Chapter 22- Magnetized
POV: Rainjet
" " Normal talking
": :" Bumblebee talking
(Note: thischapter takes place during season 1 ep 18 "Metal attraction" of TFP)
"Lord Megatron, Soundwave and I discovered a magnetic fluctuation in this planet's atmosphere." I said gesturing to Soundwave who displayed the wormhole like vortex diagram on his visor. "I recognize this magnetic signature, Soundwave and Rainjet. And it would be unfortunate to have a Decepticon invention such as this used against us. Megatron said after he studied the diagram for a moment.
Knowing wacky tech that was invented by Cybertrons, this was probably some sort or relic a Cybertronian created just before the war and was later given to us as a weapon. "I will secure the weapon, Lord Megatron." Breakdown siad. "Wait, when did he get here?" I questioned, because I certainly hadn't heard him come in, nor had I heard the door open and close. "Breakdown? Hah. If you can be bested by mere humans, what chance do you have against the Autobots?" Megatron ranted slightly as he walked over to tower over Breakdown. Once he'd proven his point he went to go leave the room, well that was before Breakdown added to his point.
"Allow me to redeem myself, master. What I have lost is a constant reminder that I must never again fail you." Breakdown said, trying to move his point further along. It was kind of true, Knockout had done his best to find the optic but in the end a new one or the old couldn't be found so Knockout patched the gaping and leaking hole and covered it with an eyepatch. "If it helps Megatron, I could go with him to observe and possibly help if the Autobots show." I piped in, I knew Breakdown wouldn't be happy about it but it would mean that Megatron would have someone he trusted there and Breakdown would get his mission and possibly his redemption.
"Fine, Breakdown you may proceed with your mission as long as Rainjet accompanies you." Megatron said waving a servo to dismiss us. "Thank you, Megatron." I said as he left, my carrier had raised me with good enough manners to say "Thanks" when things were finally going my way. "So, how are we going to locate whatever is sending off that pulse?" Breakdown asked stepping towards me and Soundwave. Soundwave and I were already trying to pinpoint the coordinates of the device, whatever it was. "Well, Soundwave has a few touches to make on a scanner that picks up high levels of magnetic frequencies and fluctuations. Once he's done with it, which should be five ish minutes, we'll head out to go look for it." I said to Breakdown. He looked a little confused but still nodded his helm in understanding.
"So roughly, where is this thing?" Breakdown asked trying to pass the little time it was going to take Soundwave to finish the scanner. "North America, roughly somewhere in the Nevada desert to be precise. I'm just not sure where in the Nevada desert yet." I replied. I turned to one of the many computers in the room we were in and displayed the magnetic vortex levels soundwave and I had picked up. I studied to for a moment before tapping into the equipment Soundwave had used to discover it and did another scan, except this time I inputted the fluctuation levels that we'd found and scanned again. The same signature we'd discovered before popped up, "Huh, looks like it's two hundred clicks southwest of a town called 'Jasper'." I said after I'd done a zoom in to get the preciseish location of whatever it was that Megatron wanted us to get.
"Then let's head out, we don't want the Autobots getting there before us." Breakdown said, he was already gearing up for a fight and I was going to have to deal with it while we were finding this thing. "Alright, let me grab the scanner from Soundwave and I'll meet you at the elevator." I replied guesteing towards the door, I looked to Soundwave who seemed to be putting the very final touches on the scanner as I heard Breakdown leave the room. When the door closed Soundwave turned the scanner on and handed it to me via on of his tentacles and nodded, it was his way of saying "All done" without the use of an intake or voice box. "Thanks Soundwave, I'll try to be back soon and if I'm not just assume I've gotten into a fight and cover for me when Starscream comes knocking for that decrypted stuff." I said, waving as I left and headed towards the elevator's doors.
It was nearby so I wasn't in a rush, but it was the only way Knockout and Breakdown could leave the Nemesis because they couldn't fly. Even though I could, I still thought it would be best if I stayed close to Breakdown, for one to keep an optic on him and two he was going to need backup in case the Autobots showed up because they usually worked in teams of two or three.
