HT snorted, remembering something Alpha had said to him a while back "You know, for not liking being the damsel in distress, I sure wind up rescuing you a lot." he noted.
Jade looked up from the ground and glared at HT. "Here." she handed Alpha her ragged jacket and knife. "It's all we've got, but it's better than nothing."
"Doesn't mean I like being rescued, thank you very much!" Alpha huffed. She took the two and cut some strips off. Alpha wrapped her arms tightly and then bent down. "Here, let me look him over." She said, pulling up Prowl's shirt. Jade blushed slightly, then put both hands on either side of the tactician's face. "He feels warm." she noted.
She suddenly realized Hammertread wasn't trying to attack him. She glanced up. The ex-tank was watching a flock of birds fly over. "I think he's just weak from bloodloss." Jade noted. "We need to get a signal to the Autobots or something soon." she ran her fingers along the unconcious blonde's jawline. "Hey, don't you have a mind-link to your brother? you could try that." she suggested.
"I...guess so..." Alpha sighed. She closed her eyes. "But it'll take a lot of energy. Jade, if I pass out, wrap his wounds firmly, but not so that you cause too much pain."
She took a deep breath. "Bro"
A-Al? Why do you...feel small?
"Because I'm human...do you know where I am"
Yes. Why do you feel...weak?
"This is taking a lot out of me...please listen to me. Once you hae where I am, get a few others and come here. Prowl's got broken ribs and-" She groaned.
Sis?
"I'm okay. Do as I say, okay"
Ya got it.
"Good." Alpha nodded. She opened her eyes and then let out a soft moan.
"Ow..." The femme held her head, but only managed in falling back, unconscious.
Hammertread, who was standing behind her, took a step forward and caught her. Jade gulped, realizing she was suddenly alone with the tank. After a second, she looked back up at him, then back at Prowl.
"What?" the tank said.
"Youre...you're not attacking him." Jade glanced at Prowl as HT gently laid Alpha on the ground.
"So? I want to get out of here alive as much as you do. Then I'll take revenge on him." the bulky ex-tank replied.
Alpha muttered something as she opened her green eyes. The girl looked around and then managed to sit up.
"Ow. Nex' time I do something like that...ow..." She held her head and then looked at Prowl.
"Good. Jade wrapped your wounds good." he didn't hear her, though.
HT looked over at Alpha, then at Jade. "Is your ankle broken?" the tank asked.
"Probably.. I don't know. ow." Jade shifted a bit.
"Let me take a look at it." Jade looked up at him, not trusting him one bit.
"I won't hurt you." the tank squatted down next to her.
"Why should I trust you?" Jade narrowed her eyes.
Alpha sat up. "Because he saved my butt." She said as she leaned against a tree.
"Trust him."
Jade eyed him, but stuck out her leg. The tank took her leg in his right hand, and started to feel around with his left.
"Ow." Jade winced.
His grip was suprisingly gentle for being a huge, melevolent tank-bot. He felt around some more. Jade winced and glanced away. She wondered how long it would take the Autobots to find them.
Jazz walked down the hall, ringing the doorchime to Bluestreak's quarters. In a second, the charcoal and white gunner anwered. "Hi guys, come on in." He started to rattle on about something, But Jazz wasn't listening.
"You okay, Daze?" he asked Daze, who had been staring at nothing in particualr, started.
"Wha'? Yeah.
The doorchime ran again, this time it was Bumblebee.
Daze blinked, and let Jazz lead her to sit down, only starting slightly when Bumblebee came in.
The Autobot Porsche brought out a datapad, and started looking throught the security camera files while waiting for the twins to show up. "There has ta be somethin' here.." he went throught the tape, right up to the point where the four dissapeared, and backed up to a couple seconds beforehand. If Red Alert was busy, he'd just have to find out himself.
Daze curled her legs under her, and tried to ignore her headache while they waited for the others to come.
He stopped the vid, and zoomed in slightly on Prowl, Alpha, and Jade who were talking right outside HT's cell. Alpha doubled over, and then nothing. He zoomed in to get a closer view. There, under Alpha's amor, was the tiniest hints of a glow. "Interesting." he thought, smirking.
Daze looked up as the Lambo twins came in, and smiled.
Sidesipe caught her look and smiled back. He and Sideswipe sauntered over and sat down. Bluestreak brought out a plate of energon goodies and set them on the table.
"Is everyone ready for the movie?"
They nodded.
