A/N: Hey all! Okay, so this chapter is pretty short, but I am at a point in the story where I can't really write terribly long chapters without butchering them, as well as the one after. Sorry it took me so long to update! After this, this story will probably (though no promises) get smoother. I have several plot twists planned, so I'm gonna be keeping you all on my toes!
Also, sorry if this is rushed in any way, as I've had a couple comments that it was. I honestly feel like it is, but for the story to flow the way I have planned, I need to start this section of it… If that makes sense. ;) It's also a pretty good break from the episodes. Please tell me what you think, and thanks so much to all favoriters, followers, and reviewers!
XXX
As they emerged from the winding tunnel and coasted to a stop in the center of the base, everyone seemed to pause whatever they had been working on to glance to them. Ignoring them as if they weren't even there, Jack easily slid off of the leather seat, saying nothing as he strode toward the balcony, eyes glazed. Transforming in a flurry of metal plates, Arcee watched him scale the flight of steps with a blank expression before forcing herself to turn toward the monitors, where Ratchet and Optimus were grouped around the flashing screen.
"Anything?" she softly questioned, voice just over a whisper as she approached. She watched them both carefully as the medic's servos stilled over the keyboard. He barely gave her a sideways glance as he once again returned his focus to the screen, fingers dancing over the keys.
"Nothing yet." He responded, glancing between the many computers. He seemed to be unaffected, his tone belying no strain. It made sense, though. He didn't like humans, especially the little ones that seemed to touch everything, were constantly sticky, babbled on about everything that popped into their heads and constantly got underfoot. She nodded in resignation, optics dimming, before looking to the third of their small group. Having know the Prime the longest aside from Ratchet, she could tell he was tense, much more so than normal. It seemed as if he was a statue, and she could tell he was distracted, his optics distant. Of course, she had known he would have taken this hard. It was no secret to her that the little girl had him 'wrapped around her finger', as the humans said, Prime or not. And Kate would follow him around like a little puppy, perfectly happy – beyond so – to do anything asked of her, often dozing off in his grip. She said nothing as she turned to glance to the balcony. Nothing anyone could say would help; she knew from experience.
Jack had collapsed onto the couch, his expression still blank as he stared into the air, unseeing. Miko and Raf seemed clueless as to what they should do, their faces pale as they shared a confused, scared glance, seeming to question each other. There was no doubt they had been told of the situation. She vented. She had no idea what to do, either. It was then that she turned to Bulkhead and Bumblebee, who were standing oddly silent by the wall, awkwardly shifting every few seconds. Bumblebee's doorwings were lowered to a cautious, uneasy position, almost a horizontal line against his back, his optics zooming in and out as he focused on different things. Bulkhead seemed vacant by his side, awkwardly clenching and unclenching his fists. She vented. This was going to be-
A loud, static-filled shriek suddenly rang through, cutting off her thoughts and causing her, as well as the humans and her fellow Autobots, to cringe violently. Her helm snapped toward the monitor as the shrill cry was cut off, replaced by a series of lower-pitched beeps as a section on the main screen was distorted by a panel of blurred color, as if it was trying to focus but couldn't.
"Optimus," Ratchet suddenly spoke up, expression suddenly morphing to one of intense hostility, his optics flashing dangerously as he glowered at the screen.
"I know." Came the even response, tone slightly colder than normal as he straightened. "Autobots," At his call, Arcee, as well as Bulkhead and Bumblebee, moved from their scattered positions to flank their leader at the monitor. The took their position, a formation that signified their rank, and glowered expectantly at the monitor.
"What's going on?" Raf nervously queried, timidly sliding closer to Jack as he eyed the group. Jack merely blinked, barely able to process what was happening. It was too much for him.
"Who knows," Miko muttered in return, rising from the sofa to stand by the railings, her brown eyes bright in her curiosity.
"The 'cons are trying to get in touch," Arcee spoke in return from her place to Optimus's right side. "They can't resist gloating." Her voice was a mere growl as she stood at attention.
"Think they want to negotiate?" Bulkhead spoke, tone neutral as his optics narrowed.
