Rules of War (Book 1 in "War" Series)

One~The

"It's a truth that in Love and War, worlds collide and hearts get broken."

***

"He WHAT?!" Ratchet screamed when the Autobots returned from their latest mission, which had happened to be an ambush.

"He took him, Ratchet! Megatron took Optimus Prime!" Arcee shouted back, clearly annoyed, stressed, and worried. She was holding a large gash in her side, but Bumblebee had worse injuries; a small gash on the side of his neck cables, one of his legs were twisted at an odd angle, and there was a still-steaming dent in his chassis. He was barely online, his optics flickering off and on repeatedly while being supported by Bulkhead, who had a large gash in his leg and walked with a severe limp.

Ratchet feared that if the Autobots had returned in this condition, Optimus might not have been any better.

"Primus help us," he whispered.

***

Optimus hung limply, bound by the chains of the Nemesis brig that just barely lifted him into the air. He knew he was being monitored by Soundwave, but he didn't care at the moment, more worried about the energon from his recent fight running down his frame.

The 'cons had surprised them, and had improved their aim quite a bit as well, surprisingly. Enough that his team had suffered a few injuries. He himself had a gash that went across his shoulder plate, and another that went down the front of chassis to the joint of his left leg. Megatron had bested him, and had now left him here, letting his energon gather in a pool below his pedes. He knew he wouldn't be alone for long.

As if on cue, the door slid open, revealing the Decepticon warlord and his communications chief.

Soundwave started the recording.

"Optimus, I knew this day would come sooner or later." Megatron grinned. Optimus looked up, his usually bright and electric blue optics now dim. He didn't reply and looked back down at the ground. Megatron frowned slightly and advanced closer, drawing his blade and roughly placing it at Optimus' neck cables and moving the blade up sharply so that Optimus' helm moved up as well, and the Prime's optics looked into Megatron's.

"This is how it will work. You tell me what I want to know, and your death will be swift."

Optimus simply stared into his blood red optics, remembering when they were once blue like his own.

"Where is the Autobot base?" Megatron demanded. Optimus remained silent, his expression blank. Megatron pressed the blade into his neck cables a little more.

"Don't make me ask again."

Once again, Optimus remained silent. Megatron growled and pulled his blade away, before deepening the gash already made on Optimus' abdomen, while also making it longer, down the length of his leg. Optimus grit his dentas in pain but refused to let Megatron know that. Megatron looked at the tip of his blade and smiled slightly at the bright blue energon that was on it.

"This would be so much easier for you Optimus if you just told me what you knew."

"You know as well as I that that will not happen," Optimus replied.

"Will it?" Megatron asked, raising an optic ridge. "You do realize I have the means to keep you alive in agonizing pain for as long as I would like. Also, if you weren't aware, Soundwave is recording this entire conversation, along with future ones, and will send it to the Autobot base."

Optimus' optics widened, and Megatron smirked, having finally gotten some of a reaction from Optimus.

"Leave them out of this, Megatron."

Megatron raised an optic ridge. "You are their leader, are you not? They will want this for the historical record...the demise of Optimus Prime!"

Optimus simply stared the warlord down as Megatron chuckled to himself, and Soundwave ended the recording and left to transmit to Autobot Outpost Omega One, and Megatron flashed Optimus a smirk before following, leaving the Prime worrying about his fellow Autobots, and how they would take this.

***

"Incoming transmission from the Nemesis," Ratchet announced, making all the humans and the Autobots gather around the screen to look as Ratchet hesitantly accepted the transmission. The recording showed an energon-stained Optimus, limply hanging in the Nemesis brig as the image grew larger, and they assumed Soundwave was recording.

Soundwave stepped off to the side as Megatron approached, greeting the Prime.

"He looks...empty," Jack muttered as he watched. A spark of anger flickered within Arcee's spark when Megatron placed his blade against Optimus' neck cables, and Megatron's words echoed in their audio receptors.

"...Tell me what I want to know, and your death will be swift."

Ratchet somehow managed to watch as Megatron dragged his blade down Optimus' leg, leaving a deep gash and another place for energon to leak out from.

"By the AllSpark...they're going to torture him to death," Ratchet whispered.

"And apparently enjoy every minute of it," Bulkhead spat, like the words he had just spoken were poison.

"And send it to us," Arcee growled in addition to the previous statement.

"Well, you guys are going to do something, right? Like...locate him?" Miko replied, finally managing to look away. Raf shoved her hand off his face; she had protected his eyes from seeing the graphic image, and had a feeling she would have to be protecting him from more of them.

"Soundwave likes changing the frequencies a little too much," Ratchet muttered in exasperation.

~~~
Welcome to another book written by yours truly! Hopefully you enjoy your stay here as well.

Yes, I'm working on another book.

I'd like to explain where I got my inspiration for this title from but

I don't remember.

Although I like the title name

Idk why I chose it for this plot though 😅

Anyway the plot was originally going to be something else but then sydneykaija and I just started talking and then we started writing this and then this book happened so yeah

See you all sometime in Shattered Glass. I haven't given that up yet don't worry.

Although with school starting again on Tuesday this book will probably be a short little 10-or-so chapter book to write on the side when I don't feel like writing SG. So don't expect a lot of consistent updates.

-BP