Tinman: Chapter 19

Tinman
"Chapter 19: The Terms"
By Leah Wood

Back at Autobot Headquarters …

It took nearly a half hour of chasing and a well-placed cannon shot from Bumblebee to finally stop Ironhide's obsessive search for tracks. Optimus literally had to shout the old mech out of his fixated state. Eventually, Optimus and Bumblebee managed to persuade Ironhide to head back to the airfield. The weapons specialist had spent the past thirteen hours incessantly pacing and checking the sensor monitors for any sign of Decepticons. The Autobots as well as Will had enough sense to keep out of his way during the entire time. Each hour that passed weighed heavily on all of them but Ironhide's rage only burned hotter in his Spark chamber.

"What's taking them so long, slag it!" Ironhide snarled, optics flashing, "They should have hailed us with their demands by now! WHY aren't they talking?!"

Ratchet hissed wearily-every hour he'd asked that same fraggin' question! The medic gripped one of his wrenches, contemplating throwing it at the irate black mech, but decided Ironhide would probably retaliate with much deadlier force in his current state, so he put the tool down.

Ratchet thrummed his fingers on the console, "Like I've told you for the twentieth time, they're Decepticons. They'll notify us whenever they want."

Ironhide's cannons spun as he ranted, "It's been too long. We can't just sit around here doing nothing, it's senseless!"

"Ironhide," Optimus said sharply,"Cool your processors. Getting angry isn't going to bring them back any faster."

The weapons specialist jabbed his left cannon at him, "What would you know Prime?  All you ever do is pacifistically wait around on your aft when you should be taking action!"

Optimus set his metal jaw firmly and said in a calm yet stern tone, "I'm not going to ask again, Ironhide. Please, calm yourself down."

Rumbling dangerously, Ironhide's cannons both heated up as he menacingly took a step at Optimus. The air seemed to thrum with tension. But slowly, the glowing, twin monsters powered down as Ironhide stormed out of the air hanger. Ratchet, Bumblebee, and Optimus all cleared their vents.

"I haven't seen him this mad in several breams." Ratchet mentioned.

Optimus leaned against the hanger wall shaking his head.
…

Will, meanwhile, had been sitting outside on a stack of crates lost in his own worries and thoughts as the sun peeked over the horizon. Where were his girls? Were they alright? Was Annie warm enough? Did Sara have the courage to keep them both calm? He hung his head between his knees, hands clenching his hair as his shoulders shook. He just wanted to see them. He just wanted to make sure they were still alive. All his war experiences and glances with death were nothing compared to the agony of not knowing. It was his family in danger, not him. He could live with danger to himself, but not them.

The ground around him suddenly shook when Ironhide bulled his way out of the air hanger, striding right past him. The mech's massive cannons were whirring like two giant hornets, threatening immeasurable pain upon anything in his path. Lennox could hear every vent in the black Autobot hissing deeply as he stopped several yards away, truck shoulders arched. Suddenly, the black mech roared thunderously with clenched fists. Whirling around on the spot his cannons surged forward, belching forth hot blue and orange explosions at one of the airfield sheds. Will felt his breath catch in his chest as the all too familiar wave collided with the shed and blew it apart like a house of cards. The similarity to Blackout's attack on Qatar was chilling.

Ironhide fired once more before lowering his arms and his head, cannons folding up in his wrists again. Very cautious, Will slid off the crates and approached his friend from behind. The huge black guardian didn't move-he just stood there, apparently staring at the ground. Will had dealt with angry soldiers before, their frustrations suddenly boiling over into a fit of rage that subsided as quickly as it had begun. Yet, the frustration still remained. He didn't say anything. Silent, he stood next to the big Autobot, hands in his pockets.

Eventually, Ironhide noticed him next to his foot and asked gruffly yet quietly, "What?"

Will wiped his wet face to try and compose himself a bit, "Nothing. Just waiting."

The black mech blinked slowly before rubbing the top of his left wrist. Will stood silent and still.

"How can you even talk to me?" Ironhide asked after a moment.

The man seemed confused, "What do you mean?"

Ironhide's voice hightened in volume, "OH, don't give me that Will! You know damn well why."

Will sighed, shaking his head. He didn't say anything for a few moments until, "What happened wasn't your fault Ironhide. I don't blame you for any of it."

"How?" the mech grated, "It was MY foolishness that spawned this! How could I have been tricked SO easily?"

