Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The Predacon was tired of it. The insults, abuse, all from Starscream and many others. Did they think she was dumb? Everyone (except Shockwave) doesn't even know if she's a mech or femme, since it won't matter if she's just a 'mindless beast'. She intelligent enough to know now.

Thanks to observation, she was able to get into the information bank on the flight deck. From that night, she studied on her race's past, extinguishing her burning curiosity, only to ask more questions. These banks would do for now. From the rumors she heard, there were going to be more of her kind. Since she was the oldest and most experienced so far, she would act like a matriarch. A queen. Wait... that's it! She was thinking if her name to be something along the lines of Emberstrike or Firestorm, but Queen! Or even better, Predaqueen! It sounded perfect for her.

Another question that bothered her since her since she came here, hit her processor. Could she transform? She watched the troopers run off of the flight deck's platform and shifting into a jet before shooting into the blue of the skies. It seemed everyone could do it, even the tiny avian that she had seen around. Could she be like everyone else? Able to take shape of a form on two legs, like her creator, master, the enemy, anyone? That organ known as a t-cog, allowing you to transform and scan different vehicles for alt modes. She suspected hers would be different since she was a beast, if she even had one. Only way to find out was to try.

The Predacon lifted herself into the air with her mighty wings and flew to the underside of the warship. It was hidden enough and she would have alone time to try it out. She gripped to the hull and pulled herself forward to one of the protruding spikes. She flipped from her upside-down position and situated herself on the ledge. She looked down at her plates of metal scales and armor. In one smooth move, all her plates shifted into a tall, biped mode. Her wings folded and set down on her back, her horned shoulders snapped down into place as the rest of her plates clicked into position.

She did it! She, the beast, had finally transformed. She moved her wings up and down but struggled to move them from side-to-side. So, wing movement is limited. She found her claws bigger than her own head as she traced them down her body, feeling all the curves and edges. She spun her thick build around and swished her large and curvy hips in a dance. Good movement there. She waved her arms around and bent back and forward. All seemed to be good. She thought she looked quite good. Her thick and strong thighs and calves, her curvy hips and strong abdomen, along with a torso similar to Shockwave's, completed with her face. Though, what did her face look like?

She looked around to find something, anything with a reflective surface. Then, something glimmered up ahead. She made her way over and found an unscratched part of the hull. She looked into the metal and saw her face. It was thin with strong cheek bones that were covered in spikes. Her optics were a bright lemon yellow with white irises, outlined with thick and black, mascara-like metal with three black dots underneath. Her grey lips were quite plump with a triangular orange marking under her bottom lip, a rectangular marking across the top. A spiky chin guard covered her chin and stripes with a dot inbetween was painted across the sides.

The formation of horns on her head were shaped of a large spiky crown, further proving the point she was worthy of the name 'Predaqueen'. She smiled and looked over her features. Quite a unique beauty she was. The mighty queen transformed and flew back to her kennel. Soon, she will show them what she truly is.

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The Predacon stomped into Shockwave's off site laboratory with a deafening shriek. "Unruly beast, you dare to roam freely without permission?!" Starscream shouted as he whacked her head with a pipe several times. She let out a screech as the seeker yelped while stumbling to land on his aft. The SIC yelped again as the beast stomped towards him.

Instead of striking like he expected to, the Predacon transformed and showed her bipedal form, making everyone stared at her with wide eyes. "What?" Starscream sat up for a better look. "Strike me again, and I will bury that rod in your spark" She spoke in a strong, clarion voice. "I-I did not realise the beast was capable of transformation" Starscream got out. "Nor did I" Megatron looked back at Shockwave. "I am no beast" She walked past the commander to look at one of the Predacon tanks.

"The ability to transform is a fundamental part of Cybertronian biology. We simply possessed no evidence that the Predacon species ever reached that evolutionary stage since they became extinct in The Great Cataclysm" Shockwave explained. "And now we know" Said Starscream, eyeing the beauty in front of them.

In truth, the femme was quite attractive. Her thick frame suited her so well, her voice posh yet so alluring and sweet. Starscream suddenly felt a pang of regret. Why did he feel like he regretted treating her like that? Was it because she was attractive? Starscream inwardly groaned and mentally groped his face. He'll be grovelling at her feet for forgiveness won't he? After treating someone like scrap and then seeing them transform into the hottest thing out there (metaphorically and literally), you might just feel regret. And regret he certainly felt.

"So, the rumors are true. I will no longer be alone" The Predacon spoke, breaking Starscream from his thoughts. "And I see you've been keeping secrets" Megatron walked up to her. "It was not my intention to deceive you Lord Megatron-" She shook her head "-I only recently became aware of my abilities. All I remember of my beginning, is hunting.. and battle.. and the wounding of my pride. Thus I begun to burn with questions. Who am I? Where did I come from? The warship's databanks provided historical fact, but still I possessed no memory of my own past, so I begun to reconsider my place in the present and wondered, could I be like the others? And now I know" She finished her story while looking at her lord.

"Yet you are unique! A miracle of science, cloned by Shockwave from Cyber Nucleic Acid, recovered from the remains of your mighty ancestors" Megatron responded. The femme looked at him before slowly gazing up at the tank in front of them. 

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"It is with deepest gratitude for my creation, that I pledge undying obedience to you, my one true master. But with more of my species soon to stride among us, I beg your permission to in turn lead them as Predaqueen" The Predacon stated to her lord, who was walking down the halls of the Nemesis with her, followed by Shockwave, Starscream and Knockout. "Your vision... is boundless. Permission granted" He said while looking at her. "From the depths of my spark I thank you Lord Megatron" She smiled gently. "May I request to further observe my species' development once again?" 

"Of course, Predaqueen" The warlord said with a small smirk. The queen nodded and turned around to walk towards the lab. "I shall accompany you" Shockwave stated monotonously stated, following the Predacon. As she and the scientist made their way down the hall, many troopers wondered who the femme next to him was. Some were staring, others were whispering but the queen payed no mind to them. As they reached the elevator, Shockwave set the lift to bring them down to the laboratory.

Predaqueen gazed out the clear shaft as the night sky brewed a storm. Shockwave took a glance at his giant creation before walking out when the lift hit ground level. He took up his perch at his monitors and began typing. Predaqueen walked down the hall of cloning tanks, viewing each and every little detail about the beasts inside. "Predaqueen" Shockwave's monotone rang from behind. She turned around to face her creator and approached him "Yes?".

"I will go back to the ship for energon to continue fuelling the cloning tanks. Do you need energon?" He inquired. "I suppose I do" She nodded. The cyclops returned it and walked out of the cave's exit. Predaqueen was then left alone in the lab. The great beast wandered around, occasionally tracing her fingers across the tanks and made little one-sided conversations in her native Predaconian tongue. The clones seemed to stir and return some of the sounds with little growls and squeaks.

The mighty Predacon smiled and whirred back gentle little songs to sooth them. The clones settled and relaxed once again. Predaqueen paced down the lines of tanks, hips swaying and wings bouncing at each stride, arms moving back and forth from her broad shoulders. Soon, Shockwave returned with a couple cubes of energon. He handed one to his creation and walked away to do his own thing.

She thanked him and opened up the cube. It was a liquefied version of the solids cubes she had consumed. Predaqueen took a sip of her cube, unwary of the pairs of eyes watching her and the scientist.

"She's hot!" Wheeljack whispered to Ultra Magnus. They had tracked down an energon signal to this 'mine', finding a lab instead. "Soldier" The Autobot SIC began sternly. "Hey, it's a complement!" The Wrecker held up his hands in defence. "Regardless, I will not tolerate such behaviour" He scolded the bomb enthusiast. Wheeljack rolled his optics and then continued to watch the Predacon. "If the Predacon turned out to be such a beauty, what would the uglies in the tanks look like?" He said a bit too loudly.

Predaqueen's optics snapped open as she quickly spotted them by the entrance. "AUTOBOTS!" She screamed, dropping the cube and instantly transformed into beast mode. Shockwave snapped his head over in their direction as the said Autobots ran from their positions and started shooting. Shockwave returned some of the shots as Predaqueen ran towards them and attacked.

