Chapter 28: It
A/N: Bleeeeeeeh…. :P
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"Hmmm…the components look simple in design, but don't let that fool you. We need a detailed analysis of Megatron's smuggled item…where's Wheeljack?"
"Wheeljack's down and out for the count after another brilliant experiment spontaneous combusted in his face."
"Wheeljack's lab, one, mad scientist, zero."
Optimus Prime's databanks drove straight for the next suitable candidate in the click of a thought. "What about Perceptor?"
"Bill Nye the Science Guy?"
"Well, ol' boy Percy was delightfully intrigued by Wheeljack's innovative new-fangled experiment, and in an unfortunate deal of circumstances, I'm afraid he too partook in the devastating explosion after inviting himself into Wheeljack's personal workspace." Sideswipe received a confusing stare from Ironhide before the older Transformer continued.
"Ahm sorreh' Phrime, but Ratchet's too busy fixin' 'dere busted fenders."
"Skyfire-?!"
"He resigned from the Autobot ranks to become a neutral, remember? He said he wanted to explore other planets and study their wildlife just like he did before at first, but now he's going out to find alternate fuel resources for Cybertron without having to fight the war and stuff! Right?"
"(I know…)" the Autobot leader rubbed his temples between a sigh at his grievances.
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The purple jet swore he saw Astrotrain drop a stray package out of his…tailgate. He knew it. He didn't care if the triple changer did it purposely or not. Swimming through cluttered bags of shopping on his knees, Skywarp's hands sifted frantically through the wrappers as the astroseconds sped by his internal chronometer. Things were missing. Things, things, important things, that belonged to-
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"I got a 'gift' for you, oh mighty Megatron," Starscream bowed lowly in contempt, leaving Megatron to be verbally curt. "Where is it, femme?"
The female Decepticon whipped out her hands over her head, procuring a pair of stylised energon glasses from her back. Occupying her other hand was an elegant transparent container, enriched with a shimmering turquoise liquid, teasingly hanging onto Starscream's fingers by the ear.
"Ta daaaa," she cheered in mild triumph, striking an alluring pose. Putting the dull surprise aside, Starscream shook her head, tching at her leader.
"Please Megatron, everything has been sorted out. That's why I'm your second-in-command." Her legs tiptoed gracefully approached the aspen tyrant on its tips, pulling her arms out to float back onto Megatron's broad shoulders. "(Relax…)"
"That little 'vacation' has made you lax, Starscream," Megatron growled in deep resonance into her audio receptors, but his dark vermillion optics betrayed his interests and eyed the promising decanter. "I'll take your word…for now," he drew back, brushing his nose against her cheek. "I see you've bought some poison for me?"
"The good kind, oh great leader." Starscream twirled her hands in an artistic motion, freeing the silky blue energon form its prison to meet the pair of glasses waiting in her other hand.
"Energon made only for the strongest of wills…and fuel containers." Starscream crooned behind one glass, offering the other to her leader. Megatron's pretzeled arms remained adamantly across his chest. "You take a sip first."
The aerial commander huffed in disbelief. "I know you don't fully trust me Megatron, but it's only a drink. Or are you too much of a coward to try it yourself?"
"Speak for yourself, female," the grey Transformer scoffed at his partner. Entering the room in an untimely manner, the two Decepticons found themselves engrossed in the small Cassetticon.
"Why, hello Rumble…" Starscream extended her greeting with a purr. Quickly scanning the scene gave Rumble a clear idea of what they had in stall for him, and without a solution to escape from it. A bark from Megatron and Starscream's drink soon found its way into his hands. Rumble didn't like it, and Megatron didn't care. "Taste it."
"Y-yes sir…" Rumble gulped. 'F-Fer the glory of, eh-…' Rumble stared at the liquid playfully reflecting onto his visors. '…Oh slag, I'm gonna die!'
A hearty mouthful beautifully glided down his small throat, despite the forced gulp. Rumble's face lit up in a newfound enthusiasm without any spark threatening signs, but Megatron waited for half a breem to make sure. It seems the only drawback to the 'poisonous' drink was the insatiable need to finish Starscream's share, which she fully objected to and snatched her glass back. Rumble exited the room as soon as he came in, and Megatron observed his subordinate kissing her drink ever so lightly.
"…(It's too strong for me)," she mumbled to herself, shifting her eyes to view Megatron downing his share. "(I thought you were going to swallow your glass there)."
"What did you say?"
"I'm a weak female who can't handle her drink…oh! Who will catch me when I faint?" she placed a whimsical hand to her head, going unnoticed by the Decepticon leader. "MEGATRON!!!"
"Foolish female, swayed over by a 'strong' drink. What gobble-de-gook!"
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Each individual piece lay on table, eagerly waiting for the Autobot's to assemble it together or get it's minute components lost in the process. Teletraan One only recognised the object to be of Cybertron origin, but that was made obvious when Blaster returned from their home planet with it. Which means it must be the latest technology, and it's creator a genius. The super computer of the Ark also told the Autobots that any harmless parts belonging to the final product were serrated further, to mimic unimportant fillings in the shopping bag as a disguise.
A pair of blue optics belonging to a grey Datsun scanned the individual pieces, waiting for a revelation to hit him. It looked so familiar. All he did to add himself to its mystery was rant about Skyfire's undoubted occupation when Optimus Prime asked, walking in the room without notice and…these…these things are so…! He needed to put a word…a face…a something to it, but he did feel strangely sentimental. Uselessly sentimental. Just like the unwanted memories of his hometown being destroyed. 'No,' he thought. 'I don't know how important this is, but I know (I think, not really, I dunno)-'
'NEVERMIND!' the Autobot cleared his mind.'…I can fix it! Wheeljack, Perceptor, Ratchet, Prowl-…they can scold me later! I KNOW I can do this!'
