The Gamble of Deception, Part 1

"What do you say to taking off my cuffs so we can square off face to face like real warriors?"

With energon binders tightly wrapped around his wrists, Kup's fists were held together behind his back. He didn't know if it was his imagination, but every time Kup struggled, the binders seemed to grow tighter. "I don't think it would take much to scrap a bunch of second-rate, assembly line rejects like yourselves."

The Decepticon behind Kup, answered by shoving him in the back. "Drop the tough-bot act! Think you can take on the group of us? I'd pay good shanix to see that."

Though Kup wouldn't admit it out loud, the Decepticon was right. He could take on maybe two of them but not all six of the Decepticons who had captured him. But the point was he'd rather be dead than tortured until he answered their questions about the device he had been carrying.

Kup and his small team had been sent to pick up and deliver the Cyphotax. The Cyphotax was designed to unscramble encrypted communications, transmitted between Decepticon forces, an advantage the Autobots needed desperately in a war where they were gaining no ground. So Kup and his team, composed of battle-hardened Autobots, left where they had been stationed, and met up with their contact where they were handed the Cyphotax. Everything was going smoothly since the two Autobots who accompanied Kup were vets like himself. The team moved efficiently across the Cybertronian terrain, taking back roads to stay out of view and avoiding unwanted attention. They were two of the best Autobot soldiers Kup had ever worked with and they knew what they were doing.

However, even the best have their bad days.

Kup didn't know how, but he and his team were discovered by a squad of Decepticons, seemingly out of nowhere. One Autobot was mercilessly gunned down as the fight began. Kup narrowly avoided a similar fate and exacted revenge on the Decepticon who killed his teammate with a shot from his rifle. The other Autobot fought back vigorously, killing a second Decepticon but was dispatched when the rest of the Decepticons overwhelmed him.

Being the last Autobot standing, Kup realized he had to destroy the Cyphotax. He threw it on the ground to blast it with his weapon but before he could, he fell when he was hit in the back of the head by the hilt of a gun. Kup thought his time had finally come when he was swarmed by the remaining Decepticons.

However, Kup was surprised when he wasn't terminated but instead taken prisoner. Rather than a painful death, he had been roughed up and his wrists were cuffed behind his back. On top of that, the Decepticons now had the Cyphotax in their procession and they knew what the device was used for!

Kup didn't understand how the Decepticons knew the Cyphotax's function as they demanded he tell them how it worked. When he refused, though in all honesty, he didn't know how to operate it, the beating started again.

Seeing that the old Autobot was too stubborn for his own good, the Decepticons decided to take Kup back with them for interrogation. Kup wished he had been one of the others who took a fatal energy bolt.

Acting tough and after taking a beat down while a prisoner was one thing, maintaining that attitude during torture was another. Kup wondered how long he could hold out for. He had been tortured before but that was by goons who didn't know what they were doing. They didn't know how to keep the pressure on and they talked too much.

"So, where are you taking me?" Kup didn't want to know but being forced to march in silence was getting to him.

"To a place where no one gets out alive," said one of the Decepticons, making the others laugh.

"Sounds nice," said Kup. "But how about we take the long way there and enjoy the scenery?"

The Decepticons didn't find Kup funny. "You won't be making jokes once we get there. Autobots always lose hope within hours of arriving. You'll understand once you hear the screams."

Kup didn't have a rebuttal. He had heard of places like the one the Decepticon described. Camps set up for torturing Autobots. Be it in the ruins of a war torn city or somewhere underground, prisoners were tortured until none remained. Then, their bodies were left on display as a warning of what happens to those who defy the Decepticons.

It wasn't the end Kup wished for. Death was one thing and he knew his day would come soon enough. But he didn't like the idea of his dead body being strung up, being used to provoke fear in those who witnessed the gruesome site.

However, the Decepticons figuring out how to use the Cyphotax was a greater concern. If they learned how to use the device, they would use it against the Autobots. The airwaves wouldn't be a safe way to transmit messages. All Autobot operations would grind to a halt out of fear that the Decepticons already knew what their enemy's next move would be. Kup desperately wanted to do something but didn't see how he was getting out of this one without some help.

As the group continued to its destination, they entered an area that was once an industrial complex. All of its warehouses and buildings lay in ruin but rows of exhaust stacks, built into the ground, remained mostly intact.

As far as the optic could see, the area was abandoned. The only inhabitants here were forgotten memories and the eerie silence, interrupted by the distorted echoes made by the steps the group took.

Kup thought this would be a good place to die. He could take off and run in between the stacks, using them as cover to his advantage to evade the Decepticons just long enough to anger them into killing him. Or they would just catch him and deliver another beat down. Kup knew running was desperate but he was out of options.