Shockwave watched as his creation engaged in battle. The scientist quickly went up to the monitors and flipped the switch to release the beasts. The yellow liquid started draining from the tanks but it was too slow. He looked at Wheeljack and noticed his iconic weapon. A bomb. Synthetic energon was in there so, the reaction with the explosive and energon would be catastrophic. Worried for his project, he started shooting the tanks to break them faster. Predaqueen noticed what he was doing and threw both Wheeljack and Ultra Magnus out the entrance. She started to break as many tanks as she could with her tail and the Predacons dropped out but quickly got up and shook of the liquid. "Predaqueen! Get the Predacons through the bridge!" Shockwave shouted as a groundbridge opened up.

:{MY BRETHREN! GET THROUGH THE BRIDGE, THERE IS NO TIME LEFT TO SPARE!!}: She screeched as loud as she could.

The beasts obeyed her command and started sprinting for the portal. "Let us finish this, once and for all!" The queen growled while transforming. Wheeljack and Ultra Magnus ran back in, the Wrecker drawing out his grenade. Ultra Magnus nodded to him and started to run back. The explosive got thrown into the air and landed by the synth-en. Predaqueen gasped in alarm and made a dash for the groundbridge, along with the remaining Predacons.

BOOM.

The entire lab shook as shock waves flooded the cavern and the entire place started to crumble. As the synthetic energon sprayed everywhere, including on Predaqueen and in her face. The Cyber Nucleic Acid seemed to react with it, large spikes of - what seemed like metal - growing everywhere. Before she had time to react, boulders covered the mighty beast as the impact knocked her unconscious. The only thing that made her present known was the limp arm hanging out a gap between the rubble and metal chaos.

Chapter Text

Shockwave and the Predacons waited at the other side of the groundbridge for Predaqueen and the rest of the Predacons to come. What came instead wasn't what anyone expected. A large explosion and spikes of metal shot out of the bridge as everyone made a dive out of the way. The metal stopped growing when the portal closed to prevent anything else from getting through.

Shockwave had a bad feeling welling in the pits of his spark. He looked across the cave they had been bridged to. Some Predacons were confused, others alarmed and others just lazing around like house cats. Shockwave opened his comm and told Megatron about the situation.

-:Very well Shockwave. For now, keep the remaining beasts at bay:-

The scientist looked at his creations. They were starting to approach him and one of them tapped him on the head a couple of times with its paw, a bit like a pet cat. It took a whiff of him and recognized him as it's creator. The griffin-like Predacon nuzzled into them and squawked at the others. The many large bodies started to curl around Shockwave as he received unwanted affection from the beasts. He awkwardly petted one's head and the receiving Predacon purred in delight.

Shockwave shook his head and crawled out of their grasps, landing on his optic with the rest of his thick build splatting down with it. The mech got up and looked at the draconic beings. "Predacons" He said. They all looked at him and got up. He silently counted them. There were fifteen out of the twenty-two clones. The rest must have been left behind. Shockwave transformed into his tank alternate mode before reverting back to root mode. The Predacons tilted their heads and some of them had their jaws dropped. One of them looked at it's plates before jumping up and shifted into a bipedal form. The griffin had transformed into a mech who was white, navy with hints of maroon. The other griffin next to him transformed into a mech with blue plating and a bright orange face.

The blue mech tackled the other one to the ground and play wrestled with him. A green, red and yellow Predacon covered in fans, transformed into a menacing looking character. "Mechs" She grumbled while crossing her arms. The guard over her face made her look like a beast regardless of form. A Predacon with two heads transformed after, followed by the rest.

"I got no clue what happened but whooh it felt good!" Another mech with a cross-eyed look said. He then got whacked on the head as everyone started to roughhouse, making Shockwave groan.

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Megatron looked around the former lab, viewing the chaos of strangely shaped metal. Darksteel trotted over to a pile and broke off a chunk. He walked over to his brother Skylynx and hit him on the head, laughing. "Ow! Oh you will get it!" The white Predacon growled and tackled his brother. Ripclaw stomped over and ripped them apart. "Stop squabbling!" She barked.

They had all picked names for themselves. All of the Predacons that survived included: Backlash, Ripclaw, Darksteel, Skylynx, Fangblade, Lazerback, Skystalker, Twinstrike, Blastrange, Plasmafall, Hellfury, Thunderslash, Sniperwing, Saberquake and Flytrap.

"Dees bodies look creepy" Sniperwing said in an accent, unlike the others. She looked at the unlucky beasts that failed to escape the lab. "Creator and our Master are talking about science stuff with the short red one and the skinny grey dude. Everything is kinda boring here" Blastrange said as he walked up to her. "I hafta agree. Hold on, wha' is dah?" She pointed to a pile of boulders covered in cyber matter. "It looks weir- MAH GAH!" Blastrange gasped when he saw an arm sticking out. He jumped back when the fingers twitched and the arm shifted slightly.

"AY LORD MEGADRON! YA GO'A SEE DIS!" Sniperwing bellowed to the ex-gladiator. "What is it?" He questioned while walking over, followed by some smaller 'Cons. "Found an arm" Blastrange pointed to the limb sticking out. Knockout bent down and took a look. "It looks like Predaqueen's" He said, touching the arm and it moved and tried to grasp him. "She's alive!" He gasped. "Who is Predaqueen?" Blastrange asked. "The one who sacrificed herself to save you" Shockwave explained while trying to pry off the cyber matter around her. "Ah c'mon Blas'range! Time ta rescue our savior!" Sniperwing grinned and easily ripped the metal off. The Predaconian mech shrugged and joined in with his friend. They broke off the cyber matter and moved the boulders out of the way.

When the last bits of debris got removed, the Predacons gasped at what they saw. A large femme was laying there, barely awake. She was covered in energon, green and blue. Her left leg's thigh was crumpled and wires were frayed everywhere. One of her arms were only attached by some flimsy joints and wires. The wings mounted on her back were painfully laid flat to fit the ground beneath. Her face was scarred and part if her crown was crushed and broken off, luckily not near her processor. The lights that covered her body were flickering between yellow and green, but her optics remained a neon green hue.

Starscream watched from behind his lord as Knockout was checking for pulse and all his other medical stuff. In truth, the seeker felt a little bad for the queen. The injuries did look very painful and it reminded him of how Megatron beat him to the brink of death. Predaqueen was at the same point. Her limbs made little twitches and she groaned when Knockout touched her leg. Starscream winced and looked at her once again. It was a shame to see a beauty like her about to die. 'Wait, beauty? Don't go down that path Starscream' He thought.

"Lord Megatron, she must be in the medical bay before I can do any proper surgery" Knockout broke Starscream from his thoughts. He looked towards the two healthy Predacons standing at the side. They were jabbing each other and making silly faces. He shook his head and sighed. 'Idiots'. Megatron looked at the queen who was hanging onto dear life. He could get the Predacons to lift her but by their immature behaviour, they would probably end up dropping her and bam, there goes the Predacon Queen. With and inward sigh, he walked up and scooped his arms underneath and tried to lift her. Despite being only head and shoulders taller than him, she was heavy. After a few tries, he got her up from the ground in bridal style.

Predaqueen seemed to stir and her wings went into a comfortable position and hung limp. She looked up at Megatron with a lopsided grin and a dreamy look. "Oh my... am I seeing an angel?" She slurred. Megatron's optics widened and looked at her. "I am one lucky lady to be looking at such a handsome thing" She let out a few giggles like a schoolgirl. The warlord averted his gaze as his cheeks became slightly blue.

The Predacons snickered and Starscream smirked at the warmonger's situation. "Knockout, do you have an explanation for her behaviour?" He growled at the medic. Megatron faltered with her weight and put every last bit of strength he could muster into keeping her up. "I-I think so. Considering her optics are green, she is displaying signs of consuming synthetic energon. Although instead of the normal rage you get, the synth-en has seemed to make her a bit... drunk" The cherry medic concluded. "And flir'y" Sniperwing added with a smirk.

Predaqueen had her functioning arm wrapped around Megatron and she was nuzzling into the crook of his neck. Megatron was quite blue on the cheeks but made no move to stop her. He simply called for a groundbridge and walked through.

