HELLO AGAIN! I am sorry I have been out of the picture for so long… A lot has changed in my life, starting with how I finally quit my long term pickle job, and finally moved out of my mouse infested family home. I moved back to the city I grew up in and even found a new apartment next to the Paine Art Center (the Oshkosh museum). It's a great location and the rent is reasonable… And my shower actually runs on hot water. In Nirvana every night now! I used to have to take military showers in the middle of winter.

My new job didn't pan out and right after I quit (which I never quit a job; it was shockingly that bad) I caught Covid. I don't mean to preachy, but for God sakes people this is real! Wear your masks, wash your hands, and stop going to bars at night! No one is impenetrable to this! (Sorry if I yelled T.T)

Anyway, despite being sick and out of work for almost a month you think I would have plenty of time to type. I did for a little while, you know, when I wasn't sleeping off a headache. Two things kept me from going completely nuts from cabin fever. My sisters, who I live practically right next door to, and my friends on Discord.

Instacart was an inspiration for me to find work, and I managed to get a great job working as a Professional Shopper at Woodman's. I love this job and honestly, I have never been happier. So when I say I'm going to be doing better to keep up with my stories, I now mean it.

So for my special shout outs are to everyone fighting, preying, and surviving 2020. We are all struggling, but we are struggling together and hopefully on the other side we will come out stronger. Please. Please, everybody reading this. Be smart, be safe, and be kind. We will survive this, and thanks for reading.

Remember, don't be afraid to leave a review and tell me what you think. I love to hear from my readers and fellow fan writers. XD

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any stocks, trades, or licensing from the Transformers franchise. All rights are reserved for HASBRO entertainment.

MERCY

Chapter 38

"We must accept finite disappointment,
But never lose infinite hope."

-Martian Luther King Jr.

"Commander Soundwave? Are you busy?" Clearly the Communications Officer had his servos full as he continued to monitor his surveillance station with indifference. However, his multi-tasking skills were unmatched to anyone existing in the universe, so often times if he did not acknowledge a Con behind him it wasn't because he was too busy, he just didn't find you important enough for his attention. This mech however, was persistent in getting the silent flyer's attention. "I don't mean to intrude on you during such a critical time, but I believe I have found your symbiote."

The slim silent mech spun on his heels so fast he gave the drone behind him whiplash. That was a blessing compared to being restrained by a data feeler around his neck cables then thrown upon the wall behind him. His large pedes swung in the air since he was no longer standing on the platform and was dangling above the drop off below it. It took him a moment realize that Laserbeak was no longer in his hands but had just enough perception to see she was taken away by a second data feeler and was firmly cradled in her master's wing struts. The tendril around the restrained mech's neck tightened as Soundwave examined his symbiote with anxiety filled concern.

"Ack…! C-Commander? I can assure you that Laserbeak is still functioning and very much unharmed… If you could, perchance… Put me down please?"

"Request: In consideration. High recommendation: Silence…" Rage was another not all that common show of emotion for the stoic Con, and he had his own unique way of showing it. Compared to his leader or even the first Lieutenant (former or previous), Soundwave was much more subtle in his aggression, but there was no lack of passion behind it. However, as his examination of Laserbeak's condition became less and less worrisome, the third in Command lessened his strain on the random flyer in his midst. "Confirmation required: Laserbeak's most previous location."

"She was… Wiggling her way out of a ventilation shaft and got stuck." The tall drone sighed as he was gently set back down onto the platform. He was kept away at an arms-length, but he was fully released upon touching his pedes on the grated floor. "I tried to come to her rescue, but she pulled herself out with her data feelers too fast and hit the wall ahead of her processor first. I assure you Commander Soundwave; I have given her a proper examination before returning her. She merely knocked herself out."

He was telling the truth. Soundwave had no doubt as he reattached her to his chassis. Laserbeak was still locked in her recharge, but she could tell in her unconscious state that she was home. The symbiote softly purred in her sleep as she felt her energy replenish nearly immediately. She even stretched her wings before permanently roosting over the soothing sound of her master's spark fluxing under her belly plating. Soundwave strummed his thin digits over her metal and in his reprieve, he became relaxed in front of the random trooper. Noticing how slack he was acting he straightened himself immediately. Professionalism was of the at most importance to Soundwave's personality.

