((Okay, for you long-term readers of mine, I have to admit, I'm on a slight writer's block concerning Red and Blue Kick-Aft. It's nothing major, though I will inform you 'The Internet Wars' is going to be taken down indefinitely due to lack of interest. In order to keep an angry mob from coming to my house, I present to you this. It was inspired by an idea I've had in my mind for years and it takes place right after 'Hard Knocks', which explains all that's happening. I tried to keep all the characters from being OOC but review/PM me with advice on how to fix it if they're not. And without further ado...Soundwave, if you will.
Soundwave: Laserbeak, Ravage, eject. Operation: Disclaimer.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any sort of Transformers material whatsoever, nor do I own Golden Earring's 'Twilight Zone'. However, it is a good song, and I recommend you read it. That is all.))
October 5th, 2012- 1st Dimension
The day had started out so calm, in truth. The team had gotten up to Optimus still working on the computer, trying fervently to decode the remaining three coordinates and, as Ratchet had noted, gotten little sleep because of it. Luckily he'd been able to decode them but it didn't result in anything good. Because now not only did the 'Cons have two, but Smokescreen had turned out to be the final Omega Key, and was subsequently captured by Soundwave. Now the Autobots were in an uproar over it.
"This is all my fault," Arcee griped while starting to pace a trench in the floor. Bulkhead and 'Bee were watching her, while Optimus and Ratchet were working to locate 'Screen's signal. "If I'd have just shut up like Optimus said, he wouldn't have left, and we wouldn't be in this mess."
"You can't blame yourself 'Cee," Bulkhead remarked. Bumblebee beeped something. "Yeah, 'Bee's right. It's not like any of us knew Smokescreen was the last Key."
"Looks like he was right after all," Arcee thought aloud. "In a way."
The monitor suddenly beeped, drawing all attention to it. "We're receiving an incoming message," Ratchet reported. "On an encrypted frequency. I can't trace it."
"Roll it," Optimus told him.
"Optimus," the tone that came over had some level of smugness imbedded in it. Optimus found his optics subconsciously narrowing at his optics. "Doing well, I presume? Or are you missing someone?"
"Megatron," Optimus spoke, voice not hiding the level of anger he was portraying. Everyone took a subconscious step back at this. "Where is Smokscreen?"
There was a pause. "Oh, so that is your new recruit's name. He is fine, I can assure you, although if he keeps resisting us, he won't be. Perhaps you can explain to me his importance in this ongoing mystery the last few relics are providing. Or why he is registered as being an Iacon relic."
"Don't tell him anything!" another voice rang over the communications, distinctly Smokescreen's.
"Silence!" Megatron barked and there was a low grunt of pain. "I suppose we should find a better place to discuss this. I'm sending coordinates now. And do bring your medic; Smokescreen will most certainly need him."
"You fragging-" Arcee started while 'Bee buzzed angrily. But Megatron had already cut communications and their insults fell on deaf audios.
"What do we do now?" Bulkhead asked. "I mean, we can't just show up, can we? It's gotta be a trap."
"Trap or not, we will have to free Smokescreen from Megatron," Optimus established. "Ratchet, bring your medical kit. Autobots, prepare to roll out."
The provided coordinates brought the Autobots to an underground Energon mine, the glowing blue crystals helping to light up Smokescreen's battered frame. He was laying there, hands behind his back in stasis cuffs, frame littered with dents and cuts. Ratchet immediately made his way to the fallen Autobot, trying to awaken him, while the others stayed on their guards.
"Smokescreen, can you hear me?" Ratchet shook him. "Smokescreen!"
Smokescreen's optics onlined, although they were dimmed, and he coughed, his entire frame shuddering. "Shouldn't have..." he tried to get out, vocalizer producing static. "Trap...Megatron's got...Star Saber."
"Star Saber?" Ratchet repeated. "What are you-" he paused. "Oh boy. Optimus, fall back!" He turned to yell at his leader. "It's a-"
Before he could finish, a wave of dark purple energy struck all the Autobots, sending them flying into the air and against the far walls. Ratchet had shielded Smokescreen with his body and, as a result, was unconscious.
"Trap?" a voice finished. "Excellent observation, doctor."
Optimus was the first to get up, right as Megatron dropped down from the higher levels. The smirk on his face was almost demonic under the light of the Dark Star Saber, which he turned over in his hand.
"I didn't honestly think you would be stupid enough to fall for such an obvious trap," Megatron remarked. "Clearly I was wrong. Although finishing you off here and now will be all too satisfying." Without warning, he charged Optimus, Saber raised.
