Prologue - Call to Duty
Hound, Bumblebee, and Jazz were in their vehicular forms, strolling about the
forests of Colorado on reconnaissance duty. To seek out energon, Optimus said, and
make leeway for the Autobots to secure it. If all went well, the Autobots may gain
an edge against the forces of the Decepticons, whom are bent on ruling the universe
by any means.
Jazz was of course playing some rock music within his internal radio to keep
himself occupied from boredom. Although he didn't mind doing some exploration, since
the Earth was quite a suiting environment for him and his fellow robots, he would much
prefer doing special operations or sabotage; which was his forte ever since the war
against the Decepticons started more than four million years ago. Action with style adds
up a little flavor in his role within the Autobot forces, which is his one of his key
philosophies when conducting a mission.
Hound and Bumblebee were comforting themselves sightseeing over the vast
fields of grass, plants and trees. Throughout the expanses of the forest they didn't
notice that they were being observed by Laserbeak, whom was hiding somewhere in
the region undetected.
"I think we can set up the gear here, guys," Hound ventured.
Jazz grew irascible the moment Hound had spoken, and gestured, "I can't
believe we're wasting our time looking for energon when we should be fighting the
Decepticons before they try to harm more humans."
The other two Autobots knew of Jazz's irritation. Bumblebee was the first to
offer him to cool off. "Easy, buddy. It's only reconnaissance. Once we've mapped out
the area and find the energon, the others can help us secure it so we can end this war
once and for all."
"Sounds interesting. But let's not forget, the Decepticons needs energon just as
much as we do. Which is why I think we should blitz them now while they're still wide
open."
Hound intervened, "I don't think so, Jazz. Optimus knows that the Deceptions will
be prepared if we were to rush them too early. That's what we're here for, look for the
energon and take it before they do."
"I know, Hound. It just burns me up whenever those bozos are up to no good."
All three of the Autobots paused for a moment, and Hound just simply smiled.
"No need to worry, Jazz. Once we've mapped the area and secure the energon,
we can figure out what to do about the Decepticons later. For now, let's unload some of
the gear Wheeljack gave us so we can find what we're looking for."
Jazz's internal circuitry began to loosen a little, and the recon team continued
onward with their task. Laserbeak finished recording his observation, while he slowly
soared under the shadows of the trees and escaped from his post in a stealthy manner.
Laserbeak was flying at low altitude and continued onward back to HQ to ready his
report to the one being the Decepticons fear most..
Megatron sat patiently in the command center of the Nemesis to await the report
of Laserbeak. Soundwave, one of his most loyal servants, stood quietly beside his
leader with arms crossed. The Decepticons were preparing for a bombardment mission
against an American town soon, so they could lure the Autobots out and finish them off
in one fell swoop, like an eagle charging in from the sky to take down its prey.
Laserbeak arrived within a span of four hours, perching his talons on Megatron's
left arm when he entered the room. "Ah, Laserbeak. You're one of the few servants
who's never failed me. What information have you brought forth this time, my loyal
minion?"
Soundwave opened his chest module; with Laserbeak transformed into cassette
mode and entering the module as it closed shut. "Laserbeak brings news: playing
back."
The speech lasted about ten minutes. At the end of the recording, Megatron
began pondering his next move against his enemies. He interfaced himself with the
comm system on the right of his chair. "Starscream, summon the Insecticons, we're
going to let them feast upon those who dare to try to outwit me. Once they've done so,
we'll secure the energon deposit in Colorado for ourselves, re-supply our forces, and
destroy the Autobots!" The Decepicon commander made a grin on his face and let out
an evil laugh.
Hound was busy deploying the energon probing equipment. Consisting of
a radar dish, some compressed circuit boards and a computer containing all the data
needed to search for energon, he assembled it carefully, checking every part of the
mini-sensor array to make sure it's in working order. He activated the switch, bringing
Wheejack's invention to life. "Yes! The sensor array's on-line! Now, let's see. there
must be something around here somewhere.." Hound was savoring this moment, out
enjoying nature while doing his job. He didn't like the idea of living in areas where
everything was all mechanical, which was why he was one of the ideal Autobot
candidates to seek out and secure the energon the Autobots needed.
Energon is a raw and valuable source of power which is used by both the
Autobots and Decepticons to fuel their armies and fight. Both factions are like the
people on Earth needing food and a fresh supply of oxygen, they need energon to
maintain their infrastructure and survive.
It took several sweeps for the sensor array to seek out the raw energon in the
forest. Three minutes later a dot appeared on Hound's screen, capturing his attention
instantly. Jazz, in robot mode, was leaning against the base of a huge tree near
Hound's left side. Bumblebee was still in his vehicle mode, keeping on the alert in case
enemy forces arrive. "Guys, I think I've found something," Hound informed them.
