Transformers Prime belongs to Hasbro.

Birthday story dedicated to my good friend, EmeraldMoonGreen. Happy birthday! The OC that appears in here also belongs to EmeraldMoonGreen. Thank you for letting me bring your little character to life! I absolutely love him!!

Potential warnings: Mild violence, mentions of mental and physical abuse, sad emotional moments, followed by extreme tooth rotting fluff.

Little Discovery: Part One

"Optimus, there's too many of them! We're outnumbered!"

"They've brought another front line!"

"Optimus, what do we do?!"

Team Prime was currently under attack by a massive Decepticon ambush. This was the first time in years that they were outnumbered by so many Cons. The Autobots gave it their all; pushing themselves past their limits so as to not let the Decepticons walk away with triumph. As badly injured and exhausted as the Bots were, they were not going to give up. They would not allow themselves to give up when they were so close to winning, especially their leader Optimus Prime.

"Autobots, retreat! Quickly!" Prime ordered his teammates.

Quickly and quietly obeying, the rest of Team Prime took cover in the nearby forest. The thick clusters of pine trees provided some cover and disguise for them all to catch their breath and rest for a bit. Although they knew they couldn't stay hidden for long; Megatron and his Cons would surely find them in a few minutes.

"Is everyone all right?" Optimus made sure to keep his voice low as he did a quick head count to make sure all his team members were present. His team nodded tiredly in response. Prime's gaze saddened behind his battle mask as he saw his team covered in deep scratches, dents, and leaking Energon from their open wounds. Even their damaged joints sparked and sizzled.

"O-Optimus...how much—how much longer..?" Bumblebee tiredly beeped.

"Not much longer, little one," the leader whispered, squeezing the scout's undamaged shoulder in a comforting manner. "We're almost there. We're so close..." He turned to face his teammates. "Autobots, I understand that it seems easy to give up at this moment based on our current situation, but we are so close to winning this battle. Even though we are outnumbered, I still believe we have a strong fighting chance. In order to take all these Cons out, we must attack using the element of surprise." He leaned forward and quickly whispered his battle plan to the team, who all nodded and saluted to indicate that they understood.

They quickly resumed their battle positions, now changing their positions so they could launch a surprise attack from above.

Meanwhile, on the ground, the Decepticon tyrant, Megatron, was growing impatient. "What is taking so long?! Find those Autobot pests already!" he yelled at his most loyal Con soldier, Soundwave. The silent Con merely flashed a digital display on his black visor in response.

Megatron took one glance, and then smiled wickedly with satisfaction. "Detected some Energon heat signatures?" Soundwave gave a light nod. "Excellent. No doubt the Autobots. Lock on to those heat signatures and alert the troops." Soundwave nodded again. "And if all else fails—Primus forbid—this will be the perfect opportunity to test our...newest experiment."

Soundwave cocked his head to the side, and replayed an earlier recording of Megatron. "I will hear no more! Experiment VX-3 clearly is not ready for any real battle experience. Not until you idiots fix his glitches!"

"I am aware of what I said about VX-3, Soundwave," Megatron responded with a roll of his red optics. "But earlier today, Shockwave and the medics informed me that this time, they were successful. They fixed whatever was glitching, and they are confident and certain that VX-3 is now ready to be tested on a real battlefield. And what better way to test VX-3's new genetically enhanced power than to let him crush our enemies?"

Although Soundwave didn't agree a hundred percent, he nodded nonetheless. He knew there was no point in trying to counter argue with Megatron against anything, even if Megatron was clearly wrong about what he was saying. Still, Soundwave couldn't help but feel a twinge of doubt at Megatron's words, saying about how their newest classified experiment was "ready for some real battle". Soundwave had secretly interacted with Experiment VX-3—even though VX-3 was off-limits to anyone other than Megatron and Shockwave—and based upon those small interactions, he concluded that it didn't matter how many tests and painful experiments VX-3 was subjected to; he wouldn't evolve to be what Megatron desired for him to be.

Tapping into the Nemesis' security cameras, Soundwave accessed the live security footage of the cell where VX-3 was currently being held. The room was mostly dark, only a dim overhead flickering light provided a small form of light source. Soundwave zoomed in to focus on one of the cell's dark corners, where the shadowy small figure of VX-3 was currently huddled against. Soundwave could make out VX-3's bright, glowing red optics that illuminated through the darkness. But upon closer inspection, the silent Con saw just how lifeless those optics appeared to be. He remembered a time when those red optics once sparkled with curiosity and innocence. Now, they merely flashed with pain, anger, and hurt.

Soundwave was snapped out of his thoughts when he received a frantic distress signal from Megatron's annoying first lieutenant, Starscream. :Soundwave, the Autobot scum have managed to ambush us and are quickly taking out our last frontline defense! At this rate Lord Megatron fears that we may not be able to live to see the horizon of victory. That is why he is now ordering you—and giving you the green light—to release VX-3 and have him finish these Autobot pests once and for all! He's our last line of defense so bridge him here, quick already!:

Soundwave feared it would come for this. As much as he was against the decision of bringing VX-3 out into real battle, he had no choice. He had to follow Lord Megatron's orders. He swore an oath that he would be loyal to the Decepticon leader, obeying his every command whether Soundwave agreed to it or not.

Hesitating for a moment, Soundwave tapped into the security cameras again to take one last glance at the huddled figure of VX-3, who hadn't moved an inch. He suddenly received another comm message, this time, from Megatron. :What are you waiting for, Soundwave? Release VX-3 from his cell! I want him here, fully armed and loaded, ready to take out the Autobots! Do it now! That's an order, Soundwave!:

Sighing internally, Soundwave opened a ground bridge for himself. In an instant, he was now back on the Nemesis, standing in front of the thick metal cell door that VX-3 was behind. Punching the security code in, the cell door slid open with a loud hiss and creak.As soon as Soundwave stepped inside the cold dim room, he was immediately greeted by a pair of glowing red optics that softly lit up with recognition the moment he walked in.

The silent Con played a recording in response. "This will be the perfect opportunity to test our...newest experiment. And that is why he is now ordering you to release VX-3 and have him finish these Autobot pests once and for all! He's our last line of defense!"

