Author's Notes: Somehow I managed to cram a lot of character arcs in this chapter, but there are many more to tackle. I don't know why, but I had trouble coming up with a good chapter title. Hopefully this one works. I also want to thank everyone for getting this fic to over 50,000 page views! Technically over 51,000 at this point, but I was late in updating. Sorry about that. Thank you for returning for this long chapter of "My Spark Still Shines", and hopefully you'll stick around for future installments too :)
Chapter 36
Symbiotic Titans
The Nemesis crew was enjoying a rare treat among the Decepticons on this particular day. That beautiful respite came in the form of Megatron's celebratory mood. He had lost the relic to Optimus Prime when last they fought, yet for whatever reason that didn't seem to bother him. He shattered the Star Saber and humiliated his most hated enemy, and for the moment that was all that mattered.
Soundwave typed away on the bridge computer in search of the next relic while Laserbeak and Frenzy were calmed and nourished by the energy of his spark. The two symbiotes had been chattering over the spark bond for most of the day, and it warmed Soundwave's jaded soul to hear such lively conversations again. It also seemed to be healing for Laserbeak, who had spent so many vorns without a brother to speak to.
/Hey Laserbeak?/ Frenzy spoke over the bond.
/What?/ Laserbeak asked.
/Chicken butt,/ Frenzy snickered.
/Pardon?/ Laserbeak asked in confusion.
/Look it up over the internet,/ Frenzy instructed, /It's a human thing./
Laserbeak did just that, and then squawked angrily over the bond, which just made Frenzy laugh harder at his avian sibling.
The teasing came to a halt, along with all other conversation, when Soundwave detected a new Iacon relic. He pulled up the location on the main screen, and Megatron looked at the information with rapt interest.
"Hm, it appears we have a new target," Megatron practically purred.
"Way to step things up Soundwave!" Knockout, who had just entered the room, called out, "I hope this latest relic is something less sacred and more profane. Like an electro disruptor cannon. We could use one of those."
"Indeed," Megatron agreed, and then he tapped his comm, "Dreadwing. Report to the bridge."
"Wait!" Knockout shouted abruptly, "My liege, allow me to retrieve that relic for you."
Megatron stared rather wryly at Knockout, which was never a great sign.
"I'm surprised you would risk your finish so soon after your 'accident'," Megatron quipped sardonically.
Knockout grimaced in shame, and possibly in anger. The last time he had been allowed to try to retrieve a relic it had been a total disaster. He was forced to work with an Insecticon due to Breakdown's death, he had to crawl around in a dirty subway station, and the worst part...Bumblebee had destroyed his beautiful paint job by pushing down on him as they skidded along a train track. It had been painful, but worse yet, it had been humiliating. Oh, how he hated that scout!
"My previous failure was because I didn't have the proper tools," Knockout said as an excuse, "However, with Soundwave occupied I doubt he'll be needing this."
Knockout then pulled out the resonance blaster, a rather innocuous looking relic, but one capable of dealing excruciating sonic blasts.
/Is he serious?/ Laserbeak scoffed, /Soundwave is a trained gladiator. No way can some pretty boy from the labs handle a weapon of such power./
/I could handle it, and I'm way smaller than Knockout,/ Frenzy bragged.
/Yeah right, no you couldn't!/ Laserbeak goaded him, /Hey, I dare you to go with Knockout./
/No way!/ Frenzy argued.
/Yes way!/ Laserbeak shouted, /I triple-change dare you!/
/Scrap!/ Frenzy cursed in defeat.
"I have my doubts," Megatron was saying to Knockout, "Why should I send you, when I have Dreadwing, Starscream, and Thundercracker at my disposal?"
"Is this because I'm a car-former?" Knockout asked heatedly.
"Among other things," Megatron replied shamelessly.
"Sir?" Frenzy transformed into robot mode and hopped down to face Megatron, "If Knockout really wants to go, I can go with him to make sure he doesn't screw up."
"Your confidence in me is overwhelming," Knockout muttered sarcastically.
"I suppose two soldiers will be better equipped to capture my prize," Megatron replied favorably, "Very well, you will both leave immediately."
"Do I still get to take the resonance blaster?" Knockout asked hopefully.
Megatron just sighed and said "Fine. Just bring it back in one piece. Dismissed."
