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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: No comment
Chapter 24
Updraft backed away from Circuit slowly, right hand drifting toward his gun while the left was raised in a placating gesture.
“Circuit?” he asked carefully.
But even as the name left his vocalizer he knew it was wrong. The once relaxed minibot’s green face was twisted with a combination of pain, anger, and a hysterical giddiness that pulled Circuit's lips back in an agonized grimace.
“Guess again,” the programmer giggled.
Updraft hardened and pulled his gun, pointing it at Circuit while backing up quickly.
“Who are you,” he growled.
“You don’t want to use that,” Circuit warned with a creepy playfulness while wagging his finger. “After all, I may not be alone in here and you wouldn’t want to hurt your friend. Would you?”
Updraft backed up slightly but never dropped his gun, his left arm moving from placating to defence.
“Who are you?” Updraft said tightly. “I won’t ask again.”
Circuit snorted then let out a short bark of laughter.
“You’re no killer,” he said, walking forward with a drunken shuffle, his cable still plugged into the console. “You’re a pilot. And from what I’ve been told, you’re not even much of one. So why don’t you put down the toy and stop playing games. After all, we both know you don’t have it in you.”
Updraft paused, unsure, his gun hand dropping slightly. This was obviously an enemy standing before him, but it was also a potential hostage situation. He had never been trained to deal with this. Strobe would have simply shot first and asked questions later, but Updraft didn’t have it in his spark to attack a defenceless victim. As he quickly ran through his options, a small wicked grin pulled at the edges of Circuit’s mouth.
“See,” the programmer sneered. “I knew you didn’t have the bearings. Your kind never does.”
Updraft’s optics narrowed to dangerous slits and his gun came back up; all uncertainty wiped away.
“My kind?” he growled. “You’ve got the wrong faction. Now give. Him. Back!”
“No,” Circuit said. “I like it in here. I think I’ll stay exactly where I am.”
Suddenly Circuit raised his arms, his hands converting to guns that had never been there before.
“And there’s nothing you can do about it!” he laughed as he fired, unleashing a ball of white electricity from each barrel.
Updraft dove out of the way, landing hard on his left shoulder. But even as quick as he was, he still felt the heat of that attack wash over him as it headed toward its intended target. The catwalk that Discourse was standing on disintegrated under the barrage, sending the linguist tumbling to the floor eighty feet below, landing in a heap. Updraft rolled up to his feet and fired at the mech who had once been Circuit. At nearly point blank range there was no way for him to miss, but somehow Circuit managed to jump out of the way with preternatural ease.
“You didn’t actually expect that to work?” Circuit asked, still sporting that eerie, pained grin.
“I hoped it might,” Updraft shot back as he fired again.
''There's nothing we don't see,'' the former programmer said as he dodged the shot. It was as if he was predicting the attacks before Updraft had even thought of taking action. Circuit turned to face Updraft, his head lolling to the side at a crazy, broken angle.
“You missed,” he said obviously. He raised his arm and pointed his weapon at Discourse. “But I won’t.”
Circuit’s arm bucked at the recoil as a thick cable of wires dripping in mech fluid shot out of his arm. The cable wrapped around Discourse’s waist as she tried to stand, she cried out in shock and disgust. The wicked, hysterical grin never left Circuit’s face even as an agonized whine that escaped from between Circuit’s compressed lips.
“Leave her alone!” Updraft yelled. “And let Circuit go!”
“No and no,” Circuit replied as he started to pull Discourse toward him. “You haven’t managed to hit me yet and you won’t.”
Discourse screamed as the cable tightened around her, her hands wrapped around it clawing at the slick substance as she was dragged across the room. Updraft’s resolve hardened. He fired at Circuit and again the programmer skipped out of his way. With a flick of his arm, Circuit tossed discourse at Updraft, sending both the pilot and the linguist to the floor in a heap.
“Slag!” Updraft spat. He sat up and helped Discourse to sit. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” Discourse whispered, wiping mech fluid from her body with a hysterical desperation. “What is he?”
“I don’t know,” Updraft replied as he stepped in front of Discourse. “But stay behind me.”