Daze tilted her head as the movie started.
Suddenly, Jazz's commlink dinged. He got up and answered it, turning down so it wouldn't bother the others while they were trying to watch the movie. Omega's voice came through.
"Omega to Jazz, do you read me?"
"Yeah. Wassup"
"I found her!"
"That's great!"
Bluestreak paused the movied. "What's going on? he asked."
"Omega says he found his sister. And Jade and Prowl are with them. So is Hammetread." Jazz jumped up. They're somewhere in the smokies." Jazz beamed.
"I'll be right there." he said into his comm, and headed for the door.
"Coming, bee?" Jazz asked.
"No, I'll stay here. thanks." Bumblebee looked over at Daze.
"Sorry 'but the movie Daze. But we'll be right back." Jazz said, and dissapeared down the hall.
Alpha wrapped her arms around her legs and watched. She sighed and then leaned back.
Omega transformed. "Hang on, sis.
"Well?" Jade looked at him expectantly.
Omega looked down at Jazz. "Hurry"
"I'll have to set the bone back in place. It'll hurt." the tank warned.
The tank looked over and spotted a couple small sticks he could use for a splint.
"I'm hurryin' I'm hurryin' Jazz did a swandive, transforming, and did a peelout, zooming down the hall, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe and Bluestreak were allready in down the hall from them.
The tank grabbed her foot gently and yanked. There was a pop and a screech, and the tank grabbed the sticks. "Alpha, cut two or three strips of cloth"
Jade glared at him. "You could have warned me"
"I did." the tank shot back flatly.
In the control room, Optimus, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Bluestreak, Ratchet, Wheeljack, Cliffjumper, Brawn, and Trailbreaker were waiting.
Alpha nodded and then did as the ex-mech said. She handed the strips to HT. "He did do that, Jade."
Jade glared at Alpha, then after a minute asked "How did you know to do that?"
"Do what?"
"Set the bone and splint it"
the tank sighed. "back whe I was with Dri..."
He shook some thought out and continued. "I used to do field repairs." he thought for a second. "she was good at that, too..."he trailed off. "But she was always better at strategy." he added. He finished tying the cloth and sticks.
"There"
Prowl moaned from where he was laying. Jade looked over at him.
Alpha walked over to Prowl. She looked him over and looked at Jade and HT.
"He's fine." She said, walking over to the two. "Don't worry, Jade." Jade shrugged and looked away. Then glanced back at the 2CO.
Skyfire landed outside the Ark, and opened the ramp to his cargo bay. "We don't have their exact co-ordinates, so we'll have to follow the mountain range from one end to the other." Prime said to Skyfire. Stay low and keep an optic out for anything out of the ordinary."
'I'm planning on it." the giant jet replied.
Everyone piled aboard, and Skfire took off.
Omega took off.
Alpha looked at HT. "So...what happened? Between you and Dri...if you don't mind me asking"
The tank shrugged. "Our interests clashed, I suppose. I enjoyed fighting a little too much, and she didn't like it." he glanced at Alpha.
"she said I would make a better 'con than a 'bot, whatever that meant." He got up and stretched. "We were both neutrals... he finished streching and have a huff. "before she deserted our group." he kicked at the ground.
"I wish I could remember what it was like before..." He stopped short and turned around. "Nevermind. It's none of your business anyway." he stomped over to a nearby rock and sat down, looking away.
After a second or so of silence, Jade hopped up, leaning on her stick."Maybe we should set up camp here for the night." Jade suggested.
"I'll go find some firewood." She went a few meters away, out of hearing range, but not out of seeing range of the others, os they could talk privately.
"Okay." Alpha nodded. She walked over to HT and put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, I only wanted to know, okay?" She said softly, "Maybe talking will help you get your memory back...you never know, huh? After all, meeting up with my bro gave me back what memories I lost..." She smiled a bit HT snorted. "I doubt it. I haven't remembered anything new for several months now." He glanced over at Prowl.
"Then what can talking hurt, HT?" Alpha asked as she sat down on the ground next to the big rock. "Hmm?"
The tank narrowed his optics at Prowl, wondring if he could succceed in killing him if he tried again.
"We met after we were thrown off a ledge in outer Iacon. One of the bombs in the underlevel had blown away part of the top level..." he trailed off closing his eyes.
