Chapter 11 (longest chapter to date - you're welcome)


"Bumblebee, see if you can get Smokescreen!" Arcee called to the scout as she ripped a Vehicon's helm clean off, blades on her arms slick with energon. The scout nodded, taking off through the rabble of fighting Vehicons, Bulkhead covering him by continuing his game of bowling-with-mechs. Knockout grinned smugly as the Autobot zipped past Megatron and Optimus's continuing battle, standing to face him. "I owe you a little something, bug." The Doctor sneered, and Bee narrowed his eyes. "You scratch my face – I scratch yours."

But before Bee could engage the doctor, Smokescreen suddenly jumped up and threw him off, kicking the con's weapon away as he landed on his aft in the dirt. "Then I should get a free shot at your paint, right?" Smokescreen smirked, gesturing at the long scratches in his own finish.

The Doctor hissed in surprise, quickly realizing he was now outnumbered and without his primary weapon. "THAT doesn't count!" He barked defiantly, trying to scoot away to save his precious finish – until suddenly an Insecticon flew in, shifting from its altmode and landing hard between them, shielding Knockout from the Autobot. The doctor blinked, and Smokescreen backed up, raising his blasters.

Seconds later the rest of the swarm arrived – Insecticons surrounded the previously winning Autobots, cutting off all means of escape with their bulky frames. Bumblebee grabbed Smokescreen and backed up, trying to rejoin the others to give them a fighting chance…. Until the Vehicons came up between them, raising their weapons, the sound of blasters charging echoing a bit around the space.

Optimus paused in his fight, glancing to his surrounded team – and Megatron took advantage, a mighty swing hitting him hard enough to send the Prime flying, and slamming into a rock formation on the other side. Megatron laughed, slowly and leisurely approaching the Autobot leader. "What now, Optimus?" the warlord chuckled, standing over the other as he slowly pulled himself up. "Are you going to tell me what has become of my communications officer? Or shall I extinguish every one of you comrades before your very eyes?"

"Megatron…" Optimus started, looking up at the warlord - until he was cut off by the closing drone of an aircraft engine, and Megatron lost all focus on him. A familiar dark blue recon plane swooped down and flew in a loop above the site, leaving streaks in the air with its speed – before diving and pulling up into a transformation: Soundwave landed hard, cracking the dirt below him – right between Megatron and Prime.

"Soundwa-" Megatron gasped in surprise, but trailed off as the thin mech suddenly crumpled, servos giving out beneath him. The Warlord's quick reflexes were the only thing that kept him from going visor to the dirt again. Soundwave hung limply in his master's grip as if in a daze… or offline, it was impossible to tell. "Soundwave!" Megatron hissed, picking the spy up off the ground as if he weighed nothing, fight with Prime seemingly forgotten. The decepticon leader stared blankly, sticky energon seeping past his fingers: it was splattered across the blue-and-purple mech's frame.

Optimus watched, transfixed, unwilling to attack with Soundwave so defenseless. The Vehicons had all turned their attention to the scene was well, forgetting for a moment their Autobot prisoners.

Unfortunately for team Prime, the Insecticons were not so easily distracted.

Suddenly, Megatron howled, anguish directed at the sky, making every bot present jump- before rounding on Optimus. "You will all DIE for this!" He hissed, madness in his optics. "Decepticons, finish th-"

He cut off as a thin servo lifted to place itself on Megatron's chest plate, a silent signal to stop. The warlord glanced down at the mech in his arms – Soundwave's visor was turned up toward him, somehow conveying a pleading look. "What is it? Soundwave?"

The spy's visor flickered, bringing up an audio file. "'We saved you." Came Jack's voice, slightly warped and synthesized. "You OWE us.'"

Megatron seemed silently stunned for a moment, before his gaze snapped up and he shouted to no one In particular: "Is this TRUE?"

Not a single spark dared answer, Autobots still holding their weapons at the ready apprehensively. The silence was deafening.

Soundwave's fingers slowly slipped from his master's chest, leaving distinct energon smears right over the Decepticon symbol as his helm fell back, visor flickering back to nothing but blackness.

"Knockout!" Megatron immediately hissed, dangerous gaze searching for his medic. The red mech frantically got to his feet, surprisingly pulled up by the Insecticon that had defended him earlier. It nudged him toward Megatron, and Knockout yelped softly before getting his bearings and dashing over to the warlord, having to stand on his toes to examine Soundwave due to his master's height. He ran a pointed finger along the hole in the spy's chest plate, wiping energon away absently. "We uh, need to get back to the Nemesis." The medic proclaimed hesitantly, unsure if Megatron wanted to finish the fight first. It wouldn't surprise him.

Megatron looked up – in the meantime, Prime had edged away to join his comrades, the Autobots now grouped in a tight circle, surrounded by Insecticons.

"Open an emergency groundbridge, NOW!" the warlord ordered through his comm, and some of the Vehicons looked at each other. One shrugged. "We'll finish this at a later date, Prime."

Optimus blinked, and Arcee immediately got on her comm before Megatron could change his mind: "Ratchet, I think we need a bridge." She whispered, hopefully out of the warlord's audio range.

But Megatron was hardly paying attention to his enemies as he turned for the bridge that had opened behind him. Knockout followed on his heels, fidgeting nervously. It was now on him to save Soundwave, and if anything happened to the faceless mech, Megatron would have his head. The medic played over a few likely scenarios in his head, trying to conceive a feasable way to inform his lord that Soundwave would probably not survive. He hadn't gotten a long look before Megatron had stormed off through the bridge that now surrounded them, but hadn't really needed it: he'd seen the spy's spark fluttering in his chest – what had he been thinking, trying to fly like that? Anger flared in the red mech's mind, furious the other Decepticon would put him in such a position by taking such risk.

"Quit daydreaming Knockout!" Megatron suddenly hissed as they exited the bridge, entering the dim purple interior of the Nemesis. "Remember what I told you would happen if you don't PAY ATTENTION."

"Y-yes, lord Megatron…" Knockout stammered, taking the lead as they headed for the medical bay. He rushed in first, scrambling for the necessary tools. A pang of grief struck him as he realized how much easier this would be if Breakdown were around.

He buried the feeling as the Decepticon leader walked in, determined to work his hardest to save his own spark. Well, and Soundwave's.


oh look a climax

Still picking on KO X'D I hope Megatron was convincing in this scene, it's so hard to write him... caring about anything o_o;

-Kaini