Transformers Prime
Chapter 10: Deus ex Machina
At Memorial High,
The school day was finished, and yet students remained behind. There were multiple reasons: extracurricular activities, school performances and there is that one reason nobody likes: detention! Normally, in detention, students would be doing the homework they were assigned ahead of schedule or working on assignments that were due in a couple of week or they would just sit there bored out of their minds.
Like Miko. She had her World History textbook in front of her, eager to fill her mind with everything it contains about Ancient Greece. However, Miko couldn't bring herself to read it. She hated World History. She hated the stupid history report she had to do on Ancient Greece, and, even more, she hated detention. There was nothing to do except sit there and pray that the time flies by quickly so she can finally be rid of the dull, boring classrooms for another day.
"Pfft, detention, argh…" Miko grumbled as she set down the history book she was reading. She had detention, as she hadn't done a history report for her history class. She rested her head on top of her folded arms that rested idly on the desk in front of her.
Over a week has passed since the Autobots' mission to protect the Dingus from the mysterious new enemy called MECH. Miko loved the excitement she had felt during that mission and the adrenaline that went along with it. Unfortunately, it has been quite at the Autobot Base recently with no new missions for her to take part in.
As she looked out the window, Miko saw a car park itself in front of the school grounds. Even if she wasn't looking out the window, she would have been able to hear the car coming. The engine was loud and so was the music blaring from the stereos inside. Not to mention, it was blaring her favorite song. So she recognized the car.
It was Bulkhead.
Miko smiled at the sight of her friend. It was obvious that she and Bulkhead had grown close over the past few weeks. In fact, over the past few weeks, she has made several new friends. She was friends with the people she never thought she would be friends with.
She never thought that she would be hanging out with the likes of Jack, Mark, and Raf. She thought they would just pass each other in the hallways without bothering to say their hellos and they would eventually forget each other after they graduated high school and went off to college. However, ever since they were in on the secret of the Autobots, the four have formed close bonds with one another.
They weren't inseparable only within the base. They were also inseparable in and out of school. There were some occasions that when they weren't at the Autobot base, instead of heading to their respective homes, they would all go over to someone's house or to the park or mall. Honestly, they didn't care whether they were just chilling at someone's house, going to the movies, walking through the park or grabbing some burgers at KO Burgers during Jack's lunch breaks or when Jack finished his changing shifts. All that matters to them was that they were together.
Therefore, when Miko looked up at her teacher and saw that she was just sitting behind her desk reading some boring column in the local newspaper, she took her chance. She quickly and quietly packed up her belongings and quietly snuck out of the classroom into the hallways. When she was halfway down the hallways, she ran to the main entrance before finally running off school grounds entirely.
When she reached Bulkhead, he was singing along to the track he was currently playing. Normally, people would criticize Bulkhead's singing abilities, saying he couldn't carry a tune. However, when it comes to heavy metal, and you don't have to be able to carry a tune. As Miko once said, you just have to, 'Cover yourself in fake blood and jump around screaming'.
"I love this song!" Miko cheered as she jumped into the car and started singing along, which broke Bulkhead from his earlier enjoyment.
"Miko, I thought you had a history report to do?" Bulkhead asked in confusion. "Did detention end early?" He questioned, even though he already knew the answer.
"It did for me." Miko answered breezily as she buckled her seat belt and leaned back. She glanced in the side view mirror. "Uh-oh. Here comes teacher… and she doesn't look happy." She said nervously as she sank down in the seat. "Step on it, Bulkhead!" Miko pleaded, as she knew she was in trouble.
"Aw, Miko…" Bulkhead sighed in frustration.
Although Bulkhead wasn't happy about the fact that Miko was skipping detention, he still didn't want her to be at the receiving end of an angry teacher yelling her brains out. He understood that NO ONE – student, parent, fellow staff member, and even total, complete strangers alike – wants to be at the receiving end of an angry teacher as he or she yelled their brains out. Therefore, he changed gears from Park to Drive and pulled out from the curb in front of Memorial High School.
Fast.
Shortly, on the road to the Autobot Base,
As he drove, Bulkhead wasn't happy that Miko had ditched afternoon detention and not bothered to work on her history report… or the fact that she didn't understand the importance of her education. Therefore, Bulkhead decided to make sure that Miko knew his thoughts.
"Miko, I'm supposed to be your guardian, not your getaway car." Bulkhead stated. "You can't just cut detention. What if your parents found out?" He asked her.
"They live in Tokyo, remember?" Miko reminded Bulkhead with a cocky grin. "And don't even worry about my host parents. I think I scare them." That last part brought a grin to Miko's face as she carelessly leaned back against the seat, causing Bulkhead to sigh.
"Miko, listen. If you fail high school, you can't go to-uh…uni…kesa…colls…w-wait, what's that word again?" Bulkhead stumbled as he arrived at the base.
"Uh…college?" Miko offered as Bulkhead came to a stop inside the base's main area. Miko jumped out of the car. "Ugh! You sound just like my parents!" She complained as she turned towards Bulkhead.
