Don't steal my sunshine

Chapter 2

"Ngh...." Wheeljack groaned, slowly regaining consciousness. His vision flickered a bit as he turned his head to look around.

He tried to move, but he was pinned underneath a heavy sheet of metal. He suddenly remembered Ratchet and frantically looked for him, trying to push the metal off so he could get up.

"Ratchet? *cough cough* Can you hear me?" He called out softly, his air vents still clogged with smoke.

"Mmph, yeah..." Ratchet moaned, slowly opening his optics.

Wheeljack winced as his feeble attempts to escape failed. He lay back and sighed, looking over at Ratchet. "Are you okay?"

Ratchet got to his pedes, brushing himself off. His armor was dented in several spots and he was covered in ash and soot, but otherwise alright. "Yeah, what about you?" He mumbled, rubbing his helm.

"Um, I couldn't say the same actually."

Ratchet's optics shot open and he spotted Wheeljack trapped under some metal. He ran over, pushing aside debris. The smell of smoke lingered in the air, making hard for them to breathe.

"Hold on Wheeljack, I'll get you out." Ratchet coughed, waving away some smoke before changing his hand into a blow torch. He carefully began to cut away at the metal, making sure he wasn't cutting into Wheeljack's armor.

When he was finished, he dragged Wheeljack out from under it and sat down.

Wheeljack panted, flinching at the pain coming from his legs. "How are we gonna get out of here?"

"We'll contact base and tell them to send a groundbridge. You're in no condition to travel." Ratchet sighed, examining Wheeljack's wounds.

"You aren't either." Wheeljack chuckled, pushing himself into a sitting position.

"Leaving so soon?" A harsh voice said behind them.

They both jumped to their pedes, regardless of their injuries. Wheeljack regretted his decision of jumping up and fell back to his knees, groaning in pain.

"Wheeljack!" Ratchet exclaimed, holding his shoulder tightly.

The biggest part of the wreckage was thrown off of them, revealing the Decepticons standing with their weapons pointed at them.

"You Autobots think we would just let you leave and go home? Weaklings.." Starscream growled, kicking dirt at them.

"What do you want, Screamer?" Wheeljack retorted, looking up from his downed position. He cursed his leg pistons for not allowing him to stand up and face Starscream optic to optic.

"Nothing but information. You two are a lucky find indeed..." Starscream sneered as two vehicons circled around behind them unnoticed.

Ratchet gasped in shock as he was hit from behind on the head, knocked out cold. Wheeljack's optics widened and he growled, trying to stand up. He too met the same fate as Ratchet, falling down next to him unconscious.

Starscream laughed, turning around and looking up at the sky. -Starscream to base, we have something of great interest to Lord Megatron. Requesting a groundbridge.- he commed the Nemesis.

-Roger that.- a vehicon replied, opening a groundbridge portal nearby.

The limp bodies of Wheeljack and Ratchet were dragged across the ground away from the wreckage, disappearing in the depths of the portal. The portal blinked out of existence, trapping them on the Nemesis.

-On board the Nemesis, Wheeljack's POV-

Wheeljack's optics slowly opened, looking around at his surroundings. There was a dull pain in his head and he could feel a processor ache coming along. He was down on his knees, but this time someone was holding him up.

He lifted his head, staring right at Megatron, who was standing in front of him. He growled and struggled against his captors, earning a kick to his back.

Suddenly, he felt a pain in his spark and cried out, clenching his denta together. He felt coolant pool in his optics in response to the immense pain. He remembered the bond he shared with Ratchet and realized that he was feeling his pain.

"Where's Ratchet?! You better not lay a finger on him!" Wheeljack snarled, recovering from the pain spike and pulling against his captors again.

"Oh don't worry, he's in good hands...." Megatron chuckled in a gravelly voice, looking down at Wheeljack. "As for you, I have something better in store..."

Wheeljack's optics widened and he growled, trying to get to his pedes. A loud creaking noise was heard as his leg pistons failed to hold up his weight and he fell forward again.

"What a shame.." Megatron sneered as the two vehicons holding Wheeljack hauled him away.

As he was being dragged down the hallway, he felt another stab of pain from the bond he shared with Ratchet. He cried out again, not being able to take the pain.

"Whats his malfunction?" One of the vehicons asked the other, glaring down at Wheeljack.
The other one shrugged and kept walking.

When they reached their destination, the large doors slid open, revealing the dark interior of the room. They tossed Wheeljack into it, slamming the doors behind him.

Wheeljack writhed on the ground in pain from both his legs and the pain from Ratchet. When the pain stopped, he lay still and panted heavily.

It wasn't until a faint orange glow appeared behind him that he realized where he was.

"Hello Autobot.... I believe we've met before.." a low, raspy voice growled.

"Scrap..." Wheeljack mumbled, rolling over to face the Predacon.

He was in the lair of Predaking, the largest Predacon he'd ever seen. Predaking was the one who tried to obliterate him a few weeks ago when he was last captured.

"I enjoy seeing you tremble in fear, for this is going to be the worst experience of your pathetic life..." Predaking snarled, flapping his large wings as his chest glowed bright orange.