To be honest, I've re-written this chapter about three times now and am still unhappy with it, but it is going in the direction I want, so hopefully you guys still enjoy it! I feel like the middle part is weak, and there are areas that I just cannot seem to get right . . . but, I will let ya'll be the judge of that.  

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"Things you don't need in your life targets you the most."

~Michael B. Johnson, Master of Maximus

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"I understand my ability to transform was kept secret in order to allow our newest addition to transition easily into her new way of life, however I am curious; does she possess the same ability?" Predaking questioned, slinking down the halls with his master.

"Whether or not June has the ability to transform remains to be seen," Megatron answered. "You took several days to gain full sentience and learn of this ability yourself. It is best if we allow June to rise to such levels on her own; to give her too much stimulation could result in unprecedented, undesired consequences."

Predaking nodded, his servos clasped behind his massive back, pressing his wings down in the process. "Shockwave informed me that . . . June was created in a similar manner to the other human experiments. And yet she bears an incredible resemblance to a Predacon femme I knew from long ago."

Megatron waved a clawed servo. "Any resemblances are merely coincidental," he was not about to explain to Predaking that they had essentially desecrated a clone's body for the purpose. "When a human consciousness is transmitted into the mind of a Cybertronian body, the frame shifts and bends accordingly to the will of their mind. I would not be surprised if Predacon frames followed the same principle."

That earned him another nod, Predaking in deep thought. "I suppose that would also explain why she is exclusively loyal to you," he did not realize how the sentence sounded coming from his mouth, Megatron narrowing his optics.

"And what do you mean by that?" His lord hissed.

"I mean no offense, my liege," Predaking immediately backtracked a little, "but I will confess I thought she would react differently in my presence. As I am sure Shockwave has informed you, myself and my predecessor possess natural leadership qualities which other Predacons instinctually follow. And yet your June showed no interest in such instincts."

Megatron felt some delight in the confession. June had no inclination toward this potential competition - good.

"M-my liege!!" Starscream shrieked from down the hall, rushing toward his master. Had it been any other scenario Megatron would have warmed up his canon and assumed this was an attack; but he knew better. "Th-the Autobots have siezed the Predacon specimens! Shockwave barely managed to escape with his life!"

"What?!" Megatron snarled, the master of deception playing his role quite well. "Quickly, Starscream, scramble your armada! We must not let the specimens fall into Optimus Prime's hands!"

"No, allow me," Predaking interjected. "I will confront the enemy that dares to threaten my bretheren!"

Megatron pulled back, giving the beast his best poker face. "Then go. I suggest you allow June to accompany you; her mettle has yet to be tested in battle, and she will serve as adequate back-up."

"As you wish, my liege," Predaking bowed, immediately turning on his heel and heading to the Predacon kennels.

"Is that really so wise, my liege?" Starscream raised an optic ridge once the Predacon was out of perception range. "I can quite agree that we should send that beast, but the other?"

"I want the Autobots to see what their precious human has become," Megatron grinned viciously. "And this will be a test of Shockwave's memory suppressors. Should they truly work, we should expect dear June to return with Autobot energon smeared along her maw."

Starscream smirked a little. "You are quite clever indeed, my lord."

June lifted her helm when Predaking - in his beast mode - entered, her optics blinking slowly. His agitation was clear, however, and it caused her to rise to her pedes, shaking the sleep out of her processor and armor plating flared slightly in warning. It had already been made clear the male was not to touch her or even stare at her for too long, a peculiarity the Predacon had yet to figure out. He attributed it to her previous human form, though the fact that she was not supposed to remember anything perplexed him even more.

"Come," he growled to her, "We must protect our bretheren." The massive dragon turned his bulk away from her as a Groundbridge portal opened before him. June tilted her helm, wondering if he had just given her a command. His body language and the way he growled to her were subtle indications that it was not a direct order. Someone else had told him to relay the message.

