Disclaimer I DON'T OWN anything but this version of Jack and so does Yubel578.
Yubel578 has come to me with an idea which I had gladly listened to and they have also helped me with designing the character and so I extend the rights of who this character belongs to them and I would also like you to leave reviews for both of us as I had never thought of doing something like this (Except Cerberus Prime since he is closest to this idea) and on that note I hope you lovely people enjoy this.
Reviews and PM's please note that those who leave sarcastic or a**hole notes about my stories or even about my standing I don't care and the reviews will be removed as they aren't helpful and if you put one you might as well be wasting your own time and if you have an idea for a story I'll hear it out but it will be no guarantee that I'll accept it.
"...Cybertronian..."
"...Beast talk..."
"...Spark-bond..."
'...Thoughts...'
...Titan connection...
The Heir Of Onyx Prime.
"Every end marks a new beginning. Every beginning marks an end."
T.M.I
"Alright spill it." Shatter demanded when both her and Thunderblast entered Airachnids quarters.
"Ebony had given me a gift for the three of us." Airachnid told them after she closed the door.
"And what is the gift?" Thunderblast inquired as the two sat on Airachnids berth while she went to go get it.
"I don't know exactly but I was told to not spill a drop so I guess we have to ingest it." Airachnid explained when she came back holding jar of liquid which almost similar to energon in colour wise but why its in jar instead of a cube is the confusing part. "So who wants to try it first?" Airachnid asked as she undid the lid but from the silence the two were unsure about this so with a shrug Airachnid dipped a digit in before cleaning it, when the liquid went down she instantly recognised it as it was something she nearly got her hands on with her first encounter with Ebony and so her frame shivered.
"Well?" Shatter asked but all Airachnid did was lean jar towards the two with a grin forcing them to find out for themselves which they did reluctantly upon seeing their reactions Airachnid spoke. "Is it not the best reward we could be given from him?" Airachnid asked after she had removed her digit to get more, it wasn't long before she had poured into three different energon cubes and gave one to Shatter and the other to Thunderblast before grabbing her own and the three drunk it all down as their optics went bright for a moment as their systems registered the substance as it reformatted some of said systems, upgrading the three bots as they got closer and closer to becoming apart of the mighty Predacon race.
"Hey Ratchet what is this data cylinder?" Jack asked as in the background Miko and Bulk are watching a monster truck rally.
"Right your not from Cybertron originally, the Data cylinders holds vast intelligence from stellar cartography, medicine, ancient mythology… then again you are a living proof of that along with a select few." Ratchet stated right before the announcer on the monster truck rally started to shout.
"Would you turn that down?" Ratchet asked.
"Why not join us Ratchet?" Bulk asked.
"I managed to compile some highlights on my cell phone!" Miko declared.
"Innocent vehicles battling for the pleasure of human spectators?" Ratchet questioned with a shiver. "Bloodsport." He said dismissing them.
"Yeah!" The two shouted.
"You could be helping Optimus in the field right now, you can as well." Ratchet said to both Jack and Bulk.
"I would but lately I've been helping Shockwave (Bay) with the Harbinger since he wants both halves close to each other instead of one being in a canyon and the other six feet deep underground, so he used the polarity gauntlet to pick up the half that isn't buried and rode on my back as I flew us towards the other half and then I helped with moving things and repairing." Jack explained as he flexed his wings now and again.
"Optimus doesn't need my help to search for some ancient education thingamabob." Bulk said.
"The thingamabob to which you refer happens to be a Cybertronian data cylinder." Ratchet said as he pressed a button on the console which changed the TV the two were watching to show the data cylinder instead and he began to give the two a history lesson.
"T.M.I dude." Miko said afterwards.
"Switch it back I want to see the hoedown showdown!" Bulk exclaimed right before Optimus contacted base.
"Ratchet Decepticon ambush we require backup." Optimus stated with Ratchet then looking towards Bulk as he opened up the ground-bridge.
"Backup is what I'm made for!" He declared running through the ground-bridge.
"Go bend some fenders Bulk!" Miko shouted after him as encouragement.
"Miko I have a very important job for you too." Ratchet said which got Miko excited before he handed her a mop completely destroying her hope of it having to do with anything fun but seeing that the ground-bridge is still active she took her chance and booked it right through the ground-bridge and in the path of broken armour pieces flying off and a Vehicons body which got its beating from Bulk with wide eyes Miko was stunned right until Jack grabbed the Vehicon and threw him away, taking the initiative Miko ran for cover.
