Hammerhead.
Warnings: Violence, bad language, gore and possibly some sex.
"Through this doorway what's on the other side, never knowing exactly what I'll find, locked and loaded, voices screaming: let's go, come on do it, here we go!" – Hammerhead, the Offspring.
Timing: Post season 2 finale, set few weeks after Beauty of the Beast in my very own BotB Prime Timeline (due to the fact that season 3 – The Beast Hunters is about to be aired at the end of March).
Rating: M (alternative – if there will be any – or extended chapters will go MA and will be available on my Tumblr account, the address is available on my profile page).
Pairings: Megatron and June, Bumblebee and Miko, maybe some Shockwave and Arcee.
Disclaimer: Transformers Prime © Hasbro. Story's plot and OC's © me. There may be some OC's that aren't mine – they belong to their respective creators.
Bullets.
Look at me... look at me
At least look at me when you shoot a bullet through my head
Through my head
Through my head
Through my head – "Bullets" Creed
Megatron took a glance in direction of Autobots as they took cover behind various handy obstacles. Arcee crouched behind a military van, Bulkhead and Smokescreen stood behind hangar, Wheeljack stood behind front and Smokescreen behind rear of the same helicopter.
There was no Optimus or Ratchet and Megatron would ponder about that later, now he had other problems to think about. One of them was a bunch of annoying fleshlings that shot at him and his troops.
Starscream shot few times and hid behind another hangar, he got shot few times in his wings which caused him quite some pain.
"Master. We must stop the mission. We will get the other generator later, for now we can't continue."
Megatron shot him an angry glance. He would not retreat just because some pesky little organics and their annoying little toy guns! He was Megatron of Tarn, Gladiator of Kaon, Decepticon Warlord for Primus' sake!
Starscream had enough sense to fell silent, but he had quite clear dents on his delicate wings and Megatron saw that the seeker could feel discomfort but Starscream was supposed to be his Second in Command and a soldier not a pansy. He should be able to deal with some pain! There were mechs in Decepticon ranks that took way more punishment and didn't even flinch. Few "bruises" were not an excuse to run like a coward.
To his surprise Megatron realised that the said that out loud and that everyone could hear him because he was, in fact, yelling. "There will be no retreat; we will obtain what we came for!" The Warlord said finally, aimed his fusion cannon at one of the human vehicles and fired.
Ripley saw the Decepticon Warlord aiming at him with his arm cannon. He abruptly turned right managing to dodge the shot by mere inches, his car fell on its side and the shot only burned rubber of its tires. A little bit closer and it would reach the fuel tank, but the beam merely grazed the left wheels, that now were the upper ones.
The M.E.C.H. Second in Command unbuckled his seat belt and fell on the right side of the cabin, moaned and then proceeded to re-arrange him so he could stand. His gun had its safety switch on which prevented it from firing by accident when the car crashed and Ripley thanked every single of his drill sergeants for beating the habit of securing his firearm into his thick head. Then he cursed them for not beating enough of common sense into him to not join any terrorist groups that plan to take over the world. But Silas was his mentor and he would rather eat his own boots than not sign in. Besides, most of the time it was good fun.
Ripley lurked out of the car but all attention were elsewhere, all the fire was aimed at one of the pick-ups with Gatling guns that showered Decepticons with those ugly little bullets that were painful enough but not lethal.
He looked around in search of the command car and found it at safe distance; Silia stared at the tactical screen and tapped something into the computer. Ripley wasn't accustomed to the new style of command but those old times would never come back. Silas was dead and Silia wasn't a soldier, she wouldn't just grab a gun and empty her magazine into nearest target. She preferred to command from the back lines where she could analyse the situation with cool mind. And that was what she was doing right now.
Ripley glanced back at the enemy and sprung in the direction of the command car. His riffle stayed in the car but he wouldn't be using it now.
Silia watched as the situation unfolded. It wasn't perfect, but it was still manageable. She needed to pick one target and repel all the others. They were unneeded; they would stay in the way. But which one to pick?
