More than Meets the Eye Chapter 8
I do not own Transformers Prime or any of its characters or Transformers or any of its characters
Operation Bumblebee.
It sounded ridiculous if one wasn't aware of what it entailed. And needless to say, that the young techno-organics were pretty fed up with encountering giant robots lately. Granted, this was still all new to them, but it felt like they were just running around in circles at this point. It was just all routine now.
Find the giant robot. Beat the giant robot. Giant robot escapes. They're called to retreat. The process started all over again. And what did they have to show for it?
Despite this, their leader firmly believed that MECH and him could solve this puzzle… even though it sounded like they had practically no idea what they were working with! But then again, they were just as clueless about this whole situation as they were. Silas had a talent for knowing more than he let on. And maybe this was one of those situations.
Either way, they couldn't change plans now. Instead, they traveled to the location Silas had asked them to meet. It was only them and one MECH solider. Silas didn't feel the need to occupy them on this mission, he felt that it was unnecessary since all of them would be in attendance. They didn't know whether to feel flattered or annoyed by this tactic.
Once again, they were the muscle. And the MECH operative was the brains. Which was ironic since the only thing the solider had been tasked with doing was driving. It was so simple, even Raf could do it.
They were currently in a vehicle that was big enough to hold the young Autobot in its trailer. They were supposed to lure the Autobot in using the homing beacon created by MECH, sedate him and pack him up to go. Sounded simple right? Well if there was one thing the three techno-organics learned, nothing was ever simple. Especially when MECH was involved. They were sure something was about to go wrong with this mission, it always did. They have had tricks to rely on but these Autobots and Decepticons had tricks of their own as well.
And they couldn't deny that they got some satisfaction in watching Silas fail, despite the latter protesting otherwise. Whatever the case, they had a mission to accomplish. The MECH driver stopped when they reached the location, and they were more than quick to hop out of the vehicle. Raf held the homing beacon in his hands as they found a suitable place to put the object. The young techno-organic set it down and started to mess with the circuitry until it turned on.
It was now flashing orange lights and a small sound could be heard emitting from it. With that done, all they had to do was wait. Jack motioned for the MECH solider to take stay hidden, along with the vehicle. The driver simply nodded his head and drove the vehicle away from the site. Meanwhile, they stayed in their human modes and in the shadows, until the time was right.
The prey was making its way toward the predator.
XXX
Bumblebee was just about to meet up with his teammate Bulkhead, when something caught his scanner's attention. It was a distress signal. He was more than quick to send this news to Bulkhead, but apparently the Wrecker had already been informed.
"Yeah, I just picked up the same signal," he said. "Could be another homing beacon, let's rendezvous at the coordinates."
He agreed, and since he was the closest to the beacon, he would be there first. And so, he drove to the location and took caution as he scanned the area. So far, he saw nothing out of the ordinary. There was no sign of life anywhere. But that's when a certain noise caught his attention. He headed for the noise, and quickly spotted the cause of it.
It was a homing beacon, in an upright position. This was a little off-putting to the young scout. But then everything changed for the worst once he heard the familiar sounds of transformation. He turned around to come face to face with the young Cybertronians he had encountered before. He let out a startled gasp as he watched the smallest one pull out his blaster.
"Surprise," they simply said in unison.
Bumblebee didn't have time to react as the blaster sent out waves of electricity toward him! He struggled to keep his consciousness, but it was futile. The shock waves were too much for him to handle, and he was brought to his knees in a matter of seconds. He landed harshly on the ground, and his systems started to shut down.
He was unconscious in the presence of enemies… and that there was nothing he could do.
The three techno-organics watched as the young bot was brought down. Raf made sure that he stayed down too, his set his blaster into stun mode. Once there was no sign of life from the giant robot, they made their way toward him. They examined the body before calling out to the MECH solider.
"You can come over now," Jack said. "He's down."
With that, the driver pulled the vehicle toward them. Miko and Raf opened the trailer's doors and all three of them maneuvered the body into it. Jack secured the vehicle and told the driver that they were ready to go. They were about to shift back into human mode, but then something stopped them dead in their tracks.
A voice.
"Bee!" it said. "Bee! Where are you?"
That caught them all off guard, and soon the source of that voice made himself known to them. It was the largest Autobot of the group, they believed that they called him Bulkhead. And it wasn't long before this Bulkhead caught sight of them! It was clear that he recognized them judging by his quick reaction.