Knockout whispered "Yes!" And pumped his fist that was holding the blaster. He then turned on his heel strut to leave, with Frenzy following behind him.
Once they were out in the hall, Frenzy suddenly felt very awkward about this. He didn't really want to work with Knockout. He wanted to stay home and feed off Soundwave for a while. Then again, it had been a while since he had a real mission. Perhaps this day wasn't a lost cause.
"I don't know how you do that," Knockout suddenly said, ripping Frenzy from his thoughts.
"How I do what?" Frenzy asked.
"Make Megatron like you," Knockout replied morosely, "Even when he's in a good mood, seeing me clouds his day. I understand why he hates Starscream. Starscream has tried to kill him before. Moi? I've been nothing but supportive, and yet he still treats me like I have a rust infection. Maybe I should consider changing my alt mode. He clearly prefers fliers over drivers."
"It ain't that," Frenzy told him, "I've just known him longer. We and Megatron knew each other when we was nobody. Back when Soundwave was a gladiator, he used to think that wantin' to be smart was a flaw. He wanted to learn to code more than anything, but he also knew it wasn't his place. I was just a youngling when we met Megatronus, and he was in the same spot as us. He wanted to learn, but everybody took one look at him and just saw a killing machine. I think that's why Soundwave and Megatron are so close. They both know how it feels to be treated like property, and they've spent most of their lives trying to turn the tables on those that made them into the monsters they became. You though? The paint job, the tires, the vanity...you just remind them of everything they fought against."
"I suppose that makes sense," Knockout pondered, "But I'm self-taught too."
"Um, ain't you a medic?" Frenzy asked nervously.
"Yes," Knockout replied.
"And you taught yourself...surgery?" Frenzy gulped.
"Yep," Knockout replied airily, not understanding Frenzy's point.
The duo made it to the ground bridge room, and a Vehicon was there ready to transport them. Frenzy couldn't help but look up at Knockout apprehensively. Who teaches themselves surgery? Who the pit were his test subjects?
The Vehicon typed in the location where the relic could be located, and Knockout waited impatiently while tapping his foot. Frenzy was waiting too, but then he noticed an Insecticon crawling on the ceiling. That wasn't too unusual. The Insecticons were everywhere. When the Insecticon drew a blade however, that immediately sent some red flags to Frenzy's processor. The Insecticon was looking at Knockout, and it was ready to strike!
"Look out!" Frenzy pushed Knockout out of the way, "Insecticon attack!"
"Where!?" Knockout shrieked fearfully, and the Vehicon looked around worriedly as well, "Where is it!?"
"On the ceiling! Up there!" Frenzy screamed and pointed.
Knockout looked up, ready to see a terrifying opponent. Instead he saw...nothing. There was no one there.
"We gotta get outta here!" Frenzy continued to shout, "They're a hive mind! He'll call reinforcements!"
"Um...do you still see it?" Knockout asked pointedly.
"Yeah! Up there!" Frenzy jumped up and down and pointed, "He's just starin' at us!"
"There's nothing up there," Knockout replied in a much calmer tone than a moment prior.
"...What?" Frenzy asked, his voice small, "But...I see him. Right there..."
"It's a processor illusion," Knockout replied in a gentle yet firm tone, "Frenzy, there's nothing up there. It's all in your mind."
"Not again," Frenzy whimpered, "I was all better. How can this be happening again? I don't wanna see scary stuff that ain't there. What if I think somethin' is a fake attack and it turns out to be real? I'm doomed."
"You're not doomed," Knockout said as he held Frenzy's shoulders, "You just need to use caution and think rationally about the situation. I'll mix up some medication when we return from the mission. Don't worry. We'll get through this."
"I can't do this without Rumble," Frenzy sobbed quietly, "He was the only one who told me when stuff was real or not. Laserbeak won't do it. He freaks out when I see stuff and thinks I'm gonna go crazy. Rumble was so calm about it. I can't do this without him."
"Yes you can," Knockout assured him, "You can ask me when I'm around, and when I'm not around you can ask your Vehicon. What did you name him again? Blaster? I'm sure he would never lie to you."
"That's a good idea," Frenzy nodded as he wiped his visor, "You wouldn't lie to me either, right?"
"Right," Knockout promised, "Now, hurry up. We can't keep Megatron waiting."
