Chapter Nine: Reinforcements
Cade expected to die at that moment, defending his friends from who he had assumed to be Decepticon reinforcements. He did not expect one of the supposed Decepticons—the police cruiser—to pass by him and transform, standing protectively over Drift.
Drift seemed to recognize the newcomer at once. "Prowl?"
"Drift," Prowl acknowledged in a cool tone. He drew a blaster from his waist and fired a shot against the joint in one of Thundercracker's legs, surprising the Decepticon and sending him kneeling to the ground.
"I'll be damned," Hound shouted when he glanced in their direction after blowing up the head of a Decepticon grunt. "Where have you guys been all these centuries?"
"Talk later," Prowl shouted back then looked at Cade. "Cade Yeager?"
"Yes," he answered instantly. "How do you know my name?"
"A good friend told me," Prowl said, his bright blue optics meeting Cade's eyes. And at that moment, Cade knew who it was.
Questions whirled inside his head. But before he could ask, Prowl's blaster roared again, reminding Cade of their situation. He switched his focus back to the battle, aiming down the sights of his own weapon. The Dodge Challenger had transformed into a mech quite similar to Bumblebee, though more armored and heavier than the nimble Autobot scout, engaging Motormaster in a furious dance of fist and axe.
The others were still locked in combat, but Prowl and his companion's arrival had thrown the enemy in confusion. Thundercracker was limping, using the thrusters in his back to help him evade Sunstreaker's swords. Blitzwing fought with Bumblebee, and the smaller mech was slowly gaining the advantage. More Decepticons lay on the ground, their frames smoldering from the constant barrage coming from Izzy's group.
Until at last, Thundercracker flew out of reach, hovering in the sky, Energon dripping from a gash in his chest where Sunstreaker had managed to injure him. "Retreat," he shouted firmly.
Dismay swept across the enemy ranks, and Cade heard a few shouts of frustration. He saw Motormaster and his team pulling back almost immediately, retreating to a safe distance before transforming and speeding away. The rest of the ground forces followed him a moment later"
Blitzwing soon joined Thundercracker in the air. Cade looked up, his brows knitted as Thundercracker stared down at him with interest. Then he transformed back into his jet mode, and with a deafening roar of engines, flew away with Blitzwing, vanishing into the night.
The adrenaline rush that had kept Cade going throughout the battle finally left him, and he could feel his sore muscles all of a sudden. His grip on his weapon loosened, before the gun finally fell to the ground with a resounding clang.
Leaning on his knees, Cade surveyed the destruction before him. His eyes first landed Crosshairs's severed head, and Cade immediately bowed his head with a sigh. The Autobot paratrooper may have had an abrasive personality, but he was compassionate deep inside and a capable fighter. Of everyone in the group, Cade least expected him to die.
And yet he could not dwell on the Autobot's death. The others were injured, especially Drift, and they could no longer return to their base. He had to contact Sherman and request a safe location where they could treat their wounds.
The footsteps of a measured approach drew his attention, and Cade looked up to see Prowl towering over him. Now that he could get a good look on the newcomer, Cade realized how tall he was, sleek but strongly built. Prowl stood a head higher than Bumblebee, though he was nowhere near Optimus's height.
"You saw him, didn't you?" Cade said at the thought of the Autobot leader. "You saw Optimus."
That drew the attention of everyone, and even Drift sat up straighter in interest despite his injuries. They had all been waiting for news of Optimus's whereabouts ever since he had left Earth, but none who had arrived since then had seen him.
"Yes." Prowl's response was slow and careful. "Our team encountered him an Earth year ago, past the planet you humans called Saturn."
"Our team?" Hound repeated in confusion. "Wait. Who else was with you and Cliffjumper?" He glanced at the red Autobot.
Cliffjumper grinned. "You won't believe us."
"Who?"
"Ultra Magnus," Prowl said at last. "He's commanding our ship, the Orion."
"You mean he and his army survived?" Sunstreaker said incredulously, approaching them alongside Bumblebee. "We thought they were wiped out during the fall of Iacon!"
