Disclaimers: Transformers are owned by Hasbro.
I make no monetary profit from my fanfic
Summary: A story about forgiveness, featuring Lightspeed and Strafe
Rating - PG
~~~~~~~
FORGIVENESS
"It's so boring here " complained Lightspeed, sitting in his quarters at Autobot headquarters. "I want some action..."
He stood up and walked out of his room.
"What's amatter, Lightspeed?" asked Mirage. "Never seen you so depressed before."
"I need action or I'll rust."
"Lucky for you, Transformers don't rust, or it'll be all over you. You always were one for action."
"Yeah. There's zip around here at the moment. What I really wanna do is explore the Universe, but I transform into a car, not a star ship, so I have to find somethin' to do down here. Wanna come with me to spy on the Deceps?"
"Sorry, I promised Bumblebee I'd watch the Herbie movies with him."
"That's okay. Thanks anyway, Mirage."
Mirage smiled.
Lightspeed asked some more the Autobots if they'd like to come spying with him, but they were all busy, or didn't want to. Lightspeed felt depressed. He didn't feel like a plain drive around. He wanted to go with someone to spy on the Decepticons. He could go himself, but it was more fun with someone else. Lightspeed sat down, bored lubricantless. Cosmos saw him.
"What's up, Lightspeed?"
"I'm bored out of my brain. I'd rather listen to one of Megatron's `Conquest Of The Universe' speeches than sit around here doin' nothin'."
"Come on, you're not that bored are you?"
"Yeah. I am. I want someone to come spying on the Deceps with me. More fun to go with someone than by yourself and thinking someone else is sharing your experience."
"Love to come, Light, but-"
"But you're busy."
"Yeah ..."
"Everyone seems to be."
"Sorry."
"S' okay."
Cosmos walked off, hoping Lightspeed found someone.
"I haven't asked Strafe!" Lightspeed exclaimed.
Strafe doesn't like fighting and he's not
really an action freak. He's not really my type, but I really want someone to
come spying with me and he won't have to fight ... I know he's very gentle and
nervous ... He probably won't wanna come ... Aw he's got to... I've asked
almost everyone!
Lightspeed went into Strafe's quarters. Strafe was sitting on his bed, reading. He gasped and looked up at Lightspeed.
"Gettin' more nervous, dude."
Strafe smiled.
"I can't help it. I scare easily."
"You wanna come spying on the Decepticons with me?"
"Uh ... I don't ... I dunno ... I-"
"Come on, it'll be fun."
"Oh, Lightspeed ... I don't wanna come ... I'm sorry ... You know how I feel about the Decepticons ... "
"I know you're scared of them, Strafe, but nothin'll happen to ya."
"Lightspeed, I-"
"Please, Strafe ..."
Lightspeed made his voice sound sad.
Strafe, being compassionate, felt sorry for him. He didn't want to go to Decepticon headquarters, but also didn't want to upset Lightspeed.
"Come on, I've asked everyone ... Please ... "
Strafe hesitated for a short while.
"O ... Okay, Lightspeed."
Lightspeed smiled and put his arm on his friend's back.
"Thanks, Buddy."
Strafe felt nervous. He didn't want to go, but didn't want to hurt Lightspeed's feelings.
"Are you sure it's gonna be okay? I mean It's-"
"You'll be fine, Strafe. Trust me. Don't worry. Come on, nothing'll happen to you. You'll be fine."
"All right, Lightspeed ... But ... All right ..."
Strafe still felt very nervous. He couldn't help thinking that something would happen to him or Lightspeed - or both.
"When are we going?"
"Now."
"Now? But-"
"Aw ... come on ..." Poor guy
... Doesn't see much action, always nervous ...
Lightspeed wanted to help him. He thought the spying mission would do Strafe good. Strafe smiled at his friends confidence and hoped nothing bad happened to them.
"You want something to eat before we go?" asked Lightspeed.
Strafe nodded. "Yeah."
They went to the energon room together. Strafe drank an energon cube.
"It must be a pain being allergic to energon, Lightspeed," he said.
"Nah, I'm used to it."
Lightspeed drank a cube of his special formula energon.
Together, they flew to a secret spot on top of Decepticon headquarters.
"We gotta be very quiet when we go inside" he said.
Strafe was very frightened.
"Don't be nervous, Strafe. Loosen up. You're more likely to stuff up if you're tense."
Strafe tried to calm himself. It was hard for him to relax, very hard. He relaxed a little, but it felt like everything inside him was being compressed. Lightspeed quietly opened a secret compartment.
"We c'n sneak in here. We'll be crawling inside the ceiling. Don't worry, Strafe. They can't detect us up here, but we have to be ultra quiet. If they hear us, we're goners."
