Here goes chapter 15.
And now a message to those reviews that everyone loves.
"Draegoon: thank you for the information, and yeah now that I look back on that I was going for a more he had more important things to do than worry about some weird dream, which I may not have done well and have already thought of a way to fix it, I hope. And don't worry I have the Alt-modes, and depending on if any plot bunnies pop up they might come around next chapter.
Wika: Glad to see you enjoy the story,
LethalJustice: wonderful, just hoping you don't get disappointed.
Lucario: Guess what ANOTHER UPDATE (it's a miracle honestly) here's to hope the work has kept to being good…
Solid dog: hmm, maybe about Lockdown, probably not the TFA version if I do add him though, and I'm gonna have to say no about the dark spark, I only vaguely know what it is and with where I want this story to go, and with Megatron… no promises either. I have a basic idea for this story's future and I'm not sure if I can fit Lockdown in but maybe some other cybertronian's, probably cons.
Damon: I hope this is satisfactory for your desire for more.
Guest-1: Yes seeing Starscream get scared or slapped around is a favorite for me to watch or read and also thank you for the name suggestion much better than the one I came up with.
Also, does anyone know where I can find the second and third seasons of TFP I can't exactly use Netflix anymore and using Youtube is a pain.
-TFP-TFP-TFP-
"I Want To Be Remembered For The Life I Lived, Not The Money I Made"
-Avicii.
-TFP-TFP-TFP-
Chapter 15
Big ole' bugs make some scream
Starscream grimaced as he sent his message, he despised having to reach out to the Autobots again. However, it was a necessary must if he was going to survive, especially with bleeding this much energon, it was amazing no one found him based on that alone.
Fragging Airachnid, that glitch had been a pain in his aft for ages even before they discovered this accursed planet, however, this time she had left him trapped for the Autobots to find and now with that blasted Insecticon apparently following her orders trying to kill the femme was going to be difficult.
Starscream was interrupted from his mental musings off revenge when a groundbridge opened in front of him, he let out a hiss and applied more pressure to his wounded side as he struggled to sit up more.
As Starscream glared at the portal, his optics shifted from a disdainful glare to one of terror as the cybertronians that stepped through the portal were not Autobots. The first one was massive and seemed to be taller than Optimus Prime and with wings on his back, it was obvious that he wasn't a seeker due to his size that meant he was a triple changer, the terror, however, came not from the size and alt mode but from the silver Decepticon emblem on his chest.
The second bot who came through only faintly registered to Starscream as a war built frame, judging from the cannon and overall bulky armored frame. Both came through the portal weapons at the ready and battle masks engaged, the large one with a rotary cannon while the war frame had duel small blasters that seemed to pop out of his wrist.
Starscream, in a moment of fight or flight, decided trying to get away was a better option than staying there and allowing them to drag him back to Megatron. Starscream struggled to stand up even with the assistance of a nearby rock and even then fell back down quickly, so he resorted to trying to crawl away.
Apparently, the war frame found this funny. "Heh, I think screamer is terrified of you," the massive bot only looked at him through his battle visor and shook his head, before bringing his servo to his commlink.
"It's clear," And with that simple phrase, the groundbridge flashed again twice as two more bots came through. This time leaving Starscream in both relief and confusion as he recognized the wrecker Bulkhead and Ratchet.
"What is the meaning of this? Does a message from me really warrant this much of a response? And who are these two?" Starscream, true to his name, screamed.
"We'll him and I were just sitting around so we figured to take along and cover one of our medics." the war frame said getting dangerously close to the wounded seeker, and kneeling close to him. 'So I won't get a clear answer out of him' Starscream thought not liking the glare he was getting from the dark green optics.
Ratchet stood over the wounded former second and command sharing the same glare as the war frame, "Make it fast Starscream."
Starscream sat up making a groan as it agitated his wound and leaned against a rock behind him. "It would appear that like myself that Airachnid has gone rogue."
This only earned a growl from the large bot that unlike his war framed companion had not disengaged his rotary cannon, nor had Bulkhead. Ratchet was the only one who spoke, "What's it to us?" saying he growled would have also been an acceptable description as well.
