The footsteps of metal feet echoed loudly in the corridor. The
robot walked briskly and purposefully, trying not to seem as if
he was in a hurry, especially in a hurry to hide away from the
others.
When he was far away from prying optics, when he was sure he
was alone, Prime leaned against the wall and let himself relax
slightly. He truly loved his Autobots and did everything in his
power to protect them, but there were some days, this day in particular,
when they threatened to overwhelm him. When he felt the pressure
mounting up, he managed to slip away to be by himself and enjoy
a few moments of peace.
Prime couldn't help but feel a small twinge of guilt. After
all, he was the Autobot leader, and as such he had many responsibilities
that couldn't be neglected. But then again, he had taken care
of his duties for the day, and the others could always radio him
in an emergency. He usually put others before himself, but a
part of him knew that he would be of no use to them if he let
the stress drag him under.
He pushed himself off the wall and gazed around his surroundings.
He knew it was dangerous to venture into the catacomb of tunnels
that ran below Cybertron's surface, but he was always very careful
to stay in the tunnels he was familiar with. He knew full well
that the Quintessons had set up ancient defenses in the lower
corridors, and he wasn't eager to find them.
He walked a bit deeper into the tunnel, feeling the need to put
a bit more distance between him and the troubles on the surface.
Once again the Autobots and the Decepticons were stalemated.
There was a tense and uneasy silence from both sides as each
searched for an advantage to use against the other. Prime knew
that this was just the calm before the storm. He prayed that
the Autobots would be able to gain an advantage in time.
The echo of his footsteps on the metallic floor died out as he
came to a halt. Without realizing it, he had wandered into an
unfamiliar tunnel. That was no problem for him; all he had to
do was turn around and walk back to familiar territory. The tunnel
that he frequently traveled was within sight of his current position.
He started towards it, in no particular hurry.
As he walked forward, he stepped squarely on a hidden button
imbedded in the floor. With a sudden feeling of horror, he felt
the floor drop away beneath him. He felt himself plummet through
the open space. He felt the air rush by him, and braced himself
for what was sure to be a painful landing. With a loud, reverberating
clang, his body slammed into the metal floor far below.
He lay still for several moments, waiting for the agony to subside.
Grunting in pain, he tried to stand up. He soon realized that
this was a big mistake. His feet gave way on the sharply slanted
floor, and he felt himself sliding backwards.
Reaching out, he grappled desperately at the sloped surface as
his feet scrambled to find some sort of purchase. He was able
to slow his descent gradually, and then finally come to a stop.
He glanced over his shoulder and nearly lost his grip. No more
than two feet behind him lay a yawning precipice. Uttering a
silent prayer of gratitude to Primus, he slowly pulled himself
forward. After what seemed like an eternity, he reached the top
of the slope. Beyond this point, the floor was level and easily
traversable.
Pulling himself to his knees, Prime slowly stood up and gazed
around. Everything looked normal, but having already encountered
a trap, he wasn't eager to run into another.
Craning his neck he looked up. And up, and up. The ceiling,
which had been the floor he had walked on several minutes ago,
was so incredibly high he began to feel a bit dizzy, despite the
efforts of his equilibrium circuits to adjust. He could no longer
see the trap door. , he
reasoned. That worried him. Some other unsuspecting soul could
wander in and fall into the same trap. That time, they might
not be as lucky as he had been.
//Well, at least I'd have some company//, he chuckled softly.
Come to think of it, he wasn't eager to spend any more time down
here than he could avoid. //Guess it's time to call in the
cavalry.// He squelched the feeling of embarrassment that rose
up. He knew that he was going to look bad if he called for help
to extract him from the bowels of Cybertron, where he had no business
being, but at that point he didn't really care. He just wanted
to be out of there. This place was beginning to give him the
creeps.
"Prime to Autobot base. Come in," he called through
his communicator. "Are you receiving me?" His only
reply was the crackle of static. He tried again. "Is anyone
receiving me? This is Optimus Prime. Prowl? Jazz? Bumblebee?
Anyone?"
He shook his head in resignation. He was too far down for his
comm signal to penetrate to the surface. //Damn!// he thought
to himself, allowing himself the luxury of using a human curse.
