JMJ
Chapter Forty
Final Gasp
The long tail swished.
The gleam of Ravage's colorless metallic hide shimmered as he leapt from the shadows into the light of the sun. He landed on Jetfire with teeth savagely tearing, but just as he dug his teeth into Jetfire's own metal hide, a laser strike whizzed up and hit its mark.
Ravage tumbled from Jetfire's back as Jetfire transformed and landed purposely on top of Ravage as hard as he could.
He blasted his head.
In the smoke rising from Ravage's husk, Jetfire wiped energon leaking from his mouth. Panting and weary, he saw that it had been Bumblebee who had fired and had saved him from a deadly crash and a violent end. Bee's laser arm still smoked and his face was grim.
But despite the severity of the silence, Jetfire suddenly grinned— a very toothy grin. He gave a pleasant nod.
"Mr. President!" he laughed heartily, and cricking his rather stiff spine he banged his staff against the ground.
He did not wait for Bumblebee's response as he threw his head over to Ultra Magnus and rasped, "What happened to Soundwave?"
"He got that way!" cried a Raptor-bot thrusting out an injured claw in the direction Soundwave had fallen.
"You okay?" asked Quickshift.
"My flight capabilities have been damaged, but I'm otherwise intact!" Jetfire assured him rolling his hand carelessly and closing his optics with pride.
He knew Quickshift had come to see him as a pal, which pleased him, but he would probably never get over being concerned-over like an elder before his time.
"Then let's go get Soundwave," said Bulkhead.
"Yes!" Jetfire agreed.
"I'll catch up," said Wheeljack. "I gotta get rid of this first."
Skywarp glowered. His optics met Jetfire's briefly in recognition, but Jetfire returned him only with a frown before Skywarp darted his optics away again.
"Alright," said Bumblebee with a nod, and to everyone else he said, "let's roll out!"
Skywarp's scowl deepened before he was turned around by Wheeljack and marched toward the prison.
Bumblebee transformed and drove forward. The others followed him. The raptor-bots, in fact, had run off as soon as their leader had pointed out where Soundwave had gone, so that Bumblebee was following their hunting formation more or less. While driving he called to Arcee.
"We're headed out. Soundwave's down, but we're taking all precaution," said Bumblebee, optics still out in front with a scout's care. "Are things well with you? I saw he came out of the hatchery."
"We're alright for the most part," Arcee admitted. She sounded as though there had been quite a struggle. "Knock Out's on his way to Ratchet with Flare Up, and Scooter's been hurt a little too, but we can help him here in the hatchery; though, part of the medical center is severely damaged."
"Alright," said Bumblebee solemnly.
"What happened at the Predaking's domain?"
"Shockwave's killed… I'll admit I don't know how badly off the Predaking is. They made us leave, and we needed to get back to town to help you. Skywarp's captured. Only Soundwave is left."
"Be careful," said Arcee. "He won't go down easy."
"I know. I'll call you back as soon as I can."
"Should I come?" suddenly asked Smokescreen once Arcee was off communications.
"How's Arcee?"
There was a pause and then a sigh.
"More hurt than she'll admit," he said quietly as though not to allow her to overhear. Before Bumblebee could say anything Smokescreen added, "Okay, I understand. We hope everything goes well."
Smokescreen went out.
Bumblebee slowed just a little.
He turned to Ultra Magnus, "Did you contact Ratchet?"
"Yes," said Ultra Magnus. "Ratchet says that since Soundwave's damaged he's easier to pinpoint."
He paused and stopped.
They were close now. They did not need Ratchet to tell them that. They had seen where Soundwave had fallen, and the raptor-bots were latched onto their target. Everyone else went silent and was transformed back into robot-mode, except for Jetfire who had not used his now rather useless jet-mode to begin with.
Their optics were peeled for any sign of movement that was not their own in this barren site where debris still lay in some spots. It reminded Bee too much of the times they had been on their planet when it was dead, except, that he had to remind himself, the atmosphere was thick and alive now. The blue sky shone brilliantly from above surrounding a golden sun. Clouds were drifting. Moisture could be felt in the air…
There was no way all alone that Soundwave could win this fight, but Bumblebee knew that Soundwave would still have the capability of bringing someone with him. So far they had lost two Vehibots in the fight with Ravage, and that Bumblebee felt was too many deaths on this rejuvenated Cybertron. He hoped the Predaking would not join them. Ravage and Shockwave were too many. Even Megatron himself was one death too many.
