Ep. 1.5 - Overload - (Closed)

[Deleted]

When: Set immediately after 'The Bad Nights'
Time: 0230 hrs

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Darkness lay thick over a late Nevada night.

The distant mesas were black against the open horizon, above which glittered a sky full of stars. It was a clear night; the air was cool and crisp. Wispy clouds drifted across the face of the moon, casting shadows that wandered across the desert.

The moon shone down upon the launch pad at the peak of the Omega outpost. In the long shadow of the plateau the base doors were already open. The lone road that provided access to the old missile silo stretched out in front of them, a pale ribbon scuffed with tire tracks that wound its way between the lonely buttes in the distance, where it disappeared into a rocky valley.

Beneath the light of the moon it was not difficult to see where the tank tracks departed from the asphalt after the first bend in the road.

The road turned south. The set of heavy tread marks steered abruptly off the pavement, where they tore deep furrows into the softer shoulder before ploughing into the hardpacked desert floor. There they raced in a straight line to the west, past tufts of sagebrush and straggling juniper. A haze of dust lingered over them, slow to settle in the still night air.

Clods of dirt and broken rock lay strewn in their wake. The tracks had ripped into the earth in a fury. Something had clipped a Joshua tree and crushed it, leaving nothing but splinters and mulch behind.

And roughly a mile to the west, the trail of dust from a speeding vehicle rose sharply from the desert floor.

Optimus was right. Even driving off-road it would take little time for the two Autobots to catch up to the third they were pursuing.

Whether they would be able to get him to stop was another question.

[Deleted]

It didn't take long for Wheeljack to catch up with the big rig. Optimus had a head start but the road that left the Omega base was smooth sailing and Wheeljack was all about the speed in his alt mode, especially when he was flooring it. It was nice to imagine, as he zipped past, that Optimus was chewing him out in his processor. The Wrecker knew it was only a matter of time before he got a reprimand which he was cheerfully gonna ignore.

Fort Max's path was pretty easy to follow, even in the moonlight. The tank had travelled along the road till after the first corner, veering off west into the desert. Someone, Fowler probably, was going to be slagged about all the damage those big treads had rendered in the tarmac. It was reassuring to see that Fort Max wasn't heading towards Jasper. Less likely to be spotted or accidentally harm some humans. Wheeljack shot off the tarmac and onto the desert floor.

Hmph. Bumpy. Wheeljack's alt had low clearance and just about every rock that he rocketed over seemed to be getting caught in his undercarriage. It was annoying but didn't slow Wheeljack's breakneck speed. The tank's path through here was still clear, the very earth and sparse vegetation bore evidence to his passage, as Fort Max had simply crushed everything in his path.

As Wheeljack drove, his thoughts drifted to the Wreckers. A crew full of hard-headed cases like theirs, there had been disagreements. Emotional breakdowns from the stress and conditions they were under. Fights. Nasty ones. Tempers had brewed and exploded violently. Dangerously, because Wreckers lived no other way. Sometimes after the eruption, the best thing was to give space till cool heads prevailed over the anger. Heading out like this, Wheeljack actually wasn't certain was the best move based on his experiences.

::So:: he pinged in Neocyex on Fort Max's comm channel. It was a long shot that he didn't expect to work but, hey, you never did know. The glyphs he used conveyed honesty as well as slight humour. ::Tell me, Max. Should I be concerned right now? Or can I go back to building a puzzle cube? Ping once for I need the nearest co-ordinates of a Decepticon outpost or twice for Go back to your Rubik's cube, Wheeljack. Because I will head back right now if you tell me you've got your gears sorted out and your head on straight. Incoherent grunts of anger or complete silence or static will qualify you for three: hunt me down asap before I do something questionable. If you pick option three though, make sure you punch the other guy first before turning your attention to me. Just because I want to appreciate him being whaled on before you try to beat my head in::

Up ahead, there was dust billowing, as if disturbed by a moving vehicle.

Gotcha.

[Optimus Prime]

Optimus had a plan of action already laid down by the time he got out of the Omega Base tunnel and out into the open road. He had it all laid down in his processor, with a few branching pathways in place depending on some wildcards that could get thrown in depending on how Fortress Maximus replied. His intended goal? Was to simply keep pace with him, conveying a will to help, and no judgment upon what had happened, as well as patience. This goal? Would enable the tank to act first when HE was comfortable, and not feel pressured into facing or confronting anything immediately. This was a matter of psychological stress taken to an extreme, and as such had to be treated carefully. Because of this? Optimus was really not happy when Wheeljack went speeding past at full tilt.

