Dinobot had no destination in mind when he left the Axalon, all he knew was that he could not remain in the presence of those moronic Maximals any longer.  They did not understand, but to be fair, he didn’t quite comprehend this inner turmoil himself.

That tenacious femme had been plaguing his every thought since the first time they locked optics, vexing him in a way of which none had come close.  This guilt that gnawed at him was unfounded, yet he could not part from it.  He had done his due diligence when it came to her.  He had warned her of the dangers of being that stubborn, and she foolishly dismissed him.  If it were anyone else, he would not have spared her a second thought.  Yet here he was, lamenting over her once again, making a fool out of himself in front of his fellow mech.  Appearing to have a… soft spot.

Soft spot.

He scoffed at the mere idea.  He had no soft spot.  He was a warrior.  His spark was as cold and hard as his blade.  He only cared for himself and the thrill of conquest.  Perhaps that could explain his… attraction, for lack of better words, to her.  She could have been quite the conquest.  There was no doubt she was as obstinate as he.  If he could have swayed her…

Well…

If he could have swayed her, not only would she not be in this mess, but his interest in her likely would have dissipated.  She was… attractive, certainly.  Dinobot was not so aloof that he could not recognize an alluring frame, but physical appearance had little effect on him.  No, the aspect of her that tormented him was that personality.  The way she spoke to him was infuriating, though oddly charming.  The way she did not fold so easily was admirable.  In those brief moments they knew one another, she exhibited a sense of conviction stronger than he had seen among others.  There was a part of him that did want to challenge her that day, that wanted to press her and see if she could withstand it, to see if he could be the one to change her mind.  He yearned for that kind of confrontation, one where neither knew who would dominate the other.

Dare he say… if she were the one to come out victorious during a clash of will like this, he would not find himself too wounded?  No, he would dare not… not aloud, anyway.  Yet in moments like this, when none were around to influence how carefully he guarded his thoughts, he could confess to himself that he would not mind yielding to her should it come to that.  He would not allow her to win…  No, never.  It would be an insult to both of them.  Yet if she were to possess the stronger conviction, he could respect that.  In fact, he already did.  The sole reason he was irate with her decision was that he knew it would be taken from her by force, as it indeed had been… and thus was the true tragedy of Hysteria.

As much as it pained him to acknowledge it, he and Megatron were not so different in these regards.  Both were drawn to the allure of surmounting those deemed a threat.  Lust for glory and conquest were only natural to Predacons.  The only difference between the two mechs was that Megatron lacked the honor to respect one’s agency.  While Dinobot would only experience satisfaction as a result of an honest victory, Megatron could care less about the means to the end.  The idea that Megatron would stoop so low as to reprogram a femme to force her into submission was repulsive to Dinobot, but he knew the Predacon too well to believe he’d do anything differently.

A rustling in the bushes interrupted Dinobot’s thoughts.  He quickly transformed, sword in hand.  He spun around, holding his weapon in the direction of the noise.  His optics scanned the foliage, locating a Predacon energy signature hiding within.  It was a smaller one.  One that he was not familiar with.  His spark sunk at the first thought that crossed his mind, but he didn’t wish to entertain it.

“Show yourself,” he commanded as he kept a close watch on the Predacon’s signature.  The leaves rustled and he heard the sound of transforming, before being greeted by none other than Hysteria.  He did not lower his sword at the sight of her, though that was a conscious decision.  No matter how he felt about her, if she was like the others had described earlier and anything like she had behaved when they first met, he knew it wouldn’t be wise to underestimate her.  “You…”

“Aw, don’t tell me you forgot my name,” she said with an exaggerated pout.

As she drew near, the first thing he noticed was her optics.  They were not the same color as they had been when she emerged from the stasis pod.  Once a stunning digital green, they were now a menacing crimson, all but confirming that she had indeed been reprogrammed.  The rage he had been out here attempting to suppress now consumed him, but he did well not to take it out on her.

