Collector's Value

by Odeena Sabnach

Author's Note: I'm baack! Did anyone miss me? *Cheers* Thank you, thank you very much! Anyway, I'm back from hiatus, and hopefully back for good. The evil HASBRO owns BW down to the last 'bot - and hopefully, they won't sue me for using their chars without permission. Don't worry guys, I'll have them back before bedtime.

~

Nice, nice T-Rex... All Transmetal... an' purple, too... *Sigh* Meggie, ya have no idea how much ya mean ta me. If only-

"Rattrap! What are you doing?"

The rat started for a second, then hit the shutdown key on the console in front of him. "Eh, nothin', just... just monitor watchin'."

"What?" Cheetor didn't seem the least convinced. "You were droolingall over Megabutt's hologram!"

"Well, I..." The rat was cornered. "Look, kid-" his voice dropped to a whisper "-how well can ya' keep a secret?"

"Since when do you know me to be a loudmouth?"

"Let's see now..." Rattrap frowned, as if deep in thought. "Since forever?"

"Hey!"

"Never mind, kid. The point - is that - " he was practically breathing the words " - I'm a collector."

Cheetor raised an eyebrow. "You're a what?"

"A collector. As in, I collect Pred body parts. An' the only one who hasn't donatedanything yet is..."

"Megatron", Cheetor finished with a grin.

"Exactly."

"Well, we could settle an ambush for Megs! Right? You know, just... err, call him and tell him that... that you're deeply in love with him!"

"Hey!" It was Rattrap's turn to sound offended. "Where did you come up with that from?"

"You dowant one of his bodyparts... let's see now, should it be his jawbone?"

"Shut up kid."

Cheetor made a face. "Funny, I thought it was always 'Shut up Rattrap' or something".

"Yeah. Sure. Okay. Pick on the rat."

"That's what I'm doing."

"I know."

"I know you know."

Rattrap drew in a sharp breath, as if stopping himself from launching at the younger Maximal's throat. "Listen, and listen good. Now that ya know all 'bout it, I think I have a plan."

"A plan for what?"

Both Maximals turned in surprise, to find Rhinox glaring at them, an inquiring look on his face. "What are you two up to?" he demanded, his hands on his hips.

Rattrap and Cheetor glared at each other, then they both grinned. "Listen, Rhinox, old buddy", Rattrap said. "How well can you keep a secret?..."

"This is most unusual, yesss." From above a deserted canyon, Megatron looked around, maybe for the millionth time. "I get a call from the Maximal base, saying that the rodent wishes to join my cause. He tells me to come to this valley, alone. Only - I am a Predacon, and therefore I chose to take another one with me. After all, what is a tyrant without his personal guard? Inferno!"

"Yes, my Queen."

"Scan the per - wait. I told you a thousand times not to call me that."

"As you wish, my Que - err, Royalty."

Megatron smirked. "That's better, yesss. Scan the perimeter for Maximal energy signatures."

"At once, my Queen."

Megatron tried very, very hard to keep his temper down. Inferno was loyal, yes, but he was also the dumbest Predacon he knew. No, wait - there was Waspinator, and then came Inferno. Skorpinok was an incompetent, but at least he knew what loyalty meant.

"I have found nothing, my Queen."

Stay calm, Megatron thought. Calm... that's right... nice and happy thoughts... melting Inferno in a puddle of metal... yesss.

Wait. Inferno is loyal to me... therefore...

"Inferno?"

"Yes, my Queen?"

"Do me one big favor."

"Yes - " Inferno was going to say 'My Queen' again, but a certain look on the 'Royalty's face told him he'd better not. "What is it?"

"Shut down your voicebox."

"As you command, my Queen." The next moment, Inferno was as silent as silent could be.

"That's better, yesss. Now. What could determine that low Maximal scum to join me?" As Megatron kept muttering, he didn't notice the rhino sneaking towards him. Moments later, with a few chaingun blasts, Inferno was falling to the ground in stasis lock.

"What?!"

Before Megatron realized what was going on, he was knocked to the ground by a round of blasts. In a matter of seconds, he found himself immobilized by an energon web. Next to him, Cheetor and Rattrap exchanged a high-five.

"I demand to know what is going on!" Megatron fumed. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Ooh, nothing", Rattrap said sweetly as he pulled out an energon blade. "Now hold still, this won't hurt a bit..."

The next moment, desperate screams echoed through the canyon, scaring any wild creature in a two mile radius.

"Eh... it looks great, doesn't it?"

Cheetor and Rhinox were grinning proudly as Rattrap contemplated the Transmetal jawbone. "Yeah, it's cool", Rhinox said. "But the best part isn't that-" he pointed to the jawbone "- but the way we got it."

"Man, had I recorded the screams to play them every night before bedtime..." sighed Cheetor, a dreamy look on his face.

"Megatron said that once."

"So. are you calling me a line stealer?"

"Well, come to think of it - yeah."

"WHAT?"

"You heard me! Line-stealer!"

"Am not!"

"Are to!"

"Am not!"

"Are to!"

"*Snarl* What is going on here?"

Both Rattrap and Cheetor started.

"Hello", was Rhinox's calm remark.

"What is this place?" Dinobot then did a double-take. "Is that - that - " it was maybe the first time in his life that he didn't believe his eyes.

"Yeah, that's Meggie's. Was nice enough to give it ta us. Ya know, I guess we missjudged da fellow."

Dinobot was speechless. Finally, he uttered, "How? When?"

"Well..." Rattrap, Cheetor and Rhinox carefully looked around, then, all as one, said, "Can you keep a secret?"

-THE END-