CHAPTER SIX
--The Lost Light--
"Something tells me it wasn't a good reunion."
Megatron ignored Rodimus' comment as Ratchet worked on his gaping chest wound. Neither Autobot had said anything about his lack of spark, which was for the best; there were more pressing matters at hand.
"So the D.J.D. are after Stormshot," Rodimus went on. "The same Stormshot who's mysteriously vanished and probably stranded us here. I don't know about you, but I smell a connection here."
"You're suggesting that Stormshot called the D.J.D. here," Megatron said.
"Well, I mean, someone had to, right? And I don't think anyone else knew that Stormshot was a former 'Con. I sure didn't."
"Evac might have known," Ratchet said. "He's Stormshot's roommate, isn't he?"
"I guess." Rodimus rubbed his chin. "Where's Evac now?"
"No idea."
"I'll go look for him then." Rodimus turned to leave the medibay. "Get well soon, Megs."
Megatron rolled his optics, glancing at Ratchet. "Does he ever sound not sarcastic?"
"Actually," Ratchet said as he finished patching Megatron up. "I think he was being sincere that time."
* * *
"I'm the worst guardian ever."
"Hey, it's okay." Cop-Tur patted Dion on the head as he sat on the larger bot's shoulder. "Accidents happen. It's all good."
"But this means your parents are never going to see you again!" Dion sighed as he chucked a piece of metal into the oil reservoir. "I should've just taken you to the Cosmic Carnival. The mission could've waited until the next batch of Time Microns were made."
Cop-Tur was silent as Dion continued to brood. Hearing the sound of footsteps, the Mini-Con looked over to see the Autobot Brainstorm approach them. The scientist revved quietly, prompting Dion to look up.
"Oh. Hey."
"Hey," Brainstorm replied. "I... heard that you were back."
"Yeah. What of it?"
"Nothing, I just...." Brainstorm stopped himself before starting over. "Actually, no, there is something. I need both of you to come with me."
Dion frowned. "Why?"
"Why?" Brainstorm chuckled. "Why, because I'm sending you back to the future, of course."
--Carcer--
Hearing the familiar sound of wretching, Cogwheel lifted her to look at Cannonspring. The gray mech was still fast asleep on his berth, as was Skyfall. She then turned to the door to see a white and blue flier enter the room with a large red bot, the latter's mouth dripping with energon.
"Help," Stormshot murmured. "Please."
Cogwheel moved quickly on her multiple legs and helped the bot lay the femme down on a berth. Before the medic could bring out her tools, Chaindrive shot up, stretching a hand towards Cannonspring.
"Him," she grunted. "Need to... be with him...."
"Now is not the time for scrap like that!" Cogwheel snapped, swatting her hand. "Now hold still while I get you stabilized."
Stormshot stood by as she watched the medic work. Looking around the medibay, her optics fell on a black and red bot with a visor covering his face. Although he lacked a face, she could tell he was staring at her.
"Stormshot?" he said softly.
Stormshot frowned at him. "Do I know you?"
"It's me. Skyfall." He looked down at himself. "Of course, you wouldn't recognize me by my looks, but... you remember Hydrus Four, right?"
Stormshot nodded stiffly. "Yes."
"I was the one who rescued you, remember? You were missing your legs, I picked you up...."
Stormshot loosened up at this. "That was you? You... I haven't heard from you in two hundred years."
Skyfall chuckled weakly. "Ah, you know... long story and all that. So, how have you been?"
Before Stormshot could answer, Cogwheel let out a yell as Chaindrive shoved her aside and clambered over to Cannonspring. Before shocked optics, both bots began to shift parts, interlocking with each other....
Soon, where there had once been two bots was now one. Lifting themselves off of the berth, they moved past Cogwheel and headed for the door.
"Must become one," was all the unified being said as it left the medibay.
* * *
In the short amount of time he had spent in Carcer's brig, Convoy had come to the conclusion that the Carcerians were not the best jailkeepers.
For one thing, they had not bothered to leave a guard behind. That could have been because they had been preoccupied with Cannonspring's condition. Even so, the fact that the two Carcerians that came to free Sunder hadn't noticed him fiddling with the lock had left him flabbergasted.
Not long after the Carcerians had left with Sunder, Convoy had gotten the door to his cell opened and he took pursuit. No alarms were raised, although the whole place shaking violently was enough of an impediment.
Eventually, he made it out of the brig and went in the direction of where he assumed the Carcerians had gone. If this was a Titan and they had a mnemosurgeon (he had gathered that Sunder was one based on the two hours worth of monologue he had been subjected to) then odds were that they were headed for the Titan's brain module.
Of course, he didn't know for sure where that would be. But the Carcerians couldn't have gotten far. He would find them. Or they would find him. Whichever worked.
* * *
"Okay, here we are," Wingblade said as he and his partner guided the blind Sunder towards the brain module of Carcer. "What did Magmatron want him to do again?"
"He said to put him back to sleep," said Ironhead. "Not kill him, but... just coax him back into stasis."
Wingblade glanced at Sunder. "Think you can do that?"
"The next injection is always the last one," the mnemosurgeon murmured. "Until it isn't."
"Uh... is that a yes?"
Ignoring him, Sunder slowly walked up to the brain module, reaching out with his hand. Pressing his palm against it, he let out a gasp as he pricked it with his needle-like fingers.
"This one is it, I think," he whispered. "This one is the last."
"Okay," Wingblade said softly. "Just... take your time if you need to."
"I don't think we've got time," Ironhead said as the ship began to shake again. "You might want to speed things up."
"It's okay," Sunder said. "I think I'm ready."
He fully extended his fingers and plunged them into the brain module. In an instant, he let out a scream as energy surged through him.
"FOOLS."
The two Carcerians watched on in horror as Sunder was incinerated before their eyes, leaving behind nothing but ashes.
"I AM VIGILEM."
* * *
Convoy let out a yell as the Titan shook again, knocking him off balance. Arms flailing, his hand fell on a control panel on the wall next to him and he stumbled into another room.
Once he had recomposed himself, he looked up to find himself standing before a cylindrical chamber. A green symbol glowed in the center.
His optics widened. That symbol. He recognized it from his dreams.
He screamed as he clutched his head in pain, falling to his knees. At the same time, the chamber began to open as a massive figure stepped out....
No comments:
Post a Comment