Chapter 14: Sick in the Head
It was late at night and Tiberius was sleeping soundly after a long day of schoolwork and training. However he was suddenly awakened by the sound of his phone buzzing.
Picking up the device, he looked and saw that he had a text message from Miko... With a video attached?
"What did she even send me…?" He muttered groggily. As he looked at his clock, he saw that he still had an hour left before he usually woke up. "I might as well get ready." He shrugged as he started getting dressed and brushing his teeth.
However as he did, he opened the attached file, his toothbrush nearly dropped out of his mouth as he fought the urge to let his jaw drop and drop his phone. Why?
The attached video was of Miko… dancing while doing a strip tease. As he watched his girlfriend dance around her room to her favorite music while sensually removing her clothing and running her hands all over her body. He saw that she was copying the movements of a tutorial video on YouTube, it seemed that she had no idea she was recording herself.
'Oh jeez…' The Bioformer thought in a daze, unable to take his eyes off the video. Her body was absolutely perfect, and she was showing it off like she had been doing this for years.
As the video ended, the blonde couldn't shake the feeling of sheer arousal that rushed over him, and his body reacting to the stimuli accordingly.
"Well, if I was still half asleep, I'm certainly not now." The teen said to himself. Shaking his head he quickly closed his phone and finished brushing his teeth before he grabbed his backpack. "I'll just keep this in my file folder for later." He added as he started walking outside, the sky still dark since it was only 5:30 in the morning.
As the boy got into Optimus's passenger seat, his face was still burning red from what he'd just seen.
"Is something wrong, Tiberius?" The Prime asked.
"N-Nothing serious." The boy replied with a small stutter. The semi truck transformer decided to let the matter be as they went to the base.
As soon as they got to base, it was soon made clear that Miko indeed had no idea about what she may have sent him last night as she openly hugged the boy's neck as he entered the building.
"Hey, Tibs." She said softly, kissing him on the cheek. Tiberius looked down at her and his mind soon started to mentally undress her, the image of her naked body still seared into his skull like a well welded piece of metal.
"H-Hey Miko." He smiled back, hugging her by the waist. Though subconsciously he wanted to move his hand lower to get a good squeeze of her above average rear, but quickly fought it off.
"So, any new developments?" Sierra asked Ratchet.
"Nothing as of yet. I'm currently experimenting with different frequencies to see what I can find." The medic told her as Tiberius's parents suddenly drove into the base.
Serena stepped outside, her husband close behind her. Both were carrying what looked to be takeout.
"I hope you kids don't mind, but we brought you all lunch." Mathias told them.
"From where?" Raf asked curiously as he took one of the packages.
"A Chinese restaurant that some good friends of ours, the Hans, own. We've always gone there for Chinese food ever since Tiberius was little." Serena replied.
"In fact, their eldest daughter is supposed to be starting school at Jasper high next year." Mathias added. "She and her little brother and sister work in the kitchen and register."
"I always get an order of dumplings and lo mein, it's my usual." The blonde nodded as he was handed exactly that, as well as some soy sauce and chopsticks.
"Sweet!/Alright/Let's dig in!" The kids said as they started eating. However as they did, Miko got a mischievous look on her face before she waited for Tiberius to look away to talk to Jack, and then she ate the dumpling from in between his chopsticks before retreating.
"Oh shut up, Ja-" Tiberius started to say before he noticed his dumpling was gone. "... Huh?" He said dumbly. Shrugging he decided to switch to eating his lo mein, and as he began slurping up a particularly long noodle, he noticed that something else was pulling on it. Though when he kept slurping to try and get it faster…
*Smooch!*
He found himself kissing a mischievous looking Miko. The humans in the room looked at the sight and let out laughs of amusement.
Blushing, the boy quickly pulled away. "Miko!" He said in surprise.
"Surprise!" She giggled.
"Kids these days." Mathias said in amusement.
It was at this point that Ratchet finally said something. "Optimus, you're not going to believe this, but I've just pinpointed the exact location of the Decepticon Warship." The medic said.
"How did you get past their cloaking shields?" Optimus asked.
"I didn't. I believe their cloaking shields may be experiencing some kind of electromagnetic interference." Ratchet replied before something else came up. "And what's more, I've picked up an Autobot distress beacon on the same frequency." He added.
"The Decepticons can wait. We need to see if there are any survivors on that ship." The Prime said. . "Ratchet, bring your medical kit." He ordered.
"Right." The ambulance Autobot nodded.
(Elsewhere)
Meanwhile on the Nemesis, Starscream was pacing back and forth as the Vehicons worked feverishly to repair their signal jammers.
"What is taking so long?!" He questioned impatiently.
"Forgive us, Lord Starscream, but we're working as fast as we can." A Vehicon said before he was back handed by the stiletto heeled megalomaniac.
"Work faster! The longest this takes, the greater the risk of the Autobots discovering our location!" He exclaimed.
"Yes Lord Starscream." The Vechs nodded as they left him be.
