Authors Notes- And here I am finally back with yet another chapter of Getting Under Her Armor. Sorry, it look me like forever to get back to this story, life you know? But never less I'm finally back and as you can gather by now I don't own Transformers Prime. That belongs to Hasbro, I'm merely borrowing them for my own amusement. Now that we got that out of the way here is Chapter Five of Getting Under Her Armor. I hope you enjoy!
Chapter Five: Escape
When Wheeljack first roused he first thing he registered was the unbearable pain radiating from his chestplate. And the sound of someone moving around in the darkness. What had happened? And more to the point where was he? Groaning Wheeljack Struggled to get to his feet, only to collapse once again. Narrowed optics scanning the darkness for the source of the noise as things slowly came back to him. Remembering that he and Arcee had been sent on a mission to rescue Bulkhead and Bumblebee. Only to find them injured and down for the count, and to top it off? Dreadwing had been here too.
A sliver of anger formed in Wheeljack's chestplate as he recalled the Decepticon, remembering wanting to extinguish the Decepticons spark. Black hatred forming in his chestplate. Hatred for what the 'Con had done to Seaspray. To several Autobots, the moment Wheeljack had laid his optics on the Decepticon he had seen red. If Arcee had said something to him he hadn't heard it as he lunged for Dreadwing. And anything after that? Well, Wheeljack was drawing a blank, but something told him that Dreadwing still lived. Something brushed against his arm. Jerking him from his thoughts, optics blazing, his blaster trained on the person next to him.
"Arcee..." Wheeljack sighed, lowering his blaster, the corner of his mouth turning upwards at the sight of the feme.
His smile quickly melting away as he looked her over, safe to say she looked like scrap. And he was pretty sure he didn't look any better.
"I see you're still with us." Arcee commented, thought her voice sounded pained, obviously she wasn't fairing too well either.
"It takes a lot to take me out." Wheeljack commented with a faint chuckle, only to wince in pain once more. Hiss through his denta as he continued to look at Arcee. Noting energon marring her features, her right arm hanging limp at her side, and a nasty gash in her left side.
"You must have nine lives." Arcee said, crouching down in front of him.
"Nine lives?" Wheeljack asked.
Arcee only shook her head as she examined the wrecker. Her touch sending shivers through Wheeljack's chassis. "Looks like Dreadwing really did a number on you." She continued, eyeing the gaping wound in Wheeljack's chestplate. "Any higher and you would be one with the Allspark." She finished, placing Wheeljack's hand back over the gaping wound.
"Would you miss me if I died, Cee'?" Wheeljack asked, humor tinting his voice, causing Arcee to bristle. Of course he would make a joke about it at a time like this.
Did he take nothing seriously? Giving her head a shake she turned to face him once more. "Maybe. But I know Bulkhead would-"
"Bulkhead!" Wheeljack shouted, cutting her off and startling Arcee. "Where's Bulkhead? Is he all right? And Bumblebee?" Wheeljack's eyes were wide as he struggled to his feet once more.
Arcee shushed him. "Easy...easy they're both okay, Wheeljack." Arcee reassured him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "They're over there." She said, pointing to the other side of the cave, both offline, but alive.
Wheeljack felt relief wash over him as he looked to them, then took a moment to look around the cave they were currently trapped in. "So," he spoke again, Arcee looking to him once more. Watching as Wheeljack looked around the dark and dusty cave. "Any idea on how we're going to get out of here?" He asked, noting that their exit was blocked.
Obviously another gift from Dreadwing, thinking that he would bury them alive. Wheeljack couldn't wait to see the 'Cons face when they got out of here and ran into him again.
Arcee sighed, leaning against the wall beside him. "I have no idea." She said, her head falling back, looking up at the dusty ceiling. "While you were out I tried contacting the base, and nothing. But maybe they'll come looking for us if either Ratchet or Optimus don't hear back from us." She said.
Wheeljack chuckled, the corners of his mouth turning upward, the smile sending a flutter through Arcee's spark before she forced herself to look away.
