Shadowfire

Chapter 39

"Please uncle, I am not my sire- you can see that. I am Optima's sparkling, and what he did to her..." I trailed off, allowing disgust to colour my voice. It wasn't hard, I was disgusted at what I was being forced to do, grovelling to Optimus, proving once again how inept and idealistic the mech was, maybe it was true that the 'great Prime' was unsuited to command?

"Shadowfire get up" the mech said, sounding for all the world like the tired old 'bot he actually was "I've lost too much, my planet, everyone I once fought beside- I'm leading a war in a planet that is not our own... What's the point anymore?" He looked into the distance, optics dimming "this is not what I was created for, I was- the shield, no, no the sword, yes the sword of Cybertron, I was to defend us, the last Prime... but what was I fighting for? I- I don't remember" the great mech frowned, deep furrows etched into his faceplate "I don't remember Shadia, I was to fight Megatron, but why? Where is the council?"

"Optimus what are you talking about? What council?" Was he losing his mind? His processor breaking down?

But Optimus simply shook his head and acted as if nothing had happened.
"Do not worry yourself youngling, go and rejoin the others" I scoffed, which of them would have me? But did as my uncle bid, all I needed was to be here, to keep them from one specific facility, I didn't need them to accept me.

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"Where's Screamer?" Rapidflare frowned, looking around our ragtag group, Barricade snorted.
"If you hadn't been spending so much time around those humans you would've known- he took off, said he had a lead to follow up on and put Shad in charge"
The mech flushed and I blinked, huh, I hadn't know. I had been too distracted by my own thoughts lately, hadn't paid enough attention to my few friends that were left- maybe I was more like Optimus than I thought.
"Lay off 'im" Howler muttered halfheartedly, optics beginning to dim as he joined Rotorbite in recharge.
"Yeah, it's not as if he has a choice in the matter. Do you, you deviant you?" Rhi scowled and made a rude gesture, shoving his servo into Quarrel's face. The other mech silently "ooh'd" in mock fear and made a dirty motion with his pistons. Barricade and Quarrel high fived as the beset mech stormed off, Smokescreen's applause more than making up for it when Barrage slapped his brother over the head.

"Come on guys" I groaned "look I know we're all bored here but really?" The two troublemakers shrugged.
"No promises" despite my annoyance I grinned, remembering a time when joining them in their antics had been the highlight of my day.
"Just stay out of trouble while I go find out when we're making our next move?"
"Nope"

I was laughing as I left, and the smile on my faceplate held even through the acid stares and whispers of the rest of the camp.

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"We're busy, go on get out of here" I scowled, but refused to let Jazz see the effect his words had on me.
"You're busy planning the next offensive, as interim leader of the Decepticons I have a right to be here"
"We don't need you here, we can handle things just fine on our own" Jazz retorted mulishly.
"Jazz you've known who my sire was for years, you've never held it against me before, what changed?"
"You went mad" and then he was turning away from me and I was steeling myself so I didn't crumble in the face of his rejection.

"Leah" I froze. No, please. I had thought I could take it, be strong enough to endure whatever they tormented me with but I couldn't do it. I started to tremble. "Leah turn around" I shook my head unconsciously. Lennox chuckled and grabbed my arm, bodily turning me to face him "you thought I would turn on you like everyone else? Come on Leah you know your old man better than that" and then my dad was hugging me and I was crying into his shoulder as he crooned reassurance.

It was some time later that Jason joined us, and I sheepishly pulled away from my father, refusing to be embarrassed as he kept hold of me- looping an arm around my shoulders as I faced the ex-sergeant.
"Prime" he greeted, dipping his head respectfully and sending a jaunty wink my way. I laughed as Jason moved to whisper in my father's ear, the officer nodding along with whatever was being said; finally he turned to me.
"Gather the Decepticons. The Autobots made a move without us so we're gonna get out there and get our own"
"What?" I couldn't comprehend it "you- NEST- is gonna fight with the Decepticons?"
"We're in the same side now New Prime" Jason explained, the excited fire of an impending fight lighting his eyes "seems they've got more in common with our ideals than the Autobots some days"
"Gather your troops Leah, the men'll be waiting"

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Yager Snr slowly began edging himself between me and his daughter in Rapidflare's cab, stopping just shy of slamming the door on me. It was subtle, but I noticed all the same. I could sense Rhi giving the man a strange look, and knew the humans were aware of it too.
"You do know I'm a Decepticon right? As in Megatron's my leader?"
"Yeah but...it's not the same"
"Riiight" Rhi said, slowly and without comprehension "anyway I'd appreciate it if you didn't insult my friend, and commander"

The man flushed sheepishly and muttered an apology.
"What're you doing here anyway?" The girl asked, bold as brass "you got a certain quota of human interaction you gotta get through and your pets're refusing to play nice?" clearly she'd been hanging around Mikaela. I glared at her, and was gratified to see her flinch.
"I'm here to collect Rapidflare" I announced "we're going to be launching an attack" instantly her demeanour changed. Rhi gave me a pleading look, sensing the unspoken command, and I relented.
"Be quick about it" I told the mech, before retreating a polite distance away.

The Decepticon's voice drifted to me.
"You've gotta be nice to her, respectful at the very least....You don't understand, she's my commander, she could forbid me from... No, but.... Well yes" a pause, during which the humans spoke earnestly to the mech "you're right, when I return then, just think about it okay?" And then the humans were climbing out of his interior and Rapidflare was transforming, shaking out the kinks he'd developed by spending too much time in his alt form.
"Ready to go?" I asked as he joined me. He nodded, grinning. I got the sense he wouldn't be the only Decepticon pleased by my news.

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Rank had deteriorated within the NEST men- they still showed deferential respect to Lennox and Sergeant Cogar, called them sir without conscious thought and followed their orders without question but things were different now- more relaxed than they'd ever been when the men were legitimate.
"Alright let's get kitted up and loaded, we're out of here in ten"

"Let's roll out" Lennox called to the troops, slapping a hand on my bonnet affectionately before swinging himself up and into my cab.
"Hell yeah let's do this!" One of the men- Ryan O'Herne, yahooed to the laughs and assenting cries of his teammates as we streamed away from camp, leaving the Autobots none the wiser.