But such thoughts passed quickly.
He was at present again and honed into his best scouting skills. He knew Soundwave had to be very near watching and waiting to pounce. He could feel him, sense him, but he could not quite hear him over the not so silent planet. The trickling of a quiet breeze was enough for the ever-quiet Soundwave to slink about.
Suddenly, Ratchet sounded in his audio receptors, "Bumblebee, his signal is behind—"
Bumblebee spun around just in time to see a clawed tentacle aiming for his head. He ducked without thought. The metallic scuff to his helm was only minimal, but it was still a sickening sound echoing what might have been. He fired at its source.
Soundwave dodged it just barely, but the Raptor-bots were on him. He could not fly away this time, and they were leaving no opportunity for his personal portals.
Savagely, they charged in from either side. Teeth and talons barred, they lunged without holding back to rip him apart. Soundwave smacked one and kicked another. He fired at another. The last he tried to knock away too.
Bumblebee aimed with care in between the snouts and tails to fired at him too. His team behind him tried with equal care to do the same as Soundwave still evaded the first blast. Bravetalon (now quite well and in top form) kicked him with severity right into Bumblebee's second. Soundwave was already hurt as it was. Down Soundwave stumbled. Bravetalon bit, but Soundwave ripped him off.
Soundwave used his tentacle to wrench himself away. Bumblebee tried to grab him, but Soundwave slipped from his grasp with a shriek of metal scraping metal. He was on an old beam then, and even before he situated himself up there, he proceeded to create one of his portals.
"Stop him!" shouted Ultra Magnus. "He'll escape to the Black Hole."
Now it was well to fire at will. Soundwave could not stabilize his portal. It never grew to its full height or full strength in between shielding and moving from one beam to another. He could not evade everyone. One shot finally had him. He fell to the ground. A smoking heap remained.
There was then a long silence.
The gentle Cybertronian breeze whistled through outer-casing and carried dust away from town as though the planet itself wanted to brush this mess away but had not yet picked up full speed. Indeed, the breeze was picking up.
Quickshift was the first to get restless. Shifting his weight from left to right, he looked up at the others. The Raptor-bots began to sniff the motionless body cautiously from a safe distance.
"Is he dead?" he asked.
He turned back to Soundwave and took a step or two towards him.
Bulkhead squinted suspiciously, his Wrecker instinct obviously telling him otherwise. "Hmm…"
"Quickshift," said Bumblebee feeling the same thing, he was sure.
Something was not yet complete about this.
Bulkhead was about to yank Quickshift back, but just as he was about to, something blinked on Soundwave's visor screen.
Quickshift leapt back with an Eeep!
Beep, beep, beep, beep…!
It almost echoed his sound, but it was not produced by him. As it continued, it sounded almost like a human pulse monitor. On the screen a timer started going off from a minute downwards.
"Oh…" groaned Bulkhead smacking his head. "You're gotta be kidding me."
"No, this is just the sort of thing Soundwave would concoct!" snapped Jetfire pounding the ground with his staff.
"Quick!" shouted Quickshift lifting his lasers. "We gotta destroy him!"
The raptor-bots quickly agreed.
"No!" snapped Ultra Magnus quite firmly. "That would make him go off!"
"We gotta get rid of him or get out of here!" said Bulkhead.
"Ratchet!" called Bumblebee. "We need a bridge! Now!"
"I'm on it!" said Ratchet.
"Jackie!" called Bulkhead to Wheeljack. "Don't come this way. We're clearing out. Soundwave's exploding!"
The bridge appeared. Everyone climbed in as fast as they could. Even as the bridge closed behind them the explosion blast licked their heels.
Naturally.
The nick of time.
It was a larger explosion than anyone would have guessed. Whether dead or somehow escaped through his portal just seconds before, the explosion was left behind. The reverberations went through the ground and shook the whole building the Autobots were now standing in. Dust and a little debris fell from the ceiling, and instinctively everyone ducked.
Then all was silent once more, except for the wind, which blew as vigorously as before.
#
Having ducked down low when the explosion passed, Wheeljack quickly bolted upright again before the rumbles had completely ended. He heard the crack back at the prison.
He spun around.
Neither prisoner could make their weapons reusable within the confines of the prison walls, but that did not mean that they would not try something. After all, the prison was not exactly as secure as it should be. The Autobots had been using the Nemesis' brig for prisoners until so very recently. It was not nearly as secure, and that explosion might be all the prisoners needed.
