A/N: It begins. Literally. This is the SECOND book in the story, so read the first one before it or things will be very, very confusing.
I - Armada
My optics fluttered open, staring at something pale blue speckled with white. The sky, marred by a smudge of black. Cold wind rushed past my chassis.
Then my optics onlined at full charge and I started, realizing the situation I was in. I transformed without a second thought, feeling my engine beginning to stall as I tried to slow my free fall to the planet's surface. I slowly came to a stop a few feet above the hard-packed soil, transforming back into my bipedal mode.
"Wh-what just happened?" I wondered nervously, watching Megatron's warship, formerly a black smudge, cruise off high above the horizon. I glanced back at my wings, the fresh coat of paint gleaming in the noonday light. And then leapt up into the air, flying back over to the abandoned mine in an attempt to piece together what my memories failed to yield.
I circled above the mine, looking below. The energon was gone, only dusty, tan boulders remaining. When I fell, I must have gotten picked up on accident as the Nemesis' crew retrieved their energon. There were holes in the floors of the rooms where energon was picked up and then later transported throughout the ship. I must have somehow slipped out of a hole…
Earlier...
"And… done!" Miko squealed happily, stepping back to admire her handiwork. Seven happily flitted his wings, sending globules of wet red paint flying onto the girl. "Yegh," she flicked a splotch off her tongue. My clone now had twin red stripes down the tips of his wings, a way to tell the two of us apart. "Say 'cheese'!" The girl whipped out her pink cell phone and held it up, smiling at it with Seven behind her, the jet rolling his optics at the camera. She took a couple pictures and showed them to my double, who gave her a look.
"Bulkhead, I'm surprised you were even capable of having an idea, let alone one such as this." I sneered at the green mech.
"At least I don't have a screw loose." He shot back playfully.
"I am quite sane, thank you very much!"
Seven jabbed a sharp thumb at me, "What he said."
Bumblebee walked into the room, [What is it this time?]
I sighed, "Three months ago, I regained my T-Cog. But now, more than ever, I cannot escape any of you."
Arcee chuckled quietly, "It's a package deal."
"Speaking of packages," Ratchet interjected, "I have located a set of coordinates—what could potentially be an energon mine."
"Under Decepticon control?" Optimus queried.
"Oh? And who else would manage such an operation? Humans?" I answered. "Your processors are slower than your terrestrial forms." I grumbled under my vocalizer.
"You would know." Bulkhead shot back, smirking.
"As a matter of fact, I would." I replied smugly. "Under Megatron's rule, I oversaw every energon mine we possessed on this rock of a planet." I boasted, on a roll. "And, I was air commander of a squadron of energon Seekers on Cybertron."
"So we've been told." Arcee said dryly, "Once or twice."
"A minute." Bulkhead added. I gave him a look.
"Starscream, it then appears that you are best equipped at present to handle such a task. However, with your knowledge of Decepticon mining locations, you shall be of more use to us pinpointing their coordinates. Then we may send teams out to take the energon and decimate their mines." Optimus said.
"Or, take the mines and decimate their energon, depends how things play out." Seven added, twisted around to examine his new red stripes. His wings fluttered happily.
"Seven, you shall go in place of Starscream." The Prime stated.
My clone frowned, "Are you suggesting I am the expendable one?"
"We didn't paint Starscream's wings." Arcee smirked.
He huffed, "Seven, do this. Sev, do that. It seems all I'm good for is fetching things."
"Scream cloned you to do his dirty work." Jack guessed. "Why am I not surprised?"
Miko tossed Oliver the can of red spray paint she had been holding. The other human fumbled and dropped it, turning his blue jeans a nice shade of maroon.
"Miko, he groaned, picking at it, "my mom's gonna freak, this'll never come out."
"Whoopsie." She apologized, gingerly picking up the can of paint and set it on a nearby table like it was as volatile as a grenade. Ratchet rolled his optics, lightly shaking his helm in exasperation.