Once I arrived at the elevator's doors, Breakdown and I stepped inside and waited as the platform glided down the orangy yellow tube that made up the elevator's walls. "This will drop us off near the frequency's origin but the scanner will take us directly to it." I said after an awkward moment of silence between us. "Well, that's if it works." Breakdown remarked, Soundwaves tech was a little experimental yes but it always worked. "It'll work, Breakdown. Soundwave and I designed it specifically for this purpose." I replied as the platform touched down onto the sandy ocean below us, well it wasn't much of an ocean anymore considering every drop of water had dried up.
I lifted the scanner that was in one of my servos so it could read the magnetic fluxes in the area, "It's this way." I said pointing Northwest of us, the scanner had picked up a huge surge/ flux in that direction so it was our best bet. I started walking towards it while Breakdown took a moment to catch up. " I have a question." Breakdown said trying to make small talk, it was going to have to work until we found whatever we were looking for and got the frag out of this desert. "Shoot." I replied looking down at the scanner, which still thankfully said we were going in the right direction. "Why didn't you address Lord Megatron as that but instead Megatron?" Breakdown asked referring to earlier, "Ah of course another one asks, what was I expecting?" I thought before I responded.
"I've known him for awhile, a lot longer than anyone on that ship. Well, maybe except Soundwave. Before the war I always addressed him as just 'Megatron' so the habit stuck when he turned the Decepticons from a political party into a faction." I replied remembering back to the golden age of my childhood on Cybertron, not too many people could say they lived during that time anymore. Mostly because they'd died on Cybertron or another planet a millenia ago. Breakdown didn't get a chance to respond to my last statement because the scanner picked up the flux, a lot stronger this time. "We're here." I said looking toward the pile of rocks that it was most likely buried under. "Jackpot." Breakdown said walking over to them, he transformed his hammer and knelt down to start smashing it to uncover the relic or whatever it was. "Be Careful, we don't want it to break." I reminded as he raised his hammer and took two swings and the rock before it crumbled and uncovered the relic. Breakdown lifted it up to study it, "What is it?" he questioned out loud before turning towards me. I walked closer to him to get a better look to what we'd just found, "It looks like a magnetic polarizer gauntlet or something very similar." I replied.
Some scuttling or rock on metal sounded behind us and I whipped around in the direction it was coming from, nothing. Breakdown armed his blaster cannon on his shoulder and waited to hear it again. Some rocks tumbled behind us and we both spun around again, Airachnid. She was perched in between two rocks and was suspended by her legs, she lunged down and kicked Breakdown. He flew a little ways and hit the ground, dropping the relic. I transformed my blaster and made a dash for the thing attempting to hit her all the while. She fired back except with her webbing and managed to hit my blaster and pin my servo to the ground immobilizing me, "For me? You shouldn't have." Airachnid said, picking up the relic in her servos. It was very clear she had no idea what it did or how to use it, at this point I had transformed my blade and was attempting to cut myself free but I knew I wasn't going to be fast enough.
Luckely Breakdown had already gotten up and was walking over to her, "I didn't." he said grabbing the relic and then hitting her with his hammer, I finally managed to cut myself free and went over to assist Breakdown. The relic was at a safe enough distance where we'd get to it first if Airachnid tried to take it. "I heard a rumor about a rogue Con. how about I hog-tie you and hual you in?" Breakdown said as he charged towards her, swinging his hammer aimlessly at her legs and body. "Breakdown you realize that she's more nimble than you and isn't going to be hit that easily?" I thought running after him, I'd promised Megatron that I'd assist him so that's what I was going to do.
"Huh. The primitive type." Airachnid said as she landed a few meters away after jumping away from Breakdown's hammer and my blaster fire. Breakdown like the idiot he was charged right for her and swung, only for her to jump out of the way while I fired at her. "You two aren't much for depth perception, especially your Breakdown, are you?" Airachnid taunted from atop a bunch of fallen boulders, "Well, not much for looks anymore." Breakdown replied as he transformed his shoulder cannon and fired a missile at AIrachnid followed by one of my blaster shots. She dove out of the way seconds before both shots hit where she'd been standing seconds before.
