Poof Chronicles 2: The Dorkcepticons
Chapter 9: Race for the Finish part 3
Optimus surveyed the team standing before him. He'd gathered his own team and team PaperWyngz, Jazz and the Jet twins, the Dinobots, Elita-1, Wasp, Blurr and Wreck-Gar. It was the very day before the race was set, and tensions were high –well, not counting Wreck-Gar.
They'd searched all day yesterday for Pen, with no sign of the Deception's signal or her own phone signal. They figured Megatron was probably using some sort of signal scrambler. It was still blowing them all away that the Decepticons somehow got out of the stockade. If they didn't find a clue soon, the race would begin tomorrow for the fate of the Earth…Oh, and Pen's life, of course.
Kahmelion sighed. "Ugh. Pen, WHY did you have to be kidnapped…AGAIN?"
Phantom and Thing went over the Inter-Dimensional Atlas(as seen in PC1) once again for any hint of her on the map. There was nothing. Usually if one of them disappeared from the map, it meant they were dead…thank goodness they were still alive, indicating otherwise. Phantom spoke up. "Do you think we've searched EVERYWHERE? I mean, there's always that mine that they used before as a hideout..."
"The Decepticons aren't dumb enough to choose the SAME location." Thing retorted. "We have to think of where they've been and where they HAVEN'T been." (LOL irony)
"That's what we were DOING all day yesterday, and still no results on your friend." Ratchet cut in. "I mean, Heck, who's to say they're even ON EARTH."
"True." Jazz concurred. "They could even be on the MOON by now. Ain't that where their ship crashed?"
"We could search the moon, couldn't we?" Sari stood up at this glimmer of hope.
"Yeah." Bumblebee agreed. "We can get Jetfire and Jetstorm to fly us up, then look around to see where they're hiding her!"
Optimus raised an optic ridge at the twins. "Do you think you two would be capable of carrying one each to the moon?"
"You are seriously asking us this?" Jetfire cocked an optic ridge right back.
"Me and Brother are being MORE than able to be caped!" Jetstorm finished. "We will be getting you there in ten minutes tops!"
"I'm going too!" Bulkhead raised his hand.
Everyone turned to fix their eyes on him. The mech had been completely silent this whole time.
"er…Bulkhead, why don't you stay here." Optimus scratched the back of his head. "Sari and Bumblebee will go with Jetfire and Jetstorm for search and possible rescue."
"And why can't I go?"
Prowl answered For Optimus. "I'm sure Kahmelion, Clive, Phantom, and thing would be more than eager to go as well, but you all have limitations. I realize your close attatchment to Pen could affect your judgement."
"Bull-slag!" He retorted.
"…alright. Would it help to tell you that Kahmelion and Clive can't breath on the moon and you're bigger than the both of the twins combined?"
"…oh…r-right…" He sat back down. Here he was complaining about not going on this trip when the four very people who were closest to her couldn't even go themselves.
"Do not be worrying, big guy." Jetfire grinned. "If Pen is truly to be being there, we will be bringing her back in construction-date condition."
Meanwhile the very goofball in question was waking up. She was laying on a dirt floor and her hands and ankles were tied and she felt like crap, just as she had been left the night before. She tried to recall the events. Her second escape attempt had come THIS close, yet ended in complete failure due to her "sweetheart."
She'd realized the race was just a cover. She was really being used as bait. Bait and a distraction for whatever the heck the Decepticons planned to do. Not to mention her recent pet/cleaning duties. It had only been two days, and she was already bored of this cycle of being fairly on their good side to being the one organic they wanted to blast to bits the most. She tried to squirm herself so that she was sitting upright, leaning against the wall. Slowly, she tucked in her legs and moved her arms-tied at the wrists- under and back in front of her. She got the binding on her legs undone, so at least she could stand up and walk around. Her legs had been falling asleep and she needed to stretch them. It was getting SERIOUSLY boring around here. She'd expected to be rescued by now. Pen wasn't sure if she expected the Autobots to just bust through the wall, guns a-blazin', but at least something. Thena gain, they might not even have a clue where she was. She walked over to the giant hole in the wall she'd made yesterday. When she'd been knocked unconscious and dragged back into this cell, she hadn't seen any trace of the blaster she'd used with Reala. It seemed like he would try and take every measure to ensure that she KNEW her situation was hopeless. Well, getting married to him like he tried to do LAST Poof Chronicles was hopeless. Pen made her way over to Keroro and nudged him awake.
