Disclaimers: Transformers are owned by Hasbro.

I make no monetary profit from my fanfic

Summary: Megatron captures Rewind to discover where the secret stash of Autobot Bombs are hidden.

Rating - PG

~~~~~~~~

LOYALTY

Rewind was a small Autobot - one of Blaster's cassettes. He loved his friends and playing around, when he was in the mood! He was cheerful, loyal and kind and a storehouse of trivial information! He hated fighting. Sometimes Rewind played by himself. He loved all his Autobot friends and was happy to have caring friends like that and he hoped nothing bad ever happened to them. Rewind loved to explore. Often he went for days, always careful not to be found by the Decepticons.

* * *

The Decepticons were planning to capturing an Autobot to force him to tell them where the secret Autobot bombs were hidden so they could use them against their enemies.

"We need someone who is small and vulnerable," Megatron said to himself. "Bumblebee? Too stubborn. Ahh ... Yes ... Rewind. Perfect..."

The next morning the Autobots were going out for a drive.

Blaster said, "Rewind, hop inside.

"Thanks, but, They've just launched a new CD-ROM edition of Encyclopaedia Britannica."

"Okey-dokey," Blaster said. "You info freak!"

And Rewind smiled.

* * *

"Just our luck ..." Megatron smiled evilly. "All the Autobots've gone out driving ... except Rewind. He'll be easy to capture now ... Soundwave, blackout Teletraan I and jam his communications."

"As you order, Megatron."

Inside Autobot headquarters, Rewind didn't notice a thing. Neither did Teletraan, the Autobots' sentient computer.

Megatron and Soundwave snuck into Autobot headquarters.

Rewind was in the second control room, studying the new encyclopaedia, storing all the new information.

"Wow ... this is great!"

Soundlessly, Soundwave entered the room. He used his wave power to get Rewind's attention.

Rewind fell out of the seat to face Soundwave and Megatron.

"Oh, Great ..."

"Come with us and we won't harm you," ordered Megatron.

"Oh, sure."

Megatron blasted at him on Low power. Rewind darted out of the way.

"Couldn't you at least have waited until I was up to Z?"

"What?"

"Never mind," Rewind said, as he dodged another blast.

Soundwave used his wave power to disorientate the small Autobot. Rewind quickly transformed into his small mini cassette mode, hoping the Decepticons wouldn't see him.

Megatron grabbed him. Rewind swore mildly and the Decepticon leader smiled.

"We have what we came for. Let's go."

He and Soundwave left without any further ado.

* * *

Later, the Autobots returned. Teletraan I was back to normal, none the wiser.

"Rewind, we're back ..." called Jazz.

There was no answer. Blaster called, louder.

"He probably got bored and went outside," he suggested. "What could be so wrapping 'bout an encyclopaedia?"

"Don't knock it," Beachcomber said. "It's great stuff."

Blaster felt uneasy about Rewind. He wasn't the type to leave new encyclopaedic volumes alone, even after he'd finished going through them twice.

* * *

Rewind wanted to radio his friends for help, but the Decepticons had destroyed his communication circuits. Brawl roughly shoved the small Autobot into a cell and locked the door. Rewind stood up. "Great hospitality... At least they could've given their honoured guest something to eat!" Rewind was afraid, but determined not to show it to the Decepticons. Rewind wished there was a way to escape and get back to his friends.

* * *

Blaster became worried about Rewind. He knew Rewind liked to go out alone and occasionally went away for a few days or even weeks, but, Blaster couldn't help thinking that something bad had happened to him. He always told him where he was going, but not this time.

* * *

Megatron came into Rewind's cell. "Tell me where all the Autobot bombs are located or be destroyed ..."

"You know I can't do that."

"Do I?"

Great ... how does one get into these situations? How does one get out???

"Well - I'm waiting ... Tell me before I destroy you ... " Megatron pointed his fusion cannon at Rewind.

"I'll give you one hour to make up your mind - Autobot..." And he left.

An hour ... whooo - that's generous coming from him.

"Can't we try another way t get the bombs, Megatron?" Breakdown said. "He won't tell us. He's too loyal."

"Are you questioning me, Breakdown?"

"No ... I ... I just..."

Megatron whacked him out of the way. Breakdown smashed against the wall.

"Pathetic weakling..." Megatron growled, walking off.

Dead End and Wildrider saw Breakdown lying on the floor.

"Megatron must've got the you know what's..." said Wildrider.

"Megatron is an idiot," stated Dead End. "If he had more sense he would realise that our forces are already outnumbered by the Autobots and if he keeps on losing his temper like this..."

* * *

Blaster was getting more and more worried about Rewind and voiced his concerns to the other Autobots.

"What if something's happened to him?"

