Changing Lanes

A Transformers: Armada Story

By William Rendfeld

"You're sure you're okay?" Sparkplug asked his companion. "After what you've been through, it's perfectly alright to..."

"Sparkplug, I appreciate your concern," Longarm replied. "But Red's given me a clean bill of health. I'm perfectly fine, and perfectly capable of getting around on my own."

"Still..." Sparkplug noted, before noticing an odd laughing sound. "What was that?"

The two Mini-Cons made their way over to the Ark's main computer bay as Longarm noted, "It sounded like Jolt laughing his head off over something."

"But what could be that amusing?" Sparkplug asked as they entered.

Within, Jolt was laughing out loud to himself, a brightly-colored picture displayed on the screen in front of him. Upon noticing his company, the red Mini-Con attempted to calm himself down and said, "Hey guys. What's up?"

"We were hoping you could tell us," Sparkplug replied. "What's this?"

"The last time the kids were here, Carlos pointed me towards these things on the human computer network called 'web-comics'," Jolt explained. "I've been looking at some of them, and they're kinda funny. Granted, a lot of the jokes went right over my head, but that's probably a cultural thing."

The other two Mini-Cons looked at their friend in disbelief. "Web-comic," Longarm repeated.

"Yeah," Jolt replied. "What, is there something wrong about me trying to immerse myself in human culture?"

"I don't think this entirely qualifies," Sparkplug replied. He looked at the screen and asked, "And why is that tall human wearing that thing on his neck?"

"I think it's part of the stereotype," Jolt explained. "He's British, and they seem to have a reputation for being stuffy."

Sparkplug shook his head, then replied, "Okay, if you want to look at these things in your spare time, fine, do it. But the instant these things get in the way of your work, we're blocking them. Clear?"

"As crystal," Jolt replied. Noting Sparkplug's curious look, he explained, "That means 'yes'."

Longarm shook his head, and noted, "And you think I may need help."

The loud screech of a whistle quickly got the attention of the gathered students.

"Everyone, listen up!" Diana Masters cried out to her numerous charges. "As all of you should be aware, this long, arduous trip is a privilege, not a right. If there is any misbehavior of any kind during this trip, not only will we go immediately home, but all of you will have a note placed in the office. You are to follow the instructions of myself, Mister Davidson, and your chaperones. You are not to leave the hotel for any reason, save a medical emergency. Am I clear?"

A chorus of voices rose up, confirming what had been relayed to them.

"Excellent," Diana replied. "Now then, all of you had better get settled into your rooms; we've got a long day tomorrow, and you'll all want to be well-rested before the highlight of the trip."

The gathered students broke up into groups, and slowly made their way through the throngs of people up to their hotel rooms. The students of Diana Masters's ninth grade Social Studies class, coupled with two teachers and four chaperones, had come all the way by special arrangement with the school to Indianapolis, Indiana, for the US Grand Prix, a yearly racing event that attracted millions to the city each year.

"Man can you believe it?" Rad asked of his two friends. "All the way to the racing capitol of the world, just for a field trip!"

"Don't get too excited," Alexis reminded him. "Stuff like this costs money, and we probably won't be getting another trip like this for a long time."

"C'mon, Alexis, have a little fun," Carlos chided her. "Besides, it's not like that's worth worrying about. A big trip like this is worth a little sacrifice, right?"

"I'm not saying it isn't," Alexis reminded them as they neared the 'boys' floor'. "I'm just making sure you two don't get too over-eager about things." Making sure no one was listening in, she asked, "By the way, you didn't bring along any uninvited guests, did you?"

"Are you loco?" Carlos asked. "Of course not; we know that's too much of a risk."

"Besides, they wouldn't fit in the luggage," Rad noted.

"Or get past airport security," Carlos added.

"You'd better be clear on that," Diana noted as she walked up to meet her students. "They need as little attention as possible. And this trip definitely doesn't need all the chaos they could cause." She leaned close and reminded the three, "But be careful anyway, okay? We don't need any more problems, Transformer-related or not."

"Got it loud and clear, Miss Masters," Rad assured her as the boys walked off to their rooms.

Alexis sighed, and noted, "I worry about them."

"Boys are boys, easily excitable," Diana assured her student. "But they'll grow out of it. In time."

"I hope," Alexis replied as they continued up the stairs.

Unseen by the throngs of people within the hotel, he waited and watched. All of these people nearby meant they may be found all too quickly, and no one among them wanted that. Stealth was paramount right now. But what those four humans had said intrigued him; how did they know about Transformers?

