Lockdown was pissed- no- he was livid. Absolutely irate.
His wounds since welded shut by some mindless med-bot. Nothing was going to plan. Absolutely nothing at all.
The bounty hunter stalked his ship on a hair trigger, ready to offline the next mech that so much as dare pick an argument with him.
The decepticon had been in his grasp. He'd been on the cusp of completing one of his missions only for it to be torn away.
Cybertronians. The word tasted bitter and he turned his nose up in disgust. Such lowly lifeforms they were.
First they'd gone to Africa late, then Australia, and just when he thought he'd figured it out, boom! The tyrant was a step ahead, double backing to disrupt his course.
The human allies were less the useful, they were complete and utterly worthless. The whole species was. How'd they'd survived this long to reproduce beyond safe levels and evolve was completely lost on him.
Cemetery Wind was a hindrance, like a ball and chain on him. Harold Attinger was a fool with his head in the clouds and a death warrant.
If he had it his way, he'd of pulverized through the planet and taken what was rightfully his without all the contacts and rules.
Megatron had slipped through his fingers like sand in the wind. Optimus remained off his radar with whoever still had it in them to live. He snarled, his emerald optics narrowing as he approached his communications room.
"Lockdown, sir, the Mister Attinger awaits your presence." A smaller mech relayed, his optics not finding their way to his face.
"I'm aware. Leave me, go." He hissed watching as the small bot made his hasty retreat.
The screen before him brought the human into focus. "Attinger. "
The balding man kept his face pursed. "Have you retrieved the girl? We are working on a time limit and cannot afford to waste a second, you understand I'm sure. Time is money."
Lockdown grimaced. "I do not bother with petulant human affairs. Where is Optimus and Megatron?" The words were plagued with indignation, the snarl could be heard in his tone alone.
Harold hummed. "We've received some complaints spanning through South America."
The bounty hunter was swift to interrupt. "Your information is inoperative. Human intelligence was promised to me, but I'm seeing anything but."
The older man frowned, deepening his wrinkles substantially. "Cemetery Wind is one of the most capable black op groups in the nation and I assure you, you'll get the information promised. I trust you've been utilizing the goods I've supplied."
The mech paced like a predator ready to pounce, ignoring his comment. "I do not reward second chances, Attinger. Get it to me or suffer the consequences that will be dealt."
The call ended without another second as he stalked from the room and toward his own set of intelligence. He'd rely on nobody, but himself and his own men.
"Report, I need what we came for. Do not trouble me with anything but the desired." His hissed the order sharply.
A mech of similar stature, Clincher, turned to him with a data-pad in hand. "Enhanced satellite imaging has captured photos of Optimus Prime in a convoy leaving the Utah-Arizona boarder."
Lockdown observed the way the mech handled the pad with diligence. His face contorted in irritation at the new information. "Continue."
"Further imaging shows the convoy heading north-east." Clincher answered swiftly, not missing a beat.
"What of decepticon activity. I require both."
"Decepticon activities have been mute." Another mech supplied.
"Negative, designation Berserker has been photographed patrolling Hoover dam." A third cut in.
Nevada. Lockdown glared, his lip plates pulling into a deeper scowl. "And the girl?"
Clincher looked up from his data-pad, his single optic trained on his leader. "I fail to see the human's relevance, sir."
The bounty hunter snarled. "She has information that would be easily extracted from her fragile human mind." He approached the subordinate threateningly.
The single optic mech turned back to the technology in hand. "No sign of her since landing in Brazil. Will keep updated."
A grunt escaped the Quintessan as he stalked out, his mind mulling over the new information tediously, picking it apart and looking further beyond what he was provided to see the bigger picture.
____________________
When Lauren was forced back into consciousness she did so with a shattering wail, turning her throat raw. Her chest hurt beyond words and she felt like all the oxygen had been robbed from her lungs. The world was spinning too fast and not waiting for her to catch up, leaving her disoriented and lost. Words could barely be formed on her tongue when Blackout awoke, battle ready and seething.
That was two days ago and she did little in the way of speaking since, resigned to silence.
It was both beneficial and annoying, Blackout found. She'd not shut her trap previously and now all his inquiries were met with one word answers or a bob of her head. He couldn't understand what could have possibly forced her into abrupt silence and he didn't ask. The change in demeanor gave him whiplash enough.
Since that night they'd been moving nonstop with small respites taken in Guatemala and Panama. The bare minimum was met before they moved on.
