10. Drawn Out

We were all gathered in the command center ready to make the trip to Cybertron when all of a sudden an alarm began blaring out at us while a red light flashed. Ratchet gave the impression of paling as he pulled up a map of the local area and all of our eyes widened as the screen showed three squadrons of Decepticons quickly moving towards Jasper, two ground based, one in the air.

"Ratchet, reset the coordinates now!" Optimus shouted and Ratchet was quick to do so before he practically ripped the lever for the ground bridge down and all of us but him rushed through the bridge. We came out on the north road that led into Jasper to the sight of twenty-four vehicons rushing down the road with twelve flyers coming in over them. Seeing Soundwave among them, I cursed and said "Optimus, I'm pretty sure they're here for Smokescreen."

The others stiffened at that and Bulkhead said "They're not getting the kid. Not today, not ever."

"Agreed Bulkhead, Smokescreen, stick with me. Everyone else, keep the Decepticons away no matter the cost!" Optimus said and we all aimed our blasters at the closer flying Cons and opened fire. I held back my impulse of using any of my missiles since Soundwave was right there and instead focused on clipping the flyers' wings. I was able to make one crash before the flyers got close enough to do a strafing run and we all dodged as we returned fire. As I took down another flyer with a quick shot to its right thruster I saw that the car cons had gotten close enough to transform and start firing on us.

Narrowing my eyes as the flyers came back around, I said "Ok, I've had enough out of you guys." The Resonance Blaster on my right wrist extended into its firing mode and I fired it at the flyers in a sweeping wave knocking five of them off course, three of them clipping their wing mates forcing them to concentrate on staying in the air rather than firing on us. Turning around to the car cons, I blasted the leading one hard enough to rip his head off his torso. All of the car cons took one involuntary step back at the sight before they all went flying when I did another sweeping wave.

"Uh Tac, when did you get that from the vault?" Wheeljack asked with a strange tone in his voice. I'd put good money on him remembering the punishment Soundwave gave him with it.

I shrugged and said "Hey, if Smokescreen can use the phase shifter on missions then I should be able to use the toy I swiped when I helped Optimus reclaim the Forge. Optimus actually agrees if that makes you feel any better."

Whether or not Wheeljack did feel better I wouldn't know for a while because right as I turned my attention back to the fliers a ground bridge opened up right beneath me and my eyes widened as I fell through with a shout of "Damn it, not again!" I slammed onto metal and I didn't even wait to see where I was, I blasted the sonic gun down at the floor like I saw Knock Out do against Arcee and Bumblebee. Hearing even more metal hitting metal I glanced around to find myself surrounded by crumpled drones and Insecticons that were struggling to get up inside a room that looked like where Agent Fowler had been kept in the start of the show. Lips forming into a sneer even as my face shield snapped on, I said "Word of warning guys, I'm not in a good mood right now."

The next instant, one of the Insecticons let out a battle cry and launched itself at me. I grabbed its outstretched right arm and judo threw the bug into the floor and then stamped my foot into his face and blasted his face off with my boot thruster. As the force of the thruster forced me into the air, I twisted into a horizontal spin and drew my swords before I used both thrusters to launch myself at the next Insecticon in my sights and slammed by blades through its torso carving a gaping hole in it. A combination of my boot thrusters and swords left the rest of the Insecticons in pieces and I sheathed my swords and exited the room.

As I entered the hall the room was attached to, the sound of an alarm filled the hallway and the light took on a strobe light effect. Rolling my eyes, I transformed and flew as close to the roof as I was comfortable with and flew right over the heads of the responding Cons. I flew for a couple of minutes before I was sure what part of the ship I was in and I changed course slightly to a relatively out of the way com station. Using Starscream's memories, I activated it properly and said "Tac to Optimus, do you copy."

"Loud and clear Tac, where are you?" Optimus asked. I could hear the faint trace of relief in his voice but chose to ignore it.

"The Con's warship. Soundwave had a welcoming party waiting for me but I don't think he counted on my having the Resonance Blaster on hand." I said even as I glanced to the side when I heard rushing steps and quick drew my left blaster and put three shots into a drone rushing towards me, my other two shots unfortunately going wide.

"Tac, Soundwave managed to grab Smokescreen the same way they grabbed you." Bumblebee sent and I let out a curse before I sighed and said "Of course he did. I'll get the kid off this boat Optimus, you guys worry about cleanup." Translation, don't use the uncloak virus when someone was already on board and had a remote for the ground bridge.

"Understood." Optimus said and I cut the link before I transformed again and took off for Knock Out's lab.

I got to the door just in time to hear Megatron angrily yell "Where is the Relic you once held?!" Taking that as my cue, I slashed the doors with my swords in an x-cut and for good measure activated my right boot thruster as I kicked the door pieces in as I sheathed my swords. I came in with the Sonic Resonator hidden behind my back to the sight of Megatron, Knock Out, and Soundwave all spinning around to look at me with Smokescreen secured to a table. My optics narrowed and severe frown hidden by my face shield as I said "I'm only going to say this once: Let the kid go."

