Chapter 10 - Revenge.
As the large cargo ship plowed through the now smooth waters of the North Atlantic, the majority of it's crew were below deck, with only a few of the early risers making the most of the pale early morning sunlight. The ship had met with a small but intense storm the night before and several hours had gone into making sure the storage containers were secure as well as the extra cargo of several large construction vehicles. The crew had thought it odd that said machinery was out on deck and not sealed away in one of the massive containers as normal, but their captain had reassured them that this is where they were meant to be, as they had been a late addition to the load they were sailing with. However fighting against strong winds and driving rain to strap down machines that almost seemed to be fighting against them had taken its toll on the crew and as their course across the ocean had now settled back to the slow and steady pace that was more familiar to them, they were making the most of the well deserved break that they had been given by their equally exhausted captain.
However in the cold light of day, the majority of the exhausted crew thought no more of the events of the previous night, but during their struggles the previous night, a few of them had paid attention to the flash of light that had lit up the deck and the resounding crash that had accompanied it. Those that had noticed it had put it down to a lone flash of lightning and resulting thunder-clap and thought no more of it as they'd continued to struggle with the wind and rain, but its origins were far more deadly than anything nature as they knew it could send for.
Snarling in disgust as the scent of the humans reached his receptors, Ravage slunk round the containers he'd hidden behind since landing on the ship during the storm, his metal body low to the ground to avoid detection until he reached his targets. As he rounded the last container, he growled in triumph as he saw the plant machinery sitting innocently on the open deck. Moving closer he recognised the Decepticon insignia and called out softly in Cybertronian. Moving back as he felt the first stirrings of recognition, Ravage continued to watch through shining optics as all the machinery began to move, breaking the feeble bonds that had been placed upon them by the humans, before quietly and efficiently transforming into their true Constructicon bi-pedal modes. As they reached their full heights, no longer contained in their alt modes, their red optics burned fiercely and they gazed around what had been their prison before their receptors picked up on Ravage's presence below them. Despite the size difference, the Constructicons bowed their heads respectfully to the smaller Decepticon, awaiting their orders.
Upon seeing their deference, Ravage growled in satisfaction before purring gleefully as he passed their orders to them via their com-links. As the message was received and understood, the massive robots launched themselves off the edge of the ship with surprising grace before powering down through the water. Ravage followed their progress before looking around the ship once again before he too leapt into the water, pleased with himself that his mission had been carried out unnoticed as his small but powerful frame plowed through the darkness of the ocean.
However the Decepticons pride in his abilities had not accounted for the U.S.S Topeka, which was making its routine patrol deep below the surface of the water. As its team of skilled technicians viewed the sonar screens, one of them realised that his screen was picking up something that was far from normal and that given their site, could be of vital importance to security. He double checked the information that was racing across his screen, before speaking into his pickup in a confident tone that hid the racing of his heart, "Conn, Sonar. We're picking up new contacts, possibly five. Bearing two-fourteen, range two hundred and dropping fast. Possible hostile, and heading for Project Deep Six drop point". The captain of the sub crossed over to the screen and fought back the gasp of surprise when he saw how quick the objects were moving but there was no mistaking the astonishment in his voice as he spoke to his team, "That's on the bottom at ninety-three hundred feet. Only our unmanned vehicles go that deep, and we don't have any in the vicinity right now". As he straightened up, the orders that all commanders around the Deep Six area were given raced through his head, and he barked out the orders he'd only ever practised before in his head, "Man battle stations now, then prepare to dive and dive deep".
Either unaware or uncaring that their presence had been detected, the Constructicons came to rest on the sea bed. As the clouds of mud billowed around their feet, a few lone lifeforms scattered at the appearance of these huge intruders into their world. As beams of light from their bodies cut through the blackness, a single gigantic shape became the focus of their attention, their sparks all racing as they calmly made sure the area was secure. Once this had been achieved, Ravage landed close to the unmoving hunk of metal and a smaller shape detached itself from the sleek bodywork of the spy and skittered over the cold metal that belonged to their fallen leader Megatron. As the larger Decepticons kept watch, the Doctor performed a swift but thorough examination of the silent form. Moving swiftly in and out of the battered body, he was gone for several moments before popping up through a ruined leg with his diagnosis.
"Need parts! Replacements! Kill the little one!".
The smallest of the Constructicons had only seconds to process the Doctor's orders before the larger 'Cons descended upon him. As they tore apart what had once been a comrade without hesitation, ignoring the electronic screams that echoed through the water as they did so, Ravage and the Doctor looked on with gleeful expressions as the required pieces were joined to Megatron, fixing the injuries he had sustained in the battle of Mission City when the human boy had destroyed him. However it was not enough just to repair him, this would not restore life so once the Doctor had finished sealing vital joints, he reached out a long delicate tendril towards Ravage, who was growling softly with a barely hidden excitement, "Ravage.. The shard, make Energon... Will heal".
