Author's Notes: I haven't had a lot of time to write lately, but I managed to get this chapter up, so I'm happy! I'm working on the finale to The Savage Earth as well. This chapter is another one of those that has more serious moments than jokes, but that doesn't mean I can't include jokes :)

Chapter 8

A Tale of Two Medbays

The Autobots were sure that the Decepticons would've contacted them by now with their demands. At first none of them could believe Wheeljack had really been taken and had merely believed the engineer had gotten lost, but soon it was clear that he wasn't coming back, and they would have to rescue him themselves.

The Dinobots, meanwhile, kept vigil at Snarl's berth in the medbay. His injuries were serious, but Ratchet's quick work meant the stegosaurus would survive. The Dinobots were used to violence, but something about this scenario didn't add up.

"Me Grimlock don't get it!" Grimlock had said, "Him Thundercracker tried to kill him Snarl. Why just stop attacking before him Thundercracker finished?"

"Uh...Me Sludge not know," Sludge replied with a blank expression.

"Well, me Swoop just grateful him Snarl still alive," Swoop said somberly.

Out of all the Dinobots Swoop was the closest to Snarl because they were the two youngest Dinobots. Snarl wasn't very emotional and usually didn't seek out comfort, but Swoop still felt like he needed to be close to his brother in his moment of need.

Optimus, in the meantime, needed to form his rescue team if they were going to get Wheeljack back from the Decepticons. He would lead the rescue of course. He also wanted to send Seaspray since he was the best swimmer they had, Mirage for stealth purposes, and Ironhide for backup if there should be a confrontation. Jazz and Prowl volunteered to go, but they couldn't spare Prowl since someone needed to be in command of the base. Still, that meant Jazz was free to tag along with them.

The team of five wasted no time in rolling out. They needed to get to the ocean and quickly! Once again they rode in Skyfire so they could get close, but he wouldn't go any further with them than the edge of the Decepticons' radar. They only hoped they weren't too late…

Megatron didn't have the access code to get the base to rise out of the ocean. He furrowed his brow in thought, and then realized he still had a few comm codes in his memory banks! The only problem was he couldn't figure out who was who! He brought up a comm code and just hoped he wasn't contacting Starscream…

/This is Megatron! Answer me!/ Megatron demanded; not knowing who was receiving him.

/Soundwave here, Megatron,/ came the immediate but inflectionless reply.

/Soundwave! I can't get inside! Bring up the launch hangar and let me in!/ Megatron demanded; sounding more like his old self by the minute.

/As you command, Megatron,/ Soundwave replied compliantly.

Megatron and Chip watched as the towering purple fortress rose from the waters and the hangar door open to admit the warlord and his human captive. Chip gulped when he saw how dark and foreboding the interior of the ship looked. This was really it! He was really being taken inside the Nemesis! Chip had been captured before, but he had never seen the inside of the Decepticon ship.

Megatron walked the halls with purpose. His stride was confident as he traversed the corridors. Truth be told, he was lost, but he didn't want to embarrass himself in front of Chip, so he kept marching as if he knew where he was going.

Wheeljack couldn't remember the last time he was in this much pain. Probably after he tried to invent an energon pudding machine and it exploded and severed his right servo. Yeah, that was a dumb idea…

He tried to use thoughts of his past inventions and other happy memories of the other Autobots to keep his mind away from where he was and what was happening. Still, it wasn't easy with Starscream and Hook standing over him as he was sprawled out on a medical berth with his chest cavity exposed. They had probed every circuit and wire they could find in an effort to make the engineer talk, but he would never betray his comrades or this planet!

Still, he had been careless in brief moments of weakness. He had let things slip. He had told them about how difficult it was to use fossils to make artificially sparked Autobots. It took them 20 minutes longer to find out that organic bodies held brain patterns that would work better, but that Wheeljack had never tried that because it would kill the organic. He had told them there were other ingredients, but never told them what they were. That was what they were torturing him for now.

He would never talk, but he could see that it almost didn't matter by the gleam in Starscream's optics when he saw the Autobot writhing to free himself from his restraints as he was jolted yet again by one of Hook's probes!

What they didn't know was that besides organic matter and electro chemical impulses, he also need a proper casing for the Dinobots' unusual life force, and the only mineral he had found suitable was dysprosium. It was soft enough to transform with them, yet its boiling point was so high that it could potentially withstand reentry should they find themselves crashing into a planet without protection! In theory. He hoped that level of preparedness was unnecessary…

Wheeljack knew it wasn't the most common mineral on earth, and therefore while the Autobots were on this planet it would be impractical to make more Dinobots than necessary (as if their behavior wasn't deterrent enough). Of course, other planets had the stuff in abundance, and Wheeljack could never let the Decepticons have this knowledge for that reason. The problem was that they already knew the other two most important ingredients: organic matter such as bone marrow or tissue for mapping purposes, and organic brain impulses to activate the spark.

The door opened, momentarily distracting the Decepticons and giving Wheeljack a few blessed moments of relief. His relief was short-lived when he saw who had entered...Megatron!

