REVIEW REPLIES!
Autobot Shadowstalker: CURSE YOU HARDSHELL! I swear after watching that episode I neay cried. Well one tear fell but can ya blame me? Anyway update soon because Talida, Miko, and Wheeljack are going to kick some Insecticon tailpipe!
Amen, brother!
AlphaTrion3145: So it's like… They will do it, but you won't write it! Like what they do in teen drama shows, they do it, but never show it!
Exactly!
Bee4ever: Good chappie! When I saw that episode, I thought Bulkhead was going to die!
Who didn't?
Awesomo3000: Out of all the relic hunt episodes, THIS one is the most intense! The first time I saw it, I was getting goosebumps the whole time! PLEASE update ASAP!
Chill out, dude. I'll update.
tfp-fan: when I saw this episode, I thought Bulkhead was gonna die! But who didn't? D:
Talida's gonna try and get revenge too? Even after sparing airachnid's life? Oh, god, I hope she realizes that even if they do kill hardshell, it won't make bulkhead's condition any different!
Please update when you can!
Er… It's Talida. What did you expect?
transformersfan: BULKHEAD, NOOO! D:
Talida's gonna try and get revenge on Hardshell too? Oh, come on! I get that she cares about Bulkhead, so do I, but come on! You'd think with her last encounter with Airachnid, se would've actually learned a thing or two about why you don't need revenge and how it won't bring back the ones you love! But no! She's gonna be a dumbass and go through with it anyway!
Just think about two things. What if she's still traumatized after the events in Fading Light? And…what if I decided to have Talida go on that mission rather than Bulkhead and that was her fighting for her life on that slab? What do you think Bulkhead would do out of guilt and need for revenge?
yorkmaniac89: I always hated the last part of this episode. It always got me mad
Get in line, pal.
Guest: Princess of Dreams
Eek! Insecticons are creepy! Please update!
Hey! Feel sorry for me! I have to write them!
haloangel21: Okay. I just the loved the part where Bulkhead forcibly threatens to kill Hardshell by shoving the ToxEN in his face while Hardshell tried to flee from it. :D
Next episode will be sad…where are the damn tissues? *sniffles*
Right here. *hands over tissues* I've been needing them since last chapter.
Transformers: Prime rightfully belong to Hasbro and The Hub.
© Talida Prime and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.
Shadow of the Day rightfully belong to Linkin Park and their respective record label.
I know the lyrics to Shadow of the Day off by heart! It might be because of the amount of time I listened to it during and after my plane ride to LA in September. What can I say? I love the song about as much as I hate Hardshell for what he did to Bulkhead and Hawaiian Airlines for their lousy service!
ENJOY!
"I closed both locks before your window.
I closed both blinds and turn away.
Sometimes, solutions aren't so simple.
Sometimes, goodbye's the only way…
Oh-oh-oh...
And the sun…
Will set for you…
The sun…|
Will set for you…
And the shadow of the day…
Will embrace the world in grey…
And the sun…
Will set for you…"
Previously on Transformers: Prime…
"Bulkhead, prepare for departure," Optimus instructed, "Rafael and Agent Fowler will be your communications and transportation hub."
"Who is the fiercest among you?" Megatron asked.
"I am Hardshell," Hardshell introduced himself.
"You will retrieve something for me," Megatron proclaimed.
"ToxEn!" Hardshell snarled.
"You're carrying it?!" Bulkhead heard Fowler exclaim in disbelief over the radio, "I thought that stuff was toxic!"
"Your spark is mine, Wrecker!" Hardshell vowed.
"CATCH!" Bulkhead challenged as he lobbed both the ToxEn and Hardshell into the volcano.
"That's right, soldier! Come on home!" Fowler cried as Bulkhead walked through the GroundBridge.
"The Wrecker left me alive. The last mistake he'll ever make," Hardshell spat before firing the fatal shot at the retreating Bulkhead.
"No!" Ratchet gasped in horror after seeing the unconscious and injured Bulkhead fly through the GroundBridge.
By the time Arcee, Jack, Talida, Miko and Bumblebee managed to find their way out of the subway system, night had rolled over the Big Apple and the city was coming to life. Trying not to be seen, the five of them drove to the rendezvous point. When they arrived, the GroundBridge appeared and they raced through it. Jack and Talida were riding Arcee. Miko was being driven around by Bumblebee. That meant that poor Bumblebee had to endure Miko's heavy metal torture. When the music came on, Bumblebee couldn't help but think to himself.
Where's Bulkhead when you need him?
"Hey!" Miko cried in protest when Bumblebee cut off the music, earning bleeps in response, "Let me guess. You and Raf spend all of your driving time listening to chip tunes?"
"Wha…?" Bumblebee bleeped in confusion.