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Predaqueen groggily got up and rubbed her eyes. That was the worst sleep she ever had. Everything was sore, especially her back. She moved her wings back into their natural position before taking everything in. Her body was oddly shiny and there were a bunch of thick cables connected to her broad chest.

Predaqueen felt awful. Her systems were weak, she had a really bad headache, her body was burning, fans on high, she was fatigued, everything was too bright and loud, her abdomen hurts, her body was doing spasms and EVERYTHING. WAS. SORE!

"Ah, you're awake!" A voice exclaimed. Predaqueen turned her head to find the cherry red medic she had seen around. "Knockout is it?" She asked, the mech nodding in response. "What... what had happened to me? Where are my brethren- ouw" She quickly groped her abdomen and moaned in pain, squeezing her eyes shut and scrunching up her face in a grimace. "The synthetic energon managed to get into your systems and made you a little drunk. You might be experiencing what humans call a 'hangover'. And your brethren, most of them survived. You are one lucky lady to survive that explosion" The medic muttered the last bit.

The queen tried to get up but Knockout put a hand on her, even though he was on the other side of the room not even a second ago. "Lord Megatron gave me strict orders not to let you out of the med-bay until you have healed" Knockout explained while pushing her lightly. "But-" "Alright, I have that energon Knockout" A shrill voice said. Starscream walked in with a cube in his grasp.

Knockout took it from the seeker's hand and gave it to Predaqueen. "Tch" Starscream grumbled while the Predacon drank the blue liquid. "Not even a thank you?" He crossed his arms. "Knockout is the one who gave it to me, not you" The queen smirked and thanked Knockout after. Starscream scowled as his wings flared up in anger. He forced them down and straightened himself up.

"Now your majesty, you'll need to lie down and res-" " I can not" Predaqueen cut him off with a blunt statement. "W-what?" Knockout spluttered. "I will repeat myself, I said that I can not lie down. My wings are not meant to be stretched out horizontally, therefore leading to an excruciating pain in my back" The giant warrior explained softly. "Oh... well there were many seekers with similar problems, so the berth your on has a solution" Knockout said while going behind the berth. He went underneath and started to fiddle with the little nobs on the underside.

Predaqueen turned her head to look at Starscream before putting her attention back to Knockout. Starscream watched the medic do his thing with the berth. His gaze slowly shifted to Predaqueen. The seeker was trailing his optics up her frame but then he locked his optics with hers. Predaqueen sneered with a growl, causing Starscream to make his usual strange noises before he decided to leave the med-bay. Starscream growled and shook his head and rounded the corner. Around the hall, Skylynx, Darksteel and Flytrap were bent over, Darksteel holding a datapad in his large claws. "Daawww" They all cooed as their optics sparkled when looking at the screen.

Starscream looked at the pad and saw organic kittens and puppies being adorable. Starscream just sneered as the Predacons payed no mind to him at all. The seeker walked past and down another set of halls only to find more beasts. "No. Way" Said Sniperwing when talking to a vehicon. "You won't believe it but... there's more!" The vehicon laughed. "Right, ya need ta tell me ev-er-ee thing!" Sniperwing shook the trooper while staring into his soul in excitement. "Alright, calm down Sniper! Anyways, he said 'Oh no you don't glitch' and then the next thing anyone knows, the barracks was a battlefield. Everyone was throwing stuff at each other - including me and lots of others - around the place, and honestly, I'm surprised no one heard the racket-" Starscream walked down the hall again, getting tired of the drama.

Predacons seemed to be taking over the Nemesis, because every few halls he went, there was a beast doing whatever. Starscream did not like it one bit. He didn't need violent and predatory monsters intruding the ship and ruining everything. Though he couldn't be too critical, all the Predacons are technically kids. Predaqueen is around six months to an Earth year old, while the rest were literally born yesterday.

Starscream does not like this. The next thing he knows, he will be replaced by Predaqueen in his role of second in command, taking away his worth. The Predacons will take over the place and everything will go wrong for him. Megatron won't care about him anymore. Starscream will be useless. And then terminated.

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Predaqueen lay comfortably on the berth. The metal where her wings are, were moved and out of the way so the appendages could rest comfortably by hanging off. Knockout was out doing something else and she was in the medical bay relaxing with her optics closed. The painkillers Knockout dosed her with worked wonders, but didn't cure her headache. For now, she lightly dozed off. The wires strapped to her chest were a bit of a nuisance, but they kept her spark stable.

Right then, footsteps were heard coming in. Predaqueen payed no mind because all she thought about now was more sleep. The steps came closer until they stopped at her. Something got pushed into her servo so that spiked her curiosity to see what it was, despite her sleepiness. She got up and yawned tiredly before opening her eyes and seeing who was there. "Lord Megatron?" She questioned as she saw her master bent down with a slightly surprised expression, which quickly faded. "Predaqueen, it seems you are awake. How are you feeling?" He asked softly, which was a surprise. "Previously not, but now with the painkillers, I am now feeling quite well, disregarding my slight headache" She answered with a tired huff.

"Excellent. I.. have brought you energon" He said, pointing to the cube. "Oh.. Many thanks to you my lord" She smiled while slightly tilting the cube. "Please, just call me Megatron" The warlord said before turning around and walking out of the med-bay. The queen looked after him in surprise and smiled gently. This side was the affectionate side that he only showed to her. Even though the only affection would be head rubs, petting and chin scratches, it still counts. She was quite grateful for it.

As soon as she was healed, she would go find her brethren and settle as their leader. She would protect each of them with her life and care for them like a mother. A mother... they were her children. A mother protects her children, whether it be from violence or abuse. A mother, gives unconditional love and takes care of her children to the ends of time. That made Predaqueen think. She would be their mother.

She would give them the beginning neither her, or anyone else in the Decepticon army has ever had. She would give them a proper childhood, a chance to be a kid. A chance she had but got taken away by war. She was young, maybe even too young to take care of children but her species weren't just wild war machines. They all were little sparklings in need of a carrier. She would be that to them. And nothing will stop her from protecting them. That was her vow. Never to stop protecting or loving her subjects. And she'll make sure of that.

Chapter Text

"I would say that you are ready to leave the med-bay your majesty. Although, do rest yourself, you did have a rough amount of injuries" Knockout said, standing in front of Predaqueen. "Thank you doctor" She nodded. Knockout gave his iconic smirk and nodded back to her. Predaqueen got up from the medical berth and immediately got greeted by a sharp pain in her leg. She yelped and quickly shifted her weight to the other leg.

She gave a growl and looked at the medic. "U-um your majesty, I apologize, but I think you might have a limp in your leg" He smiled nervously. "Do you think?!" She hissed at him angrily. Predaqueen shuffled from one leg to the other and clumsily limped out of the med-bay. She gripped the wall for support and continued her odd way off moving. Many stares from vehicons followed her every move in a gaze of silent curiosity and judgement.

The queen payed zero attention to them and continued to limp her way around. Even though she was sure she memorized the layout of the Nemesis within the ship's data banks, her memory was obviously keeping that information away as she wandered the halls like an injured lost puppy.

Predaqueen turned the corner again and felt like she was in the same spot she was two minutes ago. Was it four lefts or two rights she took? Impossible to tell since it all looked the same. She scratched one wall with her claw and headed off again. Twice, she came across her mark. So, she was going around in circles. She growled in frustration and limped towards the left hallway and took a right. Left again, another right. After many more lefts and rights, she found a door. "Finally!" She grumbled and the doors automatically slid open.

Knockout was there - tending to a vehicon with an injured shoulder - quickly noticed the giant queen. "Predaqueen! Back so soon?" Knockout asked. All the hope on her face disappeared in an instant. "After all the halls I have travelled, this is my destination?" She grumbled with a brow raised.

"Why, did you get lost?" Knockout asked before dismissing the vehicon. "I have memorized the ship's layout, but my memory of it seems to have faltered" Predaqueen explained to him, cheeks turning slightly blue in embarrassment. The cherry medic nodded and walked up to her. "I reported your recovery to Lord Megatron and he wants you in the command center. I suppose I shall lead you there" Knockout spoke before walking away, expecting Predaqueen to follow. The femme complied his silent order and limped behind the medic.

