Unstable Loyalties

Chapter 38

"How... long have we... been here?" Yamato rasped, raising her head to look at Lightning. 

"A week and... three days," Lightning whispered weakly, her eyes half-closed. They turned  their heads to look at Bismarck, who was sleeping - not a peaceful kind of sleep - and worry was apparent in their gazes. 

"Yamato?" Lightning asked. Yamato just tilted her head slightly in a questioning manner. 

:We should be able to leave soon. I prepared a bomber at one of the exits. It is concealed. When we get free...: Lightning nodded, having sent Yamato the message in morse code, opening and closing her eyes. Yamato just dipped her head slightly, showing that she understood. All too soon, Devastator strolled in, a smirk on her face. 

"Let's continue with our... fun, shall we?" Picking up a sharp piece of metal, she headed over to Lightning and the carrier just braced herself, readying for the waves of agony that followed soon after. Sweat beaded on her forehead as a single tear fell from her eye. She gritted her teeth, enduring the pain and suffering that came with each cut. Blood dripped slowly onto the floor below her, making a small crimson puddle. More tears pricked at the edges of her eyes but she pushed them away, shaking her head slightly. Devastator's grin widened when she saw all the suffering that she put Lightning through. 

"You killed my sister without remorse, then you dared to tell me Lightning was dead. Your death will come, Lightning. And it will be slow and painful. I will make sure of it," Devastator spat. Lightning just narrowed her eyes, fury and hate growing within her. Devastator took out the shard of metal and sliced open Lightning's scar, causing Lightning to feel a wave of pain wash over her. It was like fire, raging as it tried to burn her.  Another tear ran down her face as more blood trickled down her arm. Devastator just smiled before turning to Yamato. Lightning closed her eyes, not wanting to watch. She needed to get out of here.

Back on Cybertron...

Optimus vented slowly. Ratchet had decided to remain here on Cybertron after Unicron was defeated as he felt that Earth would be fine without any Autobots. About a few solar-cycles ago, they had received news from Azur Lane. Lightning had been kidnapped, alongside Bismarck and Yamato. Optimus was incredibly shocked when he heard this, but like all his other emotions, he hid it. Lightning was captured, again. And now, they did not possess the time nor means to get there. Using the charm would work, but its power had diminished since Lightning was kidnapped. it pained him to know that Lightning was trapped, being harmed, with two of her best friends. And he could do nothing about it. 

"Worrying about her again?" someone asked him. Optimus turned to face Ratchet. Optimus just nodded. 

"Lightning is stronger than you think, she has suffered more than most people. She will be able to get through this." 

"I hope you are right, old friend," Optimus spoke before turning back to the window, gazing out at the stars. Ratchet just vented. He worried about Lightning too. She had barely escaped death the previous time. Could she do it again? It had been so long, she was obviously severely injured. that Siren would not let her off easily. Lightning had been a spy after all. All they could do now was pray to Primus for the best. The rest, it all depended on Lightning.

At the Azur lane base...

Enterprise sighed as she closed her eyes, running a hand through her hair. She was quite tired. Well, she hadn't been sleeping well. But her exhaustion was not as bad as well, Shangri-la's. The carrier had gone without sleep for a few nights, trying to pinpoint the location of the Siren base, trying so desperately to save her sister. Essex basically had to force her to sleep before she passed out from exhaustion. 

Enterprise turned to look at Avenger, who was perched on her window, looking out at the sea. He was an intelligent eagle, he obviously knew that something had happened to his owner. He just sat there, not making a move to fly out. Enterprise just turned her attention back to the papers on her desk, reading through them. Most of them were patrol reports. Nothing out of the ordinary. This frustrated everyone. They didn't know what the Sirens were planning. And they had lost three of their best warriors. 

Everyone was on high alert, the tension was so thick, it could be cut with a knife. Everyone was just so tightly strung. And Enterprise, she barely had any free time. Well, she did have free time, but being the workaholic she was, she usually patrolled during her free time. Belfast was the only one preventing her from working to the point of collapsing. her second in command was Essex, who did manage to take some weight off Enterprise's shoulders, but Essex herself was hit hard by Lightning's kidnap. They were all affected. 

And those shipgirls who thought that Lightning had deliberately became a Siren and provided information on Bismarck and Yamato so they could be captured. Enterprise just shook her head. How stupid could those shipgirls be? She herself knew that Lightning valued trustworthiness and loyalty above all else, besides, if she really changed sides, then wouldn't they have been attacked by now?  Enterprise just exhaled softly. She already lost Yorktown, her sister. If she were to lose Lightning... she shook those thoughts away. 

Don't think about that now! she scolded herself, Lightning is more than capable of escaping. Yet, a small part of her was filled with doubt and worry. Fear and terror for Lightning, afraid that it would be too late. And that feeling of helplessness, she just hated it so much. She tried to be calm, she really did, yet every night, she cried herself to sleep. That emotionless and powerful warrior had her weakness. She was more alike to Lightning than she knew. Although everyone was suffering, they all had one thought constantly on their minds.

Please, let everything be alright... 

And... another chapter done! Time to take a rest...

~Lightningstar out