Optimus and the Autobots found themselves all fighting different opponents, with Optimus fending off Megatron and the others handling the drones he'd brought along with him. Smokescreen had slowly come back online again and nudged Ratchet awake before he'd nodded off; Ratchet was now tending to his injuries in a secluded location. Optimus blocked the DS Saber with his own sword, which barely stopped it's advance. He held his ground, though he was pushed back slightly, before the DS Saber's blade pierced into his side. His hand automatically probed the wound, which was gushing out Energon.
Megatron smirked, knowing his foe was weakened. He brought the Saber up-only to have Optimus shoot him right in the face. With the Decepticon leader temporarily blinded, he limped toward his team. "Autobots, retreat! Get Smokescreen out of here!"
Ratchet nodded, opening a Ground Bridge remotely. The Autobots backed out toward it, while Ratchet dragged Smokescreen into it. Optimus was next and they all started to make their way through.
But Megatron wasn't down and out yet. With a swing of the Dark Star Saber, a blast of purple energy shot through the Ground Bridge, knocking the Autobots off their feet. Worse, the Ground Bridge sparked and flickered, right before it expanded outward. Megatron had no time to react before he was pulled into the Bridge. Then it steadily shrank, starting to crush all those caught in it's energy. Before
that could happen, however, it imploded, and all the 'bots were whisked away to lands unknown.
October 5th, 2062- 1st Dimension
Optimus woke up with a start, his optics onlining. He shot up, weapons drawn, blaster cycling, only to realize there was no immediate danger. He powered down his weapons and stood with a slight grunt of pain. His fingers brushed his side wound and he drew in a sharp intake. Although the Energon had stopped flowing out, he could feel that a lot of his metal had been clipped off, and quite a few lines breached. Optimus noticed his surroundings only an instant later: he was in what appeared to be a large, mansion like house, or at least the living room. The lights overhead were dimmed slightly and there was a Cybertronian sized couch to the left with a table in front of it. The walls were a glaring yellow with black trimmings and doors trailed off into other rooms. He realized that the entire place seemed fit for a Cybertronian and this made him briefly curious as he eased into the couch. He immediately tried to contact Ratchet, only for a sharp burst of static over his comm. to make him flinch. Not only had the explosion fried his comlink, but it had blasted him into Primus knew where. And he was getting tired.
"Help, I'm steppin' into the Twilight Zone," Music flooded the room, coming from somewhere else. Despite the fact that he had no idea where he was, Optimus felt oddly safe here, wherever here was. "Place is a madhouse, feels like being cloned
My beacon's been moved under moon and star
Where am I to go now that I've gone too far?
Soon you will come to know
When the bullet hits the bone."
Just as Optimus was on the brink of recharge, the sound of a blaster being powered up caused his optics to online. He was staring straight into the barrel of a blaster, the blue glow harsh on his optics. They trailed up slowly, only to widen in shock at the owner. He was looking right at himself, battle mask on, one optic fuzzy and unfocused. The other-Optimus was glaring at him, although his gaze wavered, going from Optimus's face to his wound.
"Who are you?" he growled in a scratchy voice. "And how the Pit did you get into my house?"
"Soon you will come to know
When the bullet hits the bone."
October 5th, 1985- 2nd Dimension
Arcee's helm hurt. That was her first conscious thought when she woke up. She racked her processor to figure out why her frame was aching so badly-and the fight with the Decepticons instantly flooded her memory banks. She tried to sit up but couldn't muster the energy to do so. Instead, she continued to lay there, audios honing in on any outside noises. And she picked up a voice.
"-coming online," a voice was saying. "I don't recognize her and, from what the others say, no one knows her. All I know is that she's an Autobot and I've got no explanation for how she just...appeared in the medbay. Although I could've done without Prowl crashing. Again. Wheeljack's analyzing energy samples from her to determine what happened and Perceptor's watching him."
"Excellent work Ratchet," a voice that sounded oddly like Prime's remarked. "Keep me updated if you find out anything else."
"Will do," the first voice replied. Arcee groggily onlined her optics and slowly sat up, hand going to rub her helm.
"Easy," the first voice warned. "You're still weak. I wouldn't recommend trying anything strenuous for a while."
"Don't think I will," Arcee muttered. She now had a good look at the mech who'd spoken. He was white with a red midsection, hands, red crosses on his shoulders, a gray chevron, and an Autobot symbol under the windshield on his chest. She was in a room she recognized as a medbay. "Who are you? Where am I?"
"My name's Ratchet," the mech answered, which caused her to gawk at him in surprise. "I'm the Autobot's Chief Medical Officer and you're in our base. Now, if you're done, I've got some questions of my own. Who are you, how did you get in here, and where did you come from?"
"I'm Arcee," Arcee replied, still a little stunned at his name. "I don't know how I ended up here but last I checked, I was in an underground Energon mine with my teammates." She noticed he looked confused at this. "And I know that you can't be Ratchet."
