Chương 17: LOG-017.

Badump. Awaken. Resist Him. Badump. My Scourge. You Must Prevail. Badump.

[SYSTEM WIDE REBOOT: COMPLETE.] [PRIMARY PROCESSOR: ONLINE.]"I've done all I can! It's a miracle his helm is still intact after the utter pummelling he took-" I awoke blind, my processor still taking time to reconnect to my optic's systems.

"He will exit stasis. Do not presume his death, medic." But not deaf. I felt... heavy. It took a bit of effort, but I managed to lift a servo, digits grasping towards the voices who went silent at my motion.

"I... require... assistance." I heard what was unmistakably Knockout yelp as something rushed past him, before I felt a presence at my side, large talons wrapping around my servo.

"I am here, creator. Direct me." Ah. Good, she'd won the fight, then. I'd been worried that I'd imagined that particular memory.

"Jeeze, touchy feely much?" I felt the presence turn, snarling at the mouthy medic before I grunted, drawing her attention back to me.

"Lift me. My internal balance requires... adjustment." I barely heard a quiet hum of assent, before another hand grabbed me by one of my rear hardpoints, lifting me into a sitting position. Finally, the connection went through. My vision came back online. Twin golden optics stared back at me as I took a moment to inspect my creation.... I did good work. To say the least. Despite her thinner stature compared to her 'canon' counterpart, she was still far larger than the average Cybertronian.

A certain primal nature clung to her spiked frame.

"Creator?" I shuttered my optic, then turned to glance at a frowning Knockout.

"I still function." This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. The red mech nodded, idly twirling what I recognized as a soldering tool.

"That you are, no thanks to the overprotective Predacon there." That earned him a glare from the bestial femme, even as she bit back a response.

"It was only right that I protect him during his recovery. Anything less would be improper." Predaking. Predaqueen. Predawing. No no no. Those all sounded silly, attached to her. Childish.

"Hmm." The Predacon (name name name) turned back to me, her faceplate shifting in curiosity.

"Creator?" I tilted my helm, thinking aloud.

"Predacon. Too direct. Too simple. Predator. Beast. Bestial. Untamed. Un... conquered. Indomitable." I slowly pulled my servo from the confused Dragoness' grip, bringing it up to grasp her by the chin, tilting her own helm left and right. Despite her confusion, she didn't resist. How very odd. She resembled me. Before... everything. Before the mutilation. Perhaps donating part of my spark had resulted in... changes. I could only theorize what I had done differently compared to canon.

I could only ponder why she shared my old face, if more feminine in nature. I thought back to the battle. How she had snapped the dark star saber to pieces. An unstoppable force meeting an immovable object.

"Indomitus. In... dominus. Indomina." I let go, releasing my creation.

"Indomina. You are... Indomina." Confusion made way for clarity, then joy as she nodded her helm.

"As you decree, creator. I am Indomina. First of my kind."

"Commander Shockwave! Good to see you back on your pedes, sir!" I'd missed a fair bit during my recovery.

"Straighten up! It's Commander Shockwave!" Dreadwing had taken temporary command, with Soundwave having prioritised caring for a now sedated Megatron. The silent mech sequestering himself in the medbay, along with his offline Lord. Apparently I'd still been pretty out of it, considering the two had been on the other side of the room. Regardless, I'd need to deal with that at some point. I didn't trust such a basic measure to keep the corrupted revolutionary down for any real length of time.

"Get to the mess area and spread the word! Commander Shockwave's back!" Hm... he was already missing one limb. Perhaps-ah. Later. Nodding back to the twenty third Vehicon to have greeted me since my rushed exit from the medbay, I continued making my way towards the bridge, Indomina right behind me. The Predacon femme was awfully clingy, though in her defense I had been in what Knockout described as a critical state. If she hadn't intervened when she did... one more punch probably would have finished me off.

Dark Energon was no joke. And that was on top of Megatron's heavier, battle-fitted frame. Standing at the entrance to the bridge, I turned to my primal companion.

"Knockout said you remained by my side during my stasis?" She nodded, painfully familiar features twisting into a frown.

"I felt it best to remain close at hand. Especially with Megatron resting within arms reach. An unacceptable risk." I considered that tidbit of information before electing to ignore the tiny spark of satisfaction infecting my processor and responding.

"Very well. Now go refuel. I need to speak with Dreadwing and I know your frame requires a large amount of energon to function efficiently." Indomina stepped forward, mouth opening to argue no doubt, before a low growling noise interrupted her. If there was one thing I truly regretted in this world, it was that I currently lacked an eyebrow to raise as I stared at her stomach.

"Your fuel pump agrees with me. Go. Return once you are refueled." Cybertronians couldn't blush, that was an organic response to certain stimuli. Her internal cooling systems did kick up a notch though, the faintest whirring noise heard in between her mumbling as she turned around and walked off.

"How very cliche." I chuckled, then paused. Amusement. Still faint but... definitely stronger than before. On par with irritation, at the very least. Neat. Finally twisting back around, I input the appropriate command into the door's controls and stepped onto the bridge. Dreadwing greeted me, the heavy Seeker smiling in between a pair of Vehicons holding datapads.

"Shockwave! It is good to see you back online!" I nodded, walking forward to stand next to the dark blue mech.

"I am inclined to agree with you." Dreadwing chuckled, even as the troopers next to him stepped back, returning to their posts aboard the bridge's control deck.

"Yes... well. I suppose you desire to know just what happened after our little intervention?" Stepping past the mech to stare out a nearby viewport, I took a look at our surroundings. The Sea of Rust of course. And there sat the Omega Lock, good.

"Correct. I barely remember Indomina successfully disarming Megatron." I turned my helm, and at his questioning look, elaborated.

"The Predacon. She has proven herself just as much a Cybertronian as any of us. The name felt... fitting." Dreadwing nodded sagely, stepping forward to stand next to me in staring at the Omega Lock. At my silent stare, he spoke.

"The general consensus among the troops was that we should wait for your recovery before initiating the revival protocol." I nodded, even as I stepped away from the viewing port.

"Excellent. It would not do to awaken Unicron early." Dreadwing spluttered as I began to walk away, before quickly hurrying to follow after me.

"Wait-what? Shockwave. Shockwave!" I paused, a small, very much still dulled part of me slightly embarrassed at the horrified stares the bridge crew were giving me.

"Ah... I may have forgotten to mention that particular detail."