"What-what the frag just happened?" Wheeljack demanded as he stared off into the direction Jack had fled. "Did I honestly just hear that right?"
Bumblebee whirled, and while June couldn't understand what he was saying, the clearly distressed tone was enough, especially with Arcee's answer.
"I don't know if it was just something Knock Out said; Jack certainly treated it like it was true." She said and looked down at June, a haunted gaze in her optics. "Is…is it?"
Wheeljack looked at her as well. "Yeah, Knock Out said that Jack told you, so what's going on? Was Knock Out just being a fragger or-or was it actually-" he cut himself off abruptly.
June bit her lip as she clenched at the hem of her shirt nervously. She knew the answer they wanted to hear, but she couldn't lie about this; not when Knock Out had up made a mess of things. "It's true," She whispered, wincing as Bumblebee made a strange metallic groan that sounded suspicious like a wail, and both Arcee and Wheeljack still looked disbelieving, "Jack told me about it. He said that he was rescued, and that was when Optimus…hurt him," June clenched her fists this time, her throat constricting as she fought back the tears, "and then Optimus just gave him back!"
Bumblebee's whirls became more distressing as he looked like his world was crashing down around him and even Arcee seemed a bit lost.
"Optimus wouldn't-" she grimaced-"how could he have-why would he do something like this?" her optics began to widen in realization. "This is why Jack was so afraid of him when we tried to get him back, why he won't come back."
"It really is true then?" Wheeljack questioned, and June nodded. Without a word, his expression hardened and he walked into his ship. He was only gone for a few moments, and when he came back out, he practically ran at the ground bridge which opened up before them.
Bumblebee and Arcee looked alarmed as the Wrecker ran through, and they quickly followed after him. June felt bewildered as well, but she was torn between staying behind if Jack came back, and seeing what was going on. Hoping that Jack would come back on his own, June reluctantly walked into the ground bridge before it closed.
When she stepped into the base, she blinked as she saw both Bumblebee and Arcee holding Wheeljack back as the Prime looked startled. She peered cautiously up at Ratchet as the medic glared at the Wrecker. "What happened?"
"Wheeljack came charging through the ground bridge and just up and took a swing at him." Ratchet explained.
"I would like to know what caused such a reaction from you." Optimus said as he tried to regain his composure. "Have I done something wrong?"
Wheeljack scowled. "With all due respect, sir, I won't be taking orders anymore from a mech who's no better than a filthy 'Con." He snarled. "I watched Knock Out violate Jack right in front of me, and to know that you're no better makes me sick."
Arcee looked angry. "Knock Out did what?" she demanded, her expression sorely telling of how she wished she had just shot Knock Out when she had the chance.
With the force of her own rage washing in, June kind of wished she did too. It made her even angrier when Optimus blinked and his expression shifted from confusion to understanding.
"That would explain why Jack was so afraid of me, if he thinks I violated him."
June clenched her fists. "Not thinks you did, knows you did." She hissed.
"Ms. Darby, I have known Optimus for centuries, there is no way he is capable of committing such an atrocity against another." Ratchet said firmly, but June didn't let up on her glaring at both him and Optimus.
"Jack wouldn't make something like this up, not when he told me what Knock Out and the other Decepticons did to him." June said.
Arcee's optics widened. "Other," her optics narrowed immediately, "Jack said the other 'Cons did things to him?"
"Yes." June said tightly, growing uncomfortable with this line of questioning. Telling them what Optimus had done was relevant at the moment, and Jack didn't need any reason to mistrust her because of her slip up. "The point is that Jack wouldn't have been with them if Optimus hadn't given him back to the 'Cons."
Ratchet made a startled choking sound. "What?" he questioned incredulously. "Now that I find highly doubtful."
Optimus heaved a heavy sigh as he looked at his troops, with Arcee's growing suspicion, Bumblebee's anguish over this, and Wheeljack's insubordination, he glanced over at Ratchet. "Old friend, I will need you to access my chronometer for the past few months; if I am to prove my innocence in this matter then they need to see."
"Optimus, that could take hours to sort through." Ratchet pointed out.
"I am aware of that, but I feel this is a pressing matter." Optimus replied and looked down at June. "You may of course stay to watch the proceeding, but while I believe Jack is no liar and that he has suffered at Decepticon hands, you will see that is was not me who could have…assaulted, him."
