Part 3 by Sparky
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The sun was high in the sky, spreading it's sweltering warmth everywhere on the desert plateau. A modest sized lizard rested on a rock, directly in the rays of the sun. It eyes were closed in blissful content. If only that could last. Before the lizard could even realize what happened, it was a bloody smear on the rock.
"YEEEEEE HAAAAAAAAA!!! I GOT IT!!" Yelled an overly bored, dellusional QuickDraw.
Hiding out in the desert was not exciting nor fun for him. The longer he waited out here, the more angry he became with Tarantulas. That spider was suppose to get him out of the country. So far that deed was not done; infact, Quickdraw started to believe it would never be done. He started to believe that Tarantulas had left him for dead. He had run out of energon and water, plus his cyberbuck was broken.
"I'm gonna kill that two-timin' bastard!!!" He yelled at the sun.
"But you did, didn't you?" asked the sun to him. A light beam shot down from the sun and illuminated a rock with a bloody smear on it.
"Naw I didn't. That was just a regular spider!"
"Oh.... Well what about this?" The light beam moved over to the rock with the remains of the lizard that QuickDraw just shot.
"Nope. It was just a lizard."
"But didn't you say they were Tarantulas when you first saw and shot at them?"
"I was hallucinating ya dim witted punk!"
"Oh, sorry. Aren't you hallucinating now?"
"Ya know what?"
"What?"
"Your getting on my nerves!" QuickDraw aimed his guns at the sun and fired. He didn't stop shooting until it ceased making noises. He then put his guns away.
By his leg was a package that had the letters LSD (*note: LSD, for all of ya'll who don't know their illegal drugs, is this drug that uh . . makes you have hallucinations*) on it in big, black, bold letters. He picked it up, and poured some of it into a cup. He then grabbed his liquor bottle and filled up the cup. He mixed it around a bit, and drank it. A few seconds later, he entered his next hallucination.
***
"How much longer til we get there?" inquired Dinobot, obviously not enjoying his little trist in the sun with Tarantulas.
"Soon, soon." Tarantulas hastly replied. "Then you will meet your death" he then said under his breath.
"What was that spider!?!"
"Um . . . I didn't say anything. I think the heat is really getting to you. Maybe we should stop."
Tarantulas looked back at Dinobot. Dinotbot crunched up his face and growled at him.
"Um...... maybe not."
Tarantulas looked around, scanning the horizon. So far he had not seen one glimpse of this bot named Rampage that Megatron was suppose to send to them.
"Dinobot. Where is Rampage? Why hasn't he come to us?"
Dinobot glared at Tarantulas, and then calmly replied with a slight snarl "Rampage doesn't come to us, we go to Rampage."
***
The creature gazed out at the family of pilgrims calmly making their way across the desert plateau. Images of carnage and destruction ran through it's head. It mused over ways it could bring about the pilgrim's demise. After coming up with the most chaotic way to destroy them, the creature got up, and attacked.
***
"Honey, did you hear that?"
"Hear what darlin'" replied a black and brown bot.
He looked around. His son was attending to the cybercattle, his daugther was playing with her dolly, and his wife was calmly sitting by his side. He gave a sigh of relief.
"Listen darlin', I think it was nothing. The sun's probably botherin' ya. Maybe we should stop and rest a while."
"That sounds good."
The bot looked into his wife's optics, and lightly kissed her. He then grabed the reins that controlled the cyberbucks, willing them to stop.
"Hey son, how are the cybercattle doing?"
Silence. The bot looked back and didn't see any trace of his son. He was about to climb out of the carraige when his wife grabbed his arm.
"Where are you going?" she asked in a sincere voice.
"To see what my pain of a son is up to, and I know it ain't no good."
"Do be careful. I have a terribly bad feeling about this."
"I'll be alright. Now you go attend lil' Suzie (that's his daughter's name). I'll be back in a sec."
The bot then climbed out of the carriage and made his way around to where he last saw his son.
"Ah, come out Dusty (that's the son's name if you haven't figured)! Stop playin' around!"
Still silence.
"That's it, if you don't come out when I'm done counting down from five, your going to really get it!
"5 . . ." Still nothing.
"4 . . ." The bot started to get nervouse.
"3 . . ." There were some rustling from behind a large rock formation near where he was standing.
