by Smokescreen85 » Sat May 01, 2010 7:00 pm
- Motto: ""A look can be deceiving; a touch can be lethal.""
- Weapon: Twin Shoulder-Mounted Rocket Launchers
Autobase – Level 3
Howlstrike was a bit taken aback at Ultra Magnus’ response. Most of his former commanders had simply accepted Howl’s story and let it be at that. But, not Magnus. The City Commander knew that there was something more to it, and he was right. Howl’s motives at the shuttle crash weren’t what they seemed to be and he knew full well why he had rescued Kup so long ago, and it wasn’t for some sudden change of heart, either.
Howlstrike looked at Ultra Magnus and sighed. The tracker didn’t respond right away, but instead leaned back against the very wall that would soon be used to patch up the breach. Howl looked down at the floor in shame before looking back at Magnus.
“You know history well, sir,” Howlstrike began. “And you’re right. I do know who shot down Kup’s shuttle.” Howl hesitated a moment, not sure whether he should tell the truth or make something up. Knowing that Magnus would most likely see right through a lie, the hunter opted for the truth. “It was the Predacons. I know this because I saw them do it. It was many stellar-cycles after my ejection from the group and I was tracking them through the wasteland. My intent was to challenge Razorclaw to a fight to the death. If I had won, I’d be the new leader of the Predacons. If I had lost, well, at least my pointless existence would finally be over.
“However, that all changed once I saw the Preds shoot down the shuttle. It crashed closer to my position which allowed me to reach it first. When I arrived, it was as I had said. All were already dead except for Kup. He was in stasis, but still alive. I knew instantly that he was the Predacons’ target. You see, back then they had a list of important Autobots that were a top priority to either capture or terminate. Kup was on that list. It would have looked extremely good in the optics of Megatron if Razorclaw had succeeded in getting an Autobot of Kup’s stature. So, I decided to deprive Razorclaw of his prize, and I hid the old timer like I explained and stayed with him.
“I then watched from a distance as the Predacons arrived at and searched the shuttle, finding nothing. I could tell that Razorclaw was angry even from where I sat. He destroyed the shuttle out of sheer frustration that he had lost his catch. The Preds then began searching the area for Kup, which is why I didn’t leave his side. If they got too close, I could simply move him again. Before too long, the Predacons withdrew from the area as the rescue shuttle arrived. The Autobots found us before I could leave and took me prisoner.”
Howlstrike looked down again, a frown forming on his faceplate. “At first, I gave the Autobots as little information about the crash as possible. I still considered them to be the enemy. Like I said, it was Kup that eventually made me see things differently, but I never told him the whole truth. He thought I had saved him because I was really a good mech deep down. It was the whole reason he had come to visit me in my prison cell in the first place. Kup thought I was worth his time.”
Howl pushed off from the wall he had been leaning against and stood before his commander, barely able to look Magnus in the optics. “But the truth, sir, was that I saved Kup to get back at Razorclaw for expelling me. I didn’t do it because I wanted to help Kup. I did it for revenge. My rage had consumed me by that point and all I could think about was retribution. It was Kup that guided me onto the path of redemption, instead. If he had known the real reason I saved him, I was afraid he would have shunned me like everyone else had. And I didn’t want to take that chance. Kup was the only friend I had, and he still is.”
Howlstrike fell silent, studying his commander’s demeanor. He wasn’t sure how Ultra Magnus would react to this revelation. Would he be angry with him for keeping this a secret for so long or would he understand Howl’s position? “Well, that's the whole story, sir. I regret my past actions and motives for them, but they ultimately led me down the right path. I don’t know if that makes it all okay. What I do know is that I’m here now to serve the Autobot cause and I wish to continue doing so. It’s where I belong.”