"Perhaps it would be best for the five of you to depart for now." Optimus suggested.
"One-stop shopping." Miko smiled, "I'd better not miss any action," she pointed accusingly at Bulkhead.
"No promises." The green mech said, raising his servos with a smirk.
"First stop, the mall." Will announced. "Cheer up, Ollie, maybe we'll find a cool video game or something!" He clapped his friend on the back.
Oliver brightened, "There are a couple I've been waiting for." The five humans exited via ground bridge a minute later. There now was a sole trail of red shoe prints across the floor.
"We won't forget where the ground bridge is now." Bulkhead stated, smudging one of the prints with the tip of his pede.
"Now that is over with…" I trailed off, looking to the others.
"Energon." Seven grumbled, slouching over to the bridge as Ratchet changed the targeted coordinates. My clone walked through without a backward glance.
"Now I have map duty." I plodded over to the console, next to the medic. "Move." I ordered.
"You cannot just–"
"I said move." He reluctantly stepped away from the screens. My fingers flew over the keys as I entered a couple sets of coordinates. "If Megatron ever catches me," I muttered beneath my vocalizer, "I am well and truly fragged."
"If you feel safer in a cell, there's one with your name on it." Arcee simpered.
"Your speed is impressive," Ratchet remarked offhandedly, trying to edge in front of me.
"What are you doing?" I snapped.
"Commandeering my workplace, commander." He retorted. I backed away, allowing him access to the first set of coordinates.
My wings vibrated with annoyance, "This is not a democracy."
"I never said it was." He didn't even glance up from the console, but I could hear the smirk in his tone.
"Are you finished?"
"Will someone please keep him occupied?" Ratchet groaned.
"Hey Scream, up for a lob game?" Bulkhead offered.
"Pass." I huffed, watching the screens with disinterest. A few seconds later, I was blindsided as something heavy crashed into my side. I staggered, watching a lob ball fall to the floor. "What is your malfunction?!" I screeched, picking it up and hurled the slagging thing at his helm. He ducked, grinning. Arcee rolled her optics and Bumblebee whirled in laughter.
"Hm, clearly this is a recent establishment," I noted, gazing down at the rugged walls of the pit, "energon… boxed and ready for transport." I transformed and landed gracefully at the lip of a massive, roughly circular hole drilling deep into the ground. Surely enough, orderly little rows of boxed energon cubes sat at the bottom, waiting for Megatron to fly in and snatch them up. But not if I got to them first. I started scaling down the side. I didn't simply fly in, knowing full well that mines can be structurally unstable. If I had transformed at the bottom and landed the wrong way, I could have found myself buried under massive amounts of rubble.
"Yes, that would most definitely ruin my day." I eyed the jagged sides of the hole where I hung.
Without warning, a rock dislodged beneath my right pede. I lost my balance, tenaciously clinging to a ledge by my fingertips. I scrabbled for a foothold, not finding any. I tried for a better handhold, and thankfully, found one. But when I put a bit more of my weight on it, it came away in my grasp, attached to a boulder.
"Scrap!" I yelped, beginning to fall, the rock slipping out of my grasp. It fell in a direct path to my helm. I whirled around just in time for the ground to come rushing up to meet me.
"Optimus, no word yet from Seven." Ratchet announced. "But I am detecting some rather curious subterranean frequencies." Intrigued, we all approached behind the medic to afford a better view of the screens.
"Of earthly origin?" Optimus queried.
"I do not yet know what they are," he answered, "but I do know where." A location popped up on the center screen.
Optimus' optics narrowed, "The location at which we last encountered Megatron."
"And Airachnid." Arcee piped up.
"And her Insecticon, after Starscream set us up." Ratchet added.
"Wh–how was I supposed to know Megatron would be there?!" I replied defensively. I only received a few glares in reply. "Well, excuse me if I missed some of her plans while I was crawling through a narrow crevasse, trying to keep the vermin from from chewing my leg off!"