"You!" he exclaimed.
He readied his blasters and pointed it directly toward them, he also gave them a deadly glare.
"Where's Bee?" he asked.
They didn't feel threatened. Despite the massive size of this Autobot, they knew that he was nothing compared to the enemy within their own racks. Silas was that enemy. Honestly, they would rather take on the entire Autobot army than deal with his temper. But that was something they couldn't think about at the moment. Instead, they readied their own weapons as they glared back at their opponent. With their backs turned, Jack gave an order to the MECH solider that accompanied them here.
"Get him out of here!" Jack ordered. "We'll hold him off!"
The MECH solider didn't protest the command. Instead, he put the truck into full gear and drove away quickly. The sound of skidding could be heard, but the three techno-organics turned their attention back to their opponents. They knew Silas would have their heads if they didn't return with his prize. Besides, they had been on their own before, they'll just contact MECH headquarters for a ride home when the fight was over.
With that being the case, they took aim at the Autobot and fired!
Bulkhead had been alerted to the presence of a homing beacon. This was only confirmed when his teammate, Bumblebee, had sent him the same signal as well. They decided to meet up at the location in order to properly check it out. He assumed Bumblebee would reach the location before him, mostly because the young scout had an obsession with speed and timing.
When he arrived at the assigned coordinates, he had been more than surprised to see that Bumblebee was not around the area. And knowing him, he should have been here by now. He decided to have a look around, and call out to the scout.
But it seems like he came across the wrong person. Or rather people.
Because instead of finding Bumblebee, he found the three Cybertronians that attacked his team not too long ago! This was his first time seeing them, but he knew that it was them. He recalled how his teammates had described them. A tall gray mech, a thin blue femme and a small orange mech. Normally, he would be shocked by this, but he had encountered another strange Cybertronians not too long ago as well. At this point, nothing could surprise him. And so, he reacted by instinct and pulled out his blasters.
He scanned the area again, and still no sign of his young comrade. But he did managed to spot a vehicle with a large trailer attached to it. It was large enough to fit a human army… or a Cybertronian. And that's when he put two and two together. Wherever Bumblebee was, he knew that these younglings had something to do with it. And that's when he decided to attack!
They counterattacked, and the vehicle was ordered out of the area by the Cybertronians. This surprised the green Autobot. Apparently, these younglings had connections to humans as well. But he didn't have time to dwell on that fact for long once he remembered that his friend was likely in that vehicle. He fired some more shots and charged at the three robots. They wasted no time in scattering and attacking him from every angle. He managed to hit them at times, but they had the upper hand. There was three of them, and only one of him. Not to mention that this was his first time fighting them, he didn't know what they were capable of. He was cornered!
"What's wrong Autobot?" one of them asked. "Can't handle a little pain?"
He grunted and glared at the enemy, it was the femme who spoke those words. And he was more than quick to push her out of the way. But his efforts were only rewarded with a powerful hit to the head! He took several steps back at the force of it, he groaned as he rubbed the sore spot. He looked to see what had caused the pain, only to see the femme holding onto a handle in one hand, and a large wrecking ball in the other. His optics widened at the sight of it.
"You like that big guy?" she questioned. "Don't worry, there's more where that came from."
With that, she let go of the wrecking ball and swung the handle. Bulkhead let out a gasp as he worked to avoid the flail, but to no avail. The wrecking ball hit him once again, and hard! That's when his back was overtaken by the tall mech. Much to his surprise, the mech was just as strong as him! As strong as Optimus even! And the mech wasn't finished there. He began to lift him, that's right lift him! And he did so with no struggle!
The mech then tossed him into a mountain of rocks, the crash made some debris fall onto him. He groaned and struggled to pick himself off the ground. He had to get up, he had to! Bumblebee was gone! He had been captured! He needed help!
But he also needed help! He needed his teammates. And so, he sent a call to the Autobot's headquarters.
"This is Bulkhead," he gasped. "I'm going to need backup."
The voice of the medic filled his audio receptors.
"Bulkhead, what's going on?"
"It's those Cybertronians we guys encountered before," he said. "They're back, and I think they've captured Bumblebee. And they're attacking me… I'm down Ratchet. I need backup."
"Say no more! I'll send a ground bridge!"
