Luna stood oblivious, as the whirling barrels of the auto-gun took aim, about to launch their charges at the small human teenager, like a deer being hunted.
"LUNA!" a voiced called out.
Luna turned her head and looked towards the source of the interrupting voice. A sleek blue robot stood before her. Arcee placed a hand against her metallic waist, leaning her weight to one side as she stared down at Luna.
"What are you doing out at night all by yourself? The base is in disrepair! If you stepped on an exposed electrical line, you'd be charbroiled Carvaline!" Arcee showed her concern as she knelt down before Luna, meeting with her face to face.
Above them the auto-gun, being manipulated by the sentient drones of Rattrap himself, focused its shot, a tiny red laser sight lining up with Luna's head.
"Go back to your room, Luna" Arcee said with a motherly scowl, "It's not safe in this part of the base just yet."
Luna blinked and was about to respond, but something caught her attention. On the ground to her side was a small candy bar she had dropped. She had brought it just for Cheetor, as he liked to try and get a taste for it. As she bent down to pick up the candy bar, the auto-gun's laser sight shifted as she moved her head, and in a split second, Luna's eye caught glimpse of the gun locking onto her.
She turned to Arcee in a fluster, snatching the candy bar and began to run for cover, "I'LL GO TO MY ROOM! I'LL GO TO MY ROOM!"
The auto-gun reacted and let loose a barrage of energy shells, blasting round after round towards Luna, as Arcee watched on in shock, as the base defenses seemingly turned on them.
Arcee's arms shifted form and narrowed, forming two precision rifles with deadly aim, "That's not me doing this! Go, GET OUT OF HERE!"
The sleek Autobot fired at the auto-gun, but her shots only were absorbed by the energy barrier that formed around each gun, a design Wheeljack might not have installed if he knew they would be used against his comrades. Ignoring her assault, the turret gun fired only on Luna, keeping a tight beam on her as she ran towards the exit. Arcee stepped between the turret and Luna, a stray shot skidding across her shoulder.
Luna did a running slide towards the exit as the Turret fired into the hallway, "HAH! NOW WHAT!" Luna exclaimed, as her back pressed against the wall, keeping out of sight and out of range.
Arcee could only watch on as the auto-gun moved forward, sparks flying as it grinded against a metallic track placed across the ceiling of the base. The gun moved into the hallway, and locked back onto Luna.
"Slag..."
She leaped forward, and dodged more blasts, until she managed to find Cheetor's room once more, as she barged into the room and quickly shut the blast door behind her.
"CHEETOR!" Luna exclaimed, as she fought for breath, "Savage. Paw. Thing. NOW!"
Cheetor sat up in his bed and rose a metallic eyebrow at her, wondering just what has gotten her so flustered, "Luna, I can't leave my room, remember? And besides, if training with Bulkhead has you this frazzled, maybe you shoul-"
Luna cut him off as her hand shifted into a blaster, "LISTEN TO ME! Being grounded was enforced BEFORE the base started trying to kill me!" She turned to the door, her eyes widening as her foot clashed against the metal door, kicking the steel frame in frustration, "Arcee is still out there fighting it! UGH, we gotta go now, or do...something! Anything!"
Arcee remained outside, still attempting to draw the gun pod away from Luna, firing relentlessly as her shots continued to be absorbed and blocked by the shield around it. Her head shook in frustration, she was out of rounds, and force would not get this problem solved.
A metal fist clashed on the door leading into the Autobot Sick Bay, domain of Ratchet, "Ratchet! Get up! I know you aren't recharging in there! And we kinda have a situation!"
Back in Luna's room, Cheetor's body shimmered and warped slightly, lines of code appearing across his face, "Well...why don't you just relax, and stay here while we take care of the probleeeeeem. The defense grid is firing at Luna!"
Luna watched in shock and horror, as she came to the realization, she had been lured into Cheetor's room. But for what reason?
A brief stirring emanated from the medical ward of the Autobots, as Ratchet peered out shortly after, "What are you talking about?" He said in response to Arcee's claims, "The Auto-Guns have been all temporarily shut down so Rattrap can work; they can't be firing at this time!"
Arcee brought her shoulder into view, a large scorch mark staining her sapphire armor, and Ratchet's argument became invalid. He realized someone -or something- was after Luna.