"And you can thank me for stitching you up afterwards." Ratchet added. I huffed, crossing my arms and looked the other way.
[When do we roll?] Bumblebee asked, breaking the silence.
I exited the bridge last, trailing last behind Arcee, Bumblebee, and Optimus. Ratchet had elected Bulkhead to remain behind, with the Prime's consent. We stood atop a short, rocky cliff, with a pine forest behind us, and Airachnid beneath the cliff face with her back to us. A massive Insecticon army flew out from an unseen cave beneath our pedes, taking off into the horizon.
"We are, in all likelihood, witnessing the launch of an attempt to terminate Megatron." Optimus said.
"I can't think of a reason to stop that, even if we could." Arcee added.
"Yes, I planted that idea in her helm at the mine…" I trailed off, a similar idea striking me.
"Of course you did." The femme replied cooly, "Was it before or after her bug tried to squash you?"
Optimus stopped me from snapping at her, "What is paramount is to stop Airachnid, not argue amongst ourselves." He gave us both a look so full of disappointment, it was impossible for me not to quail a bit underneath his stare. The three of them onlined their blasters and trained them on Airachnid. The spider somehow noticed us, spinning around.
"Rear guard, engage the Autobots." She purred, failing to see me behind Optimus. I hesitated, my helm whipping from side to side, trying to choose between fighting or flying. I finally picked one, darting out from behind Optimus, to Airachnid's surprise, and dove off the cliff's edge. I transformed at a dangerously low height for any except the best of fliers, Airachnid ducked and I zipped over her. I shot up at the approaching Insecticons, firing a missile. Two dropped from their number, landing heavily in dust plumes.
I flew off, away from the horde, pushing my engine to go faster. My chest plate gradually warmed, so I slowed down a fraction, allowing more air to cycle through my vents and cool it down. I suspected Optimus was trying to comm me, but I had disabled my link for the moment, blocking all communications. There wasn't enough time to convey my plans to the rest of them, and I doubted they would condone it.
The Insecticons converged on the trio of Autobots as Optimus tried to comm Starscream unsuccessfully. He finally gave up and loosed rapid bursts of plasma on them. The femme and scout followed suit, opening fire as well.
"I knew it!" Arcee growled, shooting at an Insecticon that had tried to flank them, "The minute things start to look down, he jets away."
[He did take out a couple Insecticons.] Bumblebee reminded her. But they abruptly stopped chatting, directing their attention to the oncoming threat looming above. Optimus sprang into the air, slashing open a gouge in an Insecticon's armor as it flew overhead. The others fired red plasma at the Autobots, aiming to terminate.
Airachnid watched smugly as smoke, fire, and small chunks of rock debris rose up from the cliff's top where the Autobots, lacking Starscream, had stood. But her smirk fell into a frown as Arcee came shooting out of the grey cloud in her vehicle mode. The spider skittered away, and the blue femme landed where she had been standing not a second ago. Airachnid scuttled off into the forest, the motorcycle hot on her trail. They disappeared into the scraggly forest at the base of the cliff face, the spider still considerably farther ahead of her.
Meanwhile, Optimus and Bumblebee shot down two Insecticons which had trailed after Arcee, and mercilessly attacked the others assailing them. Optimus felled two more simultaneously with a shot from each blaster, as Bumblebee did in another. But their optics missed two more Insecticons that followed the femmes.
Airachnid slowed to a stop in the center of a clearing, watching the motorcycle's advance far behind with wry amusement. Arcee narrowly dodged a burst of plasma to her side by one of the Insecticons flying overhead, weaving in and out of the shots from their blasters. One of the Insecticons was so preoccupied on ensuring the two-wheeler's termination, he didn't watch where he was flying and crashed into the other. His counterpart spiraled down towards Airachnid, smoke billowing from beneath his plating.
