Autobots, Assemble!

Part 2:

Galvatron Rising

Chapter 37

The aircraft outside the window seemed to stare down the Baron inside. Even without true eyes in this shape, Simon Williams knew it was a little bit more than just staring. He knew Galvatron was analyzing, trying to puzzle out the best way to extract the other adult and the three teens without any of them coming to harm. Going by the purple lateral lines, he had a feeling a touch of intimidation might be coming into play as well. He certainly looked more threatening with them glaring harshly than without them.

Zemo continued to look back out at him, not intimidated in the least from the looks of it. Then again, it was unfortunately difficult to startle or frighten the man. It was also harder to read his expressions or see emotions in his eyes due to his skin-fused mask. For all Simon knew, he might actually be a little bit scared. In his place he admitted he sure as hell would be. There was no way the guy was intending to fight a Cybertronian off with just a sword and a blaster, was he? That was insane even for him.

[Stay out of sight, Williams. This is my fight to deal with. He asked for me specifically. I need you as a wild card. He thinks I came alone. We can take advantage of that.]

"You're not really going to give yourself up to him, are you?" he asked as quietly as he could from further above.

[...If all other avenues of choice are empty...I may have to.] The weight, the sheer severity in Galvatron's voice was not encouraging to him. [I am done with letting innocent children be harmed because I wasn't there to defend them. I can't have any more child's blood on my hands. I have too much already. Here at least I have a chance to make up for previous shortcomings. If the only way to protect them is to forfeit my life, then fine.]

"But we both know Zemo'll back-stab you. He rarely keeps his word. The Avengers could tell you. Hell, I'll tell you that right now. You make any sort of deal with him and he'll come around from behind and knife you – a lot of times literally."

[And that's precisely what I'm counting on. He's no different than Starscream was. If a deal is not distinctly beneficial to him he'll go back on it if the opportunity presents itself. If it is, there's a chance we all walk away from this unscathed, and Zemo might end up in chains. Or he might simply get away again. But better those outcomes than the one where I, the woman, and the teens end up dead.]

Much as he disliked his tone, Simon found it difficult to argue his line of thinking. He despised himself for not coming up with a retort. Rogers probably could have – out of anyone he had the most experience with Zemo – and Tony; Dr. Pym and Wasp for sure would argue this as foolhardy and incredibly risky. T'Challa...he wasn't so sure about. He was one to take risks every now and again if the payoff was good enough; same with Hawkeye. Thor and Hulk? Hell, they'd probably barge right in and start pounding. They weren't the best strategists in the world.

He flew lower.

[Williams. Please. Just do what I say. And right now I say you need to stay out of sight and watch my back. Alright? I'll tell you when I need you. But if you would, please contact the nurse and tell her not to return home just yet.]

Simon relented, shying away further in the air to await developments. And, as told, he set about sending a message to Ms. Darby. For a fraction of a second he debated sending a distress signal to rally the Avengers...but Galvatron hadn't told him to do that. Like he'd just said, this was his problem to deal with and his alone. Calling in for support would force Zemo's hand. This had to be solved by only the two of them.

'Galvatron, please. Do not do anything brash.' pleaded Primus. 'You are not healed yet. I am not about to lose you to him, not now.'

He wouldn't. He swore that. He had a plan.

"Alright, Zemo. I'm here. Do your worst. You'd better have a plan to kill me other than that little needle of yours, because that won't do much to me."

Zemo have a twisted smirk beneath his mask as the girl's phone transmitted the voice to him. Megatron was quite different from how he remembered him, and he was different from their last encounter. Dauntless. No doubt something he'd picked up from that blasted archer, Barton. Or perhaps he'd gotten it from that annoying little menace friend of the Avengers, Spider-Man. Still, he had to admire the alien's courage in a way. Here he was, playing on his terms, and he had the daring nerve to challenge him, taunt him. Zemo had to hand it to him. Just like Rogers, this idiot never gave in without a fight. A warrior to the bitter, painful end.

"Galv! Get out of here! It's a trap!" Jack shouted, hoping his voice could be heard over Miko's phone.

"I am well aware of that, Jackson. And please try to keep Miko from provoking him. Unless she already has, in which case I'm going to have a talk with her after this."

