Chapter 6: Arcee

Orion Pax and Prowl dropped down into the streets of Tarn, a city not far from Kaon, as the shuttle hovered overhead.

It was an industrial city. Lots of factories. Lots of smoke, overcast weather. Lots of commuters.

And a good amount of anti-autobot sentiment.

"How sure are we of this Intel?" Orion asked, as cars bustled by the autobots.

"Very." Prowl replied, looking around. "He's been holed up in this neighborhood for at least a day."

Ironhide, Hound and Jazz came splashing down behind them.

"What's the plan, Pax?" Jazz asked.

Orion's optics looked across the streets, for any sign of the white and blue mech they were seeking.

"Spread out. Get the sky spy running scans for his energon signature. We'll find him. Ironhide, Hound go downtown, Prowl with me, Jazz, go uptown."

The three mechs separated, changing form and splitting up into their different directions, leaving Pax and Prowl standing on the street corner.

"What do we do?" Prowl asked.

Orion pulled out his pistol.

"We keep a sharp optic out." He replied. "And wait for word from the others."

Above them, on a rooftop, a blue and white mech stared down at them, optics narrowed.

Mirage was a crafty mech. An expert in stealth. But even so, this was not a situation he wanted to be in.

He squeezed a button in his palm, and vanished.

Bumblebee let out a cry as Starscream dangled him over the edge of the speedway.

"Long way down little autobot." The seeker hissed. "Why don't you give my colleague here what he came for, and you can be on your way."

Bumblebee shook his head weakly, and Starscream squeezed on his throat metals.

Barricade stood next to the seeker.

"This little guy is a tough nut to crack." He commented. "You have a death wish?"

Bumblebee let out a coughing sound.

"Gonna...kill me...anyway..."

"Oh now come on, you don't know that." Barricade replied.

"I know that." Starscream stated with a grin.

"I know it too." Barricade agreed. "The point is you don't, little Bumblebee, so why not just hand us the data packet?"

"Never." Bumblebee replied. "It's my...job...keep it safe." He managed.

"That's a shame." Starscream muttered, turning and hurling bumblebee back across the speedway.

He went skidding across, and slid over the other edge, gripping the corner for dear life.

He looked down at the energon streams, and hard metal surface a good thousand feet beneath him.

His optics widened as he stared down at it, petrified with fear.

Starscream and Barricade casually walked over.

"Bet you wish you got a different job, huh?" Barricade asked, leaning down. "At the end of the day...the decepticons are gonna be all that's standing. I wish we had room for you little guy, but...you just don't seem to have the upper body strength..."

He stomped down on Bumblebee's hand, causing the mech to cry out.

"Stop talking to him Barricade and just knock him off. We can take the data off his corpse." Starscream sneered.

"You're right, Starscream, my bad." Barricade replied, before turning back to Bumblebee. "You poor little fella. Shoulda just stayed on your recharge slab this morning." He said with a grin as he prepared for a final stomp.

Bumblebee took a deep vent, as he clutched the edge.

"I may be little..." Bumblebee muttered. "And I may be poor...but I'm not the moron who just revealed himself to be a traitor over my comm's system." He said with a smirk, gesturing to his green, blinking communicator.

Barricade's smile vanished and his optics widened.

"First rule of being a courier, if something seems wrong, don't hang up the comm." Bumblebee declared proudly.

"Oof. Now THAT is a shame." Starscream observed.

The sound of sirens caught their audios, in the distance.

"You little glitch rat." Barricade growled, grabbing Bumblebee painfully, by one of his horns and pulling him up. He grabbed his throat and squeezed. "Do you have any idea what you just did?! I'm gonna rip your spark out!"

"No you're not, actually." A voice called.

Starscream turned in alarm, and took a quick laser shot to the chest, knocking him back.

Barricade grabbed his gun, and spun around as well, holding Bumblebee in front of him.

Before him stood a pink and white femme with a confident look on her face. Arcee had a smoking blaster in her hand.

"Let him go. And I promise I'll only put one in your leg before arresting you, you rotten camshaft." She stated, blue optics narrowing as she eyed the traitorous enforcer.

Barricade pressed the gun against Bumblebee's head, as Bumblebee squirmed against his grip.

"Drop it, or the squirt loses his head." The corrupt officer snapped. "Been too long Arcee. I was starting to miss you."

"Not long enough actually." Arcee replied bluntly. "And I believe I made my terms pretty clear. Let him go."