"And I bet whenever you're with Tally, you have to listen to Linkin Park. I've taught her well," Miko smirked to herself as she reclined back in her seat, "Well, it's been fun! But I'm ready to get back to my regularly scheduled partner, Bulk-AHH!"
Arcee and Bumblebee suddenly skidded to a stop as they drove back into the base. The eyes of Miko, Jack and Talida widened in horror at the sight before them. Miko and Talida couldn't abandon their respective rides fast enough.
They saw Ratchet working on a patient on the ground with shock paddles. The patient, they realized, was Bulkhead. And to make the horror of the situation even worse, they noticed that Bulkhead wasn't responding to the Energon shocks.
"Bulkhead! Respond!" Ratchet pleaded.
"Oh my God!" Talida gasped in horror.
"Bulkhead?" Miko whimpered.
TRANSFORMERS PRIME
"In cards and flowers on your window,
Your friends all plead for you to stay.
Sometimes, beginnings aren't so simple.
Sometimes, goodbye's the only way…
Oh-oh-oh…
And the sun…
Will set for you…
The sun…
Will set for you…
And the shadow of the day…
Will embrace the world in grey…
And the sun…
Will set for you…"
"BULKHEAD!" Miko cried as she raced forward, only to have Fowler hold her back.
"NO!" Talida screamed as she raced forward.
"LIDA! STAY BACK!" Jack warned as he raced ahead and grabbed her arms to hold her back.
"What happened?!" Miko demanded.
"ToxEn exposure…among other things," Ratchet muttered the last part as he began scanning Bulkhead, "Bulkhead has suffered a complete systems failure."
"Hold on. ToxEn?!" Arcee repeated in disbelief.
"That stuff's almost as fatal as the Cybonic Plague!" Talida gasped in horror, "If not, more!"
"Help me get him into the medical bay! NOW!" Ratchet snapped.
Jack and Fowler continued to hold Talida and Miko back as they saw Arcee and Bumblebee race forward. Even when they divided Bulkhead's dead weight between them, they still couldn't find the strength to fully lift him up. His feet were scraping across the floor and they could hear his joints groaning against the treatment.
"No!" Miko cried.
"Let me go!" Talida snapped as she elbowed Jack in the stomach and raced forward.
"If we hadn't gone to New York…," Miko trailed off.
"There's nothing either of you could have done! Hardshell sucker punched the big lug while he was down!" Fowler blurted.
"Hardshell?!" Talida repeated in horror and disbelief.
"Who's Hardshell?" Miko demanded.
"Some Insecticon. It doesn't matter. The point is: it's neither of your faults!" Fowler reassured them.
"But it is mine!" Talida said, "Because that was supposed to be my mission! Bulkhead took my place so I could go with Jack, Miko, Arcee and Bumblebee to New York! It should be me heading into that medical bay! NOT BULKHEAD!"
"Talida, you went to New York because you were the only one who truly knew the place. Bulkhead understands, and I'm sure he's glad he went instead of you. There was no way you could've known that what happened would've happened. So stop blaming yourself and understand it isn't your fault! Got it?" Fowler said.
"Got it," Talida and Miko muttered as they walked away.
They walked to the edge of the med bay, where they saw Ratchet, Arcee and Bumblebee desperately working to keep Bulkhead alive. Jack wrapped his arms around Talida and Miko's shoulders and pulled them close while Raf squeezed Talida's hand. For Miko and Talida, it didn't change anything.
Bulkhead was still fighting for his life. They weren't able to do anything about it…yet.
"How is this POSSIBLE?!" Megatron boomed to Hardshell, Knock Out, Dreadwing and Soundwave, "Four relics each within our grasp! And yet only Soundwave has returned with something other than an excuse! Tell me, Hardshell. What is yours?"
"I have none, my lord," Hardshell confessed as he bowed to his master, "We failed to retrieve the ToxEn. But the green Autobot has been terminated."
"Then perhaps this day is not lost after all," Megatron mused.
"If that is true!" Knock Out cut in, "It has been a while since anyone extinguished an Autobot spark!"
"Because it has been a while since an Insecticon warrior has had to opportunity to do so!" Hardshell retorted.
"Really?" Knock Out drawled disbelievingly, "What about on Cybertron while Arcee, Talida and their human pet went to retrieve the Matrix of Leadership? Didn't your sentries match up to the task? Also, the bug under my recent command was utterly useless!"
"ENOUGH!" Megatron snapped, ending the growing tension and the potential argument between Hardshell and Knock Out, "Hardshell, are you certain that the Autobot known as Bulkhead has been exterminated?"
"By my very own hand, Lord Megatron," Hardshell boasted proudly.
