Thunderhoof was awakened out of recharge by a call from Steeljaw,:: Thunderhoof, I need your assistance, come meet me outside. ::
Looking down at Metalsound, who is still sleeping, he gave her a quick kiss on her forehelm before putting his interface panel back on,:: On my way Steeljaw. :: He replied as he left the room.
He went outside and into the woods where he found Steeljaw holding an unconscious Strongarm, "Eyo! What did you do Steeljaw!?"
"I couldn't risk the chance of never seeing her again. I didn't intend to knock her out it just happened while I was fighting that damn brat Sideswipe," Steeljaw explains trying to keep his cool.
"I see. So what are you gonna do? You can't take her onto the ship without the other 'Cons knowing."
"You think I don't know that?! I didn't know what else to do but to call you. I need you to distract Glowstrike and Saberhorn for a while until I find a safe place to keep her," he replied looking at Strongarm with hurt optics.
Thunderhoof sighs, "Alright, I'll create a distraction while you sneak her to your quarters. If you keep your door locked so no one can get in, she won't get out and no one will find out. You owe me."
"I know, thank you Thunderhoof. But first, I'll need a stasis pod," he said with an idea forming in his processor.
"I thought you were gonna keep her in your quarters not put her in stasis."
"I won't," Steeljaw growled, "I can put a shield around her as I did for myself when I planned Scorponok's capture with the Autobots. She will only be in stasis for a few minutes and when she wakes up she'll stay in my quarters."
"Alright, I'll go get the pod," Thunderhoof said before he walked off.
Metalsound woke up when she felt the empty space beside her. She looks around in confusion before leaving to find Thunderhoof, walking out of his room she saw him at the far end of the hall, carrying a stasis pod, "What's he doing?" She asked herself as she followed after him, unaware that she was being watched herself.
Thunderhoof heads outside with the pod and meets up with Steeljaw.
"What's with the stasis pod?" Metalsound asked the two mechs with her arms folded.
Thunderhoof swung around and looked at her, "Metalsound! What are you doing out here?"
"I could ask you the same thing," she countered, "What. Is. Going. On?" She growled in a dangerously low tone.
"Steeljaw captured Strongarm and is trying to sneak her to his quarters."
Metalsound blinked with an expressionless face, "Is she in the stasis pod now?" She asked in a calm tone.
"Yes, I just put her in it," Steeljaw replies looking down at Strongarm lying in the stasis pod.
Metalsound walked up to Steeljaw as he said this, electricity sparked around her arm as she punched Steeljaw in the jaw, sending him flying into a nearby tree. Thunderhoof watched in shock, "Whoa!"
Steeljaw growled at her as she reached to grab him by the throat, but before she could fully get her servo around his throat he grabbed her arm and turns them around, slamming her into the tree he was just leaning against, "Don't ever do that again," he growls.
Electricity sparks through Metalsound's body, "I told you to wait a few days," she whispered, her fangs baring like a snarling wolf as Steeljaw pulled back from the shock of electricity. It hurt but it didn't phase him too much. Metalsound goes for another punch but Steeljaw catches it, she lifts her leg to kick him and he growls at her before slamming her onto the ground.
"Do you have any idea of what you've done by kidnapping her?!" She hisses as she looks up at him.
Steeljaw snarls at her, the nerve of her to attack him like that, "The thought of never seeing her again, never holding her or kissing her again, was killing me! Then that wretched witch of an Autobot was telling her stuff about me making her lose her trust and love in me! I can't lose her, I will do everything I can to keep her!" He says as he lets go of her and steps back.
Metalsound sits up while looking at him, "You just made it worse for yourself, now she may never trust you because of your own actions. You better pray that things will work in your favor," she finishes off as she gets up and walks away.
Thunderhoof looks at Steeljaw, "Was that necessary?"
"She should have known better than to attack me."
Before the conversation could go any further Soundwave comes out from his hiding spot. He quickly put the pieces together and there was no way in Pit Steeljaw's plan of sneaking the Autobot Cadet aboard the island was going to work. Soundwave walked up to Steeljaw, "How are you gonna carry out your plan?"
"I was going to sneak her onto the island while she's in the stasis pod," Steeljaw explained.
"What are you going to tell Glowstrike and Saberhorn if they catch you? They'll most likely take the pod and the femme and dispose of her."
Steeljaw felt his Energon turn cold, "I won't let that happen. Unless you have a better idea."
Soundwave brings up an image of a Ground Bridge and the coordinates of Steeljaw's quarters.
"That could work, and no one's going to have to know," Thunderhoof said as Steeljaw looked at the visor.
"Yes, let's do that," Steeljaw says pulling Strongarm out of the pod.
"Guess I'll put this back," Thunderhoof grumbled as he picked up the stasis pod.
