It's a conspiracy, I tell you a conspiracy! I just had to reboot our computer this evening and I haven't yet downloaded anything from the external yet. Urrrrrrrgggggggggggggghhhhhh!
You're a good kid, it's just a lousy computer! We will wait! Greatness always takes time!

 

thank you Anodythe, your support has always been a help ^^

with that critical file missing, I'm not sure anything can be saved, which means good bye a lot of my music. if it comes to a new computer, I am getting a mac. I don't care if its an iMac with it's all-in-one design, or a mini-mac that powerhouse of a cookie tin XD

 

yikes, it has been too long since I posted anything here.

well, I'm alive, I got my desktop fixed and my laptop too. And... inspiration/drive flew RIGHT out the fraggin' window x_X

though I'm now used to my laptop's keyboard (I use an ergonomic for my desktop) so I can write without looking stupid.

anyway...


T:AU WILL continue. I've just been caught up with some of the superhero stuff on the board here, plus a lack of direction/inspiration. I don't want to skip the rest of this story and go to the next but I hate the fact I've made you and all my readers wait so long.

my deepest apologies and As an apology I give you what I have for "The Devil You Know - 4" it's just 3-ish pages but I hope the teaser is enough for you all to stick with me

I just have too many ideas for this series to give up on it. can't do it lol

* * * *

They were The Chaos Trinity.​

Three processors and Sparks of modern Cybertron who delved into the dark and forgotten past of their planet, their people, to rediscover lost knowledge and power. Black science and mystic symbols were their prevue, used to further their submersion into the obscured treasures hidden in code, ruin, and locked away by those who did not know.

At least that's how they; Mindwipe, Bludgeon, and Bugly, saw themselves. The rest of the decepticons, on the whole, saw them as chasing scary stories used to frighten protoforms and other frivolous, useless information. The ridicule only spurred them forward in their searches.​

Finally! Vindication came to them with Mindwipe and his discovery. So shocking it was that the mystic didn't even make mention of it to his friends but went straight to the bot he knew would want his information and would practically give them carte blanche so they could retrieve the discovery.​

He had spoken to Megatron's Spark. Mindwipe now knew his energy signature and could use that to find their former leader's chassis. The goal was to bring the body back for Soundwave, the communications master offered no reason but Mindwipe made the safe gamble of “retrieving it for entombment”. The three however had spoken of a different path.​

Thanks to Mindwipe they had the means to do more than follow the residual energies of a passed-on Spark. How quickly the in-fighting would end if a -resurrected- Megatron called their forces together.​

Of course-- thought the mystic, --if we can insert some... suggestion... so Megatron will value our studies more. Then again, ancient power and knowledge would only help cement Megatron's return. We just have to make certain Soundwave doesn't find this out.​

Mindwipe was broken from his thoughts by Bludgeon's voice.​

“You are scheming again, I can see it on your derma-plates.” spoke the sword-master.​

“If I am, it is for our benefit Bludgeon.” Mindwipe said, “We are scorned and ridiculed because we look to the past to ensure our future. Even you Bludgeon, a master of Metallikato, are teased for studying an ancient and “outdated” form of combat, yet every time you've been challenged -you- have won. You and that outdated form of combat.”​

Bludgeon gave a short nod, “Yes. An old proverb states: The seeds of the future lie buried in the past.”

“Exactly. Which is why we search for what we do.” Mindwipe stood, patting the book.​

“Again, we must proceed with caution. There is no point to search for power if we are offline before we can wield it.​

Mindwipe looked at the tome again, “I agree old friend, caution is always a must.”

“Especially with this.” Bludgeon nodded towards Mindwipe's book, “The last thing we need is to accidentally summon something.” He thought a moment, “Or, for that matter, -purposely- summon something before we are ready to deal, or contend, with.”​

<<Will the two of you get up here and help prepare for the landing?>> Bugly summoned them to the cockpit.​

= = = =​

Mindwipe and Bludgeon took their stations as Bugly brought up a planet on the holo-display.​

“There.” He gestured to the holo, “As you said Mindwipe, coordinates 4N1M4TR05. He's on that planet.”​

Mindwipe looked at the holo-display's read out, an organic planet that was over-run by is flora. He couldn't see anything but green and blue, which of course denoted the planet's oceans.

“That planet is a jungle, literally.” Bugly sighed, “However, I did find a big enough zone to land in.”​

“Planet-fall?” Bludgeon asked, “The plant life is that dense we can't Jump down?”​

“It's that dense.” Bugly confirmed with a short exhale, “The good news is that our projected landing point isn't that far from Megatron's body. Which poses a mystery.”​

“With such a rich atmosphere how could his chassis survive entry with all that friction as well as the impact of landing.” Bludgeon shook his head, keeping an optic on the holo-display.​

Mindwipe adjusted their angle of entry, “Who says he did? If I was able to contact his Spark, he's not functioning, or is very close to off-lining.”