They were all staring at Prowl now, whose expression had remained impassive and neutral. However, Cade detected a hint of unease as he said, "It's a long story, and we don't have the time to discuss it here." He looked down at Drift.
"Don't mind me," Drift said lamely. "I'm just sitting here bleeding Energon."
For the next half hour, they went about treating their injuries and reassessing their situation. Wheelie and Brains had survived after hiding in a building once the firefight had started, and none of them seemed hurt. Hound worked on Drift's wounds, while Cade helped Izzy and the others clean up the mess left by the recent battle. Dead Decepticons littered the road, so they had to remove the metallic corpses to clear a path. The task was not easy, but Canopy proved useful in hauling off the chunks of metal.
When they finally got to Crosshairs's head, Cade found himself staring grimly at their friend's remains. Taking it and burying it somewhere was the only thing they could do for him; the OAC had crashed somewhere outside the town, most likely shot down by Thundercracker. And they didn't have the time to search for his body and spark.
"I'm gonna miss him." Izzy touched the cold metal of Crosshairs's cheek with a sniffle.
"We'll avenge him," Trailbreaker vowed from behind them. "I never liked his attitude, but he was one of us."
Cade looked at him. Trailbreaker didn't have as many wounds as the others, but the exhaustion from using his energy shield too much was plain to see in his face. Cade was surprised he could even stand. "How are you holding up?"
The mech brushed his concerns away with a lame wave of his hand. "I'm fine, Cade. All I need is a good rest. All of us do."
"You and me both," Jimmy agreed, sitting on the driest spot in the ground, avoiding the puddles of Energon that had accumulated after the battle. "And a bath," he added, scrunching his face.
"As soon as we are done here," Cade said, looking around. Most of the dead Decepticons were piled in a mound on one side of the road, looking for all the world like a grotesque art piece of charred metal. He had no idea how to dispose of them considering their lack of equipment, but he was certain that scavengers would soon fight over the treasure trove in this town. Fortunately, he and the others tried to get as many weapons as they could. Taking them from dead hands, even those of machines, left a bad taste in Cade's mouth. But they had no choice, especially now that the Decepticons were actively hunting them.
His gaze landed on Prowl and the rest of the Autobots, who had been conversing away from earshot for the last ten minutes. From what Trailbreaker had told him, Prowl was the Autobots' tactician during the war in Cybertron, scoring them victory after victory against the Decepticons. Apparently, he and a few others had vanished just before the final days of the war, leading to the Autobots' full retreat across the galaxy.
"Cade, Trailbreaker, everyone," Sunstreaker waved them over, bringing Cade out of his reverie. After a quick glance at Trailbreaker, they approached the small circle. Prowl's eyes were on him all the time, an intense gaze both calculative and curious.
"What's this about?" Cade said once they stepped aside to make room for him and Trailbreaker. Drift sat nearby, propped against the wall of an abandoned apartment that looked like it was constructed back in the 80s. He looked none the worse for wear despite his missing leg, which eased the worry in Cade's mind. Wheelie and Brains stood next to him, listening with rapt attention.
"Prowlie's finally going to tell us where they've been for the last five hundred years," Hound said, slightly exasperated.
"It's Prowl," the Autobot tactician corrected without looking at him. "I was waiting for everyone to finish what they're doing before I begin."
"And we're here now," Cade said. "Mind telling us what happened to you and the others?"
Prowl scrutinized him for a few seconds before finally opening his mouth to speak. But as he did, he stiffened at the sound of engines.
Cade swore and spun around, reaching for the gun slung at his shoulder. The Autobots reacted even faster, forming a wall in front of him as they watched a convoy of vehicles approaching from the road ahead. It was difficult to identify them in the dark, but Cade thought he recognized the black sedans.
The convoy stopped just at the edge of the Autobots' searchlights. One by the car doors opened, and out stepped the same men in black suits and shades who had visited the junkyard yesterday. Cade was not surprised when the last one climbed out of the middle car, looking at the destruction around him with disbelief.
"For someone who's supposed to keep a low profile, you guys sure did the opposite," Fowler said, eyeing the mound of dead Decepticons before turning his gaze toward Cade and the Autobots, smiling.
