Snap-Fix

[legios]

Snap-Fix

by Karl Thurgood

The clangorous sound of metal-on-metal echoed from within the room, painfully audible even through the closed doors. Snaptrap's voice managed to rise even above tortured sound of equipment being swiftly and brutally dismembered,
“Galvatron! Bring me Galvatron,” he was shouting. Nautilator looked at Tentakil, who looked uncertainly back at him. Snaptrap's voice continued to carry through the closed door,clearly audible above the sound of a no-doubt complex piece of machinery being sliced deftly into a series of small and irregular chunks, “I am going to rip his limbs off, tear his plating open and strip his circuits with my bare hands.”
“I am, definitely, not going in there,” Nautilator said.
“Look, one of us has to,” Tentakil told him. A further string of shrieking, torn-metal sounds emanated from the other side of the door.
“I can't think of a good reason too.”
“Because Shockwave wants to talk to him,” Tentakil replied, “you really want to get Shockwave annoyed at you?” Nautilator thought for a moment,
“Considering the alternative? It isn't my fault that Shockwave can't just call him on the intercom.”
“Snaptrap punched it out of the wall,” Tentakil pointed out.
“It isn't my fault, it was Jawbreaker who was standing in front of it,” Nautilator observed, “all I said was....”
“I know what you said.” Tentakil snapped, “that is why you are the one who is going first.” He shoved Nautilator hard, opening the doors as he did so. They slid apart to reveal a scene of total carnage. Nautilator wasn't sure what the machinery in this room had been for, truth be told that could be said about most of the machinery in the Decepticon base, but it he certainly couldn't have told you know. Instead of ordered machinery the room was filled with inert chunks of metal and silicon, carved into new and unexpected shapes by the thermal sword that was clamped in Snaptrap's left hand.
“Uh...” Nautilator started to say. Snaptrap rounded on him, his face contorted into a snarl,
“I'm going to feed what is left of him to a pod of Tracker Eels,” he declared as he hurled the sword through the air. Nautilator flinched reflexively, dropping his shoulder enough that the sword flew just a hairsbreadth above it. The sword continued on, creasing through one of Tentakil's upper limbs and embedding itself in the wall of the corridor Tentakil swallowed the cry that wanted to escape him as he felt the heat of the sword cauterise some of the neural linkages of the limb. Inflaming the situation would not be a good idea right now. Tentakil stumbled backwards as Nautilator extracted himself from the firing line and closed the doors on the scene of devastation.
“I told you,” Nautilator pointed out. Tentakil looked at the closed door. From within the sounds of rending metal had begun again, accompanied now by wordless screams of rage.
“Point taken.”

*****

Shockwave looked out of the armourplast window. The ignorant might think that he was observing the native aquatic life as it went about its business on the other side of the thick, armoured window. On one level that could even be considered to be true. His optic perceived everything that passed in front of it, and processing routines categorised everything on the basis of threat and opportunity. But that took only the most rudimentary routines, freeing his higher processing routines to consider more pressing issues. The audio-pickups integrated into compartment 12C#45 fed their output to the speakers in this room, filling it with the sounds of rage and tortured metal.
This was an undeniable threat. Shockwave was waging a war, the possibility of losing soldiers to Autobot activity was a necessary risk. The prospect of losing it to one of his own's inability to control his unwarranted emotional responses was not acceptable. This matter had to be dealt with and – logically – what better way than to turn a threat into an opportunity?