There was a whirring sound and I jumped out of the way while Breakdown just stood still, "She's drilling to bury one of us, move!" I yelled. But of course he didn't and instead got himself dragged under the ground by her legs, as the rock and dirt came in around him as Airachnid dug. I could no longer see them but I could still hear Airachnid as she dug herself closer to the relic. When she finally emerged and picked up the relic which she'd dug her tunnel right to, I stood waiting behind her quietly with my blaster transformed and ready to take a shot. "It was a lovely burial." she said with a small laugh, "But yours will be even better." I remarked taking a fairly good shot right at her torso, she jumped out of the way and opened her palms to fire back with her own blasters.
"Sorry. Can't quite understand you." she remarked to both my comment and the muffled grunting coming from the hole she'd buried Breakdown in. I jumped out of the way of her blaster shots and switched to by blade, "Maybe I'll actually land a hit this way." I muttered as I charged at her. I wasn't going to swing blindly but instead use the sword tactics that Twinwave had taught me during our secret training sessions. I swung at her legs, I knew if I could get those off balance then maybe I'd be able to land a decent hit on her. I swung twice more at her legs but each time I did she jumped out of the way and returned the favor by firing a few blaster shots at me.
There was a huge "Boom" behind us and for a moment we stopped fighting and turned around, Breakdown had busted himself out of his hole and charged at us I took my opening while she was distracted and grabbed the relic out of her servo and caved in a few of her legs before Breakdown had reached us to uppercut her with his hammer. "You finally landed a swing." I said sarcastically to Breakdown he rolled his optic and when I turned mine back to Airachnid she was diving at me, "Here, Breakdown, catch." I yelled last minute tossing the relic right at him as I got tackled by a very unhappy spider-femme.
Airachnid got up off of me and charged at Breakdown instead, he jumped out of the way and hit her square in the torso with his hammer sending her flying. I got up and dusted myself off and then rejoined the fight by charging at her and swinging for her legs again, Airachnid jumped out of the way and landed a top some rocks. Breakdown took a lung at her and she moved to the side quickly making him miss, he still landed on his pedes however Airachnid decided to use two of her front spider legs to hit him square in the back which sent him flying and dropped the relic. It slid towards Airachnid and I took a run at her attempting to pick it up before she did, which didn't work because I too was hit in the chassis as I ran by her front legs and sent flying.
As Airachnid made a grab for the relic a blaster shot hit it out of her rech and we all looked towards its origin. "Of course the Autobots are here." I muttered as I got a glimpse of Arcee, Bulkhead and Twinwave standing on a nearby bolder with blasters at the ready, well Twinwave has her swords at the ready. "Arcee. And look- you brought a new partner for me to snuff, two for that matter." Airachnid yelled to her. "That would be Bulkhead." Breakdown chimed in, "ANd the other Twinwave." I added walking. "Who asked you?" Airachnid said coldly to both me and Breakdown, I shrugged "Well I thought it might be helpful information- and we might want to move out of the way now." I pointed out as Arcee came flying towards us, blaster shots coming down with her.
Everyone made a break for it as she landed and Twinwave followed her. Breakdown made a charge for them both but Airachnid and I jumped in front of him to stop his attack. "She's mine." we said nearly in unison as we made our own charges towards the femmes.
(POV: reader.)
Rainjet made a dash towards Twinwave with her blade transformed ready for an attack, she was still pretty made at her femme for grounding her at their last meet and wanted a little revenge on her for it. "Nice to see you again." Rainjet snnered as she took a swing at the femme, Twinwave blocked the swing at her turso with one of her swords and swept Rainjet's legs make her fall hard to the ground. "I would say the same but I'm not really happy to see you again." Twinwave responded as she pointed one of her swords at Rainjet, the femme kicked and landed the hit square on Twinwave's chassis. Knocking her backwards and giving the opportunity for Rainjet to get up.