Seeing the Wrecker zoom past enacted a few immediate responses within him. First was some heavy irritation that Wheeljack didn't listen to his instructions. But really... what did he expect out of him? The Wrecker didn’t work for him directly, and seemed rebellious about given orders. However? He WAS an Autobot. If the systems were damaged and the shielding was down? His negligence could end up with the Nemesis hovering overhead in the next few hours.

Optimus highly doubted all the shielding went down. He would be surprised if any of the bullets he saw even hit that system, however it was better safe than sorry, and that extra precaution? Could make sure everything was that much more stable. But to be frank? One had to be honest as well. Their team had some serous bad luck, and as slim chances as it was? They had to treat it as top priority.

::Wheeljack: I gave you a task.::

He bitterly sent this ping out, wanting to say more, but the implied frustration would be enough to display he was not happy with this turn of events. He also was well aware the Wrecker would probably not reply, which was evident by the steely silence he got in return.

The second big thing that made the Wrecker's appearance so awful? Was the fact Optimus' plans had been thrown out the window carelessly. Wheeljack would likely try to engage in conversation prematurely, or somehow aggravate the tank. How could he not? It seemed the need to instigate conflict was pulsing through Wheeljack's veins tainting the Energon.

Optimus watched as the sports car ripped ahead of him even when they went off road, which in turn compelled him to push down harder on his acceleration trying to keep up. While he was rather quick for a semi truck of his size, he was still slower than the concept car, left trying to pick up the slack as dust pelted across his outer frame. But while he lacked the speed? His frame was higher off of the ground, the rocks and debris not impairing him as much as he barreled after.

He too was relieved Fortress Maximus was heading towards the wilderness, rather than any human populations. It implied he had enough of his processor intact that he just wanted to escape for a bit. Or it was a lucky guess on the tanks part... Either way, the Prime didn’t plan to try to directly comm him yet, aggravated his plans were thrown out, instead trying to contact the Wrecker again to disengage.

::Wheeljack: This situation does not require your specific skill sets. Return to Base immediately::

[Deleted]

Racing in the lead, Wheeljack would see it first.

At the head of the dust column was the missing tank. Dirt poured off its blue and grey flanks, streaming backwards in a long trail. Its treads spun, crushing loose rock and brittle plant life beneath its tracks as it roared across the desert. The furious roar of its drivetrain would be audible to the Wrecker even at a distance as the tank belted onwards without stopping. Both of its rear radio whip antenna were bowed over backwards, wagging only when the tank hit a boulder and pulverized it, scattering rubble in its wake.

But despite its fearsome strength it was apparent that the tank was not designed for speed. Its engine strained to drive it forward at a little under sixty miles an hour, and already black exhaust was mingled with the dust cloud. Both Wheeljack and Optimus would be able to draw up on it steadily, and keep pace if they so desired.

The tank made no sign it acknowledged their presence, other than to clamp its aerials back a little flatter. Wheeljack's hail rang out over the comm lines.

It was met with a ragged burst of static. Nothing more.

However, something on the tank was moving.

Not the main gun, fortunately - it was locked straight ahead, the turret facing the distant mesas. Either the tank did not intend to fire it, or the final blast of electricity delivered by Thundercloud's crushing spike-knuckled punch had damaged the war machine's targeting systems worse than he knew.

But the two machine guns mounted on the turret wheeled about.

Both of them locked onto Wheeljack, the closer of the two Autobots. Bright flashes erupted from their muzzles as they took aim and opened fire. The earth in front of the Lancia ripped apart, hurling debris back at his hood.

[Deleted]

Hmm...was that Optimus Prime on his comms? Telling him to go back to base? Something about a task? Ordering him about? Nah, couldn't be.

The tank was getting closer in Wheeljack's view and louder in his audials and he still hadn't got a response. Just static. Option 3 it was then. Wheeljack didn't have a problem with that. He could keep pace easily with the warden. Fort Max was pushing himself hard, the black smoke escaping from his exhaust wasn't a good sign. Wheeljack wondered if the tank had a destination in mind or if he was just going to push himself until his engine gave out. Mentally, the Wrecker shrugged. Just might have to wait for Fort Max to run himself ragged.

Then Max's machine guns wheeled round towards him and opened fire.

Scrap.

Guess that was a no on the Rubik's cube then.

