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wyntir_knightTitle: The Devil You Know
Series: G1 universe, focusing on Original characters
Rating: R
Summary: In the early days of the civil war on Cybertron, Sentinel Prime authorized several refugee vessels to take Neutrals away from the planet in hopes that they could start peaceful colonies where they would be safe. Many of these refugees were never heard from again; lost to us through time and distance. But history does record the fate of one of the vessels. The Stormchaser was three orns away from its destination when it was shot down by Decepticons in an act of cowardice and deceit. There were no survivors. That is what history tells us. But in this case, history is wrong.
Author's Note: Day 24. Still on track, somewhat. I ended up forgetting my notes at work (they're stuck in the back of my notepad), and the SanDisk that had the electronic copy is now corrupted. ... Great.
But I've reqritten my notes as best as I can recall, so I think I'm on track for this weekend.
42128 / 50000 words. 84% done!
Chapter 17
A deep silence descended over the assembled at Diode’s words. Then, after what seemed like an eternity the silence broke as surely as if a bomb had been dropped. Chaos broke out as everyone started speaking at once. Soon the many voices became like one, hysterical and terrified.
“Silence!” Windsaber ordered.
For the first time since he had taken control of the group, the Neutrals did not respond to his order. Instead they continued to talk, becoming louder and more hysterical by the moment. Finally, his optics narrowed dangerously, he aimed his rifle at the ceiling and fired.
“SILENCE!” he roared.
The Neutrals all jumped and stared at Windsaber in dumb silence as bits of charred greenery and molten stone and metal fell from the ceiling.
“Good,” Windsaber said. He turned to Diode and Turbine. “Now I want you two to close the doors and bar them. You,” he said pointing to Diode. Do the same with the windows. The rest of you, scourge the building. I want everything that can be used for fuel, weapons, or to fortify the weak areas. We will be laying in here until Updraft returns with news.”
“Are you out of your processor?” Zenith asked in shock.
“What?” Windsaber growled.
“We’re idling our engines here! We’re completely exposed and we have no exit!” Zenith cried.
“That’s the point,” Windsaber said, speaking patiently as if to an idiot sparkling. “After all, if we can get out, whatever’s out there can get in. And seeing that I’m a soldier and you’re just an historian, I think I might possibly know what I’m talking about.”
“Don’t patronize me!” Zenith shouted. “Ido know what I’m talking about and I see what’s going on here.”
“What the frell are you talking about?” Windsaber asked.
All around the Neutrals watched nervously. They had expected a power struggle, but they hadn’t expected it to be initiated by Zenith. They looked from the scene before them to the other leaders of their group, hoping that one of them would take charge and stop the inevitable fight that was coming.
Arclight was just as shocked as everyone else. For once, she agreed with Windsaber. This was the best place to hide out for the moment, at least until they had a better feel for this strange city. They didn’t know where they were and, more important, they didn’t know their enemy.
Cobalt watched the whole scene smugly. This could very well be the event that he had been waiting for. He needed the Neutrals to stand up to the Decepticons. They wouldn’t listen to him until they saw Windsaber as the monster he was. He knew full well that Windsaber would not stand for this little rebellion. He knew the Decepticon would kill Zenith and that would be the catalyst to get these Neutrals to take action. For his part,
Waverunner just waited, as he always had, holding his move until he knew, undeniably, which side would be most aided by his action. And which side would be able to most aid him. He had always supported the winning side. It was the only way he could ensure his Neutrality.
“You’re obviously working with the enemy! After all, it’s your fault that we’re all here!” Zenith cried. “We didn’t have any problem before you came to us.”
Windsaber threw his head back and laughed, but there was no mirth in it.
“You honestly believe that I’m in on this!” he cried, shoulders still shaking with barely suppressed laughter. “Do you realize just how paranoid you sound?”
“I am not paranoid!” Zenith yelled. “Everyone who’s questioned you is dead!”
“If that’s the case, then why are you and the good medic still functional?” Windsaber asked.
“Because …,” Zenith began. He stammered slightly as he thought about it. Then it came to him, and he spun on Arclight. “She’s only alive because she sold out! We’ve all seen her talking with your second!”
“I have not sold out and I do not have anything going on with Updraft!” Arclight protested vehemently.
Behind her, Cobalt snickered softly.
“Yeah, right,” Zenith snorted. “And as for me … Well, I don’t know why I’m still functioning, except that everyone is watching.”
“You know, Zenith,” Windsaber said, “I can’t think of a reason why you’re functional either.”
With that, he raised his rifle and fired a single shot into and through Zenith’s spark chamber.
