The Ark
Prowl looked into Teletraan I where he continuously replayed the body-cam recordings of Arcee, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and Wheeljack when they encountered Karaz and got stunned, where he was trying to find any small details that he had missed. He looked down at the mine-like object that had stunned them and then up into the corner where he noticed the Initiative commando who had fired the shot.
"So that's how it happened" said Prowl.
Prowl's flashback
"Better go now" said Prowl.
"So where exactly are you sending us?" asked Bumblebee.
"Arcee says she's spotted the Initiative" replied Prowl "I'm sending you three far behind them so they don't notice your arrival"
"Anything else?" asked Wheeljack.
"There is actually" replied Prowl "Remember to surround them so they can't escape, because that's the last thing we want; and this goes without saying, try not to do anything rash. These Initiative people might not be on our side but they're still Humans nonetheless, so no killing and try to avoid any serious injuries"
"Got it" said Bumblebee "Alright boys, let's roll out" He, Bulkhead, and Wheeljack transformed and drove into the ground bridge in front of them. Prowl then turned and walked over to Hound and Mirage.
"Hound, Mirage, follow me" said Prowl.
"What do you want?" asked Hound.
"I need you two for a special mission" replied Prowl.
Back to reality
"Hey Prowl, aren't we going to do something?" asked Jazz.
"About what?" asked Prowl.
"The Initiative still has Melody and now they have Arcee, Bumblebee, Wheeljack, and Bulkhead" replied Jazz "I mean…we've got to do something, right?"
"Everything's under control" said Prowl.
"What do you mean by…wait; by under control, do you mean that you're using them to find the Initiative's base?" asked Jazz.
"Sort of" replied Prowl.
"Sort of?" said Jazz "Sort of? They could die if we don't do anything. Remember; you're not only endangering Autobot lives, but also the life of a Human as well. Optimus wouldn't do this"
"Don't tell me what Optimus would do" said Prowl "I know what he would do. But I'm doing what I would do"
"Meaning?" said Jazz.
"When Arcee encountered Karaz, he wasn't the least bit shocked to see her transform" said Prowl "Melody's kidnapping wasn't random, he knew she was connected to us. Furthermore, he has a weapon that can be used against us. This isn't guesswork, someone told him about us"
"Who exactly?" asked Jazz.
"That's what I don't know" replied Prowl "I think Decepticon leaders like Starscream would consider working with Humans beneath them. Hopefully everything will become clear when we get to the base"
"You could have at least told them what you were getting them into" said Jazz.
"They wouldn't have gone along with it if they knew" said Prowl.
"But what if Karaz killed them?" asked Jazz.
"He wants something more from them" replied Prowl "He wouldn't have gone through all of this just to destroy someone"
"You know, you've got some real trust issues" said Jazz.
"That hardly matters" said Prowl.
Meanwhile in an unknown location
Karaz's helicopter landed on the helipad and he stepped out of it.
"How are the specimens?" asked Karaz.
"The convoy is en-route and almost here" said a commando "They should arrive within the hour"
"Perfect" said Karaz "When they arrive, be careful of loading them off. If one of them at least moves on its own, stun it"
"Understood" said the commando.
"Now; if you'll excuse me, I'll just inform our partner of the current status" said Karaz.
"I don't like it" said the commando "She just comes out of nowhere and you allow her in and trust everything she says"
"On the contrary, I never trusted her" said Karaz "She was up to something long before she even approached us"
"Then why did you—" asked the commando.
"You have much to learn" replied Karaz "She was playing us, yes; but she offered a lot in return, and that was worth more than anything. I allowed her to stay because she still has much to offer"
"But what if she turns on us?" asked the commando.
"When that happens, we'll be prepared" replied Karaz "But until then, we'll play along" He turned and walked back into the base where he entered his office and sat down, looking over at the purple eyes in the shadows. "Plan worked after all; not only do we have the one named Arcee as our prisoner, but also three others as well. I have to give you credit, your involvement was essential. We probably would never have gotten far enough by this time" The purple eyes moved forward out of the shadow and revealed itself to be Airachnid.
"It was my pleasure" said Airachnid.
The Initiative pt. 3
Utah
Scrapper walked up to Long Haul, Bonecrusher, and Scavenger who were working on a large communications array with a large satellite dish. Scrapper walked up to them.
"How is the construction of the communication array going?" asked Scrapper.
"Physically and internally it's almost complete" said Scavenger.
"Let me guess, there's one problem that brings everything down" said Scrapper. Scavenger reluctantly nodded. Scrapper sighed. "What is it?"
"We have no idea where Cybertron is exactly" replied Scavenger "For all we know it's on the complete other side of the galaxy" Scrapper walked over to the controls and examined.
"Couldn't an approximate position suffice?" asked Scrapper.
"No, it has to be exact" replied Scavenger.
"If it needs to be exact, why not get Hightower to deal with it?" asked Bonecrusher.
"Hightower is still busy reconstructing Megatron" replied Scrapper "Our lord is already upset that it's been delayed, we can't afford any further interruptions" He looked up at the satellite dish and noticed that it was moving somewhat. "What is it doing?"
"Right now it's scrolling around in search of Cybertron's exact coordinates" replied Scavenger.
"How long should it take?" asked Scrapper.
"Well, it varies upon position and—" replied Scavenger.
"Cut to the chase" said Scrapper "How long will it take to find Cybertron…approximately?"
