Hey! I feel kind of bad because although I had a few requests to go further in depth with Joshua's torture, I tried and… I couldn't get it to work. I may come back to it in time but for now it just isn't really working for me, I suppose I like to let imagination fill the gaps in crucial moments. So apologies for that but I felt the story needed moving along. This is a shortie but hopefully it satisfies. Go to my tumblr if you want to see a (very) sloppy doodle of A and SS.

Chapter 33

Frenzy's vision was flooded with blinding light.

Disoriented, he slowly sat up with a groan. The light was still far too strong, and he winced, raising a hand to shield his vision. There were some sounds around him, familiar sounds, but he couldn't make them out. He could hear voices...

'We're here, where is he?'

'Frenzy!'

His memories came rushing back. Rumble, kneeling at his side, wailing in plaintive terror, begging him to wake up, and the pain, the agonising pain…

He tried to inhale… only to find that he couldn't breathe. Panicked, he clawed at his chest. A hand closed around his wrist, and a voice cried out his name.

'Frenzy! Frenzy, it's alright, it's us! Frenzy!'

As his vision swan into focus, Alexis's face came into view. Her eyes were wide with concern, and relief. 'Frenzy. Oh, you're alive…'

'I can't breathe,' he croaked, grabbing his throat frantically. Alexis bit her lip, her glance shifting sideways. The gleaming form of Sari leaned over them, and behind her stood Ratchet, looking grim. He recognised the surroundings as the med bay in Starscream's fortress.

'It's OK, Frenzy. You don't need to breathe. Ratchet managed to get you back into your Cybertronian body.'

Frenzy stared at her… then in a rush the realisation came crashing into his processor - and he slowly held out his own palms, staring at the familiar red plating. 'Oh,' he said.

Grinning somewhat sheepishly, he ran his hand over his helmet, and gave a shaky laugh. 'Sorry, I… I thought for a moment…'

'Do you remember what happened? asked Alexis.

'I remember going to find Rumble. Then… that ASSHOLE! He shot me!' Frenzy stared at her. 'But… how did you get away from…'

'Starscream came. Trashed the base, and enslaved everyone on it. Apparently it was that or blow up half of Earth, or something,' said Alexis wearily.

'Where's Rumble?'

She glanced at him. 'With Soundwave,' she said softly.

'Uuuuugh.' Frenzy dragged his hands down over his face. 'Fragging terrific.'

'Frenzy, I'm so sorry, but Starscream knows everything.'

Frenzy struggled into a seated position. 'I'll request an audience with him. Try to explain what happened. Hey, at least if he kicks me around in this body it'll hurt less.' He managed to laugh. 'Where's my human shell? Bearing up OK?'

There was a tense silence.

Frenzy looked from Alexis' stricken face, to Sari's sombre expression and then up at Ratchet. Knockout leaned in over the table. 'Uh, yeah. About that…'

'You got the bullet out, right? So… it just needs time to mend before I can go back?'

Ratchet leaned forward. 'Frenzy, the thing is…'

'...Your human body's dead,' interjected Knockout before he could finish. Ratchet glared at him, gesturing with an open palm. 'Oh, great bedside manner, Decepticon, well done!'

'What?' said Frenzy quietly. Alexis closed her eyes. He stared at her.

'But… that's… that's not… It just needs to mend. Human bodies mend, right?'

'Frenzy, I'm really sorry,' said Alexis quietly. 'I'm so sorry.'

'No,' said Frenzy, shaking his head. He gave a small, disbelieving laugh. 'Guys, don't look at me like that. My human body can't be dead!'

He looked up at Ratchet. 'No offence, doc, but Starscream got hold of that body when it was dead and put me in it, and he made it come alive. He managed to make it function! I just need Starscream to take a look and…'

'Look,' said Ratchet gruffly. 'I understand that you got… accustomed to your human shell. But it was a race to get you out before the body expired. There's no going back, I'm sorry.'

'My human body isn't dead!'

'Yeah, well, tell that to your pulverised spleen, liver and pancreas,' said Ratchet, not unkindly. He picked up a rag, and wiped his hands with it. 'You suffered massive, rapid blood loss, so much so I had to abandon the laparoscopy, and go straight into transfer surgery, or you would have been lost for good.'

He moved over to a workbench, gently picking something up and returning to the casseticon on the berth. 'Perhaps it would help to let you see,' he said.

Frenzy and Alexis stared as the body was lowered onto the berth. Sari placed a hand over her mouth.

'I'll leave you alone,' said Ratchet quietly. With a jerk of his head, he signalled to Knockout, who also withdrew.

The doors to the med bay hissed closed.

Frenzy knelt forwards, his wide optics taking the surreal sight. His human body lay, the eyes closed, the expression calm. The face was white, framed with the dark curls, and already there was a bluish tinge around the lips. The body was wrapped carefully in a white sheet. Ratchet had done his best, but still there was a livid bloodstain above where the entry wound was. Beside him, he felt Alexis grasp his arm, her fingers tightly gripping his plating.