The teen blinked. Beside him, Miko cracked a grin, snickering. Quake smirked. The dossier that Fury had had Barton and the other Avengers compile during his stay with them was right. This guy really was no monster. He was brave and honestly a tad reckless – in a good way though. He kind of reminded her of Barnes. You mess with anybody under his protection and you were basically messing with a dragon. Rule one with dragons? Don't tick them off. And Zemo was doing just that by holding the three of them as bargaining chips.

"Good luck killing this guy Zemo. He's cheated death – what, four times already? Five? Six?" Miko taunted. "I think that cosmic Death lady might be getting bored with him by now. She can't seem to kill him. Unicron can't seem to kill him. MECH couldn't kill him. Starscream couldn't kill him and he tried a ton of times. So what makes you think you can, purple puss?"

Zemo gave a low, menacing growl and brandished his blade at her. Quake tensed, ready to react should he try to attack her. But in the end Zemo gave a dark chuckle, drawing his weapon back and almost gently caressing its fuller. He spoke then.

"Because unlike them I bother to study my enemies thoroughly before dispatching them. Three of those four react on whims. I know through Cylas's research of him that his immune system is weak and so is his power core – 'spark' they call it? That is why the incomplete virus had such a devastating effect on him when used. I thought it was weak enough that it would merely provide the necessary distraction for me to escape, so I was pleasantly surprised to see him react to it the way it did. And it permitted me to escape in the bargain. That convinced me to have Dr. Zola, A.I.M. and Cylas to complete it – and make it far more powerful. You might say that excessive...but I simply want to see the job done."

"You've studied Cap for a while now. You still haven't managed to beat him." Jack pointed out, careful to keep his voice even. He didn't want to bait the man.

The white eyes of Zemo's mask narrowed dangerously to mere slits. A short snarl escaped his throat. Jack backed away, afraid he'd baited him. But once more the Baron reigned in his impulse to kill and instead spoke more evenly. His words did not seem directed at him but at the phone in Miko's hands:

"Perhaps we should take this to the roof? I would not want to incommode a warrior of your caliber before your demise, Megatron."

"You're incommoding me right now by insisting on using my old name." Galvatron hissed. "I'm no longer Megatron. Megatron of Kaon is dead. He died the moment he understood the weight of everything he'd done. That name may as well be cursed. I am Galvatron now. If you intend to be polite about this then the least you could do is use my new name, Zemo."

"Very well then, Galvatron. Roof. Now."

Zemo hefted his sword and pointed it at Jack, Miko, and Quake, then flicked it in the direction of the door. Jack and Miko did their best to support to the taller wounded woman as they went. Behind them, the Baron followed with his sword encouraging them onwards.

It took the great grey mech moments to reach the roof of the building and transform. Simon hovered by his shoulder, awaiting instructions as to what to do only to be met with silence.

A flash of harsh, painful reminiscence came upon him as he stood there waiting, planning. The last time he had been on this rooftop it had been bittersweet. He'd been up here, angry at himself and hating what he had become over the centuries, wondering whether or not those acts were his to make. Consciously he wanted to be alone with his thoughts, but his subconscious had craved for company. Primus had provided, as had Jack. He remembered the teen standing there, staring up at him in confusion but no fear despite his past with him. He remembered his words, those simple but meaningful words:

"Couldn't. Not wouldn't."

[Williams, find some place out of sight. When Zemo approaches, strike at him the moment it is safe to. I doubt he will be expecting you.]

Wonder Man said he understood and flew down to shelter behind the doorway that led to the roof. If Zemo tried any funny business, he'd be ready. He was more than ready to pay Zemo back for forcing him to work for him. He'd just wanted to get back at Tony for taking his company from him, only to find out that hadn't been Tony's intent at all – he'd been trying to save the company, not absorb it. He'd never intended for his revenge to go so far. That Zemo thought him dead would make this payback all the sweeter to him.

They waited only a minute and a half before Zemo showed at last, ushering his three hostages in front of him with his blade. Galvatron was interested to note the sides of the Baron's skin-fused mask were stained with blood. From the way his sole adult hostage was glaring at him with a smug gleam in her eyes he had a feeling she was the culprit. But how? She was not armed. Her black and orange bodysuit, perhaps, provided a hint, as on one shoulder was the eagle insignia of S.H.I.E.L.D. The armor and the insignia hinted she was a special operative and they usually had powers.