Hearing the voices of Megatron and Starscream, the small figure of VX-3 instantly tensed up and lowered his gaze. Those voices—even if they were just recordings—still made VX-3 shiver with fear. How could he not be terrified of those voices? The voices of his tormentors, who so cruelly abused him daily and never showed him any form of affection since day one; the voices that always told him he was worthless, that he would never amount to anything unless he did what Megatron or Shockwave commanded; those voices that raised at him every time he didn't do something the way they wanted him to.

Trembling, VX-3 responded by shaking his headand croaking in a small, hoarse child's voice, "I...I'm n-not going..."

Soundwave played another recording. "I want him here, fully armed and loaded, ready to take out the Autobots!"

VX-3's breath hitched. He hugged his scraped knee joints tightly against his battered chest. "N-No! I don't—I don't want to!" When Soundwave reached out for the little Cybertronian, VX-3 instantly hissed in retaliation, swatted the offending hand, and quickly crawled away to another corner.

Soundwave extended one of his long tentacle appendages out to VX-3, who shivered violently with fear. "P-Please...d-don't—Please don't hit me! I-I'm sorry! I-I'll go out there, I promise!Just—please don't h-hurt m-me!" VX-3 suddenly stopped shivering and lightly purred in content when he felt the tentacle appendage gently rub at his scratched helm. He winced and flinched away in pain when Soundwave's tentacle accidentally brushed over the large dent on the left side of his helm, but he relaxed again when he felt the soft touches.

No Cybertronian would ever think that Soundwave, of all Cons, could ever have a soft side. He was a deadly silent Con, wanted for aiding in so many casualties alongside Megatron, even being responsible for a few of his very own. He gave off this deathly cold vibe, and whenever he walked through the dim halls of the Nemesis, the atmosphere seemed to grow ice-cold just by his mere presence. He was a literal silent psychopath who kept up his deadly reputation, and yet here he was, kneeling down next to the young Cybertronian that is VX-3, gently rubbing his helm in a comforting manner.

Soundwave would never admit this to anyone, but he had a soft spot for the young Cybertronian. And sympathy, too. He pitied the poor youngling with what he had to go through on a daily basis, and he wished desperately that he could help VX-3 escape the cruel hands of his tormentors. Soundwave had even once formulated an escape attempt for VX-3, but, at the last second, decided against it because he knew there would be no way to cover his tracks no matter how well he could hide them.

A few seconds of silence passed by before Soundwave received another incoming transmission from Megatron. :Soundwave, where in the name of Primus are you at?! Have you retrieved VX-3 yet? Is he there with you right now?: Soundwave quickly typed a response. :Excellent. Bring the mech here at my exact coordinates. And make sure that he is fully armed and loaded. And if he resists...you know what to do.:

Soundwave glanced down at VX-3, who was now shivering again at the sound of Megatron's voice. He sighed internally. There was no way around this. He had to follow orders. He just prayed to Primus that he wouldn't have to resort to brood force or anything physical with the youngling. To his great surprise, VX-3 did not make any attempt of retaliation when he lifted him off the ground to stand up. Even as Soundwave grasped the youngling's small hand and led him to the exit, VX-3 didn't protest. In fact, he didn't display any sort of emotion whatsoever on his face plate. His red optics shifted back to that lifeless state, his gaze not moving as he slowly shuffled across the floor like a prisoner walking to his deathbed.

The only sign he showed to let Soundwave know that he was still mentally there was the tight grip that he grabbed Soundwave's long servos with. VX-3's little servos wrapped around Soundwave's own clawed index servo, tightly grasping it as if his life depended on it. Soundwave didn't mind, but he was silently amazed at how surprisingly strong this little Cybertronian's iron-like grip was.

As soon as Soundwave opened a ground bridge for them both, the little grip on his finger tightened even more which caught his attention. "W-Wavey?" the Cybertronian child croaked out in a small voice. "I...I won't have to kill anyone this time...r-right?"

Behind his black visor, Soundwave grimaced. He didn't know how to answer that question. He felt like he didn't have the answer. There was no telling what Megatron would order the youngling to do for his first battle against the Autobots. Instead of answering, Soundwave just squeezed the little one's tiny hand and mumbled something in Cybertronian.

VX-3 managed to catch on to what Soundwave mumbled and softened his gaze. "I-If you say so, Wavey."

On the other side of the ground bridge, Megatron was there waiting with a straight serious expression on his face plate. He flashed a wicked jagged-toothed smile when he saw VX-3. "Ah, VX-3. I trust that you rested well?" The little Cybertronian quickly ducked his helm and hid behind Soundwave's leg. Megatron turned his attention to Soundwave. "He didn't give you any trouble coming here, did he?" Soundwave shook his helm. "Good. Sometimes VX-3 doesn't take his training, or anything else, as seriously as he should." Megatron glanced down at the youngling while saying that sentence, making the little one cower down.

"Now then," Megatron changed the subject. "Soundwave, I need you to bridge the others back to the Nemesis immediately. Our defenses are shrinking by the second, and we're taking on multiple injuries." He turned his attention back to the small Cybertronian. "And this is where you come in, young mech. I need you to use your new upgraded abilities Shockwave installed for you, and I need you to use them at your fullest capacity. Understand?"

VX-3 didn't respond at first but when Megatron repeated the question harshly, he flinched and nodded slowly. "Good. And you remember the battle plan, right?" VX-3 nodded again. "Excellent. Soundwave, you know what to do. VX-3 and I have got some unfinished business to take care of.

The little Cybertronian winced when he felt Megatron's large clawed hand squeeze his shoulder in a not-so-friendly manner. He felt a heavy weight on his spark as he saw Soundwave walk away to assist the other injured Decepticons. He wanted to go after and follow him, but now he was being forced to fight. A Cybertronian youngling, a mere child, forced to fight in a raging war.

VX-3 sat crouched by some forest shrubbery where he was told to wait until Megatron gave him the signal to attack. He tried to take his mind processor off the sounds of the distant explosions by playing with the small flowers that surrounded his tiny pedes. He plucked a handful of little flowers, carefully pulling off each one of their petals and watching them float gracefully to the ground. Something so small and simple gave the youngling entertainment and comfort.