"Approximately it can span from hours to days" replied Scavenger "It depends upon where the planet is located"
"That's not good enough" said Scrapper "We need to make communication as soon as possible"
"I'm afraid that this is the best option right now" said Scavenger. Scrapper looked at the communications array over and over again.
"Very well, we'll go with this option" said Scrapper "But I want communication the moment we find Cybertron. Therefore you shall all watch the screen for any sign of Cybertron"
"You expect us to stare at a screen all day?" said Long Haul "All three of us at the same time for a task that just one of us could do?"
"That is why I'd advise you'd take shifts" said Scrapper.
"I'll take it first" said Scavenger. He immediately turned around and manned the controls.
"And what about the rest of us?" asked Bonecrusher.
"Keep guard" said Scrapper "This communications array is everything and we can't afford to lose it. If you see any intruders, Autobot or Decepticon, make sure they don't escape"
"Kill them or take them prisoner?" asked Bonecrusher.
"Doesn't matter" replied Scrapper "Just make sure they don't escape. The last thing we need is Starscream or Prime causing problems for us"
"Well, at least it's something to do" said Long Haul.
"I'll be making regular checks" said Scrapper "Inform me of anything out of the ordinary"
Meanwhile
Grimlock was trapped within a cell with his arms chained against two large pillars. It was then that the cell door opened wide.
"Go away!" snarled Grimlock.
"Just visiting" said Mindwipe as he entered.
"I said GO AWAY!" snarled Grimlock as he lunged towards Mindwipe.
"After all this time, you still talk big" said Mindwipe "Any reasonable Cybertronian would have been broken by now, and yet you persist. I wonder why that is"
"If you start monologuing again, I'll rip your tongue out" said Grimlock.
"Now, now; insults and threats won't get you out" said Mindwipe.
"That wasn't a threat" said Grimlock.
"Nonetheless, this whole mess you've gotten yourself into can simply be undone" said Mindwipe "All you have to do is subject to me and only me and this stops; how about that?" Grimlock spat at his face.
"I'm more than you can handle and you know it" smirked Grimlock. Mindwipe growled and slashed him across the face.
"Stupid Autobot; you should have taken my offer the moment I gave you it!" snarled Mindwipe "But no more!"
"I thought you were trying to break me from now on" said Grimlock. Mindwipe grabbed him by the side of the head and pulled it up to optic level.
"I don't know how you resisted my mind control in the first place, but it will do you no good here" said Mindwipe.
"I told you that I'm sick of your monologues!" snapped Grimlock. Mindwipe smiled evilly and looked up at the pillars causing them to move several meters to the side, stretching Grimlock's arms in the process.
"Talk to me like that again and I'll have your arms pulled off" said Mindwipe "And as for breaking you, it will be a gradual process. All I have to do is wait and watch you as you're trapped and cannot escape. It'll seem like nothing at first, but eventually it will get to you and you will be driven over the edge until you're nothing at all" He placed his hands back onto the side of Grimlock's head. "Then you will be mine; mind, body, and soul!"
"As soon as I get out of here, I'll tear your arms out of their sockets" said Grimlock.
"You're saying that as if you will get out of there" said Mindwipe. He turned and left.
"Creep!" snarled Grimlock. He tried to pull the chains off but found that the pillars were too strong.
Meanwhile
Arcee lay chained to the floor unconscious. Eight legs slowly crept down next to her.
"Wake up, Arcee" said a voice which caused Arcee start to stir "Don't worry, you're not dead; at least, not yet" Arcee regained consciousness.
"Where am I?" asked Arcee.
"At the Initiative base" said the voice "After you were stunned, they placed you and the others on vehicles and drove you off"
"That voice…" said Arcee quietly "Who are you and what's happened to the others?"
"They're alive too" replied the voice "Just at a different part of the base. And as for who I am…" Airachnid lowered herself down upon her eight legs. "…I think you know already" A look of absolutely shock appeared upon Arcee's face.
"No!" said Arcee "It can't be you! You're…You're…"
"Imprisoned?" said Airachnid "You Autobots are all gullible"
"That wasn't you, was it?" said Arcee.
"You catch on real fast" said Airachnid sarcastically "It was necessary for appearances. All it took was a blank protoform which was just too easy to download my appearance onto it; it was only slightly more difficult to erase any potential mind that it may develop. But once I was done, I had a seemingly flawless duplicate that I could control remotely. For the last few weeks, I've been using her to cover myself while I was working with the Initiative"
"What for?" asked Arcee.
"Do you really think I would simply tell you?" said Airachnid whilst stroking Arcee's cheek "Not the best tactic to say the least" Arcee smirked.
"Doesn't matter anyway" said Arcee "The others will eventually get in here and bust us out. And once they do, you'll have nowhere to run"
"You're expecting Teletraan I to be able to pick you up" said Airachnid.
"Of course" said Arcee "I mean why not?" Airachnid smirked. "Wait, what have you done?"
"Just given the Initiative access to a jammer" replied Airachnid "Teletraan I can't pick you up through that, can it?"
"You…You…" said Arcee.
"Are you going to say something?" said Airachnid "Oh; by the way, they're probably already looking over your partner to see what they can find; you know, the yellow one" She began to stroke Arcee across the face. "I might just go in there to see what I can do"
"Don't you dare!" snapped Arcee.
"Maybe after they're done, I can drag his remains up here to keep you company" said Airachnid. Arcee clenched her teeth. "Just a thought" She transformed back into her robot mode and turned to the door. "Oh, and thanks for reminding me" She pulled out a remote and pressed it.
Meanwhile
Jazz watched Airachnid's clone's cell when she lifted her head up.
