((Aaaaaaand we got another chapter! I'd say about five more tops before I draw this to an end. :) Also, there will be TWO endings for this story. XD The "Happy" and the "Sad/Bittersweet." ^^))
Chapter 27
"So the boy harbours attraction for the human girl."
Megatron's voice resonated slightly within the empty throne room, the massive war frame reclining in his throne as he studied his TIC, the tall mech standing before him, stance relaxed but at attention as he informed his leader of Tegan's infatuation with Miko.
"This is… Unexpected." Megatron's engine rumbled softly as he sat, chin in his servo, red optics smoldering and thoughtful as the warlord mulled over what he had just been informed of. "Unexpected indeed… Soundwave."
At the sound of his designation, Soundwave straightened up a little more and looked upon his leader attentively, waiting for what orders would be passed that he would have to follow… Had he not reported this to Megatron, the warlord wouldn't have been kind with Tegan had it been discovered by him, or shared by one of his other officers… As it was, it was being revealed by Soundwave, his most trusted lieutenant, so he was likely to be more gentle… So to speak.
"Tegan's cybertronian form is completed. I want you to transfer the boy's core being to his new frame… And destroy the human body." The warlord ordered, not noticing the shock that passed through Soundwave's frame, and the way he tensed up, Megatron standing from where he sat, looking down on the tall, purple mech. "I have informed Shockwave to prepare for the procedure… Deliver the boy to him."
Soundwave hesitated before dipping his helm in reverence. "Soundwave: Will do as Lord Megatron has asked." He responded in his usual monotone before he turned and left the room silently, spark heavy as he considered his options and the outcome of either obeying or disobeying Megatron… Either one was less than satisfactory… But, for now, he must obey his lord. If he didn't, Megatron would take over Tegan, or hand his care over to Starscream.
Venting, Soundwave went off to retrieve the human youth.
\*/\*/\*/\
Tegan hadn't left his room ever since the incident last night, partly out of fear of hurting someone else, and partly out of the second fear of running into an Autobot… Both he could live without, so he remained in his room attempting to calm himself, researching techno organics in search of anything that could maybe explain a cure for his changing… He had loved Miko, he was sure of it, but he was also sure that she now hated him more than anything else if she wasn't dead… He shuddered at the thought.
Hearing a knock on the door followed by his grandmother's voice as she began to speak with someone whose voice was unfamiliar, Tegan stilled and listened as best he could… Something strange was going on, he was sure of it.
Standing up from his work and closing down his computer, Tegan made his way out of his room and to the top of the stairs, listening.
"I'm sorry ma'am, but I'm under orders to arrest the boy." A voice came up to the eaves dropper, Tegan almost snorting in amusement… He'd like to see them try…
"But Tegan is a good boy!" His grandmother's voice reached him now. "He's just a little troubled! There's no way he could've done what you say he has!" Mary denied the unknown man as Tegan listened, marvelling at the way his grandmother was defending him, feeling another pang of guilt for having hurt her the night before.
"I'm sorry Miss, but my hands are tied… Where is the boy?"
Tegan didn't wait to hear whatever else would be said, turning and sneaking back up to his room, barricading the door and climbing out the window, scooting his way down the roof, grabbing onto the edge and dangling… His eyes locked with Agent Fowler's, the African-American pausing before turning to two soldiers standing beside him, the two looking up and then making their way out the door as Tegan dropped to the ground and took off running, the two officers in pursuit.
Hopping the fence at his backyard, Tegan stumbled before recovering, running down the block… He wanted to use his Cybertronian additions to escape, but that would blow his cover with the humans around here, as well as the officer's pursuing him…. Then he'd be locked up in some science lab no doubt.
Growling, Tegan glanced back, feeling a slight amount of fear at the tallest of the officers gaining on him, the second getting onto a motorcycle. People were coming out of their houses now and watching, interested since it was very rare for something like this to happen in the small town of Jasper, the towns people understandably interested.
Tegan attempted to jump another fence, the officer that had been gaining easily now jumping onto him, the two of them crashing to the ground, Tegan transforming one servo into a blade and pressing it against the officer's side. "Get off." He hissed, the officer looking taken aback when he found himself staring down into smoldering red eyes.
"Get on the ground!"
