Is this chapter a hot mess? Absolutely! Sorry for the late update but I have been fighting for the life of this chapter. It's short and messy but the next one is going to be spicy.
"I don't know. I imagined him to be less… pointy" I told Breakdown and Knockout as I looked at my barely living father while a buffer in my hands. After a while there was nothing to do and Starscream assigned us to tend Megatron. And guess what? This time he asked me if I wanted to help Knockout and Breakdown out before giving me the assignment!
"Pointy is his whole aesthetic" Knockout smirked as he looked at the monitors, trying to assess his state of being. It must have been hard because after all… he had a gaping hole in his chest. Just usual dad shenanigans. Or at least what Uncle Optimus always used to tell me about dad dying and coming back like some cockroach.
"Do you think he would go ballistic if we were to… give him some touch ups?" I asked them, lifting up my buffer higher. I mean dad wasn't that vein but who knows? This pre-peace version of him might be even worse than Starscream.
"If you want to live, I wouldn't try it" Knockout warned me and I just giggled and accepted that this won't be the day when I cutify my father's Cybertronian body. Not like the time I braided his hair when I was six.
"What a pity, but I guess everything will come in time" I giggled as I started to buff him, helping out Breakdown.
"You think so?" Breakdown looked at me incredulous. "Sometimes I feel like…"
"This war is never going to end" Knockout finished his sentence.
I didn't know what to tell them. I lived in peace, in an ironic way, peace was all I have ever known. How should I tell them that the war will end in a circa year? That their wish will be fulfilled, but only one of them stays alive long enough to see it? The Decepticons will lose and be disbanded by dad to sprinkle more salt on this wound.
"It will" I looked at them, words stuck on my throat a bit. "Everything will end one day."
"Would love to see that day!" Breakdown laughed as he finished polishing my father and my heart clenched hearing this. But then I remembered that everything is yet to come. That I can change anything as long as my father dies in the end. And oh, I will change things.
Then I looked at my father, or at least this past version of him. Right now he wasn't the man who owned up for his mistakes, the mech who sacrificed everything for the peace. He was just a warlord, lost in his madness caused by one betrayal.
"Let's go get some energon" Knockout gently poked my armplates with a smile I instinctively reciprocated as we walked out and headed towards the canteen.
"So, why did you decide to roll with the cons?" I asked him as we went. I knew his future self sided with the bots in the end, which always made me curious. Why? But future Knockout was reluctant to give me answers.
"Well… I…" he stuttered and looked at Breakdown in that unmistakable way.
"Oh!" I giggled, looking at Knockout, then Breakdown. So that was why he gave me no answers. "Good to know you guys are a thing" I whispered happily as I pulled them closer to me by their arms.
"Is this that obvious?" Knockout asked, still very much embarrassed.
"It's not that obvious," I teased, "but I've got good instincts. And don't worry, your secret's safe with me."
Breakdown just grunted, looking a little flustered but mostly unbothered. "It's not like we're hiding it or anything," he muttered, glancing at Knockout.
"So, was it love at first sight?" I asked playfully as we reached the canteen, grabbing a tray of energon.
"You're being way too interested in the lives of two cons" he said, trying to change topics and I just shrugged my shoulders.
"I have been here for like two days and those two days were more than enough to show me how boring things are here!" I said groaning as I remembered Starscream's tantrum with the Energon Harvester. "So of course I'm interested in the possible greatest ship of the century! Knockdown? Or Breakout? God, these shipnames sound so awesome!"
Knockout and Breakdown exchanged glances, Knockout letting out a small chuckle, clearly amused by my enthusiasm. I mean… Who wouldn't be? "I can't say I've ever heard our relationship described as 'the greatest ship of the century,'" Knockout said, shaking his head, his tone light. "But I'll take this as a compliment."
"You two definitely should. #cutestcoupleever" I said with a grin as I took my energon to drink. It tasted like shit, but had to chug it down for now. But as soon as I'm getting off of this ship, I'm having a whopper with fries and cola.
"For someone who's been on Earth for like three days, you sure know a lot of human things" Knockout said as he lifted one of his optical ridges.
"Always been a fast learner" I told them, trying to give them a believable excuse. I know I am sometimes too human for the cybertronians. Some never failed to remind me in the council meetings. They never failed to remind me that I'm never going to be like them. Fully cybertronian.
