The week had passed Ironhide was no closer to finding Will than he had been days ago. He was run haggard, he hadn't slept since he threw Galloway into the ocean. He wanted nothing else then to blow up the computer screen he had been looking at for days. But he kept searching, there was still time left. All the Autobots were with him, as they had been since the beginning of the week. Though some were not in as bad shape as Ironhide, they also had worked themselves into the ground.
Ironhide was staring at the computer screen when it happened, the screen turned black, the Decepticon symbol flashed into the middle of it.
"Soundwave" hissed Mirage. The 3rd in command under Megatron was the only 'con that could have done this.
"Someone get Optimus now!" yelled Jazz.
"I'm already here" answered Optimus calmly. He walked up behind Ironhide, standing so that his shoulder brushed up against 'Hides. A tech soldier ran into the war room.
"Optimus, Sir, every computer screen on the entire base is like this. Epps sent me to tell you that he has moved Sarah and Annabelle into their quarters, they won't be able to see anything that goes down."
"Thank-you, Private Ryan."
Private Ryan nodded before moving and taking his place among the other humans that were there. A moment later Epps joined them. Everyone's attention snapped back to the screen when it turned blood red, melting away to show Megatron looking at them with a grin on his face.
"Brother, how are you, I've hope you've been well"
"Megatron" was all Optimus said as he gazed at the bot he once called brother.
"What no hello, or go to the Pit" Megatron said chuckling, before he looked from Prime to Ironhide. "Ironhide how well you look, I hope you have been resting well this past week."
Ironhide clenched his hands into fists as Megatron chuckled at his own cleverness, before his face grew serious.
"I have given you a week Optimus, will you surrender?"
Prime looked at Megatron with nothing but contempt in his eyes. "You know the answer before you asked. I cannot surrender the planet and leave the humans to you."
A gleam appeared in Megatron's eyes. "So be it, Scalpel you may begin."
The camera angle changed, Scalpel appeared on the screen, as the Autobots watched he climbed onto a table that had Lennox strapped down. The Autobots watched in horror as Scalpel broke all of Lennox's ribs. Lennox screaming his voice raw, the humans turned their face away from the sight. The video suddenly become silent, the camera zoomed in to focus on Lennox's heart that had been forced to stop beating.
The camera left the gory scene to refocus on Megatron.
"I kept my word did I not Optimus. This fleshlings blood is on your hands brother. Just like your dead mate's. How I wish you were there to hear her screams of agony. How she begged me to end her life, to end her misery, such sweet memories…Oh dear brother have I upset you?"
Optimus was visibly trembling, grief and fury danced in his optics. What Megatron did to Will was one of the worst things he had seen him do in a long time. During his time as Leader of the Autobots he had seen his share of tortured bots, Megatron always liked to show off his work. It was something else to see him do it to a human. Humans that felt so much, pain was so much worse for them. It also shook Optimus that Megatron had mentioned his spark-mate's torturing. In the last weeks, Elita-1 had blocked a lot from him.
Megatron smiled at his accomplishment to upset Optimus so much that he could see it. He turned to look at the weapon specialist. Disgusted to see energon tears freely running down the mech's face.
"Pathetic, you are even weaker than that organic, and even that pathetic mate of yours. Ow she was brave the first day but crumpled the second, and the third and all the days after that. Imagine a warrior that my entire army feared crumbling under a matter of hours. Her screams lasted hours her voice never going out, oh such sweet memories. I think I will leave you now brother, until the next human."
The link cut, the screens returning to normal. Ironhide couldn't move, Will was gone, he failed. His knees gave out, making him fall painfully on them, he didn't even register the pain. He covered his optics with his hands the video of Will's last moments. Shudders started to run through his frames, until a sob toar through his lips. Ironhide the Great Weapon Specialist broke down in sobs. He didn't care he was in front of his fellow Autobots, his charge, his brother was dead. The pain of his severed bond came back double, his spark calling out for Chromia and Will. Not only did the bastard kill Will he once again rub in his failure to save Chromia and Elita. He felt a hand come down on his shoulder squeezing gently.
