((A/N: Here's another installment. The Autobots will start making more appearances as time goes on. ALSO::: "I am _, I have done terrible things, and I have no regrets." Whoever can guess who said that, and what movie/show it was in, I will write them a oneshot/short/long story of their choice. NOTE: If you have a story being done by me, you will not be able to win. Also, all guesses must be submitted to me through PM, comments on story will not count! ) Good luck.))
Jack looked into Ratchet's optics, continuing to stare even after Megatron released his helm, a war going on within one frame, two personalities fighting to come out on top, Jack fighting desperately for control of Ravage...
'Kill him! He's the one that took us from our creator! Cut us open and left us to die!' Ravage snarled, Jack grappling to come to terms with himself. 'No! Ratchet's my friend... He took care of me!' He argued, Ravage's grating laugh coming through to him. 'Maybe so... But only because you didn't know what you were... He cared for Jack... Not Ravage.'
Shaking with the inner fight, Jack growled lowly and shut his optics, Megatron watching him with red optics that seemed to bore through him as the simbiote took a deep breath and opened his mouth to respond. "No." He responded, voice shaking.
Megatron was silent for a moment before he grasped Jack by the back of the helm and lifted him up, watching the simbiote squirm in his grasp, Arcee attempting to stand from where she was, held back by the Vehicons around her. "Jack!" She cried, the fear in her voice so real, Jack could almost feel it... But then he was in the air, smashing into the wall with a sickening crunch, crying out as he fell to the floor.
Trembling, Jack whimpered as he attempted to get up, slipping in the energon that began to seep from his crushed leg, causing the simbiote to nearly purge.
Everything was silent as Jack came to the verge of tears, but then he was enveloped in warmth, and his helm fell against Soundwave's chassis as the TIC picked him up protectively, as silent as ever, but the touch gentle and protective, Jack comforted by the sound of his creator's spark pulsing.
Jack cowered in Soundwave's arms when Megatron suddenly appeared in front of them, yellow optics terrified as he sensed Soundwave tense up and a faint quiver of... Anger? Pass through the arms holding him, but Soundwave did nothing while the warlord stared down at the simbiote in his TIC's arms. "Have him repaired, Soundwave... Then, then have him sent here. I would like to speak with him." The warlord ordered, tone laden with anger as Soundwave dipped his helm slightly. "Affirmative." The tall purple mech responded softly before turning and hurrying from the room, Jack looking back at Ratchet and Arcee, the latter who looked both angry, frightened and relieved all at once, while Ratchet looked apologetic. As he watched, the medic smiled sadly at him and then mouthed the words 'I'm sorry.'
"Primus Megatron never seems to understand just how taxing it is to repair damage after he decides to do the damage... Even repairs after battles are easier than this!" Knockout complained as he worked repairing Jack's leg, picking metal out of the wiring, popping out dents, everything he could do for the simbiote.
Jack was silent. At first, he hadn't wanted Knockout to touch him, but now, he decided that Knockout was somewhat amusing... Friendly. Not at all what he had thought before, of the mech like a sadistic sociopath.
"Give it a break KO." Breakdown called from his corner where he was putting a vehicon back together, making Jack smile faintly while Knockout snorted in disdain. "Really? Why don't you get your sorry aft over here and fix it then?" The cherry red medic growled, Breakdown grinning over at him and wiggling his digits. "Digits too big for such delicate work." He responded teasingly, making his friend huff.
Noticing Jack's smile, Knockout paused a moment, studying him before a faint smile touched the corners of his lips in return. "It's nice to have you back around, Ravage... Even if you were a squishy before."
Jack was surprised by the medic's words, but found himself relax a little more, comfortable in the atmosphere of the medbay. "Thanks Knockout... It's kind of strange. I never expected Soundwave or any of you... I just thought-"
Knockout cut him off in amusement. "You thought we were all rotten to the core." He responded, shaking his helm. "Well. What do you think now?" The medic asked, smiling at Jack who found himself smiling back. "That you guys aren't as bad as I thought." He responded, making Breakdown laugh from his corner. "Most of us aren't that bad... Except for KO... Watch out, he's the worst of the bunch." The big ex-wrecker called, making his partner growl and throw a piece of scrap plating at him. "Shut your big aft of a mouth and do your work!" The red medic ordered in an angry tone, though it was obvious that he was amused... It was so obvious the two loved each other, and Jack was happy they could at a time like this.