He may just have to find out for himself.

"Latest wire's come in from Cybertron," Smokescreen reported. "Jetfire's called a meeting with the colonial governments, the High Council, everyone. Something's got him worried."

"I can hardly blame him," Optimus Prime noted. "Mini-Con pod readings have been increasing since we arrived, and it's only a matter of time before something else happens."

"Not much we can do about that, is there?" Smokescreen replied. "I mean, we don't exactly have the resources to do that much, do we?"

"No," Optimus noted. "But we can't sit back and watch either. Tell Scavenger that I want to see Hot Shot, Blurr and Jolt here immediately."

"Got it," Smokescreen replied. "Any reason why?"

Optimus remained silent for a minute, then said, "Call it a hunch."

"Starscream, you still with me?"

"Yes, Demolishor," Starscream assured his fellow Decepticon. "I'm still listening, don't worry."

"You seem to be out of it a lot lately," Demolishor noted. "I mean, nothing personal, but it's like your body's here, but your processor's somewhere else."

"I've had a lot on my mind," Starscream admitted. "But go ahead, continue with your thoughts."

"I've just really been impressed with them, is all," Demolishor noted. "They aren't perfect, mind, but they're really impressive. I've even half-considered bringing up some of Wreckage's tactical thoughts with Megatron."

"I wouldn't bother," Starscream noted. "Megatron is hardly the type of leader to enjoy suggestions from his subordinates about any given situation, especially if they come from someone he considers beneath him. And to him, all Mini-Cons are beneath him."

"Then should I go ahead and forget about them?" Demolishor asked. "I mean, he knows what he's doing."

"I never said that," Starscream replied. "Keep them to yourself, and out of public conversation. Use them if you like. Just be warned; stealth is the most important thing with this mission. We're walking a very fine wire; any misstep could end up with all of us deactivated, or worse."

The door nearest to them slid open, and a voice greeted them, "Starscream, excellent. I've an assignment for you. Thrust reports strange activity on Earth; unusual levels of Energon in a human city. We're to investigate, immediately."

"Are you certain, Megatron?" Starscream asked. "Thrust has a tendency to be...over-excitable."

"I feel that this is more than worth a proper examination," Megatron replied. "Have everyone recharged and loaded. We're going hunting."

"Yes, Kelly, everything's fine over here," Diana assured her friend over the phone. "Now, you are remembering to keep Abby well-fed, right?" After a brief pause, she noted, "Kelly, she's a cat. They're very picky, that's how they work. Just give her some of the wet food instead of the dry; she'll eat it up in a second." She smiled and noted, "Yes, she'll be okay. Just make sure she doesn't get seriously maimed or anything. All right, take care." She set the phone down, and sat on the bed, slightly exhausted from the trip. "I wish this state would make up its mind about daylight savings time." She slumped onto the bed, her arms stretched out, and took a deep breath.

Just out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something. An odd distortion in the air, as if something that was there, yet unseen, was moving. Before everything that had happened in the last few weeks, Diana would've thought she was just seeing things. Now, however, the notion that something invisible was watching her seemed far more likely.

"It's alright," she said, rising to a sitting position. "If you're there, come into view. I'm not going to hurt you."

A voice answered, "I didn't think you could," and a form shimmered into view.

He was obviously a Transformer, that much Diana could tell. He was a little taller than she was, with broad shoulders and sleek, glistening armor colored yellow and deep gray, a medium red drawing attention to his faceplate.

"My apologies for sneaking in uninvited," the Transformer noted, somewhat nervously. "But I overheard you discussing something with your young charges, and I thought it was probably worth it to speak to you, Miss Masters."

"You've got me at a disadvantage," Diana replied.

"Mirage," the Transformer said, introducing himself. "I'm sorry if I startled you."

"No, it's alright," Diana admitted. "I knew Transformers possessed cloaking technology, I just didn't know it could be so compact."

"Only with me, and I don't quite know why," Mirage replied. "But you have met other Transformers, yes? Other Mini-Cons?"

"Yes," Diana admitted. "And Autobots. And I've seen Decepticons, but haven't spoken to one personally."

Mirage turned away and noted, "So they have come. We should've expected it after we woke up. How many?"

"Six Autobots, including Optimus Prime," Diana replied. "And five Decepticons. And from what I've seen, they aren't too reasonable."

"Thank you," Mirage noted. "This changes things considerably."

The Mini-Con was about to turn away and activate his cloak, only to be distracted by Diana asking, "Where are you going?"

