Author's Note

Two chapters in one day, what a stroke of luck!

The Rules Change

We now return to the Transformers...

The rest of Shadelock's crew had arrived back to Canterlot after a failure of a mission, needless to say, neither one of the three that went to Shanghai were pleased with their success. Trying to find Demolisher was impossible, and trying to find cover was difficult even with all of their high tech gadgetry. So they were going to have to call it off with trying to find him, and go and deal with finding Fracture.

But since their spaceship was big enough to attract attention, they just left it cloaked up in the sky while they took a six-seated shuttle craft down to the ground. But where were they going to hide?

Luckily, the six of them picked out an empty warehouse for them to reside in for the meantime, which was off far away from the city so they could hide for the time being. Unfortunately, they didn't know that the warehouse had other things within it...

Overload during all of this was slowly trying to recharge and recover from the paralyzing shock that Scatterspike gave him which knocked him out. He wasn't planning on killing her, but he was extremely upset.

"I just wanted to save her, was that too much to ask? All I would have to do was knock them down and she would have been safe," Overload said, rubbing at his side.

"There was too many of them, and they had more gadgets than we did!"

"They were only a few teenagers against three adults, I think we could have taken them!" Overload said, wincing in pain.

"Look, we'll get Road Rage back, I promise. But right now, we needed to fall back for the time being."

"Ugh, fine," Overload groaned as he continued to rub at his wounds. He could still feel the scars that were right above his hip. "Hopefully Road Rage is faring better than we are."

"I'm sure she's fine, she's a tough girl. They won't break her."

Overload raised his up and looked at Scatterspike with a neutral face.

"I broke her into telling me why she didn't want to see Smallfoot again. She's tough as nails, but there are some things she may break over," Overload said.

"Did you threaten to kill her? Is that how you got her to tell you?"

Overload frowned and glared at Scatterspike.

"No, I challenged her to an Energon-eating contest."

Scatterspike rolled her eyes.

"Are you sure this warehouse is a good idea? There's several dangerous canisters of flammable acids down in the basement of this facility, and some even on the top floor and on this floor," Overload said.

"That's why I told you to get rid of them!" Scatterspike said.

"You were awake, you should have gotten rid of them!"

"Well I- oh, hey. Shadelock's back!"

The sound of walking footsteps caught their attention, and looking behind, they caught sight of Shadelock, Roughedge, and the Insecticon all walking through the open door-less garage door. And on Roughedge's shoulder was a pair of legs along with two red wrists that were clamped together.

"Overload, Scatterspike. I think we've got just the thing to get Road Rage back. The Autobots may have her, but we've got something they want."

"And that is?" Overload asked.

Roughedge threw the captive down onto her back, making her wince in pain. Everyone gathered around and took a good look. Awake and frightened, was a bound and gagged Smallfoot.

"Lmt mm gh! Hm'vm ght nhthnng th dh wnth nhh! Lmt mm gh! Plmhfm!"

Scatterspike leaned down to her and chuckled, "Sorry sweetheart, you aren't going anywhere."

Every single one of them stared deviously at Smallfoot. The one girl that Road Rage swore to never see again, and she was right here in front of them. All of them smiled as an evil plot lingered in their minds of what to do with her... except for one face.

"Shadelock. Question."

"Yes?", Shadelock asked.

"Why do you have Smallfoot, and why is she tied up? With a gag in her mouth?" Overload asked sarcastically.

"We found her, and we captured her. Besides, Road Rage despises this Guardian," Shadelock replied.

"... Road Rage never said she hated Smallfoot," Overload said, "All she ever said was that she didn't want to see her to bring up bad memories. But you wouldn't know that, now would you?"

Shadelock stared at Overload with beaming eyes.

"If I recall, you told us that you promised you wouldn't do anything to her. You. Not us. You nor Road Rage said anything about the rest of us. She just told us not to bring her up or mention her in a conversation," Shadelock said.

"She never said we couldn't use her as bait to get her free from her prison," Roughedge said.

"This is making absolutely no sense," Overload bluntly said.