At this moment Ripley jumped inside the car, breathing heavily and looking rather shabby. Silia realised that mere moments earlier she saw his car being attacked and falling as he avoided direct hit. It was fortunate that he managed to survive. Unfortunately the original plan failed as those Decepticons didn't retreated after they grabbed their prize. It looked they planned to take more than just that one generator. Maybe they wanted them both? Or perhaps there was something else they were after as well? It didn't matter. She now needed to adjust her plan to the situation at hand. The entire operation depended on it.
The main objective remained exactly the same: to test new weapon's efficiency. They wanted to shoot it and to do so they needed a target. Silia eased back in her seat and reached her radio.
"All units switch to electric charges. I repeat: electric charges."
Arcee peeked from behind a van and furrowed her opticbrows, she had mixed feelings. On one servo she had Decepticons busy with M.E.C.H. and just ready to be shot at, as humans would say, just like sitting ducks. On the other servo she had M.E.C.H. with who knows what kind of new scheme.
As an Autobot she was bound to fight Decepticons and protect human life, so she should fight Decepticons, who at the moment were actively fighting humans. But those were M.E.C.H. humans, an enemy, those who kidnaped June and wanted to dissect her, those that allied themselves with Airachnid (and Arcee mentally spat), those who build replica of Optimus Prime (which in the end proved to be useful). M.E.C.H. was an enemy of Autobots, Decepticons and other humans. But who was worse? M.E.C.H. with their lust for power and control? Or Decepticons with everything they represented?
Arcee gritted her dentas, both were enemies, both should be fight with. But she could only pick on one enemy at the time. And she couldn't withstand any prolonged confrontation with neither.
She tapped her comm line. "Who do we shoot at?" She asked both Ratchet and Optimus. "Do we even suppose to act in this situation? Or do we wait to see who will lose and then pick them?"
The rest of the Autobots looked in her direction from behind their hiding places. That was one good question and they all asked themselves what they were supposed to do.
Ratchet froze with his mouth ajar. He didn't know. He shot a glance at Optimus Prime who looked puzzled. Agent Fowler shifted on his feet but said nothing. The last idea Arcee presented was more than tempting. It was safer. But it solved nothing.
"Agent Fowler." Optimus decided that he needed to consult the human. "What do you suggest? We are obliged to protect humans and M.E.C.H. is human organisation, but they are also threat to other humans. What would you suggest?
Fowler almost cursed. Why ask him? "Waiting and arresting the looser looks like the thing I would love to do. But in reality it changes nothing. Who is the biggest threat now? Decepticons with their new fancy tower or M.E.C.H. With new leader?"
"M.E.C.H. are humans." Ratchet pointed out. "They don't have any Citadel, and they aren't as dangerous as Decepticons."
"Yeah, but Decepticons are easy to spot, we know where they live and what they want. M.E.C.H. is mobile; they can mix up with the crowd and with the new leader who knows what they're after?" Answered Fowler.
Arcee waited patiently for the decision. She wasn't in any hurry. At the moment humans started to use electric guns that zapped Decepticons into unconsciousness for few minutes after which the 'Con that took the hit would wake, got up, took few wobbly steps and be alright, maybe his aim would be bad for few shots, but their aim never was that good, so they probably didn't notice.
Arcee Prime's voice boomed through her comm. do not interfere, just observe. We will decide the best course of action as the situation will evolve. Keep us posted.
"We wait." Arcee shouted to the rest of her team.
"So we'll just wait and then kick the one that is lying?" Smokescreen grinned widely. "Can't say that I mind, at least this time."
"Neither does me. Neither 'Cons nor M.E.C.H. mind such tactics." Arcee sat on the ground.
"Yeah. And those electric shots look painful." Smokescreen cringed as one of the Vehicons took the hit and hit the concrete with loud thud.
"They are." Said Bumblebee. "And then you feel pins and needles."
"Spoken from experience?"
"Oh yeah." Bulkhead recalled the day that Bumblebee lost his T-cog. "And it was M.E.C.H. Trust me, Kid, those humans are not your friends."