"Relax, Blaster," calmed Warpath cooly. "He's probably havin' fun."

"Rewind safe, Blaster. Stop worrying and he return home faster," Wheelie rhymed.

Blaster nodded. "Thanks guys," but still felt worried about his little friend.

* * *

Rewind hadn't been given anything to eat in days. He wished he'd gone driving with the Autobots them now. No encyclopaedia was worth this!

A few moments later, Megatron came into the cell.

"All right, Rewind. It's been an hour and five. Tell me where the bombs are."

Rewind was quite woozy. Megatron saw that Rewind needed energy. He didn't want to give the Autobot any, but realised he had to - to find out where the bombs were hidden. He returned with a small energon cube. Rewind hurriedly drank it. rewind said nothing.

"Where are they?" demanded Megatron.

"Mega ... tron" he began, "I ... Oh ... I ..." Rewind faked a faint.

The Decepticon Leader was getting rather impatient. "Pathetic Autobot weakling ..." He kicked Rewind hard.

Ouch!

Megatron angrily left the cell and locked the door.

"Shit that hurt! ... What the hell am I going to do? I can't tell him ... and I'm not keen on being blown to bits either..."

* * *

Blaster became very restless at Autobot headquarters. "I'm sure something's happened to him." He approached Optimus Prime. "Prime m'man, I'm sure somethin' bad's happened to Rewind. He's been gone for days and zippo tellin' me where he's gone."

"Affirmative, Blaster, but you know how Rewind loves to go out alone a lot. He's been away for weeks before."

"Yeah, but this time it feels different ... what if the Decepticons've captured him?"

"If they had, Blaster, Teletraan I would have informed us by now. Try not to worry so much."

Blaster nodded, hoping wherever Rewind was he was safe.

* * *

Rewind wondered what to do about the bombs. If he told Megatron where they were he would destroy all his friends with them and Rewind didn't want any of the Autobots to die. Later, Megatron entered into the cell.

"Well? ..."

"Megatron ... the bombs are ..." Rewind took a deep breath. "The bombs are ..." Rewind paused. He hoped his plan worked.

"Where?" asked Megatron, impatient.

"They're directly under Teletraan I under Autobot headquarters in a large compartment. You can't miss it."

Rewind closed his eyes.

"I knew you'd choose to co-operate." Megatron was satisfied.

Soundwave blanked out Teletraan I again. Megatron and the Constructions tunnelled underneath Autobot headquarters, directly underneath Teletraan I. There was no large compartment - or anything o the sort.

"There's nothin' 'ere!" Bonecrusher exclaimed.

"That Autobot'll pay for this!" Megatron cursed.

Megatron burst into Rewind's cell.

"YOU LIED TO ME!"

"What!?" exclaimed Rewind, trying to sound confused.

"That's where they are. They must have moved them. I ..."

"Shut up!

Megatron left and returned with a Cyber-mind reading device and discovered Rewind had lied.

"I'm warning you ... I do not tolerate lies."

"You lie enough."

"Silence!"

"Okay - you want the truth? The Autobots don't have any bombs... I told you here they 'were' because you wouldn't believe me if I said they didn't."

Megatron probed his mind again and found that Rewind was lying again. "I cannot believe your stupidity. I warned you about lying to me ... Now pay the price ..." Megatron pointed his fusion cannon at Rewind.

"Oh, shit."

Megatron blasted him and went out of the cell. Rewind was unconscious.

"Whoa ... great one, Rewind..." he said when he regained consciousness.

* * *

"That's it!" Blaster exclaimed. "Somethin's happened to him!"

"Relax, Blaster," said Eject, "Rewind's probably okay. He's probably out some place."

"Somethin's happened to him - you're his brother. You should have more concern."

"Lay off, Blaster," Ratchet said.

"I'm sure he's in a bad way and he needs help."

"Blaster," cautioned Perceptor, "don't jump to conclusion."

Blaster sighed and walked away. I hope he is safe, even though I'll look like a ditz in front of my friends.

Blaster wasn't so sure, but was certain Rewind was in danger.

* * *

Megatron entered Rewind's cell. The Autobot kept quiet.

Still Rewind said nothing. He hid his fear well.

"I'm being very patient with you, Autobot... are you going to tell me where the bombs are or not?"

Still Rewind remained tight lipped.

"I'm warning you, Autobot, ... You better tell me where those blasted bombs are or I'll destroy you ... You have until tomorrow night. Be grateful you have even that time..."

Megatron blasted him and walked angrily out of the cell.

Rewind sat up slowly and groaned. His arm was aching like hell. He hid his fear - he only had 24 hours to tell Megatron where the bombs were or Megatron would kill him.

What the hell'm I going to do? Talk about a Catch 22!

* * *

Blaster approached his leader again.