"Again, you'd better have a better plan to kill me other than that little needle a sword you have. Because if you intend to use it on me, poisoned or not –"

He called on the Falchion, brandishing it for the man to see. He was pleased to see the white eyes of his mask widen in disbelief.

"You're going to have a very hard time of it." he finished. "Or I could just step on you. I'm sure Fury would be willing to look the other way in this instance. Exceptions can always be made."

Zemo remained silent for a moment. Then came another one of his smooth, dark chuckles and said:

"Sie sind mutig, Galvatron. Sie sind mutig...aber töricht." He knew the alien's translation programs would enable him to interpret his words. The returning frown proved it.

"Und nur ein Verrückter droht mich." the alien shot back with cold fire.

"Uh, what the heck is going on with all the German here, guys?" Miko demanded.

"Quiet, Miko." said the other woman quickly.

"Pity I'll have to silence you. You learn quickly. But I suppose I could get the Skull or Strucker to revive you as a servant to Hydra. They've become quite skilled in manipulating the substance you call Dark Energon. Interesting how it can revive your kind from death, then turn you into mindless lackeys."

Zemo saw the mech visibly recoil, saw a twinge of fear in his red optics. Ah. Interesting. Indicated a history with the substance. That he was scared of it would make re-animating him all the more meaningful. Hydra would benefit having him as a servant to their cause. The Avengers would be reluctant to hurt him even then, as would the other heroes who all saw him as an ally and friend.

"You do like hearing yourself talk, don't you? Are going to try to kill me or not?" Galvatron snapped. "I don't have all day. I have other places to be."

Beneath his mask, Zemo's lips curled into a smirk too small the skin-fused cloth to indicate. He struck out and grabbed Miko, holding her close to him in a vice grip. He dragged her over to the opposite end of the roof, forcing into a precarious balancing act, his arm the only thing keeping her from falling. His blade hovered just above her throat. The girl, brave and brash though she was, let out a small keen or perhaps a whimper when she felt the sharp edge cut into her skin and make a thin opening in her skin. It was small but it stung like the world's worst paper-cut. She didn't dare to look down to see if she was actually bleeding. She just felt she was.

"Miko!" Jack made to rush forward but Quake grabbed his arm, silently shaking her head "No." Zemo was just waiting for an excuse to hurt Galvatron further by injuring his civilian charges. He might even kill her. No one would put it past him.

"Now, now. Hold still, Ms. Nakadai." he purred. "I simply need to make sure your guardian doesn't attempt anything. I'm sure Nurse Darby or Ms. Foster would be willing to tend to that insignificant little wound after this is done. It's hardly more than a paper cut. No need to squirm. You try anything, she falls to her doom."

Zemo grabbed his pistol from his side holster and drew it. He took aim, pointing it at the alien's chest where the starburst symbol was. He knew through MECH and A.I.M. that a Cybertronian spark, unlike a human heart, was always located directly in the center of their chests, held in a special chamber to keep it from moving too much. A shot to there would let the nano-virus run rampant through his systems in mere moments.

Galvatron had to do his best not to laugh. Unwittingly, Zemo was playing right into his hands.

"Fine. Drop her. What do I care?" he said dismissively. "She's very annoying."

Miko looked at him, shocked and hurt. Zemo flung his head back and laughed, his grip slackening. In that brief second the great grey mech flashed her a wink and showed her two crossed fingers carefully concealed behind his back. Miko did not grin back, knowing better for once, but her eyes were glittering now. She knew what he was really doing now. The guy was toying with Zemo. Galv was actually toying with Baron. Freaking. Zemo. He wouldn't let her fall or come to harm. Guy already had something planned out. Probably someone below to catch her.

This. This was why the guy was the best superhero ever. Didn't even matter what team he was with. He had the most courage and wiles out of any hero she'd ever met – yes, even more than Hawkeye and Tony. He was using Zemo's own dark ego against him in a way that would've made Cap and Winter Soldier doubly proud.

"Very well. Your wish is granted."

