Authors note: Thank you all for the comments. They are immensely helpful in assisting me to advance my writing and skills.
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"Come on stalker not gonna fight back?" Pain radiated from her wing as she was shoved back hitting the wall at a terrible angle. "Sunspot and the others aren't around and we won't tell them." Raising and giving her head a quick shake she clenched her fists by her side. She was already late for her shift again and theses three mechs were not about to let her go anytime soon. "Looks like she is the silent type. What's the matter Stalker fraid to fight us?" Glaring at the mech who just spoke she took a step towards him as the others moved in and continued to taunt her. "I don't think she'll fight. Sad really, I don't know why those cons and Sunspot even associate with her." Spinning around she grabbed the mechs throat but was then restrained from behind by another. "Oh look I think you hit a button." Struggling she tried to wrestles her arms out from being pinned behind her back yet this only succeeded in her becoming more restrained as the mech pulled her back towards his body. Taking both her hands he held them between his side and left arm then taking his right elbow he forcefully pressed it into her upper back causing her to bend over.
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"Now where is she? She is late again and knows that we need her to complete this project today. Oh I'm never going to get this project done on time. It is already bad enough we are behind cause of that last accident." Turning he checked the commons room on the off chance she might be there. A flashing light appeared on his systems indicating he had an incoming communication "that better be her." Activating his com "What?" Silence followed for a moment until a timid voice spoke up. "Tunneler its Turnbelt…we ah just lost the second floor platform." Stopping he slammed his hand against his forehead while letting out a large and deep sigh. "What …What do you mean we just lost the second floor platform?" He was not sure he wanted to know the reason as he continued on his search deciding to check the lower levels on a whim. "Well sir we are so far behind and with Nightstalker missing we tried to lift the platform ourselves. It was going well till the winch broke…" Opening a direct com to all the members in his crew "now listen up all of you. Hay! I mean it stop and listen to me. Nobody and I mean nobody is to try and lift anymore platforms until I get back with Nightstalker. Start on the first floor wiring and if I find out that anyone else decided to try something and puts us farther behind heads will roll…Tunneler out."
Having taken the lift down to the lower levels he was about to give up the search when he heard someone cry out. "That sounded like Nightstalker but what is she doing down here?" Quickening his pace he came to the end of the hallway and saw why she was late for her shift. "What do you three think you are going? Let her go this instant."
"This is none of your business Tunneler so get lost."
"None of my business! You are attacking not only a fellow member of this outpost but also one of my crew and in doing so put us behind schedule." Taking a step forward he pointed his finger at them and stood to his full height. "Also do you realize how painful that position is for a flyer? Well do you? You are not only straining her shoulder joints back and up but at the same time you're forcing her wings and arms to press against each other trying to go in opposite directions." Approaching the mechs he went to free Nightstalker but was attacked by the other two.
Biting her lip hard to keep from screaming she could taste the energon leaking from the wound. "Tunneler why is he here? How did he find me?" She felt so helpless watching him fighting a losing battle against the two mechs. She couldn't even call for help as the three mechs had taken care of breaking her com link when they first cornered her.
"Ha the old geezer doesn't have any fight left to him" making a quick upper cut to Tunnelers faceplate knocking him to the ground. "Yah well he still gave us a work out" the second mech approached holding his broken arm and gave Tunneler a hard kick to his chest.
Shifting slowly and painfully to his hands and knees Tunneler spit out a wad of energon. "Old geezer! You three are just as old as I am and know better than this. Why are you doing this? She is just a sparkling. You're a disgrace to us autobots. I'll personally see that Windstorm removes…"
"Ah shut up!" delivering a hard kick to Tunnelers head putting him offline. With him out of the way they turned their attention back to Nightstalker. "Well Stalker, not going to fight back even after we took out your boss?" Reaching out he grabbed her wing tip and twisted so that it almost touched her back while giving her a quick knee to her lower body.
She was pretty sure that her scream could have been heard all over Cybertron but she was not about to give them satisfaction. "Ah go suck a tail pipe you slag…"
"Well, well, well. Looks like she picked up some of the cons bad habits but none of their fight. Can see why we always defeated them if they associated with weaklings like this."
Her concern grew as she watched Tunnelers motionless body "Come on get up, move, do something…please" but it was the last comment that ignited something deep within her.
Optics darkening she looked at the floor "weakling! defeated! how dare you." It was then that the strangest feeling washed over her, like she was no longer in control of her own body. At the same time the three mechs seized up in terror and grabbed their heads screaming. Having been let go she stood up and turned to her attackers. She watched as they withered in silent terror, one reacting as if he was trying to hid from something; another screaming to be let go, that he didn't want to die; while the third grasped his throat making gurgling noises terror etched on his face.