Saddening at the gesture that reminded him so much of Ratchet, throwing wrenches around the medbay at the other bots, Jack's shoulders slumped before the door slid open softly and Soundwave entered. "Ravage... Come." The TIC ordered emotionlessly, everyone in the medbay falling silent as Jack hopped down off the berth and followed Soundwave out the door, feeling afraid of what Megatron would do to him now after he had refused to do as he was told.
Soundwave had stopped at the door when he brought Ravage back to his leader, tense and attempting not to worry about his creation... Ravage had always been loyal and obedient, never ceasing to succeed... But now, now he had grown part of a new personality as his time as a human, that he had divided loyalties... Megatron wouldn't care for that, and if he so much as tried to offline his eldest creation... Soundwave would defy him.
Jack hesitated beside his creator before Soundwave gave him a nudge through the bond, the human turned simbiote slowly walking over to Megatron, the massive warlord seated on his throne and watching with burning red optics as the simbiote approached.
Attempting to hide the fact that he was frightened, Jack straightened up as best as he could, and moved within reach of the warlord, yellow optics averted from the burning red coals that felt like they were burning through his armour.
"Ravage."
The harsh growl caused Jack to jump and look up at the warlord above him, optics locking together and he found himself unable to look away, Ravage grovelling within him while Jack felt fear instead of awe, anger instead of respect. He clenched his servos into fists and set his jaw, but didn't move... Didn't look away... He felt it more than saw it, his helm jerking to the side and he stumbled from the warlord's sudden back hand, spitting out energon.
Jack stayed where he was for a moment before slowly turning to look back at the warlord, feeling defiance rise up in him as he glared at the warlord. "I'm not afraid of you." He stated, wishing that his voice didn't quaver the way it had.
Megatron's lips parted to reveal a small amount of sharpened denta, and his massive servo, large enough to envolope and crush Jack's helm easily, came to rest at his cheek, thumb digit sliding along Jack's lower lip component, making the simbiote shudder, optics widening as the warlord leaned in close... TOO close. "Perhaps you aren't... But you are afraid for your... siblings, aren't you?" The warlord whispered, causing Jack to tense and feel fear crush his spark in a grip stronger than Megatron's ever could be.
Several moments of silence passed before Megatron spoke again. "How easy do you think it would be for me to rip open Soundwave's chassis and tear the others out of him? To rip each one from his frame?" Megatron whispered coldly into Jack's adios, the human-gone-simbiote whimpering softly at the thought of Soundwave losing all of his creations all over again... Because of him.
Leaning even closer, Megatron smirked against Jack's audio. "Very easy, dear human." He taunted, reminding Jack of what he had been in his past life. "Ravage was so very loyal, but his weakness was his siblings... His creator. Perhaps, instead of taking the time to rip each of my lieutenant's frame, I could rip Soundwave open and crush his spark." The warlord continued, still speaking too quietly for anyone but Jack to hear, each word stabbing into the simbiote's rapidly pulsating spark. "Then what would you do, Ravage? When all of your siblings have no caretaker? When they find out it's because of you?" He pulled away from Jack now, but the simbiote stood stalk still, optics wide and horrified.
"Choose your loyalties wisely, Ravage... You're choices will affect all of those dearest to you." Megatron stated in his normal tone, Jack unable to move for several moments before he shut his optics and tilted his helm. "I understand, Lord Megatron." He responded, still horrified at the threats that had been aimed at him... No one was safe when Megatron deemed them useless... Not even Soundwave.
Suddenly, the sound of blasterfire, while faint but unmistakable, sounded through the room, causing every mech's helm to lift and look towards the doors, Megatron growling and pushing himself up to his pedes, walking directly past Jack, purposefully bumping the simbiote as he zoned in on one of the grunts in the room.
Jack shuddered when Megatron grabbed the Vehicon and threw him against the wall, the simbiote receiving an image of Soundwave being tossed against the wall by his lord. "Find out what's going on out there!" The warlord thundered, Vehicons scurrying out as the massive silver warlord turned his attention onto Jack again, red optics flashing. "Ravage. Accompany Soundwave. Make sure the Autobots do not retrieve their friends."
Turning away, Jack transformed to his cat form and followed behind Soundwave, who was moving at a slow pace, as he always did, calm and seemingly uncaring to those around him. But Jack could sense the tenseness in Soundwave's frame, sense the gentle prodding at his side of the bond, as if his creator wanted to know what Megatron had said to him, but Jack withdrew... He didn't want Soundwave or his siblings to know... They couldn't.
