Whoops! Thought I already posted this one a while ago. Turns out, I clearly didn't. Anyway, enjoy!
Chapter seven All in agreement
"Viper, there's some mech here to see you?" said one of the Cyber-Hound thugs.
"Yes, I requested a meeting with him," said the leader of the crime syndicate, "Let him in."
The thug opened the door, and Vortex walked through, Brunt followed close behind him.
"What is this?" asked Viper as he pointed at the large purple mech behind Vortex.
"Protection," replied the grey, blue, purple, yellow, and red coloured Decepticon.
The leader of the Cyber-Hounds, "Very well. I see he wears an insignia that I have never seen before."
Vortex replied, "That's because he's the only mech who wears it. He is the first of what I hope to be several."
"Enlighten me," said Viper.
"He is the first Cybercon," said the scientist.
Viper grinned. "How efficient is he?"
"Very efficient in fact, when there were just three Cyberbots, he could take on all three and come out on top," bragged Vortex, "And I have another one with it own unique flare currently in the workshop."
"Most impressive indeed," said the Cyber-Hound Syndicate leader. "Would your audios be open to hearing a business proposal that would be mutually beneficial?"
"Definitely," smirked Vortex.
"What would you say if I were to fund your operation in return for some new Cyber-Hound recruits?" Viper asked.
"How many of these recruits would you want?"
"Your next two builds."
"How about I keep Brunt and if you supply parts and credits for my current build and two more you can have the second and fourth ones."
Viper thought about this for a few astrokliks before answering Vortex. "Do I get to have my own input for mine?"
"Most definitely," replied the scientist.
Viper rose from his throne and stood in front of Vortex. Holding out his servo, he said with a slight smirk, "Then I do believe we have a deal."
"I believe we do," said Vortex.
Then the two mecha shook on it.
"My mecha will transfer the units you need along with the parts," said Viper as he returned to his throne. "Keep me posted on your progress with my first Cybercon."
"Will do," said Vortex as he and Brunt turned to leave the room.
"Vortex, why don't you set up shop here."
The scientist stopped and looked over his shoulder. "In your throne room?"
"No, we'll get you your own space to work away in. That way it will be easier for us to supply you with what you need, and you'll stay off the Autobot radars," the Cyber-Hound leader explained.
"That would actually be very convenient," said Vortex.
"Excellent, I'll have some of my mecha move your things into a room right away."
"Sounds good," said Vortex as he left the throne room.
Brunt, following his master, turned to close the door, but stopped because Viper asked him something.
"You don't talk much do you."
"Don't got anything to say," replied the Cybercon, then he closed the door.
Viper sat there with a smirk on his faceplate as he listened to Brunt's pede steps as he moved away from the other side of the door. "Soon Viper, very soon."
/
Whirr stepped into Prowl's office, where Jazz and Prowl were waiting for him.
"What would you like to speak to me about?" asked the scientist.
"What do you know that you're not telling us?" asked the tactician, getting right to the point as always.
"What do you mean?" Whirr asked.
"Ya haven't been telling us the whole truth about your Cyberbots, Whirr," said Jazz.
"I haven't been telling anyone anything unless I want or need them to know. That even goes for the Cyberbots themselves, I only just recently told them how they came to be," Whirr explained.
"We know you keep a lot of secrets, and we also know why, but with everything that has been going on lately, we think it is time for you to open up and tell us the whole truth," said Prowl.
Whirr stood silent for a few astrokliks. Then he asked, "What's going to happen if I don't tell you?"
"Nothing. We won't do anything to you if you don't tell us, we are just strongly urging you to share with us what you haven't told us," said the tactician.
"I'll share with you this and this only. Viper, the leader of the Cyber-Hound Syndicate is planning to support Vortex in making more Cybercons which is very bad news for us," Whirr said. "Do with that what you will. I'm going to help Ratchet with an antidote for this stupid virus." Then the scientist left the office.
"Well, I suppose there's only one thing to do now," said Prowl.
"What's that?" Jazz asked.
"Question Barricade," replied the Praxian.
Iron Blade was walking down the hallway when he past Prowl's office and overheard the words "Question Barricade". He halted dead in his tracks and leaned into the office doorway, saying, "I would like to volunteer for this task."
"No need," said Prowl as he stood up from his office chair. "Jazz and I have it under control."
"Okay, then I will help you," said the Knight of Cybertron as he turned and headed towards the brig to get Barricade and take him to an interrogation room.
"Well, I can't tell him no, technically he outranks me," grumbled the Praxian.
"Technically," replied Jazz with a cringe. "We really should form a new Council."
"That we should," Prowl agreed.
/
Retribution
Barricade answered the interrogators' question, "Yeah, I know Viper. He's the leader of the Cyber-Hound Syndicate."
"How long have you known them?" asked Prowl.
"A long time," replied the prisoner.
"Be more specific!" Iron Blade demanded.
"Longer then you've been alive, oh great Knight of Cybertron," Barricade replied with a smirk on his faceplate. "Why do you want to know? What does this have to do with me being here?"
"It has everything to do with you being here," replied Prowl, "Now tell me, how long have you been working for them?"
"I haven't consistently been just working for them. I've done a few jobs for them and nothing more," explained Barricade.
Prowl stared down his brother for a few astrokliks before saying, "He's telling the truth." Then he stepped back a few pedesteps and said, "Take him back to his cell."
"So that's it then? Just infect me with your disease, and send me off to die? Autobot really is just a dead term now." Barricade frowned, "You could at least do the decent thing and put me out of my misery."