He dropped her. He did not bother to look down, thus he did not see a glowing purple form snap out from under cover, grab the girl, place her on a balcony, unlock the door by melting the lock, and sneak further up the building with a conspiratorial wink at her, all within the span of a few seconds. It wasn't Wasp's apartment so he just had to hope the owner wouldn't mind too much. He'd pay for the lock. Least he could do in return. Carefully he kept sneaking closer to the roof, skirting around to another wall to catch the Baron from the side.

Zemo aimed the pistol, pressed down on the trigger...

And he howled in dismay when a blast of purple energy knocked the gun clean from his hand. The weapon spiraled down to the street below. Only the alien's sharp ears let him hear the clatter of the metal against cement. He looked down at the Baron, not even trying to hide smirk and the triumphant gleam in his red optics.

"What?!" he shrieked. Angrily he drew his blade and stalked forward, body tense with rage.

"Punking I believe is the human phrase you're looking for, Zemo." Galvatron retorted smugly. "Is that right, Williams?"

"Sounds about right, yeah." chimed in another voice – a voice Zemo was sure he'd never hear again. "You're getting the hang of our slang language pretty well."

The owner of the impossible voice flew up from behind the cover of the rooftop access door. It was distinctly humanoid and made of writing, glowing violet energy speckled with paler lavender and had distinctive glowing red eyes. For a time Zemo simply stood there, aghast and agape at the sight. Simon Williams, known more colloquially as Wonder Man, was alive and well. He also had a device on one arm very much resembling a gauntlet. The style alone screamed of Stark. It was streamlined, functional, and flashy.

"But...I saw you meet your end!" protested Zemo. "I saw the Norn Stone's magic destroy you – rip you apart!"

"Appearances can be deceiving. And what do you care? You tried to have me killed. You thought the magic would just finish the job for you, huh? News flash: It didn't."

To drive his point home he blasted Zemo mercilessly. The Baron blocked them well enough to start with but soon the barrage was coming too swiftly for him to effectually block it. Quake soon joined him, attacking his ears with a relentless stream of sonic waves. Soon enough the Baron was on his knees, blood trickling from the sides of his head. He refused to give in though. Defeat by a traitor – two traitors – was something his intense pride would not allow. He had to flee once more.

He had a plan set up already. It would allow him a chance to escape. He cared little about the civilian casualties his act would cause.

Snarling, he forced himself to his feet, using his blade as a wobbling crutch. Out of one pocket he pulled what looked like a walkie talkie with a single red button on it.

Grinning to himself behind the mask, he pressed it.

Nearby came the sound of detonations and shattering glass. The three heroes and Jack whirled in time to see a good-sized skyscraper (Galvatron's map of the city had it labeled as 432 Park Avenue, a condominium high rise) erupt in fiery explosions. They weren't large but the fires would spread and kill whoever hadn't been closest the detonation sites. Fires didn't pose a danger to his kind but a human's sensitive lungs would soon drown in the smoke, and their skin would burn in the heat. Their eyes widened. Quake's mouth dropped open, hands flying to cover it as horror marred her expression.

"Oh my God..." Jack managed. This...Zemo had just...Oh man.

Snarling like a beast, Galvatron rounded on Zemo. The Baron remained largely impassive but chuckled darkly.

"What will it be, heroes: My capture? Or will you save the civilians? No one has died – yet. The explosions are immolation charges, an invention of A.I.M's. Small explosions, not normally lethal unless you're quite near it...but the ensuing super-heated fires would be."

Wonder Man, infuriated, blasted the Baron with a shot strong enough to down him, even scorch his suit, revealing a hint of the chemically burned skin beneath. His sword clattered to the ground.

"How 'bout we do both?" he snapped. "Quake, take him and the kids. Miko's a few floors down. Get them to the Helicarrier. Galv and I'll round up the other Avengers. Think you could call in some X-Men too, big guy? Ice-Man and Storm preferably to douse the fires. Hopefully the fire department will be there to help us out."

The great grey mech nodded once sharply and took the skies, opening up a channel to the X-Men. He did not speak what was going on, as that would take too long. He merely sent a burst of data he knew Forge could interpret quickly. An answering ping came back a mere ten seconds later, telling that Ororo and Bobbie were on their way to the building right now via one of Tony's groundbridges.