“Well, I remember your name, Dinobot…”  Hysteria chuckled to herself as she circled him.  “How could I forget a mech like you?”

He didn’t like the way the femme purred his name.  He didn’t like the way it made him feel… vulnerable.  His optics narrowed as he watched her every move. 

“What is it you want, Hysteria?”

“A girl can’t say hello?” she asked with saccharine innocence.

“Then proceed with your greeting and take your leave,” he growled.

This response really got a kick out of the femme.  The giggling from her was juvenile.  It sounded less threatening and more… shall he say, playful?  This was a game to her.

“Are you always this serious?” she teased.

He said nothing, choosing only to glare at her. 

“Fine,” she said with a shrug.  Her voice gained a serious edge as she continued.  “Actions speak louder than words anyway.  If small talk isn’t your thing…”  She stepped closer still, wrapping a servo around his to lower his sword.  “…Care to indulge me in a battle, big guy?”

Dinobot steeled himself, overriding his processors that revved at the mere idea of clashing with someone of her prowess.  The first time he spoke with her, he felt an unspoken tension between them.  Yet that was a different femme.  While this one before him did not seem to vary much from her original counterpart, he could only imagine how the Predacon coding had twisted her intentions.

“I have no reason to battle you,” he curtly replied.

“I’m a Predacon.  You’re a Maximal.  I bullied your little friends earlier.  What other reason do you need?”

“You’re not a Predacon,” he growled, but his voice softened with his next words.  “And there is no honor in facing an opponent who is… not themselves.”

“Oh, but I am now, Dinobot.  And you’d be wise not to forget that,” she said.  A small smirk played on her lips as her servo tightened around his and she pressed herself against him.  He was aware of the coarse yet soft fur that graced her chest plate tickling his own scaly armor.  “Besides, I’m sure it’s no secret that when we first met that I wanted a piece of you.  Now that we’re alone, I must know if you’re as… admirable as you seem.”

She stared at him, attempting to read his expression.  While his countenance was as stern and unwavering as ever, things were not so calm within him.  He did not like being toyed with like this.  He was not one to sit idle while being provoked; he’d sooner scrap anyone else who attempted to play these kinds of mind games.  His frustration, both with her and her situation, had reached its peak, and the temptation of having an opponent alike in dignity to vent this frustration was wearing at his restraint.  There was a yearning deep within his spark that wanted nothing more than to face a worthy adversary, to indulge in a glorious battle with one he deemed equal.

“If I were to attack you,” she whispered, seemingly sensing this inner turmoil.  “… You would have no choice but to fight back.  Would you, noble Dinobot?”

“If you were to attack me ..."  His voice was a low rumble, and he could no longer fight the smirk that crossed his face.  “It… would not be a wise choice, fair Hysteria…  For once provoked, I would not go easy on you.”

As she stared up at him, grinning at his response, Dinobot could not help but feel that same sensation that he felt the first time he looked into her optics.  The color may have changed, but he could still see all the fire and fight within them.

“Then call me a fool,” she said.  The servo of hers that had curled around his moved to his wrist, pulling his grip away from the hilt of his sword while he was distracted to disarm him.  Hysteria was fast, swifter than he anticipated.  In spite of it all, she had indeed lowered his guard and his weapon was tossed aside.  After ridding him of his sword, she went to strike him, only for her fist to be caught.  For the first time over the course of the evening, Dinobot chuckled, which caused her to use all her strength to knock him off balance.  With her fist still enclosed in his grip, he pulled her down with him as he hit the ground.  If she was stunned, she didn’t show it.  She used this opportunity to pin him down and pull her blaster on him.

“Oh, I could blast your helm off right now,” she cooed, rubbing the barrel of her blaster against his temple.