Ratchet's digits danced feverishly across the computer console's keypad. Bumblebee had reported to the Autobots the previous day that Skywarp had run away from the base, and ever since then the workload had doubled. Optimus focused on searching for Iacon relics, all the while Ratchet searched fruitlessly for Skywarp.
Bumblebee meanwhile was dealing with a lot of conflicting emotions. The Autobots had kept the kids away from the base lately due to the relic hunts becoming more dangerous. Ever since speaking with Raf however, Bumblebee realized that his worries over his little friend were unfounded. If anything, Raf could be a useful spy if they could get him onto the Decepticon warship.
Raf would never agree to that however. He had made Bumblebee promise not to reveal his secret, and thus far Bumblebee had kept that promise. He still cared about his best friend, but at the same time he couldn't look at him the same way anymore. Raf was a Vehicon, a Pretender. He wasn't young, he wasn't innocent, and he would live for at least as long as Bee. They could be friends forever, which was a thought that made Bumblebee happy despite the weirdness of the situation.
Bumblebee wanted someone to talk to about this, but he didn't know who he could trust. He couldn't outright say that Raf was a drone, but at the same time he wanted to try to understand his friend better. He wanted to know what Raf went through that made him believe living as a human child was better than staying with the Decepticon forces.
The first one Bumblebee wanted to ask was Bluestreak. Bluestreak actually went through a similar situation to Raf. He didn't trust the Autobots at first, but he also knew he couldn't go back to the Nemesis. That was when Bee realized that Raf had been the one to bring Bluestreak with him. Did he have some sort of kinship with Bluestreak before he left? Did he see something in the drone that made him believe he could be trusted? Bumblebee wanted so much to understand more.
There was just one problem however. Bluestreak seemed to be avoiding Bumblebee. All day Bumblebee tried to get closer to the medical apprentice, but he would either make excuses or just outright walk away without saying anything. He didn't seem angry exactly, but more...pensive. It was really confusing, but Bumblebee didn't want to ask Ratchet. The old medic had enough on his plate searching for Skywarp while also hoping to hear the telltale beep of a relic from Optimus's terminal.
Bumblebee frankly didn't have anyone to talk to. Arcee and Chromia were busy sparring with each other, and both seemed very angry at the world at the moment. They were both ready to fight Skywarp, or as they called him, 'that slagging traitor'. Optimus was busy searching for more Omega Keys. Smokescreen and Bulkhead were lobbing together, and Bulkhead's parents were trying to figure out how to work the microscopic buttons on the TV remote.
At first Bumblebee just sat there and sulked, but then he noticed someone sit down next to him, and saw a Vehicon warrior looking at him with a bright red visor.
[Bluestreak?] Bumblebee whirred.
"Guess again, younglin'," Jazz chuckled, "You look like you could use a friend right now. Wanna talk about it?"
[Where do I even start?] Bumblebee asked impotently, [Jazz, is Bluestreak avoiding me?]
"I dunno," Jazz shrugged, "If I had to guess, I'd say he's just worried about Skywarp. I know I am."
[You? But I thought you hated Skywarp!] Bumblebee exclaimed incredulously.
"Nah. Don't get me wrong, I used to hate him," Jazz admitted easily, "But I can't hate him now. We've driven on the same tires, taken the same shots, and snuffed the same sparks. I'd imagine Skywarp is very scared and confused right now. I don't blame him. At least when I got my memories back I was welcomed by my friends; my family. Skywarp didn't get that. He thinks everyone is against him, and he just wants to find his home again. I don't blame him for that."
[Jazz, can I ask you something?] Bumblebee broached tentatively.
"Anything," Jazz replied sincerely.
[Well...I was wondering...what was it like? Being a Vehicon?] Bumblebee asked cautiously, [Why don't more Vehicons leave? Did Megatron treat you well?]
"Hahahaha!" Jazz laughed heartily, "Oh, scrap! I needed that!"
Bumblebee just looked at him quizzically.
"Bee, it ain't about how you're treated when you're a Vehicon," Jazz explained, "It's like...well...how do I explain this? Well, as an Autobot saboteur I was special, even though I was supposed to be anonymous. When you're a Vehicon even if you do a lot of great things, you're still just a face in the crowd. No one is allowed to be special, and no one is allowed to question officers. We Vehicons were programmed and told from the moment we came online that we weren't real. We were no more alive than a table or a computer. We didn't mourn our dead because to be dead you have to be alive first. We wanted to live, but nobody admitted it. Vehicon culture, if you can call it that, is separate from the rest of the Decepticons. All we had was ourselves and what few connections we could make with each other. I know my music was very valuable to me, because it felt transgressive to own somethin', even if it wasn't somethin' tangible."