"And from the looks of things the Doc will have a field day putting us back together." Wheeljack said, looking down at himself, smile disappearing as he took in his wound once more. No doubt he would be down for the count for quite a while.
But compared to Bulkhead and Bumblebee he had been worst. "How's Bulk and the kid?" he asked after a long while.
Arcee chewed on her bottom lip as she followed his gaze to the two downed Autobots. Occasionally Bumblebee's optics would flicker on and Bulkhead would groan and shift slightly.
"They're alive." Arcee said. But the question was for how long? She knew if neither of them got medical attention and fast Bulkhead and Bumblebee wouldn't be with them for long.
No, She thought, scowling. I can't think like that. We'll get out of here, we have to. As she thought that she got to her feet once more, and moved around the cave. Energon dripped from her wounds as pain lanced through her body.
Wheeljack watched as she moved around the cave. Energon dripping from her wounds bas she did. And as she continued to move around, her optics narrowed he saw that she walked with a limp. "You should take a load off." He said as he continued to watch her. He could see that she was trying to find away out of this mess they were in. And was currently going nowhere. "You and me, we can work someway out of here so just relax." As he told her this he patted the ground beside him as Arcee looked to him once more.
Arcee sighed, before looking around the cave once more, a low growl of frustration escaping her lips as she moved to sit beside him once more. A sigh escaping her lips as she leaned against the rock wall.
"We'll get out of here." Wheeljack said, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Arcee said nothing as she looked off in the distance, when Wheeljck had been down and out she had commed the Autobot base over and over again, hoping and praying that she got through. And nothing, how long had they been down here? Hours? Days? Arcee didn't know but she wanted out. And not just because two of her friends were hurt severely but because of the mech currently sitting beside her, hand resting on her shoulder, sending shivers through her chassis before she swatted it away. A mech she had been so certain would have died, and still might.
"Sorry just trying to be comforting." Wheeljack sighed, hand resting on his lap. Obviously Arcee hadn't forgotten about that kiss, he thought, rolling his optics.
Heaving a sigh of his own he watched the femme from the corner of his optic. Watching as she offlined her optics, lips parted. He couldn't put his finger on it, but despite himself he found himself constantly thinking about her. There was just something about Arcee that drew him to her. Something he hadn't felt in a long while.
"You're staring." Arcee commented, optics still offline.
Wheeljack blinked, mouth falling open, his faceplate heating up. And now she caught him off guard. "Sorry just lost in thought." Wheeljack mumbled.
Arcee looked to him, optics narrowed. "Oh, really and what exactly were you thinking about?" she asked.
Wheeljack was silent as he tried to come up with something when he found the perfect thing. The very thing he had been thinking about before his thoughts turned to Arcee. "What do you think Dreadwing was looking for?" He asked. "I know before he trapped us in here he said something about a Decepticon ship. And something tells me that ship in question might have something on it that might make things more difficult for us." He said.
At that Arcee nodded, she had recalled Dreadwing saying something like that. "You might be right, and what's worst is that we're stuck here while that information is on its way to Megatron."
Silence fell over the two once more as Wheeljack once again found himself watching Arcee. And this time Arcee said nothing as she offlined her optics once again. And as she did that Wheeljack moved closer, optics never leaving her faceplate all the while ignoring the pain radiating from his chestplate.
"We'll get out of here." Wheeljack whispered, his voice barely audible as he continued to look to Arcee as her optics came back online. "Prime will come for us, and when we do..." Wheeljack trailed off, a dark look crossing over his faceplate as he looked to her once more. "We'll make certain that the 'Cons don't get to that ship."
Arcee was silent as she looked to him, the corner of her mouth turning upwards as she moved closer to him. A sign escaping her lips as she nodded before leaning against him, exhaustion gripping her as she rested her head on his shoulder. She hoped he was right. As she thought that she slowly drifted off into a recharge.
Silence permeated the command room of the Nemesis as Megatron scrolled through the datapad Dreadwing hand handed to him. The Decepticon in question knelt before him, head lowered. A wide grin crept across Megatron's faceplate as he handed the datapad to the ever silent Soundwave. Ordering him to analyze it before turning his attention to Dreadwing once more. Hands clasped behind his back.