Bulkhead smiled at the sound of that, but it quickly went away once he saw the younglings getting closer to him once again. And they looked ready to terminate him too! He struggled to get the debris off him, but to no avail. His strength had been taken by these Cybertronians and they gave his body significant damage. They had bested him, he couldn't deny that. And deep down, he was afraid that his backup wouldn't arrive soon enough.
But it seems like his prayers had been answered as a familiar vortex of bright light appeared.
A vortex of bright light appeared out of nowhere! Needless to say that Jack, Miko and Raf were more than surprised by its sudden appearance. And yet, they couldn't help but be somewhat entranced by it as well. They had never seen anything like it before.
"What the?" Jack commented.
"Amazing," Raf stated.
"I'm impressed," Miko remarked.
But their awe turned to surprise when they saw something coming through that vortex! And they were familiar faces too! Out of the vortex, came the Autobots! Their leader and the femme, but not the medic. They noted that fact. But nevertheless, their appearance did catch them off guard.
The two Autobots caught sight of them, and their optics widened in shock. They couldn't help but be amused by the reactions. No matter how many times they had encountered them, they still seemed to be shocked by their existence. That's when their optics wandered to their fallen comrade, Bulkhead simply chuckled a little as he struggled to pick himself off the ground.
"Now it's fair," the green Autobot stated. "Three against three."
Miko rolled her optics at the comment before turning to face him.
"I would hardly consider you to be a threat at this point," she remarked. "But whatever, more targets for my flail to take down."
She pulled the chain and wrecking ball close to her before swinging it at their new opponents. They were quick to dodge her attack, and the female Autobot jumped through the air to reach her teammate. She landed by his side and helped him remove the debris away from him damaged body. Miko and Raf decided to turn their attention to the two Autobots. The femme of the group turned to give her comrade a quick look, a smirk was hidden behind her mask.
"You handle the big bot," Miko stated. "We'll take on these two."
Jack simply nodded before raising his sword up to face the Autobot leader. His blue optics bore into his own blue ones. Once again it was leader vs leader. And the Autobot seemed to be equip with a blade of his own as it appeared in place of his hand.
"It seems that we're destined to keep meeting this way Autobot," Jack commented.
The giant robot gave him a sympathetic look, almost as if he didn't like that fact either. But Jack ignored it as his blade shined in the moonlight, along with the Autobot's.
"There is a better way," he replied.
There really wasn't. Jack knew that all too well. No choices and no options, that's what he lived by. And it's the very same reason why he was forced to fight against this alien lifeform. He had to it because if he didn't, then it would mean bad things for Miko and Raf. He wouldn't allow his closest friends and family to suffer because of him.
It already happened too many times for his liking. He couldn't bare it happening again, because he knew Silas be as merciful as he was the previous times. His body was proof of that.
But dismissed the thought as he stared at his enemy. He shook his head several times before giving the Autobot his answer on the matter.
"I wish it was that simple," Jack said. "Really I do. But I have a mission to complete."
With that, Jack lunged at the leader and his blade collided with his own. The two leaders fought for dominance until Jack jumped backward, only to let out a high kick at the Autobot. The kick managed to hit him, Optimus grunted in response but he quickly recovered. Jack then leaped into the air and brought his blade down to hit once again with Optimus's. It was then that Optimus stared down at Jack, the look he was giving him sent shivers down his spine. The only person who ever been able to accomplish that was none other than his commander and creator. Which was odd considering the Autobot hadn't done as much damage to him as Silas had.
But it wasn't entirely like that, the look Optimus was giving him had something else to it. He didn't know how to describe it but it was something more sentimental. Kindness and concern? Was that what it was? He didn't know for sure. After all, he'd never received those kinds of affection before. Maybe from Miko and Raf but this was different. But once again, he couldn't find the words or the way to describe it.
"What is your mission?" Optimus simply asked.
Jack stopped struggling for a moment, and simply stared at his foe. That caught his attention. His mission? What was his mission? Of course the Autobot leader didn't know. Jack had been taught not to speak during the heat of battle, it was a distraction. Which was why he was a person of little words during their fights. But it always seemed to be this robot who did the talking, and to him of all people!
But Optimus wasn't done with this youngling. There was something these Cybertronians had yet to answer. It was something that had been on all of their minds lately, his team and him.
"Who are you?" he added.