If only they knew how wrong Hardshell was…
For Talida and Miko, the sight before them was sickening to say the least. Seeing Bulkhead hooked up to many machines and monitors that would help him do the simplests of tasks. Ratchet hooking him up to even more monitors, thinking that the ones he was already hooked up to weren't enough. Bumblebee watching on in worry ready to help if needed. Arcee monitoring Bulkhead's declining vitals. Optimus watching over the entire situation and comforting his distraught son.
Looking up, they saw Fowler standing in the area where they hang out whenever they were here on his cell phone. Immediately, they knew that something was wrong. And it wasn't just the situation Bulkhead was in.
"Yes, sir," Fowler sighed before hanging his phone and turning to face Optimus, "Turns out highlights of your Big Apple adventure got caught on security tape. The Pentagon needs me to run interference with the mayor. I tried to stall. But…"
"Go where you're needed, Agent Fowler. There is nothing more you can do for Bulkhead at this time," Optimus rumbled.
"Bullshit," Talida muttered in anger.
"Keep me posted, Prime. I mean it. On both of them," was Fowler's request before he glanced worriedly at Talida and left.
"Wheeljack's on his way," Arcee announced.
That caused Miko and Talida to perk up from where they were sitting. Immediately, they stood up and raced to the balcony.
"I can't believe you're giving up on Bulkhead already!" Miko snapped.
"All I meant is that Bulkhead and Wheeljack are close. I thought he'd want to be here," Arcee reasoned.
"We know what you meant," Talida muttered as she and Miko stormed off.
"Where are you going?" Optimus asked worriedly.
"Home while Fowler can still give us a lift," Miko answered as the two left.
Arcee immediately went to go after them. But when she felt the warm, gentle, loving hand of her spark mate on her shoulder, she had to stop.
"They need time," was all Optimus said.
After long, tireless hours, Ratchet sighed before turning to face the others,
"Bulkhead is stable for the moment. But I've had to induce stasis."
No sooner then had Ratchet said the words, they heard the sounds of an approaching engine. A sporty engine. Turning towards the entrance of the base, they saw Wheeljack approaching at rapid speeds in his vehicle form. He hadn't even finished pulling up before he transformed at rapid pace. He transformed so fast that he flew in the air and had to land on his feet.
"What's the damage, doc?" Wheeljack asked bluntly.
"Bulkhead suffered massive trauma to his central neural conduit," Ratchet answered.
"I've watched you work. You're a maestro," Wheeljack complimented, hoping that there was something that Ratchet could do to fix Bulkhead.
"The ToxEn exposure has caused system-wide shutdown on a submichronic level. I can't even begin to operate until he gains some strength," Ratchet announced gravely.
"You gonna tell me who did this to him?" Wheeljack immediately asked Optimus, his face remaining stoic.
"At the moment, I believe it is best to focus our attention on Bulkhead's recovery, rather than revenge," Optimus responded in a somewhat neutral, robotic voice as he gently passed Cayden on to his mother, satisfied in being able to at least have him slip into recharge.
"You do that," Wheeljack growled as he transformed and drove away.
"Wheeljack will most likely do something rash, you know," Ratchet warned Optimus.
"And I'm not sure we could stop him if we wanted to," Optimus confessed.
Optimus and Ratchet were correct. Ratchet was correct because Wheeljack did do something rash. He boarded the Jackhammer and took to the skies, hoping to begin his search for the one who did this to Bulkhead and extract his revenge. Optimus was correct because even if they wanted to stop him, they couldn't. Wheeljack is too stubborn. When he's focused on a mission, he doesn't stop until he sees it through.
After putting his ship on autopilot, he heard a series of quiet bangs. Wrecker instinct grappled him as he whirled around with his blaster at the ready. To his surprise, he saw Miko and Talida standing there casually. How they snuck aboard, he didn't know. And right now, he didn't care.
"What are you two doing here?" Wheeljack asked.
"Going after the 'Con who hurt Bulkhead," Miko answered as she and Talida stepped forward, "You in?"
"I'm taking you back," Wheeljack decided as he went to turn around.
"No! Wait!" Talida pleaded.
"Look. I get it. You want payback. You and me both," Wheeljack said as the girls climbed up onto the passenger seat.
"Bulkhead was our partner too!" Miko reminded him.
"You weren't the only partner he ever had," Talida added, "And I was meant to go on that mission! Not Bulkhead! Me! It should be me on that slab. So excuse me for wanting to get payback on the person who should've put me on that slab."
"Trust me. When I find out which one of Megatron's goons jumped our boy, I'll take care of him my way," Wheeljack vowed as he gestured to the grenade attached to his hip.
"I know who did it," Miko announced.
"Who?" Wheeljack immediately demanded, his intentions on taking the girls back to base long forgotten.
"Take us with you and we'll tell you," Talida promised.
That was more than enough to convince Wheeljack to allow them to come along. They had something on him. Just before, he didn't even know where to start. Then Talida and Miko come aboard and announce that they know who did it.