“Oh, now isn’t that sweet,” Circuit said as he stalked forward. “A Decepticon acting as a guardian. But then again, you were never a proper Decepticon, were you?”
“Head back toward the door,” Updraft said to Discourse, never taking his optics off of Circuit, never lowering his weapon.
“You don’t really think we’re done yet, do you?” Circuit asked as he continued to stalk forward in that same drunken shuffle. “I have so much more that I want to do to you. I can’t let you just walk out of here.”
He lifted one arm and again his small frame shook as he fired, sending an arc of electricity toward Updraft. The pilot ducked, pulling Discourse down with him, shielding her with his body, but the motion was unnecessary. The shot flew well over their heads and slammed into the lintel of the doorway, sending stone and metal crashing down, blocking the exit.
“As I said, I’m not done with you yet,” Circuit said conversationally.
Updraft rolled up to his feet, firing at Circuit as he moved. Most of his shots missed, but one slammed into his shoulder sending the programmer staggering backwards. His grin never faded but a pained scream came from his vocalizer.
“Lucky shot,” Circuit growled. “But trust us; you won't get another one.”
“We’ll see about that,” Updraft bit out as he pushed Discourse behind him.
“Don’t hurt him!” she cried. “Please! Don’t hurt Circuit!”
“He’s not leaving me much of a choice,” Updraft said as he fired at Circuit again.
Discourse grabbed Updraft’s arm, throwing his aim off and sending the shot wild.
“What are you doing?!” he yelled as he tried to shake Discourse loose.
“No! Don’t hurt him! He’s Circuit!” she argued.
“No! He isn’t!” Updraft yelled, pushing Discourse away from and behind him.
He brought his gun back up but Circuit had moved back to the communications console.
“Go on! Try to hit me again!” the programmer taunted. “With your aim you’ll destroy your only way off this world!”
“Look for another way out of here,” Updraft ordered Discourse, never taking his optics off of Circuit.
“You’re going to let us out of here and you are going to let Circuit go,” Updraft growled, training his gun on Circuit’s chest as he walked slowly forward.
“Such a brave front,” Circuit giggled. “But all the while you’re praying to your god that your bluff will work.”
Updraft continued to stalk forward, lips compressed, anger swelling up inside of him.
“The static is back isn’t it?” Circuit asked, as he began to play with the cable tethering him to the communications console, a moan of agony escaping his vocalizer. “Tell me, do you find it hard to concentrate with all those raw emotions running wild through your processor? I have to say, we figured that you machines would have been cold and uninteresting. But you’ve proven to be far more fascinating than any-”
“Shut up!” Updraft barked. “Just shut up! I’m not interested in anything but your full surrender!”
“Oh, well that’s not going to happen,” Circuit replied. “And you’re not going to find another way out my dear.”
While Updraft had been trying to keep Circuit distracted, Discourse had been looking desperately around the room trying to find another exit.
“The original builders felt that it was best to only have one way in and one way out,” Circuit explained as Discourse tried to move the pile of rubble blocking the exit. “Something about symmetry. We never understood it before, but now that you will die here too … well, there is a certain symmetry about it. After all, this is where the original Wanlorqians put up their last defence. And this is where the last of the colonists huddled in the darkness against us.”
Suddenly, before Updraft could move, a cable shot out of Circuit’s arm and wrapped itself around Discourse’s neck. He slowly began to reel her in as she cried out and struggled in the slick iron grip of that sickening tentacle.
“Let her go!” Updraft screamed firing at the cable in a desperate attempt to snap it.
Some of his shots hit home, breaking filaments, and drawing cries of pain from Circuit, but the grin never left his face. Whatever was in possession of the programmer’s body didn’t feel a thing, but it was obvious that Circuit, the real Circuit, was feeling it all.
“No, I don’t think so. We’re having too much fun watching you struggle with this, Decepticon,” Circuit said conversationally as he lifted Discourse off the ground. “But we are a sporting people, so I will make you an offer.”
“Not offers! No deals! Let her go now!” Updraft yelled.
The time for empty threats was over. His aim had been off before, and he could very well hit the console, but it was a chance he was willing to take. Without a second though, he fired at Circuit’s chest, praying to Primus that his shot would fly true.
