CHAPTER 36
The Chase
When being held captive by an Aston Martin, apparently, the first reaction to your screams of terror is for it to hit you over the head with their holoform. Mark looked up, dazed at the red haired man that sat over him now, putting a pair of small Cybertronian cuffs from his glovebox around his ankles. The mech had already bound his wrists behind his back, stating this was much more efficient than seatbelts, and it was, Mark couldn't move. Knock Out had lost Hound for the moment, and stopped in an alleyway in order to bind up his captive, whose struggling would not bode well for Galvatron. "Quit squirming!" Knock Out snapped as Mark tried to kick out "Didn't your owners ever teach you manners?"
"He's my foster dad you stupid sorry piece of-!"
Before he could finish a device had inserted itself in his open mouth. It coiled around the edges of both the inside and outside and forced him to clench. On the surface a large metal muzzle covered his mouth, only allowing him to breathe out of his nose now. "Ah hello silence, my old friend." Mark groaned as Knock Out tossed him into the back seat of his alt mode "You're lucky our orders were to take you in alive if you were there... If they weren't I'd have killed you for the curses you've thrown at me."
Alive? Orders? So the Decepticons did want him after all. Not that Mark was all that surprised, he was probably the perfect hostage for them. Someone close enough that he was family to the Autobots, someone who they could use to bend Hound and the others to do their every whim. "Ahem." Knock Out opened up the comm channel "Lord Galvatron, I've acquired a present for you." He then added "A little one all wrapped up nice and tight."
"The boy?"
"Yes, my liege, the Autobot's precious human pet." He felt as the boy kicked at his windows in vain, but mostly ignored the nuisance "I've been followed away from the ambush site, however. The old one seems very possessive of his property, I barely shook him after about a half an hour." He then added "Shall I proceed to bring him to base?"
"Of course you should! The Autobots are probably hunting you as we speak. Bring the boy to me." Galavatron snapped "We're going to have a rather fun playdate, if I do say so myself."
"Of course my liege." As Knock Out disconnected, he groaned "I grab the prize and yet he still treats me with NO respect." Mark felt as he was tipped until he was sitting straight up, a seatbelt going tightly over him for good measure "Do you get respect among the Autobots? Oh who am I kidding! You're a pet, pet's don't get "respect"."
Mark lunged, but soon was shot back by the seat belts as Knock Out pulled out of the alleyway. Not more than a second after he'd exited, the sound of police sirens filled Mark's ears, his eyes peering over at the police cruiser headed their way. PROWL! Mark thought with relief, even as Knock Out floored his engine again, cursing to himself.
Knock Out clearly noticed as the human's eyes lit up, and chuckled. "Don't look so happy. Sure, the fight back at the park is likely over, but I've got overhead cover." Knock Out teased, as Mark noticed what he meant, the blue and red jet was flying slowly into view overhead "You're not going anywhere, kid. I don't plan on going to Galvatron empty-handed. So either you or your head are coming back with me."
A blast nearly sent Knock Out toppling over, and the mech groaned. "Slag, change of plans." Knock Out grunted, as he used a small device to retract the gag and the cuffs "Don't get too excited." The mech's holoform disappeared as he transformed, grasping Mark in his hand again, his other turning into a blaster "I just need you more free if I'm going to keep you in one piece for Galvatron."
Mark quickly saw what he meant as Bumblebee rushed down one end of the street, sending off blasts at Knock Out. "Thunercracker! Handle the bug for me! I don't have time for one-on-one combat!" Knock Out quickly leapt and latched onto one of the large buildings, climbing up as through the windows humans scattered in every direction "Y'know, you're a lot of trouble, kid." He noted as he set Mark on his shoulder, knowing the boy was forced to cling onto it or fall to a horrible death.
