Chapter Text
Groaning Guardian started to come to, slowly seating up, grabbed his helm cause it was slightly ringing as he sat up.
Looking around Guardian noticed three things, one he was clearly a prisoner, two Jazz and Rhapsody were with him which both eased and heightened his concerns, three the energy bars on the cell seem also act as a power dampener because he felt disconnect from the earth for the first time since Hybrid gave him his powers.
Knowing there was almost nothing to do other than wait and see what happened, Guardian gathered both Jazz and Rhapsody into his arms and waited for his captor to make themselves known.
Making sure everyone was with him, Bumblebee opened a ground bridge right in the middle of New Order territory to start causing a headache for the New Order by clearing out their living shields.
Thanks to FS Jazz and Cyclonus working together to scare Bluestreak, they found out more than they bargained for.
They discovered the New Order only has marshal law in place to use the Cybertronians under their protection as living shields to detour the resistance from attacking.
They also discovered the New Order had finished construction of a smaller factory that had been creating sentries for the last almost year, but that was the other teams job to handle that job.
Right now, Bumblebee and his team had work to do to clear out as many bots as possible before the final assault.
At Tyger Pax Sentinel, Wreak Gar, Jetfire, Jetstorm, and Tarn were working on fixing the hooks, so the interstellar ground bridge didn't destabilise when it was operational. Swindle and Galvatron stood guard to make sure no one found them.
"I think we almost have it, brother." Jetfire said as he and Jetstorm worked on the sky hook.
"Almost we just need to ground it with the conductors, and it should be good to go." Jetstorm replied.
With the ground hook, it was taking longer because the conductors had to go below ground for it to work. If they were above ground, they would quite literally fly off as soon as someone attempted to start it.
So, in a hole in the ground, Tarn just finished placing the first conductor with a tunnel open to the hook for the energy to flow through and build safety.
"One done 9 more to go. I wonder what XLR8 is up to this afternoon." Tarn said to myself, climbing out of the hole to start digging the second one with the help of Wreak Gar.
In the Resistance base XLR8, Laserbeak, Trapper, and Grimlock were all acting strange, they believed Hybrid would figure out a way to rescue Guardian, Rhapsody, and FS Jazz, but when was the problem because they had to lie to FS Optimus, Prowl, and Predaking in the meantime and it wasn't easy especially with FS Prowl questioning things already. But if he confronted Hybrid about it, he would find out the hard way why you don't piss of a Snipe.
XLR8 also had other things to worry about, like what she said to Barricade when she cursed herself.
Right now, she was cuddled between her siblings and their creators' content to stay their until morning.
That night in New Order territory, Bumblebee, Barricade, Dreadwing, Sludge, Strafe, Wheeljack, FS Optimus and Predaking had gathered up a reasonably large group of bots, through out the day telling them to met at a community hall to get them to see the truth.
The bots they gathered all stood around the hall quietly talking because they weren't supposed to be out of their homes this hour. Afraid they might get caught before they heard a noise outside, and it was the Dinobots distracting the local military that the New Order paid of. Leading them away from the hall.
"I know you are scared, and I understand why, but we are here to help, I promise." Bumblebee said, getting the bots that gathered to look at him on the stage where he stood with the other members of his team.
"This is also your chance to either raise up yourself or leave in three days' time. Spread the word." Bumblebee said.
The crowd wasn't convinced, though.
"Why should we trust you.", "What makes you think you can keep us safe.", "The New Order claim you're the bad guys. Do you have proof their lying." Bots in the crowd quietly shouted at Bumblebee.
"Yes, we do. Wheeljack if you will." Pointing to the screens above, Bumblebee let the bots watch and see what the New Order really thought of them. Showing the locals, they really were nothing more to the New Order than living shields.
"You ready to listen now." Bumblebee asked, getting nods and yes's from the bots in the hall.
"Good. In two days, there will be a ground bridge open just outside the city near the old church. That is your chance to leave. And we will distract the New Order why you do. But if you choose to stay, please stay in this hall, and the Resistance will make sure to avoid it if the up coming battle reaches here, but we promise to try and avoid this area all together."
"So you all have your houses to return to after we free Cybertron from the crashing rule of the New Order." Dreadwing said purposely riling the locals up, so they are more inclined to leave.
The next day, when Guardian woke up after accidentally falling asleep, he found himself chained to the ground in a large white room.
"HEY WHAT THE FRAG, LET ME OUT OF HERE YOU CARRIER FRAGGERS."
Trying to break free but couldn't, Guardian got worked up more.
"HEY FUCKERS, TO AFARID TO TAKE ME ON IN A FAIR FIGHT YOU HAD TO TIE ME UP.
WHERE'S JAZZ AND RHAPSODY."
In the med bay Rhapsody and Jazz were strapped to table elevated so they were more leaning against them instead of laying on them.
