So guess what I did over the two days I had off right after posting the last chapter? Wrote this chapter. I had a lot of motivation. Why did it take this long to get it to you? Editing and my job. And figuring out where I wanted to cut it off at. But I did get it out to you pretty quickly this time. So, please enjoy.
:: blah :: denotes video feed.
"Woo! Ha ha!" Wheeljack laughed as X-ray leveled out the Jackhammer's flight path. "That was some fancy flying, X. You're a fast learner."
"Well, you know..." X-ray glanced over at him from the pilot's seat. "I had an excellent teacher."
Wheeljack grinned. "Yeah, ya did."
"Anything else you want to teach me?"
"Let me see." Wheeljack reached over and set the autopilot. Leaning closer still, he gently caught X-ray's chin and made him look at him. "I can think of a thing or two."
"Oh, really?" X-ray let Wheeljack pull him closer. "And what might that be?"
Wheeljack just hummed in answer, tilting his helm to accommodate for the protrusion on his forehelm. Their lips barely brushed when the long range scanners suddenly came screeching to life and startled them both.
"What was that?" X-ray asked as Wheeljack turned off the alarm and checked the scanner.
Wheeljack studied the readings. "A strange energy surge. It's huge."
"Where? And from what?"
"No idea but it's not far from Omega One."
"Well then, let's go check it out."
Wheeljack finally looked up at him. "Are you sure you're allowed to?"
"Why not?" X-ray slipped out of the pilot's seat and stepped back so Wheeljack could move over. "We're just doing a little investigating, right?"
Wheeljack smirked. "Well, when you put it that way." He moved over to the pilot seat and took over the controls.
X-ray plopped down in the passenger seat he just vacated. "If it goes badly, I'll just explain to the Madam that I was the one who suggested it."
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that."
The Autobots returned to Earth. Ratchet was very upset to find out that Optimus had destroyed the Omega Lock.
"Right decision or wrong, what's done is done," Arcee argued after Ratchet finished his angry rant. "But we have another problem here on this world. The Cons just changed the rules when they put Jack, Miko, and Raf into play."
"And Liliy!" cried Miko.
"Yeah," agreed Jack. He looked around. "Where is Liliy, anyway?"
"Last I saw, Optimus still had her," said Raf.
"Wait. Liliy was there too?" Ratchet asked.
"Liliy let go of me before I entered the space bridge," replied Optimus. "I assume she remained behind on Cybertron."
"With the Cons?" gaped Arcee.
"How did she end up there in the first place?" questioned Ratchet.
"The Cons captured her too when they took us," answered Jack. "She was pretending to be human and hanging out with us in town when they came."
"If it wasn't for her, I might be dead now," added Raf, hugging himself and shivering. Miko hugged him too while Jack just put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Still, she did say some strange things that I wanted to ask her about," Optimus said, thoughtfully.
Ratchet frowned. "Like what?"
The comm beeped before Prime could answer. Agent Fowler appeared on the monitor.
{Prime! The Pentagon's preparing to go DefCon 1. I need to know what we're dealing with!}
Optimus stepped forward, confused. "To what do you refer, Agent Fowler?"
{Maybe you should step outside and see for yourselves.} And cut the feed.
"Ratchet, watch the children," Optimus commanded before turning to go outside.
The fighting force of Team Prime took the lift to the top of the silo. Light from the afternoon sun streamed in as the big silo doors opened above them. The sight that greeted them as they reached the top made their energon run cold. In the distance loomed a tower fortress that did not belong to that world, the design being unmistakably similar to the Decepticon citadel back on Cybertron. Dark Mount!
Agent Fowler landed his helicopter nearby and got out to talk to the Autobots.
"Megatron has managed to accomplish the first phase of his cyberforming of Earth," Optimus spoke before Fowler could ask anything. "The construction of his fortress."
"In Jasper, Nevada? I don't get it. I already had the town evacuated. Why here?" Fowler wanted to know.