"Aw, I was really hoping you were and here I was thinking you loved me." Rainjet sneered as Twinwave pulled herself to her pedes with the help of one of her swords and laughed a little. "You really think I still love you? You're a Decepticon and a cheater, why do you think our bond was severed?" she readied herself for another attack from Rainjet as the worlds left her in take. Rainjet made a running start towards the femme with he rblade drawn and ready to attack, she knew she wasn't a cheater but whether or not Twinwave knew that was a completely different story. "You really think I cheated on you? Who in the world would I have done it with?" Rainjet said confused as she deflected another attack from Twinwave, sparks flew into the air as both sword and blade collided.
"You really don't remember the night I launched myself into space using one of Airachnid's escape pods after I found you and Soundwave kissing?" Twinwave said coldly, as she took another swipe for the spot Knockout had already had to patch once after their last meeting. "Me kissing Soundwave? Have you really lost your processor? He kissed me!" Rainjet replied jumping backwards to avoid the already patched area Twinwave was aiming for, "Like I'd believe you." Twinwave said stumbling forwards. Her attack hadn't hit Rainjet so she was off balance from how fast she'd swung her sword. Taking the opportunity Rainjet swept Twinwave's legs like she'd done to her before and aimed her blade at the femme as she came crashing down onto her aft.
"Well you should." Rainjet said a little colder than she'd wanted, Twinwave darted her optics towards the fight her friends had been enduring and saw one Breakdown flee the scene with what was creating the magnetic flux. "I'll believe who and what I want to, but I believe you've got bigger problems than me right now. Your partner seems to be leaving you behind." Twinwave said taking the opening, no way in a Kaon pit, was she getting recaptured by Cons after reentering the war for only several months. Rainjet looked behind her and saw Breakdown's alt driving towards the rpad and away from her, clearly leaving her behind.
(POV: Rainjet)
I transformed to follow Breakdown's alt and didn't really take notice of what had happened to the other Autobots as I got into the air to follow behind him, I watched as he swerved to hit an incoming bolder and land himself right in one of Airachnid's webs. "Great job Breakdown, I'm seeing more and more now why Megatron didn't want you on this mission." I muttered untransforming and dropped out of the sky to help him. I landed directly next to Breakdown and transformed my blade to attempt to cut him loose."Hold on Breakdown, I'll get you out in a second." I said cutting through a few strands of the webbing. The same scuttling we'd heard right before Airachnid jumped us was heard again, "Great, we're going to get ourselves captured." I thought transforming my blaster and taking aim to wherever she was.
It didn't take long for my darting optics to find her but instead when I did finally lay optics on her webbing was already on it's way down to tie me. In seconds flat I was bound together by the sticky webbing and begging dragged away by Airachnid towards an abandoned gas station. Once we were there she added some more webbing to our cocoons to keep us in place and took back the gauntlet from Breakdown. "It fits! You know, a femme can never have too many accessories." Airachnid said after she'd turned the gauntlet on, "You were a Decepticon once. The three of us could bring the prize to Megatron together." Breakdown said trying to reason with her.
I knew it was no use to try because she seemed happier as a rouge than stuck on a ship surrounded by mechs. "Go back to that mech's club? I struck out on my own because I don't like to share. This will provide me with the perfect repellent against Bots and Cons alike." Aiachnid said admiring the new weapon she'd gotten her servos on. "You know she's right that whole ship is just one big mech's club." I remarked seeing her point but I knew rouges and neutrals never lasted long in war, there was never enough stray energon for them to find let alone survive on. "Well I think it's time for me to go, have fun being stuck here." she said webbing our intakes shut and crawling over top of the gas stations roof, seemingly waiting for the Autobots to arrive so she could web them up too.
I shifted and struggled as I tried to get my blade towards the webbing, it wasn't very much help though because no matter how hard I tried to bring it up the webbing kept it locked down to the side of me. Breakdown grunted and muffled talking while I tried to get myself loose, I could hear pad steps coming, seemingly Autobots but knowing our track record with them I didn't think they'd be too keen on cutting us lose either.