"No!" The spider shouted. Fortunately for her, the Insecticon crash landed a few paces in front of her pedes. However, by that time she had used the dust cloud kicked up by the impact to screen her from Arcee's optics, tunneling beneath the surface. Arcee transformed, skidding to a stop past the Insecticon's chassis and watched the new tunnel's entrance with a glare.
She approached cautiously and leaned over to see inside. "Underground. There's a surprise." Without further ado, she transformed out her blasters and leapt in.
Beneath her, Airachnid sent out a mental call for a portion of the hive to return and assist her. She smirked in the shadows, knowing they would arrive in a few minutes. She made sure the rest of them stayed the course to ensure Megatron's termination, and then scuttled off on her Insecticon legs in search of the the ideal place to ambush Arcee.
Bumblebee launched himself into the air, and with a swift kick he dispatched the last Insecticon flying at them. It spiraled down to the ground, and Optimus slammed another's chassis by one of its legs down on top of the other as it crashed. He straightened up as the scout walked back over to join him, optics bright with their victory.
The Prime opened a comm after seeing the yellow mech wasn't injured, "Arcee? Starscream?"
Arcee, blaster raised, walked quietly in the massive cavern where the Insecticon pods laid waiting. Some empty, others with occupants yet to be roused from stasis. Airachnid silently crouched on the side of a wall ahead of the motorcycle, knowing her armada would arrive shortly. The black femme readied her servos' blasters, a malicious grin creeping onto her faceplates.
Arcee suddenly stopped, optics narrowing as she saw her nemesis' reflection in the side of an occupied pod. Airachnid didn't waste time, opening fire the instant her cover was blown. While Arcee dodged the blasts and the accompanying rain of debris, the spider tunneled back up to the surface to greet her armada and issue instructions.
I flew into my half of the Harbinger, not taking the time to transform and stroll through the halls and admire the dilapidated ship. I rocketed down the corridors, twisting to avoid debris I had yet to move. Finally, I transformed in front of a door, this one leading into a laboratory. I punched the hidden button on the side and ran through, bringing the console and its systems online, and of course turning the lights on. While the systems booted up, I re-read the formula and began to collect the first cylinder of energon, courtesy of my arm.
"Let's see," I muttered to myself, optics skimming the text, "transference of binary bonding… submolecular infusion…" I frowned at the cylinder filled with my energon, setting it on a table. My optics fell onto where I needed to insert it and I grimaced again as I saw it required five more. "Why does it require six if there are only five clones? Ah well, if that is what it takes… so be it."
A couple minutes later, I screwed the last cylinder into its proper slot, making sure it was locked in. With a heave, I pulled down the lever that began the autonomous process, feeling spent. A smirk ghosted my faceplates that I blamed on energon loss; technically, if one looked at it a certain way, this entire process was autonomous.
Sparks showered from the ceiling, electricity visibly coursing through cables running over the floor to the protoforms. I made sure my pedes were well away from them, cackling like a mad scientist, feeling that I had done more than enough to earn it. I also partially blamed that on energon loss as well…
Forgetting my exhaustion for a blissful moment, I watched the protoforms with excitement a safe distance away. Their optics glowed crimson, they grew talons, forms slimmed, missiles sprang up, wings popped out, and of course, heel struts. One by one they landed on the floor in a line, a final bolt of electricity coursing down each of them as they straightened up and stared forwards blankly.
"Follow me!" I ordered, jogging off at a brisk pace. Five sets of heels clacked on the metal behind me. At least they could listen. I ducked into the room where I stored my meager supply of energon cubes, snatching one off the top of the pile and consumed nearly half of it in a single gulp.
They all stared with blank expressions. "Do any of you have any concept of what I am doing?" I snapped, annoyed.
The first clone on my left answered sarcastically, "Drinking like a starving sparkling."
I sputtered, "Anyone else?"
