Crack in the Pavement
Chapter 4
On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to three Seekers plotting merrily.
Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers; I'm just prostituting it for my amusement.
Summary: Megatron uses Ironhide to get his revenge on Prime. Multiple minor side pairings, see list in fic.
Warning: Graphic rape. Torture. M/M robot slash consensual as well as NON-CON
Pairings: Non-con Megatron/ Ironhide, Con Optimus/ Ironhide. Established Jazz/ Prowl, Twins/ Ratchet, Mirage/ Cliffjumper
"You need to warp into that room, Skywarp, when I comm you," Starscream said. "No other room, not outside the fortress, that room."
"That's awfully specific," Skywarp said nervously. "I'm not good with specifics."
"My plan won't work if you're seen!" Starscream snapped. "So you will have to focus."
"And you are going to have to warp out of that room, with him," Starscream said. "And back to the Autobot base, then immediately join Thundercracker back on patrol. Try not to get slagged while you're at it. I will tend to the security system. I hate relying on you to do something right so prove me wrong."
"Soundwave won't intercept the comm?" Thundercracker asked. "Or read our processors?"
"Soundwave has left the fortress," Starscream said. "Likely to retrieve his Casseticons. And he hasn't read either of your processors since we were back on Cybertron."
Skywarp smirked. Thundercracker had the decency to look embarrassed. Neither commented on whether or not Soundwave would return and read Starscream's processor. The spy hadn't reported any of Starscream's other schemes in advance; Starscream could only hope that Soundwave kept his processor to himself when he returned. Then again, he had quite purposely recalled his most licentious memories of Skyfire whenever he had been in the same room as Soundwave once he had learned of Soundwave's talent back when he had first joined the Decepticons. It had been agonizing, like scraplets eating at his spark but it seemed to have been effective at keeping the telepathic spy out of his processor.
"Your patrol starts in two hours," Starscream said. "Try not to look guilty while you wait."
"Oh we'll just avoid the common rooms," Skywarp replied, he looked lecherously to Thundercracker.
"Warp," Thundercracker chastised his mate, but didn't actually disagree.
"Get out!" Starscream ordered with a scowl on his faceplates.
He only had a few hours to disable the cameras and any other security devices Megatron may have had installed in the halls surrounding the interrogation room. Starscream would need to make it look like an Autobot attack, and rescue but he had to have back ups in place in case something went amiss.
Ironhide was neither in stasis or online but somewhere floating between them both. He was only vaguely aware of Megatron's presence when new pain flooded his systems. Even then, he was offline within moments. The energon forced down his throat did not awaken him more; he was already too damaged. In truth, Ironhide did not want to come fully online. It was easier here, in this place between. When he was at least a little more aware, aware enough to think, Ironhide promised himself he could and would survive this. As long as he functioned, he would prevail. Those moments of awareness were few.
Megatron took great pleasure in overloading himself over Ironhide's limp shell; he left the Autobot's spark casing open for a minute or so, even after he separated his own spark from it. He would need to have Ironhide repaired, just a bit, soon, on the chance that a mech could not be sparked while in full stasis. That, and while Megatron took much pleasure in simply having Ironhide, he enjoyed the Autobot even more when he was screaming and struggling against the inevitable. If the Constructicons were present, Megatron would have them heal Ironhide now but the Constructicons were repairing the water fortress so it would have to wait. He forced the dented panels shut over Ironhide's spark.
The lights flickered again. Why hadn't Starscream found and fixed the slagging fault in the electrical system. If he didn't soon, Megatron was just going to slag the conniving Seeker. While Starscream had developed and maintained most of Megatron's weapon systems and machines of destruction, he was expendable. Except that slagging him would rob Megatron of the joy of subjugating Starscream and forcing him to be the Seeker he seemed to loath being. All of that could, and would wait. He'd overloaded too many times to want for anything except a large cube of high grade and a quick recharge. He strutted out of Ironhide's prison and ventured off to his own rooms.