June crossed her arms around herself tightly. "I guess we'll find out if you are telling the truth." She muttered, hoping that this was something a bot couldn't just up and change. She glanced up when she caught sight of Wheeljack clenching his fists before he paused next to her.
"If you're gonna stay here and check if Optimus' story is legit, I'll go look for Jack." He said.
Ratchet paused in hooking a medical cable into one of the access ports in the Prime's wrist as he narrowed his optics at Wheeljack. "Do you think you can just go out there like some…" he paused and his optics brightened when he seemed to find an appropriate phrase, "white knight and you'll find him a second time? You don't even know where to start looking."
"Better than just standing around and doing nothing." Wheeljack bit out.
"Yes, I'm sure this will work out just like your last excursion when you're feelings got the better of you." Ratchet retorted.
Wheeljack froze, his expression going blank. In a moment, he narrowed his optics as his mouth set into a grim line before he wordlessly pulled the lever to the ground bridge and walked through the portal.
June furrowed her brow and looked up at Arcee. "What was that all about?"
Arcee grimaced, glancing over at Optimus momentarily and then back down at June. "Bulkhead was severely injured on his relic hunt, and Wheeljack took Miko with him to get revenge."
June's eyes widened, and she stared over her shoulder back at the ground bridge; one part of her wanted to follow after the Wrecker and knock some sense into him about how stupid dragging Miko with him was, but another part knew she needed to be here instead to watch the chronometer. "How exactly will this procedure work?"
"All the stops I've made in the last few months have been catalogued into my systems, it will show up on the screen and each destination will be pinpointed with earth locations." Optimus explained, and then his gaze turned to June specifically. "If there is something you find suspicious, you may ask and I will answer to the best of my ability."
June narrowed her eyes as Ratchet scoffed. "I still say this isn't going to prove anything." He said.
"Are you saying that Jack is a liar?" June questioned, her tone soft yet there was a dangerous lit to her voice.
Ratchet vented heavily before he looked at the nurse. "I am not trying to insinuate that Jack is a liar, merely that he is traumatized by his ordeal with Knock Out. Many Autobots who were captured and given to Knock Out rarely came out any better, if they came back at all."
June frowned to herself, but as the information started to appear on the monitor, she hoped Wheeljack could find Jack a second time. She shuddered to think of her son meeting Knock Out in the desert again.
When Jack's terror died down and he could think through the cloud of fear that had come over him, he 'looked' around to see that he was flying over a mountain range. This didn't exactly help him pinpoint his location, but it at least gave him a reprieve than what had happened earlier in the night.
Even now he still wanted to shudder from the feel of Knock Out's touch, both in disgust and in pleasure.
Jack vented as he flew low into the range, knowing that it wouldn't do for him to be caught by any sensors that could give away his location to the 'Bots or the 'Cons. He regretted running from his mother, but he just couldn't face Optimus yet unless it was to shoot him in the faceplate.
Hovering over the ground, Jack transformed back into root mode and narrowed his optics as he scanned the area for anything familiar. He blinked when his optics landed on several pillars sticking out of the ridge, and he couldn't stop the burst of incredulous laughter that came out.
'I don't believe it; of all the places I could have gone, I actually came back to Starscream.' Jack thought in disbelief. It seemed that he a bigger attachment to the scheming seeker than he realized, and he wondered whether or not that was really a good thing. 'Given the alternative? Yes, I suppose he is.'
Jack shook his head as he started to trek over to the Harbinger; he was gone for a while, but he still didn't want Starscream questioning him too much about how 'clearing his head' went, if the mech bothered to ask at all.
Walking through the mountains had Jack taking in the rocks and rubble, trying to place them on the night he'd gone with Starscream to the Harbinger the first time around. They must have come in from a different route as nothing was jogging his memory, but the tingles on his plating had him almost sprinting the rest of the route. Distracting himself could only go so far before the cold grip of Knock Out's unpleasant touches resurfaced.
Jack clutched at his helm; how he could he have just stood there? He felt pathetic to have been frightened at the mere sight of Knock Out that he could have just frozen up. With a wordless shriek, Jack changed his servo into a blaster and fired at a pile of boulders, blasting the rocks to bits. Grinding his denta together, Jack aimed at another boulder, imagining in his mind that it was Knock Out standing there with his smarmy grin.