Bulkhead transformed into his bipedal mode and looked down at her in confusion. "Aren't they Japanese?" He asked, voicing his confusion.
"They may speak a different language but you say the same things!" Miko retorted as she started to walk away.
"Because we want the best for you!" Bulkhead countered passionately. "And that means making sure you go to school! Not jail!"
"Uh-oh, what did you do?" Jack asked with a teasing tone laced into his voice. He and Mark were standing up on the raised platform looking down at Miko.
"I might have ditched detention." Miko confessed to her close friend sheepishly.
Jack threw his head back with a groan of frustration and Miko was expecting to get a lecture from him as well, considering he was older than she was by almost a year.
However, what she got was a surprise. "You couldn't have lied to me? You just cost me 20 bucks!" Jack exclaimed.
Jack dug his black leather wallet from his pocket and retracted a $20 note from the fold. He passed the note to Mark, grumbling about how he was going to end up broke if he continually makes bets with his best friend.
"Never make a bet with me, Jack my man." Mark said with a smirk as he pulled out his own wallet and put the twenty bucks in it. Mark then turned to Miko. "As for you Miko, just be glad my mom isn't here as she does have a number to your parents." He scolded her.
Miko gulped as she had forgotten that Sarah Shadow was multilingual and had contacted her parents, if for no other reason than to get to know them. They were nice enough folks and thanked Sarah for looking out for Miko as they knew how uncontrollable she could be at times. Sarah had promised to try her best at keeping Miko under control and would let them know if anything really bad happened.
Bulkhead knelt down so that he could try to convey his message to Miko. "Look, Miko, before I became a warrior, I was a laborer: construction!" Bulkhead revealed. "I can build stuff. I can break stuff. And that's it!" Bulkhead recalled his past, hoping Miko would grasp his point.
"I love breaking stuff!" Miko proclaimed happily, as she pounded her left fist into the palm of her right hand. "I wanna be just like you, Bulk!"
"Oh…" Bulkhead groaned as Miko was missing the point. An alert was sounding from the computer in the background. "Why would you wanna be like me when you can be a…a medic like Ratchet and Mrs. Shadow?" He retorted as he gestured to Ratchet.
The Autobot medic was working at the computer terminal that had just set off the alert and was looking for the data from the program he had just run. "I'm detecting a fresh Energon pulse from the nation called Greece." Ratchet announced suddenly. "An ancient city, quite historic, I believe."
"Ancient Greece, huh?" Bulkhead asked as he got an idea that just might work. "Oh, field trip!" He sang excitedly.
On the Decepticon Warship,
The Decepticon Warship was currently flying through a storm. Starscream stood at the helm of the bridge as a newcomer arrived to the ship. "It's about time, Knockout." Starscream growled in annoyance as he looked out the front of the ship as lightning flashed in the storm clouds. "I do not enjoy being kept waiting."
The one being addressed was a mech with flashy red and white armor, instead of the usual blacks, greys, or purples. He walked into the bridge casually. "Ah, it was a long drive, Starscream." Knockout defended as he ran a finger over his armor. He pulled a tiny something out. "I'm still picking bugs out of my grill." He flicked the dead insect out of his finger.
Starscream turned around and gave the Decepticon a disapproving look. "Yes… right… you're one of those." He muttered in annoyance.
"Come again?" Knockout asked in confusion, as he didn't understand the comment.
Starscream walked up to Knockout. "Never understood why any self-respecting Decepticon would choose automobile as his vehicle mode… when he could have flight." He explained as he walked around Knockout to look over the Decepticon doctor.
"I like the way I look in steel belted radians." Knockout replied vainly.
Starscream merely shook his head in annoyance before he led Knockout to where the doctor was needed.
"I take it Lord Megatron requires a laboratory assist?" Knockout asked, as Starscream led him to the ship's medical bay/laboratory. He didn't know about Megatron's current condition.
Starscream stopped in front of the lab entrance. "You…might say that." He answered mysteriously as he opened the door into sickbay.
Knockout was certainly surprised at the sight that was greeting him. Lying on the metal berth was, in fact, Lord Megatron. There was a significantly large hole in his chest as a result from the Spacebridge explosion. What humans would deem as large cables linked Megatron to his life-support, his only means of living.
"Whoa…" Knockout remarked as he looked at Megatron's damaged body.
Middle of the night, in Greece,
The Autobot GroundBridge vortex opened and Bulkhead exited in vehicle mode. "We're here." He said as he opened his door and allowed Miko to exit.
"Sweet!" Miko cheered as she got out. She was excited about actually being on a mission. She saw the ruins, thanks to various lights being powered by generators on sight providing light, and grinned. "So what're we doing in Wreck-o Ville?" She asked Bulkhead as the Autobot transformed into his bipedal mode and pulled out an Energon scanner from his chest compartment.
"I'm scouting for Energon." Bulkhead answered. "You're doing research on your history report."
"You punked me, Bulk?" Miko pouted in annoyance. "Not cool."
