Disclaimers: Transformers are owned by Hasbro.

I make no monetary profit from my fanfic/fanart.

Summary: The story of a young Decepticon named Chariot.

Author's Note: Chariot created by Seawave and Equus.

Rating - PG

~~~~~~~

CHARIOT

A young Decepticon, named Chariot was sent on his first spy mission. He was nervous, but hid that well, in fear of being ridiculed by his fellow Decepticons. He flew to Autobot headquarters and quietly snuck inside. He squeezed into the small hole, which would not fit a larger Decepticon, and began to crawl along the ceiling. He crawled along for quite a long while, but could not find any useful information. He began crawling further. He didn't see a sharp metal spike in front of him. It stuck into his knee. Chariot let out a shriek, which was heard below.

"What was that?!" asked Sunstreaker, one of the Autobots.

Chariot pulled the spike out and tried to scramble away.

"There's someone in the ceiling!" Sunstreaker exclaimed. He aimed his blaster at the ceiling and fired.

A hole was blasted in the ceiling, directly under Chariot. He tried desperately to scramble up, but he slipped back down and crashed onto the floor. His knee was bleeding, and in pain, but he was too frightened to think about that now. He began to scramble away from the Autobots.

"Hold it, Decepticon," Sunstreaker warned, "or I'll shoot."

Frightened, Chariot scrambled away, trying to find the exit.

Sunstreaker shot him in his back. Chariot crawled on, terrified. Sunstreaker blasted him again. Chariot stopped in pain. Sunstreaker aimed his electron-pulse gun at the Decepticon to shoot him again.

"No .... please don't shoot ....."

"I told you not to move," Sunstreaker said, coldly glaring at Chariot. "I gave you the warning."

Chariot looked nervously at Sunstreaker's gun.

"P... please don't shoot ...."

"And why not?"

"I ... I haven't done anything wrong..."

"Sunny," came another voice. "Leave him alone."

Sunstreaker turned to see his brother Sideswipe.

"He's just a Decepticon."

"So, he's frightened. Let's take him to a cell."

"What ... are you going to do with me?"

"Get up," Sunstreaker ordered.

Chariot slowly stood, as he was still hurt from Sunstreaker's blasts. The two Autobots grabbed his arms and took him to a prison cell. Before they left, Chariot discreetly threw a small spy camera out of the cell, programmed to leap onto the first being that walked past. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe walked in the other direction, so it did not attach itself to them.

On his way to the control room, Optimus took a detour through the prison cell block. The spy camera attached itself to the bottom of the side of his face. He did not feel anything, and continued.

"There," Chariot said, quietly, inside the cell. "Success ... now I can get some info after all."

Chariot hoped he would learn something. Megatron would not look favourably upon him if he failed.

Optimus Prime talked with his friends, but conveyed no information which Decepticons would find useful - none that he could report back to Decepticon headquarters - if he escaped. Chariot lay down in the cell, trying his best to deny his fear and hunger. What are they going to do with me?.... What is Megatron going to do to me if I escape and report back with bugger all?

Chariot continued to monitor Optimus Prime.

The Autobot leader entered the Energon room and walked over to his cubes of molten platinum. He picked up the one on the top of the stack and began to drink it.

Ironhide, another Autobot entered. Optimus looked at him, trying to hide the cube.

"Molten platinum again, huh?"

Optimus smiled. "I know I shouldn't. It's not as good for my performance as Energon, but..."

"You like the stuff. What did Carly call it?"

"Transformer chocolate."

"That's it. Hey, don't worry about it, Prime, now and again won't hurt, and when was the last time you had one anyway."

"True..." Optimus said, as he finished the cube.

Seeping Optimus dine on molten platinum and Ironhide on Energon made Chariot realise how hungry he was.

"Wish I had some Energon," he said to himself, "but Prime doesn't care about me. I'm a Decepticon - his enemy."

Chariot tried to ignore his hunger. It had been a few hours before he left Decepticon headquarters that he'd had anything to eat.

Hours passed. And still no useful information that Chariot could report. Chariot's hunger became harder to ignore. It only made it worse to pace around the cell, and he tried not to think about it, but that didn't help much.

Later that night, Ironhide brought Optimus another cube of molten platinum.

