Transformers Prime: Triage

9. Awakening

Chris shook her head to clear the stars floating before her eyes. Her surroundings gradually became clear. She was back in the familiar Deception holding cell. Things were coming back to her in pieces. Voices, some familiar, others not so much.

"You've brainwashed her!"

That was Ratchet. She knew that now. Before she hadn't been able to recognize it, but that was only because someone else was pulling her strings. Was it Knockout? The red Decepticon seemed to be a likely candidate.

There was more, Chris felt far more had happened. What else could explain the strange sadness she suddenly felt? Something had happened to someone she knew, something terrible. But who?

"Human!" Knockout chimed outside the cell door. The door slid open, "Your Autobot friend told me to tell you 'goodbye'."

"Autobot friend...? Who did you hurt?!" Chris shouted, stamping her foot. She balled up her hands into fists.

"Oh, yes. That's right. You were under mind-control. That was my handiwork, you see. Couldn't have you turning against me, could I? The plan was to terminate at least one of the Autobots, and we nearly have."

"Who did you hurt?!" Chris spat each word threateningly.

"No one anyone cared about. He never liked human beings to begin with. Why he should care about you I'll never know." Knockout explained, "You know, he actually tried to save you. To think, he'll be offlined soon and it'll be all your fault."

"Offlined? Look, who-?"

"Your Autobot Medic." Knockout said simply, then he smiled at her.

Chris' face fell, "Why him? He doesn't even leave the base. They said he never got involved in battle."

She looked up, "You're lying to me."

"Suit yourself." Knockout scoffed, waving a hand.

"No, wait!" Chris stretched out a hand.

To her surprise, Knockout turned.

"Yeeesss?" He asked impatiently.

"Please, let me talk to him."

Knockout's brows went up. He shrugged, "Can't hurt."

He scooped up Chris in his pointy servos and carried her down the hall.

"After all, you've got nothing to gain by leaving your cell. As long as you're under my control you won't be going anywhere."

Chris wondered what Knockout was using to control her. If it was something he could turn on and off, how was he doing it? She couldn't ponder it too much because a door whisked open and Knockout carried her into a dark cell.

She was dropped to the floor roughly and Knockout murmured, "I'll leave you two to talk things out."

The doors slid shut.

It was dead quiet. Chris couldn't see a thing in the dark. She reached her hands in front of her and felt her way through the black emptiness.

"Ratchet?"

Her voice hissed and bounced off the walls. Then she heard something move. A pair of blue optics illuminated the darkness.

"Chris?" came a whisper. A ragged cough followed.

"Why'd you do it?" Chris asked.

"I'm sorry?"

"I mean, I thought you didn't like humans. I thought you hated us. Then you risked all of this for me? I'm just a little confused."

There was a sigh, then came the reply, "I never hated you, or the others. The truth is, you fascinated me. You're not like the other humans. You're more like..." He swallowed the lump in his throat, "Like how I used to be."

Chris came over, feeling through the dark until her hand touched cold metal. Then she slumped down against it.

"Well, thanks." She said at last, smiling a little, "You saved my life, you know."

A hoarse laugh came back, "That didn't go unnoticed, I assure you. Lot of good it will do now."

More silence. Chris sighed sadly and gazed into the dark, "Do you have a plan?"

"Even if I did, it would be useless." The answer was defeated, and spoken through clenched teeth.

"Hey, I'm sure if I give the Deceptions the slip I could get something to patch you up," Chris stood up, "How bad is it?"

Below the pair of optics Chris saw a shadow move away and a bright blue glow formed the shape of a gash. Her eyes grew wide.

"Not good..." She gasped.

...

Knockout peered through the microscope at the serum on the tray. His servos clinked thoughtfully and an occasional 'hmm' rang out through the otherwise quiet laboratory.

"Why did you call me here, Knockout?" Megatron growled, causing the red mech to lurch with a startled, 'Gah!'

The tray flew from Knockout's servos and crashed behind him. He stood in a frozen figure of shock, one arm raised over his head, the other to guard his precious finish, and one leg raised like a flamingo.

Megatron's optics tracked from Knockout's statuesque pose to the tray on the floor, "I see you have everything under control, doctor."

Knockout leaned on his desk and stammered, "Astute observation, my liege. Everything is under control! I can assure you that is not my mind control formula I spent three megacycles producing lying there on the floor-"

A squeak ended his sentence as Megatron grabbed him.

"Not the finish!"

...

"There," Chris put the finishing touches on a tourniquet made from whatever metal scraps she could find in the cell, "Your finish will need buffing, and you'll need some welding, but this will stop the leakage."

"Thank you." Ratchet replied curtly. He wasn't accustomed to humans playing doctor on him.

"Do you have a plan yet?" Chris asked, leaning on Ratchet's leg.

"Well, let's start with what we know. Your mind control, do you know the cause?"

Chris frowned, "I don't, and that creep Knockout isn't being much help."

Ratchet hummed a dismal note and looked at the floor, "Could it be he's using a subdural electromagnetic link?"

Her shoulders shrugged, "For all I know, maybe? What you just said went right over my head."

Ratchet sighed, "That's right. Human science is so limited."

"Look," Chris put a reassuring hand on his foot, "Even if I can't curb the mind control, I'm going to make sure you get out of here."

"Chris, I don't-"

"It's my fault you're in this mess, and I'll get you out, with or without me."

-
Finally posted another chapter! I know right? It's been a while. Thank you for your patience. Please understand, I have a busy life, and I procrastinate, so I apologize for slow updates. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter!