Swirling a glass of energon, Deathsaurus was enjoying the view of endless space from his throne room when he was interrupted by an irritating knock. Petting the still injured Eaglebreast, the Destron turned toward the door as it was opened; unsurprised to see that it was Star Saber coming through the opening.
"What is it now, Star Saber?," he asked flatly.
"Friend, I've been going over the reports and-"
"Deathsaurus."
Star Saber paused momentarily, optics dimming just a little. "I can't even call you 'friend'? Once before, that's what you were," he said softly.
"Yes, and then my people were cast out from Cybertron, and you and I spent thousands of stellar cycles waging war," the Destron Emperor pointed out in return. "Star Saber, you sound just like my mate."
"...And how is Esmeral?," the supreme commander asked. "I haven't seen her since we agreed to sit down and sign a treaty."
If Deathsaurus caught the attitude in the other mech's tone, he certainly did not remark on it. Setting down his glass, he turned his helm fully to the Cybertronian; stroking Eaglebreast once again. "You nag me enough, Star Saber, that her presence is not really required at this time. Besides, she's with my people," he added, "As she was once before and as she should be. She governed them all this time in my absence."
The multi-coloured mech stiffened at the barbed insult, to both himself and Esmeral. "You... should not belittle her so. She has done, and is, better than us both." Putting up a servo to halt any comments from the dragon-former, Star Saber continued. "But that's not why I'm here. Why is Leozack still held in the dungeons, and without any medical attention? Has he even been fed?"
Red optics flared brightly in the dimly lit chamber; two breast-animals glancing at their master. "It does not concern you," the sharp vocalizer replied, the edge of a threat trailing the words.
But Star Saber had dealt with enough of the Destron's threats to hardly be cowed. "Leozack is one of our people, Deathsaurus," the supreme commander shot back crisply, "And seeing as how an execution has failed to help heal the wounds our people bear on their sparks, I would suggest removing corporeal punishment off the list as well."
The atmosphere was tense between the two mechs as silence followed the Cybertronian's statement. One wrong move, one accusation and a barely-formed treaty could be tossed aside, and war continue once more.
"I am going to do rounds and check up on my mechs and yours, but when I am done, I'd like to discuss placing Esmeral in authority for the completion of this treaty." Star Saber's announcement was spoken gentle and without pressure, and for once, Deathsaurus had yet to hit him back with some sort of quip or barb.
Hopeful, the supreme commander turned on his pede and left.
xxXxXxx
She'd spent nearly a full week in the medbay. Almost no breaks, literally no recharge and only the barest sips at medical rations. If any of the medics were aware, Lyzack knew she would have been omitted from the medbay immediately; thankfully, the femme was a master at pretend. She had been concealing a deep-set rage for eons now, there was no way simple exhaustion was going to do her in.
Despite how precarious a situation others might view this, Lyzack had to say that her time spent in the medbay had been beneficial. She had learned numerous things from the medics and had gained enough of their trust and faith, that she was even allowed to take over caring for the unconscious Hellbat completely. Which was great, because it gave the jet more reason to stay busy, while avoiding her faraway unit and the frightening thoughts that awaited her there.
She didn't want to think of her brother and his unavoidable fate...
"Lady Esmeral!"
The medbay broke into a cacophony of sudden chaos, before the medics and anyone else present gathered their composure; bowing to their Empress as she walked through the open door. Lyzack, of course, mimicked the same action, though silently she pondered as to why the dragon-former had come to the medbay.
"Please, please," the older femme spoke gently, smiling, "Forget the formalities. We are equal, all of us, and the war is over. Military leadership has reached its end."
Some of the other mechs and femmes glanced at each other, whispering softly under their intakes, but none commented on Esmeral's strange statement. Instead, they smiled and nodded, turning back to their own work, while still keeping an optic out to assist the winged femme with any of her needs. Lyzack though, was the exception. She did not return to her charge or avert her gaze or pretend she was busy -she kept her optics glued to the dragon-former as she approached, chin lifting a tad to keep even with Esmeral's stare.
"Lady Esmeral...," the jet began softly.
"Lyzack," the multi-coloured femme replied, the smile having yet to leave her face.
"Y...y-you know my name?" Yes, she was surprised. The Empress herself knowing a lowly 'bot's name? Lyzack didn't even have a warrior's title to garner attention with.
The older femme's optics softened and her smile curled an inch more. "I indeed know your name," she answered. "Your brother Leozack is well renowned -though at the moment, I am sad to say, for less worthier reasons."
Lyzack stiffened. Her optics were growing hot, her helm beginning to ache and fists shaking at her side. She had no choice, despite how rude it was, but to turn away from her Empress. The teal femme did not want anyone to see her rage or anguish. "T-that... that i-is... true...," she grit out, focusing her attention on Hellbat. Lyzack grabbed some of his old bandages, ripping the plating off none-too-gently, and grabbing the nearby tools to solder on some new ones. "M-my brother is a great warrior -not a criminal."