"I can't, Ironhide. I've already had one today, and there are other Autobots who like it as well."

"Prime, go on. Spoil yourself once in a while. You deserve it."

Optimus smiled. "Maybe, " he said, as he drank the cube, slowly. "Thanks, but no more."

"Just as long as you promise to spoil yourself more often."

"Okay, Ironhide, I promise, but I won't be selfish" said Optimus, with a smile.

Chariot watched Optimus drink the platinum, and wished that he would have some - anything. He was starving.

Sure enough Optimus Prime cares about his friends a great deal, but why would he care about me?

Chariot lay down on the ledge in the cell, wishing the pain would go away. he felt himself growing weaker. He needed something to alleviate his hunger. The pair grew and grew and the more Chariot tried to ignore it, the worse it seemed.

Please go away .... help me....

Through the night it worsened. Chariot became too weak to even monitor Optimus Prime.

The next morning, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker approached their leader.

"Uh, Prime?...."

"What is it?" he asked, hearing the uneasiness in Sideswipe's voice.

"Well, a few days ago, we captured a Decepticon spy."

"Why wasn't I notified?"

"Well ... Sunny and I went out for a drive ... and we sort of ... forgot."

Optimus decided to let it pass. "Have you been monitoring him?"

"We did a check earlier this morning. He's in the cell, not very active."

"Have you been seeing to his comforts?"

Sideswipe shook his head. "We clean forgot about him all together."

"That's not very good, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker. He's probably starving."

The two Autobots gave their leader apologetic looks.

"The Decepticons would see to our discomforts if we were captured by them," Sunstreaker said.

"We are not Decepticons," Optimus said.

"We'll go and check him now."

"Never mind," Optimus said. "I'll go."

By the tone of his voice both Sunstreaker and Sideswipe could hear their leader's disappointment and anger. He always hated to see anyone suffering, even a Decepticon.

"Sorry, Prime."

Optimus nodded. "Please don't let it happen again."

The Autobot leader entered Chariot's cell with a cube of molten platinum. It was the last one in storage and Optimus had wanted to drink it. There were many Energon cubes he could have taken, but molten platinum was always easier and gentler on an empty stomach. He knelt down to Chariot, who was now slumped on the floor of the cell, and began to feed him the platinum. Chariot felt someone touching him and felt frightened, but also noticed the platinum. His vision was very hazy and he couldn't see what was going on around him, but he started to drink the contents platinum cube slowly. he didn't know where it had come from, and didn't care. As his body started to accept the platinum, Chariot's vision began to clear and the starving pain began to subside. Chariot sat in the ledge, feeling better, but still uneasy.

"I'm sorry," said Optimus Prime, standing.

"What for?" Chariot asked.

"I would have given you some Energon if..."

"Like as if you care..." Chariot said. "You're the leader of the Autobots. You wouldn't car if I had starved to death."

"I would not let anyone starve.."

"Oh yeah?" the Decepticon accused. "I haven't had anything to eat for six days!"

"I'm sorry," was all Optimus could say. "I didn't know you were here. The Autobots who captured you only told me this morning. They had forgotten about the incident."

"Perhaps you're the one who 'forgot.'"

"I promise, I had no knowledge of you being here."

Chariot ignored him.

"Despite what you might think," Optimus said. "I can't stand to see anyone in pain. Not even my enemies."

"Yeah, right. You don't expect me to believe that you actually give a damn, do you? You don't give a sh--"

"That's not true," Optimus said.

"It is and you know it. The only reason you fed me is to make it look like you care."

"I..."

"You Autobots want to make us Deceptions think that you care about all life. Well maybe you do care about most life, but not us Decepticons."

"It's not like that," Optimus said, wishing this Decepticon would believe him.

"Shut up," Chariot snapped. "Stop trying to excuse yourself. You know what I'm saying is true. Your 'compassion' for Decepticons is all an act."

Optimus felt hurt, tried not to let it show. He knew nothing he said would change Chariot's opinion, so he left the cell. He did not like to think that he was making excuses, and in a way he felt responsible for what had happened to Chariot. After all, he was the leader of the Autobots and he felt that he should know what's going on at his own headquarters.

Ironhide passed Optimus in a corridor.

"What's up, Prime?"

