Author's Notes: This is a much shorter chapter than I meant to write, but the chapter ended so well where it was I decided to stop here and post it as-is. Hopefully the next one will be longer. Thank you guys for reading, and I hope you enjoy this chapter of "Poor Relations" :)
Chapter 7
Once Upon a Gestalt
After a few minutes of being forced to endure the dark red mech's company, the captured kids saw a large grey mech with spikes and reinforced armor enter the ground bridge room. They could see little flecks of green paint, so this was obviously the car that had driven them to Decepticon headquarters.
"Hey Dead End, when are the others supposed to be back?" The grey mech asked.
Others? Jack didn't like the sound that. He was visibly nervous around the new mech given his frightening appearance and the fact that Jack knew this guy had no qualms about hurting or even killing them if necessary. Add to that the fact that he was Breakdown's brother, and it was a recipe for disaster.
"They should be back with Bulkhead momentarily," Dead End replied nonchalantly, "Now, I'll take Miko to Knockout's medbay for examination."
Then Dead End picked up Jack by his shirt collar, causing the boy to yelp in protest, and then handed the human teenager to the scary grey mech.
"You can have this human. I don't want it," Dead End remarked offhandedly, "I'm keeping the little one, and Bulkhead can have Miko back as soon as he agrees to be our combiner-kin. Just be ready to join us when you're called, Wildrider."
"Yippee!" Wildrider exclaimed as he held Jack close to his face, "I get my own human! I wonder what they taste like."
"Just leave," Dead End ordered in an annoyed tone, and Jack gulped; wondering if this big brute was really planning on eating him.
Wildrider practically bounced and skipped all the way to his room, which caused Jack to feel airsick as he was jostled to and fro by the excited Decepticon. They made it to a small room that Jack assumed was the mech's personal quarters, further confirmed when Wildrider layed down on the berth and set Jack on top of his chassis. Jack hoped the big guy went to sleep quickly so that he could attempt an escape from this madhouse.
"What's yer name, human? I don't remember if ya told me," Wildrider inquired.
"My name is Jack," Jack replied; impatient for this guy to go into recharge but trying not to sound like it, "I already heard your name was Wildrider. So, um, goodnight, I guess."
"I want a story!" Wildrider demanded, and Jack looked at him in confusion, "Tell me a story, Jack! Make it a good one!"
"O-Okay," Jack stammered awkwardly, "What kind of books do you have around here?"
"None. I don't read books," Wildrider stated, "Just make one up."
"Fine," Jack sighed longsufferingly, "Once upon a time, there was a little boy that looked just like you."
"Wow, that guy must've been ugh-ly!" Wildrider commented with a chuckle, "What else?"
"Well, the little boy lived in a normal happy...happy land in the...mountains," Jack fumbled; trying to think of a story on the fly so this deranged mech didn't crush him, "One day he was tending his farm when he was beamed away to the kingdom in the sky."
"What happened to the farm?" Wildrider asked curiously.
"That's not important right now," Jack snapped quickly before continuing, "Anyway, the queen of the sky was in great trouble. Her husband, the wise and benevolent king of the sky had lost his spirit. His spirit had been stolen by the king of the shadows, and now the king of the sky was weak and ready to obey the shadow king's every command. The kingdom of the sky would be doomed if their rightful king was not returned to his rightful state. It was up to the little boy to save the king."
"Did he do it?" Wildrider interrupted once again.
"Um, yes," Jack replied; tired of trying to tell a story to this big brute, "The little boy found the USB drive where the shadow king had hidden the sky king's spirit, and the sky king was returned to normal. The sky king then kicked the shadow king's butt. The end."
"What if the sky king had never gotten his spirit back?" Wildrider asked, "I mean, what is a spirit? Does everybody have one? Do you have to back it up with an extra flash drive? Is it inside you? Do I have one in me right now? Agh! Get it out! I don't want a spirit! It's too much responsibility!"
"Oh, brother," Jack muttered under his breath, but then in a normal volume said, "Well, I guess for a Cybertronian the closest equivalent would be a spark. You have a spark, right?"
"The sky king lost his spark?" Wildrider asked obliviously.
Truth be told, Jack had based his flimsy story off the time he had to find the Matrix of Leadership to restore Optimus Prime's memory, but he didn't know how to explain that one to Wildrider. He could've just told that story, but this guy was a Decepticon, and the idea of Optimus Prime having a happily ever after might've driven him over the edge.
"Um, sort of," Jack replied uncertainly, "The sky king lost the part of him that made him who he was. It was more like he lost a vital part of his processor. Do you understand what I mean?"
"Oh, you mean like me," Wildrider nodded; believing he understood, "The sky king got turned stupid. Okay, now I get it."
"Turned stupid?" Jack asked, "You think you're stupid?"
"Of course I'm stupid," Wildrider replied; barely shrugging as he looked up at the boy on his chest, "I've always been stupid. Motormaster says I have a lot of nonsense in me. He don't like it, but Drag Strip knows how to knock the nonsense out. Breakdown used to know how to talk the nonsense out, but he can't do that no more because he died. I...I...I don't want Bulkhead. I don't wanna replace our leg. I don't wanna replace Breakdown. I miss Breakdown. I want Breakdown!"
