TF - Captured

WARNING
Contains slash
Don't like, don't read, don't tell


*~*~*~*~*

When the heavy footsteps grew louder one of the imprisoned men actually winced, knowing someone entering their cell would mean things to get worse.
The other one couldn’t do much to comfort his not only smaller, but also much younger companion.

“Don’t worry. I’ll get us out of here, endure it just a little bit longer” he said, although it was commonly known he wasn’t good with words, at least not like this. He would prefer to cheer the other one up with gestures supporting his poor rhetoric skills, but since they were chained on opposite walls and he couldn't move, let alone reach for the other one, words would have to do.
Still, the size of the room was nothing but irritating. It was too large to seek comfort on a physical base, but on the other hand far too small for his liking in general and the absent of  everything that could even resembled a window they couldn’t even keep track on how long they were already here, or at least conscious.

Summed up there weren’t many situations the older man would consider worse. At least they were held in one room so he didn't needed to worry about the other one until now, but it seemed their keepers were going to change that any minute, which was definitely something Megatron or Starscream – it didn’t really matter who was the one in charge here right now – would order just to make them more uneasy, but he would rather guess the Decepticons simply hadn’t known what to do with them before. It had been quit some time – luckily from his point of view – since they had last gotten hold of an Autobot long enough to call him a prisoner.

As to be expected Starscream did not only enter the room, followed by a few others, but also freed the younger one form his chains, since he was naturally considered weaker and a smaller risk when it came to moving. The other prisoner shifted in his chains growling. He never broke eye contact with his fellow comrade in misery, but when he saw the evil grin on the air commander’s face he began to pull harder although he already knew well enough that it was useless. Moving a prisoner from one to another room wasn’t supposed to make Starscream almost sparkled in satisfaction and the seeker liked to torment people, physically as well as mentally, too much not to be alarmed by his behaviour.

Something was going dead wrong here and it was getting worse with every passing second.
This definitely was not an ordinary prisoner-transfer.

If possible the seeker’s grin grew even more evil when he leaned down and whispered something in the younger one’s ear, gaining the wished reaction: The young man’s eyes grew large and fear filled them with every single word, until he was in a state of near panic. Suddenly he started struggling and fighting his catchers, although he knew it would make it only worse, trying to reach his fellow prisoner, his commander, his friend.

“Prime! Help me, Prime! Don’t let them do this!”

“Bee!”

Pulling on his chains with all his strength Optimus Prime made the Decepticons first worry, then back up when he somehow managed to get one arm free and reach for Bumblebee’s hand. He almost got it . . . then Starscream hit the blond on the head, making him fall over unconscious. He just grabbed the limb body and brought him away, satisfied with the outcome of his private little game, while his fellow Decepticons had a hard time keeping the swearing and raging Autobot leader down.

Even when he was bound tighter than before and alone again Prime didn’t stop fighting. He didn’t know what the Decepticons planed, but it was obviously a new high of malignity. He had to safe Bumblebee, no matter what the cost and he had to do it fast.

*~*~*~*~*~*

It went on like this for almost half an hour before Prime grew too tired in body and mind to struggle anymore. It wouldn’t get him anywhere anyway.
True enough, he could hear no guards outside, but the chains served their purpose very well and kept him imprisoned in an uncomfortable, keeling position and resignation made itself known, slowly first, but persistent.

As if he had a sixth sense on this matter Megatron choose exactly this weakest moment of Optimus Prime to pay his archenemy and brother a visit, pleased beyond all measures.

“What a sight: the great Optimus Prime on his knees, captured in my satellite camp, awaiting curtain death.
The perfect victory, don't you agree?”

The dark haired didn’t even look up. He already knew he had lost without the other one telling him. He didn’t know where Bumblebee was – for all that was holy, he didn’t even know where he was, starting with where in this base and ending with where on earth. At least he was sure to still be on earth – so all he could do was try to minimise the damage he had caused. He was lost, no denying with that, but maybe he could at least save the kid.

