Chapter 6: Diagnostics
"Remain seated in that chair while I begin running the diagnostic," Shockwave stated as Whirl nodded, concern on her faceplate as Shockwave grabbed a drain tube.
A drain tube was used by Autobot and Decepticon medics to take Energon samples for testing if something wrong was found in their bodies. However, their original purpose was used to forcefully rip the sparks out of other Cybertronians back when the Quintessons were still in control of Cybertron.
Nowadays, they serve as basic medical supplies.
"I am going to extract a small amount of Energon from your system and run some tests on it. This won't take long. After I take the sample, you're free to leave," Shockwave explained as Whirl hummed in acknowledgement.
She had no idea why Shockwave was taking some of her Energon but decided not to ask. She had plans to enact anyway, plans such as practicing and mastering her vehicle mode.
Shockwave placed the tube on her arm as four pinpoints stabbed themselves into her arm as pressurized air began forcefully pulling the Energon out of her. Shockwave examined the liquid as it came through the tube and into a small jar. There was the natural pink Energon he was used to seeing, mixed with a seemingly dark purple substance.
The suction process stopped as the pipe detached itself. The small jar that was filled with the mixed liquid sat on the counter as Whirl stood up. "Am I free to go?" Whirl asked as Shockwave nodded silently.
Just as Whirl was about to leave, Shockwave spoke up. "Oh, before you go. Head to the back of the academy. Your driving instructor should be there. They will teach you how to do basic maneuvers, all the way to seemingly impossible stunts," Shockwave explained.
"Ok, but why at the back of the academy?" Whirl asked as Shockwave stepped over to the counter.
"It was only logical," Shockwave responded as Whirl sighed. She was getting tired of Shockwave's constant scientist-like logic talk.
Instead of acknowledging him, the young Decepticon/Rescue Bot left the room as Shockwave's optic followed her movements until the door closed.
Shockwave turned back to the tube of Energon, his optic narrowing as he looked.
As the Decepticon scientist stared at the mixture of fluids, a worrying feeling came over him. Now that he had more samples, he didn't need to run test results. He knew what Dark Energon looked like. After all, he had worked with it before. "Dark Energon is indeed running through her body, somehow…." Shockwave stated as he turned to leave the lab.
"I must inform Prime," Shockwave spoke coldly as he left the lab.
Whirl wondered the halls of the school, looking for the exit to the rear of the school. Looking at her hands, she balled them up into fists. "Why do I have to keep undergoing these types of things? Everyone else gets to have fun, and what do I do? Practice meaningless things, get experimented on, and told to do this thing and the other thing!" Whirl exclaimed as she slammed her balled-up fist into the wall, her right optic gleaming with a violent red streak.
"Is everything ok over there?" The calming voice of Boulder spoke as he appeared around the corner. His green colours, along with the hints of grey and black yellow, made him look like a contructicon, despite the fact he bore the Autobot insignia.
"Yeah… I guess," Whirl muttered as Boulder sighed. Walking up to the bot, he placed a hand on her shoulder as he smiled.
"You know, if you're pent up with anger, you could always take it out on the roads. That's what Heatwave used to do back on Cybertron before the great war," Boulder stated as Whirl huffed.
"Yeah, but they're no speed limits on Cybertron. On this planet, there are," Whirl grumbled as Boulder furrowed his non-existent eyebrows.
"Well, you could always do your tasks," Boulder said as Whirl snarled slightly, turning into her alt mode as she drove away to the rear exit of the school. Boulder was shocked. Whirl NEVER did that. She was always a rule-abiding bot, so she must've been upset something fierce for her just to ignore the rules.
As Whirl exited the building and transformed into her bot mode, she was greeted with a racetrack, stunt ramps, flaming hoops, and loop de loops. "What the slag?" Whirl murmured as a black truck, a yellow formula one race car, a red convertible, a black Lamborghini, and a blue hummer drove up in front of her.