Starscream watched him go, unnoticed by the Tyrant. He'd been hiding in a side hallway for hours. How many times had that fragging, defective mech overloaded? As soon as the thought entered Starscream's mind he fought back the urge to purge. On no, he did not want to think about that. No, no, no. That thought was far worse than walking in on Skywarp and Thundercracker. He promised never to complain about that again. Well maybe.
He didn't have time to waste. Megatron was a mech possessed and he had not given himself more than the minimal time to recharge before he returned. Starscream had already set the cameras on a loop of static and fragmented shots of Ironhide, just in case he did not make it back to the control room to destroy all evidence of his tampering. It was late, most of the few Decepticons present were recharging. He overrode the code on the door, with Megatron's very own code, and slipped in quickly.
Primus. Starscream grimaced at the sight of Ironhide. He had no sympathy for Autobots, really none whatsoever, but this... This was just... Well, Starscream had his principles and Megatron siring any sparklings with any mech was against every one of them. Still, it almost would be more of a mercy to just deactivate the 'Bot and leave it at that. Starscream couldn't quite put it into words, or even a coherent thought, why he wasn't doing just that but instead freeing an enemy, an enemy when functional again would probably come right back here and slag them all to the Pit.
A small voice in his processor wanted to clean Ironhide off, the sympathy oozing from the thought startled Starscream and he forced into a little box in the back of his mind, never to be opened. He would be expedient. Shaking of disgust that immobilized him, Starscream moved swiftly to Ironhide's side. The bot startled him by shifting weakly and trying to look up at him. Ironhide's optics were glazed over, not really seeing the mech standing next to him.
He made a sound, a delirious mumble. Starscream vented the intake he'd been holding in and took the lock pick out of the seam he'd hidden in. Megatron probably had no idea that Starscream had these sorts of skills. But nobody did, nobody but Skyfire who when they had fought back in their shared past had taken to locking him out of their apartment. Never one to be bested, Starscream had learned to pick locks, any lock Skyfire could hope to get a hold of. Starscream snarled at himself and viciously fought back the memory. He didn't want to think about Skyfire. Not now. Not ever. In retrospect, he should have held on to Ironhide. The Autobot was hardly online, and couldn't hope to hold himself up, even if he knew he needed to.
However, Starscream did not think to hold him, mostly because he didn't want to touch him. Ironhide was slick with Megatron's interface fluid, and Starscream could hardly contain his revulsion. So when the stasis cuffs released, Ironhide fell to the floor with a heavy thud, and a low moan. Starscream winced and vented. It was now or never.
"Skywarp," he said into the private channel of his Comm. Whether Megatron knew each Trine had their own, private channel, or not Starscream didn't know. Given that Megatron never seemed to know the conversations that went on over them, he must not have known. Had Soundwave somehow missed their existence all this time? Probably not. The spy had probably thought of them as simply another quirk of the Seekers. "Now Skywarp."
In the next second Skywarp was there. He'd clearly been flying; instead of appearing with his peds firmly on the ground, he was in the air. Crashing, remarkably quietly, into the wall.
"So close," Skywarp whined quietly. He stepped back and shook his head.
"You'd better not have left an indent in the wall!" Starscream snapped. "The outline of a Seeker in that metal would damn us all. Now get over here."
"Ew," Skywarp complained as he joined Starscream, who was lifting Ironhide up by his shoulders. "I do not want to touch that. Icky."
"Don't make me hurt you," Starscream snapped. He was hardly going to admit that he felt the same queasiness. "Now take this. It's an emergency beacon. I stole it off one of the Autobots a while back. Drop him off in the middle of the desert, and drop this with him. Press the raised edge down. Hold it until you hear a beep. Let go, and hold it again until you here another beep. Then get back to Thundercracker."
"Gotcha," Skywarp said. With a grimace, and a shudder, he took Ironhide from Starscream. In the very next second, he was gone again.