His whole frame ached, but it wasn't anything he wasn't use to. He could handle it without so much as blinking.
Lauren spent each moment with her glassy eyes glued to the land below, searching for any sign of the mech in question. Each attempt at sleep was met with nothingness. She'd never felt so alone even in the company of her travel companion. Everything hurt, it was as if her heart had be ripped from her chest and stomped on, leaving only empty space within her. The incessant tug sensation had long since vanished and she never thought she'd miss it, but oh how wrong she was. Time felt like it had stopped and was going way too fast all at once. The woman almost wanted to cry at Blackout, demanding he go faster, but refrained with a bite of her tongue.
Exhaustion tugged at her eyes in the form of dark bags. No sleep was restful, she found.
Panama was close their destination, right? Geography was never her strongest subject and she kicked herself for neglecting it. If only she'd known how pertinent it'd be in her adult life.
Her world was losing colors each time she blinked. She felt like she was being dramatic, but something about the whole situation reminded her of her mother and she'd be damned if she lost someone else. She refused to be alone again if she could have any say in the matter.
"Ping radius detected." Blackout informed flatly as he descended to fly lower above the tree canopy. "Keep your visuals." They breached the Venezuelan boarder.
Lauren jolted, scooting off her seat to peer down at the earth, her throat constricted and her eyes felt hot suddenly.
600 meter radius. Her mind reminded.
The chopper encroached upon the dense jungle wilderness, within the ping radius. A fierce determination surged within him. The ping was non-moving, stagnate.
Blood roared in her ears, drawing out the thrum of the rotor blades and all other sounds as her eyes caught the glint of something shiny and metallic. "There! Right there!" She cried, her voice hoarse and graveled in her desperation.
Time slowed as her vision flashed to the forefront of her mind and Blackout sharp turned into a dive, her toolbox jostled behind her somewhere with the sudden trajectory change.
The recklessness didn't even matter as the scene came into full view. She could've swore she forgot how to breathe the moment she spotted his still form, the water glistened in the sun.
The chopper neared the small clearing beside the fallen.
Lauren was swift to throw herself from the chopper, hitting the earth hard, but not stopping as her shaky legs carried her to Megatron.
Tears sprang from her eyes, unbeknownst, as she reached his hulking frame.
Much like in the vision, she thrust herself into the water with a splash, not caring for anything that may lurk beneath the surface or her soaked clothes. "I-I'm here. Hey, I'm here." The brunette sputtered quickly, dipping to be eye level with the unresponsive mech. She touched a trembling hand to his partially closed mouth guard.
His dull, lightless optics haunted her, the very image searing into her memory to forever come back and bite her.
Blackout approached slowly, optics downcast on his master. Something irked within him in an almost pained fashion. He shoved the feeling away harshly, burying in deep down.
"Please stay with me, please. I came, see?" She cried fruitlessly, turning to meet the hunter with tear filled eyes. "I-is he..." Her words trailed off listlessly.
Was she too late...?
Blackout crept closer, dropping to kneel beside the decepticon warlord. "No. He's in stasis, but he doesn't have much long before his systems offline for good." He rose to full height.
The tall grass cradled his fallen form gently. He was a husk of his former self, hollowed. Small flower blooms peaked up from beneath his body. Purple hearts she'd recalled the name from her grandmother's time.
Lauren left the shallow water with caution, moving around to Megatron's side and taking the small flower blooms into her fingers with care before plucking and stuffing them away in her pocket. They'd be out of season soon.
"Don't worry, you'll be okay. I promise." She whispered affectionately, not knowing if he could hear her or not. "I promise..." The vow was made to herself in turn. He'd been there for her in her dying moments, and she'd do her damnedest to reciprocate the favor.
"Move fleshling." Blackout commanded as he made his way to the side of his leader, cargo straps in hand.
Listening, she reluctantly left the mech's side, standing aside to give the decepticon a wide berth to work.
"Can you do it...?" She found herself questioning softly, sapphire eyes casted up to him fearfully.
"What? Elaborate." He'd almost barked as he cast her a look, catching her stare.
"Get him back to Chicago. Can you do it?"
Blackout turned away from her with a vent, his optics studied the scene, noting his Lord's apparent new appearance in some areas. "It will be hard, but with a straight shot, yes." He'd do it, even if he fell out of the sky.
