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Chapter 12: Home

[Date: July 10th, 2012 Time: 3:00 PM [CDT] Location: Dwight D. Eisenhower Airbase, 30 miles east of Pekin, Iowa]

The airbase was as quiet as it could ever be, due to the fact that not much action has happened in the Midwest as of late. (Except what happened last year in Chicago) After a few moments of calm and beauty, the sound of airplanes started to fill the air. Then, two F-22s appear over the horizon from the east, landing at the airbase along with four C-17s and four Quinjets; filled with N.E.S.T and S.H.I.E.L.D. soldiers. Shortly after all the planes landed safely, all the weapons and any extra equipment that was needed for this mission were pull out of the carrier planes and being assemble in a timely fashion. The sound of unease and hostility replaced the calm mood of the airbase. Every solider and personnel were moving as quick as they possibly can in order to strike the enemy before they are detected.

While the soldiers were getting everything ready for this mission, the Autobots were being unloaded from the C-17s and were being directed towards an open area so they could transform and prepare for battle. Bumblebee and Mirage went towards the open area as soon as they were unloaded but Optimus drove over to one of the C-17s and waits for the cargo to be unloaded. After a few minutes of waiting, most of the cargo was unloaded except for one major piece of cargo: Optimus' trailer. Optimus backs up into the plane slowly until he connects with his trailer. Once he was connected, he drives forward very slowly until the entire trailer was out of the plane. He drives the trailer towards the open area where the other Autobots are. The trailer was all shiny and gray with blue trimming on the sides and a long white line that has a gray Autobot logo at the end of the trailer. The cover over the wheels was the same style and color as the paintjob of Optimus.

When he reaches Bumblebee and Mirage, he stops for a moment or two to unhitch his trailer, then he pulls up another 15 feet and transforms into his robot mode. After he transforms, the trailer also transforms into a weapon holding platform, filled with extra guns, shields, swords, ammo, and can also turn into a jetpack for Optimus to use. The platform also holds a few extra guns for the other Autobots such as Bumblebee and Mirage. Optimus, Bumblebee, and Mirage walk over to the weapon platform and went over every weapon to make sure that all the necessary weapons and ammo were accounted for.

Across the way was Skyfire, who was still in his jet form, waiting for the passengers and equipment inside to be unloaded so he can transform without hurting anyone or damaging anything. His back door slowly lowers to the ground to let out the passengers inside. The first one to exit Skyfire was Captain America with his trusty shield on his back. Right behind him was Natasha with her two pistols, loaded to shoot on first contact. Right behind her was Clint, holding a special carrying case for his specialized bow and also had his special arrows on his back. After Clint came out, Captain William Lennox walks out of the Autobot with his serious face on. After a few moments of silence, the last passenger walks out of Skyfire.

It was Derek James, the rookie of the group, so to speak. When his feet touch the ground of the airbase, he gave out a long breath and starts to walk towards the group. While he was walking the short walk, his mind was filling up with the memories of the time he spend in the state of Iowa. Iowa was his home, his stomping ground, and he never would have thought that he would come back only to save it from destructive robots that were threatening the same place that he had many memories of prior to becoming a soldier. Clint looks behind him and saw the slow moving soldier with a sad look upon his face. He stops for a second to let him catch up as he wants to talk with him. When Derek had caught up with him, he starts to walk beside him.

"You okay kid?" Clint said to Derek as both of them walks forward.

"Yea." Derek said, "I'm okay."

"Then what is the matter?" Clint said.

Derek gave out a long breath and said, "I never thought that I would come back here to get rid of Decepticons. This place is my home, and I can't stand to think what will happen if they destroy the very place that I lived most of my life at."

"I know how you feel." Clint said, "I was born not far away from here."

"Really?" Derek said, "Where were you born at?"

"I was born in the town of Waverly, Iowa." Clint said.

"You were born in Iowa?" Derek asked him.

"Yes I was." Clint answers, "My father owned a butcher shop on the main square in Waverly."

"Wow." Derek said.

"Unfortunately, my brother and I had to leave when our parents were killed in a car accident." Clint said with some sadness in his breath, "We were taken to an orphanage on the east coast."

"I'm sorry." Derek said.

"No, don't be." Clint said, "What's done is what's done, we can't change our past, no matter how much we want to. The only thing we can do is change our future."

"Then my future is ready to be written." Derek said as he cracks a small smile, the first time he has smiled in quite some time.

"As is mine." Clint said, "Now let's go get this thing done."

