A/N: I feel so evil. So the only 'sane' Seeker is off to work. He's got a job to do that he hates. First on the agenda -traffic, drop the kids off at school, the big presentation, then the business lunch with that difficult client -who wants to meet at the local strip club, then you have to dash off to night classes because you're looking for that big promotion, but its been a long day and -yawn- you're trying to stay awake and remembering how much easier this was when you were young, oh no! class is over and you forgot to turn your homework in -run!- professors office is around here somewhere... And that is the crack-summary for this story. Yes, I have gone without needed sleep to get this out and on the page. Just for you!
Thundercracker is on Cybertron and trying to get some work completed. Our poor Seeker has an eventful day. But he finds something sparklie and a hidden treasure (or two) that is of course covered in radiation. And we find out what the original text is called! In the end he comes out on top and... there is fluff! Just for TC! Just a bit as I introduce two new characters to the mix. Seeker secrets abound! And we have the customary cliffhanger. Hey, we're finding more pieces of this strange puzzle, things need to start moving. It's only time that's running out.
Italics are used for emphasis on certain words, memories, and internal dialogue.
As always constructive criticism is welcomed! Reviews are given much love, and I love it when the readers try to guess whats coming next. I'm half way there on perfecting my evil cackle -evil grin-
Chapter 8 – Underworld
He knew the moment he left the memorial that he was being followed.
Two squadrons of official sweeps trailed him from a healthy distance at his sides. He chuckled wryly as he merged with the local air traffic. Did Shockwave really take him to be that stupid not to notice? Thundercracker kept an easy pace with the other fliers in the air. He'd let them shadow him… for now.
He opened the Seeker radio link in attempt to reach Starscream again. "Hey 'Screamer? Are you there?"
There was still no answer.
He sighed and hoped that neither was too badly injured from Megatron's wrath. Even though Soundwave's 'death' was not their fault, nor was Hook and the other Constructicon's treason, the trio of Seekers would always be the angry warlord's punching bags. But hopefully soon, that would stop forever. Yes, they had some set backs, but that was about to be remedied with the improved scanners and more information about the harmonic radiation signatures. He just had to ditch his unwelcoming committee before he went after supplies for the scanners.
The shining walls of Iacon's Fighting Academy appeared to his right and Thundercracker pulled out of the local air traffic. As he made his descent, the Seeker frowned; flags bearing the purple Decepticon insignia now marred the Academy gates where the tri-colored flags of Iacon once waved proudly. He transformed and landed gracefully not far from the entrance to the Academy. It was bigger than he remembered, now taking over the space where the University of Iacon once stood; the Decepticon Magistrate probably took no time to grab the area for expansion after the University was bombed out.
Thundercracker strolled towards the gates. Deep inside his spark he felt guilty; he was enlisting eager and naïve young mechs into a life that he hated and was trying to escape.
The guards at the Academy gates stopped him, eyeing his weaponry suspiciously. Only ranking Decepticon officers were allowed to carry weapons inside the city. "All Hail Megatron. State your business."
He narrowed his optics at the guards, obviously students and neither were fliers. "I am Lieutenant Air Commander Thundercracker of Megatron's Elite Forces. I assume you were informed of my arrival?"
The two guards saluted him, but still looked at him warily and dropped his honorific. "We were. You are to proceed to Arena 3A."
Thundercracker raised an optic ridge. Student or not, disrespecting an officer is a serious offense and usually ends badly. "Excuse me? I don't think I heard you right."
The two guards looked amused and traded chuckles. "You heard me just fine, flyboy."
He smiled and chuckled with them, as if it was the best joke in the universe. "Flyboy. That's a good one. I haven't heard that in a long time."
They kept laughing and started to point at his wings… and then the cocky guard flicked his wing with his fingers.
Thundercracker brought his gun up and pointed it at the young guard's chest, all traces of humor gone. "You were informed of my arrival, correct?"
"Yeah, Arena 3A."
He tapped the gun barrel against the guard's chest. "I don't think I heard you right, soldier."
The guard looked at the gun pointed at him with indifference. "Yes. You're to go to Arena 3A, flyboy."