Lauren gave him the benefit of the doubt as he secured the girthy cargo straps to the underside of the mech's armor plating. The scene reminded her of doctors hooking her mother up to the EKG machine. She turned away, not able to stomach the scene.
"We leave now, insect. Come." Blackout transformed with haste as if rushing the process. The cargo straps secured somewhere beneath the underbelly of the chopper.
With a parting look, she boarded. "I'm trusting you." Her words came out hushed.
"If I did not believe myself capable, I would not have offered my service, fleshling." He sniped as he began to ascend, the weight of Megatron tethered to him was a strain to say the least as he battled to lift him from the earth.
With baited breath, Lauren watched as Blackout managed to uproot the giant.
The ascension was slow, but he climbed altitude steadily.
"How long...?" She questioned, peeking out through the window and down to Megatron's dangling form.
Blackout hissed in Cybertronian before answering in a clipped tone. "Approximately fifteen hours and five minutes. Do not bother me further, insect."
Lauren sat back in her seat with a strained exhale, flaring her nostrils.
The fifteen hours dragged on painfully slow with only silence to fill the void. The young woman stole glances to the mech every few moments to ease her mind. He wasn't flying nearly as high as he previously was.
If there was a more direct route, why didn't they take it in the first place...? The question came to her as the sun descended beyond the horizon. She'd remember to ask later and filed it away.
A few more hours passed and Blackout was pushing through strong despite the strain and the fatigue plaguing him. It was for a good cause, the only cause. He pushed harder, forcing his rotor blades to spin faster, forcing himself to carry on further.
The night sky was particularly clear that night, giving way to millions of stars. The constellations twinkled vividly against the darkness of space. Her eyes found their way to Megatron once more, unwilling to let him be. She turned her sights back to the night with renewed determination. A shooting star cut across her vision then and it was as if the universe was smiling down on her.
"Star light, star bright, the first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have this wish I make tonight."
Her mother's words arose from the deepest depths of her subconscious. Wishes weren't something she necessarily believed in, nor did she put her faith in such a thing, but she'd humor the small child within her and she wished. She wished for salvation, for peace, and for them to make it through this mess, her and Megatron.
I wish... A small unheard part of herself clung to the hope of wishing and fate.
"Landing inbound." Blackout called out pointedly.
I promise. Her mind repeated the vow as if reaffirming it as the ruins of Chicago became noticeable.
Her heart hammered as the ground grew nearer as her race against time began.
Time, the cruelest and most unforgiving of thieves.
She wouldn't let it win, she refused and absolutely denied it, she'd fight it with any and all her power. There was no backing down, no running away, not until it was over. Said and done with.
Megatron met the ground first, the chopper followed immediately after.
Dread pooled in her gut at the prospect of having to see the others. She should get some satisfaction from being right, but... There was truly nothing to be happy about and she wished she'd of never been right.
Lauren climbed from the chopper, her toolbox grasped tightly at her side as she moved to stand beside Megatron, her free hand rested gently upon his arm as if to silently say 'I'm here'.
Perhaps she was only soothing herself with the action.
Blackout stalked toward her and his leader, dropping a one knee servo kneel. With care and upmost regard, he raised the mech from the earth bridal style. His close size comparison made the feat possible, but not easy. Megatron was a mountain of a Cybertronian. "Open the door."
Lauren spared him a sorrowful glance, before moving toward the building. There was no possible way for her to force the large door open on her own, so she rapped her fist against it harshly as the chopper came to her backside.
Movement could be heard on the other side before the door slide open.
The air within seemed to still as all optics met her and then Blackout. No words were exchanged as Nitrozeus stepped aside for them to enter.
With some effort, she swallowed down the growing lump in her throat, her eyes cast to the cement flooring. She didn't want to- she couldn't- meet their gazes as she entered.
Blackout set the mech in the midst of the room, everyone moved to accommodate the change in space wordlessly. Glances were exchanged between the decepticons and she figured they were having some sort of conversation she wasn't privy to and she didn't care.
Moving to be beside the mech, she set her tools aside with an exhale. The brunette hoisted herself up atop the decepticon's body.
"What are you doing fleshbag?" Barricade barked out with venom.
She didn't acknowledge nor pay him any mind as she moved atop Megatron's chest, surveying the largest of the wounds. It leaked slowly, but steadily. Quickly she retrieved a shirt from her bag before forcing the cloth into the open pipe, halting the leak and buying back some valuable minutes. "Scalpel!" She called to the small spider like bot.