"Only if you let me go." Barricade snapped back. "I want a free ride to Kaon. I'll tow the courier if I have to."

Arcee sighed, letting the blaster slack in her hand, as she analyzed the situation.

"You know, he's just over half your height, he's not much of a shield. I have a clear shot on your head."

Barricade frowned, looking down at Bumblebee.

Then he hesitantly lifted the mech up, to cover his face.

Arcee chuckled to herself, then lowered the gun, and shot Barricade in the shin.

Barricade let out a cry, as he collapsed to the metal surface, energon gushing from his wound.

"Ow! Ow ow ow, you are so slagged!" He shouted in pain.

"I'd be embarrassed too if I fell for that one." Arcee replied, smiling with amusement. She turned her gaze to his seeker companion.

Starscream rolled over, and gave Arcee a glare, standing up slowly.

"You're on your own, Barricade." He hissed, changing form and jetting away before Arcee could get a shot off.

Police cars came roaring down the highway, as Barricade rolled across the ground, grabbing at his leg.

Bumblebee, who had been plopped unceremoniously onto the metal speedway, stared up at Arcee in wonder.

"That was amazing. Teach me that."

"Can't be taught, kid. But I'll show you a few things." Arcee replied, holding out a hand, and helping the mech up. "You're so small. It's adorable." She said in a deadpan tone. "You related to Cliffjumper?"

Bumblebee smiled in recognition. "No, but he's my best friend. We were forged together. He's a good guy."

"Sure is." Arcee replied. She turned and lifted Barricade up roughly. "Did you hurt my new friend?" She asked angrily, as she handcuffed the mech.

Barricade glared at Bumblebee, rage in his optics.

"This isn't over pipsqueak." He hissed.

"You're right." Bumblebee replied, with a grin. "I still have a delivery to make."

Mirage reappeared, diving off a rooftop, and changing form into a Cybertronian race car, revving his engine as he joined traffic.

An autobot badge displayed on his hood.

Another white and blue car rolled behind him.

"This is Jazz, I'm uptown, I got optics on Mirage, converge on my location." The mech said, as he accelerated to catch up to the fugitive car.

"All autobots, converge on Jazz's location!" Orion commanded over the comm's, as he transformed down, and swerved into traffic, with Prowl behind him.

Mirage could see them coming. He accelerated, then slid out of traffic, sliding between three cars, to roll down a side alleyway.

Jazz, remarkably, stayed on him.

"We're hauling aft Orion, we'll be there in a sec." Ironhide called over the comm.

Jazz pulled up on Mirage's tail spoiler and gave him a bump.

"That's enough bud, pull over!" He shouted.

Mirage slammed on his brakes, then slid out onto another side street, with Jazz having to slide to keep up with him. They roared back onto the main road, and found themselves among the public again.

The two cars weaved through traffic, as Orion and Prowl tried to keep up, from behind.

"Ironhide, Hound, cut over to 113th!" Orion commanded.

As if on cue, a red van, and a green off road vehicle swerved into oncoming traffic, and Mirage slowed down as he saw them coming.

"Box him in!" Orion commanded, as they closed in on the race car.

Mirage slammed on the brakes and skidded to a stop, as Ironhide and Hound skidded and pulled to their sides to form a roadblock.

The five autobots converged, changing form, their guns raised.

"Mirage, of Helex. Change form and place your hands on your head." Orion Pax commanded, pistol pointed at the car.

Mirage obliged, and transformed up, putting his hands up.

The blue headed mech turned to face Orion.

"Are you armed?" Orion asked.

"Would it be easier to execute me if I was?" Mirage retorted with a remarkable amount of calm. No sense of panic in his voice. "No, Orion. I am not armed."

Orion's optics were wide. His gun shook slightly in his grip.

"I know the orders he gave you." Mirage continued. "But I also know you have a conscience. That is why I am surrendering." He said, getting down on his knees. "If you want to kill me, Orion Pax, you will have to execute an unarmed prisoner. And you will have to do it publicly."

Cars honked at them as they held the mech at gunpoint, swerving around them, a few stopping to watch with alarm.

"He's right. There are too many witnesses." Prowl stated, looking around nervously. "We can't do it here."

"I don't care where you kill me, but know this. I didn't betray the autobot cause." Mirage stated firmly, his optics staring straight up at Orion. "I have something to show you, Orion Pax. And if you still wish to execute me after you've seen it, then do so."