'I should've anticipated this. Zemo always pulls this kind of trick, plays off our ethics...I-I just never thought he'd pull something this large scale...'

If anyone had died...there would be hell to pay. Not even a maximum security prison would protect Zemo from the wrath of Galvatron. No amount of soothing or reassurance from the entity inside him would stop him either.

The scene on their arrival was one no hero ever wanted to see. But...there was some hope.

The whole building was sprouting tendrils of fire out of the shattered windows and terrified shouts and screams were heard through the roaring blaze. Fire engines and firemen and women were desperately trying to get the fires doused to little avail. Four ambulances were on site tending to burns, smoke inhalation, or wounds caused by shattering glass. Already two black body bags were visible. His processor told him it was simply bad luck, that they'd been too close to the detonation site. His spark screamed in outrage.

'You're dead to me, Zemo. Dead!'

Horrific as the sight was, Storm and Bobbie were already on site and lending their own unique means of firing suppression. Phoenix and Magneto were there as well, telekinetically moving away debris and lifting civilians down to safety. Thor and the Avengers darted in and out of the building's levels with civilians. A more unusual site was that of a team of four heroes all wearing the same blue uniform with a "4" on their chests. One of them, a young man whose body seemed composed of pure flame, was absorbing some of the fire, drawing it out. Another, a woman with blonde hair, was hovering mid-air on a barely visible disk, hands out. The flames were acting funny where her hands were pointed. Some even snuffed out entirely. A third individual, a big bulky creature of a man whose body looked as if made of stones, was delving into the burning lobby alongside the Hulk to bring out civilians. Lastly, a third male, lanky and scholarly in appearance with a few wisps of grey in his dark brown hair was coordinating rescue efforts from the ground alongside Wasp and Ant-Man.

'The Fantastic Four. Reed Richards, siblings Susan and Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm. The Baxter Building, their headquarters, is not far from here. They probably arrived hot on the tails of the others.'

He remembered the last from Cybertron. Very distinctive coloration and strength.

"Hey! Flyboy! Don't just hover there! Lend a hand, would you? We gotta get these folks outta here!" shouted the stone-skinned man before he ran once more into the inferno.

Shaking himself out of his daze he drew in closer to the building to let Phoenix and Magneto set a family of three of Hispanic descent on his canopy. The child, a girl of about eight, seemed distraught as she was brought to ground and was frantically motioning upwards and repeating the word "Gato! Mi gato!" He had Spanish in his databases thankfully. "Gato" meant cat. Ah. The girl had a pet feline.

"Jean! There's a cat up there somewhere! Belongs to the group you just gave me! Find it!"

"On it! Eric, keep up with extraction!"

Magneto merely nodded. He wrenched some more metal free.

The telepath reached out with her mind and soon found what she was looking for. Carefully she brought it, a dark grey tabby kitten of about six or eight months, out of the fires and lowered it down into the arms of the young girl with a "Here you go, sweetheart," who then shrieked in delighted relief and hugged in close to her. The tag on it said the kitten's name was Cloud. It was shaking, scared, coughing faintly, and had some of its fur singed off, but otherwise it looked okay. Given some proper care and time to recover, Jean suspected it would be back to its playful self in no time.

An explosion racked the twentieth floor where Hawkeye and Cap were busy, strong enough to almost knock Susan Storm and Thor out of the air. The burlier Asgardian caught and steadied her before she could plummet to the cement below. Another, lesser strength explosion followed. Shouts of alarm came from there and below in the streets.

"Gas main! Clint, Steve, get out of there now!" he heard the scholar man on the floor cry. "That just added more fuel to the fire! Your suits won't protect you!"

Iron Man flew into the floor. His infrared scanners were having a hard time finding the two men in the heat and smoke, and removing the faceplate would expose him to the same heat and smoke. He shouted over the roar of the blaze into his comm. link:

"Vision! I need another set of eyes up in here!"

The phantom android came. He set his own eyes to scan for the unique coldness of tempered vibranium. He knew the metal could absorb and redistribute heat just as well as kinetic energy. The man never let the shield stray far from his side. If he found the shield, he found the soldier. Hawkeye would be slightly harder to find, as his bow was a unique carbon-fiber that did not have the same properties. They would need Jean, Xavier, or Emma for that. T'Challa wouldn't be able to track in the smoke.