"A weird little thing you are. Neither fully cybertronian, nor fully human" I heard Shockwave's voice ringing in my head. I think I was fourteen when he kidnapped me but instead of being afraid, I was so curious that even he couldn't resist my cuteness. In the end we were both satisfied. He got his scientific answers and I got the arm blades I use until this day for fighting.
"At least we have a new member to go to drive-in theaters with" Knockout grinned as we sat down.
"How do you get in without any tickets?" my question left my mouth sooner than I could think.
Knockout chuckled at my question, leaning back in his chair as he took a sip of his energon. "Who needs tickets when you can transform into a flashy sports car? Humans just assume I'm a show car or something. They love that stuff." He gave me a smug grin, clearly proud of himself.
Breakdown grunted, shaking his head but with a smirk. "Yeah, except when we end up being surrounded by people trying to take selfies."
"That only happened once!" Knockout huffed, shooting Breakdown a glance, but I couldn't help but laugh at the mental image of Breakdown awkwardly parked next to Knockout while he played celebrity at a human drive-in. "But enough of us! What about you Winstreak? Who are you?"
"I'm nothing special" I told them, but I knew I was bad at lying. Apparently another thing I got from dad.
"Miss nothing special just gave Starscream a run for his energon since our Lordship is out of commission" Knockout stated, having that annoying grin on his faceplates.
I just sighed, remembering. I mean, Starscream totally deserved it but this wasn't the first time I lashed out of unbridled anger. It was also something that runs in the family. Meaning, I had to learn how to control this, or I will accidentally end up even telling the truth.
I needed someone to turn to, someone to tell my secrets. So my mind automatically went to the closest person to me on this warship. Uncle Soundwave would find out the truth sooner than later when he combs through all existing databases and finds no trace of my existence as I will only be born in about a year.
He will find out, he always does. And I will be fragged when it happens. But luckily I had a plan. I'm going to well… blackmail him for the lack of words. He only has Laserbeak now and I… I knew where Ravage was.
"You know, it was nice to be with you guys, but I gotta go. Have something to do" I suddenly said, asking for a groundbridge to England. There was Ravage, in a stasis pod that was only supposed to be opened by Laserbeak later in the future when the minicon looks for ways to bring Soundwave back from the Shadowzone. But if I think of it, when Ravage is let out of the pod is completely irrelevant. That's why I'm doing it.
"You think about something and do it with such confidence. Do you ever get any doubts?" Breakdown asked me before I went in.
"Doubts are for the weak. And I refuse to be weak" I told him and they smiled suspiciously. I couldn't decipher why. So I shrugged my shoulders and walked through the spiraling portal that led me to my destination. "Let's get you Ravage" I whispered to myself as I started to walk in the wilderness. "Thanks for the future you telling me where to find you."
It wasn't long I found the pod which I opened knowing I am undeniably insane. The third thing that I got from my father. But not like mom didn't have some moments like this too. Maybe that's why they worked so well together.
"Arise Ravage, I need you" I said as I petted his back, the spot he loved getting his petting on. I saw him open his optics suddenly, quickly assessing the situation and his frame getting less tense after he noticed my Decepticon insignia.
"Who are you?" he asked, quickly getting up and circling around me, sniffing my scent. "And why do you have his scent?"
"I'm Winstreak and that's all you need to know" I told him, and making my way back, thinking about what to tell Soundwave. I had to be careful even though I would gladly tell him that here's Ravage and now I'm going to tell him the truth which he has to keep a secret from anyone.
Ravage also decided not to press on, probably because I just saved him. And once we got back aboard, I made my way to Soundwave, with Ravage following in my trail silently and swiftly. The door opened to his quarters with a swoosh but he was so deep into his work that he did not notice me. Or did but decided I was not worth his attention. He only looked at my way when Ravage jumped up to the console and curled up on top of it. Like a true cat.
"I need a favor from you" I told him, looking at the visor he had instead of his face. "I know that sooner or later, you'll figure out who I am," I paused, watching for any hint of reaction. "And then all I need is you to keep it quiet. And say… Can you make me a fake bank account with money on it? I'll explain on the way" I told him as I turned around.
And here I was sitting on a bench in an empty park, eating my well-deserved whopper, while the looming figure of Soundwave was looking down at my human form.
