literature

Basketball, Robots, and Police Chases Chap. 15

Deviation Actions

Topkicker26's avatar
By
Published:
497 Views

Literature Text

If there was one thing Optimus did not like about being the Autobot commander, it was the interrogations. Yes, he took part in some of these interviews but most of the time he left that job to his second-in-command, Prowl, and the head of special ops, Jazz. The duo would normally demonstrate the technique called "Good Cop, Bad Cop" (as the humans would say) and use it to their own advantage. And most of time it would work. However, there were special cases where "force" was a key factor.

Although Optimus had taken part in his fair share of Decepticon interrogations, he was uneducated with the art of speaking to his own soldiers. That responsibility fell onto Jazz. The Prime knew that the mech could easily find a mole in the ranks and snuff them out in a matter of weeks. And Jazz would make sure that this mole, mech or femme, would be labeled as a traitor and not be welcomed back into the Autobot ranks.

And that was one of the Prime's weaknesses: His sense of compassion.

Now that he had to conduct his own interrogation, Optimus was determined to find a logical reason behind Mirage's mental breakdown. He had seen mechs break under pressure but nothing like this. It did come to as a shock to him but he had to think of the team as well. The Prime stood tall from across the room, his arms folded over his large chest and optics glancing over Mirage's tense frame. The assassin had been interrogated before, most of the time by Jazz who would corner him and ask him of his whereabouts when he was suppose to be on patrol.

Oh, those were the fun days.

But now, Optimus mused sadly, Jazz and Prowl were gone. They would neither lead an interrogation nor ever go off on a patrol again. He was constantly reminded of their absence every day he spent in this world. Since he and his fellow Autobots were now living on Earth, he couldn't help but think of how Jazz would have just loved this planet. It was full of different cultures and various genres of music that would have made the mech a very happy Autobot.

Oh how he hated this war sometimes. In the beginning, Optimus watched good mechs and femmes fall with every battle that appeared on their doorstep. The Prime sometimes even doubted the survivability of recruits he had met in the past. Their optics were bright with enthusiasm and were eager for the fight. It would have hurt less when he found out they had died.

He mentally sighed at that.

In short, there were moments in which he wished he was never chosen to be Prime.


Mirage, on the other hand, was a different sight. His blue optics, still slightly tinged with red, stared dully at his claws. He twirled his hand around, tiredly examining his claws and exhaling loudly. The assassin had more important things to be doing... and being interrogated by his commanding officer was not one of them. Now, the red mech had a deep respect for his commander and would do anything the Prime ordered. But there were times when Mirage's thoughts would wonder and question his leader; though they did not appear to come as often as they did. His time on the human-infested planet had changed his personality and feelings towards his teammates... especially that pesky swimmer.

Not that he would admit it of course. Humans still annoyed him to no end and he would happily leave this planet if there was a reason to. Mirage's attention was dragged from his fingers as Optimus cleared his throat. He could tell his leader was inexperienced with these types of things. Why would he since he had others to do it for him?

"Mirage, your recent behavior has caught my attention and I want to discuss it with you." The Prime spoke, stepping away from the wall.

He internally winced. Of course. "...what would you like to know sir?"

Optimus stared down at the smaller mech. "It is not a matter of 'what'; it is more of a 'why'." The Prime sat down across from the assassin. The red and blue mech chose his next few words carefully, asking, "Why did you assault Sunstreaker?"

"Like I said before I was dragged in here ... He said I had killed Jazz." He repeated his earlier statement before he had been dragged into this room for this useless interrogation.

"I know." The Prime stated bluntly. "But there is something else you are hiding. Is that right, Mirage?"

"What else is there to say Optimus? I got angry because he accused me of something I did not do." He hoped Optimus wasn't as good as picking out lies as Jazz and Prowl were. Those two knew how to hunt for them and it usually ended up with him being cornered.

The Autobot commander rubbed his face. This was already going oh so well. "Let me try this again. There is someone else involved, isn't there? And it is not Jazz to whom I am referring too. Someone else that is close to you." Optimus replied with concerned optics on Mirage.