“But I do know that I’ve never suffered from performance anxiety or stage fright,” he said to Zenith’s smoking corpse. “Now, does anyone else want to question me? No? Good. Then get to work!”
This was just what Cobalt had been hoping for. It was a pity that the historian had to die, but every good war needed its martyrs. When they got off this world and back to Cybertron, when he returned home in triumph, he would make sure that Zenith’s sacrifice was remembered.
The Neutrals moved to follow the orders they had been given.
“Waverunner, you will come with me to further inspect this building,” Windsaber ordered as he walked out of the main room. After a short moment, Waverunner obediently followed.
As the Neutrals went about their business, Arclight moved to sit beside Cobalt.
“What do we do?” she asked softly, burying her face in her hands. “This is like a nightmare.”
“I don’t know,” Cobalt replied. “All I know is that we have to be extra vigilant. None of us have been acting normally since we landed on this planet. If this is some kind of an airborne virus, then we’re probably all infected all ready.”
“So we really can’t trust anyone or write anyone off,” Arclight replied.
“Well, you can trust me,” Cobalt shrugged.
“Yeah right,” Arclight snorted. “You tried to kill me on the first day we met.”
“Well, I was hardly myself at the time,” Cobalt replied with a smile. “Honestly, had circumstances been different, I think we might have gotten along.”
“Maybe, but I wouldn’t bet anything on that,” Arclight replied, but she smiled to take the sting from her words.
“Hey, give me a chance,” Cobalt said. “Trust me, when we get off this world, maybe we can … you know … talk.”
“Talk? Well, if it’s talk then maybe,” Arclight replied. “But if you mean talk then let me remind you that I have a mate waiting for me back home.”
“Oh yes. Your surgeon,” Cobalt said. “Fine then. Just talk.”
A groan from the far side of the room caught Arclight’s attention. She turned from Cobalt and gasped at the sight before her. Cobalt’s hand closed over her arm as he caught sight of Strobe’s body rolling from side to side as if he was trying to sit up.
“What the frell …,” Cobalt whispered.
Arclight stood and walked over to Strobe’s form slowly, her body stiff as if she was preparing to bolt from the scene. The rest of the Neutrals all noticed this and paused in their work.
“Strobe?” Arclight asked softly, tentatively.
The Decepticon moaned again, his optics flickering on line faintly, his mouth opening and closing slowly as if he was trying to speak. Arclight placed her hand on his shoulder as she brought her diagnostics online. Behind her, she heard the Neutrals begin to whisper among themselves as Cobalt come up to stand behind her.
“What’s happening,” the Autobot whispered.
“I don’t know,” she replied as she examined Strobe carefully.
“I thought that you said he was dead,” Cobalt said, placing his bound hands on Arclight’s shoulder.
“He was. He was Spark dead. There’s no coming back from that,” she said absently as she focused on the strange fluctuating readings she was getting from the Decepticon’s form.
None of this made sense. He had been dead. She knew that he had been dead. But now, his systems were activating, his fuel pump was sending energon through long dead systems. She was so focused on her patient that she didn’t hear Windsaber and Waverunner enter the room.
“What is going on here?” Windsaber demanded.
“It’s, the Decepticon,” Twostrike whispered.
“It’s Strobe! He’s alive!” Diode exclaimed.
“What?!” Waverunner cried. “How is this possible?”
He and Windsaber strode forward, pushing Cobalt roughly out of the way, sending the Autobot staggering away.
“What is going on?” Windsaber growled. “He’s alive?”
“Yes,” Arclight replied. “Don’t ask me how, but he is.”
“Well, do something,” Windsaber ordered.
“I’m trying!” Arclight bit out. “Just give me a moment to look him over.”
Windsaber leaned in to look into Strobe’s face. Optics made contact and there was a flash of recognition on Strobe’s face.
“Sir,” he whispered out hoarsely. “Sir, what happened?”
Windsaber pushed forward, knocking Arclight out of the way. He took Strobe by the shoulders and looked at him in the optics.
“Strobe, you’ll be all right,” he said urgently. “You were hurt but you’ll be okay now!”
“Not if you don’t let me do my job,” Arclight barked. “Now get out of my way!”
“Control yourself Medic!” Windsaber snarled.
Arclight refused to back down.
“If you do not move out of my way he will die. Again!” Arclight said defiantly.
For a moment, it looked like Windsaber was going to attack her. But then as quickly as the rage came, it passed and he moved out of the way, leaving Arclight to do her work.
“Strobe, listen to me,” she said, looking deeply into his optics. “You are going to be fine, but I need you to lie still.”
“Yes … yes, ma’am,” Strobe replied meekly.