He was suddenly snapped out of his tranquil thoughts when he received an encoded message. He expected it to be from Megatron, but was surprised to see that Starscream was trying to get a hold of him. Sighing lightly, he quickly read the message before opening his comm link. :Vertigo, Lord Megatron has the Autobots all distracted. That's your cue. He's ordering you to take out the youngest of the Bots—the one they call Bumblebee—first. You got that?:

:Y-Yeah. But...c-can you not call me that? I-I don't like that name. You know that.:

:Did I ask what you like to be called? No! That's the given name that you are referred by, you little brat! In fact, it's your own fault for giving yourself such a hideous name.:

He could practically feel Starscream's cruel smirk looming over him. Breathing shakily, the youngling responded, :W-Whatever..! You're so mean! Stop making fun of my name, you meanie!:

Starscream scoffed. :Suck it up, kid. You're being raised by the Decepticons. No mech gives a frag about being nice or caring what you like or dislike.Just be here, ready to take out the Autobot's pathetic little scout!:

:Okay, okay! Um...w-which one's Bumblebee?:

:The yellow mech.:

:O-Okay...:

:Oh,Vertigo? One more thing...don't screw up like you did last time. You wouldn't want to disappoint Lord Megatron or Shockwave and have them...punish you now, don't you? Don't frag up, you little glitch.:

As soon as Starscream disconnected the comm link, Vertigo's breathing became shaky and a bit wheezy. He hugged himself tightly, his little servos digging into the scratched metal plating of his arms. Starscream's harsh words stubbornly clung to his mind processor like a virus. Vertigo thought he'd be used to the Cons' verbal harassment by now. But somehow, everyone's vile words still got to him, nearly making him burst into tears every time he was being shouted at.

Once Vertigo collected himself, he slid his battle mask over his face and readied his weapons. Cautiously peeking out from his little hiding place, his red optics lit up when he saw a flash of yellow zip by; the Autobot target he was supposed to go after.

Taking a deep breath, he activated his newest stealth upgrade that would give him the ultimate element of surprise. I...I can do this. It's just one Autobot. And Megatron says he's the bad guy. Wavey says he's bad too, and Wavey's never wrong. Don't mess up...don't mess up...don't mess up!

Meanwhile, Team Prime had almost successfully taken out the entire Decepticon fleet that was present. Both sides were heavily injured, neither one wanting to admit defeat. "It's over, Megatron," Optimus growled, towering over the mech he once called his trusted friend. "Call off your Decepticons. Put an end to this now. If we continue on, then neither of us will get to see the light of day."

Megaton coughed and wiped some Energon leaking from his mouth. "You...You're as pathetic as ever, Prime," he growled back in response. "A true warrior never backs down from any fight...or victory. But since it appears all odd are against us, you've now forced me to take new...extreme measures in order to win this war."

"Megatron, please," Optimus reasoned, as he always tried to whenever he fought against the Decepticon tyrant. "It isn't worth it. What good will it do for the both of us—for both sides—if you continue tearing our species apart?"

"Save your ridiculous speeches for your pathetic team. It'll be much easier and quicker for you and your team of Autobots to surrender to me. After all..." Megatron's lips curled into a wicked smile. "I thought you valued your teammates more than yourself?"

The sudden familiar screech of pain snapped the attention of Optimus. He whipped around to see the youngest member of the team, Bumblebee, collapse to the ground with one of his door wings slashed. The little scout whimpered and twitched in pain as his injured door wing sparked and leaked rivers of Energon. Immediately, Smokescreen and Wheeljack went to assist him while Arcee and Bulkhead got into fighting positions to blast whoever surprise-attacked Bee.

"You see, Prime?" Megatron's voice snapped Optimus out of his shocked state. "This time, I have the upper hand. Thanks to my trusted scientist, Shockwave, we have been able to successfully create and recruit the most powerful Decepticon solider. He is the best creation of biology and technology combined. Don't believe me? Vertigo!" he called out, and then flashed that same wicked smile. "Introduce yourself to each of the Autobots."

One by one, the Autobots all shrieked out in pain as they felt something quickly slash at their sides or backs. What completely baffled them all is the second they turned around after getting hit, they didn't see anyone or anything behind them. Optimus was about to retaliate, and then collapsed to the ground with a grunt when he felt something slash at his knee joint.

Megatron shakily got to his pedes, smiling down with wicked satisfaction at the injured Prime. "Amused yet, Prime? I would love to watch you attempt to fight back against my newest creation and fail, but I need to stay according to my schedule. Decepticons, gather up any remaining Energon you can find. Soundwave, bridge us back. And Vertigo...finish the Autobots for all I care. They're all yours. Let none of them escape alive."

As soon as Megatron disappeared through his ground bridge, Optimus realized he needed to think of something fast. He could not let the Decepticons escape with any Energon from the nearby mine. But it was nearly impossible coming up with a quick escape plan when he could hear his poor teammates cry out in pain as they continued to be attacked by Megatron's so-called "newest creation".

Finally pushing those clouding thoughts out of his mind processor, he opened his emergency comm link to contact Ratchet. :Ratchet, I need you to open a ground bridge at my exact coordinates right away, and then open another one on my mark. Hurry!:

:Understood!:

In the next second, a ground bridge opened and Optimus ordered his teammates to escape to safety. "Optimus, wait! We're not leaving you behind!" Smokescreen yelled back.

"Get yourselves to safety! Quickly! That's an order!"

The injured Team Prime nodded and jumped through the ground bridge. Forcing himself to stand, Optimus moved as quickly on his injured leg to defensively blast at the multiple Vehicons that were escaping with the precious Energon, being very careful not to hit any of the glowing cubes. Once they were all down, he quickly gathered up the remaining Energon and commed Ratchet for the second ground bridge. He was about to make his move when he collapsed to his knees with a grunt of pain, feeling that same invisible force slice his back plate. He could feel Energon trickling down from the fresh open wound.