"Kero?...hey…KERO!" She whispered.
"W…what, gero?" he yawned, blinking his eyes open.
"Kero, I need you to untie my hands, then I'll untie you and Skywarp."
"h-huh?" The decepticon sat up, out of recharge mode. "What's going on?"
"I'm gonna walk down the tunnel." Pen undid the knot in the chain. "I'll be right back. I don't think they got the blaster."
Keroro hopped up on her back and she started through the darkness. How had she seen where she was going last time? Then again, she hadn't really needed to go any other direction than straight ahead.
She was about halfway through the tunnel, when she was stopped dead in her tracks-
"What the spoo-"
-and a familiar being grabbed them both by the necks and dashed them right back out and dropped their bodies on the ground, cackling with laughter.
"You really are slow, aren't you? I took the blaster while you were out cold and destroyed it." Reala snickered as he temporarily created a hole in the electric wall and exited the cell. "Good morning, dear. I see you got out of your bindings."
"Spoot you, clown face!" Pen retorted, turning away from him.
The nightmaren scowed, tossed a McDonald's bag down at her feet through the hole, closing it and leaving the room in a huff.
"…well this sucks…" Pen rummaged through the bag. A few McMuffins…two orange juices, "…half a tank of gas with a fuel siphoner?" She handed those last two to items to Skywarp. "Wish he'd given us something other than high-calorie crap…meh. Beats dirt." She dug in. Mouth full, she walked up to the electric wall. "MHY! Mnywn n hr gt sm frt?"
Blitzwing stumbled it, groaning. "Ach…you humanz are ZO dizguzting…" He switched from icy to random as he approached the cell. She soon saw why he was stumbling and walking funny.
"Zo, Pen? Briefz oder BOX-erz~!" he showed off the crate he's somehow gotten up around his bumper. She laughed out loud, slapping her knee and everything.
"SHOOT, man…" She wiped a tear. "Good one. You certainly have good timing. I needed a laugh." She sat down at the front of the cell, and he did the same. "So, everyone hates me to a subatomic level now, right?"
"Nah, zey juzt know zat Megatron hatez you, zus zey must act like zey hate you~! Vhy do you zeem to TRY and annoy him?"
"Cuz it's FUN and he needs to lighten up." She took another chomp out her breakfast. "Hey, any chance you wanna take the pet for a walk? It gets majorly boring in here."
It was a quick change to rage face. "VE ARE ALL UNDER ZTRICT ORDAZ TO KEEP YOU IN ZERE!" he changed to random again. "Alzough ve could just bring everyvun in here to guard ze doorz vhile ve let you out in ze room for a bit…"
"Sounds sweet, man." She slurped her orange juice.
"Gosh, gero…" Keroro shook his head. "I wonder what our 'heroes' are doing?"
"KSHT! This is one small step for a girl, one giant leap for Pen's sorry rear." Sari stepped off of Jetstorm and walked along the barren, dead surface of the moon. The wreckage of the Decepticon ship was still there-or at least, what was left of it since Cybertron command had salvaged what parts they could from it.
"Isn't this to be business of seriousness?" Jetstorm raised an optic ridge.
Bumblebee got his stingers at the ready. "Hey Sari?"
She turned to him.
"In space, no one can hear you SCREAM~!"
The two laughed as they got battle-ready in case of confrontation. The four of them snuck along the side wall, tumbled, made those weird hand-signals to eachother…basically just imagine a spy movie.
"I am RIGHT HERE!" Sari whispered. "Just TALK to me!"
Bumblebee rolled past them to the other side of the door. He signaled for Jetfire and Jetstorm to go in front.
With another quick signal, the two used their team attack and busted down the metal door.
The team of four rushed in-
And found the place completely empty.
"Uh….that was…anti-climatic…" Jetfire scratched the back of his head.
"Perhaps they are…hiding?" his brother raised an optic ridge.
"Come on, we'd better search." Sari walked ahead of them. Ah, if only they new it was a fruitless effort.