The second spoke up, "Of course we do," he said in a falsely offended tone, crossing his arms.
"We are as one, Scream." The third said.
"We share your memories." Another piped up.
"Your very feelings." The last smirked.
"Such as how you think we are, in some ways, more unnerving than Soundwave." The first added again.
I finished my cube, leading them outside. "I said no such thing–"
"Who said anything about speaking?" Another smirked.
"Even your insatiable thirst for power," they all smirked in unison.
"But, if you all share this connection to me," I continued, unnerved, "then have you no sense of urgency?!"
"Ah, but we do." The second huffed… or was it the third?
I turned around as we exited the wreck of a ship, "Which one–ugh, never mind, I'm naming each of you." A couple of them crossed their arms.
"Will they be as creative as Seven's?" One of them rolled his optics.
I ignored him, "Let's see," I pointed at the farthest on my left, working right, "You're 'Two,' you're 'Three,' 'Four,' 'Five,' and 'Six.'"
"Why can't I be 'One'?" Two whined, letting his wings droop.
"Because of Seven: there are six of you, and one of me, therefore I qualify as 'One.' I am the first! The original!" The only, I wanted to add, but feared that might not have gone over well.
"Then you'll be 'One.'" Four smirked.
"I am Starscream!" I screeched, stalking over to him and poking his chest plate. "Now shut up or you're 'Zero'!"
"Better than 'Four.'" He muttered in a huff.
"Hate to break up the party, but aren't we in a rush?" Five asked innocently.
We all exchanged glances, which took a couple seconds. "He has a point." Three agreed. The rest of us nodded, except for Five, who smugly crossed his arms.
"What are you waiting for! Don't just stand there, we have a mission!" I barked, transforming. They followed suit, and we all jetted off. I just hoped we weren't too late.
Optimus and Bumblebee watched as a group of Insecticons—not as large as the hive, but a good sum nevertheless—flew towards them.
"Airachnid has called for reinforcements." The Prime said gravely. Bumblebee chirped in assent. "Arcee?" He called into a comm.
"On my way." The motorcycle answered. "And so is Airachnid." The black femme shot out of a copse of trees on the edge of the forest just as the first Insecticons flew within shouting distance, Arcee revving her engine behind her.
"My armada!" Airachnid commanded, "Do not let a single Autobot remain alive!"
I flew low to the ground, weaving in and out of scraggly pines at dangerous speeds. My small armada of clones fanned out behind me, engines whining over the wind. We flew towards the clearing in which Optimus, Bumblebee, Arcee, and Airachnid stood, staying just out of view. We transformed, landing on the cusp of the clearing. Suddenly, a wave of dizziness washed over me. I staggered and a peculiar tingling sensation ran through my frame. Six's optics widened and he grasped my arm, steadying me as I shook my helm, clearing it.
"I should have had another energon cube." I scowled ruefully.
"Too late now, Volts," Five growled, transforming his blasters out, "stay out of sight until necessary."
"'Volts'?"
"Yes, spread out," Six suggested, "we will have less of an advantage if we sacrifice the element of surprise."
"The confusion of battle should provide ample cover for now." Two added.
"Go!" I hissed. They all sprinted off in different directions and I charged straight at Airachnid, talons flashing.
[Starscream!] Bumblebee exclaimed, glancing over at me for a second as he shot at the oncoming Insecticons.
"You took your time!" Arcee snarled.
"Siding with the Autobots, are you now, Starscream?" Airachnid brought an Insecticon leg up, blocking my talons with a sharp clang. "I will bring your helm to Megatron on a platter!"
"All seven of them? I would love to see you try." I sneered, aiming a kick at her legs, but she skittered backwards.
"Seven… your clone?" Optimus wondered, clearly confused as he shot down three Insecticons with amazing accuracy. Airachnid looked perplexed as well.
Two, Three, Four, Five, and Six chose that moment to charge out of the forest, forming a circle, blasters all raised and focused on Airachnid.