“Yes” Prime said defeated. “You’ve won. Do with me as you’re pleased, just don’t harm Bee.”
Megatron was more than just lightly irritated not to meet resistance, but also used not to show such a lowly feeling, especially since he just had learned about a huge weakness of his opponent and he wasn’t going to lose this advantage.

“Is that all you poor excuse for a leader have for me? I’m disappointed. You should know your place by now.”

The captivated had visibly to fight with his pride, but his constant mantra helped him to swallow it.

He had to safe Bee, no matter what the cost.

“Please, almighty Megatron, I beg your mercy. Let Bumblebee go. You have me; he is neither important nor involved in our dispute.”

The grey haired man began to laugh. Prime watched him carefully through the strains of his hair, disguising his eyes from the elder’s sight.

“Involved? Oh, dear brother, you of all people should know that there is no such thing as ´not involved´.
This is war!
I know what you want to say: he is too young. Ah, well, he is young, younger than we at least, but already around 19 as far as I’m informed and I bet you trained him yourself, didn’t you, Prime? Probably is he a very promising student, too, but why, I wonder, why would you want to discuss this with me right now?”

“You wouldn’t understand. You never cared for anyone but yourself.”

“Oh shut up. I remember a time when you were the same . . . but now you do care.”

Inside Prime howled, scolding himself for his stupidity, but on the outside he stayed calm. His mind tried to find a solution, but only came up with one he hated from the bottom of his heart. On the other hand was it his own fault and it wasn’t like he had any options.

“Do what you want with me. I don’t care.”

“Oh yes, you do” Megatron grinned malicious in reply. “You care for the kid, you like him, maybe even love him . . . I think I’ll keep him.”

The Autobot leader had to use all his willpower not to unmask himself out of shock.

“There’s a difference between caring and knowing that he is the only youngling we have left after so many years of war. Would be a waste losing him when it isn’t absolutely necessary, but why should I like or even love such a weakling? He’s the worst warrior I’ve seen in centuries: totally useless.”

If it was still possible at this point Megatron’s grinning became, very much like Starscream’s before, even more evil.

“You know what that is?” the grey haired asked canting, changing the subject completely, and pointed at a black spot on his collar that had irritated Optimus since the other had entered.

“It’s a microphone and guess who is listening right now.”


This time Prime couldn’t prevent a shocked expression from finding its way on his face and his brother laughed at him, knowing that now victory was truly his’.

“You are so pathetic, Prime, almost pitiable” he snickered, then suddenly grabbed his younger brother by the collar and pulled him near, wearing the darkest expression Optimus had ever seen and filled the Autobot with a terror he never had felt before in the long years of being commander in an seemingly endless war.

“I’ll keep you alive and force you to watch me take everything from you, bit by bit, until there is nothing left in your pitiful existence” he hissed, his words dripping with pure malice. “I’ll turn your sweet little kid against you. I’ll make him my slave in body and mind and when you have nothing left worth fighting or even living for, I’ll still keep you alive in misery until grieve and remorse tear your sanity apart and then and only then, when your kid pleases me enough, I’ll let you die by his hands.”

The image Megatron drew before his inner eye turned Autobot’s inside out and froze his very spark.

“You . . . you wouldn’t . . .”

“Of course I would” the older brother corrected calm as if he talked about the current weather and so full of self-confidence as if he had somehow managed to take a look at the future and already saw himself doing just that. “And I will.
You should be proud, Optimus Prime. Thanks to you this war will end with me winning and your young lover warming my bed.”

He went away laughing, knowing he left a broken man behind and enjoying the thought. His brother would never be a nuisance ever again.

“You recorded what he said?” he asked Starscream as soon as the door was closed.

“Every word, Lord Megatron. Just need to give it to Soundwave and let him cut it in the right length.”

“Don’t dare to make a mistake!”

*~*~*~*

“What have I done? What have I done?”

