Thoughts and criticisms are encouraged and appreciated.
Jack wasn't entirely sure if he believed in miracles, but if he had to explain just how perfectly this situation had worked out for him, he probably would have found some use in the term. Not three minutes ago he had been resigned to a horrible and gruesome fate at the hands of the Decepticons. Then suddenly his captor, Soundwave, had been taken out, courtesy of the medic he had just framed for treason. Jack was free. This was his chance for escape!
Though he had no delusions of being able to get off the warship on his own. He was going to need some help… And since Knockout appeared to be in need of some assistance himself, Jack figured he might just be able to convince the 'Con that they had to work together here.
However, it seemed like Knockout wasn't amused by his suggestion. "Escape together?!" he scoffed, "I'm not actually a traitor, you little skinbag!" He leaned forward, glaring down at the human, "Besides, it's you and your slagging Autobot friends' fault this is happening to me at all! So why shouldI bother to help you?"
Jack took a deep, deliberate breath as he tried to pull the words he needed together in his head. This was a delicate situation, and he had to be very careful with what he said in order to make Knockout see this his way.
"Look, Knockout-" he began, stepping towards the 'Con, "I get it, okay? You're a Decepticon, and you've got no reason to trust me or the 'Bots… but you've also gotta face facts: you've gotta get off this ship. You really don't have any other options here; if you stay and Megatron gets his claws on you after seeing this-" he gestured over to the unconscious Soundwave, "…Well, you might have some trouble hanging onto your spark chamber, is what I'm saying."
Knockout turned his gaze over to the offlined mech with his optics narrowed, "Hmm, you could be right…" he mumbled, "I'm slagged if I stay on the Nemesis." he groaned and rest his face in his servos again, "Ughhh! But if I run all the Decepticons are going to come after me… I'm going to wind up like slaggin' Starscream!"
"Not necessarily-" Knockout peeked out from behind his servos, Jack had come even closer. If he wanted to, he could reach out and touch Knockout's ankle, "See, that's what I was trying to get at: if we escaped together- if you were to help me out of here too… then the 'Bots would be pretty grateful. They might even be willing to let you-"
"Whoa. Stop right there." Knockout interrupted, "…you're not actually suggesting that I could-"
"-join the Autobots…?"
Jack wasn't quite sure what reaction he was expecting, but it wasn't the one he got. Knockout stared at him blankly for a minute before tossing back his helm and absolutely roaring in laughter. The 'Con's entire frame shook as he tipped forward, grasping his injured side from the strain it was causing on his midsection. Regardless of the pain, he was unable to stop his mirthful howling.
"And… and to think-" he managed to gasp between his bursts of laughter, "I almost…took you seriously for a moment there! HA HA HA!"
"Wha-? But… I am being serious!" Jack insisted, but Knockout ignored him.
Bracing himself against the wall, the 'Con pushed himself up into a standing position, still clutching his side. "No… No, I-I can fix this." he mumbled to himself, stepping past Jack and over towards Soundwave. He glared down at the mech as he continued, "I can prove I'm innocent- I can still show Megatron that Soundwave and Laserbeak have the virus inside them… maybe then-"
"Come on, Knockout, you know that's not going to cut it now!" Jack shouted, following him over to Soundwave, "He's unconscious. As far as Megatron knows, you could have uploaded the code into Soundwave after you took him down to try and frame him."
After mulling this over for a moment Knockout mumbled, "Slag it…" clenching his servos, he turned and approached the console, "There's got to be some way out of this!"
"You could escape with me and j-"
"Okay, it was funny the first time but now you're starting to grind at my sensors." Knockout started typing on the console, apparently searching for some sort of date stamp on the virus's entry into the system. He wasn't going to find one and some small part of him knew that, but he was desperate… and a mech could still hope.
"I really am serious!" Jack said, approaching the 'Con again, "Please, Knockout! I know you're a Decepticon, but that doesn't mean you can't change. I'm sure even you have the capacity for good."
Knockout finally turned, glowering down at the human, "UGH. Capacity for good? You sound like Prime." Stepping towards Jack, he knelt down to get closer to his level, "I know you're just an ignorant human, so the timespan I'm describing is probably beyond your comprehension, but I've been fighting against the Autobots for millenia. The things I've been through- …You have no idea the implications of what you're suggesting, so just STOP." With that he snatched Jack up and placed him on the console so he couldn't run off, "Now shut up and sit still while I figure this out."
