Hi guys, this is The Fallen's Mistake, the sequel to The Past Always Returns, which is the sequel to A Change In Plans. It would probably be best if you read those first, else ya'll will be very confused. ;p
Thanks a bunch to everyone's support, and mah lovely reviewer harem! ^^
- Until All Are One -
Summary: The adventures continue! How will all the changes affect the events of the 2nd movie as we know it? Sage and her family are going to go through some more difficult and troubling events in this sequel to The Past Always Returns.
Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own Transformers, else I'd have the kiddie version, and the adult version. LOL Plus I'd not be broke right now. XD
I will have my normal notes, from A Change In Plans, at the bottom, instead of at the top. So Cybertronian terms are on the bottom. ^.^
- Until All Are One -
Title: The Fallen's Mistake
Chapter Two: Chaos, Callousness, and Craziness…
- Until All Are One -
Previously from The Fallen's Mistake:
When they left a week later, Barricade and Blackout had only been seen once, and that was only because Barricade had attempted to escape his deranged Bonded, causing the Blackhawk to once again drag him back into their hangar. The soldiers, techs, and other personnel got firm warnings and evil looks from the helicopter transformer, to not go near the hangar. Considering his strange mood, and sudden overprotectiveness of it, Will wisely didn't argue, just watched worriedly at his strange behavior. Over the next couple of months, all of them noticed that Blackout kept hovering around the hangar, bringing in scrap and sorting it, storing what he liked inside and tossing the unsavory bits. The entire time, none of the Bots could explain what he was doing, and he was exceptionally silent about it as well, his moods flickering from crooning to a freaked out soldier, to throwing one of his, apparently detachable, rotor blades, at an irritating Sideswipe. Will just hoped this new craziness faded, and the normal craziness returned soon.
- Until All Are One-
Will's wish wasn't granted; Blackout continued to act strangely, well, more strange than normal for the Con, over the next four months. More landings, with more confrontations, caused the death toll of soldiers and civilians to rise more and more. General Morshower couldn't hide the fact that their superiors were breathing down their necks, and the soldiers could feel the civilian government officials becoming more and more hostile in regards to NEST and their 'assets.' To make matters worse, Galloway was making himself an even bigger nuisance, supported by several influential politicians and corporate backing. He was still denied access to base, but everyone agreed it was only a matter of time before he got his way. Bonecrusher was still MIA, with many speculating that he was dead, but the lack of evidence kept the First Team's hope alive. Every time they got called into action, they always sought out information concerning his location. Shanghai was no different.
- Until All Are One-
"Oh no,"
"What you got?"
"Thermal ripple,"
"Alright everybody, be steady, we're right on top of it," Moments later, everything went to hell. The familiar sounds of transformation before the sounds of explosions and screams echoed in the night. Will ducked down, grasping his com, spotting several of his soldiers laying prone. "Eagle niner!"
"I need an energy proton!"
"Panther 1, requesting fire mission now!"
=Gunships on station. Roll in hot!=
=Dog 1, now we are engaging,= The Seahawks were mirrored by Blackout, the Con ducking between them and placing himself between them and the threat. Just in time since he called out a warning, enabling them to dodge the sudden about turn, avoiding the swipe of deadly claws.
=We got a second Decepticon.=
"Arcee twins! Target coming your way!"
=I got him, I got him= All of them groaned, hearing Mudflap and Skids, but were too preoccupied with their own parts. Therefore it didn't surprise any of them when moments later they commed again.
=I screwed that up. I'm okay. I'm all right.=
=This is combat, man.=
=Total brain freeze, man.=
=What's wrong with you?=
=ENO'GH! Get offa da fraggin' Com Links!=
"Bring in Sideswipe!"
=Clear a path!= The soldiers watched with awe as the front-liner displayed his agility and speed, taking out Sideways in moments, one less thorn in their side. =Damn I'm good,= Their relief was short-lived, however, when they realized where the bigger threat was heading.
"Air support, we need Big Buddha to deliver the drop now!"
=Cyclone 98, final attack hitting in 120.=
=Clear to drop in five, four, three, two, one.=
=Everyone, I'm in pursuit!= Prime's voice was a welcome sound. The majestic view of him tackling the Decepticon that was three times larger than himself, was awe-inspiring. =Pull over!= He fired two successive shots at his helm, causing a chain reaction as parts of his frame destabilized. Demolition let out a strangled shout as he fell off the bridge, his frame collapsing as he rolled into a power station. Prime and Ironhide approached the downed Decepticon first, the soldiers fanning out around behind them.