The black truck was the only one of them that Transformed. His helm was covered with a black hood of sorts. His deep purple eyes and bulky armour made him look intimidating. On his chest was a Decepticon insignia, and on his arm was an arm canon.
The rest of them soon took after the big bot. The formula one race car turned into a thin yellow bot. He too was a Decepticon. The red convertible turned into a slightly more bulker white and red bot. The black Lamborghini turned into a similar-looking bot to the red convertible, just with black and grey. And finally, the hummer turned into the only Decepticon she recognized.
"Wait a nanoklik! You're Breakdown, which means the rest of you are… The Stunticons, right?!" Whirl exclaimed as the yellow bot snickered.
"Seem's like you know you're combiner teams don't cha little Decepticon! Good on ya! Although, Breakdown's been solo for Stellar cycles," The yellow bot said as Breakdown rolled his optics.
"Yeah, yeah. That's cause I was promoted, Drag Strip," Breakdown spat as the big truck bot cleared his throat.
"Please, ignore those two. My name is Motormaster. The Stunticons, as well as myself, will be your vehicle mode teachers, as well as your vehicle mode combat teachers." Motormaster stated as Whirl nodded.
"Good, your first lesson starts now, you'll be partnered with Breakdown. You two will race through the whole of that racetrack. If you can get less than 45 seconds on that record, you will pass. Fail, and you will have to fight Breakdown. Understand?" Motormaster spoke in his gravelly voice as Whirl nodded.
"I like bots like you, now, go. Line up!" Motormaster stated as the two lined up for the race.
In the distance, Heatwave watched as his optics narrowed. Motormaster and his group Stunticons had long since abandoned the Decepticons but refused to switch their insignia's. Technically speaking, they were Autobot's now, but only in name.
This, however, didn't mean that Heatwave trusted them. It was then when Hot Shot walked out from the academy. "Hey, Dad, what's going on?" Hot Shot asked as Heatwave sighed.
"Nothing. Whirl's being trained how to drive by the Stunticons right now," Heatwave said as Hot Shot's optics widened.
"The Stunticons! Aren't they Decepticons?! Why on Primus would you give them clearance!" Hot Shot exclaimed as Heatwave grumbled.
"I only let them through because they switched allegiances. They just refused to switch their insignia's to that of the Autobot one. They're Autobot's in name only. They also are the best teachers for vehicle-based combat and the like. Unfortunately," Heatwave said dryly as Hot Shot stared with annoyance.
"46 SECONDS! FAIL! Alright, line up again!" Motormaster shouted as Whirl lined up with Breakdown. The track suddenly shifted to a straightaway. "Whoever can knock the other off the track with any means necessary wins. If the other transformers, they instantly lose. Got it?" Motomaster stated as the two Decepticons revved their engines in acknowledgement.
"Are they crazy!?" Hot Shot exclaimed as Heatwave sighed.
"Yes, they are, but that's how it works," Heatwave stated as Hot Shot became worried for his friend. The race started, and instantly, the two clashed, but due to Breakdown's heavier vehicle form, Whirl was in a losing battle.
"She's gonna topple over!" Hot Shot shouted angrily as Heatwave held him back from jumping down from the balcony.
"Don't interrupt them, ok?" Heatwave stated as he pointed to Whirl. "Just watch."
Unbeknownst to Breakdown, Whirl had shifted her exhaust pipes to his back tire. Motormaster smirked as then a burst of purple energy shot out of the exhaust pipes, giving Breakdown a flat tire. This, in turn, caused the Stunticon to transform.
"What the scrap was that!" Breakdown shouted as Whirl turned around and faced the big bot. Going full speed ahead, she rammed into his legs, causing him to fall faceplate first into the ground.
Hot Shot was left mystified as Motormaster clapped. "Bravo! You know your stuff, Whirl!" Motormaster announced as Whirl transformed. Unbeknownst to everyone, her Decepticon insignia was glowing, and the only one who noticed was Hot Shot.