"No need to be so punctual on my behalf Commander Soundwave." The drone bowed as he crossed his arm vertically over his opposite shoulder. "I understand if this was a fright for you. Laserbeak is very lucky to have a caretaker so dedicated to her… And a very beautiful one at that."

The third in command wasn't expecting flattery, or at least not on the scale of full on gushing. Strangely enough however, he found himself reacting positively to such dribble. Soundwave tried to chalk up such a reaction to a heat cycle. It was difficult for him to tell when he would get one since he no longer had a gestation chamber anymore, but he still got them on an irregular bases. His last one was almost five years ago, a long time for any Bearer born mech regardless of equipment. So the fact that he was overdue for one made sense, and the way the drone had kindly treated Laserbeak and respectfully returned her to his wing struts unharmed earned the flyer some clemency. But that didn't mean Soundwave was foolish enough to presume that everything was alright on the surface. Later, he would do an internal diagnostics on Laserbeak's systems and make sure nothing was tampered with. First priority, making sure the ship was still functioning under Megatron's rule in his absence. He was preparing to leave the communications bridge and head for the Main bridge, before the mysterious Eradicon had interrupted his transition.

"Soldier: Designation request?"

"My name Commander?" The other flyer tilted his helm, mimicking his forced curious tone. "I am called Antaeus. I am one of the few drones on the ship without a designation number."

"Understood: Eradicon Drone Antaeus: Collective fracture of first developed models." Soundwave took note of Antaeus's body language when he addressed the tall flyer of his heritage. His left side recoiled and he hunched his shoulders. The navy blue military drone did not intend to make the savior of his symbiote feel uncomfortable. It was this notion that compelled Soundwave to extend an odd invitation. "Antaeus: Request presence for designated date. Intention: Compensation for loyalty."

"A gift? For me, my Commander?" The Eradicon snickered as he lightly covered the base of his battle visor. An attempt to combat his obvious fake blushing. "I am honored. What time shall I return to your side?"

The invitation for a rendezvous was already a surprise in itself, but what was downright shocking was the new location of their rondevous. "Designated time: Informed the next day. Location: Third in command Soundwave's private quarters."

"Aye, aye Commander…" Antaeus mumbled as he stretched his bounded arms in the air above him. Slowly, his processor began to online and the large flyer came to a quick conclusion that he had been dreaming… After embarrassingly getting knocked unconscious by the mech he had been preying upon for years. On one hand, the Eradicon was on his backside, half sunken in the mud, and bound by standard stasis cuffs. On the other hand, they were standard stasis cuffs, which meant there was a large chance they were old and not properly charged. With one swift motion of his wrists being slammed against a large rock confirmed his theory as the damaged metal shattered like glass.

Once he was free from his restraints, the tall mech just stayed where he was lying in the wet dirt. He watched little droplets of rainwater collect over his red visor that he realized had a large crack scathing over his right optic. He didn't even need to look over his chassis to know there was a large dent down the curve of his left side. What really caught him by surprise was the feeling of something thick and damp pooling around his lip-plates. It wasn't until he opened the base of his mask that he could taste the tang of his own cycled energon in his mouth. The fresh and moist air made the flavor of his blood slightly burn on his glossa as he spat out a piece of his dental plating.

Antaeus was without a doubt furious. He was angry, spiteful, and filled with what he called delightful fury. Nothing made him happier in his deranged filled life than the uncontrollable feeling of pure hatred. It was what fueled him in his depravity and the angrier he got, the more violent his retaliation would be. The violet mech quietly chuckled to himself as he licked the rest of his blood from his lips, then as he slowly stood on his shaky leg struts, he started to laugh. He rose higher and higher up right while his laughter became louder and more maniacal. The Eradicon cried Steve's name out to the sky and the sin behind his thoughts burned in the air while his exhaust misted above his faceplate.

"I'm coming for you Steve! Ha! Ha-hah! And I'm going to drag you down to the Pits with me!" Antaeus took to the air with a running start. A loud crack of thunder revealed to be his only witness to his proclamation.