Pen sat, head in her hands, staring at the con before her and drawing a blank. "Um…uuuuh…Captain Kirk! A Jedi…teenage mutant ninja turtles?"
"No! You're getting colder, sugar." Lockdown kept repeating the motion. Yep, her friends were up on the moon worried sick while she was playing charades with Decepticons. Go figure.
"Um…dangit, I KNOW this one…" Pen tugged her hair.
"An Arquazonianese Lazer Beast!" Keroro snapped.
Lockdown placed a finger on his nose. "Ding ding! That's frog thing 20, Earth girl 8, Skywarp 10."
"DAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaang…" Pen drawled out. "I'm really not that good at this game."
"Ve could play a board game~!" Random blitzwing suggested.
"…excellent suggestion, but we HAVE no board games, you incompetent boob." Shockwave quipped.
"Zat's alright, I could draw something up quick on ze schematics paper in ze front room~!"
Slipstream smacked him on the head. "Are you out of your MIND!" She hissed. "She's not supposed to get to any paper OR ink!"
It was too late. Wondering why the heck she hadn't thought of that before, Pen had drawn all the paper and ink into the room with her.
"HA HA HA~!" She guffawed with GREAT gusto. "Keroro, hop on my back and hang on tight! Skywarp, set thrusters on full blast and let's blow this pop stand~!" She laughed as she formed the paper into a set of wings and two blasters for each arm. "Anyone wanna stand in the way between me and that door, prepare for a face full of ink and some mean uppercuts!"
Thundercracker scoffed, "What are you gonna do? Paint our nails and fold origami for us?" and then was tackled to the ground by an onslaught of paper cranes.
Pen laughed heartily and zipped through the room, blasting ink grapeshots into all of the Decepticons –save her friend Skywarp….and maybe Blitzwing- as she made for the door. She flew out into the tunnel, headed for whatever route of escape she could find.
Skywarp stumbled hastily behind her before transforming. "W-wait for meeeee!" He cried as she shot forward and she untransformed her paper wings and laded on top of the Jet.
"Oh my primus….oh my primus, OH MY PRIMUS!" He was hyper-ventalating. "We're all going to die! Lord Megatron's going to catch us and we'll all be slagged and-"
Pen slapped the top of the seeker. "Snap out of it! Now, we're only getting out of here if you mech up and grow some back bone! Now, you fly and I'll man the artillery. Got it?"
...he was shocked. "b…b-b…but-"
"Dude," Pen sighed. "Are you a warty, wimpy little frog, or are you a strong, brave Prince?"
"Um…a frog?" he answered timidly.
"NO! Dude, not an option!" If she could see his face right now, she would slap it. "You gotta pull through! Big, strong, brave prince!"
"ok…big, strong, brave prince….I can do this…I'm a big strong brave prince…"
"Heck yeah, you are! Now fly us outta here!" She shouted.
"I'm A BIG STRONG BRAVE PRINCE!" He shouted, and turned on the turbo.
They rushed into the room, passing Megatron and Reala and disrupting their card tower project…wait, did I just see that? …yup…eh. Guess they were bored. Anyway~!
Pen formed her paper into a machine gun and fired ink shots at the two royal jerks. The immediately sprang to try and stop them, Megatron transforming and the both of them flying after them through the tunnels. Seeing the regular shots were doing next to nothing but chip the paint, Pen re-formed the paper into a rocket launcher. "Brace yourselves!" She fired at the ceiling, causing tons of rock and dirt to fall upon their tormentors. "That should buy us some time."
Keroro sat at the front to the Jet. "Skywarp, you know the way out of here, right, gero?"
"Y-yeah! I can get out of here with my eyes closed…oh, what a rush~!" He gushed. He'd never done so good as a con, but now he was doing great as a hero~!
The sound of a huge, roaring engine, and the whooshing through the air by a jester snapped them all back to reality. Pen facepalmed as the warlord and the nightmaren were once again hot on their tails. "You're spooting KIDDING me!" She formed a bigger gun with the paper and ink. "Again, brace yourselves!"
"We're almost to the exit!" Skywarp shouted to them as he saw the light growing ahead. Pen turned around and looked ahead. They could see the trees and the bright afternoon sun setting in the sky! They could hear birds! They could-
-feel the pain as they crashed into a wall of metal, falling backwards over each other.