Soundwave opened up a Ground Bridge leading straight to Steeljaw's room and Steeljaw walked through with Strongarm, once the Ground Bridge closed Soundwave turned and grabbed the pod from Thunderhoof.
"What are you even doing out here?" Thunderhoof asked.
Soundwave opens up a Ground Bridge to the room where the pods are being kept and just throws it in.
A drone was in the room surveilling and checking the pods when the Ground Bridge opened up and he suddenly saw a pod come hurtling towards him, he screamed before ducking out of the way, "I think I leaked some transmission fluids, better go clean myself up before anyone finds out," he runs out and goes to clean himself up.
"You didn't answer my question Soundwave," Thunderhoof said as he crossed his arms.
"I followed Metalsound," Soundwave replied heading back to the ship.
Thunderhoof ran in front of Soundwave to stop him, "Why were you following Metalsound?"
"I've been keeping an optic on her, wanting to make sure she stays safe."
"But you didn't stop the fight between her and Steeljaw."
"Neither did you. She attacked him first and he was defending himself."
"Why would you want to keep her safe anyway? I thought she betrayed you guys."
"I know she told you about our history, so I have nothing to explain," Soundwave replies walking around Thunderhoof.
"What? How long have you been watching us?!"
"As long as I've been here."
"I have no idea what she sees in you."
Soundwave doesn't pay him any more attention and just keeps walking to the ship. Thunderhoof sighed as he left to find Metalsound.
Strongarm wakes up to find herself in an unfamiliar room, she runs to the door to try and get out only to find the door locked. She then hears the noise of the door unlocking and moves back, she watches as the door opens and Steeljaw comes into view. He walks into the room and closes and locks the door behind him.
"Where am I Steeljaw? What have you done to Sideswipe?"
"You're in my room on Decepticon Island, and I didn't do anything to Sideswipe he was knocked out and I just left him where he was."
"So you kidnapped me!?" Strongarm was starting to panic but she had to stay calm, "I can't believe I thought you were a decent mech!"
"Strongarm I'm sorry but I couldn't stand the thought of never seeing you again, it was killing me."
"None of this would have happened if you had stayed away!" She shouted regretting what she had just said.
Steeljaw growled as he started pacing the floor, "I'm just trying to help you see that I love you, I'm not good with this kind of stuff!" He then stops, leans against a wall, and sighs, "I don't know how to show my love to a femme, but I'm trying the best I can."
Strongarm wrapped her arms around herself, flinching as he showed his rage, "Kidnapping isn't a good way of showing it," she whispered. Her body was shaking with fear, she couldn't think of anything to say to him right now. She jumped when she heard a knock on the door.
"Steeljaw, Saberhorn wants a word with you," Strongarm knew the voice, it was Metalsound.
Steeljaw growled, "Alright, I'm coming," he glances at Strongarm before opening the door and walking out, closing and locking the door behind him.
Once Steeljaw was out of sight Metalsound quickly made her way to the door. Using her electricity she unlocked the door, and once inside she locked it behind her. She found the scared cadet sitting in the corner, her face buried in her arms. Any anger that she felt for Steeljaw melted away into concern. Her ears folded back as she slowly made her way over, "Strongarm," she called softly.
Strongarm looked up. She wants to be mad at Metalsound, go off on her for what she did to Bumblebee. But she needs a friend right now, "Hey Metalsound."
"I know this may be a dumb question, but are you alright?"
"Not really. I'm confused, scared, conflicted, and trying to grasp what's going on."
Metalsound could see that she was at her breaking point, she rested her helm around hers in an attempt to hug her, "You can't keep this bottled up inside," she whispered knowing what she was going through.
"What do you mean?"
"You need to let this out, or it'll eat you up inside," she continued as her own optics glassed over.
"What do you mean to let it out? How?"
Metalsound's spark was breaking for the cadet, she closed her optics as some lubricant escaped from them, "Your spark feels like it's being torn apart, your chest feels heavy and your optics feel like they are stinging," she choked out, "It's ok to cry Strongarm."
Lubricants started rolling down Strongarm's face as she began to cry, "I thought I could trust him, I thought he really loved me. How could I have been so stupid?"
"You're not stupid Strongarm," Metalsound wrapped her wings around the crying femme, "I know it hurts, and he does care about you. It's just hard for him to show it."
"How can you be sure he really cares for me? For all I know it's all just a trick."
"Because he hasn't hurt you. He put his own safety at risk to see you again."
"That's true, he risked his life and his freedom just to see me and he never attacked me when he had the opportunity."
"You have every right to be mad at him, and it'll take time to trust his word again," Metalsound said as she released the cadet, "I need to go, if he finds me in here no doubt he'll throw a fit. I'll come back later to check on you, I promise."
Metalsound unlocked the door to leave, closing it behind her she gave one last look at Strongarm. Locking the door back she turned to leave, she had to let Bumblebee and the others know that Strongarm was ok. Somehow.