Bulkhead walked forward as his scanner was beeping loud and fast. "Hmm… signal's strong." He said as he scanned the area. There were construction vehicles. "An excavation site." He observed as he looked around.
"Whoa." Miko breathed in amazement.
"I know construction." Bulkhead said with a shrug. "According to my scanner, humans hit Energon veins. And they don't even know it."
Bulkhead observed the area even more. His earlier statement was correct. This place was definitely an excavation sight. Bulldozers, wheelbarrows and other construction machines surrounded the abandoned sight. That was when Bulkhead laid eyes on the ancient paintings. However, something about the painting that interested him. What interested him was the glowing gold globe sitting in the hands of one of the Greek Gods. Bulkhead immediately knew what it was.
"Whoa." Bulkhead gasped in surprise. "That's Cybertronian!"
Back in the Med Lab of the Decepticon Warship,
Starscream explained to Knockout about Megatron's conditions. "Sadly our inevitably, former Lord Megatron has been like this for some time." He stated as Knockout walked over to get a closer look at Megatron's damaged body. "But the crew took a vote," Starscream grumbled as he didn't like the outcome of the vote, "and it was decided that an expert might put him on the road of recovery."
"I've done plenty of body work, Starscream, but I'm better at breaking 'em than fixing 'em." Knockout confessed as he unfolded his drill from his arm to prove his point before folding the drill back into his arm. He sighed. "It would help if I had my assistant."
"I summoned the both of you. Where is he?" Starscream asked as he was curious as to why the other Decepticon wasn't present.
"We were hot on a fresh Energon trail when you called." Knockout explained. "Breakdown will show once he's through scouting it." He grinned.
Back in the Ruins of Ancient Greece,
"Why would Ancient Greeks paint an Energon Harvester?" Bulkhead wondered aloud.
"You know what that round thing actually is?" Miko exclaimed in surprise before she pulled out her phone and flipped it open. "You're smarter than you let on." She took the picture of the painting.
"But even dumber than he looks." A voice stated from behind them. Bulkhead and Miko immediately turned around. Approaching them was a Cybertronian. However, very much like Knockout, he stood out amongst the regular Decepticon warriors. He was the same size as Bulkhead. His eyes were yellow instead of the usual red. The main colors in his body are grey and blue with the occasional orange on his face and the blinker lights on his hips. He goes by the name of…
"Breakdown…" Bulkhead identified with a growl.
The identified Breakdown smirked and chuckled. "Ha, ha, ha. Miss me?" He asked rhetorically.
"Like the rust in my undercarriage." Bulkhead retorted.
"You know this lunkhead?" Miko questioned in disbelief.
"We have a history." Bulkhead replied vaguely.
"And you have a pet." Breakdown sneered before he grabbed a pillar next to him. "Does it play catch?" He asked mischievously as ripped the pillar out of the ground and lifted it over his head. Bulkhead immediately caught on to what Breakdown was going to do. "Catch!" He shouted before throwing the pillar right at Miko.
Miko went to run away from the oncoming pillar. She knew what would happen if she was hit. However, she didn't have to worry about running away as Bulkhead knelt down directly in front of the oncoming danger and took the hit himself.
"Miko! Stay down!" Bulkhead warned her.
Miko immediately ran for cover. In the smoke from the pillar impact, Bulkhead didn't see Breakdown coming at him. Therefore, when he turned around, he was caught off guard when Breakdown's body slammed into him and knocked him into the excavation sight. Mid-air, Breakdown gained the advantage and, before his feet even touched the ground, threw Bulkhead into the nearby wall. The ancient stone section grumbled under his weight, destroying the picture.
"Oops. Hope the pretty picture wasn't too important." Breakdown tormented, not the least bit sorry that he had caused the destruction of the ancient picture.
Eventually, he transformed into his vehicular mode and drove away. Miko retreated from her hiding place just in time to see him retreating.
"Told you I'm good at breaking things." Bulkhead remarked as he sat up and saw the destroyed wall.
"I've always got your back, Bulk." Miko assured him as she held up her phone. She looked at the screen and pushed a few button. "Got us a picture of the picture." She proclaimed as she showed the image to Bulkhead.
Shortly, at the Autobot Base,
Miko uploaded the photo she took of the picture into the Autobot's computer for the others to look at. "It is indeed an Energon Harvester." Optimus announced gravely as he pointed to the orb in the picture. "A powerful tool created by the Ancients, to remove raw Energon from and source."
"Greek Gods knew Autobots?" Raf asked in confusion.
"That's not what the picture means, Raf. The Ancients would often use the art of a given era to conceal messages." Elita explained. "They used this fresco as a signpost to a Harvester hidden somewhere on your planet."
Jack and Mark both immediately thought of something. "Um, Optimus, if the Harvester removes Energon from anything…" Jack started.
"And you all have Energon pumping inside you…" Mark continued as he was thinking the same thing as Jack.
"In Decepticon hands the Harvester would be a devastating weapon." Optimus said in agreement.
"See? You were a genius to destroy that painting!" Miko reassured a still doubtful Bulkhead.