Luna covered her mouth and stepped back slowly, as the hologram of Cheetor sneered and stared at her arm with unrelenting eyes, "What...who... who are you? What the slag do you want?" Luna's tone turned hostile, she wasn't in the mood for any games.
A small rodent like machine leaped up from behind Cheetor's bed, a bright cone of light emitting from its tail, producing the hologram, "C'mon Luna, you're tired. You should know I only want what's best for me. Rest up, you're exhausted."
Luna shook her head and glared at the bed, seeing one of Rattrap's drones producing the fake Cheetor, "Oh slag..." She shifted her arm into a high-powered blaster, and pointed the barrel directly at the drone, "Rattrap is one sick bastard."
The hologram dissipated as the drone scurried off, avoiding the shot Luna fired that blew off half of Cheetor's bed. As the drone ran off, the lights in Cheetor's room blacked out, casting perfect darkness around Luna. From the blackness, five ominous red lights shifted around, each pointing at Luna.
Her eyes widened and knees began to buckle, her entire body shaking in fear, "Oh, God..." She prayed this was all a joke, and that Cheetor was behind it all. Or better, Cheetor was going to save her, anyone even, she wanted this nightmare to end. She attempted to try the Savage Claw link, hoping he was nearby enough to activate it, but her fear sent her into a deep sense of paralysis.
Suddenly, a metal fist knocked on the door she leaned on, "OPEN UP ALREADY!" The voice called out. Cheetor slammed his fist against the door as he continued to enter his override code, "I only left my room to find Luna, dammit! I can't be in that much trouble for that! C'mon I'm CONFINED THERE!"
Her body jumped up and turned to where the sound came from, hearing Cheetor's voice and relaxing a bit at its sound, "I-I haven't locked you out! The doors just closed on their own!" Luna began to sob and hugged herself tightly, "I'm ...I'm scared Cheetor. Open the door please, PLEASE!"
Cheetor clawed at the door, trying to break through, "It's not working Luna!" Despite the unsuccessful attempts, he continues at it, barely making a scratch in the thick blast door.
Shaking even more now, Luna stared up at the red lights as they moved closer, "It's no use Cheetor! Go get Arcee, o-or Bulkhead! Maybe they can help get the door down!"
Rattrap sat in his quarters that Optimus had arranged for him, watching the scene unfold from the eyes of his drones. On one screen, the terrified Luna, and on the other, a valiant Cheetor, clawing at the door in hopes to save his friends, "Ah, what it's like to be young, rash, and idiotic." He said to himself as his hand hovered over a small button in his chair, "Sorry kid, you play the house, and you're gonna lose." In slow motion, Rattraps hand fell down, colliding with the button.
The lights blare in Cheetor's room as Luna shielded her eyes from the intense light. The red lights inching towards her are shown to be nothing more than five rat drones which instantly scurry off, except for one. The drone shyly inches towards Luna, and lifts its tail up, projecting a holographic screen, showing the scene playing out behind the blast door of Cheetor's room.
On the screen, Luna watches helplessly as Cheetor claws madly at the door, bits of his hands breaking off due to the strain, "STOP IT,CHEETOR! DON'T!" Luna cried out, but it was to no avail, Rattrap had activated a barrier around Cheetor's room, blocking her communications.
A slow knock rung out on the door to Optimus Prime's chambers. The door shifted, and the leader of the Autobots stood proudly as he looked down at his guest, Rattrap.
"Optimus, there's something you probably aught' ta know." Rattrap said, trying to contain his wicked smile.
"Is there something wrong with the base repairs, Rattrap?" Optimus replied.
Rattrap's eyes narrowed as he knew, his plan would work, he had all the pieces in his favor, and now, all he had to do was claim the first pawn, "Yes and no, y'see, the base repairs are going fine, the mapping at least, but my drones, they tried to scan a few of your auto-guns for analysis and, we found somethin'."
"What did you find?"
Rattrap held up a small chip, on it, the Decepticon insignia was present, "Not uncommon really, my mistake not to check for them first. They're override chips; the Con's use them to take over any automatic weapons and turn them from searching for Decepticon energy signals, to Autobot energy signatures."
