Chapter 3-Two Ambitious Morons
Orion Pax and Prowl walked out onto the Citadel's grand balcony. It was on the top level of the building, and was generally reserved for the Prime.
It presented a sweeping view of Iacon, and beyond, the view reaching across the horizon of Cybertron, as the sun rose.
"Great job as always." The blue and gold, ornately decoreted mech known as Zeta Prime said with a warm smile. "Two more key decepticons bagged. Many more than wont cause problems for us anymore."
"If I could've taken them all alive I would've." Pax replied regretfully. "They fired on us, we had no choice."
"You won't get any grief from me, Pax." Prime replied. "You're the tip of the spear right now. You and your strike team have done more to shut the decepticons down than anyone in this department. A few decepticon lives lost won't cost any lost recharge from me. You'll be commended."
"Thank you sir." Orion replied with a nod.
"I'm afraid however, you can't rest on your success for long." Zeta said worriedly, turning away from the balcony's edge, a serious look in his optics.
"The Autobot's have a mole, and I was...very displeased to learn it was a former student of mine." He said, his optics turning to Prowl. "You, Prowl, are familiar with him as well. Mirage."
"Mirage?!" Prowl exclaimed. "My Mirage? Our Mirage? The stealth specialist?"
"Yes." Zeta replied sadly. "He's been working with the decepticons for months. And I've learned he's taken an important data packet that belongs to us. It contains all of our communication decryptions. If Mirage is able to bring it to Megatron...this will no longer be a case of shutting down a rogue faction." He looked at the two with a flicker of fear in his optics. "It will be all out war."
"Do you think it will go that far sir?" Prowl asked.
Zeta Prime's optics turned to Pax.
"Orion knows Megatron better than any of us. Would Megatron wage all out war with our government?"
Orion let out a sigh, and nodded.
"If he felt he had the numbers to pull it off, yes."
Zeta nodded. "He recruits more soldiers in Kaon every day. And if Mirage's intel reaches Megatron...it will only be a matter of time. I do not want war, gentlemen."
Orion and Prowl exchanged a look. Prowl's usually placid features now looked extremely conflicted. Pax turned back to Prime.
"We'll bring Mirage in. I'll get the strike team ready."
"It's not that simple." Zeta replied. "Mirage has the data packet, and my intelligence division suggested to me that he's already downloaded it into his brain module, as an unpackable file."
"Why would he do that?" Prowl asked. "I know Mirage, none of this sounds like him..."
"I do not know his reasons. I merely know the threat he poses. He is hiding out in Tarn, according to my sources. He's making his way to Kaon, city by city. He's too dangerous to bring in. Understand I would not ask you to do this if there were any other way..."
Orion's optics widened, as he realized the command he had been given.
"You're asking me to assassinate him?"
"Yes." Zeta replied firmly. "Ensure the information is destroyed. I cannot have a War, Orion. Cybertron cannot afford it, not now."
Prowl and Orion exchanged another glance. Now Orion looked conflicted as well.
"You're the only team I trust to get it done." Prime finished.
Orion nodded slowly.
"Then...it will be done sir."
The two autobots turned and walked back inside. They stayed silent as they walked through the Prime's office, and re-entered the elevator.
The moment it slid shut, Prowl turned to Orion.
"None of this makes sense. Mirage is someone I trust...more than most. He would never betray the autobots. He's a friend, Orion."
Orion stared at the wall of the elevator, his hand under his chin as his mind raced.
"Zeta Prime asking us to execute a fugitive is...irregular. And for it to be a former autobot is even more irregular. That information must be of vital importance." He opened his comm link.
"Orion..." Prowl began.
"Prowl, we cannot let personal feelings get in the way of our mission. You and I know that better than anyone." Pax interrupted. "If Mirage is rogue, he needs to be..."
"Executed without trial?" Prowl concluded, crossing his arms. "Is that how we operate now?"
Pax let out a vent as he rubbed his optic ridge.
"We'll talk about this later." The mech activated his comms button. "Ironhide, Hound, Jazz, meet us in weapon's bay 84, on the Citadel. We have a mission."
"No cops as far as the optics can see." Sunstreaker remarked, as the twins roared along the speedway, above the metallic countryside. "We're 15 minutes from Kaon, and all looks clear bro."
"You're jinxing us. Right now, you're jinxing us." Sideswipe replied nervously.
"You are so jumpy. Relax, mech. We'll be fine. Think of the shanix we're about to make." Sunstreaker coaxed.
A third engine revved behind them, becoming more audible as it closed in on them.
"Sunny, you said no cops, yeah?" Sideswipe asked.
"Yes. I was pretty clear about that." Sunstreaker replied.
"We got an autobot though." Sideswipe continued.