Standing over the rag-tag group of would-be-escapees was Lockdown, looking rather smug and pleased with himself. "Goin' somewhere, sug'?"
Pen's eyes filled with rage. She bended the paper and threw it in a full attack at the Decepticon. He fell away, and they all dashed off again. "Third time's a charm, turds! Head for the city, Skywarp!"
As they shot over the trees, Blitzwing took action. Using perfect precision, he aimed and hit Skywarp's engines, freezing them and sending him flummetting. Pen turned, enraged once more, and fired ink shots at him, slicing the ice cannon off. She re-formed another pair of wings around them and tried to lift them all over the trees and at into the city limits to make a run for it, but it was too much weight and they were falling fast.
Blitzwing used his remaining fire cannon and blasted the paper into charred bits of ash fluttering down to earth as the trio crashed back into it.
Pen got up and brushed herself off and picked up Kero on her back. "Skywarp!"
The con untransformed, breaking the ice over his thrusters.
"Can you move your feet?"
He nodded. "U-huh. S-still a b-b-bit ch-chilly though. I can m-make it!" He assured in his new-found enthusiasm, shivering.
"Alright, run for it!" She hopped into his waiting hands and they crashed through the forest on foot.
And, of course, just as they reached the edge, all of their effort was worthless.
The other seekers landed, surrounding them, cannons at the ready and aimed right at them. Skywarp was once again reduced to a cowering weakling and Pen stood, ready fight tooth and nail like a beast at bay. Keroro just peed himself.
"Aw, dude, you wizzed on my hoodie!" Pen took off the now soaking-wet garment. "NOT coo-" She was hit on the back of the head once again by a seeker's kick, knocking her unconscious. Kero was soon to faint, and Skywarp just sat there while all three of them were dragged back.
Pen woke up to a painful electric shock at the hands of her least favorite Deceptiocon at the feet of their leader. They hadn't even bothered tying her. They weren't in the main room, and her friends were nowhere to be found. She got to her feet, but she was quickly knocked back down onto the dirt floor.
"Holy Poptarts in a pencil sharpner!" She spat.
"I suggest you remain on your knees, pathetic flesh bag." Shockwave answered with a cold air of boredom.
Megatron studied the organic before him. "I say, we've never had such feisty captives before. Just WHY do you continue your escape attempts when each time you land yourself in a world of pain more intense than the last?"
"Because I never give up, old fart! She shouted through clenched teeth. "I'll keep fighting evil crap until I die!"
"That can be arranged quite easily if you wish." The warlord leaned down to face the human. "I didn't bring you here to listen to you ramble on about your pathetic, childish ideals. I brought you here for a proposition."
"What do I have to deal with a psycho who walks like a femme swishing his hips around?" (a/n: seriously, just watch a clip of him walking in G1. XD)
He snarled. "Annoying quips aside, I admire your spirit. I've spent all this time trying to break it, but it only adds to your power. Tell me, how is a mere organic scum able to possess these abilities?"
"Shucks, I just do, ok!" She blushed. "Yeesh, you're making me sound more and more like a Mary-Sue…there's just ONE thing that could tip that scale and put me on the most hated sue's list-"
"I am asking you to join my ranks."
"-and THERE it is." She kissed her originality goodbye.
"I assure you, I am quite serious." Megatron folded his hands.
"And I assure YOU that you probably had some bad oil last night or something." The teenager snapped back.
"If you join us, you will have all the power and resources you could ever dream of. Anything you want, just take it. I've also been informed of your love of explosion and pyrotechnics by your fiancé-"
"He's NOT my fiancé!" She flushed with anger.
"-and, as you know, as an ally of the Decepticons, you would be able to destroy to your heart's deepest, darkest desire. Do whatever you want whenever you want. Show those Autobot slag that you ARE capable."
"Never." She checked her nails, bored out of her mind. As she suspected, dirt-caked and torn up.
"Isn't it true, though?" The warlord picked again. "Havn't I been the first person of importance to acknowledge your skills? That dunderprocessor Sentinel regards you as an unpleasant odor. Anyone higher than him doesn't even know you exist, despite your countless efforts of aid to the earth-bound Autobots. Now, there will be no WAY they can ignore you. There will be no way ANYONE can ignore you. Slag, among Decepticons you will be revered as a hero…or, at the very least, the ONE tolerable organic in the universe…"
"I don't operate for thanks or fame or glory. It may be a welcome side-effect, but mostly I do it because I'm either cleaning up my own mess or I just want to do the right thing to the fullest extent of my abilities. That's what the Autobots did, isn't it? That's what any hero does."