"Please young master…" Steve sighed worriedly as he reached for the young model in front of him. The carrying mech was clearly getting tired from hiking through the mud riddled forest and was slowing nearly to a halt. "Allow me to carry you the rest of the way. All of this exertion cannot be good for you."

"I'm fine, really." Cass huffed though weak air vents that were basically dowsed in rainwater. "You shouldn't try carrying me with a damaged wrist anyway. You could aggravate or rebreak the mending."

After nearly tripping over his own pedes for the uncountable time that day, Cass thought it was a good idea to suggest a break, but then remembered there was just not enough time. He needed to keep going and get back to the ship, and preferably before Megatron got to his quarters.

"Do you need to stop a minute?" The taller Vehicon curled his arm respectively under Cass's opposite shoulder. "Or I can carry you the rest of the way. It's not far from here now, so it wouldn't be any trouble."

"It might be for the best, but I don't want to aggravate your wrist injury."

"It's fine if you lean on my strongest strut. Besides, I was fine carrying you before when the other one was still snapped in half." Carefully Steve scooped the carrying mech in the crook of his arm. With his damaged arm he guided Cass's servos over his shoulders and neck so he could stable himself properly. "Just try not to move too much."

"Alright…" Cass spoke softly as he grasped the larger wheel-well. "I don't mean to rush, but… I honestly hope Megatron doesn't even know I'm missing right now."

"Are you worried what he might do to you if he finds out you are missing?" The other drone whispered in sympathy. "He wouldn't do anything to hurt you, would he?"

"Too me? No…" The younger model shook while biting his bottom lip nervously. "I'm more concerned for your well-being. I have seen Megatron lose his temper in full fury before, but I am very certain he would never hurt me."

"Not while you're still carrying his heir."

"I wouldn't really be that black and white about it." It didn't take a lot to offend Cass, but he wasn't without his limits. His patients however, outweighed his need to process anger. "There is much I have yet to discover of our leader… But I know in my Spark that he… He loves me. I have come to love him." His left servo cradled over his swollen torso. Mercy gently vibrated in place, reflecting the emotions emitting from her Bearer. "This life we have created together emerged out of nowhere, but I have no doubt she will be born into love."

"She? You already know her gender?" A change of subject seemed ideal, and Steve did his best to course the conversation into small talk. It worked only for a little while.

"Not yet, it's just a strong hunch now until I get the results from Officer Knockout." Sadness loomed over Cass's processor while he pondered with his thoughts. "That's the least of my concerns at the moment. Feme or mech, either one is not important. She or he, will be cherished non-the-less. I'm much more concerned about your welfare."

"Mine?" Steve also pondered aloud and continued to climb over debris sticking out of the soiled earth. He needed to steady himself a couple of times before continuing his questioning. "Why worry for me? I'm one of your kidnappers?"

"I have already made the decision to forgive you." The little drone on his shoulder murmured. "But Megatron is not as understanding as I am… If he discovers your involvement in my disappearance… He'll make sure you disappear from me. I will never know what happens to you until your demise is echoed through the rumors whispered down the corridors—."

"I think I get it." The taller Grounder interrupted. Cass blinked in embarrassment when he felt the shoulder he was sitting on shiver beneath him. "Yeesh. For a shy mech you can be really blunt when you want to."

"Sorry…"

The rest of the hike was spent in silence that was rather welcomed. It wasn't awkward in any sense, but there was a quiet thought that nothing more really needed to be said. It made the air seem eerie only a little, but it was a relief when they reached their destination moments later. Cass slipped slowly down the length of his caretaker's arm and leaned against a boulder. Steve rotated the gears in his neck and shoulders before turning on his comm links. The final checkpoint was an open clearing in the middle of the unidentified forest around them. A blueish hue encased Cass's armor from the everlasting overcast of rain clouds forming above him. It was cold yet and the moisture rolling down his back didn't offer any reprieve, but the little drone felt confident he would be home soon.

"Bob?" Steve stepped over to the edge of the clearing and stood a few yards away from a bluff overlooking a river. His back turned away from the carrying mech and briefly divulged himself of his responsibilities to Cass's security. The young model didn't appear to mind the lack of attention and even relished the time to himself. It was the first sense of peace he felt since this whole ordeal started, and he didn't even mind that he could not hear Steve's voice any longer. He could still see the other Vehicon and it gave Cass enough confidence to unwind just a little more by stretching over the frigid stone beneath him. Soon he slowly closed his optics so he could daydream of a soon to come warm berth, and left Steve to his devises. "Bob? Come in Bob. Do you read me?"

