Gotta go fast
Chapter 21
A/N: Hope you guys are enjoying it, please R&R thank you.
As he awoke his helm ached. He immediately regretted onlining his optics as everything looked as though it was spinning. He groaned as he sat up from his lying position on the floor. He remembered hearing Arcee's voice over the comm link as he awoke but now he heard everyone's voices. Ultra Magnus stood over him and offered him a servo to help him up from the ground. He graciously took it and got his bearings as he stood back on his peds. He noticed that everyone had huddled together as they were assessing what had happened except Ratchet was not amongst them. "Peeled some paint off Laserbeak" Arcee held part the wing that the rookie had managed to shoot off "If I were a better shot Ratchet would still be here"
"Chin up soldier, we've combed the entire floor. For the moment that remains our only clue" he gestured to the metal in Arcee's servo. Knock Out pieced together that Soundwave had kidnapped Ratchet while they were knock out but for unknown purposes. He recalled that the last thing he remembered was protecting Luna from the silent mech and then he was shocked by one of the tentacles. "Nothing in the ground bridge log; if they bridged out of here they used theirs not ours" Bulkhead moved from the ground bridge controls to the others.
Knock Out then moved away from them his optics scanning the area. He hated himself for not noticing earlier.
"Why take Ratchet prisoner but leave these three behind?" Arcee asked finally noticing that Knock Out was in his own little world and his face was becoming angrier with each passing second.
"Because he didn't just take Ratchet…he took Luna as well" as Knock Out finished he noticed a glare on the floor on the other side of the room. He remembered that that was where Luna was the last time he had seen her. Approaching small item on the floor he immediately saw that it was the brunette's phone. He picked it up gently and kept it safe. He groaned as his spark began to ache.
He had failed her. He promised to protect her and he failed, but he was sure as hell going to get her back.
"If Megatron intends to hold our medic and the native hostage I find it curious that he has made no demands" at this point the bots were joined by Optimus as he had returned from scouting around the base.
"It stands to reason that Ratchet and Luna must possess something the decepticons want"
Ultra Magnus then gave them all a confused look as he processed the information. "What could a human possibly have to offer" before anything more could be said Knock Out's fury was released onto the commander as the red bot hit Magnus making him stammer back.
"You're talking about my squishy there! And she's not useless; she coded together the means to a holoform, helped repair Bulkhead and fixed Wheeljack. Luna is not like any ordinary human" he defended her. The former con knew to not strike the commander again. Before he could continue to let out his frustrations he turned away from the others so that he could go outside and be alone. Optimus watched at the mech disappeared knowing it best to leave him to think.
"Well whatever the cons are after Ratch won't give it up…Right?"
"Perhaps if they threatened Luna if he doesn't cooperate" Arcee stated the idea making everyone go silent. Time was obviously running out and they needed to locate the warship if they were to have any hope of saving the medic and human as well as stopping the decepticons from cyberforming the planet again.
Knock Out had heard what the others had said having moved to the door so that he could look up at the sky. He couldn't help but frown as he was scared for what Luna must be going through. He hadn't found her pendant which meant she still had it so he knew that she would activate the tracker when she could. He listened as the autobots behind him were trying to work out what the decepticons wanted. He was sure to be the one that would rip the communications officer apart.
Luna didn't care if she looked stupid or terrified there was no one about to see her having what looked like a staring contest with the silent mech. She just gazed up at his visor not knowing if he was looking down at her but she was sure he was as he was looking down in her direction. They hadn't been at this long as soon as she was brought aboard decepticons had come to meet Soundwave and take Ratchet away while she was forced to remain with Soundwave as he brought her to his quarters.
She presumed that there was no better place to keep her for the time being that she could not escape from except being in plain sight, so she was dropped onto the console of Soundwaves monitor while he worked. Ever since she had not taken her eyes of off him and he had noticed and was now doing the same to her. Her mouth hung open slightly as she waited for him to do something.
Luna flinched when the communications chief lifted his servo and pointed at her. She feared that he was going to pick her up again but he did not. She was about to question him when Megatrons voice sounded from him "Afraid?"
"Think I'd be stupid if I wasn't scared but I'll happily admit that I'm not as afraid of you as I probably should be" Luna was more scared for Ratchet because for some reason the decepticons needed him but she wasn't quite sure why she was there.
She knew that she needed to signal Knock Out but it would be difficult with Soundwave around. The one design flaw that you could never get round is the discretion of activating it. If the silent mech was as observant as everyone said then she was going to have to be smart about it. Luna watched as Soundwave moved away from the monitor and out of the door but before she could think about quickly using her necklace a vehicon entered and snatched her up violently. She was jerked left and right making her spin a little. Her arms were trapped in the decepticons tight hold so there was no way for her to try an escape.
