Rian: Hello everyone! How's it going? This is a new fic written on a whim between me and Toa. It takes elements of Pacific Rim (Stupid awesome movie), and melds them into the Transformers Prime verse. Obviously there's going to be some differences because we want an original idea!
Some key differences would be that humans, who usually have backwater technology compared to Cybertronians, will be quite advanced in this fic, technology wise, and not nearly as easy to kill as they otherwise would be! And...well, I'd tell you more, but that would be spoiling I think. Any who, if you guys like it, we'll write more! Take it away Toa!
Toaxabineh: Also, another change in this story that Rian forgot to mention is that the 'cons won't be completely and totally evil. They aren't by any means good and do awful things, but there are certain boundaries they are not willing to cross, as you'll see later on!
Rian: Also, suggestions and ideas are welcomed! Especially names for the various mechas! We suck at coming up with names x.x
Disclaimer: Neither of us own anything!
Enjoy!
If Jack was asked to remember a time when he hadn't been in training as a mecha pilot, he would be hard pressed. He'd come to the military base quite awhile ago, back when he was eight, in fact. He could faintly remember, one day during class in elementary school, a couple of tall military men in casual clothing had come to his school to run a test on all of the kids. It wasn't all that weird, the same test happened all the time, though usually at high schools or colleges. It had been that way for about twenty years, ever since the Predacon attacks had started to intensify with the growing threat they posed to humanity and when the mecha pilot program had started.
Jack could somewhat recall his name being called, and being led into an empty classroom. He'd been helped up into a chair by a nice man named Lennox, and was hooked up to a weird machine. He could sort of remember how he'd idly swung his legs and hummed to himself as the device was started up, not minding the fuzzy, static feeling that the machine sent through him. He'd thought the sensation quite nice, actually.
Jack could very clearly remember, though, the stunned expressions of the two men who were running the test on him as they'd looked over the test results.
Other than that though, most of his life before the militia base was a blur. He couldn't remember his old house, or the tiny town he'd lived in. Jack knew that if he hadn't been granted the weekly visits he had with his mom, he would've forgotten her face, too.
He had made few friends in the years he spent living in the base, one of many places where Mecha's could be safely stored. Recently a small boy, no older than twelve, had been brought in for tech support, a genius in the field despite his age and a girl named Miko, who had recently been brought in due her compatibility, though he wasn't certain if she would actually ever pilot. Miko was...overzealous at times. Most likely she'd be a reserve. Jack wasn't even sure if she was receiving much training to be a pilot.
Most of the others, though, disliked him. It wasn't a secret, it was a fact. He was the youngest official pilot here, and was favored by the director of the program. He got the best gear, the best training, the best mecha, labeled the Wayward Rook, was one of the latest models available. Agile and powerful, it had proven to be more than a match for any of the Predacons Jack had faced thus far. He'd often been praised for his work by his officers, and received his fair share of nasty looks from other pilots. Still, he didn't care what anyone really thought. He kept to himself, mostly, finding it better that way than to make bonds with those who could die the next day.
At times he felt more like a robot to them than he did a person. They certainly didn't look at him like he was a normal human being on the rare occasion that he interacted with them. It made him grateful for some of the benefits to being the favorite on the base, such as being allowed to take meals to his room so that the others didn't disturb him, as meal times were one of the few times he got to relax during his intensive training regime.
Jack jumped, drawn from his thoughts when there was a knock at his door.
"Hey kid, you awake?" A voice called in. Jack grinned, recognizing who it was immediately.
"Yeah. The door's open so come on in." He called back. Will Lennox entered the room.
Will was one of the people on base that didn't scorn him for being talented. He was a kind man, and had only ever been friendly to Jack. He had not only been one of the men who'd run the test on him eight years ago, but had also been one of his first trainers during his younger years, due to the man's ability to get along with children.
"Sorry to cut in on your relaxation time, kid, but we have a recon mission in an hour. I thought you'd want a chance to go prep your mecha before we have to go." Lennox stated, crossing his arms.