"Autobots, we mustn't allow the Decepticons to get their hands on the artefact." Optimus declared as Miko saw Breakdown down on the floor some distance away from the strange cylinder device with about the same distance away from and as Arcee charged towards the device Knockout had tackled her from the side knocking her down onto the ground before running towards the device.
"Come to papa." Knockout said as he was a foot away from the device before Bulkhead shoulder bashed him away.
"Run to mommy." Bulk said right before Breakdown slammed his fists down next to Bulks helm and then grabbed it with one servo.
"Say Uncle!" He said before squeezing tighter as Bulk tried to free himself. "Say it!" When Jack tackled into him and bend his legs to his back.
"Why don't you?!" He demanded as he bent Breakdowns legs further back as Breakdown gritted his denta and repeatedly slammed one fist into the ground as he endured the pain and off to his left Arcee was getting her revenge on Knockout by thrashing him about all over the place till he was coloured silvered with scratches and dents.
"My paint job!" Knockout exclaimed out once Arcee was finished throwing him until he found himself slamming into the ground left and right with Moonracer being the one who was doing before Knockout was let go and ended up being clotheslined in the gut when he was sent flying, as everyone was distracted Miko made a move from behind her rock running towards the device and used it as cover to catch her breath, getting her phone she dialed the base.
"Ratchet." Miko said.
"Miko?" Ratchet said in surprise. "This is an emergency channel we need to keep it open for… wait, where are you?" He said as he noticed Miko was nowhere around him.
"D'oy! I'm with the thingamabob." She answered as behind her Jack had thrown Breakdown to the three spilt sparks who had started to take turns in hitting Breakdown.
"Thingama…" Ratchet said before it clicked. "The data cylinder."
"Yes. Can you bridge it out of here?" Miko asked as she covered herself with dust and sand flying around.
"I'll reactivate arrival coordinates." Ratchet said with Miko peeking over the top of the data cylinder to see that it was nowhere close.
"Dude can you open it any closer?!" Miko questioned in anger.
"Supply coordinates and I can." Ratchet retorted.
"Um… 50 yards?" Miko questioned.
"Precise coordinates." Ratchet stated.
"Wha!" Miko said in alarm as a blaster shot had bounced of the data cylinder deciding to actually try Miko put her phone away and tried to push the data cylinder with it being no use but as stubborn as she'll either be she went and got a running start and tried to use speed to make the data cylinder move but it had only ended up with stopping completely and falling onto her back while the data cylinder had started to make a noise before doing something. "Whoa." Miko said but from the bright red light the data cylinder emitted it had grabbed everyone's attention but most importantly it grabbed Bulks who was busy in an arm lock with Breakdown, seeing his ward he broke off from the arm lock and tried to get her away but Breakdown slammed both fists into Bulks back forcing him to land squarely in front of the data cylinder right on cue as it had ejected a red beam that went to Bulks processor, when it finished the data cylinder become drained of life and Bulk knocked out.
"Bulk!" Miko shouted in shock as she ran over towards him.
"You really took one for the team, Bulkhead… My team." Knockout said as he grabbed the data cylinder and booked it through their ground-bridge with Breakdown in tow while three Airelcons tried to fly away Jack ended up catching one in his dragons claws barring his denta at it when it tried to shoot at him but Jack ended up eating the end part of the Airelcons arm before melting it to stop the energon loss.
"Bulkhead are you…" Optimus was saying when he and the rest of the team regrouped.
"I'm fine didn't even smart." Bulk said with Chromia calling Ratchet for ground-bridge while Jack held the Airelcon in his grip as he walked over in his root form.
"And why did you catch one?" Arcee asked looking at Jack.
"Call it an… haunch." Jack answered as everyone went through the ground-bridge back into their base with Bulkhead going to the med-bay as Optimus began to put the team into separate groups that would scout over the world for the data cylinder but Jack took the Airelcon he held to the vaults and chucked him in one. "Don't leave this room, you do you die, got it?" Jack threateningly asked the Airelcon who nodded his helm. "Good, I'll be back later." He said as he entered the main hub right as miko declared that Ratchet is mad with power.
"That's Ratchet no vector squared, all right." Bulk said catching Miko and Jack off guard.
"What?" Miko said in surprise.
"Hey, we got any paint around here?" Bulk asked as he made the mop spin.
"Art project? Cool!" Miko answered as she guided Bulk to where the paint was kept while Jack looked at Bulk with skeptical optics before making his way towards the new guest he brought back with him.
