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wyntir_knightTitle: Bad Day
Fandom: G1 Transformers
Characters: Ratchet and Wheeljack
Prompt: 022 – Enemies
Word Count: 10,516
Rating: T
Summary: Ratchet and Wheeljack get caught behind enemy lines in the early days of the civil war on Cybertron.
Author's Note: It's finally finished! For those who want a refresher, Part 1 is here, Part 2 is here, Part 3 is here, and Part 4 is here. For thoe who would prefer to read this in it's complete form, it can be located on![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
fanfic_100 here and on FFNEt here.
Also, this fic takes place after Lost Opportunities and Regrets.
Warnings: Slash (sort of)
Disclaimer: Transformers belong to Hasbro and Takara, and are licensed to IDW and Dreamworks. My original characters are my own and any similarity between them and any existing characters from canon or fandom is purely coincidental. I claim no ownership by writing this work.
Red Eye followed Argent through the halls of the neutral hive, making note of the personnel, equipment, and layout. Argent’s troops were well armed with the latest in Decepticon technology, likely taken from a recent shipment that had gone missing. It was obvious, though, that the mechs holding the weapons, didn’t entirely know how to use them and were too under-fuelled to put up much of a fight.
Still, after watching Argent operate, he was sure that the neutral commander would not let him go willingly, and would have no problem using his own people as cannon fodder in a fight. Truthfully, Argent would have made a good Decepticon. It was a pity that his ego would likely not allow him to take a back seat to Megatron. The Supreme Commander did not allow dissent among the ranks, as many an arrogant Seeker had learned.
Red Eye continued to consider the best way to turn all this to his advantage, when he realized that Argent had stopped walking and was speaking to a lightly built red and blue mech.
“You will stay with Red Eye and provide him with everything he might need to make his stay comfortable,” Argent said.
“Of course,” the red and blue said, bowing slightly at the waist. “I will treat him as I would you, Commander.”
“Good. I will have my people start working on this device. We’ll let you know when it is close to completion,” Argent said. Then, with a respectful nod, he turned and walked away.
“If you would care to follow me, Sir, I’ll show you to the quarters we have prepared for you. We’ve set things up as best as we’re able, but if there’s anything else you need, please let me know, and I’ll see what I can do.”
This was perfect. This mech was obviously a toady, and an easily manipulated one at that.
“I will need t’ check in with my command. Unfortunately, my communicator doesn’t seem t’ be workin’,” Red Eye said. “Do ye think ye can help me out with that?”
“Oh, yes, of course,” the mech said happily. “We have a field damper in place, but I can bring you to our communications room. You can get a message out from there.”
“That would be wonderful. … Are ya sure that ye’re allowed t’ let me?” Red Eye asked.
“Of course. Argent did say that I was to treat you as I do him,” the mech said.
“An’ might ye be able to do me one more favour?” Red Eye asked.
“Anything! Just ask and I’ll happily help you in any way I can!” the mech replied.
“I’ll be needin’ t’ contact the rest of my Trine. Would ye be able t’ show them in when they arrive?” Red Eye asked.
“I … well, I’m not sure,” the mech said. “But I suppose that I wouldn’t prevent Argent’s friends from coming by, and he did tell me to treat you like him … But maybe I should ask him first …”
“Of course, go right ahead,” Red Eye said smoothly. “I’m sure that Argent won’t view that as questionin’ his orders.”
“I … oh, he might at that … Well, I guess that it would be okay,” the mech said slowly. “Just let me know when they’ll be arriving and I’ll show them to your quarters.”
“Perfect,” Red Eye said with a smile. “By th’ way, what should I be callin’ ye now, lad?”
“Oh, people call me Blue,” he said with a smile.
They walked through the base for a distance, with Blue happily giving a full guided tour. He proudly pointed out all the sights the base had to offer, making note of the labs, general quarters, and armoury. Red Eye took this all in quietly, all the while pitying Argent for having such a fool under his command.
“Well, here we are, Sir,” Blue said, pointing out the communications room. “I’ve ensured that you can make your call in private. I’ll stay out here and make sure that no one disturbs you.” He turned away from the door, then turned back to face Red Eye. “You know, I’m glad I got to meet you, Sir. You’re nothing like what Argent told me to expect.”