The storm worsened as Steve was replied with nothing but continued static, meaning for the time being he and the carrying mech were stranded for the for seeable future. The drone sighed but did his best not to reflect his worry as he returned to Cass's side. He immediately noticed the shivering in the young model's shoulders, and in the most respectful of intentions, wrapped his arm around the small back. "Lean against me and collect as much heat as you can. We might be here longer than I intended."

"Are you not cold as well?" Cass quivered in the loose hold over his frame and yawned from his exhaustion. In turn, Steve briefly sped his engine block, attempting to produce more warmth around his metal. It appeared to work as the smaller mech relaxed and even half shuttered his optics in relief. They fluttered back on a mere second later when a rumbling in his tanks reminded him, he was not alone with Steve. "Oomph… Easy Mercy. We will be home soon."

"Oh… You're talking too…?" Now Steve was also aware of Mercy again. He had forgotten about the little life because he did his best not to acknowledge her. Not that the taller grounder didn't care of her existence, he just found her development to be a bit off putting. Cass was the first carrying mech he had ever met, so the concept of life developing inside of someone was foreign and even intimidating. The smaller mech quickly caught on to Steve's discomfort, and he found the coy nature of his friend to be quiet charming.

"Would you like to feel?"

"Wha…?! Wait? What?" Flabbergasted, the Vehicon nearly slipped off the boulder he was leaning on. The question itself was shocking enough, but he wasn't expecting to feel so nervous and following his reaction was more questions. Should he try touching Cass in such away? Was this appropriate? What exactly would he feel under that big and roly-poly metal plating? What would happen if Megatron found out he did? "I-I…! Um… I don't know if that would be…"

"It's alright." Cass giggled as he manipulated one of Steve's hands over his black plating. The taller mech attempted to withdraw at first, but the other grounder's smile assured him he would survive the strange ordeal. "Officer Knockout says at this stage of development, her protoform is beginning to take shape and her legs and arms are trying to make room as she grows. Oh! Did you feel that one? I think she might become as strong as her sire."

Steve wondered if he should be worried about that for a mere second, before he became entranced by the subtle bump below his palm. There really was something under that plating. Something small but strong for its size, and the Vehicon nearly gasped from what he could only describe as a surreal trilling below the curved metal. He now had even more questions about how this life would one day come to be. Are sparklings like drones when they are born? Conscious but still growing and developing knowledge? How small was this tiny life going to be when it came to be? How long would it take her to grow? And how exactly was she going to get out? The grounder was suddenly shocked with himself with how little he knew about sparklings and their evolution, but how could he expect to educate himself on something that could never happen to him. Or rather could never happen for him.

"You have been such a loyal servant… A very generous lover." Starscream's voice slipped into his mind once again. "If I could reward your devotion by continuing your legacy in this universe I would." At this point Steve was used to hearing the voices of ghosts echo in resonance of his spark, but this one was different. He thought back on the most recent of these delusions, and he believed them to possibly be memories. It filled him with a sense of appreciation and if he dared himself to say aloud, he would have admitted he also felt love. But was it because he felt loved, or because he still felt undying devotion to his Commander? At this point a scary thought emerged from the dark depths of his CPU, and now he feared he was in love with apparition. A specter he had created to comfort him in times he felt confused. He now worried that these were not even memories, but remnants of a fantasy he took too far. Which meant he fell for Antaeus's and Arachnid's trap for no good reason.

"Are you okay Steve?" Cass squeezed the servo over his abdomen, observing the near immediate change of mood. In response, Steve lightly shook his helm and forced a small grin over his faceplate.

"I'm fine… Just a little lost in my thoughts." Enough time had passed so the older mech slipped away from Cass. "I think I will try to reach my contact again. Stay here for now. The boulder should shelter you from the wind."