"What do you mean, it's empty?" Megatron asked calmly.
"Lord Megatron, these cylinders are not unlike batteries." Knockout said as the data cylinder sat on a table in between them with diagrams of it displayed on the terminal behind him. "The data is stored within them as a form of energy." Knockout explained before carrying on. "It scanned fully charged… That's how we located it to begin with… but now…" Knockout said as he poked it for only smoke to rise out of it.
"Dead battery." Breakdown said.
"Did you drop it, you one-eyed oaf?!" Megatron demanded.
"No, master." Breakdown stated. "I wasn't gonna touch the thing after it put the zap on Bulkhead." When he said that it gave Knockout an idea.
"Hey, do you think…"
"I know. And I must find out what that vessel contained. When it comes to the secrets of the ancients, knowledge can be power." Megatron said as from the outside of the room Airachnid listened in closely with a glint in her optics she made a dash for her quarters and grabbed her datapad and started to type a message to Jack and hopefully he would reward her again with more of that liquid.
As Jack sat in the makeshift cell he was using for the Airelcon and gathering information on mining locations and such before he received a ping on his comm link.
"Hold on." Jack said with Airelcon going silent as he knew this beast in front of him is just like Megatron or worse. As Jack read the message that he got from Airachnid he left the cell and headed for the main hub where Ratchet, Bulk and Miko are.
"Seriously Ratch you need to see what Bulk's painting in here." Miko said in alarm.
"Yes, I'm sure one hasn't truly lived until one has beheld Bulkhead's take on still life with lug nuts." Ratchet said as he pried himself away from his own work as Jack arrived and the three looked at what Bulkhead was doing on the bases wall.
"See? Did I tell you or what?" Miko asked with Bulk not stopping.
"The differential of one-third 'R' cubed is RDRR." Bulkhead spurted out and moved away from where he is allowing Ratchet to see what he has done.
"That is not art. It's science." He said in shock.
"And I have bad news relating to this science." Jack spoke up getting the medics attention. "Megatron knows that the information that was inside the data cylinder is now in Bulk's head."
"I'm going to have to run scans on Bulkhead's processor, tell the team to return to base." Ratchet said as he and Jack went and done their things respectively and when everyone returned Jack led them into the med-bay.
"This hot spot you see here…" Ratchet said pointing towards the center of Bulk's processor on the screen. "It's information, data, living energy.." Ratchet said.
"Hold on. It's alive, it's on fire and it's in Bulkhead's brain?" Miko asked.
"Chill Miko. The data's only inhabiting a fraction of my brain, infinitesimal by standard neural-net densities…" Bulkhead said. "Wait, how do I know all that?" He asked.
"Based on what we witnessed during our skirmish the living data must've been programmed to eject when it sensed unauthorised access." Optimus said.
"A security measure." Ratchet put in lame terms.
"It would've jettisoned heavenward, lost to the stars." Optimus told them as Bulk sat up,
"Except my fat engine block got in the way." Bulk said as he tapped his helm a couple times.
"Every con there made a grab for it but it doesn't go off till miko touches it?" Arcee questioned.
"The cylinders originated from Cybertrons golden age predating the Autobot, Decepticon division." Ratchet said.
"So in other terms it wouldn't consider any native of Cybertron to be a threat only aliens with human being a prime example." Jack said.
"Well what are we even looking at Doc bot, genius or gibberish?" Moonracer asked.
"I do not wish to falsely rally anyone's hopes, but these equations appear to be the formula for a synthetic energon." Ratchet stated.
"Alright! We just hit the Jackpot!" Bee exclaimed in excitement.
"Did we hit the mother lode?" Arcee asked in shock.
"Miko do you know what this means?" Bulk asked.
"But don't you guys have enough of the stuff to last you for years?" Miko asked.
"We did but most of it was already burned through with some being used for Shockwave's project and for the war." Chromia explained.
"With it being in short supply on Earth as well, this would be a great advantage for both of us Optimus both our teams get the energon we need and we'll never run out of the stuff either, this would solve a lot of problems." Jack said looking at Optimus who nodded in agreement.
"Not only that but it can give us an edge in the war along with the possibility of revitalizing Cybertron." Optimus added.
"We got the goods while Megatron gets an empty bucket." Bee said.
"But alas Jack has some bad news." Ratchet spoke gaining their attention.
"Airachnid sent me a message saying she overheard Megatron talking with Knockout and Breakdown and they already know where the data from the cylinder already is, which means you cannot leave the base Bulk as you'll be prime number one target for the Decepticons as soon as you take one step out of the base they'll be over you like pack of rapid Cyberdogs." Jack said as everyone now knew what the Decepticons know which wasn't good.