After a few halls, Predaqueen noticed the scratch she made on the wall. After two lefts and one right, they made it to the command center. Nothing in this universe could explain how dumb she was feeling right now. She was so, excruciatingly close to the command center. She wanted to slap herself in the face so badly.

"Knockout, Predaqueen" Megatron acknowledged their presence. Predaqueen limped her way beside him with multiple little grunts of pain and the Decepticon warlord immediately took notice of it. "Knockout, did I not tell you to have her majesty healed and not limping around?" Megatron turned to the doctor. "W-well, she will experience further pain and especially in her left leg since it was crushed and nearly severed" Knockout gestured his servos around. Megatron growled at him, ready to strike but felt a claw on his shoulder. He turned his head around and his angered expression melted when he saw Predaqueen.

"Do not punish him for my limp. He did all he could to fix me and I am thankful. There is no need for any form of punishment" She said to him while looking into his eyes. That made something in Megatron's spark ignite because he felt like a bunch of scraplets were flying in his spark chamber. It didn't feel bad, but rather nice. He quickly looked away with his cheeks lightly dusted with blue, and gently took her hand off his shoulder.

Knockout on the other hand, could see what exactly was going on in Meg's head (and spark). 'This is going to be juicy'. He decided to go off and spill the tea with Starscream. Both seeker and grounder had formed a 'friendship', especially in the terrorcon incident.

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"So... our mighty Lord Megatron... developing feelings for Predaqueen? Pfftt- Now that, is something!" Starscream laughed once Knockout spilt the tea. Starscream thought that was quite embarrassing. Megatron always set himself to be a cold-sparked, emotionless monster. And that fact, that he's blushing at the sight of a beast that calls herself a queen? That was just preposterous and funny to him.

"Now, I'm not sure if her majesty herself has any love sparking up" Knockout spoke again while taking a spot to sit next to Starscream. "That's good. If they get together then the beast will take my rightful place as second in command" Starscream said, wings raising. "She might share her place with Lord Megatron or, he will make an entirely new rank like; supreme Predacon commander or Predacon leader" Knockout shrugged. "Well at least my rank stays. Wait, why are we talking about our Lord's love life?" The seeker asked, wings flicking.

Knockout shrugged "I don't know, it just seemed funny". "Fair enough" Starscream spoke. He did think that was quite funny but his spark said something else. It throbbed but he just shook it off and got back to the conversation.

-:Starscream, get to the flight deck:- Megatron rang through the comm.

"Megatron wants me on the flight deck" The seeker sighed and got up. "Alright then, goodbye Screamer" Knockout got up and got a "DON'T CALL ME THAT" in response. The narcissistic mech chuckled and walked back to the med-bay.

Starscream walked through the halls and quickly got to the flight deck. He found Megatron standing on the deck. Predaqueen was behind him, leaning on her right leg and the other Predacons were sitting down in front of her. The queen seemed to be telling a story and the youngsters were leaning in, all attention on her, except for one that had his arms crossed and was leaning on a wall. He was a bit further back than the others and was sneering at Predaqueen.

"Starscream, I need you to clear out the lower docks, B-2X, B-2Y and B-2Z. And deliver those medical supplies to the sickbay" Megatron ordered him. Starscream nodded and went to pick the supplies and walked towards the med-bay. Why he couldn't get a vehicon to do it, he didn't know. Megatron probably just wanted to make more work for the already busy seeker. Well, he wasn't exactly that busy before, but regardless.

Starscream quickly arrived at the med-bay and plopped the boxes on the table. Now that it was done, he headed off to the lower decks. Docks B-2X, B-2Y and B-2Z were some of the largest docks on the ship, were right next to each other and very near Predaqueen's kennel. So he made the logical assumption of the decks being used to house the Predacons. Starscream ordered a group of vehicons to follow him and to help remove anything in their. And by help, he meant do all the work.

The air commander stood at the side and oversaw the operation. There wasn't too many things in there so everything quickly got removed from the decks and placed in a nearby storage room. Starscream dismissed all the troopers as the purple clones walked down the hall to get back to their previous tasks.

The seeker reported the task's completion to Megatron and he received yet another task in return. Direct the Predacons to their new quarters.

･¤⊙¤･

Predaqueen finished telling her subjects about the war. They sat there in awe and looked at her like she was a goddess.

They had very quickly accepted her being their queen and all warmed up to her, all but Hellfury. He did not like the idea of being ruled upon by her. He was fine with Megatron, he was cool but not Predaqueen. She may look pretty but he just feels like she'll baby him (and she looks suspicious). He is a tough mech, not some pup. Twinstrike, Sniperwing and Skystalker were bombarding Predaqueen with questions but she did her best to answer.

The others were playing with each other and the two griffin brothers (Skylynx and Darksteel), were fighting again. They whacked each other and squabbled like cats. Predaqueen saw them bicker and sighed. She limped over and stood over them, both Predacons stopped their fighting and looked up.

"Why are you fighting?" She asked gently. "He punched me" Darksteel pointed at his brother "No, you kicked me!" Skylynx growled back. "You started it-" "I do not mind if you fight for play or practice but I do not think that causing each other legitimate pain is very appropriate. Save those skills for the enemy. I can not have my subjects hurting each other or anyone else on this ship. I do not want anyone to go through the same experience that I or others here did" Predaqueen said softly. Even though she was scolding them, it sounded more like some piece of poetry to the mechs below her.

The Predacons looked down guiltily and got up. "Sorry your majesty" Skylynx mumbled. "Do not apologize to me, apologize to each other" She nodded to them in a gesture. "Sorry" Skylynx mumbled. "Excuse me, what was that?" Darksteel smirked smugly to his brother. Skylynx growled and turned away before hissing "I. AM. SO-ER-EE". "Close enough" Darksteel shrugged. "Now, it is your turn to say sorry" Predaqueen said with a smirk. It was Skylynx's turn to be smug now.

Megatron and Starscream were standing to the side, watching the scene in amusement. The other thirteen Predacons were playing some game they called 'stampede'. But both the high-ranking Decepticons had their attention on Predaqueen and the other two. It was quite amusing watching the two try to apologize to each other.

Predaqueen was being an absolute parent and was doing quite well. Her maternal instincts seemed to have activated because she's treating Skylynx and Darksteel like her misbehaving sparklings. "She already seems to know the ropes of parenting" Starscream soon spoke. "Indeed she does" Megatron nodded, not taking his gaze off the Predacon queen.

He was definitely staring at her. Starscream rolled his eyes and looked towards the other beasts. They were in beast modes and were wrestling each other for fun. That looked boring so he trailed his optics back to Predaqueen. The mighty war machine was standing alone, the other two off with the others. Predaqueen turned her head, body following and hobbled towards the mechs behind her. "I apologize for that scene back there" She said, averting her gaze with a sheepish smile. Megatron found that look cute, while Starscream thought nothing of it.

The Predacon's eyes then went to view the sky, wings lowering slightly. Starscream knew what she wanted. She wanted to fly. "My Lor- er, Megatron, may I have permission to go for a flight?" She asked, returning her gaze to the warlord. "Knockout informed me that you needed rest and with that leg, I would think you know the answer" He told her bluntly.

Predaqueen gave a dissapointed sigh and turned around, limping away and transforming into beast mode and lied down, curling up in a sad loaf of Predacon. She closed her large lemon eyes and started to lightly doze off. By now, the order of showing the Predacons to their quarters was now forgotten. The other fifteen beasts noticed their sleeping queen and stopped making the amount of racket they were making. First, it was Fangblade that approached curled up beside her. One by one, they all started to sleep with their leader. The last was Hellfury, he sat further away and looked off at the sunset.

Megateon turned around and walked away, shaking his head. Starscream looked back at the Predacons once again before turning around to retreat back inside.

･¤⊙¤･

Predaqueen opened one optic and looked around. All of her subjects were asleep and no one else was there. It was the middle of the night, moon shining and illuminating the dark grey clouds that spread across the star-filled sky.