Well. Can't say he didn't see that coming. The Lancia Stratos dropped back, decelerating and swerving left, out of the way to dodge the oncoming fire. Clods of dirt whipped over his hood. Wheeljack's wheels spun over the rocky desert floor, finding purchase again. He streaked out, going wide and maintaining a distance between them instead of returning to his previous path which had been hurtling straight after the tank.

Hmm...to engage or not to engage. Wheeljack was more than happy to oblige in a fight if that what it was going to come down to. For now, though, he'd keep a distance and see what the tank would do next.

Your move, Max.

[Optimus Prime]

This was not a situation where one could just bash carelessly forward to clean up the issue with crass jokes, abrasive motions and general nonsense. It had to be done carefully, essentially with a surgeon's precision, and he could not see how Wheeljack couldn't comprehend this enough to back down. If it had just been Optimus? Than it would look like one individual coming out to try to offer aid. Throw another in? And it likely looked like they were pursuing Fortress with aggressive intent to drag him back.

He had to get Wheeljack to disengage somehow, or work with him rather than against him without starting a second confrontation that needed to be ironed out. The last thing any of them needed was to try to get the Wrecker on board, only to end up on the receiving end of pointless yelling and a sword drawn. What happened next? Only confirmed his prior thoughts that Fortress may think of them as a threat.

Optimus was not far behind, his shocks rattling under the excessively bumpy and rocky terrain. Unlike Fortress, he could not simply barrel over the larger boulders with ease to crush them, and had to weave around. Despite this obstacle, he managed to close the distance relatively well, trying to peer through the kicked up haze of dust and debris that the two before him launched into the air. Even though a lot of the detail was clouded out and blurred by the plumes, he could make out the machine guns whirling about on their posts to open fire at Wheeljack.

Unseen optics watched as Wheeljack swerved to the side violently, before making a wide arch to use a more tactical approach. This bothered Optimus, as it made it appear that much more like they were hunting him down more so than offering aid. He was at least grateful the Wrecker wasn't closing the distance again, however he had no idea what possible communications were being thrown between the two.

::Wheeljack: If you refuse to go back to base, you will do best to follow my lead::

He commed this out pointingly, his systems roaring out as he barreled over the hazardous terrain. Once he got a reasonable distance however, able to view both individuals while not being too close to Fortress? He eased to match the tank's speed, displaying he was not going to challenge the distance like the Wrecker had.

::It stands to reason that he will assault anything perceived to be a threat to him in his current state of mind. To barrel forth or bombard his processor with attempts to communicate, could exacerbate his condition::

He sent these out to the Wrecker while keeping his attention partly drawn to the guns. If Fortress Maximus turned them on him? He would ease back and gift him some more distance between them. He refused to challenge or give the appearance of being a threat to him at this time, playing passive observer.

::Give him space to reorient himself. Interfere only if he is to bring harm to himself, or becomes a danger to others::

[Deleted]

With a final chatter of fire the machine guns fell silent.

They swivelled to track Wheeljack when the Lancia nimbly swerved wide to put a little distance between the two vehicles again. As the tank charged over the desert floor they rattled on their mounts, both black muzzles aimed warningly at his hood. The message was silent but clear: keep back.

Not a word came over the comm line. Only static.

Another scruffy tree impacted against the front of the tank, where it was savagely dragged down and crushed beneath its treads. Its engine howled against the strain as the machine forged on, racing furiously against the two Autobots that kept a quiet pace at its flanks. But the breakneck flight across the desert had already taken its toll. The tank was struggling to run at a speed it was not meant to keep up, and the smoke was worsening. It slowed, lurching when it slammed over another rock.

Optimus drew within firing range.

Immediately the machine guns swung on their mounts to level both barrels at him. The tank drew a bead on the Peterbilt's broad hood and silver grille, poised to blast a spray of fire directly into the big truck's fenders -

- and faltered.

Both guns jerked upwards, as if recoiling in horror.

All at once, the tank slammed on its brakes.

The right track abruptly stopped spinning as its drivetrain was disengaged. The left track locked, throwing the war machine into a hard skid that pivoted it around in a half circle, its tracks dragging an exploding cloud of dust behind them. The tank spun out, raking up the desert earth until it had it whirled and skidded to a groaning halt.

For a moment it sat there, smoking, its hot engine ticking softly in the cool desert air.

It transformed.

Fortress Maximus staggered up into his robot mode, touching down clumsily on one hand before he was able to get his legs underneath himself. The tank treads locked into position on his back while his plating slammed into place around his chassis and limbs. The machine guns were the last to go, folding and compacting back into their housing within the heavy armour over his legs.

