Back again. ^^ I hope you enjoy the chapter 10 of this story.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except my OC. Viper belongs to Dragonmaster789.
Rating: Safe
"Lord Megatron."
"Yes, what is it, Knock Out?"
"We have discovered a new relic. Its signal just popped up on our radar."
"The Autobots?"
"Unlikely, my liege. Most likely due to natural powers."
"Understood. Go fetch it, Knock Out."
"Err… My liege, it's on a highly… mountainous area. Perhaps someone with wings?"
The Decepticon Lord rolled his optics.
"Very well. Dreadwing, secure the container."
"With pleasure, Lord Megatron."
The medic grunted as he shielded his helm from the falling debris, slipping from the narrow rim.
"By the AllSpa-!"
"Ratchet, take my hand!" Ionette shouted diving down.
The mech extended his arm and the flyer grabbed it. Activating her thrusters the black jet was able to push the two out of the direct path of the crumbling mountainside –and into the clear sight of their attacker.
"Who are you?" A voice echoed over the rumbling of the stones and engines.
Ratchet, hanging off of Ionette's arm, glanced at the dark blue jet looping past them.
"Ionette! Find a landing spot before the mountain takes us down with it!"
"Or before he takes us down," the femme answered keeping her optic on the Decepticon while scanning for a suitable edge for emergency use. Finding one she accelerated towards it. "Brace for… Ugh!"
"…Impact?" the medic finished, lying on his face on the small patch of grass, one leg partly drooping over his helm.
The silvery-black femme let out a snort-like scoff, but was quickly on her pedes.
The sound of laser beams ricocheted from the walls of the mountains, amplifying with each echo as the steady rumbling of an engine grew louder.
"Ratchet, move!" The jet snarled and grabbed the white-and-red mech by the arm, jolting him up and against the rock face.
The shots hit the ground where the two had been half a click earlier.
"By the AllSpark! How can we do battle on a terrain like this?" Ratchet cried out as a part of the edge collapsed into the valley below, far below.
"You can't. I can," Ionette reminded. "Can you ascertain the location of the container?"
"I… wish I could," the mech vented, "but I left the radar at the point where we landed earlier. And even if I had it, I couldn't even ascertain our own location."
"Well, just before I dove to save you I got a word to base. They're coming to help."
Ratchet blinked. "How did you manage that?"
"Your point?"
"I mean," the medic started, "that the mountains here mess up the communications systems. It's a technical impossibility to reach base from here."
Ionette arched an optic ridge. "Yet I did…. How?"
"How indeed."
The two looked at each other doubtfully. And just as the medic had started to trust her…
A shot hit the mountain close by. Ionette kept her gaze on the sky, but the Decepticon had rotated behind one of the peaks.
"Ratchet," the femme spoke out, "could it be possible that someone else boosted the signal so that the others would receive it and come to our rescue?"
"Are you saying that someone purposefully planted a relic here, then let it be discovered by 'natural events', so that they could lure us out?"
"Or one of us."
The red-and-white mech scoffed: "That would take precise planning, and patience. Not to mention it wouldn't be too effective. Too many unaccounted variables."
The femme folded her arms, pacing a bit. "I dare to disagree. It could have been placed yesterday, and the avalanche could have been triggered by an explosion."
"So you're saying the timing had to be exact. Pfft, please, not even the Decepticons plan that detailed."
"They might, if it's for an important cause."
The medic rolled his optics: "Very well, I'll humor you. Who then? Optimus?"
"Viper. "
"Huh?" The femme snapped back to her thoughts. "Yes?"
"You… alright?" Wheeljack asked with his normal, scruff voice.
"Yeah, just thinking. If something were to happen to Ratchet…."
"I could never forgive myself," Optimus said grimly. "Activating Ground Bridge. Autobots, prepare for everything."
The green portal opened with a reassuring whoosh. As Optimus took point he turned around: "Bulkhead, remain to watch over the base and the controls. We will call if we require backup."
"Yeah, sure thing," The green mech mumbled, disappointed for being left behind.