This brought the seeker up short at the seeming lack of care for the rouge and absolutely insane Decepticon, "She's planning to retaliate against Me…" Starscream paused for a moment, just noticeable to the Autobots to instantly doubt his words. "Mankind, I can provide you with her current location."
None of the bots surrounding him, however, looked convinced, Once again the only one who spoke for the Autobots was Ratchet. "I. Don't. Believe. You."
Starscream only gaped at the words, "Why wouldn't you? I directed you to the location of the Decepticon space bridge, so you could rescue Orion Pax didn't I!" Starscream retorted angrily.
This time Bulkhead was the one who responded, taking a menacing step forward. "Yeah, then you helped M.E.C.H. steal Bumblebee's T-Cog." This elicited an enraged roar from the war framed mech beside him.
"You. did. WHAT!" Quicker than a mech that size should have been able to move he reached forward and grabbed Starscream by the throat cables and lifted him up and slammed him back into the rock that was supporting him before.
"I have seen what not having a voice has done to that young bot, it's only because of that kid that he has around that he's done better, but for you to not only assist those terrorists but to help them attempt to take something else from him, give me one reason why I shouldn't tear your helm off right now." the voice that spoke to Starscream was quiet and calm but promised of a righteous fury that made Megatron's pale in comparison and Starscream could see that same fury in the posture of the massive mech behind the unnamed war built bot anger literally making him shake.
"He, he got it back… didn't he?" Starscream choked out the energon flow to his helm thinning, the war frame didn't see it this way and brought his fisted servo down on the rock next to the seeker's helm, resulting in it crumbling to powder and making the rouge con scream. "I-i admit aligning myself with those vile humans was a colossal error in judgment." Anger started tinting the seeker's voice as he choked the words out but the words turned pathetic as he continued. "But I am alone, I do what I must to survive," Starscream looked around the torqued war framed bot in front of him to see the faceplates and battle-mask/visor of the other bots surrounding him only to see apathy and suppressed anger. "But I have paid the price, I am now the one missing his T-Cog."
This finally made Ratchet respond to his rambling, "Jameson let go of him," the finally named mech begrudgingly let go allowing Starscream to gasped as a rush of energon finally made its way to his processor and cool air made its way into his overheating systems, as he fell to his knees and servos managing to massage his abused neck cables.
"You're grounded?" Bulkhead asked bemused at the karma the former Decepticon SIC oh so very much deserved.
"Thus of little or if any threat to you." Starscream paused steadying his intakes, "But if Airachnid and her Insecticon intend to…" Starscream didn't finish as Ratchet cut him off at the new tidbit of information.
"An Insecticon?! Here!" Ratchet and Bulkhead shared a glance as the wrecker blurted out 'How' and Starscream went on rambling about how it tried to chew off his leg resulting in his injury.
Jack stood back and observed the interactions, and when he heard about what Starscream had done to Bumblebee especially with the interaction with the young scout just moments prior had him agreeing with Jameson with the entirety of his spark. Instead, he understood the importance of the information the rouge held and killing him would probably make it void, quickly he commed the irate mech and tried to calm him down while receiving anger and curses not directed at him but at the con in his grip.
Thankfully by the time Ratchet ordered him to let him go, Jack had calmed him down enough or the mech may have actually disobeyed the CMO. While Ratchet patched up the seeker and Bulkhead interrogated him Jack held a private discussion with Jameson as they watched over comms.
"You think anything of what he's telling us is true?" making Jameson audibly scoff at the question.
"Probably not, and really him saying Airachnid wants revenge on mankind? For what, the way he paused as well pretty sure he was about to say Buckethead's name."
Jameson scowled as he typed something into his computer catching Jack's attention. "What's up?"
"Trying to see if we have the suitable arrangements and materials to bring screamer with us," Jameson responded catching Jack off guard and making him once again questioning the mechs sanity, but before he could ask his questions Jameson spoke first. "He's been causing the Autobots crap constantly with his stints of going rogue and he said it himself he does what he must to survive, if we bring him with us he gets to continue surviving and we can get more intel out of him in exchange."
