CHAPTER 66

The only positive thing was that Glacius hadn't tried to ask questions.

From the moment Father John had asked him to take him to Tarantulas, he had felt only a slight thrill pass through the body of the Minicon. It had been enough for Father John to understand that they would be dealing with someone special.

However, he did so and using his optics, he was able to guide Father John through the narrow corridors and stairs to the destination indicated. However, despite Father John's explanations along the way, that did not prevent him from repeating that it was a bad idea. Of course, in this unknown land, they had to assume that everything was hostile. After all, they were held hostage in exchange for the artifact they possessed. Glowstrike had hurt Mary, and obviously, quite badly. He had been imprisoned in a cage.

But Glacius' body expressions and tone hinted that Tarantulas was not someone who was satisfied with locking up or hurting a human. Father John's heart almost gave up when Glacius informed him that he was not only the chief scientist, but also the torturer of the Sanctuary. When someone seriously disobeyed orders, or wasted the Queen's time, the Queen called on Tarantulas to offer both a painful punishment for the person concerned, usually resulting in death, and a "show" for the Queen.

Glacius's reports made Father John painfully aware of the extent of the cruelty that could unfortunately animate a being. Not just in relation to Tarantulas, but in relation to the Queen herself. If she really existed, Father John prayed inwardly so that they would not have to cross her. Or that she doesn't learn about them. That had been Glowstrike's goal, after all.

But Glacius reiterated that if Glowstrike had chosen to send Mary to the good hands of someone like Tarantulas, it meant that she would stay there long and there was little chance that she would ever leave the Sanctuary.

This had alarmed Father John, especially when he thought back to the conversation he had previously had with Glowstrike.

"We are her hostages. She keeps us to exchange us for the Book of Epistemus. She said she would keep her word."

"You believe her?" sighed Glacius. "Glowstrike is no different from the Queen. Yes, she might sometimes be more lenient towards us but she is merciless towards her enemies. Everyone here perceives you as bugs to crush and she is no exception."

Father John had nothing to answer to that.

Even though she had been ruthless towards him and Mary, Glowstrike also seemed to contain a lot of suffering in her. He could hear it by her voice and when someone acted so detached, it was usually a coping mechanism. Unless there was something else.

But he really hoped that Glacius was wrong and that she really intended to keep her word. Let the medic, whoever he was, take care of Mary after he would take care of Saberhorn.

"Seriously" said Glacius, "it is a bad idea to go. For you, I mean."

"…She is my friend. I can't leave her there when she's injured."

"But what do you plan to do against someone like Tarantulas ? You will be crushed in less than two! And I doubt that you are an outstanding fighter."

It was true. He was not a fighter. He was trying to avoid confrontation as much as he could. It was Mary the fighter, not the other way around.

And if what Glacius said was true ...

Please, be it not too late, he thought. The more time progressed, the more his concern for Mary grew.

Suddenly Glacius put a metallic finger on his mouth, inviting him to be quiet.

"... We're at the door of the laboratory" he whispered. "It's closed."

Father John could not repress a new shiver.

Gently, he took a step. Then a second before Glacius held him back, dispensing him from going any further.

They heard voices rising from the room in question, half muffled by the closed door.

"Please"

A male voice. He was a Cybertronian who spoke. This was understood to be the intonation.

"Please! Let me treat her!"

Father John jumped.

The Cybertronian sounded quite old. He quickly understood that it was not Tarantulas but the medic that Glowstrike had talked about instead.

"Let me treat her, Tarantulas! I repaired Saberhorn' optic. Let me treat her!"

Treat her ...

There was no doubt that this was Mary. Again, Father John swallowed, a spontaneous pain suddenly tugging at his limbs, almost ankylosing them. His whole body must have trembled in spite of himself like a leaf.

The medic begged over and over, but they heard nothing as an answer.

"Please! Tarantulas!"

Despair in his tone struck the human. This only reinforced his anxiety about Mary's situation.

Noises… like glass breaking on the ground.

Finally, a deep, icy voice rose.

