TF (OC): Searchin’
Rating: PG
Series: G1
Summary: This is the back-story for my OC Tracer. Soundwave makes a request that Megatron doesn’t deny and Smokescreen tries his hardest to get Tracer to talk.
Warnings: Harsh words and battle scenes?
Disclaimer: As per usual, the good things in life are not mine to have, but belong to someone else... in this case Hasbro, Takara and IDW and anyone else I’ve forgotten… Tracer belongs to me… as do Kicker and Rollback
Feedback makes friends. Flames dealt with by the masters of paranoia and fire, Red Alert and Inferno.
Authors Notes: Smokescreen grows on you after a while… in a completely good way mind you.
Searchin' Part One
Searchin' Part Two
Searchin' Part Three
Searchin' Part Four
Searchin' Part Five
Searchin' Part Six
Searchin' Part Seven
Searchin' Part Eight
Searchin' Part Nine
Searchin' Part Ten
Searchin' Part Eleven
Searchin' Part Twelve
Searchin' Part Thirteen
Searchin' Part Fourteen
As soon as he read Starscream’s report, he went straight to see Megatron. It was revenge, pure and simple. The fact that she got away irritated him. And how she managed to stand against his talents for as long as she did somewhat annoyed him. No Autobot had ever resisted him. And he was determined to prove that fact correct.
The spin he put on his argument served to intrigue Megatron and the Decepticon leader allowed the unusual request. After that, it was a simple matter to wait. Soundwave was nothing if not a patient mech.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“I’m fine!”
“I hate to question your own abilities to…”
“I said I’m fine!” Tracer rounded on Smokescreen angrily. The Datsun actually shrank back slightly at the look the Minibot gave him. All it had taken was a casual conversation with Trailbreaker after Tracer had fallen into recharge on him in the rec. room for Smokescreen to see that there might be a potential problem with the small femme. And potential problems were on his list of things to deal with as unofficial counsellor to the Autobots. Which led to him trying to corner Tracer for a little chat; it should have been perfectly simple. Should being the operative word. Tracer had managed to avoid and elude him at every chance. He had followed her down the corridor, hoping to convince her that it would be better to talk about whatever it was that was troubling her.
“Look Smokescreen, it’s not that I don’t appreciate the fact that you think I have a problem and want to help me with it. It’s just that I don’t have a problem.” Smokescreen stared down at the blue Minibot for a moment before replying.
“So if I mentioned the name Soundwave, you wouldn’t mind?” He asked taking careful note of the minute tremor that ran through her frame at the mention of the Decepticon’s name. If he was expecting her to collapse and tell him all her problems, he was sorely mistaken. Fists clenched at her side, she straightened up and stared back at Smokescreen.
“If you doubt my ability to function properly, check with Ratchet or even Prowl. Otherwise, stop listening to idle speculation.”
“It’s not that. You can’t blame us for worrying.” Smokescreen abruptly tried a different tactic.
“I don’t. It’s just it’s my problem and I have to deal with it myself.” Hoping she’d made her point clear, Tracer started walking off, only to be stopped by a hand on her shoulder.
“Ever stop to think that we want to help?” He deliberately stressed the want, his hand not leaving her shoulder as she turned back to face him.
“There’s no way you can help.” She replied simply. “Unless I get taken off active duty and hidden away somewhere, there is no way that I’ll stop feeling the way I do.”
“And that is?” Smokescreen prompted carefully.
“Scared out of my processor.” Smokescreen didn’t have a quick reply and just stood in front of her, hand still resting on her shoulder. He squeezed gently.
“There’s no reason for you to be scared.”
“That’s what Red Alert, Inferno and Prowl all say.”
“And you disbelieve them?”
“No, but they haven’t had Soundwave trying to hack into their processor.” Smokescreen could do nothing but watch as she disappeared up the corridor.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“I disagree. There is only a small probability that he would attempt to recapture her.”
“That’s not the way she sees it.”
“There ain’t no way you’ll get her to see any different Smokescreen.”
“Inferno’s right. He hunted Tracer to try and change her allegiance. Only she knows what exactly went on when she was captured.”
“But the report…”
“The report won’t have how she felt Prowl.” Inferno couldn’t help but butt into the conversation again. “I don’t know what went on, but from how close to stasis she were when we got to her, I don’t wanna know.”
“He tried to access her systems in order to force her change of allegiance.” They all cringed as Prowl succinctly summarised the encounter between Soundwave and Tracer. “The state of the war has changed. He would no longer require her abilities here on Earth.”
“What about revenge?” Smokescreen asked.
“As I said before, the probability that he would attempt to recapture her is very small. If you wish, I can alter her schedule to avoid any potential problems.”
“She’d know something was up then.” Red Alert put in.
