Chapter 3: The Final Neutral
Ratchet came out of the Med-Bay and everyone in the room, except for Jazz and Blurr, ran over to him. "They're fine, but they need to rest. Don't go in. None 'a you." Ratchet walked passed them and Sari turned to the door to the Med-Bay. "Don't think about it, kid. They won't be able to answer you." Sari's optics widened and she gasped. Did Ratchet mean that they're offline or was he just saying that because they were in a deep recharge?
Sari clenched her servos and ran into her room as she started to cry, "Sari, wait!" Bumblebee yelled after her. "Y'know, Ratchet the least you could do was not tell her that. She has these things called feelings. Maybe you should, I don't know, respect them!" Bumblebee ran after Sari to her room.
Ratchet shrugged and looked at the two Elite Guards that were looking back at him, "What are you looking at?!" They didn't answer. Ratchet felt uneasy with them staring at him, so he left the room.
They watched him leave. Blurr sighed, "Is-it-still-happening?"
Jazz looked at him, "If you're asking about the incident fifty, sixty stellar cycles ago, then yes. You left her because of that, right? You didn't tell me the whole story about what happened."
"Yea, -I'm-surprised-that-you're-still-alive, -let's-just-hope-the-twins-are-as-well."
"Didn't think Megatron would be able to do it, but apparently it's possible. It's possible with certain bots, not just any. She's special, but you never grasped the fact that she was different than every other bot. No one else knew about her because you wanted to keep her a secret."
"I-didn't-want-anybot-to-get-hurt!" Blurr's voice raised. "She-was-my-sister-I-couldn't-let-her-get-hurt-as- well. At-least-she's-alive!"
"Yes, because of Master Yoketron, but you left her, you made her defend for herself after the incident. That's why she hates you. Don't tell me that you cared for her because if you did, she wouldn't be in this situation! It's all your fault that all of this happened! It's your fault the twins have almost risked their own sparks to save her! It's your fault that she's in Megatron's grasp! It's your fault that she hates you, her one and only brother!" Jazz took a deep breath. "She hates you because you didn't bother to take a few kliks out of your 'busy' day to see if she was okay. She hates you... because you made her hate you."
Blurr looked down as he started to realize all of that was true. She did hate him. He hated himself for leaving her, abandoning her. They both heard a voice, "Am I interrupting anything?" They looked over to see Jetstorm.
"You're supposed to be recharging. Get back in there." Jazz said rather calmly.
Jetstorm stayed, "How-much-did-you-hear?"
"I heard enough to know what's going on." Jetstorm spoke.
"Good to see that you're up and running at least. I gotta make a call, tell him the story." Jazz started walking away, but stopped and turned around. "And Blurr," Blurr turned to him. "tell him the full story." Blurr nodded and Jazz smiled walking off.
"First-of-all, -how's-your-brother?"
"Fine, but he almost-"
Blurr interrupted, "Don't. Don't-do-that-to-yourself, -Jetstorm. He's-your-brother-if-you-lost-him, -then-apart-of-you-is-lost-forever. Think-positive. Now-let-me-tell-you-how-Override-ended-up-like-thi s." Jetstorm nodded and sat next to him as he told the tale.
Override slowly woke up in a dark alley, her processor started to ache. She sat up slowly and rubbed her helm, she was sore all over. Her vision turned from blurry to clear soon. She looked at her hands then started staring at them with fear. They were covered in energon and she desperately tried her best to remember what she had done. "This can't be happening... Not again!" She clutched her helm as she tried remembering what she had done. She started to cry as she remembered what happened about fifty to sixty stellar cycles ago.
The Decepticons were trying to destroy a base of the Autobot's. During the fight, she had been knocked out for a while. Once she regained consciousness, she found Decepticons tending to her wounds. Why were they helping her? She was patched up and the medic looked up at Megatron who walked over, "Done, but we'll need to get to the lab to do the rest."
Megatron smiled, "Then take her."
"Yes sir." They took her to a lab, but she fell unconscious again.