“Hmrh” Bugly frowned, “Adjust by thirty degrees, we'll get a smoother entry.”​

“Right, right.” The mystic corrected their course.​

“The Decepticon dream of power and glory await, Chaos Trinity.” Bugly said as their ship was rocked by turbulence from atmospheric entry.​

Beings planet-side, if there were any, were greeted with a white-orange explosion streaking across the vibrant blue-green sky.
A wind blew through the canopy foliage, ruffling leaves, flowers and the feathers of the local fliers who took to the air with raucous cacophony of calls in answer to the sonic boom that startled them.​

= = = =​

“We'll have to do this in our primary modes.” Bugly sighed, putting away his servo-held scanner, “Except for perhaps Mindwipe, our alt-modes are useless. I originally surmised just the canopy was thick but that denseness goes all the way down.”​

“Your suggestion then?” Mindwipe asked.​

“That Bludgeon take point and make our way through this. Mindwipe, you will follow with your scanner for directions and I will bring up the rear.” Bugly drew his weapons.​

Nodding Bludgeon stood and walked to the air lock, servo on his sword's hilt. Mindwipe took a slow, short intake of air to cool his internals. He was feeling anxious, almost unbelieving that his research and work were finally paying off. Also standing, he grabbed his “spark scanner” and joined Bludgeon.
With a nod from Bugly, the master of metallikato drew his blade and opened the air lock. The Chaos Trinity was hit with a hot rush of the planet's atmosphere; thick, wet and heavy with humidity.

Stepping out Bludgeon put servo to optic as said optics adjusted to the brighter landscape.​

“Fascinating.” He said, “So thick and dense but yet light from its sun still filters down.”​

“I wouldn't be surprised if its because we're at a higher elevation. I can imagine there are points on this planet where light doesn't reach and it's as dark as any ocean's bottom.” Speculated Mindwipe as he too scanned his optics around the area near the ship.​

“A fascinating conjecture indeed.” Agreed Bugly, “We can not, however, be sidetracked Mindwipe. This is 'your' mission, as ordered by Soundwave.”​

The mystic bristled at Bugly's admonishment but was cut off from saying anything by Bludgeon silently moving forward to get his companions to stop bickering as well as get the mission, both the one Soundwave tasked them with, as well as their true goal, under way.

Stepping in line behind the sword-master, Bugly and Mindwipe both fell silent. In that silence only the trained senses of the Metallikato master felt something was amiss, that they were being watched. He mused that, given this alien situation, it could very well just be a case of the paranoia that seemed hard-programmed into a Decepticon's C.N.A..​

In reaction to this feeling all Bludgeon did was silently grip his sword's hilt tighter in his servo as he swung the blade to slice them a path through the foliage. Alerting his two companions would make matters degrade, they were already on edge and 'twitchy', no need to plunge them into full-on paranoia.​

= = = =​

Bludgeon's senses, though, served him well even if he didn't truly feel it.​

Their ship and their hike through the greenery did not go unnoticed. Camouflaged in the trees by his natural green and yellow colors, his sharp and predatory purple wings held close to his body while he watched the trio, his claws tightening around the branch he roosted on. Giving a soft clack of his beak he shifted his weight.
Cutthroat knew that Hun-Grr would want to hear of the arrival of these aliens, most definitely since they were headed towards The-One-Who-Fell. He moved only after the visitors passed him, wings spreading and leaping from his perch.

Yes, He decided, Hun-Grr must know of this.
Hun-Grr. Cutthroat hissed at the thought. He figured that the best way to deal with the outsiders was to spread their entrails across the trees. If that two headed glutton would stop shoving his mouth full of stuff...​

The reasoning behind Cutthroat's orders to not eviscerate them was because Hun-Grr figured that if one thing fell from the sky, others might follow looking for it. If they did, that meant they'd bring things. Things they could eat, or destroy... and the same could be said for those that came, once their usefulness ran out.

It still irritated the slag out of him though.

= = = =​

Slashing away at vines and thin branches Bludgeon let out another long exhale. The humidity in the atmosphere was weighing thickly even on their mechanical bodies. Pressure, moisture, be a being flesh or metal the uncomfortableness of the environment was cutting into their last, already and easily frayed nerves. He himself was particularly irritated that such a warrior as he, and his finely crafted weapon was being used for, all intents and purposes, as a trimmer. The thought often danced through his neural net, how Bugly got away with acting as their leader, ordering them around.​

Nature of the Decepticon Spark I guess. He thought to himself, Where there is a vacuum of power, one seeks to fill it with his support struts. The irritating part is that we are equals in this venture, our Trinity, why should he lead.​

Bludgeon's sword slashed easily through a small tree.