"I know you're surprised" I told him as I pushed my fry into the ketchup. "I'm from the future and Winstreak is not my real name" I continued my tale as I ate my fries as I tried to stay as direct as I could. "I'm Victoria. It was dad's idea. Always told me I'm called like this because to him; I'm his greatest victory." I finished the last of my fries and wiped my hands on a napkin, continuing the story I knew he needed to hear, whether he reacted or not. "You probably already figured it out, but… I'm Megatron's daughter." The words felt strange coming out of my mouth, especially as I looked up at Soundwave. He had known my father for longer than I had even existed. Through his highest and lowest points, through countless battles and betrayals.
But what I said got a reaction. He quickly plucked me up from the bench I was sitting on and brought me close to his visor, as if to inspect me.
"I know you want proof" I told him as I transformed back into my cybertronian body and stretched. Those burgers were so good! "Here you go" I told him as I flicked my wrist and a hologram appeared from it. It was the day when I got my medal for getting rid of Cyclonus and the fake council. "That's dad, that's uncle Optimus and that's me" I pointed at the corresponding people. "I was younger back then that's why I look the way I do" I explained why my frame was noticeably smaller and younger looking. "There's much that will happen and I did not intend to time travel I swear" I said, flicking my wrist again. "I followed five cloaked guys here, not knowing what they planned and I ended up in this time-travel shenanigans and all. All I need is you to help me keep this safe before I could cause some paradox that destroys the whole universe. Deal?" I looked at him questionfully and he just nodded slowly as he silently gazed at me, probably comparing my features to my dad's.
I looked like him in my cybertronian body too, with my gunmetal gray base along the purple accents and the miner hat on my head.
"Come on uncle Soundwave, let me tell you the full story while we take a nice and long walk" I grinned as I grabbed his shoulder and pulled him closer to my level as we walked. "So the story that leads to my birth starts with dad dying. Which I guess is not so surprising…"
About three hours later I was done with telling my tale to uncle Soundwave, but I think I might have made him short circuit along the way. I definitely did because when we were back aboard the Nemesis and I could go to Knockout who requested my help over the comlink, he spoke up.
"You're like him" I repeat! HE SPOKE UP, LIKE WHAT THE FUCK! I froze for a moment, blinking in disbelief. Soundwave, who rarely ever spoke, had just... said something. I stared at him, trying to comprehend what had just happened.
"Wow, you broke your promise of silence to tell me I'm like my father? I mean I get it all the time but…"
"WINSTREAK!" I heard the screeching voice of Starscream who was making his way towards me. Primus, is this guy never gives up? Why does he feel the need to be a pain in the aft? "Where's Knockout and Breakdown?"
"I dunno. You're the 'boss' around here, you should know!" I spat back with a sharp look in my optics. What I am? A babysitter? I mean I wanted to look for Knockout after he wanted my help, but I'm not doing Starscream's work!
"Then you're going to help me find them" he hissed as he suddenly grabbed my arm and I instinctively pushed my blade to his throat.
"Your blades are just empty threats" he said, seemingly not giving a shit either my attitude as he pushed closer, without a care in the world. And I stopped as Onslaught's face floated in front of my eyes like a haunting picture.
But before I could register anything, the familiar notes of Careless whisper coming from Soundwave threw me off balance. It made me totally lose my cool as I just stared at him. Then I remembered, this was still uncle Soundwave, even though he was still battle hardened right now, the uncle I knew was there. And unfortunately he thought playing this song would be the best course of action.
"Let's go and find them" I suddenly said to Starscream, grabbing his arm. But seconds later Knockout came walking in angrily as he pointed at his finish and missing armplate that was a door in his alt mode.
"CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT THE AUTOBOTS DID…" he wanted to start ranting but stopped as he looked at us. "Woah, I think… I'll just go. I'll be in the medbay if you need me" he said then quickly ran past us.
"KNOCKOUT!" screamed Starscream at him. Yeah, life with the Decepticons was just as chaotic as with dad. No wonder why he was the leader of this faction. "COME BACK THIS INSTANT! THAT'S AN ORDER!"
"So uncle…" I looked at him as I watched Starscream run after Knockout. "How was dad able to do anything with soldiers like them?"
And my answer? He opened his arms just as confused as I was as he shrugged them. Great. Even Soundwave had no idea what to do. Now, my only hope is dad just waking up and getting this frag together.