Crack in the Pavement
Chapter 5
I was just blown away by the number of reviews and favourite stories and author watches I received in just a couple of hours of posting both the final chapter to London Bridge, and the four chapter of this fic. To thank you all for showing your love, I'm showing you mine and posting this chapter as an extra update! Thank you for reading and reviewing. I'd like to thank you all individually as I normally do but the internet here is not quite that dependable. Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter.
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
Red Alert heard Prowl before he saw the attack unfolding on his security monitor. Inferno was already moving before he could saying anything, and going to the SIC's aid. In turn, Red Alert called out over the Ark's central Comm:
"Wake up! Casseticons are escaping!"
Immediately, Red Alert could see several mechs racing from their berth rooms and into the hallways. No one was close to the path Ravage had chosen however, no mechs slept in the maintenance closets. The nearest rooms to the interrogation room were Prowl's own office and the brig. And with no one in the brig, no one was guarding it.
"They're fleeing down the hall connecting the maintenance rooms and control room to the damaged sectors!"
Ravage looked to his brother, irritation on his face. He shredded the stasis cuffs that kept Rumble from escaping. They had to hurry now. Rumble knelt down and took Prowl's laser gun from his limp servos. He shot the door until metal weakened, and Ravage could tear through it. They ran, Ravage leading Rumble down hallways he knew did not connect to any of the berth rooms or into the collapsed halls that were crushed by the mountain. He'd made a small tunnel though, just big enough for Rumble, and plenty big enough for himself. The Autobots had not been prepared for any infiltration coming from this area. There weren't even any cameras here.
Red Alert knew it too. He swore and bemoaned his foolishness in not installing cameras in those sectors. They were prone to collapse, and no one had thought it necessary but clearly they had all been wrong. They were getting away, he knew no one was close enough to stop them.
"Prowl!" Inferno burst through the ruined door of interrogation room and knelt next to the SIC. He felt sick at the sight of the doorwing twisted at an odd, low angle beneath his back. Energon poured freely from countless gashes over the surface of the doorwing. Inferno called over his Comm, waking Ratchet's student, First Aid:
"First Aid, get Swoop and meet me back in the medbay. Prowl's badly damaged and in threat of going into stasis from energon depletion."
"We'll be there in a minute," First Aid promised and cut the Comm.
With the utmost care he could manage, Inferno picked up Prowl in a "fireman's carry" and rushed for the medbay. Slag. It had been a trap. Just a distraction so Ravage could break Rumble out. They'd all been too desperate to rescue Ironhide that they'd left themselves vulnerable. They had known it too, but they'd done it anyway.
"Primus," First Aid said as Inferno entered the medbay. "We'll have to leave setting his doorwing to Ratchet, for now we'll stop the bleeding and get a fuel line going to keep him from going critical."
"Will his doorwing be okay?" Inferno asked as Swoop gathered the necessary equipment.
"Ratchet can fix anything," First Aid said. "But Prowl's going to be a very unhappy mech for awhile."
"I'll leave him to you," Inferno said. He needed to know if someone had managed to catch the slippery Casseticons.
When he returned to the security room, Inferno knew instantly that they'd failed. Red Alert stared at him, too bright optics burning with anxiety and anger. He was just one step away from total collapse. Inferno stepped towards him; Red Alert reached out and grabbed him and stared up at him with those wild optics.
"Ravage made a tunnel into the Ark from within the mountain!" Red Alert exclaimed. "You know we don't have cameras in the damaged sectors, everyone's banned from entering them. I didn't see anything. He dug into the Ark on my watch and I didn't see him!"
"Red," Inferno said softly. "You wanted to put cameras into those sectors but Prime didn't want to risk you being damaged during the installation. We had no procedures in place for this!"
"Ironhide's as good as deactivated because of this, because of my failing!" Red Alert said very genuine guilt and distress in his voice.
"No," Inferno said. "We don't know that. And we can't let ourselves believe that. No one of us let this happen, but it happened. Now we have to find a way to locate that base without the Casseticon. Let's concentrate on that."