"Prime, I'm sure something bad's happened to Rewind ... I'm gettin' major league bad vibes."

"I know how you feel, Blaster, but Rewind would've radioed us by now had he been in danger and Teletraan I would've informed us by now."

"I hope you're right."

* * *

Rewind wished Megatron would forget about the bombs. Perhaps I should cry for the moon - that'd be more likely.

Like clockwork, Megatron entered the cell that night.

"I'm waiting ..."

Rewind said nothing.

Megatron looked down at him. "Hmm, Perhaps I should try something else to make you give me those bombs ..."

I have a baaaad feeling about this ...

Megatron soon returned, holding a small, strange looking mechanical device.

I have an even worse feeling about this.

"You'll tell me where the bombs are ... Or I'll use this..."

"Would you mind kindly telling me what it is?"

"I'd rather show you ..."

Megatron pushed a red button on the device. A white beam of energy shot into Rewind. The Autobot collapsed onto the floor, trying to bear the pain. It was plasma energy.

* * *

At Autobot headquarters, Blaster somehow could feel that Rewind was in pain - that something or someone was hurting him. He tried to assure himself that Rewind was all right, but he couldn't.

* * *

Megatron still blasted Rewind with the plasma energy. Rewind let out an audible moan.

Megatron turned off the machine. "Are you going to tell me?"

The small Autobot glared up at Megatron, but said nothing.

Megatron turned the machine on again. "I'll stop if you tell me what I want to know."

Rewind shut his eyes and tried not to give Megatron the satisfaction of knowing how much pain he was causing him. was Megatron angrily turned off the machine.

"TELL ME!! ..." he screamed, grabbing Rewind's neck.

Rewind had to make a decision here and now.

"Tell me where they are!!" shouted Megatron.

"NO!" Rewind gasped, weak. He glared into Megatron's eyes. "I'll never tell you. I'd rather die than have you turn the bombs on my friends. I'm not all that keen on dying, but you made it a rather tough decision."

Megatron cried out in rage, then calmed himself.

"Very well. So be it. The bombs stay with the Autobots, and you, die --"

Megatron pointed his fusion cannon at Rewind. The Autobot closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them, the last thing they saw were bright, powerful pink blasts.

Satisfied, Megatron lowered his fusion cannon and looked at Rewind's parts on the floor.

"A pity," he said. "If only some of my Decepticons possessed such loyalty."

* * *

The second Rewind exploded Blaster, jerked and dropped the tape deck he was carrying.

"What happened, Blaster?" Optimus Prime asked, concerned.

"Somethin' real bad's happened to Rewind ... I ... I can feel it... somehow"

Some of the other Autobots were getting impatient and sick of Blaster worrying about Rewind all the time, angrily telling him to stop worrying. This upset Blaster. He wished they could understand him, but then he knew he was a difficult guy to understand.

"I'll run a scan, if it'll make you feel better," Optimus said gently. "Get some rest, Blaster.

"Thanks," Blaster said.

He retreated to his quarters and tried to take his mind off Rewind with an aromatic hot oil bath.

* * *

The Decepticons discarded Rewind's remains in a nearby valley.

* * *

Blaster was dead sure something terrible had happened to Rewind, but he didn't want to tell anyone and he didn't know where to start looking. Optimus' scan had picked up nothing, neither had Bumblebee, sneaking into the Decepticon headquarters. By now the other Autobots were starting to worry about him too.

"Where can he be?"

"He's never been away for so long before ..."

"Perhaps Blaster was right ..."

"Thanks, guys, but it might be too late."

* * *

During the next few days, the Autobots started searching for Rewind. They searched for days, but they found no trace of him anywhere.

"I told you guys something'd happened to him."

"Sorry, Blaster, but we thought he was okay ..."

"People used to think the earth was flat too."

Optimus Prime went to Teletraan I.

"Teletraan, can you tell us what Rewind was doing on the date of," Optimus specified, "He was the only one here."

Teletraan replied, "he was in the headquarters and then he wasn't here anymore. I did not detect him leaving and I didn't detect any Decepticons. Unsolved mystery."

Optimus checked Teletraan's circuitry. "That's odd. One and a half hours of time is blank in your memory on that date." And then it hit Optimus. "Oh no ..."

"So it was the Decepticons," Blaster said, after hearing what Optimus Prime had just told him.

"It looks that way."

"Damn!" Blaster cursed, smashing a console with his fist.

"Optimus Prime ..." Teletraan I's voice called.

"What is it?"

"I am detecting an extremely faint Autobot signal from a valley in," Teletraan specified.

"I'm there like yesterday," Blaster said, flying off.

"Be careful, Blaster!"