[Did you ever think about it though? Leaving?] Bumblebee asked.
"I did leave," Jazz reminded him, "When Klunker and Saline were in danger. It wasn't my intention at first, but when I saw those two make a connection and risk their lives to keep it, it just felt...brave, I guess. I admired their courage and their spark, and...I guess I had always wanted to quit, but I never did because I'd never seen anyone else try. It made me think I was broken. Seeing two servant class drones not care if they were broken or not, it left an impact on me. Made me wanna be more than what my base programming said I could be. I gotta believe there are other Vehicons out there like that. I've talked to enough of them to know that many of them just need someone to tell them they can be more than drones."
[So you think the cure to this mind control is love?] Bumblebee asked.
"Eh, kind of," Jazz shrugged, "For Klunker and Saline it was love. For me it was the promise of doin' something heroic and makin' friends. For Skywarp it was a fear of bein' forgotten, and for Bluestreak it was curiosity. There are mechs and femmes inside those Vehicons, and each one has a different reason to do what they do. We just gotta tap into that. Somehow."
Bumblebee felt heartened by those words. He didn't tell Jazz, but the reason he was questioning these things was because he wanted to figure out if Raf was sincere when he said he loved his family and the Autobots more than the Decepticons. He now believed it was true. If love and friendship could save Jazz, Bluestreak, and the others, then why couldn't it save Refit as well?
Before Bumblebee could reply to Jazz however, a beeping noise was heard from the computers that immediately commanded everyone's attention.
"Is that Skywarp?" Chromia practically growled.
"No," Optimus replied, "It is the second Omega Key."
"Any 'Cons in the area?" Bulkhead asked.
"None are detected on sensors," Ratchet replied.
"Bumblebee, Arcee, you will retrieve the key," Optimus ordered.
"Hey Bossbot, mind if I tag along?" Jazz requested, "My actuators are startin' to rust in this hole in the ground. It'd be nice to get out there and help the kids."
"Kids?" Arcee asked in offense, to which Jazz merely cocked his helm to the side in mock innocence.
"Very well," Optimus granted, "With Decepticon activity on the rise, it would be wise to retrieve the key quickly."
"You got it," Jazz replied immediately, "Ladies first."
Arcee cocked a brow ridge skeptically, but nonetheless took point as Ratchet opened the ground bridge. She almost hoped that there would be Decepticons to fight on this mission. After what Megatron did to her sire, she was eager to dish out some cold hard revenge.
Many vorns ago in a prison camp in Polyhex, there was an office building. Inside that office building, there was an air vent that led to the outside. Inside that air vent, there was a tiny yellow symbiote. Inside that symbiote, there was a recording device.
Rewind watched with utmost scrutiny and disgust as a line of new prisoners was inspected by their Decepticon captors. Rewind had been watching this prison for nearly an orn and recording everything he saw so that he could report back to Prowl with his findings. He couldn't risk sending the data from his current location lest he be discovered, so he sat quietly in his hiding place and observed.
What he had seen had been worse than initial reports indicated. He knew that Decepticons killed Autobots. That was just a fact of life at this point. What he had seen in the Polyhex gulag however...it was sickening. Autobots were deprived of energon and forced to work long hours breaking down minerals and building weapons within an on-site factory. Many oxidized and rusted where they stood. Many lost the light in their optics and even the color on their frames. They looked like scrap metal; walking dead.
One thing that terrified Rewind however was the particular Decepticons he saw coming and going from this prison. Seeing the likes of Brawl or Frenzy wasn't that interesting. They were hired bullies and nothing more. No, what scared him was seeing Vortex in the prison. He was a mad medic that enjoyed torturing his victims while claiming to 'study' them. If that wasn't bad enough, Rewind had recorded another new arrival to the camp...Shockwave.
Shockwave was probably the most influential scientist in Megatron's employ. He was cold, pitiless, and curious in the most warped ways. While Megatron was evil in a way that was malicious, Shockwave was a contradiction in that he was evil without malice. It wasn't that he felt sadistic glee, but rather that he felt literally nothing for his victims. Rewind knew then. This prison existed for the purpose of experimentation.
