After the performance in the forbidden cave, the two cubs never did go inside there again.  Scourge was stubborn but he respected his father and obeyed him without question.  Cyclonus didn't want to go inside in the first place, so there was no further problem.

Galvatron returned with a rather large amount of energon cubes.  Cyclonus was hungry, so Galvatron gave him one.  Scourge was curious, since he'd never even seen energon before.  He came up to Cyclonus and sniffed at the cube.

Slash chuckled.  "This is the first time Scourge has come in contact with energon," he stated.

A full cube was far too much for Cyclonus alone, so when he had his fill he offered the cube to Scourge.  "Want to try some?" he asked.

Scourge pawed at the cube, and quickly figured out how to drink from it.  It didn't take much to fill him up, and when he had all he wanted he sat there licking his chops.  It was obvious that he liked this tasty new treat.  He'd never tasted anything like it before.  And from then on, Cyclonus regularly shared his energon with Scourge, although the Sweep cub still liked to hunt.  It kept his skills sharp.

For some reason, Cyclonus wasn't growing as quickly as Scourge was.  In almost no time at all, Scourge was almost twice as big, even though he was still unable to speak.  It was at this time that Cyclonus made a near-fatal mistake.  He had no idea that he was not supposed to stare Scourge directly in the eyes when their optics were level with each other's--although Scourge was on all fours while Cyclonus was upright.  The Sweep cub interpreted the stare as a challenge and pounced on Cyclonus, seizing his neck in his jaws and clamping down.  For his part, Cyclonus was completely overwhelmed by this sudden attack and thrashed around for a moment.  He was too surprised to even cry out.  The more he resisted, the tighter Scourge's jaws closed around his throat.  He suddenly realized this and held perfectly still.  Slowly, Scourge released his grip the minute he noticed that Cyclonus was no longer resisting.  Fortunately, the young Sweep hadn't applied enough pressure to pierce Cyclonus' neck armor, which was pliable enough to bounce back into shape slowly afterwards.  

It was after this that Galvatron and Slash started to notice a change in how Scourge was behaving around Cyclonus.  While they were still friends and played together eagerly, it appeared almost as if Scourge was bullying the smaller cub in certain situations.  When Cyclonus got an energon cube, Scourge would growl and Cyclonus would hand him the cube and let him drink first.  He'd also strangely learned quite quickly several submissive postures--including dropping his gaze if Scourge looked him directly in the face at eye level.  This didn't actually result in Scourge getting more energon, nor Cyclonus any less, but it did seem odd to Galvatron.  Slash, on the other hand, understood exactly what was going on.  He knew from watching them that Scourge was behaving like he was dominant, although neither he nor Galvatron actually witnessed the event that precipitated this behavior.

Galvatron was starting to grow concerned and spoke to Slash about it.

"This is something Cyclonus will have to work out for himself," Slash replied, "If I interfere, it will not change the fact that Scourge believes that he is dominant.  Only Cyclonus successfully challenging Scourge for dominance will alter the situation in his favor.  Give him time.  Who knows, perhaps some day he will be more powerful than Scourge.  But in the meantime, Scourge may be acting dominant but he won't do anything to deliberately harm Cyclonus."

Galvatron sighed.  "I suppose you're right," he said.

****
Cyclonus had a sudden growth spurt several months later.  Pretty soon he was equal in size with Scourge, although he wasn't happy with the ongoing situation that had the Sweep cub basically controlling him in some way.  While Scourge was asleep one day, Cyclonus went up to Slash and asked him for advice on how to deal with Scourge.  

Slash was a bit surprised that he'd ask.  "Think back.  How did Scourge come to think that he's dominant over you?"

Cyclonus paused.  "Everything changed after I stared him in the eyes one time.  He jumped on me and bit down on my neck."

"But he only bit hard enough to hold you securely, correct?" Slash wanted to know.

"Yeah.  If I moved, he bit down harder, but when I lay still, he let go."

"Well, then that is what you must do.  When you think you are strong enough, challenge him by staring into his eyes directly at eye level, then you must clamp down on his neck as he did on yours--and don't let go unless he submits."

Cyclonus wasn't sure he could do this, since his jaws were not nearly as powerful as Scourge's and his fangs were tiny and somewhat dull in comparison.