"Punk-ass Decepticon!" the Weapon Specialist snorted, taking his place at Prime's left. Demolition twisted, sneering at the two.
"Where is Bonecrusher's current location and status," Prime demanded.
"Wo-woul-dn't you lik-like to k-know,"
"Answer Prime," Ironhide's cannons whirled to life.
=Go to the Pit!= Prime's optics dimmed in disappointment, recognizing the futility.
"Any last words?"
"Thi-is is not y-your pla-planet to rule! T-the Fallen, shall r-rise again!" For a long moment, everyone was silent, then Epps groaned.
"That doesn't sound good,"
"Not today," Prime finished off the downed Decepticon, turning away with regret.
- Until All Are One-
Sage remained motionless, eyes locked on the television, holding a large bag of groceries. She ignored Barricade's impatient Pings, intent on the broadcast about a toxic spill in Shanghai. It had the ring of a cover-up, she recognized, and had only a bit of doubt. Another blast of an irritated horn had her turning, sending her Guardian an irritated look. Juggling the bag, she fished out her keys as she headed over to him. "Really Cade?"
"I do not see why you needed to watch that drivel, I could inform you of more details than those incompetent drones ever could,"
"Maybe," her lips twitched slightly, "But I was practicing my deduction skills, that was a cover-up for the others, wasn't it?"
"Indeed," his door opened before she could 'unlock' him, making her glance around suspiciously. Setting the bag in the back of his alt, she slid comfortably behind his wheel. "Scrap, what did your cousin get into now?"
"What do you mean?"
"Firefighters, police squads, an ambulance, all en route to your cousin's house,"
"What did I tell you about eavesdropping on police chatter?"
"Not to do it,"
"And?"
"It's amusing, thus I'm ignoring you," she let out an exasperated groan, watching their surroundings change quickly. In only a few minutes they were pulling up slowly, the two of them spotting Mikaela's bike.
"Behave, while I figure out what happened," the brunette slid out of his alt and sprinted over to Sam's parents, whom were giggling at something. She caught a brief glance of Sam and Mikaela embracing, and felt her Link to Bumblebee Ping unhappily. "Aunt Judy, Uncle Ron, what happened?"
"It's alright Sagie," Judy crooned, then bent her head and yanked her head to the side, "I have a bald spot, from a waffle iron!" Sage's honey-brown eyes blinked as she stared at the eccentric woman blankly for a long moment.
"How did a waffle iron attack you?" she paused then shook her head, "Never mind, Sam tried to make spaghetti again or something?" she eyed the destroyed part of the house, whistling lowly.
"No, the whole kitchen came to life," She shot them a quick look, determined they were being serious, and really wondered what was going on.
"Sam! Mikki!" she spotted them separate and headed over. Ignoring the affection between them, she watched as Sam darted inside, no doubt to finish his packing. "Mikki, what happened?"
"Sam found a shard of the Cube," the dark-haired beauty sighed, "It somehow activated, bringing the kitchen to life, Bee took care of the drones, and, well," they both looked at the smoking rubble. "Sam just told him by the way,"
"What? Sam told me he had already told him!" Sage really wanted to smack Sam, opening her Link to Bee and sending him love and comfort. She ducked into the partially demolished garage and stepped up to the scout. Bee warbled softly, his optics sad and door-wings drooping. "I'm sorry Bee, Sam's a complete idiot," she curled up, wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a tight hug. He chirped softly, accepting her hug and nuzzling his faceplates against her. "I'll give him a good smack for ya, alright?" He twittered softly in amusement, but shook his helm. "I'll think of something, alright? Besides, we can hang out more, and you'll visit base with us right?" His wings fluttered; his optics brightening as she cheered him up. Warbling in agreement, he shifted back, purring contently as she petted his hood. "I gotta go, Sam's being a sissy," she pressed a loving kiss to his grill before waving goodbye. His twittering laughter followed her out. None of them noticed the scrap drone zero in on Mikaela, detecting the shard of the Cube.
- Until All Are One-
=Female has sliver of Cube!= The Decepticon's helm rose briefly, his optics flickering on as he received the communication. For a brief moment, he stared down at the vibrant world he orbited, before focusing on his tasks again.
