Transformers Prime - Stay

27. Freedom of Loyalties

        I knocked on the door to Vapor’s quarters shortly before it opened, my shadow dropping into the dark room from the lights in the hallway. Vapor was against the wall, curled up so that her face was buried in her knees servos. She didn’t even look up at me before demanding I leave. “Go. Away. . . Now.”

        It hurt me to know that she was so upset. I hoped the simple fact that it was me and not her father or a drone that would help her. “It’s me, Vapor,” I told her gently.

        She took a deep shuddering vent before acknowledging my words. “Come in. . .”

        I walked over slowly and sat down next to her, not wanting to cross any physical lines too quickly. “How are you holding up?”

        “Not good,” she muttered. “I need to get out of here, Jewel.”

        I thought about the promise I’d heard WheelJack whisper to her. That he would come for her if she wanted it. “I understand. I’ll get a hold of WheelJack and we’ll take care of everything, ‘kay? Not immediately, but soon. Just avoid Megatron in the meantime.”

        She managed to look up at me, revealing stress lines on her faceplate. “You heard that?” She asked, her voice filled with awe and humility.

        “I hear everything,” I told her with a weak smile before standing back up. I wanted to get this over with, to get Vapor off this ship and away from the abuse, but if a ‘heist’ occurred too soon, it would be suspicious, and far too obvious. We had to bide our time. “Now, what did we talk about?”

        “Um, why I should respect my father?” She replied, a weak half-smile on her faceplate, her optics full of reluctant hope.

        I smiled. We’d had similar conversations before, and each time we made up some ridiculous topic that we were ‘really’ talking about that would please Megatron if he asked what we’d been discussing.“Good. I’ll let you know when it’s time.”

        ~~~

        Unfortunately, ‘when it’s time’ didn’t come for almost another month, one where both Vapor and I had been stranded on Nemesis, practicing as we traded blows, murmuring to each other when we were close so that no one else would hear, discussing details. No one would be the wiser when we started aiding each other both in practice and keeping each other occupied during the day.

        I walked back to my research room today, knowing now would be our best shot with hordes of drones off in an energon mine leaving most of the halls empty. I opened the airwaves, honing in on the signal from the JackHammer, knowing WheelJack was likely aboard. I’d managed to reach WheelJack before and had informed about the staged ‘kidnapping’ that was to go down when the timing was right. He’d been waiting for me to contact him. He opened his signal in turn, allowing the two-way to turn on. “WheelJack? You there?” I got my answer with very little delay as his voice came back to me over the com link.

        “Loud and clear, Chief Backstabber. Whatcha need today?”

        I tried not to roll my optics at his response. How typical of the Wrecker to come up with a name like that. “Yes, yes. Are you ready to go, WheelJack? Conditions are optimal on this end. As optimal as they’ll get, anyway.”

        “Jailbreak?”

        “Jailbreak it is,” I told him with a nod, even though he couldn’t see it. “How soon can you be here?”

        “Well, where are you?” He asked, and the sound of the JackHammer starting up could be heard over the com link’s noise.

        “Not too far, actually. I’m sending you the coordinates. Two things, though: one, have Fowler confirm that hideout for you. Two, don’t forget to injure me before you leave.” It was a detail WheelJack and I had discussed before, but we’d agreed to not mention it to Vapor. Not yet, at least.