Jack sat where Knockout dropped him on the console for a minute feeling somewhat dazed. Knockout had a point; Jack really didn't have any idea how taxing the war had been, not just for the 'Bots, but for the 'Cons as well. He should have known this wouldn't be so simple. As he looked back up at Knockout typing frantically at the computer, he figured he might as well start thinking of another way out of there.
Glancing around, Jack spotted the red Autobot relic sitting on the console behind him. Knockout must have placed it there when he'd initially found the virus. He started wondering what exactly the disk was and if maybe it could be used to escape… No. That was pointless. He didn't even know what the thing did. Plus it was sized for a Cybertronian to use, and even if Knockout would join forces, the Decepticon wouldn't know anything about the Autobot technology either.
Jack was turning away when a small silver gleam caught his eye. Looking back again he noticed, just peeking out from behind the relic, the rectangular frame of the laptop Knockout had taken from Raf. He'd kept it! And he could see the black wireless card still plugged into the side. Now there was something Jack could use to escape, and he wouldn't even have to get Knockout to cooperate for this to work!
He was about to rush over to the computer and send a message to the Autobots, but then he recalled what Raf had said about tracing back the signal; something about software and IPs. He hadn't really payed attention to the technical jargon, but he did remember Raf saying there was no pinning down a location from the connection. If he'd been able to block it from the view of the 'Cons in all their advanced technological prowess, there was no way the 'Bots would be able to pinpoint his location with just their Earth-based computers.
He looked back over to Knockout, still typing on the console and looking increasingly frustrated. It looked like Jack was still going to need his help, but how to go about convincing him? Especially after he'd just made it pretty clear he was a dedicated Decepticon.
Then Jack had a thought: "So wait… you've been a Decepticon for literally millions of years, right?"
"I thought I told you to shut up!"
"No, really- I get it. A lot can go down in that much time… You've probably sacrificed a lot for the Decepticons, huh?"
"….What's your point?"
"After all that service and sacrifice- everything you've done for him… Well… It's just that Megatron was pretty easily convinced you were a traitor. And seemed even more eager to terminate you."
Knockout paused in his typing again and lowered his gaze. When he didn't reply Jack continued: "Y'know, for all the trouble he puts you 'Cons through, I don't really get the sense that you're getting a whole lot in return. I won't pretend know your history- maybe it used to be different, but now- a-at least the way I see it… it just seems like he's just on this blind warpath against Optimus, and the rest of you Decepticons are the ones getting caught up in the crossfire."
Still Knockout said nothing, choosing instead to glare down at his servos hovering, immobile, over the keypad. His optics were narrowed and he was clearly processing Jack's words very intensely. Finally, he turned to the human, "Okay, let's pretend for a minute that….. well- maybe you have a few good points, but- Why should I….?" he was muttering , still trying to pull together his own thoughts and struggling with them.
The 'Con was faltering, which told Jack that he was finally starting to get through to him. "On the other hand," he began again, "The way the Autobots treat each other- the way Optimus treats his team- it's nothing like Megatron… You 'Cons probably just do what he tells you because otherwise he'll pound the scrap out of you. But, even when I was still new in their group I could tell, with the 'Bots there's this… respect, I guess is the word. It keeps them together. They're like a family. They actually care about each other."
"Well… I'm not exactly family material." Knockout grumbled, looking away again, "What makes you think I care about that sentimental junk, anyway?"
"Oh. Well… I don't know. I just thought it was something everyone wanted…" The look Knockout suddenly gave Jack made him quickly realize he was starting down a road he didn't want to be on, and inquiring as to why wouldn't win him any points either. "B-but I'm getting a bit off subject." he corrected, "The point is, I'm part of that family too. And if you help me out of here, the 'Bots would definitely be willing to return the favor."
"For the last time, I'm NOT just going to up and join the slagging Autobots!"
"I know! I didn't mean that you had to." Jack raised his hands defensively, "But, don't you think you should at least be on the good side of one of these factions? I mean, it's pretty much sold that the 'Cons are against you now, so having the 'Bots owe you one might not be such a bad thing, right?"