*****

Snaptrap stood in the middle of the swathe of devastation. Viewed from the ceiling it might have looked like the eye of storm, with the ruined machinery spread around his motionless form. But, like a calm surface covering a powerful current this was deceptive. His stillness was not a tranquil one, but the stillness of a finely balanced rage just waiting for something to disturb it and unleash the riptide
Snaptrap turned as the doors opened and Shockwave walked into the room. The Decepticon leaders unchangingly yellow optic swept across the room, taking in the damage before focussing on Snaptrap.
“You have an explanation,” it was clear from Shockwave's tone that he did not consider it a question. Snaptrap did not reply, simply staring coldly back at Shockwave. “You are angry,” Shockwave observed, “anger engenders mistakes. Anger will not allow you to destroy Galvatron.
“Galvatron. Where is he? I will hunt him down and shred him,” Snaptrap replied, his anger forcing the words slowly and precisely.
“You wish to destroy him,” Shockwave observed, “because he has humiliated you in front of your troops.”
“Humiliated!”Snaptrap launched himself at Shockwave, covering the distance between them impossibly fast. Shockwave stood his ground, his eye regarding Snaptrap implacably as he closed on him. Snaptrap lashed out with a clenched fist. As if he knew exactly what was about to happen, Shockwave had already acted. His gun arm intersected with Snaptrap's blow, brushing the Seacon's arm aside. At the same time Shockwave's single manipulator hand closed on Snaptrap's neck. The Seacon commander found himself hoisted into the air.
“You wish to destroy Galvatron,” Shockwave reiterated, “I wish Galvatron destroyed. Our needs align.”
“Turn us loose and we will hunt him down and destroy him,” Snaptrap's voice was clipped and curt, all sharp edges and unmilled glass.
“I am not making this offer to your Seacons. It is to you that I am offering revenge,” Shockwave lowered his arm and released his hold on Snaptrap's throat. Shockwave took two steps further into the room. Snaptrap turned to keep him in view,
“As Piranacon....” he began
“It has been observed that to repeat the same actions and expect a different result is a viable definition of insanity, “ Shockwave observed. He stopped and turned to face Snaptrap again, “you have faced Galvatron with the force of your Seacons and of Piranacon. You failed. If you attempt to confront him directly again you will fail once more.” Snaptrap's fists clenched and he almost stepped forward. Something in Shockwave's optic held him in place though. The rage that sparked and jumped white-hot in Snaptrap's circuits met its match in the cold precision of Shockwave's regard.
“I can take him this time,” Snaptrap growled, “stalk him, take him unawares and then tear him to pieces.”
“Galvatron is powerful, and intelligent,” Shockwave observed, “at full strength he is far from easy prey. Better by far to slow him, weaken him before you strike.”
Shockwave's words warred with the rage that still burned in Snaptrap. But an image formed amidst the haze. Galvatron, unable to run, unable to fight. Helpless prey. The best kind in Snaptrap's estimation.
“You have a plan.” Snaptrap did not frame it as a question.
“To bring down Galvatron we will need a weapon,” Shockwave answered, “a weapon of unsurpassed, shattering force. An engine of catastrophic destruction.”
“If not Piranacon then what?”
“I have a weapon in mind, but to prepare it we will require certain things.”
“Tell me and I'll get them for you,” Snaptrap assured him eagerly.
“There are parts stored at the Interrogation facility in Kalis that you will obtain, these will allow us to construct a Psycho-probe which we will use to prime our weapon once it has been obtained,” Shockwave instructed him.
“I'll get started at once,” Snaptrap assured him fervently, “no time like the present is there?”. Shockwave nodded his assent and Snaptrap turned and left the room.

*****

Snaptrap stepped out into the corridor The rage that had consumed him had subsided to a low simmer, biding its time. The prospect of a broken Galvatron at his mercy honed his anger, focused and sharpened it into a weapon. Shockwave had promised him revenge and he would have it. Galvatron had made him look a fool in front of the rest of the Decepticons, even in front of the rest of the Seacons. Galvatron would pay a price in pain and fear that would more than compensate for that.

*****

Shockwave watched Snaptrap go. Snaptrap's anger had been redirected in line with Shockwave's interests. The threat that he had posed to the Decepticon ranks was neutralised, at least temporarily. He had also been forged into a useful tool that Shockwave could utilise to obtain his intended weapon. Shockwave considered the situation for a moment. The situation was satisfactorily concluded he determined, turning his thoughts to more important matters.

[blueshift]

Excellent little seacon tale, I like it!

[Grand Moff Muffin]

You've portrayed Snaptrap as almost the polar opposite of Seawing - loudness and unsubtlety personified. And he's a bit of a ridiculous figure in the end, being held at bay without any effort by Shockwave, who is himself no match for Galvatron, the guy he professed he wanted to fight. What an idiot.

Nice continuity though, linking to Snaptrap's operation of the psycho-probe in 'Salvage'.

Martin

[legios]

Aug 15, 2010 13:33:06 GMT Grand Moff Muffin said:

You've portrayed Snaptrap as almost the polar opposite of Seawing - loudness and unsubtlety personified.

In Snaptrap's case his profile spoke to me of his character, and loudly did it speak. I have to say though, that they did end up coming out as such polar opposites that I do find myself wondering how exactly they tolerate each other working on the same team.

And he's a bit of a ridiculous figure in the end, being held at bay without any effort by Shockwave, who is himself no match for Galvatron, the guy he professed he wanted to fight. What an idiot.

I figure Shockwave had the advantage there. Being as he understands emotion in an analytical sense but is not ruled by them, whereas Snaptrap's profile suggests that his rage controls him and not the other way around. Shockwave probably had a better idea of how Snaptrap was going to react than Snaptrap did.

Nice continuity though, linking to Snaptrap's operation of the psycho-probe in 'Salvage'.

I felt that there had to be a reason that Shockwave picked Snaptrap to do that. He had to have some reason he felt he could trust him, and what better reason that an overlapping goal?

Glad you enjoyed the story Martin.

Karl

[Shockprowl]

O M G! For years since first reading the story, I have wondered how Shockwave and Snaptrap became allies! I found it an odd, yet intriguing alliance in the comic, and now, Karlos, you have given it form! It's perfect! Fits into continuity brilliantly! Their relationship is one of opposites complimenting each other. As far as I'm concerned, this is how it happened! You da Man!

[legios]

Glad you enjoyed it Shockprowl. It was one of those things that just sort of came together. Seacon Week lead to me re-reading the profiles for the team and I got to thinking about how Snaptrap would react to a thorough trouncing, and it just developed from there...

Karl

[Andy Turnbull]

Very engaging tale Karl and deftly woven into the Marvel UK comics.

Andy