The sentence seemed to repeat by itself and Optimus wept silently, his pride dieing as well as his hopes. He had doomed his comrades and friends to death and his beloved Bumblebee to an existence as Megatron's slave and why all that? Because he had taken a day off – not even a whole day, just a few hours.

Oh, he should have never allowed Bumblebee to take him out for this picnic, but he just couldn’t deny him such a simple wish and he had also looked forward for a small timeout himself.

Just a few hours to create pleasant memories and forget about the war; just him, Bee and the beautiful landscape he never before had had time to acknowledge.

Instead this had happened.

He should have known about the dangers, but he hadn’t thought about them until they were suddenly surrounded and outnumbered by ten, with not possibility to alarm the others.
Everything was his fault and to make it worse, he would also be the only one getting through the consequences of his own failure nearly unharmed and there was nothing he could do against it, absolutely nothing, except maybe loosing his sanity fast so he would at least not know anymore what he had done, but it could also make things worse. Not for him through, but for everyone else.

His new mantra came back again with an even stronger wave of despair.

“What have I done? What have I done?”

*~*~*~*~*

Time went on for four days in total in which Optimus Prime only saw one Decepticon he didn’t recognised – not that he cared very much – bringing him some food, since he shouldn’t starve. He tried nonetheless. He didn’t felt like eating anyway and the daily visits of his brother, who always told him how far he already had pushed Bumblebee to the edge of breaking – which would result in him giving up his last hopes in Optimus and reveal the location of the Autobot base – and which plans he had with possible surviving Autobots, cast any hunger away.
Thirst on the other hand was far more steadfast and agonising so he pushed himself to at least take the water.

Sometimes he managed to fall asleep, but he gained no rest from it, since his bad conscience (and Megatron’s telling assisted by his own imagination) brought him nightmares of the worst kind.


On the fifth day however no came one to bring him food or torment his already shattered soul. A bad sigh, he guessed, and guessed further that it was bad for him and would probably become worse with every minute passing by without anything happening.

Optimus closed his eyes. He heard footsteps coming nearer fast and doors being opened and closed until his own almost flew out of the hinges. The prisoner didn’t bother to look who it was, but then did the intruder turn on a radio transmitter and spoke with a very familiar voice.

“I found him.”

Something was answered, but Optimus was too surprised to listen, eyes now wide open again.

“Ratchet?! What . . . How . . .?”

“I don’t think we have time for that, Optimus” the medic interrupted and freed his commander with two well aimed shoots.
Still surprised the larger man let himself get dragged onto his feet for the first time since he was imprisoned. Miraculously they withstood the gravitation, although only barley.

“We better hurry. Don’t know how long they will fall for our little trick.”

Ratchet handed him his gun and with the feeling of the cold metal in his hand Optimus Prime remembered what was expected from him as leader of the Autobots and finally managed to not only steady his stand, but also his mind.

“Who is here and what is going on?”

“’Hide, Jazz, Prowl and the twins are keeping the Decepticons busy, while I searched for you. ‘Jack set up a little surprise and is waiting for us with the van.”

“Bee?”

The answer was written on Ratchet’s face so the dark haired leader didn’t ask further but just started to walk. There was a chance; there was hope again, so he would also be able to fight again, even if not very much.

It seemed starving himself hadn’t been his best idea, like many others recently, but he had to go on and he would.

“I won’t go without him.”

“We have no time” the other one protested. It wasn’t like Ratchet didn’t care about the kid – Primus knew he did – but they were in a Decepticon base; it was already a miracle they had stayed undetected until now and being able to free their commander was more than the rescue group had expected, but it wasn’t like Optimus would listen to him anyway.

“Where are we?”

“Prison cells; lowest level of a round building designed like a spiral and build underneath the surface of a canyon south from our own base.”

“Explains why there are no windows . . . and why it’s so warm.”

“No, I fear that’s because you have temperature.”
Optimus could hear the original message between the lines and stopped.

“Go and tell the other not to wait too long when you can’t make them leave immediately. I know the risks, but I won’t let Bee down again. I won’t leave him here.”

