Heroes from Above
As the sun set over the coastline of Ninjago City, Lloyd, Nya, Kai, Jay, Zane, Cole, and Garmadon all ran towards an abandoned dockside warehouse. The main doors were open, allowing for all of them to enter with ease.
Garmadon slowed to a stop and leaned against a cabinet, panting loudly. "Haven't exercised like that in a while!" he cried. Lloyd smirked. "Helps to go to the gym every once in a while, don't you think?" he asked sarcastically. Garmadon smirked back. "Well, I have a busy schedule, unlike you," he retorted, standing back up straight.
"Students," a voice echoed through the warehouse. All of them turned to see an elderly man dressed in a white robe walk towards them with his cane. "Master Wu!" the ninjas said. "Hey, bro!" Garmadon called as he sat tiredly on the couch.
"Did you hear what happened?" Jay asked hurriedly.
"No," the ninja master answered firmly. "I was deep in meditation for quite some time. Go ahead and fill me in." All of them gave him astonished, slightly irritated looks. "Are you serious?!" Kai yelled angrily.
"Obviously not!" Wu countered. "That atmospheric entry could be heard from, like, five miles away! And I saw it on the news. Duh!"
Their expressions faded, returning to slightly distressed. "Well, we were hoping you had some insight on what's happening," Nya explained, and the others nodded.
The master shook his head. "I am a master of the ninja arts," he answered. "Not a master of astronomy. I have no knowledge of beings who come from the cosmos." The ninja sagged their shoulders. "Well, that plan's out of the faucet and straight down the drain," Zane muttered.
Suddenly, Lloyd looked up, inspiration pure in his eyes. "Well, we won't give up!" he said, turning back to his friends. "We still have each other. So, if we put our heads together, we can think of something!" Zane perked up. "Excellent!" he cried. "I'll get the glue and razors!"
"No, Zane, not literally," Lloyd protested, causing the robot to frown. "Let's just huddle together and think of something. Dad, you come in, too."
All seven of them grouped together in a circle, closing their eyes, and putting their heads against each other. They all thought hard on the situation and possible outcomes. If they fought, then they would most likely be destroyed by Megatron, as well as the rest of the world. But, if they did nothing, then Megatron would still take what he wanted and leave Earth to face extinction.
As Lloyd concentrated harder on a plan, he heard electrical sparks nearby. "Jay, you're probably thinking too hard," he said. "But, that's not me," his friend replied, causing all of them to open their eyes. He was right. The electricity wasn't originating from him. But where could it be coming from?
"Uh, guys?" Garmadon asked in a slightly worried tone, causing them to look where he was looking. Their eyes widened as they watched electrical sparks resonate outside the main entrance out of nowhere and grow with each passing second. "Wu," Nya said. "I think you should close the doors."
"I can't!" the master said, causing them to turn around. "I don't know where I left the controls!"
"What?!" Cole yelled. Suddenly, the sound of the sparking increasing in volume caught their attention. When they turned around, they saw that the sparks had become some kind of vortex. The wind from it blew in their hair.
Suddenly, several vehicles emerged from inside the portal and swerved to a stop in front of them, seven to be exact. Lloyd looked at them upon the vortex closing suddenly. The first vehicle was a futuristic looking cabover semi truck. The cab section was predominantly red with a single white stripe running across the width of it, while the entire bed was entirely blue. The wheels and tires were a peculiar design. The windows, lights, and even the front grill were all transparent blue metal. Gatling guns were mounted on the front bumper
The second vehicle was a red sports-car esque vehicle. It's windshield encompassed the majority of the canopy. Engine intakes were placed on the roof. It was sleek and aerodynamic in design.
This was followed by a jeep-looking vehicle. It was heavily armored. A large machine gun was placed on the roof rack.
The next car was a vehicle that resembled a police cruiser. It was also very sleek and slim, similar to the sports car. The bottom half was black, while the top was pure white metal. A strange, unrecognizable text was painted on the doors.
A large, red van sat next to it. A yellow stripe ran against the length of the car. It's tires and wheels were matte grey.
A small, light blue sports car was parked next to the van. It was much thinner than the other cars, being more boxy and compact. It's wheels were clear metal.
Finally, what seemed to be a tank vehicle sat in the middle of the group. The front had two wheels on each side with blue rims placed on a silver body. Blue cannons sat on top. The back half had treads and carried two black rotating guns.
They all sat there for several moments before a low hum began to sound from them.