The other two Autobots rushed toward behind him, and looked curiously at the
same screen their friend was looking at. "What is it?" both asked in unison.
"Energon. About 13 miles west of our position."
"Wait a second, why didn't we detect it earlier?" Bumblebee inquired.
"Dunno. We'll have to go and take a closer look. I'll relay a message back to
base so they know that we may have found what we were looking for."
"Let's just hope we don't have to face any problems along the way," Bumblebee
said. In his mind, he knew that the Decepticons would show up at some point during the
course of their mission. The young warrior wouldn't be very pleased about the fact of
how dead right he was.
The three Insecticons, Kickback, Shrapnel, and Bombshell, flew over the horizon.
Their orders were clear: to capture or destroy the Autobot reconnaissance group and
secure the energon deposit; by force, if necessary. All of them were flying in robot mode
and arming their weapons. Kickback prepared shells embedded in his flight module
in case he wasted his ammunition ran out. Soon, the Insecticons would get their fair
share of the destruction that will ensue.
Jazz, Bumblebee, and Hound, all in vehicle mode, drove towards the indicated
location of hidden deposit, their gears in full acceleration. Hound had the sensor array
hauled in his cargo compartment, interfaced with his scope to keep looking. Bumblebee
trampled over a few piles of pebbles and rocks during the group's inbound travel. The
Autobots didn't notice until five seconds later that they were being followed by the
Insecticons, whom were just several meters above them.
"Guys, we've got company," Bumlbebee warned.
"There's rocks and hills in front of us; we should transform and use them as
cover," Hound suggested.
"Then let's get to it!" Jazz exclaimed.
As soon as they reached their intended destination, all three of the Autobots
transformed and dove for cover behind the rocks and hills, all of them unveiling their
weapons and firing back at their pursuers. The Insecticons broke formation and made
landed behind trees in front of their targets, firing their weapons upon the three lone
Autobots.
Hound and his two compatriots continued falling back, with the Insecticons
advancing on their position. He gripped the interfaced radar on a handle with his left
arm while he fired his pistol with his other hand. Just several more meters.
After Kickback wasted some shells, he waited for a minute to allow his machine
gun to recoil and soon fired again. "Keep firing," Bombshell commanded. "If we keep
this up, the Autobots will lead us to the energon and we can secure it for Megatron."
"Good idea," Shrapnel agreed. "Let's push them back so we can chew them
up after they find the energon for us."
Bombshell and Kickback nodded, turning back to their attention to the Autobots,
continuing to rain down fire on their prey, with Shrapnel following behind.
Jazz wasn't happy that the Autobots were being followed by just a bunch of bugs.
He suggested to Hound that he's going to sneak around behind each Insecticon and
take them out one by one.
"You sure you want to?"
"Without a doubt," Jazz said.
"Alright, we'll split up. Bumblebee, send out an SOS back to base that we're
under attack. After that, help Jazz sneak around the Insecticons and take them out from
behind."
Bumblebee heard Hound's call and nodded back to him while recharging his
pistol. "I've already sent one out. And we'll take those freaks out before they even know
what hit them."
Jazz was focusing on firing at varied arcs on the pursuing enemy troops;
he crouched and advanced toward his unwary foes, weapon ready. Bumblebee was
only a few feet behind, dashing through the bushes and trees to catch up with his
comrade. All of a sudden, there only air and silence. The enemy's firing has ceased,
waiting for their quarries to come so they can ambush them. Hound stopped for a
moment, turning his head back, using his scope to see why the firing has stopped for
some reason. He didn't waste time to discern the fact that the Insecticons either
retreated or were preparing a sneak attack of their own. He focused on the task at hand,
the blips on his energon sensor getting louder. Only a few more yards left.
The scout's body froze once he was standing on the hidden deposit. He took a
closer examination with his optical sensors and without a doubt knew that it was
energon. Pressing a few switches on his left forearm, his back compartment unloaded a
laser drill. He activated it without difficulty and began mining for the precious material.
Unbeknownst to the lone robot was Shrapnel lopping on the top of his head.
"What the - -!?
"Surprise!"
Struggling to get the invader off, Hound pull both his arms upward to grab
Shrapnel. All that was heard was a loud splash after the Insecticon was thrown in the
center of a large mud puddle.
"Takes care of you, you stinking parasite," Hound uttered as he went back to his
task. As he turned, two more of the Insecticons stood in front of him, arms crossed, their
weapons drawn and set.
"You still have to deal with us, Autobot," Bombshell hissed. He unfolded his arms,
his mortar launcher mounted on his head ready to hit his victim. A grenade popped and
headed straight for Hound, hitting him right in the chest, knocking him dead flat on his
back. He lifted his head to take a look at his wound, which didn't look good from what he
could see. There was a huge set of circuitry exposed on his right torso, and another hit
or two of Bombshell's explosives would demolish him into a million pieces. For him, it
wasn't a very pleasant thought.
