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 ending of the series and because the first chapter was posted before the last season was aired).
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.
Blood will thicken up.
Survived, tonight,
I may be going down,
'Cos everything goes round
Too tight, tonight,
And as you watch him crawl,
You stand for more.
And your panic
Stricken blood will thicken up, tonight
'Cos I don't want you, to forgive me,
You'll follow me down, you'll follow me down,
You'll follow me down– "You follow me down" Skunk Ananise
oOo
Nevada. Ruins of M.E.C.H. base in the abandoned stage–coach station. Early evening.
The flying ambulance crew strapped unconscious M.E.C.H. agent to the stretcher as the on-board medic was performing basic examination. The man was checking blood pressure; pulse then lifted the unconscious man's eye lids and flashed his flashlight to check the pupil reaction. The examination took a moment before the medic left the stretcher to paramedics to put it into the helicopter serving as an ambulance.
The Medic approached the group of six Cybertronians and four humans. He wasn't very intimidated; he worked with Agent Fowler before and cooperated with Autobot Medic Ratchet as well. He was a little bit unsettled about Decepticons, but since they were cooperating with Autobots, he was OK with them.
"So, how is he?" Fowler asked impatiently. He wanted to interrogate the man as soon as possible.
"From what little I can tell you now, the man has few cracked ribs, some minor burns on his back and probably light concussion. The force that he hit the ground knocked him out."
"How soon he'll be ready for interrogation?" Fowler was itching for laying his hands on some fresh M.E.C.H. intelligence.
"Not today and probably not tomorrow." The Medic gave slight smile. "He has to get better first. He'll probably stay in hospital for a week or so, if he has concussion that is. If not, then probably little less. His back is burned by the blast but it's minor and it should be dealt swiftly, it's just second degree so he'll have some nasty blisters though, they're already forming."
"Blisters?" Wheeljack asked. He knew that high temperature could peel the paint off. He got that from the explosion that reached him. Also from hitting the ground.
The Medic stared at the Autobot for a second and then recalled that they had no idea about human physiology.
"It's reaction of body to high temperature. Second degree is burning means that he will have blisters filled with exudate serum and his skin will be sore and painful."
"Disgusting!" Growled Starscream.
"It's just natural reaction of the body." The Medic shrugged with indifference.
"What about his head?" Fowler decided to ignore Starscream and his comments.
"It should be fine. Sometimes concussion may cause short term memory loss, but it shouldn't affect him much. If he won't remember something it will probably why he ended in hospital. I am more concerned about his ribs. They need time and good conditions to heal."
"He'll get whatever he needs to get better. But we need to interrogate him as soon as possible." The Special Agent tilted his head in the direction of the helicopter.
"Like I said, a week, give or take two days, depending on his ribs and back."
"Thank you, doctor." Fowler frowned. "Just make sure that my prisoner is good for the interrogation."
The man only nodded and jogged to the flying ambulance which took off almost immediately after the Medic got inside.
"Well, Goddammit! We still don't have Silas' brat. No plans, no base. She just flew away free as a bird!" Fowler growled with irritation. "And she can plan who knows what, we have no idea what she will do next."
"We know that she calls herself Silia now." Arcee rested right servo on her hip in utterly feminine gesture. "No doubt after her father."
"That's not much of information." Optimus furrowed his opticbrows. "We only managed to confirm that she is able to construct more weaponry capable to wound and kill Cybertronians."
"And we saw just what she's capable of." Wheeljack bared his denta in nasty snarl.
"Yes. She's just as bad as her sire." Arcee agreed with Wheeljack.
"Just as unpredictable." Starscream cackled. "And she will end just like him."
"Don't be so sure, Starscream." Megatron sent his SIC grim look. "She may surprise you yet. She's even more insolent than her sire but she has more firepower to back it up."
"Surely, Master, one puny human femme can't possibly pose that much of a threat to us." Starscream smirked with superiority. "We do happen to have mighty warship and a citadel, what can she do against us?"