Skywarp reappeared in the desert and with more care than he had shown anyone but Thundercracker, laid Ironhide down in the red sand. Ironhide tried to speak or move but could barely make a sound. He fell into stasis as Skywarp held the beacon and pressed the raised edge down as Starscream had ordered. When it beeped, he released it and pressed it down again. He felt as if he was being watch and dropped the beacon quickly. He looked around, but saw nothing in the dark and empty desert. Wasting no time, he disappeared again.
Ironhide lay alone, unmoving for several minutes before a shadowed form approached him. Soundwave betrayed his surprise at the sight of him with no more than a quick intake of air. What was the Seeker's game? No doubt Starscream had something to do with it, but Soundwave couldn't guess what. He crouched beside Ironhide and picked up the beacon. It was only partially activated. Idiots. It had been turned on but was not yet sending a signal. Skywarp had not held it down long enough, before he'd dropped it, spooked by Soundwave who had been watching him from one of the many rock formations dotting along the desert. Ironhide's optics came online briefly as Soundwave looked down had him. Whatever will may have been there, he fell into stasis again.
This really was an excellent distraction for Ravage and Rumble. Soundwave reasoned. The Autobots would empty out of their base to follow the signal, leaving only a few of their number behind. It would be far easier for his symbiots to escape into the night with only a skeleton crew left to stop them. Soundwave finished the activation of the beacon and returned to his perch, careful not to leave any sign of his presence for the Autobots to find.
Skywarp nearly fell into Thundercracker's arms when he warped back to the lake where he had left his mate. He wanted to throw himself at Thundercracker and chase the thoughts of Megatron and Ironhide away, but something in Thundercracker's optics stopped him. His mate took him by the servos and led him to the water. Saying nothing, Thundercracker washed away any trace of energon or interface fluids from Skywarp's armour. When he was finished, Skywarp pulled his mate to him and held him close, neither said a word.
Now, Starscream had to work incredibly quickly. He opened the door carefully, manually, so he could see if anyone was about. The hall was empty. He had to fight back the urge to run, and instead walked quickly, and quietly down the hall, and turning down another, making his way to the centre of the compound, where the control room was located. It was no small mercy from Primus that Megatron had been so paranoid about keeping this fortress hidden that there was barely a 'Con who knew its location, let alone was stationed there. Starscream stopped in front of the control room door. Instead of simply overriding the lock as he had before, he shot the lock repeatedly and forced it open. He waited, hearing no foot steps, Starscream forced the door open, careful not to dig his claws in, careful not to leave a sign that it was he who had done this. Once in the room, Starscream coolly took aim at the central power console and shot it over and over. The fortress, including this room, fell into darkness. The whine of the back up generators kicking in sounded and Starscream immediately shot every remaining control panel in the room. The back up lights came on, and Starscream fled the room, making his way down back hallways, taking the least direct route back to his own quarters here. He barely took air into his intakes as he manually opened the door to his quarters, which also acted as his lab and stepped inside when Megatron's voice burst over his Comm.
"What is the meaning of this, you fool?" The Tyrant demanded.
"I have no idea, Mighty Megatron," Starscream replied in a high, nearly hysterical voice. It was the voice he used every time he thought Megatron was going to deactivate him. "I'm in my lab."
"Get to the control room immediately and find out was has gone wrong!" Megatron ordered, rage filled voice.
"As you command," Starscream replied. His circuits were running hot with anxiety; he was going to overheat but he couldn't let Megatron hear it in his voice.
"And where are your Trinemates?" Megatron demanded.
"On the night patrol," Starscream replied. "Should I call them back?"
"Of course, you useless scrap heap," Megatron yelled. "Immediately."
"Yes, yes, My Lord," Starscream replied. When he heard Megatron disconnect his Comm, Starscream called to his Trinemates.
"Get back here," Starscream ordered. "Try not to look guilty."
"That won't be a problem," Thundercracker replied. "We aren't."