'No…' was all he managed to say.

'Frenzy,' said Alexis, taking a deep breath beside him. 'I know it's awful… but you're still here, you're alive. And that's what matters most.'

She wrapped her arms around him, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand. Sari gently brought her own hand to curl around the pair of them, offering silent comfort.

After a long moment, they drew apart.

'Maybe… Starscream could get you a new body?' asked Sari tentatively.

'It wouldn't be the same,' said Alexis and Frenzy flatly in perfect unison.

Sari nodded glumly. 'Shall I bring Lucy in?'

'Lucy?' Frenzy looked up, panicked. 'Lucy's here?'

'Of course, she came with us from Earth. She's been waiting to see you,' said Alexis softly. Sari had moved over to the doors.

'No, no. She's never seen me like this!' Frenzy looked hunted, looking down at his metal palms. He looked back up. 'What am I gonna do? What do I do?'

'Let her see you,' said Alexis firmly. 'She's your girlfriend, she deserves to know the truth.'

'But… she didn't fall in love with this!' Frenzy gestured to himself, panicked.

'Yes she did. You're still you, just in another shape.'

'I can't deal with this.' Frenzy got to his feet, gripping his head, beginning to pace the berth rapidly. 'I need time, I need to figure this out…'

'She's been waiting all this time to see you, Frenzy…'

'Well, can't she wait a bit longer? Maybe stall her, until I figure out how to…'

He turned… and recoiled in shock - Lucy was standing on the berth. Behind her stood Sari, her hands on her hips. 'Gaaah! How did you…'

He trailed off. Lucy was standing, her hands clasped tightly together, her eyes fixed on the dead body lying between them. 'Freddie… oh, Freddie…'

'Lucy,' he croaked. She didn't look round at him, still fixated on his human corpse. Alexis watched the pair of them closely. The atmosphere in the large room was suddenly unbearably tense as they all waited, all eyes on the trembling human redhead.

Sari blinked her optics as her com link opened, and she leaned down. 'Sorry about this, Ali, but Starscream's just come through on the link. He's asking if you're ready for him to take a look at those cuffs.'

Alexis looked down, turning her arms over, looking at the hated black things sitting on her wrists. 'OK,' she said softly.

She approached her friend, laying a hand on his arm. 'I have to go, Frenzy,' she said softly. 'You two probably need some time alone. OK?'

Frenzy stood perfectly still, as if he hadn't heard her. Finally his optics flicked to meet her eyes. 'She won't want me,' he whispered softly. 'Not like this.'

'You owe her the right to make up her own mind on that,' Alexis whispered back. They both turned to look at the young woman. Lucy had sunk down beside the prone human form. 'Just… talk to her.'

Starscream sat at the head of the table. The trembling human slave had finished her grisly task, the bloodied water and rag had been removed. He raised his hand, turning the palm over, wearing a grim smile of satisfaction as he called to mind the cruel work he had only recently carried out. Parts of the human anatomy never designed to see the light of day gleaming wetly under the harsh lights… the splintering and snapping of bone, the helpless screams...

The plump woman was looking up at him, her mouth hanging open, staring at his dark expression as if reading his thoughts. He cocked an eyebrow, and she looked away, shivering. The room was now much full of mechs as more of his senior council had joined them, seated round the table. Thundercracker was working his way through the agenda, and every now and then Starscream was roused from his reverie by the conversation. His second in command was speaking once more.

'So, we come to the final item. The human slaves. Their quarters are almost ready, after which they will be incarcerated and their work can begin. We'll need an overseer for their labour…'

'I volunteer, Commander Thundercracker,' said Blackout. 'I've got some experience of managing humans under Starscream's command on Earth. If it pleases his Lordship, that is.'

The black vehicon glanced at Starscream, who nodded once.

'Thank you, Blackout,' said Thundercracker. 'Which brings us to the subject of the precise nature of the…'

'Can we not talk first about these quarters? said Dirge. He gestured, peeved, to the datapad. 'We're utilising Autobot designs for a human settlement here on Cybertron, is that right?'

'All paid for and above board,' said Thundercracker.

'Yeah, but have you looked in detail at the designs?'

'Of course,' said Thundercracker calmly.

'A cinema? Gym? Since when have these humans come here to enjoy themselves? Are they not slaves?'

There was a murmured course of agreement around the table. Dirge cast a cold look at Jane, who was visibly shaking once more in the presence of so many hostile, huge Decepticons, all staring at her. Dirge had continued speaking. 'Are we forgetting these humans are an example to Earth of what happens when one of our own is compromised? They should be made to suffer for what their planet did, not lounge around in some Autobot-built pleasure pen like pets!'