It couldn't be better.
"You should have seen the Wrecker's face when his spark expired, knowing that he perished at the hands of a true warrior," Hardshell boasted to other Insecticons as they roamed the halls of the Nemesis, "Lord Megatron now understands that the most difficult tasks are best assigned to an Insecticon!"
Then they heard two Vehicons mutter to one another,
"Pit-bound scavengers."
"Scrap eaters."
"What did you say?!" Hardshell demanded in anger.
Inside the medical bay, Knock Out was doing what he did best. Buffing his finish. He was glad for the opportunity to buff out the scratches and scrapes he had received during his encounter with Arcee, Jack, Talida, Miko and Bumblebee in the New York subways. However, there were some parts of the task that were difficult.
"Detailing was so much easier when Breakdown and Malita were around," Knock Out grumbled to himself…before hearing the sounds of blaster fire, "What is going on out there?! How am I supposed to concentrate-AAH!"
Knock Out opened the door to his med bay only to shriek and shut it as Hardshell threw a Vehicon in his direction. When he opened it again, the Vehicon was opening fire on Hardshell, causing the Insecticon to charge at him. Quickly, the Vehicon moved out of the way…and Knock Out was knocked down by Hardshell.
"I JUST BUFFED THAT!" Knock Out gasped in anger.
"You know where to find Decepticon mines?" Miko said in disbelief as they hid behind trees near a Decepticon mine.
"You seriously don't think I've been sitting on my cans since I got on this rock," was Wheeljack's retort.
"Shouldn't we be hitting an Insecticon hive?" Talida couldn't help but ask, "Considering that the warrior that put Bulkhead in the condition he's in is an Insecticon?"
"You're just saying that because you hate Insecticons," Miko grumbled.
"That to," Talida couldn't help but admit.
"The bugs are bound by a single mind. Trying to draw just one of them out would be impossible. So we're going to make some noise," Wheeljack smirked.
"And get the 'Cons to hand over Hardshell," Miko snarled.
"Now the two of you can sneak in and scope the place out a whole lot better than I can," Wheeljack smirked.
"I'll go," Talida decided as she whipped out her cell phone, "I'll keep in touch with Miko via video chat so you can see the mine."
"Be careful, Tally," Miko pleaded.
With the jobs decided, Talida walked into the mine and began recording. Through the video chat, Miko could see what Talida would see in the mine. Likewise with Wheeljack.
"We've got five, maybe six, troopers in the main cavern," Talida observed quietly, "And two more keeping an eye on things from the second floor."
"Good job, Rayna. Keep going."
"Why do you keep calling Tally Rayna?"
"It's a long story."
"There's another chamber," Talida saw as she hid behind a rock near the chamber and zoomed in, "Looks like it's a storage chamber. They're not mining anything from here."
Then the sound of static met her ears.
"Wheeljack! Miko! You there?!"
BANG!
Talida screamed as she narrowly avoided being crushed by a Vehicon thrown in her direction. Looking up, she saw Wheeljack coming in attacking Vehicons. Looking behind her, she saw Miko approaching her current position. As the younger Japanese girl helped her to her feet, she didn't hesitate to start firing upon Miko multiple questions that she knew the answer to because of how well she knew her.
"Did Wheeljack tell you to stay in the Jackhammer?" Talida asked somewhat knowingly.
"Yep," Miko nodded.
"And you came anyway," Talida sighed.
"Yep," Miko repeated.
"I love you," Talida smiled as the two shared a hug, "Look out."
The two girls ducked as a Vehicon appeared from nowhere and began opening fire on Wheeljack. Wheeljack easily stabbed the Vehicon with his swords and kick him away. As another Vehicon approached, Talida unsheathed her own sword and decided to join in on the fight. Moments later, the fight was other.
"Now what?" Miko asked.
"We give Megatron a shout," Wheeljack smirked.
"Just look what they've done!" Knock Out whined as he gestured to his scratched up body.
"Spare me the dramatics, Knock Out," Megatron sighed in frustration, "It's merely a scratch."
"This isn't about me, Lord Megatron! The Insecticons are creating distension among the ranks! These savages are a threat to this warship and its crew! They should be confined! Restrained, even!" Knock Out snapped.
"You could not produce strong enough restraints to hold us!" Hardshell retorted.
"Lord Megatron, we're receiving an emergency transmission from Energon Mine T1C5," a Vehicon announced.
"What seems to be the problem?" Megatron wanted to know.
"Unclear, my liege. The caller will speak only to you," the Vehicon answered as Megatron approached the computer.
"What is it?" Megatron demanded as he answered the incoming call.
"I've gotta admit, Uncle. It's a nice operation that you have here. However, if you wanna go technical, you could say it's under new management."