Jack perked up, curious.
"Has there been a Predacon sighting?" He asked curiously. "Or those other robots, the humanoid ones?"
While it had been about twenty years ago that the Predacons had first begun attacking, the humanoid versions of the robotic aliens had first arrived on Earth only five years ago- though some wondered if they were aliens at all, considering how similar they were to Predacons in characteristic and their mechas in shapes. As if they didn't have enough troubles already.
Jack had killed his share of these humanoid-formed robots, as well as Predacons. All too often both were drawn to the energon mines, their power source for the Mechas and had to be stopped before they overtook it. Unlike most Predacons, the newcomers appeared to be sentient, capable of forming plans of attack and strategic position. Too often did he hear of a comrade falling to one of those monsters.
"No, but there's a new mine that we're being sent to scout. Never know what's in there." Lennox replied cheerfully. "C'mon kid, up and at 'em!"
"Alright alright, at least give me a chance to suit up." Jack chuckled as he stood, lightly nudging Lennox in the arm when he passed the man. "How's the family going Will?" The man turned his back to Jack so as to give him privacy while he changed, smiling to himself as he thought of his family.
"I swear, Annabelle has grown two inches this past week. I can't believe she's almost two."
"Kids do grow up pretty fast." Jack grinned, placing the spine strap carefully onto the suit. "And Sarah? Talk to her recently?"
"She says if I pull another stunt like I did a few weeks ago in that collapsing mine, she's going to kill me, but otherwise she's just fine."
"Told you she'd be mad..." Jack reminded Will, grinning at the man's misfortune.
"It was that or let the miners die." Lennox stated stubbornly.
"Speaking of which, the miners haven't been sent to work at the recon site yet have they?" It was uncommon for them not to be, as the higher ups were always eager for more fuel, regardless of the possible dangers that could lie within.
"Not yet. We're being sent ahead to make sure it's stable, since some early scans showed a possibility of it being unstable. You done changing?"
"Yeah, you can turn around now." Jack said as he finished with the black suit and, for a moment, felt like the entire world was on his shoulders. He felt much older than he actually was, and it showed through his eyes.
Lennox took hold of his shoulder, and Jack felt the burden lift, if only enough that he could breathe.
"It doesn't end, does it?" Jack asked his long time comrade, voice barely above a whisper.
Lennox grimaced.
"It'll get better, kid. I'm sure of it."
Jack didn't really believe him.
The two headed to the hangar where all of the mecha were stored in relative silence. Upon reaching the cavernous room, Jack quickly got to work, running a few diagnostics on his mecha to ensure it was battle ready. After eight years of this, Jack needed no more than twenty minutes to finish the scans.
"Everything looks in order..." He said, checking motor relays, running neural diagnostics, and checking for anything that could possibly damage the hydraulics.
In the presence of his mecha, Jack admittedly felt better. The mechs was like an old friend, as silly as it sounded. Though he tired of the fighting, he could never tire of piloting the mecha. It was an exhilarating, life-changing experience that left Jack craving for more. A sigh left Jack as the moment of truth was upon him, flashing Lennox a lazy smile. "Guess we better suit up then hm?" He said as he pressed a button to have the platform bring him to the Mehca, Will doing the same.
"It shouldn't take too long." Lennox reassured.
"I hope not." Jack grumbled. "I've got intensive training tomorrow, I was hoping to get some sleep today..."
Lennox frowned.
"Again? I've told them they need to pull back on your training schedule, those little..."
"They're all about 'Defenders of humanity' and that whatnot Will, you should know by now that they're not going to let up." Jack mentioned without much emotion. This placed had drained too much for him to ever get worked over something as simple as extra training.
Will grimaced.
"They need to realize that just because you're a 'prodigy', that doesn't mean they should force so much on you."
"You've been telling them that for years now, and how much good has it done?" The teens tone was bitter, an underlying tone of hate in his voice that Will didn't miss as he opened the chest of his mech, scrambling in before Will even had a chance to respond. Jack quickly settled in, happy as a sense of security washed over him.