“Oh, and what did he tell you to expect?” Red Eye said, amiably.
“Well, don’t take this the wrong way, but he said that all Seekers were arrogant and easily fooled. You don’t seem anything like that, Sir. I don’t imagine that we’d ever be able to pull one over on you.”
“I’m glad you feel that way,” Red Eye said smugly. This peon was turning out to be even more stupid than he had originally thought. “You know, should you change your mind about neutrality, we could always use loyal mechs like you among the Decepticons.” As cannon fodder, he added silently.
“Oh, I don’t think that I could ever leave Argent, Sir. But I appreciate your confidence in me,” Blue said, obviously preening at the perceived praise.
Red Eye hid his smirk and entered the communications room, closing the door behind him.
٭٭٭
Wheeljack stared at the door, absently stroking Ratchet’s chevron with one hand as the medic slept, his head on Wheeljack’s lap. He looked down at his friend in concern. It had been two days since he had come back from Slice, but his recharge cycle was still plagued with nightmares. It was obvious that every time he lay down to rest, he was back in Slice’s lab, and he refused to tell Wheeljack what had happened there. It seemed that the only time that he was able to rest peacefully was when he was near Wheeljack, and that was tearing the engineer up inside.
Ratchet moaned slightly in his sleep, then his optics opened slowly. He looked at Wheeljack and smiled sleepily.
“Hi,” he whispered.
“Hi,” Wheeljack replied, feeling his fuel pump flutter at the sight of that smile. “Are you feeling better?”
“I am now,” Ratchet replied, sleepily. He reached up and stroked the side of Wheeljack’s face, fingers coming to rest on a particularly sensitive bundle of nodes.
Wheeljack inhaled sharply, then relaxed, his hands beginning to move slowly of Ratchet’s prone form. A voice in the back of his mind was screaming at him that this was wrong. He was taking advantage of his friend in his time of need, and he had to stop. But another portion, a much louder portion of his mind only cared that Ratchet shared his feelings, that he was finally able to be with this mech he had cared for secretly for so long.
Ratchet moaned softly as Wheeljack ran his hand over his chest, arching up into the touch slightly.
“Hmmmm … Arclight,” Ratchet whispered.
Wheeljack pulled his hands back suddenly as if he had burned. He felt like he had been slapped, like he had been punched in the chest.
“Ratch?” Wheeljack said with a catch in his vocaliser. “Ratch, you’re dreaming, you have to wake up.”
Ratchet opened his eyes, looked at Wheeljack in shock, and was across the small room in a single, panicked motion.
“What happened?” he asked, looking around the room.
“I … nothing. You were having another nightmare,” Wheeljack said quietly, drawing his knees up against his chest and crossing his arms. “We, uhm, I still haven’t figured out how to get out of here, and I haven’t seen Blue for a while, so I don’t know what’s going on outside.
“And I guess your communicator still isn’t working any better than mine is,” Ratchet said, appearing to relax, but still staying away from Wheeljack.
“Nope, I think the Neutrals have some kind of a field damper in place around this sector,” Wheeljack said, his vocaliser still catching painfully. “It would explain why this sector is so blind.”
“Yeah, it would …,” Ratchet replied, slowly. “So how much longer do you think it’ll take them to build the matter converter?”
“If he’s got skilled people here, then he could be done today or tomorrow,” Wheeljack replied, uncomfortably aware of the awkwardness of the conversation.
“And then what?” Ratchet asked.
“I don’t know. But I do know that they’ll be in for a surprise if they try to turn it on,” Wheeljack said with a blue-white smile lighting his head fins.
The smile faded away and he sighed miserably when he saw the preoccupied look in Ratchet’s face.
٭٭٭
Blue moved silently through the halls making his way to Argent’s office. Things were going exactly as he had planned, but these next few days would be the lynchpin in his plans. He had to be very careful in his juggling of the three Seekers and Argent. Any mistake at this point would result in his death, and worse for the two Autobots.