"Ah… My dear niece. Been well?" Megatron inquired, causing most of the ship to cringe at how…nice he sounded, "I never knew you to be one to personally hold a mine. Unless…you're with a certain former Wrecker who enjoys explosives…"
"What can I say, uncle? I'm willing to go to great lengths to protect my family. Even go out on a bout of vengeance. But right now, we're sitting on one of the biggest mining operations you own."
"The loss of one asset is hardly a blow to the Decepticon cause, my dear niece. You should know that better than anyone."
Wheeljack, Talida and Miko were sitting inside the Jackhammer as they made the call. Just before, they decided that Talida should be the one to make the request, considering how much she hates Insecticons, how much she wants to avenge Bulkhead and her relationship with Megatron as his niece.
"That may be so, Uncle. But you guys have Energon mines worldwide. And Wheeljack and I are gonna keep hitting them. One by one. Unless you give us what we want."
"And what, prey tell, would that be, my dear niece?" Megatron asked dryly.
"The Insecticon scum who tried to frag my godfather. Hardshell, I believe his name is."
"Tried?!" Megatron repeated as he went to glare at Hardshell, "Are you saying the Autobot lives?!"
"She is bluffing!" Hardshell protested.
"I hardly bluff, you pit-bound scum. And I'm sure my uncle would vouch for that. Here's how it's going to go down. Wheeljack will transmit the coordinates of our next target. If Hardshell cares to meet us there, maybe he can save you from losing another asset. Oh! My dear uncle, in case you were wondering what three tons of exploding Energon sounds like," Talida smirked before turning to face Wheeljack, "Go ahead."
"With pleasure," Wheeljack smirked as he hit the red button on the controls.
Two missiles were launched from both sides of the Jackhammer. Their target was the mine they just raided. As they flew away, the missiles flew into the mine and destroyed their target.
KA-BOOM!
"The choice is up to you, Uncle. Allow another Energon mine to be blown sky high. Or have Hardshell face the harsh reality. We'll be waiting at the coordinates of our next target. If Hardshell is a no-show…well, I think you know what would happen."
"You allowed the Autobot TO LIVE?!" Megatron roared at Hardshell in anger and disbelief.
"Hmph. Bugs. Not all they cracked up to be," Knock Out scoffed with a smirk.
"Lord Megatron! I swear upon the AllSpark the Autobot could not have survived his wounds!" Hardshell defended as Megatron approaching menacingly.
"You owe me a spark! And if it's not the one belonging to Bulkhead, it had better be my niece's partner in crime!" Megatron snarled.
"What of your niece, Lord Megatron? Should I exterminate her spark as well?" Hardshell inquired.
"NO YOU SHALL NOT!" Megatron boomed, "I want my niece to be left alive! When I do get my hands on her and have her in Decepticon custody, I shall deal with her then. But for now, she is to be left alive! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!"
As they flew towards the coordinates of the next Decepticon mine they would blow if Hardshell didn't show up, Wheeljack decided to check on his passengers. Miko and Talida were leaning against the passenger seat struggling to stay awake. He noticed by the way they were yawning and nodding off on occasion.
"Maybe you two ought to power down for a while," Wheeljack suggested.
"We're good," Miko shook her head.
"He's gonna make it, right?" Talida asked the question that was looming on everyone's minds.
"No kidding, Rayna. Bulkhead's the toughest wrecking ball I've ever known. And Ratchet's a great doc. The best," Wheeljack reassured his friend.
"Yeah. There's no way Bulkhead would miss all the stuff we have planned. Car sledding. Worldwide smashathon," Miko began listing.
"The Linkin Park concert in a few months. Backstage passes and everything," Talida added before saying sheepishly, "We kinda made a list of things we want to do."
"Bulkhead's too stubborn not to pull through. I know it. And I bet you do too," Wheeljack smirked.
When he looked at them again, he saw that the girls had fallen asleep. Miko's back was pressed against Talida's front. Talida had her arms wrapped around the younger girl, holding her close and Miko was tightly clinging to her arms. Wheeljack let out a small sigh of relief. At least they were asleep.
In silence, Wheeljack flew the Jackhammer towards the next Decepticon mine, more than eager to keep either word he has made within the last 24 hours. Promises to himself that he would avenge Bulkhead by destroying Hardshell. Promises to Megatron that he would blow up the mine if Hardshell didn't show. Promises to himself that he would keep Talida and Miko safe whatever it takes. The first and third promise because he truly loved Bulkhead, Talida and Miko. Bulkhead, because he's been like the brother he's never had since…well, forever. Talida and Miko, because they were like his sisters, or even, his own daughters. And the second promise…well, if there's one thing he enjoys, it's blowing stuff up.
"We're up!" Miko gasped as they woke up to the sensation of Wheeljack landing the Jackhammer.
