A/N: And we're back! Now that the stress of the week leading up to the wedding is over and I'm back from my honeymoon, I've been able to get back to writing and editing and all that. So huzzah! Sorry for the break! I had hoped I wouldn't need to stop posting, but you know how things go with weddings. There's always something leading up to it. And internet connection was iffy up at the cabin.
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Guest: Thank you! I like Drift, too! He's become one of my favorite bots! I'm glad you've enjoyed this story so far!
Enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 20: The More Things Change…
"Still no progress with our prisoner, Starscream?" Megatron asked.
"The Autobot is proving to be…very hard to crack," Starscream said, rubbing his talons together. "Not even Barricade seems to be having any luck and that mech has put her on Knock Out's medical table multiple times. I'm afraid much more from him and she'll be nothing more than scrap."
Megatron growled lowly and Starscream flinched, reflexively guarding himself. "Over a month, Starscream," he growled angrily. He turned his helm to glare at his second-in-command. "Over a month and you've made no progress?!"
"M-my lord," Starscream stammered, taking a step back. "We've tried everything. She just won't crack! M-maybe i-if you were t-to step in, my lord…you're much m-more imposing. A-and more c-convincing than the rest of us."
Megatron growled, then backed off, not missing the way Starscream's frame relaxed when the threat of him beating him seemed to subside. "Perhaps you are right, Starscream," he said, glancing toward the doorway. "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself."
Megatron pushed the Seeker aside and strode down the walkway toward the way off the bridge. He walked down the halls with a purpose, thinking about what tactic he might implore on the Autobot that had remained steadfastly quiet this past month against all the tortures his mechs had used.
The cortical psychic patch would've solved the problem quite nicely—if they had a working model. Unfortunately, their resident oaf of a mech, Breakdown, had broken their only one in a tussle with Barricade when the mech had insulted the doctor. Unfortunate, but until it was repaired, it wasn't an option.
They'd tried brute force. They'd tried mnemosurgery and she'd almost fragmented Soundwave with the brief time he was in her helm with the force of her resistance. At least he had successfully blocked her T-cog access, adding a layer of barrier to escape. And he wasn't going to risk his most loyal and effective follower on another attempt at that with how high the rate of death could be with mnemosurgery. He had no one else he would trust with such a task.
Maybe it was time for a different approach.
The door to the cell their prisoner resided in opened upon his approach and he tilted his helm at what he saw. They'd stopped hanging her by the chains a while ago—Knock Out's orders if they wanted her to continue to function to get any information from her, something about tears in her joints that could lead to a slow bleed out. Instead she was chained to the wall by a length of chain that allowed her not much movement. She'd used that movement to wedge herself into the corner of the cell, wrapping her large bird-like wings around herself as if it would hide her from sight. He saw that her frame was trembling and her wings shifted tighter around herself as if they could protect her from him when she heard him enter.
How pathetic, Megatron thought, striding forward until he stood in front of her. He stared down at her for a long moment, wondering how this could be the same Autobot refusing to give his best interrogator answers. How this could be a member of the Lineage of the Primes. It was more pathetic than Sentinel Prime when the mech had fled the gallery without much fight, leaving his people behind to suffer.
It was a far cry from the femme who had faced him fearlessly in the desert of Egypts to get her fellow Autobot back.
Megatron knelt in front of her and reached, pushing a wing out of the way. She struck out with sharp digits and he caught her wrist, snarling at her. Her optics widened upon seeing who it was that had come to see her this time and Megatron couldn't miss the way her frame shook when he was this close.
"Still have some fight in you, after all," he said silkily.
She growled, trying to wrestle her wrist from him. "I have nothing to say to you," she spat.
Megatron chuckled darkly. "Oh, but my dear Shadebreaker," he said. "You do. You have so much in that little helm of yours."
He reached out and ran the back out of his digits down the side of her faceplates. She flinched, turning away from his touch.
"And if you tell it, if you swear your allegiance to me, I will ensure you won't have to suffer anymore of this torture," Megatron promised smoothly. "Why, you'll be treated like a hero. The femme who helped the Decepticons defeat the Autobots and bring restoration back to Cybertron! You will have a special seat at the table. And the best energon you can find."