Bumblebee pointed. "Hey. Look at that."
The Nemesis appeared out of the clouds that were gathering and hovered between them and the tower.
Optimus finally replied Fowler even though the answer should have been obvious. "Because the Decepticons have discovered the location of our base."
Suddenly several flyers took off from the warship's flight deck and headed straight for them, Starscream leading as they opened fire. A wave of insecticons followed. The Autobots fended them off for a bit but the attack was becoming too much.
"Autobots, into the base," Optimus ordered.
As the Autobots retreated to the lift, Bulkhead happened to glance over and see Fowler getting back into his helicopter.
"Fowler, what are you doing?" Bulkhead yelled at him.
"My job, two-ton," Fowler yelled back.
The silo doors closed over the Autobots while Fowler took off to attack the Cons.
"What's happening?" demanded Jack when the rest of the Autobots came back.
"What is going on out there?" echoed Ratchet, turning to Optimus.
The whole base was shaking from the constant rain of blaster fire.
"The Decepticons have invaded Jasper," answered Optimus.
"And Fowler seems to think he can hold 'em off," added Bulkhead.
{Prime, reinforcements just arrived.} Fowler commed.
Optimus shook his helm, frustrated. "Agent Fowler, your military cannot prevail against the-"
{You didn't think we were going to let Team Prime have all the fun, did you?} interrupted a new voice.
"Ha HA! It's Jackie!" cheered Bulkhead.
"Wheeljack? But how did you-?" asked Ratchet.
{Picked a strange energy surge. Hope you don't mind the company.}
"I thought you were staying with the CRC," said Optimus. "Wheeljack, X-ray isn't with you, is he?"
Wheeljack muted the channel. "How the slag would he know about that?"
X-ray sighed. "The Madam probably told him."
He unmuted the channel and spoke to Optimus again, totally ignoring the Prime's question. "Tiny and I will hold off these Cons as long as we can. You guys need to get out of there."
{You want us to abandon the base!?} Ratchet demanded.
"He is right, Ratchet," Optimus replied. "The base is lost. Prepare the ground bridge," he ordered. "Bumblebee and Rafael will depart first."
"You're splitting us up?" gasped Raf.
"Shouldn't we stick together?" asked Jack.
"All for one and one for all," added Miko, clasping her hands together.
"We must disperse to avoid capture," Optimus told them. "Until we can regroup and launch a counterattack. Survival is our only priority now."
"Couldn't the CRC just take them in for a bit?" Wheeljack asked after the comm was cut.
"That's up to the Madam," answered X-ray, holding on as Jackhammer rolled. He glanced down at one of the side monitors as they circled around. It showed that the Nemesis had moved so it was right over the base. "I hope they all make it out in time."
"They'll be fine, X."
The eradicons Wheeljack was chasing suddenly veered off in two different directions.
"Starscream's behind us," warned X-ray.
The close range radar beeped.
"Frag! Missiles! Hang on, X!" Wheeljack tried to evade them but they still hit the Jackhammer.
There were a few explosions inside the cabin on impact. The Jackhammer trailed black smoke as it went down, crashing behind a rock formation out of sight of the base.
"Ugh." Wheeljack groaned. He looked over at the other seat. "X...?"
His vision was blurring but he saw that X-ray was slumped over and energon was flowing down the side of his face.
"...X." And he passed out, unaware that the earth was shaking, not from the crash, but from the exploding butte not too far away.
Megatron was overseeing the excavation of the burning ruins of the Autobot base.
"Master," called Starscream, coming toward him followed by four vehicons dragging two prisoners between them, "look who we found, pulled from the wreckage of his ship. Wheeljack."
"So one survived." Megatron raised a curious optic ridge. "And who is that behind him?"
"I believe that he is one of those annoying Neutrals. He was with Wheeljack on his ship."
