ShiverTooth's Perspective
I was flying back, above the clouds when I heard a voice "YEEEE HAAA!!!"
I saw a yellow figure with a blue contrail dive straight down. I follow it and catch up to them "BUMBLEBEE!!??" I yell out.
He slows down "ShiverTooth!! Look! I'm flying!!"
I smile in alt "Frag yeah you are!!!"
"I see what you like about this so much!! It's so free up here!!!"
I laugh "Don't get too use to it, Bee. You'll be back on the ground soon enough." We both zoom ahead. I followed Bee to find the Stunticon. We heard missiles and look back "Bumblebee?"
"I see them. Evasive maneuvers!!" We both veer opposite directions and 2 of the missiles followed Bee, the other 2 went my direction. I deploy the flares again and they explode on them as I turn the other direction.
He flies towards a mountain and then flies up at the last second. The missiles hit the mountain and explode. Bee and I join back up and we finally find the Stunticon. He was showing up to the human. "Heatseeker!" The Lieutenant yells "Roll away from the human!" The RV and the human drove away and Strongarm and Sideswipe arrive.
The cadet warns "We're on top of a nuclear waste dump, decepticon. Don't do anything foolish."
Drift and Grimlock soon enough arrive. "Hi, guys! I'm—- oh. Business time. Game face! Rrrraaahhh." Grimlock growls.
Heatseeker pulls out his missiles and Bumblebee calls out "Don't let him fire! Smother him!!!"
We all gang up on him but he shoots and smoke goes everywhere. We all passed out then and there. All I could feel before I went out was something gripping onto the bottom of my alt mode and me being angled sideways as if doing a sharp turn. We wake up, all in pain. "What happened?" Strongarm questions. I stand up and brush off my chassis, getting away from Sideswipe who laid next to me.
"Is everyone okay?" Bumblebee groans.
Sideswipe shudders "I feel weird like I transformed but in a different way, maybe."
"I feel like a had a bunch of stuff on my head." Grimlock groans.
"Something was holding my underside in my alt mode." I shake the feeling off.
Drift adds "I remember only darkness..."
Bumblebee says "Whatever it was.... Seems to be over. Probably we were just knocked silly by the explosion. And ShiverTooth, you were closest to Drift. Maybe he grabbed onto you?"
The samurai replies "I did not, though we have been most fortunate, it appears the blast did not damage the ground or anything beneath it."
Bumblebee says "No sign of Heatseeker, or the minicon that helped me fly."
"Told you it was temporary." I laugh.
Strongarm says "Judging by these tracks, it doesn't look like they were destroyed."
Bee then says "Scrud, I'll tell you something else there's no sign of: my decepticon hunter!"
"I'm on it!" Sideswipe remarks.
He drives in one direction and I say "I'll scope the opposite direction." With that, I transform and fly off the other way. I didn't find anything so I fly back and find the autobots driving. "I didn't find the hunter, Bee. Sorry."
"It's alright. I'll search back at base. Maybe I misplaced it...." He responds. We go back but he couldn't find it anywhere. He told me he had searched everywhere in the scrapyard. I offered him mine but he turned it down.
I was searching again to double check when we all got called to the command center. We all run over and Fixit was at the screens with what appeared to be Russel's tablet in his other hand "It's coming from the Antarctic. Near a scientific research station.... BACK TO YOUR BURROW SLITHERY SCUM!!!"
"Fixit? Research station?" Bumblebee asks.
The minicon replies "Sorry... the station is near an ice cave where Windblade hid one of her caches. The cache holds supplies, weapons, and a captured Decepticon."
"Captured Decepticons don't give off signals do they?" Sideswipe asks.
"Not unless they're uncaptured." Bumblebee states.
I correct him "You mean released?"
"Yeah..." Bee facepalms "You get what I mean."
Strongarm adds "The ice cave that Windblade left her cache in must have melted."
"Who knows if the cache's security system is still functional? Let's get down there and make sure those humans are safe. Form on me, team. Let's rev up and roll out!!!" Bumblebee calls out. We all transform and go the groundbridge but it wasn't open so we stopped.
Fixit says to himself "No scaled scallywag shall escape my wrath!!"
"Fixit!" Bee groans. The minicon looks up and then activated the bridge. We then all go through and land at the artic again.
We all transform and Sideswipe says "Not too bad actually. Last time we went to someplace like this, I nearly froze my resistors off."
Strongarm adds "We can probably thank global warming for the milder temperature."
The Lieutenant steps in "Still, now that we're here, let's try to blend in."
