A new arrival
Chapter Twelve
Captured by Knockout
Set some time after "Stronger, Faster" and "Crossfire"
Megatron was standing in the command center of the Nemesis, overlooking the operations of his ship.
A few vehicons were talking near the controls, while others operated at their work stations.
Soundwave stood silently among them, making sure everything went smoothly.
While Dreadwing stood silently awaiting orders, like the loyal Decepticon he was.
The doors of the bridge opened and Knockout entered the room and approached Megatron.
"My liege." Knockout addressed his leader.
"Yes, what is it Knockout?" Megatron replied.
If there was one thing Megatron disliked, it was listening to Knockout's petty complaints.
"I have recreated a sample of the synthetic energon." Knockout informed him.
"Good work, Knockout." Megatron praised Knockout. The news, a surprise to him.
"But there is a slight problem." Knockout pinched his fingers together as a visual aid to indicate the scale of the problem.
"Go on." Megatron said coldly.
Knockout gulped.
"I can't find anyone to test it on." Knockout gathered his courage and blurted out.
Megatron's brow raised slightly.
"The Eradicons refused to help me, of course you could order them to co-operate..." Knockout suggested.
"We all have to make sacrifices Knockout, but I will not undermine their loyalty to me for your little project." Megatron reminded Knockout.
"Well I did have something else in mind." Knockout offered.
"Yes?" Megatron asked with interest.
"With your permission of course, I was hoping to leave the Nemesis and lure the Autobots with a distress signal and to capture one of them."
"You would never succeed. You are only squandering your time, for a simple lab rat Knockout. " Megatron criticized Knockout's plan.
"But I know a bot worth the effort, with guaranteed success!" Knockout assured his leader.
"Who did you have in mind?" Megatron asked with interest.
In all the time that Megatron had been acquainted with Optimus Prime's team, he had never met a bot that he believed could be easily captured.
"The newest member of Prime's team. A young medic with limited fighting experience.
If I pretend to be damaged, then he would be the one they would have to send out first.
An easy target and an easy success and I could also use a cortical psychic patch to draw out the location of the Autobot's base out of him. Would that please you, my liege?" Knockout inquired.
"Indeed it would. Make the necessary preparations and leave swiftly. Report to me as soon as you extract the location of the Autobot's base." Megatron ordered Knockout.
"I understand Lord Megatron." Knockout acknowledged.
Knockout then approached a group of Eradicons who were talking amongst themselves.
"You four! Come with me, I need an ambush team." Knockout called out and pointed to the group.
They all nodded and followed Knockout to the energon vault.
"Take one energon cube each and one for me and then follow me." Knockout ordered
The Eradicons complied and then followed Knockout.
They then left the nemesis and drove quickly to a nearby forest.
Once there Knockout and his ambush team walked around the forest until they found a clearing.
Knockout got his prod out and pressed it against a tree in many areas, the constant charge of electricity leaving burn marks on the bark resembling blaster shots. He then proceeded to do the same thing to more trees.
The Eradicons scattered energon everywhere and smeared some on their bodies to feign injury.
Knockout admired his work and gave an order to the Eradicons. "You can't hide your energy signatures but you can take them by surprise. Now form a perimeter and wait for my signal."
The Eradicons obeyed and placed themselves behind the trees surrounding the clearing and lay down on the ground.
Knockout then took his turn to lie on the ground. He took out his prod and placed it next to him and smeared energon on himself and sent a message to the Autobots with a weak voice. "Knockout calling Autobots... M.E.C.H have attacked us... ugh... require... medical assistance. We have nothing to offer you... please come anyway..."
A ground bridge soon materialized in the clearing.
Having the foresight of anticipating a trap, Optimus Prime sent out a team of three bots consisting of Rivet, Arcee and Bulkhead for medical assistance, scouting and backup respectively.
Arcee scanned the clearing and read out the reading to Rivet "I'm detecting five energy signatures scattered through the clearing. Bulkhead and I will check out. It could be an ambush. You treat Knockout over there."
Arcee pointed to Knockout lying on the grass and went with Bulkhead to investigate.
Rivet approached Knockout and placed his patch kit on the grass.
Rivet observed that Knockout was conscious and clutching his frame, fingers stained with energon.
"Thank you... for coming." Knockout uttered.
"Don't mention it." Rivet replied in a neutral tone and turned around to retrieve equipment from his kit.
In that moment when Rivet took his eyes off Knockout, Knockout picked up his prod and and pressed it against Rivet's back rendering him unconscious.
Knockout rose and taunted to Rivet's unconscious form. "Never take your eyes off the enemy."
Knockout then picked up Rivet and placed him on his shoulder and yelled out, "I NEED COVER!"
Knockout then made his escape with Rivet on his shoulders while the Eradicons fired at Arcee and Bulkhead.
Rivet woke up to the sight of the Knockout's laboratory.
Rivet looked down and to his horror saw that he was shackled to a table.
Oh...scrap! I think this is Knockout's dissection table. Rivet thought with misfortune.
Rivet turned his head and saw Knockout fill up a syringe with synthetic energon. Things were not looking bright.
Knockout approached Rivet, syringe in hand. The tip of the needle blending in with Knockout's talon like fingers.
"I'd be lying if I said this wouldn't hurt a bit, so I won't say it."
"This is going to hurt a lot." Knockout said, his face a few centimeters away from Rivet's own, infusing fear into the Autobot.
Knockout took hold of Rivet's arm and injected the synthetic energon into it with the syringe.
Rivet grunted in pain.
Rivet's cyan blue optics began to fill slowly with green light. Rivet closed his eyes in pain and passed out.
Hi guys, thank you very much for reading this chapter. I hope you enjoy the suspense :)