Bombshell knew that he had the scout at his mercy, "I think I might have some
uses for you, Autobot."
"NO!!!" Hound knew what this meant. Bombshell was preparing one of his
cerebral shells that are specially designed to control the mind of a victim; either human
or robot. For a human, the shell must travel through the bloodstream, up to the cerebral
cortex. The shell then releases thousands of wires to the neural dendrites, giving Bomb-
shell rule over a person's thoughts. For a robot, the process is similar, except a hole is
carved by the shell with laser torches if the victim's head has a metal casing. The shell
can only be removed through careful surgery.
Hound attempted to look for something to use as a weapon, since his plasma
pistol was out of sight, and his shoulder-mounted rocket launcher was knocked out of
commission. All he could see now was a log about seven feet long that he could use as
a clubbing tool; then he could make a break for cover. Was it worth the risk?
Perhaps, since the soldier's life was on the line here. If Hound and his two compatriots
were killed, who would have any idea that the Autobots back at home base would be
attacked?
Considering the odds, Hound couldn't let that happen. If he was to go down, he
was taking the Insecticons down with him. Calculating what the chances were, he
pondered whether he should roll right or left.
Left seems to be more acceptable, he thought. There were bushes he could dive
into for safety. Bombshell and Kickback walked closer to their quarry, with Kickback
turning his back in front of him to see if there was anyone else coming. Now was
Hound's opportunity to strike an Insecticon down, and Bombshell was the nearest and
unfortunate being to be struck by the log that Hound grabbed.
The enemy soldier was knocked right across the face with immense force,
sending Bombshell seventeen feet across from his partner. Kickback froze in place,
caught completely by surprise of what had just transpired.
Hound took advantage of Kickback's pause and made a run for it. He executed a
executed a sharp dive for the bushes, with Kickback firing away at him.
"Come out, Autobot. You cannot hide forever!" Kickback bellowed.
And unfortunately, Kickback was right. Hound could only hide for a few minutes
from where he's standing. His only hope now was that Jazz and Bumblebee heard the
weapons fire from afar. Three minutes have already passed, and Kickback was not too
far from losing his patience. "All right, then. I guess I'll just have to weed you out
myself, and then I'll rip out your logic circuits so I can chew them up."
Kickback stood in place for a moment after he heard the roar of engines. Two
cars came in rapidly behind him, both transforming in midair.
"Sorry, Kickback. I think we should put your meal on hold," Jazz said. He threw
the weight of his left fist into Kickback's faceplate, sending him sideways to the ground.
Both of the Autobots landed, unloading their weapons and keeping them trained on
whatever Insecticon they could see. So far, the only one present was Kickback.
"Hound! You out there?!" Jazz yelled.
"Right here," the scout bellowed. He came out of his cover, his left hand covering
his gaping wound; walking slowly towards his comrades.
"You okay?" Bumblebee inquired.
"Yeah, I'll be fine," Hound responded, ever curious about the delay of his
comrades. His body twitched due to the heavy damage on his upper torso. Bumblebee
paced closer to his friend, wrapping Hound's right arm behind his neck and right
shoulder. "Easy, there."
Jazz dashed towards the area where the energon was located. He used his
optical scanner to look for any faint traces of the residue. It was heavily concentrated
right under where Jazz was standing. "Man, the energon deposit's intensity is huge!
This is enough to supply any force and wipe out anyone of both military and civilian
occupation. I'm glad we got here before the 'Cons did." Jazz felt relieved. At
least, for the moment at hand.
"You think your signal managed to reach the base in time, Bumblebee?" Hound
asked.
"I'm pretty sure. Now, we can only wait until help arrives," the youngster said, his
tone patient, hoping that fate will be gentle to them.
"Let's just hope they get here in time." Hound said weakly. All three members of
the recon group stepped towards the energon deposit, where it is still hidden, but not
dormant.
Shrapnel was not too happy. He rose from the puddle, drenched in brown muck
and dirt. He wasn't going to let Hound go unscathed, which he wasn't at the moment.
He armed his energy pistol and looked for the Autobot with his optical sensor. Three
blips were right behind him. He made a sharp turn of his body and headed towards the
location of the recon group, silently and smartly. All three were standing within sight the
moment he arrived.
The Autobots mining equipment were still in place, and there was no sign of his
Insecticon brothers. To his anger, he saw his brothers laying on the ground. They were
still alive, just stunned. He would assault the Autobots by himself without a second
thought. Using the trees and bushes as his shields, he recklessly began firing away at
the recon group, his blast blowing up pieces of group and exposing some of the
energon.
Jazz broke off from the group and dove for the hills, his weapon still in hand.
"Bumblebee, you and Hound take cover! I'll take care of the attacker!"