"Wait," Jay said. "I think they're doing something." Suddenly, a large sheet of energy surrounded the inside of the warehouse, trapping them in it as well. "What's happening?!" Cole cried.
"Optimus Prime!" a deep, male voice called from inside the cab as strange techno music began to play out of nowhere. "Transform!" Panels folded out from the sides of the cab, and the front wheels swung downwards, allowing for the gatling guns to come out with what looked like arms. The panels folded down on the forearms, as well as the gatling guns. The front windows swung out of the way, allowing for the front grill section to come up along with the roof paneling, revealing the silver radiator. The plating collapse together, allowing for it to swing around and fall onto the back section as the bed assembly came down. The gas tanks folded out, the truck bed split in half, and the wheel sections folded to the inside of the legs. The gas tanks collapsed into the shins, and the lower legs spun forward. Feet folded out. Finally, the front wheels collapsed into the main body, causing a blue and silver head to flip out of the chest cavity. The windshield collapsed back into place as Optimus Prime struck a flashy pose.
"Ironhide!" the van yelled. "Transform!" The paneling on the sides of the van flipped out, fitting themselves on the back half of the vehicle. It split in half, allowing for the roof to collapse into the legs. The front bumper came down, allowing for the windshield and canopy to spin one-eighty. The arms folded down into place as the bumper came back up. The windshield opened up, allowing for a red armored heard to come up. Clutching a large rocket launcher, Ironhide struck a charging stance.
"Sideswipe!" the red car yelled. "Transform!" Small panels lifted up from the sides of the car, allowing for arms to come out from the undercarriage. Panels folded out from the bottom, which made room for the back half to swing out. Feet swung out from the inside of the legs, letting the black panels to close back up into place. The entire hood came down, forming into a chestplate while also revealing the head. Sideswipe posed into a sliding stance.
"Hound," the jeep yelled. "Transform!" The front wheels separated from the engine compartment. The roof rack separated from the back half, allowing it to swing out in a similar fashion to Sideswipe. However, this time, the front wheels collapsed into the inside of the shins, and the feet folded up. The arms separated from the undercarriage, swinging out into place. The hood then came down, the front grill forming the chestplate as the arms locked it into place. A green, boxy head appeared as Hound spun into a kneeling stance with its gun.
"Chromia!" the light blue car yelled in a female voice. "Transform!" The front hood and canopy lifted from the rest of the body, and the back wheels folded upwards, allowing for it all to collapse into a massive backpack. The entire back half spun one-eighty, and the arms came down into position. The front wheel assemblies swung back, and the feet folded down. A head flipped out from behind the torso. Chromia grabbed her gun and got into a jumping stance.
"Cog!" the tank vehicle commanded. "Transform!" The top cannons separated from the front body, and reattached on the sides. The back half extended and separated into legs. A head flipped out of the body as Cog shifted into a pointing and shooting stance.
"Prowl!" the police car finally cried. "Transform!" The doors opened, allowing for arms to fold down and out with the front wheels. The back half extended into legs, the rear fenders forming feet. Finally, the hood came down, revealing a white head with a red crest. Prowl clutched his rifle and got into a firm, commanding pose as the music closed with a five-tone guitar rift.
All of the robots stood up slowly as the vortex disappeared, surveying the area around them. "Uh, Prime?" Ironhide said as he looked down at the ninjas. "This doesn't look like the local military."
All of them, including Garmadon and Wu, got into offensive stances. "You were lucky we were so intrigued by your performance," Garmadon said. "Because we would have torn you apart. Plus that lightshow could have caused a seizure!" Optimus looked down at them, causing them to flinch. "Our apologies for our overly dramatic transformations," he said calmly, unphased by Garmadon's threat. "Our comrade Sideswipe thought of it as a way to properly introduce ourselves."
"Hey, it got their attention!" the red robot protested. Prowl rolled his eyes.
As Lloyd studied them with fierce eyes, he noticed that they all had glowing, soft blue optics, minus Cog, who had a silver visor. Plus, their badges were more friendly looking, resembling robotic faces. Their builds were less intimidating than Megatron's. "W-Who are you?" he inquired with a stutter.
"As you may have guessed based on our gesture," the massive robot answered. "I am Optimus Prime. And we are the Autobots."
"So, you're not with Megatron?" Jay asked as he hid away behind Garmadon.
Chromia put her hands on her hips. "Guess they already had a scurry with Buckethead," she said to Ironhide, who grunted in response.