Strafe nodded nervously. He was shivering inside. Very quietly, they both crawled inside. Strafe nervously looked behind. The opening closed. Strafe gasped.
"Shhh ... Calm down ..."
Lightspeed then waited for a little while.
"You okay?"
Strafe nodded, a little shaky. Lightspeed patted him on his back.
"You'll be fine. Also, with my special lighting installed in here, we see where we're going."
They crawled further on.
"Take this gun," whispered Lightspeed.
"I hate guns ... I hate fighting ..."
"I know, but if a Decepticon gets you, you'll have to use it. It's set to stun."
Strafe took the gun, hoping he wouldn't have to use it. They both crawled on.
Lightspeed stopped. "We have to split up."
"What?!"
Lightspeed covered Strafe's mouth. "Sshh!"
"Sorry ... Split up? But-"
"We have to, Strafe. We'll get more information that way and more to report back to headquarters and besides, it's more challenging and fun - and remember - stay cool and quiet."
Strafe nodded, feeling even more nervous. They crawled off in opposite directions. Lightspeed headed off excitedly. Strafe didn't want to move and stayed put for a short while.
"I gotta keep going ..." he said quietly to himself.
Strafe crawled on, trying to calm himself.
He jerked every time he heard Decepticons.
Down below, Wildrider and Brawl, two Decepticons were talking.
"Y'know, Wildrider, I wish we could blow those Autobots into sub atomic particles ..."
"Yeah ..."
Strafe felt even more frightened. He made a little noise.
"What was that?" jerked Wildrider.
Strafe froze, shivering, terrified.
"Come on, Wildrider, "said Brawl. "I didn't hear nothin'. Y're too jittery."
"Yeah ... Probably wasn't anythin' anyway."
They walked off. Strafe quietly breather a sigh of relief.
He very quietly crawled on.
Lightspeed wasn't having much luck either. He hadn't gathered any information.
"Hope Strafe's okay," he whispered to himself. "He's such a nervous case. He's probably over it by now."
Lightspeed was wrong. Every atmometer Strafe crawled on, he became more and more nervous. He couldn't help it. He tried to stay very quiet. It was hard, being so tense and nervous. He couldn't help it. Strafe crawled into the main control room. Megatron, the Decepticons leader was in there. Just looking at Megatron made Strafe feel nervous.
"I can't take this anymore ..." he whispered quietly to himself, shivering. "Something's gonna happen to me ..."
Every sub atomic particle in Strafe's body was shaking.
Megatron started to talk about a plan to destroy the Autobots.
Strafe knew to record information like this was the main purpose of spying on the Decepticons, but what Megatron was saying frightened him and he was too nervous to be note-taking.
"I've got to find Lightspeed and tell him," said Strafe, quietly to himself.
When Strafe was crawling away, he bumped into a metal object and gasped.
"What was that?!" Megatron exclaimed.
Strafe was terrified. He crawled further on. And stopped for a while and took a few quiet breaths.
"I heard something up there" said Megatron.
All fell dead silent. Strafe was very nervous. He wished he'd never come with Lightspeed. He wanted to go home. He began to crawl away. Megatron blasted the ceiling and Strafe yelped, fell through and crashed onto the floor. He couldn't describe how scared he was. He didn't even want to look up. Strafe was petrified. He didn't think about anything else. His gun slid across the floor.
"An Autobot spy!" exclaimed Megatron.
Strafe was shivering. Megatron came to him.
"How much of our plan did you hear, Autobot?"
Strafe didn't want to answer. He was too frightened. He just lay there, in fear, shivering, shaking.
"How much did you hear?" demanded Megatron, angry and impatient.
Strafe still said nothing. Megatron kicked him. It hurt Strafe a lot.
"The wimp's too scared to say, Megatron," said Brawl, "and besides, what does it matter how much he heard? He's not gonna get back to his friends to tell them ..."
Strafe didn't think it was possible to be any more scared, but he was.
Lightspeed was still crawling along the
ceiling. He couldn't find anyone to spy on. Wonder how Strafe's doin' Hope
he's havin' more luck than I am.
Poor Strafe was having less luck than Lightspeed.
"Get up" ordered Megatron.
Strafe was too scared to move.
"I SAID GET UP!!"
Strafe shuddered and began shivering more. Megatron could see he was frightened and blasted him, then roughly picked him up and threw him into a prison cell.
"Lucky for you we caught you," Megatron said sarcastically. "Is there anyone else with you? I'm warning you - Do not lie."
Strafe was frightened to lie, but couldn't let Lightspeed get hurt.