"No, but one puny human femme with weapon capable of killing us does pose a threat. Especially that she's not afraid to use it." The Decepticon Warmonger involuntary bristled up his armour. ". By now you should learned on your own T-Cog not to underestimate humans. I know that I have learned that lesson the hard way couple of times."
"There is no way to foresee what Silia will do now." Optimus spoke calmly. He was mildly surprised with what Megatron said; it was rare thing for the Decepticon to actually admit that some other race was anything else but inferior and unworthy of any attention. The Prime suspected that aside from the fact that humans indeed managed to spoil Megatron's plans on more than one occasion and even wound him badly; quite significant factor was certain human female by the name of June Darby.
"She may want to lay low for a while." Wheeljack frowned slightly in thoughtful way. "She needs to figure out what to do now and probably relocate her main base since we have one of her men now."
"Agreed." The Prime nodded. "But we can never be sure. We do have to observe any and all traces of M.E.C.H. activity."
"Yeah, and as soon as I will be able to I will have a little chat with the guy we canned." Fowler smirked, he was looking forward to ask few question to the M.E.C.H. soldier.
"And in the meantime I propose that we should return to our respective bases and rest." The Prime looked at Arcee, Wheeljack, Gavin and Starscream. Each looked tired, even Gavin who had no actual face.
"Sound idea." Megatron tapped his comm link. "Soundwave, send a Groundbridge to my current location." Almost instantly a bright vortex of the 'Bridge materialized. Starscream and Gavin entered the wormhole first, not even looking back. Megatron followed but stopped just before vanishing inside swirling greens and blues. "We will meet soon, until then." And with these words the Mighty Megatron left.
Optimus watched as Decepticons leave and tapped his own link. "Ratchet, can you send us a 'Bridge."
There was some grumping on the other side of the line, but Autobots' own 'Bridge came to life almost in the same place that the Decepticons' was.
"Agent Fowler, are you returning with us?" Optimus gave the human close watch.
"Thanks for the offer, but I still have work here." The man rubbed his face in tired way. "We need to secure the area, search the debris and then clean it all."
"As you wish Agent Fowler." The Prime looked over soldiers that were busy with securing the site and then left. The moment he vanished the Groundbridge disappeared as well.
Fowler sighed heavily and looked over the battle field. It was ruins and mess. There was plenty of work, he checked his watch and cursed. He wouldn't go home today. Again.
oOo
Autobot Temporary Base, Area 51, Nevada, USA.
The atmosphere in the Temporary Autobot Base was tense when Optimus, Arcee and Wheeljack were telling about what happened in the M.E.C.H. camp. No one made even the slightest peep, all optics and eyes were transfixed on three Autobots.
"Whoa! You totally owned them!" Miko's was almost ecstatic when the story finally ended. The girl's eyes almost shone as if she was Cybertronian herself. "Silia ran with her tail between her legs!"
"That's the problem." Arcee cut short the enthusiasm. "She's still on the loose. Who knows what will she do now?"
"She won't attack us directly, that's for sure?" Smokescreen shrugged and twitched his doorwings with half smile on his face.
"How so?" Jack glanced at him unsure how to understand his indifference.
"She doesn't know where to find us." The newest addition to the Team Prime smile widened. "And she would have to have a lot of luck to just bump into us scouting for energon."
"True, but there's still a chance." Ratchet tapped his chin in deep thought. "Though she'd rather attack Megatron. It is much easier to find him these days."
"Heh, yeah, she would never be able to catch him when he had just the Nemesis." Bulkhead grinned and it was plain visible even with his chin guard firmly attached to his jaw. "But now it's a different cube of high grade. He's on the plain sight for anyone."
"Shouldn't we warn him or something?" Raf asked unsure just how fat the cooperation should go.
"Megatron is well aware of vulnerability that having a stationary base is." Optimus decided to answer the boy's question. "Especially a well visible one. He will make sure that New Kaon is well protected."
"So, what now?" Jack asked the question that everyone was curious of answer to.
