because I'm stupid or ugly or deformed...  I'm an outcast because I choose to do what I like when I like, and that's gotten people in my way killed.  So they label me a 'psychopath', 'unstable', 'dangerous'.  But you claimed not to be a part of 'they', so I gave you a chance.  I treated you as I'd want to be treated myself and for a short while, once you'd learnt to trust me, I got your acceptance.  Who I was and what I'd done was irrelevant, as long as I was there for you when you needed me.  An ally, a protector...who knows?  Maybe even a friend."

Myst's anger intensified as he spoke but she also felt ill, guilty and miserable.  What he was saying hurt her to her core.  He was right and she...she wasn't sure where she stood anymore.  When would she decide to stop weaving her way through life and choose a path?  Who exactly was she?  Up until now, she'd acted according to situation, but now that she was confronted with a life-changing choice, she wasn't sure what to do...because she had never stopped to think about it before.  

The epiphany struck Myst full force and she froze on the spot, trying to decide what to do.  The bot before her waited patiently, his glare a little softer as he realized the explosion of emotion coming from her.

"Just tell me one thing, Rampage," she said in a trembling whisper.  Rampage made no sign to acknowledge her, opting to wait for her to continue.

"Did you enjoy killing all those bots?  I mean, did it give you some sort of pleasure?" she eked out the words.

Rampage shifted his posture.  He seemed to relax a little and his shoulders slumped.  "Yes.  I felt pleasure at others' fear and pain."

Myst's eyes closed and she struggled to maintain her composure.  Slowly they half-opened and she looked at him.

"If it's any comfort to you, Myst, I never enjoyed your pain.  Not for an instant," Rampage said gently.  He meant it, too.

"No, Rampage, it's no comfort," she sighed quietly.  "It doesn't change anything.  The fact remains that you deceived me, and I fell for it.  I fell for you.  Why did you do it?  Why did you prolong this?" she barely managed the question.

"Why didn't you tell me?!" was what she was basically saying.  Rampage could detect the wild anger and frustration brewing beneath her words.

"I thought it didn't matter," he replied, his gaze on her steady and searching.

Myst's eyes closed again, she swallowed hard and breathed quick, deep breaths to try and calm herself.  "How, Rampage, could it not matter?"

Rampage decided he'd had enough of this.  Myst was alive, he'd seen to that and so he no longer needed to stay.

"I misjudged you, Myst.  Forgive me.  But now we part ways.  You join your new faction and I...I'll go and do what I do best."

Myst's eyes flew open.  "What?"

Rampage turned his hands palm-up and looked down at them.  Myst followed his gaze and noted the dried mech fluid coating them.

"Primus, Rampage," she blurted and looked away, lips trembling as she fought back the sobs.  She felt sick to her stomach.

"I knew you'd be upset if I murdered your little friend, Waspinator," Rampage said calmly.  Myst turned to face him slowly, horror etched onto her face. 

"So I just knocked him unconscious again when he woke up.  He was hurt and afraid, so I put him out of his misery.  That, and he was annoying me."

Myst let out a short, incredulous laugh and shook her head.  "Go away, Rampage," she uttered, voice on the edge of breaking.

Rampage looked from his hands to her.  His expression was mild and placid, but the regret and deep hurt just flickered momentarily in his eyes.

"As you wish."  He paused a few seconds, transformed to tank mode, turned and rumbled off.  Myst watched him leave until he'd gone over the hill and out of sight.

She resisted the overwhelming urge to sink to her knees and cry.  It was all she wanted to do now, but she couldn't.  She wouldn't allow herself to slip down that final notch.  Instead, she checked the landscape around her and spotted Waspinator.  She headed over to him, gathered him up in her arms, and proceeded to carry him to the Maximal base.