He had also recorded a building near the back of the facility. Mechs and femmes went in, but they never came out. Instead, Vehicons came out the back entrance, but for some reason they never went in. How was this possible? Rewind knew something was very wrong here, and he had a feeling the Decepticon scientists had something to do with it.
His thoughts were interrupted when Vortex came out to inspect the newest prisoners. There were Autobots as well as neutrals among them, and many of the civilians looked terrified. Rewind was proud of how stoic and defiant the Autobots in the group looked, but he knew their fates were likely sealed. All he could do was record, and hope Prowl could rally a team in time to save some of them.
"Symbiotes! We want symbiotes!" Vortex started calling out, "All symbiotes report to the front of the line!"
Rewind held his intakes as his optics widened with fear. Symbiotes? What did Vortex want with symbiotes? Nothing good, Rewind was sure of that. He was likely going to hurt them, take them apart, maybe even use them to harm the host. Rewind didn't want to watch, but it was his duty to spy and keep the footage rolling, so he hugged himself as the scene unfolded and kept watching.
Vortex and Brawl went up and down the line like Sharkticons looking for their next meal. As Vortex drew closer to a reddish pink and white femme, Rewind noticed she held her hips almost protectively. At first this seemed like a strange thing to do since her hips were armored, but then Rewind realized. She had armor on either side of her hips...but it wasn't just armor. She had twin symbiotes, and she was trying to hide them. If Vortex saw them, they would be doomed. Rewind thought of himself and Eject in their place, and knew that Blaster would fight kicking and screaming to protect them if he were in her position.
Coming to a decision, Rewind stopped the recording and sent it to Prowl's comm. He knew he had no more reason to hide, so he might as well ensure the Autobots got his information. With his task complete, Rewind jumped from the vent and ran to Vortex to create a distraction for the femme.
"I'm a symbiote!" Rewind announced as he ran to the Decepticon medic, "What do you want with me?"
"Only one?" Vortex asked curiously, "And where is your host?"
"Dead," Rewind lied, "I came here alone. If you want to fight I will fight you, though I am aware my chances of survival in hand-to-hand combat are only 12%."
"Follow me," Vortex commanded without acknowledging Rewind's statement.
The dark grey helicopter-former then turned and walked away, fully expecting Rewind to follow him. Rewind considered making a break for it, but Brawl's cannon aimed at his back put those thoughts to rest right away.
Vortex led Rewind into the medbay, and it was just what Rewind both feared and assumed. He knew Shockwave had been in this medbay for two straight orns, and was likely the one that would deliver Rewind back to the Allspark. He knew this would cause Blaster and Eject pain, and he deeply regretted that, but he had to do what he could to save that poor femme's symbiotes. Perhaps she would at least be able to hide them while the 'Cons were distracted.
"Shockwave, sir! I have found a symbiote for your experiments," Vortex declared proudly.
"Only one?" Shockwave asked dispassionately, "Very well. I will have to make do."
"Make do?" Rewind couldn't help but ask, "What exactly do you plan to do with me?"
"Are you capable of turning off your own pain receptors?" Shockwave abruptly asked.
"No," Rewind replied nervously.
"Unfortunate. Then you will feel great agony during the experience," Shockwave informed him.
"This symbiote has some fine upgrades to his frame," Vortex noted with greedy anticipation, "Would you grant me a few of the more choice parts? I can easily get 300 credits from Swindle for these code breaker nodules."
"There will be nothing left of the body to scavenge," Shockwave replied, much to Vortex's disappointment.
Rewind was growing more and more terrified as they spoke. Not only was he clearly going to die, but they were treating him as if he weren't even there. They spoke of his grisly fate as if they were discussing current events or which frame polish they preferred. Rewind was terrified, and when he was terrified his processor always turned to its safe space: intellectual curiosity.
"Pardon me, Shockwave?" Rewind piped up, and the purple cyclops looked down at him with his glowing red optic, "Um, I know you're probably going to kill me, so I was wondering if I could have one final request."
"You may not," Shockwave replied bluntly, "However, it is a misnomer to say you are absolutely going to die. Your fractal spark should possess the correct elasticity for me to recreate you as an exceptional specimen."
"Fractal spark?" Rewind parroted, "What does that have to do with anything?"