"Eat slag," Shadebreaker growled. "And stop lying to me." She snarled at him.
Megatron snarled back and his hand moved quickly from the tender motions to wrapping around her throat. She let out a surprised gasp as he stood, lifting her up with him by the neck, claws pressing into the delicate wiring. "You seem to misunderstand your place here," he growled. He pressed her up against the wall. "You will tell me what I need to know. One way or the other. And if you do not tell it to me willingly, I will rip it from your mind and allow my mechs to torture you for a very long time."
Shadebreaker growled, squirming in his grasp, hands grasping at his claws as she kicked useless against him.
Megatron snarled, leaning forward, pressing his weight against hers and putting his helm near her audials. "There's more than one way to obtain your powers of time and space for my side." he growled in tones he knew would carry his meaning.
Shadebreaker's frame shuddered and Megatron felt the cords in her neck tense as she gritted her denta and the vibrations of the growl she managed to get out past his hold.
"But if you swear your allegiance, no one will touch you," Megatron purred, pushing her chin toward his face with his thumb. "Not even Shockwave and that vile pet of his."
"Like hell-" Shadebreaker growled and cut off into a whimper as he pushed her further against the wall, increasing the pressure on her neck. "L-like hell would I-I believe you f-for a s-second." She suddenly jammed her knee into his stomach. Hard. But not hard enough to cause the larger mech to flinch—her strength was too far gone from the many torture sessions.
Megatron almost laughed in amusement at the feeble attempt to get him to back off. "Perhaps you need a clearer understanding of what kind of pain awaits you if you keep up this resistance," he growled.
He clenched his fist and jammed it into her side, ripping a hole immediately through her armor, spilling energon and causing her to gag. He tossed her onto the floor then and she gasped in pain, scrambling to get away despite the chain restricting how far she could move. He approached her, ignoring the way her wings flared in warning and she glared death at him. Like a cornered predator faced with one higher up on the food chain with no escape.
"So brave," Megatron said in amusement, tilting his helm as a pleased smile formed on his faceplates. "It'll make it all the more fun to beat the fight out of you."
Shadebreaker growled and the sound was somewhat primal as her systems whirred, clearly attempting transformation against the codes Soundwave imported to disable her T-cog's function.
Megatron smirked before delivering a harsh kick into the same side he'd torn open with his fist. He knew Starscream had expressed concern over more beatings leading to her offlining, but he knew better than anyone the kind of resiliency in Seekers—and Knock Out had revealed to him that there was Seeker in her CNA. Starscream had not perished after any of his beatings, after all. And he knew Knock Out could repair her just fine—couldn't have their information well dying out on them.
Knock Out tsked as he looked over his scans as he walked over to the side of his patient. He had lost count of the times their Autobot prisoner had ended up on his med slab at this point. It was…unusual, but he knew why. She knew things Megatron desperately wanted to know.
"You're lucky, you know," he said, setting the datapad down and moving to work on repairs to her side. "One inch to the side and you'd have bled out."
"Tsk," Shadebreaker scoffed. "Lucky. Right. You wouldn't say that if you were the one in my position."
"Hmm," Knock Out hummed. "You're right. It'd be a travesty if my lustrous finish was as ruined as yours."
Shadebreaker chuckled lightly. "Such travesty, indeed," she agreed weakly.
Knock Out smirked slightly. He had to admit, he appreciated her sense of humor. She humored his own vanity when his own faction only ever mocked him for it. In another time, another scenario, he dared to think they could've been friends.
"Can't say I envy you, knowing the future," he said quietly. "Yet I must say I am curious. Surely you could tell me something. Do I become the Earth's first Cybertronian racing champion?"
Shadebreaker chuckled and the sound broke off into a pained hiss as he worked. "Sorry, doc," she said weakly. "I'm afraid it doesn't work like that." Her optics sparkled in amusement.