=Soundwave acknowledges. Pursue her. Retrieve it.= he relayed the order. He heard the affirmative Ping from the scrap drone as his trajectory shifted, aligning him better to suit his needs. Shutting down that communication link, his multiple processors focused on the various other links he had, relaying orders and moving everyone's positions into their ideal locations for entry. One of his personal links Pinged, excitement and happiness flowing through the link, emotions he returned to the one planet-side. The images that were sent to him from said Link puzzled him briefly, but he set it to the side to focus on higher priority items. He felt his Link pulse with disappointment and worry, a hint of wariness and desperation, but he did not have the time to go over the strange images at the moment. He was directing too many Mechs and Communiques at the moment.
=Need to know, 'Wave!=
=Later, Frenzy= he dismissed.
=Will there be a later, though?= the Cassetticon's words were soft, almost mournful. He made a soft sound of reluctant promise, letting him settle.
- Until All Are One-
They disembarked the C-17s once they landed back on Diego. The island base quickly became home, despite their annoyance at the beginning. "Autobot twins, report to Hangar Three," the announcement called over the loudspeakers. Will spotted Skids and Mudflap's ugly alt whizz past, no doubt their new alts had finally come in.
"Bad-ass ice cream truck coming through," they followed the directions of several soldiers, disappearing into the hangar. Their delight, and a usual tussle, was easily heard as the rest of them unloaded the C-17s. "That hurt man!"
"It's supposed to hurt, it's an ass-kicking!" Will spotted the Bots enter their hangar, no doubt to rest from the mission. His bed was calling as well, but he had some unpleasant business to attend to.
"Present arms!" he saluted his fallen soldiers, mentally thanking the Bots and Blackout. He was positive they would have had more casualties if they hadn't been there. Their deaths still hurt though, and he kept that pain guarded and close. The sound of an unfamiliar helicopter had him turning from his respect however. Seeing who had arrived, only worsened his already sour mood.
"Director Galloway, what an honor. I'd love to show you around, but you gotta be on the classified access list." For a moment, he felt pleasure at denying the arrogant man, until a piece of paper was slapped against his chest, the politician striding past him.
"I am now. Presidential order, Major. I got a message for your classified space buddies! You guys made a mess of Shanghai." Will could only helplessly follow, his sour mood dropping further. Speeding up, he took the lead to bring them to the Bots.
"All right, so this is where we communicate with the JCS and this area serves as the Autobots' hangar," he was thankful Blackout had chosen to join them in the hangar briefly, not wanting to get into an argument of his 'commandeering' a different hangar.
"Secure link to JCS is up, Major!" a tech called, making Will nod affirmative and climb up the platform. None of the techs and soldiers noticed their 'secure' line wasn't so secure. "Secure line to the Pentagon is now open." Will turned to the camera, knowing he looked as presentable as he was able at the moment.
"General?" The screens flickered, revealing the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The reassuring look on Morshower's face gave him some encouragement.
=Will, I saw the Shanghai op. We had a rough day out there,=
"Yes sir, but thanks to Blackout we didn't lose as many. We have intel that I believe warrants an immediate debrief. Now with your permission, I can't let you see him, but I would like you to hear from the leader of the Autobots."
=Proceed,= Will glanced over at the sound of a familiar transformation, not surprised, but still in awe as parts shifted, twisted, and re-aligned into the familiar towering form of Optimus Prime. He barely glimpsed Galloway's stunned look as he watched, and noted Prime twisted to examine Galloway for a brief moment. It was the first time the Autobot leader was meeting their so-called Liaison, Will remembered belatedly, and from the look of his faceplates, the man was severely lacking in what Prime wanted. Epps stepped up behind Galloway, watching Prime's transformation as well, and decided to voice a thought of his own.
"You gotta wonder, if God made us in his image, who made him?" Galloway's face flickered with various emotions before he blanked it, looking up in disbelief. None of the soldiers noticed a tech in the corner place a small device facing the group, setting it hidden amongst various other gear and communication devices. The tech easily slipped back into his assigned job, no one the wiser to his actions.
"General, our alliance has countermanded six Decepticon incursions this year, each on a different continent." Prime's voice rang out easily in the nearly silent hangar, the techs and soldiers respectfully quiet. "They're clearly searching around the world for something, but last night's encounter came with a warning." The sound of something being rewound before a crackly static voice sounded, the voice clearly nonhuman and holding none of Prime's gentle tones.