The queen quietly got up, careful not to wake the smaller beasts. She quietly crawled over the spikes of the flight deck behind her and dropped off into the dark abyss beneath. Her wings spread out and pushed her up back into the air and shot up into the sky. She aileron-rolled through the air and made several flips before shooting above the clouds in a clear patch where it was just her, the moon and the stars.

Time seemed to slow down as she just stayed in the air before falling back down in several spins. Her mighty wings then flew out and she stopped falling in order to hover. She flew up slightly before dipping down to glide. Predaqueen continued to glide through the grey clouds with the moon shining on her back.

The queen flew down and landed on a rock formation in a mesa. It was hidden from the eyes of humans and near the ruins of Darkmount. She shifted into a position on her back and gazed up at the stars. Not so long after, she heard something in the air. It definitely wasn't a beast, it was more like the sound of jet engines. Had Megatron or Starscream followed after her?

She looked around but failed to catch anything. Then from behind, jet engines were heard and then followed with a heavy 'thunk'. Predaqueen turned her head to see what it was. Optimus Prime stood there with his machine gun out and pointing at her. "What are you doing here Predacon?" He started in that deep voice of his. The queen transformed, revealing her bipedal form. "It is Predaqueen. And I can ask you the same thing Prime" She spat out before quickly leaning on her right leg.

Optimus's eyes widened briefly at her appearance. Wheeljack was right, she was beautiful. However, the leg didn't miss his attention. "You are injured?" He asked while tilting his blaster down. "I was crushed under mounds of rock and debris, of course I'm injured!" She growled at him before sighing with her shoulders slumping. "Prime, I do not wish to fight, so I will ask you to leave me be" Predaqueen spoke before limping to the edge of the rock they were on. "Do not follow me". With that, she transformed and took off to the sky, leaving Optimus behind in the dust.

Chapter Text

Predaqueen glided across the sky, in a rush to get back to the Nemesis. The night's reign wouldn't last much longer and her subjects would undoubtedly wake up to see their queen missing.

She sniffed the air and searched the skies. Prime was not following her, so that was good. Her homing instincts allowed her to quickly locate the Nemesis before she quietly landed on the deck. There was no use going back to sleep as the sun was rising.

She instead, trotted over to the entrance of the ship and transformed. She still had to limp but tried to walk normally. Big mistake. She whimpered and lifted up her pained leg. In haste to grab something for support, her elbow clashed with the wall making her entire systems go to chaos. "Oh frag" Predaqueen hissed and clutched her elbow. Her arm decided to go fuzzy and it felt like little sharp teeth poking into her protoform, millions at a time. She put down her left leg, but the foot decided to land badly, any form of balance instantly diminishing. Down to the floor she went, landing on her huge shoulder before tilting and landing on her chest. "Ow..."

Boy, was she making a fool of herself. She was glad no one was there to watch, but then she remembered Soundwave existed. That made her blush a bit in embarrassment. If Starscream was there, he would call her something like, Predafool or Queen Clumsy.

Why was she so clumsy all of a sudden? Before the accident, she was all peachy. Now she was as clumsy as a malfunctioning vehicon. Predaqueen grumbled and got up, the pain in her arm thankfully gone. A warning flashed before her optics. Energon levels 28%. That explained it, her energy levels had dropped. But so quickly, she didn't know how.

Making her way down the hall, she found an energon storage and made her way inside. She took herself a large cube, not caring if it was liquid or not. She was just so hungry. She ripped off the lid and found a solid cube. She flipped it upside-down and the cyan cube slipped out and into her large hand. Predaqueen started hacking at the cube with her jagged teeth, crunching on the energon. At the speed she was going at, the cube was quickly consumed and into her systems. Energon levels 89%. That, was more like it.

The queen set the metal container down, not knowing what to do with it. She simply made her out of the storage and then started to limped back to the flight deck. She seemed to be a little stiff in the limbs and stretched her arms above her head, one bent and gripping the other straight arm. Her wings flared out and her plates stretched upwards while she gave a long moan of satisfaction before drooping down and shaking out her plating.

Dink. Something hit Predaqueen behind her knee. She looked back and saw Knockout rubbing his head and datapads were seen scattered across the floor. "Doctor?" She questioned while looking down at the short medic. "Predaqueen! Apologies for bumping into you" He said, quickly fumbling for the datapads. "You are forgiven, but what is the reason for you to be in such a rush?" She asked while bending down to help pick up some of the the stray tablets.

"I have to deliver a few reports to Starscream, he keeps dumping his work on my already busy schedule!" Knockout complained and got up from the ground, brushing off the dust that got onto his shiny red finish. "Why would he be ordering you to do his work? Does Megatron know?" Predaqueen inquired with a small growl.

"Well, Starscream seems to be too 'busy' to file his own reports. He'll probably scratch my finish if I tell the big M, and I absolutely can not risk that!" He exclaimed before taking the datapads that were handed to him. "Doctor, why don't I carry that for you?" Predaqueen offered and took the pads from his grasp before any response was given. "Alright then" Knockout shrugged and walked away, expecting her to follow.

The large femme limped behind him and they soon stopped at a door. Knockout banged on it with his fist and the door soon slid open to reveal Starscream. "What is it Knockout-" He got cut off when a stack of datapads got dumped into his servos by Predaqueen. She then grabbed Knockout's servo and then dragged him away, letting the seeker process what just happened.

Predaqueen let go of Knockout once they rounded the corner. "Really?" He crossed his arms. "Let him figure out things himself. He should be intelligent enough to do so, but I am probably incorrect" Predaqueen replied with a smirk. Knockout chuckled and looked back up at the towering warframe in front of him. "Well since that task was completed, would you like to share some energon?" Knockout asked. "No thank you Doctor, I had already consumed my rations. However, I will join you for a chat if you do not mind" She said and followed the medic when he started moving.

They started to have a conversation, mostly complaining about how annoying Starscream is. They both reached an energon storage and the medic took himself a cube. "So, what do you think of our lord?" He asked. "What do you mean Doctor?" She tilted her head.

"Your opinion on him. Sort of like, his leadership, looks, like that" Knockout shrugged. "I think he is quite excellent at leadership, being able to handle all the stress and responsibilities. In looks, I suppose... he is... rather attractive" She said that last part slowly, and averting her gaze from the medic. "Oh come on Queen, you can give me more than that" Knockout nudged her side. "Ugh..." She rolled her eyes but continued anyway. "He is quite handsome... and cute. His voice is.. attractive I suppose..." You know what, she gave up and decided to spill with a not so posh accent. "You know what, frag my fancy accent, Megatron is attractive, handsome and cute at the same time, his build impressive and everything and-" "Woah woah, that's enough Predaqueen, we don't want you to overheat from fangirling over our lord" Knockout chuckled. "What is this 'fangirl' you mention?" She asked confusedly, back to her normal posh voice.

"Have you ever watched a movie? Well a fangirl, is a female individual who is obsessed with something or someone, and firmly believes it is amazing and beyond compare" Knockout explained. "I think anyways" He added. "...I am not a fangirl. And... what is a movie?" "..." Knockout grabbed her servo and started pulling her. Predaqueen got up and followed wherever he was taking her in pure confusion.

After passing through some halls, they stopped by a door. Knockout punched in the code and they both walked in, door closing behind them. "Look, most movies I watch are in drive in theatres but, I have some options for you. The Goonies, Back to the Future, Titanic, Up and Coraline" Knockout listed off while starting up the computer in his room while Predaqueen gazed around.

The room was stacked with datapads, mirrors everywhere and cleaning equipment on all surfaces. A large berth sat in the corner of the dimly lit room. Knockout was small, so the berth's size indicated that he slept with someone. "Predaqueen? Choose" Knockout caught her attention again. "Oh- um, Titanic?" She blurted out. "Are you sure? It is pretty sad. Even I cry at it" He warned making the Predacon scoff. "I can handle sad"

･¤⊙¤･

"This is so saaaaaad" Predaqueen wailed while buried her head on Knockout's shoulder. "I knoooowww, i-" Sniff sniff "-it gets me every tiiime waaaaah uhuhuhaaaaaaaahhh-" Knockout cried with gold tears streaming down his face. "Why c-couldn't Rose just mooovve? Whyyyyyyyyy whaha eeaaaaaaa-" The queen weeped all the moisture out of her eyes. Then the door opened.

