A.N: So, for my second fanfic I decided to go a different route. Don't worry, X-Men Alpha Team will still be updated, but now I have a second up. This will be different because I will go for a higher standard of writing, grammar, spelling, and waaaaaay longer chapters. I am sorry if there is an influx of new characters in this chapter, but I need to introduce the protagonists. To know what is happening requires a basic knowledge of movie, G1 and animated, but it is in a sepearate AU. The designs are based off of figures, so having them helps too. This does not require all of the background knowledge, but it is recommended. Thank you, and enjoy the first chapter of what I hope to be a long running series. Take care, sorry for the wall of text, -TheGeeklord
It was near midnight on the country road, nothing to be seen for miles. The only thing in sight was a red flat-nosed tractor trailer. The exact model was a Marmon '97, but with how dark the night was under cloud cover, you could have guessed it to be Godzilla and somebody would have agreed with you. The cab, though looking rusted, was in near perfect condition. It was missing a smokestack, but that was nothing that mattered much, as smokestacks were like kidneys; you only needed one to operate. No, the most peculiar thing about this truck was the driver: or lack thereof. The truck was driving itself, rather calmly, down the road.
Suddenly, the rusted cab veered sharply to the left, narrowly avoiding a black car that had driven straight at it. The car was a muscle car, modified so much from the original model that it could not even be named. It was black, with green highlights and a disturbing red tint in the windows. All over the car, from the rims to the grill, were spikes, jutting out in an organized manner, the kind you might see on a dog's collar. The car did a 180 and started rushing at the cab, which was just barely in front of it.
Suddenly, the cab started to shift. The smokestack folded down, the trailer hitch split, and the cab section started to fold out on itself. The truck lifted off of the ground, jumping so that the black car just barely glided underneath it. The mass that was once the Marmon continued to shift, so that you could make out definitive legs and arms, the cab windows forming a sort of chest. Eventually, it finalized in the form of a giant mechanical being, with a faceplate over its mouth. The rust had shaken off to fully reveal the form of the Robot.
The car then transformed as well, resulting in a similar robot resembling a pirate. It looked wicked, with a hook on its hand, as well as a gun made out of the engine, and a scarred, tattooed face. It aimed its gun at the larger, red robot. The nozzles started to glow orange, a sign that they were heating up. The larger robot dived to one side, pulling what looked like a shotgun off of its hip, and fired at the smaller, who easily avoided the shot.
"You are getting sloppy, Optimus," the smaller robot remarked, in an amused, cocky and calculating tone, "yet again it is to be expected. You haven't had to shoot at anything in a long time." The menacing bot said, turning rapidly. He fired his weapon, which Optimus barely avoided.
"Come at me, Lockdown, and I will show you how good a shot I am!" Optimus angrily replied, rushing at Lockdown. Lockdown dug into Optimus's side with his hook, spinning around the larger bot, then grabbed Optimus's head from behind, which Optimus countered by dodging, spinning back around to face his opponent. He smacked Lockdown with the bottom side of his gun, knocking him down the road a ways.
"The decepticons are back, Optimus Prime. Beware our might!" Lockdown yelled before converting back into the muscle car, and then he faded into the darkness. Optimus stood for a minute, repairing his side and gathering his thoughts. Finally, he pressed a button on his wrist, opening up a radio port.
"Bumblebee, this is Optimus Prime. The day has come. The decepticons have returned. This is a grave day for all autobots. I know we haven't spoke in a while. We never thought this day would come. But I need you to go to our base, and call all autobots that still live. We need to stop this threat before it begins. The humans cannot be a part of this. We do not need to endanger them. Oh, and one more thing: the decepticon who attacked me was... Lockdown. Optimus Prime out." With that, he converted into his cab form again, and took off down the road.
The cab arrived at its destination, and shifted forms back into that of the heroic Optimus Prime. In front of him was a large rock. When I say large, I mean the size of a mountain. Optimus tapped a section of it, revealing a screen with a panel. The panel had characters in another language, cybertronian, and Optimus input a code. The screen flashed green before the rock spit clean open, revealing what was really inside. The rock was hollow, with blue plating on the inside, and what appeared to be computer monitors everywhere. There were chairs, sized for autobots, scattered in front of the monitors. In one of them, a black and yellow robot sat, furiously typing into the keyboard.
"Bumblebee," Optimus stated, "Maybe the computer would respond if you weren't overloading it with messages. Try again later, we need to strategize."
"Prime, I haven't seen you in 6 earth years, and you start with that! You are not very good at starting conversation. Your monologues though, are impressive." Bumblebee snapped, eyes still set on the keyboard.
"That hurt. Bumblebee, this matter is not up for debate! We need to get everyone here and make a team to combat this new threat!" Optimus defensively retaliated.
"That is what I have been trying to do for the past few hours but this computer is a piece of SCRAP!" Bee yelled, kicking the table upon which the monitor was situated. "Optimus, this is LOCKDOWN we are talking about. We ALL fought this guy once and we only managed to take off his HAND. Plus all of the other 'cons, this is hopeless. Even if we COULD get ahold of Bulkhead, Drift and Crosshairs, what would be the point? What would we do? Answer THAT Optimus, tell me what hope ANY of us stand against HIM?" Bumblebee ranted.