"I wouldn't doubt it." Ratchet answered, stepping back to assume his position as well. The two humans shared a nervous glance before slinking back, out of the monitor's sight. Even Miko seemed to be on edge as the Prime reached forward to press the button that would allow the call to take place, sidling back to stand behind the sofa. In seconds, an all too familiar face appeared on the screen, vehicon drones occasionally cutting into the picture as they went about their usual business.
"Megatron," Optimus growled lowly, optics a dangerous shade of blue, a dark frown marring his face. The Decepticon smirked, his crimson optics glowing brighter as he made eye contact.
"Optimus," he conversationally drawled, a sick joy in his tone.
"Do not fool around, Megatron," the Prime stated, only just able to control his temper. Ratchet cast him a faint glance, the motion unnoticeable. The Decepticon's optics glinted, and his smirk grew wider.
"Oh, yes!" he crowed, taking great pleasure in his slight leverage. "I do believe our medic found something of yours!" As Optimus's frown deepened, his optics darkening ever so slightly, the warlord, turned to his left. "Soundwave?" He stepped to the side slightly, allowing the infamous 'Con to step into view.
The masked Decepticon slunk to his commander's side, as silent as ever. It was only when he raised a clawed hand the Autobots reacted. Jack sprung to his feet, bursting toward the edge of the balcony, his eyes shining with his rage, every muscle tensed. Miko followed his lead, but for a different reason as she snagged his arms, forcing him to halt before he burst into view. Raf seemed to freeze, as did Bulkhead, their eyes, or optics, widened. Bumblebee warbled angrily, doorwings flicking as Arcee growled lowly, her servos clenching. Ratchet and Optimus simply glowered darkly, their anger rising with the second.
In the silent 'Con's clawed hand lay the tiny three-year-old, unconscious and curled into a loose ball, appearing even smaller than she truly was in the titan's grip. She seemed as if she had simply fallen asleep in his palm, though judging by the situation, it was fairly obvious to them that that wasn't the case.
"What a find!" Megatron nearly laughed, his optics brightening as he gave a fanged smile. He allowed his optics to fall upon the toddler. The possibilities available to him were endless!
"What do you want, Megatron?" the Prime bit out, inwardly seething though his words and appearance were calm.
"I have yet to decide, Prime." He evenly responded, pleased with the turn of events. "So many options… Or," he turned his gaze from the little girl, a cheerful smirk on his face. "I could simply make her my pet!" He took pleasure in the many snarls and glares sent his way, exuberant. "Who knows what I may do?" And with that, the screen went dark, followed by torrents of static as the Autobots were left to their mangled thoughts.
XXX
When Katie managed to pull herself to consciousness, it took her a long moment to process what had happened as she lay curled in a tight ball on top of something hard and cold, her head throbbing uncomfortably. When the events of the day finally came rushing back to her in a massive flood, she felt chills run the length of her spine, causing her to shiver as she tentatively stretched from her coiled position, unsure. She wasn't worried yet, though. She had no reason to. The 'Bots, as her brother always labeled them, were nice! Though, that fact didn't satisfy her curiosity.
She pried her eyes open, rolling onto her back before shoving herself into a sitting position, bringing a fist upward to gently swipe away any trace of sleep from her slowly brightening eyes. Where was she? Glancing around the cavernous room, she found herself on a large metal table shoved against a dreary gray wall, the shiny material reflecting the bright fluorescent lights that streamed from the ceiling in long rows. Machines hummed, beeped and whirred from almost every angle, diverting her attention as she attempted to scan her surroundings, and complex-looking tools rested on tables scattered around the large room. Aside from that, however, it seemed rather empty, the space almost too large. It was only when a voice spoke from behind her that she realized she was not truly alone.
"Finally awake, are you?" an alto voice dully spoke, tone flat as she struggled to turn. Her eyes widened as her gaze fell on the cherry red Decepticon, though she had no fear. She was oblivious of the danger she was in as she impatiently brushed back her tangled golden hair, which had fallen loose from its ordinary binds. Crimson optics bored into her as she moved, the 'Con obviously waiting for something.
"Hi," she hesitantly chirped, voice just over a whisper as she scooted closer to the Decepticon. She blinked slightly as his optics widened slightly, only just noticeable.
"What?" he asked, baffled. His excessively-cared-for paint gleamed slightly as he stepped closer. "No screaming? Aren't you going to beg for mercy or do whatever it is you human sparklings do when scared?" He seemed almost hopeful. Katie giggled slightly, a grin inching its way onto her face as she drew ever nearer.