"Yeah, I know, you don't tell 'Cons future stuff," Knock Out said, waving a hand. "Can't blame a mech for trying."
"Heh," Shadebreaker chuckled again, giving him a look of mild distrust as he worked.
Knock Out knew she didn't trust him despite the jokes they shared. It was only natural. He was a Decepticon. She was an Autobot. Still, it was worth a shot. Clearly no one was making progress by beating her almost to death. He thought that by showing her kindness, maybe she'd share something with him. Something he could take to Megatron to win his favor and maybe some immunity from his wrath for a time.
Shadebreaker watched him with suspicious optics, listened as he conferred with Breakdown while he worked on her repairs. His job was to keep her alive, she knew, not converse with her as he did. Not convince the others that hanging her up with the chains was going to kill her if they kept doing it as he had—which she knew had been a lie, or at least was fairly certain it had been. She knew a manipulation when she heard it—she was fairly certain anyways. She just couldn't figure out why.
The door to medbay opened and Megatron strode in. Knock Out turned to look at him briefly, but didn't stop his work on her side.
"Report," he said.
"It will be a couple cycles before she is repaired enough to handle another…interrogation without risk of offlining, my liege," Knock Out reported smoothly. "You certainly did a number on her."
Megatron's optic roamed the frame of the femme, who had closed her optics to feign unconsciousness the moment the door had opened. He sneered, looking displeased at the fact she wasn't conscious. He moved to the side of the med slab opposite Knock Out and leaned over his patient.
Knock Out was forced to back up, pausing his work lest he bump into his leader. He shared a perplexed look with Breakdown.
"I know you are awake, dear Shadebreaker," Megatron said silkily. "You know what to do to make this end. I'll expect an answer our next session."
Shadebreaker was silent, still as she'd been since Megatron had entered. Knock Out wondered if she had actually passed out from the pain now, given he'd been forbidden from giving her any pain meds.
Megatron backed up and a snarl passed across his face at this lack of response. He looked at the medic. "Inform me the moment she is up for more interrogation."
"Yes, my liege," Knock Out replied, placing a hand over his spark and bowing, watching as Megatron walked out of medbay.
As soon as Megatron was gone, Shadebreaker peeked an optic open, checking if it was clear and then her frame shuddered as Knock Out stepped back up to continue repairs.
Bulkhead drove through the ghost town, tracking the energon signature they had picked up. It was good to be out in the field again, especially given what was going on. Any lead that might lead them to a possible Shadebreaker rescue was worth chasing. And they could always use more energon.
.:Anything yet, Bulkhead?:. Arcee's voice came over the comm link.
.:No:. He replied, huffing lightly. .:How about your location?:.
.:Nothing. This whole place is a ghost town.:.
Bulkhead rumbled his engine in agreement. It was a very, very large ghost town, but a ghost town nonetheless. It made him nervous, what with Arcee on the other side of it and all. It was the perfect place for an ambush. And who's to say the Decepticons weren't planting little hints of trails for them to follow in order to try to pick them off?
"Well look who we have here," a familiar voice broke into his thoughts.
Bulkhead slowed to a stop in the middle of a courtyard as he saw another vehicle on the other end. He watched them transform and then did so himself.
"Been a while, Bulkhead," Breakdown said, smirking. "I was afraid you'd perished before we could have a rematch."
"I don't go down so easily," Bulkhead said, transforming a hand into a wrecking ball in response to his opponent pulling out his hammer. "I've been looking forward to this for a long time."
The two ran at each other, trading blow after blow in a series of attempts to take each other out. Each dent Bulkhead gave Breakdown, he received one in return and he growled, venting heavily after several blows, frame struggling to keep up with the fast paced fight.
"Not looking so hot there, Bulk'," Breakdown taunted, circling him after knocking him back as he watched him stumble. "Are you sure you were ready to return to duty after the beating we gave you as a prisoner?" He twirled his hammer in his hand.
Bulkhead growled, not deigning to grace that with a verbal answer. Instead, he ran at Breakdown, aiming to deliver a blow to the side of his face. Before his blow landed, however, a harsh blow from Breakdown's hammer hit him hard in the side of the helm. His optics glitched as he fell hard to the ground and he struggled against losing consciousness for a moment before darkness overcame him.