"No."
"Foolish of you to come by yourself ..."
"I ... I had to ..." put in Strafe quickly. "I had to find out if you had any plans ... to ... to tell my friends ... I can't endanger them."
"What touching loyalty ..." said Megatron with extreme sarcasm. "You pathetic Autofool. You'll never get back to your friends. They'll never find out my plans - and they won't save you either."
Megatron laughed evilly. Strafe was very frightened.
"My friends'll find me," he said, hoping.
"Not alive." Megatron could see the Autobot's fear and smiled. Strafe tried to push against the wall, hoping for a secret compartment, like in the movies, but movies were movies and this was real life.
"This belong to you?" he asked, holding Strafe's gun.
He aimed it at the Autobot.
Strafe could see it was no longer set to stun.
"No ... Don't"
"You Autobots are always ready to shoot us Decepticons."
"I hate guns and I had it set on stun and I would only use it for defence. Not attack."
Megatron threw the gun onto the floor. "Pathetic ..." he said, turning around.
Strafe quietly edged towards his gun. Megatron spun around and destroyed it with a blast from his fusion cannon.
"I was waiting for that," he said with a smile and blasted Strafe.
The Autobot collapsed in an unconscious heap on the floor. Megatron exited the cell. "How pathetic ..."
He found the Decepticon he was looking for.
"Blacklight, we've an Autobot prisoner in Cell Block D. When he regains consciousness, deal with him - Your way."
Blacklight's face brightened. "Really?"
"Really."
Blacklight smiled evilly. "Consider it done."
A short while later, Blacklight entered the cell.
Strafe knew of this Decepticon's cruel reputation and became very uneasy and more frightened
"Leave me alone ..." Strafe tried to sound firm.
"Why should I?" asked Blacklight. "I have Megatron's orders to do what I like with you and nothin's gonna stop me ..."
He advanced toward Strafe. The Autobot tried to dart out of the way. Blacklight roughly grabbed him. Strafe tried to struggle free.
"You pathetic, weakling Autobot ... You can't escape..." Blacklight could feel Strafe shivering and He tightened his grip on his wrists. Strafe tried to yank free. Blacklight hurled him to the ground and began to kick him. It was hurting Strafe a lot. Blacklight continued.
"Please stop ... " Strafe crawled toward the door.
"You're wasting your time and energy trying to escape, Autobot - There is no escape --"
"Please ..." pleaded Strafe. "Stop hurting me ... "
"Oh, I'll do more than just hurt you ..."
Blacklight kicked him very hard in his stomach. Strafe vomited. Blacklight laughed with glee. Strafe was in a lot of pain. Blacklight then blasted at him.
"Don't!" exclaimed Strafe, moving away.
Blacklight blasted his five more times. Strafe began bleeding through blast holes in his metal skin. He was shivering, hoping Blacklight wouldn't hurt him anymore, but the Decepticon kicked him in his stomach again. Strafe yelped as the painful impact hit him, and his metal skin split open. He began bleeding more.
"Please ... sto...op ..." he pleaded weakly.
Blacklight kicked him harder. Strafe yelped in pain. The Decepticon picked him up harshly and threw him onto the cold, hard metal ledge.
"Stop your pathetic crying, Autobot wimp."
Strafe couldn't. He was too petrified and in too much pain. Blacklight pushed him onto the floor and kicked him again. Strafe howled in pain.
"STOP!! ... PLEASE!!!"
"I'll stop when I want to..."
Strafe was whimpering.
"Shut up."
"I ... I can't ... It hurts ... and I'm-"
"You're what?"
Strafe was silent.
"What?" demanded Blacklight, impatient
"I'm ... I'm scared ..." said Strafe quietly.
"Pathetic wimp ..."
"I'm not a wimp," said Strafe weakly. "If our positions were reversed, you'd feel the same."
"I fear nothing."
"If some one was doing what you're doing to me and you were totally defenceless, weaker than your attacker, helpless and in pain, you-"
"Do not try to get sympathy from me, you pathetic scrap ... I'm merciless with all Autobots ... "
Blacklight grabbed some of Strafe's internal circuits and ripped them out. Strafe screamed in pain. Blood was everywhere. Blacklight blasted him, splitting his skin and damaging him even more. Strafe had never been this utterly petrified in his life and wished it was all a bad dream, but then no dream would be this painful. Blacklight started to strangle him. Strafe vomited blood. Blacklight put his hand inside Strafe. Strafe was still crying. He gently put his hand on Blacklight's.
"Please ... please don't ..."
Blacklight dug his hand inside Strafe and ripped out some of his internal organs. Strafe could not describe the pain in words. All he could do was scream, wish he'd never come with Lightspeed and hope that his damage was repairable.