She stood there focused on them feeling their terror, guilt, pain, as well as her own anger. "NIGHSTALKER STOP IT….please." The voice shot through to her very spark and caused her to snap out of it. Turning she saw Tunneler lying on the floor reaching up towards her with his hand "please stop." "Please stop? What did I..." Looking around she saw the three mechs collapse and shrivel on the floor "oh no! not again…how?"
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It was a good thing his shift only required processing paperwork as his attention was focused inward on his thoughts. He had been concerned about Nightstalker ever since the accident. It wasn't so much worry about her safety but that she seamed to be changing. He had noticed that her moods changed erratically and that she started to show a very nasty side that he had never seen before in her. He also noticed that she seamed to know how someone was thinking or feeling although she denied everything when asked about it. "Oh Nightstalker what is troubling you? We used to be so close before Windstorm split us up with these jobs. You used to tell me everything but now…now you're holding back." Looking up at Refit as he dropped more papers on his desk they both shared the same sorrowful and concerned look before he walked away. "Even Refit is noticing it and I wonder if it is also affecting his and Riverruns friendship." Thinking back he wondered if she was responsible in some way for that mech losing his mind shortly after bumping into her in the hallway. "Well Sunspot you got to do something. Yes, I'm going to have to make her talk to me. I'll do it right after my shift." Making up his mind he went back to his paperwork.
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Fastscan just finished setting up the tools he was going to need to conduct the tests. He had just got back from a meeting with Windstorm about Nightstalker. While there he was surprised to learn about her special ability and Windstorms concern that they were becoming active. He was sent back to skillfully find a way to see if they were in fact activating and to what extent. Being that he just repaired her that morning he used the excuse of a check up to get her back in.
Turning around as he heard the doors slide open "ah Nightstalker have a seat over here."
"What is the meaning of this? Ordering me here I told you I'm fine."
Her tone and defensive posture spoke silent words that her mood had changed again. "Oh this is not going to be easy now." Coming up to her he put his hand on her shoulder only to feel her flinch away. "Please I don't want to fight you. It is just a few tests and you don't even have to do anything. I'm just going to test your systems." Watching her stare at him made him very uncomfortable as he was unsure as to how she was going to respond. Yet relief came quick as she stepped forward and sat down on the exam table. "Fhew I was worried there for a nanoclick." Regaining his composure he connected the machines to her and began the scans.
"See that wasn't so bad. you can go now." Nightstalker got down from the table and left without saying a word. Turning back he looked at the monitors and opened a com to Windstorm. "Yes your right. There is something activating. I'll be up there in a cycle to talk with you."
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Walking down the hallway she accessed one of the hidden paths up to their anti-Skuffle hideout. Letting the door slam behind her she threw herself down on the couch and looked out the window. Taking a long vent she finally let herself relax. Since the episode this morning she had been feeling extremely anxious and frustrated. While staring out the window her thoughts reflected inwards "Who am I? I have no history, nothing to base myself on. I don't even know who created me or why. It's not fair. Sunspot has Refit and I guess I could say Riverrun is my adopted creator but there is no comparison." Continuing to think she didn't hear a door opening. "It's just not fair. Why am I the only one here with nothing. Well that could be easily remedied. I could make it so that the others suffer just as much. I know Riverrun knows more but he will not tell me…Stupid ground loving tunnel drone. If they were all just…gone."
Having quietly slipped in Sunspot stood directly behind the couch watching Nightstalker. "I thought she be here. She looks really upset something has got to be bothering her. Well here goes nothing I hope I can get her to talk to me." Stepping around to the end of the couch "hay there! Look I need to talk with you." Her glare caught him off guard and he was shocked that she would even look at him like that. "Hay come on what was that for? It's me, you know your best friend in the galaxy, remember him..Sunspot!" Stepping back he held his hands out in a look at me pose.
Staring at Sunspot "I am so not in the mood for your antics" standing up she got off the couch and started to leave.
"Oh that didn't go well." Propelling himself over the couch he landed between her and the exit. "Look no more joking around you are not leaving here without talking to me" shifting side to side he blocked her attempts to leave.
"Get out of my way or I will hurt you!"
Hearing those words come out of her vocals caused more pain to him then any beating he had ever received. As hurt as he was, crossing his arms on his chest he stood defiant. "No! Something is bothering you and we are going to talk it out."
Seeing his defiance raised her anger and she lashed out. "I hate you so much" lunging forward she sucker punched Sunspot hard in the face.