"Clones." They all corrected in unison.
Arcee blinked a couple of times and her mouth twisted into a frown, "Two of you was bad enough. Which of you is the real one?"
"We are as one!" Five snapped, looking affronted as he advanced upon Airachnid. Her armada landed in a much larger circle around all of us, with her and I at the center, then Optimus, Arcee, and Bumblebee, then my clones, and finally the Insecticons.
"Though many!" Three added.
"I am the 'real' one." I smirked, letting my remaining missile fly. The spider slashed, actually slashed it out of the air with another Insecticon leg. It exploded against the ground at her pedes.
"Seriously?" Four griped.
"I would be having an easier time if you all helped me!" I retorted, dodging a shot of webbing. Optimus, Arcee, and Bumblebee were preoccupied, furiously shooting to keep the Insecticons at bay. My clones joined them, adding their red blaster fire to the mix.
"I was about to say the same!" The blue femme shouted, ducking a blow from an insect leg and firing up into its throat. It collapsed, dead. They all had their servos full; I wasn't about to be aided any time in the foreseeable future. "Just save a piece of her for me!" She added, cutting into another Insecticon.
"Perish, glitch!" I snarled, disengaging Airachnid and backpedaled, showering her with plasma. My blasters heated up, but I ignored the feeling, pressing my assault. I allowed my attacks to abate for a short moment as I panted for air, cycling my intakes and allowing my blasters to cool. Airachnid was gone, and in her place, a tunnel leading deep underground. "Figures." I huffed, plodding over to it, then coughed when smoke and dust got into my intakes.
I looked up from the chasm, observing the others' progress. The Insecticons were still fighting hard, which meant Airachnid was still functioning. Optimus was a one-mech army, cutting and gunning Insecticons down left and right. Bumblebee was doing well too, sporting a few scrapes, but otherwise was fine, alternating between punching and shooting the bugs. Arcee had taken advantage of her smaller stature, darting in between the gaps between Insecticons and slicing through their numbers, occasionally receiving a blow or scrape if she slowed. And on the other hand, my clones were herding the Insecticons towards the other Autobots with their blasters, trying to keep out of the range where they could be slashed or stabbed.
But then Three slipped up. He fired both missiles into the fray, felling a number of Insecticons and drawing quite a bit of unwanted attention to himself while doing so. A multitude of Insecticons surged towards him, over their offlined comrades. Arcee took advantage of this moment, leaping into the hole Airachnid had dug, most likely to terminate the spider. Or at least try.
I gasped, flames of pain raking down over my chest plate without warning. I shakily looked up and saw I wasn't the only one feeling it right now. Optimus and Bumblebee fought their way through the horde to get to Three, who was blocked from my view by the swarm of Insecticons around him. My four other clones stood by and watched, mixtures of expressions ranging from shock to horror to terror on their faceplates.
Optimus landed a heavy punch on an Insecticon's helm, diving out of the way of what would have been a brutal kick from another. And suddenly, my view was clear. Three was in way worse shape than I was. He had four, deep-looking gouges down his front in the shape of Insecticon claws. I couldn't even tell if he was still alive or not. But the pain that I felt slowly abated until it was just a memory. I felt a little thread of a peculiar connection snap, one which I hadn't realized existed.
One of my clones suddenly flew overhead, firing both his missiles into the Insecticon numbers. I spun around, trying to discern which one had done so amidst the chaos. But all of them were accounted for. I got a closer look at the clone as he transformed right in front of me, striped wings flaring up.
"Am I too late to the party?" Seven asked innocently, charging up his blasters.
"Better late than never." I huffed. "You're less expendable than the others, so don't get yourself terminated." We had each other's backs, slowly turning in circles and firing plasma until our blasters became dangerously hot. We exchanged a glance, and then together, rushed at an oncoming Insecticon. I grinned.