Jack glanced up at his creator, nervous about whether or not Soundwave approved of his actions before Megatron earlier, the masked mech looking down at him as he sensed the feelings of his creation through their bond, faint as it was. "Ravage... Reacted understandably." Soundwave murmured in a soft tone, Jack relaxing in relief. "Ravage spent too much time with the Autobots... One cycle, Ravage will be prepared to kill them again." Soundwave added, making Jack look down at the ground, unhappy. "Ravage doesn't have to kill... Just fight for now." The tall mech added as his creation followed after him silently, grateful that Soundwave wasn't releasing the other simbiotes as of yet, not wanting to be swarmed with worry and questions.
After a few moments, Jack realized that Soundwave had stopped, and he did as well, looking up at the mech... Then Soundwave did something that Jack never thought the larger mech would do... He knelt... Knelt right beside him and placed his servo on Jack's helm, rubbing gently. "Soundwave... Understands Ravage's feelings... But Ravage must fight now, or else Megatron would be displeased... Soundwave... Cannot lose Ravage again."
Jack felt his spark constrict with both sadness and guilt at the last words that were practically whispered in his audio, but found himself lay his chin on Soundwave's knee joint, purring softly... He cared for Soundwave... He'd be lying if he said that he didn't, but he also cared for the autobots. It was just all so confusing.
Suddenly, Soundwave was on his pedes again, and Jack looked towards the end of the hall, where Optimus Prime stood, surrounded by the other Autobots, including Arcee and Ratchet.
A voice suddenly resonated through to Jack's side of the bond as his siblings were set loose, the simbiote staggering from the memory purge that struck him.
*Memory*
'Ravage! RAVAGE help me!' Frenzy screamed from where he attempted to rise on the battlefield, the panther cybertronian turning around and seeing his sibling reach for him, calling. "Ravage! RAVAGE, HELP M-" there was a flash of a blade reflecting the light, and suddenly Frenzy's form was headless, standing for a few moments before crumpling to the ground.
Ravage felt as if something had torn his spark out and crushed it, roaring in pain and anger, fear and distress as he was suddenly pummelled over and over again with severed bonds from his siblings.
"How easy do you think it would be to rip open Soundwave's chassis and tear the others out of him? To rip each one from his frame?...Very easy, dear human." Megatron's voice resonated in Jack's helm.
"Choose your loyalties wisely, Ravage... You're choices will affect all of those dearest to you."
*Memory Ends*
Jack trembled where he stood, yellow optics wide as he watched his siblings charge the autobots, Vehicons joining in, blasterfire passing all around the panther bot, who watched as a shot from Bulkhead clipped Buzzsaw, sending him to crash into the ground, crying out through the bond... That was when Jack withdrew and allowed Ravage control.
Charging the autobots, Ravage jumped onto Bumblebee, the Autobot scout, snarling and clawing at the mech, who attempted to shake him off his back, the simbiotes claws scratching at armour and occasionally digging through to catch on the inner wiring.
Seeing what was happening, Arcee ran towards them. "Jack stop! Jack!" She cried, optics wide with fear and shock as she watched the simbiote attempt to get a hold of the scout's neck.
Hearing Arcee's words, Jack came back to himself through the hate, fear and anger, lifting his helm to look at the two wheeler femme who was running towards them, Bumblebee taking the chance to slam his back against the wall, Jack caught between the yellow and black frame and the wall, keening softly and falling to the ground when Bumblebee pulled away.
Jack attempted to get back up, but everything hurt. Through the blurriness of his optics, Jack could make out the tall form of Soundwave a few feet away, taking a step towards his creator when he finally collapsed, optics shut when he felt someone pick him up.
"Autobots, retreat!" Optimus Prime's orders cut through Jack's awareness, and he lay still as he was carried away and through a ground bridge by Arcee, the femme holding him tightly and unsure of what to think as she escaped the Nemesis with the simbiote that had been her human friend just a short month ago. "Don't worry Jack... I'll find a way to fix this."
With those words, Jack finally lost consciousness, sensing the distress of his siblings and Soundwave through the bond just before everything went blissfully silent and dark...
(A/N: To start, NO there is nothing going on/going to happen between Megatron and Jack/Ravage. It's just the warlord being creepy and intimidating or whatever, so don't worry about it lol. Megatron is more or less enjoying Jack's suffering in suddenly being thrust into a war where he has ties to both sides of the opposition, you know? Anyways. Hope you liked it, and please review! :D NOTE: The next chapter will be based off of Predatory. :))