"We can work this out," Shadelock said. "Forewing, take her over to our little corner on the second floor of this place. And keep her secure. She won't be going anywhere for a while."

The Insecticon nodded and he grabbed Smallfoot, hoisting her over his shoulder. Then carefully walking, he stomped on the floor going underneath a giant hole that was in the ceiling. Taking the advantage of the size, he tossed her up where she landed on a ledge with some more solid ground. Once she was up, the Insecticon grabbed the ledge and climbed up, disappearing onto the second floor, leaving the others below.

Once they were gone, Shadelock turned himself around and he glared at Overload.

"Look, you're not in command here Overload. Road Rage needs out, and this the only way we can get her free from those Autobots."

"Shadelock... I want her free just as much as you do, but I made a personal promise to her that I would do absolutely NOTHING to her. I said I wouldn't harm her, and I wouldn't touch her. This is breaking her promise. What do you even plan on doing with her?"

Shadelock turned to walk up to Roughedge and he stood by next to him and to Scatterspike.

"We're going to see if we can ask the Autobots for a bit of negotiation. Once she's handed back to us, Smallfoot will pay the price. Which, in case you aren't understanding well enough... she dies."

Overload wouldn't be surprised that they'd be axing off someone, but this time it really did surprise him. Smallfoot was part of a sworn enemy, but she didn't do anything wrong here. She was completely innocent in this situation, and they were going out of their way to hurt an innocent girl. And he made a promise to Road Rage that he wouldn't harm her at all.

But wait. Not only was Smallfoot innocent, but she was a girlfriend to one of those life forms. She was going to be devastated if she found out what they did to her.

"But, Smallfoot's innocent in this. Road Rage said she was the one who did something wrong, not her! And she's got a girlfriend who packs a punch, if she finds out that she's dead--"

"Isn't it wonderful?" Roughedge asked delightfully.

"I don't give a flying Fuzor what her girlfriend may think."

Overload's foot stomped into the ground as he glared at them.

"Kidnapping wanted criminals and fugitives is one thing, kidnapping someone who had nothing to do with what's going on is going too far!"

"Enough whining! I don't want to hear any more out of you!"

Overload growled, "I made a promise to Road Rage I wouldn't harm her, and that's a promise I plan to keep! Something you obviously cannot keep!"

Shadelock's left arm transformed into a fusion cannon, Roughedge pulled out a few guns from his side pockets, and Scatterspike drew two sharp quill blades from her back.

"Are you saying you don't want to live?"

Overload's foot stomped into the ground and he drew his hammer from his side.

"I'm saying I don't want to harm someone who didn't deserve it, and I'm keeping a promise to a best friend! Even if it means I have to slaughter all of you!"

Overload swung his hammer around and he threw it like a spear at the group of three. The three ducked in time and watched as the hammer slammed into the wall, breaking part of it and creating a hole. But the hammer just flew right back through the hole and back into Overload's hand, where he clutched it tightly.

"So you are a traitor after all Overload," Shadelock said pointing his cannon at the former Decepticon.

"I know what I am, and that's a best friend. I don't care what it takes, she's getting out of this place alive!"

"Would that be Road Rage... or our captive?"

Overload was about to reply back, but Shadelock interrupted him by firing three laser shots into the side of his chest, making him groan in pain.

"AGGGH!!!!"

Overload fell on his hands and knees, with one hand clenched tightly over to his wounds. The hot laser was burning his scars, making the pain increase some more.

"Do you want any more of that, or do you want to be healed and get Road Rage back?" Roughedge asked.

Overload's head looked up and he snarled at the three of them with a devil-like stare.

"I'll get Road Rage back on my own, and I'll be getting her ex-girlfriend back alive too, this I swear..."

Overload slowly stood back up and he quickly converted into his sports car mode. Swerving his tires on the ground, he sped out of the warehouse, creating skid marks on the pavement of the warehouse floor and onto the small laneway that led to the garage door, into the street.

"Should we chase him?" Scatterspike asked.

"No. He'll be coming back, I can tell. And when he does... we'll be ready for him," Shadelock said with a fusion cannon loading up with energy.

The Transformers will return after these messages...