His prayer was answered, but it didn’t make any difference. The shot hit Circuit in the chest, sending the programmer off balance. He screamed in agony as a portion of his chest was hit and broken off, exposing the pale and sickly light of his spark chamber.
“That almost hurt,” Circuit said, surprise filling his voice. “But if you keep that up, you’ll kill your little friends and you still won’t stop me.”
“That’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make!” Updraft spat as he fired another shot at the cable linking Circuit to Discourse sending filaments flying, but not breaking the tether.
Circuit pulled Discourse in close, his face nearly touching hers.
“You have been a fascinating little specimen my dear. You’re not really much of a meal, but I would have so liked to be female again. It’s a pity that you’re just not right,” he said almost mournfully.
He hefted Discourse off the ground hanging her just far enough away for that she could kick and thrash all she liked without causing any damage to him. Without a look back at her, he turned to Updraft with a look of infinite patience.
“The way I see it we have two ways - no, three ways - of doing this,” Circuit said conversationally as Discourse continued to struggle in his grip. “You can give yourself to us; willingly with no reservations and we will let her go. You can continue to fight us; in which case we kill her - slowly, painfully, with you watching - and then we take what we want from you anyways. Or, we can just kill both of you and move on to that pretty little medic you're thinking of.”
“Please!” Discourse choked out. “Please, Circuit! Please stop this! You’re better than this! You’re stronger than him!”
“You’re right my dear,” Circuit said simply. “I am better than this.”
With that he increased the pressure on Discourse’s throat, her optics flickered, her movements became more panicked. A second cable pulled away from the main cord, dripping with Circuit’s mech fluid. It pulled back and with a single, violent jab it stabbed through Discourse’s chest, puncturing her spark chamber. He body fell limp in Circuit’s grip; she had never even had time to scream.
“Now then, where were we?” he asked quietly, drawing the cable back to his arm with a moan of pain. “Oh yes, you have two choices. Which will it be?”
“You’re sick!” Updraft growled.
“Maybe. By your standards I suppose I am,” Circuit replied. “But that’s neither here nor there. Now choose!”
“Fine! I chose the fourth option,” Updraft replied as he fired at Circuit, sending the programmer skipping out of the way.
“Fourth option? You’re not still trying to win are you?” Circuit laughed.
“I’m not trying to win! Updraft replied calmly. “I have won.”
As Circuit had been posturing, Updraft had been taking in the scene. It was true that he wasn’t much of a fighter, and he wasn’t much of a Decepticon; but he was a pilot, and very little escaped his notice. Circuit had remained tethered to the console throughout even when it would have been far more beneficial for him to separate from it, so obviously there was more going on than was apparent. Taking a desperate, and possibly foolhardy, chance, Updraft fired at Circuit, hoping that he would move away from the console. The bet paid off. As soon as the programmer skipped away, Updraft launched himself at the console, transforming in mid flight.
He would never be able to figure out how to get the system working, but he could try to short out the system, and, hopefully, force Circuit to disengage from the system. With a prayer to Primus, he plugged himself into the system. Alien code hit him from all sides almost causing his systems to reboot themselves. But he held on to consciousness tightly and sent an electro-magnetic pulse through the system. Pain shot back through him in a wave of feedback, causing his body to try and escape the damage he was causing, but he held fast, continuing to pound the system, his firewalls barely keeping out the alien code, his auto repair system barely keeping up with the damage the feedback loop was causing. Off in the distance he heard an electronic scream and the shrieking, wrenching sound of metal being ripped apart. Finally, just when he felt that he couldn’t take any more, right when he felt oblivion beckoning to him, the pain subsided as the alien program retreated.
He lay in his alt-mode on the communications console, fighting off recharge, trying to reroute enough systems so that he could transform and get away. Just when he thought that there was no point he felt gentle hands pick him up and hold him close to a glassy chest.
“It’s alright, Updraft,” he heard Arclight say. “We’re here. You have to rest. We’ll keep you safe.”
He tried to fight off recharge but finally had to admit defeat, his systems off-lining one by one while he lay in Arclight’s arms.