The Prime may not be well-experienced with interrogations; but he knew when someone was lying and Mirage was slightly impressed if not annoyed too. Primus. Couldn't he leave well enough alone? It was none of his business in the first place. Mirage set his jaw as he looked into his leader's optics. "There is no one else."

Optimus was not fully convinced of his spy's response. Slowly, the red and blue mech folded his hands over the other and stared directly at the assassin. His optics were piercing, burning holes into Mirage's own optics. "Do not lie to me, Mirage. Jazz may have taught you how to lie to a Decepticon, but surely, he taught you not to lie to your superiors." The Prime remarked, optics darkening.

Mirage held his position as he ground his dental plates together in frustration before crossing his arms and glaring at the wall. "... Fine. There is someone." He muttered after a long brooding silence.

The Prime could sense the resentment coming from the assassin and said, "I am not your enemy, Mirage. Now, who else is involved?"

The spy continued glaring at the wall before faltering somewhat. Much as he would hate to admit it, Optimus was right. He wasn't the enemy. He was his Prime, his leader. But was that enough for Mirage to tell him? He spent a long time wallowing in his silence before sighing and turning to face him. "...Do I have your word that you will not say anything of this to anybody else?"

"You have my word as a Prime." The red and blue mech spoke solemnly with a small nod of his helm. "This conversation will not leave this room."

And that was as good as it was going to be, Mirage decided.

"... It's Knock Out." He started hesitantly.

"Knock Out?" Optimus repeated the confusion present in his tone. Why would the Decepticon's head medic be involved with his spy?

"He's..." Mirage couldn't believe he was telling his own commander this. "…He's my brother."

The Prime was shocked as his pieced the puzzle together. Although the two mechs were different in factions, they were both abrasive, stubborn, and hot-headed. And there were similarities in their own build as well, including that smirk they shared during battle. Optimus shuttered his optics, unsure of what to say next. He simply sighed and then looked at the sullen looking assassin.

"Why would you keep this secret at bay, Mirage?"

He laughed dryly as he sat up. "You and I both know most Autobots are not too fond of me, especially since Jazz was killed. A Decepticon as a brother would only cement the idea that I'm some kind of traitor."

"But you aren't a traitor, are you, Mirage?" The Prime asked, prying for more details and hoping that the red mech would open up to him.

"No... I'm not." He bitterly said with a laugh. "I hold no loyalty to the Decepticons. I used to believe that this war would stop as soon as it started for the good of the planet." The spy sighed before closing his optics. "But I was wrong. It continued and the Decepticons took everything away from me. My family, my home, my caste, my dignity..."

"And then Jazz found you wandering around enemy territory. He brought you back to the base and you become like a second son to him." Optimus finished sadly for the assassin.

He opened his optics but he wasn't looking at his leader as he nodded. "...yes." He breathed.

Optimus was tempted to reach out to comfort the hurting mech but decided against it. He simply lowered his head and murmured, "I am sorry for all that you have lost."

But when he did say something, it was something quite shocking. "Of course, you would be sorry..." The spy said bitterly. "I mean it's not like you ever lost someone close to you."

Optimus was slightly stunned by this. "I've lost many who were close to me. Jazz, Prowl, Ironhide... all them were close friends of mine and I mourned their loss just as you did." The Prime remarked angrily.

"Oh sure. You lost compatriots." He looked up at him."But have you ever lost any family? Or a femme who loved you and stood by your side? No, you haven't lost any family or loved ones. But I have. My family shouldn't have been in this damn war in the first place."

"And each death of those friends was just as painful as the last. I watched good mechs protect and die for their friends and families." Optimus reminded the assassin. "I am not the one who uses death as an excuse to inflict unnecessary violence against his own comrades." The Prime stated gruffly.

He abruptly stood up with a now rising temper. "At least it's better than pretending I do have an excuse!" Mirage snapped. "What about Luna? She's both your lieutenant and friend, right? Now she's on a Decepticon war-ship probably being tortured to death by Megatron, Shockwave, or perhaps both! Does that not bother you?"