I really need someone now ... Lightspeed
... where are you?...
Lightspeed was still crawling around.
"Where's that blasted Strafe?" he asked himself angrily. "There's nothin' 'ere to report and I can't leave without him... I have to find him. Wish I knew where he was. I hope he's not in any trouble."
Meanwhile, back in the cell, Strafe was in excruciating pain and barely alive. Blacklight shot him in his head. This further weakened and hurt him. The Decepticon then blasted the top of Strafe's legs and his back. Some other Decepticons came and watched him. Strafe wished they would help him. Blacklight then blasted Strafe's stomach three times and kicked him. The Autobot was too weak and hurt to scream out in pain, but felt the it more than anything.
Lightspeed was crawling over the main control room and saw the hole in the ceiling.
"Aw shit no ..." he whispered. "Strafe must've fallen through and got captured ... I gotta help him."
"I can hear somethin' up there for sure this time ..." said Wildrider.
Brawl transformed into his tank mode, aimed his turret-mounted gun at the ceiling and blasted it. Lightspeed fell down and immediately stood up. Brawl and Wildrider quickly grabbed him before he could escape. Lightspeed tried to jerk away.
"Lemme go, you dirtwad Decepticreeps!"
"Shut your face, Autoidiot!" snapped Brawl. "Let's take 'im to Blacklight. Megatron's busy."
Lightspeed tried to struggle away again, but they were stronger than him.
In the cell, Strafe's blood was everywhere, all over himself, the floor and Blacklight. Strafe was whimpering softly. Blacklight, having the time of his life, kicked the Autobot again. Strafe vomited again. Blacklight shot him in his chest and legs. Strafe was now too weak speak, but the pain was extremely intense. He couldn't stand it anymore. He wished Blacklight would stop or that his pain sensors would conk out. Blacklight blasted Strafe at the back of his head. Strafe tried to yell to Blacklight to stop, but that only made his pain worse. Every time Strafe tried to talk to Blacklight, his pain became more intense. Blacklight enjoyed watching the Autobot struggle and he could see Strafe was barely alive.
"Enough play..." he said, sounding jovial.
PLAY!? Strafe's brain screamed in disbelief at how this creature could be so
cruel. Is that what he-
Blacklight blasted Strafe through his brain and killed him.
"Blacklight ..." called Brawl. "We caught another Autobot snoopin' around."
"This lying junk pile told me he was alone ..."
He kicked Strafe's body.
Oh no ... thought Lightspeed. They've got him ... Hope he's
okay...
Blacklight moved out of the way.
"OH MATRIX!! STRAFE!!!" Lightspeed was absolutely shocked and sickened. He fell onto his knees beside his friend.
"I'm so sorry ..." he whispered sadly.
"Your friend wasn't as fortunate as you, Lightspeed ... You see, we Decepticons have a harsh punishment for Autobot spies..."
"But he ... he-" began Lightspeed sadly. He stood up. "How could you? ..."
Blacklight looked at Lightspeed and could see how upset he was, and it made him smile.
"You Autobots spy on us at your own risk. A very foolish thing to do ..."
"I practically forced him to come spying with me. He didn't want to. He was nervous and frightened ... I wish I'd listened to him ... How could you do this to him? ... You hurt him so much ... It wasn't fair. He must've been petrified ... How could you?..."
Blacklight pushed Lightspeed into the cell.
"Easily. I'll deal with you later."
Lightspeed was extremely upset by the sight of his mutilated friend and wanted to repair him. Blacklight had accidentally left the door unlocked. Strafe's brain was severely damaged. Lightspeed gently cleaned his friends blood off his body and the floor. Lightspeed had never felt so upset and shocked in his life and hadn't realised how much he cared about Strafe.
"This is so hard ... I'm a data processor, not a medic, dammit!"
Strafe's circuits and organs had been severely damaged and were very fragile.
It took Lightspeed quite a while to repair Strafe and get all his circuits and organs in place.
Lightspeed was very worried. Was Strafe
going to be okay? Would he survive? I sure wish First Aid and Ratchet were
here.
Finally, the next morning, Strafe's body was back together. Lightspeed worked without resting. He hadn't realised how much he loved and cared about his friend. He secretly left the cell and brought Strafe some energon. He gently fed the energon to Strafe. The energy warmly flowed through Strafe's body. Lightspeed gently tried to wake him up. He was feeling very worried and guilty. When Strafe very slowly began to regain consciousness and open his optical sensors, Lightspeed felt relieved that he'd repaired him right.