The Captain drew a breath, trying think of what to say next when suddenly, Ironhide's whole body seemed to stiffen with attention, his optics staring almost blankly.

"Ironhide?"

The black mech made a hissing sound to shush him. He looked like he was listening to something Will couldn't hear.
…

"Well, well if it isn't the infamous Autobot weapons specialist, Ironhide." Starscream's lofty voice broke through his internal communications channel.

Ironhide answered over the link, his terrible temper threatening to strangle any diplomatic words, "Starscream you Sparkless scrap heap! How the slag did you get on this channel?"

The confidence in the Decepticon's voice was brimming, "My communications specialist is very talented."

"WHERE are they?" Ironhide demanded not hiding the fury in his voice.

"Patience, Autobot. You'll know soon enough."

"NOW! You worthless cur! I'll meet you and all the mainframe rejects you've brought with you ANYTIME, ANYWHERE!" Ironhide all but shouted over the line.

Starscream made a clicking sound, "Temper, temper. That nasty little disposition of yours doesn't bode well for the condition of my prisoners."

Ironhide clenched his fists, automatically activating his cannons in response to his anger, "If you've so much as SCRATCHED Sara or Annabelle I'll blow you into so many pieces no scanner will be able to find your atoms!"

"THEN know this Autobot. You will do PRECISELY as I say or your precious humans will pay the price!" the Seeker's voice was dead serious.

The weapons specialist growled, "What do you WANT Starscream?"

Starscream paused a moment, probably relishing the command he had of the conversation. "Just you: your weapons systems deactivated, your communications line silent, and you completely alone."

Ironhide hissed, "Where?"

"Not so fast," Starscream chided, "You will be given a rendezvous point where you will meet with Soundwave. If his report informs me that you are alone and disarmed then he will lead you to the exchange coordinates."The Decepticon's raspy voice dropped a dangerous octave, "Defy my terms and the prisoners will be tortured, painfully and slowly."

The old Autobot cleared his vents. The terms were not good. He would have to face the Decepticons alone and disarmed which meant his chances of surviving the impending encounter were not high at all. Not to mention Sara and Annabelle's survival chances were slim, even IF he complied with Starscream's demands. But their chances were absolutely zero if he didn't meet the terms.

"I will…comply." Ironhide conceded, his Spark dropping. "ONLY if BOTH Sara and Annabelle are freed unharmed and allowed to leave without any resistance."

"Done." Starscream's voice seemed to sneer. At once a topographical map flashed into Ironhide's mainframe, "Soundwave will expect you within three earth hours."

The line went silent, but Ironhide's rage roared within him, his plating vibrated trying to contain it. He looked down at Will who had remained silent during the entire private communication. The man seemed expectant.

"What happened?" Will asked.

Ironhide's optics seemed to convey sadness for the briefest instant but he said nothing. Then, without warning he reached down and picked up the man, marching briskly across the airfield.

"Whoa! Hey Ironhide, what's going on? Where are you taking me?" the Captain demanded, bracing his hands against Ironhide's fist.

The big mech didn't answer as he approached an old, above-ground, oil-storage tank half as tall as himself. Using his free hand Ironhide powerfully ripped the tank's top off and checked the inside.

Will gave him an uncomfortable look, "What are you doing?"

Gently, Ironhide deposited the man in the bottom of the empty tank. Captain Lennox jumped at his retreating hand shouting indignantly, "HEY! What is this? Don't put me in here! HEY!"

Ironhide ignored his protests and said simply, "Sorry, Will. I can't have anyone following me."

"Following you? Where are you going?" Will shouted, his voice echoing in the metal tank.

The weapons specialist paused for only a moment and then disappeared from Will's view. Outside he could hear the Autobot transform and a truck engine speeding away.

"IRONHIDE! Where are you going? Don't leave me in here!" Will shouted. "IRONHIDE!"
…

Far away in the Sierra Nevada Mountains…

Once he terminated the connection, Starscream snickered to himself, clearly pleased with his advantaged position over the Autobot, Ironhide.

"That went well. Don't you agree Soundwave?" he asked.

The communications officer dipped his head minutely, "Confirmed."

Starscream flicked his clawed hand, "Go then. Carry out my orders and bring the weapons specialist. If he tries anything, terminate him."

A faint flash crossed Soundwave's visor, "Termination not probable alone."