Amidst a cloud of smoke and dust he stood bent, his hands clenched on his thighs. The sound of his rasping breath was loud as his systems fought for cool air, his head lowered.

[Deleted]

Wheeljack internally snorted as Prime's voice came back again over his comms, telling him nothing he didn't know or wasn't already doing. Oh, wait, follow Prime's lead? Riiight. And do what exactly? The Wrecker hung back as Optimus finally surged ahead, catching up to them.

::Noooo, really? Getting too close might cause him to attack? Gee, thanks Prime, hadn't figured that one for myself. Any other wise words of advice you got for me?:: Wheeljack retorted, keeping his distance as he careened over the rocky terrain.

Then Fort Max hit a rough spot -murdered a tree, then a rock- and slowed. The Wrecker watched with no small alarm as those turrets turned upon the big rig trailing behind the tank. Frag, he knew Fort Max wasn't operating anywhere near his right mind but would he really-

::Prime, get clear!:: he snapped harshly. He veered hard right, correcting his angle then floored the accelerator, rocketing straight for Fort Max with a loud roar and the speed that came with an alt mode capable of accelerating from zero to sixty miles per hour in just a little over three seconds flat. The rough terrain was absolute hell on his undercarriage but Wheeljack ignored it with practiced ease.

If Fort Max was another car, Wheeljack might have tried ramming him without a second thought. As he didn't really fancy those treads crushing his hood-

The Lancia split apart, Wheeljack's torso pushing upwards, his pedes the last part to emerge. In the nano-klik of transformation, he leapt for the tank. Either he'd divert those turrets by blade, canon or his own damn servos or-

Fort Max shuddered, like he was coming to and the turrets turned their sights away from Prime. Then the tank slammed the breaks and swerved to the side. Wheeljack had half a moment's relief that that situation had seemingly resolved itself on its own. Then he took note of himself, his landing was going to be off since he'd been aiming for a tank that was no longer there.

Eh. Mentally his processor gave a minute shrug at the change of circumstances. Instead of trying to land on his pedes, Wheeljack allowed his momentum to carry himself into a hard roll. He smacked into the ground, tumbling forward and digging both pedes and a servo into the brown soil. A cloud of dust was blown into the air as Wheeljack skidded several meters, eventually dragging to a halt half kneeling in the dirt and leaving a long trail in the ground behind him.

Wheeljack was quick to straighten to his full height again. He didn't go for a weapon, rather his battle mask, which he'd emerged from his alt-form with, withdrew. Warily, his optics flicked between Optimus and the bent over form of Fortress Maximus. Lip plates drawn tight, the Wrecker kept back and waited silently for the warden to recover.

[Optimus Prime]

If you figured that one out, why did you find need to challenge it?!

No... how about...

I apologize. Your reckless neglect displayed substantial ignorance on your part.

Eghhh... That was lowering to the Wreckers level...

::It may be wise to follow said calculations, before action next time::

It was a bit of a reprimand, but was significantly less pointed than his first kneejerk responses . If Wheeljack was so clever as to already have all of that mapped out? Why did he challenge Fortress and get so close as to enact an actual barrage of bullets from him? No, Wheeljack was just being snarky and abrasive which seemed to be his norm. Optimus had to accept this was just going to happen, and as such, fortify his patience. He resolved himself to showing no reaction in reply to the sass in order to make the Wrecker think that nothing he said? Could bother him. That his snark? Wasn't worthwhile to be processed.

And that was the extent of the Prime's passive aggression.

Nonetheless, Optimus had not intended to get within firing range. His entire goal? His entire function for that moment? Had been to skirt along the outer edges so he could maintain visual contact, but not breach into that bubble of defensive aggression Fortress was radiating. The billowing dust and exhaust however had impaired his sight just enough for him to not realize the change in velocity, which ended up with him advancing on the tank. Next thing he knew? Before he could try to ease back? The guns were pivoting to aim right at him.

The Prime reeled internally as the weapons zeroed in to target, and he started to brake and try to wrench back to get back to the safe and respectful distance. Such weaponry wouldn't kill him with his armor, he would survive, however it would not be pleasant in the slightest. He didn't particularly wish to be loaded full of hard ammunition that tended to be a huge waste of time to pick out from internals.

Figures... he thought about Ratchet's time more so than the pain it would cause himself.