I woke up in a lot of pain still. I wasn't surprised by this. Ever since my capture, my existence had returned to one where life was nothing but pain. Knock Out, as strangely kind as he was whenever I was in his medbay, was forbidden to give me any pain meds. And even with repairs, my frame ached in every spot damaged by the interrogation techniques employed by my captors. It was nothing unfamiliar, though.
My optics roamed the medbay to see who was here. Knock Out was next to the med slab, typing on the computer next to me. I was about to speak, to ask him a question, when the door opened and Starscream came in. I closed my optics to pretend to be asleep.
"Knock Out," Starscream's voice was strangely soft, uncertain.
"Yes? What is it, Scream?" Knock Out asked, looking over his shoulder. "Twist your ankle or something? Need your wings buffed?"
"Tsk," Starscream scoffed and I heard the scrape of his claws against armor, light. "Nothing of the sort." A pause. "I just thought you should know. Breakdown's been captured by humans."
"What?! Well, what are you doing here?! Go rescue him!" Knock Out demanded and I could hear the air movements as he turned and waved his servos.
"I can't," Starscream said, tone growling. "Megatron's forbidden it."
"What?" Knock Out asked.
"Megatron forbade it," Starscream repeated and he motioned, the action taking his servo closer to me and I felt a slight movement from the air. "He said Breakdown's not worth it if he's weak enough to be captured by mere humans. And demands I keep my focus on…other matters."
A pause and I felt their optics on me. I knew he meant me and my information.
"Tsk," Knock Out scoffed. "Get out, then. Leave me to my work in peace."
"Fine," Starscream said. He turned, moving toward the door. I heard him hesitate. "I just thought you should know. Since you're…you know."
Knock Out growled. "Get. Out!"
Starscream left then and then I heard Knock Out cry out and a clang and clatter told me he had thrown something rather hard. It reminded me of Ratchet and my spark hurt at the thought and I couldn't help the sympathetic whine that came out of my throat.
"You're awake, huh?" Knock Out asked, growling. His hands slammed onto the slab at my side. "And I suppose you're just gonna lay there and do nothing cause you don't tell Decepticons the future."
I opened my optics and looked at him searchingly. I found his optics and saw they were filled with anger and pain and fear. "If I help you," I said quietly, hopefully quietly enough any surveillance in the room would not hear. "Will you help me?"
Knock Out paused, clearly not expecting that. "Y-you would help me?"
"M-MECH," I said. "Is a threat to a-all Cybertronian, and human, life. A-and, though I'm sure it's been a ploy, you have been kind to me. Breakdown-" I paused to wince. "Breakdown doesn't deserve what they will do to him. No one does."
"MECH, huh?" Knock Out asked, standing up straighter. He looked up toward a corner. Then back at me. He seemed to be caught in an internal debate as he closed his optics. Finally, he exhaled air and opened his optics to look at me. "I'm risking a lot if I help you escape." His voice was unfathomably quiet.
"I know," I said. "You could always…" I turned a hand palm up, an invitation without words.
"I can't make that decision without him," Knock Out said, hanging his helm.
"I understand," I said, recalling Starscream's words. "But if we don't save Breakdown…much worse will befall him."
Knock Out stared at me for a long moment. He closed his optics again, expression full of pain and struggle.
I waited patiently for his answer, knowing it wasn't easy. Then he opened his optics, looking at me with the most serious look I had seen on the mech.
"We'll need to work quickly," he said. "I'm afraid there's not going to be enough time to complete your repairs."
"There is not," I agreed without hesitation. "I have functioned through worse, don't worry. I need only that you remove that which prevents me from using my portals. Then I can get us to where they are holding Breakdown."
"So easily? You know exactly where they are?" Knock Out asked.
"Precisely," I said, a certain growl in my voice that I suspected conveyed my feelings about MECH given the way Knock Out smirked, a sparkle in his optics.