Knockout placed a digit on his chin thoughtfully, "Hmm… You know… you're actually starting to make some sense." he mused, a smirk finding its way onto his face. He paused another minute before folding his arms across his chassis definitively, "…Alright. You win." He said with a slight shrug, "I guess this really is my best option, so… what's your escape plan, kid?"
The mood at the Autobot base was gloomy at best. Ratchet and Raf were the only ones moving with any sort of urgency as they worked vehemently on their corresponding computers (Raf's borrowed from Miko). The rest of the team was somewhat still and quiet. There wasn't much to be said at a time like this.
Ratchet turned to face the others, "I'm afraid with this technology there's… not much more I can do." he said reluctantly, "I'm just unable to locate the Decepticons with their cloaking technology still operational."
"There's gotta be something we can do." Bulkhead insisted, "We were able to find Fowler when he was nabbed by the 'Cons."
"Jack isn't a government agent; he doesn't have a tracking device on him." Raf replied, "…and I've tried tracing the signal of his phone, but it must be blocked by the Nemesis' shields. Kind of like what we have here at the base."
There was another long silence before Ratchet spoke up again, "Speaking of which, I should check in again with Agent Fowler." he grumbled, "I don't know if he's made any progress trying to locate Jack, but there's not much else…" his sentence trailed off as he turned back to his computer.
As Ratchet called up Fowler, Arcee moved away and took a seat on the opposite end of the room, keeping her helm tilted towards the ground trying not to listen. Bumblebee took notice and followed after her.
"BeeepboopwhhhzzzzRRRRRRRRbee eeeep" he reached out to place a servo on her shoulder.
She pulled away from his reach, "Don't." she snapped, her voice almost breaking. Her servos grasped tightly at the edges of the ledge she sat on, "It's… It's my fault. I never should have brought him along… I should have known better! And now-"
"Arcee, taking Jack with you does not make this your doing." Optimus interjected, " We had every reason to assume the Decepticons would have no means of locating us; there was no way you could have foreseen what happened on that mission. And… If blame is to be assigned to anyone… it should be me."
"whhhhzzzRRRTT?!"
"What?" Bulkhead repeated, "Optimus, how is this your fault?"
"I cannot help but feel had I heeded Jack's advice and released Soundwave's fellow Decepticon, he might have been willing to do the same…"
"That's ridiculous!" Ratchet said turning back to face his leader, "To show clemency towards an Autobot or one of our friends- Megatron would view it as an act of betrayal. And this is Soundwave we're talking about. The most loyal Decepticon there is."
Optimus turned his gaze downward, "Perhaps…" he said, "But the irony of our situations being so quickly reversed was not lost on me… and I can't help but wonder if this might have transpired differently had I shown mercy to Knockout."
"Well wondering about "what if's" and assigning blame isn't going to get Jack home any faster." Ratchet said turning back to the console, "Agent Fowler said he will keep in contact should any means of locating him be discovered… He has also contacted June for us."
"Oh Primus!" Arcee dropped her helm into her servos, "How am I going to face her after this?!"
The only response came as a sad whirr from Bumblebee. Then the same grim silence descended on the room again. It continued this way for several minutes until a loud beeping emanated from Ratchet's computer. "What-?" he exclaimed, looking surprised up at the screen, "There's an incoming transmission!"
"From who?"
"I… don't know. I can't seem to trace the signal back…" His gaze became hard, "It could be the Decepticons looking for some sort of ransom."
"Accept the call." Optimus ordered.
Ratchet nodded and pressed a button on his keyboard, opening up a communication link.
"Hello?" he offered, "Who is this?"
"RATCHET!" Came the immediate response, "Oh WOW, it's good to hear your voice!"
"JACK!" Arcee scrambled to her feet and ran up to the console, practically shoving Ratchet out of the way, "Jack, are you hurt? What's going on?!"
"No, Arcee I'm okay… hang on lemme just-" as he spoke these last few words, a live video appeared on the screen of Jack crouching over the computer, "Alright! There you are!" he said with a wide smile.
"How is this possible?" Ratchet was apparently stunned, though still pleased, by this turn of events, "The Decepticons must have some sort of signal dampeners on their ship; how are you calling us?"
"He must have my computer!" Raf answered, leaning over the railing to get a better view of Jack on the screen, "But last time I saw it Knockout had it. How did you get it away from him?"
