Evoke

Chapter III

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Glitch gulped upon hearing the automated voice. His spark pulsed painfully in anticipation. This wasn't good, he knew they were growing impatient with him. "S-Sorry boss...don't know the code." Glitch said trying to explain for the millionth time. His two captors glared down at him in disgust. "I told you he wouldn't be worth the cost." one said. An ugly scar ran down across his faceplate going through one of his optics. "Shut it, Scarava. He opened the others." the second said. This one was a femme with long claw like digits. A visor covered the upper half of her faceplate. "You're supposed to know every code in place for stuff like this. What's the hold up." the femme said. "None of them work, Boss." Glitch said. He wasn't lying. Glitch had tried everything in his programming to unlock the door, however none of his entries had been accepted. Unfortunately these two didn't like failure, Glitch had learned that even after only being with them a short while. "How did you open the others then." the femme said. "Con stashes with Con locks and codes." Glitch said. "Then use the codes for that other group. The Auto-somthings." she said. "It's Autobots. Bots is the word you're looking for, Stealquick." Scarava said crossing his arms. "Tsk. Whatever." Stealquick muttered. "Sorry Boss. Don't have Autobot codes." Glitch said.

Claws raked against his faceplate and sent him crashing against the still locked door. Glitch pressed himself against the cool metal knowing if he stood a second blow would be coming. His own visor blocked most of Stealquick's attack but he guessed some of his faceplate was now scratched. Fantastic, it would take him forever to find a decent buffer with his current situation.
Glitch glanced up to see Stealquick's continuous rage. "Primus damn it!! Of course he neglects to mention the faults!" Stealquick snarled. "You know Slackjaw. He withholds any information detrimental to a sale," Scarava shook his helm, "never trust a mech with three arms."
"Well now what? We won't have enough fuel to reach the rendezvous point without using some of the energon we already collected." Stealquick. "Scrap." Scarava cursed rubbing his scar. Glitch had come to believe the mech did that as a force of habit, perhaps from when the wound was once fresh.

"How 'bout this. We bunker down here for awhile and break the door down." Scarava said. "That might work, unless the door won't break." Stealquick said leaning against the tunnel wall. Scarava grinned and looked over at glitch, "We'll use him as a battering ram."

^^^

Energon continued to trickle from the wound in his shoulder plates. However he didn't appear overly concerned with it, instead he focused on the ground between his pedes. Prowl rested the back of his helm against the wall. The two of them were currently resting inside an unoccupied building. "Does it trouble you." Prowl asked not lifting his helm. The injured mech beside him made no response. Unusual since in previous moments the mech never seemed to stop talking.
This made him lift his helm.
"Jazz?" Prowl said raising an optic ridge. This use of his name made the mech finally look up. "Ah gotta ask, why ya concerned 'bout meh?" Jazz said. "You being online is far more convenient to me." Prowl said. Jazz chuckled. "Maybe. But most mechs would have blasted ma helm off. If they were lucky enough to get ah shot anyway." Jazz said. "Most mechs weren't assisted in escaping by you. Your efforts allow some faith." Prowl said. Jazz smirked. "Will tha others have such beliefs?" he said. "Some with be hostile. Even I haven't put you past suspicion." Prowl said. "Aw ah know ya just sayin' that. Ya the one who asked meh to come." Jazz replied sitting upright. "You had risked your spark for mine. It would have been dishonorable to leave you a traitor's fate." Prowl said. Jazz chuckled again, "ya a good mech, Prowl."
Cerebrum opened her optics and allowed the memory to return to it's place in her mind. That had been one of them few she had received from Prowl. Memories never came in order, but they fit together properly once all had been received. Even if some memories she couldn't see. However that one memory had led her to trust him. That mech, Jazz, said he was good. A good mech. Cerebrum always trusted the memories. Trusted the truth, but Prowl hadn't given her that. He had hidden information from her. Sure Prowl claimed good reasons, but he should have told her if it related to his promise. There had been other times when some tried to hide information from her, even when she new the truth.
Cerebrum hated lies. Say one lie then you need another and another for that lie and then another lie for that lie as well as the first lie. Soon the one others know isn't even you, it's your lies they know. Just the thought made Cerebrum shiver.
She let a breath swirl out from her vents and sat up. A few hours had pasted since she had first layed down to recharge. Take off occurred shortly before her optics closed which had partly been why she still had trouble recharging. Cerebrum was leaving her home for the first time afterall. For so many years she'd wondered the planet collecting. Now there was something new on the horizon, shouldn't that excite her spark?

Cerebrum swung her pedes off the berth and dropped onto the floor. Her servo briefly grasped the edge of the berth to steady herself. The ship must not have docked yet else Prowl would have woken her. How much distance was there left to travel?
Cerebrum rubbed one optic and maneuvered around the berth to reach the door. She placed a servo against the panel activating the mechanisms that controlled the door. It slid open with ease and Cerebrum stepped out of the back room.
All was quiet besides the slight hum of the engines. Cerebrum continued through towards the entrance to the control area. She heard the door she had just exited from close, but paid it little attention. 

The closed door of the control room now stood before her. She raised a servo to activate the door, but her servo stilled midway. The realization that the warehouse walls would not be seen beyond the glass struck her. It would be space if anything else. Prowl remained in there as well. Although she held more caution than fear, she had seen what some would do if startled. The sudden notion of a door opening certainly counted as a shock factor. He had promised to protect her, but she still found herself hesitant. One could hardly blame her for such worries. She had, afterall, spent much of her small life alone with only teachings from those offline.

Cerebrum shook her helm to clear her it and continued to reach for the panel. Prowl seemed the type to always remember his surroundings thus he probably wouldn't attack out of shock to a sudden noise.
Just as her digits brushed the metal panel, the ship lurched. Cerebrum lost her balance and stumbled backwards with a yelp. One pede caught another as the ship shuddered and she tumbled onto the floor. The young femme groaned and rubbed her helm. "Ah thought he knew 'bout pilotin'." Cerebrum muttered.

She had begun to pick herself up off the floor when the door slid open. A moment of silence lingered before a servo appeared before her faceplate. Recognizing it immediately, Cerebrum grasped it and Prowl helped her stand. "We've landed. I was coming to wake you." Prowl said in his usual calm tone. Cerebrum nodded her helm uncertaint of how to respond. "Thanks for helpin' meh up." She finally said. "Of course." Prowl replied with a kinder tone.

Cerebrum felt her spark waver. Even after her scene in the control room he was trying to fix what little trust he had broken. Her optics flickered away from his for a moment. Perhaps she could give him a second chance, afterall his was the only company she would have for a long while. Cerebrum let a sigh blow from her vents and returned her gaze to him.
"Prowl?" She said hesitantly.
"Yes, Cerebrum." He replied raising an optic ridge slightly.
"Ah...ah'm sorry 'bout earlier."

Prowl blinked at her apology surprised. This time he sighed and knelt down so he was optic-level with her. "Cerebrum you need not apologize to me. You were right in that I should have been honest and I shall be from now on with you. But if you will try to understand my motive for withholding information. No doubt you've seen what this War has done and how it has changed many. I was unsure of how you would react if I told you about leaving Cybertron. Someone as young as you shouldn't be left to find for herself. Even if you can't trust me then trust my promise to you." Prowl said. Cerebrum saw the sincerity and honesty in his optics that let her spark feel relieved.
She held her servo out towards him. "Ah'll promise ta start trustin' you again if you promise not ta lie anymore." Cerebrum said. Prowl's servo wrapped around her's. "Those are commendable terms. I promise." Prowl agreed.