“Predacons gloat too much,” he said with a snarl, knocking her servo away and her weapon out of her grip.  When she turned to see where it landed, he shifted his weight, throwing her off of him.  While she scrambled for her blaster, he rolled to the side, retrieving his sword.  They both sprang up to their feet.  Dinobot stood poised with his sword in front of him while Hysteria held her blaster steady.

“Knife to a gun fight?” joked Hysteria.  “How… utterly you.”

With another low chuckle, Dinobot’s optics locked onto the blaster and he activated his Cybertronic Beam, using the laser to once again disarm Hysteria.  With a growl of frustration, she quickly forgot about attempting to best him with her weapon and transformed into her beast mode.  The hyena lunged at him and he used his sword to block her attack, knocking her back.  She was not dissuaded, and pounced right back in his direction.  With a roar, Dinobot transformed as well.  The raptor and the hyena then circled one another, each strategically planning their next move.

Hysteria was yet again the first to act, springing towards him once more, aiming for his neck.  Dinobot quickly dodged the attack, swinging his tail at her to knock her back.  While this was initially successful, he did not anticipate that she would latch onto it.  Her beast mode possessed powerful jaws that could crush through solid bone, and they didn’t let go so easily as Dinobot swung her around trying to shake her off.  Eventually, he chose to use his own teeth, gripping her by the scruff of her neck and tossing her to the side.  With a yelp, she crashed and rolled after landing, hitting the trunk of a tree.  She only remained down for a moment before rising back on all fours and shaking her head, but in that split second, Dinobot had stalked close enough to continue their fight.  He swiped at her with sharp claws, only missing because she ducked beneath him. 

The fight raged on like this for an indefinite amount of time.  While Dinobot possessed the size and power, Hysteria’s agility and determination made her a formidable challenger.  Each time it seemed like one had the upper hand, the other quickly upset this and tilted the balance in their favor.  Their organic forms had taken quite the beating as they tore and ripped at each other’s flesh.  In what appeared to be a last-ditch effort, Hysteria transformed once again, retrieving her blaster.  Exhausted and disoriented from the effort of keeping up with Dinobot, the laser blast meant to take him out merely grazed his spine.  The mech transformed, using his sword to deflect the next shot, which ricocheted off his rotating blade back towards her.  It hit her shoulder, and she fell to her knee with a groan. 

When she did not rise like she had done so many times before, Dinobot approached her.  He would not pretend he was in any better state, feeling like he was on the verge of collapse himself.  He said not a word as he stood over her, judging her condition.  After a moment, she looked up at him, wearing a weak smile.

“Well met, Dinobot…”  Her chest heaved as her fans worked overtime to cool her down.  He almost couldn’t hear her over the whir of her overheated systems.  “I knew… you were more… than just a pretty face.  Finish me.”

Dinobot was aware this flattery was not just a way to provoke him— it was a genuine compliment.  Though it was clear she had run out of energy, her optics still shone bright with both amusement and admiration.  He had said he would not go easy on her, but he could not allow himself to finish her.  It would be a pity to extinguish her before having the opportunity to see her at her best, without the influence of Predacon programming tainting her.  He stabbed his sword in the cool earth below, and offered her a servo.  Her optics flicked between it and his before accepting it and allowing him to pull her to her struts.

“Next time,” he began, drawing her near so she could hear his words clearly.  “Try not to let this… ‘pretty face’ of mine distract you.”

“Next time, hm?” she purred.  “I do like the promise of that…”

With what appeared to be the last little bit of strength she could muster, she grabbed either side of his helm and pulled him in, pressing her mouth against his.  This action had been so sudden, Dinobot found himself unprepared on how to react.  His frame locked up, forbidding him from moving or reacting.  If she wanted to deliver the final blow, she could have very well done that in this moment.

“‘Til we meet again, Dinobot,” she breathed as she pulled away, leaving him in stunned silence.  With a wink, she transformed and limped off into the foliage.