Before he could fully start to stop however, Wheeljack had sprung unto motion, which partly surprised Optimus, yet... at the same time? Did not. Deep down in his spark, or perhaps it was the Matrix itself feeding off of experiences with others long past, he had known Wheeljack was, and would likely always be an Autobot in his core. Wanting to aid the cause and help the team in his own way. Witnessing it in motion? Just smoothed out all the resentful bite Optimus had been feeling. Though now it was replaced with some panic, since the Wrecker was now dangerously close and could get injured simply to help him.

Guilt.

Optimus slammed hard on his brakes when the entire ordeal started to play out, his tires locking in tandem with Fort Max's treads, as he tried to stop before he breached further into the boundary he had created for himself. The entire rig of his frame lurched from this, tires grinding and scraping as they gored into the dusty earth surface. It was during this, the outer panels surged open, before the internals ripped apart. The hind wheels split, one lurching forward only to slam down in the form of a leg, as the rest of his frame followed suit in just fractions of moments.

He knew to try to stop fully in his Alt-Mode? Would most likely rip apart and abolish the rubber on his tires. It was one thing to put them under the strain of halting on asphalt; it was another on this hazardous terrain. Just because his tires were sturdy? And not as fragile as a common earth vehicles? Didn’t mean they still weren't viable to bursting. It is because of this he landed on his peds, frame hunched with arms out for balance as his frame's weight ground down, sliding him forward until he came to a solid halt.

Optimus was relieved Fortress seemed to regain some semblance of control, as there were no bullets fired, and the Tank had slid to a complete stop. It would be a lie however, to say the Prime didn't eye the canon until it was no longer an immediate threat when Fortress took on his root form. He didn't expect it to be used, but he didn't want to challenge the psyche of one who had been through so much trauma. It is because of this? His stance straightened upright, and he took one cautious step forward.

The clunk of the ped was not as prominent, almost... lightly... placed, before his entire frame eased down. In just a moment, the typically regal stance of the mech, was instead resting upon his shins, hands loosely curled into fists which were planted down upon his legs, with his spine straight and shoulders back. The posture would permit him to lurch his legs straight and throw himself into a run or dodge if needed, but most of all? It conveyed a lowering of hierarchy barriers.

He was the Prime yes, he was their leader. He was one of great power, and should carry himself in a way to call for respect. However? He was a slave to his people in his core, and he wanted to make it painfully clear that he was not here to rule over the damaged mech, not here to demand his return, but instead? Approaching him with intent to listen, and offer aid. It was odd to see of the Prime, rare, but he hoped such an offer? Such an act of making himself vulnerable? Would prompt Fortress himself to ease down and disengage from the flight mode he had locked within.

Blue optics were placed upon Fortress calmly, not deviating at all, and not even passing a glance towards Wheeljack. It was almost as if the other mech wasn't even there in a way, which was a bit of acceptance of the others help. He did not try to manage the Wrecker's actions, he didn't try to force feed him any more advice, nor send him a com with an explanation. In a way he reached out with a bit of cautious trust to see what Wheeljack would do with it.

Optimus did not speak, not yet, he wanted Fortress to think things through on his own terms, and with his own speed. He would not be rushed by the Prime. He would not be prompted. If the Tank simply wanted to ease down and rest for some time to recover? He would be permitted to do so with no judgment.

Everything was in Fort Max's control here.

[Deleted]

Silence fell over the desert.

Little moved. The dust sank back to the earth, leaving a thin haze in the air. Stars twinkled in the vast black desert sky over their heads, while insects droned sleepily in scrubby patches of brush.

For a long time Maximus did nothing. He remained bent, arms braced, distracted by his own internal distress. The big mech had been built for combat, not for a flat-out race across the desert. The miles he had travelled in flight over rough terrain had burnt him out worse than a skirmish could have, streaking his plating in black exhaust. The only sound to be heard was his laboured breathing as overheated metals ticked deep within his chest.

Finally the warden put his face in one hand and heaved upright. Loose dirt streamed off his back. Only when he lowered his hand again did Maximus notice that Optimus and Wheeljack stood nearby, quietly watching him.

In one motion he rounded on them, furious.

His battle engine snarled. Maximus lowered himself into a combat stance, radiating agitation. At the small of his back was clipped the photon rifle. He made no gesture towards it as he raised his fists and slid his foot back, grounding himself into a position from which he could launch an attack or defend himself, depending on who sprang first –

– and –

No one did. Maximus faltered.

One of his optics was dark, shorted out by the concussive electrical blast. The red optic that remained cut wildly back and forth as Maximus took in Wheeljack’s grave silence, the humble pose that Optimus had lowered himself into. No one spoke, no one moved. Beneath a pale desert moon the two Autobots only waited for him, watching.