Reacting quickly he stepped sideways and grabbed her right arm, twisting it around her back. At the same time he wrapped his left foot around her left ankle and pushed down on her back with his free hand. Using this and her own momentum against her he managed to get her pinned down to the floor. Straddling her back he pinned both her arms behind her. "THAT'S ENOUGH! What has gotten into you? I can't believe you just attacked me."
Turning her head sideways "let me go you slaggin skidplate exhaust port sucker." Bringing her feet up she kicked Sunspot hard his back causing his armor to fracture.
"Oww" reacting to her kick he brought his feet over the back of her legs. "There, no more! You are completely pinned. Stop fighting me it will only hurt you more. Please I don't want to hurt you."
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Walking in Fastscan sat down in the chair across from Windstorm. "Sir it does not look good. You were correct in your assumptions her abilities are coming online."
Leaning back in his chair Windstorms face reflected both worry and disappointment. "So tell me what else you managed to find out. Could it be from the accident?"
"Possible. From the data I gathered I can't say to what extent they will evolve or even what she is going to be able to do. If you look back at all the incidents so far it looks like she has the ability to manipulate our minds. From the three mechs who survived her last attack it appears she is able to make us vividly relive moments from the past. From what I got from them it was like being there all over again, pain, guilt, terror, everything."
Taking this all into consideration Windstorm contemplated possible situations. "Is she in control of these abilities?"
"Not right now it seams. From what I understand they are not coming online properly. Bits and pieces, powers but no programming to control them. However I do believe that it will rectify itself soon."
"Soon!" slamming his hand down on the table "is not good enough. I can't have her wandering around like a bomb just waiting to go off. Have you seen her mood swings!" Standing up Windstorm walked over to the window. "No she is too violent and unpredictable right now. Her actions in the last few cycles have clearly shown that she is lashing out at everyone…I've decided, she will be quarantined in the brig until we can find a solution."
Standing up in shocked horror at Windstorms plan Fastscan would have none of it. "No you can't! That would be the worse thing to do and may very well push her over. It is not her fault for acting like this. Wait one cycle I sent Sunspot to talk to her. I believe he is the only one that can get through to her."
Spinning around anger creped over Windstorms face. "YOU WHAT! By himself! She could kill him as she has already come very close….what do you mean not her fault?"
Sitting back down in his chair Fastscan looked straight into Windstorms optics. "I believe that where they are not activating properly she does not have the defenses to protect herself. In so I think her moods are actually those feelings and impulses of the others here. Somehow she is picking them up and having no protection against them…well you get what we have. Don't worry about Sunspot he can take care of himself. I had Skuffle come up with a program virus that Sunspot can inject her with if all else fails. It should act as a temporary defense and allow her to regain control until her actual programming fully initiates."
Turning to look out the window again Windstorm sighed. "Fastscan I will give you one cycle but if nothing happens then I'm sending security in." Dismissing Fastscan he continues to stare out the window "come on kid get through to her."
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Silence filled the room as Nightstalker lay quietly staring a hole in the wall across the room. "Look I know this has got to be uncomfortable for you but you left me no choice." Sunspot could feel her tensing in his grip and venting in a deep rhythmic pattern. "I'm going to have to use that shot Fastscan gave me. She is not talking and there is no way I can get thought to her now." Carefully transferring her hands so that he could free his right but still keep her tightly pinned, he reached into his subspace pocket and removed the injector. "I'm sorry for this" quickly plunging it into the base of her neck and releasing the virus.
Her body spasmed as the virus fought with her programming for control. She could feel the virus spreading and accessing her systems- it won out as it sent her into reboot.
Several quiet breams passed as Sunspot watched her inactive and offline form underneath him. "Oh what have I done! No, it had to be done. Please Nightstalker wake up, anytime now." He started to become worried that the virus did not do what it was supposed to and caused more damage. Yet his worries faded as her optics flickered back on and the sound of her systems powering up registered in his audio channels.
"Huh! What?" groggily she came back to awareness. "Oh primus! Sunspot I'm so sorry. I-I-I attacked you. I didn't mean it I was just so mad. I…"
Feeling her relax underneath him he took a risk and let her go. As he did she sat up, turned around and latched onto him in a hug that meant everything. "I'm so so sorry. Please forgive me."
Wrapping his arms around her and holding the back of her head with his hand he tried to comfort her. "It's ok. I knew you didn't mean it all. Now come on we need to get you to Fastscan before Windstorm sends in security. We don't want him finding our little hideout now do we." Helping her stand he let her lean on him for support as they made their way to the med bay.
Sending a private message to Fastscan "Fastscan its Sunspot. Injection worked. I'm brining her now. Just in case have our path cleared of all personal and security."
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