Clutching the Energon cubes protectively to his chest, Optimus used one hand to blast multiple times in all directions, hoping he'd hit whatever invincible threat that was attacking him. His comm link opened again. :Optimus, you need to get out of there! That crevice you're standing underneath is unstable! It could collapse at any moment!:

:I will, but open the bridge on my mark.:

Optimus knew this was a very risky move, but he needed a clear escape while avoiding Megatron's deadly recruit. Aiming his arm canon upwards, he shot multiple blasts to the already unstable cave crevice. In an instant, the roof of the cave came crumbling down. The force of the crashing boulders caused the ground and walls to shake with the same force of an earthquake. Bolting on unsteady legs, Optimus was quick to avoid the falling chunks of stone as he carried the Energon. :Now, Ratchet! Open the ground bridge! Be ready to catch the Energon on the other side!:

Throwing the cubes into the ground bridge, Optimus was about to jump to safety when a sudden cry of pain caught his attention. That cry of pain...sounded like a little child. It was then Optimus saw the unconscious body of Megatron's deadly Con soldier, VX-3. Except this time, he could actually see him; he was perfectly visible. :OPTIMUS, GET OUT OF THERE! THE WHOLE ROOF IS ABOUT TO COLLAPSE!: In a split second, just before he was about to be crushed, the Prime quickly grabbed the tiny unconscious Con's arm and hoisted him through the ground bridge.

On the other side of the ground bridge, the rest of Team Prime waiting anxiously to see if their leader made it to safety. The seconds ticked by like years until finally, they saw Optimus Prime emerge from the ground bridge and collapse tiredly to the floor. Ratchet immediately went over to assist his old injured friend. Team Prime's optics all widened and they gasped simultaneously when they noticed the unconscious Vehicon that lay limply from Prime's grasp.

"Optimus, w-who is that..?" Ratchet wearily asked.

"This appears to be Megatron's newest recruit," Prime calmly explained. "The Con that simultaneously attacked us all like a deathly shadow."

"Is he...?"

"He's unconscious. I saw him get knocked out from a piece of the crumbling crevice that hit him on the helm."

"That's the little punk who's been messing with us?!" Bulkhead exclaimed. Prime nodded. "Well then why don't we wake him up and teach him a lesson!" He stood up, cracking his knuckles.

"Bulkhead, will you sit the frag down?!" Ratchet barked. "You're injured all over, for Primus' sake!" The older Wrecker grumbled and sat himself down.

"What are we going to do with him, Optimus?" Arcee asked.

"Since he is a creation of Megatron and Shockwave, he must have useful information about the Decepticons. We shall keep him here until he awakens for interrogation."

"Optimus, wait!" Ratchet cut in. "As much as I agree with your plan, you should also know that we are dealing with a special type of Decepticon here; a Con that we've never dealt with before. For all I know, he could have some sort of tracking device implanted somewhere on him!"

Everyone gasped again and cautiously stepped back from the unconscious Vehicon like he was some sort of unstable bomb about to explode. "I understand your concerns, Ratchet," said Optimus. "Quickly scan him and see if there are any hidden tracking devices.

The Autobots all held their breath as Ratchet did a physical and internal scan of the unconscious Vehicon. Finally, he spoke. "All clear, Optimus. He's clean." Team Prime let out a huge sigh of relief. The last thing they wanted was to find out at the last second that this Vehicon they captured was secretly implanted with a tracking device that would quickly expose the Autobots' secret base. If Megatron found out the location of their base, they would surely be doomed.

"Soo...now what do we do?" Smokescreen asked, breaking the silence.

"We keep him here until he wakes up," Optimus answered. "And then the real questioning begins."


Vertigo's POV

I awaken to find myself lying in an uncomfortable position on my back. My helm hurts and my optic lids feel heavy. I slowly force my optics open and I don't recognize my surroundings at all. I'm not back in my cell...this doesn't look like the lab...so where am I? Am I in the med bay? As I attempt to sit up, I panic when I realize that I cannot move my arms or legs. I lift up my helm to see that I am laying down on a table, restraints holding down my wrists and ankles.

I start panicking for real now, yanking and pulling at the restraints. Where have they taken me?! Did I do something wrong? I just want to get out of here. The restraints feel uncomfortable, and are hurting my joints every time I pull. I've got to get out of here. But where is here? I don't know if I'm back on the Nemesis or somewhere in Shockwave's laboratory. I shudder at the latter thought. I really, really hope I'm not back at Shockwave's lab. I can't take any more of his examinations or checkups. I hate them.

Taking a few breaths to calm myself, I try to think back to before I woke up. The memories seem fuzzy, but I do recall getting hit on the helm and then passing out. But just before I blacked out, I remember...the Autobot leader! What's his name? Op...Octopus Prime? I think? I remember now! I think he grabbed me and—

An icy chill runs through my back plate. Realization dawns upon me. I feel sick to my fuel tank as I realize where I am. The Autobots...have...captured me. No, no, no, NO! I can't be captured by them! What'll they do to me?! I gotta get out of here!

Blinded by panic, I start yanking frantically at my restraints. They're bolted tight, but I'm strong enough to break through them. I don't even realize how loudly I'm whimpering as I try to free myself from the restraints. It's not until I suddenly hear a nearby door slide open that I whip my head up to see the familiar face of the Autobot leader. I panic even more and whimper louder as he walks towards me. I don't know what to do anymore. I've never been kidnapped before. Suddenly, all the knowledge that Megatron and Soundwave have taught me about what to do in a situation where I'm captured by the enemy just disappears from my mind processor.

I try to think of a way to get out of this. What would the other Cons do? "S-Stay away!" I try to say bravely, which doesn't work so well when I hear how my voice just cracked.

For some strange reason, the Autobot leader freezes and tilts his helm to the side. Like if he's shocked by the sound of my voice. Or maybe because he's never had a captive like me before. Understandable. Every other Decepticon I come across is always, or sometimes frightened, by my abilities once they see what I can really do.

When he speaks, I expect this Prime to start yelling at me and spit threats for me to spill stuff about the Cons. But instead, he says in a surprisingly soft voice, "Primus...Ratchet was right."

I blink. Who's Ratchet? I pull on my restraints again. I can feel the ones around my wrists start to loosen; a few more strong yanks and I should be able to break free. I hear him speak again. "Careful. Please...you'll hurt yourself." Why is he talking to me in such a nice manner? Aren't we supposed to be enemies here? That's what Megatron, Wavey, and all the other Cons said: Autobots and Decepticons will never get along.

