Prompt 1
The telecomm shut off a half-klik before Megatron could sever it himself. Sixshot saw the tension ripple over Megatron’s face. Yes. He agreed. Overlord was…unmanageable. It was just a matter of time.
“Well,” Megatron said, recovering. “For our ultimate victory.”
“Yes,” Sixshot said. His optics, invisible behind his visor, flicked to Black Shadow standing next to him, who seemed…a little less zealous. Not that Sixshot considered himself a zealot. He had his own reasons for following Megatron’s orders. Black Shadow’s were all about money, and Sixshot supposed that as long as the coffers were full, Black Shadow would be reasonably effective. Not quite ruthless enough for Sixshot’s taste. He would be violent enough, of course, or Megatron wouldn’t have chosen him. But Black Shadow would always hold back some percentage of himself. Something that it did not ‘profit’ him to expend.
Overlord was the other end of the spectrum. Would hold nothing back, but…for his own agenda. And that made him, in a sense, more dangerous than Black Shadow. You could push Black Shadow hard enough that he’d back down. Overlord…would not.
Megatron frowned. Sixshot shrugged. He wasn’t one for meaningless obsequies. His loyalty should speak for itself. “You have your assignments.”
A red icon blipped on Sixshot’s HUD-his secured mission file. He autoforwarded a copy to his vault on the Devil King. He’d look at it later. He stepped forward as Black Shadow nodded crisply, and turned to leave. Megatron had probably included a financial incentive for promptness. Sixshot snorted, watching the grey-armored mech hurry away. Scurry after your credits, he thought. Pathetic. He waited.
Megatron tilted his head, studying Sixshot. “You have a question?” He seemed surprised. It could be a feint, of course. An oblique insult. It was Megatron, after all.
Sixshot lowered his chin. “I question Overlord’s intentions.”
“I question everyone’s intentions,” Megatron retorted, pointedly. “I simply consider how much use I can pull from the mech before his intentions poison him entirely.”
Behind his facemask, Sixshot’s mouth hardened at the insult. He would prove Megatron wrong. If for no other reason than the sting he was feeling now. Sixshot had few vulnerabilities, but questioning his loyalty was one. “Nevertheless. If Overlord needs to be taken down,” he shrugged, giving Black Shadow the afterthought status he deserved, “or the other one, he is mine.”
Megatron leaned back, amused. “Indeed. So eager to weed out the competition.”
“Merely to clear my way of any obstructions.”
“Hog the glory.” Almost a wink in the optics. Sixshot bridled.
“Make Phase Six mean something.” Make the words as full of terror as they should be.
A slow smile spread across Megatron’s face at Sixshot’s vehemence. “All right. If they ever become…too irksome, you will get the first shot to take them down.” A sop to Sixshot-not questioning that Sixshot would be around to do the job.
“The first, last, and only,” Sixshot glowered.
“Well,” Megatron said, recovering. “For our ultimate victory.”
“Yes,” Sixshot said. His optics, invisible behind his visor, flicked to Black Shadow standing next to him, who seemed…a little less zealous. Not that Sixshot considered himself a zealot. He had his own reasons for following Megatron’s orders. Black Shadow’s were all about money, and Sixshot supposed that as long as the coffers were full, Black Shadow would be reasonably effective. Not quite ruthless enough for Sixshot’s taste. He would be violent enough, of course, or Megatron wouldn’t have chosen him. But Black Shadow would always hold back some percentage of himself. Something that it did not ‘profit’ him to expend.
Overlord was the other end of the spectrum. Would hold nothing back, but…for his own agenda. And that made him, in a sense, more dangerous than Black Shadow. You could push Black Shadow hard enough that he’d back down. Overlord…would not.
Megatron frowned. Sixshot shrugged. He wasn’t one for meaningless obsequies. His loyalty should speak for itself. “You have your assignments.”
A red icon blipped on Sixshot’s HUD-his secured mission file. He autoforwarded a copy to his vault on the Devil King. He’d look at it later. He stepped forward as Black Shadow nodded crisply, and turned to leave. Megatron had probably included a financial incentive for promptness. Sixshot snorted, watching the grey-armored mech hurry away. Scurry after your credits, he thought. Pathetic. He waited.
Megatron tilted his head, studying Sixshot. “You have a question?” He seemed surprised. It could be a feint, of course. An oblique insult. It was Megatron, after all.
Sixshot lowered his chin. “I question Overlord’s intentions.”
“I question everyone’s intentions,” Megatron retorted, pointedly. “I simply consider how much use I can pull from the mech before his intentions poison him entirely.”
Behind his facemask, Sixshot’s mouth hardened at the insult. He would prove Megatron wrong. If for no other reason than the sting he was feeling now. Sixshot had few vulnerabilities, but questioning his loyalty was one. “Nevertheless. If Overlord needs to be taken down,” he shrugged, giving Black Shadow the afterthought status he deserved, “or the other one, he is mine.”
Megatron leaned back, amused. “Indeed. So eager to weed out the competition.”
“Merely to clear my way of any obstructions.”
“Hog the glory.” Almost a wink in the optics. Sixshot bridled.
“Make Phase Six mean something.” Make the words as full of terror as they should be.
A slow smile spread across Megatron’s face at Sixshot’s vehemence. “All right. If they ever become…too irksome, you will get the first shot to take them down.” A sop to Sixshot-not questioning that Sixshot would be around to do the job.
“The first, last, and only,” Sixshot glowered.