"I'll kick some 'Con tailpipe for you, Bulk!" the white Wrecker called out over his shoulder.
"I bet you will, Jackie," the big mech chuckled and watched as the rest of his comrades ran through the whirling glow. "I just hope Ratch will be okay."
"I see you, Autobot scum!" Dreadwing hollered and transformed mid-air. His hand went to grab his gun and a sneer crept to his face. "You shall pay dearly for what you did to my brother!"
He landed on the same cliff opening with a loud thud.
"What is he talking about?" Ionette asked, her optic frantically searching for a way out. The Decepticons' second-in-command had them pinned down.
"Skyquake," Ratchet answered, scooting closer against the face of the mountain, activating his blade. "He blames Optimus and us all for his death."
The black jet tilted her helm to look at the blue jet. A cold wind whistled between the mountaintops. The red-and-white medic glanced at her, before turning his attention back to the blue mech in front of them.
"It is not honorable to get rid of us this way!" he shouted to the Decepticon.
Anger flashed in the jet's red optics and he brought his gun up.
"Do not speech to me about honor, doctor! It is you Autobots to blame for everything! Ridding the universe of you will be - -"
"Stand down, Dreadwing!" Optimus hollered and fired a warning shot mere inches away of the 'Con.
All optics snapped to the group of Autobots standing on a bigger opening a bit away on the face of another mountain.
"Optimus," Ratchet breathed and relief took over his circuits. The medic had had enough of excitement for one day.
"Don't count yourselves saved just yet," Dreadwing spat and fired at the rock ground beneath them.
"Happy landings!" The jet hollered and transformed out of the way, as the land collapsed from under their pedes. Making sure his enemies were truly done for he shot at the mountain above them.
Once again the two Autobots were falling, the walls coming crushing down on them.
"This is starting to be a habit…!" the medic hollered and involuntarily shut his optics.
"Yes… One bad habit," Ionette answered and grabbed the mech as everything crumbled around them. "Hang on, it's going to be a rough- Ugh!"
"NO!" The Prime cried out as the mountain came down. He lifted his gun and fired at the retreating Decepticon, the others following his cue.
Dreadwing, avoiding the lasers, looped back to engage the remaining Autobots.
"Keep him busy, Optimus!" Viper said and ran to the edge optics searching for her fellow 'Bots. Optimus obliged, firing with both of his weapons and succeeding in keeping the fighter jet away.
"We got to help them," Arcee said and came to stand next to the young lavender-blue femme. She could see the two hanging off of what now was just a rim of the opening they had moments ago been standing on, falling rocks and ice miraculously not hitting them and pulling them down –for now.
"Yeah, 'Cee, but how?" Wheeljack grunted as he shot a falling boulder to pieces. "We can't exactly fly."
"True," Viper cut in, "but we can do something similar."
The Wrecker and the motorcycle stared at her. Viper flashed a smile and quickly clicked a sub-pocket open. She pulled out a triple-twisted metal cord and a grabbing hook.
"Hey, I haven't seen those things since the war for Cybertron. Strong stuff," Wheeljack chuckled crossing his arms.
"Hopefully enough to hold us three," the grounder answered and received confused looks.
"Don't think, act!" She snapped and looped the cord around a nearby boulder. "Hang on to it and pull us up when I yank."
With that she jumped from the cliff and into the mix of falling rocks and snow, the cord securely around her waist. Bumblebee and Wheeljack dashed to grab the moving wire as Arcee shot apart as many boulders and ice pieces as she could.
"Ionette! Ratchet!" The femme called out, closing the mess of falling debris.
The black flyer turned her helm at the voice. 'Viper…?'
"Grab my hand!"
Ionette turned around as much as she could and, dragging Ratchet with her, kicked them away from the wall and extended her free servo towards her friend.
'Almost…' Viper thought as her fingers brushed with the jet's. 'A little more…!'
...And a shot brought her down.
...I know, quite a lot of dialogue. Sorry ^^' As always, comments, reviews, ideas and requests are welcome and appreciated.