In all honesty, it made little difference to Slash who was dominant over whom--Cyclonus, or Scourge.  In his way of thinking, the strongest were naturally dominant.  He never acted dominant towards Galvatron, because he sensed the power of the other and was not interested in risking serious injury to himself just to prove who was stronger.  Scourge and Cyclonus were still growing, however, and they were learning valuable lessons.  This was one of the main reasons why Slash did not interfere directly in the dominance question between the two young Decepticons.  The two sorting it out on their own was the only way they'd learn.

Cyclonus waited until he had finally surpassed Scourge in size, which was only a few more months.  Scourge was still nonverbal and communicated mostly with growls.  He chose a time when he and the Sweep cub were alone, and deliberately stared Scourge directly in the optics.  This provoked an immediate attack response from Scourge, but Cyclonus was ready for him.  He leaped forward as well, knocking Scourge down.  After a brief struggle, he managed to get his jaws around Scourge's neck and bit down.  Scourge whined and tried to struggle, but it was no use.  Remembering that Scourge had bit down harder on him, Cyclonus did the same, clamping down with all his strength.  A whimper escaped from the restrained Sweep cub, and he relaxed completely.  Only then did Cyclonus release him and let him get up.  When he looked at Scourge, the Sweep cub immediately dropped his gaze.  It had worked.  Now Cyclonus was the dominant one.

Galvatron took immediate notice when Cyclonus didn't immediately hand over his energon cube to Scourge.  In fact, Scourge waited patiently until Cyclonus was finished.

"See?  It all worked out," Slash said to Galvatron.

"Indeed," Galvatron replied.

 ***

When Slash returned with Scourge and two of his lieutenants to the den, immediately they smelled something different there. One of the other Sweeps--Number 4--had taken a mate and was introducing her to the Pack. She was a purple female Autobot with a visor protecting her optics, with a white face and white sections on her arms and legs. She identified herself as Pandora. Apparently she'd crash-landed nearby over two weeks ago, and Number 4 had come upon her and had managed to lure her into the pack.

Slash scented the air instinctively. He smelled her from where he was standing and grinned at his brother. "You chose well," he whispered after he'd transformed, landed, and placed Scourge on the ground. He faced Pandora, smiling warmly. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Slash, the Pack-leader. Please make yourself comfortable."

"Thanks," Pandora replied, looking Slash over with her bright blue optics. She noticed that he was much larger than the Sweep that had chosen her as his mate.

For his part, Scourge was curious about the newcomer. He still remembered his mother from long ago, and this female's scent reminded him of it. He approached Pandora and uttered a sound that he used when greeting others.

"My son, Scourge," Slash said, indicating the wide-eyed Sweepcub.

Scourge came closer to Pandora and nuzzled her ankle, almost purring affectionately. She reached down and picked him up, cradling him in her arms. "He's adorable," she remarked. Scourge sensed a familiar feeling and snuggled close to her, shutting his optics and falling asleep.

Slash was pleased that Scourge seemed to have bonded with this newcomer. It would make the pack run a lot more smoothly. He noticed that his son had fallen asleep and motioned silently for Pandora to follow him, to place Scourge in his own bed inside the main den.

******************************************

Not long after Number 4 had brought Pandora into the Pack, Slash was patrolling one of the outskirts of his territory when he heard a scream. He rushed to the source of the disturbance and found a strange female Autobot with her ankle caught in a leg-hold trap. Slash had often seen such traps in this area--someone had set them in order to catch Feral Sweeps, obviously, since this area was at the boundary between Slash's pack and Number 13's pack. When she saw Slash approaching, she cried out in fear.

She must think I'm like Number 13, Slash thought to himself, and he got up from all fours and approached her on two legs, while trying to calm her by speaking to her.
"I won't hurt you," he said, "Please, let me help you."

The femme looked at him strangely. "B-but, you're a Decepticon," she started.

A look of complete confusion passed over Slash's bearded face. "A....Decepticon? I'm sorry, I do not know the term," he replied. He got closer and she pointed at his chest, at a spot just under his neck.

"THAT is a Decepticon insignia," she replied.

"That was given to me by the Masters, I know not of its significance," Slash replied. He immediately bent down and regarded the trap critically. The teeth of the trap had dug somewhat into her leg, and the chain leading from the jaws were securely attached to a peg that was driven deep into the ground. He placed his claws on the jaws of the trap and pulled. The jaws snapped backwards and fell to pieces. "There, you are free," Slash said presently, "But be careful. There are more traps like this scattered through the area." He made no move to detain her.

"You're really going to let me go?" she said, almost incredulously.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?" Slash replied.