"Miko's not wrong." Arcee said in agreement. "How can the Cons find it without the fresco?"
"I hate to destroy the mood here, but there is a way." Mark declared from the raised platform, getting the attention of the Autobots. "I doubt that the Autobots are the only side in this Energon race that uses high-speed internet as a means of obtaining any information that would lead to a potential Energon source. Raf, do you wanna explain this one?" He asked the youngest human of the group.
"Don't mind if I do." Raf said eagerly, as he typed into his computer. "If you do an image search for 'Greek God' and 'Golden Orb', this pops up. It's in a museum." As he explained, Raf did the image search to prove his point. When he was done, he showed everyone an image he found on his laptop. It was of an exhibit in a museum somewhere in America. The picture displayed a white stone stature of a Greek God who can be identified as Poseidon with his trident holding a golden orb in his hand. Everyone realized that it was indeed an Energon harvester.
"That the real deal?" Arcee asked nervously.
Optimus didn't answer her directly. He just continued staring at the picture. Deep down, he knew it was. And he knew that it couldn't fall into Decepticon hands.
"Contact Agent Fowler." Optimus requested.
Ratchet did so, but an answering machine was all he contacted. "You've reached Special Agent William Fowler. I'm currently on an intensive training retreat and unavailable until Tuesday." The recording stated.
"I hate talking to machines." Ratchet grumbled.
"Without Agent Fowler's direct aid, we will have to confiscate the Harvester on our own." Optimus announced, as he unfolded his blaster.
"Which translates to, 'Someone has to break into the museum and steal Poseidon's Golden Orb'." Mark stated.
"Steal museum property?" Jack repeated in disbelief.
"That sounds…illegal." Raf commented.
"Maybe we should try Lennox and NEST?" Elita suggested.
"Uh, that's a no go, Elita." Mark stated. "Last time I spoke with him, Lennox told me that he and his soldiers were going to be running through some training exercises and unavailable unless it's an end of the world emergency for this entire week."
"I do not wish to break human law. However, once the Decepticons learn of the harvester's location, they will not hesitate to obtain it by any means necessary. We must act covertly." Optimus proclaimed, which caused Jack and Mark to look at each other and try to stifle their laughter.
"No offence, Optimus, but covertly and giant robots don't really go well together." Jack reminded his giant friend.
"Jack's right." Mark said before elaborating. "Museums are public. And they have guards and security cameras."
"No problem!" Miko said excitedly, as she had, in her mind, the perfect idea. "We're small enough to sneak in! And we're not of government secret!"
"Miko, I'm not sure that's wise." Bulkhead argued.
"But it might be our best option, Bulkhead." Optimus told his friend.
"Besides, the more time we spend debating over what strategy we're gonna use to obtain the Energon harvester, the more time we give the Decepticons to steal it." Elita remarked.
Onboard the Bridge of the Decepticon Warship,
Sondwave displays the same image Raf had shown the Autobots on his screen 'face'.
"Mm-hmm. That's defiantly it." Breakdown said in agreement.
"Then I'm afraid Megatron's wellbeing will have to wait." Starscream declared with false sadness. "It's harvest time."
American Museum,
It was the dead of night and Autobots pull into the museum parking lot. As quietly as his truck engine would allow it, Optimus pulled up to the front entrance of the museum. Elita, Arcee, Bulkhead, and Bumblebee were following him. Before departing from their base, they had come up with a plan. A plan that would allow them to recover the Harvester before the Decepticons had the chance to lay their oily clawed hands on the Golden Orb. And, like all plans, this plan wasn't flawless. So all they can do was go along with the plan and pray that it all ran smoothly. When they reached the front entrance, only Optimus remained behind. Elita, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and Arcee drove off in separate directions.
"Autobots, confirm position." Optimus requested.
"Westward ho." Arcee responded as she pulled up onto the footpath and deactivated her engine.
"(Eastward secure.)" Bumblebee bleeped to Optimus.
"South side covered." Bulkhead answered as he and Elita parked in the back of the museum.
"Maintain your guard." Optimus ordered before deactivating his own throaty truck engine.
At the Autobot Base,
Optimus contacted the base. "Jack, Mark, Miko, Rafael, I will have a clear view of you. Once you secure the harvester, I will contact Ratchet to bridge you back to base." He stated.
"Alright, Optimus, we're good to go." Mark responded as Ratchet activated the GroundBridge.
"Now since you'll bypass all points of entry, you won't have to worry about setting off the alarm. But take care to avoid any security guards." Ratchet warned his four teammates.
"We understand." Mark said as he nodded in confirmation. He turned to the other humans. "And remember. No matter what happens, as soon as we see any security guards and are at risk of getting busted, don't worry if we've obtained the harvester or not. Don't worry about any Decepticon that is about to attack us. Just run and get the hell out of there. I'll take the brunt. Got it?" Mark asked in complete seriousness.
"Got it." Jack, Miko and Raf chorused.