"Let's go do what we do best big guy." He said aloud, patting the inside of the chest cavity while making his way to its center. Hooking up was quick and easy for him, having done it for years now. With each new cable latching onto his suit, and into his nervous system he could start to feel his mecha coming to life. Jack flexed his fingers to make sure everything was in order, and as always the mecha responded immediately, fingers moving in the same motion.
Jack could vividly remember the first time he'd been in a mecha. It had been a week after the test at his school, and he'd been escorted to a large base. Lennox, the only one he'd been comfortable around in the base, had helped him up into a mecha. It had been a basic test model, with no weapons or fancy paint or gear, but Jack had loved it all the same. Jack remembered how he'd stared at the cables in awe as Lennox hooked him up. He could remember that first, exhilarating moment of synchronization between him and the mecha. It had been like a drug he couldn't get enough of, a constant buzz that he craved. The melding his of mind and body to machine was as natural to him as breathing, surprising the overseers with how quickly he was able to synchronize, how fluidly he could move within just a few moments of being connected to the machine.
Jack took a deep breath, reveling in the sensation of static in his body for a moment. Time to get to work.
"This is Iron Will, checking in to base. Mecha squadron nine has reached the recon sight." Will said into his comlink as the entire squad arrived at the location via a portal, Jack to his side.
The younger pilot was within the Wayward Rook, a sleek, highly versatile mecha with a glossy black finish that had teal streaks running through the frame. It was taller than his own Iron Will, but not as bulky so as to get more speed in exchange for armor. The mechas head turned to the right, the silvery-white visor that functioned as eyes for the pilots looking for anything out of the ordinary.
Will's own mecha slowed to a walk, the bulky machine observing carefully for anything out of the ordinary. Painted to match warfare for the mountains, it blended well with the surroundings of the cave they were currently in. He had to be mindful of his shoulder cannon, lest he accidentally caused a cave in.
"I'll scout ahead." Jack said, glancing to Lennox.
"I'll cover your rear." Will answered in turn, lights flooding the area.
Nodding, Jack's mecha moved farther into the cave, Lennox following. The others remained behind to guard the main cavern.
The entire time, both Jack and Will were silent. The tunnel was lit with an eerie glow from the energon crystals.
And then they heard the voices.
"This is the largest mine we've found in awhile." Arcee commented, helping 'Bee load a cart with energon crystals.
The scout buzzed happily, nodding eagerly as he pushed the hover cart through the bridge. This would set them up for months! Arcee looked to Optimus, noticing that he was staring at the tunnel to the left thoughtfully with narrowed optics.
"What is it Optimus? Did you hear something?" Arcee asked, curious as to what Optimus was staring at.
"I...believe I did, but I am unsure."
"I'll go check it out." She stated, moving ahead. She was faster than the others, and smaller, allowing her opportunities to get away where larger mechs couldn't.
She moved to the entrance-
A kick to the middle sent her flying back.
"Arcee!" Optimus cried out, catching the femme as she flew into his arms. 'Bee, having already gone through the portal, was none the wiser, leaving Optimus, Arcee and Bulkhead to fend for themselves. Bulkhead transformed his hand into a mace ready to charge once the Decepticon showed it's ugly face-
But instead, a tall giant of a mecha dashed in, faster than anyone so tall should be capable of.
And Optimus recognized him immediately. He had seen this mech take down several Decepticons, and even fellow Autobots and had heard his name spoken only once- Wayward Rook. Cliffjumper had been the lastest Autobot to fall to him.
Optimus quickly charged the mecha. He didn't want to lose anymore Autobots to this mech, and so he would engage him in combat himself while Arcee and Bumblebee handled the other mech. A punch connected to his face as the mecha moved in with blazing speed, a slightly smaller, bulkier mech following in behind him to attack Bulkhead and Arcee. Optimus caught himself before he was locked in by the mecha, arm changing into a blaster and clipping his attacker in the shoulder. It didn't slow him down as he moved in again, ducking under his fist and delivering a haymaker to his head. Optimus stumbled back from the blow, causing his vision to spin. Giving him no time to recover, the mechas shoulder plates lifted to open up, showing off a set of guns that shot off steaks of lasers directly into Optimus. The Prime rolled across the ground, hand gripping into the ground with his feet digging in to slow himself.