Haggard, Maximus backed up a step, suddenly unsure.

"I'm not going back there,“ he said. The words were jerky and thick, spoken in a low voice. The red–eyed glare swept to Optimus’ face. ”I refuse to- I'm not going back with you. You have no idea what it's been like. No idea!"

[Deleted]

Time dragged by as Fortress Maximus recuperated from his long flight from the Omega base all the way across the desert floor. At some point, Wheeljack was half-tempted to pull out both puzzle cubes sitting in his subspace and start fiddling around with them. As time passed on, Wheeljack eventually did. Armed with his hand tools, he settled in, keeping half an optic on the big mech nearby.

Then, Fort Max finally straightened, with a wave of dirt displaced from his frame that fell back to the ground. Wheeljack's servos halted as he lifted his head up and quizzically watched Fort Max. Alarm registered when the warden fell into a combat stance, aggression permeating every inch of his frame. At least Max hadn't gone for his gun, that was the only relief. It was against every instinct of Wheeljack's not to respond to the blatant threat and withdraw a weapon but instead he forced his attention back to the cube and continued on with his work. Non-hostile, he attempted to radiate. Non-hostile and waiting for you, for when you were ready to speak.

And talk Fort Max eventually did.

"I'm not going back there. I refuse to- I'm not going back with you. You have no idea what it's been like. No idea!"

Wheeljack did not reply though his optics slid over questioningly at Optimus. The issue of Omega base residency was after all the Prime's to handle. And as a free-spirit who went wherever he wanted, he was in no place to coral someone to a location against their will or judge them for when they wanted to leave. Whilst Wheeljack had no idea what the cause of Fort Max's breakdown was, it was enough that the mech wanted to be be gone. If anything, he'd back Fort Max up here should Optimus press the issue. Wheeljack doubted he would, it wasn't in the Prime's nature to force a Bot into a situation that was clearly distressing a mech. But well. You never know.

The Wrecker in fact turned aside, to give the two some illusion of privacy though he was clearly listening in. He would not interfere unless things turned violent or Optimus insisted on Fort Max returning to base. Out of the corner of his optic, he could see both mecha, but his back was almost completely turned to them. His servos tightened on the cubes clutched in his grasp as he worked a little quicker.

[Optimus Prime]

The silence that fell over the area, was suffocating. True, there was the noise of native wildlife, and the light sounds of the tank's ragged frame cooling down, but compared to the roar of engines and screeching grind of their sudden halt just moments prior? And it made even the noises of this planet drown out to a strangling calm.

Optimus did not move from his position, even when Fortress turned against them with obvious ill intent. While the Tank's systems roared back to life for a moment? And he had taken on a stance ready to engage in an attack? The Prime remained calm, expression flattened with neutrality as his optics watched to see what would come next. He truly did skirt a line between being far too relaxed, foolishly confident, and being on edge and ready to react, finding a solid balance.

To the side of him, he could hear Wheeljack moving, possibly tinkering with something?... He could not tell, as his optics never left the tank. This left only his sense of hearing there to try to decipher what the Wrecker was doing, but he trusted it was nothing foolish. Either way, the grey and blue optics settled on Fortress' features, taking note of the damaged optic. From his distance? He could not tell exactly what had happened. Was it gored? Cracked? Or was something just jostled loose?

Eventually Fortress spoke, and Optimus seemed to relax a bit, pleased the tank was finally going to try to express his concerns rather than run or fight them away. It was because of this, he gradually closed his optics, taking in a slow ventilation as his own systems were gearing down from his charge through the wilderness to catch up.

"And none here are going to make you do so."

He stated this decisively, as a fact, his low voice rolling out into the wide expanse of the desert terrain. The voice itself was unique to Optimus, holding so much calm, yet power behind it, a knowledge and compassion sourced from not only his own lifetime, but others from long past.

There would be NO forced action to drag Fortress back to the base. There would be NO pressuring to get him to return with them. Granted, Optimus may try to reason he should at least let Ratchet aid him however, or at least let him escort him to a neutral base for a medic if he refused Autobot help. He knew of the optic damage, but there was no way for sure to know from sight alone how much more may be lying internally. Fortress could have even hurt himself by fleeing as he did when his Alt-form was not designed to handle that. Nonetheless, When the tank said that Optimus had no idea what it had been like? Implying the trauma of having to reside in essentially a cage with elements from his troubled past? The Prime opened his optics once more, looking out at his Autobot with regret.