The dark blue Seeker roughly shoved the guard in the chest with his gun, forcing him to stumble backwards and then shot him in the leg. The guard fell and screamed, clutching his leg and rolling on the ground. The other guard looked on in shock until Thundercracker shot an evil glare at him. He immediately stood to attention, his bravado vanishing instantly. The Seeker turned his attention back to the wounded mech, grabbing him by the shoulder and hoisting him up to face him. "You will drop the attitude and address every single mech who holds position above you properly, or I will see to it that you are expelled from the Academy with a dishonorable discharge. Do I make myself clear, groundpounder?"
The injured mech nodded and Thundercracker shook him. "Did I make myself clear?"
"Sir! Yes, sir!" Came the pained squawk.
He let the mech drop to the ground and glared at the other guard. "See that he makes it to the infirmary."
The guard saluted him sharply, "Yes, sir!"
Thundercracker turned and followed the walkway into the Academy heading directly to the Arena. His wings twitched in anger and he felt the need to bathe the wing the cocky guard had touched. Groundpounders.
He felt a twinge of guilt due to his actions, but he had just saved the mech's life. Any other officer would have killed him outright.
----
He walked along the ranks of gathered mechs who stood tall and eager. There weren't many fliers in the Academy and only a handful were gathered to stand for inspection, which was perfectly all right in Thundercracker's eyes. The skies belonged to him, Starscream and Skywarp alone, whether on Cybertron or Earth. And Megatron didn't care what type of fighter joined the Decepticon ranks; he only cared that they could fight and would lay down their very lives for him. It was appalling, but true.
Thundercracker scowled as he looked over the mechs. They were so very young. Did he and his wingmates look this young when they joined the Decepticons?
He checked his chronometer – he had just over 4000 astro-seconds before he was to report back to Shockwave and he still needed to get supplies for the scanners. He needed to make the selections for new cannon fodder quickly. "Sections one, two, five, seven, eight and eleven are to gather your personal belongings and report directly to Decepticon headquarters. The rest of you are excused and are to report back to your classes."
There were 'whoops' of excitement from the students that were accepted and many crestfallen looks from those who were not. Thundercracker wished he could excuse all of them, but he had his orders. Numerous students saluted him brightly as they filed out of the arena and into a life of numb destruction. Completely naïve about the road they were embarking on, most would be lucky to survive a vorn.
He followed the chosen ones out of the arena and stood at its entrance, looking up into the crystal midnight blue skies. It wasn't that long ago that he, Starscream and Skywarp stood here and contemplated about their future. Had they known exactly what they were getting into at the time, would they still have joined the Decepticons? Thundercracker crossed his arms over his cockpit and frowned. Had things been different they most likely wouldn't, even if 'Warp loved the idea of fighting just for the sake of fighting. But anger overrode sense and they joined to fight against the Autobots, and ended up caught in a mad mech's obsession to destroy his arch-rival and to rule over the universe. Had things been different, the three of them would be searching solely for the artifacts from their childhood dreams. He looked over at the newer sections of the Academy – the area where the University once stood. Had things been different…
The flier patrol passed by drawing his optics and mind from the past and revealing the squadron of sweeps that hovered in the sky. Shockwave was determined to keep tabs on him. The one-optic freak may think he has the entire city under his metal thumb, but he was no match for a Seeker. Thundercracker smirked, turning around and heading towards the student dormitories. Skywarp, in all his mischief making, had once found a forgotten access tunnel used by worker-drones for building the dorms that had not been sealed and the three of them used it regularly to sneak off to a local bar. He would need to travel on foot for a while, but the tunnel was in the direction he had to go anyways.
In under a cycle, Thundercracker had reached his destination and had effectively ditched the sweeps. The Cybertronian underground spread out in front of him like an oil-soaked steel spiders web; the once shining streets of the lower city now dank and filth covered and left to rot like most of its inhabitants. He was going to stand out and draw unwanted attention to himself; upper-worlders rarely came below, especially fliers. But he would have brought more attention if he had kept his Earth-alternate form. He doubted anyone would try to hassle a heavily armed Decepticon like himself, but he made sure his weapons were visible and ready.
Thundercracker pulled out the data pad with Starscream's instructions and the list of supplies that they would need for the upgraded scanners and proceeded into the dark streets. He needed to locate a certain mech named 'Swindle' who hung around a bar known for its loose mecha. He didn't have far to go before he found the place.