"You don't deserve special treatment, Decepticon, not after everything you've done, and everyone you've killed!" said Iron Blade angrily.
Barricade smirked, a dark look in his optics. "Speaking of mecha killed, did anyone ever tell you what happened to your creators?"
"Barricade, you can stop talking now, your interrogation is over," commanded Prowl.
"Want to know who was the one who had your creators killed about twelve vorns ago," asked Barricade evilly.
"Barricade, shut your faceplate before you regret it!" Prowl said.
Iron Blade glared at the Decepticon.
"Megatron ordered their assassination," said Barricade.
"You lie," said the Knight of Cybertron as he grabbed his sheath, ready to draw his sword.
Barricade explained, "I tell you the truth. Megatron wanted your sire dead because he over heard some plans that he wasn't supposed to hear about. I was told to follow him home. Unfortunately, your carrier was told what your sire had overheard, so both of them had to be taken care of."
Iron Blade drew his sword and clicked the button that ignited it in flames.
"Don't kill him, Iron Blade," said Prowl, hand on his gun.
"He doesn't deserve to live," said the Knight of Cybertron as he raised his sword, the tip almost touching Barricade's neck cables.
"Mercy, Knight of Cybertron, mercy," said the dark coloured Decepticon sarcastically.
"Every breath you take is mercy from me!" replied Iron Blade as he glared with rage.
"He's unarmed! Remember the code you now live by, you can not kill him like this!" the tactician reminded the Knight.
"Just watch me," said Iron Blade angrily.
Prowl drew his pistol and aimed it at Iron Blade. "If this is about family, then just remember that he's the last one of my brothers that are still alive."
"If it's about honour, your aiming a gun at my back," added the grey, black, and white Knight of Cybertron.
Jazz was watching from the room beside through the window. Hearing what was happening through the speakers, Jazz intervened, "If either of you do this I'm throwing both of you in the brig. Now put the weapons down."
Iron Blade lowered his sword and turned off it's flames. Then he put it in his sheath.
Prowl put his gun back on his belt.
Back to Prowl, Iron Blade quickly turned around and reached for Prowl's gun, but the tactician felt him with his door wings and grabbed the Knight by the wrist.
Slamming the front of him again the wall, Prowl held Iron Blade's servo behind his back.
The Knight of Cybertron pressed his digit tips against Prowl's hand and electrocuted him with the taser in his gauntlet.
Prowl let go in surprise, and Iron Blade took his opportunity. Wheeling around he punched the tactician in the jaw.
Prowl stumbled backwards a few steps, while Iron Blade drew his own pistol and shot Barricade in the helm.
"No!" yelled Prowl as he grabbed his pistol off his belt and aimed it at the Knight of Cybertron.
Before the tactician could shoot, or anyone could speak, Jazz stunned Prowl, causing him to drop his pistol and fall to the floor.
The saboteur had ran to the interrogation room when Prowl pinned Iron Blade on the wall.
"Thanks," said Iron Blade.
Jazz glared at the Knight, with his gun still raised from stunning Prowl, he shot Iron Blade.
The Knight of Cybertron was stunned, and fell to the floor.
/
Iron Blade awoke suddenly, finding himself in a cell. "Great," he said quietly. Then he noticed the saboteur standing on the other side of the door.
Jazz opened the cell door and stood in the doorway. He glared, frowning down at the Knight of Cybertron.
Iron Blade got to his pedes, saying nothing.
"Why did you do it?" Jazz asked.
"Do what?" Iron Blade asked back.
"Don't play dumb with me. Ya know what ya did," said the saboteur.
The Knight of Cybertron replied saying, "He killed my Sire and Carrier."
"We've all lost mecha, but you don't see anyone else coming down to the brig to take revenge for the terrible things done to them," Jazz pointed out, "Vector Prime gave ya a great privilege and ya abused it. If I had the authority to, I would relieve you of your duties."
"I'm sorry, Jazz, honestly I don't know what came over me," Iron Blade said remorsefully.
"Well, ya better figure it out soon cause we need ya I B," said the saboteur as he turned and started walking down the hallway to leave the brig.
The Knight of Cybertron stepped forward and stood in the doorway of the open cell.
Jazz opened the door at the end of the hallway, and turned around to look back at Iron Blade, saying, "Are ya coming?"
The Knight of Cybertron left the cell and walked down the hallway to join his comrade in the elevator.
While they were going up, Iron Blade asked Jazz, "So…are we good?"
"For now. Ah do have to keep reminding myself that ya are still young," replied the saboteur.
"I'm twenty six," said Iron Blade.
"Ah know," said Jazz.
"You're not technically an adult yet yourself," the Knight of Cybertron pointed out.
"Technically no, but thirty eight is only two vorns away," the saboteur added.
"That only makes us twelve vorns apart," Iron Blade said.
"Wow, ya know how to add. Ah know what you're trying to get at considering the average lifespan of a Cybertronian before the war was about two hundred," snipped Jazz.
"Exactly," said Iron Blade almost excitedly.
"That still doesn't change the fact that you're in a lot of trouble," Jazz frowned.
"What can I do to fix that?"asked the Knight of Cybertron.
"You can start by steering clear of Prowl for a while, he doesn't need the stress of anymore, shall we say, disagreements."
"Don't worry, I had already planned on that."
(Credit music is: Decimator - Instrumental by Tommee Profitt.)
Thanks for reading!