Knock Out moved away and my optics tracked him. He typed on the computer next to me, paused to look at me with a look of consideration, then inserted a stick into a port and continued typing. He took the stick after a bit and put it into subspace before moving onto another computer. He left medbay for a time before coming back and going to the second computer again.
Eventually he came back to my side. "I've edited the footage to make it look like I took the Ground Bridge to go for a drive," he said quietly as he slid his digits behind my neck. I felt him pop something off my neck cables. "That'll do it. Your portals are accessible. You better not betray me, Autobot."
"You wound me, doc," I said, shifting to sit up with his help. "I'm a bot of my word. And I meant what I said about MECH. They're too dangerous. If I can stop them now, then telling you a little bit will be worth it."
"Dare I ask what they do to make you growl like that?" Knock Out asked as he got me on my pedes.
"One of us feeling rage is enough, I think," I replied and lifted a hand.
A portal opened next to us and we both ran through it despite the pain I was in.
"Optimus, we got a reading on Shadebreaker's portals!" Wheeljack said from the monitor.
"Good job, Wheeljack," Optimus said, walking over to him. "Where?"
"Near where we just picked up Bulkhead," Wheeljack replied.
"What? Why'd she be going there?" Arcee asked. "Nothing there but a ghost town."
"She may have chosen a random location upon her escape," Sideswipe suggested.
"That just so happens to be right by where we were investigating an energon signal that was a deadend?" Arcee asked. "Where Bulkhead lost to Breakdown and then got left alive while Breakdown mysteriously vanished? I don't buy it. There's a reason she went there. She knows something."
Optimus hums in thought.
"I have an idea," Agent Fowler said, walking over from the human sized computers on the catwalk that had recently been added to the tent, file in hand. "I just received word of MECH activity being reported in that area."
"MECH?" Wheeljack asked.
"A human terrorist group," Fowler replied. "Shadebreaker told me about them in confidence one day, expressing concern that she had not heard anything about them appearing yet. We've since looked into them. They're after the newest and most high tech technology they can find. And they think you guys are the gateway to that tech in order to create their 'new world order' as their leader, Silas, puts it."
"How come she didn't say anything to us?" Arcee asked.
"She wanted to confirm if they existed, first," Agent Fowler replied, passing the folder to Optimus. "I don't know all the details, but I can tell they make her antsy. And anything that makes our future telling bot antsy can't be good."
"So what does it mean that she portalled right to where there's suspected activity from them? She's not trying to take them on alone, is she?" Arcee asked, remembering how going after Airachnid on her own had gone.
"She's not that reckless to do that fresh out of the 'Cons," Sideswipe said. "Is she?"
"I'm afraid that if they worry her as much as Agent Fowler is implying, she may act rashly depending on what it is she knows," Optimus said, closing the file after perusing it. "Autobots. Prepare to roll out."
I peered out from behind a tree at the building I knew MECH to be hiding in.
"That's where they got Breakdown, then?" Knock Out asked quietly.
I nodded, wishing not for the first time that I had my visor back. "We should make sure they're there before we move in," I shifted and then flinched at the pain in my side. "It won't do him any good to go in before them and end up boxed in."
"You're the psychic," Knock Out said, picking a leaf out of his armor with a look of annoyance.
"I'm not psychic," I said, a slight amount of annoyance in my tone.
"Aren't you?" He asked silkily. "You know the future, don't you?"
"Yes? No? Kinda," I said, making a so-so motion with my hand. "But that's not how it works. I don't have visions or premonitions or shit like that." I ignored the fact that I had had dreams come to pass before, even as I flinched as that fact kinda made that a lie. It wasn't a lie when that wasn't the reason I knew this, right? "I'm not psychic. I know things, but I'm not….that."
"You don't sound convinced of that yourself," Knock Out observed.
I rolled my optics. "Whatever, doc," I said. I squinted at the building, trying to determine if our target was within. "Can you see anything that might indicate they are inside? It's hard without my visor," I said.
Knock Out squinted as well, leaning out from his cover. "I see tire tracks," he said. "Deep. Like they were transporting something heavy."