He’d often wondered to himself why he cared about these two. It wasn’t as if he was an Autobot, or had any desire to join their cause. He argued that Argent had come completely unhinged and was a danger to himself and everyone else. This matter converter wouldn’t change anything for the neutrals because Argent wasn’t about to share the results with anyone. He had been with this commander for long enough to know that mechs were disposable to him, and that everything he did was to further his own cause, whatever that cause happened to be.
The Autobots were simply a tool, a means to an end. More than likely Argent was planning on using them and the converter to bargain a place within the Decepticon forces. By helping the Autobots, Blue was hindering Argent, nothing more. This was how he argued the point with himself, even though he knew that, in truth, he was intrigued with the engineer and his silly, pathetic admiration of the medic.
He arrived at Argent’s office and shook his head to clear it. It was time to become simpering, toadying Blue, and he needed all his attention focused to pull off that role.
“Sir?” he called out, knocking gently on the door. “Sir, may I speak with you for a moment?
“Enter,” Argent called.
Blue entered the room slowly, carefully, looking at the ground in deference to the great mech before him.
“Sir? I’ve done as you asked, but there may be some problems,” he said softly.
“Problems?” Argent asked, not looking up from the data pads on his desk.
“Yes Sir. The Seeker has somehow found a way to contact his Trine and they’ve just arrived,” Blue said, allowing a hint of fear to creep into his voice. “I didn’t know what to do, and I didn’t want the Seeker to be suspicious, so I let them in and brought them to his quarters.”
“You did what?” Argent growled, looking up and glaring at Blue.
“I … I let them in? Should I not have? I’m sorry Sir, but you said that I should treat him like you so when he gave me an order I followed it, and I’m really sorry Sir!” Blue cried, shrinking away from the incensed commander.
Argent moved in quickly and towered over Blue. Blue leaned back against the shelves, cowering against the rage that was building; preparing himself for the strike that he knew was likely to come. It would hurt, but Blue was sure that Argent would kill him outright. Not yet anyway.
The strike never came. Instead, Argent stalked away and threw himself back in his chair.
“Well, it’s done, and maybe I can use this to my advantage. Maybe I can salvage this situation, even through you’re mistake may have slagged us all,” Argent grumbled. “I want you to go back and make yourself available to them in any way they need. Convince them to talk and then report back to me.”
“Uhm, Sir?” Blue said tentatively. “I already heard them talking. They’re hoping that they’ll be able to steal the device from you by sheer force. They plan to get you on their good side, and then when you aren’t expecting it, they’ll strike. I heard the whole thing, Sir!”
“Hmph. Do they honestly think that I’d be taken in by such an obvious ploy?” Argent snorted. “Those Seekers are more arrogant and stupid than I had originally thought. … Go do as I ordered and report anything else you find.”
“Yes, Sir,” Blue said with a slight sigh.
He moved slowly from the room and allowed the door to slide shut behind him. As soon as he was clear, he moved quickly down the hall. It was time for the troops to hear about how Argent was working with the Seekers and not against them as he claimed.
٭٭٭
Ratchet sat on the floor of the cell watching Wheeljack pace nervously.
“I suppose that we could try to get the guard in here and then overpower him …,” Wheeljack said. “Or if I could borrow some of your tools I might be able to -.” He broke off awkwardly as he looked at Ratchet.
“I don’t think my tools can get through those bars,” Ratchet said, avoiding Wheeljack’s gaze.
Wheeljack looked at his friend for a long moment before turning away and leaning against the bars.
“Jack?” Ratchet said, a tentative note in his voice. “Jack, I’m sorry, I just-.”
“Never mind,” Wheeljack interrupted, trying to force his head fins to light up with something other than the grey of misery. “If we can’t break out then we’ll just have to go with plan A. I’ll call in the guard, we’ll get him to come in here and then we’ll overpower him.”
“Jack, I don’t think that’s going to work,” Ratchet said. “And avoiding the-.”
“Come on Ratch!” Wheeljack said, walking up to Ratchet. “He’s small, and the space is tight, I’m sure between the two of us we could-.”
Suddenly an explosion rocked the base, sending Wheeljack tumbling onto Ratchet’s lap.