"You dare to give me orders, my love? Do I have to remind you that without your medical skills, you would not be here?"

"Tarantulas ..."

"The Second mentioned once that you looked like this medic there. Pharma. Apparently he too was the one to beg for anything. Or to prevent something from being taken away from him. It's funny. I thought that after losing your team, you had nothing left to lose and therefore, you would have no reason to beg."

The same voice began to whistle an unknown musical tune in Father John's ears.

"Please. I will do everything. Absolutely everything."

"Everything?"

He stopped whistling.

"You told me enough already. To dissuade me from impaling Undertone under your optics, just to have fun and watch your reaction. Would you also do it for a vermin? A worthless vermin?"

Unexpectedly, the medic's response was immediate.

'Yes. Everything."

"And what do you have to offer me, my love?" Tarantulas asked him after a silence.

Father John felt himself move back.

"Everything… absolutely everything."

"This is not a sufficient answer."

"But I do not know!" exploded the medic. "Whatever you want!"

"Hm."

Heavy but distant steps made the ground tremble under the human's feet. Then, Tarantulas' voice suddenly became softer, more tender.

"And what do you think I want?"

Father John could hear the medic swallowing.

The fear ... He was afraid.

"…Me."

"No. Not you" Tarantulas replied. "I want an "us". Accept my offer to bind you to me and I would let you treat the human."

"… No…" replied the medic, his voice trembling.

Mary…

The medic sounded to recover.

"She ... she's running out of time."

"Does not matter to me. You want to treat the human, I want a bond. May you become my Conjunx. May you be by my side. Let me name you Prowl. You owe me that. Without me, you would not survive in these places. Undertone would have been skinned long ago."

How could he speak so casually? How could he force someone to bond against his will? He didn't know if it was common among Cybertronians. But Wing had mentioned that the bond was sacred.

No. Even if Father John was desperate for Mary, he could not let this medic bind. He had to find a solution. Something to prevent this.

Tarantulas paused before resuming.

"You know what, Ratchet?"

The name made him tick.

Ratchet ... the missing Autobot? The one Arcee, Bumblebee and Cliffjumper had been looking for since their arrival on Earth?

"... I give you the opportunity to give her first aid. But if, in an hour, I don't get a "yes" as an answer... The head of a human is so fragile to crush."

Father John had a gag feeling. He felt Glacius turn to him, discreetly asking him if everything was fine.

An hour ... An hour window to prevent Ratchet from bonding with Tarantulas and freeing Mary.

No. They were to release Mary and Ratchet. And if necessary, the so-called Undertone.

But how could they? Father John was a simple human ... And Glacius couldn't overcome Tarantulas either.

At least Ratchet could heal Mary. At least give her first aid.

"Do we have a deal?" whispered Tarantulas to him.

"…Yes."

"What about my kiss?"

Ratchet did not reply. But Father John guessed that he had complied.

They had to find something. Whatever. Father John backed away from the door as quickly as possible.

Tarantulas shouldn't notice them.

"I told you there was nothing we could do" sighed Glacius.

"There must be a way."

"But you can see that it's lost. Let's go find Swelter and get out of here!"

Yes, it was tempting ... To leave.

But no. He could not…

"I'm sorry," said Father John.

"Hm?"

"I don't have to impose anything on you. Or to put you in danger. You can go find Swelter and open a bridge at my church in Crown City."

He would manage. He would join them with Mary and Ratchet. That was what he was trying to convince himself of. That he would get there.

But how?

"But you promised us a shelter, a refuge" sighed Glacius. "What good is a refuge if you don't vouch for yourself?"

Father John could only smile sadly at this remark.

He was right.

Again, the metallic noises had resumed.

If Tarantulas stayed in the lab, they couldn't do anything.

Unless…

Father John frowned.

Unless ... send him away. Suddenly, Father John realized that he had the beginning of a plan.

"You have an idea" Glacius said. "It is all over your face."

Get him out? But how? Calling him? Claiming an emergency? Speak on behalf of the Queen? No. Too risky.