“Don’t you dare to even think this is any easier for me than it is for you. I don’t like the idea either, but I already searched down here without a trace. I can’t imagine where else he could be?”

An until now foreign wish to slaughter rose inside Prime’s chest and his eyes grew dark with hate, making Ratchet step back although he couldn’t see his face from his point of view.

“But I can!”

*~*~*~*

Following the signboards reading “Quarters” – why in Vector Sigma’s name did the Decepticons have such things in their own base? – the two Autobots hurried through the building.

“Why should they keep him here of all places?”

“I know my brother.”

“Ah. Well, too bad they don’t put their names on the doors, too.”

Since it was commonly known among the Autobots that, whenever he found himself unable to cope with a situation professionally, Ratchet started to rant, Optimus didn’t bother to listen to him, but instead tried to find the right door. They had no time to search every room – not to mention there was a high chance that some Decepticons still where in their quarters – so the Autobot leader tried something he probably hated more at the moment then Megatron himself: he tried to think like his brother.

What upset him even more was the fact, that he found it considerable easy, but as long as it served the purpose he wouldn’t complain.


A slight noise made him turn and face a door he hadn’t noticed before. Well, that looked like a room his brother would prefer: centred in the middle of the whole tower and obviously the biggest around, but whose voice was it that he heard? It was neither Bee’s nor Megatron’s, but still strangely familiar at the same time.

Primus, it was his own!

They had recorded, not only transmitted, but recorded his first conversation with his brother and probably made Bumblebee listen to it ever since without a break.


Forgetting all rules of caution the dark haired man first slammed himself against the metal made door, then rattled at it and finally lost all patience and not only shoot but very literally killed the locker. He had never been a bloodthirsty person, in fact, he disliked fighting and killing in general, but it needed to be done by either him or someone else and he preferred the former – but imaging not to only shot some mere metal but his brother's head held at least enough satisfaction to prevent Optimus to become completely insane from anger.

Entering the Autobot leader didn’t see Megatron actually having taste concerning interior decoration, he only saw his Bee, on the first glace frightened to death but unharmed so far, and the loudspeakers he shoot dead before Ratchet could hear anything, even through this hadn’t been his main intention. He just wanted these . . . these horrible lies to stop.


For a moment the fear on Bumblebee’s face changed into surprise and disbelief, then he jumped out of the corner he had tried to hide himself in and into Optimus arms, weeping and shaking like an autumn leaf.

“I knew you wouldn’t leave me behind” the younger managed say, then started to cry without restrain while trying to crawl into the larger man, knowing by instinct – for every other part of his mind refused to work due to the past days of mental abuse – that there he would be safe. There was no place in the entire universe he would be better guarded at then in the strong arms of his commander and lover.

Bee’s behaving got under Optimus skin far more than anything else ever could. He had failed the blond so badly, but none the less had the kid so much faith in him . . . he was almost crying himself.

Pressing Bumblebee on his torso while lifting him onto his arms he turned to Ratchet.

“Now we can leave.”

*~*~*~*~*

When they left the building through the main entrance Optimus began to understand just what Ratchet had meant with 'keeping the Decepticons busy'.

Although it were only five aggressors – and the twins had their hands full keeping Megatron’s attention focused on them and not on his own men – it looked through the dust and smoke like the whole army was attacking. Leadless the Decepticons were nearly helplessly running around.
Well, not all of them. Blackout made attempts to get the situation under control with no success – although this was normally Starscream’s job, but the seeker was no where in sight – but he did manage to notice the (ex-) prisoners fleeing.
He never got a chance to stop them anyway thanks to a well aimed stone flying out of nowhere and hitting his head so he did his name every honour and blacked out.

A van almost crashed into the escapees, but only almost, and since there was really no time to complain about Wheeljack’s driving abilities – whose idea had it been in the first place? The (mad?) scientist was able to damage a car as fast as he could blow up his lab – they just climbed in and picked up their fellow Autobots. A few new smoke bombs covered their escape and Megatron’s angry swearing accompanying them on their mad dash into freedom.