“Well, there is nothing more that I can do to alleviate her worries or yours.”
“Guess we just look out for her as normal then.”
“She has proven she is more than capable of taking care of herself.” Prowl said with an air of finality, signalling the end to the impromptu meeting.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It happened when no one was expecting it. In the midst of battle, the Minibots were called upon to flank the Decepticons and attack from behind. Bumblebee and Tracer made their way away from the main battle, skirting around the Decepticons’ positions for a sneak attack. Without even having to check her sensors, Tracer knew that Brawn and Cliffjumper had done the same the other side. A nod from Bumblebee had her splitting off in a slightly different direction to him. Overhead, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were engaging in an unsuccessful display of ‘Jet Judo’. Red Alert was monitoring the open channel back at the Ark, simultaneously keeping one optic on his security monitors and updating Prowl about the locations of the Decepticons.
In all honesty, on reflection, the communications blackout had been nothing to worry about; it tended to be standard fare when Soundwave was on the battlefield, but it was in Red Alert’s nature to worry anyway. He attempted to contact any Autobot he could whilst contacting Blaster on the Ark’s internal frequencies, requesting his presence in the security office.
Tracer stopped dead when she felt the tell-tale tingle of a communications blackout in her audios. A quick check on her sensors revealed her location to be too far away to vocally communicate with anyone, before that too froze; an unmistakeable cloying thickness surrounding her.
“Slag.” She muttered to no one in particular as she heard movement behind her, mere seconds before she was grabbed from behind. She had little chance to fight as Soundwave tilted her head, thrusting his fingers into the sensitive junction between neck and shoulder and creating an electrical discharge, disrupting all her systems and rendering her offline.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was only after they fought the Decepticons off and regrouped that they realised Tracer was missing. A search round the immediate area revealed no sign and without communications restored, there was no definitive way of knowing where the Minibot was. Reluctantly, they all made their way back to base, the hope that they could get the communications and sensor networks up and running again and find their missing companion forefront in their processors.
Back at the Ark, Blaster was working feverishly to restore the communications before the others arrived back from the battle. They had no way of knowing the number of casualties with the communications having been disrupted so Ratchet was preparing med. bay for the worst.
Standing in the entrance to the Ark, Red Alert watched as the cloud of dust that signalled the approach of the Autobots drew closer. Inferno stood at his side, ready to help any ‘bot who needed it to the med. bay. As was his habit, Red Alert scanned the Autobots as they returned. The first indication Inferno had that something had gone wrong was when Red Alert clutched at his arm.
“She’s not there.” He whispered.
“What?” Inferno reacted with surprise, having not expected to hear that. It was true that Tracer rarely went out on many battle deployments, but then very few of the Minibots did unless it was absolutely necessary. This was one of those times and they had fully expected her to return with the others.
“I can’t detect her energy signature.”
“Slag, that ain’t good.” Inferno muttered as the Autobots pulled up in front of the Ark. The injured made their way to the med. bay. Optimus Prime and Prowl transformed and made their way over to where Red Alert and Inferno stood; intent on finding out the situation and trying to work out what had gone wrong.
“Communications?”
“Blaster is working on restoring them. Soundwave completely disabled them this time. I’ve already implemented several new security protocols to stop this happening again.”
“What happened?”
“The Decepticons retreated.”
“Before or after they captured Tracer?” The tone of Red Alert’s vocaliser was faintly accusatory.
“The most reasonable assumption would have been after Red Alert. There’s no reason to blame anyone…”
“Except the Decepticons.” Inferno cut in over Optimus Prime.
“We’ll get her back Inferno. Autobots never let a team member down.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“So this is the tracker who resisted you?” Megatron asked, staring at the small Minibot strapped to one of Hook’s ‘operating tables’.
“Affirmative.”
“See that you don’t fail this time. I would hate our efforts today to have been in vain.” He leant down closer to the prone figure. “She won’t be needing this.” With one swift motion, he ripped the Autobot insignia from her chest, tearing metal plating and exposing circuitry. The sharp pain made Tracer jerk, an alarm signalling her return from stasis. Soundwave moved around to the head of the table, taking his position before looking towards Megatron.
“Make sure she remembers nothing.” Soundwave nodded once before placing his hands either side of Tracer’s helmet.
As her optics booted up, Tracer had enough time to register the color of the ceiling above her before they flickered off, overwhelmed by the sensations of Soundwave forcing his way into her processor. The few firewalls she managed to throw up in his way were easily broken through and she was left defenseless. Arching up, she screamed as he found his way into her core programming before she fell back on the table, eerily silent.
“Is it done?” Megatron asked, after Soundwave straightened and stood back from the table.
“Affirmative.”
“Good. Have Hook repair her damage and I shall inform the rest of the new addition to our forces.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
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Part Sixteen