Starscream sighed in aggravation as Knockout approached him, Jenova riding on his shoulder. "Ah Knockout, Jenova. So, how is the patient doing today?" He asked the two.
"He's physically stable, but remains comatose. He's showing no signs of waking." The dark Bioformer replied.
"However, his mind is still percolating." Knockout added.
"Shh! Keep that to yourselves!" The jet hissed. "That blasted Soundwave sees and hears everything." He added.
"What do we do?" Jenova asked in a hushed voice.
"I'd say we need to convince Soundwave that keeping Megatron in this limbo stat is not the right thing to do." Knockout told her. "We convince him, we have the go ahead to properly lay him to rest."
"You mean you're not going to wait until I can figure something out?" The girl questioned.
"How long would you need for that to happen?" Starscream inquired.
"I've nearly cracked the formula I need for a Dark energon serum that could help restore his body's function… however his mind is another story." She told him.
"We shall see. In the meantime, don't you have a poison to finish?" The jet asked.
"Actually I just finished it." She told him, showing him a vial. "Would you like to know how it works?"
"If you'd be so kind." Knockout nodded.
"Well then listen up." The girl said as she began explaining her latest creation.
(Elsewhere)
On the Autobot ship that Ratchet discovered, he and Optimus were looking for survivors.
"Be vigilant. They could be at our feet." The Prime cautioned. Though as they went deeper into the ship, they soon found themselves face to face with several dead Autobots.
"Wait a minute…" Ratchet said before he did a quick scan. "Optimus stay back! These Autobots did not die from the crash, they were victims of a virus." He told the prime. "Don't touch anything, it could still be active." He added.
"Is it contagious?" The semi truck asked.
"Most likely. So be careful." The medic replied. Just then the ship shook and then seconds later a part of the ceiling came loose, causing a dead Autobot to drop from it.
"Whoa!" Ratchet yelped before some contaminated Energon leaked from the body and onto Optimus' face. The Prime let out a startled yell as Ratchet looked at him in worry. "Oh no…"
(Later)
Optimus now laid on an examination table, his face showing signs of corrosion and his breathing labored. "What's wrong with him?" Tiberius asked.
"He's showing signs of an old virus. One we hoped to never see again." The medic replied.
"What virus are you referring to, Ratchet?" Mathias inquired.
"The Cybonic Plague." He replied, causing Tiberius to blink at the name.
"Why does that sound oddly like the Bubonic Plague?" He wondered.
"The what?" Bulkhead asked.
"It's also known as the Black Death. It's a disease that came from rats and first afflicted the mongols and spread all over Earth, killing millions. And it kept popping back up until we learned how to control it." The boy explained. "It's symptoms included patients developing a sudden onset of fever, headache, chills, and weakness and one or more swollen, tender and painful lymph nodes (called buboes). This form usually resulted from the bite of an infected flea." He added. "It was a nasty virus." He concluded.
"It certainly sounds nasty." Arcie nodded with a shiver. "Was a cure ever developed?" She asked.
"No. It spread and killed so fast that it ran out of hosts after a certain period of time." The boy replied as he shook his head. "On that end, did Megatron develop a cure for the virus in case his forces caught it?" He asked.
"If he did, then it would be on the Decepticons warship's database." The medic replied.
"Then we should go there, and get the cure by any means necessary." The blonde concluded, looking at Optimus. "I refuse to let Optimus die without trying to save him. There's still so much I need him to teach me." He added.
"I concur." Ratchet nodded.
"Then let's go save our leader." Arcie said as she headed for the Ground Bridge. "Bee, Tiberius, with me." She ordered.
"Right." The two nodded.
(Elsewhere)
"So what you're saying is that even if the poison works on the girl, there's still a chance that she can be saved by being turned into a Bioformer?" Knockout asked Madame Ruin as she examined and ran her hands across Megatron's still wounded chest.
"Yep, though I doubt my cousin will be smart enough to try that." She said dismissively, underestimating her cousin's intelligence. "But by the off chance they do, that's where the second stage comes in." She added, patting the warlord's cheek. "The poison is laced with the Cybonic Plague, so if she does become a Bioformer, she'll be in twice as much danger."
"Nice one." Knockout said with a smirk.
Meanwhile in the main hall, Arcie and the boys arrived. They quickly hid in the shadows as the Knockout walked out, he looked around for a few seconds before shrugging and walking away.
Arcie quickly started hacking into one of the computers, but couldn't find anything on the virus. "Scrap, there's nothing here." She hissed.
"Keep looking!" Ratchet told her.
[Uh, Arcie?] Bumblebee said.
"What?" The two wheeler snapped.
"If you can't find anything there…" Creator said as he pointed into a room. "Why don't you ask Megatron himself?" He asked.
"What are you-" Arcie started to say before she looked through a window and widened her optics upon seeing Megatron on life support. "Oh…" She uttered.
"What is it? What do you see?" Ratchet asked.
"It's Megatron. He's alive… Barely, but still." Arcie told him.