"No' sca'ed," she replied, cerulean eyes sparkling. "Who you?" The 'Con glowered at her, mystified. He'd thought she would have been even easier to scare than the older ones! Something must be wrong with her, he decided.
"Knockout, not that it matters to you." He finally growled in return. A pause, his curiosity mounting. After a tense moment, he spoke. "So… Why aren't you scared?" It was grating on his nerves.
"Not sca'y!" came the nearly excited reply as the toddler stifled her giggles. This 'Bot was funny! Why hadn't she seen him before?
"What?" Knockout all but roared, stepping back in his shock. How was he, of all 'Cons, not scary? Kate jumped slightly at the sudden exclamation, though she was still thoroughly entertained.
"Not," she paused, letting the words sink in. "Sca'y!"
"I heard you, you little brat!" he snapped, mind racing. If word of this got around, he'd be ruined! He could already hear the troops gossiping. Gossiping was his job! He had to remedy this. His optics narrowed. "You don't think I'm scary, eh?" he asked, voice low. Katie shook her head, laughing. "I'll take care of that!"
He spun on his heel, ignoring the child's nearly hysterical giggles as he snatched a drill off of the table, eyeing it for a moment as he fingered the controls. This had better work! He turned back to face her.
"Wha's that?" the three-year-old asked as her eyes fell on the large tool, Knockout's finger resting on the switch. She couldn't seem to take her eyes of of it as the Decepticon smirked. It was huge!
"Oh, nothing much…" he drawled, flipping the switch. The triangular tip sprang to life, rapidly spinning as the machine hummed dangerously. He paused. "You know… Lord Megatron never said I couldn't experiment on you…" He brought the tip closer to her, chuckling darkly as the human scuttled backward, any sign of amusement draining away.
Katie had no idea what the machine was, only that it was sharp and coming her way. She also knew what the word 'experiment' meant, or at least enough to know it wasn't good. She watched in horror as it drew nearer, the roaring buzz drowning out any other noise. Panic swelled within her, and her breaths grew short and shallow. This 'Bot wasn't nice! Where was Oppy when she needed him?
She quickly curled into a small ball, burying her face into her knees as her eyes closed. She could hear the drill drawing nearer. It was so big! What did that mean 'Bot want to do to her? She was so wrapped up in her fears that she only just heard a slight hiss as a door to her left ground open.
"Knockout, I…" the new voice, slightly softer than Knockout's, trailed off, shocked into silence. "What is that?" Kate allowed her eyes to crack slightly, searching for the voice. She immediately found the dark blue 'Con as he stood tense in the doorway, crimson optics wide as he stared back at her. She uncurled from her ball, blinking. Another new 'Bot? How many were there?
The gleaming red medic hissed ferally, glaring at his partner as he flicked the drill off and tossed it carelessly to the side. He placed his servos on his hips as he seethed.
"The Prime's human pet," he snapped in reply as the larger of the two drew closer, thoroughly annoyed that his little game had been brought to an end before it even began.
"How the frag did we manage to get her?" he incredulously questioned, baffled. He would have though that she, of all humans, would have been kept under lock and key. Knockout huffed, scowling angrily.
"How did I manage to get her?" he reiterated, correcting the slight fault. "Let's just say it was a very lucky break."
"W-Who you?" a little voice questioned, snapping them from their thoughts. Both of their gazes snapped to the source. They found the tiny human staring at the blue wrecker in fascination, obviously curious.
"Uh… Breakdown," he stuttered in reply, unsure what to make of the confrontation. Every fully-grown human he had met had been sent running at the mere sight of his massive figure, and she was tiny and an Autobot pet! It was insane! He was thrown further when the little girl giggled, blue eyes shining as she flicked her golden locks back over her shoulder.
"Hi!" she chirped, raising a small hand to give a happy wave, all fears forgotten. Breakdown shot his partner an incredulous look. Knockout merely shrugged in response. He was still debating on the child's sanity.
"Hi?" he responded, the phrase more of a question than a statement. The pair in front of her shared another questioning glance, obviously on edge. This was going to be interesting.
XXX
A/N: I don't really like the ending, but it was all I could think of. So, please R+R!