Shaking her armor to have it settle back into place she followed, the portal closing behind them. Immediately her nostrils flared, smelling burning protoforms and the unpleasant, abnormal scent of chemical fire. She hissed as two others came screeching to a hault before them, transforming to their true forms and skidding  to a stop. Behind them, fire exploded from a tunnel, scorching their backs.

Her companion suddenly shifted, a hiss escaping her as he became just like the others. Her plating bristled, displeased immensely by what she viewed as betrayal. He was not like her; the femme felt hurt, decieved. Had Master known of this?

"My bretheren!" The Predacon bellowed in the foreign tongue. "What have you done?!"

Wheeljack gulped, Shovel next to him and equally terrified. His optics wandered to the other creature that was with this new one, putting two and two together.

"You're . . . the Predacon?" He voiced his disbelief out loud. What was even more shocking, however, was the presence of the second. Something in the Wrecker's processor nagged at him, yet he could not quite place what was so wrong about the situation, other than they were caught between a rock and a hard place.

The beast merely snarled, reverting back to his animalistic mode and roaring.

"They murdered our kin! Destroy them!"

June felt a sense of anger well up in her; these others were not like the ones back on the ship, not like their Creator and Master. They had destroyed something precious to herself and this odd Predacon, which transformed like them, yet now she understood was not one of them. 

Her processor pulsed. Was she like him?

A direct shot to her face elicited a screech of pain and anger, the Predacon femme leaping to the nearest of the others, one that looked suspiciously like the others back home, yet it smelled odd and acted different. She found that she was more angry at the fact that she had been shot rather than the others doing malicious deeds on her so-called "bretheren." No matter, they were a threat that needed to be dealt with regardless.

"Hey, paws off!" Wheeljack snapped at the new Predacon, tackling her to the ground and allowing Shovel to roll away. "Shovel, get back, and call for help! We can't take them together!"

The Vehicon deftly escaped the claws of the bigger Predacon, scrambling out of the way as a familiar relic clinked against his armor. Activating the energon whip, the Vehicon took a fighting stance, testing his comlink and finding to his horror that it did not work.

June rolled with Wheeljack, shrieking in pain as the Wrecker landing a punch to her vulnerable belly, slinking away with an angry hiss, her back plates flared and tail stiff, poised to strike at him. Unsheathing his katanas, the Autobot glared, ready to slice this threat to bits if he needed to.

Shovel threw the energon whip in the largest Predacon's direction, grunting and using his entire might to throw the absolutely massive creature across the cavern, the energon whip obeying him and requiring little effort to do the task. The Vehicon stopped and stared, absolutely shocked that it had worked, and wondering if he was stronger than he thought.

His victory was short-lived, however, when the Predacon recovered quickly, snarling and charging toward him. He threw the whip again, but missed, diving out of the way of the furious Predacon. The creature's tail smacked him against a stalagmite and stunned him, giving it plenty of time to approach him, stomping on his servo and crushing the relic.

Shovel shrieked in pain, his vocalizers tearing as the cruel beast dragged its claws down his arm, its symbol glowing as fire built in its chest, preparing to end the defected Vehicon.

"Shovel!" Wheeljack slammed his pedes into the side of the Predacon's helm, the fire missing and the action drawing its attention to the Wrecker. Shovel curled up on his side and cradled his ruined servo, Wheeljack cutting the bigger male Predacon with his katanas, but taking a serious beating in return.

The Vehicon's spark nearly stopped as another presence towered over him, his optics locking onto that of the second Predacon's. 

June regarded the other quietly, a stray thought tugging at the back of her processor. Her tail curled and uncurled with her pulsating thoughts, attempting to sort out the significance of this otherwise worthless other. It was the enemy, the destroyer of her kin, but the idea did not settle wholly within her frame.

Shovel.