Jack growled a little at that. Why did this robot feel the need to taunt him so! What did it matter? None of it mattered! There were no answers he could give that mattered! Because he didn't know why either! Silas kept them all in the dark! They were just as clueless as them! In the end, it was just another reminder of how low Silas thought of them! Just another reminder of how pitiful their existences were to him. And it hurt more than any blade or weapon could.
"Who am I?" he questioned.
He was a solider for MECH. He was the leader of his group. He was the oldest of them all. He was given the name Jackson at birth. But despite that information, he still didn't know. He didn't have an identity… he was no one.
He was just a tool, a weapon… a means to an end. But he refused to tell this robot that, it was none of his business. Instead, he bowed his head a little, but his sword didn't relent.
"It doesn't matter," he simply said.
It truly didn't matter. Silas, his own creator, didn't even bother to give him a last name. His teammates and him had observed that the MECH soldiers, with the exception of Silas, had two names. Apparently, the first name was a given name while the second one was a family name. But he had never been told his carrier's name or his sire's name.
Well, that last part wasn't entirely true. But it was still relevant to this situation, because he felt like there was more to the story than MECH let on. And much to his surprise, the Autobot leader actually responded to his statement. His grip loosened a little as he did so.
"It does young one."
Jack's optics widened at the statement, and he let out a small gasp. He then picked his head up and gazed into the Autobot leader's blue optics. Once again, he saw nothing but genuine kindness and concern. Why did this robot look at him in such a way? Was this always his expression whenever he looked at his enemies? It didn't make sense! Nothing made sense! Jack grunted a little as he managed to gain the upper hand over his foe. He then kicked underneath his legs and caused the giant robot to fall to the ground.
He held his sword in front of him, threatening to stab his spark chamber. He gazed upon the Autobot leader with sad optics. Despite his orders, he didn't want to do this. Unlike Silas, he didn't take any pleasure in taking out his enemies. Yes, the three of them love the heat of battle. But they didn't like to take a life away without reason.
Regardless of what Silas believed, they weren't mindless killing machines. They had souls… and they had feelings. However, Jack knew all too well what would become of his disobedience. Miko and Raf would suffer because of him, and he wasn't about to let that happen again. And so, he lifted his sword high in the air, and was prepared to bring it through the Autobot.
However, certain cries of pain caught his attention. Jack recognized the voice, or rather voices. He gasped as he turned to look at the sources of the cries. His optics widened with horror as Miko and Raf both had a foreign object penetrating their arms. They looked like needles of some sort, and they were stuck in the cracks of their armor. Needless to say that Miko and Raf didn't look too thrilled with the sudden attacks. But they were able to rip them out of their systems with ease, despite the pain they felt as a result.
With his teammates recovered, Jack looked to see the cause of those objects. It was the female Autobot. Her blasters were out and they were aimed directly at his teammates. She looked thrilled with herself as a small smirk spread across her faceplate. Jack glared at her before aiming his own blaster at her, he fired a shot without warning. Much to his surprise and relief, he managed to hit the femme directly. She let out a grunt as she was thrown off balance.
"You!" Jack exclaimed. "Get away from them!"
Miko recalled her flail into her body while Raf disarmed his blasters. They rubbed the sore areas while looking at their leader.
"It's okay!" Raf responded. "It didn't hurt that much, it just startled us that's all."
"You can say that again," Miko added as she rubbed her arm. "Stupid needle. The Autobot is going to pay for that."
Despite the situation, Jack couldn't help but smile a little at the comment. He was glad to see that they were okay, but that all changed when he felt a sharp pain in his leg. He let out a small grunt, as Miko and Raf gasped over what they were witnessing. Jack looked down to see the source of the sudden pain, it was the Autobot leader. He had stabbed a similar looking needle into his leg!
"You sneaky robot," Jack commented.
That's when he kicked the robot's hand away before pulling out the needle. He examined the wound, it didn't look to bad. It was simply a small hole, but it did sting a lot. Jack rubbed the soreness away before turning his attention back to his teammates. They gave him worried looks, but he merely waved his hand at them.
"I'm fine," he said.
He scanned his environment again and observed his enemies. The green Autobot was still struggling to regain his composure from their battle. The female Autobot was still aiming her blasters at them, as if waiting to see if they had a move. Then there was the leader of the group, he was too busy picking himself off the ground to pay any more attention to them.