"2 . . ." The bot crossed his arms, and started to think of how he should punish his son.
"1 . . ."
"0 . . ."
Just then a scream filled the air. The bot looked up and noticed a dark object flying through the air. He held out his hands and in an instant later, the decapitated head of his son landed in his arms. It's mouth forever twisted in agonizing pain and terror.
***
"I think we've found Rampage."
Dinobot and Tarantulas rode their cyberbucks up to a major reckage. It once was a carraige, and now is nothing but burning debree.
Tarantulas caught sight of a small, petite hand clutching what looked like a doll lying under one of the such debree. He brought his own hand to his mouth to keep down the bile rising in his stomach.
Dinobot suddenly stopped his cyberbuck. Tarantulas, unaware of this, crashed his own buck into Dinobot's, sending Dinobot flying through the air, and landing hard on his derreaire. Tarantulas started to chuckled a bit until Dinobot glared daggers at him.
A shadow then blocked out the sun over Dinobot's head. Tarantulas looked up and gulped in fear.
"My my, what do we have here?"
Rampage looked down at Dinobot, and then at Tarantulas. He threw aside the head of one of the hapless bots he had gotton.
Dinobot got up, and looked directly into Rampage's eyes.
"Megatron sent you orders to join us."
"Megatron's a fool for thinking he can control me! His collar will not work if he does not know I'm gone. Unfortunaty, that means disposing of you two. I'm sure your sparks will be very delicious."
Tarantulas shuddered in disgust.
"Is that so." snarled Dinobot.
Electricity started to crackle around Rampage's collar.
"What . . . What's happening . . . AAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"Megatron has entrusted me with the power to control your collar. He expected you to do something like this. Who's the fool now."
"PRIMUS!! I'LL DO ANYTHING!!! ANYTHING!!! JUST PLEASE MAKE IT STOOOOOOP!!!!"
"If you say so." Dinobot casually released his hold over Rampage, making him drop to the ground gasping for breath.
Dinobot climbed onto his cyberbuck, and looked at Tarantulas.
"Lead the way."
***
Depth Charge stooped over the reckage and glared at the carnage before him. He had been too late, Rampage had struck again.
Depth Charge picked up a peice of debree. The contents underneath chilled him to the spark. There before him where the dismembered body parts of Rampage's victems, arranged to form a figure which he identified as a smiley face (twisted eh?).
Depth Charge pick up the body parts and hastly buried them. Afterwards, he made a make-shift cross and stuck it in the ground next to the place where he laid the bots to rest. That's when he noticed someone was watching him.
"Who are you!?!"
"Just a curious observer who could be of help to you."
Depth Charge turned around.
"And how can you be a help to me." He gazed at the bot.
In it's heavily accented voice, it replied "I know exactly where you can find the bot who did all this."
"Why should I trust you?"
"Cause you have nothing to lose comrade."
Depth Charge stared at him again, thinking things over.
"I can find him just as good on my own." Depth Charge raised his weapon and aimed it at the bot. "I suggest you leave. Now."
"As you wish." he said calmly, raising his hands into the air.
"Who are you, by the way?"
"My name, is Ravage. Good day comrade."
Ravage mounted his cyberbuck, and rode off into the horizon.
"Why trust when I can follow (Years of bounty hunting can make one currupt. I should know . . . well, maybe not, but work with me here.)."
Depth Charge hopped onto his buck and rode off after Ravage, whom Depth Charge noticed gladly (just as planned), was heading in the same direction as Protoform X.
***
"Hmmm . . . That being over there sure looks like that fellow whom you describe as Tarantulas."
"Ya think I haven't noticed that!!"
The sun had been bothering QuickDraw ever since he'd taken his "medicine." Tarantulas had given it to him, and had told him to take it. Said it'll keep him from having dellusions in the desert. To QuickDraw, it seemed the medicine was not working.
"What are you doing?" Inquired the sun.
QuickDraw had dumped all of the contents of his "medicine" into his whiskey bottle. He shook it around, and began downing it.
QuickDraw stopped drinking, wiped his mouth, and said "What does it look like I'm doing ya yellow bellied punk! I'm taking all of this stuff. Maybe that way, you'll leave me alone!"
"Fine! I'll leave you alone. All you have to do is stop taking that stuff, and then I'll disappear. I promise."