"Oh really?" 'Ratchet' sounded amused by this. "And how am I not Ratchet?"
"Because, last I checked, Ratchet was tending to Smokescreen. I don't see Smokescreen anywhere around here. And you don't look anything like him," Arcee shot back. "Besides, the others would be here too, wouldn't they? Where's Optimus? Or Bulkhead or Bumblebee?"
'Ratchet' looked intrigued, and mildly worried, by her rapid-fire questions. "Stay here," he ordered briskly, and started for the door. "I'll be back soon."
Arcee wanted to get up and look around, though 'Ratchet's' tone made her question whether it was a good idea or not. In the end, she stayed put, trying to reach the others on her comlink. The completely dead silence that met her audios worried her. The others wouldn't have just turned their comlinks off like that, not all of them anyway. And she should have at least gotten some static in trying to reach them. Her gaze wandered over the room, noting all the little details of it.
Her hyped up instincts, the ones that had kept her alive for so long, were telling her that something was very, very wrong. And she wasn't in any position to disagree.
October 5th, 20?- 3rd Dimension
Bumblebee felt like taking another drive around the block. He knew it would be pointless and a waste of good Energon but anything would help to keep his processor from feeling like it was going to overload with worry and boredom.
He'd woken up in what appeared to be an alley, in a large city. After transforming, he'd taken a zip out into the street to try and collect his bearings, contact his team. The dead comlink didn't help matters any and he'd settled for gliding through the city, which he'd identified through the conversations of nearby humans as Detroit. Although he didn't know Detroit was so...advanced. All of the robots strolling the streets took him a bit offguard. He also felt a little uneasy just sitting on the side of the street, an empty yellow and black Camaro, waiting for something to happen. Paranoia wouldn't be an upside at this point.
The boredom was quickly broken by the sound of sirens. He shifted a little on his tires, mirrors craning to get a good 'look' at what was going on. Minutes later, a red and blue fire truck, a green SWAT van, a black and gold motorcycle (with no driver, he noted in retrospect), and a yellow hatchback car sped past, alarms buzzing. Curiosity getting the best of him, Bumblebee slid out to continue along behind them, although at a meandering pace. They looked oddly familiar, he noticed. Or, at least three of them did.
The vehicles led him to what looked like a park, where two other Cybertronians were attacking. One was large, with one red eye, thick arms, and a clamp-like mouth. The other was smaller with an odd helmet, downward sloping wings, and cannons sticking out of his back. Bumblebee felt mild panic at the purple symbols they donned, and immediately recognized them as Decepticons. He wanted to scream at the vehicles' drivers to get out of there-until it happened. The vehicles immediately shifted with a familiar noise to also become Cybertronians, only all of them had Autobot symbols. One, the former red and blue fire truck, Bumblebee was easily able to identify as Optimus Prime, though he looked different. Another, the SWAT van, looked eerily similar to Bulkhead. The last two he had no idea on.
Now 'Bee was filled with indecision. The Autobots and Decepticons had already plunged into battle with few words and it didn't look like the 'Cons were up to leaving the few humans littered about out of the fight. Bumblebee knew Prime would probably kill him for revealing their secret (although another part of him wondered why Optimus himself was choosing to break the first Rule number one). But he had to do something.
Which was why Bumblebee manuvered his way back down the street and throttled his engine, angling it perfectly...there. With a guttural snarl from his engine, 'Bee shot down the road at a speed he rarely used unless he was driving with Raf, a speed he used to shoot right up into the air. In mid-air he transformed, right in time to land right on the large Decepticon, clinging to his body like a Scraplet.
"What the-" the large Decepticon had time to roar before 'Bee punched him right in the face and scrambled down his back, wrapping his feet around the 'Con's neck and squeezing like a vice. "Autobot bug!" He struggled to peel 'Bee off of him, although Bumblebee refused to give, accidentally stumbling into his partner and knocking his aim off. The fire, instead of striking the black and gold bot, set a tree on fire.
"Vatch it zhou clumsy oaf!" the 'bot snapped in a German accent. Then, oddly enough, his face shifted to a black clad jack o' lantern with orange eyes and a demented smile. "But don't vorry. I can exterminate zhat bug for zhou, free ov charge." Bumblebee jumped right off the big lug, tucking and rolling onto the ground and spinning on his heel to fire at the smaller 'Con, who didn't see it coming. The shot grazed his wing and caused the bomb he'd been holding to slip and hit the larger 'Con's back, sticking onto it. The larger Decepticon then proceeded to curse him out before the bomb exploded, the blast knocking him unconscious. The smaller 'Con shouted something unintelligable, before transforming into a jet and starting to fly off. However, Bumblebee's laser fire struck his wing hard, and he slammed right into the asphalt. This knocked him out as well, though he muttered something about Cheerios before offlining. Bumblebee couldn't help but smile and buzz happily. Until he turned to see the four Autobots gawking at him and his door wings shifted downward a bit.