"What's the plan?" Talida asked.
"Talida, if anything happens to me, press this button. I've preprogrammed the autopilot to take you and Miko back to Prime's base," Wheeljack announced as he pointed to the blue button.
"What?! No way! You had a deal! You said we could help!" Miko protested.
"And you did. But it ends here," Wheeljack proclaimed as he stood up.
"This is our fight too, Wheeljack. Not just yours. Don't try to keep us out of it!" Talida pleaded.
"Sorry, Rayna. But Bulkhead's gonna wake up. And he'll file off my rubies if his goddaughter and best friends aren't there when he does," Wheeljack retorted, "And I don't want to lose my best friend's partner and I don't want to lose the person who reminds me so much of my little sister."
"Rayna's your sister?!" Miko stuttered in disbelief.
"Very much like Optimus and Megatron were, we were separated by the caste and guild system designed by Sentinel Prime. I wasn't reunited with my little sister until Megatron captured her and Bulkhead and I were in charge of her rescue," Wheeljack recalled before shaking himself out of the memory of his dead sister, "Look, Talida. Promise me you'll get Miko out of here if I tell you to."
"I can't make promises like that," Talida sighed, "Because I'm going with you."
"No you're not. Stay here," Wheeljack instructed before walking out and shutting the door.
"WHEELJACK!" Miko called.
"WAIT!" Talida pleaded as the two raced to the door.
"You in there, bug?!" Wheeljack yelled into the mine.
Wheeljack barely managed to back away from the entrance to the mine in time. Hardshell jumped from the top of the mine, intending to crush Wheeljack in his vehicle form. The former Wrecker quickly raced forward, transform into his bipedal form and kicked Hardshell in the chest with both feet. The force of the kick sent Hardshell flying into the mine.
Planning to use his signature, Wheeljack reached for his grenade and threw it. However, he didn't get the chance to activate it before he was knocked back.
"Thanks to your crippled friend, I am all too familiar with your Wrecker moves," Hardshell proclaimed as he went to hit Wheeljack, only to have him backflip away.
Wheeljack wasn't going to stop. Not until Hardshell was on his knees begging for mercy. He unsheathed his swords and continued his attack. Something that pleased Wheeljack was that…
He was actually winning.
"What's the matter, Hardshell? Not used to fighting a robot who hasn't been doused with ToxEn?!" Wheeljack snarled, his anger fueling each attack he made against Hardshell.
Hardshell then grabbed his sword and growled in retaliation at the angry 'Bot, "Talk during battle is a sign of weakness."
"Only when you're too primitive to do two things at once!" Wheeljack retorted.
As Wheeljack blocked one of Hardshell's big arm attacks, he didn't factor in his regular hands. He cried out in pain as he was knocked back hard enough to be sent flying. Hardshell transformed into his flying mode and continued his assault. Knocking Wheeljack around again and again.
"GO FOR THE GRENADE!" Miko called from the Jackhammer.
Wheeljack heard her voice and decided to take Miko's advice. He began crawling for the grenade. Hardshell was quick to catch on. He knew what would happen if he allowed Wheeljack to get his hands on the grenade. Because that was what he was known for. One grenade. One shot.
So he walked towards the grenade and stood on it, effectively destroying it. Looking up at the menacing look Hardshell was wearing, Wheeljack knew that he was somewhat screwed.
"WHEELJACK, WATCH OUT!" Talida cried.
But would Wheeljack back down? Not even when the Insecticon began throwing him around like a rag doll. He began tasting his own Energon in his mouth. His body was aching from the multiple hits he was receiving. He was almost done. He knew it. Hardshell knew it. And he was sure that Miko and Talida knew this too. They just didn't want to admit it.
"WHEELJACK!" Miko and Talida screamed in horror.
Holding Wheeljack up by his helm, Hardshell began punching and stabbing the defenseless former Wrecker. When he got bored with that, he simply tossed him aside. When Wheeljack found the strength to come back, he punched him hard.
Miko and Talida watched in horror as they watched Wheeljack – who was normally tough as nails, refusing to back down from a fight and was always making wisecracks – struggled to hold his body up. Let alone, stand up and fight. Wheeljack found the strength to roll himself onto his back. When he did, he saw Hardshell approaching him ready to deliver the final and fatal blow.
"No…," Miko whimpered.
"Tally…go… Get Miko out of here… Go home…," Wheeljack rasped.
"Come on," Talida whispered as she pulled Miko away.
"We're not leaving Wheeljack!" Miko protested as she shook away Talida's hands.
"I promised Wheeljack I'd keep you safe and get you out of here when he told me to," Talida retorted as she went to press the blue autopilot button.