Arclight paused. This was nothing like the Decepticon she had dealt with before. But he had been offline for a long time, so she brushed off her fears. She examined him carefully, and, amazingly, could not find anything wrong with him, save for his missing limbs. His internal repair systems seemed to have fixed all the major damage. It was something his systems should not have been able to do. After several minutes of examining Strobe she had to admit that he seemed fine. There was nothing wrong at all. She sat back on her heels and retracted her visor.
“Is he all right?” Windsaber asked.
“I think I am,” Strobe replied. “And I think I can provide some information about this world.”
“That can wait until the medic gets you fully functional again,” Windsaber said with a patient smile.
“What are you talking about?” Arclight asked. “There’s nothing more that I can do.”
“He can’t function like that,” Windsaber said. “Fix his arms and legs.”
“And how would you propose I do that?” Arclight asked.
Windsaber didn’t answer but, instead, looked pointedly at Zenith’s body in the other corner.
“What?!” Arclight practically shrieked. “Are you out of you’re processor?”
“Do I need to remind you of what happened to the last bot who asked me that?” Windsaber threatened.
“I will not use his body for parts!” Arclight said. “That is disgusting and I won’t do it!”
Windsaber closed the distance between them, reached down and hauled Arclight to her feet.
“I am going to make this very simple and very clear,” he said in a low voice that only she could hear, his face bare inches from Arclight’s. “If you do not do exactly what I tell you to, I will start killing the Neutrals. You will use Zenith’s parts to fix Strobe and you will do this quickly and efficiently. If you do not I will kill one Neutral every orn. And just to prove that I’m serious, you have 5 klicks to get started or I will kill Obsidian. And you will have the pleasure of watching every moment.”
“You’re bluffing,” Arclight said, her optics wide.
“Try me,” he said, putting her down. “Just wait five klicks. Then you’ll know for sure.”
Arclight looked at Windsaber and saw no sign of indecision there. There was the possibility that he was bluffing, but she couldn’t take the chance. She couldn’t have this fuel on her hands if she called him on his threat and he followed through. So, she did all she could. She dropped her head, closed her optics, and admitted defeat.
“Fine,” she said softly. “You win. I’ll do it.”
“I knew you’d see it my way,” Windsaber replied, patting her cheek patronizngly.
Her optics narrowed angrily but she held her glossa and began to work on removing Zenith’s arms and legs.
“Now, the rest of you! Get back to work!” Windsaber ordered.
Series: G1 universe, focusing on Original characters
Rating: R
Summary: In the early days of the civil war on Cybertron, Sentinel Prime authorized several refugee vessels to take Neutrals away from the planet in hopes that they could start peaceful colonies where they would be safe. Many of these refugees were never heard from again; lost to us through time and distance. But history does record the fate of one of the vessels. The Stormchaser was three orns away from its destination when it was shot down by Decepticons in an act of cowardice and deceit. There were no survivors. That is what history tells us. But in this case, history is wrong.
Author's Note: Day 24. Still on track, somewhat. I ended up forgetting my notes at work (they're stuck in the back of my notepad), and the SanDisk that had the electronic copy is now corrupted. ... Great.
But I've reqritten my notes as best as I can recall, so I think I'm on track for this weekend.
A deep silence descended over the assembled at Diode’s words. Then, after what seemed like an eternity the silence broke as surely as if a bomb had been dropped. Chaos broke out as everyone started speaking at once. Soon the many voices became like one, hysterical and terrified.
“Silence!” Windsaber ordered.
For the first time since he had taken control of the group, the Neutrals did not respond to his order. Instead they continued to talk, becoming louder and more hysterical by the moment. Finally, his optics narrowed dangerously, he aimed his rifle at the ceiling and fired.
“SILENCE!” he roared.
The Neutrals all jumped and stared at Windsaber in dumb silence as bits of charred greenery and molten stone and metal fell from the ceiling.
“Good,” Windsaber said. He turned to Diode and Turbine. “Now I want you two to close the doors and bar them. You,” he said pointing to Diode. Do the same with the windows. The rest of you, scourge the building. I want everything that can be used for fuel, weapons, or to fortify the weak areas. We will be laying in here until Updraft returns with news.”
“Are you out of your processor?” Zenith asked in shock.
“What?” Windsaber growled.
“We’re idling our engines here! We’re completely exposed and we have no exit!” Zenith cried.
“That’s the point,” Windsaber said, speaking patiently as if to an idiot sparkling. “After all, if we can get out, whatever’s out there can get in. And seeing that I’m a soldier and you’re just an historian, I think I might possibly know what I’m talking about.”
“Don’t patronize me!” Zenith shouted. “Ido know what I’m talking about and I see what’s going on here.”