Some of the hysteria faded from Red Alert's optics and Red Alert nodded slowly. Prowl had used every scanner they possessed to look for strange energy readings and found nothing. So... so now they would look for more subtle ways to detect their locations.
"Get Mirage to take over watch," Red Alert said. "Meet me at Prowl's office. He won't mind if we borrow his equipment."
Optimus led the charge through the desert with Jazz following behind and to his left, and the Twins behind and two his right. Ratchet follow suit, flanked by Hound and Trailbreaker. The closer they came to the beacon, the greater Jazz's anxiety grew. This probably was a trap. There was no way Megatron would have left Ironhide with a beacon. If Ironhide was actually out here, he was probably deactivated, a cruel gift from Megatron. How would Optimus take it? How would any of them? Ironhide was as an integral a part of the Autobots as Optimus. He was an integral part of Optimus. Jazz did not know how Optimus would find the strength and sanity to lead without 'Hide.
If Ironhide was alive he wouldn't want everyone to know what Megatron had done to him. So far only those in the security room when the message had been played knew. He would not want anyone else to know. He probably wouldn't want any of them to know but it was too late for that. In case Ironhide was functioning, in the hopes that he was functioning, Jazz had to act to keep the Twins and Hound and Trailbreaker back.
"Hound, Trailbreaker, swing around and see if you can sneak up on anyone who may be waiting for us," Jazz said. "Twins, hang back and guard our backs in case they try and surround us."
All four mechs obeyed wordlessly. Optimus stopped suddenly. Jazz stopped just as suddenly. They saw the beacon. As it flashed a small red light, it illuminated the fallen red mech next to it. Optimus led out a wordless cry and lunged forward, transforming and running toward Ironhide. Ratchet transformed and went after him. Jazz transformed and took just one step forward when shock and pain flashed through his processor.
"Prowl!" He gasped. He felt his bondmate fall offline amid terrible, terrible pain. All he could do was stand there. Every single circuit in his being called to him race back to the Ark and help Prowl but duty kept his feet planted firmly in the ground. Primus, Sweetspark. Please be okay.
Optimus didn't look back to see the conflict on Jazz's faceplates, he didn't take his eyes off Ironhide's horribly still form. He fell to his knees when he reached his dearest friend's side. At first, he was certain 'Hide was dead and struggled not to sob. As he fought back tears, he heard the quiet hiss of Ironhide's intakes. Stasis. Near deactivation. As near as it was possible to be without being deactivated. Optimus rested his hand on the side of Ironhide's faceplates. He was alive, oh Primus, he was alive! But, oh Primus, he looked so much worse than that message, so much worse. Ironhide. Oh Primus. Oh Ironhide. This was my fault. My fault because I care for you more than any other mech functional or deactivated.
"Pit Spawn slagger! I hope he dies in fire," Ratchet growled. "I can't do anything of use here, Optimus. I don't know why the slaggers aren't raining down on us but they aren't and we can't stay here. Load him up in my back and let's get back to the Ark, now!"
Optimus gently, oh so gently, took Ironhide into his arms and look down at his lifeless faceplates. Ratchet transformed and Optimus loaded Ironhide into his back.
"We're going home, old friend," Optimus said to Ironhide, even though his friend was beyond hearing him. He shut Ratchet's doors, and transformed himself. Finally, he noticed Jazz seemed to be frozen in place.
"Jazz," he said. Optimus's spark clenched at the expression on Jazz's faceplates.
"Prowl's hurt," Jazz said quietly.
"Great," Ratchet grumbled. "Let's not waste any time here. We need to get back to the Ark."
"You're right," Optimus said he was too overwhelmed to feel dread at the thought of what may wait for them back home. He called to the others: "Autobots, roll out!"
Ratchet really didn't know what to expect when he arrived in his medbay. What he found was First Aid and Swoop tending to Prowl, monitoring his energon levels and keeping him offline. Jazz inched over to his bondmate, so tentatively it was as if he thought moving to quickly would hurt his mate. Optimus unloaded Ironhide and placed him on the berth closest to Ratchet's office. Ratchet immediately set up a fuel line and administer medications to keep Ironhide in stasis and free of pain. Then he went to check on Prowl.