"We can't fight them," Mirage replied. "And if we do, this place will only become a battlefield. I'd rather not see that happen, especially not here. My group's only option is to run."

"Run where?" Diana asked. "I've read more about history than I can remember, and heard even more. Running away was never the answer, not once. The best hope you have is to stand up and deal with what comes, not avoid it. If you have to run and hide, then fine, but remember; that kind of luck doesn't last forever."

Mirage remained silent for a moment, then noted, "I'll think about it," before fading out of sight.

"You mean humans actually have proper races like we've got back home?" Hot Shot asked. "And this city's famous for them?"

"So I've heard," Jolt reported as they readied themselves. "Humans have been racing each other on various vehicles for ages, from horse-pulled carts to cars almost as fast as Autobots. Nothing like on Velocitron, or even Cybertron, but it's impressive nonetheless."

"Don't get too excited, Hot Shot," Blurr reminded his teammate as he checked the energy charge on his gun. "We have a mission, remember that."

"I'm clear on that, Blurr, don't worry," Hot Shot assured him as Optimus Prime entered the weapons room.

"Glad to see both of you are aware of what's going on," Optimus noted as the three stood at attention. "You both know that stealth is most important at this point; the area will be filled with humans, and we need as little attention as possible. Don't do anything unless absolutely necessary, is that clear?"

"Understood," Hot Shot replied.

"Good," Optimus affirmed. "Autobots, roll out."

"So the 'Bots and 'Cons are here," Dirt Boss noted dismissively. "Not like that matters. We can out-run 'em and out-fight 'em if we have to."

"Yeah," Zapmaster asserted. "Let 'em come."

"I don't know," Mirage noted. "There's more to this than just us. There are people around here who don't stand a chance if the Decepticons attack. And even if the Autobots show up, there'll still be collateral damage."

"Mirage, buddy," Swindle shmoozed, "don't worry about it. I mean, it's not our problem, is it? 'Sides, I bet we can keep the 'Cons off our backs with the right incentive."

"Not everyone has a price, Swindle," Incinerator reminded him, his right arm resting somewhat awkwardly against the wall. "And I doubt the Decepticons are too willing to negotiate. We have to do something if they show up."

"That's if they do show up," Downshift chided the younger Mini-Con. "No need to panic yet, kid. Just wait and see."

Night settled quietly over the city of Indianapolis as people continued to commute back and forth, the traffic slowed down slightly due to the race. But as the cool autumn air settled over the city and Diana looked over the area, she couldn't help but feel a little more worried with every passing second. Fate had a bad habit of making things happen at the most inopportune times, and this would be the most inopportune of all.

There was a light flash in the distance, and a sound quickly followed, like a slight 'zap' in the air. Not like thunder; Diana knew all too well what thunder sounded like. This was something else.

Something that could very well be dangerous.

"Just great," Hot Shot noted over his comm.-line as he and Blurr slowly edged their way into Indianapolis proper. "Traffic. We never have this on Cybertron; not this bad anyway."

"Be grateful we were able to get here," Blurr replied. "Between the warp unit and the online maps, we're lucky we aren't in an accident or something. And neither of us can really afford the damage."

"I hear you," Hot Shot responded. "Hey Jolt, reading anything up there?"

The red Mini-Con hovered above the Speedway a slight distance away, and quickly noted, "No sign of Decepticon activity yet. But I am picking up six Spark signatures; Mini-Cons."

"Then they're already active," Hot Shot realized. "Let's hope the 'Cons don't show up until we're out of here."

A massive explosion fired off nearby, tearing through a closed shop in a nearby strip mall.

"Spoke too soon," Blurr noted as traffic began to pick up.

"Yes, most impressive," Megatron noted as he looked upon the damage dealt. "Take note; panic can be a very effective weapon if wielded properly."

"No question about that, boss," Cyclonus noted appreciatively. "Isn't that right, Demolishor?"

"Yeah..." Demolishor noted, somewhat distracted. "Shouldn't we check in with Thrust and Starscream?"

"An excellent point," Megatron noted as Cyclonus took over. He activated his comm.-line and asked, "Thrust, Starscream, status."

"We've picked up the Mini-Cons, Megatron," Starscream reported. "But we've also got two Autobots and another Mini-Con on scanners. I've sent Thrust to deal with them as best he can."

"Excellent," Megatron noted. "I'll be joining him shortly, as a reminder to Optimus Prime about meddling in my plans. Out." He transformed to vehicle mode and declared, "Cyclonus, Demolishor, maintain cover fire," before trundling onwards.

