Chapter Twenty-Eight
…
"Welcome back to the Knight's Terminus, Prime."
Mira had all she could do to take the sheer amazement she felt. Her emotions felt whiplashed within her: she was utterly and completely astounded—if not a bit excited—to be on an actual Cybertronian ship; but she was entirely petrified that she the prisoner aboard this ship—as well as the only human. Or female, for that matter.
Some of the creatures, most sentient if not alive, had stopped to stare at her as she was paraded by. Mira had considered they were staring at the Autobot leader, captured and down for the count; but then she'd realized they all were staring at perhaps the only female they'd seen in half a lifetime. It pitted a sour emotion in her stomach, and her gag reflex had all it could do to keep the contents of her stomach in check. So, she'd resigned herself to the fact that she was stuck her, and Mira had decided, upon looking down at Optimus, that she would take this in stride, with grace and courage. She saw absolutely no point in cowering away from this…situation. It would get her nowhere.
And now, she was far too busy to be anything but an amazed child; a child in the eyes of the technological developments around her. The Teminus, as Lockdown has so eloquently dubbed it, was like a platform; suspended in the middle of the ship; below it a seemingly endless abyss of blackness which Mira could only describe as the underbelly of the ship. Around it encircled a huge mechanical arm, which floated around the terminus; Mira guessed it was a gyrus, which kept the ship balanced—this must've been the center the vessel.
What petrified her the most about this place was not its size—she'd gotten used the enormity of the Autobots and their species already, it didn't bother her. What bothered her was the idea that it was an island, which she would not be able to get off—since to cross from the main walkway of the ship required a wide stride over a gap, one that a Cybertronian could easily make—but not a human being, like herself.
She watched Optimus—Lockdown spoke to him in a manner which made Mira to believe that Optimus had been aboard this ship before, that he should know it. The idea puzzled her, since he told her before he was a librarian in Iacon, working in the Hall of Records under one Alpha Trion. She wondered how he had come to live aboard this ship, with all these…beings. Or if these beings were implemented upon Lockdown's succession of the ship. She couldn't imagine Optimus keeping prisoners—in such conditions, no less.
The crawler's suddenly jerked to a stop, released Optimus, and left the way they'd come. The hovering craft Optimus had been transported on sank back into the floor of the Terminus, him now laying in the middle of erected platform. Cages around them, one towering above the rest, were dormant and still. Mira looked around as the eerily quietness of the atmosphere grated along her nerves, coursing a path through her body. One that both petrified her and encouraged her more. Then, the break that silence, was the sound of heavy breathing.
Mira followed the noise as Lockdown released her. For an instant she thought of running, but then she realized she had nowhere to run. Then, she realized she was shaking, and held out her hand to examine them. Surely as day would come, she had a tremble to her hands. Backing up slowly, she ignored Lockdown as he prepared what she could only assume a prison cell for Optimus. Her back collided with something, and she squealed, whipped around, to find that it was only Optimus, who was looking at her with sorrowful, painful optics—he looked as if he'd been defeated. She closed her eyes and he, obviously regaining some feeling very slowly, overturned his hand palm up, and crooked his index finger, waving her forward with it slowly and tenderly. Mira obliged and seated herself on his hand.
He, ever so delicately, moved his thumb inward for her to rest against. Instead of resting against it, Mira took to snuggling against it and wrapping her arms around it as if in a hug. Her body instantly relaxed, and security flooded her being, and she could finally allow silent tears to flow down her face. "It is alright, dear one," Optimus said softly, in a breathed whisper, "I am here. You are safe."
She gave him a look, glancing from the corner of her eye as she still clutched to his thumb—which was cool and smelled of grinding sparks and diesel, as well as Energon. Nodding silently, she couldn't speak over the lump forming in her throat.
"There is no such thing as safety aboard my ship," Lockdown sneered at Optimus, "especially if you are a prisoner," he shot a look to Mira, then pointed at her, and moved all his fingers forward towards himself, as if beckoning her to come. Mira's heart froze, and it must've been evident, for all heat left her body, and she assumed her color as well. She shot a look to Optimus, who rolled his head to glare at Lockdown.
"You are trying my patience, human," Lockdown added wickedly, "I will not ask twice."
Optimus gave her an apologetic, yet stern and warning look, "Go," he said quietly, "do as he says." Mira nodded, slipped off his hand and slowly walked along the length of his shoulder, until she stopped, beside his head. He rolled it to look at her, and she turned hers to look at him. They stood there for a moment, staring at one another, and Mira's heart flipped. Then, she looked up to Lockdown, and took a few steps forward, before she heard the next sound.