As the mech climbed, Mark cried quietly, he had never been so scared in his life. Sure, the Autobots were in pursuit, but he could see as Thundercracker and Skywarp began to open fire upon and attack Prowl and Bumblebee. Clearly, the battle at the park must have been over, but now even more people were liable to lose their lives. Again, he could see the Autobots motioning humans to safety however between blasts at the two seekers. But most of all, he wondered where Hound was. Why was he not still pursuing the mech?
As they reached the rooftop, Knock Out yet again put Mark in his grip. "Why are you doing this?" Mark asked now that he was able to speak again, Knock Out eyed him slightly "What does Galvatron want from me?"
"Nothing, yet." Knock Out chuckled "But did you really think we were going to let something so precious to the Autobots GO?" He gave a sly grin as he ran a small distance and jumped onto the next rooftop "Ah, this looks like a good place to outrun 'em."
As Knock Out lept from the small building and into another alley, which seemed to veer one way and then the other. Like a thief that had just stolen a diamond, Knock Out kept his optics on the lookout, prepared at any moment to be blindsided by an Autobot who wished to take back his prize. But when he finally stepped out into the street again, what Hound did could not be described as blindsiding him, but rather as an ambush. The taller, more powerful mech slammed the full weight of his body into Knock Out sending him toppling over, but with his grip still tight around Mark.
"Let. My. Son. GO." Hound shouted as Knock Out raised himself slowly to his feet "NOW!"
Hound sounded angrier than Mark had ever heard him in his life, and it almost made him shudder. Yet Knock Out did not relent, in fact, he began to toss Mark up and down lightly like a pair of dice and chuckle. "I have to admit, old mech, I'm impressed." Knock Out noted "The lengths that you will go to protect your precious little pet amazes me."
Hound brought out one of the biggest and most powerful guns his arsenal packed, pointing it straight at the Decepticon. "I'm not going to ask you again, Knock Out. Let my son go or I will blow that slagging grin off yer face."
For a moment, Knock Out tilted his head, as if considering it. "Ehhhhhh, no."
Mark didn't even notice that Knock Out had pulled his own, large gun just in the nick of time. The blast he shot collided with Hound's side, and the mech fell onto his knee, energon pooling out slowly. It was in this moment of shock and fear, as Knock Out began to transform down that Mark screamed a word that stunned even himself. "DAD, no!"
Hound's optics shot up as Mark said it, and even the human was shocked. The word had come out so fast that Mark hadn't had time to think it out, it'd almost felt natural, like he'd been saying it for years. And to Hound, it was the extra drive he needed to suck in the pain that filled his body and transform down as well, this time, pushing faster than he'd even thought himself capable. Knock Out, by now annoyed by Autobot interference swerved through the streets, making sure to keep what remained of his paint job mostly in-tact.
But Hound was not playing games either, he was closing in faster than Knock Out had ever seen a mech his size move. And an angry mech moving as fast as Hound was, was most definitely a dangerous thing. Mark breathed out, and looked down at the radio. "My dad is so gonna kick your ass." Mark muttered quietly.
"Shut up." Knock Out snarled as he sent the seat forward, causing Mark's head to hit the dashboard "Thundercracker, where the pit is Dirge!? I have Hound closing in on my tail and I can't shake him!"
"Shot down by Prime. I'll try to get to your co-ordinates K.O., but I don't think that's going to be a possibility. We're taking heavy fire too!"
"Frag it all!"
The passengers side door flew open and Mark found himself quickly hitting the pavement as Knock Out transformed up. Hound did so next, rushing forward, and slamming his fist so hard into his jaw that Knock Out nearly went down. The small, but agile fighter began to swing several more punches at Hound, but found that he was a force to be reckoned with. The mech tore at his armor, and threw him to the ground before quickly making himself a living, snarling wall between Knock Out and Mark. "FRAG IT ALL! MY PAINTJOB!" Knock Out screamed "Do you realize the hours of work!"