"Are you serious?" Jack asked incredulously.
"Yeah. But he's not exactly staring back." Creator told him before he saw that he still had brain activity. "And his sick mind is still at work…. I wonder…" He said. "Hey Ratchet, would there be any way to see into Megatron's brain?" He asked.
"Yes, actually. There should be equipment for a Cortical Psychic Patch." The medic replied.
"Wait, enter Megatron's mind? Are you two outta your fraggin minds?" Arcie questioned.
"Well we gotta get the cure somehow, and Megatron's mind is our best option." Creator retorted.
[I'll do it.] Bumblebee said, causing them to look at him. [Look, we can't risk anything happening to Creator that'll result in his Bionicle relics being taken by the Cons, so I'm our best bet.] He explained.
"I really don't like putting you in jeopardy Bee." Creator told him. "But if you're sure, then go ahead." He nodded. The three then hid in the room and connected the patch to let Bumblebee do his thing.
However as the two waited, Madame Ruin entered the room. "Finally! I've done it!" She smiled as she was followed by Changling, who looked eerily similar to Cliffjumper without his horns in robot mode. The TerraBioformer was also black and purple.
"Done what, mistress?" He asked.
"I've finally cracked the code and created a serum that can restore Lord Megatron's body function using Dark Energon." She told him. "Now all I have to do is find a way to work around the mental warping…" She sighed as she walked her fingers along the examination table. "Do you hear that, my lord? Soon you'll be back to your old self." She purred in the comatose Con's audio receptors.
(Elsewhere)
"Oh god I think I'm gonna hurl." Jack groaned at what he was hearing.
"Same…!" Miko groaned as she leaned on the railing.
"I am going to have nightmares now…" Raf said weakly as Serena held him.
"Ditto." Sierra said as she tried to keep her lunch in her stomach while she sported a disgusted look.
(Elsewhere)
As this was going on, Bumblebee was now face to face with Megatron, and the scout just had an idea of how to get the cure for Optimus. [You know, Megatron, I know exactly what it is you want most more than anything. Probably better than even you.] The scout told the warlord.
"And what would that be, scout?" Megatron questioned.
[The chance to destroy Optimus with your own two hands. The real one. Sure you can do it in here whenever you want, but it'll just be that, a dream. And I know you're not one to waste time on dreams.] The scout said.
Megatron pondered his words before letting out a chuckle. "Well played, Scout. I must say, you Autobots can sometimes be better at playing mind games than even the most deceitful of Decepticons." He nodded before a hologram appeared in his hand. "Here is the cure you seek." He said.
Right as the yellow scout made to grab it, he suddenly made it disappear. The warlord then glared right into his optics. "But you may only have it on one condition: You assist me in returning to full recovery." He told the bot.
(Elsewhere)
"That sneaky son of a—!" Miko started to say.
"Miko!" Mathias and Serena yelled.
"Sorry." She said sheepishly.
"What are we gonna do about this?" Jack asked.
"I wouldn't worry, Jack." Ratchet said before he pressed rewind on the video feed and paused it. "Got it! Arcie, Creator, pull Bumblebee out now!" He told them.
(Elsewhere)
Back with the Decepticons, they were currently arguing with Madame Ruin about what they should do with Megatron. Well, Knockout and Starscream were, Soundwave remained silent, as per usual.
"Alright, let's pull Bumblebee out of there!" The gold bot whispered.
Arcie nodded as she quickly pulled the plug, and seconds later, Bumblebee came back. "Alright, Ratchet, bridge us back, now!" She told the medic.
"Right!" He replied as the Decepticons took notice of their presence.
"Intruders!" Starscream exclaimed. However before anyone could do anything, the three jumped through the ground bridge and disappeared.
(Later)
After the whole fiasco was over (with the humans getting some nightmare fuel along the way), Optimus was cured and back on his feet. This caused a huge amount of relief to wash over everyone.
"I strongly advise having extra antidotes made in case such an occurrence happens again." Mathias advised.
"I agree. I'd rather stay on the safe side after this one." Ratchet nodded.
"And it's all thanks to good ol' Bumblebee here." Tiberius smiled.
"Yes, the hero's welcome should indeed be reserved for my scout." Optimus nodded. "You did well, Bumblebee." He told the younger bot.
Everyone joined in congratulating the muscle car, though as this was going on, something in his head didn't seem to be quite right…
"I'm out. Or, should I say, I'm in?" Megaton said as he chuckled darkly from the recesses of Bumblebee's mind.
This did not look good.
Dragon Emperor0: And that is why I always keep the cameras of all my devices covered. You never know when you could unknowingly be recording yourself doing something you'd rather not be seen.
ThermalsniperN7: Or in my case, have little to none at all. Also… Can we take a moment to pity the humans of the team for having to hear Madame Ruin's disturbing ramblings?
Dragon Emperor0: Obsession breeds the oddest of things in a person, as the saying goes. Anyway guys, see you all next week.