Red Alert would need to recharge soon, Inferno observed. He had not let anyone else take a watch, insisting on staying in the security room without a break. Inferno had brought him energon and stayed with him, but going on over a day since Megatron had sent that horrible message, Red Alert would not be alert enough to keep his post for that much longer. Not that Inferno was any better off. He hadn't left Red Alert except to fetch energon, it was his job, his purpose to watch over him and to keep him sane and he couldn't well do that if he was recharging back in their berth.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
Both Autobots' eyes fell on the the screen emitting the sound. Red Alert looked at Inferno with an expression of almost frantic hope, before activating the Ark-wide setting on his Comm.
"Officers to the security room," Red Alert called, excitement and anxiety evident in his voice. "Now."
"It's probably a trap," Red Alert said to Inferno a moment later. "But there are no other 'Bots out there and that's one of our beacons."
"It's the first thread of hope we've had," Inferno agreed. "I'll take it."
Optimus was the first to arrive, followed by Jazz and Ratchet. Prowl didn't appear but Optimus didn't seem surprised or concerned.
"It may well be a trap but we can't risk ignoring it," Optimus said. "If we sent out just a few scouts they could be quickly overwhelmed, and we can't afford that. Jazz, get the Twins, Hound and Trailbreaker. Ratchet, you're coming too."
"Yes sir," Jazz said, he left immediately.
"What about Prowl, Optimus?" Ratchet said as he and Prime exited the security room.
"He'll stay here interrogating the Casseticon," Optimus said. "I told him not to leave until he had answers."
"Optimus!" Ratchet cried as he sucked air through his intakes in surprise. "You sound like a dictator!"
"I didn't mean that he couldn't leave to sleep or refuel," Optimus said. "I don't want him going offline. But I don't want him performing any duties. Only the interrogation."
"Does he know that?" Ratchet asked with irritation evident in his voice.
"Prowl's no fool," Optimus said. "He won't let himself become vulnerable."
Primus, he was getting frustrated. Prowl wanted nothing more than to slam Rumble's face through the nearest wall. This was going absolutely nowhere. He knew it. Rumble knew it. There was really nothing he could say to Rumble to get the Casseticon to speak. Casseticons were different from normal mechs. They were connected to their creators on a level similar, maybe even deeper than the Twins. Nothing could make them betray their creators and in Rumble's mind, helping the Autobots would be tantamount to betrayal of Soundwave.
But Prime was desperate, nearly mad. His single desire was to rescue Ironhide. Only Ratchet could make him recharge and refuel. If it were not for the medic, Optimus would be in stasis from energy depletion. Prowl was heading there himself. Not quite, but the first warnings were sounding in his processor telling Prowl that he needed both to refuel and recharge, and soon. He would not betray this in his posture or in his speech to Rumble though. If he kept talking to the Casseticon, kept talking about Soundwave, returning him to his creator, perhaps Rumble's own desire to return home would prove enough to break through his stubborn resolve.
Prowl could not see him but his dipped doorwings did alert his less focused state to Ravage. Crouched in the air duct, Ravage watched the interrogation through the vent. His brother was intact, uninjured. It was lucky for the Autobot. If Rumble had been harmed in anyway, Ravage would have wasted no time tearing him apart. But the Autobot was actually being rather kind to Rumble. He kept on speaking of their master and how much Rumble must have wanted to return to him. Silly Autobot. Rumble knew Soundwave would not leave him to the Autobots. Whatever Megatron had ordered, Soundwave was as bound to them as they were to him. The Autobot's doorwings dipped a little lower. Ravage would not wait any longer. He threw himself through the vent and lunged down at the Autobot, mouth open in a snarl and all four sets of claws raised to attack him.
A startled cry escaped Prowl as he raised his weapon to fend off Ravage, but the Casseticon was on him too fast. Agonized screams echoed from the interrogation room as Ravage landed with his full weight on Prowl's doorwing, dislocating it even as Ravage bit down into the sensitive wiring and dragged his claws down, shredding its surface. Prowl fell back onto the floor; pain overwhelmed his processor and he fell offline.
End Chapter 4
This fic shall here by be known as the "I can whomp any one I want" fic.