A sudden voice said to her, "Override? Are you there?"
Override was slightly startled, but knew it was Jazz, "Depends on where 'there' is." She said sarcastically.
Jazz chuckled, "I see you still have your sense of humor. How ya holdin' up?"
"I've been in worst conditions before. How are... they?" Her voice lowered at the last sentence. She was afraid to ask if the twins were still online.
"...Their fine, you hit pretty close to Jetfire's spark and sliced off Jetstorm's arm. They could be worse." Override hit the wall and started to cry again. "Hey, it'll be fine."
"No, it ABSOLUTELY won't be fine! I hurt the twins and I didn't mean to!" Override just cried more. "Please, Jazz... help me."
"I'm sorry, but I can't. He is getting stronger at using it, but that doesn't change anything. I know you can fight this."
"I can't take it! I feel like I'm burning up inside! I keep hurting people that are close to me and most of them have died! The only ones that have survived are you three. It seems like the more he does it, the less I could resist it! I don't want to hurt anyone anymore! I wish I could just offline, so no one would get hurt."
"No." Jazz said sternly. "You're wrong, WE will get hurt. You're friends, we will get hurt because you have been offlined. He may be doing this to you, but you can resist I know you can. You've done it before-"
"That was different, he could barely control it back then."
"Override... you have to find hope that you will make it out of this, online. You give up too easily." There was a muffled noise for a second, then a long silence. "Come to the plant." The connection was lost. Override was confused for a moment. She then realized the situation and transformed heading to the Autobot Base.
Please be okay. Please be okay. Please be okay. The plant was just ahead and she looked around for any Decepticons around it. She entered the base and transformed seeing no one in the main room. She didn't want to call out since there could be an enemy trying to look for her. She walked around searching for anybot, she heard a crash and ran to the sound. Decepticon! The Decepticon had took on the Autobots and most of them were on the floor unconscious. However, he was holding Jazz in a headlock.
"Try anything and he'll be scrap." The Decepticon warned and Override was deciding wether or not to try to attack or surrender.
"R-run, h-he's after.. y-you." Jazz said weakly.
Override dropped her weapons and raised her hands, "Now let him go."
The Decepticon smirked, "It's not that easy. You better listen to your Sensei and run, little femme."
"You are not aloud to call me that! Let him go before I turn you into scrap!" Override dashed at the Decepticon, at her top speed, grabbing one of her blades in the process. She jumped up and landed behind the Decepticon slicing at him, but he had grabbed her arm. He let go of Jazz and took Override's blade.
He raised it to her neck, "Such big talk from such a small bot. Now, are we doing this the easy way or the hard way." Override looked away and didn't answer. "So, the hard way then. If that's what you want." The Decepticon was about to slice at her, but a fiery storm hit his face. "What the slag?!" He dropped Override and looked at the culprit. It was the Jettwins. "I knocked you out!"
They chuckled, "Getting knocked out is temporary. Shall we, Bro?" Jetfire asked.
"We shall." Jetstorm answered back and they whipped up a fiery storm again.
The Decepticon dodged it, "Too slow."
"Yea, -but-I'm-not." Blurr ran around and around the Decepticon taking his weapons. Blurr stopped behind the Jettwins, "Your-turn-sis."
The red femme looked at her brother and smiled. She turned to the Jettwins, "This time aim at me." They exchanged looks and nodded. They fired at her and Override ran around the Decepticon as the storm was burning him and freezing him.
"Ice cold-" Jetstorm started.
"Fire!" Jetfire finished. Override stopped running and they stopped firing. The Decepticon started laughing as the smoke was clearing.
The Autobots were confused for a second, but then realized... Where's Jazz? "It seems you all are too slow. The only weapon I need... is one of your friends." The smoke finally cleared and both the Decepticon and Jazz were gone.
"Scrap!" Override yelled as she ran to the roof of the plant.
"Override, -wait!" Blurr yelled after her.
"Leave her be, like Jazz said 'she needs time'." Jetstorm replied.
