The Human Prime
Chapter 38: Moon Base
Drexel watched Sam closely while they waited in the laboratory in Iacon. With Artemis in a meeting, they had to wait for her to come out before they could proceed with anything. Sam would reach for some buttons and Drexel would immediately draw her away from it. Light stayed against the wall, not wanting to converse with any of them at the moment.
"Drexel, I'm finished!" Siren walked up to the black scout and held up a chest plate. "This should work well with your alt form, just like K9."
"What is it?" Arcee watched Drexel place the equipment on his chest. It locked on perfectly. He was beginning to look more like Soundwave every day; thank goodness his spark was still as good as gold.
"'RazorWing.'" Drexel vocalized. Being called, the chest plate immediately transformed into simplistic metal bird and turned towards them.
"Drexel and I have been working together to study Soundwave's mini cons. We studied his Ravage in order to make K9. Then we studied LaserBeak in order to create RazorWing here." Siren was about to go in further with the boring details, but Drexel picked up the bird and allowed it to return to his chest.
"Now we got a spy in the sky! Cool!" Sam smirked. Before she could continue her thought, Arcee interrupted.
"I wonder how Artemis is doing." Arcee looked out into the hall where Ratchet and Optimus were standing. They were worried too.
Hall of Records
"My Seekers had intercepted communications between Starscream and his lieutenants. He is up to something up in Trypticon Station." Artemis explained to her fellow generals.
"Anything to do with Starscream is a really bad sign." Ironhide rubbed his chin, in deep thought.
"Do you have any more details?" Jazz asked, but Artemis shook her head.
"Artemis, you should rest. You were severely injured in Crystal City." Orion frowned at her, not paying attention to what she was saying.
"I'm fine. Ratchet works wonders. Orion, this could be very serious. Someone should investigate!" She insisted, but no one looked willing.
"All of my Seekers are out on patrol near Kaon. I can't call them back now." Jazz frowned. Artemis looked at Prowl's empty seat. He was still in medical bay. If he was here, he'd agree with her right away.
"Then let me investigate." Artemis finally said. "Me and my Seekers."
"Artemis, you just got back from a major battle. Your unit is in no shape to go anywhere and neither are you." Orion argued. "As troubling as this news is, we can't put any more lives in jeopardy by taking any unnecessary risks."
"This is one hundred percent necessary!" Artemis slammed her fist on the table. "There is no risk! My Seekers are fine. We can get in and get out without anyone noticing us."
"There's more." Orion said before she got to out of hand. "There is a rumor going around that Megatron will be visiting Starscream up at the station soon."
"Even more reason to go and investigate." She insisted.
"I'm sorry." Orion began. "But it is too risky. You will not leave Iacon." Artemis paused, taking in the in the order. She lowered her head, not saying anything.
"Yes, Optimus. I understand." She had never used the name with him before. Orion wasn't sure how to take it. She immediately left, not saying another word.
Artemis POV
"ShadowVolt, is this everyone?" I asked him, looking around at the small group of Seekers I asked him to gather up.
"Yes, all of them able and ready." ShadowVolt answered, standing firmly. "Uh." He pointed behind me and I turned to see what he was gesturing at. Optimus. I walked over to him, hoping he didn't know what I was doing.
"Don't." He immediately said. I lowered my head and looked away from him. "You're injured, this is too dangerous."
"If I don't go, the Autobots will lose this war." I looked up at him, my face solemn.
"Going doesn't guarantee we will win." Optimus put his hand on my shoulder. "The odds aren't in your favor."
"They've never been. Ever. And yet, I'm still here." I said sternly. He looked at me for a long time. "Wouldn't you give anything if it meant that Cybertron would be safe?" Optimus flinched before nodding.
"Be careful." He finally said.
"Yes, sir." I muttered before turning to my Seekers. "We remain unseen! Stay in pairs, report anything you find." I watched them take off towards the station. I stopped ShadowVolt before he could. "You're with me." I transformed and rose into the sky. Everything was fine, until I felt something tailing us.