"Greetings, Autobots" said the clone.
"Woah!" said Jazz "Prowl, you'd better get in here now" Prowl rushed in.
"What is it?" asked Prowl.
"She…She spoke" said Jazz.
"What!?" exclaimed Prowl "Now? But…why would she wait until—"
"Shhh!" said Jazz before pointing over to the clone.
"I bet you were hoping for something more, something a little along the lines of…answers" said the clone "Well, I'd hate to disappoint. If you haven't already guessed, what you're looking at right now is not actually me but rather a copy that I was able to make"
"Copy!" said Prowl "I should've known!"
"I don't think she's finished yet" said Jazz.
"With that in mind, it's time to get to business" said the clone "I created this clone for two reasons: to keep up appearances…" A grenade retracted out of her chest. "…and to send you off with a little surprise. It's a shame really; if things were different, I could have found a better use for her" The grenade armed.
"Run!" exclaimed Jazz. He and Prowl turned and ran just as the explosion struck and blew them out of the hallway.
"What the heck happened!?' exclaimed Ratchet.
"Believe me, it's a long story" said Jazz.
"A long story that I'd like to know at once" said Ratchet.
"We never captured Airachnid" said Prowl "She allowed a clone of herself to get captured to cover herself"
"Then what was the explosion from?" asked Ratchet.
"It seems she's had enough time" replied Prowl "She planted a grenade in the clone's chest which got set off"
"Do you think there's a body left?" asked Ratchet.
"I doubt there's anything to examine left" replied Prowl "The clone was at ground zero; so if there's anything left, it's likely charred and crushed to dust"
"Do you think the other Dreads know about this?" asked Jazz.
"I don't know" replied Prowl "But Airachnid was known for her secretive nature, it's very likely she kept this under wraps"
"Prowl, come in" said Hound's voice from Teletraan I "Prowl?" Prowl walked over to Teletraan I.
"Acknowledged" said Prowl into Teletraan I "Have you found the Initiative's base yet?"
"We have" replied Hound.
Meanwhile
Hound hid behind a large rock outside the Initiative's base. He peered out and noticed all the Initiative commandos entering and exiting the base with vehicles
"But there's so many of them" said Hound into his comlink. He looked at the base. "And it looks like it wasn't built for Transformers to freely roam. I don't think Mirage and I will be able to sneak into it"
"Pull back and get yourselves to safety, but stay relatively nearby" said Prowl out of his comlink "Don't risk yourselves just yet. Jazz and I will accompany you shortly"
"Got it" said Hound "Alright, Mirage; let's get out of here" There was no reply. "Mirage?" There was still no reply. "Mirage, isn't replying"
Meanwhile
Prowl searched for Mirage's signal on Teletraan I but couldn't find anything.
"I don't believe it" said Prowl into Teletraan I "Teletraan can't pick up his signal at all"
"Are you sure?" asked Hound through Teletraan I.
"Why would I say it if I wasn't sure about it?" replied Prowl.
"Well…you have a point; I suppose" said Hound "But if his signal isn't coming up at all, then that means that—"
"We don't have time for that right now" said Prowl "Get to safety before you're spotted"
"Oh c'mon; give him just a moment" said Jazz.
"He can have a moment when he's waiting for us" said Prowl "You have to get out of there"
"Understood" said Hound.
"I don't believe you, Prowl" said Jazz "That…That was just cold, even for you"
"We don't know for sure that Mirage is actually dead or not" said Prowl "We only know that his signal isn't appearing; as you may know from the past, that doesn't necessarily mean that they're dead"
"So you're telling me that Mirage just suddenly teleported onto the Nemesis?" asked Jazz.
"Not quite" replied Prowl "I also noticed that Bumblebee, Arcee, Bulkhead, and Wheeljack aren't appearing either. Either they're all dead or they're within a signal jammer. And did I mention about how the Initiative probably got their information from someone? They might have just given them samples of our technology as well"
"Y'know, you walk a fine line between brilliant and psychotic" said Jazz.
Meanwhile
Karaz entered Barricade's room.
"I told you I would return" said Karaz "Has anything out of the ordinary happened in my absence?"
"He's tried to struggle out a few times, but it's been unsuccessful" replied the surgeon.
"Then let us begin" said Karaz.
Meanwhile
Mindwipe entered Grimlock's cell.
"Just checking up on you, Grimlock" said Mindwipe. He walked over to Grimlock and began to stroke the sides of his face. "After all, what's a gradual process without a few little…monologues?" Grimlock didn't reply. "Taking a quiet stance; not unexpected, but pathetic nonetheless. Need I mention about how many greater Autobots than you have fallen to me?" Grimlock still didn't reply. "You know, I might just make your crew appear in this room right now to remind you of everything you will never achieve. How does that make you feel?"
"You want to know how it makes me feel?" asked Grimlock "Come a little closer"
"What is it?" asked Mindwipe as he went in closer towards Grimlock. Suddenly, Grimlock gave him a powerful head-butt that sent him back against the wall.
"That's how it makes me feel" replied Grimlock "The solitude I can get used to. But listening to a little squirm like you talk about things all day whilst trying to fit into the boots too big for him; that's worse than a lifetime of torture"
"I told you…" said Mindwipe "…DON'T TALK TO ME LIKE THAT!" The two pillars moved further apart and pulled Grimlock's arms with them. But as the pillars pulled outwards, Grimlock pulled inwards until he eventually ripped out of them. "No! This is impossible!"
