Venting softly he stood in the hallway with his fist against the wall by the door. Looking up as the door slide open he exchanged a glance and nod with Tunneler as he came out of the room. Refit was still not sure if he wanted to go in and see her like this. Nightstalker had not been his creation but through her friendship with Sunspot he, although he never admit it, had developed a concern for her wellbeing. The door slide open again as Refit stepped towards it and into the room. He still was not sure why he came, especially since he brought her back to this, this existence. Windstorm had ordered her confined when they discovered she was not going to cooperate with them and for Fastscan to, as he put it, tweak her programming.
Walking over Refit stood behind Fastscan who was busy attempting to upload new programming patches into Nightstalker. Looking down he flinched at the open gashes on her wrists where the bonds had ripped into them. Stepping forward he pushed Fastscan out of the way and knelt down. "I didn't know they restrained her."
"Hay! Refit what was that for?" Pulling himself off the floor, Fastscan picked up his dropped tool and re-righted his chair.
Ignoring his question Refit leaned over Nightstalker and gently examined the bindings on her wrists and ankles. All had become embedded in her plating but were at least still visible. Glancing up he could not tell from her face if she was in much pain but from her faded optics he knew she was feeling something. The fact that she was still ignoring their presence concerned him. Turning his head over his shoulder he looked at Fastscan while gesturing to her wrists. "Is this necessary? You're a medic. Sworn to repair but you let her stay like this."
Reorganizing his tools on the table Fastscan sneered at Refit. "Yes, it is necessary. No, I don't intend to keep her like this." Forcing himself between the two he reestablished the connection between Nightstalker and the computer terminal. "Windstorm gave me an order. He wants her more…Autobot friendly but slag it, she is rejecting every patch I try to upload. She already managed to damage one of my medics with his own laser scalpel. These bonds are to keep her from attacking me." Pressing a button he started yet another attempt at uploading the patches. "Let's see if this one takes. Even I will admit this is harsh but it is for her own good. Even so it is not helping that she is mentally stronger than I anticipated." Reaching down he examined the connection again. "Frag it all! This is no good. I'm going to have to do a complete reformat. Why? Why can't you just accept these few patches?" In frustration Fastscan decided to upload a virus along with the last try patch hoping that it would distract her programming long enough for the patch to install itself.
The sensation was anything but pleasant and she could not help but wince and cry out as the invading programming clashed within her. She hated them. She hated them for what they did, she hated them for brining her back and she hated them for what they were doing to her now… or did she? "No they killed Sunspot. They killed Riverrun and Skuffle trying to get me back. Why did Fastscan have to tell me that? Riverrun was going to tell and now I'll…" Her thought process was interrupted as a small part of her programming became corrupted under the constant attack and was replaced by the new.
Seeing her strain against the bonds, causing them to sink in deeper, made Refits oil pressure spike. Reaching out he ripped the connection out of Nightstalker. "This is enough! To the pits with Windstorms orders. I know he wants her on out side but to alter her programming or reformat her against her will, it goes against everything we, I stand for."
Stepping back in shock from Refits blatant disregard for Windstorms orders, Fastscan look of shock slowly gave way to one of utter relief. "About time one of you officers decided to remember who we are." Stepping forward he sat down and picked up Nightstalker's wrist. "I may be the CMO but even I can't go up against Windstorm alone. Now let's see about getting these off."
Refit had been completely taken back by Fastscan's sudden change in attitude and it took a moment for him to process this. "Wait! You want to help her?"
Continuing to examine the embedded shackles Fastscan flicked a laser scalpel from his wrist and started to carefully cut away the damaged plating. "Sure. I hated to do that to her. I'm a medic not a torturer but I knew I would be in the brig if I went against Windstorm. Plus if I was there then who do you think he would have gotten to complete this process?" Freeing her right wrist he started to work on her left. "As much as it pained me to do this, I sooner have done it then let any other unknowledgeable mech mess around in the attempt." Not taking his optics off the delicate task he continued to speak. "You do realize Windstorm is not going to be happy with us."
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"What do you mean you lost them? I gave specific orders to wipe every last one of them from existence and you're telling me that the last two just up and disappeared?" Startled by Windstorms outrage the young mech cowered slightly and watched as his CO paced back and forth across the office floor.
"I'm sorry sir. We were tracking them but they just disappeared from our radar." Not daring to look at him the young gunner stared at the floor.