"Just ask yourself this. Would you be leaving so willingly if that was Optimus? Or Bumblebee?!" Miko snapped
Talida froze just as her fingertips went to touch the blue button to take them back to base. Much as she somewhat hated to admit, Miko was right. If Optimus or Bumblebee were the ones fighting Hardshell in the place of Wheeljack, she wouldn't be so willing to just runaway and leave them there to die.
Then she glanced at the red button next to the blue. From what she saw back at the first Decepticon mine, she knew that button was used to fire two missiles. That caused her mind to go into overdrive.
"Your spark will now belong to Megatron," Hardshell vowed as he raised his hand to strike.
Then, he heard a strange sound. The sound of engines taking off. Looking up, he saw the Jackhammer hovering above the ground as though it was taking off. Wheeljack thought that Talida was doing what she was told and taking Miko away to safety. However, when he saw the missiles fired, he knew otherwise. Hardshell wasn't able to move out of the way in time. So the missiles struck him. His final cry of anguish echoed around the canyon in the cliffs. Wheeljack saw and felt Hardshell's body parts fall to the ground around and on him.
Talida took in a shaky breath as she removed her hand from the red missile button. She and Miko sighed in relief when they saw Wheeljack dust himself off. When he turned around, he saw the Jackhammer returning to its former position on the ground.
"Nice work, girls," Wheeljack complimented.
Hearing the sound of thudding above him, Wheeljack looked up to the tops of the cliffs. Immediately, he saw trouble. Trouble in the form of an Insecticon army.
"I hate these things," Talida growled before screaming, "WHEELJACK! RUN FOR IT!"
Wheeljack didn't need to be told twice. However, he didn't run like Talida said. He limped as the small Insecticon army began to swarm in all around them. Wheeljack barely managed to limp into the ship and sit in the pilot's seat after Miko and Talida moved out of his way and returned to their passenger seat.
"I thought I told you to hit autopilot," Wheeljack grumbled as he ignited the engines.
"Bad things happen to bots when we leave their side," was all Miko said.
Wheeljack couldn't even formulate a response to Miko's defense. In fact, he didn't have the time. So he just flew away from the Decepticon mine, leaving behind Hardshell's body scattered in many pieces. The Insecticon army followed them. Once they were high above the ground, they began opening fire on the Jackhammer. Wheeljack couldn't help but let out a small growl of frustration. He didn't fix the Jackhammer after his encounter with Laserbeak just to have it shot down again.
"Too many to pick off," Wheeljack observed as he glanced into his rearview camera, "We need something with a wider blast radius."
Wheeljack pushed the blue button and allowed the Jackhammer to go on autopilot as an idea struck him. The ship's missiles wouldn't be enough. He needed more firepower. And he knows just the thing that will do the trick. Miko and Talida watched as Wheeljack walked towards his weapon's closet and reach down to retrieve a case filled with his signature grenades.
"Wait. I thought you were one grenade, one shot," Talida protested.
"I only carry one at a time," Wheeljack clarified dryly.
He climbed up onto the roof, narrowly avoiding the blaster fire coming from the Insecticon swarm behind them. Hitting the button, he opened the case and grabbed one grenade. Then he began to have second thoughts. One grenade at a time still wouldn't be enough. He needed to throw the entire case at them.
And that was exactly what he did. Along with the blaster fire from his blasters aimed at the airborne case. To their surprise, Wheeljack's little idea worked. The detonation of the grenades caused a chain reaction, which destroyed all the Insecticons that were following them. No more Insecticons to worry about for the time being. Wheeljack liked the sound of that.
Satisfied with his good work, he returned to the Jackhammer's pilot seat. Miko and Talida glanced up at the former Wrecker, admiration and worry in their eyes. Admiration over Wheeljack's courage. Worry over Bulkhead and what everyone would say when they returned.
"Welcome to the Wreckers, girls. You two did Bulkhead proud," Wheeljack smiled happily.
"Then why don't we feel any different?" Miko wanted to know.
"It might be because of something my dad told me," Talida whispered, immediately earning Wheeljack's and Miko's attention, "When Arcee and I were going through the troubles with Airachnid, he told the two of us something. Revenge was worthless. It wasn't going to change what had happened. It wasn't going to make anything better. In fact, revenge would just make things worse. Revenge would actually have you stoop down to your enemy's level. Nothing was going to change.
And yet, I disregarded that, after last time this happened, I let Airachnid live. Granted, Arcee and I lured her into a stasis pod. But still, we let Airachnid live. But when I saw Ratchet trying to bring Bulkhead's vitals back up, I threw everything dad taught me about how revenge was meaningless out the window. All I kept on thinking was, 'It should be me lying on that slab. Not Bulkhead. Me.'
