Chapter 75: Wanted Secrets
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"M-Megatron?"
His ruby red optics brightened in satisfaction as the grin spread wider across his lips, revealing his sharp teeth.
I made another futile attempt to escape from the restraints while keeping my eyes trained on the large mech above me. "W-What are....what do you want? How did I-I get here? Where am I?"
"My, my," He smirked. "So many questions."
"What is this place?" I demanded in a tone that I thought sounded intimidating.
"That is simply none of your business, fleshing."
A frown pulled down on my lips as I frantically searched for something useful in the dim room. The area was quite large and a bit empty excluding the tables circled around me and the unknown machines that were barely in my cone of vision. The temperature was rather chilly, but it didn't seem to bother Megatron one bit. Normally, I'm not affected by the cold...well not by much unlike the humans, but I couldn't last forever.
How in the world did I get here?
I scanned the area, searching for any type of familiarity or something that could help me.
"Don't even think about escaping." My body froze at Megatron's warning tone.
"What?"
"You didn't think I knew about that little trick of yours. did you? You're able to make yourself bigger and smaller when you please, am I wrong?"
Crap.
I remained silent, not even bothering to even deny it. He was there, a witness of when I maximized on top of that pyramid in Egypt.
I wasn't thinking clearly.
"Well," He cackled. "It would seem that I am right about that. By your abilities it is clear that you are not a human, so..."A sharp finger hooked under my chin and guided my gaze to evil red optics.
"What kind of creature are you?"
"....."
The Decepticon Leader snapped within a few seconds of silence. "Answer me, pet!"
"I'm not your pet." I replied coldly and snatched my head from him.
His gaze was directed behind me. "Soundwave."
Soundwave?
"...who?" The surface placed behind my head prevented me from having any view behind me.
"Yes, My Lord." A low disembodied voice sounded from within the room.
"..w-wha?" I sputtered confused, trying to figure out the owner of the voice.
Megatron allowed a wicked smile to pull on his lips."I will get what I want." A whine of a powering machine filled the room, before I felt something press against my side and tingle against my skin.
"One way or another."
The tingles suddenly erupted into powerful surges across my body, boiling my blood like lava. I cried out in agony and pulled helplessly at the restraints as flames ignited across my skin as if I was being hung over the Sun.
"Ready to talk, fleshing?" He questioned with a smirk while as I thrashed about against the metal and softly pleaded to be released.
It was as if Primus had heard my prayers and the pain came to a complete stop. However, the effects remained. My body twitched uncomfortably against the cold metal while my muscles screamed out in soreness and discomfort due to my current position and inactivity.
I blew the few hanging strands out of my face and glared at the smiling mech with resentment and hatred
"Now," He forced me to look at him again. "Tell me."
I stared at him with shaky breaths blowing out into the cold air, but made no attempt to answer him.
He better think again if he thinks I'm gonna give in easily,
Megatron sighed with a click of his tongue. "Still stubborn I see? Very well."
His grip loosened and he took a step back.
"Soundwave."
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Autobot Base
"I'm fine! Hands off, medic!"
The CMO of the Autobots huffed in frustration and forced his stubborn friend back onto the medical berth. "You need help! Stop being a stubborn old glitch!"
"Ain't nothin' wrong with me!" IronHide growled at the medic and shoved him away. "Optimus, I'm fine." He tried to reason with his leader standing in the doorway. "Look at me."
"I'm looking, IronHide." Optimus replied, allowing his optics to roam across his damaged form. Dents and deep scratches covered his torso along with a few open wounds near his hip and tanks. One was in his left leg, another in his shoulder leaking Energon.
"You need medical attention."
"I'll be fine for now! We need to get to Liza! Get away!" He roared when Ratchet tried to approach him again.
"Believe me, IronHide. I am for worried for Liza just as much as you are."
It was true.
Optimus was worried sick for Liza. It took everything in him to not speed off the base and began his journey around the globe in search for his daughter. He would search the entire ocean if he had to, but at the moment it would be foolish to go after her without an approximate location or a battle plan.
According to the given information from Jazz and IronHide, they suspected it was Megatron himself who had captured Liza, although they hadn't seen it with their own optics, he did fly away from the direction where Liza had ran into the forest.
If so, he has gotten quite far or has reached his destination already.
He still wondered what Megatron could possibly find in Liza...unless he knew her secrets and plans to use her for his own power.
Prowl stopped checking over his sparkmate and shot a look at the Weapon Specialist. "It would be irrational to try and track down Liza now without a plan. The Decepticons could possibly lead us into a trap."
Optimus nodded in agreement.
"Prowler's right." Jazz spoke up. "Go ahead and get ya self fixed, Hide. Ain't no point in tryna argue now."
IronHide opened his mouth to argue, but quickly settled down once he realized he was outnumbered and wouldn't win this losing fight.
"Now," Ratchet started once IronHide accepted his defeat. "Sit still so I can repair you!"
The black mech harrumphed and wisely said nothing else.
Optimus left the Med-Bay, letting out a sigh of his own and proceeded with alerting Colonel Lennox of the situation and prepared himself for the upcoming battle. He knew it wouldn't be long before they set out looking for her.
Megatron could be on his way across the continent right now.