Blaster arrived at the valley and scanned. It didn't take him long to locate the signal. Under a pile of leaves and undergrowth. Blaster pulled it away and stared in shock.

"No ... No ... No!"

Blaster uncovered more of his friends parts and wanted to cry, not to mention throw up. "I knew something'd happened to him ... Those Deceptibastards are gonna pay!"

Blaster used his Auto-Scanner to locate the rest of Rewind's parts. He found them all and took Rewind to Autobot headquarters.

He sadly told the other Autobots what had happened to Rewind.

"I told you all something's happened to him ..."

The Autobots all bore the guilt of not listening to him.

"You didn't do this to him," Blaster said, "but it could've been prevented if you'd listened to me. Hoist, Ratchet, First Aid, Wheeljack, is there anything in the universe you could do for him?"

"I don't know," Ratchet replied truthfully. "But we'll try."

Blaster nodded and hoped to Primus they could repair him.

Ratchet, Wheeljack, Host and First Aid were doing everything they could for Rewind. They had to replace a lot of his parts and circuits. Fortunately his brain wasn't too badly damaged.

"This isn't easy" First Aid said, "But we have to give it all we've got. Why can't those blasted Deceptigoons pick on someone their own size?"

They kept trying and trying for hours upon hours.

"If this doesn't work, we won't ever be able to do anything for him ..." said Wheeljack worriedly.

They had cleaned up and put Rewind's body back together and replaced almost all of his internal circuits. They gently recharged Rewind and left him on the bed till morning.

Blaster ran down to the repair bay. He saw Rewind lying on the bed and was glad he was in one piece. He hoped Rewind would be okay. "How could the Decepticons be so cruel? You're so small, m'man..."

"If Rewind doesn't reactivate soon, he will never re- activate again" said Hoist sadly. "The wound were caused by was multiple fusion cannon blasts."

Blaster's face twisted into a furious snarl. "Megatron! I'll kill that son of a bitch!"

They waited for more hours. "It's not working ..." said First Aid, feeling very upset.

"I'm sorry, Blaster ... We did our best..."

"It's not your fault, Ratchet."

Blaster wasn't the type to cry, but caught a tear rolling down his cheek. He took one last look at Rewind, and then turned to leave. He heard a small noise and turned around and couldn't believe it. Rewind was sitting up on the bed. In a rare display of sentimentality, Blaster hugged him.

"Don't you ever do that to me again, you hear?!"

Rewind smiled. "I'm not plannin' to."

Blaster managed a smile.

"Megatron wanted our secret bombs," Rewind explained. "I couldn't let him use them on all of you."

Blaster nodded. "I'll get that bastard if it's the last thing I do."

Blaster took Rewind to the other Autobots.

"I've got someone to see you!"

Rewind was still quite weak, but mobile.

The other Autobots were all very surprised and overjoyed to see their friend alive.

"What happened to you, Rewind?" asked Optimus Prime.

Rewind told him the whole story.

Optimus Prime and the other Autobots congratulated Rewind on his bravery and loyalty.

"I know I did the right thing, but I never wanna have to go through that again."

"I was scared bad, Prime."

"I don't blame you, but that doesn't mean that you weren't brave. Being frightened doesn't mean you're a coward. Everyone feels frightened sometime."

Rewind smiled.

"Have you ever felt frightened, Optimus?"

"Yes, Rewind, I have. It's only natural."

* * *

As a last resort to get his hands on the bombs, launched a full scale attack on Autobot headquarters.

"I must have those bombs!"

Blaster, although he wanted to whip Megatron's hide three days from Sunday, knew he was not strong enough. Then he smiled.

"How about knocking out two birds with one stone ..."

He retreated into Autobot headquarters, and returned, carrying two largish round grey devices. Blaster returned to the battle scene. There, he blasted Megatron, disorientating the Decepticon leader for a while.

"You'll pay for that, Autobot..." he threatened, about to stand.

"You want the bombs, Megatron?" HERE!" Blaster activated it and threw it in Megatron's direction.

"NO!"

And Blaster hurled the other. Megatron lay there, badly wounded.

"If you want more, I'll give them to you!"

Part of him felt good about what he had done, part did not.

Optimus Prime came to him. "That's enough, Blaster. I think he gets the idea and -"

"Yeah, I know revenge is a no go, but you can't help it sometimes.

"I know, Blaster. Let's get inside. This battle's over."

Blaster turned around to see Soundwave keel down next to Megatron, gently pick him up and retreat with him. They care about each other, he thought to himself. Wonders never cease...

Blaster was grateful to have his cassette friend back. Even though the encyclopaedia scanning wasn't exactly Blaster's thing, he sat with rewind, with a large bag of energon chips and went through the encyclopaedic CD ROM, from A-Z and they especially enjoyed the section on Ghetto Blasters and cassettes!

*

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