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: No comment
Updraft backed away from Circuit slowly, right hand drifting toward his gun while the left was raised in a placating gesture.
“Circuit?” he asked carefully.
But even as the name left his vocalizer he knew it was wrong. The once relaxed minibot’s green face was twisted with a combination of pain, anger, and a hysterical giddiness that pulled Circuit's lips back in an agonized grimace.
“Guess again,” the programmer giggled.
Updraft hardened and pulled his gun, pointing it at Circuit while backing up quickly.
“Who are you,” he growled.
“You don’t want to use that,” Circuit warned with a creepy playfulness while wagging his finger. “After all, I may not be alone in here and you wouldn’t want to hurt your friend. Would you?”
Updraft backed up slightly but never dropped his gun, his left arm moving from placating to defence.
“Who are you?” Updraft said tightly. “I won’t ask again.”
Circuit snorted then let out a short bark of laughter.
“You’re no killer,” he said, walking forward with a drunken shuffle, his cable still plugged into the console. “You’re a pilot. And from what I’ve been told, you’re not even much of one. So why don’t you put down the toy and stop playing games. After all, we both know you don’t have it in you.”
Updraft paused, unsure, his gun hand dropping slightly. This was obviously an enemy standing before him, but it was also a potential hostage situation. He had never been trained to deal with this. Strobe would have simply shot first and asked questions later, but Updraft didn’t have it in his spark to attack a defenceless victim. As he quickly ran through his options, a small wicked grin pulled at the edges of Circuit’s mouth.
“See,” the programmer sneered. “I knew you didn’t have the bearings. Your kind never does.”
Updraft’s optics narrowed to dangerous slits and his gun came back up; all uncertainty wiped away.
“My kind?” he growled. “You’ve got the wrong faction. Now give. Him. Back!”
“No,” Circuit said. “I like it in here. I think I’ll stay exactly where I am.”
Suddenly Circuit raised his arms, his hands converting to guns that had never been there before.
“And there’s nothing you can do about it!” he laughed as he fired, unleashing a ball of white electricity from each barrel.
Updraft dove out of the way, landing hard on his left shoulder. But even as quick as he was, he still felt the heat of that attack wash over him as it headed toward its intended target. The catwalk that Discourse was standing on disintegrated under the barrage, sending the linguist tumbling to the floor eighty feet below, landing in a heap. Updraft rolled up to his feet and fired at the mech who had once been Circuit. At nearly point blank range there was no way for him to miss, but somehow Circuit managed to jump out of the way with preternatural ease.
“You didn’t actually expect that to work?” Circuit asked, still sporting that eerie, pained grin.
“I hoped it might,” Updraft shot back as he fired again.
''There's nothing we don't see,'' the former programmer said as he dodged the shot. It was as if he was predicting the attacks before Updraft had even thought of taking action. Circuit turned to face Updraft, his head lolling to the side at a crazy, broken angle.
“You missed,” he said obviously. He raised his arm and pointed his weapon at Discourse. “But I won’t.”
Circuit’s arm bucked at the recoil as a thick cable of wires dripping in mech fluid shot out of his arm. The cable wrapped around Discourse’s waist as she tried to stand, she cried out in shock and disgust. The wicked, hysterical grin never left Circuit’s face even as an agonized whine that escaped from between Circuit’s compressed lips.
“Leave her alone!” Updraft yelled. “And let Circuit go!”
“No and no,” Circuit replied as he started to pull Discourse toward him. “You haven’t managed to hit me yet and you won’t.”
Discourse screamed as the cable tightened around her, her hands wrapped around it clawing at the slick substance as she was dragged across the room. Updraft’s resolve hardened. He fired at Circuit and again the programmer skipped out of his way. With a flick of his arm, Circuit tossed discourse at Updraft, sending both the pilot and the linguist to the floor in a heap.
“Slag!” Updraft spat. He sat up and helped Discourse to sit. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” Discourse whispered, wiping mech fluid from her body with a hysterical desperation. “What is he?”
“I don’t know,” Updraft replied as he stepped in front of Discourse. “But stay behind me.”