QuickDraw looked at the sun until his optics hurt, and dark spots flittered around his veiw.
"Promise?"
"Promise."
QuickDraw threw his whiskey bottle against a rock, breaking the bottle and staining the rock a dark color.
By the time Tarantulas and his "partners" arrived, the sun had gone back to being a glowing orb in the sky, and the constant pain in QuickDraw's head that had been bothering him ever since he had taken that "medicine," stopped.
.
"Tarantulas! Where in the slaggin' pit were you!?! I've been baking in this backwater shanty you've hid me in for days . . . And this medicine of yours. It didn't help one bit at getting rid of dellusions. That's the last time I trust you!"
QuickDraw noticed the two other bots behind Tarantulas.
"And who are they !?! You didn't sell me out did you!?!"
Tarantulas gritted his teeth. This was not a good day.
"QuickDraw . . . would . .. You . . . Just . . . SHUT UP!!!!"
QuickDraw imediately closed his mouth.
"Now you listen to me! I'm feeling pretty pissed right now. You kidnapp me, force me to do something for you against my own will, and then now I have my business almost virtually destroyed by Megatron's goons who are searching for you. Not to mention I've spent all day in the sun with Oscar the Grooch over there" Tarantulas pointed to Dinobot "and that guy from 'Silence of the Lambs'!!!" he then pointed to Rampage."
"Now you listen to me, and you listen to me good QuickDraw! If I get one last peep out of you, I'll personally rip off your head and feed off your spark!!"
Dinobot crossed his arms and slightly grinned. Rampage suppressed a chuckle.
QuickDraw opened his mouth, and could only get out a tiny peep of protest, when Tarantulas completely lost it.
Tarantulas's head seemed to grow 10x's it's actual size, and steam was coming out of it. He turned around, opened his mouth and breathed fire onto Dinobot. Dinobot, now all black and charred, made a little peep, and fell off his cyberbuck onto the ground. A swift wind blew, turning him into a pile of ashes with X's for eyes and a mouth with it's tongue hanging out. Rampage meanwhile was on the ground, rolling around, laughing his head off.
QuickDraw shook his head, and the illusion disappeared. Dinobot was on the ground rubbing his bum. Tarantulas had reared his cyberbuck to do front kick, but instead it did a back kick, knocking Dinobot off his buck. Rampage was still lauging though.
When Tarantulas realized what he had done, he quickly jumped off his cyberbeast to help Dinobot up.
Dinobot snarled and knocked Tarantulas out of the way. He then turned his attentions to QuickDraw.
"You are the one called QuickDraw, are you not!?!"
"Who me me?" QuickDraw dumbly said. "Yea, I am."
Dinobot removed a device had in his subspace. The objects flew out of his hand, got into formation, and shortly, the image of Megatron appeared in the middle of the object peices.
"Ah Tarantulas. I see that you've gotten Dinobot safely to QuickDraw. For that you will be rewarded."
"Really?" cooed Tarantulas.
"Of course! Your reward is membership in my organization."
Tarantulas stared at Megatron slack jawed.
"But . . but . . ."
"You should be honored Tarantulas. It is not everyday someone is offered to join me. You have no choice you know."
Tarantulas lowered his head and started grumbling to himself.
Megatron turned his attention to QuickDraw.
"As for you QuickDraw, I offer you a spot on my organization as well. I can always use a good gunslinger."
"Does this mean I get ta kill as many bots as I want?"
"Of course . .."
"YEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!"
QuickDraw drew out his guns and shot into the air, thinking to himself that Megatron would protect him from any CCIA agents.
"Megatron, I ask for membership on your organization as well."
Everyone turned, mystified, to look at the bot who said this.
"And who are you?"
"The name's Ravage."
"Yessssss . . . I've heard about you. That was a long time ago though."
Ravage pulled out his guns, and in a blink of an eye, shot both of QuickDraw's guns out of his hands, and the cowbot hat QuickDraw wore on his head.
"I assure you, I'm still as sharp a shooter now as I was then."
"Fine Ravage. You have permission to join. I will enjoy having you."
Ravage bowed his head humbly.
In the background behind Megatron, a voice was heard.
"My lady! The Wasp got his hand stuck in a jar of sugar again!
"Wazzpinatooor no need Ant-bot nor Bozz-bot help. Situation underrr controoool."