"Oh? And he's still alive? Very good. Then take our guests back to the citadel for questioning," Megatron ordered as he turned to look up at the dark fortress. "Back to Dark Mount."
Liliy woke up lying face down. Everything ached. Something had hit her or she ran into something, she couldn't quite remember but she had no idea where she was now. She couldn't see anything beyond the floor and her servo that was next to her helm. She used echolocation to determine that she was inside a cube just large enough for her to stand up in.
Something shifted outside the cube. Her vents stalled when she sensed who it was. He moved closer and it was fear alone that moved her despite the pain. She plastered her backplates against the glass wall farthest from him and brought her knees up to protect her chassis. She trembled as she stared at her reflection in Soundwave's blank mask.
Liliy tried to activate her blade but nothing happened. She looked down at her arm and tried again. Her plates attempted to shift, moving fractionally but then they just went back into place. She dropped her helm into her knees with a ragged, sobbing vent. Soundwave reached for the cube, his thin digits clinking against the glass. She lifted her helm and screamed at him.
"GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU MONSTER!"
Soundwave pulled back, oddly shocked. Then he got a comm and left the room.
Leecher stopped moving, standing frozen in the hallway.
Alfa, who was following, stopped as well. "Something wrong, Commander?"
"It's Liliy," Leecher replied slowly, distractedly. "She's fright- No... She's terrified! This feeling… It's been so long..."
Alfa frowned, worried. "Where is she?"
"She's…" Leech checked the SDS. "On the Nemesis..."
"WHAT?! Why is she there?!" Alfa demanded, losing his composure for a moment. "Wasn't she just in Jasper?"
Leecher shook their helm. "We don't know. We are trying to contact her but the comm is being blocked. Probably by Soundwave. He must know she is there."
Alfa straightened up. "What do we do?"
"Hang on. We are going to try something. The Leecher armor will power down for a bit so don't freak out."
When Leech linked with Liliy for the first time, a small piece of them was left with her. It was what created their bond even though Leech did not have a spark. While Leech did not have the wide range of emotions that Liliy did, they still could tell what each other was feeling. However, unlike sparkbonds, they could only share mental thoughts when they were physically linked. On the plus side though, Leech could remotely access Liliy's sensory net, as they were doing now.
Leech saw through Liliy's optics what she was seeing, that she was trapped in a glass cube. She seemed too scared out of her processor to look beyond the glass. Leech poked their bond with curiosity as if to ask why she wasn't escaping. She looked at her servo and tried to activate her blade again. The same result as before. Her t-cog had been deactivated. She started mumbling, barely loud enough for her own audials to pick up.
"I have faith that you'll come get me. But make sure you have a plan first. I don't want the boys rushing blindly in and getting themselves killed. I'll be waiting for you." And she pushed Leech out.
The Leecher armor did power down while Leech was contacting Liliy. Alfa caught it as it started to topple over. He lowered it down so it was sitting against the wall. He knelt next to it and waited. That is where Echo found him, worried after he felt Alfa's alarm across their bond.
"What's wrong with the commander?" he asked, hurrying over.
Alfa looked up at him. "Apparently the Madam is on the Nemesis." His gaze went back to Leecher. "The commander is trying to find out why."
"What?!" Echo gaped, understanding now the reason for Alfa's alarm.
The great flyer's shoulders slumped as he felt Echo's disbelief. "I know."
"But I didn't notice her signal while I was watching the Cons' new place," Echo mused.
Leecher stirred.
"Commander?" Alfa asked, reaching for them.
"She's been captured by the Cons," Leecher told him as he helped them stand up, "and they've deactivated her t-cog so she can't escape."
"Then let's go get her," declared Echo.
Leecher looked up, just then realizing that he was there too. "No. She said not to rush in blindly. We need a plan first."
Echo's comm beeped and he paused to listen to it. "We've got another problem," he told them. "The Madam isn't the only one who was captured by the Cons."