The red and blue mech shot from his seat as well, his normal calm demeanor gone and replaced with new anger. "Of course it bothers me! I know that the femme who has risked her life dozens of times for the Autobots and for her commander is being held against her will aboard the Nemesis and with Megatron eager to gain new information!"

"What are you doing then to get her back then?!" He glared. "All I'm seeing is you do is dragging me into a useless interrogation over something that you know Sunstreaker deserved!"

"I am doing my job, Mirage!"

"And what is that?" The red mech growled with a glare.

The Prime was quiet at first, the question hanging heavily in his processor. He made up for his silence with a single threat: "I hereby confine you to the base until further notice. No missions. No patrols. You can only leave if you are escorting Miss Daniels back to her home."

He felt like he got slapped and he stared incredulously at Optimus before straightening looking him in the optic. "As much as you won't admit it you're going to need me in future missions."

"Now that's enough, Mirage. I strongly suggest you apologize to Sunstreaker and make yourself comfortable for the time being." Optimus snapped. "You will be here for some time." The Prime strode out of the interrogation room, slamming the door behind him and heading towards his quarters.

He just stared at where his leader exited before he slumped down in the chair. "...You know, Jazz... You told me stories about the great Optimus Prime when you took me the base for the first time..." He muttered out loud, glancing up at the ceiling as if his old mentor was there. "Primus, I even looked up to him... now I'm starting to see that maybe he's not what the stories say." Mirage shuttered his optics before resting his elbows on the table and grasping his helm between his servos.

"...What have I done?" The spy miserably whispered.


There was a thick, depressing blanket over the teens who were staying in the underground base. As for the teens, they were all eerily silent. Even though Myra and Erica did not know Lunarbolt that well, they still felt like it was a crime that she was gone from the base. The other three teens knew the feeling unfortunately very well, having experienced the prolonged absences of their Cybertronian companions far too often for their liking.

Erica leaned against Jack's shoulder, her blue eyes sad. His arm was wrapped around her shoulder, holding the girl close to his chest. The two had become close over the last few days... and ever since Bluestreak and Erica had their fight, Jack was the one there to help. The blonde sighed and looked over at her best friend. Myra had her legs up to her chest and had her arms around them, her chin on her knees. There was sense of silence that lingered over the base, as if someone had died within the past 24 hours. Miko lay on the couch with Raf, the Japanese girl had her legs draped over the arm of the chair while Raf was on the opposite side. Even at a time like this, Raf could not bring himself to pull out his laptop. Instead, the laptop lay tucked away in his bag, leaning up next to the black TV.

"You... wouldn't think you would be so attached to someone so soon.." Myra hesitantly said her voice a little awkward in the deafening silence. "And to someone so... unhuman." She furrowed her eyebrows. "It's still hard to believe there are such things as aliens. Harder even to have met them, in person."

Jack's voice broke Myra's murmurs with a confident tone in his voice. "We've all felt that way at least once." The black headed girl looked at Jack as he spoke. "And they're more human than you realize too. You just haven't really gotten to know them yet like we have."

"They're like family." Miko stated sadly.

Raf nodded in agreement with Jack and Miko. "They've always been there. Even when we didn't think we needed them..."

Jack glanced down at Erica who looked up and whispered, "Do you think they'll kill her?"

Even a question like that hung heavily in the tense air.

"She's... a tough lady. I doubt she'll let some Decepticons kick her around" Though even Jack doubted his own words. How, when he, Miko, and Raf knew exactly the kind of horror these evil beings could accomplish?

Erica sighed and buried her head into Jack's shoulder. "I hope you're right." She murmured with quick glance to Myra.

The said dark haired girl looked back and tried to offer a small smile but it faltered some. This must happen a lot around here.

Jack opened his mouth to say something to help comfort the two new girls but he was caught off guard when a normally wrench-wielding medic came rushing into the room. The five humans all leapt to their feet, jogging over to where Ratchet was working, their curiosity seeping to the surface. At the moment, the grouchy medic was bustling around the ground bridge, muttering curses under his breath. Raf, Jack, and Miko all exchanged a few glances as more of the Autobots strode into the communications bay. Most of them were silent and slightly afraid of asking the medic what was going on but Arcee was the brave one of the mechs around her.