"Symbiotes only possess a small portion of their host's spark," Shockwave explained, "I have been doing research on improving Vehicon technology, and have discovered the key to creating omni-formers. An intact spark is snuffed when attempting more than one or two vehicle modes, but a fractal spark allows for flexibility and endurance within confined spaces. I have already produced one specimen, codename: Makeshift. If this procedure goes as planned, then you will be among my greatest works thus far."
"Wait a klik!" Rewind exclaimed, "You said the project involved Vehicons. I'm not a Vehicon, so what does any of this have to do with me? Shockwave, answer me! Are you using dead Autobots to create Vehicon soldiers?"
"Define 'dead'," Shockwave replied flippantly.
"You want to turn me into a Vehicon," Rewind stated rather than asked, "That's what this whole place is. A Vehicon factory, with prisoners as your fodder! How can you do this to so many innocent Cybertronians? Even you, a mech of science, must surely understand how wrong this is!"
"Wrong? I don't see how," Shockwave replied in bemusement, "The Vehicons are obedient, loyal, and powerful. They are everything the Decepticon cause requires for world peace."
"Peace?" Rewind asked incredulously, "By taking away their sparks? By turning them into mindless slaves? By hurting the innocent and turning them into soldiers? That's peace to you!?"
"Yes," Shockwave replied matter-of-factly, "The Autobots have a logical flaw in their belief system. You equate 'peace' with 'freedom', when they are in fact different concepts. Freedom indicates free will, whereas peace indicates a lack of conflict. If the mighty among our ranks are free to dictate laws and legislation, and the weak are relegated to serve without complaint or social privileges, then we will have achieved peace. It is Megatron's rallying cry: peace through tyranny."
"You're insane," Rewind muttered with incredulity, "Enslavement is not peace! You can't take away the very thing that makes a mech unique. It's wrong! You torture, you rape, you take away everything that makes us Cybertronian, and for what? For a mad mech that would see the majority of our population dead or wishing they were, and a planet that will have no natural resources left when you're finished with it! You're a monster!"
"Are you finished?" Shockwave blandly inquired.
Rewind knew trying to get through to the brick wall that was Shockwave was pointless, and he had been recording their conversation the entire time. He tried to send the recording to Prowl, but the medbay had a jamming signal that prevented it. Rewind was fearful now, not just for his life but that thousands of Vehicons were currently being killed by Autobot forces without knowing those were their comrades. Rewind had to escape, and he had to warn the others!
Shockwave turned away to prepare a vial of pink liquid, and Rewind saw his chance. He ran under Brawl's legs and made a mad dash for the door! He was practically in range of the motion sensors when he felt a sharp pain in his back! It was an electric prod, courtesy of Vortex.
"He tried to run," Vortex said as he lifted up Rewind's limp but conscious body, "Permission to punish him, sir."
"Denied," Shockwave replied without looking at him, "This is no time for indulgences. Take him to the chemical shower and melt his frame. I want that fractal spark and processor."
"Yes sir," Vortex replied begrudgingly, but then whispered into Rewind's audial, "I'm gonna use two thirds of the chemical solution. It'll take twice as long to melt. That'll teach you not to mess with me..."
...Raf awoke in a cold sweat in his bed. There were certain things about his human body he had trouble adjusting to, and fluid runoff like crying or sweating was one of them.
He had the dream again. This wasn't the first time he had this dream. He had some version of it every few weeks for the past six or seven months. It was always a dream that left him confused.
Why was Shockwave such a bad mech in his dream? He always used to ask himself that. Shockwave hadn't just created Refit, but had also lauded him as a success and treated him as if he were special. It wasn't affection or love, but it was as close to praise as Shockwave was capable of, and Refit used to eat it up. He loved Shockwave, though he didn't know he was capable of love when he was newly built. Even still, the dream version of Shockwave seemed so fanatical.
Of course now that Raf knew about the Vehicon conspiracy he knew that this was no mere dream. It was likely a memory of the last moments he was truly his own mech. Raf tried to recall his old name. He normally allowed such information to fade into the ether, but now he wanted to know. Who did he used to be? What was the name?
Rewind!
That was it. His name had been Rewind, and apparently he had been a tiny symbiote, no taller than his current form ironically enough. Raf, Rewind, Refit...he had too many names, and he knew they would become too difficult to keep track of if he didn't remind himself of who he was.