"Well find them again! I want them all gone, eradiated, purged from existence." Clenching his fists he smashed a hole into the office wall. Standing there hand still embedded in the wall Windstorm grinded his dental plate. "I don't need this. Especially with two of my officers have recently decided to have a moment of reason and defy my orders." Pulling his fists from the wall he pointed an accusing finger at the young mech. "What are you still doing here? Get going and find those missing decepticons."
"Yes! Yes sir." Snapping off a salute he could not have gotten out of the office faster if it was filling with scraplets.
"I just got Nightstalker back and if I can't guarantee that she will side with us then no Con is going to come remotely close to her." Infuriated from his two top officers disobeying him and this new problem, he put another matching hole in the wall.
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Tunneler knew that Windstorm would be furious and possibly punish him similarly but there was no way he was about to let two fellow officers go for this long without refueling. Holding the two canisters he peeked around the corner to see if anyone was around. Seeing the hall empty he stepped out and across to the door. Stepping through being careful not to scrap his bucket against the door frame, he raised the lights to a visual level. As they brightened he heard the grunts of two mechs who had to quickly adjust their optics. "Hay a little warning next time." "Yah, you want to make us go blind?" The comments coming from the far side of the brig saved him from having to locate their cells.
Arriving at the far end of the room he turned and focused through the glowing cell bars. "Well you two have looked better." From the I'm never going to repair your sorry aft again glare he got from Fastscan, Tunneler knew not to push it by laughing.
Propping himself up on the berth, Fastscan looked down right gloomy. "You wouldn't look any better yourself if you been in here for six days." Seeing the energon containers caused him to remember that they were starting to run low. "I'm assuming you brought those for us or you're even crueler then the unmaker himself."
Casually looking around then up at the security camera, he watched as the green light blinked out. "Excellent they did their jobs". Turning back to the cell he switched off the bars. "Yes, these are for you and I only have a few breems till the camera gets…fixed." Handing the containers to Fastscan and Refit they both quickly drank the pink liquid. Pulling out some solid bars from subspace "and here hid these in case I can't get back again. This sentence is ridiculously long for what you two did but I can't allow you to go without refueling." Stepping back out of the cell he turned the bars back on. "Just in case someone walks in."
Lowering the empty canister Refit leaned back against the wall. Shifting to get comfortable he hid the energon bars underneath his berth. "Thanks Tunneler. I agree Windstorm has changed and I'm not sure I like it. His actions are… different. How is Nightstalker doing? Has he tried anything since he stuck us in here?"
"She is doing ok but still won't talk to anyone though. Blames us all for Sunspots, Skuffles and Riverruns deaths." Looking across at Refit "Are you going to tell her?"
"What! No you cant, never ever" Fastscan sat up suddenly. "That knowledge would be too much for her. She already lost her closest friend and her adoptive creator. Learning that Riverrun was killed by the only other mech she trusts with her spark could cause her to completely withdraw or worse to lash out." Looking from Refit to Tunneler he took on his CMO air of authority. "We must make sure she never learns this."
"No problem. I agree with you. Oh! I almost forgot." Reaching he removed a data pad from subspace and handed it carefully thought he bars to Fastscan. "Your staff wanted me to pass this to you. Has whatever information they thought you would want to see since you've been here and the scan results from Nightstalker's tests." Hearing a warning alarm from his internal systems, Tunneler looked back up at the security camera and within a few nanoclicks the light turned back on. "Well looks like the party is over. If I can't make it back I'll see you both when you get out."
"Yah, sure. Hay thanks for the fuel."
Nodding Tunneler turned and left. "Well I must go give my crew the afternoon off. I can't imagine it was as easy to distract Windstorm as it was to fake a technical glitch in that camera."
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Nightstalker had been wandering around the base for the majority of the day. Everything had gone to the pits in the last few solar cycles and she had not quite gotten over it. Losing Sunspot was hard enough but coming so close to being told her history only to have it snatched away by those she used to trust hurt just as much. Stopping suddenly it dawned on her where she was. Looking, she stood right in front of the panel that led to their old hideout. Reaching out towards it she quickly closed her fingers and pulled her hand back towards her. "I can't…their up there. But then again the living are down here and I don't think I like the living anymore." Hesitating for a moment she reached out again and manually pulled the door back. Peering up she could just make out a faint light at the end.