The femme thought for a moment. "Maybe you really don't know," she mused, then looked at her rescuer with a different expression. "Thanks for setting me free," she said, "I'd like to repay the favor someday."

Slash stood there and watched her leave. Occasionally she glanced over her shoulder, to make sure that he wasn't reaching for a weapon to shoot her in the back or something. But he did no such thing. Finally she was out of sight. A scent wafting into Slash's olfactory sensors then told him something. "Perhaps you can return the favor very soon," he said softly, before dropping to all fours to continue his patrol.

**********************************************

It was a few weeks after Slash had encountered the female Autobot in the forest that it happened that he was patrolling the same area again and noticing an enticing scent--faint, but unmistakable. He scented the air to make sure that none of the Feral Pack were in the area, either, then boldly proceeded across the boundary he'd marked to follow its source. It seemed strange that no feral Sweeps were in the area, considering the nature of the scent. He covered several miles before coming upon a clearing that seemed to be fairly fresh. And in that clearing were several buildings. It was a quiet, moonlit night, and nothing stirred around the compound, so Slash silently slipped out of the forest and towards his goal. In a narrow alleyway, between two rather tall buildings, Slash found the source of the scent he'd been tracking. There was a window up on the third floor, and it was ajar. Not wanting to make any noise with powered flight, he climbed up the side--finding quite convenient claw and footholds--until he could peer through the glass. Inside was the Autobot he'd rescued from the trap. He scratched at the window, just enough to get her attention. She went over to the window and pushed it further open.

"It's you," she whispered, rather surprised to see him.

"So, I see you made it back home safely," Slash said in a low voice, "May I enter?"

"Of course," she replied, and Slash climbed into the room and stood up, "So what brings you here?"

"Your beauty," Slash replied, "And the fact that I never got your name. I like to know the names of those I help."

The femme was flattered and a smile spread across her face. She'd never been sweet-talked by a Decepticon before. "I'm Aura," she told him, and the name suited her well. She was a little larger than Ballista had been, and her main body color was a bright yellow.

Slash hesitantly reached out towards her, uncertain if she wanted any physical contact. She responded by taking his hand--which was a good deal larger than hers--and guiding it to her face.

********************************************

After spending several hours together, Slash determined that he should leave before daybreak--so as to slip out unnoticed. Aura had told him that if the other Autobots came across him, they'd likely shoot first and ask questions later. And being a Decepticon was only half the problem. As Slash had suspected, the Autobots had seen glimpses of Feral Sweeps. Aura had explained that when she first saw him, she'd thought he was one of them.

"But I am hardly a mindless beast," he said.

"I know that now," she said with a smile. The two of them were staring deep into each other's optics. "I'm hoping you'll return," she whispered.

"You can count on that," Slash replied, returning her smile. He took his leave, climbing back out the window and dropping silently to the ground.

 ***

When Slash had finally made his way back to his nice warm den, the sun was already starting to make its appearance in a sort of eerie twilight. A thin, foggy mist hung in the air, hanging in wispy threads that stretched to the ground. The big Sweep padded noiselessly towards the entrance to his personal cave, greeting one of the Sweeps that he'd had stand guard as a Sentry through the night with a low rumble in his throat. The other smelled him and nodded, with a slight grin creeping onto his bearded face. Slash sighed heavily, went inside, and curled up on the soft bedding material. Scourge was curled up nearby, having slept through the night. He did not stir when his father came in. However, a few hours later, when he did wake up, he noticed a strange scent mingled with Slash's and got up. He nosed at his father until a low warning growl emanated from the sleeping Pack-Leader.

"Let me sleep, son. I've had a long night," Slash rumbled, then promptly lapsed back into slumber.

The growl was enough to discourage the cub, so he exited the den in search of breakfast. Under the watchful eyes of several pack members, he went to his favorite hunting grounds. The older Sweeps who were supervising kept him in sight, but didn't come too close so that Scourge could hunt without them scaring off the prey. He sniffed the morning air and caught the scent of a "Quickling"--a rodentlike creature so named by the adult Sweeps because of its ability to run quite fast. Quicklings had dexterous, almost monkeylike paws. And they were also very tasty. One or two of them would make an excellent meal for a hungry Sweepcub, and even the adults found it worth the effort to hunt them on occasion.