"Lay seige to the city. Let them surrender or die!!" Megatron yelled, his army flying and rolling into the city. Hammertread rolled down the street, firing at anything and everything in his way. An unidentified mech was shot by someone else, then crushed as the Decepticon tank rolled over him. Hammertread cackled and launghed a missile into a nearby building. It exploded. Out of the dust and debris he saw two figures emerge. He grinned and approached. "Look out!" the first one yelled from where he was pinned under part of the building.
----present-----
Hammertread's jaw dropped as he recognised the mech.
Alpha looked at HT. "HT, what's wrong?" She asked, looking at the mech. She stood up. "You okay"
"I'm fine." he growled. He tried to let the memory come back, and took another breath.
---flashback----
The other one, a femme, turned and looked at him as he transformed, cracking his knuckles. He couldn't see her face, though. The tank tried harder to concentrate on the memory, but the more he did, the more it faded. The black and white mech pinned under the rubble twisted, trying to free the rest of himself. He shouted something, and the tanks felt the blast hit his leg. His face clouded over with anger... Prowl aimed again, not bothering to try to free himself from the rubble.
----present-------
Hammertread growled again. Loudly.
He stood up abruptly. "It doesn't matter what happened in the parst, anyway." He snarled, and started to walk away again.
Alpha caught up with him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Yes it does." She said sternly, yet oddly tenderly. "It does matter, Hammertread...you know that...no matter how hard you try to convince yourself it doesn't"
The bulky man snarled and shoved her hand away.
He walked over to Prowl stupid fraggin..." He lifted his leg like was going to kick the sleeping blonde, but then stopped and lowered it.
Prowl was looking up at him, with almost the same expression on his face as he had when the tank came stomping up that day..
---flashback----
He cackled with sadistic glee as he pulled back his fist to hit her.
Suddenly, she looked up at him and the face focused itself.
"Hey."
HT jumped, the noise jarring him out of his memory "I found some fire.." Jade trailed off. when she potted ht looking down at Prowl.
"Ohno!" she dropped the firewood and ran at him.
"Leave him alone!" she tried to tackle the tank, but he shrugged her off and shoved her away.
"I wasn't doing anything!" he protested.
"Uh-huh, sure youe wren't!" the ex-jet dove past him and over to prowl, who was kinda staring off into space. Jade waved a hand in front of him, fearing the worst.
"Prowl..Prowl..." she gulped.
"Prowl wake up!" she grabbed him by the shoulder and started shaking him.
"wuh-uh-what?" the sandy-haired mans blinked a few times and sat up.
"What's going on?" he asked sleepily.
Jade blinked. Her jaw dropped "You sleep with your eyes open?" she asked, half to herself.
Prowl looked up at HT, then at Alpha. "I do?" he asked sleepily.
"Aparently..." Alpha blinked. She looked at Ht.
"I have a quarter of a mind to kill you right now, but then I'd be stranded out here with them..." The femme muttered the last part to herself. THe femme sighed and then grabbed HT's arm gently.
"Why don't you go and...kick some poor defensless tree..." She turned and looked at Jade. "He wasn't going to do it, you know! He was just...he got out of a flashback and looked pretty shaken...it wasn't his fault"
HT snatched his arm away. "Dont. touch. me." he glared at Jade, then at Prowl, who glared back.
---flashback------
Prowl glared from where his lower half was pinned under the rubble. "Verona!" he shouted. the white femme glanced at him, then at the tank as Prowl fired. He kept firing at Hammertread, and the tank felt his legs give way. He glanced at the femme as he fell back.
--present--
Hammertread gasped , and his optics went wide.
"...Dri..."
he stared, deep in thought.
"Verona..."
Prowl gaped. "It can't be"
Hammetread turned to the mech and smirked. "Driveby was thrown off the cliff by an explosion. Decepticon seekers.
When she landed, I woke up before her"
His voice softened, and his smirk widened. "I watched them rebuild her."
he took a step towards Prowl. "You were trapped under a building and couldn't help her."
Prowl struggled to get to his feet. Jade put a hand on his shoulder to make him stay, and stepped halfway in-between them.
"Little white hovercar, pink accents along the wheel-wells?" he asked.
Prowl looked stunned and horrified all at once. "no."
Alpha stepped between the two. "Hammertread, that's enough. You remember now, now please stop. This is...hurting Prowl..." She stated, looking at Prowl. She then turnd to the ex-tank. "You can talk around this later, but right now Prowl needs his rest...and so do you"
Hammertread just looked at Prowl thoughtfully. "It's true, isn't it?" he cocked his head to one side. "I was part of Megatron's strike force invading the city... You were trying to get out."