"X-ray," Leecher realized after checking with the SDS themselves. "Liliy probably doesn't even know. Let's go after X-ray first since his condition appears near critical. Also, track down the rest of the Autobots. Find out their conditions as well."
"But-" Echo started.
"Liliy would want us to. You should know this, Echo," Leecher interrupted. "Don't make contact with them unless they need medical attention. Surveillance only."
"Yes sir."
"Don't stop now," Wheeljack huffed. He was strung up by his wrists and had just gone thru an 'interrogation' session with Starscream. "I was just beginning to enjoy myself."
Starscream growled as he turned back to the Wrecker, an electric prod in servo. "Believe me, Wheeljack, there is more where that came from. And you will tell the location of your compatriots." Wheeljack cried out when Starscream dragged the prod painfully across his chestplates, leaving deep scratches. Starscream circled around behind him. "No matter what it takes. Or how long."
"Like I told ya," Wheeljack replied, "they weren't expecting me. They never bothered to fill me in. So, go ahead." He smirked. "Knock yourself out."
Starscream glared at him for a moment. "Well, in that case, I guess I will get started on this one over here."
X-ray hung next to him, not quite conscious. Dried energon stained the side of his face from a wound above his left optic.
"Don't touch him!"
Wheeljack knew he had made a mistake when a smirk spread across Starscream's face.
"You mean like this!" Starscream stuck X-ray in the chest and activated the prod.
The mech screamed as the painful surge coursed thru his systems. Wheeljack silently cursed himself for giving the seeker ideas.
"Awake yet?" Starscream purred before striking again.
X-ray screamed again. The surge subsided but left him venting hard, his frame trying to get rid of the extra heat.
"X…?" Wheeljack worried. He hated seeing him like that.
"Don't…" X-ray coughed. "Don't have to worry..." He spoke slowly as if he had to concentrate on what he was saying and every word hurt him. "They'll come for us..."
"I doubt it," Starscream boasted. "Dark Mount is impenetrable. They will fail."
"Heh… You're still under-" He coughed up energon this time. "...Still underestimating us." He looked Starscream in the optics and managed a smirk. "Screamer."
With a snarl, Starscream struck him again.
Smokescreen sat idly on a rock not far from where Optimus was recharging on the cave floor. He had been sitting there for several hours waiting for the battered Prime to wake up. He looked up when he heard Optimus groan.
"I-it's ok, Optimus," Smokescreen said as he jumped up to rush to his side. "You're with me, Smokescreen."
"How did... I get here?" Optimus asked, glancing around with a barely focused gaze.
"When we were evacuating the base," Smokescreen started explaining, "just as the Cons opened fire. It was my turn to ground bridge away. But I couldn't do it. I couldn't let you face Megatron's army alone. So I snuck back. But that's when the blast hit. And the whole joint came tumbling down. I managed to pull you from the wreckage before the Cons dove in. Using the phase shifter. Which I managed to snag in all the confusion back on Cybertron." He paused before confessing. "I'm… I'm sorry I defied your orders."
Optimus didn't respond. His optics were closed again but he still appeared to be conscious.
"We're safe here," Smokescreen added. "But we're down so deep, no one can pick up our signals. I'll have to scout above ground if we're gonna have any hope of finding Ratchet." He stood up and started to turn.
"No…" Optimus' voice stopped him. "No hope…"
"What do you mean-?"
"He's right," interrupted a voice from the shadows. "Ratchet was bridged too far away and he hasn't been moving in this direction at all." The mech stepped out where Smokescreen could see them.
Smokescreen gaped in surprise. "You're...!"
It was that dream again. All of her limbs being ripped off one by one, over and over again. She couldn't move. She couldn't fight back. She could only watch. And scream.
Liliy was still screaming when she came online. Soundwave rushed over to her. She curled up into a tight ball and drew in shaky vents, trying to ignore that he was there. He opened the lid on her cube and reached in with one of his tentacles.