“What the frag is going on?” Ratchet whispered, helping Wheeljack to stand, the recent awkwardness forgotten.
“Argent’s plan has backfired quite badly,” Blue said, running into the room.
He pulled pressed a few buttons on the wall and released the gate of the cell.
“Come on!” he said. “I don’t have long to get you two out of here.”
“What? How do we know we can trust you?” Wheeljack asked.
“You don’t. Maybe I got your friend away from Slice so that I could get the plans for myself. Or maybe I’m trying to help you,” Blue said. “Either way you have to make a decision. Come with me or stay here. And if you stay here then either Argent or Red Eye’s going to get you. It’s your choice.”
Blue opened the cell door then turned to leave.
“Come on,” Ratchet croaked, grabbing Wheeljack’s hand and pulling him along. “Anything’s better than here.”
They ran through the halls all but ignored by the panicked and fighting troops in the Neutral base.
“What’s going on?” Wheeljack asked, as they were forced to duck around a corner to avoid laser fire.
“I told you, Argent’s plan backfired,” Blue said. “You’re invention failed, and now everyone thinks that Argent betrayed them or has been killed.”
“Yeah, but why are they fighting each other?” Ratchet asked.
“Who knows? Someone must have told them that the position of top mech is up for grabs,” Blue said with a soft chuckle. “What you are seeing is a military coup of the worst kind.”
“Yeah, but what happened to cause this?” Wheeljack asked. “It has to be more than my invention blowing up.
“It is,” Blue replied, leading them through little used back corridors of the base. “It seems that Argent tried to turn the machine on without the Seekers present. They took offence and nearly had it out right there, but they managed to put their differences aside for the sake of unity and greed. When you’re machine blew up, both sides though the other was to blame. Last I saw two of the Seekers and most of Argent’s Elite Guard were down, and Argent and Red Eye were trying to rip each other’s vocaliser out.”
Blue’s description of the events was punctuated by the sound of far away laser fire and the smell of a distant electrical fire.
“Just follow me and I’ll get you safely to Autobot Headquarters,” Blue said, opening a door to the sewers. “It’ll be the long way around, but it’s safer than the direct route. You just have to trust me.”
With a look of misgiving, Ratchet and Wheeljack followed Blue into the sewers.
٭٭٭
In later recollections, neither Ratchet nor Wheeljack were able to fully remember the harried flight away from their captors. Blue led them on a forced march through subsurface passages that neither knew existed, and on the few occasions when they moved above, they were always in Decepticon territory. More than likely Argent was far too busy dealing with Red Eye and his Trine-mates to chase after them, but still, every time they stopped to rest, they were haunted by the sounds of pursuing feet.
Finally, after an exhausting flight, they arrived at Autobot HQ in Iacon. With a sigh of relief Ratchet and Wheeljack moved to enter the city, until they realized that their benefactor was remaining behind.
“Aren’t you coming?” Wheeljack asked.
“Nope,” said Blue. “I’m not quite sure I belong in there. I’m fully willing to help out, but I think I’m probably of more use out here.”
“But what about Argent? He’s still out there. We can keep you safe,” Ratchet said.
“I think that Argent has his hands full with the Decepticons. I’m not too concerned about him,” Blue said with an indelicate snort.
“Alright, fine. But if you change your mind let me know okay?” Wheeljack said.
“Will do,” Blue said, then leaning close to Wheeljack he added in a whisper, “And if you ever get tired of waiting for the doc to come around, let me know. I’ll be nearby.” He stepped back and threw a mock salute to the Autobots then turned away.
“Hey, wait a minute,” Wheeljack said. “We still don’t know your name.”
“I told you before, that information costs, and you can’t afford it. Not yet anyway.” He transformed and drove off into the ruins, masking his trail with a puff of smoke.
--Fin--
Fandom: G1 Transformers
Characters: Ratchet and Wheeljack
Prompt: 022 – Enemies
Word Count: 10,516
Rating: T
Summary: Ratchet and Wheeljack get caught behind enemy lines in the early days of the civil war on Cybertron.