He stepped back, his face sofentning. "I attacked Dri.." He turned around.
"Liar." Prowl found his feet and stood.
"Prowl, lay down!" Alpha said harshly, "Don't make me go medic on you because Primus help me I will! and you," Alpha turned around to face HT. Her face and eyes softened. "You didn't know who she was at the time or how much you would come to love her"
The tank turned around and looked at Prowl, who clenched his fists angrily.
"It was you... You yelled her name. Right before... before you shot me off the ledge."
Prowl glared.
Jade raised her optic ridges in suprise at him. The usually calm tactician was staring at the tank, electric-blue eyes full of fury.
I'm... sorry." The tank turned and walked away into the forest.
"You're the reason Verona is Dead!" the tactician roared, charging for the ex-tank. Jade and Alpha both got between them.
"Prowl no! don't!" Jade yelled.
"She's not dead, prowl!" Hammertread yelled back.
"Don't you get it!? DriveBy is Verona"
"Liar!" The sandy-haired mand shouted back and struggled to get past the two femmes.
"Prowl calm down!" Jade squealed, supridsed at how much anger the usually unemotional and logical Autobot was displaying. She looked up at him with wide eyes.
Hammertread turned and silently left down the hill, into the forest.
"Stop!" Alpha pushed Prowl down gently. "ENOUGH! Jade, take care of Prowl!" She ordered before following hammertread. "HT! Wait! You can't go off on your own!" She ran after him, hoping to get to him before something else did.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" HT yelled.
Jade looked up "Wait! You can't leave me with him!.. Alpha!" But she was allready gone.
Alpha caught up. "NO! I'm not leaving you alone, you wanna know why?!" She asked, glaring at him, "Because I don't want to see you get hurt because you're being an idiot!" The femme huffed, folding her arms. "You're being rash and stupid! Verona's Dri, we get it! Prowl's just heartbroken and he doesn't want to believe it...give him time, Ht"
Prowl was shaking, still glaring. "It's okay...calm down."Jade took his hand in hers and tried to get him to unball his fists. "You can't let your emotions get the best of you." she said. He looked at her, and Jade cringed. His eyes were full of anger. He looked away, then suddenly sat down, putting his head in his hands.
"...why?" he moaned.
Hammertread stomped through the forest. "Like I care if he's crying about some autob-b#$!!?"
he turned and swung at Alpha.
"I am a Decepticon! I serve Megatron and no other! " he swung to face her.
"You are an Autobot, and they are my enemies!"
He advanced on her Alpha let out a cry as she was hit in the face. the femme fell back and then looked at Hammertread with frightened eyes.
"HT, please...you're not my enemy...you're my friend..." She struggled to get to her feet. "Listen, I don't want to hurt you...you're my friend please...don't attack me"
HT reached down and gaught her around the throat, squeezing enough to make her cough.
"AND ANOTHER THING!" he shook her.
"I AM NOT STUPID!" He shoved her backwards, and her back slammed into a nearby tree.
Prowl heard and got up. Jade grabbed his shoulder.
"Sit back down, it's okay."
But Prowl shoved Jade out of the way and walked forward.
"He's a Decepticon, Jade. He could hurt Alpha." Jade tried to get in front of him, but he ignored her.
"But"
"Get out of my way, Jade. That's an order!" he barked. Jade jumped and skittered to one side, following.
"yes...sir.." she muttered, eyes wide and mouth agape.
Alpha's eyes widened as she felt the man wrapped his huge hand around her neck. She clawed at his hand and then yelled as she hit the tree. The femme sank to her hands and knees and coughed for a minute. She looked up at HT.
"Ht, I didn't cough I didn't mean it like that! I just meant...you were being rash..."
The femme got to her feet, ignoring the pain. She looked at HT and rubbed her throat. "I'm sorry if I offended you! I didn't want you to run off and end up getting hurt! But please, PLEASE, don't go back to being a Decepticon! You were...you were a really good friend! I don't want to have to fight you!" Her eyes held a begging gaze as she lowered her hands to her side.
"I don't want to see you go back to being an enemy. Whether you like it or not, I thought of you as a friend and I won't attack you. So please...calm down...don't attack me..." The femme reached out using her powers and attempted to calm HT down as she entered his mind. Alpha used her psyhic powers she never knew she had, to try to calm him down.
"Please."