Jack blinked at Jameson in surprise and nodded in agreement that it was actually a pretty smart idea. Quickly he pinged Ratchet and informed him of Jameson's idea to which it took awhile for the medic to respond either because he was thinking it over or was focused on repairing Starscream he didn't know but he responded with an agreement.
It didn't take long for Ratchet to stop the bleeding and seal the wound. However, he had to endure the complaining from Starscream as it either hurt too much or that he was an incompetent medic. He had finally had enough halfway through and brought out a wrench that looked like it had seen better days and bashing the seeker over the head with it, and threatening the seeker to beat him within an inch of offlining to which Jameson found to be hilarious.
"There, you're all patched up." Ratchet growled as he stood back up and allowed the seeker to shakily get to his pedes.
"Yes, you have my gratitude," Starscream said disdainfully obviously not meaning the words. "Now that you have your information and I have been repaired, I will be on my way." Starscream made four shaky steps before he was forcefully turned around to stare directly into the hidden optics of Jack as he gripped the front of Screamers' chest armor the green light from the ground bridge casting an eerie glow.
Ratchet closed the clasps on his medical kit and stood up to regard the once again trapped seeker. "Unfortunately that is not a luxury that neither of us can afford. With you, on the loose, as it were you have the opportunity to endanger our operations and in addition, it is no secret that Megatron also wants your helm." Starscream nervously chuckled as he glanced over at Ratchet past the hulking mech who he still hadn't had a name to yet.
"Yes well… after my entrapment at the servos of Airachnid it has been no secret that I have been labeled as a traitor by the Decepticons." Starscream admitted furthering Ratchet's point.
"As it is, you will come with us and given that you provide us with more information on your former… colleagues… you will be given a steady ration of energon." Ratchet announced as he started walking back to the still open ground bridge.
"Heh, I think that's a generous offer but I think, I will have to decline. Especially if that crazy two-wheeler is still among your ranks." Starscream yelped in pain as Jack's grip on him tightened.
Bulkhead laughed at the seeker's haughty tone and expression obviously expecting the disagreement. "Screamer, you say that like you have a choice." Ratchet hadn't even turned around and had made it through the portal into the Autobot base. Bulkhead started toward the portal looking over his shoulder at Jack. "Jack, you coming?"
Jack nodded at the wrecker and proceeded to drag the former Decepticon behind him ignoring the weak attempts to break his hold on his chest plate and obnoxious screeching.
Jameson laughed at the futile attempts the seeker made, getting some sadistic amusement out of seeing the Con terrified Before they all went through and the bridge closed.
-TFP-TFP-TFP-
"The coordinates that Starscream provided are within an abandoned Decepticon mine." Ratchet gestured to the blinking dot on a map of Earth over South America.
"Hold on, so you just patched him up and now we have him locked up in an empty storage room?" Arcee questioned, her tone expressing her displeasure at the fact.
"Yeah who's bright idea was that." Bumblebee right behind was none too happy either it seemed.
"What were we supposed to do just let him go free and give us more scrap to clean up later?" Bulkhead retorted annoyed at the questioning over their judgment.
"Not that I wouldn't jump at any chance to put Airachnid down, she isn't the only one who's robbed me of a partner." Arcee bitterly replied.
"Geez Cee, you say that like I'm dead." Cliff winced as the two-wheelers glared landed on him.
"That's the point, you were dead, a hole through your spark and cut clean in half. If it wasn't for Jack you still would be." Arcee fumed, the close presence of the seeker probably not helping even if she couldn't see him.
"You weren't there Arcee, Starscream was weak, defenseless," Bulkhead spoke up finally able to get a word in and Ratchet picked up when he was finished.
"And learning of the Insecticon could prove highly tactical, Starscream's intel has proven credible in the past and has the chance to further assist us in the future with him here."
"Sure when he was busy stabbing us in the back." Arcee glared as she stepped forward, looking like she may attack the medic.