"I agree," Esmeral said from behind the younger femme. "Which is why I am horrified to learn that he is awaiting execution, when I thought that all this hatred had finally been put to a rest."
There were no words to say. After all, there was enough evidence right in front of them.
Esmeral stepped within the other Destron's sight line, a sympathetic vent escaping her as she stared down at the battered mech. "I have never seen one of our own injured... and never by Destron hands. What has become of our society? What is this peace that we are entering into that condones this sort of violence?"
"H...h-he should of died," Lyzack grit out, soldering in the last of the new bandages in place roughly, "Instead, m-my brother has b-been hurt and imprisoned for death, in p-place of another! Where is the l-logic or, o-or... or justice?!"
The dragon-former glanced at the younger femme as she spoke her next words. "I understand that your brother Leozack was the one who intervened. He attacked both Deathsaurus and Star Saber to defend his comrade. It was valiant of him."
"I-it was stupid!," the teal jet finally snapped, unable to keep the tears at bay any longer. "I don't even know what this mech is to my brother! He shouldn't have had to suffer for this... this... t-this idiot!"
Shame overcame her immediately and Lyzack bowed her helm. Words she had tried to ignore, feelings she had not meant for others to see... They had exploded out of her and now, not only did she have the realization that she had made a fool of herself in front of every medic and patient present, but she'd lost all control towards her Empress. Now the femme merely waited for the punishment to follow, while entertaining the idea that perhaps she would be sent to the brig, alongside her missing brother. It was almost gleeful enough of a thought to take away the sting of self-admonishment.
"Lyzack..." Gentle fingers lifted the smaller Destron's helm, turning her towards the dragon-former. Esmeral's optics were dim and her smile small and sad; the look of a compassionate queen. "Lyzack," she continued, "I understand your pain. I will do all in my power to have your brother set free and these charges of old dropped. Please, do your best by the your kin and keep faith."
"Y...y-yes, Lady Esmeral," the teal jet mumbled back softly. Her spark did not feel any of the courage the Empress was talking about and she didn't want to play this charade any more than she already had.
The older femme gave her companion a hooded look but turned away all the same. "You are all doing exceptional work everyone!," Esmeral spoke to the silent crowd, watching and waiting anxiously, "Please, continue-"
"...Lady Esmeral?," a weary vocalizer interrupted. A Cybertronian stood quietly at the medbay entrance -one of the yellow mechs in Star Saber's personal guard- visor dimmed as he ignored all inquisitive stares, looking straight for the Empress herself.
"Yes?," the dragon-former replied, turning to the new individual.
The Cybertronian vented heavily; as if the next words he was to say were the last he ever would have wanted to produce. "Deathsaurus has confirmed a date for the... criminal's execution. He has asked that you assist him in spreading the message for the people. Anyone willing to witness the event are invited to the audience chamber tomorrow morning." The small crowd gathered broke out into soft gasps and hushed mumbling amongst themselves. "And...," the stranger added, his tone even more exhausted than previously, "Star Saber would like to speak to you when you are free."
"...I will see him at once," Esmeral answered, folding her wings tightly against her frame as she moved quickly through the medbay. Her and the Cybertronian immediately disappeared from sight, leaving the medbay in a state of panic; Destrons turning to their neighbor in baffled horror.
Everyone but Lyzack.
Her vents chugged in useless reset cycle after reset cycle as the strength left her, leaving the femme in a queer, battered state of mind as she leaned weakly against Hellbat's berth. The vague sensation of persistent glances tingled at the back of her processor but Lyzack didn't even acknowledge it. Couldn't. She felt nothing, thoughts blank; everything swallowed up by the yawning darkness rising up from the depths of her very being.
Tomorrow...
Oh, Primus, why...?
xxXxXxx
Cycles later, the medbay had been cleared out -even the last of the medics had signed out for the evening after checking on the remaining patients. Pushing aside the encroaching exhaustion, Lyzack roamed the room slowly, double-checking that every 'bot was well within recharge or unlikely to wake any time soon. Her search proved successful and with a tiny smirk, the femme headed for the medbay doors; cracking the keypad open and locking the system.
"Now no one can interrupt..."
Lyzack sauntered over for Hellbat's berth, already drawing out a syringe and vial. "Time to wake up," she mumbled to herself quietly, laying down her tools and opening the rafale's chestplates. The spark inside was stronger, regular, from what she understood; nestled safely in a scarred, but still intact, chamber. Energon glowed as it pulsed through a multitude of wiring, tinging the femme's servos various shades of lilac as she carefully sifted deeper into the open chest cavity.