He then recalled their mission. They had accomplished it, the young scout was no doubt back at MECH headquarters by now. They had distracted their enemies long enough to reach him. With that in mind, Jack realized that there was no longer a reason to stay here. And so he put away his sword and blaster. That's when he leaped high into the air and landed right behind his two comrades.
Miko and Raf gasped a little at his sudden appearance, but their shock quickly melted away. Instead, it was replaced with comfort once they felt their shield's arms wrap around their waists. He pulled them closer to him, and with that he leaped back into the air. He landed far away from their enemies and started to make a break for it. The rocks provided them with a cover.
After minutes of running with his teammates in his arms, Jack felt like they were far away from their enemies. He hid behind a large rock and placed his friends gently on the ground. He then started to scan them for any injuries.
"Are you guys okay?" he asked. "They didn't hurt you too bad did they?"
"No, we're fine," Raf remarked. "We were able to dodge most of their attacks, until the female Autobot shot us with those needles."
"Stupid Autobot, next time I see her, I'm wiping the floor with her metal behind," Miko commented with a pout.
Jack and Raf chuckled a little at their friend's dilemma before receiving a communication link from MECH headquarters. They knew who it was, it could only be one person at this point. And so, they answered the call.
"Jackson, Miko, Rafael," Silas addressed. "What's your status?"
Jack was the first to speak up.
"I apologize sir," Jack said. "We ran into some trouble."
"So I've heard. The operative that traveled with you returned with the young Autobot," Silas responded. "He said that when he left, you were fighting with the big one of the Autobot group."
"Yes sir," Raf stated. "But unfortunately the Autobot called his allies to come to his aid. And we were stuck fighting them as well."
"Long story short, we managed to keep them distracted from reaching the target," Miko added. "But that sneaky femme got Raf and me, while the leader got Jack."
"I see," Silas answered. "Anything that requires immediate medical attention?"
"No, it was just a simple prick," Raf commented as he rubbed his forehead. "But I do feel a little dizzy."
As if on cue, the two other techno-organics started to experience a similar feeling. They rubbed their foreheads and tried to get their bearings, but to no avail. Jack shook his head as his vision started to become somewhat blurry. He rubbed his optics, only to find that the blurriness got worse. Miko and Raf seemed to be experiencing the same side effects as they too did their best to remain conscious. Jack rubbed his faceplate before staring at his hands, everything was becoming a swirl of colors. He could also feel his body started to become weak and loose.
"What's… going… on?" Jack slurred. "Some… thing's… wrong."
"What? What do you mean Jackson?" Silas questioned.
"My… body… is… becoming… numb," Miko added. "Can't… stand… move."
She tried to get up, only to have her knees fall underneath her. Raf reached out to her, his vision getting worse as he did so. That's when a sudden realization hit him, he ran a quick diagnostic scan on the three of them. He received his results in a matter of seconds, and it took a lot of willpower not to faint right then and there. His optics widened over what he was seeing.
"Jack…" he cried out. "It's… a… sedative."
Jack and Miko let out a small gasp, and a grunt could be heard over their communication links. Silas had heard too.
"What! Are you serious!" he yelled. "How could you have let that happen!"
Despite his weak body, Jack shivered a little at the tone Silas was using. He wasn't playing around, he was truly angry over their ignorance. And he couldn't blame him. How could he had been so foolish? He allowed himself to be blinded in the heat of battle. He was so sure that everything would be okay. But those sneaky Autobots somehow managed to get them right where it really hurt. They disabled them in the worst way imaginable.
And the worst was yet to come. Through their haze, they heard the sounds of heavy footsteps. Those kinds of footsteps could only belong to one group of beings… the Autobots. They were heading their way! They had planned for this! Jack grunted a little as he fell to the ground in an attempt to get his teammates away from their enemies. He couldn't do anything! He was worthless, he was failing his comrades! He hated that feeling!
"You useless machines!" Silas cursed. "I thought I didn't need to hold your hands anymore for these missions! Can't you do anything right!"
Jack struggled to get back up, as did Miko and Raf, but they were trapped… cornered. They couldn't do anything as their creator berated them while their enemies closed in on them. How did it ever come to this? As their bodies grew weaker and weaker, the communication link with Silas ended abruptly. They could still hear Silas's words echo throughout their audio receptors. And it hit them as badly as the sedative in their system was.