He scoffed. "Listen to you, going on about how righteous and heroic you are. You speak so highly of the very ones who should be fearing YOU. These Autobots, they've oppressed Decepticons far too long, just because we won't abide by THEIR rule. They offline us in the streets if they find us, just because of what we are. Do you even know who your 'heroes' really are OR the agenda they serve?"
"You're just sayin' poop that jacks with my brain! I don't need any more info to know your junk is un-called for and just plain evil!"
"Enough chatter!" The warlord spat at her. "Join me, Pen, and the universe is yours. Keep to your pathetic, flimsy code of ignorance and you'll only end up slagged."
The teenager drew herself up, even after Shockwave tried to beat her back down. "Listen, destroying my own race and the races of everyone else…not interested, Ok? I could make a huge, long, chocolate-coated heroic speech right now, but I just have one thing to say.
Screw.
You."
And then she promptly spat in his face like a lady.
The wall of the cell zapped up behind her after she was unceremoniously tossed in, landing on her face. All the paper in the place had been burned, and the ink with it. She was completely powerless, but she didn't care. The Deceptiocons stared at her in her small enclosure as she got up and sat by her shaking friend -their full-on traitor at this point- and tried to calm him as he went on in his pitiful ramblings.
"I…I screwed up…I'm just a slimey little frog…"
"No." Pen placed a hand on his arm. "You did great. I just should have thought a better plan through. You did your best, and…I'm so grateful you did all that for me."
"I screwed it all up…It's all my fault…if only I hadn't been dumb enough to get shot in the engine…I could have gotten you both out of there, but I-"
"STOP!" She shouted. "It's NOT your fault. I was the idiot who got you into this mess in the first place."
"You're just saying that to make me feel better…" Oil welled up in his optics. "You must really hate me now…"
"Snap out of it!" She handed him the part of her hoodie by the part that was still dry and un-pee-soiled to wipe his optics. "Don't you start that crying crap." Tears started to well up in her own eyes as she said this. "You can't let them see you cry. I DON'T hate you, man. If anything, I'm darned proud of you! You stood up not only for yourself when everyone was against you, but you stood up for two organic life forms when everyone was against you! Don't beat yourself up." She wiped his eyes.
"Y…your hoodie…"
Her hoodie was completely and utterly an unsalvageable wreck, but "That can be replaced. What can't be replaced is your selflessness and sacrifice for me and my friend. What can't be replaced is your friendship. The fact that you care even a rat's butt about us."
"I…I care about you a lot." Skywarp stammered. "You…you're still my friend?"
"Always." She assured him.
A cold, sarcastic clap sounded off outside of the cell. Pen was thankful Keroro was still unconscious and unable to freak out any further. Lockdown squatted down in front of the cell and laughed in their faces, along with the other Decepticons.
"Touching." He rolled his optics. "What's next, Christian storytelling?"
"Maybe. I don't see anything wrong with that." Pen huffed, offended by the affront on her faith.
"Yeah…anyway, why don't you just give it up? Your friends obviously don't give a slag about you enough to come and save you-"
"You're just trying to say poop to jack with my head, just like Robo-Hitler in there." She crossed her arms and turned her back to him. "They probably just haven't been able to find the place."
"Wow…you should really get more reliable help, then."
"You're a fine one to talk, turncoat bounty hunter." She held her head high, but there was a definite crack in her voice.
"I still can't believe you turned down Megs's offer! You'd have been set for the rest of your natural-born life. Slag, you could have EXTENDED your life through cybernetics! You'd be the ONE organic safe from extermination. Why did you turn THAT down?"
"Because I already HAVE a sweet gig -not to mention morals- and I'm not afraid of any of you."
"You really should stop saying that. I just may have to hook you through your squishy, fleshy belly…" He mused, pushing his hook so that it was almost zapped by the electric wall.