"Who are you?" Prowl said, his hand resting on the grip of his blaster by his waist. If that act intimidated Fowler, his expression did not show it, though the men with him tensed.
"Relax," the man said. He nodded to his guards and they retreated a few steps. "We didn't come here to harm you. I'm Agent Fowler, CIA. You're the new addition to the team?"
Cade wanted to commend Fowler for having the guts to talk so casually despite the clear disadvantage his side has. And yet, it also made him loosened the tension he had in his stomach, knowing that there was a slim chance the CIA's visit would turn into a firefight.
"I'm Prowl," Prowl said, calm and composed. "What business do you have with us, Agent Fowler?"
Fowler smiled again and leaned against the hood of a sedan. "Not me," he said, checking his silver Rolex watch." But in about an hour, the TRF will be here to arrest all of you."
Hound swore. Cade turned to Prowl with an urgent look. "We have to leave. Now."
Prowl narrowed his eyes. "These TRF are the ones hunting Autobots?"
"How do you know that?" Izzy asked with a slight frown.
"We didn't land here only now, little girl," Cliffjumper said, chuckling. "We arrived about five days ago, and we've been learning about this planet, and this country in particular, since then."
"To be precise," interjected Fowler, "the TRF hunts down all Cybertronians regardless of faction, though they are equally hostile to everyone, soldier or not."
Cade, and most likely everyone else except Jimmy, did not miss the way Fowler said "Cybertronians" instead of "Transformers". Prowl definitely did not, evident when he focused his gaze toward Fowler with burning intensity.
"You called us Cybertronians," the Autobot tactician noted.
"I did. Is that wrong?"
"Your kind usually call us Transformers," Prowl pressed on. "Why say it differently?"
"Because I'm different," Fowler said, approaching them. No one stopped him, though everyone visibly tensed when the agent finally stood in front of Cade. Slowly, Fowler shifted up the sleeves of his suit, baring his right shoulder for all to see.
There, branded on his dark skin, was a silver Autobot insignia crisscrossed by two swords.
Cade's eyes widened, and Prowl stiffened in shock. "What's the meaning of this?" he demanded.
Fowler slid the sleeves down back to his wrist, concealing the symbol. "For the record, I'm one hundred percent human, if that's what you're confused about," he said. "But I take it you recognize this?"
"How did you know?" Prowl said, the doors on his back twitching. "We never told anyone yet."
Fowler's smile was enigmatic. "We have ways of knowing, Autobot."
"What do you want from us?" Cade stepped in. He could tell that the others were getting restless, muttering among themselves in confusion. Even he was perplexed at what that symbol was.
Fowler stared at Cade. "That depends on what your new friends want." His gaze drifted back to Prowl. "You're here for something, aren't you? Something your race needs."
The hesitation was clearly written across Prowl's face. Now that Cade thought about it, Prowl and Cliffjumper's arrival was a little too timely, even if Optimus had sent them. What was their real reason for coming to Earth?
Almost as if Prowl had read his thoughts, the mech finally answered, "We are looking for a lost relic from our world's ancient past. A relic capable of destroying or reviving a planet, no matter its state of matter."
Shock rippled along the gathered Autobots. "That's not possible," Sunstreaker protested. "No object with that kind of power exists in our history."
"Unless it is made by the Thirteen Primes," Fowler said with an upward curve of his lips.
Silence descended upon them, long enough that Fowler tapped his watch. "Clock's ticking, boys."
"You still haven't told us what you want," Cade said with a glare. He was not liking where their conversation was heading. And if Fowler's smug expression was anything to go by, Cade was not going to like his answer either.
"I want to help," Fowler said with a sincerity that Cade begrudgingly admitted to be believable. "I can give that help, and more, if you come with us."
Prowl crossed his arms. "And I assume that your help requires something from us in exchange."
"You'll be safe with me, that much I can guarantee." Fowler turned to Cade. "I know you don't trust anyone from the government, and rightly so. But I assure you, Cade, though I and my men behind me work in the CIA, we do not certainly work for them or any branches of the US government." He tapped his right shoulder where the sleeve hid the strange Autobot symbol. "You have my word."
