RE: sister_dear I have a WAY WAY LATE Cutoff fic for you. ;-;
First of all I really, really meant to finish this back in October, but then several things happened that sidetracked that plan. There was a death in my immediate family and two days later my computer went down. Writer's block set in soon after so even though I got the computer fixed two weeks ago I was not able to come up with something until tonight. I am really, really sorry that this is so late, and I apologize for the quality of the story. Dark stuff if not really my forte as of late. T_T
An eerie silence filled the crumbling corridors of the rundown building. Reports said that it had once been the primary medical center for this sector. After the Decepticons took control of the area they had converted it into a makeshift prison for any Autobot who was unfortunate enough to fall into their clutches. There was evidence to suggest that it was also used as a chop-shop. Cutoff had found several butchered cadavers while searching the lower levels, limbs and vital systems missing and entire sections of armor torn off. How nice of the Cons to recycle the bodies of those whose lives they stole. Other signs of Decepticon activity could be found scattered through-out the building: stockpiles of fuel existed on each level and personal effects were stashed in former offices that had been turned into private quarters. But where were the Cons? Cutoff had not crossed paths with a single enemy soldier since she first sneaked into the gloomy structure.
Cautiously inching toward a bend in the hallway she forced her senses and scanners to their limits in an attempt to detect unwanted company. Her unease with the situation increased tenfold when nothing turned up on her sensors. Where were they? She began to open a communications link with her team leader when her audios picked up the echoes of a distant scream. Throwing a fraction of caution to the wind Cutoff picked up her pace and hurried forward to follow the sound before the last of the echoes faded away. Where there was screaming there was likely to be Cons, and where there was Cons there was likely to be a missing Autobot or three.
More screams joined the first in the darkness and Cutoff cursed when she pinpointed their origin. They were coming from a level she had already searched. Taking the stairs three at a time she raced down several stairwells, her processor whirling with angry thoughts. There is no way she could have missed anything. Her exploration of each level had been thorough. Scowling, she shoved the thoughts aside. How and why something had been overlooked was not important. All that mattered at present was determining whether the screams belonged to friend or foe.
The scent of freshly spilt energon hung heavy in the air as she neared her destination and she had to resist the urge to shudder. Reaching the bottom of the stairwell Cutoff pressed herself against the wall and gingerly edged forward to peer around the corner, one of her cannons humming quietly in readiness should it be needed. A small window of flickering light pierced the murky shadows at the far end of the hall. Her sensors detected a pair of life signs in the room beyond, but no others. Feeding more power to her cannon Cutoff slowly made her way forward, taking great care to make her steps as light as possible.
“Tch, such an uncooperative bot,” she heard a sultry voice purr halfway to the room. A pained whimper shortly followed, punctuated by another scream and a sickening snap.
“I t-told you that I d-don’t know anything!”
“And I told you that that was the wrong answer!”
Another snap, followed by a shrill whistle saturated with fear.
Reflexively gritting her dental plates Cutoff crouched outside the doorway. The sight that she beheld caused the contents of her tank to churn. A young mech sat tethered to a chair bolted to the floor, his armor badly dented and energon streaming from busted lines. A slender femme stood before him, her crimson optics blazing and her faceplates set in an expression of twisted amusement as she absently tossed something up and down for a few astroseconds before letting it fall. Cutoff bit back a gasp when she realized that the object was one of the mech’s fingers. Fighting down her rising anger she activated her homing beacon and sent a silent message to the rest of her team.
“Now, I am going to ask you again,” the Deception said, her voice once again dropping to a purr. She circled around to stand behind her prisoner and grasped one of the fins that decorated his helm. Leaning forward she whispered into his audio. “Where will your precious Prime strike next?”
“I don’t know I don’t know!” the mech squealed, straining against his bonds.
“Too bad,” was the femme’s response. Taking a step back she quickly twisted the fin in her hand and pulled, ripping it free from the rest of his helm and casually tossing it over her shoulder.
“Stop, please!” her captive sobbed, writhing in the restraints and whining in agony. “Let me go, please!”
“Let you go?” the Con echoed while walking around to his front again. Standing before him she canted her head to one side and observed the tormented soldier for several long moments, purposely drawing out his suffering. Finally she sauntered up to him, shoving his knees apart so that she could stand between his legs. Before Cutoff could react the femme drove a clawed hand deep into the mech’s chest and wrenched his spark chamber free, dangling it before his face before brutally crushing it.
Roaring in fury Cutoff abandoned her position by the door and tackled the surprised Con. Together they fell, the remains of the spark chamber landing mere meters from them. Pinning the small femme beneath her Cutoff snarled and shoved her pulse cannon into the face of her new opponent. The Decepticon shook her head and blinked up at the Autobot, her expression shifting from dazed confusion to something that bordered on arrogance.
“Well, well, what have we here?” she asked in mock innocence.
“The one who is about to end your pitiful existence,” Cutoff growled back, her cannon barrel glowing red-hot. Before she got the chance to fire it something slammed into her and sent her flying to the other side of the room. Scrambling back to her feet she brought up her weapon to aim and found herself being glared down by a massive Decepticon mech who had his own weapons focused on her.