Taking hold of the precious shard as Ravage passed it into his grasp, the Doctor smiled triumphantly as he plunged it into the hole in Megatron's chest. For a moment there was a collective silence as nothing happened, but suddenly the enormous body that had laid undisturbed for so long shuddered into life. Long still fingers clenched and unclenched with a hidden rage, before a shaft of intense blue light engulfed Megatrons body, sealing the hole in his chest and completing the procedure to return him to life. As his optics reopened, they were filled with an intense red light that burned through the darkness as he slowly straightened. A stream of communication flashed between the returned leader and his followers, causing Megatron to growl under his breath as he heard about the continued presence of the Autobots on Earth. As he processed the information he'd been given, he sensed a higher calling and looked up through the dark waters, towards his freedom, pushing off from the ground with a huge burst of power, his voice rusty as he spoke, "I am coming my Master".
oOoOo
Unaware of the cataclysmic events that were beginning to slowly unfold around them, Bumblebee slowly pulled into the driveway of the Witwicky's home, a sigh of relief pouring through his vents as he saw the welcoming light pouring out of the garage doors as they opened, framing Mikaela's familiar figure, "Hey beautiful.. Missed you". As Bee carefully rolled past her before coming to a stop, Mikaela could almost feel the tension coming from the Camaro, and she fought back her concerns for a second as she leant against the warm bodywork, resting her head against Bee's roof, "I missed you too Bee".
As he felt her rest against him, her own body warmth mixing with his, Bumblebee finally felt a sense of peace settle in his spark that had eluded him on the long drive back to Tranquility. For most of the drive back he'd been going over Sam's refusal to help, and communicating with Ratchet about the puzzle that was Alice, and the result was that his processors were aching fiercely as he'd still got no real answers for either unsolved problem. As he felt Mikaela's hand rest against the trembling frame of his alt-mode, Bee uttered a soft chirp, before his radio quietly flickered into life, "He said he couldn't do it, he just wanted to be normal". As he felt the rush of disappointment flood through his spark once again as he recalled Sam's refusal and the look of defeat in the optics of his Prime, Bumblebee realised just how much the young mans refusal had hurt, despite Bee understanding why it was Sam had refused to help. Even though the journey back to the college had been mostly silent, both Sam and Bee lost in their own thoughts, the youngest Witwicky had broken his silence to quietly apologise to Bumblebee and it had almost broken Bee's spark when he had heard the fear in the voice of one of those people he had sworn to protect, and that was the main reason that Bee had not pushed Sam harder to change his mind. Deep down Bumblebee knew Sam had the strength that was required to get over his fears somewhere within him, and if given time this would allow him to step up and give the Autobots the help they may so desperately need, and Bee just hoped that they would indeed have the time that Sam needed to come to this decision. However the young Autobot somehow instinctively knew that this time was not available to them and this meant the task would fall to the one human that meant more to him than even Sam, the young girl who was currently at his side, his Mikaela.
"Penny for them?".
"Sorry, penny for what beautiful?". Mikaela smiled to herself as she heard the confusion in Bumblebee's voice, and as she continued to stroke his still trembling bodywork with a comforting hand, she fought back her own concerns as she knew that there was more to Bumblebee's worries than just Sam's refusal to help although she could tell that now was not the time to ask, so instead she concentrated on calming the tired Autobot beside her, her voice gentle as she spoke softly, "Your thoughts. I could almost hear your processors whirring from here big guy. Sam's obviously got his own reasons for refusing, which although I may not agree with, I do understand. Mission City scared him so much and because of that there is nothing you, me or anyone else will be able to do until he is ready to change his mind". As she heard the sigh of air stream out from Bumblebees vents, Mikaela held back her own sigh knowing it wouldn't help matters, before continuing in a calm voice which showed no trace of the fear she felt at the thought of losing the Autobot who meant so much to her, and which could be a distinct possibility because of Sam's refusal, "So until then, we'll just stick to the plan of me returning to base with you when you've rested and see if we can't formulate a plan where those stiffs in the suits will have to listen to me". Bumblebee chirped in agreement, before a soft chuckle emitted from the radio, along with a soft voice, "They don't have a chance beautiful".
Hearing the amusement in Bee's voice and imagining the smile that would have been on the metal features she loved so much if he was out of his alt-mode, Mikaela smiled at the Camaro in return, "Oh I know they don't. Anyway you need to get yourself into a recharge big guy or I'm going to have to pull a Ratchet on you and as we're home alone while 'Hide and Chromia have returned to base, I want you in tip-top condition as soon as possible". As she heard the quizzical chirp from the Camaro, Mikaela laughed out loud and patted Bee gently on his bonnet, before placing a soft kiss on his roof, "Until you get some rest I'm not telling you why. Now recharge and I'll see you in the morning. Love you Bee". As she watched the Camaro slowly ease down onto its axles, Mikaela was relieved to see the trembling start to slow and her heart tripped happily as she recognised Bumblebees true voice quietly reply "Love you too... My Mikaela". Settling down on the sofa that remained in the garage, Mikaela knew it was the only place she would be able to sleep safely, but more than that as she watched the resting Autobot in front of her, Mikaela knew she would move heaven and earth to make sure the safety of the one she loved was ensured, whatever may come their way.