Inside the Museum,
A blinding light engulfed the dimly lit hallways of the museum. The green, white, blue and purple swirls of the GroundBridge were stationed in the correct manner as to not raise any alarms. On a scissor lift that Ratchet had modified, Jack, Mark, Miko and Raf rolled out. Behind them, the GroundBridge closed, along with their means of escape if they ended up getting caught.
In the Security room,
The guard looked at the screens. He saw nothing was out of order and as quiet as always.
At the end of the hallway,
Mark stopped the scissor lift so they could see if they were in the right area. Raf, Miko and Jack had to admit. They were fascinated at the dinosaur skeleton that was currently on display. They wouldn't admit it much, but they had a small fascination for dinosaurs. They want to know more about the magnificent creatures that roamed the Earth. They wanted to know more about the reasons behind the dinosaurs becoming extinct. However, they had an even more important task at hand. So they pulled their attention away from the dinosaur skeleton and to the statue of Poseidon.
"OPA!" Miko whisper yelled when they spotted the Harvester.
Immediately, they glanced to Optimus who was outside, waiting for him to give the all clear. Optimus didn't say anything through the com-link they had set up back at the base or yell anything out (not wanting to alert security guards). He just simply flashed his headlights a few times. Jack nodded in acknowledgement of them receiving his discrete signal and Mark raised the scissor lift a few feet until they were directly next to the security camera.
"Do your thing." Mark whispered to Miko.
Nodding, Miko reached into her pocket and withdrew her pink cell phone, flipping it into activation. She leaned closer to the camera and closed one eye to see the broader picture. She held her phone up at different angles before settling with holding the phone upside down. There was a small flash emitted from the phone as Miko took the picture. She changed the settings on her phone so the picture would always be on display before placing the phone on top of the camera, making sure that the screen was directly in front of the lens so she could fool the oblivious security guard into thinking the orb was still there. When she finished, Jack and Raf were looking at her weirdly, so she just shrugged nervously.
Mark pulled a roll of duct tape out of his jacket pocket, gesturing for Jack to take the controls of the scissor lift. Mark carefully and as quietly as possible pulled off a strip of tape. He tore off the strip and careful placed in over Miko's phone in order to secure it in place.
Slowly and carefully, Jack directed the scissor lift closer and closer to the stature of Poseidon. Optimus watched their every move carefully whilst also keeping an eye out for any Decepticons who would attempt to steal the harvester from them. Suddenly, he heard a vehicle approaching. He adjusted his side view mirror so he could get a better look of the oncoming car.
The car was a shiny red Aston Martini DBS V12 sports car. It pulled up next to the Peterbilt 932 Semi-Trailer truck that was Optimus Prime. The car couldn't help but let out a wolf whistle. This told Optimus everything he needed to know in order to identify the car. The car that was driving up beside him was Knockout, the Decepticon Doctor.
"Sweet rims. 24 gauge? You're reeeeeeal heavy duty!" Knockout remarked admirably. "Just like my friend here!"
Behind them, Breakdown arrived on the scene. A weapon appeared on the roof of his Jeep and from that machine, a missile was fired. Realizing the missile's purpose, Optimus transformed into his bipedal mode and caught the missile with his bare, metallic hands. However, he felt the same burning sensation in his feet that he felt when he was trying to stop the train from crashing with Jack, Mark, and Miko on board just one week ago. The concrete that made up of the parking lot and cement of the walkway did not agree with Optimus's giant, metal feet rubbing into them, causing painful friction for them both. Optimus skidded to a stop by the window of the museum. However, the end of the missile left a huge chip in the window, almost shattering it. Optimus looked at the damage he caused with wide eyes.
Jack, Mark, Miko and Raf were in the middle of making a grab for the Energon harvester when they heard the glass crack. They glanced nervously at Optimus who continued to look sheepish. Mark couldn't help but roll his eyes and shook his head at the Autobot leader's sheepish look. Eventually, Optimus pulled himself away from the gaze of his four young human friends. Immediately, he noticed that Knockout was nowhere in sight. Then he looked ahead of him and he saw Knockout with an Energon prod. Optimus let out a scream in pain as Breakdown stabbed the prod into his neck.
Optimus fell on his knees to the ground away from the museum before fully falling onto it face first. Taking his chance, Knockout climbed into his back and struck him with the Energon prod again. Optimus let out a silent scream of pain as he felt the painful electrical currents course through him.
"It's Cons!" Raf gasped nervously.
"And they've got Optimus!" Jack added in fear.
"Stay focus on what we're supposed to be doing." Mark hissed. He was worried about Optimus but knew the Autobot leader could take care of himself and the other Autobots were no doubt on their way to assist.
When he made sure Optimus was unconscious, Knockout flashed the headlights conveniently positioned onto his back during his transformation from his vehicle mode to his bipedal mode. Immediately, Breakdown took off at full speed for the museum. The four friends inside glanced at each other nervously when they heard and saw him coming at them. Thankfully, Bumblebee heard all the commotion that was going on out front. Therefore, he immediately raced to join in on the action.
Sensing Bumblebee's approach, Breakdown fired a missile at him. The missile hit close to Bumblebee as he transformed so the force of the impact was enough to send him flying and eventually skidding along the road.