We transform into our cold colors and Grimlock says "Hmf, show offs."
Bumblebee calls into base "Fixit? Fixit... scan the building infront of us for signs of human life."
Fixit calls in "No human life readings. Alright now, give it back, give it back! give it back!!" And the transmission ended.
I comment "Fixit sure loves that game."
"His obsession might cost us on this mission." Bumblebee says to me.
We run over to the dome building and heard crashing inside. We look and Sideswipe says "Man, that is one jumbo shrimp."
Strongarm stops us "Wait! I recognize this con from kaon's most wanted list. Crustacean!! He broke into the vault of the treasury building and made off with a fortune of shanix coins!"
Bee responds "Not a bad idea to hide on earth, until Windblade tracked him down. Drift, Grim, ShiverTooth, you go around and guard the far exit. Sideswipe, Strongarm, let's cage this criminal." We go our separate ways and me and the other 2 get to our area.
He soon busts out and exclaims "More poachers!? Did I walk under a ladder today!?" He charges at us next. Drift tries to fight him but is thrown, Grimlock tries to use a move I had to guess from Drift's students' training but fails and pays the price. "Bad luck, Dinobot?" I charge at him and slash his back. He yelps and turns "You seem blind, pal. You be teaming with the wrong kind! You be a decepticon for cryin out loud! What's wrong with yeh?"
I growl "Nothing. What's wrong with you that made you steal so much shanix?" I hold up my hunter and he was surprised with what I said.
"Actually, now that I think about it. Yeh be right. There do be somethin wrong with me. You see I—-"
"Crustacean!!! Get him, ShiverTooth!!!" Sideswipe calls out.
The shrimpticon glares at me "How like you poacher! You be distractin me from me loot!"
I gasp "Wait what? No! I wanted to hear what you said! Really!" He shoots eye beams at me none the less and it hits my eyes before I was able to block it with my hunter. He then transforms and drives away from what I could hear.
Sideswipe came next "You had him! Why didn't you strike!!?" I try to look his direction. He keeps on talking "Stop trying to be friendly. Not everyone wants to be helped you know!!" He went back for the others next.
The others run out and Drift stands "We did not see which way he went."
Bumblebee runs over to me "ShiverTooth? Are you okay? Where did he go? Did he say something harsh?" I look in the direction of Bee's voice which was the wrong way apparently because he says "ShiverTooth, I-I'm over here." I try to focus again but it didn't work. He places his servo on my vent and turns my head to face his. He steps closer and deactivates his camoflauge "Are you alright?" He asks concerned.
I shake my helm "H-his eye beams hit me. I-I can hardly see.... It's all blurring together and the camouflage is making it so much harder to see."
He nods "Okay, autobots, split up and go track him down. ShiverTooth, hand me your decepticon hunter." I hold it out to him and he takes it. He activates a heat beam and I flinch and cover myself. I come to realize he wasn't aiming at me but rather the ground. Bumblebee gives me back my hunter and I place it on my back. He then takes my servos and says "Try to kneel to the ground without slipping on the ice." Me and him both go to the ground and he says "Now just bend over a bit." I listen to his words. He scoops water from the ground into his hand and brings it to my optics.
I shiver "Ahhhahaha! Cold!"
"I know, ShiverTooth. But it's for the best." He scoops water a few more times and then says "Alright, is it any better?" I rub my optics and he camouflages back.
I nod "Yeah. A bit better. Good enough to distinguish the area from you."
"Excellent. Alright, now let's find this con."
Drift coms into us "Team, I have located Crustacean on the southeast side of the glacier."
I transform and ask "Need a ride?" Bumblebee is careful getting on, avoiding plating farthest from my fuselage. I fly us there and we get there around the same time. Me and Bee were first. We transform and hide behind an ice rock.
Bumblebee states "Looks like Crustacean's search led him to the rest of windblade's cache. Careful, there might be something in there he can use against us."
Crustacean got to it and opened the crate saying "Ah! Useless! Where is me shanix!!!" He begins throwing the things that rested in the box, such as energon cubes and a small bomb.
We all avoid it and the Lieutenant says "We wait any longer, crustacean might cause more damage to the glacier. Come on!" We all start running to him but he transformed and started driving away. We transform and follow after him. I couldn't follow them though. I had to stay outside because of my jet mode. It sucked having an air based alt mode.
Later on, I saw him drive out of a high cave and fall into the water. I dive after him and transform, landing behind him. He whips around and growls "If it isn't you again. Back for more?"