"Knockout, what is with the wail- huh?" Starscream walked in before stopping. Both of them were on the floor crying like babies, the credits on the movie were rolling while they continued their sob fest. "I'll... just go" He backed up and closed the door.

The pair didn't care and continued to cry while complaining about Rose not making room for Jack on the door. Starscream heard their wails and complaints on the other side of the wall. He saw Predaqueen's broken expression and his spark gave a dull throb. He silently wished he could have just went in to comfort her, despite the reason of her tears being impractical. Hold on-

NO! No, forget it! Starscream is not thinking about that right now, just NO. He began his trek through the halls and ignored any vehicons or Predacons he passed by. In the main brig, Megatron was standing at the end of the catwalk while Soundwave was at his usual perch at the monitors. Only difference being a Predacon peeking over his shoulder. Thunderslash looked over the communications officer's work, not understanding a single word on the screen. "What does it say?" She asked him while bending down to rest her claws on her knees. Thunderslash was the last Predaconian femmes, the others being Predaqueen, Ripclaw and Sniperwing.

Soundwave turned his head to the intruding Predacon. "You do not know-/-how to-/-read" He pieced together with recordings. "Nope" Thunderslash said bluntly. "Lord Megatron" Starscream's voice echoed from the TIC. "What is it Soundwave?" The warlord turned his head to him. "Permission-/-teaching-/-Predacons-/-reading" The officer pieced together. "Permission granted" Megatron nodded before walking away.

The TIC then started to teach Thnderslash all the different symbols and grammar rules of the Decepticon dialect. Which took a long while. "Great Predacons of the past, how much more is there?" She groaned while dragging a hand down on her face. "An awful lot of it anyway!" Starscream's voice echoed out from the TIC. Thunderslash's wings drooped lower at that. :{Slag}: She cursed in her native tongue before Soundwave continued teaching.

Megatron inwardly chuckled at the young femme's behaviour and turned back to look at something else. He noticed Starscream standing there and doing nothing else. "Starscream, anything to report?" Megatron questioned the seeker. "U-um yes Master! The mining is going smoothly, Shockwave is experimenting with the cyber matter, had some datapad deliveries and for some reason Knockout and Predaqueen were crying on the floor like children" Starscream muttered the last part. "Care to repeat that Starscream?" The warmonger asked, bending down to intimidate the SIC. "I-I um- I found both Knockout and Predaqueen crying on the floor while complaining of something about Jack and Rose" Starscream stammered while bending back.

Megatron's threatening expression changed completely as it quickly flashed to one of surprise and concern. Knockout, he could go frag himself, the warlord couldn't care less, but Predaqueen? What was up with her, was she alright? "Where are they?" He asked. "Knockout's quarters, last time I checked my liege" Starscream responded.

･¤⊙¤･

"Why- why don't we lighten the mood?" Knockout asked with a little sniffle. Predaqueen was against the wall with her limbs sprawled out, Knockout hugging her abdomen. She was caressing his back and gently rolling his back wheels. "What do you suggest?" She asked while keeping her sore and puffy eyes shut. "Queenie, I'll go put on some music. Classics from Lady Gaga, Daft Punk, Linkin Park etcetera" He said with low effort, hugging onto the queen's warmth.

"Mm, alright Doctor" She mumbled and let the medic get up. He trudged towards his set of monitors. He groggily typed on the keys and then some beats were heard. Then the song 'Paparazzi' by Lady Gaga started playing.

Predaqueen was a bit confused from the different sounds and all the lyrics in the song. Then the drop hit.

"I'm your biggest fan, I'll follow you until you love me!

Papa- paparazzi!

Baby, there's no other superstar you know, that I'll be!

Papa- paparazzi!"

Predaqueen's feet went up and down to the little claps and her head swayed to the words. She didn't seems to notice her lips syncing to the lyrics or the rest of her body moving, her eyes being shut gently.

"Promise I'll be kind, but I won't stop until that boy is mine!

Baby, you'll be famous, chase you down until you love me!

Papa- paparazzi!"

Knockout noticed her moving to the beat. He smiled, glad someone else was a fan of Lady Gaga. Breakdown would have loved Predaqueen if he was here. He swayed his hips to the beat. Primus, did he love Lady Gaga, even if she was a fleshling, she was amazing at her job. He bopped his head and moved his shoulders up and down, swaying his hips to the rhythm. All too soon, the song ended and the next song played, which happened to be Lady Gaga again.

" Ohwoh  oh oh,  Oooooh  oh oh oh oh,  ohwoh  oh, caught in a bad romance!~"

That made Predaqueen's eyes snap open as she got and shook out her wings.

" Rah   rah  ah ah Aah,  roma   roma   ma ,  ga   ga   ooh   la   la , want your bad romance!"

Predaqueen's hulking frame seemed to moved move on it's own accord as her body decided to dance to the song without her control. Not that she was complaining. Knockout laughed and joined her in the dance. They did random little moves that match the rhythm of the song. They both laughed and spun around each other. Knockout was tiny compared to Predaqueen, but they made do.

"Knockout! What did I tell you about blasting those horrid sou- Predaqueen?" Megatron questioned as he busted in through the door. He just stared as he found the Predaconian queen holding Knockout's hand, the medic being in the middle of a spin. The two gave an awkward glance to each other before looking back at Megatron, Bad Romance still blasting in the background.

"What are you doing?"

Chapter Text

"What are you doing?"

No words could describe the sheer amount of embarrassment Knockout and Predaqueen were in. Their lord was standing there while they were frozen in a position nobody in the Decepticon army would be caught dead in. They both flushed blue and moved away from each other, both averting gazes.

"Care to explain? Knockout turn off that racket" Megatron growled. The medic nodded frantically and hurried to turn off Bad Romance. Predaqueen was shuffling her feet, gazing at the wall with her hand clasped behind her back. Her lips were thinned into a slanted line, her cheeks blue, and her features displayed an embarrassed and awkward expression.

"Are any of you going to speak?" Megatron asked lowly. "Well, Megatron... we were viewing a film known as Titanic and it was quite depressing, so Knockout suggested playing some music in order to lighten the mood. But I suppose that had led to us... performing some dances" Predaqueen briefly explained in a calm voice, despite her embarrassment. Megatron nodded and suppressed a small smile. Predaqueen looked oddly cute when embarrassed. But that certainly did not stop the jealousy that bubbled inside his systems. It was fine that Predaqueen was making new friendships but he didn't like the idea of her and Knockout getting close like that.

"Predaqueen, I would like to speak to you in private" Megatron spoke, breaking from his thoughts. "Alright" She nodded and glanced at Knockout. The medic just gave a minor shrug as the large 'Cons started to make their way out.

They both silently walked down the corridor before Megatron asked: "Are you alright?". "...What?" Predaqueen responded slowly. "I asked if you are alright" Megatron repeated softly. "Um, yes I am doing quite well. Why is it that you ask?" She looked down at him in surprise. "Did Starscream walk in on you and Knockout's.. sob fest?" The warmonger inquired. "Indeed" Predaqueen nodded. "He had mentioned it earlier. I came down to check up on you before walking in on your.. party with the doctor" The lord spoke to the larger Predacon.

"We were dancing. Knockout wanted to lighten up the mood after viewing Titanic. Then, that led us to our dancing" Predaqueen explained briefly. "Understandable. I just.. wanted to be sure you were.. doing alright" Megatron said slowly while looking away, almost shyly. "Oh.. that is very thoughtful of you Megatron. Thank you" She smiled gently and looked back at Megatron. The jet turned his head and his eyes locked with hers. They both stared into each other's shining orbs for a long few moments, neither moving from their spots. Until they were interrupted by a very hyper Sniperwing and eradicon.

