Author's Notes: Happy almost Halloween everyone! I hope this month has treated everyone kindly. The only update I have along with this chapter is this: I will be going on a short hiatus after this chapter, as I will be preparing for Nanowrimo, (National Novel Writing month) which is this November. The hiatus won't be long, only an extra week for me to catch up, so no update next week. But after that I will be back! So that aside, please comment and enjoy!
Location: Cybertron, Iacon Prison
Rhea
"Come on Knockout! Snap out of it!" Miko continued to yell even when the red bot failed to move the first twenty times she shouted his name. She kicked and slapped at the glass of their enclosure between shouts. Rhea winced each time Miko's booted foot connected with the transparent wall. She already had a dehydration headache. The continued assault on their surrounding cage wasn't helping.
Rhea distracted herself from her growling stomach with her annual scan of the room. She seldom found anything different with each examination. They sat in a white room on a table in a clear box. Their small enclosure both imprisoned them and protected them from the toxic air outside. The most eye-catching thing in their drab environment was their cellmate Knockout. Slumped against the far wall sat the once boisterous medic, unresponsive to Miko's calls.
Knockout had regained consciousness a while ago. The moment he came to he panicked, realizing where he was. He had struggled against the restraints with everything he had. He tried and failed to transform despite it looking extraordinarily painful. It had been hard to watch as the fear rose in him as he thrashed but could not free himself. Nothing Miko or the other teens said had helped him, or even elicited a direct response. Rhea didn't say anything. She didn't know him well enough to try and offer words of encouragement, or comfort. She was scared, but she understood Knockout was in a much worse situation than they were. She and her fellow humans were only there as hostages used against Soundwave and the Autobots. Knockout was there to be executed. He was far to terrified of his impending fate to even register their presence in the cell with him.
He had either tired himself out, lost hope, or both because at some point, he stopped fighting. It seemed like it had been hours, maybe even a full day since he gave up. He remained silent, staring at his feet and ignoring Miko. He looked resigned to wait until an Elite Guard came to take him out of their cell for the last time.
On the wall overlooking Knockout there was a glass textured orb they had determined to be a camera. Despite being beyond pointless, Rhea took every chance she got to flash the camera the middle finger. Their situation was bleak, but she had collected a decent amount of data. The camera was the only one if its kind in the cell, its position wholly focused on Knockout.
The human placement in the same cell must have been an afterthought. Their box went ignored by each new guard who came to check Knockout's restraints. Aside from the oxygen exchange keeping them alive, there was not much else in the means of life support. No one dumped organic food into their cage in the nearly two days they had been there, and the far corner of the cage was their bathroom. The only thing they were graced with was a new container of metallic tasting water delivered to them by a guard only twice so far. There hadn't been much to share, but it was enough to at least keep them from dying.
So the New Council didn't know much about humans. That was clear. Or they never intended to return them to Earth alive. The biggest clue they had so far was the fact they were not searched, as Knockout was. Raf still had his laptop. He used it often to document every Cybertronian character on the wall screen. By some stroke of luck, he had two spare battery chargers in his bag to use. And he was watching his laptop battery like a hawk to conserve power. Miko still had her phone, though it was signal-less, obviously. Last Rhea checked Verizon didn't have cell towers this far out, cheap jerks.
Most importantly of all, Rhea had Soundwave's communication's device which she continued to use to feed Soundwave new information as they gathered it. She guessed this was something the New Council would have a problem with her having, if they had bothered to assume she possessed such a device in the first place. But they were only human. They or any primitive Earth technology they had were never seen as any kind of threat. That was the Council's biggest mistake because they weren't relying on Earth technology. Even separated, she had Soundwave in her ear.
Through this very connection, Soundwave had long since informed Rhea of their impending rescue. He said he had a plan, but he needed proper reinforcements, or their assault on the prison would end in catastrophic failure. If he and the Autobots died trying to save them, then it was doubtful the New Council would bother keeping the humans alive if there was no one left to manipulate with them. Soundwave didn't elaborate on who he was collecting to help, but she trusted him. But for any plan to move forward, it was agreed Knockout would somehow have to pull himself together and help them from the inside. So far, that was easier said than done.
