Last edited: June 25, 2019

Wheeljack

"I will only ask once more, Autobot scum-"

"Well aren't you persistent?" I mutter, just loud enough for him to hear. Starscream growled at me before stabbing the electric spear into my side. Scrud. I yelled out in pain, closing my optics for a short moment before forcing myself to push the pain aside.

"If Megatron wants to know so bad, why doens't he ask me himself? Heard his forms of torture are much worse than yours." I grin before cocking my head to one side. "Guess he needs the weak to feel important enough to do something around here."

Starscream grit his denta before taking another stab at my side. Ignoring the pain, I let my gaze fall to the only exit in the prison cell I was in. It had two guards on the inside that kept guard at all times, which I would have no trouble at all dealing with if I could get out of these stupid shackles.

Only a few days had passed since being upon the Nemesis, but in the back of my processor I couldn't help but worry. Not about myself, though. I hadn't seen or heard from Hope since my arrival.

I just hoped she wasn't stupid enough to follow me on my fall down to the ground. If she had, I hadn't seen her, but there was a big chance she was on the Nemesis with me. I couldn't bring myself to escape without knowing if she was here or not. But that brought another fear to me that made my energon run cold.

Where was she?

After my crash, I had been attacked by a Predicon. The piece of scrap that caused us to crash in the first place. I couldn't help but wonder where in the Allspark Megatron managed to find it. Their kind have been extinct since the dark ages on Cybertron.

My thoughts were brought to a screeching halt as I felt another wave of pain. Starscream was yelling meaningless insults that I hadn't bothered to pay attention to. He grunted, his optics narrowing at me.

"I will not ask again, Autobot. Where is the secret location of the Autobot base." I laugh.

"Like I'll tell you. You aren't getting anything out of me, Con."

"Perhaps Lord Megatron shall do the honors of getting information out of you?.." he hummed to himself, suddenly cheery. My optics narrowed as Starscream steps back and turns on his very high heel, strutting out of the room.

The two guards immediately turn their attention towards me, as if waiting for me to make my miraculous escape. My katanas hung on the far wall to my right, along with the last explosive I had held with me upon capture. Retrieving those would make my escape easier.

The door to the cell opened, and in walked the Decepticon lord himself. His servos were tightly clasped behind his back, his red optics narrowed in on me. I made a lopsided grin.

"You here to get the information out of me now? I told your petty second in command that I wasn't going to say anything. Might as well kill me now." I said, knowing he wouldn't. Not yet, at least. Until he found another source for information, I was his best shot to finding the base. Not that I would utter a word.

"I am here simply to give a status report on recent events." Megatron said simply, an evil grin on his face. "I thought you would be interested on the whereabouts of your pet-"

"Keep your slimy servos away from her if you know what's good for you, scum." I spat, narrowing my optics. Megatron smirked.

"As I thought."

"Keep away from the human-"

"I suggest you keep quiet or I will personally see to the femmes end." Megatron spat, taking a step too close. His face was only a foot away, and I grimaced, but in no way tried to move away. Instead, I leaned forward, keeping my mouth shut. For Hope's sake.

"Well, that's better." Megatron smiled as he continued, "It seems your human pet has gotten caught up with a quite dangerous fleshy organization."

"M.E.C.H." I growled. In a strange way, I was relieved that she wasn't here, on the Nemesis. I would be able to escape knowing I didn't have to search for her. And then I would save her from M.E.C.H. But what had already happened to her?

"Indeed." Megatron said. "But don't worry, Autobot. We are retrieving her as we speak. She will be in my possession and your kind will fall."

"What makes you so sure she will cooperate?" I asked. "I doubt she would betray us. Have fun dealing with a 'weapon' who hates everything about you, and uses her powers against you." I said, smiling on the inside. I had yet to wonder what those powers were, but I knew they were big if Megatron required her help to win the war.

"She will cooperate." He turned, making his way around me in a small circle. Inspecting me. "Something I don't understand about Optimus. He cares about the safety of others. Though her powers are great, she will not be able to bear knowing what will happen to those she cares about when she does not cooperate."

His hand suddenly came forward, his sharp digits digging into a wound in my side. I grunted, closing my optics in pain. When I opened them again, I found him inspecting my energon, which was dripping down his servo now.

"What makes you think she will sacrifice her freedom for me?" On the inside, I knew Megatron spoke the truth. Hope was the kindest human I had come to known on this rock. Caring for others, no matter how much pain they had brought upon her. Never seeking revenge or hating them. She would sacrifice her entire being for someone she cared about.

"What makes you think I am talking about you?" Megatron hummed, stepping away from me before wiping his servo off. Confusion washed over me, but I refused to show him, my optics narrowed on him and not moving away from his dark ones. The edge of his mouth tugged up into a smile.

"The human is on her way as we speak. And she will work for me and my cause. But she will not do so in fear of you or your well being." he chuckled darkly. "In fact, you are going to be the last being she will wish to see."

And with that, he left. "What the SCRAP are you talking about!" I shouted at him. Hope couldn't hate me. I have been nothing but kind to her since we had met. We held a tighter bond than myself and Bulkhead, which I would never admit to his face. It was different with this human. She had taken a part of my spark I hadn't even known was there.

Hope was my friend, and there was no possible way she could just forget about me. Doubt crept into my processor once again. I yelled in frustration when the warlord didn't return to answer my question.

What the frag was Megatron getting at?

Optimus

"My friend, have you discovered anything?" I asked Ratchet. He stood stock still on the other side of the room, staring at his research. Arcee placed one hand on her hip.

"Don't tell me you were actually able to pinpoint the Nemesis?"

This was not likely. The Nemesis always had a tracking shield on, blocking any obvious signal of its whereabouts. With a few short strides, I made my way to the old field medic. He shook his head, mumbling to himself as he often did when he was in deep thought.

"I have been keeping a close eye on Hope's DNA and CNA-"

:I still don't understand how a human can be partly Cybertronian: Bumblebee whired from behind me.

"Yeah. She doesn't look like she's made of metal." Bulkhead joked as he joined the others in standing by my side, all trying to get a look at the research Ratchet was staring intensely at.

"It's not just that." Ratchet mumbled, typing something in. "The sample I took from Hope, her blood... If her DNA structure was to change, I would be able to tell from this sample. And," he sighed, turning to look at me with sad optics. "Optimus, her CNA structure along with her DNA structure is growing weak."

Arcee turned to me. "As in-"

"She seems to be changing." Ratchet broke the news to us.

"Ratchet, could this be her powers taking place?" I asked. Perhaps Megatron was successfully changing the child. Trying to force her into something she did not wish to be.

"No. This is different." Ratchet grimaced and made a defeated sigh as he turned to me from his work yet again. "Optimus, her cell structure and DNA are simply disappearing. As if they were not there in the first place. "

:As in...:

Ratchet turned to Bumblebee and nodded grimly.

"Hope is dying."