Hall of Records
"Are you sure?!" Orion asked the scout reporting in.
"Yes, she left not too long ago." The scout repeated. Orion slammed his fist against the table.
"Try and contact her." He ordered Ironhide. Ironhide immediately stood up and went to the computer in order to try and gain communications with Artemis. Orion turned and Optimus and the others walk in. "Artemis took off for the station."
"By herself?" Sam asked, frowning a bit. Artemis did sound very mad when she explained that Orion was letting her investigate, but was she stupid enough to go alone.
"No, she took a small group of Seekers with her." Orion stared at the table. He dented it.
"Then what's the problem? Let her investigate." Bulkhead groaned, not knowing the big deal.
"No! Megatron will be there!" Orion raised his voice ever so slightly. Everyone's faces went pale. Artemis never mentioned that they knew Megatron would be there. Optimus looked scared and guilty. He had let her go without knowing.
"She won't answer." Ironhide said, slamming his fist on the keyboard. Drexel stepped forward. It was only then that they realized his chest plate was missing. He connected with the computer and, in seconds, the computer lit up with a video feed of Artemis and ShadowVolt flying.
"You tailed her?" Arcee asked, raising a brow.
"'Suspicious.'" Drexel's vocalized a piece of an old com-link conversation.
"She's almost to the station." Orion was shaking. All they could do was watch.
Trypticon Station
Artemis landed and immediately transformed into Solstice, pinning herself closely to the wall. ShadowVolt followed her lead, clinging to the wall. She looked at him, seeing if he thought they were seen. He shook his head slightly and she nodded back. She smirked and looked up. The floating bird landed next to her, staring, not once moving its gaze. Artemis shook her head and smiled.
"Drexel, you sly fox. When did you get another one?" The bird was silent, but she knew he was probably laughing to himself at her. "Okay, you can come, but I can't have you dragging behind." At that moment, the bird transformed into the chest plate. She mounted the plate on her back, with the lack of any other place to put it. She heard a whisper through her com-link.
"Artemis, Megatron is here, but it seems Starscream is else were." One of her Seekers reported.
"Thank you, keep me posted. ShadowVolt and I are going in. Remain outside." She noticed ShadowVolt's mouth drop and begin to shake his head furiously. She grabbed his servo and tugged him into the station.
The first hall had no guards, but she could hear them approaching. Artemis lowered her red visor and allowed it to show her different variables. She rushed forward, allowing ShadowVolt to follow at a pace he felt comfortable with. The visor told her when it sensed approaching guards and how to escape from them, a neat little device indeed. Solus knew how to accessorize.
"The guards are getting heavier. We must be getting close to the laboratory." Artemis found an open door. She gestured for ShadowVolt to stay behind as she peeked in. She saw Shockwave, reviewing data on his pad. However, that was not what made her gasp. What she saw was in the middle of the lab, behind thick glass, was shards of Dark Energon.
They were small amounts, Dark Energon was such in short supply, but this was what Artemis was afraid of. She remembered that it was Starscream who located Dark Energon on this station. Megatron would use it to taint the planets core in an attempt to create more. He succeeded in their dimension; she couldn't allow him to in this one. She was glad that the bird was on her back. It wouldn't be able to see what she was seeing now. If they did, they would no doubt be trying furiously to contact her.
Artemis wasn't done however. She needed to find out where Megatron was before she started any advanced towards the destruction of those shards. She snuck passed the door then gestured ShadowVolt to follow. He rushed over and followed her down more corridors. She never lost track of how to get back to the laboratory when she was finished though.
They found themselves in another lab soon enough. It was empty, but seemed to have been used recently. The bird dismounted itself and floated around the room. What was Drexel thinking? Oh, well. It didn't matter. The room seemed to be avoided, so no one must have been allowed in there at the time.
"ShadowVolt, check the database with Drexel's minicon. I'll look through the room." She watched him walk over to the computer. Though he wasn't able to do much, the bird was already plugged in. She began opening the many closets in the room. Artemis opened the last one, farthest from the door and gasped.