"Breakdown heavy?" I asked.
Knock Out squinted some more. "Very likely."
I nodded, shifting. "Alright, then," I said, taking my Path Blaster from subspace. "Then let's go wreck some assholes."
"My, my," Knock Out said, smirking as he took out his energon prod. "Never thought I'd hear an Autobot say that about humans."
"You don't know these humans," I said simply as we stepped out from our cover.
We moved low to the ground, stealthily and quickly. We entered the building and were immediately met with a handful of MECH soldiers. And immediately we began taking them out, each with differing reasons and expressions. While Knock Out took glee in taking out the humans who were holding his partner, I only frowned in acceptance that this was necessary. MECH and the soldiers making it up were evil. They chose this evil.
It wasn't long before we came to the heart of the building. Just as a drill was about to drill into Breakdown's optic.
Growling, I used my wings to give myself a boost of speed, grabbing hold of the machine just in time to stop it as the humans all yelled at stuff I was not listening to. I wrenched it away, breaking the arm off and then toss it toward the platform that held Silas, hoping to crush him. He, unfortunately, dodged.
"Rescue has arrived," Knock Out said smoothly as he made it to Breakdown's side.
"Doc?" Breakdown asked. "What are you doing here? How?"
"I'll tell you all about it when we get out of here," Knock Out said as he worked at removing the restraints.
"Why's she here?" Breakdown asked.
"What's it look like? I'm helping you." I asked, firing off shots to keep the humans off the mechs as Knock Out worked. I caught sight of Silas and growled, taking aim at him and firing directly at his heart.
I saw his glare bore right into my optics as I aimed. I saw him register the shot. And I saw the door close right before my shot hit him. I growled and made to pursue him.
I was stopped as an explosion rocked the ground beneath me, coming from the computer terminals on the far wall.
"Slaggit," I growled and reached over to help Breakdown to his pedes faster. "We gotta go before we get taken out with their fraggin' leave-no-evidence protocol."
"Don't gotta tell me twice," Knock Out said. "Can you transform?"
I gave him a flat look.
"Right, dumb question," Knock Out said. "Run!"
And that's just what we did.
"I'm picking up an energon reading this way," Ratchet said, looking at his scanner.
"A bit away from where her portal was, isn't it?" Sideswipe asked.
"She's clearly able to move," Arcee said.
"Autobots, use the utmost caution," Optimus warned. "It may yet be a trap."
They walked through the ghost town, following after the signature Ratchet was following with cautious hope on their sparks. They were headed toward the edge, they realized.
An explosion had them stopping, bracing against the rumbles in the ground that threatened to knock them off their pedes.
"What was that?!" Sideswipe asked.
"It came from the direction we're headed," Ratchet said, dread in his tone.
"Slag," Arcee said.
"Autobots, we must hurry," Optimus said.
My frame ached as we ran, every cord and fiber protesting the motion. I stumbled and my systems whined as I tried to keep up with my Decepticon companions.
"Come on, Psychic! Don't give up now!" Knock Out ordered as we neared the base entrance.
"Don't call me that!" I snarled out through heaving venting.
"Is now really the time to argue?" Knock Out asked.
I went to retort back, but my knees suddenly buckled from underneath me and I collapsed.
"Slaggit," Knock Out cursed. "Breakdown, help me!"
The two mechs were suddenly on either side of me, helping me. They basically carried me the rest of the way and just as we made it out of the building, somewhere inside a bigger explosion was set off. The mechs picked up the pace, Breakdown taking over carrying entirely as he lifted me bridal style and suddenly we were in the woods again.
They didn't stop until we were in a small clearing and Breakdown set me down against a tree and I hissed in pain, holding my side that had been wounded by Megatron. He looked down at me, clearly still confused why I was here.
"I'll call for a bridge," Breakdown said.
"No! No, not yet," Knock Out said, holding up a hand to his partner as he walked up. He looked down at me. Then at Breakdown. "We need to hash out what we're telling Megatron first."
"Why?" Breakdown asked.