Scourge crouched low as he tracked his prey, keeping himself hidden among the cover than could be found on the forest floor. He peeked over a fallen log and spotted a potential meal. One of the Quicklings was in plain sight, digging in the soil for tasty tubers that grew in the area. Its back was to Scourge and it suspected nothing. The distance was short enough to cover in one leap, and Scourge pounced, seizing the animal in his jaws. The Quickling squeaked with a shrill voice moments before the Sweepcub's powerful jaws broke its neck. Once he had made the kill, Scourge began devouring his breakfast eagerly. He was quite hungry this morning. He caught and devoured another one soon after. Well, he was a growing cub, and his appetite had grown to match.

Slash awakened in the middle of the day, but didn't stay up for very long. He was out of the den long enough to give his pack specific instructions before going back into the den to catch some more z's. One of those instructions was directed at Scourge personally, and that was to not disturb his father if he was sleeping during the day--if there was an emergency, he was to alert one of the other pack members, who could then determine if the situation warranted Slash being awakened. While the Sweeps had a nocturnal streak in them somewhere, which made it easy for at least two of them to remain awake as sentries while the others slept, they were mostly accustomed to sleeping during the night and being active during the day, although there were times when they slept during the day and hunted or patrolled at night. Twilight patrols were especially important, given that the Feral pack was frequently active at night.

Slash got up a few hours before nightfall, and dined on a carcass procured by the Pack before grooming himself carefully and heading out in the direction of the Autobot camp. He had enough time to patrol the periphery of the territory in that area before proceeding on to the place he'd been the night before. As soon as it was dusk, he began making his way through Feral Sweep territory. He had to cross it in order to reach his destination, and it was a huge risk. If he ran into them, they could cause him serious injury. Fortunately they were nowhere nearby, and the scent markings that they usually kept up in the area had gotten stale. He could still smell evidence of them, at a great distance. He supposed that they were pursuing prey which had gotten scarce lately.

Slash smiled when he padded into the familiar alleyway and looked up to see the window open a little more widely than it had been the previous night. He climbed up and and was greeted by Aura.

"Welcome back," she said, as Slash stood up.

"I see you left the window open for me," he commented.

"Oh yeah," she replied, "It was only because it was too hot in here that the window was open at all last night. And then it was even hotter tonight."

"A fortunate coincidence," Slash said with a grin. According to his sensors, the temperature of the room wasn't anywhere near unbearably hot, nor had it been the night before. Aura's current condition was no doubt responsible for her perceptions of temperature change.

Aura offered Slash an energon cube and he graciously accepted it. He'd had energon before, so it was not completely unfamiliar to it. He sniffed it before taking a small sip. It was a bit different from the energon he'd had before. It was tasty, but Slash preferred catching prey for his meals--reserving energon for an occasional treat if he could get it.

Aura wanted to know more about the 'mindless beasts' that the Autobots had caught glimpses of in the forest. The Autobots figured they were dangerous, but hadn't caught one yet. Slash told her that they had once been his brothers, but had been rendered mad due to some strange disease that stole their sentience. Even if the Autobots caught a feral Sweep, it could tell them nothing. Aura mentioned that a group of Autobots had come upon a carcass of a Decepticon Seeker-Jet, partially eaten and only recently abandoned.

"Their favorite prey," Slash stated.

"Really?" Aura responded, "Because a few of the Autobots shot and destroyed several Seekers that were acting strangely. They've been running into them frequently."

Slash's internals wrenched in horror as he realized something. If the Autobots were responsible for a sudden reduction in the population of the Feral Sweeps' main food source, it explained why they had temporarily left the area. They were following what remained of the prey, and seeking out new sources of food. And if they could find no more... Slash shuddered and tried not to think of the consequences.

***

A grey light on the horizon told Slash it was time for him to leave. He could not afford to be caught. Before he climbed out the window, he took Aura's hands into his own and gazed into her optics. "Will you do a favor for me?" he asked.

"Of course. What is it?" she replied.

"You must find a way to prevent your comrades from needlessly slaughtering the mindless Seekers they come across. They are no threat to you. It pains me to see them used as food, and they certainly face much more merciful deaths at the hands of your compatriots, but I must think of the welfare of my Pack first. If the mindless Seekers are wiped out, my feral brethren will either starve, or come searching for alternate sources of food--which may endanger my Pack's supply of prey. I suppose if they get desperate enough, they could even become a problem here," Slash replied grimly, "If by some unavoidable misfortune your comrades are forced to kill a Seeker, then they should leave the body where it lies so my feral brethren can at least scavenge the remains."

"I understand," Aura told him, "I'll see what I can do."

