Hammerhead.

Warnings: Violence, bad language, gore and possibly some sex.

"Through this doorway what's on the other side, never knowing exactly what I'll find, locked and loaded, voices screaming: let's go, come on do it, here we go!" – Hammerhead, the Offspring.

Timing: Post season 2 finale, set few weeks after Beauty of the Beast in my very own BotB Prime Timeline (due to the fact that season 3 – The Beast Hunters is about to be aired at the end of March).

Rating: M (alternative – if there will be any – or extended chapters will go MA and will be available on my Tumblr account, the address is available on my profile page).

Pairings: Megatron and June, Bumblebee and Miko, maybe some Shockwave and Arcee.

Disclaimer: Transformers Prime © Hasbro. Story's plot and OC's © me. There may be some OC's that aren't mine – they belong to their respective creators.

For Whom the Bell Tolls.

Optimus Prime was lying patiently on medical berth while Ratchet scanned him with his in-build medical scanner. The green beam moved up and down couple of times while Ratchet observed the tiny displayer in his forearm. His features were serious almost grim which meant that the doctor was focused in readings he was receiving.

Ratchet promised himself solemnly that the moment they will settle in their new base, one that will be safe from being detected by Decepticons (due to new set of security measures, proper location and Ground Bridge as sole means of getting in or out – with exception for emergency exit that will not be used safe for some serious crisis); he will set a proper infirmary. He already planned to take equipment from the 'Plague Ship'; they agreed that they will recover computer and communication equipment from there because it was already set on Autobot frequencies and used Autobot programming.

The Cybonic Plague wasn't such a big issue now that they had the cure. No one wanted to get infected and they all would be extra careful while recovering needed pieces of hardware but even if anyone of them had some bad luck, it wouldn't be fatal and the treatment wouldn't take long. They could sanitize everything in now abandoned Harbinger's labs. The only parts that Ratchet took from Harbinger that wouldn't any trouble were Groundbridge coils hidden in its corridors and generator used to power up said coils. He decided to take it from the part of crashed ship that was completely buried underground. The other part, the one that Starscream used as his base of operations when he was rouge was left alone in case some Decepticons would want to rummage it. Ratchet only took couple of items from there, including one the few remaining Groundbridge remotes, few surgical tools and energon converter – a handy little gadget that would allow them to convert energon into liquid form so they could drink it instead of chewing it so it would be easier for their systems to absorb.

Ratchet made displeased face and switched off his scanner. "You're healing slower than I would like. But taking amount of your injuries under consideration your progress is good."

Optimus vented heavy sigh as if he was relieved. Then he lifted is only working optic, still yellow, at Ratchet but didn't ask. Ratchet already knew the question.

"It's almost ready. Perhaps tomorrow, but it will be yellow. I don't know when I will be able to do anything about that. It will take me some time to make diodes to produce blue light, those Earth made are too weak and I don't have laboratory to build proper ones." Ratchet rubbed his own optics. "When we'll move to the new base and I will set the laboratory, then I will make you new optic diodes. Harbinger had few extra, but they were red and I very much doubt you would want your optics to be red."

"You are right, I wouldn't want that." Optimus sat slowly as if he was trying not to tax his joints. "But I would want to do be able to perform some duties already."

"There is no such possibility Optimus. You know that you are too weak…"

"Please old friend." Optimus cut in stopping another of ratchet's rants about need of proper healing. "I feel useless."

Ratchet stared at Optimus for few moments as if he saw Prime for the first time. Then he shook his head. "Fine. Perhaps mild activity will do you some good. You will be on very, and I mean VERY, light duty. You can manage our communication. We have impromptu communication station, it require someone to connect calls manually. You can sit there and connect calls. Sometimes we pick a Decepticon conversation, usually between Vehicons, nothing useful, they usually just gossip, it's entertaining at times."

Optimus gave Ratchet incredulous look. "You eavesdrop on gossiping Vehicons?"

"Only when we manage to pick their frequency. It's not as often as you think given just how much they talk. Maybe later we could try to break into their main frequencies, but it'll be hard to pass by Soundwave's security protection." Ratchet shook his arms. "For now it's just entertainment, they never speak of important things."