"This is taking too long," said one of Kup's captors. "What if we tied a cable to the Autobot so we can drag him the rest of the way back to base in vehicle mode?"

The squad leader spoke up. "I had the idea of shooting him in the leg. Make him limp the rest of the way, making the journey more entertaining."

The Decepticons broke out in laughter while Kup cursed himself for not destroying the Cyphotax. If only he had blasted it and caused the device to explode -

- an explosion startled the audio receptors and silenced the laughter, making all the Decepticons stop and assume battle positions. One squad member fell to his knees while screaming in pain. His hands had caught fire when his rifle had exploded and he was now trying to put out the flames.

Kup knew his audio receptors needed repair due to all the abuse he had suffered but swore he heard the sound of a laser bolt being fired before the explosion. What he heard next was just as unbelievable.

"Surrender, Decepticons! We have you surrounded," The authoritative voice made the Decepticons tense up. They clutched their weapons tighter, searching for any Autobots hiding among the exhaust stacks.

The voice returned. "This is Ultra Magnus. Throw down your weapons or I shall be forced to order my elite commandos, the Wreckers, you might have heard of them, to open fire. So, release the prisoner and I'll let you leave unharmed."

The mention of the Wreckers had the Decepticons looking more nervous than before. However there was one problem, that wasn't Ultra Magnus talking.

Kup knew Ultra Magnus personally and that wasn't his voice. After eons of fighting by his side, he would be able to recognize Magnus' voice even with busted audio receptors. As for the Wreckers, last Kup heard Impactor and his crew were on the other side of Cybertron engaged in hit-and-run tackles against Shockwave's forces.

Kup hoped whoever was impersonating Magnus had an actual plan before the Decepticons called their bluff. Unfortunately, far sooner than Kup had anticipated, the squad leader wasn't buying it, "If you were who you said you were, we would be dead already. Someone grab the prisoner, then let's hunt down this prankster."

"No, you don't, Decepticon!"

The Decepticon closest to Kup buckled over forward when a laser bolt struck his lower torso. The old vet saw his chance to run as the Decepticons returned fire from where the shot came from. Ducking behind an exhaust stack, Kup took cover and dared a peek to see who had come to save him.

Darting between stacks, firing at the enemy as he moved, a young Autobot Kup had never seen before was trading shots with the Decepticons, forcing them to take the defensive.

The kid's not bad, thought Kup. The old Autobot took a moment to admire the young warrior's fighting skills. Quick on his feet, focused and a risk-taker. As reckless as this young warrior was, Kup was sure his team would back him up any second now.

But then Kup realized there was no one else. The Autobot was by himself.

What on the blazes was going on here, Kup wondered as a stray laser bolt flew over his head. Ducking back behind the stack, Kup was confused. Who was this kid and what was he doing out here? He must have stumbled across Kup and the others by accident. Before he could reason any further, Kup felt someone stumbled into him from the left, almost knocking him out into the open.

The young Autobot, now taking cover beside Kup, traded shots with the Decepticons as the exhaust stack took a pounding. "Hi, the name's Hot Rod," said the young Autobot as he returned fire.

Kup had seen everything from the toughest of the tough to the as crazy as they come, but this Autobot with orange flames painted on his chest was something else. "I'm Kup. But for how much longer I don't know "

"Oh, I know you're Kup," replied Hot Rod as he continued his offense.

Confusion twisted up Kup's face. "What? How do you know that? And what in the name of Cybertron are you doing out here by yourself?"

"That's a long story we don't have time for right now. Hey, turn around for a second." Without waiting for his request to be answered, Hot Rod pushed on Kup's shoulder and shot the middle of his binders holding his wrists together.

Finally free, Kup held up his hands, ready to fight. "Thanks, but now what?"

Hot Rod looked at Kup with a smile. "I trust you know what to do with these," Hot Rod held up the two heavy pistols he was using and shoved them into Kup's hands.

Puzzled, yet thankful, Kup was ready to deliver a little payback on his captors for what they did to him and his team. And just as Kup was about to open fire, he saw Hot Rod transform and drive off.

"What in the blazes are you doing?" Kup yelled as Hot Rod took off. At first, he thought the kid was making a break for it, but then Kup realized that Hot Rod was drawing the Decepticons' fire away from him.

Not wasting the opportunity, Kup spun around from behind the stack and gunned down the first two Decepticons he saw.

The remaining Decepticons started to panic not knowing who to fire at. It soon became a free-for-all all as laser bolts flew in all directions.

Seeing he could use the mayhem to his advantage, Hot Rod reverted to robot mode as he snuck up on two Decepticons unaware of his presence. As Hot Rod's prey searched for a target, he crept in from behind, ready to take them down silently -

- then gave himself away when he stepped on an old pipe, breaking it.