“What the frell are you talking about?” Windsaber asked.
All around the Neutrals watched nervously. They had expected a power struggle, but they hadn’t expected it to be initiated by Zenith. They looked from the scene before them to the other leaders of their group, hoping that one of them would take charge and stop the inevitable fight that was coming.
Arclight was just as shocked as everyone else. For once, she agreed with Windsaber. This was the best place to hide out for the moment, at least until they had a better feel for this strange city. They didn’t know where they were and, more important, they didn’t know their enemy.
Cobalt watched the whole scene smugly. This could very well be the event that he had been waiting for. He needed the Neutrals to stand up to the Decepticons. They wouldn’t listen to him until they saw Windsaber as the monster he was. He knew full well that Windsaber would not stand for this little rebellion. He knew the Decepticon would kill Zenith and that would be the catalyst to get these Neutrals to take action. For his part,
Waverunner just waited, as he always had, holding his move until he knew, undeniably, which side would be most aided by his action. And which side would be able to most aid him. He had always supported the winning side. It was the only way he could ensure his Neutrality.
“You’re obviously working with the enemy! After all, it’s your fault that we’re all here!” Zenith cried. “We didn’t have any problem before you came to us.”
Windsaber threw his head back and laughed, but there was no mirth in it.
“You honestly believe that I’m in on this!” he cried, shoulders still shaking with barely suppressed laughter. “Do you realize just how paranoid you sound?”
“I am not paranoid!” Zenith yelled. “Everyone who’s questioned you is dead!”
“If that’s the case, then why are you and the good medic still functional?” Windsaber asked.
“Because …,” Zenith began. He stammered slightly as he thought about it. Then it came to him, and he spun on Arclight. “She’s only alive because she sold out! We’ve all seen her talking with your second!”
“I have not sold out and I do not have anything going on with Updraft!” Arclight protested vehemently.
Behind her, Cobalt snickered softly.
“Yeah, right,” Zenith snorted. “And as for me … Well, I don’t know why I’m still functioning, except that everyone is watching.”
“You know, Zenith,” Windsaber said, “I can’t think of a reason why you’re functional either.”
With that, he raised his rifle and fired a single shot into and through Zenith’s spark chamber.
“But I do know that I’ve never suffered from performance anxiety or stage fright,” he said to Zenith’s smoking corpse. “Now, does anyone else want to question me? No? Good. Then get to work!”
This was just what Cobalt had been hoping for. It was a pity that the historian had to die, but every good war needed its martyrs. When they got off this world and back to Cybertron, when he returned home in triumph, he would make sure that Zenith’s sacrifice was remembered.
The Neutrals moved to follow the orders they had been given.
“Waverunner, you will come with me to further inspect this building,” Windsaber ordered as he walked out of the main room. After a short moment, Waverunner obediently followed.
As the Neutrals went about their business, Arclight moved to sit beside Cobalt.
“What do we do?” she asked softly, burying her face in her hands. “This is like a nightmare.”
“I don’t know,” Cobalt replied. “All I know is that we have to be extra vigilant. None of us have been acting normally since we landed on this planet. If this is some kind of an airborne virus, then we’re probably all infected all ready.”
“So we really can’t trust anyone or write anyone off,” Arclight replied.
“Well, you can trust me,” Cobalt shrugged.
“Yeah right,” Arclight snorted. “You tried to kill me on the first day we met.”
“Well, I was hardly myself at the time,” Cobalt replied with a smile. “Honestly, had circumstances been different, I think we might have gotten along.”
“Maybe, but I wouldn’t bet anything on that,” Arclight replied, but she smiled to take the sting from her words.
“Hey, give me a chance,” Cobalt said. “Trust me, when we get off this world, maybe we can … you know … talk.”
“Talk? Well, if it’s talk then maybe,” Arclight replied. “But if you mean talk then let me remind you that I have a mate waiting for me back home.”
“Oh yes. Your surgeon,” Cobalt said. “Fine then. Just talk.”
A groan from the far side of the room caught Arclight’s attention. She turned from Cobalt and gasped at the sight before her. Cobalt’s hand closed over her arm as he caught sight of Strobe’s body rolling from side to side as if he was trying to sit up.
“What the frell …,” Cobalt whispered.
Arclight stood and walked over to Strobe’s form slowly, her body stiff as if she was preparing to bolt from the scene. The rest of the Neutrals all noticed this and paused in their work.
“Strobe?” Arclight asked softly, tentatively.
The Decepticon moaned again, his optics flickering on line faintly, his mouth opening and closing slowly as if he was trying to speak. Arclight placed her hand on his shoulder as she brought her diagnostics online. Behind her, she heard the Neutrals begin to whisper among themselves as Cobalt come up to stand behind her.