"Oh, this'll be real fun," Cyclonus noted as he readied his guns.

Demolishor grimaced, then readied his guns. He'd fire if more Autobots approached, but not before. Something about attacking the humans just seemed...wrong...

The explosions were loud and clear from the hotel.

"What is all that?" Carlos asked as he and Rad rushed towards the stairs, which were already flooded with people. "It can't be terrorists or something, can it?"

"No idea," Rad replied as Diana and Alexis came into view. "Miss Masters, what's going on?"

"Transformers," Diana explained, as quietly as possible. "There's a Mini-Con pod nearby, and I'm willing to bet those blasts were caused by Decepticons. We need to get everyone out of here; get as many of the other kids as you can, keep them calm, and get them out as safely as possible. Clear?"

The three young teens gave confirming cries, then quickly went off with Diana, her cell phone already out and dialing up one of the other chaperones. "Dave, you idiot, wake up..."

"Those blasts are getting closer," Mirage noted as he looked out from the hatch of the Mini-Con pod. "Someone's gotta do something."

"Mirage, quit worrying about it," Swindle called. "It's not our problem."

Mirage's optics narrowed, and he decided, "It is now." He jumped out of the pod, then transformed into his vehicle mode, speeding off as quickly as possible.

Incinerator stepped up to the hatch, and looked towards his comrade. He turned back and said, "Is anyone going after him?"

After a couple short seconds, Dirt Boss stepped up, flicking off a bit of dirt from his arm. Downshift followed, and the three Mini-Cons quickly left the pod.

"Eh," Zapmaster noted as he wrung his hands. "We don't need 'em."

"Poor fools," Swindle noted.

"To anyone in range, this is Mirage," Mirage quickly signaled off. "To any Mini-Cons or Autobots, requesting combat information and coordinates."

"Mirage?" a familiar voice replied over the radio. "Is that you?"

"Jolt?" Mirage asked in reply. "You're-? Never mind; I've got the rest of the Race Team and Incinerator with me. We need combat status, now."

"Two Decepticons in city limits, a third on the way," Jolt reported. "Two Autobots are also in town, but they need all the support they can get. Transmitting coordinates."

"Coordinates received," Mirage reported. "We're on our way in."

Meanwhile, Hot Shot and Blurr quickly moved towards the Speedway, the four Mini-Cons quickly approaching them on the ground and Thrust heading towards them from the air.

"We've got them in sight," Hot Shot reported. "Here we...!"

A blast on the ground between them caused the six Transformers to stop in their tracks.

"Not quite enough distance," a voice boomed as a massive, familiar tank rolled into view. "Thrust, finish them off."

"Understood, Megatron," Thrust noted as he took aim.

Hot Shot and Blurr, meanwhile, quickly transformed to robot mode and readied their weapons. "This isn't looking good," Hot Shot was quick to note.

The four racing-themed Mini-Cons reversed, revved up, then surged forward, jumping the distance between them and the two Autobots.

"Then let's even the odds!" Incinerator called out. "Powerlink!"

Incinerator quickly found himself plugged into a slot on Blurr's back. A status indicator quickly lit up in the Autobot warrior's visor as he quickly noted, "It's not bad, but not quite enough."

"No, not enough!" Megatron bellowed as he transformed to robot mode. Leader-1 emerged from a small compartment in his leg, then linked up directly to Megatron's cannon as it flipped into position. "Not nearly enough!"

"Race Team, Powerlinx!" Mirage quickly ordered.

The three Mini-Cons leapt into the air as Megatron's cannon charged up. Parts shifted, changed, and aligned as the three Mini-Cons combined into one large, jet-like shield. As Blurr jumped aside, Megatron fired, and the shield moved into position.

"Hot Shot!" Blurr cried out.

As the flare from the blast subsided, Megatron smirked. Slowly, however, his expression shifted into one of angered astonishment as Hot Shot emerged unscathed, the blast being absorbed by the jet-like shield as it slowly moved back. Almost by instinct, Hot Shot took hold of the shield, and could only give an astonished, "By Primus..."

"The Skyboom Shield!" Megatron bellowed. "Thrust, I want that Autobot taken out! Now!"

Suddenly, Blurr transformed into vehicle mode, Incinerator plugging into a small slot in his back. Wings popped into place, and VTOL engines throbbed to life, helping Blurr to gain altitude. "Not gonna happen!" he declared as he opened fire.