"Uhhhh yeah. About Knockout… he's kind of- WHOA, HEY!" Jack was suddenly interrupted by a clawed servo sweeping him to the side and away from the laptop's camera, and Knockout's stepped into view.
"Enough formalities! Step aside, so the big bots can talk!"
"NO! Don't hurt Jack!" Arcee cried.
"Knockout!" Optimus stepped forward, "Please, I know our last encounter was-"
"Save it, Prime!" came the harsh response, "As much fun as it would be to hear you beg, I'm in a scrapload of trouble here and I really don't have time for one of your speeches… besides your little human friend here already gave me the full spiel."
"Wait, what?… What exactly is going on over there?" Arcee asked.
Jack popped back into the camera view, "It's kind of complicated, but the short version is that Knockout's been framed by Soundwave. Y'know that virus Raf made? Well, Megatron thinks Knockout introduced it now."
"Yeah, so thanks a lot for that." Knockout added, "But I'm willing overlook both that and the fact that Prime was about to turn my face into a smoldering crater not ten minutes ago, if it means I can get off this ship before Megatron gets his servos on me."
"Well we can't send a groundbridge," Ratchet said, "Something is interfering with me tracing back your signal."
"Yeah, I know. That's Raf's computer with its proxy or whatever." Jack explained, "But Knockout said he's willing to give you our current coordinates if-"
"IF you agree to my conditions." Knockout interrupted.
"And what are those?" Optimus inquired.
"Well, I hate to say so, but I'm at kind of a disadvantage here so I'm just going to have to take your word on this… but once we're back at your base or wherever your bridge operates from, I want safe passage out of there. I don't plan on escaping Megatron just to become an Autobot prisoner."
"Is that all?" Ratchet asked.
"No. I'll also be needing you to let me keep this." He held up the Resonance Blaster, freshly detached from Soundwave's arm. "I'm going to be running from the Decepticons; I'll need the advantage a weapon like this provides… Oh, and one more thing- I don't want any of you 'Bots coming after me. If I'm going to be rogue on this slagging planet, I at least don't want to have to worry about you lot giving me grief…" he hesitated for a moment, "Aaand… I suppose I'll agree to do my best to be amicable as well."
Ratchet looked back, questioning to Optimus, but there was no hesitation from the Autobot leader, "If you can ensure Jack's safe return, we are more than willing to accept your conditions." he said, "Provide the coordinates and we will bridge you both out."
Back on the Nemesis Knockout smiled down at the tiny computer, "I'm glad we could come to an agreement." he said standing up straight. He clipped the Resonance Blaster in his servo to the door on his arm and made towards the larger console's keypad, "Just a moment, I'll check them precisely. We wouldn't want you to send a bridge to the wrong room and let some Vehicons wander through, now would w-?"
However before he was able to begin typing, the computer came to life on its own and suddenly the image of Megatron filled the screen in front of them!
"Soundwave what is taking-" when he saw Knockout standing there he cut off his sentence suddenly, his gaze wide and shocked. After what was only a second, but seemed longer, his optics flared and his face became contorted with rage, "KNOCKOUT!" he screamed, "YOU TRAITOROUS SCRAP OF RUST! WHERE IS SOUNDWAVE?!"
"L-lord Megatron!" Knockout backed away from the console, "Th-this isn't what it looks like! I can explain-"
But Megatron didn't wait to hear, his snarling face disappeared as he cut off the comm link. However, it only remained absent for a moment before reappearing, this time on the main screen as well as the four, smaller surrounding ones. His voice echoed through the room and out in the hallway as he spoke, indicating this address was being heard throughout the entire ship.
"ATTENTION, Decepticons!" he shouted, "There is a traitor loose on the Nemesis! Your medical officer Knockout is consorting with the Autobots. Disable access to all consoles! I don't want him contacting his friends or snaking any more information out of our data core!"
"OH SCRAP, NO!" Knockout rushed forward, typing frantically on the console in front of him, trying to quickly bring up coordinates, but as he was in the middle of typing a command, the keypad gave off a loud dismissive BEEP that signaled its shut down. Knockout looked up in dismay at Megatron's image, still on the screen as he continued speaking.
"The traitor is in the data archives! Bring Knockout and his little human friend to me, preferably alive- but I am willing to look past it if he is already in pieces."