"Ah, Starscream! Just the mech I've been looking for…" Megatron purred in a tone of voice that failed to conceal his venom, "I've heard some interesting things about you lately…"

"Megatron!" Starscream exclaimed nervously; trying to cower away from the blood red optics that stared back at him with barely suppressed hatred, "I, um...It's so good to see you, old friend! Are you enjoying your retirement?"

Starscream was sure Megatron was going to hit him, or probably blast him with his fusion cannon, but instead the silver (and gold) mech ignored Starscream's futile attempts at obeisance and motioned for Hook to come closer.

Hook, understandably, was nervous. He didn't want to get involved in another one of Megatron's squabbles with Starscream. He also wasn't sure if Megatron's processor had been rebooted yet, so he had to tread carefully.

"Yes, my lord? What is it?" Hook asked softly so that Starscream wouldn't hear them.

Then Megatron held out his palm, and Hook could see there was a human in it resting on a chair with wheels. He looked vaguely familiar, but then again they all looked alike to the Constructicon medic.

"Chip tells me that Starscream has attempted to kill me in the past," Megatron said evenly, "All in an effort to take my place. Is this true, Hook?"

"My guess is that you don't have your memory back yet?" Hook surmised.

"Answer the question!" Megatron snapped vehemently; causing everyone to look at him nervously.

"Yes, Lord Megatron, it is true," Hook replied, "In fact, there have been thousands of attempts on your life over the vorns."

Chip wasn't listening to their conversation. His eyes were fixed on the pitiful form of Wheeljack lying half-conscious and seeping energon from several injuries. It was awful, and Chip didn't know what to do! What had they done to him? Chip was so worried about his Autobot friend that he didn't even have the ability to listen in on the very conversation that determined whether he lived or died!

"I see…" Megatron mulled over this information for a few seconds before he said, "I want you to call security. Starscream is to be taken to the brig at once! When I have the time I will try him for high treason."

"What? Megatron, no!" Starscream shrieked frantically, "You need me! You can't get rid of me! I'm too valuable!"

"I don't need traitors, Starscream!" Megatron bellowed, "You will be given the chance to defend your actions before the other Decepticons, but make no mistake: this is the last act of civility I perform on your behalf! If you are found guilty then you will pay with your life!"

Hook had called Skywarp and Thundercracker while Megatron was yet speaking. The pair of seekers took Starscream by the arms and led him out of the medbay; their trinemate kicking, flailing, and cursing the entire way! Megatron didn't even look at him as he was dragged away, instead placing Chip on a tray with medical tools and then examining the battered body of the engineer.

"Who is this, Hook?" Megatron asked as he looked into Wheeljack's pained yet defiant blue optics.

"This is Wheeljack, the Autobot engineer," Hook replied, "He has a technology that could tip the balance of the war in the Autobots' favor. I am interrogating him in an effort to learn its secrets. Shall I continue my ministrations for you, Lord Megatron? I believe your presence will yield most interesting results."

"Wheeljack…" Chip uttered softly; tears streaking down the boy's face as he looked at the helplessness of his friend.

"Chip, do not waste your concern on this vile creature," Megatron scoffed, "He is an Autobot, and not worthy of your pity. Hook, call someone to escort Chip to guest quarters. I want him to be well cared for while he's here. After the human is out of our sight, you may continue."

"Yes, of course! With pleasure…" Hook said as he eyed the Autobot with twisted anticipation.

Wheeljack had to tilt his head back in order to be able to look at Chip. The boy felt his skin crawl as he imagined everything that was done and would be done to his friend. It wasn't fair! Wheeljack was a friendly and affable mech. How on earth could he get Wheeljack out of this? What did Megatron want with him? With either of them?

A minute later Rumble bounded into the room. He took one look at Megatron and tried not to laugh.

"Rumble, Lord Megatron has returned," Hook announced unnecessarily.

"Yeah, *snicker*, I can see that…" Rumble snorted a couple times and tried not to laugh at Megatron's ridiculous new paint, "I, uh, *snicker*, see you got a new look there, Megatron…*snicker*."

"Yeah, isn't it the coolest?!" Megatron gushed excitedly.

"Yeah boss, it's uh, *snicker*, great…" Rumble could barely contain himself as he stared up at that bright gold helm that was so mismatched to the rest of Megatron's plain metal finish, "So, where's the human?"

"Right here," Megatron said as he grabbed Chip and lowered him to where Rumble was standing.

Chip didn't want to go with Rumble. He wanted to stay there with Wheeljack. He wanted to free the Autobot prisoner and escape with him. He wanted to do all that, but he couldn't. If he defied Megatron all he would accomplish was a quicker death than necessary.

Realizing he had no options, he followed Rumble out into the halls of the Nemesis and hoped whatever they had planned for him wasn't too painful. He wondered for a moment if he could convince Megatron to free Wheeljack. Then again, anything the metal tyrant could want from Chip was probably more than the boy was willing to give. He couldn't let sensitive secrets fall into Decepticon hands, after all. Wheeljack wouldn't want it that way.