'Insignia's don't glow… not unless their bot in question is being powered up by something,' Hot Shot thought as Whirl stood up straight, tauntingly dusting off her shoulders. 'What's going on with you, Whirl?' Hot Shot wondered as Heatwave huffed with approval.
"Come on, Inside. Whirl's got this," Heatwave said, walking back into the academy. Hot Shot stayed behind for a few more seconds as he watched Drag Strip pick up the bot and toss her into the air in celebration.
"You realize that Breakdown is the second strongest bot on the Stunticons! You rolled over him like it was nothing!" Drag Strip stated as Whirl landed feet first onto the ground.
"I have to say, that was impressive. Then again, I was just rebuilt not too long ago, so I'm a bit rusty," Breakdown stated as the black and grey bot elbowed him on the shoulder.
"Uh-huh, or you went easy on her 'cause she's a femme-bot," the black and grey bot said as Motormaster snarled.
"Watch it, Dead End," Motormaster spat as Dead End sighed.
"Sorry, boss bot, but you know Breakdown always goes easy on the femme's," Dead End stated as Breakdown picked him up by the neck.
"I was told not to this time around, got it, punk. She beat me fair and square," Breakdown snarled as the Red car bot chuckled.
"You two are always at each other's throats! Just scrap each other already, hahahahaha!" The red bot said as Motormaster facepalmed.
"Alright, alright, break it up! No more infighting. We're here to teach Whirl how to get comfortable with her car mode, are we not? So that means you all stop fighting. And Wildrider, you're not helping in the slightest," Motormaster stated as he turned to Whirl.
"Five cycle break, then we get back at it, understand?" Motormaster asked as Whirl nodded. "Good."
Shockwave walked down the halls and into the meeting room, where Optimus Prime was on the screen, talking to Cyclonus. "Optimus, the weapons have been tested and are ready for use. Is there anything else you need from me?" The Decepticon sweep asked as Optimus shook his helm.
"No, my old friend. For now, take it easy," Optimus spoke as he noticed Shockwave in the background. "Ah, Shockwave, have you any news on Whirl?" Optimus asked as Cyclonus turned around.
"What's wrong with Whirl?" Cyclonus asked as Shockwave narrowed his optics.
"Optimus, I am afraid our worst fears have come true. Dark Energon has somehow gotten into her system. I believe she must have gotten it from the Zombicon attack. It has been quickly devouring all of her normal Energon and multiplying like a virus. Before long, her whole system will be sprawling with Dark Energon, which as you know, is bad," Shockwave stated as Optimus grimaced.
"That is troublesome. How long do you think it will be?" Optimus asked as Shockwave held up a hand with four digits displayed.
"Four earth days is how long it will take, just in time for her to get her secondary vehicle mode. I can try my best to develop a cure, but we will have no choice but to detain and terminate her if proven unsuccessful," Shockwave stated as Cyclonus's optics went wide.
"No! I will not allow you!" Cyclonus stated, grabbing Shockwave by the neck. "You will not lay a hand on her! There has to be another way!" Cyclonus growled as Shockwave punched the bot in the face, knocking him to the ground.
"I can try to find another way. But the chances of me finding another way besides the cure is… only 5%. However, attacking me again like that, Cyclonus, will prove to be highly illogical." Shockwave stated as the Decepticon sweep snarled.
"Thank you for the information, Shockwave. I await your results. Also, tell the rest of the Rescue Bots to keep an eye on Whirl. If she is to act out of line any time soon, I will send Bumblebee to restrain her," Optimus stated as Shockwave nodded.
"Yes, Prime," Shockwave stated as he left the room, his red optic glowing, a plan forming in his mind.
-To Be Continued-
Here ya go, new chapter. Although, I want to address something. If people keep asking me to update constantly, I will probably just delete the story. I'll write this at my own pace. Save reviews and such for actual reviews, not update begging. Ok? Ok. Good. See you in the next chapter, peace.