"Because if he knows we let Shadebreaker go he'll have our helms on a pike, that's why!" Knock Out growled.
I looked up at him weakly. "You…You're gonna keep to your word?" I asked, voice quiet.
Knock Out looked at me, then growled and looked away. "You did." He said as if that was all the reason and explanation he needed. "You could've let it happen. You could've let them have him."
I looked at him for a long moment. "Well then, I feel I should share something out of genuine kindness," I said softly. I looked at Breakdown. "Breakdown, if you ever find yourself on a mission to…deal with one called Airachnid, do not let her goad you into one-on-one combat. Under no circumstances."
"Uh, ok?" Breakdown said, looking even more confused. "What happens if I do?"
"You die," I said bluntly. "Gruesomely. It's not pretty. And-" I looked back toward the exploded MECH base. "Ya'll would learn why I hate those guys."
Knock Out and Breakdown shared a look of mild perplexion.
"Of course, both of those could be avoided if-"
"Up, bup," Knock Out said, waving a hand. "We have to talk about such an idea. Can't just go doing such willy nilly, you know?"
I smiled a bit. It wasn't a no.
"What?" Breakdown asked.
"I'll tell you later," Knock Out said. He started to move toward me. "Now-"
Branches snapping had the Decepticons pulling their weapons out and taking up defensive positions. I felt my frame shudder and I pressed against the tree in a vain attempt to fade into the background.
After a few tense minutes, Knock Out shifted.
"Autobots," he said. He knelt in front of me, taking a stick from subspace and holding it out to me. "Give this to your medic. It should help him help you."
I took it, a look of perplexion on my face. This seemed like kindness just for the sake of kindness.
"Don't read too much into it, Psychic," Knock Out growled.
"Don't call me that," I grumbled.
Knock Out flashed me a smirk and then stood again. "Let's go," he told Breakdown and then transformed, driving off.
Breakdown hesitated only a moment more, looking at me, before transforming and driving off after him.
I watched them go, mildly perplexed by Knock Out's actions. My attention was pulled away from their retreat, however, when Ratchet suddenly came through the trees, Optimus on his heels and Arcee and Sideswipe right behind them.
"By the AllSpark! Shadebreaker!" Ratchet said, scanner disappearing as he rushed to my side only to be replaced by another one.
"H-hey Ratchet," I said, smiling weakly, wondering if the Decepticons had gotten far as Optimus moved past us, clearly following their trail.
"How are you here?" Sideswipe asked.
"Had some help," I said, noticing Optimus pause when I spoke. "Turns out-" I paused to wince as Ratchet touched my wounded side. "Turns out not all of the rest of my knowledge is useless after all. And sometimes Megatron does stupid shit that leaves room for his troops to decide to screw him."
"You told them something?" Arcee asked.
"A calculated risk," I replied and then whimpered at Ratchet's touch again. "God, Ratchet, that hurts."
"I'm barely touching you," Ratchet growled.
My frame shuddered and shook. "It still hurts like hell," I said, growling back. "Anyways," I looked back at Arcee. "Nothing I told them could be used by Megatron. It's purely related to the mechs I told. Nothing on the overall grand scheme. I wouldn't have played it that risky. Even for the chance at escape. Ow, god da- fraggit!"
"Stop moving!" Ratchet hissed.
"You try staying still when your frame feels like it's on fire!" I growled, holding back tears. "It's not as if I'm trying to move."
Silence reigned.
"We should go back to base," Sideswipe said. "You can do repairs there, can't you?"
"I need to patch this leak before we move her," Ratchet replied.
"Don't you have any pain meds you could give me?" I asked, whining as I struggled against the urge to squirm away.
"My hands are needed in your side, femme," Ratchet said and I could hear regret in his tone.
I whimpered, tears falling.
Optimus's hand fell on my shoulder then and I reached up to grasp it as firmly as I could. "Ratchet," he said. "How long will it be?"
"I'm almost done," Ratchet said. "Just a little bit longer."
I whimpered, squeezing Optimus's hand and turning my helm as I covered my optics with my other hands as tears poured out.
