ULTIMATE TRANSFORMERS
PRELUDE
U.S President Samuel Phillips stood on the steps of the Stonewell House, the president's new estate since the terrorist obliteration of the White House in the year 2017. That was fifty years ago to the day, and Sam Phillips was the seventh president since then, and since terrorism had taken over the world, and ripped it apart.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Phillips spoke to the several thousand Americans on the Stonewell lawn. These were not the rich, relatively contented citizens of the early 21st century, but those who had all gone through hell and back, losing loved ones on the way, from forces like Al Qaeda and so many more- some far worse. Like the multi-national maniacs with Deception Elimination Companionship, or the 'Decepticon', a group who aimed at revealing the 'deception' of the Western World's governments, "Today, we can finally crush this age of terror and oppression. Under the leadership of Professor John Witwicky, a crack team of scientists, in association with the US army's General William Lennox, have created a new age of World Defence: the Transformers."
Applause rang out and for what seemed the first time in his four years as president, Sam Phillips smiled:
"Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I now present to you Professor Witwicky, General Lennox… and Codename Optimus Prime, the leader and original Transformer war machine."
Cheers exploded in the grounds of Stonewell House… and then turned to screams as something blazing streaked down towards the mansion… and landed smoothly in front of President Phillips. It was a huge… robot, coloured in red, white and blue, standing in an almost humanoid form. Its eyes glowed orange… and Optimus Prime must have been twenty feet tall!
Slowly, its chestplate slid open to reveal two men seated comfortably, and they were lowered down attached to a kind of pulley-cum-seat belt, standing on the ground before the belts drew back in and Prime's chest panel closed.
"Hello!" The crowd erupted in applause once again as Witwicky spoke, "Yes! I give you Optimus Prime, the machine that will lead us from this age of terror! Now, I will explain, if you wish, the workings of Prime. I will bypass for now the real details but this robot has capabilities to transform into a vehicle- in this case an armoured assault trunk, capable of transporting a squad of twelve elite troops. Also, it has automatic gun attachments to either wrist, and, using jet boosters on its back and legs, can fly at speeds of up to three hundred kilometres per hour. As you can clearly see now, Prime also possessed incredibly advanced combat AI, but can of course be overrode at any time at our central controls, so we can manipulate Prime to any possibilities. Now, please hail, The Transformers A-Squadron in its entirety!"
From the sky, descended four more robots, that landed around Prime:
"Codename Bumblebee!"
A smaller, yellow and black coloured machine was standing in front of Optimus. It slowly 'transformed' into a sleek motorcycle, complete with guns jutting out on either side.
"Codename Ratchet, our medical machine." A white 'bot with red designs on it stood on Bumblebee's left, and slowly formed into a large ambulance. The crowd muttered a little discontentedly about Ratchet.
"Codename Ironhide!"
A silver-coloured, huge robot stood to Prime's rear left, with one arm replaced by a massive auto-cannon, and the other merely a huge fist. He slowly formed into a tank, with the cannon sitting on the top.
"And finally, Codename Megatron!"
A black and gold robot stood on Prime's left, towering over even Optimus and Ironhide. Its eyes glowed an ominous red, almost like it was boiling up with hatred. It turned its metallic head towards Prime, who spoke in a deep synthetic voice:
"People of America, we are the Transformer A-Squadron, your first transforming defenders against evil. We hope to be able, as a team, to save this world from the madness of terrorism."
And that, was that. Prime spoke on defence of the realm, and the people departed, while sixty miles from Stonewell, in the place jokingly nicknamed Area 51, top scientists looked around at five more Transformers.
"They're finished," the scientists smiled at each other, "Transformer Squadron B are complete."
They looked contentedly at their efforts' results: Starscream, Soundwave, Skywarp, Rumple, and Shockwave…
CHAPTER ONE: The First Hurdle
Times Square was an inferno. People lay dead and injured everywhere. The others just ran or cowered, screaming. There was no escape… and then, somehow, walls burst apart and people stared as a white and red blur shot through- an ambulance?
"Your mission is only to take those in urgent need, Ratchet," Prime ordered, "We'll handle the rest."
And then the Transformer commando saw something through a burning building: a helicopter slowly taking off, and a man leaning out of the window with a rocket launcher aimed dead on at Ratchet. The ambulance couldn't take a direct hit from that rocket without harming any patients!
Prime rocketed into the air and took a rocket in his chest, smoke gushing out as he was thrown back onto the burning rooftop. Slowly, the robot rose, unaware of all but his foe, his AI focused on the enemy.
"You are under arrest for terrorist acts. Surrender now, or be destroyed," he bleeped.
The shooter bellowed a long stream of expletives in some form of Chinese.
"Voice identification active: Chinese: Mandarin: Doctor Ki Sachu, aged thirty five, occupation doctor…"
"Shut up!" the terrorist spoke in English now as he loosed another rocket… and Prime fired his wrist shooters, blasting the projectile into smithereens. He jetted up and bleeped out:
"So be it. Transformer A-Squadron: Order confirmed: Destroy enemy."
Prime loosed gunfire from both blasters, and struck the propeller. The helicopter burst into flames, and plunged down… down…
"Capture possibility. Confirm, commander," it was Ironhide speaking.
"Positive. Ensue capture procedure, Codename Ironhide."
Ironhide dived from a rooftop like a human athlete, plunging down to catch the chopper, bring it into his chest, and land feet-first on the street with a bang that split a crater in the road.
"Enemy capture confirmed, commander. Procedure attempt positive. Zero casualties during detainment."
And with that, Ironhide ripped the copter in half, letting three injured men: the unconscious Chinese, a Hispanic man, and an American, drop to the ground.
"Bastard!" The American had a handgun out, and shot Ironhide until his clip was empty. Ironhide glanced crankily down at its chest. A few faint dents were visible.
"Detainment completion procedure active."
Ironhide lifted the American and the Hispanic man up and banged their heads together violently. They were now as senseless as the Chinaman. Ironhide loosed a net from somewhere on his arms, which trapped the three men, as Prime and Megatron decided to the street to collect the prisoners, joined by four US army helicopters…