"Are you saying you're afraid?" Starscream hissed disdainfully.

"Negative. Probability of singularly terminating weapons specialist too low to confirm success," the grayish blue and black mech stated.

Starscream narrowed his optics darkly,"Then get creative, Soundwave. You're good at deception. Just do it, I don't care how."

"As you command." Soundwave hummed, activating his flight thrusters and shooting off into the sky.

The Seeker leader watched his soldier disappear and then cocked his head when he heard Thundercracker approach.

"You'd better have my prisoners." he hissed.

The blue jet Con lifted the two humans in each fist. "Here are the prisoners, your worship." Thundercracker growled, uttering the address with blatant sarcasm.

Starscream's red optics glinted and in an instant he leveled his null ray cannon squarely at the Seeker's head, "Your insolence is noted, Thundercracker."

The big jet froze, staring down the barrel of the deadly weapon. At such point-blank range Starscream's null ray would most certainly off-line him for good. In a normal combat situation, Thundercracker knew he could stand wing to wing with Starscream and beat him, but this was underhanded blind-siding.

His optic shutters flicked, "Hey, easy Starscream. I was just…" he tried to smooth over his earlier act of disrespect.

"Get on your knees you incompetent waste of alloy."Starscream's optics widened, his voice menacing.

Annabelle covered her face from Starscream's fearsome look, shrinking into Thundercracker's fist with a whimper. Sara tensed, holding her breath knowing any blast from that huge weapon would probably kill all three of them.

Not knowing what else to do, Thundercracker grudgingly lowered himself to his knees, his optics burning along with his pride.

Starscream cocked his head pointedly, "NOW address me properly."

The big Decepticon's metal temperature rose, his strong jaw grinding harshly, "I've brought your prisoners…Lord Starscream."

Narrowing his optic shutters, Starscream seemed to consider his sincerity a moment. Slowly, he brought the tip of his null ray to Thundercracker's forehead and tapped it toyingly.

"There now. See what a little respect can get you? You get to keep functioning." he purred malevolently as he removed the deadly weapon from the soldier's head.

"Since you seem so fond of the human prisoners you can pull double guard duty," the Decepticon leader spat, activating his thrusters, "Lose them again and I'll rip off both of your wings. Am I clear?"

Thundercracker rumbled, "Transparently."

With a high pitched roar of ignition, Starscream soared off the ground into the sky. Thundercracker gave his commander the deadliest look he could before growling something in deep Cybertronian. Sara winced as the Decepticon's grip tightened around her in response to his anger. She fervently prayed he wouldn't squeeze much harder.

After a moment of fuming, his red optics flicked from Annabelle to Sara introspectively.

He brought Sara closer to his optics,"Listen up fleshy. You pull another escape and it's my aft, so don't even think about escaping or I'll make you wish you both had drowned. GOT IT?"

Sara nodded. The big Con rumbled a deep growl in his broad metal chest before placing them both on the ground. As quickly as she could, Sara rushed to her daughter, holding her tightly as Thundercracker settled back into a sitting position, resting an arm across a bent knee. Doing likewise, Sara and Annabelle sat down in silence. Nearly an hour passed before a very restless Annabelle tugged at her mother's shirt.

"I'm hungry, mommy." she whined.

The woman knew it would come to this eventually, but she wasn't sure exactly how their guard would respond to a plea for food. Not to mention she wasn't sure if there was any suitable nourishment nearby.

"I'm hungry too honey, but I don't have any food." Sara whispered.

Annabelle whimpered, her stomach growling almost on cue, "I'm hungry now!"

"Shh. Annie."

"I'm HUNGRY." she whined louder.

"Stop making that high pitched noise." Thundercracker snapped with irritation.

Knowing her daughter wasn't going to keep quiet, Sara slowly stood up to face the Decepticon.

He narrowed his optics suspiciously at her until she said, "We're hungry."

"You're what?"

Again she rephrased into more machine-terms as she had done for Soundwave, "We need nourishment. Our bodies require fuel."

"I don't have any Energon on me." the blue Con grumbled.

"Humans don't eat Energon. We eat food."

Thundercracker seemed puzzled, his metal face-plates shifting, "Food?"

Sara nodded, "Yes. It's how we survive. It's our fuel."

The jet mech muttered peevishly, "Well I don't have any 'food' either so keep quiet."