He pushed open the grimy door and was assaulted with loud music and the revolting stench of homebrewed energon. The bar was dark except for pools of muted lights where femmes danced for credits in front of lowbrow clients who hooted and howled. Thundercracker scowled and scanned the room, trying to discern which mech could be Swindle. Optics glared at him from all corners of the darkened bar; obviously, fliers didn't frequent the place and they didn't appreciate his presence in their territory.
A rather large and burly mech approached him from the side. "Oi! No weapons allowed in da house."
Thundercracker turned to face him with narrowed optics. "Is that so?"
"Yeah, its so. House rules sez no weapons-" The mech's optics fell upon the Decepticon insignia on his wings and suddenly thought better of the situation. "Uh, yeah, 'cept fer ya. Ya can keep yer weapons wit' ya, mister, and- and ya jus' let me know if anyone gives ya trouble in 'ere."
Thundercracker smirked, "Glad you could make an exception. For me." He looked around the room again before stopping the burly mech. "Tell me where I can find Swindle."
The burly mech looked at him and then motioned with his head to a darkened corner of the bar. "Table five, wit' Minerva."
"Thanks." Thundercracker walked across the bar, his smirk growing as the optics of those who had glared at him originally were now shying away from him and avoiding making optic contact.
The corner wasn't completely dark and a lone mech sat at a table ogling the red femme giving him a private show. The femme so wrapped up in her 'performance' she didn't notice Thundercracker's approach until she twirled around and ended up face to face with him. Her optics widened in surprise and she squeaked as he caught and steadied her on her feet.
Thundercracker smiled at the femme, "Would you give us a few moments, please?"
She nodded quickly and took off. Thundercracker turned to face the mech at the table. "I take it you're Swindle?"
The mech set his elbows on the table and laced his fingers together with a leering smirk. "Depends on who's asking."
The Seeker placed his black hand on the table and leaned in close to the smirking mech. "I'm asking. I hear that you are the mech to go to find certain items."
Purple optics glittered in the dim lights. "I do have a few… contacts that I do some contract work for. Easier to sell merchandise when you have someone who can assure the seller gets a fair deal for their goods. But my services come with a price. What are you looking for?"
Thundercracker dropped the data pad in the table. "Can you get it?"
Swindle picked up the pad and read it over before setting it carefully down on the table. "I might be able to… acquire some of these items. When do you need it?"
"Now."
The mech tilted his head and made a clicking noise. "Hmm, that will prove to be very difficult. I will need some time to get in touch with my sellers and that's a lot to gather in such a short time frame. That could end up being quite pricey."
Thundercracker smirked and pulled two smooth bars of pure electrum out of subspace, holding them up in the air for the mech to see. "I heard you like to be paid with items of substance."
Swindle eyed the electrum, "I might be able to find a couple of the items."
Another two bars of electrum were subspaced and held up for Swindle to see. The dealer smiled. "I think I just might have some of these items on hand." He stood up and motioned Thundercracker to follow him. "If you'll just step into my office, I'll see what I can do."
His 'office' turned out to be a rather large warehouse in the back of the bar and he flipped on a gritty lamp as they entered. "Now lets see what I have, shall we?"
Thundercracker stood at a table in the middle of the room, his optics roaming over the warehouse while Swindle started to gather the items listed on the data pad. Chip sets, sensor bars and other bits and pieces started to pile up on the table. A few pieces the dealer said he couldn't get, until the Seeker plunked another bar of the pricey metal on the table, and surprisingly enough, Swindle realized he had the items on a different shelf.
He checked his internal chronometer, he had plenty of time before he needed to report back. Bored of watching the sketchy dealer 'find' things in his warehouse, Thundercracker started to roam around the shelves looking at the odd kibble, weapons, computer parts and other things Swindle had 'acquired'. He stopped suddenly at one shelf.
The radiation sensor had gone off inside his subspace.
He turned to face the shelf, his optics scouring the area for a hint at what set it off; he didn't want to bring out the scanner in front of the dealer. The shelf was stocked with a number of items, any which could have the harmonic radiation signature, and nothing stood out of the ordinary to catch the Seeker's optics.
He was going to have to risk it and access the scanner.
He nonchalantly checked on the dealer as he subspaced the scanner and passed it over the area, the signal was coming from something farther back on the shelf. Sliding a stack of old books gently to one side, he found a series of stone figures that were obviously not Cybertronian and probably once belonged in a museum before the war. There was nothing out of the ordinary about them… but the item behind the statues was extraordinary. He carefully reached into the shelf and pulled out a large star-shaped prism. It was made of the purest, unflawed crystal he had ever seen and it sparkled brilliantly even in the dull lamp light.