"We will wait." The Prime answered with his usual stoicism. "Silia will make her move at some point. Until then we will proceed with our routine."
oOo
New Kaon, Dark Mount (formerly Jasper), west of Valley of Fire, Clark County Nevada, USA.
"Soundwave." Megatron called for his trusty Third in Command attention, which was granted immediately. "Get Senior Sergeant Raoul, Knockout, few ground based Vehicons, small team of fliers and take Nemesis to the planet's orbit. You will maintain your duties from there." 1]
Soundwave nodded once in acknowledgement.
They were all in Command Centre. Megatron, Starscream, Shockwave, Soundwave and Knockout. Megatron and Starscream told what happened during the fight with M.E.C.H. Gavin would submit his written report later on.
"Lord Megatron, not that I question your decision… But why do we have to departure?" Knockout asked uncertain of the entire situation.
"It is simple, Doctor, I need to have communication and medical care secured beyond M.E.C.H. reach." Megatron wasn't even irritated with the question. Ever since destruction of Autobot base Knockout behaved more professional and mature, though he remained vain and still raced.
"What about me and my armada?" Starscream squeaked weakly.
"You will remain here. I need to have strong team of fliers on site."
Next question came surprisingly from Soundwave in a form of large, bright red question mark displayed on his visor. The context made everything clear.
"No, Soundwave, I highly doubt that even the stupidest of humans would try to attack New Kaon." Megatron smirked at the mere thought. "But Silia may try to sabotage our base. Weaken us to the point where we will become vulnerable. I cannot allow this to happen."
"Securing the ship is only logical." Shockwave agreed. "I suggest moving some of the most delicate scientific projects to secured off – site laboratory."
"Do you have such a place?" Megatron focused on his scientific officer.
"Yes, my Liege. Upon learning about M.E.C.H. and level of threat they may possess I searched for an alternative site to set a laboratory there, due to an old Decepticon practice from early cycles of the War." The ex-Senator explained calmly. "I have found an old mining site in a desolate location. It is spacious enough and the tunnels and caverns are stable."
"Excellent. Gather yourself two or three assistants and proceed as soon as possible."
"Umm… My Liege?" Knockout shifted from one pede to another as if he was but a sparkling.
"What is it Knockout?"
"About the medical care, my Liege, can I take my assistants?" Knockout asked quickly. He really wanted his three angels with him. Even though they didn't looked like femmes.
"Yes Knockout, you may take your nurses." Megatron smirked. Knockout officially called them 'assistants' but everyone called them 'nurses' and they didn't mind.
"Umm, and while we're speaking about 'nurses', they're femmes so I was thinking…" Knockout decided that perhaps he could push a little further.
"No, you may not give them frame upgrades to make them look more feminine." Megatron growled, he knew where it all led and he really wasn't in the mood for that. "You can't re-paint them to look like nurses and you are not allowed to make them wear nurse outfits. Aside from the fact that real nurses don't wear short white coats and adorable bonnets, this is an army and not some private relinquishment clinic from before the war. Besides, real nurses wear scrubs."
Knockout wisely decided not to comment about the source of Megatron's knowledge of organic nurses. By now every officer knew about Megatron's interest in an organic femme. There were two human females that could count (Gavin's friends not included). One of them was already taken by the Autobot scout and way too young for Megatron's liking. That left only one other, who was already an adult and happened to be a nurse as well.
"Oh, and Starscream?" Megatron turned to his Second in Command. "Prepare all the formalities for promotion. I need to have full set of sergeants."
"Yes Master. And who will be promoted?" The Seeker asked with curiosity. It was a while since anyone got promoted. Improving one's rank was a hard thing to do. Typically there were two ways of doing so. One could work ones aft off doing everything right and hope that someone will notice and appreciate the effort. Or one could simply wait until someone one rank higher will die (or be killed by convenient freak accident, but not an assassination by any mean, no sir).
"Corporal 6A – V1 –N0, also known as Gavin." Megatron answered.
oOo
M.E.C.H. secret base.