"What?" Sunstreaker asked, his wheels slipping slightly.
A pink and white convertible was closing the gap rapidly on the twins.
Arcee continued accelerating up behind them, snaking close enough that she could plainly identify the two.
The autobot badge on her hood was plainly visible.
"Alright Guys. Pull over and let's get this over with. You don't want any part of those guns you're hauling." Arcee called out.
"What guns?" Sideswipe asked.
"Yeah, you're the one with guns, we're unarmed." Sunstreaker replied, a daring tone to his voice.
"I can see the boxes." Arcee said bluntly. "I've been tracking them across Iacon all day. I'm tired and ready for this operation to be over. Last chance. Pull over."
"Oh. Alright. Sides, last chance. Guess we better do what she says." Sunstreaker said, swerving alongside his brother.
"I'm so mad at you right now that I literally can't even play along. Split up on three?" He asked.
"You know it. But actually split up on now." Sunstreaker replied.
Both cars slammed on the brakes, their tires screeching against the metal surface, kicking up dust and rubber, and a cloud of smoke.
They swerved, then separated, going down separate exit ramps, Sunstreaker swerving across oncoming traffic, to the chagrin of morning commuters.
Arcee picked Sideswipe to follow, swerving to pursue, as he went down the other exit.
"Frag frag frag!" Sideswipe shouted, as his engine wailed.
"Pull over and this will all be okay, promise." Arcee said with warning in her voice. "Make me chase you and this will get ugly. You do not want to be thrown in with the cons right now."
Sideswipe ducked down a side street, with Arcee hot on his tail.
A pair of blaster's rose from Arcee's hood. They took careful aim as Sideswipe's tail end swerved from side to side.
She fired a blast at sideswipe's undercarriage, hitting directly underneath the red sports car.
Sideswipe let out a yelp of pain, as he was blasted off his wheels, and found himself temporarily airborne.
The red car hit the ground hard, and rolled several times, smashing painfully through a guardrail, and coming to a stop upside down in an alleyway, beneath the overpass.
Arcee's alt mode slid across the alleyway and changed form, she skidded to a stop with her feet, and grabbed the upside down car, flipping it over and ripping the gun crate off. She heard a moan from the vehicle as she did it.
"You gonna change form or am I gonna have to make you?" Arcee asked.
"Ughhh..." Sideswipe replied weakly.
Arcee sighed.
"You know what? I don't feel bad about this. You shouldn't have run."
The femme pulled her arm back and punched him directly in the T-cog.
The mech let out a loud as he was forced to transform, and flopped onto the metal ground.
"Don't resist." Arcee commanded, grabbing the mech's hand roughly. "I just did you a favor, you probably would've been killed after delivery. The cons don't leave loose ends."
"Wait...my brother...he's still heading that way...I have to go..." Sideswipe pleaded, as Arcee cuffed his hands.
"Oh don't worry, he won't get..."
Before she could finish, there was a yell, and a yellow blur dropped down on top of her, kicking her to the floor of the alleyway, then hopping back and raising his fists.
"Don't rough up my brother." Sunstreaker said angrily. "It was my idea."
Arcee recovered quickly, rolling and springing back to her feet, pulling out her guns and taking aim at the yellow twin.
"I'll make sure the judge hears that." She stated. "Hands up."
"Nah." Sunstreaker replied, charging forward, and punching at the femme.
Arcee weaved away from his blows, folding the guns away, then delivered two swift strikes to his midsection, knocking a splash of energon out of the mech's mouth.
"Who taught you to fight?" Sunstreaker asked, backing off as he wiped his mouth.
"Autobot academy. Kup. You?" Arcee asked.
"The streets." Sunstreaker replied with a grin, as he cracked his knuckles.
"I'm sure that sounded really cool in your head." Arcee replied. "You're yellow so I'm gonna guess you're Sunstreaker, and the pushover is Sideswipe?"
"Hey!" Sideswipe shouted from the ground.
"She ain't wrong bro." Sunstreaker replied, suddenly lashing out and punching Arcee across the face. He reared back for another punch, as she backed away, looking stunned.
She wasn't stunned.
The femme dodged the fist, then grabbed his arm and twisted it, causing the mech to cry out.
"Ow! Ow ow ow ow leggo!" Sunstreaker shouted.
Arcee smirked, twisting it a little further, then releasing it and shoving him back.
Sunstreaker was momentarily surprised he had been let go. But before he could process it, she had spun around and kicked him in the face.
Sunstreaker stood in place for a second. His frame wobbling.
Then he collapsed to the ground.
Arcee chuckled to herself.
"And here I heard you guys were a handful." She cleared her throat, as she activated her comms. "Ultra Magnus, this is Arcee. Send a team to my location. I have the twins and the guns."