He rolled his optics.
"Yep," he grumbled as he heard the shoving of rubble and a jet engine start up.
He had been expecting Starscream but was surprised that the jet flashed purple as it sailed upward. Skywarp was supposed to have been too damaged for flight, but apparently he could give it one last go, even if not far. All he had to do was make it to his ship. He was too far away to shoot at already.
"Bad news, Mr. President," he called as he ran back prison-ward. "Soundwave's explosion damaged the prison. Skywarp's bolted. I'm taking care of Starscream."
#
"Guess, there's no time for a breather yet," muttered Knock Out with some sarcasm in his slow tone, but he did add a most candid shrug.
Slowly, most everyone looked at him. Optics went wide to see the hole in Knock Out's chest.
Quickshift gasped.
As flustered as an old pheasant, Ratchet spun around last.
"Knock Out!" he snapped. "Why aren't you in the hospital yet?"
"I was just taking him there," Flare Up insisted.
"You go with him, Ratchet," said Bumblebee smiling in spite of himself. "We'll take over from here."
Ratchet agreed though still flustered as he went. He did in fact take over from Flare Up; he had Knock Out moving forward a little roughly; though Knock Out took no offense. Flare Up hurried after them.
#
When Wheeljack reached the prison, he saw that Starscream's cell had not been damaged. At least, not enough to let in more than some dust from the wind. He entered the prison corridor only to see Starscream throwing his head up towards him angrily before looking up again at the ceiling where he had last heard the jet engines of Skywarp fade out into space. He sighed looking utterly lost and dejected.
Then he turned his head sulkily back to Wheeljack.
"Abandoned, Starscream?" Wheeljack could not help but ask dryly.
Starscream growled.
"That's the second time he's abandoned me!" he hissed.
"Well…" said Wheeljack checking over the gages in front of the cell door.
The energy field around it seemed quite intact, and it had suffered no breaks or cracks in its system.
"The war's finally over, Starscream," he added. "Whether Skywarp escapes or we catch up with him and stop him or even if Soundwave escaped, you're the last Decepticon on Cybertron, and it's probably going to stay that way."
#
The Black Hole.
Made it.
As fast as he could, Skywarp hurried to the bridge. Here, he paused and panted a little as he looked up at screens and fiddled with controls. It did not appear that anyone was following, but he started up the ship as fast as he could anyway. He set a course for somewhere—anywhere! Just away from Cybertron long enough for him to think and recuperate. Perhaps he would simply never return to Cybertron.
A laugh escaped him as the ship's engines hummed forward, but he did not allow it long.
With the help of the information from aboard the Knight, the last Decepticons had discovered secret stashes of energon scattered throughout space. Lockdown would not be needed that information anymore, after all, but it gave Skywarp enough fuel for possibly the rest of his existence as he looked over the Black Hole's database to make sure they were all intact.
Whatever Soundwave's plans had been, they had not included Shockwave or him. Perhaps they had not included the old Decepticons at all, but Soundwave might be angry if he did not at least try to contact him— if he survived, of course, with some amazing Soundwave-escape.
He tried to contact him, but there was no answer. If he was still online, he wanted no one to know it. The Black Hole's sensors did not pick him up, but that did not necessarily mean he was offline.
As for Starscream, if Skywarp could think of something, he might rescue him. Sometime later would be best when the Autobots least expected it, but for now it would be him and the Black Hole. Honestly, he was just fine with that.
He smiled with satisfaction as he watched the planet disappear through the window. Still nothing attempted to stop him.
Except, he was not quite alone.
A nasty little grumbling growl made him jump.
Then he heard a couple more.
Spinning around he held his lasers. He was not in top form and he was not sure he could put up another fight if it was an ugly one. The little growls had to come from one or more of the little beasties that had not gone to Cybertron, but he could not see them.
He spun around again, looking cautiously about as he carefully treaded the dark bridge. Suddenly one jumped right on his face.
"What happened to Master Soundwave!?" it snarled.
With a strangled shout, Skywarp fell backwards onto the floor and ripped it off of his face. It took a moment or two of recuperation after stumbling into a computer stand. Panting just a little, Skywarp watched the ugly little creature scurrying about on the floor. Then he stood upright himself, straightening himself disgruntled and trying to look important. He did not bother answering its question.
He would have some exterminating to do too, though.
He snorted and without further thought, he fired just when it scuttled to a spot not too near anything vital to the bridge.