"I have a question." She turned to them all. All the Decepticons in that room. "Why do YOU TAKE that warmonger's offer? He's only lead you to misery, despair, and inevitable defeat. He's not a freedom fighter. He's a DICTATOR. What has he done to improve your prosperity? Anything? Or has it all been to benefit himself? Don't you have anything better to do that to serve a Nazi-like regime?"
The group paused, murmuring to one another.
"What's it to you!" Lockdown demanded. He clicked in the security code to let the teenager out, and made sure two of the seekers were ready by the door if she made a break for it. Suprisingly, she showed no signs of wanting to run.
"I'm just sayin'." She scratched her head. "You guys could have loads more opportunities and potential if you weren't under BORE machine's thumb. Don't any of you have dreams? Something you strive for? I keep trying to escape from you guys who MIGHT be chums because I can't achieve that as a prisoner." She looked right into Lockdown's red optics. "Didn't YOU ever have a dream?"
There was a pause as his eyes filled with hate. He advanced on her. She backed away from him to the wall. Ok, NOW she was a little afraid of him. She hit the wall, nowhere else to go. The bounty hunter leaned down in her face, raised his hook…and got a faraway look hi his optics.
"I…had a dream, once."
Wait, where did Wasabi Ed come from and where did he get that accordion?
Slipstream facepalmed. "Ugh. He's not going to…is he?" She groaned.
"Yes." Pen answered cheerily. "Yes he is. This is still fanfiction, sweety."
And so he began his song.
"I'm malicious, mean, and scary.
My sneer could curdle dairy.
And violence-wise…my hands are not the cleanest…" he turned once again to Pen as he stalked to some corner of the room. "But despite my evil look
And my temper
And my hook…" A light came on, revealing a piano that they…somehow…never…noticed before…
"I've always yearned to be a concert Pianist~!" Pen, excited, jumped up onto the bench beside him as he played a great riff.
"Can't you see me on the stage performin' Mozart?
Ticklein' the ivories 'till the gleam~!
Yes, I'd rather be called deadly
For my killer show tune medley~!" He played a long scale.
"Thank you! 'Caus way down deep inside I've got a dream!"
The deceptions-minus Slipstream and Swindle- joined in the musical idiocy. "He's got a dream~!
He's got a dream~!"
"See? I ain't as cruel and vicious as I seem!" Lockdown continued.
"Though I do love breaking femurs, you can count me with the dreamers!
Skywarp timidly took the stage. "I've got-recently- scratches, dings, and bruises
Plus an oil tank that sometimes oozes…
And let's not even mention my complection!" he added, earning a few glares from his fellow seekers. "But despite pointy toes,
My neck ding, and lack of a nose
I really wanna make a love connection~!" He mused, handing a flower to Pen. She gushed at the adorable idea.
"Oh, can't you see me with a special little lady?" He knelt before Slipstream, who slapped him silly, causing him to stumble back. "Rowing in a rowboat down the stream?
Thought I'm one disgusting blighter
I'm a lover, not a fighter!
'Caus like everybody else I've got a dream~!"
"he's got a dream!
He's got a dream!"
"And I know one day romance will reign supreme!" Skywarp dreamed.
"Though my face leaves people screaming,
there's a protoform behind it dreaming~
like everybody else, I've got a dream!" he swept Pen and-still unconscious- Keroro up into a big group hug(careful not to crush them).
One by one, the deceptions recounted each other's own quirks.
"Thundercracker would like to quit and be a florist."
"Shockwave does interior design."
"Soundwave is into mime."
"Starscream's cupcakes are sublime!"
"Wasp, he knits.
Ramjet sews.
Blitzwing does his puppet shows-"
Lockdown put his arm around on of the larger cons present. "And Lugnut collects 'My Little Pony' dolls~!"
The oaf smiled, blushing, and presented the toys.
"What about you?" The bounty hunter nudged Swindle in the arm.
"I'm sorry, me?" the arms dealer looked at this with a certain air of "are you serious?"
"What's YOUR dream?" Skywarp asked.
"No, I'm sorry, boys." Swindle crossed his arms. "I don't sing." Immediately, the oh-so-innocent Slipstream shoved him out into the spotlight. They were WAITING.
"I have dreams like you, no really!
Mine are just less…touchy-feeley
And usually only happen someplace sunny!