"Well, look who's finally awake. Now the fun begins. Leave us." Starscream ordered First Aid.
"Do you really think I'm afraid of you, hardly." Jazz said, even if he was a little scared because of the situation and that his daughter was possibly in danger.
"You may not be afraid of my but she might be, and the big one might be of Menasor." Starscream replied.
"Nothing phases, Guardian." Jazz replied, not saying anything about Rhapsody in hopes Starscream will ignore her and keep all his attention on him.
"Guardian. Is that his name. Well, he didn't do a good job of guarding you, did he. And with what Menasor wants to do to him, he wouldn't be guarding anyone for a while." Starscream taunted, saying guarding in a mocking way, making it sound like guaridan.
"What in Pit are you on about." Jazz asked. Needing to know what Starscream has planned for Guardian, even if he probably won't like the answer.
"Let's just say Menasor is a big bot that has needs and Guardian is the right size for those needs." Starscream replied.
Knowing exactly what Starscream was impelling, Rhapsody thrashed against her restraints in anger. Unfortunately, she got Starscream's attention before he smiled and leaned next to Jazz.
"Before I forget, we did a test of you three after we drugged you to knock you out, and we found some really interesting things. Like how she is your daughter, and you're pretty much blind without your visor. So out of the goodness of my spark, I'll take this off now cause you probably won't want to see what I'm about to do to your daughter." Starscream said, taking Jazz's visor off.
Acting without really thinking, only wanting to protect his daughter, Jazz used his powers of sight looking towards Starscream, and he felt it instantly, stumbling and falling over.
"What is happening. Why can't I tell the difference between right and left." Starscream screeched, trying to get up, only to fall back down, hitting the top of his helm.
"Someone help me." Starscream shouted.
Back in the Resistance base, Springer and Scourge were free, and the first stop Scourge made was to the med bay to see and apologise to his brother Knockout if he accepted it or not.
"Brother, may we talk." Scourge asked Knockout, who stumbled backwards in fear, unlike other times in his life, Scourge would have loved to see that fear in bots optics, when it came to his baby brother, and sons he would never want them to be afraid of him and feared the day one might, which has finally come.
"Knockout. I would never willingly hurt you, I wasn't myself, I had no free will. I know there is nothing I can say or do that will ever be enough, but I swear I'll do anything in my power to make up for what I did."
"Sc-scourge, you killed my sparkling, the sparkling I was afraid I would never be able to have after what Optimus did, only thanks to Hybrid was it possible. And now..."
"Little brother, please, if I could bring the sparkling back, I would. I just don't think it possible, not even Hybrid or Nova Prime could, and they are arguably two of the most powerful magic wielders in Cybertron history."
"Scourge, I know that. And deep down, I know you would never hurt me, probably prefer ripping out your own spark. It still doesn't change what happened. Eventually, I will get over it. It's just going to take time and space."
Understanding what his brother was saying, even if he didn't actually say it, Scourge turned and left doing what Knockout asked. Hoping that one day Knockout can truly forgive him or he could forgive himself.
"Why am I so disoriented. Why do I have no sense of direction." Starscream asked or more demanded First Aid to tell him.
"Do you mean why you have no sense of direction now or in your life in general." Chromia asked as she came into the med bay, letting First Aid go because she wouldn't put up with Starscream's crap, but First Aid unfortunately had a nasty habit of letting the officers walk all over him.
"That's not funny, Chromia. I can't stand without fall over or walking into stuff." Starscream sneered.
"I wasn't trying to be. I was merely being truthful. And servers you right if you ask me, but whatever happened looks like it's temporary and should wear off in a couple of hours."
Turning away from the scans, Chromia left Starscream all alone in the more private section of the med bay away from Rhapsody and FS Jazz.
Back in the public, things were going better then, except the Resistance members were getting more and more bots willing to leave by tomorrow, and the New Order had absolutely no idea they were there. Except for the Dinobots, but Sludge and Strafe gave them the slip so easily.
It was almost funny for the Resistance.
By that night, they had almost half of the local population ready to leave and a big chunk ready to start an uprising when the Resistance attacked. Claiming it will be harder for the New Order to fight a war on four different fronts. The Resistance didn't even ask for them to do that they weren't going to complain though, any advantage over the New Order they could get they would take.
As the Resistance settled in for the night with Dreadwing and Wheeljack, choosing to stay up and watch the door just in case, like Barricade and FS Optimus did last night.
Bumblebee was feeling a werid tug with his spark like it was trying to reach out to someone, it wasn't Blitzwing since he was asleep next to him it wasn't his sparklings who were safe with Knockout and Breakdown. And that's when Bumblebee remembered what Hybrid told him about him and Optimus.
Bumblebee was just going to try and ignore it, but the tugging sensation got worse almost to the point of hurting him, and he finally gave in.