"The second team is coming!" Yelled some Vehicon and Starscream decided that at this very moment he loves that guy.
That meant that they could finally retreat. Grab those fallen troopers so they wouldn't end up in humans' hands (which could prove dangerous as M.E.C.H. proved to be more than just a nuance), go home, refuel and recharge for another week.
Then the second team came back, carrying the second generator. The looked around and gained even more speed. This was definitely not a place for them. Not when they carried that damn generator.
Megatron shot again but he missed as his aim turned abruptly left.
"Soundwave!" Megatron lost all his interest in humans. "Re-open the Groundbridge, we're coming back."
In the same moment that Megatron stopped speaking the green and blue vortex opened in the exact same place it closed when the first team vanished. After Arcee's memorable raid through Nemesis the general agreement was that they wouldn't leave opened Groundbridges for longer than absolutely necessary.
The two Vehicons carrying the generator were first to go, then there were no order other than everybody for themselves. The ones that would go as last would cover the rear, but nothing else.
Silia grinned. They were retrieving, and it looked like they indeed wanted both generators. This was the moment she waited for. Now they would be the most vulnerable. She could shoot at whatever unit she want and then collect the remains to examine the damage.
Decepticons started to enter their portal as they were shooting back at her men. Few of them were guarding the rear. Her eye caught one of them, a grey Decepticons with two almost burning red optics, moving with amazing grace of a born predator. Most of them had single visors and looked identical, some were purple, some were silvery, all behaved like foot soldiers and while they also moved fluidly, they seemed less dangerous. There was also a second grey Decepticon, but he already vanished in the portal.
She tapped her tactic screen with one finger and asked Ripley. "Do you know this one?"
"Yeah, I do. Not personally though." Ripley locked his eyes on the screen. "That's Megatron, their leader."
"That's quite cannon." Silia looked like a kid who just got her Christmas present. "I would love to examine it." She lifted her radio. "Target the one called Megatron. It's the large grey unit with the cannon."
"Megatron had to be the one to order your father's death." Ripley would burn a hole in the screen with his stare. "He's the one who would make such a decision."
"Ah, perfect them. IT will pay for my father's death and I will have very large cannon to examine and certainly to learn a lot from."
"From what we learned, Megatron isn't easy to kill."
"Doesn't matter. This THING will lie at my feet in few moments. It doesn't matter how strong this THING is, a hole in ITS back will render IT helpless. And maybe even will break IT."
Silia couldn't decide what would be the best. If Megatron dropped dead there and then, or if he would survive and she would have the satisfaction of seeing him in pain as her father was. Both outcomes would satisfy her, and she regretted that she could only have one.
"Decepticons took the second generator and now they're retrieving." Arcee reported as she watched the situation. "But M.E.C.H. keeps shooting."
The last of his troops disappeared in the Groundbridge and Megatron shot few times for a good measure, then he turned and stride toward the wormhole that would take him back to his citadel.
As he predicted humans couldn't harm his mechs. Few were dragged unconscious, few limped supporting each other and the rest managed on their own. Those electric charges were annoying and indeed caused some trouble, but nothing lasting. He was hit few times with them and found them quite painful, but thanks to Dark Energon all they gave him was some ache that didn't last long.
Target locked. A disembodied voice reported to Silia. It was her canon's operator who held his aim on Megatron's back.
"Splendid." Silia watched calmly as Megatron almost reached his portal. "Fire when ready."
Arcee shifted in place readjusting her position. "All Vehicons and Starscream are gone; Megatron is entering the Groundbridge as we… Wait! What is that?"
Megatron was about to take the first step into the Groundbridge when he felt it. Instantly he didn't know what was happening. His first sensation was tremendous pressure on the left side of his lower back. Almost as something heavy hit him. He remembered the mines; sometimes a rock would tumble down and hit the miner. This was similar, but not identical. And it lasted for only an astrosecond.
Then the heat came. The temperature that he could remember from energon fumes explosion*), only this time it didn't engulf him; it just spread in the area where he felt the pressure.