"Got it!"
Bumblebee tried to drag Hound's heavy weight through to the layer of trees. The
bigger robot's heaviness slightly slowed him down. Once they managed to settle down,
Hound was put against the trunk of a tree, Bumblebee closely guarding him.
Jazz was focusing on looking for whoever was attacking them, which he
concluded was Shrapnel, since he was the only one who recovered aside from his
two brothers that were knocked down.
Shrapnel swiveled his head, looking for the Autobots. All of them scrambled for
Safety. Cowards, they are, he thought. But I will not allow them to escape my wrath, that
easily.
Jazz locked his arms around Shrapnel's neck in a chokehold. "Got you!" He
exclaimed in victory.
"You think you've caught me that easily, Autobot?"
Shrapnel elbowed Jazz in his midsection and swung his right fist towards his
opponent's chest, sending him straight into the energon drill that Hound unloaded
earlier. Hound's drill blew up into several fragments, tearing away at the grass that it
stood upon, and revealed the energon that was protected beneath the grounds.
"At last! Megatron will be pleased!" Shrapnel howled. He had to get rid of his
opposition quickly in order to achieve his brethren's goal. Jazz found himself grazed
on his left shoulder, grinding his teeth at the damage done to him.
That slimy little. Jazz thought in frustration.
Jazz knew the Insecticon was going to strike him at any moment now. He had
at least thirty seconds to figure out what to do about this problem. Shrapnel dashed as
fast as he could toward his downed foe, whom was being a hindrance to his mission.
But he was too late to stop himself when Jazz hoisted himself back up and
sharply swung his right leg towards Shrapnel's head, resulting in a fairly large dent on
the side of his metal faceplate. The Insecticon was still standing on one foot with his
right knee as leverage. He drew his grenade launcher but staggered back due to some
static in his optical sensors. The instant Shrapnel unveiled his launcher was the moment
Jazz knew he was in big trouble. He dove past the pockets of hidden energon in the
middle of a patch of tall grass that he could use as brief cover. Two grenades exploded
within five feet behind Jazz, splattering piles of dirt and grime over his legs.
He must be shooting blind.
Both robots didn't notice that an energy surge formed above the energon,
which resulted from Shrapnel's loss of concentration while aiming his weapon. The void
continued growing in size and magnitude.
Kickback and Bombshell woke back up from their unconsciousness and realized
in ten seconds that a vortex was right in front of them, sucking in anyone who comes
near it.
"Brothers! Help me!" Shrapnel shrieked.
"You fool! What are you doing?!!" Bombshell ranted. The recovering Insecticons
transformed in their alternate forms and flew towards their brother, whom was one of
the victims that was about to be sucked in.
Bumblebee and Hound noticed the vortex as well, transforming in vehicle mode
and drove towards Jazz. Jazz was gripping the root of a plant, the strength of the void
ever increasing. "Guys, I could use a hand, here."
"Hang on tight! We're almost there!" Bumblebee responded. He and Hound
converted back to robot modes, coming to Jazz's aid as swiftly as they could. Hound
turned back to his younger comrade and said: "Bumblebee, I'm going to try and rescue
Jazz. See if you could find anything that I can hold on to."
"Already found," Bumblebee replied, his arms wrapped over a huge log. Hound
grabbed the base roots and signaled his friend to extend the lifeline so he could get to
Jazz.
"You came at just the right moment."
"Don't waste time on talk, man! Grab my leg, and Bumblebee will heave us back
up!"
"Got you loud and clear!"
To Jazz's dismay, the Insecticons were still present on the battlefield, firing their
weapons upon their prey. They were all standing against the trunks of a few trees to
prevent themselves from being pulled in. A barrage of bullets and lasers chipped
through Hound's left arm, forcing him to release his grip from the root. Jazz was hit face
first due to the weight of Hound's back, sending both Autobots flying through the
anomaly , which augmented the gravitational pull tenfold. It was like a hurricane that
picked up and spun objects with immense force until it either ceased or moved
elsewhere to carry on its destruction.
The trees soon began to break as the vortex continued to grow in size and
intensity; with the Insecticons being the latter creatures to be drawn into the void,
frantically firing their weapons at the vortex. Instead they only fed it energy and
strengthened the pull. Shrapnel was the first of the three Insecticons to be consumed,
following by Kickback. Bombshell grew unhappy since he was the last of his brothers
who was dragged in, uttering out Megatron's name for help until he disappeared.
"Jazz! Hound!"
Bumblebee saw his comrades consumed in the vortex. He didn't even bother
thinking about the consequences of this action, and instead decided to share the same
fate. With the already enormous power of the pull from the anomaly, he was pulled like
metal being attracted to a magnet. Once he vanished inside of the vortex, it shrunk and
disappeared. There was no trace of either of the groups that were present, only dead
silence.