Rhea got up to limp about their small cage to work out the frustration building in her limbs. It wasn't the best idea because she was dizzy. She hadn't drunk water since that morning and wouldn't until the next shipment.
She just had to hold out until Soundwave came. But, every time she glanced Knockout's way she felt hopeless. She felt worthless as she was, hunger pangs and caste engulfed limbs weakening her pace. Sleeplessness clouded her judgment. Again, despite her terrible predicament, she was thinking about Soundwave's offer. She stopped to press her forehead against the glass. "I could have been more useful." She mumbled.
"What do you mean?" Jack asked. He sounded just as tired as she was, skin sickly pale like the rest of them.
Rhea wasn't addressing him, but somehow managed to forget they were trapped in a box together. They could almost hear each other's thoughts. "I should have taken Soundwave up on his offer for me to become Cybertronian. I may have been able to help now, if I wasn't human." She admitted.
Miko stopped kicking the wall. Either the comment was the cause, or she had finally given up the fight to snap Knockout from his malaise. Rhea huffed, turning around to slide down the glass wall until she landed in a seated position. Now facing the others, she realized all three of them were studying her.
Jack was the first to respond. "From what little we heard; I got the impression not even Shockwave knew how to change a human into a Cybertronian. It was all hypothetical. Even if he did know, I doubt he would have been able to pull it off in only a few days. Don't feel guilty for an option that doesn't even exist yet."
In spite of what he said, Rhea still felt guilty. She must have been in a rebellious mood. "But I'm not what Soundwave needed…"
"What's that supposed to mean? You saved his sorry metal butt from the Shadow Zone, right?" Miko reminded her.
Rhea sighed, annoyed with herself as the ridiculous train of thought continued to run rampant. She was a hostage to hostile aliens in a box dying of hunger and thirst. Why was she thinking about this still? More worryingly, why were the others so intent on knowing more? They could be concerned about her? She heard such compassion was common among good friends. Or they were bored. It had been almost two days after all, and they were all cried and panicked out. They only knew the time because of Raf's computer clock.
They may die, so why not share? That way she could say it out loud and be forced to deal with it. "I know I'm crazy, because I think I may love him." She finally admitted. She sounded so unsure as she said it out loud. Plus, she felt her already unstable blood pressure attempt to escape through her face as she blushed. "I mean, I assume he feels the same way… Why else would he want me to be Cybertronian like him?"
Miko had a brow arched, which was better then what Rhea assumed she would get from this conversation. She thought the topic would elicit a lot of laughter, primarily at her expense. "He's a bit old for you, isn't he?" Miko asked.
"That shouldn't be the reason you want to change who you are." Jack said. It was a rare moment of sternness from the otherwise laid-back teen. "Becoming a Cybertronian, it should take you years to decide if that is what you really want. You're too smart. You know that. Don't make the choice because you think someone else wants you to, even if you care about them."
Rhea shrugged, pressing her back harder into the wall. It was a rash and stupid thing to decide on, all because she wanted to make Soundwave happy. Jack was right, she already knew that. But high self-esteem wasn't exactly something cultivated in her during her recent youth.
"You haven't even lived a quarter of your human life yet." Jack reminded her. "At the risk of sounding like my mom, you are still in high school. Maybe pump the breaks a bit until you have had time to process everything."
"I'll be eighteen in like… three months." Rhea offered in her dwindling defense. "I've experienced plenty."
"You ever had a durian fruit?" Miko asked out of left field.
"What's that?" Rhea asked before she realized she had contradicted her previous point.
"It's a big spiky fruit popular in Asia. Heavy enough to crush someone's skull from blunt force trauma just by swinging the thing around. And if that doesn't kill a man the smell will." Miko explained and made a big oval with both hands to help convey what she described. "Imagine a fruit that desperately wants to be every other fruit to ever exist at the same time and fails at its goal miserably. Can't say you lived a full human life without at least trying it once."