“We're close.” Mindwipe spoke up suddenly, “By readings... we're about half a Hic from the signal. It's...” Mindwipe blinked, double checking his readings, “...It's strong. This... can't be. I was certain it was weak, that it was close to or just had passed on.”​

“What are you saying.” Bludgeon snapped, half-turning to look over his shoulder's​

“I'm saying that while not a full strength spark by any means it is much stronger than I had originally anticipated. As if... hrm... the best way I can describe it without studying it... it's as if a greatly damaged spark entered stasis lock just scant moments before its spark extinguished.”​

“Well, great.” Bugly snapped​

Mindwipe ignored his snark. He tapped at his scanner, “Our plan and mission hasn't changed.”

“Decide that after we see him” Bugly growled, “Hopefully he -is- in stasis lock so we can move him without trouble.”​

“I agree with Bugly.” Bludgeon murmured, “You are certain this is Megatron's spark, yes Mindwipe?”​

“Of course I am!” Mindwipe started​

Bludgeon held up his servos, “Just... follow me. Megatron was, if the reports can be trusted, tossed out of Astrotrain, like so much refuse. No shuttle. No protection from the atmosphere when he hit it. All that time through space, injured as he was, and then an unprotected atmospheric entry?”

“You're right... something isn't calculating” Mindwipe agreed, “Megatron was strong but that is just beyond the stresses a chassis can take, unless the chassis is built for that, like Astrotrain or just larger and stronger, like a Combiner.”​

Bugly frowned, “So, either Megatron is unprimusly built or... this spark you tracked is so similar to Megatron's own.... bah, that doesn't make sense either!”
With a surge of anger Bugly charged forward through the brush. Bludgeon and Mindwipe followed, all three silent, save for some grumbling from Bugly. All three trying to compute just what exactly what they had just realized meant.

They wouldn't have to wait long. Half a Hic was short when one's stride covered, in human terms, yards at a step.
That was when they saw it. Confusion filtered through their processors as they tried to reconcile what their optics were scanning with what they had computed to be “right”. Before them lay a damaged, scorched body. It was predominantly gray now, paint burnt off from the heat of reentry, but it appeared to be purple. His cranial unit was protected by a three-pronged crown and whatever his weapon was, it was broke now. A cannon of some kind, orange barrel.​

“This isn't Megatron” Bugly frowned​

Mindwipe nodded in agreement, “No, but his spark IS coming from here.”

“This is... Galvatron, isn't that his name?” Bugly asked​

“Yes, I remember hearing that name whispered. He was the one who blasted Starscream.”, Bludgeon's skull-like face seemed to grin, “That alone should get him a warrior's burial.”​

“Yes, granted, no one liked Starscream... but the question remains is why is Megatron's spark signature coming from Galvatron.”​

The three of them looked to each other, servos working their mouth plates into frowns.

“Reformatted.” Mindwipe said​

Bugly nodded, “More than likely”

“Does our plan change then?” Bludgeon asked​

“It certainly does...” said a voice
Then a second, similar to the first but just a bit deeper in pitch spoke, “... change your plan.”​

The Chaos Trinity turned, hands on their weapons. Before them was a great white beast, with pink-purple plates on its back, two long serpentine necks ending in reptilian faces. Next to him was another white beast, a flattend head with pointed snout, filled with sharp triangluar teeth, a tail trashing around nervously as it's blue limbs gleamed in the light. On the two-headed dragon's other side was a second two-headed beast, yellow with four blue legs. This one was like a hunting animal, each head having a horn on its snout. Lastly was a green breasted, yellow limbed bird-creature with purple wings and a dark blue creature with long upper limbs that almost touched the ground and purple lower limbs. He smelled awful.

The white dragon-beast spoke, it's right head raising up and hissing, “You-”
“-Die” the left head hissed as it arched down, looking up at the three.

 

"Little teaser"? Sounds like you have plots within plots and each characters motive is a bit different the his fellows.

I know what lack of motivation feels like. It can be real tough to make yourself feel something that is clearly not there. You've done a great job...best wishes for the rest!

 

thank you

and yes. 3 pages out of at least 10 is a little teaser... especially when its 3 pages out of 10 pages out of at least 8 parts. my largest fic for T:AU yet.

I may crap out at 6 parts but... it really is gonna be at least 8 parts. i wouldn't be surprised if it IS more though, honestly. As you said, plots with-in plots... and I've never really been good writing baddies XD

 

ok so... part 4 wasn't the 10 pages I thought it was going to be. However, I finally finished it, and found a good, cliff-hangery ending to it

so, at least it's done, and 4 pages for a chapter when the page is 8.5x11 isn't THAT bad.

 

No...not bad at all!!!

 

^_^ thank you!

and yes. Terrorcons on Animatros XD