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“About TIME you got here!”
The Predacon base was always fairly lively. Between Tarantulus doing... whatever he does, probably far away, and the conflict of the other preds constantly muted by Megatron’s fearsome roars should the noise be too much (or the Maximals were involved), you really had to keep your eyes open to the world around you there, less you miss whose playing bumper cars with the hover platforms and get nearly knocked into lava. Alternatively, you could also get “persuded” to help Tarantulus, or just go perform whatever you wanted to avoid both. For example, Terrorsaur liked to take flying patrols, and sometimes take Waspinator with him. Not because Waspinator was good company, or because they got along, but they two often found it beat to talk shit about everyone else when they couldn’t be heard.
Hence why Terrorsaur was in his beast mode already, perched on the outside of the Darksyde, waiting. Waspinator took longer and longer to get out of those slagging CR chambers, but that’s why Waspinator was the best person to go on patrol with. If you could get past his annoying speech and get him talking, he had all kinds of juicy gossip from overhearing everyone while in the tanks. Alternatively, Waspinator ought to have been a fly, seeing how he makes such a good fly on the wall.
“Waszzpinator waszz zstuck in the chamberszz. Again.” The insect complains, his robot form shifting into the form of a giant wasp, which crawls over to meet Terrorsaur.
“Duh, that’s why we’re doing this. C’mon, before we get assigned something else.” Terrorsaur hisses, quickly taking flight. Waspinator sighs, shaking his head, but buzzes along after.
“Waszzpinator certain we will not be getting orderszz any time soon.” Waspinator grumbles, his abdomen shuddering. Not because of anything he’s done - pollen collects on him all the time, and at some point it gets itchy.
“Oooooooh?” Terrorsaur doesn’t hesitate a beat to glides uncomfortably close to Waspinator, who just pushes him away and shakes his head. “C’mon, spill, spill!!”
“Go aszk Antbot.” Waspinator chides, but Terrorsaur doesn’t relent.
“C’mon, Waspinator, this is the only time we get to talk slag while they’re not gonna scrap us for it.” Terrorsaur reasons, and Waspinator sighs, though he appears he’d rather not.
“Megatron haszz a new toy.” He begins, and their speedy buzzing away from base has slowed to a comfortable glide, where the wind isn’t too loud. Terrorsaur gasps, pausing his flight to comically press his wing talons to his face before soeeding back after Waspinator, who didn’t stop.
“You mean... a new weapon against the Maximals? And he’s not telling us??” Terrorsaur’s eyes widen.
“Waszzpinator would rather have a new Maximal desztroyer, believe Waszzpinator.” The wasp actually growls, while Terrorsaur has to compute.
“Wait... you don’t mean...?”
“Waszzpinator meanszz it.”
“Megatron has a MATE?”
“Yeszz, Waszzpinator knowszz more than waszzpinator ever wanted to.”
“Megatron. Our Megatron. Purple dinosaur.”
“Yeszz.”
“Has someone who wants to bump sparks with him?”
“Yeszz.”
“REPEATEDLY?”
“Yeszz, Beakface, are you not lisztening to Waszzpinator?!”
Terrorsaur gives Waspinator one last shocked lock before practically bodyslamming him out of the sky. Waspinator takes the hit, and both of them go hurtling into the grass, though only Terrorsaur shifts out of beast mode. Waspinator and Terrorsaur roll a few times, and Terrorsaur pins the wasp down.
“WHO?!”
“Why doeszz Beakface wiszh to know szo bad? Doeszz Beakface wiszh to-“
“Inferno NO! No way no how!”
“Waszzpinator thinkszz otherwisze.”
Terrorsaur makes a face, and gives Waspinator a hearty shove.
“Hehehe.”
“Oh, shove some slag in it, Waspinator.”
The wasp rights himself, and his wings twitch.
“Still though... who is it?”
“Waszzpinator not telling!! Beakface haszz to find out.”
“You are useless.”
There’s a pause, and Waspinator feels overjoyed: for once, he has something he can lord over Terrorsaur with. Actually, if Waspinator wanted to, he could blackmail even Megatron... but that’s bound to backfire, like everything else does in his life. Not risking it.
“Is it Scorponok?”
“Nope!!”
“Is it a Maximal? Maybe Optimus Primal? C’mob, gimme SOMETHING, Waspinator!”
“Nope!!”
—————
Speaking of Megatron...
An Energon bath was always the best thing to relax in, especially after a day of dealing with the Predacons. Besides, Megatron does his best thinking in the tub. Not that anyone knows about this, after all, as not a spark is allowed in Megatron’s chambers... normally.
However, there’s always exceptions, and perhaps Megatron doesn’t mind making them.
“My Royalty, are you alright?” A familiar voice that is perhaps the softest it ever gets breaks the silence, and Megatron spares a glance towards it.
It’s Inferno, who has been run ragged from earlier... meetings, but is still preparing the bath none the less. It’s Inferno’s job to please the royalty, and what Megatron wants, Inferno gets for him. Even if he’s totally limping from earlier. A smirk plays on Megatron’s face, but it doesn’t stay. He’s still warm (more than normal) to the touch and his spark’s doors are still slightly adjar, with a speck of red brimming light that twinkles off metals both inside and outside the fire ant.
“Yess, I am fine.”
“Your bath is ready, my Royalty!”
There’s a pause as Megatron shifts off his berth, and stands. He’s not in much better shape, but... he’s feeling especially good. The bug could use a reward, even if he wouldn’t normally get one. Perhaps Inferno might even be growing on him.
Megatron lumbers towards the bath, then slides himself inside, wincing a bit. Not because the temperature - leave it to Inferno to get bathwater just /perfect/ - but because his joints hadn’t likes that too much. Inferno leaves the towel and ducky near by, then turns to excuse himself.
“M-“
“Come join me.”
Inferno freezes, and Megatron swears he’s never seen Inferno’s eyes get so wide in surprise.
“M-my Royalty, are you certain...?”
“Before I change my mind.”
That line always worked.
Inferno practically scampers over to the bath, and slides in. He seems much more alright with sitting, but he stays near the other side, away from Megatron. Fair enough, Megatron muses. He didn’t tell Inferno to curl up with him, or anything. However, perhaps just to watch the ant fluster more, Megatron leans over with his none animal headed hand and presses the latch on Inferno’s spark door, sealing it off and keeping the firey red light tucked away. Inferno practically turns the color of his exoskeleton, then sinks into the water as Megatron laughs. It’s not mocking, nor is it insensitive - and Inferno is perplexed by this.
He serves Megatron. This is a fact. Does he feel things for Megatron? His circuits are practically fried as they are, but it’s not long before both Megatron and Inferno have scooted over, meeting in the middle, with Inferno happily settled onto Megatron in the closest thing to snuggling they get.
Of course, this will be a one time thing. Inferno must savor it to put in his memory forever - it will never happen again, but perhaps the memory will warm him later. Perhaps.
—————
“... Are you /SURE/ it isn’t Scorponok?” Terrorsuar guesses, and Waspinator’s practically in tears. Not that wasps can cry, but this is pretty close.
“W-waszzpinator haszz NO idea how you haven’t szzaid hiszz name yet!!” The bug admits, and a lightbulb seems to flash over his head.
—————
Scorponok, hard at work, suddebly hears what sounds like Terrorsaur. He had gone on patrol with Waspinator, right? The scorpion stopped his reports and leaned, catching a single word in Terrorsaur’s shriek.
“INFERNO!”