The scanner identified it as the source of the radiation. Thundercracker stowed the sensor and held up the beautiful prism. "How much for this?"
Swindle's head popped out from behind a shelf and he smirked. "What's it worth to you?"
Thundercracker's optics narrowed. "I like it. How much?"
"Well, that particular item was especially difficult for me to get. A collector wanted it and after all the trouble I went through to obtain it, he backed out of the deal, but I'm positive I can find another buyer for it. Objects like that fetch a nice price on the black market. Not to be rude, but I'm not sure a gentlemech of your means can really afford such a exquisite, museum quality piece such as that."
"How much?"
The weasely mech moved towards the table. "One cannot accurately set a price on such an item. A museum would pay so much for a rare find like that, while a private collector would stop at virtually nothing to possess it."
"Fine." Thundercracker reached inside his subspace and retrieved a small black can that he held between his finger and thumb. "Do you know what this is?"
Purple optics narrowed and Swindle looked between the can and the Seeker. "…Is that?"
He nodded with a smirk. "And easily worth your 'collection' and every item you have had or ever will have."
The dealer's optics twinkled in delight as he stepped closer to Thundercracker. "And you are willing to part with that much of it just for the prism?"
"No." He held the can just outside of Swindle's reach. "I'll trade this for the prism, all of the gear on the list and I'll take the electrum back."
"You have yourself a deal."
----
Thundercracker walked back towards the Fighting Academy eager to get back to Earth and show Starscream his find. He had tried to get Swindle to tell him where he had gotten the prism from, but the dealer either was telling the truth about it coming with the statues or he wanted more for the information. Though, he had mentioned that a museum would be interested in it…
He pulled the scanner out of subspace. Maybe there were other pieces on Cybertron that had the different harmonizing radiation signatures. The prism, now in his subspace, was interfering with a full ranged scan of the planet, yet there was a tiny variation in the sensor. It wasn't any of the main signatures, but it fell within the parameters of the updated information. And it was in the general vicinity of the Academy. Or where the University used to be…
Thundercracker entered the Academy the same way he left it, through the access tunnel, and meandered across the campus towards the newer sections. He chuckled as he looked up into the sky, it seemed that Shockwave didn't approve of his 'disappearance' and had sent more sweeps to watch over the Academy. He pretended not to notice them and made it appear that he was exploring the recent extensions of the campus, which he was. And the closer he got to where the University had once stood, the stronger the radiation signal became. Towards one of the far walls that separated the Academy from the city was an area that was still under development and ground had recently been broken to start building. The Seeker scanned the skies for the sweeps: there were two that were close enough to see him if he went to look at the area for the new section.
He would need a distraction.
There was a commons area for students not far from where he was, if he could cause a commotion there to draw the sweeps attention away, he might get enough time to check out the grounds before he would be spotted. He slipped among the shadows towards the commons. There were around a dozen students in it, some studying and some just hanging out. One controlled sonic boom should stir up enough noise to give him time.
Three, two, one…BOOM!!
The sonic boom shook the area and sent the students screaming for cover. Thundercracker ran back to the construction area just in time to see both squadrons of sweeps move to check out the disturbance. Moving quickly with the scanner in hand, he swept the area with the sensor looking for the exact source of the radiation signature. The scanner stopped at a certain point... he was standing directly above the signature. Slag! It was down below him! He looked about frantically. The place where they had cleared the ground and broken through the original surface was too small a space for him to get through unless he helped the excavation along. He subspaced his side arm and shot at the ground, the laser melting through the existing break.
Come on! Come on! Thundercracker could hear the sweeps returning, yet the hole was still not big enough for him. Just a little more! A chunk of the heated metal fell in and he folded his wings back, dropped to the ground, and slipped through the hole that was barely big enough to let him in. Standing on the ruined level below, he hissed loudly when the molten metal from the hole above dripped on his wings. He brushed at them furiously, trying to get the slag off of them before it burned him too badly. Above him he could hear the sweeps engines as they passed over the area. Hopefully, he had evaded them again.
He unfurled his wings, accessed his night vision and looked about the area he had entered. A frown spread across his face the moment he recognized what it was: he had found one of the lower levels of the University of Iacon's Library.
