Chapter 20-Bumpy Descent
"Well. One day in the bunker and we're up to nine. I suppose now all we have to do is wait." Ultra Magnus pointed out, as he stood beside Prowl and Arcee.
"Mirage is invaluable." Prowl said, looking over at the quiet mech, who already had his own corner of the bunker. "He's the best stealth fighter the autobots have. As for those two..." he gestured to Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, who we're currently wrestling on the floor.
"Don't get me started." Ultra Magnus said with a groan.
"Complain if you want." Arcee said, arms crossed. "Every good resistance needs brawlers. That's what they are. They're not soldier, but they can fight."
"With so few of us left, is it really wise to have two loose cannons?" Prowl asked.
Arcee looked over at them and smiled as Sideswipe waved at her, then tackled his brother against the wall.
"It's never been wiser." She replied.
Prowl sighed, looking skeptically up at Ultra Magnus.
"What are you gonna do, kick them out onto the street?" Arcee asked.
"I suppose not." Ultra Magnus conceded.
Ironhide was laying on his berth trying to catch some recharge, as the roughhousing went on.
"Don't damages yourselves for Primus sakes, I'm not a medic!" Hound called.
As if in response, Sideswipe lifted Sunstreaker up and hurled him against the side of Ironhide's berth.
Ironhide rose from his berth, face contorted in rage, and turned to face Sunstreaker.
He lifted the yellow mech up by his back mounted engine block.
"Uh oh." Sideswipe muttered.
"Alright, I've had it." Ironhide snarled, reaching out and grabbing Sideswipe by the throat, and holding a twin up in each hand.
"Don't kill em red, we need em!" Jazz bellowed half seriously from across the bunker.
"Nobody needs this kinda headache!" Ironhide replied angrily. "I'm scrappin both of ya!"
"Easy Ironhide." Ultra Magnus commanded.
"Yeah come on man, we're just having a little fun!" Sunstreaker protested.
"No more fun." Ironhide declared, hurling both mechs against the floor. "You wanna be useful? Go help Hound stock the medibay."
"What? Why?" Sideswipe demanded.
"Cuz otherwise I'm gonna pound ya." Ironhide replied, cracking his knuckles.
The twins exchanged a look, then hastily retreated into the medibay.
"See?" Arcee said. "All they need is a little discipline."
"Oh I'll discipline em alright." Ironhide drawled, following them into the medibay. "We're sortin alphabetically, so I hope you boys know how to spell!"
An exclamation point appeared on the monitor, and Prowl frowned as he examined it.
"Oh no." He muttered, optics widening, he began typing furiously.
He turned as a platform rose out of the floor, projecting a holographic map of Cybertron.
"What's going on?" Ultra Magnus asked.
Prowl sighed, then hung his head.
"Apparently when Megatron took over the Citadel, he sent out a distress call. An autobot distress call."
Ultra Magnus looked at the map, and noticed an autobot shuttle approaching the planet.
"It's smart." He muttered gravely. "Lure in more autobots, who have no idea of the situation. That shuttles going to be shot down. Where is it headed?"
Prowl rubbed his chevron.
"The Citadel."
"Can we warn them?" Magnus asked.
"If we used the direct line and called that shuttle, the Citadel would be able to track it. They would find the bunker, and we would all be in danger." Prowl explained.
There was tense silence.
"They're going to shoot it down. Autobot shuttle's don't have defenses." Arcee stated. "We have to do something."
"What can we do?" Prowl asked. "There are nine of us, and frankly, I don't trust the two idiots to help us."
"Me neither." Ultra Magnus replied. "But Arcee is right. We need to do something." He looked around the bunker.
"Arcee. Jazz. Hound. Mirage. Grab guns from the armory. We're going out there. Prowl, you have command until we return."
"Hold up!" Ironhide called from the medibay. "Wait for me to arm up."
"No." Ultra Magnus said, putting a firm arm on his shoulder. "Stay here and watch after the twins. Five of us will be more subtle."
"Magnus, you know how bad I'm itchin for a fight..." Ironhide began.
"I know. That's why I need you to stay here. Keep the twins in check. Prowl, you monitor the situation from here."
Prowl nodded, staring at the hologram of the shuttle as it got closer.
"Mirage. Scout ahead." Magnus commanded. "And stay hidden."
Mirage nodded, changing into his race car form, and rolling out into the sewer system.
Megatron stood on the balcony. Hearing the shuttle's engines before it became visible.
"It has entered the atmosphere." Soundwave reported.
"Deploy the seekers. I want the shuttle downed." Megatron commanded. "And tell Barricade to get his squad ready. Execute all but the commanding officers. I want them brought to me."
"I will pass the word along." Soundwave replied, turning to walk away.
