Trust Before Truth

Chapter 4: Captured

Optimus's POV

I struggled vainly as the net was pulled toward Lockdown. He glanced at me with sadistic satisfaction before the net was removed and I was dragged along by smaller bots.

"Remember this ship Prime? Build for all you knights, you great crusaders, to explore the universe? Well, I commandeered it. It's my personal prison now." Lockdown explained.

We entered a room and came to a stop. I remembered this place differently. It had once been a symbol of hope, but now it was corrupted.

"Welcome back to the Knight's Terminal, Prime." Lockdown told me.

"You have disgraced it." I told him.

"Join your fellow rebels, fugitives, scum. It's for the rarest of specimens, the worst of the worst. It's taken centuries, but I collected all the knights, but you." He said before stabbing into my pede (foot) with a hook.

I cried out as he dragged me over to a cage and flung me into it, hanging me upside down.

I saw a flash of black as something small leaped from my pede to his servo (hand). I frowned, trying to ignore the pain.

"The creators want their creation back. You were made to do as you were told." He said to me.

"I am slave to no one." I replied.

"All this species mixing with species. They don't like it. It upsets the cosmic blance." He growled.

"They need to get over it." A familiar voice said.

Our optics (eyes) widened and then he suddenly cried out, lurching up and away from me, clutching his hand.

I watched as energon and melted metal dripped to the ground from his hand. What was going on?

Suddenly, I spotted Alice climbing up Lockdown's shoulderplate quickly. Much faster than an average human would have.

But Alice was no average human. Nor was she a human at all.

He looked around angrily, trying to find the source of his pain, but he had not noticed the small organism on his shoulder yet.

She pressed her hands against Lockdown's neck cables and I saw frost form under her feet before he began to holler and yell as she melted a hole through his neck.

Alice jumped to the side as Lockdown's servo grabbed the metal mesh of his neck cables, which were dribbling down his chestplate now.

"Who are you!? Come out and face me you scum!" He yelled.

"I might be a little short!" Alice yelled before jumping off his shoulder.

She grabbed the edge of his elbow as he reached up to smack his shoulder and then swung off the ledge onto his other arm, before climbing up swiftly.

Lockdown looked at me and growled in frustration before activating his blaster and pointing it at me.

"Show yourself or the Prime dies!" He threatened.

Alice paused, her hand hovering over his neck cables. We connected eyes and I shook my head discreetly.

If she revealed herself, Lockdown would kill her. He would not kill me because he had to return me to my makers.

I saw Lockdown's face change and he smiled smugly at me. A cold feeling ran through my gut.

"Watch where you look Prime." He grinned.

Suddenly, he cranned his neck sideways and Alice yelped, scrambling backwards desperately to avoid being crushed.

She reached the end of his shoulder and stopped but Lockdown's hand easily snatched her up.