Silia landed her helicopter and marched into the main command room with anger twisting her face. Her most trusted 'officers' were gathered around long conference table. Everyone was quiet as she sat at the top of the table. Her face reflecting the fury inside her.
"Just in case you wonder where Ripley is, I'll have you know that he's lost." She said with heavy British accent. She wasn't in the mood to focus on speaking neutrally. "He's either dead or in enemy's hands. Our action failed, they had military support. We need to counter strike."
Hercules cleared his throat. He was a civilian but even he knew that rush decisions would only lead to disaster. "Silia, all in good time. We need to…"
"I want those damned machines ripped into components so we can analyse their build and functions!" She spat. She wasn't screaming which was a bad sign. Calm Silia was dangerous for everyone, herself included.
"Yes. I understand. But we must think of security first." Said other M.E.C.H. Agent. This was certainly military type. "If Ripley is in captivity they will want to interrogate him. We can't take any risk, we must move. This place isn't secure anymore."
Silia watched her men silently. She wanted to argue with that man. She wanted to het each and every weapon she had access to and just strike.
"We do not know where to find them." Continued the military man. "Autobots are in hiding, in one of U.S. secret bases no doubt."
"Listen now Moriarty, we may not know where Autobots are, but we know where to find Decepticons! Or perhaps their gigantic tower in Nevada is but a mirage?"
"Silia. Calm down for a moment." Hercules said in bored voice. He knew the woman for some time now and knew just how to manage her anger. It was all in dry facts. "It's a citadel; we can't just march there, fire few rounds and claim the victory. We need a battle plan, we need supplies, we need weaponry to attack such a place."
"And above all these things we need to be free to proceed." Yet another military type said. This one seemed quite young. "And we won't be if Ripley will spill everything when they will interrogate him. We fall under 'terrorists' label, you know what this means?"
"Evacuation should be our priority at the moment." Hercules moved slightly and his fat belly wobbled slightly. "Then we may work on better power source for your weapon. It proved to be efficient even though Megatron survived. All we need is better aim and strong power source. I was informed that your father came to contact with a substance able to power your cannons for more than just three shots."
"I'm listening." Silia focused on Hercules. The man might be repulsing by appearance, but his mind was brilliant as always.
"Not now." Hercules started to rise from his seat, which was hard work for him. "Now we need to run. We may discuss our tactics and strategy after we're safe again."
Silia growled but said nothing else. Getting caught wasn't in her plans, she wanted to attack so badly, to have a success; but they were right, she needed to be free to do it.
oOo
Small military base, East of Area 51.
Jack entered the bathroom with intent to take short shower and then simply go to sleep. He took off his shirt and opened the laundry basket, it was already full but he decided to move his mother's bath robe to a side and just shove his clothes in. The moved the fluffy fabric when his eye caught a trace of silvery substance staining it. It was odd. They didn't have anything that had to be painted with silvery paint.
"Mum! Were you painting something silver?" The young man shouted to his mother who was preparing her clothes for the next day.
"No, why?" Came the reply.
"Then why your robe is stained in silver?" Jack asked again. He still didn't know this house well, maybe there was something silvery here? They only moved in recently and weren't even planning on staying permanently. It was just temporary, but he still wanted to know if there was something staining.
"Ah! Oh! It's nothing Jack!" June's voice sounded agitated. As if she was hiding something. Jack could tell, though she wasn't scared. But it only made the teenage more curious. Was she preparing some sort of surprise? And for whom?
"Mum, come on! It's going to be washed with towels and other stuff. What is it? Maybe it's some dangerous chemicals?" He said glaring at the bath robe in his hands. Hazardous substances always worked, having a nurse for a mother wasn't always such a bad thing.
"Urm, no, it's safe!" The poor woman sounded like she was on the verge of panic. "It's not dangerous at all. Just leave it, it's nothing. Really. I was planning to wash it by hand anyway." She ensured.