Breakdown also sensed Arcee and Elita approaching to help their teammates. Knowing the threat the two femmes posed, Breakdown fired another missile. This time, aimed at the two femmes. As with Bumblebee, the missile exploded close to them. The blast knocked Arcee onto her side, skidding along the road, and caused Elita to skid out of control. Arcee grunted in pain as the friction between her and the road burnt her metal. Along the way, the two femmes crashed into Bumblebee who had just got up after being knocked down.
Breakdown heard another Autobot approaching. When he looked up, he saw Bulkhead jumping onto the ground from the roof of the museum. Relishing another opportunity to fight his enemy, he transformed into bipedal mode and punched Bulkhead in the face.
The punch sent Bulkhead flying backwards towards the museum. Along the way, Bulkhead rammed into Knockout and, together, the two crashed into a pillar holding the museum up. One of the pieces that broke off flew through one of the windows, shattering it…and consequently setting off the alarm.
Jack, Mark, Miko, and Raf froze in the middle of their actions…which was loading the Energon Harvester onto the scissor lift. With one last push from Raf, the Energon Harvester rolled out of Poseidon's stone hand onto the scissor lift with a loud bang.
In the security room,
"WHAT?!" The guard shouted as he heard the alarm. The guard looked at the screens again but was even more confused as the image of the complete statue was still on the screen. Putting down his paper, the guard decided to investigate the source of the alarm. It could have just been a car backfiring or someone setting off a firework too close to the museum but it was better to be safe than sorry.
Back outside the Museum,
Optimus groaned as he came to from the effects of the Energon prod. He was still in a significant amount of pain but he knew it would eventually pass.
When Knockout shook his head to stop himself from seeing double, he noticed that Optimus was slowly regaining consciousness. He didn't like that. If Prime regained consciousness, their entire plan would fail miserably. Therefore, he went at Optimus with the Energon prod once again.
Sensing his incoming attack, Optimus rolled over and raised his arm, giving Knockout a good backhanded slap in the process, thus knocking Knockout away from him.
Meanwhile, inside the Museum,
Jack and Raf stood beside the Harvester as Mark lowered the scissor lift down so they could get out of the museum. "Come on. Time to make our exit, guys." Miko remarked.
Before Mark could say anything, Miko climbed off the scissor lift and ran ahead of them, looking for a way out without getting caught.
"Miko get back here!" Mark hissed as the girl as he navigated the lift after Miko but was ignored. He was half-tempted just to call Ratchet to GroundBridge them back to base and leave Miko behind but he quickly squashed those thoughts.
When Miko turned to the left, she saw a garage. She thought it was perfect, so she hit the button to open it. As the roller door slowly raised itself automatically, she took off running and climbed underneath it. However, she froze and gasped when the light from a flashlight suddenly illuminated her. The security guard was standing there looked at her sternly. That was when Miko had realized she had been busted.
"Uh…wassup?" Miko greeted nervously.
"Better come with me, miss." The security guard said seriously, as he grabbed Miko by the wrist and dragged her to his office.
"Not good." Jack remarked as they saw Miko be caught.
"And once again, Miko's recklessness gets her into trouble." Mark said as he shook his head.
"Look!" Raf gasped.
They looked underneath the exit garage door and saw a pair of Cybertronian legs. At first initial glance, they thought it was someone they know.
"Arcee!" Jack called out before they ran for her.
However, when this person pushed open the door and looked underneath, they realized that it wasn't Arcee. They froze in their tracks in horror.
"It's Soundwave!" Raf cried.
Soundwave looked at the three humans that stood between him and the Energon Harvester. He released his tentacles and roughly pushed the three out of his way as he reached for and grabbed the Energon Harvester. He stepped outside, transformed into his General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper vehicle mode, and flew off.
Out in front of the Museum,
Knockout and Breakdown saw Soundwave flying away from the museum with their prize in hand. "Mmm, that would be game." Knockout commented. He and Breakdown transformed into their vehicle modes and drove off.
The Autobots were about to pursue the Decepticons. "Guys, wait up!" Mark's voice shouted. The Autobots turned and saw their three male charges running out of the Museum.
"The Decepticons have the Harvester!" Jack shouted as he, Mark, and Raf ran up to the Autobots.
"And security has Miko!" Raf added.
"What?!" Bulkhead shouted as he balled up his fists. "I'm going in after her."
Optimus stopped him. "Bulkhead, Miko might be detained, but she is safe from harm." He reassured Bulkhead.
Shortly, in the Museum's Security Room,
Miko and the security guard were back in his office. Miko just sat there looking bored as he tapped his fingers on his desk and watched her with a look that clearly said, 'I'm not amused but not angry at you'. After escorting Miko to the security room, he locked her inside and went back on his search, finding the front of the museum destroyed.
"Look, kid. I don't know how you got in here but if you had anything to do with what happened to the front of the museum, then you should know that the authorities are on their way." The security guard told Miko. "It'd go a whole lot easier for you if you just told me what happened and if you saw anything out front." He said, trying to get her to talk.