Jerking his helm around at the order, Tegan found the other officer had arrived, gun pointed at the youth, Agent Fowler stepping up and placing a hand on the officer's arm, pushing the gun down as he focused on the red-eyed human that the Autobots had informed him of being Decepticon, frowning in both pity and slight anger. "Tegan. Stop. I'm sure you don't want to be in any more trouble than you already are." He ordered, Tegan hesitating before pressing the blade harder against the officer still holding tightly to him. "You don't know me! I-I'll kill him!" Tegan shouted, only Fowler able to see that he was wavering.
The government agent stopped his approach, pity in his eyes as he shook his helm. "You don't want to do that, son." He responded calmly, no longer approaching. "Just like you didn't mean to hurt the girl." He added, Tegan looking away. "You're not supposed to be like this… You're a good student… A citizen of America. Now put away the blade and allow me to take you back to the bots."
Tegan looked back up at Fowler, setting his jaw. "No! You just wanna give me to them so that they can take me apart! So that they can kill me or lock me up!" He shouted, Fowler sighing softly and shaking his head. "Whatever the cons told you, Tegan, is a lie. The bots are the good guys here. Not the ones you've been hanging around with." Agent Fowler retorted, approaching again. "Now just come with us Tegan… Before you hurt someone else."
Several moments passed before Tegan relented, relaxing beneath the officer and transforming his hand back to normal, growling softly when his hands were jerked behind his back, the officer's knee pressed into his spine as he hand cuffed him tightly, Fowler coming closer now. "Use these." He ordered, holding out a specially made pair of hand cuffs that had the same functioning as stasis cuffs, looking down at Tegan with pity as they were put on with the first pair. "They will disable his abilities."
"You!" Tegan attempted to snarl as he was pulled to his feet, stumbling slightly and feeling vulnerable when he couldn't transform in any way… Couldn't move or form full sentences.
"It's for your own good, son." Fowler stated, motioning to the yellow and black camero that pulled up to the curb almost silently, door opening on it's own accord as Tegan attempted to struggle, shouting. "No! You can't make me do what you want! I'm a Decepticon! Let go of me!" He shouted as the two officers forced him towards the vehicle he knew to be Bumblebee.
The sound of a jet approaching sent them all quiet, the officers halting their movements and turning their faces upwards as a dark purple, almost alien, jet approached at top speed, Tegan relaxing and smirking, pulling away from the officers and jumping over the cuffs so that they were now in front of him, holding his hands upwards for Soundwave.
Soundwave approached rapidly, the small group attempting to capture Orion on the outskirts of town, and he could detect no life forms in the direct vicinity… No one would know of his presence besides the three humans and one Autobot, who was currently transforming… Before Bumblebee could finish his transformation sequence, Soundwave transformed, grabbing Orion before transforming around the human, shooting off into the sky as he left the others behind.
"Thanks Soundwave." Tegan murmured as he looked out of the cockpit window at Fowler, the officers and Bumblebee, relaxing now that he was in familiar company… Soundwave didn't respond as he opened a ground bridge to the Nemesis, silently transforming in a lab, catching Tegan and setting him down on a berth, a huge, one opticed behemoth of a mech approaching. "This is the subject?" He monotoned, Tegan feeling confused. "Subject? Soundwave?" He asked, slightly worried now.
"Affirmative. Orion. Transferral requested by Lord Megatron." Soundwave responded, not answering Tegan as he moved away, the youth attempting to get up as Shockwave pinned him down by his cuffed hands, stasis rings closing over his legs and arms to hold him in place.
Tegan felt a spike of fear now and he struggled, staring after Soundwave, frightened. "S-Soundwave? SOUNDWAVE!" He shouted as he found himself drifting off into darkness…
There was no response from Soundwave.
\*/\*/\*/\
The first thing Tegan heard as he onlined was the sound of machinery, and a steady beep...beep...beep… Following that was the monotone of two voices, one which was extremely familiar, while the second was vaguely.
Opening his optics, Tegan groaned softly, attempting to raise his servo to block out the bright lights above him, startled when he found them still in stasis cuffs, remembering what had happened before he had fallen into medically enforced stasis and he began to thrash, anger building up in him. "Let me go you slaggers!" He shouted as Shockwave appeared over him, looking down and humming thoughtfully. "Your reaction is logical." He stated coolly, Megatron appearing now, a smirk on his faceplates. "Don't you look perfect?" He asked with a leer.