"You know, I read your file," the Destron spoke lowly to her unconscious victim, pinching the tender main energon line, curled up safely behind the spark chamber, "A spy. A saboteur. You really are a crazy one... Which is why my brother probably found you beyond infuriating."
Lyzack twirled the line closer into view, grabbing the syringe and aiming the needle into the knotted mess. "But, your files speak highly of your skill. So, I'm going to make use of you. Since my brother was imprisoned for attacking Deathsaurus on your behalf...," she added, injecting the clear liquid directly into the thrumming energon line, "Then you will help me free him and get him away from this place, before anyone is the wiser. I won't have him die because of you."
The energon line started burning between her thumb and forefinger. Releasing it, the teal jet quickly drew her servos out; taking a large step back, and slamming the chest plating close once more, just as the spark within began to expand in rapid succession. The soft sounds of whirring and clanking were beginning to rise, growing louder and more persistent than even the faithful chirp of the nearby life support machines. Whether what she had done was successful or not, still had yet to be seen.
Spark pulsating excitedly, Lyzack grinned, watching as Hellbat's frame bucked against the berth suddenly. "Time to wake up," the femme called out gently.
With a choked scream, the mech lurched up into a sitting position on the berth, almost toppling over the side as he curled into himself. He was shaking, gasping, pounding at the side of the berth as he fought through a violent spasm; eventually, that was not enough, and the mech purged over the floor until his fuel tanks made a strange, low grinding noise. Lyzack watched, arms crossed over her chestplates, losing her patience fast. Finally though, Hellbat stopped his screaming and writhing, looking around the floor, lost and confused.
"Ready to go?," the smaller Destron asked.
Hellbat did not respond immediately, squinting gaze turning up and staring at her blearily for a moment. Scowling, Lyzack took a step forward. "Are you even- WOAH!" Gasping, the femme writhed, trying to wriggle her way out of the firm arms circling her. Despite her best efforts, the rafale had her pinned in a tight embrace, his face buried among her neck cables; hot air cycling over the plating. "H...," she stuttered, fuel tanks churning sickly, "H-hey! G-get off!"
"Hellbat!"
Red optics shuttered slowly as the blue Destron withdrew; his puzzled gaze looking her over. Shuffling an inch, Lyzack glared at the mech's scrutinizing stare, feeling her circuits crawl uncertainly. It didn't help that she could feel a blush creeping across her cheekplates. "What are you looking at?," she demanded, "Do you normally throw yourself at people?!"
"S...s-sorry," Hellbat mumbled meekly, "I... I just... A-am I dead?"
The teal jet canted her helm suspiciously, but smoothed out her pursed mouth and replied, "No. You are unfortunately very much alive. And you are going to help me break my brother out of the brig."
"B-brother?" Again, red optics shuttered, wide with confusion.
"Yes," Lyzack added. That damn blush was back, bringing with it the phantom brush of warm air across her collar strut. Disgusting. "I am Lyzack, Leozack's twin. My brother is imprisoned and awaiting execution because of you!" The femme jabbed a finger between the spy's brow. "So you're going to help me get him out!"
The mech scrambled to his pedes immediately, fans kicking in heavily. "I will do it. Stay close," was all Hellbat informed lowly, before the spy turned and marched across the medbay; expertly opening a vent hatch and disappearing inside of it. Caught off-guard, the femme hurried to follow, hesitating for a moment at the mouth of the dusty opening before climbing inside. Already, she saw the other's jet tail disappear around a bend up ahead and she hurried to catch up.
This was not what she had been expecting. Honestly, she thought she was going to have to fight the mech into following her order -never had she thought that Hellbat would take the lead in her brother's rescue. Why? What was it about these two, that both her brother and the spy immediately leaped into action for the other, even after waking from fresh wounds?
Once more, Lyzack was left with more questions than answers and a series of uncertain theories.
xxXxXxx
The ducts were dank and cold and filmed with a heavy layering of filth. Normally, such a thing would have been taken care of by maintenance drones, but since Deathsaurus had left the damaged fortress stellar cycles ago, there had not been energon enough to spare on lesser, unnecessary functions. Still, cursing and grumbling up a storm, Lyzack dropped from the open vent shaft, smearing some greasy rust away from her face.
"You're not bothered by this grime?," she questioned the silent mech, following him quickly as he took a rapid stride down the hall.
Hellbat shook his helm, focused solely on their surroundings. The halls in the brig of the Fortress were dark and crude, the number of awaiting cells void of any convicts. There had not been many prisoners or criminals of any sort since Lady Esmeral had taken over for her bondmate. Despite its state of neglect, that also thankfully meant there were no guards down here in the bowels of the ship. No one could interfere or, worse, inform Deathsaurus of what they were up to. A blessing for the two rebels.