“Oh, now isn’t that sweet,” Circuit said as he stalked forward. “A Decepticon acting as a guardian. But then again, you were never a proper Decepticon, were you?”
“Head back toward the door,” Updraft said to Discourse, never taking his optics off of Circuit, never lowering his weapon.
“You don’t really think we’re done yet, do you?” Circuit asked as he continued to stalk forward in that same drunken shuffle. “I have so much more that I want to do to you. I can’t let you just walk out of here.”
He lifted one arm and again his small frame shook as he fired, sending an arc of electricity toward Updraft. The pilot ducked, pulling Discourse down with him, shielding her with his body, but the motion was unnecessary. The shot flew well over their heads and slammed into the lintel of the doorway, sending stone and metal crashing down, blocking the exit.
“As I said, I’m not done with you yet,” Circuit said conversationally.
Updraft rolled up to his feet, firing at Circuit as he moved. Most of his shots missed, but one slammed into his shoulder sending the programmer staggering backwards. His grin never faded but a pained scream came from his vocalizer.
“Lucky shot,” Circuit growled. “But trust us; you won't get another one.”
“We’ll see about that,” Updraft bit out as he pushed Discourse behind him.
“Don’t hurt him!” she cried. “Please! Don’t hurt Circuit!”
“He’s not leaving me much of a choice,” Updraft said as he fired at Circuit again.
Discourse grabbed Updraft’s arm, throwing his aim off and sending the shot wild.
“What are you doing?!” he yelled as he tried to shake Discourse loose.
“No! Don’t hurt him! He’s Circuit!” she argued.
“No! He isn’t!” Updraft yelled, pushing Discourse away from and behind him.
He brought his gun back up but Circuit had moved back to the communications console.
“Go on! Try to hit me again!” the programmer taunted. “With your aim you’ll destroy your only way off this world!”
“Look for another way out of here,” Updraft ordered Discourse, never taking his optics off of Circuit.
“You’re going to let us out of here and you are going to let Circuit go,” Updraft growled, training his gun on Circuit’s chest as he walked slowly forward.
“Such a brave front,” Circuit giggled. “But all the while you’re praying to your god that your bluff will work.”
Updraft continued to stalk forward, lips compressed, anger swelling up inside of him.
“The static is back isn’t it?” Circuit asked, as he began to play with the cable tethering him to the communications console, a moan of agony escaping his vocalizer. “Tell me, do you find it hard to concentrate with all those raw emotions running wild through your processor? I have to say, we figured that you machines would have been cold and uninteresting. But you’ve proven to be far more fascinating than any-”
“Shut up!” Updraft barked. “Just shut up! I’m not interested in anything but your full surrender!”
“Oh, well that’s not going to happen,” Circuit replied. “And you’re not going to find another way out my dear.”
While Updraft had been trying to keep Circuit distracted, Discourse had been looking desperately around the room trying to find another exit.
“The original builders felt that it was best to only have one way in and one way out,” Circuit explained as Discourse tried to move the pile of rubble blocking the exit. “Something about symmetry. We never understood it before, but now that you will die here too … well, there is a certain symmetry about it. After all, this is where the original Wanlorqians put up their last defence. And this is where the last of the colonists huddled in the darkness against us.”
Suddenly, before Updraft could move, a cable shot out of Circuit’s arm and wrapped itself around Discourse’s neck. He slowly began to reel her in as she cried out and struggled in the slick iron grip of that sickening tentacle.
“Let her go!” Updraft screamed firing at the cable in a desperate attempt to snap it.
Some of his shots hit home, breaking filaments, and drawing cries of pain from Circuit, but the grin never left his face. Whatever was in possession of the programmer’s body didn’t feel a thing, but it was obvious that Circuit, the real Circuit, was feeling it all.
“No, I don’t think so. We’re having too much fun watching you struggle with this, Decepticon,” Circuit said conversationally as he lifted Discourse off the ground. “But we are a sporting people, so I will make you an offer.”
“Not offers! No deals! Let her go now!” Updraft yelled.
The time for empty threats was over. His aim had been off before, and he could very well hit the console, but it was a chance he was willing to take. Without a second though, he fired at Circuit’s chest, praying to Primus that his shot would fly true.