Dinobot stood there in her absence, paralyzed by shock until he realized he would soon go into stasis lock if he stuck around any longer.  Returning to beast mode, he headed towards the direction of the base.  His mind and body buzzed as he trudged back.  More than the injuries he sustained during their skirmish, the feel of her kiss caused him to ache.  He was left contemplating the meaning of this fixation he had on her as he staggered into the Axalon.  It had gotten late, and he hoped his arrival back in such a state would go unnoticed.  Naturally, he had no such luck.

“Whoa!  You okay, Dinobot?” asked Cheetor upon seeing Dinobot return.  He merely grunted in response as he headed towards the CR Chamber.  He did not wish to speak of this evening, lest he find himself the subject of further torment from his peers.

Things were quiet at the Predacon base when Hysteria returned.  She crept through the dimly-lit corridors, attempting to find the repair bay in this maze they called a ship.  She cursed herself for not asking Megatron for a little tour of the facilities earlier.  The Darksyde seemed so much bigger to her when she was lost.

Just as she went to turn a corner, she felt a pinch on the base of her neck, then noticed her paws were no longer touching the floor.  When she tried to twist to see who had picked her up, she was greeted by the visor of the Predacon’s resident mad scientist peering at her.

“Going somewhere?” Tarantulas asked, cackling as he held her by the scruff of her neck.

“Let me down,” she barked.

He ignored her in favor of lifting her higher to inspect her current state.

“I imagine the real question is not where you are going, but where you have been.”

“Easy.  I’ve been walking around this labyrinth of a base for who knows how long until along came a spider,” she said.  After a small laugh, she added, “Would it have killed you to program me with a floorplan while you were in there?”

“Doesn’t explain why you look like you’ve been to the pit and back,” said Tarantulas, paying little mind to her joke.

“Now, I don’t really see how what I do in my free time is any of your concern.”

“Hmph. I suppose you are correct,” he said, surprising her with how easily he had given up.  “Though I’m sure Megatron wouldn’t be too pleased to see that his newest recruit is so careless in her so-called ‘free time.’”

“He doesn’t have to know,” she said before she could think.  Upon seeing him tilt his head, she continued.  “Let me get to the repair bay and I’ll make it worth your while.”

He chuckled at this, dropping her to the ground.

“Follow me.”

Tarantulas transformed into his beast mode and began walking down the corridor.  It took Hysteria a moment to get over how visually unsettling it was to her to see all those legs of his move before she could bring herself to follow him.  Unexpectedly true to his word, he guided her to the repair bay.

“Lucky for you, I have no use for you right now, and I’d hate to see my handiwork be scrapped so soon,” he said as he flipped the switch to fill the restoration vat.

“What is that supposed to mean?” she cautiously asked.

“It means I do not care where you have been nor if Megatron knows,” he said.  “I’ve got more important matters to attend than tattling on you, so get in.”

Though she had her reservations, it wasn’t necessary for her to be told twice.  A good soak in the CR tank was just what she needed after the evening she had. 

Dinobot was aware of the murmurs around the base the following day, but he paid them little mind.  His own thoughts were much louder and more troublesome.  Those feelings that had been so confusing before now further perplexed him.  Never had he felt this way.  He’d faced many opponents, and not a single one bewildered and conflicted him like she did.  It made zero sense to him.  It wasn’t a matter of mere respect.  He respected Primal, though he’d sooner perish than admit it.  It couldn’t have been her strength alone, for Megatron possessed strength like none he knew and he still despised him.  And it wasn’t that she knew how to push all his buttons.  That insufferable Rattrap was an expert at that and yet he was certain the only thing he felt towards him was exasperation.  Was it possibly curiosity?  Perhaps, but it still didn’t feel quite right.

He could still feel her mouth upon his.  That soft gesture was the perfect contradiction to the blows they exchanged in the moments leading up to that one, and yet, it was the one that pained him the most.  He tried to find meaning in it.  Was it a taunt?  Was it genuine?  Was there anything to it at all?  He weighed all the options, and decided that he would not be pleased no matter the intent.

