It had probably been close to a week of Soundwave's nonstop poking and prodding, both through the eye and physically. It was hard to tell time in a oalce with no windows.
He was trying to find the reason behind his curiosity towards me, but I had grown so hungry and tired I didn't care what he did. I could hardly stand, much less fight back.
I woke up to the sound of explosions, shouts, and metal shrieking in protest of being abused. A roar shook the room from the outside. Soundwave stood between me and the door. He threw his thin arm down and it shifted into a gun on some kind. He silently stood, as he always did.
A Cybertronian must have been thrown against the door because it warped slightly and a cry of pain came through it. Then I heard another roar, though this one sounded less like an animal and more like a fire. The door began to glow red in the center, confirming my thoughts.
"Come on, give me this," I whispered. The hot metal soon gave way to flames, which poured into the first few feet of the room. Even though I was more than 30 feet away, I could easily feel the heat and scrambled backwards.
Claws punched through the melted door and tore it out of its frame. Renegade stepped through, his draconian glare hotter than the fire he had just spewed. He snapped at Soundwave, who raised his blaster. Renegade ignored the pathetic attempts to harm him as his eyes scanned the room.
"Renegade!" His eyes locked onto me and he nodded before turning to the other bit in the room. "You screwed up, you psycho!" I called out to Soundwave. Renegade's jaws opened and a white flame shot forward faster than ever.
Soundwave, despite his so-called vow of silence, let out a scream of pain. I saw Laserbeak fly around the flames and start pelting Renegade's face with blaster fire.
The flames stopped when Renegade slammed his jaws closed. A swipe of a claw sent Laserbeak crashing into the floor at the foot of the table I was on. Renegade stomped over, growling as he glared at the twitching form. Soundwave was in the corner of the room. Parts of his armor were glowing red and orange. Whether he was dead or unconscious, I really couldn't bring myself to care.
Despite what Soundwave had done, Laserbeak had saved my life. I owed him that much.
"Renegade, don't! Let's just go!" He nodded and held out a claw. Trusting him with my life, I crawled over as best I could, but my body fought every move. Seeing my struggle, his claws carefully wrapped around me before bringing me to his chest. Some plating shifted aside, revealing a pocket about twice my size. I looked up when he nudged me with the back of his thumb claw. He gave me a nod.
I hesitantly crawled inside his armor, or body, or wherever I was being put. The plating slid back into place and I felt him moving. Roars and blaster fire filled the air as I was jostled around.
Something knocked Renegade onto his side. I heard someone talking, but I couldn't make out the words.
My stomach went into my throat as gravity suddenly took over the metal form around me, dragging me along in an unwilling dive. I then felt the somewhat familiar feeling of his wings carrying us on the wind.
Minutes passed before a growl that came from behind me, deeper in his form. I hesitated for a second before I patted the metal next to me. A second rumble came, and I took it that he felt my response. I did my best to ignore the strangeness of my location.
I felt him land a few minutes later. The opening revealed itself again and I slid into his awaiting claws. He brought me up to eye level and nudged my leg with his nose.
"Renegade. Thank you," I breathed. He nudged me again and I sat up, placing a hand on his nose. "I'm okay big guy. Just, shaken." My voice confirmed as such. He rested his paw on the ground and gently slid me onto my feet. Unfortunately I had to sit down, my stomach felt like it was eating itself.
Renegade shifted to his humanoid form before dropping heavily to a knee. Even though I still wasn't completely familiar with the Cybertronian expressions, I could tell he was exhausted in every sense of the word.
"Are you sure?" He asked.
"I'm fine." I was able to answer after the earth stopped shaking
"Neal, this is no time for false bravado. Did he hurt you?" His red eyes narrowed a little when I hesitated. "I need to know."
"He took control of the eye again. And he destroyed the device Ratchet gave me. I got caught when I sent you that last message. There was some poking and prodding, but he had no concept of food." He looked over my form, seeing the sunken cheeks.