"Ratchet, what's going on?" The blue femme asked.

The medic paused and slowly turned around with a relieved look on his face. "Lunarbolt's alive."

Most of the Autobots' and humans' reactions mirrored his own as his words finally hit them. "...how?" Myra asked incredulously.

Bluestreak was one with the brightest expression on his face. He pumped a fist into the air and laughed. "Who cares? She's alive!"

Ratchet quickly began working on the Ground Bridge when Wheeljack's voice crackled through the screen.

"Hey, Bulk. You forgot to mention that your second-in-command was nice to look at."

There was snort. "You are very lucky I am injured or I would be breaking your neck with my thighs."

The team all beamed. That was their lieutenant alright.

"Looks like you were right Jack." Myra patted the teen's shoulder smiling. "She's one tough lady. She probably showed them Decepticreeps who's boss."

The Ground Bridge opened with the familiar sound of gears whirling and twirling. All the bots in the room turned to the bridge and saw Wheeljack carrying their battered and bruised lieutenant. She was leaning heavily against the Wrecker, energon still leaking from small knife wounds. Her frame was nearly torn to shreds, wires openly exposed from her sessions with Shockwave. Ratchet pushed his way through the growing crowd and began to help the lone Wrecker with Lunarbolt, leading them towards the make-shift medical bay. Lunarbolt finally sat down on the medical berth as the team approached throwing her question after question until Ratchet was the mech to stop them from baggering their lieutenant.

"Alright! That's enough! Lunarbolt has been through enough today. Now, I suggest you should all keep quiet while I work on her. Understood?" The medic barked.

The Autobot team, both bots and humans, scooted away from the medical bay, keeping their questions hushed and but managed to steal a few glances at Lunarbolt.

After hearing the commotion from his quarters, Optimus appeared at the door and then saw Lunarbolt's smirking expression staring back at him. She slowly lifted a energon-stained servo to a formal salute and said, "Lunarbolt, Autobot Second-in-Command, reporting for duty, sir."

The conversation that Optimus that just had with Mirage, was pushed to the back of his processor as he stepped forward being mindful of their team medic. "It is good to have you back Lunarbolt." He said smiling.

The silver femme smiled and then saw Mirage enter the room. "Mirage! You are just the mech I was looking for; I have a message for you."

As the red mech walked in, he sent a sidelong glower toward the Autobot Commander before looking at her, his optic ridges furrowing. "Hmm, a message you say? From who?"

"From an old friend; he said that you would know what it meant. He says, it is better to seek permission than ask forgiveness." Lunarbolt replied solemnly as Ratchet began to fuss over her injuries.

The spy's expression was hard to read after hearing that. He knew that quote from a long time ago. He swallowed thickly, keeping his stoic face up. "... Thank you for the message." He muttered before walking off.

Lunarbolt watched Mirage walk away and then turned to her commander. She knew Mirage had gotten the hint as to who the 'old friend' was. "Sir, permission to slap Wheeljack for his earlier comments?"

The five humans all snickered, including their Autobot counter parts. Wheeljack's expression was priceless as Bulkhead clapped him hard on the shoulder. The Wrecker sent his old teammate a hard glare but kept his fear of the femme hidden.

Optimus couldn't help but chuckle as well. "Permission denied. Although, when have you ever followed orders?"

Lunarbolt only grinned and shrugged with a painful wince and gasp. Ratchet lightly smacked her on the hip. "Take it easy. Your injuries are worse than I thought." The medic grumbled with a roll of the optics. He shooed away the rest of the Autobot team, leaving himself, his commander, Lunarbolt in the medical bay.

The five humans and their partners all made their way towards the other side of the base, smiles on their faces and sighs of relief echoing behind him. Erica was probably the most ecstatic of them all since she jumped onto Myra's back and demanded a piggy-back ride...

That request was obviously denied since Myra dumped her to the floor, before running off laughing as Erica cursed from behind her.