//I never should have come out here! I knew it was dangerous,
yet I insisted on being as alone as possible. Well, that worked
out better than I could have possibly imagined. I couldn't possibly
be more alone down here.//
"Stop feeling sorry for yourself!" he snapped out loud.
He jumped when his words echoed off the tunnel walls and came
back to him. //I've got to think rationally about this. There
must be a way out of here somehow. I just have to search for
it.// With that thought, he started off along the corridor,
determined to find a quick and easy exit.
* * * * *
"Those dirtbag Decepticreeps!" Ironhide exclaimed angrily.
"They must have Optimus Prahme! We've got to go rescue
him!"
"Not so fast, Ironhide," Prowl said calmly. "We
have no proof that they have him." He held up his hand as
Ironhide began to protest. "You are correct, however. Since
Optimus Prime is missing, and we have had no success in contacting
him, we must assume that something has happened to him. Naturally,
the most likely suspects are the Decepticons. I'll keep your
theory in mind, Ironhide. Thank you." Ironhide shook his
head and walked away, dumbfounded.
"Prowl!" Blaster called from his station. "I've
got an incoming message!"
"Is it from Prime?" Prowl asked, walking over to the
communications station.
Blaster looked perplexed. "No, it's -- it's the Decepticons!"
If the situation hadn't been so serious, Blaster would have relished
the startled look that appeared on Prowl's face. "They have
no logical reason to contact us," he decided. "What
do they want?"
Blaster's expression became even more confused. "It's Soundwave.
He's demanding the return of Megatron."
Ironhide shook his head. "Ah knew it. They're all nuts."
"It must be some kind of trick," Blaster declared.
Prowl nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, perhaps it is meant to
confuse us. Establish visual contact."
Blaster pressed a few buttons and twisted a few dials. Soundwave's
form appeared on the main screen, somehow managing to look angry,
despite the fact his masked face and monotone voice seemed incapable
of emotion.
The Decepticon spoke to the assembled Autobots. "I repeat,
Autobots, we demand the return of Megatron. There can be no room
for debate."
"Aw, go chew on a microchip," Ironhide growled. "You're
not fooling anyone. We know you've got Prahme, and we demand
you release him at once!"
Soundwave's visage remained impassive, but his voice held a tone
of anger. "Do not mock me, Autobot. I know nothing of your
leader's whereabouts. You will release Megatron at once. If
you do not comply--"
"What are you up to, Soundwave?" A shrill voice interrupted
him. Soundwave whirled to face Starscream. "Surely you're
not trying to bargain for Megatron's return."
Starscream smiled mockingly and turned to the screen. "Well,
hello there. It seems that I am in your debt, Autobots. Capturing
Megatron was a stroke of brilliance. Now I am in command, as
it should have been long ago. Don't bother returning that rust
heap, he isn't needed. The Decepticons now have a capable leader
in command."
Prowl frowned at the screen. "Your charade is unconvincing,
Starscream. I'm surprised Megatron would let you get away with
such statements, even though it is simply a trick. We know you
are holding Optimus Prime hostage, and we demand his return!"
"Optimus, a hostage?" Starscream's smug expression
faltered. The Autobots' claim made no sense. But it was no matter,
he knew an opportunity when he saw one. The fact that he had
no idea what had become of Prime was of no concern to him. "Ah,
yes, of course. We have your precious leader, and if you do not
surrender at once, he will be terminated! Returning Megatron
to us will not be enough. You have been warned." With a
gesture to Soundwave, the screen went blank.
"Well, at least we learned one thing," Prowl sighed.
"The Decepticons are not holding Prime prisoner."
"What are you talkin' about?" Ironhide asked incredulously.
"You heard Starscream!"
Prowl nodded. "Yes, and I also closely observed his reaction
to the news that Optimus Prime was missing. His confused expression
showed that he has no idea of our leader's whereabouts. He was
simply trying to force our hand by claiming to have captured him."
Ironhide looked unconvinced. "If the Decepts didn't capture
him, then where is he? Why can't we contact him? And what is
this business with Megatron?"
Prowl uttered a sentence that most have never heard him say.
"I don't know, Ironhide. I just don't know."