Hound, Bumblebee, and Jazz were in their vehicular forms, strolling about the
forests of Colorado on reconnaissance duty. To seek out energon, Optimus said, and
make leeway for the Autobots to secure it. If all went well, the Autobots may gain
an edge against the forces of the Decepticons, whom are bent on ruling the universe
by any means.
Jazz was of course playing some rock music within his internal radio to keep
himself occupied from boredom. Although he didn't mind doing some exploration, since
the Earth was quite a suiting environment for him and his fellow robots, he would much
prefer doing special operations or sabotage; which was his forte ever since the war
against the Decepticons started more than four million years ago. Action with style adds
up a little flavor in his role within the Autobot forces, which is his one of his key
philosophies when conducting a mission.
Hound and Bumblebee were comforting themselves sightseeing over the vast
fields of grass, plants and trees. Throughout the expanses of the forest they didn't
notice that they were being observed by Laserbeak, whom was hiding somewhere in
the region undetected.
"I think we can set up the gear here, guys," Hound ventured.
Jazz grew irascible the moment Hound had spoken, and gestured, "I can't
believe we're wasting our time looking for energon when we should be fighting the
Decepticons before they try to harm more humans."
The other two Autobots knew of Jazz's irritation. Bumblebee was the first to
offer him to cool off. "Easy, buddy. It's only reconnaissance. Once we've mapped out
the area and find the energon, the others can help us secure it so we can end this war
once and for all."
"Sounds interesting. But let's not forget, the Decepticons needs energon just as
much as we do. Which is why I think we should blitz them now while they're still wide
open."
Hound intervened, "I don't think so, Jazz. Optimus knows that the Deceptions will
be prepared if we were to rush them too early. That's what we're here for, look for the
energon and take it before they do."
"I know, Hound. It just burns me up whenever those bozos are up to no good."
All three of the Autobots paused for a moment, and Hound just simply smiled.
"No need to worry, Jazz. Once we've mapped the area and secure the energon,
we can figure out what to do about the Decepticons later. For now, let's unload some of
the gear Wheeljack gave us so we can find what we're looking for."
Jazz's internal circuitry began to loosen a little, and the recon team continued
onward with their task. Laserbeak finished recording his observation, while he slowly
soared under the shadows of the trees and escaped from his post in a stealthy manner.
Laserbeak was flying at low altitude and continued onward back to HQ to ready his
report to the one being the Decepticons fear most..
Megatron sat patiently in the command center of the Nemesis to await the report
of Laserbeak. Soundwave, one of his most loyal servants, stood quietly beside his
leader with arms crossed. The Decepticons were preparing for a bombardment mission
against an American town soon, so they could lure the Autobots out and finish them off
in one fell swoop, like an eagle charging in from the sky to take down its prey.
Laserbeak arrived within a span of four hours, perching his talons on Megatron's
left arm when he entered the room. "Ah, Laserbeak. You're one of the few servants
who's never failed me. What information have you brought forth this time, my loyal
minion?"
Soundwave opened his chest module; with Laserbeak transformed into cassette
mode and entering the module as it closed shut. "Laserbeak brings news: playing
back."
The speech lasted about ten minutes. At the end of the recording, Megatron
began pondering his next move against his enemies. He interfaced himself with the
comm system on the right of his chair. "Starscream, summon the Insecticons, we're
going to let them feast upon those who dare to try to outwit me. Once they've done so,
we'll secure the energon deposit in Colorado for ourselves, re-supply our forces, and
destroy the Autobots!" The Decepicon commander made a grin on his face and let out
an evil laugh.
Hound was busy deploying the energon probing equipment. Consisting of
a radar dish, some compressed circuit boards and a computer containing all the data
needed to search for energon, he assembled it carefully, checking every part of the
mini-sensor array to make sure it's in working order. He activated the switch, bringing
Wheejack's invention to life. "Yes! The sensor array's on-line! Now, let's see. there
must be something around here somewhere.." Hound was savoring this moment, out
enjoying nature while doing his job. He didn't like the idea of living in areas where
everything was all mechanical, which was why he was one of the ideal Autobot
candidates to seek out and secure the energon the Autobots needed.
Energon is a raw and valuable source of power which is used by both the
Autobots and Decepticons to fuel their armies and fight. Both factions are like the
people on Earth needing food and a fresh supply of oxygen, they need energon to
maintain their infrastructure and survive.
It took several sweeps for the sensor array to seek out the raw energon in the
forest. Three minutes later a dot appeared on Hound's screen, capturing his attention
instantly. Jazz, in robot mode, was leaning against the base of a huge tree near
Hound's left side. Bumblebee was still in his vehicle mode, keeping on the alert in case
enemy forces arrive. "Guys, I think I've found something," Hound informed them.