"Whoa," the small yellow one finally remarked. "Please tell me he's not a Decepticon."
"I highly doubt a Decepticon would attack two of their own," the gold and black reminded him.
"Unless they're Starscream," the green one reminded him.
"True,"
"That was pretty impressive," the red and blue one admitted. "Who are you? When did you get here?"
"And where'd you learn those moves?" the yellow one added.
Bumblebee beeped a reply of his name, that he'd only gotten there a few minutes ago, and that he'd learned those moves a while ago from one of his mentors. However, his words were met with confusion.
"I think his vocalizer's busted," the green one said.
The red and blue one frowned. "We'll have Ratchet check it out back at base. Autobots, transform and roll out." All of them transformed and started to drive off, though the red and blue one lingered. "Are you coming?"
'Bee paused, then nodded. He transformed and sped after them.
October 5th, 2012- 4th dimension
"Almost...there..."
Bulkhead cursed himself mentally when his prison tipped over, the see-through material now facing downward on the ground. As a result, he was completely plunged into darkness, the only light coming from his optics. He'd woken up to find himself pinned in a prison he didn't recognize. After he'd torn the restraints off, he'd tried punching his way out, only to find that the material was too thick. Then he'd tried his blasters, only to realize that they didn't work. Neither did his comlink, which only gave him slight static and then went dead. He was basically stuck in the prison for who knew how long, with no way of getting out.
"Now let's see," his head perked up at a voice from outside the box. Maybe it was one of the others! But it didn't sound like them. It was too human, too feminine. "Oh cool, what's this one?" The prison he was in was suddenly lifted up, the light temporarily blinding him. "Alright, Cyberverse Bulkhead! This'll totally go with the Optimus and Starscream ones I've got."
What are they talking about? he thought and then his vision cleared. He was staring at an enormous human girl who was eyeing him like a Scraplet eyed scrap metal. The realization hit him right as the box he was in was tossed into the shopping cart, and he landed with a thud. Then he scrambled up right, examining his arms. He was right: plastic.
The scream that echoed around the box could only be heard faintly outside.
October 5th, 2012- 5th dimension
Ratchet felt the need to peer out from behind the rubble he was taking cover behind again. He quickly squashed the idea and turned back to the unconscious Smokescreen, using his scanner to determine which wounds needed patching first. Thank Primus the Ground Bridge explosion hadn't snatched his medical kit away, otherwise he'd have been in even deeper slag.
It turned out that his overall examination of Smokescreen hadn't noted deeper interior wounds. He'd taken quite a beating from Megatron and it showed; his spark chamber had a hairline fracture and a large portion of his processor had been cracked just to the point of breaking. His spark was fluctuating so much it was worrying. Unless he could get Smokescreen to a safer place to perform the more delicate operations needed, the young Autobot would most certainly die. And of course his attackers were making it extremely hard for him. He cursed himself again mentally at not upgrading with blasters when he had the chance.
"You should come out now, clone," the deep baritone voice growled, as a warning shot pockmarked the dirt to Ratchet's side. He flinched and resumed welding up a cut on Smokescreen's side. "If you do, I can assure you that your death will be swift and mostly painless. Otherwise, it will mean more problems for you."
Ratchet knew better than to respond and instead continued to patch up Smokescreen as best he could. Then he lightly tapped the Autobot on the faceplate. "Wake up."
Smokescreen's optics flickered online. "Rat...chet," he got out. "Where-"
"I don't know," Ratchet pursed his lips as the sound of pedesteps got closer. "But it's definitely not good."
"Oth-" Smokescreen started to ask before his helm rocked backward and he slumped into unconsciousness again.
"I don't know, Smokescreen," Ratchet replied to his unconscious patient with a worried tone. "I don't know."
Then he realized that the noise around him had gotten a lot quieter. He felt panic shoot through his spark right before the rubble he was behind was blasted apart. In the smoke, a hand wrapped around Ratchet's neck, and he felt himself being pulled up into the air. A voice below him quietly chuckled as he gagged and kicked out, to no avail.
"You should've just listened," Optimus advised him, red optics glaring right at him, blade drawn. He could see two of the Vehibots taking Smokescreen, dragging him away. "Too bad you didn't." Optimus lunged and Ratchet felt the blade pierce into him, felt the Energon spill out all around him.
Then darkness consumed him.
((Nuuuu! Not Ratchet! Yeah, that last part was just completely instinct. Even I don't know what's happening next.
So all the Autobots are in different dimensions that are distinctly different from each other's-except for Optimus. Next chapter I will explain which chapters they are. As to why it's October 5th-that's the day the new episode premiered. Clever, huh?
Read and review.))