"Have they been activated yet?" Optimus asked, holding the chip now within his fingers.
Luna could only watch in horror as three Auto-gun pods lowered themselves from the ceiling, their barrels all aimed at Cheetor. Her eyes wide, and hurting from the tears overflowing; Luna could only scream out as she watched the scene unfold.
Cheetor's ears perked up as he turned around, watching the auto-guns lock onto his signature, "So, this is how we end our game, huh?"A trio of laser sights hit Cheetor, the red dots converging onto his head, "I always knew you were a coward, Rattrap."
Cheetor closed his eyes as the auto-guns unleashed a cruel barrage of energy rounds upon him, his body scorched and broken as he slid down along the metal door, energon leaking from his body as the auto-guns still fired upon him.
Luna stood in silent agony as her best friend was mowed down by the defensive weapons, her body weakening as she heard every shot fired, every chip of Cheetor's body shattering. Her knees gave in and she feel to the floor, her palms slamming onto the cool floor. It was hell.
Optimus rushed forward and channeled all his might into his sword, the special material piercing the auto-gun's shields as the three gun pods fell to the ground, and powered off. Behind him, Ratchet, Arcee, and Rattrap approached, with Ratchet running up and immediately scanning Cheetor's body.
"His spark is fading, he's taken heavy single burns, and his repair function is failing fast!" Ratchet scooped up Cheetor's body in his arms, and rushed off to the sick bay, "I need to get him on instant spark support NOW!"
Arcee looked around and felt her spark flux oddly, "Prime, where's Luna?" She asked, a bit fearful for her fate.
Rattrap interjected himself to answer Arcee's question, his boney metal fingers rattling in delight as he watched Cheetor's body be carried away, "One of my drones was in that sector. According to the video feed, Cheetor locked her in his room when he came out to see what the trouble was. Then...the con controlled turret found a target."
Luna sat in Cheetor's room, shaking wildly as she hugged her legs, sobbing in the corner. First Wheeljack and now Cheetor.
Optimus patched into his com-link and spoke, "Bulkhead, I want you and Bumblebee to remove all armed auto-guns from their power supplies. I don't want another incident like the one we have just bared witness too." Shutting off the link, his attention turned to Arcee, "Go assist Ratchet in the sickbay, I will be there shortly."
Arcee nodded and dashed off, running to join Ratchet.
Rattrap neared the door Cheetor's attack was in front of, smiling away from Optimus' view as he gazed at the energon staining the door, "Another Con trick too…" Rattrap said, as he began to fiddle with the door, "That chip interferes with the locking mechanisms of these doors. They can make them open and close as they please; so they can't take cover or get away."
"Can you open it?" Optimus asked, his attention was not on Rattrap's claims, but rather, the safety of Luna.
"Eh, in a few clicks, and trust me, Luna will be outta here in a jiffy." Rattrap replied, "Or a body bag." He thought to himself.
Inside Cheetor's room, another of Rattrap's drones approached Luna, squeaking to her in a cutesy mouse fashion.
"L...Leave me alone! Haven't you done enough?" Luna spoke, her words breaking fast overwhelming sadness and grief.
The answer was no, as the drone projected another hologram, replaying the scene of Cheetor's attack over and over, in a hellish loop.
Luna's eyes opened wide as she tried to run away from the images projected to her, "NO NO NO NO NO!" She tripped over her own legs and collapsed, crying profusely as the drone cared not for her misery, and continued to force her eyes upon the images of her friend dying.
"Optimus, you should go help Ratchet in the sick bay, I can handle things here." Rattrap said as he stood outside Cheetor's room.
Optimus nodded, and left Rattrap alone to work.
As soon as Optimus left, the door magically opened, as a small rat drone greeted Rattrap when the metal blast door slid open,
"Good boy…" Rattrap entered the room, to find Luna sobbing in the corner. He smiled and approached her, "Kid, you're new to the game. So let me inform ya on something. Friends are dangerous, cause when you got friends, you got something that can be used against ya'. Take your folks for example. If yer folks were never friends with these Autobots, they might still be alive."
Rattrap smirked and slinked off, leaving her stunned and broken with his words, "Here's to Spots, and may he make a rapid recovery."