As for the trio in the medical bay, the silence could not have been more awkward. As Ratchet examined some of the hidden patch jobs that scattered themselves over Lunarbolt's frame, he knew of these kind of patch jobs. There were not professional but not ameture either. A mech went through a great deal to make sure that these wounds would not be opened again...

Ratchet glanced up at Lunarbolt. "Hm, maybe Knock Out does know how to patch a wound."

"He is the Decepticon medic for a reason, Ratchet." Optimus then turned his attention to his lieutenant. "How do you feel Lunarbolt?"

Lunarbolt rubbed at her neck from being nearly choked to death by Megatron's death-like grip. "Like I've been thrown into the Pits, spat back out, and thrown back in again. But I've been through worse."

The femme shrugged again. "I'll be fine. Ratchet will just patch me up and I'll be good as new. You, my commander, have nothing to worry about."

Optimus did not give in. "I know you will heal physically; but I am concerned about your mental health."

The silver femme was on the defensive. "With all due respect sir, I'll be fine. If it will make you feel better, I can talk to Ratchet anytime about what happened, just not now."

Ratchet huffed. "Don't drag me into your lovers' quarrel."

The Prime shot his medic a dry look. "We're hardly 'lovers'."

Ratchet only rolled his optics as he continued working on Lunarbolt. "The word 'partners' is a better term." She offered with a snarky smile.

The medic snorted at the flirty attempt made by the femme. "Either way, do not drag me into it. I'm only the medic here. And I would hate to patch up both my commander and his lieutenant in the same day."

Optimus only shook his head and looked at the smaller femme "It is good to have you back, Lunarbolt." He spoke. "I - ehm, the team has missed you."

Lunarbolt smiled softly and yet sadly too. Those were not the words she had hoped to hear. She quickly hid her sadness with a nod. "I appreciate their concern. And yours as well." She turned to the medic. "Are you done yet?"

"Almost, though when I am done I don't want you galvanizing off like some curious youngling. Your energon levels are very low and you need to rest." Ratchet's tone was not on to be trifled with.

Lunarbolt frowned and waited patiently before Ratchet finished last few scans. After a few moments, Ratchet was done and ordered the femme to drink plenty of energon and rest often. The femme gave the medic a mock salute and prepared to hop from the medical berth but was caught by a large servo on her thin wrist.

And sure enough, it was Optimus. "Allow me to take you back to your room; it would be the least I could do." He stated. Lunarbolt looked at him quizzically and then shook her head politely.

"I'll be fine, sir. But thank you anyway." With that said the femme removed herself from the Prime's firm grip and walked down the hall to her shared quarters with Arcee.

Ratchet stood behind his commander and then asked dryly. "…Just partners?"

Optimus watched her go. "I'm only showing her courtesy, Ratchet." He curtly replied. "I hope that is alright by your standards." Was it a crime to suddenly show someone, who was a femme, courtesy?

Ratchet held his servos up in surrender and walked away, going back to his work in the medical bay. Optimus lowered his helm and walked back towards his quarters, leaving the medic to an empty room.

He let out a harrumph. "No one listens to the medic."

Hiya folks! :meow: So finally we get to chapter 15! :la: We're out of school for the summer (well she is, but I have one class in the summer so it doesn't really count XD)

Alot happens in this. Though what exactly happened on the Nemesis with Lunarbolt? Well stick around, read on and find out :XD:

<<-First: [link]
<-Previous: [link]
Next-> [link]
Last->>: N/A

BRP is in the Prime Universe. Includes Cannon characters, not so cannon characters and OCs. I was given permission by my co author :iconxprofiler-profiledx: to post the story here on dA.

Transformers Prime/ Transformers just in general (c) :iconhasbroplz:
All original characters, plot devices, etc. including our story toys ;) (c) ~xProfiler-Profiledx and *Topkicker26
© 2013 - 2024 Topkicker26
Comments25
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
GrizzlyKurtz's avatar
Ahhhh the whole time I was flipping back and forth between 14 and 15 like "Did I miss something that happened on the Nemesis??"
Luckily you explained that little bit and spared me from an eternity of bewilderment. :)