Ch. 208

Heaving and shoving wasn't doing much good. Honestly, the seeker didn't know why he bothered so hard. The door wouldn't move, Predaking wouldn't move, experience was telling him that they were firmly shut in this time.

"I can't do this..." he hissed, "without your help...!"

The Predacon looked on and flicked his tail gently. Had this new kennel been perhaps a bit smaller and the hallway clear of the two new Predacons, the beast would have been far more likely to push the door out of the silver mech's way. But there was little advantage here and Predaking was far too concerned with Starscream getting caught in the crossfire anyway. It was best suited at this time to wait.

"Fragging... I can't take this!"

The seeker finally relented and let himself fall back on his aft as he stared the door down with a glare and panted.

"I can't take this..." his optics traveled to the floor, "We have to get out of here... My plan, the assurance I thought I was going to have... C.Y.L.A.S. took all of that away just now..."

Predaking hummed lowly and gurgled.

Starscream reached up with his bound servos to gesture at the door, "C.Y.L.A.S... he wasn't wrong about what he said. And I fragging hate that," he scowled and let his arms drop into his lap, "Everything he said was true. Megatron can't afford to lose another strong soldier; he would just keep a more watchful optic on that parasite and test his allegiance now and again..." the smaller mech growled and curled in tightly as he grabbed at his helm, "And now what am I supposed to do?! You won't help me now and you won't transform, so how am I supposed to get out of this place?! Whatever's going on-" he felt his frustration begin to restrict his throat, "isn't this our best chance at escape...?"

Predaking nestled his helm at the seeker's back, purring in an understanding tone. He wanted to tell him to have just a little more patience, but his maw was hardly capable of that complex a statement... Transform?

The Predacon pulled his helm back to give it a firm shake. Starscream kept mentioning that to him, didn't he? He was vehemently confident in it. A soft sigh brought Predaking out from his thoughts and he settled for gruffly gurgling at his charge again. There was little else he could do to communicate to him verbally.

Starscream stood slowly and leaned himself against a wall, "No, never mind... I'll have to simply think up a new way to get off this ship... It's not like I have much else to do in this place," he held up his bound servos to stare into the cuffs, "You're not going to break us out of here again, my power doesn't work when I want it to, I'm seriously at a disadvantage right now, aren't I? I'm ignoring the blatant fact that I am considered Megatron's most prized possession at the moment."

Predaking growled at the mention of the warlord's name and the seeker rolled his optics, "No, no, don't do that to yourself anymore. I've already told you that. He's not worth the energon... I'll just deal as I always have..."

The beast purred sadly at the back of his throat. He did want to help the smaller mech but he didn't like their position. They had to wait, couldn't the silver mech see that? Or was he ignoring the guards that were quite obviously outside their door? Predaking could smell and hear them. Couldn't Starscream do either of these things?

"If I just had an inkling of what was going on out there," the seeker murmured, "just an idea of what Megatron was doing right now, this could all become so much easier..."

Arcee watched with a hitched intake as the Vehicon drones finally decided to enter the remains of the Harbinger. Megatron and Shockwave were still keeping a distance but it wouldn't take long for the group to find out something was amiss. The femme frowned to herself and down at a detonation device that sat beside her, wondering if it was worth baiting them to ensure they made it inside...

"Arcee? Any update?"

The femme sighed and answered her COMM, "Hey Smokescreen. And no, not yet. Did Ratchet or Optimus fill you in?"

"Uh, yeah, they got me up to speed," he responded, "but I was kinda hoping you were going to tell me the Nemesis just flew overhead..."

Arcee smiled; she understood the white mech's feelings, "No sign of it yet. But I doubt Megatron would risk himself being this exposed, would he? The ship has to be close by. Just don't take all the fun out of finding it until I get there."

A small chuckle answered her, "I could say the same to you; wait until I'm there to flip the switch and send Megatron to the Pit."

Arcee's smile soured and slowly faded away. Her optics were back to scanning the canyon and hoping to see the warlord and his science officer following the drones in. But they hadn't moved from their spot. They were just far enough away to avoid much damage, if at all, if she activated the switch now. She had to get them closer...

"Arcee to Ark," she spoke quickly, hoping Smokescreen was still on the line or someone was nearby to address her immediately, "I have a problem that I may need to fix on my own."

"Did something finally happen?"

Good, at least Smokescreen was monitoring her COMM carefully.

"No and that's the problem," the femme relayed, still watching attentively as she picked up the detonation device and clipped it to her waist, "Megatron and Shockwave are too far away from the Harbinger. Once their drones come out and inform them that it's empty, we'll lose this opportunity."

Optimus's voice answered her next, "It sounds as though you have created a solution to this; what have you planned?"

Arcee frowned confidently, "I just need to have them watch me go inside. The Vehicons haven't been in there for very long. I can take the hallway to the left and go out under the wall that loosened up after we rigged it. I have to get them to go inside."

"Negative, Arcee, I cannot allow you to do that," the Prime answered, "You have no visuals on the drones inside; they could be closer than you think."

The femme held back a growl, "Don't we have a feed in there anymore?"

"Not since we had Knockout take Breakdown, Soundwave and Bumblebee back in there to scavenge for parts," Ratchet informed her over the line, "We needed every piece we could salvage in order to get this thing up and running. Try to hold out as long as you can."

Arcee didn't like the thought of just waiting it all out. What were the chances of Megatron and Shockwave getting close enough for her to add them to the fires? What if they just left?

"Optimus," she tried again, "couldn't I just-"

"Arcee, I am sorry, but do not put yourself at risk," Optimus interrupted her, "Focus on keeping them in your sights. Should they put themselves within range of the blast, you may take the plunge, but do not risk yourself; we cannot bridge someone in to give you backup at this time."

The femme was being overruled. She understood the red mech's position, but didn't he understand hers? The enemy was just beyond her grasp. She had an idea that would fix it. He knew she could handle it, what else did he need to convince him that this was the best option right now?

Arcee sighed and stood up from where she was lying, "Understood, Optimus. And you'll understand why I can't follow these orders."

"Arcee, wait, we cannot help you if-"

But the Bot was already running across the canyon to the entrance of the Harbinger, acting out a quick scene of a paranoid soldier returning to base as she slipped into the crack. And she didn't have to look back to know that she had been seen by the mechs she had been watching only a few moments prior.