But despite the odds being stacked against them, Jack was determined to fight this off. He picked his head off the ground and looked to his teammates, desperation filled their optics as they stared at him. He felt so guilty over the matter but he slowly reached out to them. They saw this and they reached out to him as well, after seconds for struggle they managed to grab onto each other.
Unfortunately, they didn't have enough energy to transform into Chimera at this point. But Jack didn't do this so they could become Chimera. Instead, he did this to comfort them. He gave them a small smile before whispering one final command as their leader.
"Quickly... transform… back…" Jack stated. "Back… human… mode."
Miko and Raf slowly nodded their heads as his vision began to blur even more. He watched his allies try to return to their original forms. He struggled to do the same as well, but with little energy and strength, it felt like he was fighting a losing battle. His head slumped to the ground, the darkness consumed him.
The last thing he saw was his robotic hand reverting back to his natural human one. All the while, still holding onto his comrades. Determined to never let them go.
Optimus, Arcee and Bulkhead walked through the maze of rocks and dust. Their blasters were out and ready for any oncoming foes. Though they doubted that would be an issue at this point. Before coming to Bulkhead's aid, Optimus and Arcee received an upgrade from their medic, Ratchet. Their repeated encounters with the young Cybertronians led him to create something that might help them gain an advantage over them.
So far, they had proved their worth in battle. And their skills made it somewhat difficult for them to keep up. Therefore, Ratchet decided that they needed a way to disable them, even if it was only for a little while. Hence, why he created the sedative needles. Unfortunately, their limited supplies only allowed for Ratchet to make so many of them. Therefore, they couldn't waste a single one, or miss the perfect opportunity. They had to be through with their attacks.
All that was left was to wait, and that's when they received the distress call from Bulkhead. They had gotten word of Bumblebee's capture and Bulkhead's beat down. And when they heard that the young Cybertronians were involved, they wasted no time in collecting the needles and loading them into their systems. All that was left was to hit the targets.
And as luck would have it, they were able to hit every single one of the younglings. Optimus couldn't deny that he felt a little guilty for attacking younglings in such a way. But the recent events called for such an action, especially when the Autobots were becoming more and more curious over their sudden appearances. Optimus couldn't help but wonder if the Decepticons had been made aware of the younglings as well.
Then there was the matter of the unnamed giant Cybertronian. It seemed to have disappeared off the face of this planet, their scanners couldn't detect a single foreign trace of it. Their human ally, Agent Fowler, also had no luck in the search.
First, the three younglings. And then the giant warrior being. Optimus felt as if there really was more to this world that meets the eye. So far, they hadn't been able to find any answers regarding the strange circumstances… until now that is.
And they took it.
Optimus could only hope that the younglings hadn't gotten too far from their location. The sedative should be kicking in at this point, despite their removal of the needles. Once they were able to secure the three Cybertronians, they would turn their attention to their young scout. The Autobot leader feared the worst for his comrade, especially with the recent chain of events that transpired recently.
Through their time on this planet, Optimus had learned that their enemies didn't just lie with the Decepticons. There were humans as well… to be more specific, MECH. This world had spawned Decepticons in human skin. While small and naïve to their technology, they still proved to be a threat.
After all, they managed to cut down Breakdown, a fierce Decepticon warrior. Then they captured Arcee. Even though she escaped without injury, they were still able to detain her… with some help. Apparently, the wayward Decepticon Airachnid had allied herself with them for that fight. Where she was now was a mystery, the same could be said for MECH as well.
But Optimus knew that they had to deal with one enemy at a time. Which was why there were here, they were going to find these younglings and get answers from them. And maybe, just maybe, they would prove to be potential allies for their cause.
However, they needed to locate them first.
"Optimus, I'm not picking up any trace of them," Arcee said.
"Neither am I," Bulkhead stated. "Maybe they've managed to get away again."
"Impossible," Arcee replied. "Ratchet assured us that those needles would knock them out within a matter of minutes. They've got to be around here somewhere."
The Autobot leader merely nodded at his teammate before looking past another string of rocks and boulders.
"I am inclined to agree with you Arcee," Optimus said. "I trust Ratchet's expertise and technological prowess. Past encounters with those younglings have shown that they may not possess the same equipment as we do. And that includes the access of the ground bridge."