They were all speaking in Cybertronian, so Jane couldn't understand what he was saying, but she caught his tone well enough, and her knees knocked together.

'...After all, are we even under any obligation to keep these rats alive?"

'No indeed, we are not,' said Starscream, leaning back on his throne idly, spinning an empty energon cube. All optics swung towards him as he spoke, for the first time since the meeting had begun. 'You make a valid point, Dirge, and a strong message needs to be sent, and will be sent. Indeed, the public slaughter of these humans would send a rather… incontrovertible signal to planet Earth, and in fact the wider galaxy. However, as ever, my methods for dealing with this incident will be more… nuanced.'

'So… you're going to give them all these extra comforts, my Lord?'

'Oh, I'll give them something more powerful than that,' said Starscream. He smiled. The council stared at him.

'What Lord?'

The Decepticon leader leaned forwards. 'Hope.'

The room was silent.

'Have we not observed what has happened in the Insecticon ranks since I freed the little Dragonfly slave?' said Starscream.

'Production statistics have rocketed,' said Thrust slowly. Starscream nodded, gesturing to the trembling Jane. 'Yes they have. So, comfort, privilege, the hope of something better… these can be wielded as tools. As powerful as punishment and fear. Fealty is more precious than coercion.'

'With all respect… Do you think that will work, my Lord?

Starscream grinned. 'Well, it will be an absorbing experiment. Thundercracker, make sure the humans only have access to basic amenities in the beginning. We shall see how dangling the possibility of added accesses will motivate our prisoners.'

'But they will still be slaves. Surely they will yearn for their freedom, comfort or no comfort,' said Brunt.

'Humans are slaves on their own planet, whether they realise it or not,' said Starscream. He said this in English, and Jane looked up, her eyes wide. 'Slaves to debt. To obligations and commitments, to work. To their corrupt governments and self-serving leaders. This is just a new archetype of bondage. In removing them from their Earthly entanglements, I'm practically doing them a favour. And of course, I'm keeping them alive,' he added softly, glancing down again at the trembling doctor.

The doors opened, and all heads turned. Sari stood, looking slightly nervous, Alexis perched in her hands. 'Um. I've brought Alexis here, as requested…'

She moved forwards, depositing her friend on the table top. The room was silent, and Sari had the distinct impression that whilst her presence was tolerated with no palpable hostility, it was not expected that she would remain. She exchanged a last glance at Alexis, and withdrew. The doors closed.

'Alexis. Good to see you.'

That was Thundercracker, and there were murmurs of assent from the gathered mechs. Alexis nodded at them, making her way to Starscream, who lay a protective hand near her, his thumb brushing her hair. Jane watched the two of them silently settle into each other's presence. Starscream leaned down, speaking to her quietly, and she turned her face to his, like a flower towards the sun.

'We're almost done. Are you alright?'

Alexis thought for a moment, nodding slowly. 'Yeah. Yeah, I'm good. Lots to process, but we'll talk later.' She raised her voice slightly, addressing the room. 'Frenzy has been returned to his Cybertronian body.'

There was a chorus of pleased exclamations, and Starscream sat up. 'Excellent. I'll be sure to celebrate with him personally.'

'I'd hold off on that, for now,' Alexis muttered, and Starscream frowned. 'What?'

'Tell you later.' She brushed her hair behind her ear, managing to smile at the rest of the gathering. 'What'd I miss?'

'We're just finishing the discussion of the human living quarters.' Starscream gestured to Jane, and Alexis looked up, noticing her for the first time. 'Oh my gosh!'

She sprang forwards, taking the doctor's shoulders. 'Hey. You OK?' Without giving Jane a chance to reply, she glanced over her shoulder. 'Have you guys been terrorising her?'

'Define "terrorise,"' said Dirge. Alexis rolled her eyes, returning her attention to the shaking doctor. 'Listen, I know it's all a lot to take in, and… it's too much to explain here. But the most important thing is that you are safe here, even if it doesn't feel like it.' She dropped her voice, and leaned in. 'I'll come and see you when I can.'

Jane nodded, looking up and meeting Starscream's wry smile with a gulp. The mechs were rising to their feet, the table shaking as their massive bodies moved all around them. Alexis drew away, giving her one last encouraging smile. Starscream held out his hand, addressing her. 'We can go to my lab, have some privacy.'

Alexis stepped onto his palm, turning to the rest of the council. 'No need for privacy. I want everyone to bear witness to this.'

There followed a silence where every mech in the room paused, caught off guard.

'Are you sure...?'

'Quite sure,' said Alexis firmly. 'Summon every senior Decepticon to your laboratory.'

Starscream frowned, surprised, but if he had further queries he was keeping them to himself. 'As you wish.'

As the council filed out, Blackout approached Jane with the transport container. 'Right, you. In here, now.'