Optimus gave a small smile. "You can always tell, when something's wrong cant you."

"You can't hide it from me, I've known you too long."

"It's the Decepticon," Optimus said, with a sigh.

He told Ironhide what had transpired in the cell.

"I don't blame him for being angry, but-"

"Don't let it get to ya, Prime. You know its not true."

Optimus nodded, "but what he said hurt, Ironhide..."

"It must have. I've never even seen you swat a fly, or stomp on a cockroach."

"But I have attacked Decepticons."

"Because you have to. You don't want to be in this war anymore than I do, Prime, but if we don't there will be no one to stop the Decepticons tyranny...and I grudgingly have to admit that although bastards they do have a right to live."

Optimus nodded. "I'm trying not to let what he said get to me, but he believes what he says. I care about all life, good or evil and I want him to realise that, but I can't force him to."

Ironhide comforted his friend.

"I can see Chariot's point, though," Optimus said. "It's not logical or common to care about one's enemies, but I just can't help it. It's me. Although evil, the Decepticons are sentient and deserve a right to freedom and life."

"Prime, you can't change yourself, and none of us would want you to."

Although he didn't want to admit it, Chariot felt a pang of guilt. But how was I supposed to know tat he cares? I mean he's my enemy... Chariot hated to accuse someone of something when they were not guilty of it, and even though Optimus was an Autobot, it Chariot found himself wanting to apologize to him.

Later that day, Optimus entered Chariot's cell.

"You're free to go," he said.

"What?!"

"I see no reason to keep you here."

"Okay...." was all Chariot could think of to say.

Optimus led him out of the cell, to the main entrance to the headquarters. Chariot looked at him, but didn't have enough courage to apologize for what he had said to him. He transformed into his jet mode and flew to Decepticon headquarters.

"Where on Cybertron have you been?!" Megatron demanded.

"Spying on the Autobots," Chariot said, feeling uneasy at Megatron's anger.

"I gave you that mission eight days ago!"

"I.... I ... they captured me...." Chariot stammered, nervous.

"That explains your absence," Megatron said, "but this is a disgusting effort for your first mission."

Chariot kept quiet, feeling uncomfortable.

"Did you gather any useful information?" Megatron asked, after a period of tense silence.

"I...I managed to attach a small micro camera to Optimus Prime..." he said.

"That was good. What did you learn?"

"I monitored Optimus Prime all the time I was there, but he didn't speak of any plans or Autobot secrets."

"So... You are at Autobot headquarters for over a week and you didn't find any useful information.... You pathetic scrapheap!"

"It wasn't my fault..."

"Whose fault was it then?"

"I couldn't help it that Optimus didn't say anything that would be useful to us. I mean you can't expect the guy to walk around saying plans and stuff all day."

Megatron tried to calm himself, realising Chariot was right.

"Still," he said, "your overall performance was disgusting."

"I'm sorry, Megatron. It's my first mission. I....I can improve."

"I hope so. For your sake," and with that, Megatron turned and left Chariot alone in the room.

I wish he'd be more understanding, Chariot thought. I mean I tried .... I was nervous. I'm sure he gets nervous sometimes. I hate this war, and I hate spying on the Autobots. It's boring and I wish I didn't have to do it. I hope this stupid war ends someday.

Chariot was given other spying tasks and missions, all of which he didn't do very well, or failed completely.

Megatron and the other Decepticons were quite harsh with him. They often insulted him and threatened him with physical violence, most threats of which were carried out. They treated him like scrap and made him feel worthless and unwanted.

"And you said you could improve..." Megatron said, his voice laced with disgust. "Absolutely pathetic...."

Megatron bashed Chariot onto the floor, kicked him and pointed his fusion cannon at him.

"Don't ...." Chariot gasped.

"I have a good mind to terminate you...."

Chariot tried to hide his fear, but was unsuccessful. Megatron looked down at him.

"I cannot believe how hopeless you've been. You haven't even completed so much as one spy mission successfully."

Chariot slowly stood. "I'm young," he said. "I'm not exactly sure of what to do, or what I'm good at. I'll try... I'm sorry."

Megatron lowered his fusion cannon. "I'll give you one last chance," he said, after a pause, "but one only."

"Thank you, Megatron."