His blaster stalled, and Jack snarled as even the thought of hurting Knock Out still kept him from blasting at a pretend copy. Narrowing his optics, Jack reluctantly got rid of the image and the blaster went off, once more reducing the boulder to a smouldering pile of rubble.
Venting deeply, Jack felt a sense of relief that he hadn't thought he'd enjoy; with a laugh, Jack aimed for yet another rock and fired, watching gleefully as it exploded. His wings twitched in accordance with his enthusiasm as he released all his pent up anger and despair on his surroundings.
Giggling somewhat hysterically, Jack felt light-headed as though he'd just gotten drunk. Perhaps it was the rush of exhilaration that left him high on euphoria, or the much needed outlet to vent his frustrations with his situation, but he was feeling better than he had in months.
Jack grinned dazedly when he saw a form walking up the ruined path, the bulky armour covering a much smaller mech inside. Jack walked up to the other mech, who looked around in surprise at the destroyed landscape. "Hey, Starscream," he said and wobbled as he got close, "what are you doing out here?" he asked and giggled once more.
Starscream looked at him incredulously. "Are you drunk?"
Jack snickered. "Kinda, it just feels so go-od to let lo-o-ose." He said and peered up at him. "Now you answer my question."
Starscream rolled his optics. "I heard the insufferable racket you were making and thought it best to check and make sure I had not been compromised." He explained huffily.
Jack pouted as he shuffled closer to Starscream, his blaster once more returning to a servo. "There's no one but me." He said swaying slightly. He blinked his optics a few times before stumbling past him. "I'm tired, let's head back." He might have felt intoxicated, but even in this state Jack realized Starscream was likely rolling his eyes with his next comment.
"That was the idea."
Knock Out stormed down the hall, Megatron hadn't been happy he'd come back empty-handed and without the drones, but even he seemed to realize that there wasn't exactly anyone else aboard who could fix up the troops if the medic was out of commission.
Too bad Knock Out felt so torqued off to feel grateful; his optics narrowed as he thought of Jack with that Autobot, was he still with him? Rage continued to course through him, fueling his jealousy as he wanted nothing more than to take that Wrecker apart.
Which was why he had come here, to the monitor room; he needed to vent, and his collective disgust with the drones made them a perfect substitute. As long as he didn't kill them, Knock Out could get away with anything; he'd used one of them before for his pleasure and he'd gotten nary a glance despite how uncomfortable the Vehicons had gotten with him.
Tonight it likely wouldn't help his reputation among them, but he was far too lost in his fantasy of peeling back Wheeljack's plating to care about that.
Opening the door, Knock Out watched the Vehicons scatter from their viewing of the vids of Jack they had, but the red mech only had his attention on the first drone he spotted. "You," he said darkly and the Vehicon stiffened, "come with me, now."
The drone leaned back. "Knock Out, sir, I'm currently on duty," He protested, but Knock Out's optics narrowed dangerously, "but helping you takes priority." He added reluctantly.
The red mech smirked. "Glad you see it my way, now hurry up, I don't have all cycle." He said walking out of the room. Knock Out could hear the scrambling of the drone to catch up with him, but with a glance back Knock Out saw that the Vehicon kept out of arm's reach. 'How cute, Jack used to think that keeping a certain distance would save him too.' He thought in amusement, but with the reminder of Jack being gone, it only made him angrier as he found himself thinking of the Wrecker. 'Filthy Autobot, how dare he think he can take what's mine. Right now he's probably pawing at my Jack with those unrefined lumps he calls servos.'
When Knock Out reached his destination, he keyed in the access code, knowing that no one would bother him in this room since it was essentially his playroom where he spent much of his early time with Jack. Besides, if those drones were still watching the feed, then this would serve as an example for them not to presume they could watch their vids of his Jack without consequence.
"Get on the berth." Knock Out ordered, and the drone hesitantly got on the berth, flinching when the red mech locked the door. "Oh, I wouldn't want us to be disturbed, Wheeljack."
The Vehicon jerked back. "Sir, I-I'm not-" his protests were cut off when Knock Out struck him with his energon prod. The drone collapsed against the berth and twitched from the shocks that were running through him.
