Chương 15: LOG-015.

A tense silence suffused the air as our two groups met, our backs tinted green by our respective groundbridges. As I slowed down to a halt, I took in the Autobots. Arcee, Smokescreen, Bulkhead and Bumblebee all had a myriad of facial expressions twisting their features. Mostly concern, anger and fear. The small blue femme looked particularly incensed at my apparent survival, even if I could see her optics rapidly flicking between myself and the cylinder her organic partner, Jack, was trapped in.

Prime was relatively inscrutable. His optics showed little else besides determination, that signature mouthplate of his hiding the red and blue mech's lower face. Panning my helm to take them all in a second time, I broke the silence.

"Optimus." The Prime's optics narrowed slightly further.

"Shockwave. You will release the humans to our custody, immediately." I shook my helm, lifting a glaring Miko with my servo. I took notice of the green Wrecker flinching slightly as I did so.

"You are in no position to make demands. The terms of their return have been made clear. Give me the Omega Keys." My old friend's servos clenched into fists, but he slowly nodded his helm at a wary looking Smokescreen. Ah, the young elite guard had the keys magnetised to his lower back. I gestured to the flashy bot with my cannon.

"Two of the organics for one key. The last for the second. Are these terms agreeable?" Optimus nodded silently, taking a key from his subordinate and holding it out. My Zakus stepped forward, handing their captives to a relieved if defeated looking Arcee and Bumblebee. Zero silently stepped in front of me, accepting the relic in my stead. Once again, I hefted up my own cylinder, gesturing to the second Key-"Cyclops here is planning something!"

Everyone's gazes turned towards Miko, who brazenly crossed her arms at the attention.

"I mean Shockwave! He was talking with Dreadwing about Bucket hea-" The girl yelped as I brought the container up to face my optic.

"Quiet." I turned back to an all too curious looking Optimus, still holding his servo out, the relic held tightly in his grip. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

"The Key. Now." With an almost inaudible sigh, the mech handed over the second key to an already waiting Z-2. In turn, I allowed Bulkhead to step forward, letting the glaring Wrecker take his little annoyance off my servo.

"You apologised." Hm? I turned back to stare at Optimus, the former archivist having crossed his arms.

"What?" His faceplate slid aside, exposing his confused frown.

"When you abducted young Rafael. You apologised. Why?" I stilled, processor racing. Had I- fuck. I had.

"... You are mistaken." His optics narrowed as he stepped forward, in turn, I stepped backwards, my Zakus closing in around me. The Prime paused.

"... I am not. You apologised. You haven't typically done so since..." My voice was a bit louder than it should have been when I picked up where the Autobot left off.

"Since the Functionists butchered my mind? No. No I suppose I haven't." Those fucking blue optics widened slightly.

"And yet now, you have done so." For Primus' sake-really? I didn't need this right now. I spotted Bulkhead hunching over his charge's tube slightly. She was probably telling him whatever conclusions she'd managed to make.... Should have put the kids in another room entirely. Fuck. Focus. Turning back, I prepared to respond to Optimus' very much problematic line of questioning, only to pause as my comm line opened up, Megatron's voice shouting at me.

"Shockwave! Have you secured the relics yet?" Stepping backwards from Optimus' judgy stare, I answered the warlord's question.

"Affirmative Lord Megatron. The Keys are in my possession." His deep chuckle worried me slightly.

"Excellent... then there is no more reason to hold back." What?

"Wha-" That's when a flood of Vehicons erupted from the groundbridge, already moving to assault the surprised Autobots.

"Ambush!" I ducked as Arcee fired a barrage my way, the femme shielding Jack's container with her own chassis. Then a certain glowstick wielding silver mech strode out of the portal, a downright nasty grin on his faceplate.

"Decepticons! Attack!" You-you fucking idiot -oh whatever. I continued to slowly but surely retreat, my green guards covering my exit even as the mass of Decepticons continued to pursue the now very much retreating Autobots.

To Megatron's fury, his oh so brilliant ambush very much failed when his targets simply sprinted back through their own groundbridge, the tunnel shutting down and disappearing just as the warlord swung the dark star saber horizontally, unleashing a wave of violet energy that kicked up a massive wall of dust before finally dissipating.

Shaking my helm at the angered mech's roar of fury at being denied his kill, I made my way through our groundbridge, emerging to the sight of several scores of Vehicons that had seemingly been prepared to charge through and join us in battle.

"The Autobots escaped, return to your regular duties." It took a moment for the tense troopers to process my bored statement, but then they all kind of slumped, whether in disappointment or relief at my words, I couldn't tell.

"Set course for the dark side of Earth's moon! There lies what we need to travel back to Cybertron." Let it be known that a cybertronian processor is definitely more efficient than any organic brain, with my own upgraded variant blessed with an even higher quality.

"You speak of the spacebridge, my Lord?" That meant that it was easier to remember important details, such as the existence of the Omega Lock. And it's location of course.

"Indeed Dreadwing. Thanks to Shockwave's deciphering of it's general location, we are now free to retrieve it. It is unfortunate that I was unable to rip out Prime's wretched spark... but we shall merely have to settle for their helplessness to stop us from securing the Lock for ourselves. It's almost poetic, that we utilized the spacebridge to return Shockwave to our ranks, only for the mech in question to ensure our victory." At the former gladiator's pleased glance, I bowed my helm slightly.

"It was only logical." Megatron roared with laughter, alongside a quieter Dreadwing.

"Indeed!" For just a moment, the bridge felt... lighter. It brought back memories of better times. Back when Megatron was still a good guy, and the Decepticons were still revolutionaries fighting for freedom against an unjust and corrupt government. I remained silent, letting the rest of the bridge's occupants continue to chatter as I went over some last minute notes on the formula I'd been developing. I still needed to prepare an injection system of sorts. Plenty to do before we actually got to Cybertron.

Even if it was getting harder and harder to ignore Soundwave's occasional glances.