"If we are to keep this advantage to ourselves and not get into the Decepticons hands that means Bulk is to stay at base." Arcee said with an unhappy look on her face.
"You don't get to save the day enough with your noggin Bulk but now it is a prime target for the Decepticons." Jack said with that all said and done Bulkhead started to write the equations out on giant metal sheets with Miko being bored as she watched him with Arcee and Bee watching from a distance.
"It's weird seeing Bulk in brainiac mode." Arcee commented.
"I know right?" Bee said as Moonracer and Chromia came and grabbed the sheet of metal that Bulk finished working on.
"Keep it coming Bulk." Moonracer said as she walked away which Miko tried to get Bulkhead to do something fun but he only carried on writing out the formula for synthetic energon.
"Got another one for you Ratchet." Moonracer said with Bee and Arcee joining them soon after.
"This is Bulkhead's neural net as you saw it earlier and this is from a scan just minutes ago." Ratchet said as the diagram of Bulk's processor was being changed and he explained this to Jack and Optimus. "It is as I fear. The data seems to be actively and aggressively rewriting Bulkhead's neural net, I had hoped he was purging the data but he seems to be merely transcribing it as it…" Ratchet with Jack finishing for him.
"Consumes his mind." Jack said with a grim look on his face and Optimus joining him.
"By all indications by the time Bulkhead completes the formula, his own thoughts, his memories could be wiped clean." Ratchet concluded.
"But if we stop him goodbye synthetic energon." Arcee added.
"You assume we possess a means of stopping him. I don't exactly have instant access to the wisdom of the ancients." Ratchet said.
"I will not allow another one of our own to be sacrificed, no matter the cost." Optimus spoke with a final tone in his voice.
"Actually I might have a way of getting the synthetic energon formula and keep our bulkhead the same." Jack interrupted with the three looking at him. "But I presume you have an idea as well Ratchet?" Jack questioned.
"If the living data transmitted itself from the cylinder, perhaps we could somehow coax it back inside."
"How are we supposed to get it back from the Decepticons?" Arcee asked.
"Megatron will bring it to us." Optimus said. "But do tell us what your idea is?" Optimus inquired as he looked at Jack who gestured for the three to follow as he led them past the vaults to the makeshift cell with the Airelcon sitting inside it.
"You want to use the Airelcon as a replacement for Bulkhead?!" Ratchet exclaimed as they looked at Jack.
"You may not approve of this but think of it this way Bulkhead gets to remain the same ol' bulk and we get the synthetic energon, if it makes you feel any better we can go with Optimus' plan but if it doesn't work we switch to my plan." Jack said.
"I'm guessing you already gathered as much information as you could get from him?" Arcee asked.
"Yup got Decepticon mining locations along with information that Megatron is already planning on rebuilding a space-bridge but the Airelcon doesn't know the location of where." Jack said as they all walked back to the main hub.
"Hmm could be useful." Arcee noted as she, Bee, Chromia and Moonracer went over to the ground-bridge waiting for it to open and for Optimus while Ratchet went back to the console.
"Before you go I need to use ground-bridge first." Jack said as he opened the ground-bridge to the inside of the Harbinger with it closing off behind him, walking down different corridors which he even had to go past the cells that was made by the Wreckers.
"Let Wazzzpinator out! Wazzzpinator wants revenge!" Waspinator demanded from inside his cell.
"Hey can I get a transfer to a different cell? One that's preferably further away from the annoying bug." Lockdown inquired but instead Jack simply open Waspinators, walked and transformed roaring in the bugs face and whacked him with his tail making him smack right into the wall behind him, transforming back he left the cell and locked the door behind him.
"And be quiet bug!" Jack shouted as he left the cells making his way to where Shockwave is which happens to be the bridge, when he entered Topspin and Roadbuster were working on the computers trying to fix them and rewire them.
"Ah, Ebony everything is going as planned but rather slowly." Shockwave said when he turned around.
"We need more manpower to get things running efficiently and speed up some progress." Jack noted.
"Not only that but we require the aid of Cybertrons wildlife." Shockwave said getting his attention.
"Oh? Like what?" Jack asked.
"Drillers." Shockwave said as he brought up diagrams of Drillers on the main screen allowing Jack to read about them. "They are tameable but if Cybertron is unable to produce Energon then they will burrow deep underground but they are capable of sensing energon so if enough is put on the surface of Cybertron it'll draw their attention and force them to come to us but alas we lack the means of transport to Cybertron and energon." Shockwave said.