The Decepticon leader briefed Chariot on the spy mission, "and Chariot, if you fail this time. I will not hesitate to terminate you. No excuses --"

Chariot nodded, afraid. "I'll try, Megatron."

"Oh, you'll do more that just try, Chariot. You'd better succeed. Your life depends on it."

Chariot nodded, nervous. Another spy mission .... I hate these... As hard as Chariot tried, and listened, he didn't gather any useful information. Chariot couldn't sneak around with ease, due to being clumsy, which also limited his usefulness in battle. He hated that. And the other Decepticons always ribbed him about it. Chariot knocked into something in the ceiling, which made a rather loud noise and was terrified. H scrambled and blasted his way out as quickly as possible, and just in time, as he came within a hair of being captured again. As Chariot was flying back to Decepticon headquarters, he became more and more frightened.

What the hell am I going to do? Megatron said he'd kill me and he wasn't bluffing .... If I say that I did find some information, and tell them something, sooner or later they'll find out that I'm lying and kill me anyway....

Chariot transformed and sat down on a large rock, in a forest somewhere.

I can't go back. I won't go back. Where can I go? .... They'll find me if I try to hide somewhere and where could I hide anyway?

Chariot closed his eyes, feeling his throat and stomach tighten with fear.

The Autobots .... perhaps I could join them, then I don't have to go back to the Decepticons who hate me anyway. But will they accept me? What if they treat me badly? Worse than the Decepticons? After all I am their enemy, but If I join them, I'll be an Autobot, and Optimus Prime said he cares about all life ... And I will apologize to him.

Chariot had come close to committing suicide, but decided to go to the Autobots, and if they turned him away, he could see no other alternative.

A few shots warning were fired at him as he approached the Autobots, but he did not return fire. Chariot landed near the base and transformed.

"I don't geddit," Cliffjumper said, "yo barely escaped a few hours ago and now you're back."

"What do you want?" demanded Tracks.

"I've come to .... join the Autobots," Chariot said, sounding as sincere as he could.

"And I'm going to miss my next beauty wax if you think I believe you."

Chariot handed Tracks his gun. "Please take me to see Optimus Prime."

Tracks grabbed Chariot roughly by the arm and took him inside Autobot headquarters.

"Prime...this one said he wants to become one of us." He didn't bother to hide the sarcasm in his voice.

Optimus looked at Chariot.

"I'll see to this, Tracks. Leave him with me."

Tracks gave Chariot a filthy look, then left.

"Is this true, Chariot," Optimus said, "or is it a Decepticon scam. Just a few hours ago you were caught spying on us, and escaped."

"I do want to become an Autobot, Optimus. Megatron said he'd kill me if I failed my next mission, and I did, so..."

"Is that the only reason?"

"No. The other Decepticons always insult me and treat me like scrap."

Chariot went on to tell Optimus what it was like for him at Decepticon headquarters.

"I found that camera you installed on me," Optimus said.

"It was part of the mission. Prime, I know how this may sound to you, but I really do want to become an Autobot. And I'm sorry about..."

"About what?"

"All those things I said to you in the cell, I mean I saw you with Ironhide after ... and well, I didn't think an Autobot would care about a Decepticon, but I was wrong."

Optimus nodded. "Apology accepted, but I don't know if I can..."

"Please, Prime ... they'll kill me. You can't send me back there..."

"This is hard for me, Chariot. One too many times Decepticons have claimed to want to become Autobots only to-."

"I understand your concerns, Optimus."

"If you really want to become an Autobot, you’ll have to undewrgo a thorough interrogation.”

“I’m willing.”

Optimus asked him in depth questions about why he wanted to become an Autobot. Some of them were hard to answer, but Chariot knew Optimus had to be sure. He explained to Optimus exactly what the Decepticons said to him, how they treated him and what he thought of the war. The interrogation lasted for over two hours.

"All right," Optimus agreed. "I can't turn you away."

Chariot smiled, and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

Optimus was still unsure of Chariot, as were the other Autobots. Chariot felt hurt, but understood why. Some of the Autobots weren't too thrilled about having him around and were always very suspicious of him. If anything went wrong or missing, they usually blamed him.

When the Autobots had taken their daily share of Energon, and it was discovered that eight Energon cubes had gone missing from the Energon room, and Chariot was the prime suspect.