"You have done well, Dreadwing." Megatron said, causing the Decepticon crouched before him to swell with pride as he looked up at his master. "With this information it will turn the tides of this war." Megatron continued, as Dreadwing got to his feet, watching as Megatron turned his back to him. "If the weapon that was mentioned in the datapad is to be true. Then there is a weapon that is capable of destroying anything be it Autobot or Decepticon, the Requiem Blaster. A weapon created by Decepticon scientists. One we cannot allow to fall into Autobot hands." Megaton growled, his fist clenched.
In the last few weeks the Autobots had gained the upper hand in several battles, leaving Megatron and many of his Decepticon troops limping off to lick their wounds. And Megatron had grown tired of it. But now things would change. A cold grin splitting his faceplate. A low, rumbling laughing escaping the warlord as he thought about his long time nemesis' spark finally being extinguished. And the Decepticons finally winning this war.
"If it pleases you, Lord Megatron." Dreadwing spoke, drawing Megatron's attention to him. "When Soundwave had completed his analysis I will track down this weapon for you." He said.
Ah Dreadwing ever eager to please. Megatron thought, smirking. "Very well, Dreadwing. But I must warn you," he growled, moving closer to Dreadwing, his faceplate contorting into a sneer. His red optics blazing dangerously. "I will not tolerate failure. Do not return empty handed."
Dreadwing said nothing as he bowed once more before his master before turning away. Walking down one of the Nemesis' many darkened halls, a cold smile on his lips as he moved to his quarters. Soon the Decepticons would rule.
Arcee didn't know how long she had been out, but she was soon jerked out of a recharge when she heard blaster fire at had once been the cave entrance. And soon the first streams of light spiled into the darkened cave, then soon the rest of the debris was cleared away. Revealing the much welcome sight of Optimus Prime himself. The Autobot leader stepped into the ruined cave. Blue optics shining in the darkness, and right behind him was Ratchet.
The old medic muttering something under his breath as he took in the sight of the four wrecked Autobots. His optics widening as he rushed to Bumblebee's side. The scout being that had suffered the most. Ratchet dropped to his knees before the young mech, and scanned him.
Muttering another curse as he looked up at Optimus. "We need to get Bumblebee and the others out quickly, Optimus." As Ratchet said this he began to busy himself with patching up a few of Bumblebee's more serious injuries.
Bulkhead was slowly and somewhat painfully coming back online, optics flickering as he let out a pained groan. And at that moment Wheeljack let out a relieved sigh when he saw his friend was still among the living.
"Welcome back, Bulk." Wheeljack said, as Optimus helped the green wrecker to his feet with some difficulty.
"You look like something a scraplet chewed up and spat out." Bulkhead said, looking to Wheeljack.
Wheeljack scoffed as he too got to his feet, crooked smile on his faceplate. Despite everything, Wheeljack thought. At least Bulkhead still had his sense of humor. Which to him was a good sign he thought. Wheeljack watched as Ratchet and Optimus moved towards the exit before the Autobot leader turned to face Wheeljack.
Watching as Wheeljack struggled to move, pain etched on his faceplate, until Arcee moved to the wrecker's side looking to Optimus.
"I got this one," she told him as Wheeljack looked to her. "You go ahead." She finished, jerking her head towards the exit.
Optimus said nothing as he contacted the Autobot base for a ground bridge. The welcoming sight of the green-ish blue portal appearing before the group of Autobots. All the while as Arcee continued to carry the injured Wheeljack she felt a familiar flutter in her chestplate as Wheeljack continued to look at her. And this time she didn't try to squish it down as she stepped through the ground bridge. A feeling, Arcee thought, as she found herself back in the all too welcome Autobot base, that terrified her...
Authors Notes- Wanna know a secret? I got this all done in one sitting. Don't ask me why I guess I was feeling pretty motivated. Never less I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. And this is The Exhausted Writer signing off, have a goodnight!