"The Fallen shall rise again,"
="The Fallen." Meaning what?=
"Origin unknown. The only recorded history of our race was contained within the Allspark and lost with its destruction." Prime paused a moment to collect his thoughts, but it was enough for Galloway.
"Excuse me!" he called out, ignoring the annoyed looks sent to him from several soldiers and techs. For a moment, they all could see him preen under the attention. "With this so-called Allspark now destroyed," he started climbing up the ladder to the platform, ignoring basic courtesies, "Why hasn't the enemy left the planet like you thought they would?" Will turned to the camera, rolling his eyes a bit.
"Director Galloway, our National Security Advisor. The President just appointed him liaison." He introduced, looking up briefly as a prayer for patience. Morshower resettled in his chair, glancing at the others with him.
=Well, I guess I didn't get that memo,= his murmur was unheard by Galloway, whom was still attempting to reach the monitors. =When is Miss Blake taking her place as liaison, Major?=
"Another three days sir, she's dealing with a few family issues as well as waiting for confirmation of her records and acceptances," Will cracked a small smile, obviously eager for Sage to return to base. Morshower dipped his head slightly in acknowledgment.
=I have yet to meet her in person, but from what I've heard, I think she'll be excellent at the job,=
"Forgive the interruption, General." Galloway didn't seem pleased at the slight against him, and was rushing to take his place in front of the camera. "Excuse me. Coming through. Excuse me. Excuse me, soldier." He finally reached Will, and posed a bit, trying to look more intimidating than the Major, only making himself look petty in comparison. "After all the damage in Shanghai, the President is hard-pressed to say the job's getting done." He focused his attention on Prime, whom looked ready to settle into a defensive stance. A whirling trill from behind them, made Will glance over to see Blackout's rotor-blades twitching in aggravation. "Now, under the classified Alien/Autobot Cooperation Act, you agreed to share your intel with us, but not your advancements in weaponry."
"We've witnessed your human capacity for war." Prime was solemn, not betraying his irritation. He was regretting putting this human at the bottom of his priority list; he was proving to be irritating just with his presence. "It would absolutely bring more harm than good," he didn't want to admit that their weapons were modified for use in the Earth's atmosphere, to prevent extreme radiation poisoning. Even the Decepticons were careful to avoid using their most potent weapons on the surfaces of planets, not because they cared about the organic life, but simply because the various planets they had encountered were affected by their weaponry in different ways. None of them would forget several planets that literally combusted when the use of unrestricted weapons had been released on their surfaces.
"But who are you to judge what's best for us?" Galloway's subtle sneer made Will repress his growl, glancing at the others on the platform to see their agreement with him.
"With all due respect, we've been fighting side by side in the field for two years." Will defended, not seeing Morshower's face tighten on the screen behind him.
"We've shed blood, sweat and precious metal together," Epps added, sending a dark glower up at the politician.
"Soldier, you're paid to shoot, not talk," Galloway seemed to joke, dismissing him.
"Don't tempt me," Epps growled. "Fragger, Sage wouldn't be so condescending to anyone, especially not to us. She knows what we put our lives on the line for, what we do to keep everyone safe." Prime looked down, holding his servo out to calm him. He ignored the bristling of his Autobots, sending them a wordless order to stand down.
"Easy," Epps silenced his dark mutters, showing his respect at Prime's request. He noted that Blackout's alt was trembling slightly, his blades making a soft rattling sound.
"And the uh, newest members of your team." Galloway continued, oblivious at the mounting aggravation. "I understand they arrived here after you sent a message into space, an open invitation to come to Earth, vetted by no one at the White House." He held his hands up and out, dramatically, looking around at the soldiers watching him emotionlessly on the platform.
=Let me stop you right there, Mr. Galloway. It was vetted right here. And in my experience, the judgment of both Major Lennox and his team, has always been above reproach.= the scolding Morshower delivered, fell on deaf ears.
"Well, be that as it may, General, it is the position of the President that when our national security is at stake, no one is above reproach." The smug look on his face clearly translated across the screens. Turning, he did a slow circle, looking almost friendly and approachable, until his mouth opened again. "Now, what do we know so far? We know that the enemy leader, classified NBE One, aka Megatron, is rusting in peace at the bottom of the Laurentian Abyssal, surrounded by SOSUS detection nets and a full-time submarine surveillance." None of them noticed Blackout's trembling stop, his frame tensing in shock. "We also know that the only remaining piece of your alien Allspark is locked in an electromagnetic vault here on one of the most secure naval bases in the world." Before he could continue, the reverberating sound of a transformation sounded.