Seekers, at least a dozen of them, were cuffed, braced, and gagged, crawling up at the far side of the closet. She stepped closer and looked over their faces. They were Starscream's Seekers. Though, she had no idea why they were tied up in a closet. She called ShadowVolt over and he too was surprised. She reached over and ungagged one of the bots.
"What happened to you?" Artemis asked plainly, not getting too close to the bot. Any Seeker of Starscream's was a trickster at spark.
"Megatron…he came while Starscream was gone and took over the station. He ordered us cuffed and gaged. They threw us in here, waiting for Starscream's return to the station." The Seeker was shaky and his optics showed fear. "I-I think they're going to kill us."
Artemis looked over the faces again. Starscream's lieutenants were not among them. These were just scared Seekers, following orders. She looked back down at him and found no sense of treachery in his optics. She turned to ShadowVolt before stepping back. She ordered them all ungagged, but didn't allow the cuffs or wing braces to be removes.
"Seekers, I sympathize your situation and fear that you will be slaughtered by the hands of your own. I rather not allow innocent sparks to be sacrificed. However, I do not have the man power in order to transport you to Iacon's prison to all of those who still wish to remain loyal to the Decepticons. So, I am offering you a deal." She noticed all the faces were still and their audio receptors listening intently. "Leave the Decepticons, join the Autobot cause. We will protect you."
"What's to stop you from putting us in jail when we get to Iacon? What to stop you from slaughtering us on your own?" One of them asked.
"I believe all sentient beings are capable of change. If you pledge your sparks to the Autobot cause, I will trust you." Artemis saw one of them stand shakily.
"We are Starscream's Seekers. Yet you trust us?" This Seeker had a sly grin on his face, but it was all an act. He still had fear in his eyes.
"ALL sentient beings are capable of change…Starscream's Seekers or not. You are all just Cybertronians in my optics." Artemis waited a bit longer. Suddenly, one with a frail frame stepped forward and fell to their knees before her. She immediately un-cuffed the Seeker and allowed him to walk out. More stepped forward and all were un-cuffed. Another stoop up, but pressed himself against the wall.
"I'd rather rot than be an Autobot." He growled.
"I respect your decision." Artemis answered back and with that, the rest also denied the offer. She stepped out of the closet. "I'm sorry; I cannot free you without you all putting my mission in danger." With that, ShadowVolt went in and replaced all of their gags. She felt sorry for them. There was nothing more she could do.
"What do we do now? We can't just be walking around with all these guys." ShadowVolt brought up.
"I know. That's why you are going to bring them back to Iacon." Artemis waved for the bird to come back to her side.
"What? What happened to stay in pairs?"
"Meet with the others and all of you go back to Iacon. Make sure they Seekers are tended to." She put her servo on one of their backs. He looked very weak.
"I meant you." He folded his arms.
"I have Drexel with me." She smiled at the bird that came and landed on her arm.
"Artemis."
"ShadowVolt, that's an order. Now, go. I don't want you around for what I'm about to do next." She headed toward the door leading back out to the hall.
"And what would that be?" ShadowVolt raised his brow at her. She took a capsule from her belt and held it up to her face.
"I'm going to blow this place sky high."
Artemis POV
I rushed through the halls as the alarm sounded loudly. ShadowVolt blasted a hole in the wall in order to escape with the injured Seeker. I hope I was right in leaving my Seekers with them. I hoped I could trust them. I ducked into halls, clung to the ceiling for every guard that rushed by.
I had to take the long way around in order to get back to the laboratory. When I did get back however, Shockwave was still there. He seemed un-phased by the alarm. As if his work was far more important than anything else that was going on. He did seem aware of it though. A little stiff, he kept his body ready for any sudden movements. If I wanted to get at the Dark Energon, I needed to take care of him first.
The bird flew off me and hovered just over Shockwave's head. The scientist immediately flinches and looked up at it. He looked confused as the bird ducked behind some containers. He called out Laserbeak's and approached the containers. He thought it was Soundwave, perfect. I inched towards him, not wanting to make any sudden movements.