“Cheetor said you were all but scrapped when you returned to base last night.”

Dinobot looked up to see he was no longer alone.  Primal had wandered into the room. 

“I was ambushed,” was his curt response.  “I had no choice but to defend myself.”

“Why didn’t you comm for backup?”

“Backup was not necessary.  I was perfectly capable of handling the situation.  I was neither outnumbered nor outclassed.”

Dinobot watched as the Maximal commander studied him, and prepared himself for further questioning.  However, he was not prepared for the question that followed.

“It was her.  Wasn’t it?”

He stiffened at this theory, though he hoped his outward reaction wasn’t too obvious.

“That… is none of your concern, Optimus.”

From the way the other mech’s face softened, Dinobot knew his hesitation only served as confirmation.

“Dinobot, I know you…” Primal stopped to consider his words.  After clearing his throat, he continued, “… have complicated feelings towards her.”

Dinobot growled at this accusation, but he knew he could not deny it was indeed the truth.  ‘Complicated’ was the best way to described whatever was going on inside of him.

“Please, Dinobot.  Now’s not the time to do this,” the other mech said.  “Talk to me, for her sake.  What happened?”

Though it was tempting to blow the other mech off and continue to conceal his interaction with Hysteria, Dinobot resigned himself to telling the truth.  Optimus was the only other Maximal who had properly met her, and he would be the only one to believe the severity of her transformation.

“She has indeed been reprogrammed,” Dinobot confirmed.  “Her memory appears to be left intact.  She has the same nerve and wit we saw in her that day, but her mannerisms are heavily influenced by Predacon code.”

“She attacked you?”

“She… challenged me,” he answered.  “And did not take no for an answer.  I was left with no choice but to engage.”  Dinobot did well to suppress the smirk that wanted to form at the memory of their bout.  Though he wished it had been under different circumstances, he couldn’t deny it was just what he needed to get the fuel pumping.  “We did not see her fight before, so I cannot accurately gauge how much her new programming influenced her aggression.”

Primal nodded, taking a moment to process what he had been told.

“I spoke with Rhinox and he believes this can be reversed,” he eventually said.  “But the timeframe to do so is dwindling.  Do you think we can save her?”

“She is not some damsel that needs a white knight,” Dinobot scoffed.  “As much as it… pains me to say, I can confidently report that this programming has not eradicated her autonomy.  She is no mindless drone, slave to Megatron’s whims.  She is a Predacon, like I once was.  The altercation last night was not her carrying out orders.  It was… personal.  Should she choose to remain with the Predacons…”  He grit his teeth, lowering his gaze to the floor.  “… That is her cross to bear.”

A silence filled the room as Primal nodded at this, and Dinobot knew that he felt like he had lost one of his own.

“…That said, she is not a lost cause,” he softly admitted.  “Her spark remains the same.”

“You’re certain?”

“Though her optics glow a different hue, the look behind them is all the same,” Dinobot told him.  “I do not feel she will thrive under Megatron’s reign.  She may not have been assembled as one, but she has the spark of a warrior, and great warriors like she and I were not built to serve.  We weren’t forged to bring glory to the undeserving.  If she has not yet come to this conclusion, I am confident it will only be a matter of time before she will find herself unable to suffer Megatron’s incompetent tyranny.”

“I hope you’re right, Dinobot,” Primal responded before going to leave.

“Optimus.”

He paused and turned around to face Dinobot.

“Yes?”

“Do I… have permission to engage?”  Primal’s brow arched at this.  “Should she pursue me again, of course,” Dinobot quickly added.  “I do not feel last evening will be an isolated event.”

“If you were any other mech, I’d tell you no,” said Primal.  “But permission granted.  Just keep your wits about you, Dinobot.  And that’s an order.”

“Understood.”