"You think I'm stupid" said Grimlock "But not that stupid. You hate it when people burst your ego so setting you off was just too easy"
"You fool!" snarled Mindwipe. He morphed into his bat monster form.
"I will not allow you to leave here…"
"I wasn't asking for permission" said Grimlock. He leapt at Mindwipe who flew up into the air out of reach and perched up on one of the pillars. Grimlock walked back over to the pillars and ripped the chains out of them.
"What are you doing…?"
"None of your business" replied Grimlock. Mindwipe screeched and swooped down towards him, only for Grimlock to swing the chains at tie them around his feet. Mindwipe screeched again and flew straight out of the cell, dragging Grimlock along with him. As Mindwipe flew across the flaming wasteland, Grimlock slowly pulled himself along the chain until finally getting onto Mindwipe's back.
"GET OFF ME!"
"No!" snarled Grimlock. He continuously punched Mindwipe on the top of the head before grabbing him by the ears and sending him down towards the ground. But just before they hit the ground, there was a sudden flash and everything turned white.
Back to reality
Grimlock opened his optics wide. He looked over and saw that Mindwipe lay unconscious on the floor. He looked over to his wrists to see that he was still shackled. He desperately tried to transform but found that he couldn't.
"You fool!" said Mindwipe "Those shackles jam out your t-cog, making transformation impossible. You cannot break through them" Grimlock bared his teeth and growled in absolute anger before transforming and ripping himself free of the shackles. "By the AllSpark!" Grimlock transformed back and grabbed him by the neck. "How…"
"My anger can break through anything!" snarled Grimlock. He saw his sword lying in the corner and walked over to it to pick it up. He then held it at Mindwipe's throat. "Now, let us discuss what you did to me back there"
"Not just yet" smirked Mindwipe. Suddenly, something rushed forward and rammed him into the wall.
"What in the—" said Grimlock before seeing what had hit him. Standing right in front of him was a large mechanical Triceratops with the same color scheme as Grimlock. "Slug!" A mechanical Pteranodon shrieked and swooped down and pushed him to the ground. "Swoop!" A mechanical Stegosaurus charged at him and knocked him against the wall with its tail spike. "Snarl!" A mechanical Apatosaurus reared up onto its hind legs and stamped onto him before pushing him off to the side. "Sludge!" As Grimlock got back onto his feet, the other members of his team gathered behind Mindwipe.
"I did say that you would see your team again" said Mindwipe.
"What have you done to them!?" snarled Grimlock.
"I improved them" said Mindwipe "Now, what will it be? You can either surrender and join us; or you could attack me, and go through them in the process" Grimlock looked over at the door.
"I'll take option three" said Grimlock. He turned to the door and ran out of it.
"After him!" snapped Mindwipe whilst pointing over at the door. Grimlock's crew ran after him.
Meanwhile
Bumblebee was chained to the floor of a room with several commandos overlooking him. A distant but almost silent thudding sound was heard approaching the room.
"Can you hear that?" asked a commando.
"Hear what?" asked another commando.
"It's like…footsteps" replied the first commando. Suddenly, he was pushed over and knocked out by something unseen.
"What the!?" exclaimed the second commando before getting knocked out as well. The commandos raised their guns.
"Don't fire until you get a clear view of it" said one of the commandos. One-by-one, the commandos got knocked out with many shooting wildly at the direction until they were all unconscious. Mirage appeared in front of Bumblebee, shaking off the bullets.
"Mirage!" said Bumblebee. Mirage kneeled down and pulled Bumblebee's chains off. "How'd you find the base"
"Prowl had Hound and I follow the Initiative's vehicles" said Mirage "I was able to sneak into the base without anyone noticing; it took a while, had to make sure no one spotted me"
"Good" said Bumblebee "But now we've got to find the others" It was then that they heard a loud screaming. "I think I have an idea on where to start"
A few minutes later
As Karaz oversaw the surgeon tear Barricade open, the doors blew open as Bumblebee and Mirage entered.
"No!" exclaimed Karaz.
"You could have done that more subtly" said Mirage.
"I'm not the one with a cloak" said Bumblebee.
"How…" said Karaz "Never mind, shoot them!" As the commandos opened fire upon Bumblebee and Mirage, Karaz pulled a disk out of the computer, snuck down the platform, walked up to a wall, placed his hand on it to signal a hand scan which opened a secret passageway, and walked into it without anyone noticing.
"Do you think you can deal with the gunmen without killing them?" asked Bumblebee. Mirage nodded his head. "Good; then I'll release the prisoner" He turned and ran over to Barricade.
"What are you doing here?" asked Barricade.
"Oh…" said Bumblebee.
"What?!" said Barricade.
"Eh, never mind!" said Bumblebee. He ripped the chains off of Barricade who got up and turned his hands into his blasters. "No!" He pushed both of Barricade's blasters down. "No killing!"
"Just because you freed me doesn't mean that I'll abide by your Autobot customs" said Barricade. After Mirage had incapacitated each of the commandos, he walked back over to Bumblebee and Barricade.
"I thought you said we were going to save an Autobot" said Mirage.
"All I heard was the screaming" said Bumblebee while shrugging "So how did you end up here?"
"The Nemesis got attacked by Grimlock and threw me out the window" replied Barricade "When I woke up, these insects had chained me up here and they started ripping me apart"
"Oh dear!" said Bumblebee. He looked over at the computer, walked up to it, and shot it with his blaster.
"What was that for?" asked Barricade.