"As a matter of fact," Cog said. "We're locked in a war with the big, bad tyrant." Optimus nodded, then looked at the group. "We have waged a massive conflict against the Decepticons," he continued. "Over the millenia, it grew to a global scale, decimating the surface and halting the production of energon, the lifeblood of all Cybertronians."
"So that's why Megatron came here!" Kai concluded. "To use our resources to revitalize your home!" The others looks at him strangely. "Hey, I kinda dozed off. But, why are you fighting?"
Optimus closed his eyes in anguish. "The Decepticons wish to rebuild Cybertron by any means necessary, including the decimation of other worlds. The Autobots strive to stop their malevolent ways. But extreme violence is a course of action we take only when all other options are exhausted."
"Well," Lloyd said. "Peace didn't solve our little showdown with Megatron earlier! He took down our mechs like they were toys! Our powers are useless against him! How is peace gonna solve anything?!"
Prime shook his head. "Young human," he said. "While I do not doubt your abilities in combat, the Decepticons are more powerful than even what you have witnessed. Your species has much to learn. And, if Megatron has already shown his presence, then I fear he plans to bring his forces as well."
"Wait," Cole said. "You're saying that he's bringing his army here? To Earth?"
"That's right," Prowl said. "But we have an army of our own. A resistance, in fact." He gestured outside.
Zane raised an eyebrow. "What are you pointing at?" he asked.
The Autobots turned their heads to the left, allowing them to see that the vortex had disappeared.
"Oh, come on!" Hound cried. "Perceptor said that the portal would hold longer!"
"Who's 'Perceptor?'" Garmadon asked.
"It would seem that the energy output from our presence was too much for the Groundbridge to handle," Optimus concluded. "Which means that it may take some time before the others are able to come."
Chromia sagged her shoulders. "Well, we're doomed." She muttered. Ironhide placed his hands on her shoulders, indicating that the two were a couple.
"Well, in the meantime," Lloyd began. "Let's get out there and wait for Megatron to come back." He started towards the open warehouse doors. "That may not be the best course of action," said Prime's voice firmly, causing the teenager to turn around. "Because of Megatron's appearance today, the locals may not find our presence as welcoming."
"Well," Nya tried. "What can we do about it?"
Sideswipe smirked. "You know how we can transform, right?" he asked. The group nodded.
"Well, we have to scan a vehicle before we become one," he finished. "It's a sort of disguise function."
Lloyd thought for a little bit, then looked up at the Autobots with a smile. "I think I know where to find some disguises for you," he explained.
Outside of the Earth's atmosphere, a massive, threatening looking ship hovered over the planet's surface. Inside the ship, several Decepticon soldiers were working on what seemed to be strange equations. And commanding them all was none other than Megatron himself, who stared out the bridge window at the Earth. "Isn't it majestic, Soundwave?" he said to a robot next to him. This one was blue and grey in appearance, with hints of red and gold on his body.
"Just think of all the energy we can produce," the warlord continued. "We could save Cybertron once and for all, and crush the Autobot resistance!"
"Well, why haven't we done it yet?" a voice inquired angrily that Megatron knew all too well. Turning back around, he saw the source of the voice: a red, grey, and blue robot with an golden cockpit on his chestplate. Intakes were placed next to it. Large red struts stuck up over his shoulders. Large wings hung off his back. Thrusters were mounted on his feet.
"Ah, Starscream," Megatron said with a sneer. "Still as incompetent as ever."
Starscream bared his teeth. "Don't call me incompetent!" he roared. "We could have drained the planet already! Why haven't we done so?!"
"I was met with some...resistance," Megatron answered, turning back towards the window. "A group of humans tried to take me down, but, fortunately, I took them down with ease."
"Lord Megatron," Soundwave said in a monotonous voice. "Scans indicate residual Groundbridge energy on the surface."
"What?" the tyrant turned to his comrade, then shoved a soldier out of the way to view a nearby console. "The energy is not ours," he concluded. Then, he let out a small laugh. "It would seem the Autobots have come to stop me. Such heroic nonsense."
Starscream stepped forward. "Allow me to take my soldiers to the surface, Lord Megatron," he offered. "We will make quick work of the Autobots!"
Megatron shook his head. "No," he responded. "Your past failures have left me weary of your performance on the field of battle." Starscream looked appalled by his leader's answer. "But, surely I am one of your most capable soldiers!" he protested.
"Indeed, you are," Megatron admitted. "That is why you will be accompanied by three of our finest down on the surface to finish the Autobots." He looked back out the window. "And trust me, Prime and his soldiers won't see you coming." A malevolent cackle escaped his mouth as he stared at the face of the Earth.