“It’s good to see you both safe and sound” Prowl said also representative for the others. “You worried us almost dead.”

“Yeah. ‘Hide went off the deep end every few minutes.”

“Shut up, Jazz.”

The light laughter was stopped by Wheeljack taking a turn in the road with neck breaking speed, making the twins curse colourful, while they tried to keep Bumblebee somewhat steady. Having a reputation to keep up they wouldn’t have done so on every other day, but the smaller teen looked so out of everything with the now dust covered, dried tears and the rings under his eyes making Jupiter jealous, they just couldn’t make fun of him now. Maybe later, when the blond was able to understand that they didn’t actually half of it, more likely not until he was able to actually laugh about them, too.
At least he seemed to be alright as far as one could be after such a week, everyone seemed to be alright and so Optimus allowed himself a relieved sigh.

“Thank you, guys. I wouldn’t have known how to get us out of there. I . . . thank you” he admitted honestly, but it felt to him as if it wasn’t enough to express his gratitude. He really had great friends and in times like this he wondered if he really deserved them.

“Ah, well, you would have done it for us, too, and who should we cuddle if we let them have our little Bee?” Sideswipe asked jokingly and did like he said. Bumblebee just gave him a small smile and remained silent instead of complaining about still being threatened like a child, but it was a smile, so with some time, rest and a lot of cuddling from all sites their little nestling would hopefully soon be himself again.

“By the way, we left the Decepticreeps a little surprise” Ironhide mentioned and handed Optimus a switch with the promise that he would like it.

It wasn’t a difficult task to guess what kind of surprise that would be, nonetheless did he ask whose idea the whole rescue plan had been.

“Well, we kind of worked it out together.”

“Oh come on, Jazz, don’t be shy. It was your idea and it worked better then we expected.”

“Then you will pull the trigger” Optimus decided, but the dark skinned man refused.

“No, really, too much honour.”

“Cut the honour and do it before we’re out of reach” Ratchet reminded from the front passenger seat, eyes constantly on the road and hands on the grab. He really hoped the engineer would drive more careful once they could be sure not to be followed, but since he knew the other man for a long time already it was only a very small hope.

With eyes like a human child under the Christmas tree Jazz pushed the button.
A big ‘bang’ echoed through the valley and the earth vibrated. Then a column of smoke appeared where the Decepticon base had been.

“Wow, what a sight. Let’s do it again” Sideswipe said in awe and jokingly pushed the button again before anyone could stop him. Surprisingly a second explosion followed indeed.

“Didn’t you say it was only one bomb?!” Ratchet snapped at Wheeljack, whose optics luckily didn’t leave the road.

“I swear it was. Maybe they had something in their storages. I don’t know, nor do I care right now! I just want to leave this cursed machine as fast as possible.”

Finally complaining arose about why Jack had volunteered to drive in the first place when he didn’t liked it himself and Prime leaned back sighing, taking Bumblebee back in his arms when the twins tried to work them self in the front of the car, probably to either strangle Wheeljack or change places with him without stopping the car, or both, while Prowl and Ironhide tried to stop them and Jazz just thought the whole situation to be damn funny.
It seemed everything was back to normal, except one thing he hadn’t had the time to do before.

“Bee?”

The younger looked up, signalising his attention.

“I’m sorry. I swear I didn’t mean one syllable.”

The blond managed another small smile.

“I know. Just . . . give me some time to recover, ‘key?”

“Everything you want, love” he promised relieved and hugged the exhausted boy a bit tighter. “Everything you want.”

*~*~*~*

For a few moments it looked like Megatron was going to explode very much like the remains of the satellite base he looked at. He had not only lost the building and everything inside, but also the most precious hostages a Decepticon could dream of, but then he took a deep breath and appeared to be calm again, at least on the outside. While waving a blue haired man to his side, something started to pull at his chest, in the place other beings might have had their heart, but he ignored it.

“Damage report, Soundwave!”