"DON'T TOUCH ME!"
He hesitated just inches from her.
"Don't touch me." That was a quiet sob.
He withdrew his tentacle and closed the lid. She was thankful at least that he left her alone but he was still in the room. She stayed curled up, arm around her knees and her helm down. She hoped her boys would hurry.
"How did you find us?" Smokescreen asked Pepper after they brought Optimus back the CRC base. The Prime was taken straight to the medbay and the medics and Leecher were working fervently to try and save him.
"Oh, that's right," Pepper realized. He had led Smokescreen back to the rec room so they could talk. "You were never told, were you? Have you heard anything about the Madam?"
"You mean the femme called Liliy?" Smokescreen replied. "I've heard several stories from the kids. Also, Ratchet doesn't have a very high opinion of her."
Pepper snorted. "That's normal. But the children probably didn't know about her ability."
"Ability?"
"She has the ability to sense every living spark, shielded or not, within a certain radius," answered Victor, who had joined them while on his break. "Our engineer built a device to amplify that ability to cover the entire planet. We call it the Spark Detection System, or SDS."
"That's what I used to track you after you were attacked by Megatron," added Pepper. "And when you were taken aboard the Nemesis."
"The SDS's range even penetrates deep underground since that is where our base is located," explained Victor.
"I see. But why are you just now helping us?" Smokescreen wanted to know. "Why didn't you help us before the base was destroyed and Optimus had to sacrifice himself?"
"The Madam did not return to Earth when you did," Lima answered, having overheard him when she came over. "It wasn't until we found out she had been captured by Soundwave that Leecher started giving orders. By that point, your base had already been destroyed and the team scattered-"
"Wait!" Smokescreen suddenly interrupted. "Did you just say your leader has been captured by the Cons? Are you going to rescue her?"
"Yes, we will," said Pepper. "Eventually."
"Eventually!?" Smokescreen repeated in disbelief.
"She got a message through to us," Lima explained. "She said not to come after her until we have a solid plan."
"We also have someone else to rescue first," added Victor. "Wheeljack and X-ray were captured by the Cons too."
"Wheeljack? As in Bulkhead's Wrecker friend, Wheeljack?" Smokescreen questioned.
"You heard about him too, huh?" replied Pepper.
"They should probably hurry though," said Lima. "A new spark signal just recently arrived at the Dark Mount. According to radio chatter, it's Shockwave."
Victor swore.
"Can I do anything to help?" asked Smokescreen.
"Would you mind letting us borrow the phase shifter for a while?" asked a pair of voices behind him.
Smokescreen jumped and spun around on his stool. It was the Gulf twins. "Yeah. Of course." And handed it over.
Golf took it. "Thanks."
"We'll be sure to bring it back to you," Indy called as they hurried out of the room.
Leecher stepped out of the medbay and sighed. The damage to Optimus' frame was too extensive. There wasn't much they could do besides make him comfortable.
"Commander."
Leecher looked up at Echo as he approached.
"There was another spark signal that arrived on Earth around the same time as Shockwave," the flyer informed them.
"Any identification?"
"None so far. But I believe that this one might be an Autobot as they arrived in Earth's atmosphere via a ship and they are staying away from Dark Mount."
"A likely possibility. If this new party approaches any of the Autobots, have whoever is running surveillance find out their identity. It is fine if they make contact."
"Yes sir."
"Lord Megatron, surely our Autobot prisoner is a better source of information than this primitive data net," offered Shockwave after Starscream failed to find a clue to the Autobots' whereabouts on the World Wide Web. "Or even the Neutral, for that matter."
"I will have you know, Shockwave," Starscream haughtily informed him, "that I have been grinding the both of them down for days. If they knew anything, they would have spilled it by now."
"Some prove to be better at holding their tongues than others," said Megatron.