"No. I do not. But I wish to understand."

Optimus had been reserved this entire time, saying small comments, small blips of truth to try to ease Fortress down. But now that things seemed to be somewhat disengaged? And Fortress was ideally not going to turn and run anytime soon? He continued.

"I expressed poor judgment by not addressing this sooner, and for that? I apologize."

The tone in his voice had changed then, dropping down, some twinges of sorrow weaving in-between the words. He had hoped things would be ok. When he got the report from Red Alert about Fortress threatening that the Autobots should murder the convicts simply because of their past? He had followed on the same track of thought as Ratchet. Believing... hoping... that things would iron out. That maybe? Fortress just was responding out of surprise rather than a hostility that would remain long term. That the convicts? Would show sides to them that would integrate themselves into the team, and not follow paths that could trigger this relapse. However it seemed it was inevitable simply from reputation alone, and whatever the Convicts did? Would have ended in this outcome.

"I take fault for what has transpired, but seek ways to rectify the affronts that have been made. Tell me Fortress Maximus..."

He had a habit of using everyone's full names, rather than falling back on shortened nicknames like others would, especially for one with a name as long as Fort Max, however? It was instinctive, and he didn’t curb it or change his manner of speaking.

"...What is it you want to have happen?"

While Optimus appeared calm, he reeled internally, worried what Fortress would demand of him, or that the Autobot would be leaving the base entirely, permanently. His processor spun over all the extremes that could occur, all of the chaos, every variable, hoping that this issue? Could be resolved civilly without losing one of their limited numbers... though... Max wasn't just a number on the team... Optimus remembered him back even when he just had the title of Prime and no Matrix, serving under Sentinel. They had not known one another well then, but there was a level of respect for the tank in play.

[Deleted]

The assurance that he would not be forced to return, spoken with calm authority, seemed to lift a heavy burden from Maximus' back.

All at once the big mech sagged. His shoulders bowed as he fell out of his wary stance, rotors and gears giving way with a soft hiss of released tension. His head lowered and he put his face in his hands, a gesture he allowed only because it was dark, and there were only the three of them there to see it, alone in the middle of the lonely desert.

After a moment Maximus scrubbed his hands down his face. When he lifted his head again his expression was tired, strained.

"I - I don't know," he said. "But I can't go back. Not when - it doesn't stop. It's never going to stop. It was bad before. This is worse. Before it was just - I don't know, maybe the wrong light, the wrong sound. Now it's - they're in there. I know we let them in. They're in the base. All the time. And without any warning - suddenly I'm not. I'm somewhere else, and it's like I never left."

Another pained silence stretched out, longer than the first. Maximus stood apart, his gaze averted and his mouth twisted into a grimace. At his sides his hands opened and closed into fists. He had once been a warden, a hard-bitten figure of authority. Judging by his expression the humiliation of admitting what little he already had was a bitter pill to swallow.

The night folded in around the three Autobots like a dark blanket.

"What I want to happen now is - I'm leaving," said Maximus.

His red optic lifted back to Optimus' face. When he spoke it was in a weary, defeated voice. "It's not your fault. You don't have to apologize. But I refuse to stay. I can't stand this. Agent Fowler has a military base. Not far from here, a few hours travel. He took me there once, back when I needed to scan a vehicle mode. They have crews that operate that very same vehicle. Mechanics. I won't stand out there. I can provide consultation. I know security. I'll make myself useful. I don't care. Anything is better than this."

[Deleted]

The only sign that Wheeljack was listening deeply was that his lip plates had pressed together in a grim line. Other than that, the Wrecker's focus calmly remained on the project he was working on in his servos. One could almost imagine that he'd stopped paying attention completely to the two other mecha as they spoke.

The metal pieces on Wheeljack's back relaxed a fraction when Optimus assured Fort Max would not be returning to base. He didn't think the Prime would force the issue but the Wrecker was curious now as to where the tank would go. Wheeljack didn't witness Fort Max's moment of weakness but he could hear the strain in his voice when he spoke of the demons he was facing, staying at the Omega base. There was only one place Fort Max could be speaking about when he mentioned 'somewhere else.' Wheeljack grimaced, what a nightmare to be reliving relentlessly. Not a fate he'd wish on anyone. In some ways, the Wrecker's gaping hole in his memories were their own relief. Wheeljack couldn't get flashbacks, he just went completely blank instead.