Hound fired several blasts from a rifle into Knock Out to show just how much he cared. "You think picking on kids is fun? You think you're taking my son without a fight?" He shouted "COWARDS take sparklings to use against their parents. And cowards most definitely open fire on a park filled with innocent younglings who did nothing but exist."
"They were orders from GALVATRON." Knock Out shouted "We're in a war, if you're asked to fight dirty, you fight DIRTY."
That one got Knock Out a kick straight to the helm. Pain shot through the Decepticon as he fought to keep himself out of stasis lock, but he knew it would come anyway. "Prime, I have Mark secure, and one fragged up pit spawn for the med bay and brig." Hound commed in as he slowly took Mark into his palm and lifted the tired and somewhat battered boy up "Hey... You okay?"
"I was so scared, Hound. I thought they actually had me-."
"I know... Easy, Mark. You're okay now." Hound told him gently as he sighed with relief "They're never going to take you on my watch, I won't allow it." He paused a moment "Your dad won't allow that anymore." Mark gave a smile, although exhausted, as he noticed in the sky that the two jets from before were retreating "You'll be happy to know we got no casualties, we were there in the nick of time."
"You guys are gonna be heroes again after all of this." Mark chuckled weakly "Someone must have gotten footage of all of that. You guys put your life on the line for all of those people." He looked up at him, exhausted, but his eyes full of surprise "You took a missile for me."
Hound nodded his head, a smile spreading on his face. "You're my son, Mark. I'd gladly take an atomic bomb for you." Hound said it with such firmness that Mark didn't doubt it "I'm not even concerned about what the public says anymore. I cared far more that he didn't hurt you." He could see the other Autobots driving down the street just as news vans were arriving as well "Aw, slag."
What he next heard, stunned him more than he expected. As one of the reporters stepped out, camera already rolling, her words echoed. "I am here with the Autobots, just moments after an attack by their enemies - the Decepticons." The reporter began "Footage already leaked to the public reveals these once condemned shoulders in their everyday heroic deeds. With many taking gunfire, missiles, and the like for a group gathered for a charity even at Lincoln Park this evening before the battle reached the rest of our well-protected city." Mark grinned up at Hound at that "With many injured, but no fatalities, it would seem this town, and perhaps, the world, owes a great deal of gratitude to these unsung heroes..."
"I can't wait to see Coulton's reaction to that." Mark chuckled lightly, his eyes growing heavy.
"Get some rest, kid." Hound told him gently "You've had a long day... And your body will desperately need it."
Despite the chaos as Prowl slipped stasis cuffs upon Knock Out and several reporters moved in for a statement, Mark slowly did just that. Hound sighed in relief, even if the day was a disaster, at least some good had come of it, and Mark was still safely in his custody. Yet, this also confirmed his worst fears, the thing that made his spark tighten and his wires twist. Galvatron did want Mark, whether it were now, or later, and he knew that the Decepticon leader would do anything to get what he wanted.
"Hound, we should get going." Sideswipe offered, as he noted the NEST soldiers that finally pulled up, with a large one to tow Knock Out "You want me to take Mark? I feel terrible not being able to get to him in time." He admitted "They almost had him, and I..."
"There was nothing you could do. Either way he had him." Hound offered "But no, I think for the moment, Mark is not leaving my sight."
"Right." Sidesewipe nodded "Just... Next time..."
"Sideswipe, relax." Hound replied "If you feel bad then here. Help him into my passengers seat."
And Sideswipe did after Hound had transformed, even with the look of guilt that still seemed to be etched on his faceplates. As Sideswipe transformed as well, they both left the row of reporters behind, to deal with Lennox, who was currently addressing them. While they may have been heroes to the city now, Hound knew they had a lot of explaining to do. If Dana hadn't stated that the whole being captured thing was something they were aware would likely happen and would not result in Mark being taken away, he may have been more nervous.
But none-the-less, he still had a feeling many people were not going to be happy to hear this. And to give himself a hint, that person's name was David Coulton.