No...Megatron isn't a fool. They were bound to catch him on the radar if he even made an attempt, although he had Liza as his hostage and someone like Megatron would probably be willing to take that risk.
What if he dropped her from thousands of feet in the air, forcing her into Cybertronian form to save her life. Now he really wouldn't have a reason to release her.
What if he's torturing her right now?
Or...what if...he's...killing her?
Optimus picked the pace and tried to force the scenarios out of his processor.
She can't be...her spark its...awakening?!
He paused for a brief second before continuing forward in a much more hurried pace, minding the soldiers running by
Her spark was...she was waking up. The Prime wasted no time in trying to alert her of his presence and gently began probing around her essence, hoping for a response. It was quiet for a few minutes before panic started to pour through like water. He could feel a surge of pain follow afterwards and Optimus panicked with her, but didn't let her know that. Instead, he sent a wave of comfort,though it didn't do much, but he offered what he could.
Don't worry, sweetspark. I'm coming.
~~~
:::Hide.:::
:::It's my fault, I should've-:::
Ratchet frowned at his friend and placed a comforting servo on his unharmed shoulder. :::It's not your fault, Hide. Don't blame yourself.:::
IronHide made small head movements as he spoke through the private link. :::But I...she..:::
:::Stop it.::: Ratchet ordered in a firm tone, tapping a wrench warningly against his head. :::Stop that right now. This was not your fault. Stop blaming yourself.:::
:::But I couldn't protect her.:::
:::You didn't ask Megatron to come and take her, did you?:::
IronHide dropped his gaze to floor and remained silent.
:::Answer me, IronHide.:::
:::....No...I didn't.::: He murmured.
:::There, you stubborn slagger. Stop whining like a sparkling.:::
Silence fell over the link when Ratchet left IronHide's side and went over to check on Jazz. Nothing major, just a few dents and scratches of his paint he could fix later.
Ratchet cleared him for duty and the visored mech wasted no time in following his sparkmate who was already on his way out the door.
The medic quickly returned over to his friend and resumed his work, instructing the mech to sit up so he could work on his shoulder properly.
"Ratch." The black mech called miserably but with his voice this time.
"Don't."
"If I hadn't..."
Ratchet set his tools down and lifted his head, trapping IronHide in a stern gaze. "Stop." This time he rose his voice slightly and lightly whacked his head to get his point across.
"I will not allow you to do this to yourself. We will get her back."
Hide let out an uneasy breath through his vents. "But what if-"
Ratchet hit him a little bit harder this time. "No negative thoughts. We'll get her back."
The black mech still looked unsure and Ratchet couldn't help but soften up on him. "Old slagger." He gently laid Hide's head on his shoulder and ran a comforting hand along his back. "Have faith, Hide. We'll get her."
IronHide leaned into the rare affection and wrapped his big arms around the medic.
:::We'll get her back.:::
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"Tell me!"
Another powerful surge ran through my body like I was being struck by lightning multiple times. The popping against my skin in various places and the numb feeling in my limbs...I couldn't take it, yet here I was still breathing....somehow.
"Answer me! Tell me now!" Megatron demanded with a low growl.
"...N-No....n-never." I rasped weakly.
The mech let out an outraged roar and shook the ground beneath us with a mighty tantrum.
"Hit her again!"
I grit my teeth in pain and refused to give into his satisfaction as another shock ran across me, setting my skin on fire.
"More power!"
Before I could even protest burns began to set across my skin and the pins and needles feeling numbed every part of my body.
I raised my head and the met the smirk of the big Decepticon Leader.
"...W-What do you...want?" I questioned with uneven breaths.
I still don't understand why he targeted me. It's not like I have something for him. I mean my dad has the Matrix...not saying that he should've been captured.
"What I want?" He raised a sharp finger and pushed it into my stomach. "I want to know your relationship with the Autobots. From my view, it seems that you are closer to Optimus Prime than that Witwicky pest."
"....W-Why...I...no." I shook my head in denial. "J-Just friends."
"Friends?" He laughed. "Optimus seems quite protective over his 'friend'."
Well it's not like I'm gonna tell you he's my dad.
I wiggled against the intruding finger that was slowly drawing blood as it pushed deeper.
"I guess he wouldn't mind if I killed his so called 'friend'."
My heart quickened in rate and my body trembled uncomfortably. "....N-No."
"It seems you don't like that outcome. If you want to make it out alive, I suggest you tell me everything."
"B-But...I told.."
"DO YOU TAKE ME AS A FOOL?!" He boomed.
"I know for sure you mean more to those disgusting humans and those Autobot pests! You will tell me everything unless you want your very head to be hung on the wall for those idiots to see!"
"....."
"Wait," The mech paused and began pacing back and forth. "This feels all too familiar! I remember with that scout Optimus had.."
I looked up at him confused. "What?"
"Optimus is protective of you as he is with that Autobot Scout, Bumblebee."
Great.
His optics widened slightly in realization as he approached me again.
"You wouldn't happen to have that type of relationship with him, would you?"
This mech is too smart for his own good.
"No!" I shook my head frantically as the dread began to settle in. "I'm not. We're just friends."
"Well, well," He smirked cockily. "It would seem that I am right."
"No! It's not like that!" I cried.
"So...you're his daughter?"
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