"I was doing research for my history report. I just lost track of time and got trapped in here after closing." Miko lied very convincingly. "I was just looking for a way out when I heard the explosion as well."
The security guard gave Miko a questioning look. "Well, seeing as it might be a while before the police get here, why don't you tell what your history report is all about?" The security guard asked with a smug smirk. "I'd love to know."
"Uh…" Miko trailed off as she tried to think of what to say.
Meanwhile, at the Autobot Base,
Optimus was issuing his next commands. "In all likelihood, Starscream will use the Energon Harvester to gather as much Energon as quickly as he can on the planet's un-mineable Energon deposits." He said as the team was going to have to divide to cover the different areas. "Approach with extreme caution. Starscream will not hesitate to use the Harvester on anyone of us."
Bumblebee was sent to a forest area, Arcee went to a desert area, and Elita was sent to national park. Bulkhead was about to go through but was stopped by Optimus. "Bulkhead, it is best you remain here." Optimus stated.
"So I can bust Miko out of the museum?" Bulkhead asked quickly, still not liking that they had to leave his charge behind.
"To help Ratchet." Optimus corrected. "You might be Miko's guardian, but she requires human assistance. Agent Fowler remains her best option." With that said, Optimus transformed and drove through the vortex.
Bulkhead watched the vortex close in disbelief.
"You've reach Special Agent William Fowler. I am current on an intensive training retreat and unavailable until Tuesday." Fowler's recording played.
Raf was trying to contact Fowler. "Still no answer." He said to Bulkhead.
Bulkhead was furious. "Fowler's lounging around some poolside cabana. Ragh!" He growled before he pounded his fist down on the nearest object…which happened to be one of Ratchet's tools.
"Bulkhead, I NEED THAT!" Ratchet shouted angrily.
"We can free Miko, if we just get that Harvester back to the museum." Bulkhead said.
"So the Decepticons can steal it again?" Ratchet questioned.
Bulkhead realized the stupidity of the suggestion and grabbed his head. "I am so dumb!" He shouted to himself.
"So how are we going to help Miko?" Jack asked Ratchet.
"By returning this replica to the museum." Ratchet answered as he held up an almost compete replica of the Harvester. "The construction of which would be going a whole lot faster if Bulkhead hadn't just mangled my FRAME WELDER!"
"We've became trespassers and thieves. Might as well make it a hat trick and add forgery to the list." Mark commented dryly.
Bulkhead sighed. "I wish I never took Miko to the…" He started to say when he suddenly remembered something. "The painting of the Harvester isn't the only thing we've found in those Ruins."
"I'm sorry?" Ratchet asked in confusion.
"Starscream's not dumb." Bulkhead stated as he explained his thought to Ratchet. "No matter what kind of tool he has he's going to take the easier way."
At the Ruins of Ancient Greece,
The Decepticons were preparing to harvest the Energon. "Why move mountains now when we have a mother lode of Energon right here for the taking?" Starscream said as he held up the Energon Harvester in his hand. "Courtesy of this gift from ancient Autobots."
"Uh…actually Commander Starscream, it was a gift from Breakdown and myself." Knockout corrected as he and Breakdown stood behind Starscream.
Starscream just sighed in frustration and aimed the Harvester at the both of them, causing them to cringe in fear. Starscream fired the Harvester towards them but instead of hitting them, the beam it a Vehicon that stood guard.
The Harvester opened slightly and the Energon from the Vehicon was being drained. He moaned and yelped in pain as he felt his life force being sucked out of him and flow into the harvester. Starscream watched in sick fascination. With a few choked gasps and pleas for mercy, the Decepticon drone had fallen face first onto the dirt-and-stone-composed ground below, dead. Knockout and Breakdown stared in horror. The Harvester closed when its job was over.
"All that Energon in such a tiny vessel." Starscream said as he admired the Harvester's work.
"Those ancient Autobots never missed a trick, Lord Starscream." Knockout said, sucking up to Starscream, with Breakdown nodding in agreement.
Starscream glared at the two Decepticons and aimed the Harvester at them. The two trembled and cowered in fear as they tried to shield themselves. However, instead of using it on them, Starscream moved it towards the otherwise un-mineable Energon and activated the Harvester. The blue substance that was their very life source flowed from the crystals into the harvester.
They were unaware that Bulkhead had arrived and witnessed everything. 'It seems that Jack and Mark were right on the money.' Bulkhead thought after he saw what Starscream did to the Vehicon. He quietly slid down the hill and began running towards the Cons. His actions were unnoticed…until he accidently stepped on a clay pot, shattering it completely.
Knockout and Breakdown turned and saw Bulkhead.
"Oh scrap." Bulkhead cursed as he smacked his forehead.
Breakdown shifted his hand into his sledgehammer and Knockout pulled out his Energon prod. "Back for seconds?" Breakdown teased before they both darted towards Bulkhead. Breakdown went to the Bulkhead's left and Knockout went after the right.