"Oh, please, just tell me what it is?" Now he was really curious. "How bad can it be? It's not as its Monica Lewinsky's dre… "He suddenly stopped. He was too young to remember the entire scandal, but 'Monica Lewinsky's Dress' was a common code name for clothes with disgusting stains in his family. His grandmother used it frequently enough for him to remember it. And now he also remembered the talk that he and Raf had to have with Ratchet and June. 2]
Not long after Miko and Bumblebee's first date and the pair very own 'talk' June and ratchet decided that just in case they should have the same talk with Jack and Raf. Raf was yet too young for such things but he wouldn't stay like that for ever. And while Jack and Arcee were only friends and it looked like the two viewed each other like they were related in some odd way, new Autobots arrived on Earth every now and then (Wheeljack and Smokescreen being the two latest examples). There was no guarantee that at some point there wouldn't be some nice femme or two? Ratchet agreed that it was better to be safe than sorry and then promptly suggested that the rest of Team Prime should have similar talk just in case they would meet some human that they wanted to meet closer.
This way Autobots learned more about humans, and humans learned more about Autobots. What was now on Jack's mind surface was the possible source of the silver stains on his mother's bath robe. They were silver, the robe smelled of ozone even though the substance itself was dried now. And the poor teenager remembered well the description that Ratchet gave when he was talking about certain activities…
"Oh GOD! MUM!" He shoved the robe back to the laundry basket. "Jesus Christ, MUM!" He spilled some soap on his hands and began to wash them as if he touched a dead body. "How could you? This is… oh…who was that?"
"Jack, calm down." The woman was now on the other side of closed bathroom doors.
"Calm down? There is transmetal fluid on your bath robe and you want me to calm down?" He whined while rinsing his hands with water and taking some more soap. "Who was… Oh no! It was HIM, was it? It was HIM!"
"Jack, I'm an adult woman." June sighed heavily. "I already had sex before, you're the best prove for that. It's no big deal. Sexuality is part of natural humans' behaviour, that's the only reason I didn't confiscate your secret collection of Playboys."
"But MUM! It's not some magazines that are made of paper." Jack reached for a brush to scrub his hands. "You have had sex with Megatron!"
"Jack. I'm adult enough to decide whom to have sex with." June's voice got some dangerous tones to it. "I happen to know that you already had sex, with Sierra if I'm not mistaken. Should I throw a fit about that?"
"But Sierra's not our arch-enemy."
"But I could claim that you two are too young and should focus on studying instead of having horizontally good time." June leaned against the door. "Her parents know about you two, by the way, we talked about it and decided to have a closer look at your proceedings."
"But MEGATRON!" Jack couldn't care less about Sierra's patents at the moment. Not after what he just discovered.
"Jackson Darby!" The woman finally lost her patience. "I indeed had sex with Megatron. And I will continue to, so you may as well get over it and learn to live with it. And that's final."
"Mum, please, can you reconsider it? He's evil." Jack stopped washing his hands, they were red already and he knew that he couldn't get them any cleaner without ripping his skin off. "Oh God, I touched it, I will have to amputate my hands!"
"Stop panicking. It's just Cybertronian semen, not am acid." June rubbed her temples. She knew that it would come to this as some point. "And I know what Megatron is. But I'm sleeping with Megatron the person and not Megatron the Warmonger. Please respect my choice just as I respect yours, even though I don't like Sierra that much."
"Oh God, mum." Jack whipped his hands in a towel hoping that it had nothing to do with Megatron and his… fluids. "Why him?"
"Why Sierra?"
"It's not fair. You can't compare a girl to an evil alien robot."
"You'd be surprised." June smiled; she remembered that once her mother learned just who she would marry, she said that she would rather have some alien conqueror as a son – in – law. Her mother didn't like her ex-husband, but she always liked his brother. June briefly wondered what her mother would say upon learning that June was now sleeping with an actual alien robot.
TBC
1] I'm using simplified grades (based on NATO system). Raoul is Senior Sergeant (he's soon to be lieutenant). Gavin is to be promoted to sergeant.
2] For all those too young to remember: Monica Lewinsky had a dark blue dress when she was working in the White House. The dress got stained by some white substance identified as semen. Then certain President was in deep trouble.