"Um… Very well." The young model blushed, hoping he didn't do to anything to make Steve uncomfortable. When Steve was out of earshot, Cass yawned softly as he began to mumble to himself. "I wish I had the equipment to fix my comm links. I would have contacted the Commander by now. I wonder if he knows I am in trouble like the last time… Then again, it would probably be best if he remained unaware. Someone needs to be on the bridge and keep Arachnid from doing something crazy."

"Not to worry child… Arachnid has commandeered me to carry out her need for crazy things." A gravel filled voice hung over Cass's helm and before he could react in any way he was pulled against a cold dark and dented violet alloy. His arms were firmly restrained to his sides so tightly he nearly passed out from lack of Energon flow through his chassis, but the little drone fought to stay alert. He knew straight away who was holding onto him and kept still in fear of what this monster may do to him or his unborn.

"Surrendering already little one? Good! Very… Very good… I usually like it when my prey puts up a little bit of a fight, but… I'm a little tired. Almost as tired as you." The graveled voice heaved; it's horrid breath rolled down the side of Cass's cheek plating. It was hot, thick, and in a strange way a little sticky, which explained why the smaller mech was trembling so fiercely in disgust. It set his spark ablaze and he called out again for his lover's comfort. A quiet plea slipped into the dark ahead of him, for there was nothing more for the young model to do but hope and pray. He was never a fighter to begin with, and the very idea of trying to kick himself away was out of the question. Otherwise he would risk not only hurting himself, but Mercy as well. He learned his lesson earlier that day when the Con restraining him tried to force him to earth with no regard for his fears. Still, when those large and dirt covered claws tried to slip down the curve of his abdomen, he jolted. An action that would prove to be a mistake as the taller mech tightened his hold and violently clasped his giant hand under Cass's chin. "Don't do that! I have not been given the order to terminate you yet! But nothing was mentioned about your little mineral in the cube!"

Cass's faceplate shook violently by the actions of his captor, enticing him to finally cry out. "No! No! Help!"

"Antaeus!" Steve retuned from around the boulder, his weapons drawn, and his face locked in intimidation. He was just as tired as Cass was, and he was so low on Energon that his firearms would virtually be useless. They could not function without a steady supply, so the taller Vehicon held out hope that Antaeus was as exhausted as they were. "Let him go! Now!"

"Blast me!" The deranged Eradicon dared him. "Do it! I know your aim is good enough! You can hit me without nicking this sweet little miracle!"

Antaeus taunted him further by shaking Cass's chin so brutally that a tip of a claw pierced the side of his cheek. Cass cried again while clutching his servos into balled up fists in an attempt to elevate the sting. It burned a little when the digit finally retracted, and the young model did his best not to sob. He noticed right away how the burning sensation seamed to last longer than expected and felt like acid. Did this drone actually have acidic lines in his servo? Only the most unhinged of Cybertronians use such methods in the battlefield which shouldn't have come as such a surprise to him. What did surprise Cass was the sudden contempt he had for another drone. A feeling of utter hatred that was completely foreign to the innocent young mech, and it encouraged him to call out his frustrations in words he never thought he would use.

"Sh-Shoot him! For the love of Primus! Just shoot him! Ah! Unh…"

A numbing pain shot through the side of his neck, but it was quickly forgotten. Everything was now melting away in front of him and he could feel his legs struts cave beneath him. "S~Stee~eeve…" He managed mumble feebly on a soft intake. Moments later his helm slumped forward and the needle Antaeus forced through his cables withdrew with light drops of cycled energon leaving a trail across his shoulder.

"Caspian!" Steve shouted and needed to restrain himself from lunging forward. That monster of an Eradicon still had the carrying mech held tight and if he made the wrong move, Antaeus wouldn't hesitate to kill him. It wasn't an exaggeration, the Vehicon could attest to the evil mech's insanity. Whether he was under orders from a higher up or not, Antaeus did whatever he pleased, because right and wrong were just two sides of the same coin. But Steve wasn't going to take it any longer and was going to make sure this monster faced the consequences for his actions. Even if it meant he would need to do something drastic. "What did you do to him?!"