Suddenly Father John remembered the brief memory of a night in Japan during a pilgrimage where someone had involuntarily activated the fire alarm. All the guests had to leave the hotel in a hurry and waited until morning to return to their rooms.

"... Glacius."

"Hm?"

"Is there ... a fire alarm here? Or something ? To evacuate the Sanctuary?"

Glacius hesitated.

"One time, the old Hive Building collapsed. We lost a lot of workers. As a result, an alarm system was put in place."

"It's perfect!" cried Father John, before covering his mouth.

"But if we activate it when there is no incident in progress, we may risk death as a punishment."

Father John was aware of this. But they had to take the risk.

He looked for Glacius with his hand.

"Where is this alarm?"

"There are on all floors. The closest is in the mechanical room."

Father John smiled.

And this time, since their arrival here, it was an optimistic smile.

"Take me to this room. Please, Glacius."

"Here we are ".

Glacius told him that the alarm was located high, a few meters from him. And according to him, the system was not that different from the human system, namely pressing a button.

Father John breathed a sigh of relief. The hardest thing was going to be to reach it. Father John offered to make him the short scale, which Glacius did not understand. Father John took the time to explain to him the meaning of human expression.

"If you say so ..."

Even if Glacius' tone indicated that he was not convinced, he complied without discussion. Again, Father John was grateful to him for this. As Glacius lifted him up to guide him to the button, Father John asked him a question he hadn't thought of asking before.

"Glacius. When this happens, do all of the Hive's inhabitants have to leave the building?"

"Of course. We have a meeting point on the beach" Glacius growled, as if it was obvious. "Glowstrike made this policy mandatory."

"I see."

It was what he thought. And somehow it suited him.

Father John raised his arm. Glacius told him to move a little further to the right, before pressing. He took a slight breath before lifting his fist.

The button had to be huge. He shouldn't miss it.

After a few seconds to gain momentum, Father John struck the button with a powerful punch.

It didn't work. Never mind. He had to try again.

"A little stronger," Glacius advised him.

Father John knocked again.

Nothing. Again.

Father John caught his breath.

Wing would have managed without problems ... But he was not there now. He had to use his own means.

Father John almost resented having to depend so much on his friend in dangerous situations. He was aware of it ... but it didn't alleviate his guilt.

Father John struck a third time.

Then the alarm burst out loudly in his ears. Glacius helped him back down and Father John uttered a short cry of surprise, not expecting such a sound, to the point that he was forced to cover his eardrums.

The alarm resounded in the room, in the corridors ... Everywhere in the building. Suddenly, Father John heard a female voice barely cover the alarm, telling all residents to leave to go to the meeting point on the beach.

Well. A good thing done. This was to leave them a delay. Tarantulas would surely leave the laboratory to join the others.

"But now, how are we going to do it?" cried Glacius, trying to be heard despite the buzz of the alarm.

"What?" Father John replied, almost shouting.

"The cells are Cybertronian sized! We will not have the strength, or the size, even together, to free your friend!"

Father John froze.

He was right… And he hadn't thought of another problem in his plan either. The one that Ratchet also left the laboratory and accompanied Tarantulas to the meeting point.

And all that would have been useless ...

In the corridor, they heard precipitous heavy steps, which almost made Father John fall to the ground.

The first thought he had was to ask Glacius a question.

"Where are we?"

"I told you!" exclaimed Glacius, annoyed. "In the mechanical room!"

"And what there is in?"

Something… Something he could use ... to force the cells. At least that of Mary. He didn't know if Ratchet was a prisoner or not.

Father John walked. And suddenly his path was cut by something big and metallic that he almost knocked on.

Something big… metallic…

Father John touched his palm and followed the form.

It was rising. Again and again…

"… A Cybertronian?" he cried.

"No. An armour."

"An armour?" repeated Father John, not understanding.

In the distance, he heard screams in the corridor. The residents of the Sanctuary panicked. Everyone was trying to force their way out of the building as quickly as possible.

However, Glacius continued, the nonchalant tone.