"What are you gonna do, anyway? She hates you, but I feel there is something else about her that made you leave her." Jetfire crossed his arms.
Jetstorm continued, "What is she? Because Blurr honestly, I wouldn't think of ever leaving my own brother."
Blurr sighed, "I'll-be-right-back." Blurr started walking up to the roof at normal speed. The Jettwins decided to let them talk alone for awhile, but they couldn't shake the feeling that there is something about Override that not even Blurr and Jazz know themselves.
Override was sat down at the top of the roof staring at the full moon. She sighed as Blurr climbed up to the roof behind her, "What do you want?"
"I-want-to-explain."
"Explain, what? There's nothing you could possibly tell me that could make me earn your trust!" Override snapped at him.
"Just-hear-me-out-for-a-sec." Blurr said as she didn't answer. He walked over to Override and sat next to her, "There's-an-almost-extinct-race-called-The-Neutral s. The-Neutrals-are-neither-Decepticon-nor-Autobot, -hints-their-name. They-never-wanted-to-be-part-of-the-war, -but-they-had-power-like-no-other. They-were-used-in-the-war-much-like-the-Minicons-b efore. However-Neutrals-didn't-want-to-be-the-reason-for- the-start-of-a-new-war."
She wasn't looking at Blurr the whole time, her optics widened and she clenched her servos. "You're telling me this why?"
"The-Neutrals-are-able-to-be-controlled-by-both-Au tobots-and-Decepticons. Some-Neutrals-decided-to-offline-themselves, -so-they-couldn't-be-used-anymore. Soon-they-were-unable-to-be-controlled-and-they-st arted-rampaging-through-Cybertron-destroying-every thing. We-were-forced-to-kill-them-off. They-were-announced-extinct-two-thousand-years-ago , -but-apparently-there-was-a-sighting-of-the-last-N eutral-online-somewhere-near-Iacon-about-five-hund red-stellar-cycles-ago. Both-Autobots-and-Decepticons-decided-to-send-sear ch-parties-for-this-last-Neutral. Autobots-wanted-the-Neutral-to-have-a-normal-life, -while-the-Decepticons-wanted-to-use-it's-power-fo r-their-benefits. After-searching-endlessly-for-the-Neutral-for-abou t-a-hundred-stellar-cycles, -we-finally-gave-up-and-went-on-to-our-normal-live s, -fighting."
"Why are you telling me this? I know the story of the Neutrals, it's one of the basic histories of Cybertron." Override replied.
"I-found-the-last-Neutral, -it-was-stuck-under-some-rubble-near-Kaon. Why-was-I-there-even-though-it's-Decepticon-territ ory, -well-I-had-a-little-adventure-I'll-say-that-much. I-brought-it-back-to-Iacon-and-they-cared-for-it."
"It was me, wasn't it? I was the last Neutral." Blurr nodded as Override sighed. "But, why tell me this now? Why wait till I don't trust you anymore?"
"To-be-honest, -I-never-wanted-you-to-know-the-truth. It-would-be-easier-for-the-Decepticons-to-find-you . I-told-Jazz-and-the-Jettwins-because-I-knew-they-w ould-keep-you-safe, -but-now-I-realize-that-I-just-put-the-four-of-us- in-danger-as-well. The-Decepticons-are-trying-to-use-your-weakness-to -reel-you-in."
"They are going to take the four of you and I would have to make a decision: Let them offline you guys or become a Decepticon. Honestly, I'd become a Decepticon. As long as my friends are safe, I'm fine." Override cut in. She understands everything Blurr says, even though others would not understand half of what he says. "Then I guess you guys have to watch out."
"Yea, -but-Override... Are-we-really-going-to-be-safe-when-you're-in-the- hands-of-the-Decepticons?" Blurr asked and the red femme didn't answer. "We-can't-have-you-risk-the-safety-of-Cybertron-an d-possibly-Earth, -just-to-save-the-four-of-us-bots."