“Yes, mighty Megatron” the communication officer answered monotone. “Base: beyond repair; wounded: several; seriously: none; unconscious: three; missing: one.”

The information reached Megatron’s mind only slowly at first, but then hit him with an almost hurting strength. One was missing and there was only one Decepticon who would have dared to disobey his orders when he wanted everyone out defending the base and their hostages.

“Where is Starscream?” the grey haired man suddenly bellowed and for a few seconds there was deadly silence until . . .

“Right behind you, oh mighty leader.”

The Decepticon leader spun around. Only a short, barely noticeable flicker in his eyes told of the leader's relief when he faced the seeker.

Soundwave corrected himself fast about no one missing anymore and hurried to flee the scene, not wanting to get involved in the argument which was very likely to follow between his leader and the self-proclaimed second in command.

“Where have you been?”

“I felt sick and was at the med bay. You agreed to it last night” the seeker added carefully, having been often enough on the receiving end of Megatron's temper to know this was really not the time to push his luck any more then absolutely necessary, and Megatron had to admit that Starscream had indeed told him he would like to stay at the med bay, just in case, which alone proved him feeling very sick, since the seeker made no secret out of his dislike for the medical station.

To be honest, for a short and secretly terrifying moment he had believed Starscream had been still inside the base during the detonation. Almost suspiciously, that he wasn’t; relieving for the smallest and best hidden corner of his inner self, but suspicious nonetheless.

“And how come you are out here unharmed then?”

“Noticed one of the Autobots sneaking around the base, probably searching for Prime and the kid, but since he was armed and I was not – not to mention that I wasn’t in the condition to aim anyway – I went to warn you” the seeker answered, his still feverish eyes proving his words true, and added for the sake of getting to rest again as fast as possible: “But then I noticed the explosives and considered it wiser to retread since I didn’t knew how to deactivate them. I used the emergency exit”

“And it seems you forgot about the warning task.”

“If I may interfere, Lord Megatron” Scavanger said carefully, not out of camaraderie, but because there was a difference between liking to see someone else getting beaten up and actually being the reason for it because he held information back. “Starscream’s communicator broke during last mission and I haven’t had time to repair it nor the resources to replace it until now.”

Megatron growled but couldn’t say anything more. He had nothing against Starscream in hands, although he simply knew he had something to do with today’s happenings.

“It seems this time it’s indeed not your fault so I’ll refrain from punishing you” he snarled nonetheless and went away, already shouting orders again and not noticing Thundercrack leaning down to his fellow seeker.

“I can’t believe you got away with this.”

“Of course I did. I haven’t done anything” Starscream replied, but something in his eyes told the other seeker he had and at the same time held the warning never even think about mentioning it if he planned to survive.


Letting himself fall back Starscream allowed himself a small, triumphal smile.

Megatron’s bedroom was his realm, his kingdom and there was no way he would let a mere kid threaten his position.
He may never rule the Decepticons, but he did rule Megatron in his own room and he would defend this by all means, even if it meant to truly betray Megatron, and, by the way, he had been betrayed first by the other.
Sure, he could have simply killed the kid, but Megatron would probably have killed him in return, so he had to come up with another plan and it had worked better than expected. No one had noticed he had led the Autobots here two days after they got hold of Prime and that kid, they believed a human hacker had infected their defence system, Blackout would never get to know who throw the stone which knocked him out thanks to the dust and every prove of his betray which might have existed exploded with his carefully triggered bomb in the security room. Well, Soundwave could still sell him out to Megatron, being a telepath and all, but if he would have intended to do that he would have done so already in front of everyone, and he got the impression the communication officer didn’t liked the idea of that Autobot offspring invading their ranks either.
Primus, even fate seemed to be at his side. This illness had made things a bit more difficult, but had also given him a better alibi than anything he could have come up with himself.

He got rid of that damn kid, Megatron showed he cared for his second in command – even if only Starscream alone noticed it – and he didn’t even need to fear any punishment.

For once life seemed to be on his side.


END