I approached him and he turned almost immediately. In the rush of the moment, I swung my arm in which he caught. Using the leverage, I jumped and used both my legs to kick him into the wall behind him. He aimed his blaster at me, but I managed to get close enough to him that he couldn't get a shot. I punched him in his middle, causing him to lean forward far enough for me to plug in Solstice's cord into the back of his head. He went into system shut down.
I let out a soft sigh before unplugging and looking over at the Dark Energon. I picked up the bird and mounted it on my back before stepping towards the controls. As soon as I opened the container, my energy seemed to drain. I gasped for I forgot how much the Dark Energon would affect me. Regardless, I took the grenade off my belt and reached in to place it among the pile of Energon then immediately closed it.
I set the time for two minutes, that's all it would take for me to get out of the building even if it didn't get me fully out of the blasting radius. However, I didn't plan on turning right into Megatron as soon as I left the room. I looked up at him, my optics wide. I knew I was in deep scrap.
"Not very wise to pull a stunt like that with me on board." He grinned down at me. I saw his eyes and knew that he had been getting rather close with the Dark Energon. No wonder he had such immunity to it back in our dimension. I backed up, but he stepped with me.
"Had to try something Megatron." I looked down one hall. He must have known what I was thinking because he reached out and grabbed my neck. I struggled in his grip; I didn't have time to be jousting him right now. If I didn't get out now, who knows how much of me they'll be left after the explosion. "Sorry Megatron, but the clock is ticking and I don't want to be late."
I transformed into Phoenix and took off down the hall. I blasted a hole in the wall large enough for me to take off, but as soon as my wings stretched out into the open space, I heard the bomb go off and the roaring of the explosion. Scrap.
Hall of Records
Everyone gazed up at the screen, the grey fuzz was not a good sign. Drexel tried his best to get Razor Wing up and running again, but he deduced that the optic and audio receptors were damaged. They all heard the explosion; however they had no idea how close she was to it.
"We still read he life signal." Ironhide wished he could contact her.
"Jazz, go and welcome the incoming Seekers." Orion finally asked, letting Jazz walk out. "Ironhide, can you pinpoint her signal?"
"Yes, only a few clicks from the Seekers and gaining fast." Ironhide answered before pulling up the data full screen.
"Contact ShadowVolt, see if you can get him to hold till he has visual confirmation." Orion didn't wait for an answer, he was already walking outside. Sam stormed passed him and after staring at the dot representing Artemis on the screen, the others soon followed.
The sun was just beginning to rise outside. The Seekers that came in first looked exhausted and tattered. They groaned and moaned as the waiting medical bots swarmed them to get them to med bay. Those who were apart of Artemis' unit waited patiently for their leader, ShadowVolt was not among them. However, his figure could be seen coming in for a landing.
"Where's Artemis?" Jazz was the first to approach him.
"I waited for as long as I could. I strained my engines idling for so long. I didn't see her." ShadowVolt sighed and took a knee. MoonRay, who had been searching for him since they left earlier, came to embrace him.
"What's that?" Arcee pointed out a figure highlighted in the sun's rays. Sam squinted hard, trying to see a face in the severe light. She smiled and jumped in place.
"It's Artemis!" She ran towards her, hoping to meet up with Artemis.
"Something's not right." Arcee squinted trying to see something from such a distance. "She's coming in so steep."
"Sam!" Optimus shouted in which Sam responded by stopping. She looked back at him briefly before looking up at Artemis. Sam scrambled back as she came in for a crash landing. When the debris cleared Sam scrambled up to her feet.
"Artemis!" She ran over to her and Optimus and Orion followed. They peered down at her, now transformed back into her original bot mode.
"What on Cybertron." Jazz let the words slip out of his mouth when he saw not only the damage done to her by the explosion, but the large purple crystals lodged in the wounds.
"Dark Energon." Everyone looked up to find Alpha Trion, staring down at them with a worried look on his face. Artemis was out cold.