"Come 'n ge' me Shtevie!" Sniperwing laughed joyfully and ran past the large pair with her claws in the air. "AYO, WAIT UP!" The eradicon called and chased after the Predacon. "You were gonna add meh tuh de cha' group uh yaurs weren' chu?" The femme slowed so the eradicon could catch up. "Yeh yeh, later, TAG!" Steve slapped her arm before running. "AYE! Ge' back here!" She snarled playfully and ran after him.

Predaqueen looked away from Megatron and chuckled at the two playing. The warlord hummed in amusement and looked back at the queen. "They are adorable" She giggled and shook her head in amusement. "I suppose they are" Megatron chuckled in agreement. A silver eradicon with scars and many weird markings that looked to be painted turned the corner. He gave a quick bow to Megatron before walking away. Megatron glanced at the oddly colored trooper before turning to Predaqueen. "When do you think your subjects would be ready for battle?" He asked.

Predaqueen's eyes widened before looking at him. She could never send them to battle right now, and she hoped she didn't have to at all. But, the most she could do is probably stall until her subjects were ready for it. "Certainly not at this instant. They need training, they have not even had their first flight! We need to train them so they know what to do out in battle. If they know, they would do much better than me on a first mission" She told him solemnly.

"Understandable. Should we begin training now?" Megatron asked. "...yes. Yes, we will" Predaqueen agreed hesitantly. "How exactly will they communicate over long distances? A comm is it called?" She asked, the pair rounding another corner. "Yes. I assume you want you and your subjects to have them installed? They require a minor amount of surgery to have chip holders installed" Megatron explained briefly. "Indeed. And what are these chip holders you mention?" Predaqueen questioned again. "I'll show you" Megatron stopped and reached up to his bucket-shaped head. A slot of silver metal slid back and revealed a black chip holder with five slots and three chips placed inside.

"The first chip is the business comm chip, it automatically contains everyone's business frequency. The second is the personal comm chip, it holds personal frequencies and they will need to be added manually. The third there is a holomatter chip. It allows me to project a holographic avatar to blend in with the natives of other planets. My avatar is currently set as a human for disguise and interaction purposes. Although, only the first two are mandatory" Megatron explained in brief detail while pointing at each chip. The cover slid back on and he looked up at Predaqueen.

"Interesting. So holomatter technology is able to permit you to take the form of a human? I might read up on that" She spoke to seemingly herself. "I will order Knockout to have the chip holders installed" Megatron nodded. "But there are sixteen of us Predacons. Will it not be a bit much for the doctor? Is he the only one on the ship who possesses expertise in the medical field?" Predaqueen asked. "There are medical drones that will be able to help. And is the limp alright?" The warlord asked, gesturing to her leg.

"It is fine. I may be limping, but I still have the ability to travel" Predaqueen brushed it off and continued to 'walk'. "Predaconian armor is incredibly strong and resistant to high levels of heat. I estimate that it would take an extended amount of time for our doctor to break through the armor than it does for normal Cybertronians. How will he get what is needed to install these chip holders properly?" She continued. "I would take those matters to Shockwave. He would know more than I do" Megatron advised. "Alright then. Where would he be located? I am not as familiar with the ship as I thought I was" Predaqueen admitted and turned to look at Megatron. "Follow me".

"Also, may I question who that trooper was? I have not spotted any other trooper with the same markings" Predaqueen asked. "He is AC-01 or Arcane, as the troopers call him. He got his name for being mysterious and silent, even more so than Soundwave. He paints markings on himself to separate himself from the others. No one has ever heard him talk so if you do come across him, I doubt he will speak" Megatron explained. The queen nodded "Exactly how does he communicate?" "That, you will have to ask the troopers. To Shockwave's we were headed?" "Indeed".

He didn't exactly enjoy how they stared at each other or how they talked or the fact that Predaqueen was naming all the things she thought were great about him. He did not like this at all. His wings twitched in annoyance as he watched them walk down the halls and to Shockwave's lab. Megatron obviously said something funny because Predaqueen put her hand up to her face while her expression contorted into a wide and beautiful smile, eyes squeezing shut as she laughed.

Starscream's thoughts were wiped from his mind as he focused on that smile. He leaned on the keypad and smiled, his wings fluttering. "Starscream? What are you doing in here?" Knockout's voice said behind him. Starscream jumped and spun around, absentmindedly spreading his wings to block the screen. "N-nothing! What are you doing in here?" Starscream scowled. "Just wondering why Soundwave wasn't in here. What are you blocking?" Knockout walked up to him and lifted his wing, receiving a sharp 'hey!'. "Why are you watching Predaqueen and the big M?" The medic questioned while raising a brow.

"None of your business!" Starscream snapped. Something must have clicked because Knockout was looking at him with a very smug face. "Jealous-", "I AM NOT! Why would I be jealous?! I'm just looking at security because uh.. for Soundwave! And jealous of what? I'm not jealous of anything!" Starscream blabbered out frantically and pushed Knockout away with his hand. "Hey! Watch the paint!" Knockout exclaimed and checked for scratches. He gave a sigh of relief when he found none.

"Look Starscream, I know jealousy when I see it, the looks people give me when looking at my perfect finish. I also know love when I see it. And unfortunately for you, you have competition, our leader no less. If you want to steal the spark of the Predacon queen, you need to know how to flirt, to woo her-", "Where are you getting this from?! I don't need flirting lessons! And I am not in love, I am Starscream, the cold and ruthless Decepticon second in command!" Starscream hissed, making Knockout sigh.

"You know... Predaqueen might have a thing for you" Knockout came up with another idea. "Wait really? She does? How so?" Starscream's wings perked up as he looked at the doctor with hopeful eyes. He averted his gaze just as quickly, his actions further proving the medic's suspicion of the SIC being in the 'L' word.

"No, she hates your guts with passion" Starscream sagged sadly at that. "Oh, you really are in love" Knockout shook his head with a chuckle. "I am not. In. LOVE!" He spat out the word like it was tox-en. "Jealous and in denial. Classic. I'll leave you be, stay here and sulk while our Lord and Predaqueen have all the fun" Knockout rolled his eyes and left the surveillance room.

Starscream huffed and turned back to look at the cameras. Megatron and Predaqueen were conversing with Shockwave. He may have found yet another reason to hate Megatron.

Chapter Text

"Shockwave will gather materials to install the chip holders. In the meantime, you may start training your subjects for battle" Megatron spoke after he and Predaqueen discussed with Shockwave. "Very well. Have you any knowledge of where my subjects are currently located?" The Predacon asked. "Try looking for Soundwave. He would know" Megatron advised. She nodded and turned, limping away.

Predaqueen thankfully remembered her directions this time and managed to arrive at the surveillance room. She peeked inside and saw Starscream scrolling through the footage. "Starscream" She spoke, causing the seeker to jump. "P-Predaqueen! What- what are you doing here?" He stuttered slightly. "Have you seen Soundwave?" She asked, stepping into the room.

"Yes, why?" The seeker questioned. "I need to locate my subjects. Soundwave possesses expertise in security and I desire to inquire him on my subjects' locations" Predaqueen answered. "Well, what good is Soundwave if he is not even in here? I believe I can help you find your subjects" Starscream offered. "...Very well" She accepted.

The seeker turned and started to type and scroll through the cameras, and reeled up some live footage. "Two Predacons in energon storage D-05, another five in the mess hall," Starscream said as he scrolled further through the footage. "Three in the main brig, one by eradicon barracks G-X, and four on the main flight deck" Starscream listed out and turned his head back to the queen.

Predaqueen nodded before turning. She stopped for a moment. "...thank you" She spoke and walked away. Starscream looked back at her in surprise, but she was gone. He smiled slightly and turned back to the cameras.

Predaqueen walked down the halls, remembering each place Starscream named out. With the help of her keen sense of smell, she should be able to sniff out her subjects. She made her trek down the hall, her walking nearly normal from her nearly healed limp.

Predaqueen sniffed out the nearest Predacon. Sniperwing. Predaqueen found her sitting on the ground while talking to two eradicon jets. "Whu' abou' dee oder guy Liz?" The young Predacon asked one of the soldiers. "Scrapped. Couldn't handle it either. My old squad were your typical 'I'm so great and mighty!' and get absolutely destroyed in battle. At least these guys like Steve ain't so shabby" The one named Liz gestured to the eradicon apparently named Steve. "Awww, I knew you liked us!" He said while clasping his hands together and bringing them to his cheek.