A shiver shifted up her spine as she saw that they had joined the dark warlord himself and his second in command Starscream gathered around a closed door. The gladiator gave her a quick glace of disgust before ordering his minion holding her to follow behind. The room they entered was dark and huge but there was nothing in it which her question what they were going to do with her. She continued to struggle in the cons grasp even if it was worthless, she refused to do nothing while her planet was sure to be in danger. "Are you through poking around in my head? You didn't find what you were looking for did you? Or else you wouldn't be here" Ratchet's voice sounded from in front of her but she could not see as Megatron stood tall in her view and obviously blocking her from view. Now she got it. She was bait, a way to get Ratchet's cooperation.
"What I want apparently does not yet exist" she hated the sound of Megatrons voice it was quiet but harsh and unwelcoming. Luna wanted to shout out to him but knew better than to do that lest she be tossed side by side again or worse. "And that would be?"
"We would very much like you to complete your work on the formula for synthetic energon" he sounded as though he a nervous child asking his mother for something but she could see right through his tricks she just hoped that Ratchet could too. She also wondered why the cons would need synth-en especially if they controlled Earths supplies already. What did the formula have to do with the Omega Lock?
"Even if I were capable do you think I would hand you the limitless supply of fuel and ammunition just so you can turn around and use it against the autobots? His voice grew louder as he spoke.
"Oh you misunderstand dearest Ratchet, I intend to use your formula for the purpose of creation not destruction" there was silence almost as if Ratchet was actually listening to what the mech was saying. If anything Luna was sure to not let the decepticons get what they want. "We have fortunately discovered that your synth-en when combined with cyber-nucleic acid may in fact for the basis for an alternative cyber-matter"
Her eyes widened at the information. Cybertron could still be revived, it could once again hold life. Knock Out could go home. Out of everyone she knew that Ratchet was the one that wanted to restore the planet the most which frightened her even more. There was a part of Ratchet that would probably happily go along with this. "You are attempting to rebuild the Omega Lock"
"We stand on the verge of a great moment in time you and I; the restoration of our very home world" Megatrons words were very persuasive but still just as threatening.
"Collaborate with the barbarian who essentially destroyed our home planet in the first place, who statistically crushed Bumblebee's voice box while looking him in the eye – no thank you" Luna gasped at hearing that it was Megatron that had done that to her favourite scout. She was never told who had done it or given the details of what had happened only that the young bot had fought bravely, refused to give intell and paid the price. She noticed that the room went quiet after she gasped the optics of the decepticons in the room, apart from Megatron, on her.
"Then I present you with a choice" Megatron lifted his left servo and held it out as he spoke his right servo following "Complete your research or…" Soundwave stepped forward so that he was nearer the medic his visor lighting up to show an image of Jack, Miko and Raf. Not only were they going to threaten her but they were threatening the others too, Luna growled a little at it. Starscream folded his arms cross his chest as he chuckled to himself "Humans; always the weak link"
"Are these humans supposed to mean something to me" now Luna could see Ratchet as he shrugged his shoulders. She knew the medics game, considering that the children weren't present the decepticons couldn't really threaten them properly. She noticed that the cons then stepped away and the drone holding her tightened his grip before taking a step forward. Ratchet was now fully aware of her presence. "I'm sure this one does" the warlords gaze shifted to her, his blood red glare making the hairs on the back of her neck stand and her breathing becoming heavier. "If not to you doctor, then to Knock Out perhaps"
Her face turned red as her anger grew. "Don't you dare give him what he wants Ratchet!"
"However if this isn't enough to gain your cooperation then maybe this will help" his helm twitched to Soundwave again. The communications officer dissolving the image of the children out and another of the autobot base taking its place "As you most certainly be aware, we know the location of your current base. Accept my offer and I will allow your fellow autobots and human pets to remain unharmed" Ratchet looked down as though he was actually considering it. She was about to shout out again to tell him not to but the drone shook her as she took in some air to speak, it was as though he knew she was about to protest. "Consider my offer" Megatron turned and left the room. Ratchet met Luna's eyes before she was literally thrown from the decepticons servo into Soundwaves once again and they too left the room leaving just Ratchet alone with his arms bound.
For some reason Luna didn't fear the mechs hold on her, it sort of reminded her of Knock Out. He didn't hold her tight but just firm that she was sure that she wouldn't fall. Her arms rested on his digits as her legs swung as Soundwave walked behind his master. "My liege, you aren't really going to allow the autobots to remain operational?" Starscream questioned his master as they walked. Megatron shifted his helm to look at his second in command "Of course not. Assemble your armada Starscream and decimate their base once again" the seekers immediately brightened at the order. An evil smirk on his face plates. "Soundwave continue your work and watch over the human. We need her if we hope to gain the autobots cooperation" the silent mech nodded and turned back into his quarters, the door shutting firmly behind him.
