King of the Road
Author's notes: I don't own Transformers or any of the other characters in this story. I only picked 'em up to play with for a while. The description is vague for a reason. Please read and when you finish, let me know what you think.
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It had been a long week. Optimus had been in more meetings in this past week than he really wanted to think about. Every one of them with human politicians who had spent a lot of time using political double talk without really saying or committing to anything. Optimus, a skilled orator in his own right had finally pinned each one of them down and gotten them to commit to allowing the Autobots to make Earth their new home. It had been a battle that was tougher in its own right, than any he had ever fought with a plasma rifle.
With his processors still aching from all the double talk, Optimus had decided to take a detour on the way back to the newly designated Autobot/Human command center. Since it was at once clear that the Hoover Dam complex, while large, would never hold all of the Cybertronians that might be coming to Earth. Therefore, it had been suggested that the Autobots use Nellis Air Force Base as their command center. It was more than large enough to allow modifications to accommodate the Autobots, and it would even provide an area that the incoming bots could land.
Still, it had been a tough week, and for now anyway, Optimus was on a short vacation. The Arizona sun was blazing down on him as he rolled along the desert highway. The stark, but not entirely barren landscape had a surreal beauty to it that was soothing to the large mech. The backdrop of Desert Mountains provided a relaxing sense of peace that Optimus hadn't felt since before the war began.
The serenity of the landscape was shattered when Optimus was rammed from behind. Focusing his scanners behind him, Optimus saw that Long Haul was on his back bumper getting ready to ram him again.
"Face me Prime! One on one. Rig to rig, and let's see if you're as strong as you think you are!" The Decepticon challenged.
Optimus wasn't really in the mood for a fight, but he wasn't going to back down either. The big blue and red Peterbuilt accelerated hard as he sought to stay ahead of the charcoal gray Freightliner that had challenged him to such an unlikely duel.
Long Haul poured everything he had into catching up to Optimus, and he managed it, but barely. Pulling alongside the Autobot leader, Long Haul tried to force the blue and red Peterbuilt off the edge of the cliff. Optimus for his part tried to force the Decepticon into the mountain wall as the two raced along the desert highway.
The strange battle had been going on for over an hour when the two duelists rounded a curve approaching a crossroads. A school bus filled with children was trying to climb the grade. Optimus veered as far to the edge of the cliff as he dared so that he could pass the school bus on the right. Long Haul had other ideas.
The gray Freightliner slammed into the school bus as he pulled along its driver side on the left, forcing the bus into Optimus. The Autobot leader could clearly hear the terrified screams of the young children, and the desperate call for help that the driver was making, as he fought to keep both himself, and the bus on the dangerous mountain road.
Then to his horror, Optimus saw that the road was changing direction. A long left hand curve on a downgrade could only help Long Haul's objective. With gravity and momentum against him Optimus was truly worried about the prospects of the future. It wasn't so much his own fate that grieved him, but those of the school aged children on the bus. A scan showed that none of them were more than eight years old.
The Autobot leader was appalled that anyone could threaten such young and innocent lives. Then Optimus got angry. He could clearly see the frantic driver doing everything she possibly could to help Optimus keep the bus on the road, but the aged bus was no match for the Cybertronian power that was being used against it. Rage fueled the blue and red Peterbuilt to power levels that would have surprised the Autobot leader if he'd had time to think about it, but with all nine of his right tires eating the gravel on the road side; even his rage couldn't give him the traction he needed to save his life or those of the helpless humans.
Suddenly, Optimus felt himself braced from his right side as a massive black 70's model Mack came to his rescue. As Optimus looked over at the black rig, he was surprised to see that it was even larger than he was. The extended double sleeper cab was obviously a custom job, and had the triple rear axle of a heavy equipment transport. At first Optimus thought that it was a normal human rig, because of the size, but then metal ground against metal as the huge black Mack not only forced Optimus back onto the road, but had even managed to pull slightly ahead of the Autobot leader. Optimus could hear the hum of gears as the black rig made precision shifts with a speed and expertise that would be impossible for a human driver.
Optimus watched as the driver of the black rig looked past him and the school bus to aim a glare of pure deathly rage at Long Haul. Everyone, Optimus, the school bus driver and Long Haul included, was focused on the now semi transparent driver of the black Mack. The large form in the driver seat slowly, deliberately placed his right hand on the speed knob at the top of his steering wheel, and never taking his eyes off Long Haul, began to crank that wheel over to the left.
Optimus nearly stalled in surprise when that huge Mack began applying an impossible amount of power to its efforts. Massive gouts of three foot flames were erupting from the dual stacks as the huge V-8 diesel engine roared with an unearthly fury. The columns of jet black exhaust that poured into the desert sky did not bode well for the Decepticon.