His skittering was notable in the silence as he scaled the giant. "Ja."
"I need you to find me some piping that'll fit this circumference. Anything. I need to reconnect the line so he stops bleeding." Was bleeding the correct term in robot? She didn't know.
Scalpel obeyed with no hesitation, scuttling away immediately as she applied pressure within the open cavity.
Perhaps the basic of first aid carried across the galaxy? She was grasping at straws.
The surrounding decepticons stared at her in mixed emotion. She'd never had an audience for this kind of thing and it was daunting.
"You haven't a clue what our kind need." Onslaught rasped in accusation.
"I've done this before. Let me work." Her words came out with a bite, her eyes looking to each pair of optics. "At least I'm doing something!" Heat licked at her eyes and she turned her head away with a jerk. She would not cry here, in front of them.
"It would be best to let him die a warriors death, yes. Let him rest, girl." Starscream hissed bitterly, his one good optic narrowed.
"That's not what he'd want! He didn't ask for this!" Lauren cried back, her face screwed up in anger.
"You have no idea what you're babbling about insect." Barricade retorted with a lurch as Scalpel reentered the building, dragging a large PVC pipe and mumbling on indistinguishable thing.
She pressed harder into his wound as the sting of tears assaulted her eyes. "You're wrong." The brunette turned to give the mech her best glare through blurred vision. "You have no idea what he wants. I am doing what I was asked to do." Her tone dripped with vitriol.
Scalpel relented the pipe to the woman and and she took it gratefully. At least someone was willing to help.
Retrieving her heat gun, she worked to meld the plastic to his internal system, disregarding the burns and the sting of heat. The small bot sat by and watched with curious wonderment. Hastily, she wiped away the green liquid as she worked. With some trouble, she eventually secured the PVC in just the right place.
He was nowhere near walking away from deaths doorway, but at least he wouldn't leak anymore.
Another shirt ruined. She dried what she could and discarded the clothing beside the mech. "There 'ya go. You'll be up in no time big guy." She spoke openly to Megatron's limp form before turning to Scalpel who waited for any sort of instruction. "Are there any other leaks in this area?" She questioned.
Scalpel descended deepening within the wound, making her cringe as his beady optics scanned over the damages. "Nein furzer leaks detecded in zis area, his viring is damaged." His flicked his spectacles away.
She hung her head in exhaustion as a huff was squeezed from her lungs. Her fingers ghosted just barely over the marred metal. She wish she knew more on what she was doing. "Will he stabilize? Can you tell?"
Scalpel poked and prodded at his internal wires and bits of loose metal. "Nein tell, put he does not leak furzer."
Her brows furrowed at his words. Time would have to tell, like all things, but how patient could she be? Sapphire eyes traveled over him, studying the way his metal plate armor dented and curved. He'd fought hard, she knew he did. She's seen it. There was no way in hell he'd fall so easily. Her confidence in him was absolute, however her confidence in herself was something else entirely.
She'd fixed him once before, she could do it again certainly. Right? It'd been easier then, why, she couldn't explain.
Her hand moved to rest upon where his spark chamber resided. His metals were cool to the touch and it almost disgusted her at how different it was from his usual warmth, his fire.
Sucking in a breath through her nose, she exhaled through her mouth. Okay. She steadied, forcing herself back to those first days in the barn. What had been different?
She hadn't known him nor had any kind affiliation. There was music and the peace of mind knowing she was at home.
That was it. She was being too sentimental about it all. Lauren needed to step back and remove herself as horrible as that sounded.
Was that how EMTs got through their jobs? Doctors? She was neither here nor there, but it still applied.
Another steady exhale ceased her tears as she rose to stand atop his chassis, wiping away the remaining moisture from her cheeks, she planted her hands atop her hips, her pants still damp.
It hadn't happened over night the first time and he certainly wouldn't be in his feet tomorrow, but then again, Rome wasn't built in a day. It sure as shit fell in one though.
Time. That's what's she needed and she got it. He wasn't bleeding to death anymore, she reminded herself. All she needed was time and some bad pop music.
This was fine, she just had to put her mind to it. Yes, everything would be just fine.
With one more assessment of the PVC, she slid off his chassis, wiping her hands along her shirt. "I stopped the leaking for now, but I'll continue tomorrow." She said it to nobody in particular, but as a general statement.
"Let's see how far you go with this little game." Laserbeak trilled wetly from his perch.