"Perhaps you would have better results if, instead of a club, you used a scalpel," suggested Shockwave. "I recommend a cortical psychic patch."
Soundwave beeped. Megatron turned to him. Live surveillance feed appeared on his visor. Two annoyingly familiar mechs, identical flyer frames, were in the room with the prisoners.
"What!?" Megatron snapped. "Send troops there immediately and let me hear what's going on."
Moving to take Starscream's place at the console, Soundwave transferred the video feed to the monitor. It came up with audio as well.
:: [How did you guys get in here?] Wheeljack asked after they released him from the shackles.
[Borrowed the phase shifter.] answered one of the flyers as they released the unconscious X-ray and laid him gently on the floor. ::
"So that's where it went," commented Knock Out. "I was looking for it."
:: [Damn. Looks like Screamer didn't learn his lesson.] said the other as he helped his brother perform a bit of first aid. ::
Megatron glanced curiously over at the seeker. "What lesson?"
"Ahaha," Starscream just laughed nervously.
:: [Some of that was from the crash.] Wheeljack told them.
[Yes but Starscream still hurt him, didn't he?]
Both of the flyers turned and looked directly at the camera.
[Starscream, in case you're watching…] Blasters were activated.
[...This is for you.] And they shot out the camera. ::
"Oh dear, it seems you've made quite an enemy, Screamer," drawled Knock Out.
"Soundwave, is there another camera in there?" demanded Megatron.
Soundwave quickly typed a command. The feed came up from a different angle.
:: [We should hurry. They're coming.] said one of the flyers.
[Can't we bridge out?] asked Wheeljack.
[Not from here. Stand up. We're going to run.]
Wheeljack got to his peds, albeit slowly. [Run?]
One flyer picked up X-ray while the other grabbed Wheeljack by his back armor. Both their visors flickered to red. They moved together so their bodies phased thru each other.
[That's right... Run.]
And they were gone from the room just before the vehicons came storming in. ::
"Find them!" roared Megatron.
They ran in a straight line, phasing through everything. Finally, they reached a hallway and slowed down.
"This is it," said Indy, separating from his brother and letting go of Wheeljack for a moment.
"This is what?" asked Wheeljack, a bit off kilter from moving at hyperspeed.
"The outside wall. The shielding on the fortress messes with the ground bridge so we had to get as close to the edge as possible for the signal to get thru."
"Better hurry. They're coming again," warned Golf. He was still princess carrying an unconscious X-ray.
Indy placed a round device-a transmitter, Wheeljack realized-on the wall. A moment later, a ground bridge opened. Indy grabbed ahold of Wheeljack again.
"Let's go." And they ran through.
After they were gone and the portal disappeared, the transmitter exploded, leaving a scorch mark as its only evidence.
They took X-ray straight to the medbay upon arrival. Wheeljack, on the other hand, insisted he needed to leave. He needed to go meet up with Bulkhead right away.
"Wheeljack, you need to go to the medbay too," pressed Indy, putting a servo on his arm.
"I'm fine," Wheeljack snapped, shaking off his servo. "I need to go."
"What about X-ray?"
"I-" He looked away with a growl.
"It's fine," Leecher interrupted, entering the receiving room. "Let him go." To Wheeljack, "Just make sure you stay out of trouble, ok?" They put a servo on his shoulder. "For his sake?"
"I'll do my best but the way things are out there..." He trailed off.
"I understand. Do you need anything before you go?"
Wheeljack grinned. "A box of grenades, if you've got some."
After Wheeljack left, Indy turned to Leecher. "You didn't tell him about Optimus and Smokescreen. He could have delivered the news to the other Autobots."
"He was in such a rush, we figured it could wait," replied Leecher. "They'll find out eventually."
"What about rescuing the Madam?" asked Golf.
"We're still working on it."