"Ohhh ..." Strafe groaned. He suddenly gasped and jerked around him. Lightspeed gently hugged him, calming him down.
"Lightspeed ... ohh ... oh ... It was terrible ... I ... Blacklight ... he ... he ..."
"I know." Lightspeed paused. "I'm sorry, Strafe. It's all my fault ..."
"It's not your fault, but I forgive you."
"Thanks" said Lightspeed, smiling, very thankful that Strafe was so understanding and forgiving.
Strafe still felt frightened that Blacklight would return. He and Lightspeed managed to escape from Decepticon headquarters. Outside, Strafe started to tell Lightspeed Megatron's plan which he had heard before he was captured.
Megatron heard him.
"Shit! They're escaping! They'll tell the Autobots about my plan! Destroy them!!"
The Decepticons quickly flew after Strafe and Lightspeed.
"No!" Strafe panicked. "They must've heard us ... They're gonna destroy us!! ..."
Blacklight caught up to Strafe, smiled and grabbed him around his waist. "I'm gonna enjoy tearin' you apart again!"
"LIGHTSPEED!! HELP ME PLEASE!!"
Lightspeed turned around in the sky and blasted Blacklight, being careful not to hurt Strafe. The look on Strafe's face told Lightspeed how relieved he was. Lightspeed radioed Autobot headquarters for assistance. The two Technobots managed to hold off the Decepticons for short while. Skyfire came fast enough to help them.
"Quick! Get in!"
They both flew aboard Skyfire. Skyfire fired at the Decepticons, forcing them to retreat.
"Ohh thanks, Skyfire ..." breathed Strafe on his knees.
"That's fine, little buddy."
Strafe told Skyfire about his frightening ordeal.
"Oh Matrix! You poor thing!" exclaimed Skyfire, sympathetic and shocked
"It was my fault," confessed Lightspeed. "I practically forced him to go."
"It wasn't your fault, Lightspeed. You didn't rip me apart. Blacklight did."
"That rotten Deceptibum," said Skyfire angrily.
"I'm sorry, Strafe ..." confessed Lightspeed again.
"Lightspeed, please" said Strafe in his gentle voice. "Please stop blaming yourself, Come on."
"Okay, Strafe."
Strafe hugged him.
"Thanks for coming along " said Lightspeed, "but I really should've listened to you. I forced you to come."
"It doesn't matter now" said Strafe. "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be alive. "
"If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't've got hurt or killed."
"Oh, knock it off, Lightspeed!" Strafe smiled. "I don't blame you for what happened. You wouldn't've taken me if you knew it was going to happen. Lightspeed smiled.
"Thanks."
Skyfire landed and the two Autobots thanked him.
"Anytime," he said, transforming.
Lightspeed walked with Strafe into Autobot headquarters.
"You really should get Ratchet or First Aid to check you out. I mean I did the best I could to fix you, but there might be some things that-"
Strafe smiled. "Don't put yourself down. I feel fine, but if it makes you feel better, I'll go to them, but I need a short rest first."
Lightspeed smiled and walked with Strafe to his quarters.
"It sure is great to be home and safe again," Strafe sighed, flopping down on his resting ledge. He then sat up.
"If I ever catch that damn Blacklight I'll rip him apart!" Lightspeed growled, angrily slamming his fist into his hand.
"Easy, Lightspeed. He's got a lot of anger in him," Strafe said. "His hatred for Autobots obviously goes far deeper than the differences between our two sides."
"You say that so calmly, Strafe. Don't you just wanna kill that asshole - pay him back?"
"No. I know how much he hurt me and it definitely wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't personal against me either. Something must've happened to him a long time ago. He really should see a counsellor or something."
Lightspeed laughed. "They all should see counsellors if y' ask me. Anyway, who's gonna tell him? You?"
"Not in person, no," Strafe shuddered at the thought. "I can send him an anonymous message, though. He needs to deal with his pain."
"What about the pain he gave you?"
"I'm all right now, thanks to you - and I suffered physical pain. His emotional pain is obviously much deeper. I can understand that now that I have control of my senses again."
"I can't believe you're going to help him after what he did to you."
Strafe nodded. "I don't expect you to, but in time you'll understand."
Lightspeed smiled. "I'm beginning to now, I guess. That magnitude of forgiveness is powerful, Strafe. I admit always thought you were a bit of a wimp, but I can see now that it takes a brave person to endure that pain and forgive it."
Strafe smiled. "I can only hope Blacklight deals with the pain, both for any other Autobots who might be caught in the same unfortunate circumstance as I and for himself."
Lightspeed managed a smile, still angry with Blacklight, and vowing himself to learn to be as forgiving and as understanding as his friend.
*