Cade exchanged a look with Prowl, and he knew the Autobot thought the same thing running through his mind. They were injured with no base and the ability to resupply. What they needed was more allies, not enemies. And if someone was willing to extend a helping hand, they would be a fool to refuse it.
"Fine," Cade said, Prowl showing his agreement with a nod. "But first, we need help recovering the rest of our friend's remains." He gestured at Crosshairs's severed head. "And we need somewhere we can create synthetic Energon."
"Consider it done," Fowler said. "We have a facility where you'll get everything you'll need."
There was nothing else Cade could say after that, so they finally set out to follow Fowler and his men. With help from Trailbreaker and Bumblebee, he made a wheeled platform for Drift to lie on, which Longarm could tow in his vehicle mode.
At last they were ready to leave. But as Cade climbed into Bumblebee and settled into the driver seat, he could not help but wonder if they had made the right decision at all.
There was something eerie that Thundercracker always found whenever he strode along the corridors of the Knights Temenos. It was the rather dark interior, preventing him from seeing much despite his acute vision, and the way sounds echoed in the vast, nearly tunnel-like passageways of the ship.
That, and the feeling of being watched all the time. But he had learned not to pay it much attention. He had also learned not to keep glancing over his shoulder every time he heard the scuttling of many feet.
"She's at it again," Blitzwing grumbled beside him. The massive Decepticon flyer's head barely reached half the height and weight of the corridor despite his size.
"She's always at it, Blitz," Thundercracker grunted, nodding at a couple of guards on patrol as they passed by. "You'll soon learn to ignore it."
The flyer scoffed. "I'd sooner learn where she hides so I can blast her."
"And risk Lord Megatron's wrath?" Thundercracker shook his head. "If you plan on going on a suicide mission, then by all means do so. But leave me out of it."
Blitzwing grunted, but did not say anything else after that. Eventually they reached their destination: a massive door flanked by two guards as large as Blitzwing, carrying blasters that would make any mech quail in sight. The guards saluted at Thundercracker and Blitzwing then pushed a button on a console to the right, and the door opened like the mouth of some giant creature.
As Thundercracker strode inside, his gaze immediately fell on the throne-like chair at the far end, wherein sat the mech whom he had devoted his loyalty.
"Lord Megatron." Thundercracker kneeled on one knee right in front of the Decepticon warlord, an act mirrored by Blitzwing.
"Report," was the sole response, the single word uttered with more authority than Thundercracker could ever achieve.
And so Thundercracker relayed the mission's result, all the while with his head bowed, with Blitzwing giving his side of the battle. The air commander finished by saying, "I've failed you, my lord. I'm sorry."
"It doesn't matter," Lord Megatron said, filling Thundercracker with relief. "Though the Autobots have gained new allies, our army still outnumbers them. And with Prime off-world, crushing them is as simple as stepping on ants."
"What of the human?" Thundercracker voiced his concern. "If left alive, he could disrupt our plans."
Lord Megatron chuckled. "The human is no threat to us, especially with our new allies. Let him live longer and struggle against his own kind."
"And if he realizes who he is?"
"Then we'll unleash our new pet to play with him and his Autobot friends."
A dark chuckle escaped the warlord's mouth, and as it did, Thundercracker did not miss the all-too familiar roar of a giant beast somewhere within the ship, shaking the very floor of the chamber.
Well, that took almost three months this time. And the reason is not one you guys would expect.
I got COVID.
Yes, I contracted the virus back in August, and I had to stay in the hospital for two weeks before finishing my quarantine at home. Needless to say, my writing schedule was thrown in disarray. But I'm fine now. Really.
As for this chapter, Prowl and Cliffjumper are finally here! And though this fic is essentially a reboot of a previous one, their roles for the story remains the same. In regards to Thundercracker's brief scene, I honestly enjoyed writing that one, not just because it referenced two prominent characters from Transformers Prime, but also because it just came easier for me than the rest of this chapter.
That bit with Fowler is a creation of mine, and I think some of you could guess how it ties to the plot. Rest assured, everything will be explained in the next chapter which might be the longest of all. But who knows?
Anyway, please Read & Review.
Until next time!