"This group, the Initiative, they captured us for a reason" replied Bumblebee "It seems they want to explore Cybertronian technology, that's why they captured us. It looks like they decided to start with you"
"Well, now that's over…" said Barricade before raising his blasters "…we've got something else to adjourn to"
"Don't do this, Barricade" said Bumblebee.
"Were you expecting a medal when you freed me?" said Barricade "I'm sure Starscream would forgive my disappearance if I bring two Autobots back. And it doesn't matter whether they're alive or not"
"Barricade, I've seen what they can do" said Bumblebee "It may not be standard issue yet, but they've got technology that can bring us down. They were able to bring us down within an instant. Think; what chance do you have of getting out of here alone?" After several minutes, Barricade turned his blasters back into his hands.
"Fine!" said Barricade "But when this is over, don't expect any amnesty from me"
"I never did" said Bumblebee.
"So what's the next move?" asked Mirage.
"First, we'll find and release the others" replied Bumblebee.
Meanwhile
Karaz arrived back into his office.
"What happened?" asked Airachnid.
"One of the prisoners have escaped and he's freed another" said Karaz. He slammed his fists onto the table in anger. "Damn it; we'll have to evacuate!"
"No, you don't" said Airachnid "We can still contain them"
"We haven't produced enough weapons to combat multiple targets in a more confined space" said Karaz.
"That's why I'm going to call for backup" said Airachnid. She got out another remote and pressed it.
Meanwhile in an unknown location
A beeping came from a device that Crankcase held on his waist which he picked up and looked at it.
"What is that?" asked Flatline.
"Something very important" said Crankcase as he looked at the map on the device "And something I have to do now. Where are Runabout and Runamuck?"
"On guard duty at the other end of the ship" replied Flatline. Crankcase turned and left the lab. "Where are you going?"
"To do something that I have to do" replied Crankcase.
Meanwhile
Bumblebee ripped Bulkhead loose of the chains.
"Thanks, bro" said Bulkhead as he got himself back onto his feet.
"Is that all of them?" asked Barricade.
"As I recall, we still have Arcee to find" replied Wheeljack.
"Can't we just leave one of them?" asked Barricade.
"No we can't" said Bumblebee whilst darting for the exit "Let's go!"
Meanwhile
A ground bridge opened at the front of the hanger with Crankcase, Runabout, and Runamuck walking out.
"What is this place?" asked Runamuck. A group of commandos raised their guns and pointed them at them.
"It's crawling with bugs!" said Runabout.
"You're right" said Runamuck whilst turning his hand into a blaster "Let's clear them out!"
"Good idea!" said Runabout whilst turning his hand into a blaster as well.
"Hold it!" said Crankcase "Don't shoot!"
"But they're going to shoot at us!" said Runabout.
"No, they won't" said Airachnid as she and Karaz entered "Have your men stand down"
"Stand down" said Karaz. The commandos reluctantly lowered their weapons. Airachnid walked over to Crankcase.
"We have work to do" said Airachnid.
Meanwhile
As Arcee lay down on the ground, still chained up, Bumblebee and the others pulled open the door and entered.
"Someone need to be de-chained?" said Bumblebee.
"Bee!" said Arcee. Bumblebee rushed over to her, ripped her chains off, helped her up, and the two hugged.
"Get a room!" said Barricade whilst crossing his arms.
"Thank Primus you're safe" said Bumblebee.
"No, thank Primus you're safe" said Arcee "She didn't get to you"
"What are you talking about?" asked Bumblebee "Wait, why aren't they're any guards in here?"
"Bee, she's here" said Arcee.
"Who's here?" asked Bumblebee.
"Airachnid" replied Arcee.
"What?!" said Bumblebee "But we locked here up ages ago"
"That was a fake" replied Arcee "She's actually been here for the past month helping the Initiative out"
"So that's how they know so much about us" said Bumblebee.
"Can't we just go already?" said Barricade.
"Not yet" said Bumblebee "We still have to find Melody"
"What, the Human?" said Barricade.
"Yes" replied Bumblebee "Mirage, go outside and contact Prowl. Tell him to come in"
"Got it" said Mirage. He turned on his cloak and vanished.
"So that leaves the five of us" said Bulkhead as they walked out of the door.
"Don't move!" said a voice. They turned to see a group of Initiative commandos with Runabout and Runamuck.
"Wait, Runabout and Runamuck?" said Wheeljack "What are you two doing here?"
"Doesn't matter" replied Runabout "Finally some action!"
"You said it!" said Runamuck. They opened fire upon the five of them.
"Things just got weirder" said Bulkhead.
Meanwhile
Grimlock busted his way to the top of the Nemesis.
"Finally!" said Grimlock. He instantly ran to the edge to jump off, only to realize that they were flying over the ocean.
"Nothing out here but miles and miles of saltwater" said a voice. Grimlock turned to see Mindwipe and the other members of his crew standing there. "There's no point in running, it will only tire you until you cannot fight anymore" He extended his hand out. "Join us and become something greater"
"You mean a puppet?" said Grimlock.
"No, a hive mind" said Mindwipe "One day, I will have everything in this galaxy under my control. I will have achieved something that Megatron, Starscream, or Optimus could ever achieve; complete control and stability. Join me and you can rule as a part of it" Grimlock looked back and forth between Mindwipe and the ocean.
"You know from before when I said I would tear your arms out if I ever got free?" said Grimlock "I don't want that anymore. When next we meet, I'm going to kill you" He leapt off of the ship and down towards the water below. At that moment, two Vehicons ran up to Mindwipe.
"Mindwipe, Starscream wishes to speak with you immediately" said one of the Vehicons.