He pulled the sensor out and started to scan the area for the location of the radiation signature, passing by toppled bookcases and the burned remnants of Cybertronian books. Thundercracker stopped next to a crushed bookcase and shook his head ruefully. It was on that exact bookcase that he had found the data pad with the scanned text while he was trying to get some of his homework done. Starscream and Skywarp were in the library with him: 'Screamer was working obsessively over a new research paper while Skywarp sat with them and goofed off. It was purely by accident that he had found the text…and a stroke of luck that he found perfection right after that.
Thundercracker turned around slowly, remembering exactly how the room looked that day. He had been looking through the bookcase for a certain text on Cybertronian history when his optics landed on the aged and chipped data pad that had been rotting on the shelves for who knows how many vorns. He remembered staring at the title of the text before reverently pulling it off the shelf.
The table they had claimed was on the other side of the room from where he was trying to find the book he needed. Skywarp had his feet up on the table pushing Starscream's textbooks over every few kliks and enjoying pestering the red flier. Starscream was hunched over his data pad writing furiously, optic ridges furrowed in anger and one hand trying to keep his textbooks on top of the table.
He thumbed through the texts on the shelf looking for the book he needed and getting frustrated at not finding it. "'Time of Troubles'…Time… Time… Bah! Why can't anyone put things back where they belong?" The blue flier's wings were hitched up in agitation as he searched further down the row. "Time…Time…" He stopped suddenly as his fingers landed on the battered data pad. "…'The Last Seeker'?" Ever so carefully, he drew the data pad from its ancient slot, having to wiggle it slightly as it stuck to the shelf. He accessed the first page of the data pad, his optics widening as the words spilled across the screen, 'The Last Seeker: The Final Dialogues With Seeker Storm Flight'. He scanned over a few of the pages in disbelief... the story told to them long ago about the greatest warriors Cybertron had ever produced was real.
He spun around and dashed out of the shelves to where Starscream and Skywarp sat bickering. "Hey, guys… You need to see this!" But with his eyes on the text and not where he was going, the blue flier ran straight into someone coming from the opposite direction. Books went flying in all directions and he gaped down stupidly at the person he had accidentally knocked over. "Uhm, sorry. I didn't see you there…"
The most perfect set of golden optics he had ever seen glared up at him. "You shouldn't be running in here, people are trying to study."
"Yeah, sorry." His processors started to glitch.
The golden optics stopped glaring at him, and the femme they belonged to started to collect her fallen books from the floor.
"Wait, let me help you." He got down on the floor and helped her collect her books, trying to make optic contact again with her.
She didn't look at him until she sat back on her heels, gathering her books into her arms. "Thank you."
He smiled at her as she stood up, turned and started to leave. Realizing the femme was about to walk away, he tried to think of a way to stall her.. and noticed that the perfect golden optics also had a perfect pair of wings. "You're a flier."
She turned back around to look at him with a playful smirk. "So are you."
His smile grew as he stood up and faced her. "I'm Thundercracker…"
The dark blue Seeker frowned and shook the memory away, turning his attention back on the scanner. The past was the past and there was nothing anyone could do to change it.
The signal veered off to a far corner of the library and a staircase that led down to more levels. Thundercracker headed to the stairs purposefully and followed the radiation signature, his footfalls echoing loudly in the library. Shadows from the darker parts of the room slipped along the walls under the covers of stealth and silence, and followed the intruder. Still lost in his unwanted thoughts, the shadows that followed him went unnoticed.
The stairs went down further than he had suspected and the signal started to grow stronger the farther he went. The bottom of the stairs opened up into dank hallways lined with doors, and he could faintly hear water dripping from somewhere nearby. The lights had long gone out and some of them hung haphazardly from the broken ceiling. He turned his running lights on low and continued to follow the signal down a badly damaged hallway. The level had sustained serious damage from the bombing and he wondered how the upper levels of the library had not crushed it. There were a few inches of water on the floor that glittered as he moved through it, reflecting his running lights in the darkness. As he neared the end of the hallway and the final door, the scanner flared to life and started to read multiple harmonic radiation signatures all coming from behind it.
Thundercracker stared at the scanner trying to absorb all the information it was putting out. All three of the signatures were being detected along with numerous similar signals. Whatever was behind that door was a virtual diamond mine of importance to the Seekers… and it was out of his reach.