The other two Autobots rushed toward behind him, and looked curiously at the
same screen their friend was looking at. "What is it?" both asked in unison.
"Energon. About 13 miles west of our position."
"Wait a second, why didn't we detect it earlier?" Bumblebee inquired.
"Dunno. We'll have to go and take a closer look. I'll relay a message back to
base so they know that we may have found what we were looking for."
"Let's just hope we don't have to face any problems along the way," Bumblebee
said. In his mind, he knew that the Decepticons would show up at some point during the
course of their mission. The young warrior wouldn't be very pleased about the fact of
how dead right he was.
The three Insecticons, Kickback, Shrapnel, and Bombshell, flew over the horizon.
Their orders were clear: to capture or destroy the Autobot reconnaissance group and
secure the energon deposit; by force, if necessary. All of them were flying in robot mode
and arming their weapons. Kickback prepared shells embedded in his flight module
in case he wasted his ammunition ran out. Soon, the Insecticons would get their fair
share of the destruction that will ensue.
Jazz, Bumblebee, and Hound, all in vehicle mode, drove towards the indicated
location of hidden deposit, their gears in full acceleration. Hound had the sensor array
hauled in his cargo compartment, interfaced with his scope to keep looking. Bumblebee
trampled over a few piles of pebbles and rocks during the group's inbound travel. The
Autobots didn't notice until five seconds later that they were being followed by the
Insecticons, whom were just several meters above them.
"Guys, we've got company," Bumlbebee warned.
"There's rocks and hills in front of us; we should transform and use them as
cover," Hound suggested.
"Then let's get to it!" Jazz exclaimed.
As soon as they reached their intended destination, all three of the Autobots
transformed and dove for cover behind the rocks and hills, all of them unveiling their
weapons and firing back at their pursuers. The Insecticons broke formation and made
landed behind trees in front of their targets, firing their weapons upon the three lone
Autobots.
Hound and his two compatriots continued falling back, with the Insecticons
advancing on their position. He gripped the interfaced radar on a handle with his left
arm while he fired his pistol with his other hand. Just several more meters.
After Kickback wasted some shells, he waited for a minute to allow his machine
gun to recoil and soon fired again. "Keep firing," Bombshell commanded. "If we keep
this up, the Autobots will lead us to the energon and we can secure it for Megatron."
"Good idea," Shrapnel agreed. "Let's push them back so we can chew them
up after they find the energon for us."
Bombshell and Kickback nodded, turning back to their attention to the Autobots,
continuing to rain down fire on their prey, with Shrapnel following behind.
Jazz wasn't happy that the Autobots were being followed by just a bunch of bugs.
He suggested to Hound that he's going to sneak around behind each Insecticon and
take them out one by one.
"You sure you want to?"
"Without a doubt," Jazz said.
"Alright, we'll split up. Bumblebee, send out an SOS back to base that we're
under attack. After that, help Jazz sneak around the Insecticons and take them out from
behind."
Bumblebee heard Hound's call and nodded back to him while recharging his
pistol. "I've already sent one out. And we'll take those freaks out before they even know
what hit them."
Jazz was focusing on firing at varied arcs on the pursuing enemy troops;
he crouched and advanced toward his unwary foes, weapon ready. Bumblebee was
only a few feet behind, dashing through the bushes and trees to catch up with his
comrade. All of a sudden, there only air and silence. The enemy's firing has ceased,
waiting for their quarries to come so they can ambush them. Hound stopped for a
moment, turning his head back, using his scope to see why the firing has stopped for
some reason. He didn't waste time to discern the fact that the Insecticons either
retreated or were preparing a sneak attack of their own. He focused on the task at hand,
the blips on his energon sensor getting louder. Only a few more yards left.
The scout's body froze once he was standing on the hidden deposit. He took a
closer examination with his optical sensors and without a doubt knew that it was
energon. Pressing a few switches on his left forearm, his back compartment unloaded a
laser drill. He activated it without difficulty and began mining for the precious material.
Unbeknownst to the lone robot was Shrapnel lopping on the top of his head.
"What the - -!?
"Surprise!"
Struggling to get the invader off, Hound pull both his arms upward to grab
Shrapnel. All that was heard was a loud splash after the Insecticon was thrown in the
center of a large mud puddle.
"Takes care of you, you stinking parasite," Hound uttered as he went back to his
task. As he turned, two more of the Insecticons stood in front of him, arms crossed, their
weapons drawn and set.
"You still have to deal with us, Autobot," Bombshell hissed. He unfolded his arms,
his mortar launcher mounted on his head ready to hit his victim. A grenade popped and
headed straight for Hound, hitting him right in the chest, knocking him dead flat on his
back. He lifted his head to take a look at his wound, which didn't look good from what he
could see. There was a huge set of circuitry exposed on his right torso, and another hit
or two of Bombshell's explosives would demolish him into a million pieces. For him, it
wasn't a very pleasant thought.