"What is it about?" asked Mindwipe.
"He wouldn't say" replied the Vehicon.
"Very well then" said Mindwipe "Take me to him"
Meanwhile
Mirage stood just outside the Initiative's base with his cloak still on.
"Make sure you don't get here too late" said Mirage quietly into his comlink.
"I'll inform Agent Bluestone so he can give us some backup" said Prowl out of his comlink "In the meantime, stay hidden and wait for us"
"Got it" said Mirage.
"And one more thing; I don't approve of you going against my orders" said Prowl "This is not to happen again" It was then that Mirage overheard voices coming from the hanger. He peaked out and saw Airachnid and Crankcase in there alone.
"My opinion remains the same; this plan was both unnecessary and ridiculous" said Crankcase "I had the Autobot's base in the palm of my hand and you had me give it up for…for this"
"And how long were you expecting to hold onto it for?" said Airachnid "The Autobots would have thought of a way around it eventually. Besides; it's better to keep at least some of them alive for the time being"
"Using these Humans to capture Autobots and Decepticons so we can blackmail them off?" said Crankcase.
"Precisely" said Airachnid "Prime is soft, he'll bow down to any demands if you have at least one of his Autobots; and we have four"
"And what about Barricade?" said Crankcase "He's just a grunt, there's no way Starscream will submit for him"
"It's a minor setback" said Airachnid "I was hoping they'd capture a more prominent Decepticon"
"You hoped they'd capture?" said Crankcase "You're letting them run on a very long leash, too long"
"And what's wrong about that?" said Airachnid "It means they suspect less"
"You've already told them all about us and handed them some of our technology" said Crankcase "It's only a matter of time before they start getting different ideas"
"That's assuming they outlive their usefulness" said Airachnid "But let's change the subject. You sure seem determined to rule the Decepticons"
"It's better in my hands than in Starscream's" said Crankcase.
"That's true" said Airachnid "But it stems from something else, something greater. I've often heard you mention that you have more right to the throne than Starscream has, and yet I've never seen it on record of being close to Megatron. But after a while; I began to realize something, and then everything became crystal clear…you're Megatron's son, aren't you?" Crankcase narrowed his eyes. "You don't need to answer me; your expression says it all. But it also begs another question; why not approach him about it when he was still—"
"Enough!" snapped Crankcase "Let's just say that I have reason to…stay away from Megatron"
"Humiliation?" asked Airachnid.
"If existing is humiliation, then yes" replied Crankcase.
"Of course" said Airachnid in an almost wicked tone "You were a child who he never intended to have, and thus you were deprived of—"
"Listen, don't ever bring this up again" said Crankcase "And if you do, I will kill you"
"Crankcase, this is Runamuck" said Runamuck through his comlink "We had the Autobots cornered but they slipped out and appear to be on their way back to the hanger. They're heading your way"
"Chase them down here" said Crankcase into his comlink "We'll take them down from here"
"Got it" said Runamuck.
"Karaz, get down to the hanger immediately, and bring the hostage with you" said Airachnid into her comlink.
"Hostage?" said Crankcase.
"I'll explain it to you later" said Airachnid. At that moment, Bumblebee and the others drove right into the hanger and transformed.
"Finally!" said Bumblebee "Let's get…oh dear!"
"Airachnid!" said Arcee. Airachnid merely smirked.
"Crankcase?" said Bumblebee "What are you doing here?"
"That doesn't matter" said Crankcase "What matters is that this is as far as you're going to get. But it doesn't have to end in energon-shed; surrender now, and we will spare you"
"We vastly outnumber you" said Bumblebee "What's more; we don't have to beat you, we just need to get past you"
"And what about you, Barricade?" asked Crankcase "You're fine with siding with these Autobots"
"As much as I hate working with them, you're a criminal and one who doesn't show up often" said Barricade "If I deliver you back to Starscream; I'll get more than an acknowledgement, I'll get a promotion"
"Yeah" said Bumblebee "And as I said before, it's basically five versus two"
"I wouldn't say so" said Karaz as he entered. Behind him came a commando who held a gun to Melody's head, who was still gagged and handcuffed.
"Melody!" said Arcee.
"Not so fast" said Airachnid "Say or do anything rash, and we put your little pet down" Arcee turned back to Airachnid and clenched her teeth. "It's just life" At that moment, Runabout, Runamuck, and the other commandos entered the hanger.
"Don't move, Autobots!" said Runabout whilst raising his blaster.
"That should even the odds out better" said Airachnid.
"Count us then" said a voice. Everything turned to see Prowl, Jazz, Breakaway, Hound, and Mirage standing out the front of the hanger.
"This still doesn't change anything" said Crankcase.
"Maybe not, but right now the military is on its way" said Prowl. Karaz glare grew hostile.
"You say that as if I should be concerned by it" said Crankcase.
"Maybe you don't, but the Initiative should" said Prowl "They'll outgun you; and if they identify any of you, you're done for. So I guess we'll just wait here"
"Constantly in a Mexican standoff" said Jazz.
"Oh shut up!" snapped Runabout whilst stepping forward and shooting at Jazz who dodged the shot "Let's just fight already!"
"Yeah!" said Runabout. They charged over at the Autobots.
"Wait, you two!" snapped Crankcase. Within what seemed like a matter of seconds, a huge battle broke out within the hanger. As Airachnid attempted to sneak off, Arcee retracted out her blades and leapt at her. "Let's see what we can do!" She slashed down at Airachnid.