Slash dropped to the ground quietly and headed for home, picking his way through the compound so that he was never in plain sight--sticking to the shadows and areas with heavy cover, lest he be spotted by chance. He sighed in relief when he scented the air and determined that the forest was clear of feral Sweeps, and he would not need to worry about running into them.

He was greeted by two of his packmates--Number 3 and Number 10--when he returned to the den area. When he turned to enter his cave, he suddenly stopped, as if he'd just remembered something. "Isn't today the day we go to Chaar?" he said slowly.

"It is," Number 3 stated.

Slash sighed. A trip to Chaar would cause him to miss some valuable time with Aura. "Could you go in my stead?" he asked Number 3, "Along with two others?"

"Certainly," Number 3 replied.

A whimper inside the den caught Slash's attention. He stuck his head inside and saw Scourge staring at him. "You're awake early, my son," Slash murmured. He went over to his bed and curled up on it. Scourge whimpered again and curled up right next to his father. The two of them purred until they both dropped off to sleep.

When Scourge awakened and exited the den, Slash also awoke and briefly joined him, in order to give out instructions. Number 3 was to carry Scourge to Chaar, and Number 7 and Number 8 were to go along.

"Send my humblest apologies to Galvatron for my absence," Slash instructed, "I will be there next time." He yawned and turned to his son. "Now, be good, Scourge. Obey Number 3 and the others as you would obey me."

Scourge uttered a vocalization that meant he'd understood. Then he allowed Number 3 to scoop him up. After the three Sweeps who were headed to Chaar had transformed, Scourge settled himself in Number 3's cargo hold and went to sleep.

"Take good care of him. And Cyclonus, too," Slash said, before the group bound for Chaar launched themselves, rapidly accelerating in order to break free of the planet's gravity. The exhausted Pack-Leader then went back into his den to sleep.

**********************************************

Galvatron cocked an optic brow at the Sweeps that arrived on Chaar. "Where is Slash?" he wondered.

"He sends his humblest apologies that he could not come," Number 3 explained, "He has something urgent to attend to."

"I see," Galvatron said, "Well, no matter. I trust you three will be able to protect Cyclonus while I'm away?"

"Of course. We will protect him with our lives," Number 3 stated.

Satisfied, Galvatron flew off on his energon run.

Number 3 and his two compatriots kept a watchful eye over Cyclonus and Scourge as they played. Cyclonus was perfectly capable of running on all fours, but rarely did so, unless he wanted to keep up with Scourge in a flat-out run. And Scourge loved to run. The two cubs would often chase each other just for fun. Of course, if Scourge caught Cyclonus, he'd playfully nip at him. The adult Sweeps watched in bemusement as Cyclonus tried to turn the tables and nip at Scourge. Neither cub tried to seriously hurt the other, however. After a few hours of tearing around, the two youngsters flopped down in a pile near one of the adult Sweeps and had a nap.

For the most part, the cub-sitting job was uneventful. After his nap, Scourge went hunting and caught himself a nice plump tunnel rodent. Cyclonus didn't want to watch Scourge eat, so he stayed by the adults while the Sweepcub fed.

********************************************

In the meantime, Slash slept until near nightfall, awakening and stepping out of his cave, ravenously hungry. Fortunately, the rest of the Pack had just brought down a giant bovine creature, and he had the right to feed first. He ate his fill, then groomed himself until his armor shone, as if it had been polished.

Slash picked his way through the forest, still somewhat amazed that the feral Sweeps had not kept up their territorial boundary marking in the area. He smelled a small group of Autobots in the distance, but they were not between him and the clearing. The base was completely dark when he arrived, but he knew the way instinctively. In mere moments he was up the wall and through the windows to Aura's quarters.

***

 Scourge and Cyclonus shared a meal of energon after Galvatron returned with a number of energon cubes. Then Scourge began grooming himself, as he was somewhat dirty from all that playing.

"Why is he doing that?" Cyclonus asked Number 3.

"We Sweeps like to keep very clean," Number 3 replied, "Grooming keeps dirt from accumulating and getting into our joints, and help remove foreign smells that could tip off prey as to our presence."

Cyclonus also noticed that when Scourge was done, his armor had a bit more of a shine to it. He knew from times when Scourge had playfully licked his face that the Sweepcub had a rough, sandpaperlike tongue, which now seemed to have doubled as a buffing cloth.

"Come on Scourge, it's time to leave," Number 3 said presently. The Sweepcub whined a bit, but allowed the adult Sweep to pick him up in preparation for departure. In moments he was comfortably tucked away in Number 3's cargo hold.