"That is unsurprising. Though I believe he will be out of commission for a few cycles."
"You torched him pretty good." I huffed.
"He deserved worse," He growled, his frame rattling. Then he eyed me. "Why did you stop me when the Minicon attacked?"
"Believe it or not, that little guy saved my life," I tried to shrug but didn't have the strength, "Felt like I owed him one." He looked at me with pride.
"You really are special." I cringed at that.
"No aggrandizing, please. Can we just go ba-wait!" I gasped, only to wince. "Siege! Is he okay?!"
"There was a lot of damage. His back legs were completely crushed, and he lost a lot of Energon by the time I got him back to base. Thankfully," Hearing that one word nearly made me pass out in relief, "He will recover. It will take a very, very long time however."
"He's alive. That's what matters right now." I closed my eyes tightly.
"Are you okay?" His tone indicated he wasn't asking about my physical health.
"This is like, the third time I've been kidnapped. This time I helplessly watched one of my friends get crushed. The second time, I watched a woman die in front of me." I glanced up at him, "It starts to get to you."
"Second time?" He raised an eye ridge.
"I wasn't exactly jumping into your claws, was I?" He spluttered for a second.
"For the last time! I did not kidnap you!"
"You took me against my will."
"You wouldn't have lasted five nanokliks in that storm."
"Not like I'd be surprised. I survived much worse at this point."
"Yes, and half the time it's me saving your skid plate."
"'Ey!"
"The rest of the time it's either Siege, or sheer dumb luck," He tacked on. I thumped my fist against his armored fist.
"Jerk." He picked me up so I was eye level with him.
"What I speak is merely the truth."
"Doesn't mean you have to point it out!" I shot back. He sighed, watching me for a moment. "What?"
"How you humans have survived for as long as you have still baffles me."
"We've got a stubborn streak as long as the earth is round and we spit in the face of whatever tries to drive us to extinction. It's more entertaining that way." All he could do was shake his head.
"I need to comm Prime. If you will give me a moment." He pressed a button on the side of his head and went silent. His expression would change as their conversation progressed, and I could see him growing grimmer. After another minute or so, he looked down at me.
"Unfortunately, we won't be able to go back to base. If Soundwave truly regained control of that eye, then going back will only endanger you and everyone else further."
"So, what now?" That's when my body reminded me of something. "Right. Food first, then we'll talk." He nodded held me close to his chest as he walked. "Uh, Renegade?" I asked after a minute of silence.
"Yes Neal?"
"Where exactly…was I, just now?" He went to answer, probably thinking I was asking about the ship I was on. Then he noticed my eyes flicking to his chest plate.
"It is a subspace." My face showed my confusion when he glanced at me because he elaborated. "It is simply a holding place. Similar to your pockets on your clothing. Why?"
"No reason," I answered stiffly. His eyes trained onto me.
"Neal?" My mouth opened and closed once or twice before I huffed.
"Look, it's not every day you crawl beneath someone's…skin. It's not normal." He thought about it for a while.
"I see how that could be disturbing. I apologize for any discomfort."
"I'll…get over it." I was still baffled, and more than a little weirded out. Sure, their kind wasn't a bunch of stuff inside of what was essentially a shaped meat sack, but to be put inside their armor felt really invasive.
"I only did it because I needed my claws free and it kept you safe. I will never force you in there if you don't have to."
"Noted," I muttered. We soon approached a road and Renegade stepped onto the asphalt. He set me down, making sure I was steady on my feet, before shifting to his bus form. I stepped inside and plopped onto a bench seat. His engine rumbled and we set off.
"Rest for now. I will wake you when we are somewhere safe." I closed my eyes.
"Thanks. For everything."
"Anything, my friend."
««{{¤}}»»
"Neal?" My eyes snapped open. A strangled cry came from my throat as I threw a punch. The person caught my wrist. "Neal!" I froze mid swing with my other fist before I collapsed back onto the bench. I cursed under my breath.
"Renegade," I groaned.