The door was shielded and had a keypad.
He shoved the scanner back into subspace and tried the door, maybe the damage from the bombing had jarred it loose, but it didn't budge. He pulled a cable from his arm, connecting it to the keypad and started to run the 32-key algorithm cipher that was used for most Decepticon key codes, but whoever programmed the keypad didn't use one. He threw his shoulder into the door, tried to kick it in –repeatedly-, pulled his side arm out and fired at it, all with no results.
He stood there and glared at the door, as if he could open it just by thinking evil thoughts at it, while he puzzled out how else to get in there. Heavy-duty weapons and other things he had at his immediate disposal were out of the question, the area was too unstable to even consider using them. Starscream's hacking skills were the only other non-destructive options he could think of. He opened the still silent comlink and tried to reach his wingmates again. "Either of you glitch mice operational?"
He sighed and thumped his fist on the doorframe. Why the frak aren't they answering?
There was a soft 'click' and something pricked his neck. "What the slag?" His voice echoed down the hallway and his hand went up immediately to find a barb sticking out of the back of his neck, but the moment he tried to pull it out an electrical pulse discharged and he fell to the floor unconscious.
----
When Thundercracker came back online, he found himself bound in a chair in a completely dark room lit only by the glow from his optics. He shook the fuzzy feeling from his head and tried to bring his weapons systems online only to find them disabled along with his sensor array. His muttered curse resounded dully in the room, "Slag."
An overly mechanized voice pierced the darkness. "What were you doing in the Library, Decepticon?"
Thundercracker narrowed his optics and tried to find the location of the voice. "That's my own business. Who are you and what do you want?"
"I will ask the questions. Why are you here in the Library?"
"I'm not answering anything until you identify yourself."
There was a silent pause before the mechanical voice continued. "Then we are at an impasse."
He cast his optics around the room still trying to find the voice; it sounded like it emanated from every corner. "Brilliant deduction skills."
"What are you searching for in the Library, Decepticon?"
Thundercracker smirked. "A book."
"This is not the time for games, Decepticon. Answer the question. Why are you here?"
He pulled at the cuffs that held his wrists behind his back. "I told you, I'm looking for a book."
"Why do Shockwave's sweeps and storm-troopers hunt for you?"
"Heh, alright. I'll answer that question." He hitched his wings up and tugged at the bonds. "Because he doesn't trust me. All Decepticons have trust issues, you know."
"What were you doing in the underground?"
"Oh, now that's not fair. You know more about me than I do about you." The Seeker chided. "Who are you?"
The mechanical voice did not skip a beat. "It does not matter who we are, Decepticon. What matters is why are you here?"
Thundercracker shifted positions trying to find a more suitable angle as he worked his wrists inside the cuffs. "You do realize that there is a hole up above the Library that has just been opened up for construction on this site, and on the other side of that hole is the Decepticon-run Fighters Academy?"
"Yes, we do."
"Well, there you go."
The voice went quiet and Thundercracker ran a quick systems check trying to find out how they disabled his sensor arrays. He chuckled out loud when he realized they had place sensor dampers on him. "You tie me up and use Shockwave's toys to play with me?"
"We find them most useful when we capture Decepticons who are behaving oddly."
A wicked smirk spread across his face as he realized who had captured him. "Behaving oddly, you say? And just how am I supposed to act? Walk around kissing Shockwave's aft and fawning over Megatron's greatness? I think not. But I also do not subscribe to thehypocritical beliefs of the Prime and his rebels. 'Freedom is the right of all sentient beings', is a slaggin' laugh. Both factions kill with impudence and leave those caught in between their ideologies to die in the name of their war."
"You speak openly against Megatron?"
"If it goes against my conscious, then I'll speak how ever I want."
"We think this behavior to be odd for a Decepticon."
"And I think you can take a long walk out of a short airlock." He shifted his wings again looking for weight discrepancies. His wings would be the ideal spot to place the sensory dampers on.
"Why are you here at the Library, Decepticon?"
"I've already answered that. Now tell me who you are." Ah. There it is. Right wing just above his shoulder.
"Who we are is not important."
A mischievous smirk worthy of Skywarp played across his face. "Do you know who I am?"
The mechanical voice paused, as if it was considering the question. "You are the Decepticon who recruits for Megatron."
