Prisoners of the Mind: What Happens?
Chapter 7: The Recruitment of Bulkhead
"Bulkhead's real designation is Crankshaft," Sentinel said then fell silent, knowing what effect that name would have on Ultra Magnus.
As he had predicted the older bot sat up, his optics wide with terror. "Crankshaft as in Crankshaft-the Neutral terrorist that blew everything up in his path?"
Sentinel nodded but didn't say anything.
Ultra Magnus groaned. "When we get out of here you better have a way to try and convince me to let you keep your job," he warned.
"I know," Sentinel replied.
"So how did you recruit him?" Ultra Magnus sounded genuinely interested.
"That's another long story," Sentinel sighed.
Five Years Earlier
"So let me get this straight. You want me to volunteer to be part of an experiemtn?" Crankshaft raised an optic ridge.
Sentinel nodded. "Yes I do."
"And why should I?" Crankshaft leaned back, looking completely at ease.
Instead of answering Sentinel said, "I heard that the Decepticons have quite the bounty on your cranial unit."
"Yeah so?" Crankshaft was wary now, his optics narrowing as he watched Sentinel.
"I also heard that they're not very nice to their prisoners. It would be a shame if, by some chance, they received a tip that you were, on I don't know, in their area or somewhere close by."
Crankshaft was glaring now, hatred written on his faceplate. "If I do agree to volunteer for this experiment I trust that the Decepticons will never know where I am?"
Sentinel nodded. "They'll never know."
"And I never did tell the Decepticons," Sentinel finished then fell silent.
"I can't believe it," Ultra Magnus said at last. "I just can't believe it. You managed to get a group of the most dangerous bots ever in Autobot history and used them in an experiment. And not only that but you have one of the most dangerous Decepticons' running around free and in charge of the experiments!"
Sentinel hung his head, looking slightly ashamed. "I might not have been thinking clearly," he confessed.
"Might not?" Ultra Magnus raised an optic ridge. "Sounds to me like you definitely weren't thinking! You're really going to have to work extra hard if you want to keep your job now."
"I know, I know," Sentinel muttered.
Bumblebee sat in his office, watching the security feed showing him what Optimus, Ratchet, Prowl, and Bulkhead were doing. He felt strangely saddened as he watched them argue and laugh over stupid jokes. To them, their friendship was real. Something they had experienced. But to him? It was nothing more than images he had watched daily to see how they were doing. But, somewhere along the line, he had fallen for the deception as well, eager to see what new images he would see every day. Feeling melancholy settling in he shook his cranial unit then returned once more to the datapads in front of him.
He looked at Bulkhead's file then looked back at the monitor. It was strange; like watching two different bots. It was hard to believe that Bulkhead; big, clumsy, bighearted, Bulkhead used to be Crankshaft; the murderer, the terrorist who killed without discrimination, the bot that had watched his family die during an altercation between the Autobots and the Decepticons. He shook his cranial unit in disbelief then picked up Prowl's file.
A/N: Yes I know that this chapter is extremely short and extremely late and I apologize for that. I will update 'Animated Masterforce' this morning; I promise. Please review and let me know what you think!