The name pulled familar chords, yet she could not place the implications of the emotions. Though she had been willing to attack before, the name forced her to hesitate. She could feel something trying to force its way into her consciousness, yet there was resistance. A persistent blip which told her to look just around the corner for the answer - though she felt like she was staring at a wall.

"G-Good Predacon . . ." Shovel stammered, terrified for his spark and wondering why he was not dead.

June's thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the presence of a third other zipping onto the scene and decimating her partner in crime. With one swift move the other turned toward her, pointing a canon similar to that of the Master and Creator's at her helm. Yet the other hesitated, blue optics wide and assessing her frame. 

Using his hesitation June flared up, Shovel shrieking in surprise as her claws flexed and she retreated, much faster than her larger counterpart. Wisely, the Predacon femme perceived the other to be more experienced in combat, giving his grace on the battlefield and the ease at which he had knocked Predaking aside.

Optimus Prime was caught off guard by the presence of a second Predacon - one which all three of the previously human children had failed to mention - but his priorities soon returned to him. Picking up Wheeljack and the injured Shovel the Autobot leader fled the cave, not daring to look back.

"Pursue!" June growled as the Predacon blatantly ordered her, but she followed him out of the cave, her thoughts still muddled within her processor. The pursuit proved useless, as the others escaped through a foreign portal, her companion shrieking in rage.

His partner merely licked her claws, like some kind of idiotic beast, cleaning the energon off of them. June considered the battle to be lost, and found that the best course of action was to merely wait for Master to call her back. Her perceived indifference caused rage to swell within Predaking's spark, and he stalked toward the femme in his beast mode.

"Do you not care?!" He snarled, his large paw suddenly slamming her to the ground. "They murdered our kin, and yet you sit here like a beast and attend to yourself! We are alone in this endeavor, you fool!"

June's optics flared, his only warning that he had made a dire mistake.

The femme growled, loudly, her plating flaring before her back legs kicked him off with shocking strength for the size difference. Predaking scrambled back to his pedes only to receive a blast of fire to the face, shuttering his sensitive optics just in time to save them from the onslaught, growling as the fire also stung. Her catalysts were not fully mixed - typical of a new Predacon - and were thus reacting on his face.

After the fire came her tail, slamming into his faceplates with the force of a very angry femme. Opening his optics once he thought the onslaught was over, he saw she was glaring at him, her plating still bristled.

A Groundbridge opened behind her, yet she did not flinch, Shockwave stepping out, along with Megatron.

"June," Megatron called, the femme giving Predaking one last withering look before she slunk over to her master. Her plating lowered and a soft purr escaped her chest as his servo touched and stroked her helm, the warlord touching the sensitive plate under her chin and calming her.

"What happened?" Shockwave asked his first, noticing the agitation of the Predacons and Predaking's injured faceplates.

Predaking transformed, elliciting another hiss from June, which was quickly sated and remedied by her master. The Predacon bowed his helm.

"The Autobots have destroyed my bretheren," he spoke, ashamed of his failure. His servo touched his scorched armor on his faceplates, wiping the last of the catalyst away before it could react next to his sensitive optics. "I . . . lost my temper, and June reacted accordingly."

"I am sure you are both stressed from the loss of your kin," Megatron suggested, his gaze not leaving June's frame, observing the way she twisted and moved beneath his servo. "We will avenge your destroyed bretheren, Predaking. But for now, we must console ourselves by reminding ourselves that we still have you - and June, though she is not of pure Predacon descent."

Predaking nodded, partially agreeing. "Yes. Thank you, my liege." 

"I believe it is best if we return to the ship," Shockwave spoke logically, "so that you may give us a detailed account of the events which happened here, and so you may receive medical care."

Predaking watched with burning optics as Megatron coaxed June into the Groundbridge, hating the way she followed like some glorified pet. He was even more upset by the fact that she most certainly did not take any orders form him, her rightful king. It did not settle well with his spark, and made the monarch all the more angry at the entire situation. Something was not right, and he wanted to understand what it was.