Starscream groaned. He knew exactly who Megatron was talking about.
A silver F-35 Stealth Fighter sped across the blue sky over the vast ocean. Inside the cockpit, a pilot spoke over the intercom. "Copy, Eagle's Nest, this is Blue Jay 45," the pilot radioed. "Test flight is running smoothly, no signs of any engine trouble or other malfunctions."
"Head's up, Blue Jay," the base instructed. "You've got a bogey heading your way at Mach 4." The pilot looked confused. "Mach 4?" he inquired. "That's not possible." Suddenly, he saw something speeding towards him on the radar. It was coming in fast. Looking out the cockpit, he saw an aircraft heading towards his direction. But something was strangely off about it.
The entire jet had a tetrahedral shape, geometry normally impossible for any aircraft on Earth. It was red, grey, and blue in color. A strange orange energy seemed to be produced from thrusters on the back.
Quickly, the pilot veered left, barely managing to avoid being hit. "Eagle's Nest, I have a visual!" he radioed. "Bogey is unknown aircraft!"
"Copy, Blue Jay," the base transmitted. "Keep your eye on it and do not falter."
"Wait," the pilot said. "It's starting to tail me!" He veered away in several directions, but the strange jet copied his every move. "I can't shake it, Eagle's Nest!"
"Copy. Reinforcements are on the way!"
"Hang on," the pilot said. "It got ahead of me. Something's happening." Indeed, there was, for the underside seemed to sprout legs. The cockpit came down into a chestplate. The wings flipped around. Arms sprouted out from the sides. "Eagle's Nest, the unknown aircraft just turned into a giant robot!" the pilot cried.
He fired several rounds at the robot, who dodged them expertly. Those that hit merely bounced off its armor. "Eagle's Nest, nothing I'm firing is working! Do not send reinforcements! Repeat, do not send reinforcements! This thing is too strong!"
Suddenly, the giant mechanoid grabbed hold of the jet, both of them hovering over the Atlantic. The pilot tried frantically to fly away, but the robot's grip was too strong. "No you don't!" it suddenly said in a male voice. The pilot yelped, then hit the Eject button. The cockpit opened up, allowing for the pilot seat to fly out. The robot simply looked up, and fired at the ejected seat, emancipating it and the pilot into ashes.
"This will make for a nice costume," the robot said, looking back at the jet it was holding. A light green laser erupted from its fiery red optics, scanning the entire surface of the F-35. When it was finished, it tossed the jet aside, spun in midair, and quickly converted into a red, grey, and blue F-35 Stealth Fighter with rocket-like objects mounted on the underside of the wings. With a single sonic boom, it sped off in the distance.
Ninjago Waste Disposal had a variety of piles of garbage. But the car lot was where Lloyd, his friends, Garmadon, Wu, and the Autobots were heading. It was late, so they didn't have to worry about people potentially spotting them.
"All right," Lloyd said when they reached the lot. "Take your pick. But try not to make it too conspicuous."
The Autobots nodded, then searched the lot for vehicles to choose from.
Optimus strode through an alley of stacked cars, some in terrible condition, while others were nearly spotless, only lacking power. He stopped upon seeing a vehicle that intrigued him: A white Freightliner Argosy cabover truck. Satisfied with his choice, he scanned the very vehicle, down to the last screw and engine part.
Sideswipe kneeled down, studying a row of vehicles in front of him. He looked at a Chevrolet Corvette, apparently intrigued by its sleek nature. "Nah," he finally concluded. Looking to the left, one vehicle made his optics widen: A Lamborghini Huracan, almost completely untouched by time, save for a few rust patches here and there. "Hello," he said before scanning the vehicle.
Ironhide picked up each vehicle that was in front of him, looking at every plate, wheel, and bumper. Finally, he saw a Mercedes Sprinter in the distance. He walked over and scanned it quickly.
Cog looked at a Polaris RZR, then an Apollo Commander, and back. He kept shifting his gaze to one and the other until an idea manifested itself in his processor. He scanned both vehicles at once.
Chromia looked at a few sleek vehicles, deciding upon a Saturn Sky. Her optics released a green laser which ran over the vehicle's exterior.
Hound looked at a set of jeeps in front of him. All of them looked pretty good, until one caught his attention. A Jeep Wrangler Sport sat away from the others, and suddenly none of the other vehicles mattered anymore. He scanned the Wrangler quickly.