He found the cold spot of the shield quickly. Cap had been flung against a wall when the gas line had blown, his shield protecting him from the explosion. He was using the shield as best he could to block the flames and heat, coughing from the smoke. From the way he was favoring one side it was pretty clear he'd been hurt. Vision flew over to him through the smoke and fire and pulled him out straight through the wall.

"Jean? Can you find Hawkeye's psychic print for us?" Tony asked.

'I've already found him, Stark. Torch got him a few seconds ago. Paramedics are seeing to him. Guy went all Leroy Jenkins and jumped from another window. He's alright. Couple of burns but he's being his usual complaining self and trying to scare the doctors away. You ask me I'm amazed he's doing all he is with a busted arm.'

Tony managed a dry laugh: "Yep. Sounds like Clint alright. Ignoring the doctor's orders."

[How many more are in the building, Stark?] T'Challa demanded. [How many life signals is Jarvis picking up?]

"Couple more but they're higher up where the fires are hottest. Think Galv and Thor and maybe Torch could go in and get them if Bobbie helps clear the way? Jarvis, lock onto those life signs and transmit coordinates to them, okay?"

[Just get in, grab the civs, and get out.] Ant-Man advised. [Try not to breathe too much of the stuff in. Thor, your biology doesn't permit you to be poisoned by the smoke like us but it's still an irritant. Worst you'll have is a sore throat for a couple of hours. Galv won't be bothered by it. His respiratory system is way different. We'll just need to be sure he doesn't start acreeting soot on his holo-form. Might de-stabilize it. Fire shouldn't hurt him since it's solidified energy but the heat might bother him. Torch'll need to be on his A-game.]

"No prob, Anty!" Torch called down to him. "I got this!"

"I'll give him a look-see afterwards." Tony assured. "Galv? You up for a fire run?"

[Yes. One moment. I can't have the holo-form running while I'm mid-air. Could result in a crash if it dispels suddenly. Thor, Torch, go in ahead of me and start tracking down the remaining civilians.] He then hacked the communication frequency of the Fantastic Four: [Ms. Storm, could you help him for a short time? I'll only be a moment. Too many people to land on the ground.]

[You got it, Avenger. Er, X-Men. Both? I've never seen anyone with more than one team badge before.]

[I'm special like that.]

He flew up to the roof of another building, set down, and activated the holo-form. Frantically he sprinted for the edge and launched himself off, black wings spreading wide. The look on Susan Storm's face very nearly made him grin. Rather than dive in right away, he stayed outside the shattered window that Thor and Torch had flown into. Simon, nearby, could almost hear his mind whirring. He wasn't hesitating. He was thinking. Fires were fed by oxygen and died when deprived of it. The smoke was also toxic to humans and could cause them to suffocate by filling their lungs and basically strangling them from the inside. Could Susan possibly...?

"Is there any way you could cover the building in a force field?" he asked.

Susan shook her head: "No. I see where you're going with that but we'd end up suffocating the civs and maybe even our own people. The fire would eat up the remaining oxygen before it burned out. After we get the civs out maybe I can try." She coughed as some smoke blew her way from the fire heat. "Storm! Get a bigger thundercloud here to help dispel the smoke!"

"I'm trying! The fire is not making it very easy!" shouted the weather witch in reply. But slowly and surely the skies above were darkening further as she bolstered the already present thundercloud. The drizzle turned into a downpour, soaking civilian and hero (and pet) alike. The fires hissed and weakened to a lower simmer, rainwater washing smoke from the air. But the rain could not reach inside so easily. There, the fires still burned. Bobbie was trying his best, but the fires were hotter than the type he could easily douse.

Thanking Storm, the holo-form flew into the shattered window and into the blaze within.

Author's Note: So sorry! I would've gotten this done earlier today but I was with my bestie in Khemah most of the afternoon and early evening and having a blast with her, and I've also been having way too much fun with NotB lately. Shout out to ma person if you be readin' this! Love you girl! :3 Can't wait to go to SpaceCity Comicon on Saturday with you!