Only then he felt the real pain. It shot straight through him, as if something impaled him. First it was just a needle going through his lower back, thin path of agony. Then it spread around, covering his right lower torso. The pain radiated to his entire body, but the true, the real pain was cantered left from his spinal strut, just below the 'z' shaped metal ribbon.
It wasn't one of those puny little missiles that gave Starscream few dents. And it wasn't any electric charge. This was something more potent. Megatron felt as something ripped his insides on its way through and through.
This sensation last for couple of seconds, though it felt like few hours. Megatron felt cold spreading all over his systems, then it was amazing heat, then cold and heat again, only to be replaced with weakness mixed with need to just curl into a ball and howl. He vented in sharply when the initial shock passed. He was wounded; he was shot by some weapon.
Megatron knew that there were Autobots here, but they couldn't shot him, he was sure of that, they were ahead of him and he was shot in the back. But how bad the damage was? He didn't dare to look, he reached with his left servo and touched his abdomen, there was nothing. Literally, there was nothing. Where the purple painted part of his proto-armour should be there was a hole. He palpated the edges of the wound and the metal there was hot, sharp edges indicated that it was the exit wound, and it was large. There were, he was sure, parts of his internal working sticking from it; burned wires, tubings, severed energon lines. He felt something wet, he risen his servo to see that his digits were covered in his own energon, blue as the normal energon still dominated in his systems. He only used the Dark Energon to enhance his strength and healing abilities, his systems still used regular energon to function.
He felt weak, he felt on his knee joints as the energy leaved him slowly, his vision blurred and he couldn't see his servo well anymore. The light from the Groundbridge was so close, but he couldn't reach it anymore. His entire strength left and he felt that he was falling. Then he felt his chassis hitting concrete and the pain increased for a moment only to dull later.
Megatron was aware that his systems were shutting down to preserve energon that he was losing rapidly. He even felt the slowly growing pool of the liquid. Luckily the same blast that hit him cauterised most of the energon lines. He was still bleeding but slowly. Unluckily the first system that went down was his comm.
Megatron realised that he hear strange sound, it was weird, crackling sound similar to the thunder only without the main booming part. It hit him that he heard the same sound earlier, just before he was hit, but he didn't paid it any attention back then. He thought he will be shot again, put out of his misery once and for all, but no, the sound ended and then something incredibly hot flew above him. Was it missile? Or an energy charge? Was this how Dreadwing felt when he shot him? Would he just die here? What would happen to Decepticons? Would there be fight for power? Shockwave would find it hard to accept Starscream as his leader, and Starscream would never accept Shockwave. Would Soundwave seize the opportunity when those two would fight? Or – the horror – would Starscream win and burry the work of his, Megatron's, life?
Megatron felt himself drifting into unconsciousness, he no longer had the energy to worry about Decepticons, Starscream and all the mess his passing would cause. He no longer had the energy to care about anything. His optics shot down and his audio receptors followed. The thing the Decepticon Warlord could think about was slender silhouette radiating bright in the darkness and a pair of dark framed, grey-blue eyes. And then he slipped into darkness.
"Well, where is he?" Starscream squeaked as he glared at the open Groundbridge. "Soundwave, are you sure the Groundbridge works?"
Soundwave said nothing, which was as usual, but fixed Starscream with glare that could be read clearly as 'Don't be an idiot', which in itself was a feat since Soundwave kept his face behind his visor as always.
Shockwave observed the interaction with curiosity. It theory Starscream was Soundwave's superior, but the silent mech seemed to just treat Soundwave as an annoying youngling, and Shockwave was pretty sure that those two, while not peers, were pretty close in age.
He was about to suggest that sending someone back would be most logical solution when a bold of energy hit one of the consoles. It was very hot and it literally fried the console into a coal. The bold flew just between Starscream and Soundwave and both mechs jumped back, both felt the heat and both seemed startled. Shockwave, to his utter shock, realized that his HUD gives him readings indicating that his systems reacted accordingly, he even felt it: faster spark pulse, tensed hydraulics, elevated energon pressure along with its faster flow through his veins and accelerated venting to cool down systems that work with top speed. Shockwave was startled as well.