Optimus flicked his hand, drawing out a sword to slash the mecha's chest as he approached, uppercutting his chin. Wayward Rook skidded back into the cavern wall after a punch from Optimus, who was charging after him with his sword drawn. Recovering quickly from the blow, it flung its left hand forward, allowing a long, razor sharp chain whip to drop from its wrists. Optimus just barely managed to dodge, mentally berating himself for underestimating the mecha.
The whip blade wrapped around his sword, preventing him from bringing it down onto the mech, receiving several punches to his abdomen for his carelessness while the whip wrapped around his sword arm fought to pull his limb right out of its socket. Optimus quickly pivoted, slamming a fist violently into the mecha's chest. This seemed to send a shockwave of sorts, as the mech suddenly went rigid, a strangled gasp leaving it before it suddenly went limp.
"This is Iron Will!" The other mech with various shades of grey exclaimed, apparently calling for help through a com link, "Requesting backup to my location immediately!" A slew of rockets popped out of his forearm, exploding when they came into contact with Bulkhead.
Optimus looked unsurely at the limp mech before him. Finally, after some debate, Optimus carefully lifted the mech.
"Arcee, Bulkhead! Fall back!"
"Like hell you're taking him!" Iron Will growled out dangerously, feet spreading apart as the cannon on its shoulder glowed before sending off an incredibly powerful shot that Optimus only just managed to dodge and caused the attackers feet to dig deeply into the ground. An entire section of the wall collapsed from the force of the shot, causing the cavern to start shaking.
The bots bolted through the groundbridge, even as the other mecha yelled angrily.
"I say we offline the fragger and use his body for parts." Arcee said vehemently, glaring at where the mech was laid across a berth, unconscious.
"No, Arcee." Optimus replied sternly. "He may have valuable information."
"He's the one who killed Cliffjumper! He shouldn't even be allowed to live!" Arcee cried out, slamming her fist down angrily. "Doesn't Cliffjumper deserve to have his killer brought to justice?!"
Optimus shook his head, partially in a 'no' to the former and partially in exasperation. The femme often let personal matters get in the way of the end goal, which could end up costing them in the future.
"This is a rare and valuable opportunity Arcee." Optimus tried to explain, the femme turning her back to him in what humans called 'the cold shoulder'. "None of these mechs have ever spoken to us, and only rarely to each other. We do not even know why they attacked us when we first arrived on this world, or why they have enslaved the humans. This could be our only chance to form any semblance of peace with them, or at the very least a truce."
"But-"
A strange sound that was akin to a latch unlocking and a mechanical hissing made the bots jump, optics flying to the mech laying flat on the berth it was strapped to.
It was struggling to move, practically falling off the berth as it fought to stand. It only moved a few steps before collapsing to the ground in a heap of limbs while its free hand grasped desperately at the chest. The Autobots had their weapons out and ready, prepared to attack at the slightest hint of aggression as choking sounds could be heard emanating from him.
And then...the mechas chest cavity opened.
A tiny organic being climbed out, coughing roughly as his fingers latched onto the metal edges of the chest. His grip proved to be flimsy and slid off with a loud, audible 'thump' on to the ground, collapsing onto his front. The child- for surely the being was young, with their tiny frame, wheezed and tried to force air into their lungs. He crawled briefly before giving up and rolling onto his back, struggling to breathe. It took several moments for Jack to regain himself, the Autobots not knowing what to do due to their extremely limited interaction with humans in general. Jack relaxed, taking deep, labored breaths, finally able to make sense enough of his surroundings to realize than this wasn't the base.
There was a pause...
"Ah crap." The boy wheezed.