Bluestreak pulled the nearest seat to the table and started patching the Decepticon puzzle together.
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Disobeying the normal procedures of walking straight, Megatron's right foot criss-crossed over its boundaries to his other foot, making the tyrant catch the wall before he could stumble stupidly across the room. The 'gobble-de-gook' was quite strong after all. Waltzing to the nearest chair, the grey Transformer fell into the seat trying to find his work and his equilibrium at the same time. If anything, the device he requested for should be with the Constructicons. Waiting for the giddiness to pass, Megatron decided to check on its progress after his optics stopped inanely scanning random objects.
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Skywarp panic was replaced by fear, washed over by dread, before sadness gripped his cerebral circuits. He couldn't find it. He just couldn't. It was so important, he knew. And the worst part of it all, was the fact that his aerial commander personally told him to guard the packages. Him! Skywarp! Why would Starscream leave him to do something so responsible! The purple jet recalled the duration of his state of intoxication on Cybertron, which lasted (insert shameful truth-hiding cough here), everyday.
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"Wheeljack to Optimus Prime! Do you read me?"
"Loud and clear Wheeljack. How's work on the Decepticon parts from Cybertron?"
"The parts from Cybertron…they're gone!"
"What?! Red Alert, do you copy?"
"I'm check the camera's recordings right now but the last person I saw in there was Bluestreak! I thought he was just looking at the parts-wait! He's working on it, but-! Optimus he's fixed it, Bluestreak's fixed it-! I can't see! It's in his arms he went down hall-no, I knew we should have fixed that camera! Now we'll never know where-!"
"Calm down, Red."
"I can't calm down Optimus, it-! It jumped out of his hands!"
"Red Alert-!"
"It's loose in the Ark! It's running but-! Whatisitwhatisit?!!!"
"Wheeljack, get Bluestreak and ask him what he's done to those parts. Red Alert, gather any available troops in the Ark to search for that thing, whatever it is."
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"Starscream…" Skywarp whimpered pitifully, twiddling his thumbs. Holding an unconscious Rumble in her arms, Starscream checked his condition once more to make sure the Cassetticon was not too overcharged; Soundwave would have none of it, and his emotional tantrums were as rare as they are unbearable. She looked up at her wingmate, neither convinced or amused.
"…What is it now Skywarp?" she stroked the sleeping Cassetticon's head with her thumb. If it grew any wider, Skywarp's frown could slice his own head into half.
"I-I-…I can't find iiiit…" he sniffed, rubbing his nose to hold back his emotions.
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"Bluestreak?"
"Yeap that's me, Bluestreak! Yup-tee-doo! How're you feeling Wheeljacky?"
"Where is it?"
"….Where is what? What are you talking about? I didn't see anything-!"
"Red Alert saw you chasing after it, don't lie."
"I, aaaah…well you see, the thing is…I-…um, well, it was down here a minute ago and…well-…ummmm, ah, eeerh…I can't find it Wheeljack I'm so sorry please don't kill me."
A private call from Red Alert told Wheeljack where to find the young Autobot. Walking down the curved hall, the resident scientist found the grey Datsun emerging from a corridor, darting his head in all possible directions, before traversing down opposite end of the hall from Wheeljack. Tip-toeing comically could not save Bluestreak from Wheeljack's voice.
"Bluestreak!" Wheeljack's head extensions flashed a bright red, making the younger bot jump in fright. "YEEP!"
The clicking of hurried feet ran deliriously until it leapt from the ground, giving the young Autobot no room to response to its flurried attack. The scientist was too late to react when it lunge straight at Bluestreak's face, forcing the gunner to fall to the ground. The sound of trampling feet echoed from the halls, caused by Optimus Prime and company following Wheeljack's alarm.
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"I don't think we are allowed to keep such a thing here, and you know it," the aerial commander shrugged. "Plus, anything in your care will never see its first sunrise. Or sunset."
The purple seeker shivered and retreated into his room, stopping by the door in remembrance of a thought that had passed.
"Hey Screamer, have you given Megatron get that really important device-thingy?"
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"Ha ha ha! Stop it! It-! It tickles!!!"
"What the-?!" Wheeljack grabbed his head awkwardly.
Relentlessly licking and pawing Bluestreak's face, the canine creature gave no mercy to the hapless young Autobot. It's mosaic surface glimmered and winked reflections at the Autobots gathered around Bluestreak; a small result of Starscream disassembling its outer shell to resemble something more useful to the Decepticon leader.
"This is the cutest puppyoid ever (stop it!) I've not seen one (hee hee) in like, so many millions-c'mon!"
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"I'm sorry you lost your pet…it was a loyal (nameless) beast to the end, sacrificing it's chassis for my creator's device, bringing us closer to conquest. It spark was not lost in vain, and we shall commemorate your puppyoid's unquestioned bravery with a breem of silence." Starscream raised a fist to her chest and stared forward, dwelling in the glorious moment. "…You haven't even taken it out of its box yet and it's already on its way to the Inferno. A new personal record, Skywarp."
"Shaddup 'Screamer! And it's name's Warpy! (…At least, that's what I would have called-)" Skywarp halted his thoughts. "Wait…"
The Decepticon femme simply rolled her head. "What is it."
"…Wh-Where's TC?" the purple jet's optics widened in horror. "Oh Primus, does Megatron-!"
"Yes." Starscream answered flatly.
"Is TC-?!"
"No, he's still alive."
"Where is-!"
Starscream pinched the air in front of Skywarp's mouth with her hand, and the seeker stopped jabbering. "For once, I wished you'd use your circuits to think Skywarp."
"…He's in the brig."