Chapter 1: A New Challenge
It was morning. A thin fog covered the outside of the Autobot base where I stood, calm and focused. Alright... I thought easily as I readied the sword on my back, taking in a deep breath of the cold and fresh morning air.
It's time.
I quickly, quietly, and neatly unsheathed my sword from its resting place, and held it in both my servos. I looked into its reflective surface, seeing the image of myself in it. The blue-and-white coloration of my false form.
Getting the image out of my head, I closed my optics, and began my daily training exercises. Cutting my sword through the air like a beam of light, I made many complex movements. Then I drove blade forward.
A death blow, had a bot been standing there.
I cut and cleaved, parting the mist in front of me like heated plasma through a shelf of paper-thin metal.
Left, left, right, jab, right... I thought as I continued through the motions I had been taught about, and known for centuries.
I continued my practices for three solid hours, as I usually did, before I retired for a break, sheathing my sword, and turning back to the bunker from which I came out of. The fog, by this time, had cleared, and I could see it easily now.
Leaning next to the door, I noticed was the blue form of Arcee.
"Hey" I said as I approached her. "How long have you been standing there for?" "Long enough to see you make a lot of… "Graceful" movements" She replied, smirking. "You've been coming out here and doing this almost every morning and afternoon since you arrived here. Don't you ever get tired of it?" She asked.
"I've trained my mind to accept this as the only entertainment I'll ever need" I said to her as I passed. "Of course, until a real battle comes along..."
"I'm guessing you've healed enough to come along on missions now?" she asked as the large door began to open. "Hmm... Probably" I said.
"Hmph" she huffed when we both walked into the base.
After a cycle of silence, I spoke again. "So... What exactly brought you out there?" I asked. She looked at me. "Oh, it's just that I wanted to ask you something" she said.
"Me and Wheeljack noticed that you haven't gotten a vehicle form yet, so we were thinking about taking you out tonight to get one" she shrugged as we continued on down the tunnel.
"Heh, heh..." I chuckled lightly after she said that. "What's so funny?" She asked, shooting me a glance. "Not much, really..." I replied. "It's just that I already snuck out a few nights ago, and scanned one."
"Oh" she said, a small hint of surprise in her voice. "Well... That figures."
"Sorry to disappoint you" I apologized as we got to the end of the tunnel. "Nah, don't be" she said. "It's just that there hasn't been anything to do for the last few days, Cons being quite and all, so I tried to think of something."
"Where's that human you usually keep with you?" I asked, remembering the boy that was usually by her side. "Who, Jack? He's on a "vacation" with his mom for a week" she replied. "He tried to get out of it, but those kind of excuses don't really work on her anymore" she chuckled. I did a little too.
"Well, I'll be seeing you, Arcee" I said as I turned to the hall that lead to my quarters. "See ya" she said, waving her servo in the air.
"Hmm... Arcee..." I whispered to myself as I opened the door to my room. As soon as the door closed and locked, I shifted from Mirage's body into my real, darker, sleeker form.
Being a Shifter has its advantages, but not without a few quirks. It always felt good to just get back into my real form after a few days of wearing someone else's, and stretch it out for a little bit.
"Hmm... Arcee..." I whispered again, thinking back to the blue fembot. I had already done both background, and foreground research on most of the bots in the base, but Arcee managed to escape my gaze for a long while. She spends most of her time either on patrols, or guarding her human when he wasn't being watched by someone else.
I have more than enough notes on the others. Bulkhead, while being a bit clumsy and cordial, is a fierce fighter, but has many soft spots, and can be quite creative when left to his own devices. Ratchet is very stubborn, and focuses most on his work, and little elsewhere, save for the bots under his command. Knock Out is similar to Ratchet, but is much more cowardly, and focuses more on his own image than on friends, though can be quite charismatic, when not blowing kisses to himself in a mirror.
But Arcee... The little two-wheeler escapes me. All I know about her is that she is stubborn and stalwart, but what are her combat capabilities? What to do... I thought as I polished my swords. What to do...
After I finished my care for my weapons, I sat down and meditated for a time on my plight.
She usually just goes on patrols when there's not much to do, and considering where her charge is, she's probably going to do so again... I thought, mind tensing. But what would be a good time to test out her combat abilities? Hmm... Ah, yes! Tonight! She always goes on patrols by herself late at night, these days.
I broke out of my meditation as I thought of my plan, a few dozen cycles later. Yes, this could work. It would take no small amount of risk, but it would be worth it to see just how skilled of a fighter she is I thought as I shifted back into Mirage's form and left the room. All I need to do now is wait just a few more mega-cycles for her to say...
