Author's Note: I hadn't planned to get this updated this fast, but an e-mail from a new reader gave me some much-needed ideas. And since she actually fed that particular plot animal (I don't get plot bunnies, I get plot sharks, the kind that bite and don't let go), I decided to get rid of it now rather than let it get any bigger.
Disclaimer: I think you get the hint.
Metal and Neon
Chapter 7: Rising Storm
Once the news that real alien life-forms had arrived got out, the reaction was almost instantaneous. Many people were terrified and needed no urging to get out of the city as soon as possible. Others flocked to Vegas to get a look at the Autobots. There had been worries that the police and politicians wouldn't get enough people out in time.
Fortunately, the Autobots themselves were used to that sort of attention and moved to help. Ultra Rodimus dispatched the Protectobot team to help get the extra humans out. Spike took over a TV news station and explained exactly what would happen if people kept coming in, including images taken from the Autobots' databanks. He assured everyone that the Autobots would try their very best to keep the Decepticons out of the city, but warned that there was still the potential for a lot of damage. That warning had triggered many families living along the outer edge of Las Vegas to pack up their children and their pets and get as far away as they could until the fighting was over.
It soon became clear that Tantrum wasn't the only Predacon loose in the city. Headstrong and Divebomb had been forcibly evicted several times, and Ultra Rodimus had gotten into one nasty fight with Razorclaw. The Predacon leader's claws had left scratches in his paint but had done no serious damage; one had actually broken off after getting caught in the leg armor of Ultra Rodimus's dino mode. He'd taken to wearing it on a cord around his neck. The minor skirmishes had been fierce, and the damage left by stray laser blasts had gotten the point across to all but the most thick-headed.
Several politicians had gotten the stupid idea that the presence of the Autobots would benefit their reelection campaigns and had approached Ultra Rodimus about it. The Autobot leader, however, had verbally flayed them alive for daring to suggest it. The Autobots were there to keep the Decepticons from draining energy from the planet and slaughtering the humans, not to help along some stupid official's chances at being reelected. Ultra Rodimus's steadily shortening temper and outspoken nature had swiftly shot down all of their grandiose plans. It also seemed that the young Prime had a very low tolerance for politicians.
"Some of them really get under his skin," Magnus explained to Grissom when the CSI graveyard supervisor commented on that to him. "In our universe there's one bastard named Kinsey who's been at him and his predecessor since we made ourselves known to humanity. He hates Kinsey so much that if the bugger enters his presence again he'll probably get stepped on. Fortunately, he knows better. I think."
"So Ultra Rodimus and politics don't mix."
"I didn't say that. As Prime he's sort of a combination of general and president, and there's more than enough politics to go along with the position. Not to mention the paperwork. He's a skilled negotiator and diplomat, but some politicians just rub him the wrong way. Most of the ones we usually work with are smart enough to know how far they can go, but there are always one or two who are too stupid or too arrogant to notice when he's reaching the limits of how much he'll tolerate. Or they make too many demands for what he won't give. Once he decides he's had enough his temper shows itself. Most of the time it only takes one exposure to his temper to make most idiots back down."
Grissom snorted. He'd been in Ultra Rodimus's makeshift office when the last politician had come in, and had watched the entire thing. He'd cultivated a healthy respect for the young Prime's bluntness. It was an attitude he could identify with.
Greg Sanders stared at the metal fragments on the table in front of him. He'd heard that the fragments had been identified as Cybertronian, but he wanted to make sure for himself. Since Spike could usually be found in the area, Greg gathered up the fragments and went in search of him.
Spike was nowhere to be found, much to his dismay. Then he wandered past the break room and found someone else sitting at the table, reading a datapad.
Long silver hair tied back in a braid. Almond-shaped green eyes with slit pupils. Pointed ears. Gold skin. Alien creature on right forearm. Clothing smoke-grey with red and blue stripes.
Ultra Rodimus.
Greg stared. He'd heard that Ultra Rodimus was a metamorph, someone who could shift shape. He'd seen the Autobot leader's real form on TV, but he'd never seen his human form.
As if he'd sensed Greg's presence, Ultra Rodimus looked up. His intense emerald eyes fixed onto the lab rat like laser beams. Greg suddenly understood why rabbits froze when hawks caught sight of them. Ultra Rodimus looked him over curiously, then relaxed slightly and waved him in. Obediently, Greg entered and sat at the table.
Ultra Rodimus tilted his head, putting down the pad he'd been reading. "I don't recall having met you yet."
"You haven't. I'm Greg. Greg Sanders." Greg offered a hand. The Autobot leader shook it.
"You're one of the lab techs?"
"Yes. I work the DNA lab." Greg placed the small container of metal fragments on the table.
"And you're wondering what these are."
"Yes."
The Prime picked up the container. "It's an alloy made from a combination of metals. The base metal is unique to our world; we call it Cybertronium. Once it's been separated from the impurities it's mixed with other metals to make it stronger. We make our battle armor from it, as well as weapons and shields. These fragments are armor fragments. They broke off rom Ravage while he was mauling that jogger."
"Ravage?"
"Decepticon cassette cat."
"A cassette?"
"Ravage is a small robot, one of a group created by a Decepticon named Soundwave. His alternate form is a cassette tape. Soundwave himself turns into a hand-held tape player. His cassettes are used as spies and for information gathering. They also have very nasty attitudes. My guess is that Ravage was on a scouting mission when that jogger ran into him. That would explain why he was so badly mangled."
Greg thought that over. "Nick told me that you said the Stunticons came as a team. Are all of the Decepticons like that?"
"No. Most fight on their own. The teams don't always get along, but they have to work together because they're members of a gestalt."
"Gestalt?" Greg frowned. "A... combiner?"
"Exactly. Each member of the team becomes a different part of the whole. With the Stunticons, Motormaster becomes the main body while Dead End, Drag Strip, Breakdown, and Wildrider become the limbs. The combined gestalt is called Menasor."
"Are there other teams that do the same thing?"
"Unfortunately, yes. The Constructicons, Combaticons, Seacons, Terrorcons, Predacons, ad those are the Decepticons. I have three teams, the Aerialbots, Protectobots, and Technobots."
"I saw on the news that you guys chased a giant shark-thing out of Lake Mead."
"Overbite. One of the Seacons."
Greg digested that. Then Ultra Rodimus's comlink beeped for attention. He growled softly and answered. "Yes?"
"We've got trouble," was the response.
"What else is new?"
"It's worse, Prime. This time it's not one or two single 'Cons. It's the whole slagging army!"
Ultra Rodimus erupted from his seat, snatched up his pad, and sprinted for the door. "Where are they heading?"
"Right for the Air Force base!"
"Head them off! I'm on my way!"
"What's going on!" Greg yelled after him.
Ultra Rodimus paused long enough to glance over his shoulder at him. "It's starting."
Then he raced out of the building, leaving a very pale lab tech staring after him and hoping that the Decepticons never reached the city.
To be continued...
There. I had enough time today to get this typed up and posted. I hope all of you like it. I may not get another chance to update for another few days.
Gromia: I write fast because I have an active imagination, a twisted mind, and too may plot animals for my own good. I also watch CSI whenever I can, and I still watch Transformers. I hope those episodes give you some inspiration; sounds like you really need it.
New Dye: I update whenever I get my claws on a computer with WordPerfect for any length of time. When I'd just stared posting fics I posted two or three on the same day. Yes, I got your e-mails, and I answered them. Hope you like this chapter.
Chiomon: I'm glad you like it. I've been told that I'm really good with crossovers. Here's the update; is it quick enough? I try to update as fast as I can, but sometimes...
Hope to hear from you all again next chapter!