"I thought you would agree with me." Rhea said to Miko. "You said before you would change into a Cybertronian too."
Miko offered a shrug of her own. "I did. But I am the first to admit I am a creature of pure chaos. Making life changing decisions without thinking of the long-term consequences is my whole thing."
With a gentle click Raf's laptop closed. Rhea redirected her focus onto the youngest amongst them when he swallowed a few times to lubricate his dry throat. "If Soundwave really loves you too, he wouldn't want you thinking you would have to change for him. I can tell, he does care about you. And because of that, I'm sure he would wait until you were ready to decide."
It was all well-meaning and grounded advice. And as a plus, no one was laughing at her. Rhea admitted she could be throwing herself at the first thing that loved her. Or cared about her at all in any meaningful way after such a long time in an emotionless and barren life. Was she interpreting that as romantic feelings? She had no idea anymore. She would have to ask Soundwave in person if she lived through this. She would have an awkward conversation to look forward to, yay.
In that moment, she almost heard Laserbeak in the back of her mind. How he had to remind Soundwave to be honest so many times it had become a joke between her and the minicon. Well, now that advice applied to her. She had to be honest with Soundwave, and herself.
She stood, pressing her hands against the glass, and taking in Knockout's sorry state. "I need to get out of here so I can make that choice. First step is to find a way to help our bots rescue us. We're going to need help with that." Soundwave needed someone on the inside of the prison to work in tandem with the rescue. Like it or not, Knockout was that someone. She covered her ears and braced herself before kicking the glass, trying to grab Knockout's attention. Miko was right by her side, shouting and making as much noise as possible. Jack joined in, and Raf rushed over to add to the screeching chorus.
Even with the noise at an all-time high, the guards outside ignored the human's shenanigans. But Knockout, beyond frustrated, finally conceded and looked up.
Location: Upper Iacon, Council Building
New Council Member, Prowl
Prowl stormed into Councilor Decimus's office. He didn't bother knocking. All formalities went up in flames when he found out about this most recent fiasco. "Which neuro cluster did you blow in your helm Decimus, to make this seem like it was a good idea?" Prowl demanded in place of a hello.
Decimus pursed his mouth plates but didn't bother looking up from the data pad in his clutches. "What do I owe the surprise visit, my young comrade? Did I forget some sort of event? Was I scheduled for a public appearance? That comes with old age, unfortunately. You'll learn to understand such hardships, if you manage to get to be my age."
Prowl did not appreciate the snark. "You ordered an attack on Team Prime's Earth Base and involved human life forms. Do you comprehend how many codes you violated?"
Decimus still didn't glance Prowl's way. He wore the expression of somebot who was overworked and mildly irritated. "So, you found out about that? I don't know why I'm surprised." He said with a vent and retrieved more work from under an existing pile on his desk.
"Of course, I found out! I am a member of this Council and have access to all records. Even though you tried erasing your tracks, you forget I picked up a few tricks during the war. I know how to retrieve erased data!"
"I'll keep that in mind next time." Decimus said dismissive as always.
Prowl slammed both servos on Decimus's desk. It was effective enough to finally make Decimus acknowledge Prowl with a glare. "You had an emergency meeting without half of us present! Then you attack our comrades and their organic allies!" Prowl snarled.
"We have reason to believe your precious Team Prime has been consulting with the enemy. By taking those organics into our custody, I have bought us a bit of insurance. If Team Prime chooses to attack us alongside Soundwave's forces, their organic pets may suffer from that decision." Decimus's frame shuttered when he even mentioned the new Decepticon Leader's name.
"The rest of the New Council may be swayed by your silver glossia, Decimus, but your days in charge are numbered." Prowl informed him coldly. "Sigil is an old friend of yours and doesn't want to stand up to you. Trust me, I'll find a way to convince him. First, I'm giving Ultra Magnus emergency command of the Elite Guard forces." He spun around to leave, unable to stand looking at Decimus for a nanoklik more.