He starts his eye beams and I hold my hands up "Wait! You were going to tell me something before Sideswipe ran out to us."
He stops "And why should I believe yeh mean the truth this time around?" He raises his claw.
I reason "It's like you said. I'm a decepticon. I want to hear what you have to say. Trust me. I know what it's like for whatever you went through."
Crustacean growls "You can't possibly know what happened to me!"
Crustacean throws his claw down but I grab it and hold it up "Then tell me!!"
He stops once more "No tricks this time?"
"No tricks at all."
Crustacean plops down into place and he says "I did the crime because everyone in my little town made fun of me for my massive claws and big bug eyes. They called me insecticon and hideous beast!"
I reply "I'm sorry to hear that. My own brother called me weak, pathetic, and defective all because I was shy, sensitive, and wouldn't hurt an autobot. I couldn't do it and ever since the war came to an end I've been so much better."
Crustacean nods "I did what I did to show them what I could do and get revenge."
"I wanted revenge too. Sometimes we don't get it, sometimes we do. But sometimes it isn't enough. Once you get your revenge, then what?" I ask.
He goes silent. The shrimpticon says "Well I.... I-I don't believe that I know.... I'd be just the same as I was before...."
"Unless you change, ask for another chance." I say. He looks over and smiles at me "That's how I am where I am today..... except I didn't ask for another chance. They actually gave it to me, but if you return the shanix and promise to change, I'll give you that chance. Okay?"
He nods "I would if I knew where it be hidden. Me map is all wrong....."
He shows the map and I look at it " I may know where it is. Follow me." He follows me through the water and we come across a mound of dirt under the water "this is where it leads." I say.
Crustacean starts his eye beams and begins digging. "I'm going to be a hero after this be done?" He asks.
I nod "Hopefully. Then you'll get respect."
I start to help him when all of a sudden I see Crustacean hit something away. I look over and see Bumblebee hit the floor. "Your friends are nightmares!" He growls. He goes off and fights Drift.
I get a com from Bee "ShiverTooth, why are you with Crustacean!? Was Sideswipe right about you? I'd hate to agree with him but I'm generally asking you myself before it gets worse."
I say "He isn't what you think he is. He did it to get back at his town and show them who the boss is. They made fun of him. I told him I'd help him if he promised to return the shanix. He agreed to it. Please! He's not bad. This decepticon WANTS to be helped!"
Bumblebee groans "We need to contain him because he attacked us first, then we'll question him."
"I already did!"
"That doesn't matter. You're one decepticon. We are 5 autobots. We all need to be on point with this...." I growl to myself and stand back, watching them. They stop him which I didn't think they would do and bring him to the surface. I follow after them and get to them as they cuffed him. I run over to Crustacean and try to wake him up.
Drift argues "ShiverTooth! Don't!" Bumblebee stops him.
The con woke up slightly and looked at me before closing his eyes and letting out a large exhale through his vents and pushing his face into my servos. He was exhausted. I pull Crustacean close to me and place my helm on his horn "Did you mean your promise?" I ask. He nods slowly. I close my optics right before looking to Bumblebee with dark red eyes. He stepped back. I say "You didn't have to fight him. You could have let me handle it, Bee."
I close my eyes again and slowly feel Crustacean fall unconscious once more. It was so quiet I just wanted to fall asleep. For once I felt like I met another one like me. He was exactly the same, bullied in youth, dreamt of revenge, agreed to be good and no one believed them..... it hurt me.... A cold tear streamed down my face as I held the mech. I started crying and pushed my face into the top of his head.
I overheard Bumblebee talking to Grimlock and Drift. "Is he turning?" The dinosaur asked.
Bee states "No. Crustacean showed to only him that Decepticons had a chance to be good without being an autobot, just like what he wanted..... and I stopped it..... I shouldn't have gone after him. I should have let ShiverTooth handle it."
Drift adds "ShiverTooth is right. He does know how to handle other Decepticons."
I started getting tired and I closed my optics, laying my helm on Crustacean. I was exhausted and freezing cold. I didn't move when I saw the others meet up with us. Nor did I move when they took Crustacean away and Grimlock put me on his dinosaur back. I only adjusted my body to sit comfortable. I didn't want to fall asleep but I didn't want to be awake. I was really upset.
We go back to the scrapyard and Grimlock places me at the small little place that Optimus set up when I first got here. He tucks me in and I watch as Denny places a stasis pod near the area with his forklift. My optics zoom in to see Crustacean in the pod. At least I get to see him when I wake up in the mornings. I'm glad to have gotten a new friend.