"What in the Pit was THAT?" Starscream shrieked with high pitched voice.
"Whatever it was it fried our Groundbridge controls." One of the Vehicons kicked the broken console. "We need to transfer everything to the auxiliary one."
"How long will it take?" Suddenly Shockwave connected all known facts and he disliked what he deduced. His logic pointed out clearly that Lord Megatron was most probably in danger.
"It's unused and probably not everything is in its top condition." The Vehicons tried to shrink. "I can do it in 10 human minutes. But Lieutenant Soundwave will probably make it in two, five if not everything is working."
That earned Soundwave look from everyone, he only nodded once in confirmation.
"Well, heh, let's do it then." Starscream tried to speak in his normal voice, but he was still nervous and squeaked.
Silia watched with satisfaction as Megatron falls, it looked just as she though it was. Not too fast, not too slow. Just right.
Then second shot from her new weapon flew through the vortex, whatever it hit, it had to be important as the wormhole closed, leaving her prey at her mercy. She knew that Decepticons will try to fix their means of transportation and then retrieve their leader, but it was enough to just pick the machine and fled.
And then she noticed a movement.
Arcee crouched near Megatron, her eyed wide in disbelieve. Something hit him in the back, and for few second there was clear shock on the big mech's face plates. His eyes were wide, wider than she ever thought it was possible for him, his mouth ajar, he just stared ahead and then he clenched his dentas and his opticbrows furrowed in pain, he reached, touched his wound and rose his servo to his eyes. And then he felt, slowly, to his knees and then to his face. All this time he didn't made a single sound.
The blue femme froze with servo half way to The Warmonger's head; she could feel slight movement of air. The Decepticon was somehow, miraculously alive. Then she heard the crackling sound, the same she heard twice before and she caught something bright and fast with corner of her optic. She did the first thing she thought of: felt flat on her back as ball of hot plasma sped over her and then hit the van she was hiding behind merely moment before. The hole was impressive and Arcee thanked Primus and any human deity that would listen; for the fact that she wasn't behind the van anymore.
Silia cursed. Some other THING was near her target and the operator missed because IT ducked.
"What the hell? Shoot again!" She yelled to her radio.
I can't. Came the answer. The man seemed irritated. Three shots are all we can manage with current power source. It's empty; I have no more power for the weapon!
Silia gritted her teeth and took deep, slow breath. There were more of those THINGS, four to be precise. And they all had their own weapons.
"Those are Autobots." Said Ripley who silently watched the situation. "They're Decepticons enemies. But they can be just as dangerous."
"How many of them are there?"
"Not many. There are two that I haven't seen before, but there is one missing. We presume that there may be one or two that we never encountered, but we can't be sure." Ripley recollected everything he knew about Autobots. "The work with US Government and they are teamed up with humans. But they have no trouble fighting us, it happened before, they will avoid hurting us, but they will not hesitate to fight."
"And those blasted Decepticons may be back any minute. Especially if they have a back-up."
"I believe so."
Bulkhead looked at the direction where M.E.C.H. stood, his cannon powered up but no one was shooting at him. He looked down at Megatron. That wound in his back looked bad.
They all stared at the fallen Warlord, he was their enemy, the one that started this war, and he was at their mercy. One blast, just one, was enough to finish him right now. Any of them could do it now. No one would stop them; they were masters of Megatron's life.
Arcee realised that Jack once was in this position, in the energon mine. He could kill Megatron but he didn't; now she could fix that. She pointed her blaster at Megatron's helm and froze. As if some invisible hand was holding her. She wanted to, so very much, but was she able to?
"I can't!" She finally growled. "What would I tell Jack?"
Everyone knew what she meant. The next was Bumblebee, who perhaps had the best reason to kill Megatron – the mech who almost killed him back on Cybertron, the mech who almost killed Rafael and the mech who possessed his body after that Cortical Psychic Patch connection.