"Are you okay?" He let go of my arm.
"I'm awake," I pointed out.
"Apologies."
"No, it's fine." I sat up and rubbed my face. "How long was I out?"
"Four of your hours."
"Definitely not enough." I grunted. "Where are we?"
"The second closest town to where we were. I wanted to put some distance between us and the Decepticons."
"Okay." My stomach growled and I felt my face flush a little. "Let's uh, let's go get some food."
"Yes, your fuel tanks have been making that sound the entire time you were in recharge." The slightest twitch in the corner of his mouth made me blush harder.
"Look, it's not like I can control it." He only chuckled as we stepped out of his real form. He had to help me down his own steps and over to a restaurant.
Sitting down at a table, I grabbed the menu. I paused when I saw the prices.
"Crap."
"Hm?" Renegade looked at me.
"I don't have my wallet." He held up his hand. In a show of what appeared to be magic, a card appeared.
"I think I can cover it," He said. I raised an eyebrow. The card was metallic and had the Autobot symbol on the front, angled so part of it was cut off by the edge of the card. I grabbed his wrist and brought it down to the table, glancing around once.
"You can't be showing that around!" I hissed, "What if a Con is in the area?!" He gently pulled my hand off his wrist.
"Neal, calm yourself. I have a constant scan of the area. If there were any Cons nearby, I would already know." That made me feel a little better.
"Okay, but, still. You can't be flashing that symbol everwh-!"
"Good day to you two, what can I get you?" I started at the waitress that was suddenly to my left, accidentally banging my elbow on the table. "Oh my, are you okay?" She asked.
"Yeah. Peachy." I grimaced as I held my elbow.
"Alright?" She didn't look too sure about it, but continued. "Have you decided what to order yet?" I gave her my order. When she turned to Renegade, he simply asked that the same meal be placed in a box to go. She nodded after he explained he wasn't hungry at the moment, and wanted something for the road later.
"Alright, I'll be right back with your food." She tapped the table once with her pen before walking off.
"Not hungry?" I asked rhetorically.
"It's at least a two day drive to the rendezvous point set by Ratchet. You're going to need food," He said while folding his arms. I thought about it before nodding.
"I guess you're right. But back to the reason my elbow is bruised, how do you even have money on that thing?" I asked, directing my gaze towards the credit card.
"It is connected to an account that us Autobots can use for our charges." I leaned back into the seat and sighed.
"Okay. I'm too tired to care right now." His expression spoke of a mutual feeling, and we allowed the conversation to stagnate. Eventually the waitress returned with our food. We both thanked her and I dug in, using every bit of willpower to be polite in public and take it slow so my body didn't reject the food and water. Renegade must have been doing something like comming another Bot because his expression kept changing.
Or he was just thinking too hard.
"You're going to blow a fuse if you keep thinking like that," I said after wiping my mouth. He blinked, snapping back to reality.
"Hm? Apologies, I was lost in thought." I set down my napkin.
"Clearly. Is everything okay?"
"There is a…heavy burden on my pauldrons, I admit." I silently urged him on. "With you being held by the Cons and Siege nearly offlining, it has not been easy on my processor…" I leaned forward, placing my elbows on the table and crooking a finger at him. He leaned forward as well, only to get popped upside the head.
"Idiot."
"Neal?!" He looked at me in shock as he rubbed his head.
"I get you were stressed, but what does running yourself into the ground do?"
"I wasn't going to leave you in the hands of those Cons!" He said lowly.
"You haven't slept since that day, have you?" He had the self awareness to break eye contact.
"No, I haven't recharged si-!"
"I don't care what it's called!" I hissed, cutting him off. "You could have drained yourself so badly that you could have been caught. Then what?" He didn't answer. "Then. What?" I urged.
"I don't know."
"We'd both be dead." He stiffened. My expression softened moments later. "Look, I get why you couldn't sleep, and I'm not admonishing you for rescuing me, but plopping yourself back into the Cons hands isn't going to solve anything. You should have called in back up." He barely held back a scowl as he looked away.