“If you want her you will have to go through me, Autobot,” he rumbled, optics narrowing as he moved to block any shot she had at the femme behind him.
Her other arm transforming into a cannon Cutoff faced him with a grim, predatory glower. “Bring it on, Con.”
An eerie silence filled the crumbling corridors of the rundown building. Reports said that it had once been the primary medical center for this sector. After the Decepticons took control of the area they had converted it into a makeshift prison for any Autobot who was unfortunate enough to fall into their clutches. There was evidence to suggest that it was also used as a chop-shop. Cutoff had found several butchered cadavers while searching the lower levels, limbs and vital systems missing and entire sections of armor torn off. How nice of the Cons to recycle the bodies of those whose lives they stole. Other signs of Decepticon activity could be found scattered through-out the building: stockpiles of fuel existed on each level and personal effects were stashed in former offices that had been turned into private quarters. But where were the Cons? Cutoff had not crossed paths with a single enemy soldier since she first sneaked into the gloomy structure.
Cautiously inching toward a bend in the hallway she forced her senses and scanners to their limits in an attempt to detect unwanted company. Her unease with the situation increased tenfold when nothing turned up on her sensors. Where were they? She began to open a communications link with her team leader when her audios picked up the echoes of a distant scream. Throwing a fraction of caution to the wind Cutoff picked up her pace and hurried forward to follow the sound before the last of the echoes faded away. Where there was screaming there was likely to be Cons, and where there was Cons there was likely to be a missing Autobot or three.
More screams joined the first in the darkness and Cutoff cursed when she pinpointed their origin. They were coming from a level she had already searched. Taking the stairs three at a time she raced down several stairwells, her processor whirling with angry thoughts. There is no way she could have missed anything. Her exploration of each level had been thorough. Scowling, she shoved the thoughts aside. How and why something had been overlooked was not important. All that mattered at present was determining whether the screams belonged to friend or foe.
The scent of freshly spilt energon hung heavy in the air as she neared her destination and she had to resist the urge to shudder. Reaching the bottom of the stairwell Cutoff pressed herself against the wall and gingerly edged forward to peer around the corner, one of her cannons humming quietly in readiness should it be needed. A small window of flickering light pierced the murky shadows at the far end of the hall. Her sensors detected a pair of life signs in the room beyond, but no others. Feeding more power to her cannon Cutoff slowly made her way forward, taking great care to make her steps as light as possible.
“Tch, such an uncooperative bot,” she heard a sultry voice purr halfway to the room. A pained whimper shortly followed, punctuated by another scream and a sickening snap.
“I t-told you that I d-don’t know anything!”
“And I told you that that was the wrong answer!”
Another snap, followed by a shrill whistle saturated with fear.
Reflexively gritting her dental plates Cutoff crouched outside the doorway. The sight that she beheld caused the contents of her tank to churn. A young mech sat tethered to a chair bolted to the floor, his armor badly dented and energon streaming from busted lines. A slender femme stood before him, her crimson optics blazing and her faceplates set in an expression of twisted amusement as she absently tossed something up and down for a few astroseconds before letting it fall. Cutoff bit back a gasp when she realized that the object was one of the mech’s fingers. Fighting down her rising anger she activated her homing beacon and sent a silent message to the rest of her team.
“Now, I am going to ask you again,” the Deception said, her voice once again dropping to a purr. She circled around to stand behind her prisoner and grasped one of the fins that decorated his helm. Leaning forward she whispered into his audio. “Where will your precious Prime strike next?”
“I don’t know I don’t know!” the mech squealed, straining against his bonds.
“Too bad,” was the femme’s response. Taking a step back she quickly twisted the fin in her hand and pulled, ripping it free from the rest of his helm and casually tossing it over her shoulder.
“Stop, please!” her captive sobbed, writhing in the restraints and whining in agony. “Let me go, please!”
“Let you go?” the Con echoed while walking around to his front again. Standing before him she canted her head to one side and observed the tormented soldier for several long moments, purposely drawing out his suffering. Finally she sauntered up to him, shoving his knees apart so that she could stand between his legs. Before Cutoff could react the femme drove a clawed hand deep into the mech’s chest and wrenched his spark chamber free, dangling it before his face before brutally crushing it.
Roaring in fury Cutoff abandoned her position by the door and tackled the surprised Con. Together they fell, the remains of the spark chamber landing mere meters from them. Pinning the small femme beneath her Cutoff snarled and shoved her pulse cannon into the face of her new opponent. The Decepticon shook her head and blinked up at the Autobot, her expression shifting from dazed confusion to something that bordered on arrogance.
“Well, well, what have we here?” she asked in mock innocence.
“The one who is about to end your pitiful existence,” Cutoff growled back, her cannon barrel glowing red-hot. Before she got the chance to fire it something slammed into her and sent her flying to the other side of the room. Scrambling back to her feet she brought up her weapon to aim and found herself being glared down by a massive Decepticon mech who had his own weapons focused on her.
“If you want her you will have to go through me, Autobot,” he rumbled, optics narrowing as he moved to block any shot she had at the femme behind him.
Her other arm transforming into a cannon Cutoff faced him with a grim, predatory glower. “Bring it on, Con.”