In the pause that followed Fort Max's admission, the only sound was Wheeljack's tools as he worked away. Fort Max would speak at his own pace and Wheeljack was curious to hear what decisions the big mech had reached. In the mean time, he finished reassembling the two cubes he'd deconstructed then had used the parts to build something anew.

"What I want to happen now is - I'm leaving."

Wheeljack twisted around slightly, optics locked onto Fort Max's frame as he announced his desire to move in to a human military base. Sounded like the big mech had it all sorted out. He wasn't too far away from the Omega base and he could keep busy while he worked through his issues. The Wrecker's gaze flicked over to Optimus momentarily before returning to Max. If that was what he wanted, then good enough.

Besides, it wouldn't take Wheeljack all that long to get over if he felt like going for a drive. Wasn't like he was tied to the Omega base. It really didn't change much for him.

"I'd offer up the Jackhammer but I think it just might be a little small," he commented dryly in easy acceptance of Fort Max's decision. Wheeljack took a few steps forward, including himself back in the conversation. "A shame, could use a good co-pilot." Wheeljack shrugged. "You've got my comm signal, Max, you know you can always hit me up when the scenery gets a little boring."

[Optimus Prime]

When Fortress moved to put his head in his own hands, Optimus closed his optics once more, his head angling to the side ever so slightly as he did so. He respected the fact that such emotional weakness being showed, could be uncomfortable for the Tank, displaying emotion openly having never seemingly been his forte. He would permit him to vent without actively being observed, Optimus no longer worried he would turn on him with a weapon.

But while Fortress did not pull his gun to aim upon him once more? What he said was still a blade of its own that sent grimacing sympathy to plague and corrupt his internals. He could not imagine the torment that had to have been to the tank. Optimus has experienced agony, he has his own issues, namely his guilt and blaming himself for things, but nothing comes close to the pure unfiltered trauma Fortress had to endure and try to move on from. Escape from the past seemed near impossible, as evident by tonight's scenario.

It was because of this? He did not feel comfortable commenting on it. He could not express understanding, because he could NOT understand it fully. He could try to empathize, but it would never come close to reality and could bring frustration to the other Mech if he even attempted. Even if there was the experienced locked within the Matrix? Even if another Prime had undergone something similar? Each situation was its own entity and could not be overlapped.

The words to follow finally urged Optimus to return to a normal stance. Fortress seemed well out of the red zone for now, and to stand up to his full height? Would certainly not be taken as a sign of aggression any longer. It is because of this, he pushed one leg beneath him while gripping his knee, before hydraulics hissed and the cables in his legs went taunt. With a groan of metal protesting, he raised up to his full height, bits of debris and dust rolling off of his lower legs to settle back into the dirt with light clicks. He returned to a typical stance most saw of him, but even if he settled into the commanding posture of being Prime? He still spoke as an individual worried once Wheeljack was done with his input.

"I will need to speak to Agent Fowler on the matter, and traverse the proper channels to arrange such a thing. I worry if you show up without prior accommodations; it could result in misguided concepts of aggression."

Optimus went right into the business of the matter, not trying to talk Fortress out of his decision, but just accepting it as fact and covering the logistics in place. While he would wish he could let Fortress seek shelter from his demons someplace safe and quiet right away, he knew they couldn't just let him drive there and arrive randomly.

One night out in the wilderness wouldn't harm any of their kind, unless it was excessively extreme of an environment, however the thought of Fortress just sitting out in the desert alone? After having gone through such turmoil? Really didn’t settle well with him. Then again, he doubted Wheeljack and himself would truly leave Fortress out here like that, there a high chance they may all just end up waiting quietly until the sun rose and the humans started their day.

"Fortress Maximus..."

He started cautiously, as if still calculating his exact phrasing while he declared the name.

"While I will not request of you to enter, or even stay near the Omega Base while awaiting arrangements, I must ask if you would permit Ratchet to tend to your injuries. I see you have an optic out, and there may be other internal disruptions."

His right hand lifted in a light gesture as he asked this, palm up. There was a much larger issue he wanted to ask, something big he felt he needed to confirm, but he had no concept on how to approach it. With Fortress' wording? It made it sound like he was completely breaching away from the team to do his own thing. Would Optimus still be able to call upon him so long as the convicts were not involved? Or was he wishing to truly be cut off and not be included with anything any longer? It seemed a viable question in one hand, but in the other? It was insulting in a way. How could he question Fortress' loyalty? He didn’t. He didn’t question it at all, but was the mech wanting to still act in service to the Autobots? Or go on a leave of absence with no determined end?