“What’s happening,” the Autobot whispered.
“I don’t know,” she replied as she examined Strobe carefully.
“I thought that you said he was dead,” Cobalt said, placing his bound hands on Arclight’s shoulder.
“He was. He was Spark dead. There’s no coming back from that,” she said absently as she focused on the strange fluctuating readings she was getting from the Decepticon’s form.
None of this made sense. He had been dead. She knew that he had been dead. But now, his systems were activating, his fuel pump was sending energon through long dead systems. She was so focused on her patient that she didn’t hear Windsaber and Waverunner enter the room.
“What is going on here?” Windsaber demanded.
“It’s, the Decepticon,” Twostrike whispered.
“It’s Strobe! He’s alive!” Diode exclaimed.
“What?!” Waverunner cried. “How is this possible?”
He and Windsaber strode forward, pushing Cobalt roughly out of the way, sending the Autobot staggering away.
“What is going on?” Windsaber growled. “He’s alive?”
“Yes,” Arclight replied. “Don’t ask me how, but he is.”
“Well, do something,” Windsaber ordered.
“I’m trying!” Arclight bit out. “Just give me a moment to look him over.”
Windsaber leaned in to look into Strobe’s face. Optics made contact and there was a flash of recognition on Strobe’s face.
“Sir,” he whispered out hoarsely. “Sir, what happened?”
Windsaber pushed forward, knocking Arclight out of the way. He took Strobe by the shoulders and looked at him in the optics.
“Strobe, you’ll be all right,” he said urgently. “You were hurt but you’ll be okay now!”
“Not if you don’t let me do my job,” Arclight barked. “Now get out of my way!”
“Control yourself Medic!” Windsaber snarled.
Arclight refused to back down.
“If you do not move out of my way he will die. Again!” Arclight said defiantly.
For a moment, it looked like Windsaber was going to attack her. But then as quickly as the rage came, it passed and he moved out of the way, leaving Arclight to do her work.
“Strobe, listen to me,” she said, looking deeply into his optics. “You are going to be fine, but I need you to lie still.”
“Yes … yes, ma’am,” Strobe replied meekly.
Arclight paused. This was nothing like the Decepticon she had dealt with before. But he had been offline for a long time, so she brushed off her fears. She examined him carefully, and, amazingly, could not find anything wrong with him, save for his missing limbs. His internal repair systems seemed to have fixed all the major damage. It was something his systems should not have been able to do. After several minutes of examining Strobe she had to admit that he seemed fine. There was nothing wrong at all. She sat back on her heels and retracted her visor.
“Is he all right?” Windsaber asked.
“I think I am,” Strobe replied. “And I think I can provide some information about this world.”
“That can wait until the medic gets you fully functional again,” Windsaber said with a patient smile.
“What are you talking about?” Arclight asked. “There’s nothing more that I can do.”
“He can’t function like that,” Windsaber said. “Fix his arms and legs.”
“And how would you propose I do that?” Arclight asked.
Windsaber didn’t answer but, instead, looked pointedly at Zenith’s body in the other corner.
“What?!” Arclight practically shrieked. “Are you out of you’re processor?”
“Do I need to remind you of what happened to the last bot who asked me that?” Windsaber threatened.
“I will not use his body for parts!” Arclight said. “That is disgusting and I won’t do it!”
Windsaber closed the distance between them, reached down and hauled Arclight to her feet.
“I am going to make this very simple and very clear,” he said in a low voice that only she could hear, his face bare inches from Arclight’s. “If you do not do exactly what I tell you to, I will start killing the Neutrals. You will use Zenith’s parts to fix Strobe and you will do this quickly and efficiently. If you do not I will kill one Neutral every orn. And just to prove that I’m serious, you have 5 klicks to get started or I will kill Obsidian. And you will have the pleasure of watching every moment.”
“You’re bluffing,” Arclight said, her optics wide.
“Try me,” he said, putting her down. “Just wait five klicks. Then you’ll know for sure.”
Arclight looked at Windsaber and saw no sign of indecision there. There was the possibility that he was bluffing, but she couldn’t take the chance. She couldn’t have this fuel on her hands if she called him on his threat and he followed through. So, she did all she could. She dropped her head, closed her optics, and admitted defeat.
“Fine,” she said softly. “You win. I’ll do it.”
“I knew you’d see it my way,” Windsaber replied, patting her cheek patronizngly.
Her optics narrowed angrily but she held her glossa and began to work on removing Zenith’s arms and legs.
“Now, the rest of you! Get back to work!” Windsaber ordered.