"I did some recruiting today, but that doesn't answer the question. Do you know who I am?" He tried to sound bored. Just one small boom and he'd have that damper off.
"Decepticon aerial warrior, flier class."
"I think we've already established the fact that I am a Decepticon, and the wings should have given away the fact that I'm a flier, but I guess you don't know who I am."
"You are a Decepticon aerial combatant who is hiding in the Library from Shockwave's troops, most likely because of treason."
"Oooh, wrong again. Thanks for playing." He chuckled evilly. "Would you like me to tell you who I am?"
"Your name does not matter, Decepticon."
His voice was smooth as silk and he secretly wondered how much of Starscream's and Skywarp's personalities had rubbed off on him over the eons. "Would you like me to show you?"
"What do you mean, Decepticon?"
"Imean would you like me to show you what I am called?"
"How would you show us?"
"You placed the sensor damper on my right wing. I can destroy that in an instant. I can also destroy these cuffs in an instant. I can destroy this room in an instant.I can destroy the entire area in an instant." Thundercracker practically purred to the voice in the room. Wanton destruction mixed with guile, he smirked and made a note to ask the others when he got back if they ever experienced his personality rubbing off on them.
The voice was quiet.
Thundercracker prompted them to respond. "Well? Shall I start the show?"
"You are Thundercracker of the Decepticons." The voice changed, it was still overly mechanical, but the timbre of it was altered.
Vocal modifier to hide the identity of the speaker; the Seeker was impressed with all the trouble they took to hide themselves from him. "And you're at least two Autobot rebels with a vocal modifier."
"Why are you here, Thundercracker?"
"I told you, already. I'm looking for something."
"Why are Shockwave's storm-troopers after you?"
"Shockwave doesn't trust anyone. Megatron probably wanted him to keep close tabs on me." Thundercracker hitched his wings up; having his hands bound behind his back was very uncomfortable. "Now if you don't mind." He cupped his hands and the controlled sonic boom shattered the cuffs.
"Thundercracker! Wait!" The mechanical voice sounded frantic and nothing like the first voice. "The exit is to your left, you will find your weapons just outside the door and evidence to take back to Shockwave. We ask in return that you never return to the Library."
"Oh? And why shouldn't I? Obviously there is something down here that you are trying to protect." He reached behind him and ripped the damper off his wing.
"You are not in the Library anymore. And we ask you to not return there to show respect for the people that died in the bombing of the University…"
Thundercracker scowled as his night vision came on and he found the door. "We'll see. Don't think this is over, Autobots."
Lamplight from a busy street corner flooded the room beyond his prison. As promised he found his weapons and multiple drone heads from Shockwave's force right outside the door, but there was something left there for him that he hadn't expected and it surprised him.
There, lying under his incendiary guns was a data disk and a pile of ripped Autobot and Decepticon insignias.
----
"It was dangerous to bring him here. He could have destroyed the entire street!" The broad shouldered white mech reprimanded the four gathered in his office. "Your actions were beyond reckless and you put everyone in the area in danger! We are in this area for a specific purpose, and bringing Shockwave and his storm-troopers down on the heads of the innocent people here is not it!"
Three of the four gathered looked at the floor, abashed and ashamed as their Commander gave them a dressing down.
The fourth looked at the white mech defiantly. "He was trying to get into the sealed lab on the lower floors. There is something in there that the Decepticons want and now they'll know about the Library all because of him!"
"I appreciate your concern and I admire your passion to keep the Library grounds safe as a memorial to those who died. But we cannot fight off Shockwave's entire force just to save the Library."
Impassioned optics narrowed. "Then I'll fight alone to protect it! I'd rather die trying to save the Library from Thundercracker and the Decepticons than run to a safer location!"
Bright blue optics smiled on the impassioned optics. "Allow me to contact Optimus Prime first before you run off to fight for the Library. He should at least know that we had a visit from a Seeker."
"The 'Seekers' are nothing but the rantings of a mad mech."
"That may be true, but that doesn't make that trio any less dangerous." The bright blue optics looked the four over. "I am disappointed with your actions today. All of you. Hopefully you will take into consideration the repercussions of your actions from now on. Though, I must admit that I am impressed that the three of you brought down a Seeker."
"Pfft. She shot him in the back with a tazer-dart."
