Chapter 16: The Assistant Reveals

WRITER NOTE: If you're one of the many, many people who despised a certain controversial aspect of Sly Thieves in Time's story, then….I won't blame you for not liking this chapter.

Carmelita had been in her cell for a few days, but hadn't lost hope that she would be rescued, specifically about a certain someone. Starscream had told her about how Sly wanted to be captured by him to save her, which gave her more hope. The cellmates are definitely not friends per say, but do engage in small talk to pass the time.

Carm: Hypothetically, if you ever did become Decepticon leader, what would you do?

Starscream: Literally everything Megatron does but better!

Carm: You have never had this overthrowment thing planned out, have you?

Starscream: (Groans)

Carm really starts to smell and wants a shower. Despite the Decepticons being villains, they surprisingly provide her with nourishment, of which getting food is tasked to the flamboyant red car bot, Knock Out. He wants to get the most popular organic food, so of course he gets McDonalds and Starbucks for her.

Carm: de ninguna manera! The companies who run those places support genocide!

Knock Out: Look, honey, just take it or leave it! It's the only stuff I feel like getting you. Also sidenote, nice physique, guessing it attracts a few men, but it's absolutely nothing compared to mine!

He starts posing in…..interesting ways. Carm rolls her eyes and just accepts eating the only type of food given to her.

ANOTHER WRITER NOTE: This was written in May 2024. Carmelita's comment will possibly be the only reference in this story to real-world ongoing events. This story isn't gonna get political, don't worry.

She also keeps taking note of Baronite. Their appearance is of something similar to a knight with black and lavender accents with a small pink flower symbol. She is certain who they are and finally confronts them as they work on a computer near the cell.

Carm: (Shouts) PENELOPE!

Baronite notices the call and walks towards the cell, kneels and removes their head, putting it on the ground.

The head opens up, revealing a pink mouse girl controlling it. Penelope. The girl who fell in love with Bentley and a former member of the extended Cooper Gang. But on the Time Travel escapade, she was revealed to be a traitor working with the villain, Le Paradox. Carmelita saw first hand how much it broke Bentley's heart. After Sly beat Paradox, Penelope was put in present day jail, but later escaped and hasn't been seen since. Was she now really working with the Decepticons?

Penelope: I didn't think you would catch on, but yeah, it's me!

Carm: I know you escaped that high security prison somehow, but how-?

Penelope: (Interrupts) To make a long story… not short, but middling, after escaping prison, I had no real place to go and avoided the police. I eventually spotted giant robots! They spotted, kidnapped and threw me in front of their leader, Megatron. He sees most Earth creatures as worthless and asked me "Tell me as many reasons as you can as to why I shouldn't blast you to death!?". Terrified for my life, I blurted out as much as I could say in my mind, much of which was science stuff. The 'Cons personal scientist, Shockwave, was interested in my words and convinced Megs to spare me. They didn't let me go, yet I was very fascinated with who these bots were and where they came from. Shocky allowed me to be his personal assistant and built a body for me to control from the head of which they call a "Headmaster". I go under the codename Baronite.

Carm: (Yells) So you consider yourself one of them now, huh!? Tell me, do you have any regret for what you did to us!? What you did to Bentley!?

Penelope: I don't think that is any of your concern.

Carm: Do you still have feelings for him!?

The mouse pauses for a moment. Starscream overlooking, seems intrigued by the conversation.

Penelope: No! I am completely over him! I asked him to join me in being two of the world's greatest masterminds, but he refused because he can't spend at least a week without his friends with way lower intelligence. My place is here now.

Carm: Does Shockwave….remind you of him? Is he the person you wanted Bentley to be?

Penelope: No! …I mean I know it would never work between us but I will admit he's kinda cute.

Carm: Really? Him? The giant purple metal cyclops who is a yes-bot to a wanna-be fascist overlord?

Penelope: Reverse question, do you still have feelings for Sly? I know you still chase him like there's no tomorrow when you two were once a cute couple. Do your co-workers tease and mock you about being so obsessed with this one criminal? I mean, tracking down his every move is what got you into this mess in the first place am I right?

Carmelita is enraged by her comments.

Starscream: Is this what you organic females call "Gossip"?

Penelope gets back into her Baronite head, which then closes and the body picks it up and puts it back on.

Penelope: My new goal is to one day get to Cybertron and discover its wonders and if that means siding with the so called "Bad guys" then so be it!

Carm: Why are you like this? What made you like this?

"Baronite" walks off without responding. Deep down, Penelope actually does regret her bad decisions, but just wants to move past them rather than deal with them.

Starscream: So is she….. like a master in the art of betrayal? Because believe me, I know alot about betrayal.