The Shadow of Kaon

Small conflicts

It took hours of arguing until the whole Prime team could accept the proposition that the femme recommended, but in the end, it seemed like a win-win situation. None of them wanted the crazy Decepticon in the base, but considering her past, they couldn't simply let Darkwing go. Especially now when Bulkhead almost died because of the toxen poisoning, and Wheeljack was nearly in the same miserable state, thanks to his daredevil fight against the silent mech earlier.

"I still don't like the idea of the Decepticon second in command walking freely in our base." Arcee fumingly crossed her servos in front of her chassis, staring at the passage where not long ago Optimus and Bumblebee vanished on their way to the prisoner to finally get her out of the locked medbay.

"She won't be free, Arcee." The medic glanced at her. "Somebody will always keep her under surveillance, and we won't let her out of her restraints, no matter what."

After how Ratchet encouraged them to accept the femme's offer not long ago, this protective attitude felt weird from the mech. Nobody understood the weird connection between him and Darkwing, but they didn't want to ask about this topic recklessly.

"Are you sure she can't do her little tricks, Ratchet?" The two-wheeler asked, finally turning her gaze away from the gateway.

"One hundred percent." The mech nodded. "Her body is weak despite the dark Energon in her system, and she can't use the teleportation right now."

This statement caught the white wrecker's attention in a second, making him sit up straight next to his laying friend on the portable medberth.

"What? That freaky femme can teleport?" He asked with a bit of confusion and irritation in his tone.

"She could, if she would be out of the cuffs." The medic explained. "This is a sensitive ability, if anything restrains the user's body while they do it, it can have fatal consequences to their health, maybe even kill them. Darkwing knows this too, and hopefully, she is not that stupid to accidentally commit suicide."

Before any of them could have asked more about this, the noise of approaching pedsteps interrupted the conversation of the Autobots', and seconds later Optimus and Bumblebee showed up with the femme between them, walking confidently even with her hands and wings in heavy cuffs.

When they reached the middle of the room Darkwing stopped, looking back and forth between the bots for a moment before her sight halted on the two rough-looking wrecker. A foreign expression grew over the femme's features as she observed their scarred frame, Bulkhead's seemingly injured legs, and the dangerously deep cuts on Wheeljack's chassis, face, and limbs.

"Well, at least you are not in better shape than me." She said in a mocking tone, motioning with her chin toward the mechs. "Who beat you up like this?"

Wheeljack's body stiffened at the question, but he played it off in his usual style.

"What do you care, princess?" He scoffed with a grin on his face.

"Simple." Darkwing shrugged her shoulders. "If it was one of my people, I will have to give them a high grade for this excellent job."

The wrecker jumped up at the comment, ready to throw himself at the prisoner.

"What did you just say?" He said with a low growl, lifting his servo for a hit, but before he could do that, the medic stepped between them as a barrier and grabbed his arm.

"Wheeljack, control your feelings. Can't you see that she is just playing with you? And you..." Ratchet glanced at the seeker and pointed at the bridge. "The groundbridge is in that way if you wouldn't see it. Stop causing more trouble than you're already in."