"But-"
"No-buts, -you-know-the-consequences-of-losing-a-soldier-ver sus-risking-a-whole-planet's-safety." Override frowned. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. She finally had friends that accepted her for who she was. As a matter a fact, she never had friends that would risk their own sparks for her, not in a million stellar cycles has she thought that. But now she has bots who would stay by her side, who would not be afraid to call her friend.
With a past like hers, she never got along with anyone. No one whatsoever wanted to be her friend because they knew she was different - not necessarily knowing she's a Neutral - they knew she would never fit in no matter what. But Blurr stayed by her side when times got rough, he never gave up on her because he knew she was built for something more. He stood up for her, until the incident fifty, sixty stellar cycles ago. She shivered at the memory.
She finally awoke to see cables everywhere and she was strapped to a berth. The helpless femme didn't bother to get away considering how weak she was and how strong the straps were. She looked around and Megatron walked over to her, "Well, our little patient is awake. Too bad because this experiment might hurt a lot." Megatron walked away next to the medic Override saw patching up her wounds earlier.
"My liege, the transfer is ready to take affect." A bot with one red optic replied walking over to a control panel.
"Good, start it immediately. She's the last one, I want to make it last."
"Considering how long it's been since anybot has actually controlled these machines, it's possible it will be harder to infuse her with your spark, sir." The medic stated.
"I don't care!" Megatron walked to the other berth and the medic strapped him up as well. The medic connected a cable to the two subjects. "Start the procedure, Shockwave." Megatron ordered as the bot designated as Shockwave switched a lever and turned a few knobs.
Override was terrified and confused of what was currently happening. In her head she was constantly repeating her brother's name and refusing to scream out loud. In about a klik it was over, the straps unfastened and Megatron got up from the berth. The red femme felt different and she slowly sat up holding her helm. She switched on her optics and looked at her hands blankly. She saw red everything, red just everywhere. "Wh-what did... you do t-to.. me?" She managed to choke out.
"You'll figure it out soon." Megatron replied an evil smile plastered on his face.
A voice spoke to them, "We can't have them hold Jazz for any longer, though." Override shook her head to get away from the horrifying flashback. They turned around to see the Jettwins.
Override stood up, "That might be a one way trip."
Blurr looked up at Override then at the Jettwins, "How-many-times-are-you-going-to-listen-into-other -bot's-conversations?" He asked rhetorically standing up.
They laughed, "What, we can't know everything about Miss Override?" Jetstorm replied laughing.
"It may be a one way trip, but we have the best bots here on the squad." Jetfire implied.
"True, but we haven't a clue to where the Decepticon went." Override stated.
"Actually, I might be of assistance." Sari said behind them. "But I'm comin' with ya."
"Absolutely, -not. You-might-get-captured-as-well-and-to-be-honest, -what-could-you-do-to-help?" Blurr asked as Sari crossed her arms and pouted.
"I don't know," Override looked at the girl. "She could help." Sari uncrossed her arms and smiled at Override.
"Did-you-hear-the-conversation-we-had?" Blurr gestured to the red femme then at himself.
Sari shook her head, "Not a clue, just heard voices above Jazz's room. I came up to investigate."
"This'll be dangerous and you know that." Override stated smiling at the girl.
"I may have lived most of my life human, but I ain't afraid to kick butt." Sari said overconfidence filling her voice. "But... I will follow orders when necessary." She added the confidence leaving.
"Don't worry, every one of us is needed to save Jazz. Where's his base?" Override asked.
"I recognized the bot, it was Lockdown and he is pretty smart at hiding his ship. However, his ship was destroyed so that means he could be anywhere in the city." Sari informed.
The Jettwins looked at each other and then at the direction where Lake Erie was located. "I think we may know where he is." They both said. The other bots looked at them and they pointed towards the direction of the lake. "Just across the water to Dinobot Island."
"Oh great." Override said not excited at all. "We need to get there quick though. Primus knows what Lockdown could be doing." They transformed, Sari activated her jet pack and they headed off to the direction of the lake.