Wheeljack had them bridge him a few miles away from the rendezvous point, just in case. He dropped to his tires and slammed the accelerator, hoping that he could speed away from the guilt that was gnawing at him. He was blaming himself for letting X-ray get involved. His only relief at the moment was knowing that X-ray was safe and in good servos. Seeing the mech hurt like that was worse than any of the physical pain Starscream's tortures had inflicted on him. And he hated it.
Drifting around a curve, Wheeljack caught sight of Bulkhead barreling down the hillside toward the road. At least, he seemed to be fine. Wheeljack came to a stop and transformed just as Bulkhead reached the road.
"Ha HAA! Jackie!" Bulkhead bumped into him and then grabbed him up in a big bear hug. "Where ya been, buddy?"
"Catching up with a few old dance partners," Wheeljack groaned over the sound of his own plating doing the same. A quiet click of a camera caused him to look down and spot Miko taking a picture of him before Bulkhead let him go. Glad that she seemed fine too, he smiled at her. "Good to see you, kid. Safe to assume we're the only three Wreckers around?"
"So what are we waiting for?" Miko pocketed her phone and punched the air. "Let's do some damage."
"What's our next move, Jackie? Circle back to base?" asked Bulkhead.
"There is no base. Cons blasted it to dust," Wheeljack replied.
"Then what should we do?" Miko wanted to know.
"I got ahold of some munitions on my way here." Wheeljack dropped to his tires again. "Why don't we go make some noise?"
Jack glanced down at Arcee's mirror again. "That car is still following us."
"Yeah. I know," Arcee replied. "Every time I slow down, they slow down too so the distance between us stays the same. But judging by the color and the fact that they are only tailing us and not attacking, I think it is Romeo."
"Romeo?"
"CRC surveillance."
Jack sighed in relief. "So Liliy hasn't totally neglected us."
"No," agreed Arcee. "Even when we were out trying to collect the Omega keys, they were still watching over us."
"Speaking of keys," Jack mused, "the last time things looked this bleak, Optimus slipped me that key card. Something we could hang our hopes on."
"I know you're feeling helpless, Jack. This doesn't need to be your burden."
A strange spaceship suddenly passed over them, flying low. It startled them.
"Whoa!" Jack yelled over the engine noise and wind.
Arcee skid to a stop as the ship circled around and came down to land on the road in front of them. Jack dismounted and took off his helmet while staring at the ship that was clearly of Cybertronian design. Arcee transformed and moved ahead of him.
"Stay behind me," she commanded.
A hatch-lift open and lowered, mist bellowing everywhere and obscuring the identity of the lift's only occupant. Arcee brought out her blasters and pointed them at the bot, ready to fight if need be. But as the mist cleared and the bot came closer, Arcee recognized him and raised her blasters.
"Jack, I don't think we're gonna need that key card."
Jack stared, wide-eyed, up at the huge mech that looked oh-so-similar to Optimus but very different at the same time.
"Meet Ultra Magnus," Arcee told him.
Jack gulped and gave a nervous smile when the mech's stern gaze fell on them.
"No one's seen or heard from you since Cybertron went dark," Arcee spoke up a little excitedly as she approached the tall mech. "How did you find your way to Earth?"
"Soldier," Ultra Magnus replied sternly. "We may not be on Cybertron, but military protocol remains."
Arcee stiffened. "My apologizes," and snapped to attention. "Sir."
Jack frowned. "Sir?"
"Advise the native life form to watch its tone as well," said Ultra Magnus.
"What?" gaped Jack. "Who is this guy?"
Arcee turned and bent so she was closer to Jack's level. Speaking quietly, she explained, "Ultra Magnus was Optimus' key lieutenant during the war back on Cybertron. Very by the book. Just go with it." And she straightened back up.
"As for you broader question," Ultra Magnus finally answered. "My story is that of all Autobots since the Exodus. I wandered the spaceways in search of others, reuniting with some, often only to see them fall at the servos of the Decepticons."
"Until you detected the Omega beam and followed it here," finished Arcee.
