Shards (Transformers Prime, Shattered Glass)

Chapter 21

The labratory wasn't really much better than Sierra expected it, tubes and vats boiling with dark syrupy liquids and glinting tools that looked vaughly like instruments of torture.

But there wasn't any blood staining the floor so that was a plus.

Detracting from that plus was the massive cycloptic Cybertronian. No, not even a cyclops, they had one eye but still a face. This guy's face was his eye. Unlike Soundwave's blank mask there was a pinpoint of mobile light deep in the white blank plate.

Currently that light was focused on the nearest screen, tracking the scrolling glyphs.

"Sir?" The Vehicon said as he took another step into the room "Shockwave?"

"Oh hi, Z-7, I was just logging the results of the last-"

"Sir, our situation?"

"Situation?" His eye flickered.

"Megatron has come for us," Z-7's voice had an undercurrent of resigned exhaustion to it "I told you over comms five minutes ago."

"You know I never pay attention when you're talking to me over- Wait, Megatron? Where?"

"Outside," Raf piped up "Fighting Autobots."

"What is that?!" Suddenly Shockwave's face... eye was much too close for comfort and Sierra nearly fell of the Vehicon's hand. Raf, however, leaned forwards.

"We're humans. This is our planet," he explained, grinning "My name's Raf."

"Where did you get it?" Shockwave blinked, ignoring Raf.

"It came through the ceiling."

"Fascinating-"

"Yes, sir," Z-7 cut him off "But they're with Megatron. Who is here. To rescue us. We should probably-"

"Megatron?"

"Sir!"

"Oh, right, he's rescuing us. Well, where is he?"

"Fighting Autobots," Raf said, but Shockwave ignored him.

"Fighting Autobots," the Vehicon repeated dully.

"Autobots? They're here too?"

"Is he okay?" Sierra hissed up at Z-7.

"This is a good day for him."

"And you've been trapped down here with him for how long?"

"Too long."

"But the ship's engnes are completely destroyed, there's no way we'll be able to escape in it."

"The Ally has a Groundbridge," this time Raf turned to look up at Z.

"Sir, they have a Groundbridge, we'll have to abandon-"

"We can't! Some of these experiments can't be moved! I have to-"

"Stay here and get dismembered by Autobots?"

Shockwave's shoulders sank "But...But...Oh dear."

"Project 72," Z-7 said with an abrupt certainty "That's the most important. We have to save that."

"Yes, yes of course but-"

Z-7 turned and marched out of the room before Shockwavee could compile a list. Sierra realized after a second that the vehicon was shaking.

Raf seemed to realize it too and peered up at the emotionless mask "You okay?"

"Y-ye- there's really Autobots? Out there?"

"Yup."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah. Very sure."

"I've never been in a fight. I... I don't even have inbuilt weapons. I-I....The experiment," he cut himself off as he stopped in front of another set of bay doors "Just focus on the experiment Z-7478," he mumbled to himself as he keyed in a code and stepped through the doors.

Raf would have fallen headfirst from the Vehicon's hand if Sierra hadn't managed to both keep her feet and react quick enough to snag the back of Raf's shirt.

The reason for Z-7's abrupt stop was evident. This room obviously didn't usually feature the earsplitting shriek of metal on metal or white-hot lines on the wall that threatened to collapse inwards at any second.

Z-7 dumped the humans and the dog onto the table and snatched a vaughly sharp looking tool off of it.

The wall buckldd beneath the stress and Z-7 took a timid step forwards, jabbing his 'weapon' towards the vauge smoke-wreathed figure that descended into the room.

"Don't point that thing at me!" An irriatated voice snapped "I'm here to help you."

Knockout brushed the point of the instrument away and came into full view.

Raf heaved an audible sigh then raced across the table flailing his arms "Hey Doc!"

Knockout faltered, his eyes going wide with shock "Raf!?"

"Yup! It's me."

"But you where just..." Knockout pointed vaugly over his shoulder "How!?"

"We fell down a hole in the ship and ended up in here," Raf shrugged "What are you doing here?"

"Staging a rescue. Who's on this ship? Any more humans I should know about?"

"No sir," Z-7 said in reply to the questioning look the doctor shot him "Just Shockwave."

"...nevermind, no rescue."

----

"Who??" Megatron bellowed into his comm again, unable to hear anything more than the faint crackle of static above the screeching Insecticons.

"What?" Soundwave shouted back, pausing to glance over at Megatron.

"Not talking to you! Doctor-" Megatron tried again after ducking a pair of mandibles "Who is on that- Oh, OH," he batted away a hooked claw that reached for his face "No, we can't just leave him! Transmit your coordinates to the Ally and get out of there! Soundwave and I will come once we locate Raf and...you have them? Okay great, Soundwave! Time to go!"

Soundwave turned and immediatly an Insecticon blindsided him, sending him facedown into the mud.

"Soundwave!?"

"I'm fine," Soundwave's voice buzzed over the comm "But we can't leave until we find Raf."

"He's with Knockout, call Laserbeak and let's-" Optimus' fist cut off the rest of the sentence.

"Right, we'll leave as soon as I deal with Orion," Megatron blinked away the swamp muck and rolled back to his feet.

Optimus snarled and tried to hit Megatron again and punched an Insecticon instead. Megatron tried and failed not to laugh.

"Those bugs are a real asset, aren't?" he called, backing through the mud "The way they're barely controllabe, and their intellect is beyond compare, a rock would be insulted to be put on the same level as them and they're all yours!"

"You mock my army?"

"How much Energon does it take to fuel them?"

Optimus didn't even answer, just launched himself like the flightframe he wasn't towards Megatron. Who transformed and went up, doging the storm of wings and a couple of shots from Optimus, one which nailed the underside of Megatron's left wing.

"Brilliant," he growled, as he spun out of control.