The Prime opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before he spoke. "Vehicons gossip?"

"It looks like they do, a lot. The latest one almost gave Arcee a glitch and reminded Agent Fowler his time in school."

"Do I even want to hear it?" Optimus, despite having only one optic managed to give Ratchet suspicious look.

"It can't harm, especially it's very infantile prank few Vehicons performed on Nemesis. They managed to program Nemesis' energon lift so its energy walls would look like gigantic spike. Every time they picked energon from the underground deposit it looked like Nemesis was interf…" Ratchet never finished the sentence because Optimus begun to cough. Ratchet almost panicked before Prime gestured that it was nothing serious.

"I would never suspect something like that. " Admitted the Prime when he could speak again. "I imagine Megatron was livid."

"That he was, especially that those Vehicons protected their work so it would return to the 'Spike' look every time Soundwave reverted it back to transparent mode. Smokescreen saw it 'in action' and came back on all four laughing so hard that his optics lubricated. It is fixed now though."

"Is there anything else I should know? "

Silia lowered her binoculars and put her sunglasses back on. They were waiting for two days now for Decepticons to perform their move. No one doubted that they would come; the question was when they would do that. M.E.C.H. was ready to action; they had few trailers to provide them some minimal comfort in form of shower and few beds for those who weren't doing their shifts.

Someone moaned and Silia looked in that direction. There was one of M.E.C.H. agents rubbing some ointment into the back of his less fortunate or perhaps less thinking colleague. Desert sun was unforgiving and she was using some rather strong sun block. Those who forgot about that ended up with bad sun burns.

"I start to doubt that they will come today." Said Ripley taking off his mask and whipping his face with handkerchief. "It's getting late." At this moment his stomach chose to rumble in agreement.

"Our watch duty ends in half an hour, we will eat then. And loose the mask, your face will cook, here, use some of mine sun block." She handed him large tube of soap scented balm. "And knowing the life, the moment we'll decide that they won't come, they will arrive."

Ripley grinned showing pearl white teeth. "Hmm, true. Murphy's laws always strike when one's not watching. Thanks." He handed the tube back and started to rub the sun block into his face.

Megatron narrowed his optics at his two officers. Starscream looked properly alerted, he just presented his plan of operation that Megatron would now evaluate and accept or reject. Lately Starscream tried to stay on Megatron's good side so he tried not to irk his One True Lord and Master. Megatron appreciated his SIC's efforts. Shockwave on the other servo looked, well, like himself. Nothing could be read from his faceplates because he had none ever since before the war. His stance was stiff as always, which reveals even less than his lack of face. He didn't move, made no gestures or sounds.

"We're just taking the usual route then?" Megatron gave the data pad back to Starscream.

"Yes, Master. It is the most efficient option. Most of workers will be out by that time leaving just few guards and couple of night workers that keep things in order when the rest of them are off." Answered the Seeker. "Since we don't know much about how Autobots are doing and we have no way of learning if they are able to intervene, we should just do it the usual way."

Megatron looked at Shockwave who was now looking at Starscream. "And what do you think of it, Shockwave?"

"Those assumptions are logical. We can't determinate if Autobots have any means of transportation at this point but the fewer humans will be present the fewer complications they may cause."

"Very well then. We will proceed as always." Megatron rose from his throne. "Starscream, prepare everything and inform me when we'll be ready."

With this Megatron left. It was late and the sun was getting low, soon it would start setting. Megatron would hate it if he would miss it, so Starscream decided that they should be ready only after the sunset and not, by any means, before.

TBC

I watched the Singapore video and I'm not very impressed. I mean it is very exciting and all, but I absolutely hate what they are doing to certain character (I promise – no spoilers). I do however love Bumblebee's new look. It is more predatory, it gives him more serious look and all in all it is way sexier.

Also, so it would be clear on everyone – I'm not trying to foresee what will happen in the show. This is a timeline, a 'what if' things would go differently. Shockwave story here is different, and I call Decepticon base differently. It is New Kaon, while the name they use in the show will be applied to entire area (yes, Decepticons in my fic will claim entire Jasper and re-name it). But I promised you no spoilers, so you will see the differences for yourself.