Stepping into the room she realized it was in the same condition that they left it in, a mess. She felt her oil pressure drop as various items lying scattered around the room brought up memories that although at one time were happy, now only brought pain. Picking up a few holo pads and other items she subspaced them intending on cleaning and restoring them at a later time, a time when she could actually look at them.
"Why? Why did this all happen? They killed them all but why can't I hate them like before? What did Fastscan do to me?" Sitting down she allowed her wings to fold along the wall so that her back could rest flush against it. "What did they do to me? The hatred for them is still there but I…I just don't feel it anymore. It's not that I don't care anymore but I can't feel it." Venting deeply she cycled new, clean air through her systems but found that it didn't help any.
Darkness had almost covered the room when she picked up on a very faint sound. Adjusting her audio receptors she listened intently. Hearing it again she got up and walked towards it, pinpointing the exact location as she went. Looking down she knelt and sorted through some rubble, throwing chunks into a pile nearby. Finally she came across a damaged computer terminal that was blinking and producing the sound.
Ejecting a cable from her wrist she interfaced directly with the computer and was surprised to find a communication directed at her and only for her.
"Nightstalker this is Fasttrack. If you found this send a closed data pulse back on this frequency."
The message was a few solar cycles old but she decided to try anyway. Sending the pulse out she waited with no hope of anything actually coming out of it. However her head snapped up in shock as a response came back- 142.181.1793. Hesitating after receiving the information she decided to go ahead and adjust her communicator to that frequency.
"Nightstalker is that you? Are you alone?"
Looking around and seeing nobody she silently responded over her internal communications. "Yes and Yes. Who is this?"
"Dayrunner. I'm not sure if you ever met me but I have seen you around. Fasttrack is here too but is on look out. Anyway I must make this brief. We are the only two decepticons left, besides you, and are being hunted. Look we need your help. We are pinned down and can't get out. You are the only one who can access and has the capability to get out for reinforcements. Please can you go find them for us?"
Putting Dayrunner on hold she tried to think on her answer. It felt right to help them but at the same time she didn't know them and if she left she be bringing back those who would kill the only other mechs she ever knew. As she sat contemplating this dayrunners voice came over the link.
"Look your hesitant so I'll put it brief. You owe Skuffle and especially Riverrun. They both died trying to protect you. Riverrun was killed by Refit because he would not let them take you back. He sent us a message just before he died warning of the attack but it arrived too late."
Her jaw dropped and wings sagged as she heard this. Then just a quickly anger rose within her. Clenching her hands into fists by her side "What!? You better be telling the truth cause if you are lying I will personality hunt you down and…"
"I am not lying. Here, I am uploading a copy of his message to you."
Receiving the file she opened, decoded and verified it was original. As she played it her optics dimmed as a few energon tears trickled down her face. He had died trying to protect her from the ones she was with now. The ones who said he died in battle when in truth he actually died at the hands of his best friend. She knew she should be mad, furious, raging but for some reason she was calm, unable to express herself.
Taking the link off hold she finally responded. "I will help you. I will go and personally collect the reinforcements you need. However, first I have something to take care of."
"Thank you. This is the frequency you can reach us at. We are ok for now but will be in trouble soon if reinformcents don't arrive. We will wait for your communication, Dayrunner out."
Withdrawing the cable back into her wrist she sat down on the floor and designed her plan. Although she could not feel the anger and hatred there was nothing holding her back from acting on it. If anything she knew she could use it to her advantage. "He will pay. Oh yes, he will pay dearly."
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Windstorm stood staring at his CMO and 2IC through the energy bars. "Your punishment is up and are to return to your duties. But before I let you out you are to know this. Never again are you to go against my specific orders and if you do the repercussions will be sever." Reaching out he turned off the bars and let the two out.
Refit stood up and approached Windstorm as if to start arguing with him but stopped as he was nudged sharply in the back by Fastscan. Putting his hand up and extending his finger he moved it as if he was going to make a point to Windstorms face but then turned suddenly and left with Fastscan.
With a smug expression on his face Windstorm watched the two leave knowing they would not disobey him again. Yet he had a nagging feeling that the damage had already been done by them disobeying his orders and that the results were yet to show. Leaving the brig he made his way back to the command room when he was stopped in the corridor by the sudden appearance of Nightstalker. Looking down at her, she smiled kindly up at him, her hands held loosely behind her back.
Speaking softly and politely "Good Evening Windstorm. How are you doing tonight?"
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