He was surrounded by a rather large group of Autobots.

"I didn't steal them."

"Well then," Trailbreaker said with sarcasm, "who did?"

Chariot shrugged, wishing they'd believe him. The Autobots began demanding that he tell the, where the Energon cubes were.

"I didn't take them!" Chariot yelled, on the verge of tears.

Optimus Prime came to the group. "What's going on?"

"This Decepticon stole two Energon cubes and he's refusing to tell us where he's hidden them." Tracks accused.

"He didn't steal them," replied Optimus Prime. "I took two extra cubes to repair a faulty generator and I hadn't got around to making a computer entry of it."

The Autobots felt ashamed, and apologised to Chariot.

"It's okay..." he said. "Perhaps you'll start believing me someday."

Slowly, the Autobots discovered that Chariot was guilty of none of the crimes he was accused of and began to trust him and believe he did really want to become one of them. Chariot's uneasiness began to ease, as he began to make friends with some Autobots. He'd never had a friend before.

A few days later, Optimus Prime decided it was time to send Chariot on his first mission for the Autobots.

"I want you to spy on the Decepticons. I know you don't like spying, but it has to be done. If we are to win this war or if it's ever going to end, we need to gain the upper hand."

"I understand, Prime."

Chariot left, feeling confident and determined not to fail his new leader and friends. Chariot tried his best, but he was detected by the Decepticons. They almost captured him, and were determined to kill him. Not only was he an Autobot now. he was a defector.

Chariot barely escaped with his life. He managed to lose the Decepticons dogging him, and started to fly back to Autobot headquarters.

What am I doing? I can't go back there? I failed. Optimus'll kill me. He'll see that I'm no good on missions. He'll say that I'm useless...He said he cares about all life but what'll he think when he finds out that I can't complete a simple spy mission? Oh ... why does it have to be so hard? I try my absolute best and still manage to mess things up. Maybe I am useless. I can't do anything right....

Chariot landed on the side of the road. I can't go to Decepticon or Autobot headquarters. I'm an outcast and they'll find me if I try to hide...

"What's up?" came a voice.

Chariot gasped as he spun sound, and saw Jazz transform.

What am I gonna do?

"Did you find out any juice from the Cons'?"

Chariot smiled at Jazz's choice of words, but said nothing.

"Come on, let's get back home," Jazz said.

"But what about Optimus Prime?"

Nervous, Chariot transformed and followed Jazz, back to Autobot headquarters.

When Chariot arrived, he tried his best to avoid Optimus Prime, but the Autobot leader found him.

"How did it go?"

"What?" Chariot asked, knowing full well what Optimus meant.

"Your mission."

"Oh."

"What information did you learn?"

Chariot took a deep breath. "Nothing." He didn't want to lie to Optimus. "The...the Decepticons heard me ... and ... almost captured me ... and..."

"It's fortunate you escaped."

Chariot nodded. "Please, Optimus. I didn't mean to fail. I tried my best ... but I'm just do damn clumsy for spy missions. I wasn't cut out to be a spy."

"Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I didn't think you'd listen. I'm sorry I failed... just don't hurt me...."

"Chariot, I am not a Decepticon. I do not punish for failures. Failing is a part of life and we learn valuable lessons from them. And I would never hurt a friend."

Chariot was touched. "Thank you."

"What are you good at?" Optimus asked.

"Well, I find that I'm good at tactical analysis and strategy. I gave a plan to the Decepticons, but since I was so bad at the missions I was given they laughed at me as if I was some stupid fool."

"Perhaps that's for you then. Spying isn't for everyone, Chariot. How would you like to be put in charge of tactical operations?"

Chariot was dumbstruck. "You mean I could?"

Optimus nodded. "It's something we Autobots are not that strong with and as tactical office, you could give us an edge, and you could also devise battle strategies."

Chariot smiled. "Thank you. I'd like to use a battle strategy against Megatron."

Optimus smiled and walked with Chariot to the main control room, where he informed the other Autobots of Chariot's function in their ranks and they were all enthusiastic about it. Chariot was grateful to be among people who appreciated his worth, not just in the things he was capable of, but respected his worth in life and friendship. Here he was among true friends.

*

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