"But that still doesn't explain how they're able to just disappear into thin air all the time," Arcee noted. "How do giant beings accomplish that? There was no evidence of a ground bridge and we never saw any foreign vehicles in the area to indicate their presence. This just doesn't make any sense."
Optimus was about to ease his comrade's worries when he searched behind another large boulder. His optics widened as a small gasp escaped his lips. He lowered his blasters and took a closer look at his discovery. At first, he thought he was mistaken, but his closer examination proved that he wasn't. And he couldn't believe it.
"Primus above," Optimus whispered.
This caught the other Autobots attention, and they were on high alert. Their blasters and weapons were locked and ready for any sort of encounter.
"Optimus, what is it?" Bulkhead asked.
"Is it the younglings?" Arcee questioned,
But much to their surprise, their leader didn't answer them. Instead, he was simply stared off into outer space. They couldn't see his discovery due to the boulder blocking their view. But it was obvious that their leader had found something. And so, they decided to walk around him to see it for themselves. Their blasters ready for anything… but not for this.
They were in for a strange surprise. Optimus had indeed found something, but it wasn't what they were expecting. Nevertheless, their optics widened over their discovery and gasped escaped their lips as well.
There, lying unconscious on the ground were three young humans. They seemed to be holding onto each other too.
The three Cybertronians just gazed at the humans, and the humans didn't seem to be aware of their presence as they just continued to be unconscious. Their bodies didn't even stir at the sounds of their footsteps, which was rather strange. Didn't humans tend to be alert to elements like that? Finally, after minutes of just silence and observation, the Autobot leader finally spoke.
"Children," Optimus stated. "Human children."
"Humans?" Bulkhead asked. "Out here?"
"That's strange," Arcee commented. "I thought humans lived in civilizations, what are they doing all the way out here?"
No one seemed to have an explanation, and that's when something peculiar caught the femme's optics. She let out another gasp as she slowly made her way over to them.
"Proceed with caution Arcee," Optimus warned. "We don't want to startle them in any way."
The female Autobot nodded her head before getting a closer look at the unconscious humans. There was no mistaking it now, she had seen these humans before. Or at least their garments, the bore a striking similarity to the human enemies they made on this planet.
"Optimus," Arcee addressed. "These children are wearing MECH's uniform!"
That caught the other Autobots attentions, especially the Wrecker.
"What?" Bulkhead stated. "Let me see that."
The green Autobot walked over to his teammate and examined the humans before them. He had encountered MECH only once in the past, back when Breakdown had been captured by them. He had fought against the soldiers, and managed to escape unscathed. He couldn't say the same for Breakdown though. And it was during that time that he come to recognize MECH's uniform. His optics widened over the confirmation of his teammate's suspicions.
"They are," he said.
That's when he recalled the truck he had seen earlier. Just before his battle with the younglings, a truck driver was seen pulling away from the area, on the younglings orders. And come to think of it, that drover looked eerily similar to a MECH solider as well. Was it possible that the young Cybertronians had aligned themselves with MECH?
"Optimus, I think those younglings might be associated with MECH," Bulkhead commented.
"What?" Arcee exclaimed.
Optimus was more than surprised as well. Out of all the possibilities, he never considered that to be one. Mostly because it didn't make any sense.
"Are you be certain Bulkhead?" Optimus asked. "MECH has proven to be an enemy to all Cybertronians, both Decepticon and Autobot."
"Plus, if that was the case, then why wouldn't MECH just cut them down like they did with Breakdown," Arcee added. "And tried to do with me."
"I… I don't know," Bulkhead admitted. "But I swore I saw a MECH solider with those younglings earlier. They were talking to each other as if they had known who they were. In fact, the eldest youngling ordered the solider to leave the area. And he did!"
Arcee and Optimus listened to their comrade's explanation. Bulkhead was not one to lie about matters such as this, but the idea still seemed strange. Especially when you had to take MECH's purpose and mission into consideration/. They had allied themselves with Airachnid, but she made it clear that her loyalties only lied with herself. Besides, having three young Cybertronians at their command was something else. However, Bulkhead also provided them with another key source of information.
"But it would make sense though. After all, whose the only enemy here that captures an Autobot and not destroy them right there and then? You know the Decepticons wouldn't hesitate to do so."
Arcee couldn't argue there, nor could Optimus. But that's when their questions turned to worry.
