Chapter 25 ~ Shanghai
"English Speech."
"Cybertronian Speech."
Thoughts.
*Com link*
*Radio Clips.*
"Bonds."
Hey there peoples of the Interwebs! I am so sorry about how late this is! I had a college visit yesterday, left Friday and the WiFi at my hotel didn't like my laptop. I got home late yesterday and passed out as soon as I hit my bed. Seriously, I didn't even change or anything. I woke up a few minutes ago and was like… OH SHIT! At least I slept for 11 hours. Weather that's a good thing or a bad thing… Jebus… And my laptop kept shutting off for no reason while I was editing. Anyways, IT HAS BEGUN! The Fallen shall rise before he fall down go boom… again.
Reviews!
Lovlyness404 and AshleyofChaos: Thank you so much! Yeah, I've read some of them. I'll need to go through them to see. Now, thank you both for giving me your lists. Honestly, you don't need to warn for mc. Most, if not all, authors give warnings before stuff like that if it was a problem. If you could actually tell me which ones are Sunny/OC/Sides, that'd be really helpful. In case you were unaware, I've have a Community for SS/OC/SS stories (Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were here) and I'd like to add as many as I can… and it'll take me awhile to go through your list. :) Again, thank you both so much! :D
SapphireStorm: Good to hear! I freaking LOVE Written in the Stars! Just a warning though, WORST CLIFFHANGER EVER! OF ALL TIME! I'M NOT EVEN EXAGGERATING! And it hasn't updated for years… :( Here's the update. XD Thanks again!
Welp that's all from me. I hope you like!
(August, 11 22:14 hr Shanghai, China)
The C-17 came to a rumbling halt. Eight hours of sitting on the damn plane was finally over, and the ramp was lowering for us to leave. We all grouped on the tarmac, specific orders going out to Humans and Autobots alike.
"Mudflap and Skids will recon to the East, Starlight and Sideswipe have the West," Lennox's voice called out over the idling engines of a multitude of vehicles. "Ironhide, Arcee, Chromia, and Flareup will be with teams Alpha through Echo. Foxtrot though Kilo will be backup to the South. Lima to Omega have the North. We've got the usual air support, pattern Zulu-Delta. Now, after recon is done the four of you," he gestured at us 'recon' bots "will move in closer. We need to box him in, just in case." Sides and I nodded while dumb and dumber started fighting over who would do better recon. They heard though.
I pulled away from the group as the NEST soldiers started piling into Black Hawks, Seahawks, and an assortment of ground vehicles. Arcee and her sisters ended up in a trailer, and Ironhide had several passengers. Sides pulled up alongside me, his currently silver form glinting in the artificial lights that shown on us.
"Ready?" I called out to him.
He chuckled slightly. "You need to ask? I'm just sad that we don't get one of those weird human team names."
"How about Team Badaft?"
"… That'll do." We laughed before the sudden roar of engines caused us to pause the conversation to follow. Our self-dubbed Team Badaft pulled ahead of the human entourage, Skids and Mudflap not far behind. Sides and I split to the right, sensors on high. It took about seven minutes to actually arrive in the right part of Shanghai. We couldn't use any main roads because of the evacuation.
After about a minute of searching, we finally got a ping on the sensors. The smaller twins also got a reading and we made quick work of honing in on the signal.
"Starlight to Lennox, we have our area." I said through the human's radio frequencies, sending the coordinates as I did so.
"Roger that… Alright we have clearance, let's get this show on the road people." Sides and I made a left turn, heading closer to the Decepticon. "Roll in Alpha through Echo now."
*He's here. I smell him.* ~Ironhide
*You sure it isn't you?* ~Sideswipe
*This isn't time for your games, Sides.* ~Ironhide
*Yeah, yeah* ~Sideswipe
I couldn't help but laugh a bit and nudge Sides' side.
Our humor was short lived as Lennox's voice returned over the radio. "Right, everybody, be steady. We're right on top of it." Not even a second later an explosion went off a quarter of a mile away from us. Plumes of dust and dirt shooting into the air. "Eagle niner!"
"Frag!" I swore as I sped my pace. Eagle niner basically meant 'cover's blown and he looks tough'.
Panther 1, requesting fire mission now!" Epps' voice was over the radio this time. Is he really that big? Orders went back and forth over the radio as more firepower was brought in. Sides and I were still about a minute away with all the twisting roads and alleys.
Of course when you think things can't get worse they always seem to.
A pilot called out "We got a second Decepticon." My sensors flared trying to pinpoint him. He was further to the East, near Skids and Mudflap.
"Arcee, twins! Target coming your way!"
*I got him, I got him!* ~Skids
I gunned my engine and pulled ahead of Sideswipe as we passed through a narrow passage.
*Frag it all!* ~Flareup
*How is he not affected by our weapons?!* ~Arcee
*How the frag should I know?* ~Chromia
*You're the Weapon Specialist's sparkmate!* ~Arcee
*Doesn't mean I know armor!* ~Chromia
*We need help. He's just brushing off our shots.* ~Flareup
*Oh frag! He went through a building!* ~Arcee
*We's on our way!* ~Skids
A crashing sound was heard a second later.