What I said was true. We were deciding who was going to go on the missions before we told Miko, Jack and Raf. Bulkhead was supposed to go to the Antarctic with Dad and I was supposed to go to the Equator. But Bulkhead didn't want me to go out on a mission by myself. Without backup. Despite me being more than capable to hold a fight and protect myself. So…we swapped missions. Dad went to the Antarctic. I went to New York. And Bulkhead went to the Equator.
God, what I wouldn't give to change all that."
"There was no way you could have known what happened today would've happened. Like Fowler said," Miko said.
"Seriously? We're taking advice from a doped up government agent who used to show up to the base with a hangover and who cries out random things when he's injured?" Talida scoffed slightly, "And I'm pretty sure that while we were gone, he exclaimed 'I CAN HAS CHEESEBURGER!'"
That caused them to laugh for the first time since learning of Bulkhead's injury.
The worry was filling the air around them as they stood in the centre of the base. They were worried about Bulkhead and whether or not he would pull through. They were also worried about Miko and Talida, considering how close they were to Bulkhead.
They heard the sounds of metal scraping against the metal ground beneath them. Turning around, they saw Wheeljack, Talida and Miko returning to the base. Wheeljack was clutching his damaged shoulder and limping due to his bad leg. Miko and Talida walked normally and casually. But they were slow and nervous.
It didn't take everyone long to figure out what the three of them had been doing. But they couldn't bring themselves to begin reprimanding the three of them. They had to worry about Bulkhead and Miko and Talida's emotional stability.
"You guys OK?" Arcee asked worriedly as she knelt down before the two girls.
"They're fine. They're pros," Wheeljack boasted.
"I wasn't talking to you!" Arcee snapped.
Wheeljack backed off slightly. Even though it's been a long time since he worked with Arcee, he still knew this. Whenever she's in her 'mother mode' as he liked to call it, anyone who dared to cross her would be punished severely.
"How is he?" Miko asked, referring to Bulkhead.
"Bulkhead will survive. He may never be fully functional again," Ratchet answered sadly.
"It should've been me," Talida whispered as she and Miko ran towards Bulkhead's weak form on the slab.
"Girls, I don't think it's wise!" Ratchet began to protest, only to be stopped by Optimus.
"I'm…I'm not sure I wanna see Bulkhead right now. Not like this," Wheeljack shook his head before promptly transforming into his vehicle form and racing away.
"We're never leaving you again," Miko vowed.
"I'm so sorry, Bulkhead. I should have gone instead of you," Talida sobbed, finally allowing her tears to fall.
Ratchet's prognosis kept on echoing in their heads as they cried together. Sure. Bulkhead would survive. But he may never be fully functional again.
How could they live with that?
Megatron stood there in contemplation as he glanced at Hardshell's broken body. When the Insecticon boasted that he had killed an Autobot, he knew it was too good to be true. As much as he hated to admit this, Knock Out was right. The Decepticons haven't been able to successfully terminate an Autobot. Not since Starscream successfully killed Cliffjumper before his return from his space voyage.
However, there was one thing that he still didn't believe.
"The Autobot did this?!" Megatron exclaimed in disbelief.
"No, my lord," the Insecticon shook his head in protest, "It was your dear niece and a human girl."
If there was something that Megatron believed more than Wheeljack being able to kill Hardshell, it was the fact that Talida and Miko were the ones who killed him.
He was now more than determined to get his hands on his niece.
"And the shadow of the day…
Will embrace the world in grey…
And the sun…
Will set for you…
And the shadow of the day…
Will embrace the world in grey…
And the sun…
Will set for you…"
Wrote this in a day again. Do you guys love me or what?
No promo this time. I'm gonna do an original chapter that takes place between Hurt and Out of the Past next. Basically, it's going to be my interpretation of what happened when Bulkhead wakes up.
What do you think about having a 'what-if' story? You know how throughout the chapter, I mentioned how Talida was supposed to go on that mission instead of Bulkhead? Well…what if I wrote a story where Talida did go on that mission and Bulkhead went with Optimus or Ratchet and Wheeljack?
Or…well, I feel like lending Talida out to another author for them to use. So if you wanna write a story like that, knock yourself out. Just let me know before you do and make sure you say that Talida isn't yours and is mine. I've had enough of people stealing my story ideas (even though they've apologized and I'm greatful for that).
Also, because of how close we are to the end, I want to focus all of my energy on this story. So Strange Beginnings is going to be delayed for a while. Here's the episodes that are left:
1. Out of the Past
2. New Recruit (SMOKESCREEN'S AWESOME DEBUT!)
3. The Human Factor
4. Legacy
5. Alpha/Omega
6. Hard Knocks
7. Inside Job
8. Patch (cringe fest)
9. Regeneration
10. Darkest Hour
We're close to it now. I can feel it. I can taste it. Can you?
BYE!
Oh! Next chapter: MAY be a tissue warning. A very cool Linkin Park song's gonna be used.