Getting up, Bumblebee went to a different room so no one would see him teleporting out of there. He pretty had to since he teleports be setting himself on fire kinda, so it would be fairly obvious when he teleports.
And he didn't need anyone asking him where he was going.
Bumblebee wasn't the only one active that night, back at the Pits XLR8 was standing outside Barricade's door with what she thought was the perfect plan to explain why she said what she said when she cursed herself. Because she just can't tell Barricade the truth, it was too embarrassing, like how do you explain to the bot your dating you were crazy enough to actually curse yourself, that was next level stupid if you asked her.
Knocking on Barricade's door, that hitting her leg twice like some sort of nervous tick XLR8 waited for him to answer, until she remembered he was not currently at the base.
"I am so stupid." XLR8 said to herself.
"No, you're not. Don't ever say that again." Someone hissed, making XLR8 spin around to see who said it, but she was alone.
"Hello." XLR8 asked cautiously.
"Yes, hello." The voice replied, making XLR8 jump.
"Midnight." XLR8 asked, not sure.
"Who else." Midnight answered.
"Okay, this is new and kinda creepy. Could you always talk in my helm."
"Nope. It's a recent development."
Staying silent, XLR8 walked back to her families room, but instead of going to the berth her and her siblings had to share, she crawled into her creators berth and tucked herself under Soundwave's arm. Because it was a werid sensation to now be able to talk to Midnight in her helm and just wanted comfort that Blaster and Soundwave always gave, but she didn't want to disturb her carrier as he was sparked and needed all the sleep he could get.
Blaster, who was awake as soon as XLR8 crawled into the berth, like his carrier instincts always made him do so he could be ready to help which ever one of his sparklings who needed him, smiled at the sight and silently said to himself.
"Suck on that Sideswipe."
In the New Order base itself. Menasor finally made an appearance in the room, and Guardian was stuck in.
"Starscream was kidding he did get me a present, a very fraggable present." Menasor said.
Lifting his helm fast Guardian growled at Menasor, "What the fuck did you just say." Guardian choosing to use human swear words like he occasionally did.
"Relax, baby, I'll treat you real nice."
"Call me that again, and when I get out of here, I will kill you myself in the most painful possible." Guardian growled.
"Oh yeah, that's it talk dirty to me." Menasor moaned.
"Get closer then, and I'll whisper sweet nothing's into your audio or bite it of. I haven't made up my mind yet." Guardian replied.
"Now, now. Save that sort of talk until we interface." Menasor said, going to mount Guardian, who swiped him across the faceplate with his tail that wasn't strapped down like the rest of him. Getting Menasor good across his faceplate, leaving behind a nasty cut.
"Don't fucking touch me only my mate gets to touch me like that." Guardian growled. And why he was disgusted with what Menasor said, he was a little scared not wanting anyone but Predaking to do anything like that to him.
Angry at Guardian for hitting him, Menasor kneeled near his helm and held it in an iron grip sort of hurting Guardian.
"Listen here, you little afterburner. I don't care if you have a mate or not, I will take you eventually. Right now, you still have a say with how rough or gentle I will be. Hitting me again, I will leave you a whimpering pathetic mess. Don't fight it, and I'll be as gentle as possible.
I'll let you think it over." Lifting Guardian helm then slamming it into the ground Menasor left, as Guardian's optics flicked briefly before stopping.
"Predaking, where are you? Please find me." Guardian whispered to himself.
Appearing where Bumblebee could sense Optimus, he watched to make sure Optimus was alone before he called out.
Snapping his helm up and to the side, Optimus couldn't believe his Bumblebee was right there calling out to him. Keeping his composer, he slowly walked to Bumblebee and asked.
"If you're here, does that mean Blitzwing left you. Because I promise to be the mech you feel in love with Bee, I will do anything to have you as my mate again."
"Optimus, Blitzwing isn't why I am here. I just had an unbelievable urge to see you again. Can you just hold me nothing more." Bumblebee asked tentatively.
"Of course. Anything for you, little one."
Kneeling down, Optimus embraced Bumblebee like he was the most precious thing in the world, and Bumblebee burrowed his helm in Optimus neck. Stay there until morning light, before Bumblebee teleported away.
Arriving back at the Resistance, Bumblebee, and the others were ready to cause a distracting so the bots who wanted to leave could. They were stopped by a group of bots claiming they would stay behind and start rebelling against the New Order as the others escape as long as the Resistance promised to truly come back and aid them and end the New Order once and for all.
Once, getting the guarantee bots from the area started reeking havoc as Soundwave opened the ground bridge and other bots fled. By the end, just over half the population had escaped, and most were rioting, meaning the New Order would have to deal with that and allow the third team to do what they planned a lot easier.
After Bee's team returned, FS Prowl's team left.
When his sire left, Trapper sighed in relief because his sire almost broke him with all the questions about Guardian, Rhapsody, and their carrier.