The mechs exchanged clipped words in Cybertronian with one another, Nitrozeus being the loudest of the bunch with a roll of his optic and his arms crossed defensively across his chassis.
"Say hello to the stick up your ass once you pull it out. Let the cowgirl run her rodeo." He shrugged.
Barricade growled with a pointed glare.
"You say you've don't this before, fleshling?" Onslaught interrogated.
Lauren turned to the injured mech. "Who do you think made him operable the last time...?" She questioned honestly.
"See? Betsy knows how to wrangle 'em in." He made a crude lasso gesture.
"Shut your trap." The police cruiser barked at the tracker. Blackout remained silent through the whole ordeal, he couldn't be bothered to engage as he rested, optics trained on the femme.
Starscream had since fled, off to do whatever it was that he did and good riddance, not one of them craved his presence or his ego.
"Do you truly believe that you may turn him operable?" Soundwave inquired flatly.
She turned to face him, hesitating before finding her voice. "Yes. I do." They locked in a stare. "Very well, your work is approved. Do not disappoint."
Was that last part a threat? It was hard to tell. She wasn't aware that she needed permission, as if his disapproval would have stopped her. Better to have a blessing than an adversary, she supposed.
Her body was heavy with emotional exhaustion and physical strain. Two things she was accustomed to.
Scalpel skittered down Megatron's arm to be head level with her, his little claws rubbed together. "He is in schtazis, Honlining him is bozible."
His thick German accent never ceased to make her brain stall. "It will take some time, but I know I can do it."
The spider like decepticon scuttled to the other side of her head. "Allow me help vith zee zupchect." His small head bobbed as he spoke in a frenzy.
She wasn't too sure Megatron would like being referred to as a 'subject', he was a science experiment despite what other humans may think. "Yeah, sure. It'd be better to have help speeding along the process."
The bot gave a sadistic little laugh before scurrying off, squeezing himself through the small gap in the sliding door. He really was like a spider. The whole thing unnerved her in the way any creepy-crawly would.
The brunette turned back to Megatron's body, placing her hand along his shoulder servo. "I'll be back tomorrow, promise. I'll get you up and running in no time."
"I get you're lonely betsy, but you don't have to be weird about it." Nitrozeus quipped, bent to watch her.
She removed her hand. "I can almost guarantee he's hearing us."
He stood back to height, feigning surrender with his hands pulled back. "Not my rodeo, still my horse."
The euphemism was lost on her with his obnoxious way of teasing her. Truly, she didn't understand a lot of what he was trying to say and she wasn't about to run all over hell's half-acre trying to get it. "Yeah, right." She dismissed as she turned to make her way upstairs for the remainder of the day. Her clothed were a mess of sweat, tears, petrolex, energon, and dirty water.
"Hold it cowgirl, aren't you forgetting somethin'?" The single optic mech called.
She stopped halfway up the stairs with an incredulous look adoring her features. "No?"
"I'm sure your sweetness would love for you to pucker up before bed." He laughed gruffly, his chassis rising and falling with the laughter. The other mech snapped back with insults at the tracker.
"I'm going to bed." Lauren stated, deadpan, as she disappeared from sight.
"Someone doesn't put out." He gestured his head at the office.
"Shut your vocal processors before I do it for you." The cruiser growled once more, his patience wearing thin.
The bickering continued beyond the thin walls and she paid it no mind as she cautiously stripped of her dirtied clothes. She could always hand wash them in the sink if it came down to it. God, her skin felt gross, she felt gross. Her hair certainly needed a brush through and not just her lazy finger combing.
Gently, she rewrapped her leg, pleasantly surprised to find it healing rather well, thankful that it didn't look or feel infected.
Slipping into her sweats, she reclined in the swivel chair, head reclined to stare up at the ceiling. She was tired, but not in the literal sense, her being was drained, leaving her body to turn to lead and her nights filled with restlessness, sleep wouldn't come easy and she knew that. A part of her was saddened by that fact, that her sleep would be dreamless and dark.
She rubbed at her eyes with a sigh.
The search and rescue was a success and yet she still wasn't happy with the aftermath. Something she knew would happen, if only she hadn't put off the inevitable dissatisfaction that came with it.
Lauren placed her arms on the desk, resting her head atop them much like how she did in school. It was a familiar feeling, being hunched over. Her back would punish her later in life, but she'd deal with that when the time came.
Eventually, she drifted off into a dreamless slumber void of any and everything, the mechs banter serving as not so subtle white noise.
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