His prayer was answered, but it didn’t make any difference. The shot hit Circuit in the chest, sending the programmer off balance. He screamed in agony as a portion of his chest was hit and broken off, exposing the pale and sickly light of his spark chamber.
“That almost hurt,” Circuit said, surprise filling his voice. “But if you keep that up, you’ll kill your little friends and you still won’t stop me.”
“That’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make!” Updraft spat as he fired another shot at the cable linking Circuit to Discourse sending filaments flying, but not breaking the tether.
Circuit pulled Discourse in close, his face nearly touching hers.
“You have been a fascinating little specimen my dear. You’re not really much of a meal, but I would have so liked to be female again. It’s a pity that you’re just not right,” he said almost mournfully.
He hefted Discourse off the ground hanging her just far enough away for that she could kick and thrash all she liked without causing any damage to him. Without a look back at her, he turned to Updraft with a look of infinite patience.
“The way I see it we have two ways - no, three ways - of doing this,” Circuit said conversationally as Discourse continued to struggle in his grip. “You can give yourself to us; willingly with no reservations and we will let her go. You can continue to fight us; in which case we kill her - slowly, painfully, with you watching - and then we take what we want from you anyways. Or, we can just kill both of you and move on to that pretty little medic you're thinking of.”
“Please!” Discourse choked out. “Please, Circuit! Please stop this! You’re better than this! You’re stronger than him!”
“You’re right my dear,” Circuit said simply. “I am better than this.”
With that he increased the pressure on Discourse’s throat, her optics flickered, her movements became more panicked. A second cable pulled away from the main cord, dripping with Circuit’s mech fluid. It pulled back and with a single, violent jab it stabbed through Discourse’s chest, puncturing her spark chamber. He body fell limp in Circuit’s grip; she had never even had time to scream.
“Now then, where were we?” he asked quietly, drawing the cable back to his arm with a moan of pain. “Oh yes, you have two choices. Which will it be?”
“You’re sick!” Updraft growled.
“Maybe. By your standards I suppose I am,” Circuit replied. “But that’s neither here nor there. Now choose!”
“Fine! I chose the fourth option,” Updraft replied as he fired at Circuit, sending the programmer skipping out of the way.
“Fourth option? You’re not still trying to win are you?” Circuit laughed.
“I’m not trying to win! Updraft replied calmly. “I have won.”
As Circuit had been posturing, Updraft had been taking in the scene. It was true that he wasn’t much of a fighter, and he wasn’t much of a Decepticon; but he was a pilot, and very little escaped his notice. Circuit had remained tethered to the console throughout even when it would have been far more beneficial for him to separate from it, so obviously there was more going on than was apparent. Taking a desperate, and possibly foolhardy, chance, Updraft fired at Circuit, hoping that he would move away from the console. The bet paid off. As soon as the programmer skipped away, Updraft launched himself at the console, transforming in mid flight.
He would never be able to figure out how to get the system working, but he could try to short out the system, and, hopefully, force Circuit to disengage from the system. With a prayer to Primus, he plugged himself into the system. Alien code hit him from all sides almost causing his systems to reboot themselves. But he held on to consciousness tightly and sent an electro-magnetic pulse through the system. Pain shot back through him in a wave of feedback, causing his body to try and escape the damage he was causing, but he held fast, continuing to pound the system, his firewalls barely keeping out the alien code, his auto repair system barely keeping up with the damage the feedback loop was causing. Off in the distance he heard an electronic scream and the shrieking, wrenching sound of metal being ripped apart. Finally, just when he felt that he couldn’t take any more, right when he felt oblivion beckoning to him, the pain subsided as the alien program retreated.
He lay in his alt-mode on the communications console, fighting off recharge, trying to reroute enough systems so that he could transform and get away. Just when he thought that there was no point he felt gentle hands pick him up and hold him close to a glassy chest.
“It’s alright, Updraft,” he heard Arclight say. “We’re here. You have to rest. We’ll keep you safe.”
He tried to fight off recharge but finally had to admit defeat, his systems off-lining one by one while he lay in Arclight’s arms.