At this point, I'm just glad that I still have my battle mask on to hide the terrified look on my face. I'm not supposed to show my face to anyone other than the Cons. The Autobot leader kneels down to my optic level and continues talking. "I know you must be terrified that we brought you here, but we weren't expecting such a small and young Cybertronian to be Megatron's dangerous new recruit." We? What's he talking about? I'm too afraid to ask.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots." Oh. Oops. I've been pronouncing his name wrong all this time. But I still don't get why he's being so nice to me. It makes me worry that he's just acting all nice just so he can do something bad to me. "If I may ask, what is your name, little one? I overheard Megatron referring to you as...Vertigo. Is that your name?"

Under my battle mask, I grimace. I hate being called that. Starscream only gave me that name just to make fun of me. I shake my helm. "Oh. Then what is your name?" I hesitate. Should I tell him what I prefer to be called? Or keep quiet? What if it's a trap? But then why does something inside me make me want to trust this Autobot? Is it because he's talking to me so nicely? Come to think of it, no one's ever spoken to me in such a soft tone before. Well...maybe except Wavey, but he doesn't talk much.

I think Optimus must have sensed my internal conflict because he then said, "If you do not want to answer, then that's fine. I won't push you. However, we do know that you are clearly under the wing of the Decepticons. Is there anything you know about them that you can tell us? Anything at all?" Uh-oh. I think this is where the bad stuff's gonna happen. Megatron warned me that the Autobots would do everything they can to bribe me to spill the Deceptions' secrets. Now I see what this Prime is doing. He's pretending to be all nice to me just so I can spill. Under my mask, I glare at him. There's no way this Autobot's making me talk.

I quickly shake my helm. "Listen to me, little one," Optimus coaxes in that same gentle tone. "I understand that whatever Megatron has said to manipulate you has made you see us as the enemy. But you must understand, I just want to put an end to this war; the war that has been going on for centuries between two sides that once lived in harmony. Please, just help us—help me—put an end to this suffering. It would benefit you as well."

I shake my helm again. This Prime's pathetic attempts to make me talk aren't going to work. I'm stronger than that. As a Decepticon, I have to be stronger than that. I pull on my restraints again. "Just l-let me go!" I whimper. "I gots nothing to say to you Autobot jerks!" I suddenly hear Optimus chuckle. I look up to see him stifling a laugh behind his hand. Why's he laughing? Did I do something funny?

He answers my questions when he says, "Well I can see Megatron has been busy teaching a Cybertronian sparkling how to talk so rudely. But if these restraints are bothering you to the point where they are hurting you, then allow me to remove them." My optics widen in shock as the Prime unfastens the restraints from my wrist and ankle joints. "I apologize for restraining you in the first place and for my method in transporting you here," he continues. "I assumed that we were dealing with a psychotic deadly Con, but...I never imagined that that particular Decepticon would be a sparkling."

As soon as I feel that my limbs are free, I quickly jump off the table to activate my defense weapons. But, to my horror, I realize that I cannot activate my weapons system. My arm cannons, my blades, not even my stealth mode is cooperating. Why can't I activate my weapons?

"I notice you realize that you cannot activate your weapons system," Optimus says. "That was precautionary. However, I do not wish to hurt you. I just need you to tell me...about the Decepticons? You must know something, anything, that could be useful to help stop this war."

I back away defensively until my back hits the wall as this huge Autobot comes near me. It's not until now that I'm trapped in this secluded room with him that I realize just how tall he is. I feel so tiny under this towering Prime. He's like the size of a mountain! "I-I know nothing!" I say, trying to sound brave again. It's hard to stay brave when there's a massive Autobot towering over you like some sort of metal monster.

"Respectfully, I disagree. I know you know something useful about the Decepticons. Please, just tell me. And I promise, this will all—"

The sudden banging sound of the room's door makes me flinch. "Optimus! Any progress?" A voice calls from the other side. A voice I've never heard before.

Optimus sighs and walks to the door, sliding it open a bit. "No, not yet." He's suddenly shoved to the side by two other mechs—one green and bulky, and the other white but less bulky—who both glare in my direction and tower over me in a threatening way.

I quickly curl up in the nearby corner, ducking my helm. A Decepticon held prisoner should never make optic contact with the enemy. "Listen here, you little brat!" one of them growls. "We know you know stuff about the Cons so spill it!"

"Yeah! Unless you want to leave this place with no helm or limbs!"

I say nothing. I don't even move. I just keep my helm down and focus on my twiddling servos in my lap. The key is to appear as calm as possible. I sharply gasp as I'm roughly yanked up by my arm. "C'mon, talk! Tell us what you know!" When I don't respond, the grip on my arm tightens. I wince, but keep my gaze low. "I said talk!! If you don't spill what you know in the next thirty seconds, we're going to grind you, you hear me?! I swear, I'll tear out your optics if you don't start talking right—"

"Bulkhead! Wheeljack! Stop this at once!" Optimus' sudden sharp tone cuts in. The whole room grows quiet. The tight grip on my arm releases as I'm dropped not-so-gently to the floor. No big deal. It doesn't hurt. I'm used to not being handled with care. "Will you two please go wait outside? I will finish up here."

"But Optimus!" says the green mech. "He's a deadly Con! Don't tell me you're going to go soft on him."

"It's obvious he knows things about the Decepticons," the white mech speaks up in agreement. "You gotta get it out of him one way or another."

"I understand that. He may be a Con, but he is still a Cybertronian youngling. A sparkling, in fact."

"So what? Just 'cause the kid's a sparkling, you're gonna go easy on him?" the white mech asks with a scoff.

"There are other ways to encourage answers out of Decepticon captives, even if that captive is a sparkling. Now both of you, out. I will finish up here in a moment." I hear both mechs grumble and curse under their breath as they walk out the door, but not without shooting death glares at me. Optimus sighs and looks in my direction. "I will be right back."

Then he slides the door shut, engulfing me in darkness. From where I'm sitting, I try to reactivate my weapons but with no luck. I even try to open my emergency comm link to call for Soundwave, Megatron, anyone to get me out of here. But I can't even get a signal here. The Autobots must have some kind of mechanism in their base that blocks out any transmissions or signals of communication. Well now I've done it. I managed to get myself kidnapped and trapped as a prisoner to the Autobots.

Sighing in defeat, I sit down on the cold metal floor and hug my knees to my chest. "W-Wavey? Where are you? I wanna go home..."


