CHAPTER 51
Pain
Jeff had curled into a ball on the bed in his room by now. On the ship, he hadn't heard Prowl's voice since the message. Likely because they didn't want to give any notion that they were still in contact with each other through an artificial bond. A fact that made his prison even lonelier than it had been before. He pulled his legs closer, it reminded him of the days before Sideswipe and Bumblebee had found him. He'd often pretended that the streets weren't so bad, but then again he often lied. This was much like that feeling.
Coldness. Loneliness. Discomfort. The feeling of dread that never seemed to quite stop eating away at the teenager's thoughts. The sound of the door opening yet again got his attention. He turned over on his side to see that Bloodshell had entered, with his hands on his hips. "Anything I can get you, my little noble?" He questioned with a sneer as Jeff turned onto his side "So quiet. Where's that attitude of yours now?" He questioned.
"Screw you." Jeff muttered.
As he felt a claw move onto his back, Jeff grimaced. He could tell that it was the mech's way of quieting him by the fact he seemed to pinch into his skin. The mech chuckled above him, his red optics flashing slightly. "Tell me half-breed. Would it still hurt if I skinned you alive?" Bloodshell questioned "I'm tempted, very tempted. After what your father did while fighting us." He added.
"If I were you, I'd be more concerned with my plating." Jeff groaned "My dad's coming for you whether you freaks see that or not." He stated as he quickly made a transformation into his Cybertronian form "Try ripping my skin now freak." He stated as he carefully smacked the hand away.
"Parlor tricks, nice." Bloodshell noted "Are those doorwings still growing?"
The surge of electricity he shot through Jeff's left door wing was the most painful thing he had ever experienced. He screamed, loud and hard as he felt his doorwing twitch and spin in pain. As Jeff attempted to transform again, a second pain shot up, a punch and slam to one of them. "Ouch that one sounded like it hurt." Bloodshell teased as he laughed "Just as painful as it was to have my wings clipped by your sire." He dropped Jeff violently.
Jeff's Cybertronian form forced him into his human one. Even still he could feel the searing pain that shot up his back and into his door wings. Prowl had always warned him of this, that the worst way to hurt a Praxian was through their door wings. "My dad... My dad is going to KILL you." Jeff explained with a quiet whimper "And if my biological dad did, he would do WORSE." He explained.
Bloodshell let out a small laugh at that, cracking his knuckles quietly. "By the time they get here, they'll be too busy to focus on me. Just as my comrades currently are with their preparations for them." He explained calmly "Why do you think I'm even coming back here for a little payback for this?" He questioned, as he pointed out two nubs that once held wings "The wings that your slagger of a sire ripped off in anger. And thereby forced me into a grounder mode." He explained.
"You can't rip mine off." Jeff growled "You'll kill me. You need me."
Bloodshell chuckled, using a foot to move Jeff onto his stomach. "That's true. But that doesn't mean I can't have a little "fun" with you before we take off." He explained with a light chuckle "You're almost eighteen, aren't you?" Jeff turned away "Good, that means I won't get chastised for torturing a child." He explained teasingly "Why don't you get back into that little Autobot form of yours?" He questioned.
"Why don't you eat Tox-En?" Jeff spat.
The next thing Jeff knew however, the door had slammed open. Jeff closed his eyes, quietly thankful that he had been saved by the bell. He stared up slowly towards Swipe, who only stared down at him coldly. "He is experiencing severe pain, you dolt." Swipe growled "Do you know what damage you could have done had that been on a higher setting!?" He then added "We need him in one piece!"
"Were you listening?" Bloodshell asked.
"For long enough." Swipe noted "Stop playing with the toy as if he were a prisoner. He is a PRODUCT."
"I'm neither." Jeff growled quietly.
The second surge through him made him shriek loudly, this one came from Swipe. And though he had not hit his door wings, which were luckily protected, he could feel the severe pain through his body. "Do not push your luck." Swipe stated coldly "We can find other ways to torture you that do not involve a fatality. And I've had just about enough of that mouth of yours as it is."