Bulkhead rounded the corner and stopped, blaster transformed and all. Twinwave stood next to him, both swords also the ready. Airachnid crawled out or off of the top of the gas station to get a better look at her new found guests. "I assume Arcee isn't far behind." Airachnid said, that's who was missing. I didn't see her enter with Bulkhead. "You might say that." Bulkhead replied, Airachnid, him and Twinwave had a sort of wild west showdown. Neither side making a move or backing down. "Blaster servos in the air that includes dropping those katanas, and turn around." Airachnid said, Twinwave set both of her swords on the ground and put her servos in the air and turned around slowly. "Whatever you say." Bulkhead said following Twinwave's lead, he untransformed his blasters and turned around quickly. Arcee, who apparently had been magnetized to his back, let out blaster fire at Airachnid who stepped backwards to get out of range.
One of the shots managed to hit the polarizer gauntlet and dropped to the ground, once it hit it started creating a magnetic field. Sucking in everything metal around it, trucks, oil barrels and us. The webbing slowly started to rip as we were dragged closer and closer to the field, Breakdown got himself loose first and grabbed hold of the gauntlet turning it off. "Thank you Breakdown." I said tearing the rest of the webbing off and standing next to him. Arcee, Twinwabe and Bulkhead had gotten dragged into the centre of us and were slowly getting up. Twinwave rreached for her swords that had flown into the feild with her and stood up, "Still up for a truce, mucles and femme?" Airachnid asked. She seemed to be leaking a little energon from before, probably when I was fighting with Twinwave she got herself hit.
"Only because I hate Bulkhead more than I hate you." Breakdown replied, "I'm game." I added. This was going to be a lot of fun, "And who know's I might atually have another femme on the ship with me" I thought. I went straight for Twinwave which wasn't unusual for me, she already had both swords waiting to block any and probably all of my incoming attacks. "So about earlier." I started taking a good swing at her legs, this time she was smart enough to jump out of the way in time. "What about earlier?" she replied. She didn't seem too happy to be battling me yet again, and for the second time today. "You know I would never cheat, right?" I said and we locked swords and blade, she moved hers first and made me fall forward.
"No I don't, you changed a lot after you joined Megatron and his twisted army full time. I didn't know you the second you and I locked optics in that compound." She replied, she kicked my chassis as I fell forward. I stumbled and landed my both of my pedes. There was a crash and a swirling noise behind us, I turned around and Twinwave got close to me. Airachnid and Breakdown had toppled the gas station and the Autobots had called for a ground bridge. "I guess that's my cue to leave." Twinwave said hip checking me and making a Break for their portal. I watched her leave and then turned my optics ack the mess those two had created and sighed. "This is Rainjet, requesting ground bridge to my coordinates and a medic on stand by." I said into my comm link.
The swirling vortex appeared just a few feet from the pair and I stepped through not taking a second look behind me but I knew both of them were getting up to follow. When I popped through the other side Knockout was waiting with a confused look on his faceplates but then I guestered behind me and he understood.
I didn't wait but instead took Breakdown with me to the bridge where Megatron would undoubtedly be waiting for us. "Let's get this over with." I muttered, dragging him by the wrist all the way to the bridge, a few vehicon guards followed behind us and I let go of Breakdown as we entered the bridge. "Rainjet, Breakdown, you dare return empty handed?!" Megatron yelled the second the two of us came to a stop in front of him. "No, master." Breakdown said turning around. Airachnid was stuck to his back much like Arcee and Bulkhead had been a few moments ago, "Huh, and here I thought they came in separately." I muttered. "Airachnid. It has been some time." Megtron said with little shock in his voice over the fact that we managed to bring a rouge in. "Lord Megatron, what can I say? It's good to be back." Airachnid said with a small evil smile. "You and Breakdown report to Knockouts lab to be unstuck, and you Rainjet return to your computer room." Megtron said, dismissing us. The three of us nodded and headed back to our assigned posts.
It had been quite the day, but I now knew why Twinwave hated me so much. "Don't worry wave, I know you hate me but I'll try to make it right with you." I thought as I slunked back to Soundwave and the computer room.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, feel free to leave some feedback for me so I can make it a better reading experience for you guys!
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