Azure optics turned on the impassioned ones. "You expected me to draw my weapons and fight him head on in a decrepit building that is nano-kliks from falling down?"
"All right. That's enough. All of you are dismissed." The broad shouldered mech shooed the group out of his office and shut the door.
The four walked down the hallway of the makeshift base: two silent and sullen for disappointing their Commander, one thoughtful, and the final angry.
The thoughtful azure optics contemplated over the events from earlier as the group passed through the base. A whimsical smile crossed her lips and she mused out loud. "You know… if all the Decepticons looked like Thundercracker, there might be hope for them yet." –THUMP- "Ouch!"
----
Thundercracker landed in front of the Decepticon headquarters and stormed into the control room. "What is the meaning of this, Shockwave?"
The golden optic turned and looked at him with indifference. "What do you mean, Seeker?"
He held up in one hand the neural wires of seven of storm-troopers; their metal heads clanging together like some gruesome scrap metal wind chime. "This! You sent your own troops to attack me at the Academy!"
"I did no such thing, Seeker."
Thundercracker marched up to the communications console and sent a transmission to Earth. "Thundercracker to Megatron."
The giant monitor crackled to life and a sullen Megatron appeared. "Shockwave. Do I need to have new security protocols installed on our communications systems?"
Thundercracker didn't let the dark purple mech speak. "All Hail Megatron. What is the meaning of having Shockwave send his forces after me while I was at the Academy recruiting troops?"
Blood red optics narrowed and turned their focus to the one-eyed mech. "Is this true, Shockwave?"
"Lord Megatron, I do not know what the Seeker is babbling about."
Thundercracker sneered at him and pulled the data disk out of his subspace, holding it up for both mechs to see clearly before inserting it into the computer. "I was able to procure the video feeds from the Academy of the attack."
The recording showed a triad of sweeps and seven storm-troopers rush at the dark blue 'Seeker' with weapons blazing… in front of a group of students. The 'Seeker' single handedly destroyed his attackers and collected their heads as the watching students cheered for him. Oh, I am so keeping this. Wait 'til Skywarp sees it. While he gloated over the disk, Thundercracker had to admit that his kidnappers went to a lot of trouble to make this. He guessed it was incentive to not return to the Library.
Unfortunately, he needed to return to get at whatever was in that shielded room.
----
Jetfire hovered just above the coastal waters of Washington with his cargo bay door open and his sensor array on high, directing the others to where there were humans floating in the oily sludge. The Autobots had chased Megatron and his Seeker-less force off, but not before he blew up two of the oil tankers and set fire to the oil slick that was seeping into the once beautiful waters. Mechs on hydrofoils skimmed over the waters plucking the humans out of dangers way and delivering them to the safety of Jetfire's cargo hold.
Optimus Prime had already sent a coded message to the Secretary of Defense, Wes Granger's office about the need for military assistance in the situation; and the Secretary's responded just as quickly with helicopters and medical personal for the injured.
Once the humans were safely away, the Autobots tried to contain the oil slick and keep it from ruining the area. The fires were easily extinguished and containment of the spill was completed with minimal damage to the coastal waters and the local wildlife.
The battle had been the easy part of the whole ordeal; rescue and cleanup left the Autobot group tired, weary and covered in oily grime. Jetfire had succumbed to a nearly exhausted state from having to shuttle humans, mechs, and the three oil tankers back to the coast. He floated lazily on the waves in his Veritech alternate mode, awaiting the dead-tired others to board so they could return to the Ark for some hard earned rest… and then a sensor started to beep.
He shook himself out of contemplating what his recharge berth was going to feel like when he got home, to focusing on just which sensor was making the noise. Surely, there weren't any more humans out here, it had been hours since the military had taken the last group to safety. What out here would set his sensors off?
Everyone was sitting inside Jetfire's cargo bay waiting to be taken back to the Ark for a trip through the wash racks and then a good night of recharge. They were expecting the doors to close any moment and the gentle scientist's engines to start up and take them home.
They weren't expecting this…
"OH SLAG!! OPTIMUS!!"
The stunned and startled Autobot leader jumped to his feet and hurdled the mechs in the way between him and Jetfire's cockpit. "Jetfire! What is it?!"
"It's moving!"
"What's moving? Jetfire? What's moving?"
"The Allspark! Earth's Allspark is moving!!"
-----
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