"Shut down da link!" Blackout roared, his ruby optics locking on Galloway's frozen figure, "Are ya slaggin' o't ya fraggin' proc'ssor! Shut it DOWN!" As techs scrambled to do as he ordered, his wrist flicked, three metal tendrils shooting out to plug into the consoles, the ends oozing a bio-mechanical agent that plugged him into the system instantly. "Frag! We been hacked!" Images scattered across the vid screen, including the same images Frenzy had located about Sector Seven and Project: Iceman. "Scrappin' glitch! Why da frag would ya men'ion any o' dat on a com link? Ah ain't skill'd 'nough ta block ALL dem Dec'pticons!" More images, which alarmed the techs, since they showed images of Diego Garcia, the electromagnetic vault, the Laurentian Abyssal, and even images of Megatron's battered corpse. "Frag,"
"How much did they get?" Will demanded, not noticing that the JCS were still connected, and listening intently.
"Ev'ryt'in'!" Blackout growled, encoding creeping across the images, only to be broken moments later, "Fragger, da only Con dis goo', gots ta be da Th'rd," Jazz swore vividly, as he and Jolt transformed and plugged in as well, attempting to block the intruder together. Several long moments later, the three growled their dissatisfaction. "No goo', 'e gots it all," his furious glower locked on the NSA, "We gots ta move da shard, alert da SOSUS,"
"Already on it," various techs were already relaying warnings and messages. Galloway remained silent only a moment longer before scoffing.
"You want me to believe they're after the body of their deceased leader? The shard is useless, merely a token. Since no one can seem to tell me what the enemy is now after, well there's only one clear conclusion!" Everyone stopped to stare at the seemingly insane man. Was he even aware of the ramifications of what he just did? "You! The Autobots!" he pointed aggressively at Prime, not heeding the warning growls. "They're here to hunt you! What's there to hunt for on Earth besides that? 'The Fallen shall rise again'? It sounds like something's coming. So let me ask, if we ultimately conclude that our national security is best served by denying you further asylum on our planet, will you leave peacefully?" For a long moment, everyone sat stunned from what the man had implied. Prime's focus never wavered, settling on the NSA for a long moment.
"Freedom is your right. If you make that request, we will honor it." His calm dignified response only made Galloway appear more and more petulant. Epps and Will shared looks, understanding why Prime had calmed them. He had shown more respect and dignity, more sophistication, in one servo, than Galloway seemed to have in his entire body. The NSA nodded smugly, glancing at everyone with a superior look. Before he turned to leave however, Prime wasn't finished. "But," he turned, looking worried, "before your President decides, please ask him this. What if we leave and you are wrong?" Prime stepped back slightly, dismissive. As Galloway fled, his metaphorical tail between his legs, Will turned to him.
"That's a good question," he encouraged.
- Until All Are One-
Alrighty, yeah it's following the movie with only a few twists, but that's cuz it's so early.. It'll start spiraling out in a couple chaps, and I'm cutting it short, so I can update faster… ;p..
Chapter Terms:
Link: referred as communication links, or Link as in one of the various different Bond Links.
Modified Weaponry: I dun remember the story, but I remember reading one where some of the Autobots had to change some of their weapons due to using poisonous elements, like Argon or something, once they landed planet-side. It got me thinking, well, they're metallic organisms, not carbon-based, and therefore aren't susceptible to the same 'poisons' we are. So they probably use plutonium and radioactive waves in weapon form. Out in space there wouldn't be too much backlash, due to being in a vacuum, but on planets with gravity and of various compositions, there could be problems. –shrugs- therefore figured they would all automatically be wary about utilizing their destructive weaponry on any planet, whether there were organics or not.
Review time!:
Angel897: ^^'.. I'm sorry bout not updating earlier…
Kat: pffffffffftttttttttttt… ;p.. ya aura of distraction will not stop me! Muahahahahahhaha! ;p.. just kidding.. ^^
LunaPrimeStar: ^^ Hope mah advice helps, and I'm waiting to see your story! It's an intriguing notion ya got there, and I'll be happy to help out with what you need, even if it's just bouncing ideas or random thoughts.. ;p
- Until All Are One-
Okay! Chapter two is done! Yay! ;p…