Jeff laid against the ground quietly, weak, pained. The pain in his door wings had subsided but he now felt week, and he could feel a bit of blood too. "See, now he's damaged." Swipe shook his head "Lay him down on his bed to rest it off. You've had your time to play, let's get on with meeting the Autobots." He stated "We need to get this over with." He explained.
As Jeff was tossed onto the bed, he groaned quietly. Though he wasn't unconscious, he sure wanted to be. He wanted out of this waking nightmare, he wanted to be back with the Autobots. But he also knew that at this point, it was just a longing, these mech's had power over him, and a lot of it. And it would take quite the miracle to get him out of there.
...
Prowl clutched his spark slightly, gritting his metal teeth. It was the third time in the last ten minutes that he had felt a surge of pain through his and Jeff's bond, and he knew that meant one thing. They had tortured him, or done some physical damage to him at the very least. "Prowl?" Cable stepped up behind him as they stood in a waiting position about ten feet from the base "What's wrong, son?"
"His door wings hurt. And it is not growing pains." Prowl muttered "I think one of them has been purposely bringing him excruciating amounts of pain, but I can't tell." He closed his optics slightly "I don't like this, father. I've never felt his pain this bad, not even with what happened with Tarantulas." He explained with a quiet murmur "It hurts."
Cable slowly massaged the mech's shoulder, knowing the pain he was speaking of all too well. To speak the truth, the fact Prowl could feel such pain enraged him as well. The thought that any of the Decepticons may have been hurting his grandson at that moment was a mental image he did not need. "Prowl." Prowl turned to him "It'll be alright, son, all we need to do now is wait for the signal." He then added "He will not be off lining today."
Prowl knew that much was true, as the boy's spark was still beating strong. But he also knew that it didn't make the pain he felt his child in any less agonizing than it was. Resting his blaster against his shoulder, he looked thoughtfully over at Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, who seemed to be listening in. "You two got a signal of any kind yet?" He questioned "We need to hurry this rescue mission up."
"Nothing." Sunstreaker growled lowly "I'm not liking the fact we haven't heard from Prime or Mirage yet." He then added "We should just go plowing into that damn ship, let me wring the fraggers necks while you grab the kid." He then added "Every minute he isn't here cracking one of his annoying little quips the more ancy I get and I don't like that." He sighed.
Sideswipe played with one of his swords carefully. "Tell me about it, if anyone else were in there I would throw caution to the wind." Sideswipe commented bluntly "Sunny and I both." He patted his chestplate "I'm still half tempted to. What with the gaping weak spots in the ship." He then added "But any place we go in, we could either be hurting Jeff or them. And I don't like it..." He explained.
"Sunstreaker."
"Yeah Prime, what's the status?"
"Mirage is inside the ship. He will open a door for two of you. The rest are to accompany me."
"I'm going in there." Prowl stated immediately.
"Bad idea." Cable explained "They'll find it fishy if you don't show up to hand over the ransom."
If it had been anyone but his father, he would have smacked the mech upside the head for questioning him. Yet as much as it pained him, he knew Cable was right. If he wanted Jeff back, Sideswipe, Sunsreaker, and Mirage were the best chance he had at getting him back. "You get him back." Prowl spoke carefully "You bring him back safe and sound or so help me, I'll have your heads." He explained "If he's hurt further-."
"Hey, it was our idea to rig the ransom." Sideswipe spoke up "This is our honorary kid brother we're talking about, Prowler. If you don't think we'll protect him with our lives, well..." He carefully checked his gun "You obviously don't know how big "brotherhood" is to the two of us."
"I agree." Sunstreaker noted "Get your aft moving Prowl."
"Do not press your luck." Prowl snapped "I am still your superior. And I still deserve respect."
"We can argue later." Cable stated "Move it you two."
Without another word, due to Cable's glare, the twins had transformed and sped off. Prowl didn't like it, even if they did love and care about Jeff, putting his son's fate in the hands of the terror twins was nerve wracking. Yet he knew that he had no choice, the whole thing depended on their plan working. And for now, he was needed elsewhere.
All he could do was hope.