Author's Note: It's finally finished! For those who want a refresher, Part 1 is here, Part 2 is here, Part 3 is here, and Part 4 is here. For thoe who would prefer to read this in it's complete form, it can be located on
fanfic_100 here and on FFNEt here.Also, this fic takes place after Lost Opportunities and Regrets.
Warnings: Slash (sort of)
Disclaimer: Transformers belong to Hasbro and Takara, and are licensed to IDW and Dreamworks. My original characters are my own and any similarity between them and any existing characters from canon or fandom is purely coincidental. I claim no ownership by writing this work.
Red Eye followed Argent through the halls of the neutral hive, making note of the personnel, equipment, and layout. Argent’s troops were well armed with the latest in Decepticon technology, likely taken from a recent shipment that had gone missing. It was obvious, though, that the mechs holding the weapons, didn’t entirely know how to use them and were too under-fuelled to put up much of a fight.
Still, after watching Argent operate, he was sure that the neutral commander would not let him go willingly, and would have no problem using his own people as cannon fodder in a fight. Truthfully, Argent would have made a good Decepticon. It was a pity that his ego would likely not allow him to take a back seat to Megatron. The Supreme Commander did not allow dissent among the ranks, as many an arrogant Seeker had learned.
Red Eye continued to consider the best way to turn all this to his advantage, when he realized that Argent had stopped walking and was speaking to a lightly built red and blue mech.
“You will stay with Red Eye and provide him with everything he might need to make his stay comfortable,” Argent said.
“Of course,” the red and blue said, bowing slightly at the waist. “I will treat him as I would you, Commander.”
“Good. I will have my people start working on this device. We’ll let you know when it is close to completion,” Argent said. Then, with a respectful nod, he turned and walked away.
“If you would care to follow me, Sir, I’ll show you to the quarters we have prepared for you. We’ve set things up as best as we’re able, but if there’s anything else you need, please let me know, and I’ll see what I can do.”
This was perfect. This mech was obviously a toady, and an easily manipulated one at that.
“I will need t’ check in with my command. Unfortunately, my communicator doesn’t seem t’ be workin’,” Red Eye said. “Do ye think ye can help me out with that?”
“Oh, yes, of course,” the mech said happily. “We have a field damper in place, but I can bring you to our communications room. You can get a message out from there.”
“That would be wonderful. … Are ya sure that ye’re allowed t’ let me?” Red Eye asked.
“Of course. Argent did say that I was to treat you as I do him,” the mech said.
“An’ might ye be able to do me one more favour?” Red Eye asked.
“Anything! Just ask and I’ll happily help you in any way I can!” the mech replied.
“I’ll be needin’ t’ contact the rest of my Trine. Would ye be able t’ show them in when they arrive?” Red Eye asked.
“I … well, I’m not sure,” the mech said. “But I suppose that I wouldn’t prevent Argent’s friends from coming by, and he did tell me to treat you like him … But maybe I should ask him first …”
“Of course, go right ahead,” Red Eye said smoothly. “I’m sure that Argent won’t view that as questionin’ his orders.”
“I … oh, he might at that … Well, I guess that it would be okay,” the mech said slowly. “Just let me know when they’ll be arriving and I’ll show them to your quarters.”
“Perfect,” Red Eye said with a smile. “By th’ way, what should I be callin’ ye now, lad?”
“Oh, people call me Blue,” he said with a smile.
They walked through the base for a distance, with Blue happily giving a full guided tour. He proudly pointed out all the sights the base had to offer, making note of the labs, general quarters, and armoury. Red Eye took this all in quietly, all the while pitying Argent for having such a fool under his command.
“Well, here we are, Sir,” Blue said, pointing out the communications room. “I’ve ensured that you can make your call in private. I’ll stay out here and make sure that no one disturbs you.” He turned away from the door, then turned back to face Red Eye. “You know, I’m glad I got to meet you, Sir. You’re nothing like what Argent told me to expect.”
“Oh, and what did he tell you to expect?” Red Eye said, amiably.
“Well, don’t take this the wrong way, but he said that all Seekers were arrogant and easily fooled. You don’t seem anything like that, Sir. I don’t imagine that we’d ever be able to pull one over on you.”