Bombshell knew that he had the scout at his mercy, "I think I might have some
uses for you, Autobot."
"NO!!!" Hound knew what this meant. Bombshell was preparing one of his
cerebral shells that are specially designed to control the mind of a victim; either human
or robot. For a human, the shell must travel through the bloodstream, up to the cerebral
cortex. The shell then releases thousands of wires to the neural dendrites, giving Bomb-
shell rule over a person's thoughts. For a robot, the process is similar, except a hole is
carved by the shell with laser torches if the victim's head has a metal casing. The shell
can only be removed through careful surgery.
Hound attempted to look for something to use as a weapon, since his plasma
pistol was out of sight, and his shoulder-mounted rocket launcher was knocked out of
commission. All he could see now was a log about seven feet long that he could use as
a clubbing tool; then he could make a break for cover. Was it worth the risk?
Perhaps, since the soldier's life was on the line here. If Hound and his two compatriots
were killed, who would have any idea that the Autobots back at home base would be
attacked?
Considering the odds, Hound couldn't let that happen. If he was to go down, he
was taking the Insecticons down with him. Calculating what the chances were, he
pondered whether he should roll right or left.
Left seems to be more acceptable, he thought. There were bushes he could dive
into for safety. Bombshell and Kickback walked closer to their quarry, with Kickback
turning his back in front of him to see if there was anyone else coming. Now was
Hound's opportunity to strike an Insecticon down, and Bombshell was the nearest and
unfortunate being to be struck by the log that Hound grabbed.
The enemy soldier was knocked right across the face with immense force,
sending Bombshell seventeen feet across from his partner. Kickback froze in place,
caught completely by surprise of what had just transpired.
Hound took advantage of Kickback's pause and made a run for it. He executed a
executed a sharp dive for the bushes, with Kickback firing away at him.
"Come out, Autobot. You cannot hide forever!" Kickback bellowed.
And unfortunately, Kickback was right. Hound could only hide for a few minutes
from where he's standing. His only hope now was that Jazz and Bumblebee heard the
weapons fire from afar. Three minutes have already passed, and Kickback was not too
far from losing his patience. "All right, then. I guess I'll just have to weed you out
myself, and then I'll rip out your logic circuits so I can chew them up."
Kickback stood in place for a moment after he heard the roar of engines. Two
cars came in rapidly behind him, both transforming in midair.
"Sorry, Kickback. I think we should put your meal on hold," Jazz said. He threw
the weight of his left fist into Kickback's faceplate, sending him sideways to the ground.
Both of the Autobots landed, unloading their weapons and keeping them trained on
whatever Insecticon they could see. So far, the only one present was Kickback.
"Hound! You out there?!" Jazz yelled.
"Right here," the scout bellowed. He came out of his cover, his left hand covering
his gaping wound; walking slowly towards his comrades.
"You okay?" Bumblebee inquired.
"Yeah, I'll be fine," Hound responded, ever curious about the delay of his
comrades. His body twitched due to the heavy damage on his upper torso. Bumblebee
paced closer to his friend, wrapping Hound's right arm behind his neck and right
shoulder. "Easy, there."
Jazz dashed towards the area where the energon was located. He used his
optical scanner to look for any faint traces of the residue. It was heavily concentrated
right under where Jazz was standing. "Man, the energon deposit's intensity is huge!
This is enough to supply any force and wipe out anyone of both military and civilian
occupation. I'm glad we got here before the 'Cons did." Jazz felt relieved. At
least, for the moment at hand.
"You think your signal managed to reach the base in time, Bumblebee?" Hound
asked.
"I'm pretty sure. Now, we can only wait until help arrives," the youngster said, his
tone patient, hoping that fate will be gentle to them.
"Let's just hope they get here in time." Hound said weakly. All three members of
the recon group stepped towards the energon deposit, where it is still hidden, but not
dormant.
Shrapnel was not too happy. He rose from the puddle, drenched in brown muck
and dirt. He wasn't going to let Hound go unscathed, which he wasn't at the moment.
He armed his energy pistol and looked for the Autobot with his optical sensor. Three
blips were right behind him. He made a sharp turn of his body and headed towards the
location of the recon group, silently and smartly. All three were standing within sight the
moment he arrived.
The Autobots mining equipment were still in place, and there was no sign of his
Insecticon brothers. To his anger, he saw his brothers laying on the ground. They were
still alive, just stunned. He would assault the Autobots by himself without a second
thought. Using the trees and bushes as his shields, he recklessly began firing away at
the recon group, his blast blowing up pieces of group and exposing some of the
energon.
Jazz broke off from the group and dove for the hills, his weapon still in hand.
"Bumblebee, you and Hound take cover! I'll take care of the attacker!"