Raf was afraid of getting his full memories back because of reliving the moment he 'died', but more importantly he knew that he couldn't let the Autobots know just how much his Vehicon life affected him. He cared about his job, about Shockwave, and even about his older brother Makeshift. Besides, he liked being able to just disappear and observe when he was with his Autobot friends.
Observe...Rewind, no, Raf still felt awful about his dream. If he had done nothing the femme would have died, but looking back on it...she probably died anyway. His sacrifice was most likely pointless, and he didn't even manage to warn Prowl. So many deaths could have been avoided with such information, but he just wasn't fast enough.
Raf wanted to cry, and he wanted to hide himself away from the world. So much guilt and fear lived within his tiny frame, and he could only think of one way to make himself feel better.
He grabbed his blanket, got out of bed, and made his way to his parents' bedroom. If anyone could make the monsters in his spark go away, it was them.
Arcee, Bumblebee, and Jazz arrived at the artifact's coordinates, but they didn't spot the relic right away.
"Alright, Bee goes right, I go left. Jazz, you go up the mountain and see if it's lodged in the rocks," Arcee ordered.
"Oh sure, make your elders do all the hoofing," Jazz teased, "I'll let ya know if I see anything."
With that Jazz transformed into Vehicle mode and drove up the mountain. Meanwhile Arcee and Bumblebee split up and started checking the canyon for the relic.
Almost immediately Bumblebee noticed something glittering in the dirt. It was white with blue flecks, a piece of pottery or...
[I found the container!] Bumblebee shouted as he pointed to the location, [It has to be the key!]
Arcee smiled gamely and then walked toward the relic at the same time Bumblebee did. Before they could reach it however, a green portal opened and coughed up an unwelcome sight. It was Knockout, and he had a minicon with him.
"Well, well. Just the people I wanted to see," Knockout purred as he activated the resonance blaster. He then pointed it in Bumblebee's direction. "I wanted to thank you for all the...memories!"
The weapon then discharged, piercing soundwaves billowing out like a physical force from the blaster. Bumblebee was forced against the mountain, his audial ringing and even his windshield cracking. He was helpless, and could only hope Arcee would save him.
Arcee ran right for Bumblebee, but Knockout simply aimed the blaster at her, forcing her against the mountain as well. Bumblebee hobbled, hoping against all hope he could use the distraction to get the Omega Key. They needed all four keys to restore Cybertron. He couldn't afford to fail.
"I don't think so, Autoboob!" The minicon shouted as he tackled Bumblebee to the ground.
Bumblebee couldn't believe this was happening. He was ten times the size of this symbiote! How could he be pinned by such a tiny mech?
"Good work, Frenzy!" Knockout shouted over the sound of the resonance blaster.
Frenzy. Of course. Soundwave's symbiote. This thing wasn't just a minicon, but also a trained spy and gladiatorial tool. Frenzy's name hadn't been spoken by the 'Cons in vorns though. How was he here now? How was he even still alive? No one had seen him since the fall of Cybertron!
With Arcee subdued and Bumblebee too weak to fight back, Knockout walked backwards toward the relic; being sure to keep his weapon firing on Arcee. Just as he was about to take the key however, he heard the sound of a roaring engine.
Knockout and Frenzy looked up, and saw a Vehicon racing right toward them, driving down the mountain with no road; acting as if it didn't even feel the sharp rocks on its undercarriage.
"Did Megatron send you?" Knockout inquired irritably, "I already told him I could handle this. Now just roll on back to your- Oof!"
Jazz didn't stop, but rather ran over Knockout; scraping him against the dirt and rocks in a scene that was eerily familiar to the Decepticon medic. Jazz transformed and ran for Frenzy, while Knockout surveyed the damage with one of his mirrors.
"No! Not again! My finish!" Knockout screamed to the heavens.
Jazz threw Frenzy off Bumblebee, while Arcee ran for the relic container. Frenzy landed on his pedes and ran straight for the Vehicon. Jazz braced himself for the fight, and Bumblebee joined Arcee in racing for the relic.
"Hm...how low can it go?" Knockout pondered as he looked at his resonance blaster.
Knockout then pointed the blaster at the ground, causing a massive shockwave that forced everyone around him off their feet, including Frenzy.
"Hey! Watch where you point that thing, doc!" Frenzy griped.