"Oh, haven't you heard? Ultra Magnus has taken a leave of absence." Decimus informed him. His tone was far too innocent to fit the situation.
Prowl froze before he reached the door. Dread trickled down his back strut as he processed the simple statement. It dripped with multiple layers of threatening insinuation. "Took a leave of absence where?" Prowl demanded, his back still to the two-faceplated bot.
"He did not inform me." Decimus said. "I fear the stress of recent events may have contributed to his sudden need for a vacation. He did not say when he would return. I took the liberty of utilizing his access codes after he handed them over. It made the strategic appropriation of the organics on Earth a much smoother process. But I will inform you when he returns."
Prowl turned to see Decimus was emphasizing the explanation with a victorious smile. "Is there anything else I can help you with, my fellow Councilor?" He went on to ask.
A knock on the door prevented Prowl from doing anything he was only half sure he would regret. Like picking up the closest relic that floated on display and hurling it with war trained accuracy at Decimus's helm.
"Ah, someone civilized who knows how to knock on a door… Please, enter!" Decimus said.
In the corner of Prowl's smoldering vision, he saw the eldest most Council Member Sigil limp into the office. The esteemed bot hesitated. Prowl knew why. The tension was plane enough to see.
"Oh, Primus… What have I stumbled into?" Sigil hummed with his usual delayed speech pattern that accentuated his age. Such a trait was common for an older bot who hadn't found the time to have their voice box and auditory receptors re-calibrated.
Prowl moved fast to Decimus's desk. He didn't ask permission to start yanking drawers open to search them. Decimus was not the type of bot to 'square up' to defend a slight against him. But Prowl didn't need any more reason to distrust Decimus. He found Ultra Magnus's key code and a backup data pad. He saw a small gun loaded and ready under an unused corner of the desk and took that too. Decimus was also not the type of bot who would have built in weaponry, so Prowl assumed he would find a stand-alone gun somewhere. That wasn't a crime, but he didn't feel like having the bastard shoot him in the back when he left his office.
"What's the matter?" Sigil asked as he shuffled over to the desk.
Decimus, who sat nonchalantly in his chair gave Prowl a dismissive wave. "Oh, nothing, Prowl is only throwing another tantrum."
"Councilor Sigil, have you seen Ultra Magnus?" Prowl asked after confiscating what he needed from Decimus's desk. In the back of his processor, he was surprised Decimus was so unfazed by the breach of privacy. That was uncharacteristic of him to say the least.
The older bot frowned, as he often did when he was in deep thought. "Decimus, didn't you say he left for a respite?"
"I did." Decimus said with a nod and another well-meaning grin towards his old friend. "And after this Decepticon and Arachnid business, I will be joining him on a similar vacation. I do encourage you to join me as well… Can I help you with that Sigil?" Decimus began to stand as if to assist, as Sigil fumbled with the seat he intended to plant himself in.
"Bah, don't get up on this old bot's account, I can find myself a seat. And I will have to politely decline your invitation. If I went on vacation now, I would never come back to work."
"Councilor Sigil." Prowl said and had to refrain from pleading. "I need your help. Decimus is being purposely evasive. I need you to take my side, like you have already regarding this mess we find ourselves in! We are making foes out of our friends every solar cycle. We have brought about Predaking's fury and are barely holding Arachnid's infected swarm at bay! Now Decimus has alienated Team Prime by taking captive their human familiars. I'm calling an emergency meeting so we can address how far we have allowed this all to go!"
Sigil's lightsparked banter died down, and he was frowning again. "Humans? Those little two pedded creatures that live on Earth?"
"The very same." Decimus vented and feigned concern. "If it will set Prowl's processor at ease. I chose to make such a power play to confirm Team Prime's treachery. Residing in our dearly departed Optimus Prime's old base was a Decepticon fugitive. Megatron's personal physician himself, Knockout. Because of our raid, we captured him. Also, the Elite Guard that returned reported that three Seeker convicts came to Team Prime's aid. This confirms that the convicts are being harbored on Earth. I take this action on Team Prime's part a disgrace to Optimus Prime's memory."