********

By the time Number 3 and the others returned home, Slash had been back and forth to Aura's twice since the group had left for Chaar. He was not at the den when they arrived. About an hour later he appeared, with a bundle of vines in his mouth. Drool began dripping from several jaws.

Slash looked at the hungry stares and shook his head. "These strangler-vines are not for you," he said. A murmur of disappointment rose from the rest of the pack, "But there are plenty more where I gathered these."

Strangler-vine was a techno-organic plant that grew in isolated clumps, often forming small thickets. It absorbed energon from any available source, including robotic life forms, if they remained in contact with the plant for too long. But this tendency of the plant to concentrate energon within itself also made it a very tasty snack for feral Seekers, as well as Sweeps. Slash was bringing some to Aura as a gift. He had given some to Ballista, before Scourge was born. And the elements absorbed through the plant's roots made it ideal food for a growing Sweepcub. Although Sweeps were carnivores, where strangler-vines were concerned they were only too happy to 'eat their vegetables.'

But strangler-vines had to be harvested carefully. If one was foolish enough to go too far into a thicket of them, one could get trapped. Anyone who made the mistake of curling up for a nap while in contact with the vines did not wake up. The Sweeps once found a feral Seeker unconscious among a thicket of strangler-vine and pulled him free. If they hadn't, the Seeker eventually would have died of energon depletion.

Slash had been careful to nip the ends of the freshest new growth. Any energy he lost from contact with the vines was easily replenished by consuming some. Once the vines were severed from the main plant, they were safe.

Two pack-members immediately headed off in the direction Slash had come from, to get themselves some of that tasty strangler-vine. Slash measured off a short segment of vine and gave it to Scourge, who devoured it without hesitation.

******

"Oh, what's this you've brought me?" Aura asked, as Slash returned to her quarters, bearing gifts.

"It's a very tasty source of energon," Slash replied, "Try some."

Aura gingerly nibbled on a bit of the vine, then a smile spread across her face. "You're right, this is really good," she said.

"And it's quite plentiful, too," Slash replied, "But care must be taken not to get entangled while gathering it. It is called strangler-vine for a reason."

Aura looked alarmed. "They reach out and grab you?" she asked nervously.

"Oh no, the vines don't actually move. Rooted vines sap the energy of any cybernetic life form it touches. Usually it passively traps very small creatures and feeds off their energon. A severed vine cannot sap energy, however. And the feral Seekers have learned how to exploit the vines as a food source," Slash explained, "If you ever find yourself stranded in the forest without fuel, if you find strangler-vines you can survive quite well."

Slash's gift quickly disappeared, and Aura thanked him. "Can you bring me some more tomorrow?" she asked.

"I would be happy to," Slash replied.

***

Slash continued to visit his new 'girlfriend' each night. He enjoyed her company, and the feeling was obviously mutual. On the third day, he had noticed a subtle change in her scent. On the eleventh day, he sensed yet another change. And as it turned out, this was to be the last day he'd ever dare to enter the Autobot camp. A somewhat familiar scent lingered in the air, and it made him nervous.

"Something's happened," Aura said as Slash climbed through the window into the room, "Someone broke into one of the storage buildings and stole some energon. Whoever did it was not seen, but some think that the culprit was one of those mindless Seekers."

Slash was alarmed. This was no doubt the work of a feral Sweep. That explained the familiar scent he'd detected in the yard earlier. Some of Number 13's cubs were a bit older than Scourge, and although they were not yet fully grown they were big enough to kill a small Autobot. If the feral pack had grown bold enough to steal energon right from the base, then it was no longer safe for him to come here.

They spent the night together as usual, and decided that if they wanted to see each other again, that Aura would have to come to the edge of Slash's territory so they could meet. The Pack-leader's keen sense of smell would pick up on her scent immediately and he would find her with no trouble.

"When you come, be careful. Remember that you will have to pass through the territory of my feral brethren, and they may not take kindly to your presence," Slash told her.

"I'll be fine," Aura assured him, "While my senses aren't anywhere near as keen as yours, I can still detect energy signatures. I'll know if they're nearby, even if I can't pinpoint exactly where they are."

When it was time for Slash to leave, he nuzzled his mate affectionately before exiting the window and dropping to the ground as usual. He picked his way carefully through the compound and froze. There were sentries in the area, keeping watch, and they were definitely covering the open space that Slash needed to cross to get to the forest. His mind raced as he tried to figure out an alternate route.