Knockout didn't apologize, but rather picked up the relic and ordered a ground bridge. Frenzy jogged to follow him, since there was no need to kill anyone as long as they got their artifact.
Jazz was the first to recover, and saw the 'Cons headed for the portal. He ran for the two of them, and Frenzy turned around and saw him. Frenzy ran for Jazz while Knockout walked into the portal. The portal was still open for Frenzy however. If Jazz could get to it first then they still had a chance to get the key.
Frenzy tripped Jazz, and Jazz fell down. He expected Frenzy to run for the portal, but instead Frenzy used his pede to force Jazz's helm into the ground.
"I know it's you, 4," Frenzy hissed into Jazz's audial receptor, "You have something I want..."
Jazz's visor glowed in alarm as Frenzy slipped a hacking cable into his processor node. It had been a while since he heard the designation 4, and to hear it from Frenzy of all mechs. How did he know?
Arcee and Bumblebee regained consciousness just in time to see the portal close after Frenzy, and both ran to the relic container. It was, of course, empty.
"Scrap," Arcee cursed under her breath.
"AAAAHH!" Jazz screamed.
Arcee and Bumblebee, fearing what the 'Cons might have done, ran to Jazz's side to see if he needed medical attention.
"Jazz, what is it?" Arcee asked worriedly.
"That thief!" Jazz roared angrily, "That little fragger stole my music!"
"Seriously? We thought you were hurt!" Arcee scolded him.
"I am hurt!" Jazz wailed bitterly, "430,000,000 songs! 88,000 genres! 38 planets and moons! I had everything from Cybertronian classical rage strings to the wedding marches of Selyulon 4! It's irreplaceable! Most of those planets don't even have life on them anymore! The only songs I can get back are from Miko's metal collection. I hate that little scrap-slagging symbiote!"
"Come on, Jazz. Let's go home," Arcee sighed, "Ratchet, we need a bridge."
Back at the Autobot base, Ratchet scanned Jazz's processor to make sure that music was the only thing Frenzy had taken. With the former Vehicon's knowledge the Decepticons could find out almost anything...including the location of the Autobot base.
"I'm tellin' you, all he took was my music," Jazz told Ratchet, "Let me up, Ratchet! I'm gettin' tired of-"
"Ep, ep, ep! Let me finish my work!" Ratchet chided him, "I wish you would stop sulking. You look like a giant sparkling."
"You don't get it, mech," Jazz replied gravely, "That music was my history, my life, my memories. Each song reminded me of different moments, different people...dead comrades. I'll never hear "One Shot" again."
"One Shot?" Ratchet repeated curiously, "That song was one of Prowl's favorites. I never understood why. It sounded much more aggressive than the usual stuff he listened to."
"It was from our academy orns," Jazz explained, "I introduced that song to Barricade and Prowl, and every time I would go out drinkin' and come back a little overcharged, Prowl would play that song on the stereo durin' my hangovers. It was his way to sayin' I needed to lay off the high grade. He had some really unique ways of dealing out justice. Heh."
"I can see why losing your music would upset you then," Ratchet replied, a bit more sympathetic than before, "There are other ways to remember people though. I have some crystallized images if you want to see them."
"I'd like that," Jazz replied gratefully, "Hey listen, Ratchet. I've been meaning to ask you. Do you know how to reactivate color nanites?"
"Color nanites? Why? Earth paint doesn't stick well enough for your liking?" Ratchet replied playfully, "Yeah, I remember Cliffjumper tried using earth paints on his frame. He itched for a week."
"Haha! Yeah, that sounds about right," Jazz laughed, "I was just hopin' ya could, because I'm used to workin' in style, and Decepticon purple is looking mighty ugly to me these days."
"I think I might be able to reprogram them," Ratchet mused, "Yes, I could reactivate them using a pulse discharge from my energon flow regulator. Just say the word and I can restore your classic silver chrome color in no time."
"Well, actually, I was wondering..." Jazz asked hesitantly, "Could I get a different color than my old default?"
"You don't like silver anymore?" Ratchet asked.
"Nah mech, it's just...I want white...and black. Like Prowl," Jazz asked almost sheepishly, "I figure if I wear his colors, then a part of him is still here kickin' Decepticon can with us."
Ratchet smiled then, a paternal smile he usually reserved for Bluestreak these days.
"Yes, I think Prowl would've liked that," Ratchet said sincerely.