He tried to shake it off but it gripped harder. More hands joined the first, drawling him to his feet. Optimus wrapped his arms around his oldest friend for the second time in his adult life. All the other bots were gathered around the two, for many it was the first time they had seen Ironhide break totally down, it scared them to think of him as 'human' as the rest of them. To many he seemed to be without fear, a stonewall to rely on when times got tough.
Ironhide at first didn't do respond to the hug, then he began clutching at Optimus, like he was the only thing keeping him from drowning.
"Orion, I failed him, I failed everyone" whispered Ironhide, using Optimus's name from long age, before he was a Prime.
"No Ironhide, you did everything possible, some things are just out of our control. Megatron will pay for this."
Ironhide was quiet for a moment before he continued. "I've got to tell Sarah, Orion"
Optimus nodded allowing Ironhide to break their embrace. All the Autobots cleared a path for Ironhide to pass through. Ironhide didn't look at anyone as he passed through the ranks of the Autobots, his head hanging down to the floor. He stopped just in front of the sliding door. The Autobots watched him wipe the remaining tears from his check plate, taking a big breath he raised his head and squared his shoulders. Sunlight poured through the doorway as Ironhide opened it. For a moment he was framed against the sun, making his armor as black and unforgiving as a black hole. All the Autobots as one turned to look at Optimus when Ironhide was gone.
Jazz stepped forward, "Optimus, what do we do now, whats our next move?"
Optimus looked at his troops with flat hard optics. "We fight back."
Megatron leaned back in his throne satisfied that it had worked. He had broked Ironhide's spirit once and for all. He turned his head to gaze at the cage that sat next to his throne. Will gripped the bars of his cage until his hands were white, his eyes still fixed on the screen were moments before he saw the strongest being he ever knew cry.
He was startled when his cage began to move, he jerked away as his cage was brought eye level with Megatron.
"So weak, crying over the way we 'killed you'. No one will come looking for you now, HBE-1." Megatron smiled evilly. "Shockwave can continue his vital research on you as much as he wants. It no longer matters if he kills you or not."
Silent tears began to fall down Lennox's face as Shockwave took his cage from Megatron a few minutes later, heading towards his lab.
Ironhide took Sarah out of the base to break the news. They left Annabelle in the care of Epps, Ironhide wanted to tell Sarah first. The drive was silent, dread began to coil in Sarah's stomach the longer Ironhide didn't speak. He stopped at a point where the Earth crumbled into the sea. One lonely tree hung by a few roots over the water.
He activated his holoform and took Sarah's hand. "Sarah, I failed you today" he took a big breath before continuing. "I'm sorry to have to tell you that Will is dead. I broke my word, I should have tried to do more."
Sarah gently stopped him, pulling her hand over top of Ironhides, tears streaming down his face. "Ironhide, I know that you did everything possible." A sob tore through her life then, Ironhide wrapped his arms around her just like Optimus did to him. Together they sat there, he even shed some more with her. When Sarah finally dried her eyes, there was a deadly light in them.
"What are you going to do about it?" Ironhide meet her gaze.
"What do you think I should do" he asked in quietly. What he was planning to do and what she was asking could be two different things.
"Kill them all" was the hard reply. "Kill them as slowly as they killed Will."
Ironhide took her hands between his own. "Every Decepticon I come across, I will now destroy, not an easy death with my cannons. I will rip there beating sparks out of there chest with my bare hands."
In outer space Prowl's pod drifted past Jupitor.
Sorry for the delay, I broke my sisters laptop on the 27th of December and only last week did my parents get a new desktop. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, sorry that the characters are a bit out of character. The next chapter is going to explain the Decepticon twins and Prowls relationship.
p.s.- Please watch me and my friends on Youtube, The Turtle News by TheTurtleNews. If anyone can guess correctly on which person I am, I will load the next chapter by next Tuesday.