Heavy pedefalls brought everyone's attention to Optimus as he entered the command center. "While I do not believe we possess the materials to hold a prisoner here for extended periods of time, utilizing the knowledge that Starscream holds may change that." Optimus paused as he gave Arcee a disappointed look, "Nonetheless I do not condone the termination of any defenseless lifeform."
"As it is Jameson has volunteered to keep watch over Starscream. And for the safety of the former humans, they've been told to keep clear of the area where we are currently holding him." Ratchet spoke, gesturing to the hallway where his med-bay was located where Breakdown was also held.
"Wonderful, now we've got two cons to look after." Cliffjumper groaned as he dramatically leaned over the human area railing. "Oh, can I go mess with screamer? Me and him have some catching up to do." a wicked glint catching cliffs optic, making Ratchet give him a weary look.
Optimus hummed in thought at the idea gave the red Autobot permission. "Very well, since we are currently low on energon and we will be needing more since our boost in ranks, you can attempt to get the coordinates of Decepticon mining operations."
"Alright will do Optimus, y'all have fun huntin down Airachnid." Cliffjumper waved over his shoulder jovially and jogged down the hall to Starscream's cell.
"Bulkhead, where is Wheeljack?" Optimus asked hoping the other wrecker was still on base and not one of his jaunts.
"Last I spoke with him he was with Miko down in the S.A.F. on her close-range weapons." The green wrecker answered, and Optimus thought it over for a moment.
"Good, that one is more of a worry especially since now that girls a cybertronian, you all know her adrenaline rush dashes are going to get so much worse." Arcee brought up getting a glare from Bulkhead, but he relented understanding how true it was.
"We shall leave them uninformed of the current happenings for now then," Optimus announced, drawing nods of agreement from everyone. "Very well, with Cliffjumper interrogating Starscream and Wheeljack currently training Miko, the four of us shall investigate Starscream's intel."
Bulkhead, Arcee, and Bumblebee nodded in confirmation while Ratchet input the coordinates to where Airachnid's supposed location was. "Powering up the ground bridge." Ratchet declared as he pulled the lever bringing the green vortex to life.
One by one the Autobots followed their leader into the portal. And with everyone through Ratchet deactivated the bridge and brought up the screen enabling the medic to verify everyone's vital statistics. At that moment Jack came out of the tunnel that led from the med-bay and the storage room that they were holding Starscream, Carly and Sari following behind him the femme's telling him about Vince's sister.
Since Breakdown was in the Med-bay and the command centers medical corner was no place for a small human girl to be kept. Vince managed to convince Ratchet and the medical team that had come in to tend to Claire that she could stay with him in his quarters and he would inform Ratchet or nurse Darby in any change to her condition.
However he had taken to looking after his sister more so than actually looking after himself and he would often forget to get his daily energon ration, or forget to recharge for long periods of time where Ratchet would then come in and put him into forced recharge. +
"I managed to keep him some company yesterday, and got him some energon so he didn't shut down again," Carly said, managing a small laugh in spite of the grim subject.
"Well he may not say it so I will, thanks for looking after him," Jack sighed, tired after dragging a struggling seeker to his current cell. "Everyone else has been busy either training or in the bots cause patrolling for more energon deposits."
"Don't worry about it, on the weekends back when I lived in Vegas with my parents I used to volunteer at a homeless shelter." Carly sighed as she relived the memories of a few years ago. "some of those people were crude and were only there to take what they could and move onto the next shelter but some people there were really grateful and I was happy to see them happy."
Jack smiled at the femme and looked around the command center only to blink as it was now empty bar Ratchet, himself, and the two femmes following him. "Did they leave already?"
Jack had seen Cliffjumper going past down the hall so he could guess as to where he was, but he had at least expected the bots to wait and confirm the information from Starscream first before going after the deranged femme.
"Yes, Optimus, Arcee, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead have gone to investigate, as it is there is nothing for you to do here so you should either recharge or go and train, but whatever you do leave me in peace at least." Ratchet brusquely dismissed the three without even turning away from his screen to busy studying the team's vital statistics to pay any mind to the younglings behind him.