With power to spare, the black rig forced Optimus, the school bus, and Long Haul to the left, grinding the Decepticon into the rocks of the mountain wall. Seeing that he was now clearly outmatched, Long Haul made a call for help.
Optimus tried to ask the unknown mech what he could do to help but received no answer, and not wanting to hinder the black rig, he shifted into neutral, so that he could be ready to do whatever was needed when the time came to act.
Time and again the massive black Mack forced Long Haul into the rocks. Time and again, there was nothing Long Haul could do to stop it. The Decepticon was enraged over the way this battle was going. He'd had the Autobot leader right where he wanted him, and now it had all gone straight to the pit.
Optimus could have sighed with relief as the road leveled out at the bottom of the mountain. He heard the bus driver's fervent thanks to god for their survival, and Optimus couldn't help but agree.
With the road now level, Optimus spotted a road block composed of nearly a dozen Sheriff's cars and state troopers. Picking up a coded com signal that was encrypted, Optimus knew that the Decepticon had called in some means of help.
With the message received and room to maneuver, Long Haul decided that it was time to disengage. Pulling to his left, he slammed on the brakes and transformed.
Optimus continued to pace the school bus for a few seconds in case the Decepticon tried something else, but when that didn't happen Optimus transformed as well and stood ready for the battle to continue.
Instead of stopping, the huge jet black rig kept on going almost to the road block. Then with a loud wail of screaming rubber, the cab of the black rig seemed to turn on a dime. The trailer kept going in a barely controlled jack knife. The 22 wheeled semi had spun in a 180 degree turn to once again face Long Haul and Optimus. The school bus had also come to a stop, but was well off the road.
The engine of the black Mack seemed to cough as towers of black exhaust poured from the dual stacks. That was quickly replaced with four foot jets of flame bursting out of those stacks with a roar like the fury of hell unleashed. Suddenly, twelve rear tires were screaming in rage as the black rig accelerated straight at Long Haul.
The Decepticon noted the approach of the black rig with concern. He had no clue as to who this mech might be, but he knew that whoever it was, they were a lot more powerful than he was ready to deal with. Spotting the ride that he had called for, Long Haul jumped into the air and grabbed hold of Devastator's hand as he was pulled into Astrotrain's loading bay.
Optimus looked over at the black rig that had come to a stop nearby. Several sheriffs' cars had also rolled up to the scene.
The Sheriff got out of his car and looked up at Optimus.
"I'm not sure who, or WHAT you are, but thanks for your help." The Sheriff said to Optimus.
Then the Sheriff looked over at the black Mack truck sitting there idling, and Optimus saw the man swallow hard as he tried to regain some of his composure.
"Thanks Big Joe!" The Sheriff Said to the driver of the Mack.
Now, that he had a chance, Optimus took a good look at the black rig that had saved his life and the lives of the children on the bus.
Jet black and accented in chrome, the rig was truly impressive to look at. The gold writing emblazoned on the side read "Phantom 309". The red and blue mech couldn't help but wonder about that.
Then everyone's attention was drawn to the school bus, as more than two dozen kids were clamoring for attention. Several of the children were leaning out the windows pumping their fists in the air trying to get the black rig to sound off the air horn.
With a big grin and a sound that seemed to shake the very mountains around them, the driver of the Mack truck let off two long solid blasts of his horn. Optimus couldn't stop the smile that formed on his face plates as the children cheered wildly at the sound.
Optimus turned his attention back to the driver of the rig just in time to hear the man's words.
"Anytime, Sheriff. But this is as far as I go." The driver said as he tossed a single coin to the Sheriff. "When ya get back to the diner, you tell 'em Big Joe is settin ya up!"
With those final words, the huge black rig seemed to begin to fade away, becoming ever more transparent until it was gone entirely. Optimus stared in shock, wondering if he was having processor malfunctions.
"What. What just happened?" Optimus asked the officer, a little shaken by what he'd just been through and seen.
"This happens every now and then. You just had the honor to meet Big Joe and Phantom 309! Back when those two were on the road, that old Mack put 'em all to shame. There wasn't a rig anywhere that ever saw anything but tail lights from Phantom 309. And Big Joe, well, He was always willing to lend a hand. Help with a flat; give ya a lift, why he'd even spot a person a cup of coffee down at the diner. But about thirty years ago, he was coming down the grade near the crossroads when a bus load of kids topped the hill. It was only a one lane road back then, and it wasn't big enough for the both of 'em. So Big Joe turned his wheel. He gave his life to save that bunch of kids. So, it doesn't surprise me one bit that he showed up here today. Here, you take the dime. Keep it, as a souvenir of Big Joe and Phantom 309!"