Starscream, Skywarp and Thundercracker took off from the Citadel hangar, and streaked toward the approaching shuttle. Megatron watched, his hands folded calmly behind his back, as they made contact, and opened fire, tearing apart the shuttle's engines.
Smoke poured from it, and it plunged downward, landing somewhere it midtown Iacon.
Megatron smirked.
With every passing second, his hold on Cybertron was feeling more secure.
"It's down in the Park." Prowl reported over the comm. "Furman Park, near the energon pond."
Ultra Magnus rolled across the street, with Arcee, Jazz, and Hound behind him.
"That's a tactical disaster, there's no cover in that park." Ultra Magnus lamented.
"We could call this off, Magnus." Prowl replied. "If we lose you five, we're finished."
"You won't lose us." Ultra Magnus replied confidently. "Autobots, prepare for combat!"
Mirage transformed up, and cloaked, walking into the park.
There were ornate metal structures, and a peaceful, flowing energon pond. It was meant to be a place of serenity and relaxation.
But in the far end, at the end of a long track of destruction, was the ruined autobot shuttle, smoke pouring from it.
"I have optics on the shuttle." Mirage reported.
"Any sign of survivors?" Prowl asked.
"Can't tell. I need to get closer." Mirage replied.
"Careful."
There was a rumble, and flashing blue and red lights, as Barricade came rolling into the park.
"Cons are here. Looks like barricade and a squad of enforcers." Mirage reported. He walked up to one of the ornate metal structures, still cloaked, and placed an explosive at the base. "Magnus, I'm setting up some cover for you. Enter the park from the North."
Barricade changed form, and rose up.
"Form a perimeter." He barked. "I want all guns trained on the shuttle. We're taking officers alive."
There was a rumble behind him. He turned and saw the Cybertronian truck form of Ultra Magnus approaching.
"We have autobots, open fire!" Barricade commanded. The enforcers turned to face them.
Mirage pressed the button on his detonator, exploding the base of the metal sculpture. It leaned, then collapsed onto its side.
The autobots changed form, guns blazing, before diving for cover behind the fallen sculpture.
"You're too good at what you do, Mirage." Ultra Magnus stated, firing his rifle over the sculpture.
"Thank you sir." Mirage replied, sliding behind cover, and pulling out a pistol.
Hound hurled a grenade over the column, that blasted a few enforcers away.
"Box them in!" Barricade shouted, his hand morphing into a shotgun. "I want Ultra Magnus alive!"
"Aw, what about me?" Arcee asked, a blaster in each hand as she rose up, blasting an enforcer and then firing at Barricade, who dove behind some debris.
The remaining five enforcers opened fire on the pink femme, forcing her back into cover.
They began advancing on the fallen sculpture, as Barricade remained hidden.
As they got closer, the ruined shuttle's ramp opened, smoke pouring out of it.
Barricade's optics widened.
"Decepticons, heads up!" He shouted.
Blue lasers erupted out of the smoke, cutting down enforcers, as they turned around.
With their attention divided, Ultra Magnus and his autobots jumped up out of cover and attacked, shooting down the remaining mechs.
The autobots charged forward, toward the shuttle to see who had survived.
And were greeted by the sight of a large black mech, lumbering down towards them.
He was emitting a Forcefield, but he lowered it when he saw them.
"Trailbreaker!" Mirage exclaimed, running up to hug the mech.
"Hey Mirage." Trailbreaker replied happily, smiling as he saw the group of autobots, nearly getting knocked over as Mirage crashed into him.
"Guys, it's all clear!" He called into the shuttle.
The autobots turned their gaze back to the ramp, as a pair of mechs walked down it.
A white and red mech of similar build to Ironhide. And a white, green and red mech, with a faceplate.
"This isn't the Citadel, Ratchet." The faceplated mech observed, his earwings flashing as he spoke.
"You just keep stretching out those IQ circuits, Wheeljack." Ratchet replied sarcastically.
"Oof. Messy." Wheeljack commented, looking around at the destruction. "Wait, what about IQ circuits?"
"Ultra Magnus!" Ratchet called grumpily. "What in the name of all things Primal is going on out here?"
"Ratchet!" Ultra Magnus exclaimed happily, running up to the mech. "You're just in time to be promoted to chief medical officer!" He said, slapping the mech on the shoulder, and turning to Wheeljack.
"Wait, What?!" Ratchet demanded.
He extended his hand to the mech, who shook it.
"Ultra Magnus! Want more shoulder missiles?" Wheeljack asked, as Ratchet turned to face the two, and grabbed Ultra Magnus's shoulder, and spun him back around.
"Chief medical officer? Are you mad?!" Ratchet exclaimed.