The Femme's miffed at being talking to in such a manner felt it was better to leave the grouchy medic be. Jack let them go giving short goodbyes and Jack came up behind the medic to observe the medical readouts. Ratchet gave him a glance before Jack received a ping from Ratchet as well as the cybertronian glyph to be quiet, as he joined into the comm channel.
Jack seemed to have joined while they were in mid-conversation, "Whoa, scream never mentioned Megatron." that was Bulkhead, and Jack blinked he couldn't remember Starscream mentioning Megatron at all during their encounter.
"Either Starscream was unaware of his presence here, or he orchestrated this convergence, in the hope that all his enemies would destroy each other on his behalf." That was Optimus, and Jack couldn't help but agree, narrowing his optics toward the seekers cell.
"Well you can have whatever's left of Megatron, Airachnid is mine!" Jack was slightly taken aback by the amount of hate and anger, but he could hear the sound of her engine gunning it and he could tell he was charging the Decepticon femme.
"Arcee! No!" Jack was getting flashes back to a dense and foggy forest where the femme was stuck with webbing to the rock face with the spider hover over her. He heard the violent impact of metal hitting metal and a grunt as someone hit the edges of the cave they were in.
"You." it was only one word but the venom and disdain from Airachnid even through the commlink was enough to make Jack's spinal strut to shiver as Arcee charged the spider. Through the others comm links he could hear a brawl occurring presumably between Megatron and the Insecticon that Starscream had informed them of. The brawling seemed to quiet down and Jack heard Megatron through the comm, "So many surprises today." and there was an insecticon shriek as the brawl started anew.
Jack focused again back on Arcee he knew that the bots could handle themselves but he worried about Arcee, she was stronger than Airachnid physically but the spidercon was tricky and used tricks and traps as well as her extra limbs to her advantage. He could hear the sound of Airachnid shooting her webbing trying to trap Arcee but from the grunts and repeated firing Jack could guess that Airachnid was having issues hitting her target. Jack heard Arcee engage her blasters and returned fire. There were only a few shots before Jack heard Airachnids loud drilling and a large increase in Arcee's firing.
Jack could see where that was going to lead and ignored the glyph that Ratch had sent him earlier and broke his silence and opened his end of the come. "Arcee," Jack didn't get another word in as Arcee cut him off.
"Not now Jack, Airachnid is getting away, I won't let her escape this time." and he could tell she was about to deactivate her comm just by her tone of voice.
"Arcee wait, listen to me, your both underground that's Airachnid's domain she can navigate it better than you can," Jack reasoned trying to keep the femme focused on him and not her hunt. "what do you think is going to happen when you go after her."
"She's got nowhere to go, I can catch up to her and I'm ending this." Arcee snapped not happy with her partners questioning.
"Arcee, me and you both know that's not what's going to happen," Jack calmly replied knowing that talking steadily and calmly was the only way to get through to the femme when she got like this. "if you go after her she'll be waiting and you're going straight into a trap, she does this every time she gets cornered, you've told me yourself look at the bigger picture here."
Jack could hear Arcee letting out a small growl on her side, and on his side of the comm Ratchet was watching Jack closely, no doubt him and the others listening in on the conversation as it was a group channel. "Slaggit, ugh your right," Arcee groaned as she deactivated her blasters, "Optimus, I'm on my way back." and Optimus sent a glyph of confirmation, while sending another of gratitude to Jack.
Jack nodded even though they couldn't see him and slouched in relief that she had listened to him, it really had a seventy-five percent chance of working whenever she got torqued like that. Jack focused back on the other bots as Arcee was no longer in immediate harm only to flinch in pain as his processor was assaulted with an agonized shriek and the sound of tearing metal over the comm, and everything went quiet.
Checking the vital signs everyone was fine except for some elevate spark pulse rates which were understandable given the situation. It was quiet for a moment until Megatron's voice filled the channel again, "Let that be a lesson to any who would challenge a gladiator of Kaon." the warlord roared, and Jack could imagine him with his arms outstretched like a roman gladiator victorious in battle, which in a way the Decepticon leader was. "Be they Decepticon or Autobot." the last word growled as he heard the bots advance on the con.