Bulkhead and Wheeljack lowered their blasters next. They were Wreckers and they would gladly scrapped Megatron, but not shooting him in his back while he was it such state. It wasn't fight, it would be execution and they were not executioners.
Smokescreen was last. "Ah, Pit! Alpha Trion taught me better than that! And I couldn't look Optimus in the optic if I did it anyway."
"So, what now?" Bulkhead looked again in the direction where closest M.E.C.H. cars stood not that far away.
Silia took deep breath as she made her decision. "All units: open conventional fire and try to repel Autobots. If they will return fire, use electric charges."
Arcee covered her face with servo as the hail of those annoying bullets hit her armour. It looked like M.E.C.H. wanted Megatron for themselves. She tapped her comm; she needed to decide what to do next.
Ratchet couldn't believe his own audio receptors when Arcee reported what happened. He would ask her to repeat, but both Optimus and Fowler heard the same, and there was this sound of those tiny bullets hitting her armour, it sounded painfully.
So, we leave him alive, dead or what?
Ratchet would gladly left the mech but he said nothing as he saw Optimus' face. It was tensed, the optic brows were furrowed and mouth seemed grim.
Ugh, and they shot into Decepticon Groundbridge, but 'Cons probably have the secondary systems for that, it's only matter of time when they will show themselves.
Fowler was the first to speak. "So, the M.E.C.H. has new weapon, one that made a big hole in Megatron, and now they want what is left of him? Is it just me or they made sort of test dummy out of him?"
Optimus face became even more haunted than before. The last encounter with Decepticons had some serious effects on the Prime, it was easy to tell.
Um, whatever you plan to do, we must get back soon, before Decepticons will arrive.
That did it. Prime snapped back to reality, his Autobots were in danger and he had no time to ponder about Megatron's actions. It was his decision to make. And he had to do what was right, not what he – Optimus – wanted, but what he – Prime – should.
"Ratchet open the Groundbridge. Arcee, haul Megatron to our base."
There was some noise that sounded like surprised comments from Autobots, but Arcee quickly quietened them. Are you sure?
"Yes. We don't know when Decepticons will show up, perhaps they won't at all. But we cannot allow M.E.C.H to lay hands on Megatron. They already developed new weapon capable of harming Cybertronian, we mustn't let them have access to his fusion cannon or any of his systems. For now they only managed to copy grounder's frame, what will happen if they will examine fliers?"
The silent that followed Prime's words was only disturbed by Ratchets muttering as he was setting the Groundbridge and the sound of bullets hitting Cybertronian armour. It lasted full minute before Ratchet spoke with irritation in his voice.
"You may as well try to shoot back at them; it will take me some time, the damned thing jammed again!"
Soundwave would curse, if not for the fact that he refused to speak out loud. The Vehicon was now diving under the console; all that could be seen was the trooper's lower half sticking up. It didn't helped that the individual was yet another of those 'individualists' and wore a 'tattoo' of aft's right half. It was a daisy. With yellow centre, white petals and green leaves. Starscream face palmed when he saw it. Shockwave ignored it. Soundwave took a picture, but he disapproved. It was so very much un-Decepticon like. Not the tattoo, tattoos were fine as far as he was concerned. But daisies were more like Autobot thing. If any Decepticon should have a tattoo of something organic on his (or hers) aft it should be fragging gigantic eagle with badass look on his beak and sharp looking talons. Not a tramp-stamp.
"Here sir" Daisy – now it was official – emerged from below the console. "Now you should be able to use the keyboard."
"Good. Just tell me, my good mech, any other malfunctions we can expect?" Asked Starscream in sour voice.
Daisy stared at Starscream for a moment. "I'm a femme, sir. And I don't think so."
Starscream stared at the Vehicon femme. He knew they existed but he never met one before. Or, what more probable, he met them all the time but didn't know they were femmes. This one looked just as any other Vehicon he saw. The voice was more delicate and held slightly more metallic timbre, but that was all.