“I’m glad you feel that way,” Red Eye said smugly. This peon was turning out to be even more stupid than he had originally thought. “You know, should you change your mind about neutrality, we could always use loyal mechs like you among the Decepticons.” As cannon fodder, he added silently.
“Oh, I don’t think that I could ever leave Argent, Sir. But I appreciate your confidence in me,” Blue said, obviously preening at the perceived praise.
Red Eye hid his smirk and entered the communications room, closing the door behind him.
Wheeljack stared at the door, absently stroking Ratchet’s chevron with one hand as the medic slept, his head on Wheeljack’s lap. He looked down at his friend in concern. It had been two days since he had come back from Slice, but his recharge cycle was still plagued with nightmares. It was obvious that every time he lay down to rest, he was back in Slice’s lab, and he refused to tell Wheeljack what had happened there. It seemed that the only time that he was able to rest peacefully was when he was near Wheeljack, and that was tearing the engineer up inside.
Ratchet moaned slightly in his sleep, then his optics opened slowly. He looked at Wheeljack and smiled sleepily.
“Hi,” he whispered.
“Hi,” Wheeljack replied, feeling his fuel pump flutter at the sight of that smile. “Are you feeling better?”
“I am now,” Ratchet replied, sleepily. He reached up and stroked the side of Wheeljack’s face, fingers coming to rest on a particularly sensitive bundle of nodes.
Wheeljack inhaled sharply, then relaxed, his hands beginning to move slowly of Ratchet’s prone form. A voice in the back of his mind was screaming at him that this was wrong. He was taking advantage of his friend in his time of need, and he had to stop. But another portion, a much louder portion of his mind only cared that Ratchet shared his feelings, that he was finally able to be with this mech he had cared for secretly for so long.
Ratchet moaned softly as Wheeljack ran his hand over his chest, arching up into the touch slightly.
“Hmmmm … Arclight,” Ratchet whispered.
Wheeljack pulled his hands back suddenly as if he had burned. He felt like he had been slapped, like he had been punched in the chest.
“Ratch?” Wheeljack said with a catch in his vocaliser. “Ratch, you’re dreaming, you have to wake up.”
Ratchet opened his eyes, looked at Wheeljack in shock, and was across the small room in a single, panicked motion.
“What happened?” he asked, looking around the room.
“I … nothing. You were having another nightmare,” Wheeljack said quietly, drawing his knees up against his chest and crossing his arms. “We, uhm, I still haven’t figured out how to get out of here, and I haven’t seen Blue for a while, so I don’t know what’s going on outside.
“And I guess your communicator still isn’t working any better than mine is,” Ratchet said, appearing to relax, but still staying away from Wheeljack.
“Nope, I think the Neutrals have some kind of a field damper in place around this sector,” Wheeljack said, his vocaliser still catching painfully. “It would explain why this sector is so blind.”
“Yeah, it would …,” Ratchet replied, slowly. “So how much longer do you think it’ll take them to build the matter converter?”
“If he’s got skilled people here, then he could be done today or tomorrow,” Wheeljack replied, uncomfortably aware of the awkwardness of the conversation.
“And then what?” Ratchet asked.
“I don’t know. But I do know that they’ll be in for a surprise if they try to turn it on,” Wheeljack said with a blue-white smile lighting his head fins.
The smile faded away and he sighed miserably when he saw the preoccupied look in Ratchet’s face.
Blue moved silently through the halls making his way to Argent’s office. Things were going exactly as he had planned, but these next few days would be the lynchpin in his plans. He had to be very careful in his juggling of the three Seekers and Argent. Any mistake at this point would result in his death, and worse for the two Autobots.
He’d often wondered to himself why he cared about these two. It wasn’t as if he was an Autobot, or had any desire to join their cause. He argued that Argent had come completely unhinged and was a danger to himself and everyone else. This matter converter wouldn’t change anything for the neutrals because Argent wasn’t about to share the results with anyone. He had been with this commander for long enough to know that mechs were disposable to him, and that everything he did was to further his own cause, whatever that cause happened to be.