"You think you are the only one I called? You think you were on the first team I made? Why do you think I was on earth in the first place? I came here a long time ago, following the original decepticon leaders. I had another team. Some of them are still alive, and have been called already. They will be here-"
"Right now, Prime! Now, who's ready for some wreckage?" A voice yelled, a green, yellow and grey robot rolling into the base. He had a large gun in one hand and pulled a sword off of his back with the other. His chest was composed of yellow pieces, similar looking panels jutting off of the back of his shoulders. His arms were grey, his legs white at the thighs and then green. He was powerful, yet agile. His helmet looked noble, something of a cybertronian swordsman.
"Bumblebee, I would like you to meet one of my original team members, Springer." Optimus gestured towards the green warrior. Just then, three more figures followed Springer into the building. All of them looked like a cross between barbarians and knights. The first was gold, with giant shoulder pads which looked like the split head of a dinosaur, and had a knight-like helmet. The second was red with a classic knight helmet and had an arm that looked like a giant lance that curled and uncurled almost like a tentacle. The third was purple and had giant shoulder pads with red and purple frills. He carried a sword and a chain mace. His build was very stocky, as opposed to the lanky second. The first was a good balance of the latter two.
"Me Grimlock find these bozos in secluded valley! I stay there a while, it fun! That where me Grimlock has been!" The gold one concluded. He was obviously lacking in the intelligence department, but his giant mace/lance combo made sure nobody pointed it out. For such a brutish-looking bot, Grimlock was quite nice in person. "Me Grimlock ask if it okay for them to join team?" He questioned.
"Well, my old friend, the more the merrier! They may certainly join us. Bumblebee, this is my old friend Grimlock, another member of the original team. Beware to all, however, this mission concerns one of the deadliest beings in the universe as we know it. Lockdown." Prime warned, a sense of urgency in his voice.
"Prime, you have to be jerking our chain! You said he was a myth!" Replied a shocked Springer.
"I am afraid not, Springer. I have faced him only twice, both with terrible results. He blends into darkness, and attacks out of nowhere. Last time, I took a whole team against Lockdown, and two were murdered. Mirage and Smokescreen did not make it, Primus rest their sparks. He managed to escape missing a hand, which has now been turned into a devastating weapon. Lockdown has returned, and must be stopped. My second team should be on their way shortly, the ones that came after you two," Optimus looked at Grimlock and Springer, "and then we may strategize."
"Prime, you still haven't explained about this 'Old team' of yours. What was it? Why were you here on Earth? Who was in it?" Bumblebee pestered.
"We were... lost here. The decepticon leaders were leaving Cybertron, for a planet rich in energon. We stopped them, but became lost in space. We found Earth, and defeated the decepticon leaders here. Then we were able to find Cybertron's spacial coordinates, and went our separate ways. Springer went on to pursue his martial arts training, Grimlock to see if there were more Dinobots on earth. I sent another one of us back in time, following the Decepticon Scorponok. The war heroes on Cybertron, Ironhide and Ratchet, gave their lives in the battle. Only one of us returned home, to lead the Autobots still on Cybertron. He is the same bot who recruited the new team: Jazz. I created the new team to counteract Lockdown's threat on earth, when nobody else could be found. I told Jazz to find the most capable trainees and send them in. He chose right. We beat Lockdown temporarily, and lost contact, living with the humans on this planet. Now, Lockdown is back, and I will need all of your help to beat him." Optimus told.
"Well we are in! My name is Scorn by the way, my brother here is Slug. When are the others going to be here?" The red dinobot, Scorn, asked.
"Yeah, I can't wait to smash in some decepti-chump heads!" Said the purple dinobot, Slug. He was clearly the more hot-headed of the two younger Dinobots.
"Well for starters," an unknown voice casually stated, "we are right behind you."
"Drift! Buddy! How's it going?" Bumblebee shot out of his seat. The two were clearly close friends. "I haven't seen you in FOREVER man!"
"Wait, Drift? You were in my martial arts course back on Cybertron!" Springer exclaimed, clearly surprised.
"None taught me as well as you, sensei." Drift bowed to his old teacher. Drift looked, unlike his teacher, like a full on robot Samurai. He was missing the mask, but he had giant white shoulder pads, decorated with red Japanese, or maybe Cybertronian, kana. He had two sheaths on his sides for his shorter machete-like swords, and carried a much longer one with both hands. He looked the perfect mixture of armoured and swift.
"None of that now, my student. We have a war to fight after all!" Springer concluded.
"Sure, nobody remembers about US, right Bulk?" An Australian sounding robot complained. He was lime green, with a green and black trench coat running down his sides. He carried an uzi-like gun, and had a pair of goggles on his forehead. He looked to be pessimistic, yet deadly.
"Drift was never good with other 'bots. Let him have his moment, Crosshairs." Replied a rather obese, olive drab robot. He was built like a tank, with a lot of excess metal forming a rather large torso area. His legs and head were especially small compared to his large body. But he, in contrast to crosshairs, seemed very jolly."
Optimus cleared his throat (if possible for a robot to do so). "If we are done with reuniting with our friends, I would like to formulate a plan to stop Lockdown from attacking earth again. Meet me in the war room in twenty minutes." Optimus said, "May Primus help us all."
