Transformers Prime: Sparkbeat {Completed}

Chapter 12: Yikes

Ratchet's POV:

I let out a surprised, muffled cry as someone pulls me away from the computer.

"Ssshhhh." A menacing voice growls, his voice is deep and dangerous. Alto!

Alto is stronger and bigger than me-- the chance of escaping him is slim. Struggling isn't going to help this time.

Alto has one hand over my mouth, and the other chaining my servos behind my back. Vess strides over to the computer, sending me a dark glance.

"Ratchet, it's been a while." She snickers, sly and menacing.

My servos are chained, so Alto releases his grip and takes a small step back, but stays close enough that if I try anything he'll be there to stop me.

"What do you want?" I growl, shifting my wrists uncomfortably in the chains.

Vess tilts her helm. "Only the destruction of your blasted kind, and by the looks of it, that won't be long from now."

What? Vess starts typing on the computer, and in an instant I know what she's doing. She's disabling the shields. Scrap!

"Shut em up, will you Alto? I need to call Megatron and tell him it's clear." She says to her compatriot, optics locked on the screen.

Alto does something behind me, then covers my mouth with a long scrap of metal, or something. I try to twist away, but the mech is strong and forces me to stay still. Now silenced, all I can do is watch.

"Lord Megatron, I've disabled the shields.You should be able to get a fix on my coordinates." Vess calls, and sits back waiting for a reply.

"Well done Vess. We will be there shortly." The Decepticon warlord answers, and the line is cut off.

Alto tightens his grip on my and forces me to the side, my growl of protest is muffled.

"Stay quiet if you know whats good for you." He growls, and digs his claws into my right arm, the one he's holding. I let out a small, muffled yelp of pain as energon begins to run down my arm.

"When it comes time for the execution bind his ankles so you can help Megatron." Vess orders to Alto, and I don't see Alto's response because my back is to him.

Execution? Realization crawls into my spark.  Optimus get here quickly!

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Optimus's POV:

Starscream and the vehicon drones flee, transforming into vehicle mode and speeding off.

"Only three of them, and all of us had to come out here?" Ultra Malachite puts a servo on her hip and tilts her helm.

"Optimus, all the energon here... It's like its been planted here for us." Everence bends over and picks up an energon stone, ready to be processed.

I nod grimly. Only three decepticons to guard this energon; a mine's worth of energon out in the open. Something isn't right.

"Ratchet, we need a groundbridge." Raising a digit to my audio receptor, I say over the com link. There is no response.  "Ratchet." I repeat, again, nothing. "...Ratchet?" Now my voice is filled with worry. What's wrong?

A bridge opens up, but Ratchet hasn't yet responded. Everence walks through first, and Ultra Malachite and I come through second, Bumblebee and Arcee next, and Bulkhead stays at the rear.

My spark tightens when I enter the base and look around;  Ratchet is chained and gagged beside the computer with Alto guarding him, Vess is at the computer, Megatron is standing beside Alto and the majority of the Decepticon ranks are in the base, weapons raised and ready to fire. Knockout snickers and Starscream crosses his arms, both with a sinister grin.

"Optimus! Welcome back." Megatron steps forward, his faceplate haunted by a dark smile.

"Megatron..." I growl, my optics shifting from Megatron to Ratchet.

"Now I suggest you surrender, since there isn't a way to escape." The warlord gestures to Vess, who closes the groundbridge.

My spark beats a mile a nanocycle. "And if we refuse?"

Alto smiles, pulls out a sword and holds it to Ratchet's neck, making sure to scrape it along the medic's  shoulder. Ratchet slightly wimpers in pain, but his optics plead me not to surrender. I have to.

"Autobots..." I begin reluctantly. "Surrender."