"Got it!"
Bumblebee tried to drag Hound's heavy weight through to the layer of trees. The
bigger robot's heaviness slightly slowed him down. Once they managed to settle down,
Hound was put against the trunk of a tree, Bumblebee closely guarding him.
Jazz was focusing on looking for whoever was attacking them, which he
concluded was Shrapnel, since he was the only one who recovered aside from his
two brothers that were knocked down.
Shrapnel swiveled his head, looking for the Autobots. All of them scrambled for
Safety. Cowards, they are, he thought. But I will not allow them to escape my wrath, that
easily.
Jazz locked his arms around Shrapnel's neck in a chokehold. "Got you!" He
exclaimed in victory.
"You think you've caught me that easily, Autobot?"
Shrapnel elbowed Jazz in his midsection and swung his right fist towards his
opponent's chest, sending him straight into the energon drill that Hound unloaded
earlier. Hound's drill blew up into several fragments, tearing away at the grass that it
stood upon, and revealed the energon that was protected beneath the grounds.
"At last! Megatron will be pleased!" Shrapnel howled. He had to get rid of his
opposition quickly in order to achieve his brethren's goal. Jazz found himself grazed
on his left shoulder, grinding his teeth at the damage done to him.
That slimy little. Jazz thought in frustration.
Jazz knew the Insecticon was going to strike him at any moment now. He had
at least thirty seconds to figure out what to do about this problem. Shrapnel dashed as
fast as he could toward his downed foe, whom was being a hindrance to his mission.
But he was too late to stop himself when Jazz hoisted himself back up and
sharply swung his right leg towards Shrapnel's head, resulting in a fairly large dent on
the side of his metal faceplate. The Insecticon was still standing on one foot with his
right knee as leverage. He drew his grenade launcher but staggered back due to some
static in his optical sensors. The instant Shrapnel unveiled his launcher was the moment
Jazz knew he was in big trouble. He dove past the pockets of hidden energon in the
middle of a patch of tall grass that he could use as brief cover. Two grenades exploded
within five feet behind Jazz, splattering piles of dirt and grime over his legs.
He must be shooting blind.
Both robots didn't notice that an energy surge formed above the energon,
which resulted from Shrapnel's loss of concentration while aiming his weapon. The void
continued growing in size and magnitude.
Kickback and Bombshell woke back up from their unconsciousness and realized
in ten seconds that a vortex was right in front of them, sucking in anyone who comes
near it.
"Brothers! Help me!" Shrapnel shrieked.
"You fool! What are you doing?!!" Bombshell ranted. The recovering Insecticons
transformed in their alternate forms and flew towards their brother, whom was one of
the victims that was about to be sucked in.
Bumblebee and Hound noticed the vortex as well, transforming in vehicle mode
and drove towards Jazz. Jazz was gripping the root of a plant, the strength of the void
ever increasing. "Guys, I could use a hand, here."
"Hang on tight! We're almost there!" Bumblebee responded. He and Hound
converted back to robot modes, coming to Jazz's aid as swiftly as they could. Hound
turned back to his younger comrade and said: "Bumblebee, I'm going to try and rescue
Jazz. See if you could find anything that I can hold on to."
"Already found," Bumblebee replied, his arms wrapped over a huge log. Hound
grabbed the base roots and signaled his friend to extend the lifeline so he could get to
Jazz.
"You came at just the right moment."
"Don't waste time on talk, man! Grab my leg, and Bumblebee will heave us back
up!"
"Got you loud and clear!"
To Jazz's dismay, the Insecticons were still present on the battlefield, firing their
weapons upon their prey. They were all standing against the trunks of a few trees to
prevent themselves from being pulled in. A barrage of bullets and lasers chipped
through Hound's left arm, forcing him to release his grip from the root. Jazz was hit face
first due to the weight of Hound's back, sending both Autobots flying through the
anomaly , which augmented the gravitational pull tenfold. It was like a hurricane that
picked up and spun objects with immense force until it either ceased or moved
elsewhere to carry on its destruction.
The trees soon began to break as the vortex continued to grow in size and
intensity; with the Insecticons being the latter creatures to be drawn into the void,
frantically firing their weapons at the vortex. Instead they only fed it energy and
strengthened the pull. Shrapnel was the first of the three Insecticons to be consumed,
following by Kickback. Bombshell grew unhappy since he was the last of his brothers
who was dragged in, uttering out Megatron's name for help until he disappeared.
"Jazz! Hound!"
Bumblebee saw his comrades consumed in the vortex. He didn't even bother
thinking about the consequences of this action, and instead decided to share the same
fate. With the already enormous power of the pull from the anomaly, he was pulled like
metal being attracted to a magnet. Once he vanished inside of the vortex, it shrunk and
disappeared. There was no trace of either of the groups that were present, only dead
silence.