Optimus muttered to himself as he slowly shuffled through the halls of the Autobot base. He always did that when he was lost in thought. He wished he could get the little Vehicon to open up, but he was out of ideas. The rest of his Autobots wanted to use brood force to get the little Con to talk, but Optimus was against it. He would never physically torture a Decepticon captive, especially if that Con was a sparkling. That went against everything he was trying to fight for: peace, justice, and harmony.

For the first time in his life, Optimus felt like he didn't have the answer to this situation. He didn't know how to even deal with a situation like this. This was the first time one of their Decepticon captives turned out to be a sparkling. The fact that this little Con was a sparkling both saddened and sickened Prime. He couldn't believe that Megatron would stoop to this level to actually raise a Cybertronian sparkling to mold into some kind of personal weapon. What baffled him the most was the fact that Megatron was able to get his hands on a sparkling. Where in the name of Cybertron did he even get a sparkling? The last generation of sparklings were wiped out during the War on Cybertron. There was no way that any sparklings could still be alive.

Optimus pushed these thoughts to the side. Questions could be answered later. Right now, he needed to focus on how to deal with—

"A sparkling?!"

The familiar sounds of the human children snapped Prime out of his deep thoughts. He had forgotten that the children were here. He walked into the main hangar where the three children were chatting with their Autobot guardians.

"No way!" Miko shrieked with wide eyes. "You guys captured a Decepticon sparkling?! Dang, the Cons are raising kids now or what?"

"What's a sparkling?" Rafael asked his guardian. "Is that like a Cybertronian baby?" Bumblebee nodded.

"Mhm. A sparkling would be the equivalent to human infants and toddlers. I guess that would explain why the Con we captured is so small..."

From across the room, Wheeljack scoffed loud enough for everyone to hear. "Big deal. So the kid's a sparkling. He was still raised by Cons! And now we're all of a sudden going to go all soft on 'im just 'cause he's a sparkling?"

"Wheeljack does have a point," Arcee piped up. "Anything Megatron gets his hands on is either dangerous or can't be trusted."

"Exactly," Wheeljack continued. "If the kid doesn't wanna talk, I say we force it outta 'im one way or another. For the benefit and safety of the team. Isn't that what matters?" He suddenly flinched when he heard Optimus speak up from behind.

"I understand your concerns, Wheeljack. From you and from everyone. But we cannot resort to such violent methods of interrogation. Especially on a sparkling. I cannot condone it."

"Then how do you suggest we get the kid to talk, Optimus?" Wheeljack asked.

"I don't know, but there must be someway to make him open up without hurting him. And I will not—"

"Wait!" Miko interrupted. She hopped down from Bulkhead's hand and ran up to Optimus. "I think I know a way to get the Con prisoner to talk! And we can help you!" She gestured to Jack and Raf.

"Um...we?" Jack repeated.

Miko flashed a huge grin. "Yeah! C'mon guys!"

Optimus was walking back to the room where Vertigo was being held, holding the three kids in one palm. "So you say you wanna get this Con to spill, but he's a baby and you're like, against violence, right?" Miko asked. Optimus nodded. "Well then the answer is simple! Why don't you just tickle it outta him? What do you think, guys?" Prime cocked his helm to the side.

"I mean...yeah? That could work," Jack shrugged. "Especially since you don't wanna hurt the Con."

"I think it would work," Raf agreed. "Let's just hope that the Con you're dealing with is y'know...ticklish enough for it to work."

"Oh c'mon, Raf! The Con's a baby! And everyone knows that babies and little kids are super ticklish!" Miko smirked and then quickly scribbled her fingers across Raf's stomach, making the younger boy squeal and giggle in surprise. "See? I rest my case. Plus, it always works whenever we're tryna make Raf admit or spill something. Right Jack?"

The older teen chuckled. "Yeah it does." Both teens gave Raf teasing smirks, who just blushed and whined under their gazes.

Miko turned her attention back to Prime. "The point is, Optimus, I say you give it a try. And who knows? Maybe you can get the other Cons to spill stuff the next time you capture one of them prisoner here."

After taking a moment to think it over, Optimus nodded and then gently set the kids down. "Thank you for that suggestion, Miko. I think you may have found a solution to help me out." The teen girl beamed.

"Do you need any help? We could help you out if you want!"

Prime smiled his rare smile. "Oh no thank you, Miko. I can handle this alone. Why don't you three run along back to your guardians? You can keep them company while Ratchet gives them another maintenance check."

"Okay! Well good luck Optimus!"

As soon as the kids disappeared down the hall, the little smile returned to Optimus' face. Of course, why didn't he think to use tickling as a way to interrogate the little one? Obviously, he wasn't planning on being so rough and ruthless on little one to the point where he wouldn't be able to breathe or talk. He would need to start off using light touches. And then, if the little Con still refuses to talk, he would take it up a notch.

He chuckled to himself as he approached the cell door. This should be an interesting interrogation...


Vertigo's POV

I snap my helm upward when I see the door slide open. Optimus steps in and greets me warmly. I make a face under my visor. Why is he trying so hard to be nice to me? He doesn't have to put up this fake act just to get me to talk.

"I apologize if my Autobots scared you in any way earlier," he said, kneeling down to my level. "But trust me when I say that I will not, in any way, shape, or form, physically harm you just to get you to talk. However, I still want to know what you know about the Decepticons. Just tell me anything you know. Any information can be useful. You must know something important about the Decepticons, don't you?"

Of course I do. I know all kids of things about the Cons. I know how to operate the Nemesis' escape pods, the secret ground bridge that Megatron and Shockwave use to go back to Cybertron to get science stuff for Shockwave's lab, and I even know the places where Dark Energon is hidden.

But I can't speak. I'd be betraying the Decepticons if I said something. And I can't do that. They're like family to me. Well...sort of. A broken family, maybe, but they still technically raised me.

I shake my helm in response. "N-No. I can't tell you anything."

"Why not?"

I keep my gaze to the floor as I answer, "'Cause I don't know nothing. A-And 'cause you're a stranger."

Optimus chuckles. "Yes, I know that in this particular setting I do appear to be a 'stranger' or 'the enemy' to you, and I do not blame you. I know that whatever Megatron must have told you convinced you otherwise. Now, are you sure you do not want to tell me at least one thing you know?"