*I screwed that up. I'm okay. I'm all right.* ~Mudflap
*This is combat, man.* ~Skids
*Total brain freeze, man.* ~Mudflap
*What's wrong with you?* ~Skids
"Bring in Sideswipe and Starlight then!" Lennox ordered.
*Already on it!* ~Starlight
Of course my sensors pinged again.
*Wait. I've got another contact! I'm moving to engage.* ~Starlight
"Sides, go take out that Con, I've got this."
He grunted in response as we split ways. "Clear a path!" I heard before his silver frame rounded the corner. I took off to the right, trying to hunt down the second signal. Not even a second later I saw a flash of orange and swerved to intercept it. I didn't recognize the signature but it obviously wasn't an Autobot. I chased him into a tunnel, the yellowish glow of the artificial lights casted weird shadows along his frame.
"Not yet." He growled quietly. The frag does he mean 'Not yet'?
He swerved to the other side of the barrier, the concrete supports obstructing my visual in blurs. I could still see his gleaming orange stripes at every brake between the pillars, and my sensors in my antennae tracked his every move. The vibrations from his engine, the gravel thrown from his treads… the slight turn in his wheels to the left.
And then he was gone.
I slammed my breaks on, ignoring the prickling heat and grit of the paved tunnel as it dug into my tires. As soon as slowed myself enough I transformed and leaped over the barrier, using the pillar to swing my momentum the right way.
Nothing. No splits in the tunnel, no skid marks, no Decepticon. I pushed my sensors to the max, my antennae twitching in an attempt to collect as much data as the possibly could.
"What the frag?!" It was like he just ceased to exist. There was no ripple from a cloaking device, or residue from a warp. I spun, hoping I'd missed something.
The only thing my sensors picked up was Sideswipe closing in on Sideways a few streets from the next tunnel opening. With one last glance to the Con's last location, I left.
*Target lost.* ~Starlight
No point chasing ghosts when there was still an active Decepticon nearby.
I had just caught up with him when he launched himself into the air. The cannons on his back firing along Sideway's armor to little affect. So instead he threw his sword into the Con's engine block and sliced him clean in half. My silver intended came to a spinning halt, the bright lights glinting off his armor as he smirked at me.
"Damn, I'm good!"
"Yeah," I scoffed, shoving him playfully. "Good at showing off."
He gasped, pressing a servo against his chassis. "So mean!"
I rolled my optics. "C'mon, there's still a Con left."
"What about your one?"
"He just… vanished."
"Vanished?" He looked back at the street I had come from in confusion.
"Yeah. I'll tell you later." I transformed back into my alt and sped off towards our main target's location. If the human chatter and Ironhide's cursing was anything to go by, the Decepticon had gotten out of our lockdown zone.
"Air support," Epps' voice rang out over the radio, "we need Big Buddha to deliver the drop now!" I looked up to see the C-17 holding my sire make a 180 before the back hatch opened. We passed under a building so I couldn't see him fall though.
*Autobots, I'm in pursuit!* ~Optimus Prime
Sides and I sped up but my sire made quick work of getting the Con away from innocent humans. We were close enough to see the destruction of the warehouse that the Con crashed into.
*Target immobilized.* ~Optimus Prime
Sides pulled ahead of me as we approached the smoking building. Ironhide was pulling in as well.
"Punk-ass Decepticon!" He growled as we approached the massive sparking frame.
Sides smirked. "You're just pissed that you didn't slag him, Hide."
"Shut up you fragger."
"Any last words?" My sire asked, ignoring their banter.
"This is not your planet to rule!" The Con's voice was warbled from damage. "The Fallen shall rise again." I could see the humans exchanging looks.
"Not today." Opi fired once into the Decepticon's glowing orange optic, blowing his processor out the back of his helm. A moment of silence passed over our team. Arcee, her sisters, and the smaller twins finally catching up.
"Alright everyone. Let's pack up and head home." Lennox called motioning for his team to load up in their vehicles. I glanced to Sides as he moved towards my sire.
"Permission to make a detour on the way back to the air base?" Sides asked. My opiluk sighed and nodded.
"Do not take long. I fear the human government will not be pleased with the amount of destruction caused by today's battle."
"Yes, sir." Sides moved back to me, his grin back in place. "I'll meet you at the plane."
"I don't get to help pick out the gift for Silver?"
"Nope!" He grinned before placing a quick kiss against my cheek plate. "Go on. I'll see you in a bit." In a blur of silver, he transformed and speed off towards the undamaged part of Shanghai.
There you have it folks! Sorry about the abrupt end, Chapter 26 will either be out later tonight or tomorrow. I'll catch up, don't worry. If this seemed rough as well, it's because I was trying to edit this on the road, but my laptop kept throwing a royal fit. I'll fix it when I have the chance. I just really wanted to give you guys your chapter. Please, please, please leave a review for at least this chapter if not all. Let me know what you think so far, if I made any mistakes in catching my mistakes, any ideas as to what you think will happen to Star, funny shit you want me to make her do, prank ideas… cause I need those, or just say hi! Alrighty then, I'll talk to you later Interwebs! Bye! o/ ~Joyce