"Yes…indeed!" said Airachnid whilst transforming into her spider form and attacking Arcee.
Meanwhile
Mindwipe stepped into Starscream's throne room.
"You summoned me, Lord Starscream" said Mindwipe.
"It's come to my attention that not only has Grimlock escaped, you failed to control him" said Starscream.
"Your shackles didn't work on him" said Mindwipe "If it weren't for that, I would have controlled him eventually"
"Enough" said Starscream "I've come to a decision, four's enough for me; instead of controlling Grimlock, we'll destroy him"
"Are you sure?" asked Mindwipe "Given time—"
"Listen here, I've lost my patience" said Starscream "If you can't control him, then nothing can"
"It's a shame that we have to tie things up this way" said Mindwipe "But very well" He turned to leave but two Vehicons stepped into his way. "What is the meaning of this?"
"You're not going anywhere" said Starscream "Did you really think Blackout was my only suspect for missing Vehicons? After they returned, they mentioned something about…barely remembering anything. And as you know, I hate it when people plot against me"
"If that is so, why keep me around?" asked Mindwipe.
"I needed some way to control Grimlock and his team" said Starscream "But it seems I've given you too much freedom"
"You just made a foolish mistake" said Mindwipe. He glared at the Vehicons that surrounded him but nothing happened. "How…why isn't anything happening?"
"Did you really think I would bring someone like you aboard my ship and not have a way to defend myself?" said Starscream "Soundwave developed a way to counteract your mind control and made sure that I and several others were protected. But after the missing Vehicon incident, I realized I needed to do much more; so I made sure every Decepticon was protected from your gaze. Checkmate" The Vehicons closed in on Mindwipe.
"Hurt me and you'll unleash the Lightning Strike Coalition" said Mindwipe.
"I'm not going to hurt you" said Starscream "I'm just going imprison you and make sure you do everything I say"
"No!" snarled Mindwipe. He transformed and flew straight out of the room.
"Follow him, and tell everyone not to injure him" said Starscream.
Meanwhile
As the battle in the hanger raged onwards, Karaz and the commando retreated back with Melody still their hostage.
"Quickly, we have to get out of here before the military show up" said Karaz. Suddenly, Melody jabbed the commando in the stomach and ran off. The commando raised his gun at her. "No, we have no time! We have to get to the helicopters immediately" The two of them retreated off. Meanwhile, Arcee clashed with Airachnid on top of the crates.
"This has worked out so well, hasn't it?" said Airachnid.
"You caused all of this and for what?" said Arcee "You've just given both sides another enemy" Suddenly, Airachnid shot out webbing and stuck Arcee to the wall.
"You know very well that I don't care what happens to either Bots or Cons" said Airachnid. Arcee transformed and drove straight out of the webbing, ramming Airachnid who leapt back up onto the crates. As Bumblebee battled past Runabout and Runamuck, he saw Melody standing over by the crates.
"Melody!" exclaimed Bumblebee. He rushed over, grabbed her, and ungagged her. "You alright?"
"Yeah" replied Melody "Watch out!" Suddenly, Crankcase leapt down onto Bumblebee stabbed him in the shoulder with a blade.
"You Autobots have been a thorn in my side for too long!" said Crankcase. Mirage wriggled free of Runabout and Runamuck, turned his hand into a blaster, and aimed it at Crankcase.
"Good!" said Hound "Get him, Mirage!" Mirage was about to shoot but for some reason didn't. "Mirage?" As Mirage stood there staring blankly at Crankcase, Jazz and Breakaway leapt onto the Decepticon and wrestled him off of Bumblebee. At that moment, Prowl walked up to Mirage and pushed him.
"What was that for?" asked Mirage.
"Bumblebee could have died" said Prowl "You should have shot"
"I tried to, but—" said Mirage.
"That's not good enough" said Prowl "Next time you have a chance to shoot a Decepticon, take it" As Crankcase battled Jazz and Breakaway, a bright light shot at him. Everyone looked out at a group of helicopters and US soldiers standing outside the hanger.
"This is Special Agent Bluestone" said Bluestone "Surrender now, we have you completely surrounded"
"You heard the big man, stand down" said Jazz.
"I don't take orders from Autobots or bugs!" snapped Crankcase. He aimed his ground bridge generator to a corner, opened a portal, and ran through it. "Runabout, Runamuck!" Runabout and Runamuck turned, transformed, and drove into the portal. As Arcee and Airachnid brawled, Airachnid turned to go through the portal but was blocked off by Arcee.
"Oh no, you're not getting out of this that easily!" said Arcee. Airachnid looked over at an RAH-66 Comanche in the corner and smirked.
"I don't think so!" said Airachnid. She head-butted Arcee, turned to the helicopter, scanned it, and transformed into it. Arcee grabbed onto her by the end and tried to slow her down, only to end up being bashed off in the process. As Airachnid flew through the ground bridge, Arcee got herself up and ran after her, only for the portal to close.
"No!" exclaimed Arcee. She knelt down onto her knees and began punching the ground, her optics filling with tears. "No…" Bumblebee walked over to her and held her by the forearms.
"Arcee…" said Bumblebee. Arcee slowly calmed down. "Arcee, it's alright" Arcee turned around and hugged him tight, her face now dripping with tears. Melody looked on and stayed where she was, knowing that she had to give the two of them a wide berth.
Meanwhile
"You two cost me everything!" snapped Crankcase.
"But…we just wanted some action" said Runabout.
"I am in charge here, which means you play by my rules" said Crankcase "You can fight when I say you can; but when I tell you not to, you must comply with no complaints. Now be gone, you two; and think about what I said" Runabout and Runamuck exited the room.