"Those 'convicts' are our fellow Autobot!" Prowl snarled. He looked to Sigil, who seemed to be absorbing all this information as best he could. He seldom disagreed with Decimus, if only to keep the peace amongst the Council. It was how he conducted himself on the original Senate with Decimus, and it was how he had handled things now. But this was no time to be timid. "Please, Sigil. You know this is all wrong. Optimus Prime would be disappointed to see how far we have descended. You don't have to go along with everything Decimus proposes."
"If you call an emergency meeting…" Sigil began, his optics flicked between Prowl and Decimus. "Then I suppose we will have to face whatever truth comes to light."
Prowl vented with relief. He patted Sigil on the shoulder and gave him a truly grateful nod. He then set his sights on Decimus. "We will sort out this mess, and then I will have you voted out! The rest of the Council is turning to my side, and you can't stop that." Prowl turned for the door, already mapping out his political plan of attack in the coming meeting.
"As things stand, no I cannot." Decimus agreed behind him. Whether it was mockery or even a moment of self-realization Prowl didn't care to know. He was on the war path, intending to keep his promise to Ultra Magnus, and Optimus. He would see Cybertron set on a better path, and he would do it by taking the high road.
The blast hit him in the back before he could reach the door's control panel.
Prowl tried to intake. The cold spreading out from the impact sight constricted his insides. His pain receptors finally caught up to the moment. The next thing he was aware of he was on the floor, the things he had taken from Decimus scattered around him.
His helm spun; his chassis so heavy he felt like gravity was crushing him through the wet floor. Why was the floor wet? He blinked over and over, trying to get his optics to adjust. Energon was dripping from his back and pooling under him. He knew it should have been warm, but the more that dripped out, the colder he felt. It finally registered somebot had shot him in the back.
"Unfortunate, but unavoidable." Prowl heard someone say. His vision was darkening. He forced himself to turn, hands slipping on his own Energon in the attempt. How had Decimus shot him? He had taken his gun.
Prowl came to, staring up towards Decimus's desk. Decimus had not moved. He wasn't armed either, only observing Prowl bleed out on his floor with an air of boredom. Prowl didn't understand why Sigil's left servo was shifted into a still smoking blaster.
Another failed intake shook Prowl's internal framework. His pain was fading, and so was his senses. As Sigil's weapon shifted away, he was able to realize what was happening. 'They were both…' He couldn't finish the thought. He pulled his focus. He had to get out and get help. He had to sound the alarm and tell the others…
Prowl drug himself to the door, Energon coated hand fumbling for the door panel. It rejected his attempts for freedom with a cruel red rejection light. It was locked. He managed to read the blurry script on the panel. Sigil had locked it on the way in. He crashed back down to the ground when the door was no longer there to support his dead weight. He tried to reach out for the pistol on the floor. He could almost reach it… the darkness began to descend, weighing him down more.
"As I was saying before. I am confident the plan regarding the humans will keep Team Prime from interfering." Prowl heard Decimus say, but the image of him was getting fuzzy. "And if Soundwave attacks again, our Predacon army will destroy him and his remaining forces. From there, I suggest we simply indulge the Spider Bot and send her to Earth. Whatever she wants there, she'll have trapped herself. We can close the Space Bridge behind her and throw away the key. She will be out of our way so we can move in to clean out the Kaon underground of refugees."
"It will work out, it always does." Sigil said with a forlorn vent. "I only regret Prowl had to be so difficult."
Darkness closed in, and Prowl only heard Decimus one last time. "He made his choice when he decided lowly Decepticons were worthy of mercy."
The world went away. The cold weight of his body gone and the pain a distant memory. Through the peaceful quiet, Prowl heard who he knew was Primus calling him home.