"What?" I asked.
"They were too slow."
"I would have been fine for another hour or so."
"You were being starved to death." The look in his eye matched his draconic form.
"Is everything alright over here?" The waitress asked, stepping over to our table. I sat back and nodded.
"Yes. My complements to the cook, but unfortunately something has come up. Could I have another box, please?"
"Of course." She stepped away. Renegade raised an eyebrow in a silent question.
"You're not the only one who's been worried sick," I said softly, "I need to see my mom and Siege." He nodded in understanding. When the waitress came back with a box, he handed her the card. She stepped away as I loaded my meal up.
"As I said, he is stable."
"Doesn't change the fact that I saw his back legs get flattened by that Con," I said. My fork shook a little before I steeled my nerves and finished boxing my food. Renegade hummed in agreement. The waitress returned Renegade's card and we got back on the road.
Before we pulled out of town, I had Renegade stop at a clothing store. I came back out a few minutes later with a bandana. Once I sat down again, I tied it around my head so I was covering my eye. When asked why, I explained it would be best to cut out as much information Soundwave could possibly get. If it meant being half blind for a while, so be it.
Renegade wished that he had finished off that Con when he had the chance, but I calmed him down before he went on a rampage back through the Con base.
Two more days and another long drive went by. It had been tense whenever I was awake. There was something bothering Renegade, but he wouldn't say what it was.
We finally pulled up to a military outpost. I sat up and looked around.
"This is where we're meeting Ratchet?"
"Correct." Renegade was let through the gate. We rolled into an empty warehouse and I stepped out. Renegade shifted to his bipedal form and knelt next to me. Again, I noticed the weariness etched into his face.
"Ratchet should be here soon," He said as he rested his hand in his knee. I nodded.
"Why don't you get some rest?" I offered. He shook his head.
"I will be fine for a few more hours." I shot him a look as he used my own line against me.
"Renegade, you need to rest."
"I will once you are assisted," He insisted.
"Look," I started, folding my arms, "There's no Cons in the area. This is a military outpost with armed guards. I'll be fine."
"Still, I will wait." He was being unusually stubborn, even for him.
"Renegade."
"Neal." I gritted my teeth.
"It's not like Soundwave will be-!" His fist slammed into the floor, cracking it and shaking the warehouse.
"DON'T SPEAK HIS NAME!" He roared. He reeled back in horror. I swallowed hard as my heart tried to shatter my ribs.
"…R-R-Renegade?"
"I, I didn't mean to snap at you, I'm sorry!" He reached for me, but my body reacted, taking a few steps back. The air felt thick; I found it hard to breathe. "Neal?" The only thing I could see was those red eyes that glared with molten rage.
An ambulance rolled into the room. Shifting into his bipedal form, Ratchet read the room.
"What happened?" Renegade flinched, but his eyes didn't leave my shaking form.
"I, I." Renegade felt guilt crushing down on his spark.
"Neal?" Ratchet called to me, keeping his distance while running a scan. Heart rate was above the effective rate. Blood pressure was through the roof. Perspiration pooled on the forehead. Breathing was rapid and shallow.
I jumped at the sound of my name, and looked over to Ratchet. Seeing the familiar bot, despite the memory of wrenches, soothed my nerves by a hair.
"Neal, can you hear me?" He asked I nodded shakily. "Good, can you take a few deep breaths?"
"…Ratchet?" I whispered shakily. He must have heard me because he responded.
"Yes Neal?"
"Knock me out before I do it myself," I said quickly. He promptly reached a hand out, taking a soft step forward, and a mist surrounded me. He dropped to a knee and scooped me up once I began to sway on my feet. I was soon asleep.
Without warning or word, Renegade transformed and rolled outside. Ratchet quietly watched him go. Once he was out of sight, the Autobot medic looked down at the still form in his grasp. His brow shifted together.
"…What happened?"