Wild Ride (Cyberverse Mech!reader X Hot Rod)

32: In my Head

"And then we ran from the Quintessons and ended up here!" Hot Rod said with the biggest smile on his face.

"Sounds like you've had quite the adventure." I said once he finished telling me of his side of the story. "But we need to figure out a way to free the others. It is clear that the hold the Quintessons have is a strong one."

"Can't you like, mind control them into letting the others go?" Clobber suggested.

"No, I swore to Windblade to never do anything like that again." I said grimly. "I intend on keeping that promise. However, your suggestion has given me an idea."

"What are you thinking Y/D?" Hot Rod asked.

"If we can get me into the loop, maybe I can  force an override. But I'll need someone to watch my aft."

"I'm not going anywhere." Dead-end grumbled.

"Hot Rod, are you sure this plan of his is a good idea?" Perceptor asked. "I know you said he has telepathic and telekinetic abilities, but he's no city speaker."

"I don't see you coming up with any ideas." Clobber grumbled. "You haven't seen what he can do! He put our sparks back in us when Starscream tried to take them! He completely wrecked us before the Quintessons came! Not to mention he-"

"Clobber, that's enough." Hot Rod said. "He gets the idea. But Perceptor is right. This idea is extremely risky. You may have the abilities, but can you control them? What if something goes wrong?"

"That's why I need someone to watch my bumper in case something goes wrong." I said. "But it's up to you."

"Me? Why me?" Hot Rod asked.

"Because I trust your judgment over my own when it comes to these things. I am not the leader type, but I have never been."

"Yet you commanded armies!"

"There is a difference between commanding and leading. I will sacrifice my life to protect this universe." Those last few words did not seem like my own as flickers of the deaths of my past lives played in my mind. "I will follow wherever you lead." Hot Rod paused a moment before making his decision.

"Let's do this. Clobber, I'll need you to keep watch while Y/D and I both go in."

"Wait, where would he end up in the loop? The Decepticons? Autobots?" Dead-end pointed out.

"We will have to see, let's roll." I nodded and followed Hot Rod out of Macadam's with Clobber, tailing me, the 3 of us changing forms, and darting towards one of the connection nodes. We shifted forms, and I sat cross-legged with a nervous twitch of my wings.

"Good luck, you two." Clobber said as Hot Rod hooked me into the system along with himself. Instantly, we were transported to the parade, and boy, did I already hate it.

"How could anyone stand to watch this?" I asked Hot Rod as we both stepped out to spy a bunch of Autobots cheering the parade.

"Each time it loops, they don't remember it." He said grimly.

"Intresting... watch my back, I'm about to try something." I then sat on the ground and telepathically reached out through the network and attempted to override the loop. But something attacked me. I flickered out of the parade and was put into some sort of black void with computer generated code sprawling past me in columns and rows.

"We've been waiting for you, Anominon." A voice said through the code.

"Where am i?" I asked the voice.

"Exactly where we want you." I then felt agony course through me, and a scream escaped my physical form.

"Y/D!" Hot Rod exclaimed as he disconnected from the loop and yanked the cord that connected me from the back of my head. My optics snapped open, and I gasped in fear-filled pain. "Are you okay?"

"They were in my head! They know where we are, and it's my fault!" I cried to Hot Rod. "We have to retreat! Now!" As I said this, several Quintessons flew in overhead with a shrieking cry.

"Run!" Hot Rod shouted. The 3 of us then shifted forms and darted back to Macadam's as fast as we could, Hot Rod and Clobber making it over the barrier while I was snatched. "Y/D!"

Panic coursed through me, and I did the one thing I could think of in that instant as the tentecal of the Quintesson curled around me. I opened my intake as wide as I could and bit down on the tentecal, forcing the creature to release me with a cry. I plummeted to the ground and scrambled inside with extremely terrified optics and trembling wings.

"Whoa. What happened?" Dead-end asked.

"They were in my head... twisting tendrils clawing and pulling at my thoughts." I spewed as the panic grew even more intense.

"Y/D, you need to calm down, or you'll pass out." Perceptor said. "Your venting and sparkrate are irradic."

"You didn't see it! You didn't see them tear apart universes!" I panickingly shouted, my digits clawing into my arms as I tried desperately to calm down.

"Y/D, look at me." Hot Rod said gently. "I need you to sit down so you don't hurt yourself. Can you do that?" I shakily nodded and plopped down, Hot Rod kneeling next to me. "Try and slow your vents, like I showed you before."

"Percy, what's happening to him?" Clobber asked.

"He's experiencing extreme emotional distress. Hot Rod is attempting to get him to slow his vents and ground him so that he can calm down." Perceptor explained.

"I've never seen Y/D like this before."

"From what Hot Rod has told me, most haven't."

Thankfully, Hot Rod was able to calm my panicked state, and I felt exhausted both mentally, emotionally, and physically.

"You okay, big guy?" Hot Rod asked as he gently touched the side of my head.

"I... I think so. That... was embarrassing." I muttered as I unintentionally leaned into the gentle touch. "I just hate that my stupid idea put you and Clobber in danger."

"What do you mean?" Perceptor asked.

"When I entered the loop and tried to reach out telepathically, the Quintessons were waiting for me." I said with a grim expression. "They found the node we were accessing and attacked. I only have myself to blame."

"It wasn't your fault Y/D, you didn't know those squiggly scraplets would have that trick up their... wait, they don't have sleeves." Hot Rod said. I snorted a bit, followed by a small laugh at his goofiness.

"But what do we do now?" Clobber asked.

"I... I don't know. But I know who does. I'm going to try and get Optimus out of the loop."