Based off a bunny from the tf_bunny_farm on lj, this is the prologue, and this fic will not be happy one XD Full bunny below!
6. This was inspired by a couple of different books I've read...
The Decepticons get a virus that sweeps through their ranks leaving a good lot of the army too sick to do anything or dead. With so many out of commission, there aren't enough cons left to do any energon raids. Those who aren't sick are slowly starving. Megatron's dead and Starscream and Skywarp are sick. The two highest ranking officers left are Soundwave and Thundercracker. They come to the conclusion that they can either go ask the Autobots for help or die. The two of them (mostly due to TC's persuading) decide to ask for help. (I picture the seekers as being fairly young (older teenager, young adultish) because the mental picture of a not quite adult TC asking the Autobots for help has wedged itself into my brain and refuses to leave.)
The Autobots might be nice, but they're far from stupid. They use this as leverage to get the cons to agree to sign a treaty ending the war. What kind of treaty would they write up? Optimus might like to have total equality but do all his officers agree?
It was one of those things no one could predict.
Their kind, while metal-skinned and immune to the common bacteria that plagued the weaker organic races, still had weaknesses of their own. An equivalent of the various diseases that ran rife in humans. Most of the time a Cybertronian's firewalls were enough to withstand any virus that tried to ransack their systems, but sometimes - rarely - there was a virus that smashed any barrier they set against it.
The one that attacked the Decepticon forces on Earth was, in particular, one of these. Mutated from Cybertronian strain and run through human computers enough times to warp its coding and protocols that when it eventually found its way back to a Cybertronian, it punched through the infected mech's firewalls like they were tissue paper. Systems shut down at random, some superflous, others deadly necessary to keeping that mech online and running at optimum efficiency. The affected either deactivated or were crippled in a matter of hours.
Once the virus made itself known, Hook and the other Constructicons had been quick to try and work on a cure. Working with unknown variables and a limited timeframe as more mechs shut down around them though left them with little results.
Decepticon presence on Earth was suddenly lacking, if the Autobots noticed they made no move to investigate. Not that they would be foolish enough to try and attack an underwater base. Likely they had been enjoying the lack of energon raids and mayhem caused by their longtime enemies.
Thundercracker wondered to himself if they'd even have cared beyond knowing the death toll, which mech's they no longer had to worry about. As it turned out, they didn't really have to worry at all anymore.
Astrotrain, Mixmaster, the Combaticons (minus Swindle) and more besides. Then finally... Megatron. The tyrant, the Slag Maker himself had fought and lost his final battle, against a malignant line of code. It was humiliating, disappointing really. But that had been the effective nail in the Decepticon coffin, at least on Earth. They could hardly call in reinforcements from Cybertron without risking them as well.
The Decepticon command was crippled with Megatron offline and Starscream unable to assume command due to being afflicted himself, it left Soundwave and Thundercracker at the head of what few functioning forces they had left. The blue Seeker took the role of Air Commander in Starscream's absence and though technically still subordinate to Soundwave, he found himself on surprising equal footing with the tapedeck as they faced the crisis ahead of them.
Forces depleted and energon supplies dwindling.
They'd mulled over the possibilities, dragged their feet (though it was hard to tell from Soundwave) as much as they dared before finally agreeing on a course of action. Maybe it was the fact that both of Thundercracker's trinemate's were walking the edge of deactivation, and that Soundwave had lost two of his cassette's already... but dire situations could make for strange alliances.
So it was that standing on the deserted bridge of the Nemesis, staring out into the sealife beyond the thick glass pane, that Thundercracker pulled himself together for the end of the Decepticon war on Earth.
"Soundwave.."
There was no answer, but he knew he had the Communication's officers attention. "Is it ready?"
"Affirmative."
"Alright.." He cycled air through his vents for a moment, "Send the Autobot's word of our situation and request for aid."
He closed his audials against the sound of keys clacking under Soundwave's fingers, tried not to imagine the electronic signal that dashed to its end destination.
Instead he stood, watching the sharks and fish devour each other outside their home, feeling the weight of command pushed on his too-young shoulders. He could only pray they'd done the right thing.
Comment and crit appreciated, and apologises for the possibly rubbish idea of the virus. Electronics, not my strongpoint ._.