The Autobots were simply a tool, a means to an end. More than likely Argent was planning on using them and the converter to bargain a place within the Decepticon forces. By helping the Autobots, Blue was hindering Argent, nothing more. This was how he argued the point with himself, even though he knew that, in truth, he was intrigued with the engineer and his silly, pathetic admiration of the medic.
He arrived at Argent’s office and shook his head to clear it. It was time to become simpering, toadying Blue, and he needed all his attention focused to pull off that role.
“Sir?” he called out, knocking gently on the door. “Sir, may I speak with you for a moment?
“Enter,” Argent called.
Blue entered the room slowly, carefully, looking at the ground in deference to the great mech before him.
“Sir? I’ve done as you asked, but there may be some problems,” he said softly.
“Problems?” Argent asked, not looking up from the data pads on his desk.
“Yes Sir. The Seeker has somehow found a way to contact his Trine and they’ve just arrived,” Blue said, allowing a hint of fear to creep into his voice. “I didn’t know what to do, and I didn’t want the Seeker to be suspicious, so I let them in and brought them to his quarters.”
“You did what?” Argent growled, looking up and glaring at Blue.
“I … I let them in? Should I not have? I’m sorry Sir, but you said that I should treat him like you so when he gave me an order I followed it, and I’m really sorry Sir!” Blue cried, shrinking away from the incensed commander.
Argent moved in quickly and towered over Blue. Blue leaned back against the shelves, cowering against the rage that was building; preparing himself for the strike that he knew was likely to come. It would hurt, but Blue was sure that Argent would kill him outright. Not yet anyway.
The strike never came. Instead, Argent stalked away and threw himself back in his chair.
“Well, it’s done, and maybe I can use this to my advantage. Maybe I can salvage this situation, even through you’re mistake may have slagged us all,” Argent grumbled. “I want you to go back and make yourself available to them in any way they need. Convince them to talk and then report back to me.”
“Uhm, Sir?” Blue said tentatively. “I already heard them talking. They’re hoping that they’ll be able to steal the device from you by sheer force. They plan to get you on their good side, and then when you aren’t expecting it, they’ll strike. I heard the whole thing, Sir!”
“Hmph. Do they honestly think that I’d be taken in by such an obvious ploy?” Argent snorted. “Those Seekers are more arrogant and stupid than I had originally thought. … Go do as I ordered and report anything else you find.”
“Yes, Sir,” Blue said with a slight sigh.
He moved slowly from the room and allowed the door to slide shut behind him. As soon as he was clear, he moved quickly down the hall. It was time for the troops to hear about how Argent was working with the Seekers and not against them as he claimed.
Ratchet sat on the floor of the cell watching Wheeljack pace nervously.
“I suppose that we could try to get the guard in here and then overpower him …,” Wheeljack said. “Or if I could borrow some of your tools I might be able to -.” He broke off awkwardly as he looked at Ratchet.
“I don’t think my tools can get through those bars,” Ratchet said, avoiding Wheeljack’s gaze.
Wheeljack looked at his friend for a long moment before turning away and leaning against the bars.
“Jack?” Ratchet said, a tentative note in his voice. “Jack, I’m sorry, I just-.”
“Never mind,” Wheeljack interrupted, trying to force his head fins to light up with something other than the grey of misery. “If we can’t break out then we’ll just have to go with plan A. I’ll call in the guard, we’ll get him to come in here and then we’ll overpower him.”
“Jack, I don’t think that’s going to work,” Ratchet said. “And avoiding the-.”
“Come on Ratch!” Wheeljack said, walking up to Ratchet. “He’s small, and the space is tight, I’m sure between the two of us we could-.”
Suddenly an explosion rocked the base, sending Wheeljack tumbling onto Ratchet’s lap.
“What the frag is going on?” Ratchet whispered, helping Wheeljack to stand, the recent awkwardness forgotten.
“Argent’s plan has backfired quite badly,” Blue said, running into the room.
He pulled pressed a few buttons on the wall and released the gate of the cell.
“Come on!” he said. “I don’t have long to get you two out of here.”
“What? How do we know we can trust you?” Wheeljack asked.