"Hardshell has required new combat armour for missions. Tarantulas made them. But they are not yet developed. This is the first model."

"… The first model?"

"Leave the building!"

"It will collapse! "

Father John frowned.

"What does this armour consist of?"

"Father John! We don't have time" protested Glacius. "Tarantulas will surely leave the laboratory. If you want a chance to free your friend, now is it!"

Yes, he knew it. He was of human size.

Perhaps he could not help otherwise.

"… Just answer my question, Glacius."

"Seriously?"

It was better to get too much information than not enough.

After a moment of hesitation marked by impatience, Glacius sighed before answering, his tone irritated.

"It consists in its definition: armour! No more no less ! The soldier places themselves inside and can use it to protect themselves from attacks by his enemies. Nothing more! The subject can activate certain commands but it stops there!"

"Some commands? Which ones?"

"You're not giving up, are you?"

Glacius came closer.

"You have an offensive pole which allows you to attack through special commands and a defensive pole which allows the individual to protect themselves from their enemies. Tarantulas has planned everything so that Hardshell's troops have the upper hand."

An offensive pole ... a defensive pole.

Attack and defence. It was Mary, the master in these fields. Father John knew nothing about military strategy, even if it would have been useful to him now.

Yet ... something told him to approach this armour. Something, an instinct.

He had to trust it. Even more after Glacius described it to him.

A human ... A Cybertronian armour ...

Father John took a step. That was enough. Glacius immediately exclaimed.

"No! I see what you are trying to do. But it won't work! Get this idea out of your head right away."

"How do you know it won't work?"

" To the beach!"

"To the beach!"

Try everything…

He had tried to speak to Glowstrike. It had failed. But who said that this time it would fail?

"It only works with Cybertronians. Tarantulas specifically explained that these armour works with the unlimited light of a Cybertronian spark."

"... But would they work otherwise?"

Try everything…

An armour in front of him. He knew nothing in combat.

"Help !"

He had caused a real panic in the Hive.

But it would be a shame not to take this chance ... especially if it allowed at least to protect himself and open the cells of Mary and Ratchet.

"Take me in."

"Father John! You are blind! How can you hope to use such armour?"

It was true… But time was precious.

"Take me in" Father John said softly. "And then I'll leave you alone."

"You promised us a shelter!" Glacius groaned.

However, this sentence led to another action. And soon, Father John felt lifted in the metallic arms of the Minicon.

The priest thanked him as Glacius said the following words.

"Identifier: new.

Password: 1502P%"

Father John smiled when he heard a noise resembling an armoured door which opened wide with a creak.

They could do it.

No. They would do it.

Father John found himself seated on a seat about ten times its size. The environment, albeit rather large, made the black much darker around him.

He groped for levers. Some orders. Something to start the craft.

"I told you it wouldn't work!" He heard Glacius in a distant echo, his voice muffled by the thickness of the armour.

Father John sighed. He had never driven such machines. He didn't even know how to start it. Maybe a button?

Father John struck at random in the void. Nothing worked. The armour stayed still.

"You have no spark! You must love your friend very much, but you won't be able to activate her that easily!"

Father John winced.

What did he believe? He was a human. He had never piloted Cybertronian armour. He didn't have a spark.

Glacius was right. It was a waste of time. And there were few left until Tarantulas returned.

He had thought ... But it was not science fiction. It was real.

"You should come back down, Father John! You do not belong to such a category! It's not your role!"

It was not his role.

Indeed. He had heard this phrase many times. It was not his role to help prisoners with their chores. It was not his role to meddle in the conflict between Autobots and Decepticons. It was not his role to pilot armour.

Father John straightened up in his seat. He was ready to leave it to join Glacius.

In a vain attempt, he uttered a single word.

"On"

"On" ... To start. Maybe it worked by voice command?

But nothing happened.

" …Start."

Nothing. Father John got up.

"... get up," he ordered at random.

A noise echoed throughout the room.

Father John did not understand. As he was about to reach the exit, the black suddenly became lighter. As if it were lit by a strong light.