"...Guys, I'm going out on patrol for a little bit" Arcee said as she headed towards the entrance of the tunnel.
"Be back soon" Bulkhead said, turning to her. "I will be" she said one last time, transforming into her motorcycle form, and riding out. I waved halfheartedly as I saw her leave. Now's my chance I thought to myself.
"Bulkhead, I'm gonna power down for a bit. Good night" I said, turning to my quarters. "Already?" He asked, shocked. "It's not that late, you know" "I'm just a little tired, that's all" I replied, continuing on. "Well, good night" he said as I went past the corner.
As soon as I was out of sight, I activated my hologram unit, and a perfect copy of me appeared in front of me. It walked down the hall in my place, and I turned back to the corner I just went around.
After activating my cloaking device, turning almost fully invisible, I calmly snuck out from behind the corner, and walked to the tunnel Arcee exited just before. As I approached it, I turned one last time to make sure nobody was looking, and headed down it.
With a press of a button on the side panel, the large door split open, and I calmly walked out of it, into the desert. Looking up, I saw thousands of stars in the black night sky.
"Let's see..." I whispered to myself. "Where would Arcee be at this time?" I looked at the mental image of the map of the surrounding area I memorized in my mind, and I soon estimated my answer.
Transforming into my muscle car form, I quickly drove out into the desert at my top speed, intent on reaching her when she was furthest from the base, which would normally be halfway through her route.
Arriving about several cycles later to a paved road, I transformed back into my normal form, and then shifted my body structure to that of my real, slim form, the spike-like protrusions all over my body showing off a wicked-looking shadow in the moonlight.
Turning to the right side of the road, I waited for the sound of a motorcycle's engine, and my audio receptors were not disappointed when I heard one a few cycles later. I made it in time I thought, happily, as a blue motorcycle came into view from behind a few large rock formations. It continued to drive for a nano-klik more, until it noticed me, stopping dead in its tracks with an eerie screech of its brakes.
There was what appeared to be a human with a helmet riding on her, but the figure dissipated the moment I noticed it. A holographic driver.
I stood in the middle of the road, white, pupil-less optics staring at her, when, after a nano-klik of delay, I heard the sound of a T-cog shift, changing Arcee into her true form, a look of mixed expressions on her overall stern face.
"Who in Primus are you?" She asked, optics squinting slightly. "My name is Phase-Out" I replied in my true voice. As soon a I said that, her servos shifted into blasters, and pointed at me, threateningly. "Are you a Decepticon?" She asked again. "That I may be..." I began. Her face turned into a scowl.
"I've been watching your team members, from a distance, studying each of your moves and mannerisms. You seem to be the only one I haven't seen in action, yet" I said to her, pacing around like a turbofox and its prey.
"...So I've decided to test out your combat capability."
As soon as I said that, I reached behind my back and pulled out one of my swords, holding it in my servos as it gleamed in the moonlight.
"Oh yeah? Well what makes you so sure I won't just call my team out here to kick your tailpipe?" She quipped as she stood there, blasters still aimed at me.
"Because..." I started to reply, planting my sword's tip in the ground. "You're not one do something as cowardly as that. You may, however, turn down my invitation, if that is what you wish."
"If you really are a Decepticon, you sure sound honorable" Arcee said, putting her blasters away and lowering her arms. "What exactly would I gain from beating you?" She asked again. "I'm glad you asked!" I answered, jovially.
"I'll tell you what, if you can beat me in fair combat, I'll tell you what my master has in store for you and your team, and my true purpose for being here. Sounds fair enough?" I said to her.
"And what, pray tell, do you want in return if I lose?" She asked, crossing her arms. "Nothing, really" I replied. "The sport of getting to duel an equal, if not sub-equal opponent such as yourself is prize enough for me."
"That sounds rather fishy, especially coming from a bot who literally popped out of nowhere just a few nano-kliks ago" she said again. "My offer stands" I spoke. "What will be your answer?"
After a few moments of both of us staring at each other in tantalizing silence, she finally gave me her reply.
"If you do stay true to your word, than fine. We can duel" she answered in a sigh, almost begrudgingly.
"Excellent" I said, pulling my sword out of the ground, twirling it around in my servo for a few nano-kliks before letting it come to a rest. "Prepare yourself, Arcee" I began to say, clutching my sword's hilt with both my servos, and getting into a combat stance. "I'm not going to hold back."
"Neither am I!" She yelled defiantly, arm blades shifting out as she, too, got into a warrior's position.
With a battle roar, we both simultaneously charged at each other, weapons raised, and steel clashed against steel in the night, sparks flying as metal rubbed against metal.