He saw the angle of the doorwing and guessed that it was probably only still attached thanks to a couple of cables. The ultra sensitive surface was torn so deep, in so many places that Ratchet could plainly see all the sensors and wires that were supposed to be hidden from view. The air brushing against those sensors would be agony on its own. He'd live, and Ratchet would repair the doorwing, and Prowl would be back to his old self after a few days rest. Ratchet looked down at Jazz and concluded there was no way to get the saboteur away from Prowl without sedating him and Primus knew Ratchet did not need another patient, so he left him be. He could almost hear the mantra repeating over and over in Jazz's processor. Please be okay. Please be okay.
The medic returned to his most critical patient. Ratchet sucked air through his intakes and accessed the damage. Before he could repair anything, the first thing he needed to do was clean Ironhide. Optimus watched from a few feet away. There was nothing he could do to help. But he could not leave. So he watched as Ratchet silently cleaned every inch of Ironhide before setting to work healing the worst of Ironhide's injuries, the sensor and cable damage to his side and leg. Why the time he was preparing to repair the damage to Ironhide's interface systems, Ratchet was seething with rage. There was no reason, no reason in the universe to do this to someone. Not even an enemy. Not even your worst enemy. It was sick. It was evil. More evil than he ever knew Megatron to be capable of being.
"Get out, Optimus," Ratchet said without looking at him. "I don't want an audience. Refuel, recharge, do it now or I am sedating you now."
Optimus didn't move. Ratchet turned around, his optics were glowing with an anger he couldn't have even felt for Hook. He clutched a wrench in his hand so hard he could feel the mental pending with the force of his grip.
"Go," he said. "You have three seconds. Three..."
Optimus let his head fall. He was weary, on the verge of collapse but he felt as if, by leaving his side now, he would somehow be abandoning Ironhide. Then he saw Ratchet reach for the sedative he had threatened him with and knew he had little choice but to obey. He would do what Ratchet asked, he would refuel and recharge but he would be back at the second he had recharged enough to get by. Head still hanging, Optimus trudged out of the room.
Ratchet looked now to Jazz who had yet to leave his bondmate's side. To the extent that Ratchet had bothered to notice, Jazz hadn't taken his optics off of Prowl's faceplates since he'd seen his mate on the berth. As he approached, Ratchet realized that Jazz was whispering to himself, almost inaudibly, a mantra: be okay, please, please be okay.
"For Primus's sake it's just a doorwing," Ratchet snapped. "I'm just keeping him offline to spare him the discomfort of having to wait to be repaired. You know how sensitive those sensors are."
"Maybe but I don't know it's just a doorwing until he wakes up," Jazz replied.
"Slagging bondmates," Ratchet swore. "Nothing worse than patients with slagging bondmates."
"Just you wait Ratchet," Jazz said with a small smile. "It won't be long now before you find yourself bonded to two most suicidally reckless fighters I've ever met."
"What?" Ratchet sputtered. "We. We aren't..."
"Have you spoken to them about it?" Jazz asked, slowly climbing to his peds. "I know for a fact they want to bond with you. I don't see them taking no for an answer."
"Uh..." Ratchet tried to speak but couldn't bring his thoughts together.
"You'll understand a bit better then," Jazz said, running a digit over the seams of Prowl's faceplates. "Probably won't change anything at all, but you'll understand. But you're right. If I'm falling over when he comes online because I didn't recharge, Prowl would be mad. I'll see you in a few hours. Better recharge yourself before you even think of laying a finger on my bondmate's doorwing."
Jazz left. Ratchet looked after him. He was too surprised to be angry at the teasing threat. Bonded? The Twins had never said a word about it. When they wanted something from him, normally they asked. How could Jazz know about their desire if he didn't? Because they needed someone to get advice from. Well, he wasn't broaching the subject, and he couldn't worry about it now.
"Sorry, Prowl. But I know you understand."
He was drained but not crashing yet. Ratchet had chased away First Aid and Swoop. Their help had been wonderful during the first of the repairs but Ratchet wanted to complete these repairs alone. No one needed to know the full extent of the damage but him and Ironhide.
End Chapter 5
A/N I think I've finished the worst of the whomping for now.