Even through his comm, he could hear the loud pedesteps as Megatron strode closer to the bots however he could hear a loud groaning like joints that were covered in rust trying to bend and finally a loud crash. "So it would seem that I am unarmed and at your mercy." Jack could only blink in surprise as he heard the proud warlord sounding so exhausted and pained. "So tell me Optimus," the pain in his voice, while it was being held back, was still evident and it was obvious that Megatron was badly injured. "Do you intend to take me alive? Or end this here and now."
The next events over the comm's were chaos as Jack heard a blaster activate whose it was he couldn't tell, but he could hear the weapon powering up to take a shot, before a large concentration of blaster fire flooded through the channel. Then the fire ceased and allowed the sound of transformations to fill the void it left. Jack checked the screen pinpointing the bots signals and revealed that the bots were surrounded by Decepticons.
None of the vital statistics showed any changes except for a drastic increase in spark pulse rates except for Optimus' as he kept calm in the strain filled situation. "Oh scrap," as Bulkhead put so eloquently described the situation.
Looking at the signals Jack could see that Arcee was above and behind a large portion of the Deception force. "Optimus, I'm in position tell me when and I can take out at least a dozen of them."
"Hold for now," Optimus replied the stoic leader's voice revealing no hint of strain.
"Deliver Megatron to us and I will allow you to live," Jack remembered the voice from the cave being that of Dreadwing's.
"Never trust a con kick Buckethead's bucket!" the wrecker shouted right after his agitation and nervousness palpable even in the command center.
The entire channel was quiet on both sides allowing Optimus' words to echo through. "Dreadwing, do I have your word." and allowing the silence to take hold once again. Only for the sound of a disengaging weapon followed by many allowing both Ratchet and Jack to slouch in relief.
The signals around the bots and the bots themselves began to move in tandem the bots regrouping with each other and the cons all forming up on the other side. Arcee stayed where she was, remaining quiet.
Jack could hear some murmuring through the link from both sides, to what sounded like Bulkhead grumbling, and Dreadwing speaking. The calm was shattered as the raspy voice of Megatron rose again. "Dreadwing may have given you his word, but I did not." It took only milliseconds for the words to sink. "Destroy them!"
The short ceasefire ended in chaos as blaster fire rang out and the sound of jet engines blasting through the cavern. It was a tense twenty minutes as the bots engaged the Decepticon's. The comm channel alive with callouts and positions as well as the occasional curse as someone took a hit, luckily none looking critical. By the end of the engagement the two dozen vehicon troops nothing but scrap metal.
"Arcee, status report." the prime ordered not asking for anything but compliance.
"A little dinged up, lucky slagger got a shot off on my shoulder. Airachnid got away but at least one bug got squished today." Jack slouched in relief that his partner was fine. Ratchet took the information and quickly went and prepped his lab corner for immediate repairs.
Jack just stepped back and listening in on the comm as the bots mopped up the area and as Ratchet readied his tools. Eventually, the bots did call in for a groundbridge and Jack activated it allowing the bots to return and he got to see the new nicks, scraps, and damage as they entered the Hatchet's domain to be submitted to his delightful bedside manner.
Jack could only silently snicker as he heard Bulkhead say that he was fine only for a loud clang to fill the air and the wrecker to curse, the doctor and his wrench.
HAHA, another chapter is done and a new year has begun.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas or whatever different holiday you celebrate and hope everyone has good luck in this new year, none of that new year new me crap, it doesn't work don't even bother denying it.
With that said sorry for the delay in the chapter, finals and the holidays have taken precedence, sorry for that. Thankfully with that over I can focus on this a bit more and get more out.
Also, thanks for everyone again who's followed, favorited, and reviewed in the last 2 years, because of you guys I can find the encouragement to continue with this burning train ride.
So with everything needed saying I hope everyone has a good day/night/year/decade (probably too much to ask for, for some) and stay frosty my friends.