"HEY! You there!" a voice shouted, and Slash turned to see an Autobot staring at him from a rooftop. He'd been spotted. He had no choice now, he had to run. But trying to head for the forest in the direction of his own territory was too risky. He ran the other way, deeper into Feral Sweep territory.

"It's one of those beasts! GET HIM!" the Autobot called out to his comrades.

Slash didn't even consider trying to talk to them. In fact, it was best that they had no idea that he was sentient at all. If they caught him, there were bound to be questions asked; questions that he'd rather not answer. Somehow he felt that his explanations would not be believed in any case. He uttered a sharp growl as he was being pursued, in a flat-out run on all fours. He was grateful for the extra speed that he gained in doing so. The direction he had picked was closer to the forest, and although some of the Autobots had transformed in order to chase him in vehicle mode, they quickly had to change back to robot mode, as the big Sweep cleverly chose to enter an area totally unsuited for vehicles. He kept running until he reached a large river. He jumped into it and submerged himself, swimming upstream for quite a ways. Fortunately the direction the river was coming from was also the direction he needed to be headed in.

The Autobots pursuing him stopped at the river, looking this way and that for any sign of the gigantic Sweep. "We've lost him," one of them said, after finding no trace of him, "We'd better get back to base."

After shaking the Autobots off his trail, Slash emerged from the river, re-checked his bearings, and leaped into the air and transformed. That was the fastest way to get home, enabling him to avoid his feral brethren. In a few minutes he was back at his den. He transformed back to robot mode and landed, then sighed heavily. "That was close," he said.

The other pack members looked at him with concern. "What happened?" Number 3 asked.

"I was seen," Slash said, "But I fled, and led them in a direction that would not cause them to search here."

"I don't understand," Number 9 said, "I thought you said that base was unguarded."

"It was," Slash said, "Until last night. Some of their fuel was stolen, and I'm certain that one of Number 13's offspring is responsible. After spotting me, that base will be more heavily guarded than ever. But perhaps that is just as well. They were too careless before. However, this does.....complicate things."

***

The big Sweep Leader yawned and stretched as he awoke, then looked over at his son. Young Scourge was still sleeping, and occasionally a limb twitched, as if the Sweepcub were chasing prey in a dream. Slash nosed his son awake and the cub whined at having been disturbed, but got up and followed his father out of the den.

After a breakfast of Quicklings, Slash decided after that swim in the river that he should probably teach Scourge how to maneuver in water. He had seen a location from space, on one of his trips back from Chaar, where there was a lot of water, and probably plenty of things to intrigue a curious Sweep. He gathered up the Pack and headed in a direction that took them in the opposite direction from Feral Sweep territory, picking Scourge up and transforming. The others transformed as well, and in a few hours they were at a place where the land met a vast expanse of water. Slash returned to robot mode and placed Scourge on the ground. Ridges of sand, woven into rippled patterns by the tidal action of the waves, stretched for quite a distance from the reeds and coarse grass that took hold further up, where soil met the beach. Just under Scourge's paws were several holes. He stared at them, walking around to investigate each one. When his feet or hands applied pressure near a hole, water welled up in most of them. But one hole that he pawed at suddenly shot a stream of brackish water right into his face. Enranged, the Sweepcub began digging furiously, to unearth the culprit. After excavating a hole nearly as long as his arm, Scourge found something stonelike in the sand. Another squirt of water sprayed him, and it had come from this strange object. He grasped it with his claws and pulled it out of the hole, then tossed it onto the sand. He then growled at it. The object then seemed to split open slightly, and a long "tongue" started to worm its way out and began to feel around in the sand before beginning to dig. Realizing that the thing was escaping, Scourge grabbed it again, sitting back on his heels and sniffing at it. Slash came over and chuckled at his curious son.

The object smelled like food, so Scourge clamped his jaws around it and crushed the shell. It came apart in several pieces, and the organic flesh of the creature was exposed. It had a slightly salty flavor, and the Sweepcub discarded the unappealing calciferous shell and gulped down his meal.

"Found a new kind of prey, have you?" Slash asked with a grin, as Scourge licked his chops. The Sweepcub then decided to investigate several holes. Some held the same kind of shelled creature that he'd caught before, and others turned up creatures that had a curiously segmented chitinous exoskeleton, antennae, and many legs--including a set of diminutive claws. These other creatures were tasty as well, although getting at the meat was a bit more of a fuss. And then there were other tunnels that yielded nothing but worms. Scourge found these entirely unappealing and ignored them.