"I just gave him a little sedative to calm his nerves." The tall flyer smiled deviously, and he pulled his unconscious captive flat against his frame. He salivated a little bit over Cass's audio-fin as his excitement built up to the point his metal was quivering. He was so close to finally getting what he desired, and he was losing all the restraint he had left in the universe. He wanted Steve to suffer. To bleed. To scream. And he knew just which buttons to push. "Actually, it is a tad more potent than that. It was actually diluted Tox-n mixed with coolant. As you can see, it can really knock a mech of his pedes, and with any luck this poor little innocent will wake up forgetting this whole ordeal… If he wakes up."

"You bastard!" Steve cursed in the human tongue since he could not find a single word in his own language to properly describe such deplorable evil. "Have you nothing gleaming in your own spark chamber?! He is carrying for Primus sake! You could have killed his…! Sparkling… But that's… That's not your plan, is it…?" It finally dawned on Steve what this mission Arachnid and Antaeus sent him was really about. They weren't going to hold Cass hostage; they were going to take his Sparkling for ransom. They were going to harvest the Sparkling and leave the drone like mech for dead. "No… You can't."

"I can with the proper tools…" Antaeus sneered and played with the smaller mech's lip-plates. "And my mistress just so happened to give them to me… But I have plenty of time to come back to that later. First, I want to enjoy my reward given to me so long ago… Put away your weapons Steve. This game of cat and mouse is over between us. I have won."

Steve growled angerly, but he knew the Eradicon was right. There was no way out of it this time. Not without sacrificing Cass and the life with in him. But even if Steve gave himself up to this behemoth's perversions, the Eradicon would just go right back to what he was doing before. His only hope of getting Cass out of this alive was if Bob pulled through and opened a ground bridge. All he could do was buy time, through surrendering to this heathen.

"You're right Antaeus…" Steve retracted his weapons and held his arms up parallel to his shoulders. He closed optics which filled with large beads of tears. This was it. The end of the line for what was left of the Vehicon's innocence, and he prayed that his sacrifice would buy enough time for Cass to get rescued. "Set Caspian aside. Gently! And… I won't put up a fight. Come and… Take me."

"You're going to the berth and recharging now." Breakdown huffed sternly at his Bondmate whilst cradling the tired Aston Martin over the side of his frame. Knockout's waist rested in the crook of the tank like grounder's arm and he smiled sheepishly when those very large metallic digits curled in just the right place over his abdominal plating. It warmed his cold metal, but he was so exhausted the medic could barely find the strength to truly appreciate the kind gesture. The chargepak he used on himself was wearing off faster then he predicted it would, but he knew that Soundwave was still going to need back up. Arachnid was subdued by the silent Third in Command for now, but it Megatron didn't get back to the Nemesis soon, she would try to take control over of the ship once more.

"I can't Breakdown… There is too much to be done…"

"And I will handle it." Enough was enough. Knockout had made plenty, if not too many, sacrifices for the needs of others. Breakdown was going to see to it that the drained red mech would stay in bed. "You have to rest now. You need to recharge and regain your strength, or you are going to kill yourself… And I can't continue this war without you."

"Oh… Love of my life…" Knockout purred weakly, not even noticing his own pedes were now being dragged along the floor. "Am I now frightening you? I am sorry…"

"I will forgive you if you rest…" His lover whispered as he swept the lovely doctor into his embrace and continued the slow walk to their dorm. Knockout was unconscious the second his leg struts were curled over Breakdown's opposite arm. As he tilted his helm back sleepily, his faceplate flushed a beautiful blue. The sight compelling Breakdown to deliver multiple kisses to the blush over the porcelain white face. Knockout resembled an angel to his lover when he was asleep in his embrace, and his vulnerability was never taken advantage of, but Breakdown could never resist stealing a deep kiss. "I love you…"

He wasn't far from their chambers, and Breakdown debated for minute whether to join his mate in recharge. Despite his concerns for Soundwave on the Main Bridge, there was still a small window of time to rest. Breakdown knew if he did it wouldn't do much to replenish his power reserves, but it was better than a sharp stick in his optic. Plus their current patients were still resting after all, so if he could take the chance to rest as well, he probably should. A sudden and loud crash in the med-bay relinquished such wishful thinking. One of the drones must be alert now and very confused.

"Uh… What?" Knockout heard the clattering as well and drowsily perked his audio-fins.