The woman wiggled her fingers next to her side nervously. She could keep quiet but she knew Annabelle wouldn't and the only thing that would stop her pleas was food.

"Please. We need food to live." Sara begged.

"You're saying you'll off-line if you don't get food right now?"

Sara nodded deeply, knowing a little embellishment of the truth might help, "Yes. We will die if we don't get food."

Some flame flashed inside the afterburners on the Con's back. "So you want me to let you find this food?"

"I swear on my life and my daughter's life that we won't try to escape. We just want food." the woman swore solemnly.

Thundercracker seemed to smirk, "All right. Go find your food."

Surprised, Sara backed up and reached down to take Annabelle's hand. Her heart nearly leaped out of her mouth when Thundercracker's huge hand slammed down between them like a metal wall.

"No, no, no. I never said both of you." One of his fingers curled out and shoved her back, "You can go find this 'food'. She stays with me. You have fifteen of your minutes to return and for her sake you'd better not be late."

The blonde woman swallowed nervously calling out, "Stay there Annie. Don't be scared, mommy will be back with some food."

"K." Annie's voice replied in a frightened tone.

Cautious, yet hurried the woman moved off to find something for them to eat.

"I've got my sensors on you." Thundercracker warned.
……

Thundercracker internally adjusted his optics to matter-penetrating infrared once again, watching Sara meander into the trees. The Con knew she wouldn't go far, not when he had her offspring. The human femme seemed unusually attached to her young one. Anytime they became separated her bio signature would erupt into a flurry of anxiety and when they were together it would calm down. Right now her bio signature was alive with readings of high heart rate, elevated fluid pressure, increased air intake, and surging bio chemicals. It didn't take a medic to read the signs: she was scared out of her mind that something would happen to her offspring. It seemed odd to Thundercracker that the femme would devote that much energy and concern for something she could so easily replace. Humans multiplied like nanobots. Why was this offspring so important?

The blue Decepticon tipped his helmeted head at the human offspring sitting beside his hand. Very slowly, he lightly pinched her between his thumb and index finger, lifting her up for a closer inspection. The little creature's body stiffened at his touch as it closed its eyes tightly. He couldn't see anything special about this tiny speck of carbon and water. Warp was right, how did these things survive?
……

Annabelle kept her eyes shut tightly as the huge Decepticon picked her up again. She didn't mind when Ironhide picked her up but these Decepticons were scary-especially that big grayish brown one with the mean voice. He was really scary. He even seemed to scare this big blue one called Thundercracker. Eventually, Annabelle split her eyes open only to be greeted by the Decepticon's glowing crimson optics. She gasped but didn't look away this time. Instead she stared back at him, taking in the intricate details of his design: huge panels jutting from his shoulders, a glass cockpit in the middle of his chest, and angled broad jet wings poking out from either side of him.

The little girl suddenly forgot her fear, entranced by the huge, shimmering, blue, plane wings spanning Thundercracker's back. Being this close to him with her eyes wide open instead of shut in fear, she'd never noticed the shininess of the plating. It was like Optimus Prime's flame paint except not as sparkly. To her they looked almost like the blue butterfly wings from her picture books.

"Pretty!" she exclaimed without really thinking.

Thundercracker blinked, pulling his head back, "What?"

She cringed under his booming voice but tentatively pointed to his right wing, "Pretty wing."

The Decepticon was baffled and habitually glanced over at his wing, the pride of his design. He, like the other Seekers, was quite vain when it came to his gift of flight and he doted on his wings with fervent care. Thundercracker could scarcely believe this mere human offspring had complimented him. No one complimented him. He honestly didn't know how to respond.

"Can you fly?" the little human then asked.

Thundercracker snorted, "Of course I can. What good are wings if you can't use them?" Shaking his head, he smartly returned her to the ground, rumbling, "Flattery will get you nowhere fleshling."

Annabelle continued to stare at him, though the Decepticon did his level best to ignore her gaze and focus on Sara's heat signature several yards away. Finally, the woman returned carrying several apples in her shirt.

When she got to Annabelle she announced gently, "Look Annie. I found an apple tree."

Seeming very happy at her mother's return and the cluster of fresh apples Annabelle eagerly rushed up to her. Sitting down the two females started eating the fruits greedily. Their Decepticon guard watched the behavior curiously yet disgusted. How did they expect to extract energy from such an insufficient fuel source? He shook his head disdainfully-humans were such hopeless little creatures.