oOoOo
Following a trail of ancient memories that had not been lost over the hundreds of years that had been spent on Earth, Megatron flew through the cold darkness of space until he reached the jagged spires of the deserted planet that concealed the remains of the Nemesis. As he landed within the ruined ship, the Decepticon leader picked up upon another presence, and he called out in a voice that was almost as cold as the atmosphere around him, "Starscream, I'm home". From out of the shadows, Starscream reluctantly approached his revived leader, "Lord Megatron, I was so relieved to hear of your resurrection". As the Decepticon leader looked upon Starscream, once again his spark was filled with rage at having been abandoned upon the insect ridden planet, and he placed a careful finger under Starscream's chin, pressing against some of the jet's more delicate wiring to emphasise his disappointment, "You left me to die on that insect ridden planet, tell me why I shouldn't just offline you here and now before you can try to betray me once again". Starscream fought back a flinch as his circuits sparked, his voice distorting slightly as he hurried to explain his actions, "I swear I would not have left you willingly Lord Megatron, but I was needed here to help spawn our new army, who were to help in our search for you. The Fallen decrees it. After all, even in death, someone had to take command".
Megatron's spark burned furiously, and he slammed Starscream into the rusting walls, his optics burning furiously as he growled, "Even in death, there is no command but mine". Fighting for air where Megatrons arm was crushing him into the walls, the smaller Decepticon managed to croak out a few words, "Hatchlings. Careful". Megatron looked upon the small metal body that fell to the ground chattering furiously before falling silent with distaste. Releasing Starscream without as much as a second look, the Deception leader made his way through the remains of the ship to what appeared to be an abandoned chamber. As he entered, the walls appeared to shift and change, flowing together to create a visage among the ruins, the face of The Fallen.
Megatron looked upon the face, and he felt true disappointment in his spark as he spoke in a low voice to the only force in the universe that could, and would control him, "My master, I have failed you on Earth. The AllSpark is destroyed and without it, our race will perish".
Glowing optics of red looked out from the tangled metal, and a thin but powerful voice echoed through the silence, "No, our race may yet survive. There is another means of creating Energon, one that was hidden from me long ago. The AllSpark knew of its location". Megatron lowered his voice, "I told you my Master, it was destroyed and the last remaining shard was used in my rebirth". The ancient voice laughed hoarsely, "You have much to learn, my disciple. Can anything be truly destroyed, were you for instance?". Megatrons optics glowed with interest, "The AllSpark... It lives still?".
"Its essence can never be lost. The cube was merely a vessel, its power, its knowledge can never be destroyed. It is able to transform and adapt to its surroundings, and in this case it has been absorbed by the human child that destroyed you with it, I have felt it". Megatrons astonishment at the AllSparks survival was overtaken by a blaze of fury as he recalled the fateful day that he had been off-lined by the human insect that had been protected by Optimus, his memories also recalling the female insect who had helped the boy and whom the young Autobot scout had so eager to protect. His voice filled with a undimisnished hatred as he turned back to face the ancient Decepticon, "Well then let me strip the very flesh from his bones, and destroy the other human insects that the Autobots are so keen to protect too".
"Patience my young one, you will in time. For millenia, I have dreamed of my return to that wretched planet where I too was once betrayed by the Primes I too called brothers. Only a Prime can defeat me and now, only one remains. Find the boy and he will lead you to Optimus and then we can have our revenge upon them and we will both have the power we have sought". As an eerie silence descended once again, Megatron remained silent for a moment as he watched the face of The Fallen melt back into the hull of the ship, his processors dealing with this new information that could change everything.
Sensing an opportunity to try to redeem himself, Starscream approached Megatron slowly unwilling to incur the wrath of his own master once again, "My Lord, we have the boy in our sights, and the girl too. They will not escape our clutches again, as without more Energon the hatchlings will keep dying". Megatron smiled a feral smile, his optics shining with malice as he looked upon Starscream, his voice low and harsh as he turned and looked out into the darkness, "Then let us pay him a visit, and if the girl is there too then so much the better. I think it is about time that they realise that if death cannot stop me, nothing can".
oOoOo
A/N: Hi guys I am still alive and I am so massively sorry for the huge wait for an update, but a combination of a really bad case of writers block as well as still tryignt o get over the loss of my furbaby hasn't helped the writing process at all. Anyway I've slowly chipped away and here you go, Chapter 10 at last! Its not got much of our lovely twosome, but it does fill in a lot of the backstory which is kind of needed. Anyway fingers, toes and everything else crossed that Chapter 11 will be out sooner as looks like things are gonna start getting a little rough for our couple now Megatron is back on the scene :-/ xx
Anyway as always reviews are welcomed, many thanks to my new followers and reviewers, and thanks once again for your patience with me xx