Slash allowed Scourge to do some more exploring of the sand before coming up to him. "Come, there is something I want to show you," he said. Scourge obediently followed him to the water's edge. The cub gazed at the water, and the waves lapped at his hands. A flash of silver caught his attention, and he dashed forwards, plunging into the water in search of the thing he'd seen. Slash chuckled. Scourge had caught sight of a fish, but the creatures were swift, and more difficult to catch than land-based prey. Scourge waded in farther, and saw a fish darting around. The sunshine reflected off its scales, giving it a metallic appearance. The urge to chase the fish was strong, and Scourge attempted pursuit. But he didn't realize that the fish had gone into deeper water, and soon found the water was up to his face while on all fours. He stood upright, which allowed him to walk a little farther, but found this to be quite slow. And when he'd waded in until the water was up to his chin while upright, he found he still couldn't reach that elusive fish. A growl of frustration emanated from him.

"Try going on all fours now," Slash suggested. Scourge did so, and found that he could float.

"If you want to move forwards, pretend that you are stalking something," Slash added. Scourge began moving his arms and legs as if he were moving along the forest floor, and he managed to propel himself ahead. He quickly learned how to make himself go faster, and when he saw the fish again, he went after it. It began hugging the sand, deeper in the water, and almost without realizing it, Scourge dived after it. The fish was much too fast and he couldn't catch it, so he returned to the surface, growling his frustration.

"It's alright, Scourge. Catching that creature was not the object. Learning how to swim was," Slash said proudly, "But, now let me show you how to catch something like that." He led the cub to shallower waters, where there were quite a number of fish. Slash was on all fours, and he waited patiently, not moving, until a fish swam up to him. Quick as lightning his claws slashed through the water and he drew out a large fish, then quickly crushed its head in his jaws before gulping it down. "Patience is the key here," he told his son.

Scourge imitated his father's stance, staring at the water until a fish came within range of his grasp. As soon as one strayed too close, he struck. But something went wrong. He thought he had the fish, but when he closed his taloned hand, nothing was there. The fish was still in plain sight, and he grabbed at it again. And again he missed. He uttered a frustrated snarl, as if to ask what he was doing wrong.

"You can't completely trust your eyes," Slash said, when he saw the difficulty Scourge was having. "The water does something to the light, so the fish isn't exactly where you saw it. You must calculate its true location. If you stick your head underwater, there is no deception." He pointed to an empty arthropod shell near Scourge's position. "Check the position of that shell from above water and below, and you will see."

The Sweepcub did as his father asked him, and quickly realized the truth. There was a bit of an optical illusion if one tried to look at an object from above the water. If he stuck his head under water, he was able to reach and grasp an object without difficulty. He soon learned how to figure out where an object truly was from above, and then he waited for another fish to swim by. Remembering the difference between the location of the shell above or below the water, Scourge struck quickly and his claws hooked into the fish, and he dragged out his prize.

"Very well done, Scourge," Slash purred, as the Sweepcub gulped down his hard-earned lunch.

The rest of the Pack had been patrolling the beach, occasionally investigating new food sources. Two of them had ventured into deeper water and had returned with strange creatures, some of which were edible while others clearly were not. Scourge followed Slash over to a rocky outcropping close to the water. A myriad of large shells clung to the rocks, some of which were clumped together in very odd shapes. Scourge sniffed at the shells, and determined that they constituted food. He pawed one, then pulled it off the rock with some effort. Slash picked a larger shell, and aligned his fangs with the seam at the back of the shell, on either side of the hinge. Then he snapped his jaws shut, prying the shell open easily. It came apart in halves, and the Pack-Leader eagerly gulped down the soft meat inside. Scourge watched his father's technique closely, and imitated it. This method of opening shells was much better, since a fragmented shell was a nuisance. This way, the shell wasn't in a million pieces, having to be picked out of the meat before being ingested. Scourge had swallowed some shell fragments earlier and it had not gone down well.

After devouring a sizable amount of the shelled creatures, the Sweeps were finally full. They all groomed themselves, Scourge included, to remove the salty deposits on their armor left by the sea and the air. Slash noted the position of the sun and decided it was time to head back to his territory. But there would be plenty of opportunities to return here--especially to exploit the new sources of food. Scourge was curled up, sleeping on the dry sand. He didn't awaken when Slash picked him up in preparation to depart. 

 To Be Continued!