Chapter 137 – Reinforcements

Elita P.O.V

The sound of explosions and gun fire filled my audials as we arrived at the coordinates. Smoke was thick in the air and the ground seemed to shake from missiles detonating and buildings collapsing. Up ahead I saw the familiar portly figure of Hound as he took on several 'Cons.

''HOUND!'' I yelled out to him as Phoenix, and I approached him. I moved to cover his flank, drawing my blaster as he turned about to face us, relief on his face. ''Report!''

''Elita, Phoenix! By Primus am I glad to see you both!'' He fired a spray of bullets at some 'Cons who were advancing. ''We're getting boxed in! We're getting flanked everywhere! Help me out here!'' He growled as he rolled his cigar around his mouth.

''No worries Hound,'' Phoenix commented nonchalantly as she started to step away from our small group, sending a nod towards a glass box and some figures huddled within it. ''All over it like glitch mouse on a cupcake!''

While I felt an optic ridge raise in confusion at her comment and seeming casual attitude in the middle of a war zone, I ignored them both. ''Kill anything that moves!'' Hound shouted as he spun back around to address the figures Phoenix had acknowledged. ''Come on, Cade, shoot!'' The man in question did as was asked and began to lay down some cover fire of sorts.

I too began to fire at the swarm of 'Cons around us, trying to eliminate as many as possible. I kept an optic on Phoenix as she strode out into the middle of the area where the fighting was heaviest. I felt a scowl form on my face as I watched her. /What on Cybertron is she doing?/.''Have you heard from Prime and the others?'' I yelled as we stood back-to-back.

''He has not replied to my last comm. I hope he arrives soon cause the tank's almost empty!'' He gave a loud chuckle as he bit down on his cigar. ''Then again – we do have another Prime with us,'' he nodded towards Phoenix who was slicing and blazing her way through hordes of 'Cons. ''This one also happens to be ''A Phoenix'' too. A handy ally to have.''

I punched a 'Con in the face and kicked them in the chest before I shot them in the helm. I felt my faceplates twist in confusion. ''A Phoenix?''

As soon as the words were out of my dermas, I heard it. A loud, angry, defiant scream that almost hurt my audials such was its ferocity. I spun about to locate the source of the sound and felt my dermas fly open in shock and amazement. Where Phoenix had stood nanoseconds before there now stood a massive, metallic bird that towered over every other Transformer. Her massive wings were aflame, and her optics burned with the same fire that consumed her. I had never seen her in this transformation, never made the connection – until now!

''BY PRIMUS!'' I yelled in awe as she flapped her wings and took to the sky, drawing fire away from us for a moment as all Decepticons focused their attention on her. She screeched in anger and irritation again as the bullets and missiles only seemed to annoy her rather than do any sort of damage.

Hound laughed out loud and slapped me on the shoulder strut. ''THAT'S A PHOENIX ELITA! And she's on our side!''

/To think I almost picked a fight with her!/.I shook my helm to refocus myself on the task at hand as Phoenix rose higher above the buildings. I once again resumed a battle stance beside Hound, focusing my attention on covering him. It was quite clear that Phoenix no longer needed any support.

''Come and get some, you little bitch!'' Hound threatened before he shouted, ''Incoming!'' A missile landed nearby showering us with debris and sent me into a parked car and Hound flying backwards into a concrete wall.

I was back on my pedes almost immediately, Hound likewise rolled to his side and produced another weapon shouting his anger, ''YOU'RE ALL GONNA DIE!''

As a hail of fireballs rained down upon the 'Cons that surrounded us with deadly precision and a dark, fiery shadow swopped low above us, screeching a challenge as Phoenix made a pass, I felt a smile return to my dermas. I fired my blaster, picking off any 'Cons as they scurried about. I recalled my conversation with Prime after we had patched things up between us. /I'll be looking to see if she deserves to have your spark Optimus, make no mistake about that!/.

Phoenix once again flapped her massive wings and circled back, arching out in a wider circle as she sought out opportunities to pick off Decepticons.

''I got your fortune cookie right here!'' I heard Hound shout as he buried a knife into a 'Con's face.

Once again Prime's voice floated through my processor as I stalked towards a group of 'Cons, my blaster primed. /I would expect nothing less from you Elita… though I expect you will not be disappointed/.

Once again that scream of rage filled my audials as Phoenix burned a path through the Decepticons resistance, buying us time and bringing us closer to victory. I fired my blaster at the 'Con's helms and chests, picking them off one by one. A smile spread across my dermas as I recalled my own words to Prime, /''I'll be the judge of that/.