Finally, Prowl reviewed a stack of police cruisers in front of him. He set his optics upon a Nissan 370z with a red and blue light bar. He scanned the vehicle.
Meanwhile, Lloyd and his team sat down around a makeshift campfire, waiting for the robots to return. "So," Jay said, trying to start a conversation. "Anybody hungry?"
Lloyd perked up. "I could use some dumplings," he admitted. "Good thing I brought some trail mix!" Zane said, opening a compartment in his chestplate to reveal several packs of nuts and raisins. Everyone happily took a pack or two, then dug in. "Wow," Nya said after swallowing. "That's some good trail mix!"
Garmadon swallowed his last mouthful. "Man, that was good," he said in a content voice. A low rumble suddenly sounded. "Okay, who's still hungry? Raise your hand."
Nobody did. Everyone sat up slowly. Suddenly, several lights appeared from behind, causing them to look in that direction.
Several vehicles slowly pulled up in front of them. A red and blue Freightliner Argosy lead the group of cars, followed by a red Mercedes Sprinter with a yellow stripe, a red Lamborghini Huracan, a green Jeep Wrangler Sport, a light blue Saturn Sky, a silver Polaris RZR, a deep blue Apollo Commander, and a white and black Nissan 370z police cruiser.
Lloyd smiled. "I take it you guys found the cars you want," he inferred. In response, the vehicles began to transform slowly, careful to fully master how to properly convert into their robotic forms. The two offroad vehicles came together into Cog.
As they all slowly stood up, Lloyd made a note of the vehicle parts still visible on their bodies.
"So?" Sideswipe asked. "How do we look?" Nya was the first to answer. "Pretty cool, actually," she described. Cole nodded. "Love how the cars blend in with your bodies," he added.
The Autobots smiled in approval when they heard the sound of an engine approach. The ninjas stood defensively in response. "Guys, I think you should change back before it's too late," Kai instructed. But the robots did nothing. "No need to worry," Hound said with a smile. "He's one of ours."
"'He?'" Lloyd questioned before looking back to see a Generation 3 Volkswagen Beetle drive up towards them. It stopped just short of the ninjas, and they waited for something to happen. Nothing.
"Do not fret, B-127," Optimus said. "We can trust them." Suddenly, the front hood came down, and the doors collapsed into the back. The tail lights found themselves on the thighs. Everything came together into a 12-foot-tall robot. He was sleek, but slightly bulky in appearance. His head had small metal struts sticking slightly upwards on the helmet, creating the effect of a bug.
"Sorry I'm late for the welcoming party," the robot joked with a smirk. "You know how rush hour is."
"Wait," Lloyd said. "Did you just call him 'B-127?'" The Autobot leader nodded. "Affirmative," he said.
"Well, I don't like it," Nya said. "Let's see," she surveyed his entire body. "Yellow, plus antennas." She tried to snap, but failed. "Oh, right," she said. "No fingers." She clapped her hands together. "Bumblebee!"
The robot perked up. "I like it!" he said.
"So," Lloyd asked. "What brings him here?" Optimus looked down at the green ninja. "Several solar cycles ago, we sent B-127, or Bumblebee, here on a mission to establish a base for our forces to eventually regroup at," he explained. "But we were delayed by the war, taking us many years before we were able to come here."
"Yeah, about that," Bumblebee said. "Some Decepticons found me and sent the distress message to the others."
Ironhide gave him a surprised, angry look. "You let some Decepticreeps follow you here?!" He lifted Bumblebee up by his metal collar, who flinched in response to Ironhide's sudden outburst.
"Hey, calm down, big guy!" Kai said. "There's no need to attack him!" With a slight glare, Ironhide set the small Autobot down.
"Thanks," Bumblebee said. "Now, the Decepticons who followed me are probably looking for me right now." Optimus stepped forward. "Who are these Decepticons?" he inquired.
The yellow Autobot gave his leader a firm look. "Shatter, Dropkick, and Barricade," he explained.
The answer seemed to take the others aback. "B-But," Cog stuttered. "Shatter and Dropkick some of the most powerful Decepticons in their ranks." Optimus nodded. "Indeed," he said. "Then, we must get the others here as soon as possible." He looked down at Lloyd and his team. "Will you help us?"
Lloyd looked back at Kai, Nya, Zane, Cole, Jay, Wu, and Garmadon, who all nodded with a determined smile. Turning back to the Autobots, he gave them a nod with the same smile.