There was a sudden snarl, a sound almost as demonic as something that had arisen from the underworld, coming from across the platform. Optimus looked there, and Lockdown jerked his head to glare and snarl at the being. Mira quickly took half a step back, out of reaction, until Lockdown took a knee, slammed his hand onto the floor, and glared at her. Biting her lower lip, she gently stepped into his grasp and immediately he lifted her off the ground, and stepped away from Optimus. Her reaction was less than brave, and she panicked.
"No!" she screamed, her voice echoing off the extremely high walls of the vessel, bouncing back at them.
Her scream caused Lockdown to stop, cringe, and then turn. He made his way over to a control console, pressed a finger against a panel, and shook his head. "No all beings on this vessel understand and appreciate noise," he hissed at her, "…you would be wise to keep your voice quiet." There was another snarl, and a brief rattling of a cage, then a squawk. Mira whipped her attention behind them, turning in his palm, and saw two red eyes glaring back at her, upside down.
It was coming from the massive cell. Her stomach dropped, and she swallowed thickly. There was a transformation, in the middle of the platform beside Optimus, as a new, smaller platform transformed out of the floor and began to rise. It rose as high as Lockdown, a staging 30 feet, then topped off with a circular surface. The entire pillar was huge; the circular top had a diameter roughly the size of a garage stall. It was entirely flat, silver, with Cybertronian etching within it. Instantly, Lockdown strode towards it in two steps, and almost tossed her onto the platform. It was massively empty and alone, as well as high—and felt unsafe, considering if just rose out of the floor into existence. She staggered to balance herself, then looked around. Directly in the middle of the platform, she could see everything on the Terminus, as well as the exit.
This was a feeling of vulnerability, and she hated it.
"Join the rest of your fellow rebels, fugitive scum," he snorted to her, "as well as your Prime." He then rounded around Optimus, and raised his hands, looking to the ceiling as if in splendor of the command center, "it's for the worst of the worst, the rarest of the specimen I collect throughout my travels—my trophy case," he chuckled sadistically at this, "and now I have a Prime, as well as a human." He shot her a look, then gave her a despicable half smile, "and it would only be fitting to put the first femme I have collected in the Terminus."
She glared at him, "You're disgusting," she challenged, "you think you collect beings? Freedom is a right that will come around when the times comes for it to ring true," she looked away to the caged beings, then to Optimus, "…every being deserves it, and every being will have it. One way or another."
He snorted at this and then went on to ignore her sentiment, "A sweet thought, which could only stem from a pathetic, weak being—a femme," he shook his head and waved her off rudely, then focused his attention on Optimus, walking forward toward him, "It has taken me centuries, but I have collected all the knights," he shot a look to the largest cell. Then, without warning, his hand transformed into a claw-like razor, and he slammed it into what could be described as Optimus' ankle, and finished his thought, "all of them, besides you." He ungracefully dragged Optimus across the floor, where a large and empty cell lay dormant. It was tall for Optimus to stand comfortable, but stand only.
Optimus groaned as he dragged him towards the cellar, trembling returning to Mira. She peered over the edge of her platform, and considered jumping—no, 30 feet was too high for a human to withstand impact; she'd break something, or shatter her spine. So instead she opted to sit, as rage and fear overtook her nerves. Lockdown whipped Optimus' foot forward, where out of nowhere a huge claw-like hand extended forward to catch it, and sank its talons into his ankle plating. Optimus moaned at this loudly, now suspended upside down, and his back slammed into the inner wall of the pod-shaped prison, which could only be seen out the front. There was a sharp click, and Mira strained to see spikes come out of the wall, prohibiting Prime from any movements beside sitting dormant. His optics, taking in his surroundings, checked all around him until he finally realized he couldn't fight, and he was still; stopping all fighting and struggling. Lockdown stood before the opening of the pod, and Optimus glared at him. Mira could find no words.
"The creators want to wipe their chessboard clean," he looked at Optimus, and then to Mira, then retracted the claw-like razor back into his armor. Optimus dangled there, and for the first time since boarding the vessel, spoke directly to Lockdown.
"I am enslaved to no one but the Matrix," he said coldly, then looked around Lockdown as he moved towards the cell, to find Mira, who watched the scene carefully. She swallowed thickly again, locked eyes with him, and mouthed the words to him: 'I'm okay'. Relief flooded his optics and Lockdown bent just within the opening of the pod, outstretching a hand to only grab his face in his hand.
"The creator's know of your guardian bond to that femme," still with Optimus' face in his hand, turned to look over his shoulder and trust an accusing finger to Mira, "and all the species mixing with species, well, it upsets the cosmic balance," he pulled Optimus' face towards his, spitting the words with angry ferocity, "the Creators, they don't like it." He then pointed a finger and rested it against Optimus chin plating roughly, "…they built you to do what you were told." Then, he roughly released Optimus, and slammed him into the wall of his pod. Stepping out of the door, he touched the side of the cell, and the bars fell into place with a shattering, echoing boom.