Megatron sadly shook his head, and then his image fazed out.
Dinobot returned the device to subspace. After that, all the bots, cept' for Rampage, mounted their cyberbucks, and rode off toward Megatron's secret base.
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Nearby, behind a rock, a figure sat thinking over what he had just observed.
"That fellow Ravage is up to something. Thought Depth Charge to himself. "And QuickDraw. A scum far worse then Rampage, and with a higher bounty. Why was he here? What does Megatron have to do with all this though, and why did he want QuickDraw part of his team. Hmmm . . . . . Gotta tell PopOp about this."
Depth Charge quickly got on his cyberbeast, and hurridly rode off towards PopOp's Saloon.
***
PopOp's joints had been aching him more then usual lately. This only told him that there was a storm of trouble brewing up, and anyday it'll break out.
The joints in PopOP's hand started to ache, causing him to drop a glass in his hand. Just before it hit the floor, someone reached out and caught it.
"I believe this glass belongs to you sir."
PopOp recovered from his trauma over the glass falling, to look at the stranger who caught the glass.
"Why thank you son. Haven't seen you around here before. What be your name?"
Before the stranger could answer, a feminine voice cut in.
"His name's Silverbolt, PopOp."
"Mistrees BA!! I thought for sure that Rampage character had gotten you. I mean, you haven't shown up for work for three days."
PopOP leaned against the bar and smiled warmly.
"Well I did meet Rampage, and would have shown him a thing or two if Silverbolt hadn't came and "rescued" me. Thanks a lot Bowser."
"Uh . . . Your welcome my lady."
BA smirked, and kissed his cheek. Silverbolt turned beet red, and smiled.
"Well looks like someone has finally tamed ya. Better not let Tarantulas see him. He'd get a fit."
PopOp began pouring drinks for the couple.
"Let him see! I don't care."
BA crossed her arms.
"Maybe that'll show him that I'm not his anymore." BA looked around. "Where is Tarantulas anyway?"
PopOP gave them the drinks.
"Dunno. Haven't been in the bar since the day you were last here, but if you ask me, where ever he is, he's up to no good. I believe it has something to do with a certain scum named QuickDraw."
Silverbolt perked up and came out of his trance.
"My friend Tigerhawk and I are searching for QuickDraw. If Tarantulas has something to do with him, then we must go to him and investigate." said Silverbolt
"Listen Bowser. Tarantulas won't tell you anything with out a price, and with out you ending up in one of his schemes."
"I have to agree with Mistress BA on that one son. Better just to wait around here. Eventually, everyone ends up at my saloon."
"Speaking of everyone . . ." BA said sarcastically, looking over her shoulder " . . . look who's here."
Depth Charge walked into the bar, with his usual dramatic entrance. He quickly made his way towards PopOp.
"PopOp! I've got to have a word with you . . ." he looked at BA and Silverbolt " . . . privately."
"Now listen here Depth Charge. If you have something to say, then you tell it to everyone . . ."
Mistress BA cut in.
"You don't happen to know the where about of a bot named QuickDraw would you?"
Depth Charge glared at her.
"Looks like Rampage found your spark too disgusting to consume considering that your still alive."
BA was about to strangle DC, but Silverbolt grabbed her.
"Depth Charge!"
"Fine PopOp, I'll tell them also, but that's all."
"Now, Depth Charge, what's it ya have to say?"
"I was in the desert hunting for Rampage. That's when I came across the site of his latest victems. While there, I met up with a bot with a heavily Russian accented accent, who called himself Ravage."
"Ravage eh? Thought he got arrested a long time ago. Wonder what he's doing back here?"
"Let me finish PopOp."
"Okay okay."
Depth Charge grabbed BA's untouched drink, and took a gulp. She tried to complain, but Silverbolt put his hand over her mouth to keep her quiet.
"Ravage offered me help. Said he knew where Rampage was, and could take me to him. Thought that was pretty suspicious, so I said no. He then told me his name, and left."
BA bit Silverbolt's hand, causing him to howl in pain.
"What does this have to do with QuickDraw!!?!"
"I'm getting there. Why don't you just shut the slag up for once!"
BA fell silent.
"How dare you talk to my beloved that way!"
"You shut the slag up too! If it wasn't for PopOp, then you all wouldn't be herein' this stuff from me, so be quiet!"