Soundwave placed her down on the monitor again but he did not continue his work instead he stood there watching her. He played the same recording he did earlier of Megatrons voice, pointing to her asking if she was afraid. "I'm not afraid of Megatrons threats towards me if that's what you're asking" the mech cocked his head questioningly a question mark appearing on his visor. "My life has been consumed in threats and torture that none of it scares me anymore and through all those years I learned something…" the room remained silent for a moment as she stared into his visor trying to see through it "A threat only means something if you can deliver it" she then remembered that the gladiator had ordered the stilettoed seeker to destroyed the autobots base.
"A threat only means something if you can deliver it" Soundwave repeated what she had said and moved closer to the monitor tapping away at the keys until the screen above lit up with the footage of the attack that Starscream was leading on the autobots base. She watched as the seeker lead an armada of seekers behind him in their alt forms. The humans on the base had immediately responded to the incoming attack and hopped into their aircraft to counter attack and protect the base. The attack was useless though as the decepticons were able to fight through it. Starscream took the distraction as he boosted ahead and fired both of his rockets at the building marked 'E'. She gasped as they moved quickly through the air and came upon the target. The autobot base exploding completely with only rubble and fire remaining. Starscream retreated from the inferno and then footage cut short.
Luna's mouth hung open as tears formed in her eyes. The base was gone along with anyone and everyone inside including Knock Out. Her body weakened as her heart sank. She fell to her knees in defeat, what were they supposed to do now?
She lifted her hand to the bottom of her neck line to grab her necklace but felt nothing. Her eyes grew even bigger as she looked down to see her beautiful gift but saw nothing. The pendant was gone.
Soundwave saw that how she reacted to the destruction to the autobot base and didn't expect her to react any other way but she had quickly become panicked about something. She felt around her neck and her head seemed to be searching around on the monitor for something. His visor lit up with an image of her when she first arrived and he immediately noticed that there was something around her neck once but now it was gone. Luna noticed that he was observing her and seemed quite curious or she thought anyway it was hard to tell around him.
"That's my necklace it's…it's important to me, you know special" she didn't want to tell him that it was a gift not only form Knock Out but made by him too just in case suspicions were made. Her eyes drooped and looked down. The memory of the base blowing up kept replaying in her mind. She crouched down to make herself as small as possible. She guessed that it didn't matter anymore if she activated the device but she still wanted her pendant seeing as it was more than just a wearable safety precaution.
Her thoughts drifted to her now deceased cybertronian. She missed his signature smirk and his crimson optics. In fact she missed conversations; although she was communicating with the communications chief it felt more like a game of charades to her considering that she was the only one that could talk. She knew that she had to be careful like walking on egg shells around the cons especially this one. She didn't trust the silent types.
Luna watched as Soundwave seemed to be distracted by something that caught his vision on the floor. He bent down to pick it up and then returned to his post now facing her. His servo held out to her and hanging on one of his digits was the object that she wanted to desperately cling on to. Her pendent was held out to her which she quickly took and placed around her neck. "Thank you" she said calmly to him. He nodded and went back to his work. "What do you achieve from being loyal to a mad bot" she got no answer from him just a quick glance in her direction.
She opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out. Her grasp on her necklace tightened. "Nothing good can come from following some insane…" she wasn't allowed to finish what she was going to say as one of Soundwaves tentacles shot out and struck hersending her body flying to the wall.
A pained groan escaped her lips as she squinted her eyes. The cold floor made her shiver and further improved her uncomfortable nerves. She heard the silent mechs footsteps as he came over to her lying form. After a moment she pushed herself up to look at him, which she saw no point to because it wasn't like she could read any facial expressions. Before she could even stand herself up she was snatched and tossed through the air again. Luna screamed as she flew, breathing becoming harder. Tears welled up in her eyes as she crashed into the opposite wall and fell to the floor again.
The pain was indescribable. She wanted so much to have died with Knock Out. Whatever may happen she was sure that she would refuse to help the decepticons, but at that moment it didn't seem like she would get that chance to do so or to see another day again.
The only thing that was sure was that that her body was sure as hell going to have so many bruises either that or she was going to be one big bruise. It not like anyone would notice that she was gone, especially seeing as Knock Out was now gone. If she did survive she was going to make the decepticons pay for what they had done. This is where her brain became a weapon; she knew she had enough knowledge to take down the entire ship even if she was still on board.