"They're a handful those two" said Airachnid "A bit like bratty children. It's times like this that I prefer to work sol—" Crankcase grabbed her by the wrist.
"Listen, I don't know what got into your head about this; but from here on, I make every plan and organize every move we make" said Crankcase as he tightened his grip "No exceptions!" He pushed Airachnid off and left.
Meanwhile
Karaz flew off into the distance in his helicopter.
"Head back to our alternative base" said Karaz "We're to meet the others there. It was fortunate that the battle was enough to cover our escape. We've just narrowly achieved a victory"
"But sir, we barely achieved anything today" said the Initiative pilot next to him "The transformers escaped"
"That may be so" said Karaz as he got out his disk "However; while dissecting one of the specimens, we were able to get basic scans of his anatomy and save it onto this disk. We've taken the first step on the journey to gain a great advantage, over both the government and the transformers alike"
Meanwhile
"There's no sign of any Initiative members anywhere" said a soldier "Everything in the base has either been taken or destroyed"
"They're obviously determined to cover their tracks" said Bluestone "Keep looking; they retreated in a hurry, perhaps they left something"
"It will be done" said the soldier.
"So what now?" asked Wheeljack.
"About what?" asked Breakaway. Wheeljack gestured subtlety towards Barricade.
"There's no need to do that, I already know that you're talking about me" said Barricade "But don't worry, I think I've had enough for one day; I'll find a remote location and call for the Nemesis" He turned to leave and started walking off into the sunset. "But don't expect me to go soft on you ever again"
"We're making a big mistake" said Prowl "We can't just let him off like this"
"Nah" said Jazz "He chose to leave instead of attacking us; in his own way, I think he says "thank you""
Meanwhile
"This would never have happened if you hadn't showed your hand this early" said Slipstream.
"I had to do it sometime" said Starscream.
"And because of your impatience, we just gained a new enemy" said Slipstream "He and the rest of Grimlock's team are gone; we have to find him before it's too late" As they entered the bridge, they found that all of the other Decepticons stood there.
"Wait, what are all you doing here?" asked Starscream.
"They're just here for the meeting" said a voice "The one that you two missed" Blackout walked up to them.
"Blackout, what are you doing here?" snapped Starscream.
"While you were making poor decisions, I've been up here telling your crew all about the facts of life" said Blackout.
"I warned you not to meddle!" snapped Starscream.
"And you expected me to be intimidated by it?" said Blackout.
"Enough of this; seize him!" snapped Starscream. The other Decepticons did nothing. "Are you deaf? I said seize him!" The other Decepticons still did nothing. "What did you say to them?"
"Only that this is between you and me, and only that" replied Blackout "They aren't making a move until this is over, because they want to make sure that they're on the winning side"
"This is treason, Blackout" said Slipstream.
"Is it?" said Blackout "As I recall, you two willingly allowed one of the most dangerous Cybertronians aboard this ship; and because of you, he's now on the loose"
"If you think we're just going to let you—" said Slipstream. Suddenly, she and Starscream were electrocuted and fell to the ground unconscious. Blackout walked over to them and grinned triumphantly.
"I never understood what Megatron ever saw in you" said Blackout. Suddenly, Soundwave grabbed him by the arm. "What are you doing?" He pushed Soundwave off who reeled out his tentacles.
"Laserbeak, Ravage: Eject" said Soundwave "Operation: Assistance" Laserbeak and Ravage leapt out of his chest.
"I never thought I'd see you of all Decepticons standing up for Starscream" said Blackout.
"I cannot allow you to take the throne by unofficial means" said Soundwave "If such methods are used; a potential power vacuum will open, which will have negative repercussions—" Suddenly, he, Laserbeak, and Ravage were electrocuted and fell to the ground unconscious. Lugnut stepped out of the shadows holding a baton with electric sparks flashing out of it.
"I never did like his cold presence" said Blackout "Take them to the cells. And make sure that Soundwave's Mini-Cons are far away from him" Lugnut grabbed Soundwave whilst various Vehicons grabbed Starscream, Slipstream, Laserbeak, and Ravage and they left the bridge. "Things are about to change for us Decepticons, and it's going to be for the better. No more holding back; it's time to hit our enemies hard and where it hurts"
Meanwhile
Lugnut and the Vehicons brought Starscream and the others to the cells and threw them in individually.
"Megatron should never have trusted you" said Lugnut as he closed Soundwave's cell over.
Meanwhile
"What news is there?" asked Scrapper as he walked over to the communications array.
"Still nothing I'm afraid" said Scavenger. Scrapper looked into screen and saw nothing but haywire. "But these things take time, so—" Scrapper slammed his fists onto the array. "Take it easy"
"We don't have time" said Scrapper "The last thing we need is more setbacks. Oh, Lord Megatron is not going to like this"
"Who…this…" said a voice from the screen. Scrapper ran over and saw that the haywire screen was slowly forming shapes. "I am…ting the connection so communication can become easier"
"Who is this?" asked Scrapper. The shapes around began forming a square-like object that was quickly covered purple and at the center was a large red circle.
"This is Shockwave of Cybertron" said Shockwave "What is it you want?"
Hellman76: Omega Supreme will appear in the series eventually.
RoboDiamondDragon09: I hope this chapter shed some light upon your questions in the last one.
kira444: I haven't read much of Nefarious, but I got the idea from there; but they'll be more modelled after MECH. Plus, I like the name Initiative.