Transformers Prime: The Risen

Chapter 23: Scourge.

Ratchet's POV:

In the shelter of a few trees, Darkplague stops me; she's forced me to walk for about fifteen minutes now, the dagger still at my neck. No, not Darkplague, something else. She's stronger; I can feel it in her servo on my shoulder. Whatever is doing this is dominant.

"Darkplague... This isn't you." I find myself saying, struggling to keep calm, but it's rather difficult when there's a blade at your neck. "You've got to fight whatever is making you do this."

She hisses. "Darkplague can't hear you."  Well that's reassuring.

"Who am I speaking to?"

Her response is a snarl; bringing the blade closer. "Shut up! You speak when spoken to!"

My breath quickens, and my spark pounds.  Slowly, she lowers the blade a bit more.

"Is the Prime at your base?" Darkplague asks menacingly.

"I can't answer that." Shakily, I respond. What does she want with Optimus.

She growls. "Very well, medic. Call for a groundbridge."

No! Panic overwhelms me as I hear the words come from her. I can't allow her into the base. "Darkplague, you know I can't do that."

"Eeerg!" Darkplague hisses again, and for a split second she lowers the blade to thinly and carefully slice my lower back, only to return it to my neck. I gasp in pain; it's not a bad wound, but it's still painful.

"Call for a groundbridge or I will slice your throat open!" Her voice orders.

Reluctantly, I raise my digit to my audio receptor. "R...Ratchet to base. We n...need a groundbridge." My voice sputters with both pain and fear.

"Mmkay. Are you alright? You sound wounded." Malachite replies over the com link.

Darkplague squeezes my shoulder with her servo, signaling that I couldn't tell her anything.

"Y..yes. I'm fine."

A bridge opens up, a few feet away from us, and Darkplague nudges me towards it. "Go on."

"Don't do this--" I begin, but she pulls the blade so it just barely touches my throat.

"Walk through it now!" She snarls in my audio receptors.

There's no use in fighting; reluctantly I walk through it, with Darkplague right behind me, still holding the dagger.

~~

We emerge in the base; Optimus looks up, his optics suddenly filling with horror.

"D...Darkplague?" Wheeljack murmurs in suprise, as all the bots in the room look up.

My optics lock on Optimus's, and I mouth 'help her', but Darkplague growls when she notices.

Knockout steps forward a tad bit. "Scourge..."

Darkplague snarls. "Take one more step and the medic will be terminated!" I slightly flinch; the blade is still resting against my neck.

"Scourge, release him." Optimus says evenly, his optics calm. "And release Darkplague."

She suddenly stiffens, the blade lowers maybe an inch, and she speaks, her voice shaky. "Op... Optimus... st..stay back he wants y..you..." Darkplague! That's all we heard from her when she suddenly brings the blade close again, seeming to almost regain control of her body.

Optimus's optics narrow. "Scourge we can negotiate this, if you lower the blade and release the medic."

In return she growls. "The only outcome I will be satisfied with is your demise, Prime!"

I see it in Optimus's expression. He's getting an idea.

His voice is firm as he says, "Then let him go and take me on."

Darkplague stiffens, taken by suprise. "And why would I release him, if having him gives me the upperhand?" With a dark smile she lifts the blade closer than ever, and I attempt to lean back and away from it, holding my breath.

Immediately everyone stiffens, and Emma growls in beast mode.

"You terminate the medic, we'll have to spread you across the globe." She snarls deeply.

"Oh?" Darkplague laughs.

She has to come through. I barely turn my helm to see her, and lower my voice to a whisper where the others couldn't hear. "Darkplague... You've got to fight this..."

She growls back. "Shut up."

I search her yellow optics for something I can use, something that can help me get to her. Then I remember someone

"Darkplague..."

"I told you, she can't hear you!" She lowers the blade and cuts my chest.

Biting back a yelp, I whisper: "Wh...what would... R..Rodinum.. s...say...?"

Darkplague's optics fill with suprise and fear, flickering from blue to yellow. She drops the dagger and stumbles backwards, clutching her helm tightly. Immediately Optimus is at my side; noting the two gashes on my chest and the one on my lower back.

"Darkplague!" Malachite calls, her optics worried as the femme drops to her knees, screeching in pain.

Knockout rushes to her side, putting a servo on her shoulder and whispering something.

Finally, her optic color settles on blue, and Darkplague loses consciousness, 'tears' beginning to fall from her optics.

Optimus and I stride over, and lower beside her.

"C...can you g..get her to the m..medical bay?" I ask him.

"Affirmative." He replies, picking her up and carrying her to the table over by my computer.

"That was a risky move." Knockout murmurs to me.

"What do you mean?"

"Mentioning her brother like that." The red mech sighs. "One of the worst things you can say to her."

I nod. This is going to keep happening if we don't get Scourge out of her.