"If you're referring to the massive energy burst originating from Cybertron, that would be affirmative," he replied. "Upon my arrival, it became evident that this planet had been invaded. My scanners also detected Autobot life signals, yours being in closest proximity to my position."
"Signals… as in plural?" Jack asked.
Ultra Magnus glared down at him.
"Sir," he added quickly.
"Five total," the mech answered.
Jack frowned. "Out of seven."
"Jack, that doesn't necessarily mean what you're thinking," Arcee reassured him. "Autobot signals can't be detected when they're shielded."
"By the way, I did not pick a signal from that vehicle over there. Do you know it?"
Arcee looked where Ultra Magnus pointed and saw that Romeo was much closer than he had been before and she wondered how he had snuck up on them.
"I do, sir," she said.
"Is it a friend or foe?"
"More like a neutral guardian."
"Just trying to get a name to go with the spark signature," Romeo suddenly spoke up. "Nothing more. But to ease your worries, little one," speaking to Jack, "the last I checked those last two sparks were still active."
Jack started. "When was that?"
"Umm…" Romeo had to check the timestamp on his last message. "Five minutes ago."
"Do you know where they are?" asked Arcee.
"That, I can't tell you."
"If that is all, then we should be going," said Ultra Magnus, turning to head back to his ship.
"Yes sir," Arcee replied.
"Have fun with the Stiff, Arcee," Romeo called.
Arcee flinched when Ultra Magnus spun back around to glare at the dark red Zonda. Romeo just honked twice as he whipped around, tires kicking up dust, and took off in the direction that they had come from.
Liliy didn't know when she fell asleep again but when she came online, Soundwave's spark signal was underneath her and way, way too close. She realized she was curled up on Laserbeak who was attached to the mech's chassis. Soundwave's servo was cupped around her so she didn't dare move.
The mech was in recharge. She could tell by his even vents and slowed spark pulse. Honestly, she was slightly concerned at the fact that she wasn't spazzing out right now. She seemed calmer than before and her thoughts were more rational and clear. Did Soundwave do something? She shifted to see if she could look around the room.
Laserbeak twitched underneath her and Soundwave's mask lit up. His servo shifted closer to her as he lifted his helm to look at her. She remained frozen, staring back at him.
"Laserblade: feeling better?" he inquired softly in his own voice.
So he had done something.
"I told you not to touch me!" she managed to snap, albeit in a whisper.
"Apologies."
His servo moved away. Liliy yelped when he picked her up suddenly with his tentacle. He carried her across the room without even sitting up and deposited her in the cube. He snapped the lid shut and retracted his tentacle, promptly going back into recharge.
Liliy on the other hand was now wide awake. She got to her peds and actually took in her surroundings beyond the cube for the first time. Soundwave's quarters, for that is where she was, were a little bigger than the officer's quarters they had given to Orion Pax during his short stay. The extra space was taken up by some storage compartments and a small table next to the berth.
There was a shelf too, above the berth. It held a collection of sculptures. Most of them were of earth cats, the biggest being a life-size metal sculpture of a panther ready to pounce. It was painted a sleek black and its yellow glass eyes seemed to watch her every move.
Liliy glanced at the sleeping mech and remembered that he had had a cat-like minicon back then. It had deployed and tried to pursue her after she escaped from Soundwave's grasp but he called it back before it even got close. Soundwave was more willing to let her get away than endanger Ravage. Though she wondered if she would have been able to fight the cybercat back then, in the state she was.
Liliy scanned the structure of the room and located the vents. If she could just get out of the cube, she could escape to another part of the ship so Alfa could send her a ground bridge. She put her servo on the glass and wondered if she could get enough speed and force to break it. She back up to the opposite wall and paused, staring at the mech. The noise would wake him and if she didn't break out in one hit, he would catch her. With a sigh, she slipped to the floor and prayed to Primus that her boys would come soon.
To be continued...