"If I am what you want," Optimus began roughly, "then you have me. Just release her, she has nothing to do with any of this." His voice was filled with hatred, heavy demand, and impatience. It scared Mira for a moment, the darkness that had come over him, and she stood, to be eye level with Lockdown. He scanned over her with his optics and lifted a finger to place it roughly under her chin. He used it to move her face slightly to the left as if he were a trader inspecting goods.
"She has everything to do with the Matrix," his eyes leveled at her chest, where the Shield was dangling, helplessly cold and dormant. She reached up with a hand to cover it in a fist, and he removed his finger from her chin, "The Shield holds undeniable power to the beholder," he began, looking over his shoulder at Optimus with a haughty look, "and to the Keeper…" he looked back to her, "the world is at their fingertips."
"You know the Shield will not work in the hands of someone it is not coded to," Optimus challenged behind him, then it must've resonated within him, because he got a look of utter and pure terror that Mira had never seen in Optimus Prime before: he locked his eyes on her and hoarsed out the next sentence, "…and it is coded unto Mira."
Mira's face paled, and she staggered a step forward. Lockdown got a look of joy on his face, a joy that was only given from the darkest of places to the vilest of beings. She glared at him and backed away from him slowly, "I will do nothing for you."
"I disagree," Lockdown challenged with a chortle, "you will do whatever I ask, when I ask. Otherwise," he looked to Optimus, "…I will kill your Prime."
…
"They're anchoring in the city!" Tessa exclaimed, "Look, just off the harbor!" She patted the dash of the Camaro frantically, "go, 'Bee, hurry!"
"We can board from the bridge," Cade looked over the driver's seat and out the rear window, where Drift and Crosshairs were quickly gaining on the Camaro, Hound not too far behind. Drift had taken the frantic Merrick with him, assuring the adults that he could calm the boy. Bryce had opted for Hound, to run some weapon's checks and plot their boarding, since Hound was second under Optimus.
This entire scenario scared the living daylights out of Cade, but he could've just abandon Mira, not after what he'd seen in her. She had too much spunk for him to just ignore and push aside; he was already chest deep in this conspiracy, he might as well go head under in it and go the heart of the matter. Boarding Lockdown's ship was going to be difficult—just the sheer size of it demanded attention, as well as reconsideration. He'd done that, over and over, and decided that the only way to stop KSI and Lockdown was to get Mira and Optimus back.
The ship was constructed much like Cybertronian's—with gaps in the armor, which he could only assume were shielded by some type of matter, to keep the atmospheric pressure balanced and in check, especially if Lockdown was planning to take a human into space. He wondered if that matter was retracted since they were on earth—he got his answer when the vessel fired chord-like anchors to keep itself grounded. They'd get inside one of the openings with the other Autobots and find Mira and Optimus, and hopefully be able to avoid Lockdown—and maybe only have to kill a few guards. That's if they were lucky.
They were crossing the bridge into Chicago, and the ship was going to be too far from the bridge for them to board in a matter of moments, so they had to act now, while the vessel was close enough for Cade and the others to extend a hand to and grab on.
"STOP!" Cade exclaimed, Bumblebee putting on the brakes instantly. Crosshairs and Drift skidded to a stop on either side of the Camaro, and Hound came up beside Drift. All of the vehicles released their respective passengers, Cade shouldering the backpack. They all began their transformation, cars screaming to a panicked halt around them and reversing or speeding up to flee the scene. Cade, Bryce, Tessa, and Merrick all stepped up to the protective railing off the vessel, and Cade extended a hand to touch the alien metal. It was warm and thrumming. Grabbing on, he began climbing his way up the armor until he could stand firmly and securely on the top of the ship. Extending a hand down to Tessa, he then looked down to the water, so far below them and ever a threatening danger.
"Let's go!" He exclaimed roughly, "We don't have time!" Tessa, looking insanely terrified, took his hand and he hoisted her up. Bryce lifted Merrick, the ship floating away gently, then scrambled over the railing to climb beside them. All four humans looked to the Autobots, who looked back at them as if they were insane.
"You're all friggin' crazy!" Crosshairs exclaimed, "Lockdown will skin you alive if he catches you."
Drift glared at him, grabbed onto the ship, and was lifted from the bridge, now laughing, "Where is your sense of honor, Crosshairs? We must get Mira and Optimus back, and to do that requires us to board."
Hound side and playfully saulked Crosshairs in the shoulder armor, "C'mon, you fragger, let's get this over with." Bumblebee was already boarded and approaching the humans, as was Drift. Hound hung, his fat chassi suspended over the water until he clumsily managed to stand on his servos. Crosshairs was the last to board, and they all approached Bumblebee, who had opened a hatch and was waving them come.
"This is a bad idea." He muttered.