Glaring up at the warlord now, Tegan bared sharpened denta. "I'll kill you! I'll slagging kill you!" He hissed out, startled when he realized that Megatron… Didn't look as big as he usually did… Freezing up, Tegan looked around with wide red optics, taking in his Cybertronian frame, gasping in shock. "Y-You!" He stammered, the warlord laughing.
"We have transferred your core being to your Cybertronian frame… You are now your true self." Megatron stated calmly, dismissing Tegan's previous threats. He dealt with Starscream on a day to day basis, and he was confident in being able to deal with Tegan as well. "You should thank me. I have brought you into the glory of our race. Here, on earth, we are gods."
Tegan shook with barely pent up anger as well as shock and fear, hissing lowly, jerking at his servos in an attempt to get loose. "Let me up!" He shouted, Megatron raising his optical ridges before glancing at Shockwave. "Release him, Shockwave." He ordered, the scientist looking up at the warlord. "I wouldn't advise such an action, Lord Megatron. The subject's reaction upon onlining is-"
"Cut me the explanation, Shockwave and do as I ordered." Megatron responded coldly, the scientist hesitating before obeying, Tegan's stasis bounds fizzing off and the mech was on his pedes immediately, attempting to attack the warlord who easily evaded the stumbling mech's attack, amusement in his field.
"Something to remember, my dear mech, is that you are weak once onlining from such a long defrag process." The warlord stated, the smirk thick in his tone as his fist connected with Tegan's stomach plating, the screech of metal loud in the room as Tegan ground his denta together and stumbled, the warlord sweeping his pedes out from under him.
Tegan groaned as he lay flat on his back, attempting to get back up when the warlord's pede came down on his chassis, causing him to cry out and still, making no move to stand now, glaring up at the warlord with dark red optics.
Megatron laughed in amusement, bearing down on the pede on Tegan's chassis, smirking. "Such defiance!" He purred, grasping the younger mech's chin and turning his faceplates this way and that. "And such pretty faceplates, Paradox." He stated coldly, Tegan snarling softly. "My name is Tegan! I am-ugh!" He whimpered when his chassis plating buckled beneath Megatron's weight. "Tegan is gone." The warlord announced with a laugh. "I destroyed your old body." He stated coldly, Tegan staring in shock before struggling, cursing.
"My lord." Shockwave now spoke up from where he stood. "Paradox's transformation was difficult, and the subject must integrate into his frame… To much stress could cause the spark to fail." He warned, Megatron humming softly.
Glaring up at Megatron, Tegan shut his optics and lay quietly beneath the warlord, wheezing in vents from beneath the crushed plating.
"Now… Who are you, and who will you serve?" Megatron hissed, bending over so that his faceplates were close to Tegan's, the mech shutting his optics as he fought down the emotions welling up in him. "Paradox…" He stated, voice hoarse and deep, almost grating. "I serve you, my Lord."
The moment the words left his mouth, Megatron's pede was lifted off of him, and Tegan rolled to his side, purging, the damage to his digestion tanks critical as he got up onto all fours, shaking and coughing, the warlord snorting. "Have him sent to me once he is repaired, Shockwave." He ordered before he left the room.
"Come, Paradox." Shockwave ordered, leaning down and slipping a servo beneath a black and green arm, lifting him up easily, slightly disturbed by the hatred and violent anger he saw in the red optics as they stared after his lord. "Paradox. On the berth." He ordered, helping him lie down, Tegan obeying… And it was there that Tegan was buried beneath Paradox… So deeply that he denied Tegan ever existed. He was Paradox… Decepticon… Servant of Lord Megatron… And that was how it should be.
(A/N: For those of you who want to know exactly what Tegan looks like as Paradox, I have some links! ^^
Tegan's Alt-Mode (Car): .
Tegan's Faceplates/Helm Design: .
Tegan's Frame Design: 35b7/i/2012/334/2/6/transformers_prime_blurr_by_dou_
Tegan's Paint Job: . /48e0cfd53347201aaa1caf31444bfe30/tumblr_mev6d1ta3I1rezviko1_
If links don't work, PM me and I'll send you the photos.)