"HT...please... Alpha said softly in his mind. You don't want to do this...you know it as much as I do that you don't want to fight me...don't...calm down, though...you must calm down...please."
He growled, and put one hand around her throat again, and grabbed one of the nearby branches, breaking it off. The end came out blunt. He broke another one, this time on an angle. He leaned in, so his face was mere inches from hers.
"I don't need your Pity." he growled.
Prowl came bursting through the trees. "Leave her alone." He shouted.
Hammertread looked up and grinned.
"Ah. Allways in the nick of time, aren't you?"
Jade saw Alpha then the stick. Hammertread dropped Alpha and rushed at Prowl.
"Look out!" Jade yelled. The two wrestled for a minute, and Prowl growled.
Hammertread yelled back. Alpha dove out of the way as HT slammed Prowl into the tree she was just in front of.
HT stopped for a second, still glaring at Prowl. He gulped. Prowl shoved him back aginst the tree.
The ex-tank staggered back, the stick he had been holding sticking out from just below his ribs.
He hit his knees.
Alpha ran over and put herself in-between them.
Alpha glared at Prowl.
"STOP IT!!" She screeched.
The femme shoved Prowl down and then turned to HT. She bent down and then looked at the stick. "Hang on, HT. I can do this..." She looked at him with begging eyes. "Let me help you"
Prowl took one step forward, and Jade stepped in front of him. "Rank or not... just... no."
"And you would defend a Decepticon?" Prowl accused in a low voice. Jade gulped at the implication, but didn't move.
The roar of skyfire's engines filled the air as he flew over, and the four looked upwards. Hammertread winced when Alpha pulled the stick out, and tried to get up. Alpha shoved him back down agan.
"I have to go.. They'll... I can't go back to that cell." He shoved Alpha off and ran for the thickest part of the forest.
"No!" Alpha glared at Prowl.
"YOU! HE'S GONNA DIE BECAUSE OF YOU!!" She screamed before running after him. The femme ignored the two behind her as she ran after HT.
"I won't have a friend's death on my hands...HT! I WON'T LET THEM! THEY WON'T PUT YOU BACK IN THAT CELL!! I PROMISE!!" She yelled, looking through the woods for him. "PLEASE! come back..."
Jade glanced at Prowl and looked at the two with a "don't leave me here with him... again!" look.
"We have to get Skyfire's attention when he comes back." She said.
"You helped him escape, you know that?" Prowl said to Jade, his cool demeanor returning.
The tank stomped through the forest, not caring if Alpha followed or not.
Alpha sighed as she followed, spotting him. "HT!" She ran next to him. "Listen to me, they won't put you in that cell, I promise! I won't let them! Prime won't let them once he hears how you helped us all out." The femme said as she hurried to stay by his side.
Jade gulped, but walked out into the clearing, hoping the smoke from a small fire might get his attention. She quickly gathered some sticks, and piled them together, pouring perfume on top, and lit it.
"I'm sure Prowl would think otherwise." the tank said, not stopping or slowing his pace.
"Screw Prowl!" Alpha huffed, "I really don't give a frag what he thinks! You've got Jade and me on your side! Two out of three...plus we could always blame his claims on the fact that he has so much blood lost that he was halusinating or something"
the tank chuckled softly, and shook his head, looking up at the sky as though seeking some sort of help there. "I never thought I'd end up as a human, being defended by two femmes." He finally sat down, looking at Alpha.
"I'm going back to Megatron. You can join us if you like." he offered.
Alpha walked over to him and sat down. She looked up at him. "I..." The femme looked at the ground.
"Ht...you can't go back to Megatron...you just can't! I mean..." She sighed and looked at the ground. "Please don't. I'm begging you. Don't"
Skyfire landed, and the Autobots filed out. Ratchet took one look at the pair and started swearing. Jade winced. "Where are Alpha and Hammertread?" Prime asked.
"Sir, Hammertread escaped. Alpha is aiding him, and Jade here helped in his escape." Prowl looked at the ex-seeker.
Omega looked down at the two humans. "Jade? Prowl?" He blinked.
he looked around. "Where'sAlpha?Sheokay?What'sgoingon?How'dyougetlikethis?Where'sALPHA?!" He said quickly.
"Jade, is this true?" Prime asked. The jet looked up at the Autobot, knowing Prowl still had leverage, being second in command. And aiding a Decepticon was the same thing as being a traitor. She gulped.
"Uh..."
She turned and ran for the forest.