"You're lucky this wasn't-"
"One inch over, I know!" I growled. "Megatron made it clear he wanted me beat, not dead. Can't fragging use me if I'm dead. I'd almost prefer if it was."
Optimus's hand tightened on my shoulder and I whimpered some more at the pain.
"Alright," Ratchet said softly and I felt his hands leave and armor be replaced, causing a sharp hiss to leave my lips. "I'm going to give you some pain meds now-"
"Thank Primus," I said, frame shuddering.
"And then we can go home," Ratchet finished.
The introduction of the pain meds to my system was sweet, sweet relief. Ratchet applied a fast acting one that dulled the pain to a throb and administered a second one that would take a bit more time to kick in but would knock the rest out in time. And then Optimus carefully lifted me into his arms as Arcee called for a Ground Bridge.
"This…this isn't a dream, right?" I asked as Optimus stood up straight. I looked briefly at Ratchet and then Arcee and Sideswipe in turn. Then up at Optimus. "You're here. Really?"
"We are here, Shadebreaker," Optimus confirmed. "Truly."
I sighed heavily, clinging to his armor as he began to walk toward the swirl of the portal that opened up. I buried my face in his chest.
"I am here," he reassured again.
I cried in relief at those words. Those wonderful words spoken by one so trusted.
"How is she, Ratchet?" Optimus asked softly of his medic.
Ratchet sighed heavily, looking up from the data Shadebreaker had given him—provided by Knock Out. "Right now? Not good," he said. "They did…so much, Optimus. They tortured her to near death, repaired her, only to do so all over again. Repeatedly. And that's not even getting into what Knock Out reported that Megatron planned to do." He shuddered in anger.
"Will she recover?" Optimus asked.
"Physically? Yes," Ratchet said, looking over where the femme was sitting on a medbay bed with crossed legs as she listened to Miko tell her about what happened while she was away. "Mentally? It is too early to know. What they put her through…the length of time they had her…it would greatly surprise me if it didn't leave a mark on her psyche. Especially given what she said."
Optimus placed a hand on his medic's shoulder, knowing he was referring to her words regarding her wound and almost wishing it would've killed her. It was always bleak to hear such words from a bot you cared about. "She couldn't ask for a better physician, Ratchet," he said. "We will all help her through."
Ratchet sighed. "I know, Optimus," he said lightly. "I know."
The two mechs watched as Miko moved in to hug Shadebreaker's knee and the femme laid a hand gently over the human child with a gentle look on her face. Her uncovered optics were filled with untold pain and spark break, but there was still hope swimming in them as well and that was a good sign. The soft gentleness that still remained was also a good sign.
Still, it saddened Optimus that her pain had been increased. She didn't deserve it. He approached her as Miko backed up, wiping tears from her eyes, and Shadebreaker looked to him.
"I am relieved you are back with us," Optimus said.
"As we all are," Ratchet said, having approached alongside him.
"Believe me, none of you are more relieved than I am," Shadebreaker said softly, optics wavering. She wiped at tears of her own. "But if it's all the same to you, I am tired. I need rest. Then I can talk and tell you whatever you wish or require to know."
Optimus nodded in understanding as Ratchet coaxed Miko away, much to her chagrin. "We will let you rest," he said, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. "And we will talk when you are ready."
Shadebreaker gave him a grateful look and settled down to recharge carefully.
"Can I stay?" Miko asked, voice worried.
Shadebreaker motioned toward Ratchet, indicating it was up to him.
"Shadebreaker still requires some repairs before it is safe for you to sleep right on top of her, Miko," Ratchet told her gently. "But perhaps Bulkhead will stay with you nearby." He moved toward where the mech was sitting on another bed nearby while he spoke.
"Ok," Miko said in acceptance.
Optimus watched them go for a moment before looking back at Shadebreaker. The femme was already starting to drift into recharge. Accepting that further answers would wait, which he'd expected, he reached out and tucked the blanket over her before moving away to go speak with his officers. There were a number other things that required his attention.