On an planet that I own-
Tended, rested, and ALONE
Surrounded by enormous piles of money!"
Pen jumped in front, saving him furthur embarrassment. Instead she directed them to her own mediocre singing voice. "I've got a dream~!
I've got a dream!
I just want to make people laugh to the extremes!
Although with every passing hour, I'm so glad I could empower
All you lovely folks' dragging self-esteem~!" She beamed.
The chorus joined in "She's got a dream
He's got a dream
They've got a dream
We've got a dream
So our differences ain't really that extreme,
We're all one big team~!"
The formed a kickline of all things. Pen never thought she'd see the day, and she was geeking out.
"So call us brutal-"
"sick"
"sadistic"
"And grotesquely otpimistic~!
'cuz way down deep inside I've got a dream~!"
"I've got a dream"
"I've got a dream"
"I've got a dream"
"I've got a dream"
"I've got a dream"
"I've got a dream~!" Pen rang out.
"'Cuz way down deep inside I've got a dream~!" They all sang. "Yeah!"
They all cheered, but soon it all got quiet, as if their voices were turned off by a switch.
Lord Megatron himself stood in the doorway. "Enjoying our little party, are we?" He growled. "All of you, BACK TO YOU POSTS! WHY are the prisoners out of their cells! SHOCKWAVE! DISCIPLINE!"
The mechs-and Slipstream- all hesitated. Could it be…
"NOW! ALL OF YOU!" His voice boomed, and they all scattered like rats. So much for that. Pen and co. were hustled right back into their small quarters, and the electric wall went up right behind them. Megatron knelt down to face the pitiful insects. One was just waking up with a start. Two were standing right there, glaring right back into his optics, unfazed. "I swear, if you ever try your filthy organic ways to corrupt my mechs again, if you so much as bat an optic, I will personally blast you until there's not even a scorch mark on the ground!" He finished, and went off in a huff as he exited.
"Femme hips." Pen taunted.
"Blitzwing, get the organic ready for filming!"
The heroes elsewhere flopped down on the couch. The whole day had turned up NOTHING. Not even a SINGLE CLUE. It was looking hopeless. The "race" was scheduled for tomorrow, and they still hadn't found Pen.
Sari sighed. "I…I'll go get the mail." She stalked out of the room, not able to look at the faces of Team PaperWyngz.
"So, what? We're still no closer to finding her than day one?" Kahmelion kept poring over the atlas, hoping for ANY chance of Pen's blip showing up.
"Are we going to have to race like they said?" Clive asked, pacing the floor.
"I'm all for it." Bumblebee raised his hand. "It looks like the only way we're even going to get CLOSE to getting her back."
"Naw, dog!" Jazz shot the idea down. "That'd just be playin' RIGHT into their servoes! We can't risk Pen's life-not to mention the entire EARTH on that."
"Um…guys?" Sari re-entered the room. She looked fairly shell-shocked. "We…we got another disk from them…"
Phantom and Thing quickly took it and popped it into the player. Team PaperWyngz-along with Bulkhead- leaned forward, intently listening. Pen's image flashed upon the screen. She was even more messed-up than the first video a few days ago. She smiled, however, putting on a brave face. She would never let someone know openly that she was scared.
"Hey, guys~!" She addressed them, all sing-songey. It drove them crazy how she could be so slagging jolly in this situation. She continued. "Alright, so, as you know, the race is tomorrow. Norhternmost to southernmost Michigan, blah blah blah, fate of the world. I hope y'all are ready. Be sure to bring your game faces, and I'll see you there~! I'm going to be the announcer…commentator…person. Usually I don't like that kind of stuff. Nascar's BORING." She sighed. "In fact," Her disposition changed. "I wouldn't come here at all! It's a whole mess of a trap, and I'm not worth it! The world? They can't do anything you can't handle. It's probably a HUGE blu-AUGH!" She looked surprised at something offscreen. "Alright, put that cannon away! SHEESH!" She snapped. "I guess you'd better come then. You're supposed to be there by 7:30 am." She crossed her arms and tried to sound bored. "Oh, by the way, I'm in the-" There were bullets loosed just INCHES away from her head. "Alright, alright!" She backed down. The video ended there."
The decision was unanimous.
No matter what…they had to race tomorrow…
TO BE CONTINUED!