"And if that's the case, then MECH has Bumblebee in their possession!" Arcee stated. "Those younglings were probably the ones who were supposed to capture him!"
"And now they're gone too!" Bulkhead exclaimed. "Look around, there's no trace of them. All we have to show for it are these three humans, and they don't look like they're in a position to give any answers!"
"Settle down you two," Optimus said. "This is no time for arguments or debates. And with the information we've collected, we must shift our focus from the younglings to our young comrade. We must find Bumblebee before they go through with whatever plans they have for him."
"And how are we supposed to do that?" Arcee asked. "MECH has proven that they don't just operate from one headquarters. Their locations have varied with each encounter. How are we supposed to find them if that's the case?"
Optimus let out a frustrated sigh as he couldn't deny Arcee's statement. They knew about MECH as much as they knew about the three Cybertronians. They were unpredictable and untraceable, especially when they were still learning about this planet. And they couldn't rely on Agent Fowler's expertise either since MECH seemed to operate from the shadows, away from the government's eyes. With that being the case, they were practically searching for a needle in a large scrap pile. The Autobot leader took a minute to compose himself before he turned his attention back to the children.
He observed their features, and couldn't help but notice how young they looked. Compared to their species, these humans would have been younglings on their planet. He found it unusual that children this young would be out here of all places, and at this time. They may still be learning more about this planet and its inhabitants, but sometimes these humans were similar to their own race. And that included its treatment and protection of children.
Where were the humans' guardians? And why were children associated with a dangerous organization like MECH?
That's when Optimus realized something both vital and fatal. They were in the dark about MECH's location, and therefore they had no way of finding Bumblebee. And given MECH's history, they were probably planning one taking apart the young scout. Optimus couldn't help but flinch a little at that thought. The young Autobot had been through so much in his life, he sacrificed a lot for their cause. And Optimus was determined not let those sacrifices not be in vain, but he wasn't about to let Bumblebee make any more of them.
And so, with in mind, he made his decision. He slowly walked over to the children, his giant palms scraping the ground's surface as he reached out to them. Arcee and Bullhead watched with curiosity over what their leader was doing. And much to their shock they watched as Optimus gently scooped the humans into his hands. Then then turned back to face them, a serious expression was on his faceplate as he did so.
"We shall take the human children back to base."
Arcee and Bulkhead felt as if a huge landslide of rocks had tumbled upon them in that very moment. They couldn't believe what they had just heard! Their leader wanted to bring humans back to their base? The very people they worked so hard to conceal themselves from! Not to mention that there was a possibility that these humans were afflicted with one of their enemies! And he wanted them to come back with them? In that moment, they thought their leader had finally lost his processor.
"Optimus you can't be serious!" Arcee exclaimed.
"Humans in our base!" Bulkhead stated. "And MECH's humans all of people!"
Optimus understood his teammates concerns, but this wasn't the time or place for them. He needed to explain why he made his decision.
"If these children are somehow associated with MECH, they may be the only hope we have in locating Bumblebee," Optimus explained. "With little to no knowledge on their headquarters or bases of operation, we're fighting a losing battle. And you know that MECH soldiers are an elusive bunch. If they have Bumblebee in their possession, then we must act quickly."
Arcee and Bulkhead wanted to argue with their leader, but they couldn't deny that he had a valid point. The more time they spent arguing about the matter, the less likely they would be able to find Bumblebee. And they needed very vantage they could get… even if it meant doing something unethical in their book. And so, they simply nodded their heads in agreement.
With that being done and over with, Optimus sent a communication link to their medic.
"Ratchet, send us a ground bridge," he stated. "And contact Agent Fowler, we're going to need his assistance."
A ground bridge appeared right before them, and the two younger Autobots simply stared at their leader. And at the humans he was holding delicately in his palms. Optimus looked down at them, their faces were relaxed as they rested. They didn't seem to be aware of the situation they were in, and Optimus was somewhat grateful for that. It made transporting them easier.
But he knew that was bound to change when they woke up. And so, the Autobot leader walked into the ground bridge, with his new passengers in tow. All the while, the humans didn't stir or wake from the movements. Bulkhead and Arcee followed his lead, still being weary of the latest visitors to their base. They could only image the look on Ratchet's face when he saw them too.
However, one thing was for sure. The next few hours would determine the fate of the humans… and Bumblebee. And possibly them as well.
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