KABOOM!
With a large flash of light, all three groundbridges disappeared.
"JACKIE! NO!" Bulkhead screamed. There was a large scorch mark where Wheeljack had been.
"Where'd he go? He'll be alright, right Bulkhead?" Miko asked quietly from the front seat, leaning forward even though she knew she wouldn't see him.
PEW
PEW
PEW
Laser fire started blasting at them.
"We might not be if we don't get out of here! Don't want to risk another groundbridge, though. Hold on tight!"
Bulkhead sped down the twisting mountain roads as Miko clutched the upper inside car handle. The flying Vehicons were gaining as he swerved back and forth in an effort to lose them.
"Look! Up there!" Miko yelled, pointing at a narrow dirt trail pass that lead into the thick of the forest. Bulkhead turned sharply, almost throwing Miko out of her seat. The flyers broke off pursuit while the car alt mode vehicons were still hot on their trail, but thankfully were less maneuverable as Bulkhead over the rough mountain terrain.
"Go right! Right! Now left! Then-"
"Miko! Stop front seat driving! I need to focus," Bulkhead snapped.
Miko shrunk back in her seat a little with a pout, but kept her advice to herself.
For five minutes.
"Bulkhead, over there! We can lose those Decepticreeps in that tunnel," Miko shouted, gesturing wildly in her seat.
"Miko, what did I say about front seat driving?" Bulkhead asked her, turning to take the tunnel Miko suggested, despite what he just asked.
The vehicons following them stopped when they reached the mouth of the tunnel, arguing over something that Bulkhead can't make out but he doesn't care enough to try. It bought them some precious time.
"Woohoo! We finally lost those creeps!" Miko cheered. Her celebration is cut short at Bulkhead's sudden stop. "Oof! Bulkhead, what gives- oh, scrap."
Knockout, along with a group of vehicons, were blocking their way forward. Bulkhead made a sharp U turn in the tunnel only to find that the way that they entered was now sealed off.
Knock Out laughed, and it echoed like a coin hitting the bottom of an empty well.
"Poor little Autobot," Knock Out drawled with a malicious smirk as he lifted up a handheld metallic relic. "All dressed up with nowhere to go. At least, nowhere yet. Maybe a nice, one way ticket to The Pit, hmm?"
Bulkhead transformed, himself protectively trying to hide Miko from view. Miko, however, kept leaning past to try to see around Bulkhead's leg. Knock Out either didn't notice her or didn't really care.
"Weren't there two of you just a little while ago?" Knock Out continued. "Where's that katana wielding boyfriend of yours?" He faked a dramatic gasp. "Did you two break up? That's too bad. I was really rooting for you kids" Knock Out continued, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Such a shame."
Knock Out fired the relic, and Bulkhead and Miko were gone in a flash.
Thundercracker and Skywarp were in their habitation suite in front of a large human whiteboard with markings all over it.
"Ok, we've gone over this three times. Do you understand?" Thundercracker asked.
"Yes" Skywarp replied in the tone he used when he understood nothing said to him.
"Are you sure?" Thundercracker asked, skeptical.
"Yes. I understand everything." He understood nothing other than he was hungry. Maybe there would be fresh energon in the common room if he warped there instead of walked. Thundercracker would be mad at him for leaving while he was talking, but less mad if some of the energon brought back was high grade. Oh, scrap. Thundercracker was still talking.
"-re you absolutely sure?"
"No, I'm Skywarp"
Thundercracker was about to explain cloning a fourth time when Starscream burst in.
"What are you two idiots doing just lazing around? There's work to do! Go! Go! Go! Now! Now! Now!" Starscream shouted angrily.
Thundercracker and Skywarp ran out of the room in a chaotic three stooges fashion. Skywarp even made the whooping noise.
Starscream looked at the whiteboard and scoffed in disgust. Only imbeciles hid behind clones of themselves, like the Insecticons. An army; completely of one mind, following that mind's orders without question or hesitation, never getting distracted by shiny objects-
Starscream paused in the pacing he didn't realize that he started, and a calculating smile spread itself across his face. Maybe cloning wasn't such an imbecilic idea after all.