Then a strong draft hit his face, almost throwing him back.

What… ?

Father John wanted to get up. He fell again.

The floors beneath his feet… rose. Were getting closer to him.

"Father John! What did you do?"

He heard Glacius' voice.

Is… ?

After a few minutes, which seemed endless to him, everything stopped. Father John looked up, still struck by what had just happened.

The black… remained clear.

"What happened?"

"The armour! It moved! I do not understand! You have no spark!"

Father John could only smile, delighted. He had succeeded.

"It works by voice command."

A robotic female voice rose in the room, covering Glacius' response.

'Choose your username "

Father John hesitated.

"Choose your pole"

His pole?

"Glacius! It asks me to choose my pole."

"Offensive or defensive? Which mode do you want to choose?"

Father John thought.

He was not a fighter. He only needed to free Mary and Ratchet.

"... Defensive" he chose.

Again, a squall made him tip back. Father John's head hit the wall violently.

Father John passed out for a few seconds. When he regained consciousness, the same female voice asked him:

"What is your next directive?"

His next directive ...?

Father John crawled, raising his hand to find his seat. He managed to grab hold of it.

Forgetting his painful headache from the shock, he hoisted himself up to sit back down.

"What is your next directive?" Repeated the question.

Directive ... order ...

He had to speak…

"...Move forward."

Again, he fell to the ground. The armour had moved. The ground trembled under his feet, preventing him from re-accessing the seat.

"Father John!" Glacius suddenly warned him. "You sink into the wall!"

"Stop!"

The armour stopped.

Okay, thought Father John. He understood.

"Glacius."

"Yes?"

"... I'm going to need your optics again" he apologized.

To guide me.

Mary regained consciousness as the shrill sounds of an alarm echoed around her.

She gave a painful groan. When she tried to straighten up, she cried out from the hurtful sensation in her body.

As if a car ... No, something bigger than a car, had crushed her body by rolling over it.

Mary was used to war wounds. But when she looked down and saw a huge hemorrhage of blood covering her chest, staining her clothes and covering the floor around her, she almost passed out again.

The heat took her in the head and an unbearable nausea invaded his whole being. She tried to sit up, but she could barely turn around to contemplate the surroundings and get an idea of her place of captivity.

The memory came back to her. She was at the Sanctuary. She had lost consciousness.

How? She didn't know.

John ... Where was he?

The thought that something could have happened to him struck her down, making the pain in the body worse to endure. She must have been as pale as a sheet and sweat stuck her gray-brown hair.

The distant alarm did not stop. She blinked, lights blocking her sight as a massive headache began to develop.

She needed help ... she needed reinforcement ...

"Do not move"

She was gently placed under her back. The gesture was not abrupt but the pain returned as quickly. Mary couldn't suppress another cry.

She faced the ceiling above her. A giant head appeared in his field of vision. Mary's heart quickened in her chest.

A Cybertronian ...

They were at the Sanctuary. They were their prisoners, their hostages.

His optics were blue. Mary squinted. An Autobot?

The latter addressed her a sorry expression, as if he apologized in advance for her captivity.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he reassured her. "I'm here to treat you."

"… Are you an Autobot?"

A traitor ?

The Cybertronian replied in the affirmative.

"… My name is Ratchet. I ... I'm a prisoner here too. Like you."

"Like me…"

Mary began to cough. She realized by gazing at her hand, that she was also spitting blood. Something was pressing on her wound. She realized it was Ratchet's finger that he used to stop the bleeding.

"Talk to me…" she declared between two fits of cough. "Make me think of something else ... What ... what's going on?"

Ratchet took a while to answer.

"Someone activated the alarm to warn the residents of a danger."

"A danger?"

She coughed again.

"…About what…?"

"I don't know much"

"And ... you ... are you alone?"

She noticed the Cybertronian's lips tremble. He was upset. Even if Mary was on the verge of fainting, she could still see him.

"Yes. I mean ... Tarantulas offered to go out but ... I didn't want to leave you without care. So he locked me up with you."

