Wild Ride (Cyberverse Mech!reader X Hot Rod)

13: Silent Adaptation

After Ratchet made sure I was still functional, I was released from the med bay and acted as if nothing was unusual when internally I was a wreck at the loss of my voice. I kept it inside in order to not worry Hot Rod mostly. The rest was to not inconvenience anyone. It got especially difficult when it came to me wanting to put my input on things. Thankfully, Hot Rod was able to help in that regard.

"We almost have all of the ground bridges the Allspark made marked out. However, I am unsure which one would lead to the Allspark." Wheeljack said as he showed the grid work to Optimus, Hot Rod, and I.

"We will have to narrow it down by sections and continue from there." Optimus said. I shook my head at them, and Hot Rod gave me a questioning look in response.

"What's up Y/D?" Hot Rod asked, catching Optimus's and Wheeljack's attentuon. I gestured to the gridwork and traced the lines that connected them.

"Yeah, we know they go that way. Y/D, that's how it works." Wheeljack said as if I was pointing out the obvious. I shot him a glare and shook my head as I reworked the grid and displayed various pinpoints with energy reading outputs. I then color-coded the different points and looked over to the others. I then gestured to the yellow dots on the map and made a motion to signify a cat.

"The yellow dots are where the moon cheetah was spotted?" Hot Rod asked, to which I nodded. I then pointed to the energy percentages at each of the sites. "And the energy output is higher where the moon cheetah was spotted?" Again, I nodded. I then narrowed down the grid to only display the pinpoints where the moon cheetah was seen and circled a location with an urgent tapping. "You think that's where the Allspark is?"

"Well, strip my gears and call me a Decepticon." Wheeljack exclaimed. "Why didn't I think of that?" I silently laughed at Wheeljack and gestured to the cluster of datapoints that were making it difficult to register what was what. "I'm guessing it's because i had too much data?" I moved my hand in a way to convey a 'sort of' response.

"If you are correct, Y/D, this could mean we are closing on the location of the Allspark." Optimus said. I held up a hand and then pulled up the image of Megatron.

"Megatron has been scouting the network as well." Hot Rod said. I then switched to the gridwork again and displayed all the dots that the Decepticons had been spotted at. "And it seems like they are ahead of us."

"Then we must hurry to retrieve the Allspark before Megatron." Optimus said. As he was about to leave, I waved my hand to get his attention, the Prime turning curiously to me. I took on a fighting stance and punched the sir in front of me a few times before gesturing to myself. "You wish to join this battle?" I nodded in response. "You will need a weapon then. Wheeljack, can you provide him with something?"

"Do you even need to ask?" Wheeljack chuckled. "Cmon, I'll get you set with something special." I followed the engineer to his lab where various inventions and weapons were messing strewn about much to my amusement. "Now let's see here, you're not much of a long-range bot from what I can tell.... and you aren't into the whole blaster thing.... hmm."

As Wheeljack muddled about in search of a weapon, a certain one caught my attention. Leaning against a wall was a beautifully designed and quite archaic looking glaive with familiar markings carved into it. I tilted my head at it and stared into the reflective metal. Soft voices whispered in my head as I approached the weapon, something yelling me that this was my choice.

"You want that old thing?" Wheeljack asked skeptically. "Not sure if you can actually use it. It likes to fight anyone who picks it up. But you are welcome to try." I gently reached for it, and as soon as my hand touched the weapon, the engravings lit up along with hidden ones on myself. Battle tactics, memories, and all other sorts of information flooding into my mind from the weapon as if a piece of myself that had been lost was returned. I gently wrapped my hands around it and lifted it off of the display stand with a smile on my face, the glow subsiding and everything returning to normal. "Well now, that's unexpected."

-----
"Sick blade Y/D." Hot Rod said when I left the lab with the glaive strapped to my back. "Wait, isn't that thing like some sort of historic artifact?" I shrugged in response, spotting Optimus and quickly motioning for Hot Rod to follow.

"Y/D, you were able to wield Shatterfang?" Optimus asked in surprise. I nodded and gave him a slightly confused look, suggesting I was asking why he was surprised. "No one has been able to carry it before, perhapse it is no coincidence."

'It never is.' I thought to myself. I then followed Optimus, Wheeljack, and a few other bots to one of the ground bridge points and then through only to have it close behind the Prime and myself, no one else following suite. I looked behind us and tapped Optimus on the shoulder, the Prime also looking back with concern.

"Bumblebee, Wheeljack, Windblade, report!" Optimus attempted to call only to receive static in response. I could sense that we were being watched and stiffened when I heard whispers in my head, this time, they formed a singular word.

'Anomaly.'

I stiffened and drew my glaive defensively, my optics darting around as I searched for whatever was the cause of the voices and the sensation. I then felt a tug that led me through a side passage, Optimus noticing and following suite.

"Y/D, you seem on edge." Optimus commented. I looked back at him and nodded to signify I was. As I followed the strange pull, I could hear the whispers continue to grow, all of them repeating the same word over and over again.

'Anomaly.'

It was almost maddening how loud they were becoming until it all stopped when Optimus and i arrived in a large cavern with various violet portals all around. In the center of the cavern, we floated our target.

"The Allspark." Optimus said as he slowly approached it. I lowered my guard slightly but remained vigilant, and for a good reason.

"Optimus Prime." Megatron's voice said, my head whipping over to glare at the one I once called sire. I raised my battle mask and got between the two as instinct told me. "Y/D, I'm surprised to see you here. I'd suggest you step aside so I may take the Allspark." I shook my head at him.

"You will not take it, Megatron." Optimus said. I then sensed that we were being watched, and I pushed Optimus back and pointed the glaive at Megatron in a silent threat to not move. "Y/D, stand aside. That is an order." I shot Optimus a death glare and shook my head.

"Who's side are you on anyway?!" Megatron snapped.

"No one's side." A new voice said, catching all of our attentions. Out from the shadows slowly stepped the moon cheetah, and I lowered my guard to curiously look at the cheetah.

"And who are you?" Optimus asked.

"I am Cheetor." He said before shifting forms. "Guardian of the Allspark."