"Now, as I was saying before certain bots interrupted, I followed Ravage, and he led me right to Rampage. I was going to attack, but I noticed he was with three other bots. I reckonized them to be Dinobot, Tarantulas, and QuickDraw. They were communicating with Megatron via this strange looking com unit. From what I could tell, Megatron wanted to recruit QuickDraw, and he accepted it. As for Tarantulas, he was forcfully recruited by Megatron. Ravage also asked for recruitment, and was granted it. Why Megatron wanted QuickDraw, I don't know, or care enough to investigate. I just want Rampage."
"Interesting . . ." pondered PopOp.
"Do you know where they went to." Called out Silverbolt
"Best bet, Megatron's secret hide out. Good luck finding that place."
"Ha! Well the only good thing that comes from this is now Tarantulas won't be bothering me for a long time."
Depth Charge ignored her, laid some credits on the counter for the drink.
"It's on the house." PopOp said.
Depth Charge shrugged and started to leave when PopOp stopped him.
"Listen Depth Charge. I was thinkin'. Maybe you, Silverbolt here, and his friend Tigerhawk can team up together to search for Megatron's hideout?"
Depth Charge narrowed his Optics, and nearly growled.
"I work alone."
Suit yourself. Merely suggesting you should have someone you know you can trust come with you. Besides, they're after QuickDraw. I'm sure they'll go their own separate ways after getting to the hide out.
"I think PopOp has a good idea." Silverbolt said "Me and my friend Tigerhawk are strangers to this area. We know little of the way of things around here. With your help we can reached our goals successfully. Next to that, we will provide you much needed back up and protection."
Depth Charge thought about this for a while.
"Fine. I accept your offer. Just remember, don't get in my way; don't bug me; and most of all, don't kill Rampage, I want to do the honors myself."
Silverbolt and Depth Charge shook each other's hands.
"Meet me tonight with your friend, right after sun set, in front of this saloon. If I decide your late, then I'm going to Meg's place by myself."
Before Silverbolt could respond, Depth Charge turned and left the bar.
Nearby, two bots sitting at a table overheard the whole conversation. They too got up and left the bar.
***
"Rattrap did you here what that bounty hunter said."
"Yea I heard kid. Why in the slagging pit would Ravage want to be part of Megatron's gang.
"How are you even sure it is Ravage. It could just be some bot who decided to take his name."
"I doubt that Cheetor. How many bot's out there do you know have a Russian accent?"
"Oh, well I guess Ravage must be infiltrating Megatron's base. That's why he wanted to be part of Megatron's gang. Remember, he's trying to bring down Megatron's organization."
"Personally, I detect something fishy about Ravage. There are a lot of things and factors that just don't make sense as to what Ravage told us he was doing."
"Stop being paranoid Rattrap. Remember, Ravage is a CCIA agent. I'm surprised he even told us who he was. He probably has a perfectly good reason for what he's doing."
"Listen Cheetor. Ive known Ravage longer then you have. I know his ways. He's been lying to us to throw us off."
"I don't know Rattrap . . . Hey! I have an idea."
Rattrap looked at Cheetor warily.
"What is it kid?"
"We could follow that bounty hunter and that bot and his friend to Megatron's hide out tonight. This way we could get some questions answered."
"You know kid. That's the first smart idea you've had since you became my partner. This deserves a drink."
Rattrap pulled a jug that had four X's on the front of it out of subspace, and started chugging it down.
"Hey Rattrap! Watch out!!"
"Real funny kid. You aren't gonna get me with that one."
Rattrap started chuckling, and then rammed himself into a pole, shattering his jug onto the ground. Rattrap grabbed his head, looked down, and moaned.
"Dang it kid! Could have warned me earlier."
"I tried to"
"Well it wasn't early enough this time or all the other times. This is the tenth time this month I rammed into this thing . . ."
"Actually, it's only your fourth . . ." Cheetor cut in.
"Ah shut up kid."
Cheetor chuckled to himself.
"Come on Rattrap, let's get back to the station and prepare for tonight. ("What are going to do tonight Brian." "The same thing we do everynight; try to take over the world!!!")"
Cheetor grabbed Rattrap's arm and helped him up.
"Thanks for nothing kid."
Cheetor continued chuckling.
.