Jolt, meanwhile, quickly zoomed downwards and linked up with his partner. Hot Shot's overhead cannon flipped into place as his visor flipped down. He fired three shots, aiming for Megatron's shoulders and chest. Each blast hit.

Meanwhile, Swindle and Zapmaster were finally coaxed out of the pod by the sound of jet engines slowing down and the loud clicks and whirrs of a Transformer shifting form. "Speak of the devil," Swindle noted.

"Poor choice of words," Starscream retorted. "Where are the others?"

"They left," Swindle explained. "Should be with the Autobots by now."

"Just as well," Starscream noted. "Quickly, we need to get out of here."

Both Mini-Cons, almost begrudgingly, transformed and linked up with the larger Transformer. Starscream quickly transformed and moved away as fast as possible. "Starscream to Megatron; two Mini-Cons retrieved. Request immediate withdrawal."

"No!" Megatron bellowed as Hot Shot continued firing from behind the shield, his voice as clear on the radio as in the air. "The Autobots have one of the Core Weapons! I won't let them escape with it!"

"We may not have much choice!" Starscream countered. "We should cut our losses and leave, now!"

Starscream's point was punctuated by Blurr scoring a direct hit against Thrust as the two battled in midair, despite dodging some long-range cover fire.

Megatron growled, then declared, "Decepticons...retreat."

Each of them faded from view, but not before Megatron fired off one more spiteful shot in the distance. He disappeared, and the two Autobots and various remaining Mini-Cons were left standing. As the Skyboom Shield broke apart into its individual components and linked up with Hot Shot, the young Autobot keyed in to base and said, "Hot Shot to base; recovery successful. Need immediate retrieval."

"Six people are dead and twenty injured in what is called a 'terrorist attack' against the much-delayed United States Grand Prix in Indianapolis," a certain news reporter noted. "The attack came around 9:16 PM yesterday evening, and has resulted in damage to several stores in the Speedway area, as well as damage to the western section of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. School students from Portland, Oregon, on a class field trip to see the race, have emerged unharmed. ABC News will have more inform-"

"Six dead," Optimus Prime noted as the news broadcast cut off. "Two more Mini-Cons in Decepticon hands. And damage to a landmark."

"We knew this would happen eventually, Prime," Scavenger noted. "It doesn't make this easier to take, but we knew it would happen."

Prime sighed, then said, "I know." His optics dimming lightly, he added, "I only wish it had taken a little more time."

Elsewhere, Starscream looked up towards the Earth, contemplating recent events as it hung in space. Six people were dead; innocents, individuals who had no chance of defending themselves or fighting back. And Megatron was more interested in obtaining one of the Core Weapons than anything else; one of his own troops would have fallen, and he wouldn't have cared. Even the fact that Swindle, his partner from the old days, was now back with him didn't alleviate his feelings of foreboding.

"Starscream?"

The large Decepticon turned and asked, "Yes, Demolishor?"

"Something's...been on my mind," Demolishor noted as he walked up to his superior officer. "The destruction caused back there was needless, unnecessary. It didn't serve a tactical purpose, and we failed in retrieving all of the Mini-Cons. Why did Megatron even do all of that?"

"To him, the humans, just as much anything else, is beneath him," Starscream noted. "Easily crushed beneath his heel. He'll only notice enough to clean up what's left."

Demolishor looked up towards the Earth, and noted, "I almost wish there was another way."

Starscream looked at the smaller Decepticon, and replied, "There is another way." Demolishor turned to him as he continued, "We don't have to go through this chaos and destruction, Demolishor. We don't have to attack the Autobots, or our fellow Decepticons. But as long as Megatron remains a force to be reckoned with, we don't stand much of a chance."

"But...what about...?" Demolishor asked.

"Your loyalty is commendable," Starscream noted. "But one can choose who they are loyal to. I am loyal to Cybertron, and all Transformers. What about you?"

Demolishor's optics glanced towards his own symbol, and up towards the blue-green orb suspended above them. His thoughts danced among the Mini-Cons for a few moments, and he made his decision.

"I'm with you."

"Wait...you actually did it?" Sparkplug asked. "You stood up to Megatron?"

"It's not that big a deal," Mirage noted.

"Yes, but...it's a surprise hearing about it from you," Sparkplug noted. "You've changed, Mirage. I remember back in the old days, you used to hide from a fight. Now, you're really taking action. What changed that?"

Mirage thought on that for a second, then said, "I had a history lesson."

Sparkplug smiled in understanding, and said, "Must've been an important one."

"You could say that," Mirage replied. "You could say that indeed."

The End