"Uh?" Bulkhead said as he tried to think of what to do. On his right, Knockout was spinning the staff rapidly like it was a baton. To his left, he saw Breakdown pulling back the arm that had the hand replaced with his hammer. Seeing that he had no other options, Bulkhead simply ducked down.
As Bulkhead ducked, Breakdown ended up smashing Knockout in the face with his hammer instead. Knockout was sent flying and lost his grip on his staff. Bulkhead snatched up the Energon prod and, much like Knockout had done to Optimus as the museum, Bulkhead stuck the prod into Breakdown's neck, knocking him out.
Bulkhead was satisfied as he watched his old enemy twitch in pain from the electrical currents coursing through his veins. He couldn't help but see this as payback for what Breakdown and Knockout did to Optimus back at the museum. However, when he turned around, Starscream activated the Energon Harvester and the beam hit Bulkhead square in the chest. The former Wrecker was suddenly moaning and gasping as he felt the Energon being sucked from his body. He fell over onto all fours
Starscream sneered evilly as he watched the Energon being sucked out of Bulkhead. "You're a big one. This could take a while." He sneered.
Bulkhead suddenly got an idea. It would indeed take longer for Starscream to drain him than it did the Vehicon, which meant he had a chance to do something about the Harvester. Deciding to do what he did best, Bulkhead used all his strength to get back up to his feet and stomp towards Starscream.
The would-be Decepticon leader was caught off guard by Bulkhead's actions. "Wait? What are you doing?" He asked in surprise.
"What I do best." Bulkhead answered as he grabbed the Harvester with one hand. "Breaking things!" He punched Starscream on the face with his other hand. The blow sent Starscream flying head first into the wall.
Bulkhead took the Harvester and crushed it in his hand. This caused the Harvester to start shooting out sparks, as it was short-circuiting. Seeing the sparks, Bulkhead pulled his servo back and chucked the device into the air. Moments later, the Harvester exploded, releasing a wave of Energon that quickly dissolved into nothing.
Bulkhead wobbled a bit before he fell backwards onto the ground. He was exhausted from the amount of Energon drained from his body by the Harvester.
Knockout and Breakdown had recovered from Bulkhead's onslaught and not stood over the collapsed Autobot. "He's a glutton for punishment." Knockout commented with a sinister smirk.
Before they could do anything, a GroundBridge vortex opened. The rest of the member of Team Prime emerged and immediately started firing their guns at the Decepticons.
Breakdown shielded his face with his arm. "Fight?" He asked his partner.
"Mmm, drive." Knockout corrected, as they were seriously outgunned.
They both transformed and drove out of the area as fast as they could. Starscream saw how things gone horribly wrong, so he transformed to jet mode and flew out of there.
The Autobots all surrounded Bulkhead who looked up at his friends and smiled. "Hey." He said weakly.
A few hours later, inside the Museum Security Room,
Miko was concluding her report. "And of course there's the principles of Deus ex Machina, uh the God of Machines." She stated. "It's that part in Greek storytelling where a character appears out of the blue to make everything right."
"That so young lady?" The guard asked. "I'm pretty sure the police would be interested to hear about your History report."
There was a knock on the door before it was swung open, revealing Agent Fowler. Fowler took a quick glance around the room as he entered and pulled out his badge to show the guard. "Special Agent William Fowler," Fowler introduced himself as he flashed his badge for the guard. "The stolen property has been located and restored in museum premises."
The guard was suspicious of the federal agent's claim but when he turned to the screen and saw the orb was there, looked at the screen and the orb was back on the statue. The guard had spotted the orb missing earlier and that it was still on the screen when he returned. Figuring that someone had hacked the computer systems, he turned off the screen and ran the security system check. The screen automatically came back on when the scan was complete while Miko was giving her report but the guard hadn't noticed until just now. The golden orb, unbeknownst to the guard, was actually the replica that Ratchet had constructed.
Fowler walked over to Miko. "The girl comes with me." He stated as he pulled Miko up to her feet. "I'll make sure she gets home safely." He then reached into his jacket and pulled out Miko's cellphone. "You dropped your cell phone, miss." Fowler told her as he gave it back before ushering towards the door. "Found it on the floor right next to your History report." He said the last part loud enough to make sure the guard had heard him.
Outside the museum,
Miko gasped with surprise as Bulkhead pulled up to the curb. She turned to Agent Fowler. "Off you go." Fowler said as Miko gave him a thumbs-up.
She hopped in the passenger side. "Good timing, Bulk." Miko complimented as she hoped into her friend's vehicle mode and bulked up. "I was running out of history factoids. Stuff I didn't know I knew."
"Looks like you're smarter than you let on." Bulkhead complimented.
"Under pressure." Miko added.
"Me too." Bulkhead agreed with a chuckle.
He then started to drive out of the parking lot in order to head back to Base. "I can't wait to finish my History report!" Miko said excitedly. "I'm gonna write all about how the Autobots interacted with ancient civilization!"
"Uh, I'm not so sure that'll get you into college, Miko." Bulkhead stated nervously.
To Be Continued…