Megatron sneered and said "Really, you intend to take us on all by your own?"

In response, I pointed the Resonance Blaster at him, (And secretly enjoying the 'Oh Shit!' look that immediately appeared when the titan saw the weapon) and slammed him into the wall all the way across the lab. As Knock Out let out a yell of shock I turned the sonic gun towards Soundwave only to grunt as one of his cables attached to my armor and a shock began coursing through me. I gritted my teeth and wrapped an arm around the cable before I used everything in me to spin yanking the cable hard enough for Soundwave to fly into my other arm's elbow as it came around shattering his face plate. Taking an unwilling knee, I forced myself to turn towards Knock Out and shot him with the sonic gun sending him toppling over a table full of questionable medical tools.

Standing up with a groan I saw Megatron beginning to pull himself up and hit him with a second shot that sent him back to the floor actually cursing. I hobbled over to where I saw the Phase Shifter and picked it up, shooting Knock Out a second time as he scrambled up this time. Hitting Soundwave a second time as well just for good measure sending the communications chief into a wall as well, I quickly made my way to Smokescreen and put the Phase Shifter on him and turned it on. The kid was quick to properly grab me and rolled sending us through the floor to the sound of Megatron's yell of outrage and we crashed onto the floor one level down.

Letting out a groan, my face shield slid away as I said "Please tell me they didn't have time to take a look into your brain pan."

Smokescreen shook his head and said "Megatron now knows about the Omega Lock and where to find it."

"Damn it!" I cursed even as I pulled out the ground bridge remote and set it for an area ten miles outside of Tokyo and activated it. As Smokescreen helped me limp into the portal, I said "We need to get to base fast before Megatron can assemble his forces. Megatron's most likely going to have an army waiting for us at the Lock's location since he knows we'll be going there."

Smokescreen nodded as we came out of the portal and he immediately requested another bridge from Ratchet.

Location: Autobot Outpost Omega 1

Ratchet frowned as he scanned me and said "Tac, how in the name of Primus were you able to move after Soundwave electrocuted you? I'm picking up extreme amounts of residual electricity."

Groaning, I said "I think you can thank the fact that I have a jet as my vehicle form for that. It would not do for an interceptor to be knocked out of the sky from a lightning bolt if it was on patrol during a storm."

"Well then we'll have to be thankful that you are a flyer otherwise neither you or Smokescreen would be here right now and we'd have to use the uncloak virus to try and mount a rescue." Ratchet said with a frown. He finished his scan and said "Even then, until the residual electricity dissipates you are in no condition to go out into the field. You'll have to stay here while the others go to Cybertron."

I jerked my head up and said "Are you kidding me?! Megatron knows where the Omega Lock is now and he's sure to be waiting for them. We're going to need every Bot we've got."

"I'm afraid Ratchet's authority supersedes my own on this matter Tac." Optimus said as he walked over and said "If there is a large-scale battle ahead of us, we cannot be worrying over if you are going to be able to properly fight during the chaos of battle."

I sighed and said "I understand Optimus. Doesn't mean I have to like it though. Should I head to where we stashed the kids until this is all over?"

Optimus shook his head and said "It would not do to draw attention to the military base where Jack, Miko, and Raphael are currently hidden."

I sighed and said "I understand."

"Hey look on the bright side kid, you wrecked Soundwave's visor even better than I did." Wheeljack said as he came over and punched my shoulder as he continued "You're a regular chip off the old block, aren't you?"

I gave a small grin at that before I took the Sonic Resonator and held it out to Wheeljack and said "Here, you could put this to better use than I could right now."

Wheeljack shook his head even as he took it and said "Alright, but I'm not going to like leaving you without it while you're like this."

"Yeah well hopefully all the extra electricity in me will be gone by the time you guys get back." I said before I stood up with a groan putting a hand on the Wrecker's shoulder and continued "Be careful out there Wheeljack, you constantly kicking my tail pipe aside, I'd hate for anything to happen to my favorite teacher."

"Heh, I'll be alright, you just get better kid." Wheeljack said before we glanced over to where Optimus was as he said "Autobots, our situation has now become much direr. Megatron will no doubt be waiting for us on Cybertron, and this is one battle we cannot afford to lose. Gather the remaining relics from the vaults. This mission has gone from a stealth mission to a full out assault."

As the Autobots quickly went to do as they were told, Wheeljack turned back to me and said "Kid, go grab a grenade or two from the Jackhammer while we're gone. Something tells me you might need it later." I gave a nod and Wheeljack went over to talk with Ratchet.

I watched with troubled eyes as Alpha Trion's words once more went through my head and I muttered "Damn it, we're still sailing into that hurricane, aren't we?

FIN

Author's Notes: I officially hate painting interior rooms. I have to put a second coating up in my bathroom after I go donate blood tomorrow. On another note, whoever left a review of 'Kiltz?' next time send a PM with an actual name because I can't answer your question if you don't tell me who you are and I'm sure not answering it here. (Sticks tongue out)