"...Are you even functioning properly?," the femme asked, noticing that Hellbat's stride was slightly off-balance. "I manufactured a serum to get you online, but that doesn't mean you've fully healed and I don't need a slagging injury costing me my brother."
"I will live," the spy replied, even after a servo brushed quickly past over his side.
Glancing at him dubiously, Lyzack kept following, regretting that she hadn't brought something along as a weapon in hindsight. Civilians were not allowed access to guns -especially not now, during the formation of a peace treaty- but that had never stopped the Destrons from learning hand-to-hand combat. And the teal jet was an artist when it came to close-range fighting.
The hallways were getting darker and danker as they followed a steady incline downwards. Never having been this far before, Lyzack thought to ask if Hellbat even knew where they were going either, but she kept silent for fear of drawing any unwarranted attention. It worked in her favour, when the mech paused, an arm outstretched and gestured to her not to make a sound. The femme did so, watching anxiously as Hellbat released his breast-animal; the strange, silver creature named Komoribreast gliding soundlessly into the pitch black up ahead.
A grunt and a choke were heard suddenly -following the larger Destron's sure steps, Lyzack was alarmed to see a lonesome guard slumped on the floor, the barbed tongue of the queer bat leeching the very energon out of the poor 'bot's frame.
"What the slag is it-"
"Here," Hellbat interrupted.
Tearing her optics away from the gruesome sight of Komoribreast feasting, Lyzack trotted over to where the other Destron stood, feeling her spark seize in its chamber. "B-brother!," she cried, lunging at the bars.
The spy pulled her back at the last moment; the tips of her fingers getting singed as they swiped across the condensed energy bars. Twisting in his grasp, Lyzack turned around, punching the mech square across the jaw. "What the frag are you doing?!," she hissed lowly, seething with rage and anguish. "M-my brother is in there and he-"
"...we can't get in that way. The keypad," Hellbat pointed, weakly massaging his dented cheekplate, "We need to deactivate the security. I'm not familiar with this system though, so..."
"Then I'll do it," the teal jet grit out, shoving the mech away. "Just keep a look out, and make sure that freaky beast of yours stays away from me!"
She didn't see Hellbat nod, but it wouldn't have mattered. The only image branded on the femme's processor was the one of her brother in his filthy cell; strung up to the ceiling like a hunted turbofox, by wings and wrists, a pool of blackened energon beneath his battered and dim frame. Primus, what if he wasn't even alive...?
Her fuel tanks churned nauseatingly.
Lyzack taped away at the cell keypad, scowling when the pass code was rejected with an infuriating beep. Glancing up, she saw that Hellbat was not even paying her any attention; his optics fixed hauntingly on her brother -unresponsive, damaged, and tethered to the ceiling on the other side of the bars. Seeing Leozack in such a state again spread a cold chill through the femme's spark, and she returned to the keypad with renewed determination and a narrower field of focus.
This time, she forewent the pass code, pulling the entire pad from the wall and playing cautiously with the wiring until the bars crackled; fading out of existence with a sizzling flash.
"Y-yes! I got it! We-"
Lyzack turned to Hellbat with a wide grin, shuttering his optics in surprise when she realized he no longer stood beside her. The rafale had walked straight into the cell the moment the bars had weakened and now stood before her brother silently. Quietly, the femme stayed behind, suddenly feeling like she was intruding.
A silly thought, a part of her protested...
All the same, Lyzack never even took a step toward the cell.
Raising a servo, Hellbat let his servo hover over Leozack's wounded side, pressing it to the other mech's hip as he stepped closer, frames just touching. With his other servo, he pulled an electrical prod from subspace, jabbing the device between Leozack's cuffed servos; disrupting the charge keeping the chains active and releasing the Lieutenant Commander.
The teal mech only fell a few inches, before his frame slumped entirely on the other Destron, causing Hellbat to collapse to one knee unexpectedly. The crunch of that short drop echoed loudly in the dungeons, making Lyzack cringe. She glanced quickly over a wing to make sure that no one came running.
"... H... hell... bat...?," a hoarse vocalizer whispered.
The femme turned back around hopefully, fist clenched to her chestplates as she saw the dim glow of her brother's optics reflect on Hellbat's shoulder plating. But though Leozack's helm was turned in her direction... he never saw her. Did not acknowledge her standing there, worrying. In fact... she was invisible to both soldiers...
"...It's... alright, Lieutenant Commander," Hellbat replied back softly. "I've got you..."
Leozack said nothing, his optics flickering before offlining again altogether, just as the rafale slowly rose to both pedes. Silently, Hellbat carried her brother from the cell; one arm braced under his thighs and his other servo on the middle of his backstruts, ensuring that Leozack would not fall. Protective... Caring...
And that's how she knew, watching the strange mech carry her brother back to light and to safety, it was then that Lyzack knew what it meant to be merely second.