“You don’t. Maybe I got your friend away from Slice so that I could get the plans for myself. Or maybe I’m trying to help you,” Blue said. “Either way you have to make a decision. Come with me or stay here. And if you stay here then either Argent or Red Eye’s going to get you. It’s your choice.”
Blue opened the cell door then turned to leave.
“Come on,” Ratchet croaked, grabbing Wheeljack’s hand and pulling him along. “Anything’s better than here.”
They ran through the halls all but ignored by the panicked and fighting troops in the Neutral base.
“What’s going on?” Wheeljack asked, as they were forced to duck around a corner to avoid laser fire.
“I told you, Argent’s plan backfired,” Blue said. “You’re invention failed, and now everyone thinks that Argent betrayed them or has been killed.”
“Yeah, but why are they fighting each other?” Ratchet asked.
“Who knows? Someone must have told them that the position of top mech is up for grabs,” Blue said with a soft chuckle. “What you are seeing is a military coup of the worst kind.”
“Yeah, but what happened to cause this?” Wheeljack asked. “It has to be more than my invention blowing up.
“It is,” Blue replied, leading them through little used back corridors of the base. “It seems that Argent tried to turn the machine on without the Seekers present. They took offence and nearly had it out right there, but they managed to put their differences aside for the sake of unity and greed. When you’re machine blew up, both sides though the other was to blame. Last I saw two of the Seekers and most of Argent’s Elite Guard were down, and Argent and Red Eye were trying to rip each other’s vocaliser out.”
Blue’s description of the events was punctuated by the sound of far away laser fire and the smell of a distant electrical fire.
“Just follow me and I’ll get you safely to Autobot Headquarters,” Blue said, opening a door to the sewers. “It’ll be the long way around, but it’s safer than the direct route. You just have to trust me.”
With a look of misgiving, Ratchet and Wheeljack followed Blue into the sewers.
In later recollections, neither Ratchet nor Wheeljack were able to fully remember the harried flight away from their captors. Blue led them on a forced march through subsurface passages that neither knew existed, and on the few occasions when they moved above, they were always in Decepticon territory. More than likely Argent was far too busy dealing with Red Eye and his Trine-mates to chase after them, but still, every time they stopped to rest, they were haunted by the sounds of pursuing feet.
Finally, after an exhausting flight, they arrived at Autobot HQ in Iacon. With a sigh of relief Ratchet and Wheeljack moved to enter the city, until they realized that their benefactor was remaining behind.
“Aren’t you coming?” Wheeljack asked.
“Nope,” said Blue. “I’m not quite sure I belong in there. I’m fully willing to help out, but I think I’m probably of more use out here.”
“But what about Argent? He’s still out there. We can keep you safe,” Ratchet said.
“I think that Argent has his hands full with the Decepticons. I’m not too concerned about him,” Blue said with an indelicate snort.
“Alright, fine. But if you change your mind let me know okay?” Wheeljack said.
“Will do,” Blue said, then leaning close to Wheeljack he added in a whisper, “And if you ever get tired of waiting for the doc to come around, let me know. I’ll be nearby.” He stepped back and threw a mock salute to the Autobots then turned away.
“Hey, wait a minute,” Wheeljack said. “We still don’t know your name.”
“I told you before, that information costs, and you can’t afford it. Not yet anyway.” He transformed and drove off into the ruins, masking his trail with a puff of smoke.
--Fin--
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Date: 3 Apr 2007 03:57 (UTC)Great ending to this vignette. I love Smokey's creativeness, but hey, he's not counter-sab for no reason. Poor 'Jack though.
There will be more in this 'verse right? ^^ If there is, I totally look forward to it! You just turned my day a little sweeter now.
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Date: 3 Apr 2007 11:23 (UTC)I had intended it in the second way, though that wasn't my original intent. You can interpret some of Smokey's lines in Regrets as him hitting on Jack, and then there's the whole capture scene in this one (I rewrote it slightly and now it can be interpreted that Smokey was copping a feel).
I do intend to keep all of the Vignettes title in this universe, so we may very well see some Smokey/Jack, especially if Ratch doesn't clue in. ... He might though, I'm just not sure yet.