I shake my helm again. "I can't."

"Are you sure?"

This time, I sigh in annoyance. How long does he plan to keep this up? "Yes. I said I don't know anything about the Cons or the Nemesis."

Optimus suddenly leans close to my face, raising an optic ridge. "I never said anything about the Nemesis."

Oh no...

Realizing my mistake, I gulp loudly and start to stutter. I'm so thankful that my battle mask and visor covers my entire face. Otherwise, this Prime would be able to see my optics widen in horror and see my cheek plates start to tint with a nervous blush.

"S-Shut up, Autobot meanie!" I suddenly blurt out. "I'm not talking! Ever! An' you can't make me!" Primus, I wished my mind processor worked faster than my mouth. I just got this sudden burst of confidence, but it came at the wrong time!

The next thing I know, I'm hoisted up and laid back down on the nearby table with my arms restrained by the same solid holographic cuffs that were used on me earlier. Except this time, my wrists are restrained down way over my helm which—for some reason—leaves me feeling more vulnerable and helpless. I feel my legs being placed in the Prime's lap as he takes a seat next to me. "W-What are you gonna do?" I'm nervous because I fear he's going to hurt me like Shockwave, Starscream, and Megatron always do to me. And pretty much every other Con whenever I don't do something right.

Optimus seems to sense my nervousness because he then says, "Do not worry, little one. I will not hurt you, that I promise. I would never intentionally hurt a little sparkling. But since you do not want to talk to me, I am simply going to use another method to get you to talk. This won't hurt, but hopefully it will get you to open up. After all," he smirks lightly at me. "this particular method of interrogation seems to work for all younglings and sparklings."

I raise an optic ridge and tilt my helm in confusion. What does he mean by that? My question is answered when I feel something swipe under my left ped. I let out a startled squeak. W-What is that? It didn't hurt, but it felt...weird. And...funny? I don't know why it makes me want to kick my leg out.

I feel the soft touch again; something lightly running up and down my ped. And for some weird reason, this soft touch is making me want to...laugh? But why? Why is this soft touch making my lips twitch upwards? And making me want to pull my legs away? And why does it...tingle in such a weird way? I've never felt anything like this.

But whatever this Prime is doing to me, I have to stay strong. He's trying to break me, get me to talk. But I can't! It's becoming harder and harder to do so when I suddenly feel five servos scribble faster under my ped. That catches me by surprise, and I suddenly burst out giggling. "H-Hey! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! W-What are y-you doi-hi-hi-hi-hing to me-hee-hee-hee-hee?!"

Despite my loud giggling, I can hear Optimus chuckle. "This is called tickling. I simply move my servos across certain spots on your chassis, and the soft touch makes you laugh. Lucky for you, this is a completely harmless method of interrogation. Just let me know when you've had enough and when you're ready to talk."

Oh great. This Prime's going to use this strange tingly feeling called 'tickling' to try and bribe me to talk? No matter. I'm stronger than I look. I can outlast him. I'm a Decepticon, for Primus' sake! I can handle anything that—

"EEEEEEEHEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE! W-WAIT! NO-HO-HO-HO-HO!"

I suddenly burst out with surprisingly loud laughter when I feel both my pedes being attacked by rapidly moving servos. I try kicking my legs out to avoid those evil servos, but they seem to be glued to the underside of my pedes. The servos keep switching from light fluttering to hard scratches, each time making me squeal and giggle harder. "S-STO-HO-HO-HO-HO-HOP! T-THAT FEELS SO-HO-HO-HO WEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEIRD!"

Strong tingly surges spread all over my pedes, slowly traveling up my leg wiring. This feels terrible! But also...kinda nice? I have no idea why these soft touches are making me laugh, though. Megatron or Wavey never told me what to do if an Autobot tried to tickle you to make you talk!

I'm almost too grateful when Optimus slows his servos down, going back to the light fluttering. These softer touches aren't too intense. It gives me a chance to catch my breath, but it's still making me giggle. "Well then? Are you ready to talk?" the voice of Optimus Prime makes me lift my helm up.

Still giggling, I shake my helm. "N-No-ho-ho-ho! I-Is tha-ha-ha-ha-hat all, you Auto-jerk? I'm s-still no-ho-ho-ho-hot talking to you!"

"My, Megatron sure did raise a rude talker," I hear Optimus say. "Suit yourself, little one."

I shriek in surprise when something squeezes my knee joints. With each squeeze, it sends super strong tickly surges through my wiring. Things get worse when the squeezing moves to my thighs, then my hips, and then back o my knees. Over and over.

"AAAH! HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE, AAAAH! N-NO PLEA-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEASE! AAAAH! HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAA! AAAAH! S-STO-HO-HO-HO-HO-HOP! AAAAAH! NO-HO-HO-HO-HO!"

"Ready to talk now?"

"N-NO WA-HA-HA-HA-HAY!"

The wiggling servos suddenly crawl up and down my sides, making me shiver and squeal. "EEEEEEEHEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE! STOP I-HI-HI-HI-HI-HIT! HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE! T-THAT'S TINGLING TOO MA-HA-HA-HA-HA-MUCH!"

"Well then perhaps you should start telling me what you know about the Decepticons. Unless your want to keep laughing until you explode, little one."

"B-But I can't!" I breathe a sigh of relief when the servos pull away from my tingling sides. It gives me a chance to catch my breath. But that relief doesn't last long because as soon as I start breathing normally, the servos are back. And this time, they're digging in a bit harder against my sides which feels even more tingly than before.

"EeeyAAAAAAA W-WAIT! EEEEEEEEEE! NO! NO-HO-HO-HO-HO-HO!"

"How about now? Ready to talk?"

I shake my helm madly. How much longer is this going to go on? I feel like I've been trapped here for hours, being forced to laugh.

I jolt and shriek when the servos touch under my arm joints. Instinctively, I try to pull my arms down, but they're trapped by the holographic restraints. Oh Primus...

"AAAAAAAHHH! NA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! Y-YOU'RE SUCH A MEANIE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE!" I can feel how warm my face is getting from all this laughing. It's getting a little harder to breathe under my mask and visor, but I can't take it off. I won't.

"Oh? Are you a tad bit more sensitive up here?" Optimus' teasing tone makes the already torturous tingles tickle even more. How does he do that?