"Excuse me as I do not mean to interrupt" Predaqueen started, approaching them with her usual regal aura. "Yer majesty! Whu' can I help ya wih?" Sniperwing jumped up and bounded over with a bow. "I request that you accompany me while I gather the rest of our brethren. Your training for battle will begin today" Predaqueen spoke. "Ba'ul? Trainin'? Oh I am doooowwwnnn! Now..... Where's dee oders?" Sniperwing looked around with her hands on her hips. "We will retrieve them now" Predaqueen replied. "Okay! Bye Shteve, bye Liz!" She waved to the eradicons and followed her queen.

"Sooo.... where we gonna go nex?" Sniperwing asked. "We will be headed to the mess hall. I believe there are five of our brethren could be found there" Predaqueen let a small smile grace her features. She wanted to bond with each and everyone of her subjects and this was the perfect way to start. "Sniperwing" She spoke. "Aha?" The young femme turned around.

"Would you like to play a game?" Predaqueen asked. The youngster in front nodded frantically. "How about we play a game by the name of 'I spy?'" She suggested. Knockout told of quite a few things about human culture, including some games.

"Whu's da?" Sniperwing tilted her head. "I shall say, 'I spy with my little eye, something beginning with...'" Predaqueen looked around for something. "Something beginning with 'L'" She finished. Sniperwing just looked at her confused. "You must find what I am thinking of. Your clue, is that it starts with the letter 'L'. So, you must find something beginning with the letter" Predaqueen explained a bit. "Aaah haaaaahh... er kay, um... lemon! Ya know, like how yer eyes are lemon?" Predaqueen shook her head with a smile. "I am afraid not, although quite a creative guess. Try again" Sniperwing squinted her eyes and peered around. "Li'le dus' par'icles?... No? Umm..." Sniperwing looked back and forth and then up. "AHA! De lights!" She pointed up to the dim lights.

"Well done. It is your turn" Predaqueen smiled at the smaller dragonformer. "I spy wih my li'le eye, sometin' beginning wih... 'P'!" Sniperwing snapped her fingers while a wide smile graced her features. "Hhmmm... Predacon?" A hum and a shake of the head saying no. "...Me?" The queen asked.

"Mmmm... close". Predaqueen couldn't exactly think of anything else. What else in the halls began with 'P'? "I fail to come up with any further ideas. Go on, tell me, what is it you are thinking of?"

"Pre'y queen! Yer super pre'y so I picked pre'y Predaqueen!" Sniperwing grinned and hugged her arm. Predaqueen was at loss for words. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was slightly parted. Her cheeks warmed up and turned slightly blue. Her lips then curled into a smile. "...Thank you" Sniperwing simply snuggled further into her arm before letting go and bouncing ahead.

"Now, we will begin with transformation, then flight. Whenever you are ready, transform" Predaqueen shifted into her mighty beast mode as her subjects did the same. While the rest had wings, Lazerback, Saberquake and Twinstrike were wingless, instantly being the odd ones out.

:{Good. Now, flight. I trust that you know how to fly?}: All Predacons roared yes, except for the ones incapable. Twinstrike growled and turned his heads to his back where he his wings would be, if he had any! Saberquake sat down and flapped the movable panels that jutted out from his back as if it would give him flight. Lazerback huffed and stood tall with his chin up, proud to be unique. Predaqueen's gaze turned to her flightless children. Two looked sad, one looked proud. She knew she had to find a way to bring comfort to the sad two. But, she had to deal with the winged ones first.

Predaqueen beckoned her subjects to the edge of the deck with a caw. As her subjects watched, she jumped off the deck, falling into the clouds. Soon enough, she shot back up, hovering in the air while her gargantuan wings flapped in a rhythm. The other Predacons whirred in wonder. Skylynx looked over the edge of the flight deck. Darksteel came up behind him and just as he was about to push off his brother, Skylynx spun around and instead, knocked Darksteel off. The blue and orange griffin shrieked before flapping desperately and flew up, glaring at his brother.

Skylynx simply laughed, but felt a hot glare on his back. He turned his head and saw Ripclaw standing behind him, white hot glare staring into his soul. Skylynx flinched before backing into a sideways position and then leaning off the ship, falling into the clouds. Darksteel beamed at Ripclaw while she flapped her own wings and rose into the air. The other Predacons either jumped off the ship or jumped up, but all were up in the air. Except for one.

Plasmafall looked over the edge and shrieked before gripping onto the spikes of the deck with all his might. The wingless laughed at him while he barked back. :{You wouldn't be laughing once you actually see it for yourself, ground kissers!}:

:{Are you sure we're the ground kissers?}: Twinstrike asked smugly. He got silence as a response. Saberquake screeched dramatically before gripping onto the ship's spikes. :{I'M GOING TO DIE! AH NOOOO I'M GOING TO DIEEEEEEEE!}: Twinstrike and Lazerback fell to the ground in a fit of laughter while Plasmafall lowered his head in shame. :{The rest of you, practice battle strategies and spar}: Predaqueen spoke the rest of her subjects. She held back a laugh and flew over to her fearful subject. She landed on the deck and helped Plasmafall off the spikes.

:{Do not mind the others. There is nothing to be afraid of Plasmafall. Once you start, your instincts will guide you}: She cooed. :{I don't know how!}: He exclaimed. Predaqueen gestured for him to come closer. :{Spread your wings}: Plasmafall copied her move. :{Slowly start flapping your wings. As you go along, flap faster and harder}: Predaqueen rose off the ground inch-by-inch and was in the air. Plasmafall started to rise and got up a few meters before dropping. He went again and and only rose a few feet. He went again but didn't even lift up. He screeched in frustration and blasted a fireball at the ground. 

Predaqueen whirred before nuzzling into his side to calm him down. She soothed him until he was calm. :{Patience. It takes time but I assure you, you will fly}: Predaqueen whirred. Plasmafall looked up at her :{Can... can I ride on your back? To- to get a feel of the air and wind?}: Plasmafall asked hesitantly. Predaqueen's eyes momentarily widened before she bent down, spreading a wing out. :{Of course}:

Plasmafall shakily got onto her back and gripped onto the spikes that jutted out. Predaqueen stood up :{I recommend that you hold a tight grip. I will be taking off... Predacon style}: She warned. Suddenly, she took off, running off the flight deck and making a leap off the edge. Plasmafall shrieked and squeezed his eyes shut as they fell, his death grip digging into Predaqueen's back. Predaqueen aileron rolled through the air before her wings flew out, catching warm air and rising up.

Plasmafall opened his eyes and looked around. The sky was... beautiful. The sun shined overhead, light casting onto the clouds and their backs. The wind blew past him in a strong but not forceful breeze. A roar drew his attention to his right. Ripclaw was flying next to them, Saberquake clinging to her back.

More bodies rose up into the sky. Above them, Lazerback and Hellfury called out while flying to the left. Shooting around them, Skystalker and Fangblade barrel rolled around everyone and dispersed into the clouds.

Backlash, Sniperwing, Blastrange and Thunderslash all flew next to them, performing flips and rolls. Skylynx and Darksteel carried Twinstrike as he did tricks, using his two heads to swing from one griffin to the other.

Plasmafall watched the breathtaking sight of all the Predacons flying as one. They all barrel rolled around the Nemesis and dispersed into the clouds. The sun in front of them cast light onto their bodies as dusk approached. Plasmafall spread his wings to feel the wind go through each of his metallic feathers. He flapped in sync to Predaqueen and before he knew it, he was on his own. :{Woah...}: He whirred in awe as he saw himself fly. The wind on his plates, the clouds below him, the sun warming him to the spark... the feeling was euphoric. He felt free.

Predaqueen playfully nudged into his side and flew over him. :{The feeling of flight is always exciting... it gives me a sense if freedom, away from the tragedies of war}: She whirred quietly. :{Yeah... flying is amazing! I don't know why I was so afraid, this is just- just so... euphoric!}: Plasmafall spoke.

The Predacons flew through the clouds and off into the sunset.