The two Decepticons snapped around as Hot Rod threw his hands up, surrendering. "And you got me! Ok, I give up. You can take me prisoner now. No need to shoot me, right?"

The Decepticons looked at each other and smiled. "All we need is the other one. Looks like you're just target practice."

"But I'm unarmed."

"Never stopped us from shooting an Autobot before."

"And that's all I needed to hear."

Dropping his arms, Hot Rod fired on both Decepticons at point-blank range as his forearm blasters released several energized projectiles.

The two Decepticons fell dead, not knowing what hit them.

As soon as the fighting died down, the squad commander realized he was alone. And since he saw no dead Autobots and none of his troops around, he decided it would be best to make a break for it.

Transforming into jet mode, the squad commander was only a couple of meters off the ground when a series of laser bolts tore through his wings. Damaged, he lost control and crashed, returning to the ground harder than he would have liked.

Kup had a foot on the Decepticon's chest and a pistol in his face by the time the squad commander painfully transformed back to robot mode. "Give me the exact location of your camp. Now!" Kup demanded.

Seeing as cooperating would be his only chance of survival, the squad Leader didn't hesitate. "About 120 cyber clicks towards the Sonic Canyon. Please spare me."

"The only thing I'm going to spare you is a whole lot of pain."

Kup released a laser bolt from the pistol and the squad leader was no more.

Kup stood up and looked in the direction of where the camp was. He could make it with a bit of energon to spare. He was going to free those prisoners as no Cybertronian deserved an excruciatingly painful death. No matter what side they were on.

He looked back at the dead Decepticon lying next to him then looked at the rest. That's when he saw Hot Rod approaching him.

Kup could tell the expression on the young Autobot's face that something was bothering him. "Kid, don't give me that look. I know what separates Autobots from Decepticons but I couldn't leave him alive. He would have warned his friends the first chance he got. Besides, he killed two of my teammates."

Hot Rod held up his hands in defense. "I wasn't going to say anything, I was just making an observation. But you got to admit, that was cold "

"And that was stupid."

"Say again?"

"That was stupid what you did!" Said Kup, trying to keep his voice down despite his anger. "Taking on six Decepticons by yourself."

"That's a really strange way of saying thank you for saving your life, you know that right?"

"And what was with you pretending to be Ultra Magnus? You sound nothing like Ultra Magnus!"

"Hey, I was trying to solve the situation without conflict, ok? That's actually something Ultra Magnus would do!"

The two Autobots argued for a moment longer before Kup realized they weren't going to get very far going on like this. And he needed to do something about the Autobots imprisoned at the camp. "This argument is going nowhere. Look, I don't know how you found me or how you know my name, that doesn't matter. What matters is there is a group of Autobots prisoners being tortured at a Decepticon prison camp. They need to be busted out so I ain't wasting any more time talking to you."

Hot Rod looked in the direction Kup pointed in then asked. "Oh? So you're not concerned about the Cyphotax?" he said as he held up the device.

Kup had forgotten all about the device. "How do you even know what it is?" He wondered how this kid was so many steps ahead of him.

"Told you, long story," said Hot Rod, handing the Cyphotax to Kup.

Kup was losing patience and wanted to get moving. "Know what? None of that is important right now. Take the Cyphotax and get out of here. I have to reach the camp and figure out how to free everyone inside." Before stepping away, Kup held up Hot Rod's pistols. "I'm going to take these if you don't mind."

"You're going to need more than that," said Hot Rod. "You're going to need backup."

"We're not close enough to call for help. And we can't risk our transmission being intercepted."

Hot Rod shook his head. "I meant I'm your backup. You're going to need me."

"This is my fight, kid. Besides, the Cyphotax needs to get where it's going."

Hot Rod gave the Cyphotax a funny look as he stashed it away in a free compartment on his leg. "The life of one Autobot soldier is worth more than any high-tech weaponry on the battlefield. Hey, I might be young and reckless but I got my priorities straight."

Kup had to admit, the kid had spark. "Now you sound like Ultra Magnus. Ok kid, let's get going."

As the Autobots transformed and headed off for the camp, Kup hoped the two of them were all they needed to liberate the prisoners. With any luck, they're would be little resistance and a small crew of Decepticons guarding the Autobots. He just hoped this hotshot didn't do anything stupid. Rescue missions required patience, stealth and no stunts. But Kup was afraid this kid ran on a tank full of impulses and a brain module close to empty. With not even a single quality that reminded Kup of himself at the kid's age, the old Autobot feared he would have to save himself before saving any of the prisoners.