Wildrider then did something Jack never expected; he started openly sobbing and leaking optic fluid. Jack fell into Wildrider's lap as the Decepticon sat up and cried even louder. Jack didn't know what to do. Should he try to comfort the Decepticon, or should he use the moment to try to escape while Wildrider was distracted?
"Where's Breakdown's spirit drive when you need it?" Wildrider sobbed pitifully, "We can't be Menasor without another mech, but I don't want another mech! I want my brother! Give him back! Make Breakdown be here!"
Jack could tell that Wildrider wasn't talking to him anymore. In fact, he wondered if Wildrider even knew who he was talking to. He could've been talking to Airachnid, to Knockout, to Megatron, to his brothers, or to whatever deity he believed in. In actuality he was probably talking to no one, but rather allowing his spark's desire to bubble forth in a barely-coherent fit of anguish.
Jack didn't know what to say, but it didn't feel right to leave someone in that state, even if that someone had kidnapped him. He felt like an idiot for staying, but stay Jack did. He patted the mech's leg and listened while Wildrider cried himself out. After a few more minutes Wildrider was laying back down and heaving large intakes of air. Jack just stayed on Wildrider's leg and tried not to be too conspicuous. He just hoped these mood swings didn't come back to bite him in the end.
Knockout had managed to have a peaceful day working on his finish and organizing his cabinets. No patients came in that day, and for some reason his assistant had decided not to show up for work that day. To say Knockout was relieved was an understatement.
His good mood and happy day were soon interrupted however when a familiar dark red menace came strolling in with two objects in his fists. It took Knockout a moment to register what Dead End had, but when he heard grunting and an attempt to escape he realized that Dead End had brought him humans.
"You won't get away with this, you Decepticon freak!" Miko shouted at Dead End, making Knockout realize that the Stunticon had brought him the Autobots' humans. As if the red medic wasn't tormented enough already.
"Dead End, what did you do?" Knockout asked in a flat tone of voice that indicated his displeasure.
"The Menasor conundrum has been solved," Dead End proclaimed proudly as he sat Miko down on the table, keeping a firm grip on Raf, "We have kidnapped Bulkhead's human, and that green barbarian is already on board the ship ready for the transfer. All you have to do is graft Bulkhead's spark signature into ours and upgrade his T-Cog, and then we'll have a fully functioning combiner unit again."
Knockout's optics went wide and he sputtered a few times; too shocked to do anything else. He wasn't familiar enough with the procedure to go through with it with any sort of confidence. He also couldn't believe the Stunticons went behind everyone else's backs. That wasn't the real problem though, oh no. The real problem was...
"Never," Knockout hissed resolutely, "I will never attach Bulkhead to a Decepticon gestalt. He was Breakdown's mortal enemy and I will not see him replace my best friend! Never! You can forget it!"
"We need him," Dead End replied simply, unwilling to give a better explanation than that.
"You don't outrank me, Dead End!" Knockout shouted indignantly, "You are my apprentice, and I am your boss! I say Bulkhead will never be a Stunticon, and that is final!"
"Motormaster is my boss," Dead End replied calmly; completely unshaken by Knockout's outburst, "And he wants Bulkhead on our team. If you want to argue with Motormaster then I say go ahead. It will only delay the inevitable."
As if summoned, Motormaster came in followed by Drag Strip and Bulkhead. Bulkhead looked at the operating table and saw Miko, and then he saw Raf being held in Dead End's miserable servo.
"Kids! Are you alright?" Bulkhead asked worriedly.
"Bulk!" Miko shouted as she ran toward him, but was stopped by Dead End's servo intercepting her, "Hey, back off you creep! I just wanna see Bulkhead!"
"You see, Autobrat?" Motormaster barked at Bulkhead, "The humans are fine. Now, get on the table. It's time for surgery."
Bulkhead looked nervous, the kids looked terrified, and Knockout looked incensed. That was the last straw.
"NO!" Knockout screamed at Motormaster, surprising everyone in the room, "I will not perform this surgery! Bulkhead doesn't deserve to be a Stunticon! You're crazy if you think I'll go along with this! Everyone get out of my medbay right now!"
The others in the room were stunned into silence, but Motormaster's optic ridges creased in silent fury. He took one menacing step closer to Knockout, and while Knockout didn't regret his decision yet he had a feeling he would in a moment.
"That's it, cherry aft. You've done it this time," Motormaster growled quietly at him; the low tone more threatening than his yell, "Bulkhead will be one of us, you will perform the surgery, and you will learn to like it or you will wish I was never built. Now, watch the humans. If I see so much as a red smear on the ground where they used to be I'll kill you myself. Got it?"
"Y-Yes sir," Knockout stammered; unsure why such an order was given but not about to question it.
"Good," Motormaster spat, "Come on Drag Strip, we've gotta have a little talk with Megatron. Dead End, guard the prisoners."
"Including Knockout?" Dead End asked with a sardonic smile.
"Shut up," Motormaster growled as he stormed off with a jittery Drag Strip trailing behind him.
Knockout didn't know how Motormaster would spin this or if Megatron would even take his side on matters, but he did know one thing. He was recharging with one optic open after this was all over.