Knock Out narrowed his optics as he secured the drone's wrists to the berth and stood back for a moment; he watched as the image of the drone before him become overlapped with the mech he really wanted to be on this slab. "You are going to wish you'd never been sparked, Wrecker." He hissed and went to retrieve his tool cart. "I wonder what I should remove first; I could snuff out your spark…"
The Wrecker struggled against his bonds and flinched when Knock Out picked up his scalpel. "There's no reason to do that." He said warily.
Knock Out tilted his head as he approached Wheeljack, smirking as he stopped at the waist. "You're right, it would far too quick and too easy." He said and hummed with false thoughtfulness as his expression brightened. "I know just the thing," he said and leaned down closer to Wheeljack's audio, "for touching what's mine, you deserve my best care."
When Knock Out placed the scalpel onto the stomach and pressed, he savored the scream he got out of the mech.
He was going to enjoy taking Wheeljack apart very much.
Jack hung limply from the arm of Starscream's Apex Armour, as he'd picked Jack up and 'deigned' to carry him the rest of the way all the while complaining of how thoughtless Jack was to have caused such a ruckus in the first place. Jack only remained silent as he enjoyed being carried around; after what felt like hours of aimless flying, it was nice that someone at least knew where they were going.
Being carried ended all too quickly though as Starscream roughly put Jack onto his feet once they were inside the ship, and Jack walked down the hall toward the wash rack. He might have felt ditzy, but that still didn't stop the overwhelming feeling of need to get clean from sinking in.
Turning on the solvent tap and soaking the rag in the cleaning solution, Jack set about scrubbing himself down and paused when he reached his thighs, trepidation forming in his spark. He grimaced, closing his optics as he scrubbed his thighs and winced when he felt his panel slid back and he started to clean out his valve. Jack shuddered throughout the scrubbing, and he was flooded with relief when he was done, the last of his high being replaced with an overwhelming renewal of angry towards Knock Out's actions.
"Knock knock."
Jack twitched, his wings hiking up as he glared over his shoulder at Starscream, who was out of his armour and leaning against the doorway. "How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough to know that it takes a few scrubs to get the stain of energon out of one's cables." Starscream replied. "I didn't know you had medical training."
"I don't." Jack grimaced. "Someone else patched me up; it surprised me too that Wheel-" he cut himself off abruptly and froze as the name almost slipped out.
"Wheeljack did this?" Starscream questioned as he walked in, his expression unreadable. Jack tensed as he wondered what the seeker was going to do, trying not to flinch when the seeker cupped his chin and tilted his helm to inspect the patch job before his optics roved over the rest of Jack frame speculatively. "I see now why you would want to be clean."
Jack's optics widened in shock; did Starscream know? Did he suspect? "I don't know what you're talking about."
Starscream narrowed his optics, but rolled them a moment later. "Fine, be that way, just stop thinking I'm going to violate you too." He said and Jack cringed. "And quit flinching! If I wanted to make you interface with me I would have done it by now."
'You were going too in here before.' Jack almost said, but their fragile mutual co-operation was more important. Besides, if Starscream's method of coping was pushing things away or ignoring it, then Jack could deal with that. "You're right about that." He agreed tentatively. "I'm just grateful that you've allowed me to come back at all."
Starscream smirked. "Of course, I need my minion after all." He said and Jack rolled his optics. "While I might not be a medic, I do know that you just need to wait until you're self-repairs inform you that it's safe to remove the patching. That of course is going to hurt like slag whether you pull something else or not."
"How concerned you sound." Jack said dryly as he washed away the remaining energon on his neck.
"Turn around and give me the rag, I'll wash your wings for you." Starscream said, but when Jack clenched the rag tighter, Starscream only shook his hand insistently. "I'm not going to do anything; wings are very easy to damage and you'll give me that rag if you ever want to fly again."
Jack vented heavily as he handed over the washrag, allowing Starscream access to his back. He gritted his denta at the rough handling to his back armour, but there was an almost caring quality to how he washed his wings that didn't have him reacting the same way Starscream had when Jack had washed the others wings for him. 'Great, this just means Starscream really was setting me up.'
While the rest of the time in the wash racks was silent and in no way companionable, it at least wasn't uncomfortable; for now, that was good enough.