"Shhhh…" Breakdown hushed his tired Bondmate as he carried him through the threshold of the dorm. "I will take care of it. You stay powered down."

He didn't mean to rush, but the giant mech didn't have a lot of room to be graceful. Not that the former Wrecker was very graceful to begin with. "Stay here. I will be back for you." He whispered, intending to be sweet as he placed Knockout on the pull-out berth in the living area. However, he rushed himself out the door, feeling slightly guilty he didn't have time to kiss his mate goodbye as he flew into the next room. There, he found Bob crawling on the floor. A tray of random tools lay strewn around him and one of them had cut some of his bandaging as he tried to maneuver across the room.

"Stop Bob…" The blue mech quickly turned the medical berth up right before carefully tucking his hands under the smaller mech's frame. "You're in the med-bay. You are safe."

"No…" Bob squirmed a little in Breakdown's hold, but he was to weak to properly fight for his freedom. "G-Ground Bridge… I need to… Open… Emergency Ground Bridge…"

"What you need is a proper recharge, and another patch job." Breakdown was getting tired of saying that. Why was nobody listening to him and just staying in their berths? Most Cons would kill to have the chance to recharge for long hours, and some actually had. "You must be waking from a bad flux Bob… You're still on the ship. You don't need a bridge."

With determination, Bob clasped his servos over the collar of Breakdown's armor and pulled himself up too the giant's audios. "Not for me! F-For Caspian! He is in danger! Steve…! Steve… Is…"

"What are you talking about?" Breakdown now rushed to set the Eradicon back down onto the berth, and just as quickly rebandaged his wing strut. He wasn't sure yet if he should believe the disoriented flyer or not, but he would be lying if he didn't admit he was starting to feel a tinge of concern. "Caspian is in Megatron's quarters… And is probably the only one actually trying to recharge."

"Please…!" Bob was not going to let up on this argument. He was right and knew for a fact he was not dreaming. His only fortune in this scenario is that out of all the higher ups he got stuck with to explain his dilemmas, he managed to get Breakdown. Breakdown was the only superior that at least tried to take the lower class troops seriously. So Bob begged. He begged as if the universe were coming to an end, because in his mind, his world would come to a full stop if anything happened to Cass. "Officer Breakdown I am not making this up! Arachnid has arranged for Caspian's kidnapping! Steve is trying to…! Trying to…!"

"Steve is in my berth chamber resting… There is no way he could get out without me or Officer Knockout unlocking the shutter mechanism." The blue mech shook his helm while he reached over his patient to grab a cooling pack. Noticing how warm Bob's metal was, he thought maybe the wounded Eradicon was creating delusions from a climbing fever. "Both you and Steve have gone through something horrible. You both need to calm down and rest. Please Bob, power down. If it will help you feel better, I will go to Megaton's chambers and check on him."

"Coordinates…" The flyer's helm felt heavy. He was about to fall unconscious again, but he had one last thing to say. Perhaps the most important proof he could provide that something wasn't right, and he needed the gentle giant to take his concerns seriously. "Coordinates… Are in… S-S-Space… Su-S-Space…"

"In space?" The former Wrecker shook his helm berefted by his brief skepticism. "How can Cass be in space? The construction for a new Space Bridge hasn't started yet. I don't think Megatron even green lit the project yet…? Wait? Did you mean subspace? Your subspace has…?"

Bob was out, finally, and Breakdown had his qualms about rifling through another mech's subspace without first asking, but if Bob was telling the truth. Then this would be the only way the blue mech could see if this delusion was real, and if he were wrong then it was perhaps better to beg for forgiveness then to ask permission. At least for now it was the best option.

Breakdown's spark sank when he discovered a small disposal datapad tucked away behind an aid kit and tattered cloth. He immediately connected it to a docking port and discovered that there was a collection of coordinates; clearly check-points, and each of them coded to Vehicon Drone ST-3V3.

"Primus!" The tank like grounder dashed out the door. First, he would need to confirm that Cass and Steve were missing, then he would find Soundwave and regretfully tell him his carrying youngling was in danger. As he turned the first corner, a dreaded question echoed in his CPU. "Oh Steve…! What have you gotten yourself into? Or… What have you done?"

-END-