Shockwave took prolonged glance at the soldier and moved his antennae, now he saw it. He even noticed certain signs earlier but disregarded them as unimportant. It wasn't important even now, it was just another thing, but it did explain the daisy tattoo.
Soundwave instantly saved the picture in separate folder – now he knew for sure that this one was a femme, another detail that would be useful in the future. But he still thought that gigantic eagle was more fitting for a Decepticon, even a femme.
M.E.C.H. soldiers begun to shoot electric charges as soon as the first Autobot shot reached their area. Autobots shot the ground to raise some dust and make aiming harder, they didn't want to hurt anyone, but M.E.C.H. had no problems with hurting them.
Arcee ducked again, this time electric charge almost hit her, but raising some dust did helped minimally. She was about to start shooting cars, but green portal appeared next to their position. It was closer than their previous Groundbridge but further away than Decepticon one.
"Ratchet? It is ours Groundbridge?"
There was moment of utter silence in the comm line. "Yes." Ratchet irritated voice was music to her audio receptors. "Now hurry up, I don't know how long I can keep it open."
Arcee took careful aim and shot, the blast reached one of the cars and it had to reach the fuel tank, because it exploded throwing few nearest M.E.C.H. soldiers on the ground, they probably were injured but at this point Arcee didn't cared much, and even if, they would receive help from their own medics.
"Alright. Grab Megatron and let's go." Arcee pointed her guns at M.E.C.H. and shot few times to raise more dust.
Bulkhead and Wheeljack grabbed Megatron's servos while Bumblebee and Smokescreen took his pedes and they lifted the unconscious mech off the ground, he was really heavy and the slowly carried him to the Groundbridge with Arcee covering their backs, but all she got were sounds of coughing humans, there seemed to be too much of the dust for their liking.
Silia cursed with passion that one would think was impossible for an English Lady. Ripley wisely remained silent. The fit didn't last long but it was colourful. Finally the woman calmed down enough to gather her thoughts.
"Decepticons may arrive any second now, am I right?"
"Or they won't arrive at all." Ripley braced himself for more profanity, but it didn't come. "They did arrived once in the past, though Autobots beaten them."
"Like today?"
"Like today, yes."
"There's not much we can do now, am I right?" Ripley only nodded and Silia once again raised her radio. "All units: fall back. I repeat: fall back." She threw the radio to her back seat and then switched off her tactic screen. "Nothing for us here anymore. But at least we know the weapon works."
"What now?"
Silia pondered for a moment. "Now we will improve our weapon, find a better power source."
The green vortex appeared in the middle of temporarily abandoned military facility and few Vehicons emerged. They looked around and pointed their blasters at anything that could be a hiding spot, but the place was empty safe for few burned cars.
The leading Vehicons activated his comm link. "This is Sargent Raoul to Commander Starscream. We have arrived but there is no trace of Lord Megatron, Autobots or humans."
It took few second before Starscream and Shockwave came. Shockwave was stoic as always but Starscream looked like he was about to explode. No one could tell if it was anger or happiness.
"Sirs, it would appear that he was taken. Either by M.E.C.H. or Autobots."
Both Seconds in Command gave Sargent Raoul piercing looks. Shockwave was first to speak.
"There is no point in staying here, we must begin search for our Leader."
No one said anything else as they returned to New Kaon, there was a busy day ahead of them.
TBC
Whoa! This's a long one! Phew! But it's not the end, yet.
*) See Beauty of the Beast, chapter 12th "Tonight, tonight."
Now, as for the story, this is the place where I give credit to Lil'Pup also known as Diamontheard31 (hope it wasn't a secret) who came up with the idea of wounded Megatron being nursed to health by June Darby. She told me about it and there it was the inspiration. It was then that I decided that I wanted to see wounded Megatron.
Lil'Pup's/Diamontheart's idea was of course different than what I write and in the end the only common thread is wounded Megatron (him being paired with June Darby is only natural since it is sequel to Beauty of the Beast, but not the alt. 10th chapter); but it was hers none than less and that's why I am crediting her in this place – the chapter that it all started from (the idea for the story of course).