Author's Note: I just couldn't bring myself to draw out the torture of not letting you know what happens next. So here's the next chapter. This will be slightly easier to type once my hyperactive cat settles down, but I'll do what I can.
Disclaimer: I think you get the hint.
Metal and Neon
Chapter 5: Battle Plans
"He's insane!" Catherine yelled.
Spike stared at the human Autobot. "He knows what he's doing. I think."
"Oh, that's really reassuring," Sara snapped sarcastically.
"He's somewhere over four million years old, has been fighting a civil war since he was old enough to hold a weapon, and has been leading an entire army for almost four years. Have some faith in him. He may be young, but he very rarely acts it."
Motormaster was almost on top of Ultra Rodimus. The Stunticon leader was less than half a block away when Falcon's abdomen lit up like a torch and the skrill discharged a massive energy blast. The very air rippled with the force.
The shot smashed right into Motormaster's grille, crumpling it like tin foil. Motormaster's cab jerked sideways, brakes locked. Sparks flew as the huge truck skidded out of control, smoke pouring from his engine. Then the back of his trailer jumped as his rear tires hit the curb, throwing his center of balance to hell and causing the entire rig to crash over onto its side. A parked car was batted aside as the truck skidded to a halt, leaving paint, chunks of torn metal, and a strange blue fluid behind on the pavement.
Ultra Rodimus put his hands on his hips. "Nice try, but no energon, Motorhead."
A growl came from somewhere inside the wrecked cab. "Watch your mouth!"
"Why should I? Last I checked you were down and smoking while I'm still unscathed. You lost this one, slag-eater."
The growl became a roar. The truck shuddered.
"He's trying to transform," Spike explained.
"He can try, but with his transformation circuits wrecked he won't get very far. Hope you know a good tow truck, loser."
"You'll regret this, Autobot! I swear you will!"
"I've heard that before. Remember what happened to Sixshot when he made a pass at me? Do you really want to end up like him?"
Motormaster growled something incoherent.
Another engine snarled. Everyone looked the other way to see a Ferrari 308 GTB with red-tinted windows speeding toward them. Ultra Rodimus's right arm came around to unleash another energy blast. The front end of the car crumpled as if it had smashed into a ten-ton boulder. The entire car was thrown off its wheels and flipped over. It landed on its roof and skidded, wheels still spinning.
"Hello, Wildrider," Ultra Rodimus said calmly.
"You!" the Stunticon spat.
"Yes." Ultra Rodimus glared at the three other cars sidling their way into the area. One was the familiar maroon Porsche. Another was a yellow dragster with an open cockpit. The third was a beige Lamborghini Countache with navy blue trim and black windows. Spike identified them as Dead End, Drag Strip, and Breakdown, the other three Stunticons. "So there you are. You might wanna find a tow truck for these two. And I've got a message for that insane psychopath you got for a leader."
"And what would that be?" the drag racer growled suspiciously.
"Tell him to leave while he still can. If he's foolish enough to stay, he won't like the consequences."
Breakdown's engine snarled. "We don't answer to you! We're not leaving until we've sucked this planet dry!"
"What's your answer to that?" Drag Strip taunted.
Ultra Rodimus's smile was cold. "My answer will be with axe and cannon. If you aren't going to leave on your own, then we'll just have to make you leave."
"We'll see about that!"
Just then, a group of lime-green and purple construction vehicles arrived. A crane carefully lifted Wildrider into the back of a waiting dump truck. It took several of the green vehicles working together to move the scrapped Motormaster. Once they were gone, Nick sidled over to Ultra Rodimus.
"Now what?"
Ultra Rodimus stared into the distance. "Now my Autobots begin planning and preparing for battle. Your part in this is over."
"I don't think so," Catherine contradicted. "This is our city."
"But this is our war," the white Porsche Ultra Rodimus and Spike had been driving spoke up suddenly. The CSIs stared at it.
"That's Jazz," Spike explained. "He's an Autobot."
"You humans don't have anything that can stand up to the Decepticons, and your guns won't even scratch a Cybertronian's paint," Jazz pointed out. "There's nothing you can do."
"We're not going away." Catherine folded her arms across her chest and glared at the vehicle.
Jazz only sighed.
Ultra Rodimus turned on his heel and walked back to Jazz. "We have to get back to the ships and start our preparations. We're running out of time."
Spike climbed into Jazz's passenger seat. Nick scrambled into the back seat. Ultra Rodimus glanced at him, then decided to ignore him. The other CSIs climbed into their own vehicles and followed the Autobots out into the desert.
"Where are we going?" Nick asked.
"To where my Autobots have set up base."
The parade of vehicles drove into a series of canyons. Out of the darkness looked a massive shape, the orange-colored hull of a Cybertronian battle cruiser. The humans gawked at the giant spacecraft, undeniable proof that the Autobots really were alien.
Inside the ship, the CSIs watched in shock as Ultra Rodimus morphed back to his true form, and gawked at the other Autobots. No two were exactly alike; even the two clones had some differences.
"Who are they?" a massive red and blue robot asked, pointing at the group.
"Crime scene investigators from the city. They decided to tag along." Ultra Rodimus walked deeper into the ship. "We chased out the Stunticons, and now we have to step up our preparations for battle. Galvatron knows we're here now. There's going to be a confrontation."
"We're already on it."
"Then let's hope we have enough time."
"Curse them!" Galvatron screeched after hearing the Stunticons' report. His optics were on fire with insane rage and bloodlust.
"How did they know?" Scourge wondered.
"They must have had a scout in that sector," Onslaught commented. "The scout hid from us, reported back, and brought the entire Autobot army down on us."
"Now what?"
Galvatron spun to glare at Cyclonus, and his second-in-command shuddered. "Gather all the scouts here! As soon as Motormaster is repaired we attack!"
To be continued...
And there's another chapter down. How many more there are left, I have no idea. We'll just have to wait and see.
Gromia: No. When Ultra Roddy raises his right arm you gotta know Falcon's gonna come into play somehow. And congrats on finally getting your new equipment.
Quillian: You could say that.
See you all again next chapter!