He scratches a bit faster, making me frantically yank and pull on my wrist restraints. I wanna pull my arms down soooo badly!

"WAAAAAAAAAHA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! NA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HO! NO MORE! N-NO MO-HO-HO-HO-HO-HORE!"

Thankfully, I get another breather. I suck in as much air as I can. This is horrible! And this Prime's crazy! I don't know how much more I can take.

"Well? Ready to talk? Or do you need some more convincing?"

Once I can breathe normally, I turn my helm away. "No way! Meggytron says I can't say nothing to you Autobot dummies 'cause yous all a bunch of—EEEEEEEE!" I squeal as the servos are back, fluttering against both sides of my neck. I try to scrunch up my shoulders and shake my helm, but that doesn't help at all. At least this doesn't feel too bad. It still tickles, but not as intense as—

"AAAAAAAAHHH! NA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HO!"

I'm suddenly screaming hysterics as the wiggling servos attack my tummy. Having Optimus' servos tickle there, feels so much worse than any of my other spots that he attacked. It almost feels like...a million little Insecticons are fluttering around inside my fuel tank?

"P-PLEA-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEASE! N-NOT THERE! HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! I-IT T-T-TA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAA!" I can't even talk in complete sentences anymore. It's just too much at this point.

"Ooh 'not here', you say? Does this happen to be your tickle spot? What tickles more, when I do this?" Optimus rakes all his servos up and down my belly. "Or this?" He then digs and wiggles his servos rapidly into my sensitive stomach plating. "Or what about when I tickle riiiiight...here?" I suddenly screech so loudly when I feel a single servo wiggle against the little square plate of metal on my mid-lower tummy. I had no idea that area was that sensitive. But it feels horrible.

"AAAAAAAAAAHA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAAAA! NONONONONA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!" I try twisting my tummy away, but that evil servo just follows. "STAAAAAAHA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAP! THAT'S TOO MA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-MUCH!"

"One more time, are you ready to confess something about the Decepticons?"

Stubborn as ever, I shake my helm. "NO-HO-HO-HO-HO! N-NEVER!"

I just about died on the spot from laughing so hard. Optimus did something to me that made me nearly snap my back plate in half from how much I arched it. I even lost my voice for a few seconds and then when I sucked some air in, I let out these weird sounds that made me sound like what the humans of this planet call a piggy.

I heard Optimus take a deep breath, then he pressed his mouth over my tummy, and made my entire stomach vibrate! Holy Primus, did that tickle so badly! I've never felt anything that tingly and bad before! For all I know, Megatron and Wavey did not prepare me enough to endure torture like this! I've had endurance training before, but I never had to endure anything like this!

After two seconds of enduring that super vibraty feeling to my tummy, I gave up. "AAAAAAAAAAHHHH! HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAAAA! STAAAAAAAHA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAP! NA-HA-H-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAAA! OKAY, OKA-HA-HA-HA-HAY! I-I'LL TELL YOU! JUST PLEASE STA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAP!"

Finally, this crazy Autobot granted me mercy. The restraints were unfastened from my wrists, and I instinctively curled up on my side, desperately trying to get my breath back. I even slid my visor and battle mask off my face to gulp down some more much needed air. I didn't realize at first because I was so tired and wheezy. But when I felt the cool air touch my still warm cheek plates, I gasp and quickly try to cover up my face with my hands. A Decepticon wasn't supposed to show their face to anyone, especially to the Autobots.

I shrink down even more when I feel Optimus take my hands, and pry them away from my face. "It's alright, little one," he says gently. "There's no need to hide from me. I already promised I wouldn't hurt you, did I not?"

I nodded with my optics shut tight. Then very hesitantly, I slowly opened them to see Optimus Prime giving me a warm comforting smile. My expression softened. I have never seen anybody give me such a warm smile.

"Now then...don't you have something to say to me? About the Decepticons?" I bite my lower lip plate in hesitation. "You can tell me anything you want about them. Just one thing. It doesn't matter what." When I don't answer, he suddenly raises his servos, wiggles them, and flashes a playful smirk. "Or do I need to interrogate you again?"

Not wanting to be subjected to that unbearable laughing torture again, I quickly hug myself and shake my helm while giggling. "O-Okay! I'll talk," I say. "Um...I uh..." What do I say? Taking a deep breath, I force the words out. "I...I was created by Shockwave. 'Cause...'Cause M-Megatwon says he wants the pewfect Con." I feel embarrassed that I pronounce my "r's" like "w's". I've already been teased and scolded that I shouldn't be talking like a baby anymore. "An'...An' I'm special. 'Cause Shcokwave says I don' need wegular Enewgon like everyone. I need special Enewgon. I-I need the Wed Enewgon t-to suwvive..."

Tears well up in my optics. I feel like a traitor saying all of this. Everyone would be so mad at me if they found out that I confessed my darkest secret; the secret I swore I would never tell another living soul.

I feel a warm hand suddenly rub against my helm. I look up with tear-blurry optics to see Optimus giving me a sad smile. "Thank you for telling me. You're very brave," he says with another pet to my helm.

Wiping my optics, I whimper, "A-Am I in twouble?"

Prime gives me another warm smile. "No, of course not. I promise you, you are not in any trouble. And I am not mad, either. But...I am sorry to hear what they put you through. No sparkling should ever have to suffer through something so...traumatizing such as that. I'm really sorry."

"Is okay," I say with a little smile. "Is not your fawlt."

Optimus them stands up and picks me up in his arms. "Now that that's settled, why don't we have Ratchet check you up to make sure you're functioning normally." He frowns a little when he notices the dent in my helm. "You look like you've taken quite a lot of damage."

I suddenly yawn and my optic lids feel heavy. After using up practically my entire energy reserves laughing, kicking, squirming, and even what Optimus calls—snorting, I feel exhausted. I don't care that I'm still being held captive by the enemy in their secret base. I just want to go to recharge.

I hear Optimus chuckle again and he gently rubs my back, which makes me melt and feel even more sleepier. "Right after we get some rest..."

THE END


This is not the actual end-end. Far from it. Stick around to see the sequel that will show what the Bots will now do with an adorable baby Con! :)

Once again, Happy Birthday, EmeraldMoonGreen!