As Phoenix passed over head, I raised my helm as her flaming form disappeared over the buildings yet again. A sigh escaped my dermas and a small smile played on my lip components. /It would seem this Phoenix is indeed worthy of our Prime - of my Optimus/. A spray of bullets that lodged themselves in the wall beside me, demanded I focus my attention on the here and now. /This fight is not over yet!/. While we may have an advantage at the moment, it does not take much to tip the scales back in the favour of your enemy.

As if on que, the intensity of the fighting stepped up to another level as the ground seemed to swarm with prototypes. A hail of bullets and laser blasts rained down upon us, forcing us to seek cover of any kind. Out of the corner of my optic I watched as Hound beat back an attacker with his ammo belt. ''Cade, bad news!'' He shouted to the human who fought alongside us. ''I'm out of ammo, out of ideas.'' I looked around. Even with Phoenix above winging her way through the sky, burning a path through wave after wave of attackers and Ironhide, Rachet and the others fighting on the ground, we needed - more!

At that moment I felt the ground shake and a terrifying, metallic roar belonging to something big, something not airborne assaulted my audials. I noticed over behind me Hound had a 'Con on him which he dispatched of by firing his cigar bullet in his face before I could even get a shot in. He lay there for a moment not moving. He was clearly exhausted from his efforts.

''Get up, Hound!'' Cade shouted at him as he looked with mounting concern in the direction the sound came.

''I can't go on.'' Hound replied, his voice wearier than I remember hearing him sound in an age.

Cade refused to listen, ''But you gotta keep fighting!''

''Tank's empty, bro. I got nothin' left.'' Hound simply lay there. I began to run over towards them both.

''There's more of 'em coming. If you don't get up and fight, we're gonna die, let's go!'' Cade pleaded with the crotchety field medic.

I slid to a stop beside Hound, ''Come on Hound, we can't leave all the fighting to Phoenix!'' I cast my optics around, searching for Bumblebee or Rachet. But Bumblebee had his servos full fighting off Stinger. Rachet, Ironhide and Arcee had still not regrouped with us. /There must be engaged in widespread fighting all over the city!/.

''Ha!'' he yelled, 'Bout time she showed up anyway, she can handle it.'' He closed his optics for a moment.

I shook his arm, ''Hound!'' The ground violently shook once more, whatever it was, it was closer. The sound of large metallic screeches filled the air and for a moment my energon froze in my lines. I suddenly felt very vulnerable. ''HOUND! We gotta get going! We don't know what we're dealing with here… we gotta..''

My words died on my dermas as some massive, prehistoric looking beast burst through the buildings, flames spewing from its gaping maw. But surprisingly that was not what stilled my spark. There, sitting atop his head sat none other than Optimus Prime!

''ATTACK!'' he bellowed the order at the creature, and it obeyed, breaking through the terrified line of Decepticons, snapping them up in its metallic jaws. Behind him came several other massive beasts, equally as impressive.

Beside me, Hound stirred and sat up, his optics burned bright with hope and renewed purpose. ''Optimus is here!'' He began to force himself to get to his pedes and re-join the fight.

''Optimus'', I whispered more to myself than to anyone in particular as I watched in awe while he fought with such ferocity, laying waste to all who go in his path. The look of determination on his face, the skill with which he fought, momentarily stirred within me memories and feelings of a time long since passed. A time when I knew it was me he was fighting for, fighting to get to. Yet I knew full well who it was he fought for now. Who incited such ferocity from our leader, as he fought to defeat those who stood in his way of being reunited with the one he loved. A tiny flicker of jealousy briefly flared up deep within me.

Above me a shadow passed again and gave a loud screech, snapping me out of my self-destructive thoughts. I expected to see Phoenix but instead a large, winged creature with two heads and two long metallic tails flew above Bumblebee, who leapt up to hitch a ride as Optimus shouted at him, ''Bee! Jump!'' Beside me some rubble and dust were thrown up into the air as a 'Con's blast landed dangerously close. A scowl formed on my face as I took aim and fired a volley of shots back, his form crumpling to the ground. /Focus ''Lita!/.

As I watched Optimus, Drift, Crosshairs, Jazz and these metallic beasts laying waste to all before them, a message broke through on my comms. ::Sorry we're late! Traffic was a bitch!:: the unmistakable voice of Sideswipe sent a wave of relief washing over me. A smile broke out across my dermas and I laughed out loud. ''Come on Hound, Cade,'' I smiled at them both and primed my weapon. ''Optimus and the others have done it; they've turned the tide! We got this.'' Rushing forward towards Prime and the others, firing my blaster indiscriminately at 'Cons who scurried about, I felt certain the battle was just about over. That we had won, and the Seed was safe.

/After all, what else could go wrong?/.