Without care… With such an injury… was she still alive?

"I'll make it?"

"…Yes. Finally ... the injury will not kill you. I did first aid quickly."

"Reassuring. Are you telling me that this is not what will kill me?"

"…No."

Mary wasn't fooled. He couldn't reassure her if he himself was a prisoner.

"... Ratchet."

One question burned his lips.

"... Have you ... seen another human? Another human who accompanied me ... he was with me..."

She had to know it.

At least she had to know where he was. But Ratchet's response felt like a bomb.

"... There was no one else, Mary. You've been brought ... alone."

Alone…

Suddenly, the voice of the so-called Glowstrike echoed in her mind.

We don't really need two humans.

No ! No ... they couldn't not have kept her alive ... and have ...

Her eyesight blurred. It was not uneasiness. She knew it. She felt a violent lump across her throat.

For several minutes, she breathed in and out deeply. But it was not enough to calm her down.

Something warm and wet ran down her cheeks. She knew it was not blood.

Out of worry, Ratchet immediately leaned toward her.

"Did I hurt you?"

"... No ..." she replied, sobs breaking her voice.

What could she hope for?

She was looking for other explanations ... she couldn't find one.

John ... Her John ...

"Mary! Tell me what's wrong."

Gasket ... Gasket would have reassured her.

But he wasn't there right now. Mary covered her face. She, who had always suppressed her feelings, she who had always tried to keep a cool head, not to show her emotions in public, she suddenly began to sob profusely.

But she couldn't do anything about it…

"Mary ..."

"... I didn't even tell him how I felt."

No…

She had thought she hadn't deserved it, she hadn't deserved a second chance ...

But now, she only regretted having remained silent ... even if it would have destroyed her relationship with John for good.

Suddenly they heard a door open. Mary did not have the strength to turn around.

Ratchet looked up. His optics went wide.

"Who are you?"

Mary moved her lips, but no word came out of her mouth.

She could just turn her head to look in the same direction as the medic.

A Cybertronian stood before them. A rather imposing Cybertronian, seemingly frail arms with black and white armor. Unlike Ratchet, he had no face. Only a visor that blocked his optics.

"Who are you?" repeated Ratchet.

She had heard Glowstrike's order.

Tarantulas ...

Was it ...?

A shiver ran through her body, and the pain from the injury brought her back to reality.

"Mary?"

But unexpectedly, the Cybertronian spoke with his voice.

It was no other voice… Only that of John who emanated from the Cybertronian accompanied by another of smaller size, of feline appearance with blue and white colours, a block of ice covering his whole head.

Mary did not understand.

"… J-… John?"

"You were crying ? Mary, did they hurt you?"

Mary felt silly.

However, it was nothing compared to the relief that slowly began to invade her with a gentle warmth when he saw him alive.

She rubbed her eyes, brushing all her regrets away with the back of her hand and trying not to lose face.

She couldn't explain to John that she'd thought he was dead ...

"No. Everything is fine. But ... what are you doing in a Cybertronian body?"

"This is an armour."

"An armour ?" repeated Ratchet.

Unexpectedly, without warning, Mary did something she hadn't done for a long time.

She laughed.

Maybe it was the nerves that were letting go ... maybe it was the situation itself that was funny...

John… in a Cybertronian armour…

"I have tried everything. I only found that" said John, sheepishly.

"What about the alarm?" asked Mary.

"We activated it" confessed the little Cybertronian.

Mary frowned.

"You ... Did you activate it?"

"To send Tarantulas away."

"What about the armour?"

"To force the cells."

It was a good idea ... surprisingly surreal, but a very good idea.

He'd come back ... He'd come back for her.

And the thought brought her heart-warming feelings.

Despite herself, Mary laughed again.

"John ... John ..." she expressed herself between two laughs.

"Hm?"

"... It's not your role ... to do that ... hahaha!"

Indeed ... It was not his ...

But right now, it didn't matter.

"… Get us out of here! Quickly!" she almost begged him.