"Well, we can solve one of them problems while the Decepticons solve the other." Jack stated.
"Which one will we be solving?" Shockwave asked.
"First I think you need a new designation there is already a Decepticon named Shockwave who may or may not be off-line." Jack said which Shockwaves red optic seemed to brighten at the prospect of a new name.
"Shockblast. I'm keeping a form of my old name while also having it being a new name." Shockblast said with Jack nodding.
"Right, so far we found a data cylinder which contains a formula for synthetic energon which mean we can produce our own source of energon and the Decepticons are rebuilding their space-bridge somewhere I don't know where yet, how's the progress on breaking Dropkicks mind?" Jack asked.
"It went well, we released him via a portable ground-bridge we found and when some Vehicons showed up he already terminated them as he has a plan of his own set in motion which he can't do if he is under Megatron's surveillance." Shockblast said.
"Where's Que?" Jack asked.
"He's in the other half and set up a lab and workshop." Topspin answered.
"Leadfoot is given him a hand to while the two Insecticon queens are busy searching for energon." Roadbuster added.
"Good that lab will come in handy soon along with the extra energon." Jack said as the computers around the command deck came to life and instantly two Autobot life signals popped up taking over the main screen. "I need to act quickly, Shockblast transport me to the Autobot base and keep it open for a bit." Jack ordered as Shockblast did as he was told with his one servo opening the ground-bridge with Jack rushing through a few seconds later Jack was back but was dragging a Airelcon behind him. "Open the ground-bridge on the second signal." Jack said and Shockwave did that as Jack transformed and flew through it with the Airelcon being held at his chassis below Jack but Shockblast had put him high up in the air with a red beam shooting straight towards him, moving the Airelcon to intercept the beam it had gone straight into its visor till the beam vanished and Jack started to hear the Airelcon spurt out science as Ratchet called it.
"Shockblast send a ground-bridge I'm sending back a gift, make sure Que gets it." Jack said through his comm with a ground-bridge appearing below him so dropping the Airelcon he was caught by Roadbuster and Topspin with the bridge being closed off now, seeing as he was carrying less baggage Jack dive bombed towards the source of the beam seeing Bulkhead on the ground, Miko by his helm, Knockout and Breakdown nearby as well. Coming up close to the ground Jack landed on top of trucks and monster trucks completely crushing to pancakes with dust creating a smokescreen once it cleared Jack glared down at the two Decepticons.
"Risk my paint job and spark? No thank you." Knockout said as he transformed and drove away with Breakdown in tow.
"Cowards." Jack growled before transforming and slung Bulk over his shoulder while Picking up a crying Miko in his free hand. "It'll be alright Miko Bulk will get through this." Jack said right as a ground-bridge opened up in front of them with Moonracer, Chromia, Arcee, Bee and Optimus came out of it with their weapons at the ready and Jack noted that Chromia now has riot shield with ice framing it with six sharp ice spikes in the middle meaning anyone she bashed the shield against meant spikes through the armour.
"Looks like your plan also failed?" Arcee questioned.
"Yeah it did." Jack lied. "No it didn't just let Optimus know that my team won't need to share energon supply." Jack said through their bond and she gave him a slight nod as they all went back through with Jack placing Bulk down on a med-berth and Miko on the human platform with Ratchet already getting to work on Bulk with Miko saying it's all her fault for the condition Bulk is in with Ratchet trying to give her some hope by saying that it's too early to know the extent of the condition he his in but a familiar smell or sound could trigger his awakening, with that she got an idea as she ran to her amp and guitar and moved them over towards Bulk and played a single strum which then turned to silence with Miko's hope shattering into a thousand pieces before Bulk sat up right and air guitared the rest.
"I love that song!" He exclaimed as everyone was happy to have their Wrecker back.
Another one chapter finished but what lies in store next for our team of Predacons and Autobots not a lot of Reviews for me to comment about other than when I said breaking Airachnid I don't mean in the way of her struts or anything like that I meant her port as she was the one who was more of the alpha in the relationship the two had, for some stange reason its rather quiet since I'm mostly answering Rex's reviews and they seemed to have disappeared and I'm wondering does anybody else wants Jack Of All Trades to become a full story or not.
I will also note that I'll be doing a full on one part of One shall fall parts so Season can be finsished in a few less chapters and we can move on to more character introductions I have planned.
Farewell and let the music keep your body fresh.