Derek nods his head and said, "Agreed". Both Clint and Derek start to walk a bit faster to catch up with the rest of the group.

After a few minutes of walking, the group finally reach where the Autobots are at the moment. Optimus turns to them and said, "Are we almost ready to go?"

"Right about." Lennox said, "We should be ready to go in about 20 to 25 minutes."

"Good." Bumblebee said, "I want to get this done as soon as we can."

"So, where are we going again?" Steve asked.

"We are going to a former naval training base not far away from our current location." Optimus said. "If the Decepticons and their benefactors have made the base into a fortress, then we must be prepared for anything."

"Where would they be holding the scepter at?" Natasha ask.

"Of that we don't know." Optimus said.

"Then we will have to search the whole school for it." Derek said, "It's the only place that they can hide it without making too much noise."

"Okay." Lennox said, "So where do we start looking for it?"

"We should start in the elementary and make our way into the high school." Derek said.

"Then it's settled." Steve said. "But, in order to find the scepter, we need a diversion to bring out the Decepticons so the rest of us can go look for the scepter." After thinking for a moment or two, he snaps his fingers and said, "Okay here is what we do: we will divide into 2 separate groups: Group A and Group B. Group A will go to this open area beyond the Fieldhouse and start making a disturbance to make the Decepticons exit the school building in pursuit of you. Meanwhile, Group B will enter though the back of the school and try and locate the scepter."

"Terrific." Mirage said in a sarcastic voice, "Just what I wanted to do today: be the target."

"Come on Mirage," Bumblebee said, "It will be just like old times."

"Yea," Mirage said, "The times that I almost got my spark ripped out of me."

"There is no time for an argument." Clint said to the complaining Autobot, "The sooner we find this scepter, the quicker we can leave."

"Yea yea, I know." Mirage said, "So I guess that Bumblebee and me are part of Group A?"

"That's correct." Steve said.

"Great." Mirage said, "This will be fun."

"Also we will have Optimus join Group A along with Clint and some soldiers led by Lennox." Steve said.

"Why do I get all the tough jobs?" Clint said quietly to himself.

"Now, Group B will consist of Derek, Natasha, some S.H.I.E.L.D. and NEST soldiers and myself." Steve continues, "We will hang back for a few minutes to allow most of the Decepticons to go outside to deal with Group A. We will infiltrate the back end and look for the scepter."

"Alright!" Lennox yells out to the soldiers in the background, "We have a plan of attack, and now let's get moving! I want us to leave in ten minutes." All the soldiers started to run faster to get ready for the battle.

After a few minutes of finishing preparations, all the soldiers were ready to mobilize. Leading up front was Optimus Prime with his trailer connected to his back with Captain Lennox sitting in his cab. Right behind him are Bumblebee and Mirage ready to roll. Sitting inside of Bumblebee are Clint and his gear, ready to put some arrows into them, especially after the 'fun' time they had among the Helicarrier. Mirage was carrying Captain America, Natasha, and Derek. Right behind the Autobot are many different vehicles including a few transport vehicles to transport soldiers, vehicles with powerful machine guns on the top, and a few tanks, ready to fire at a moment's notice. When the 'Ready to Roll' signal was called out, Optimus starts to move forward with everyone following him, heading towards their destination.

[Date July 10th 2012 Time: 2:30 PM [MDT] Location: Alberta, Canada]

It was very peaceful and quiet in the dense forest of the territory of Alberta, Canada. The sound of different calls of wild animals can be heard from any part of the forest. The trees just stood there, not moving in the least. After a few minutes of quietness, the quiet air started to be filled by the sound of car engines. Over the horizon of the endless forest came some vehicles that are not native to this area. Out in front was a light blue motorcycle driving surprisingly without a driver. Right behind that motorcycle are a light green search and rescue vehicle along with an orange Chevy Trax and a green Chevy BEAT. Right behind them are 2 transport vehicles filled with S.H.I.E.L.D. and NEST agents.

After a mile of driving, the front four vehicles stop at the end of the rock road and they transform. The motorcycle transformed into a warrior type robot, the search and rescue vehicle transforms into a field medic type, and the other two vehicles transform into a couple of robots that were like the kids of the family, so to speak. The motorcycle pulls out a tracking device and starts to point it towards the north, hoping to find something important.

Will they find the scepter in time?

What is the mysterious item in Canada?

Stay tuned and find out

Author's Notes: Alright, the setting is set for the first of many battles that are yet to come. Please keep the reviews coming because I am very grateful of all your reviews and ideas. Keep on reading, true believers, on to Chapter 13.