Wheeljack didn't have much to tell me that I didn't already know about Kryptonians, but that's not important right now. He left after his party anyway, left Miko and picture of him and Bulkhead.
This… this is a day I really wish I didn't remember.
So, Fowler gets a hold of us, right? Says that he's transporting some sort of nuclear device, calls it a Dingus.
Tells he gets shot down, right? By some sort of Decepticon?
So, since bringing the thing through the GroundBridge is a risk that's pretty much a hard pass, Prime agrees to help him finish transporting it.
So, Optimus loads up his trailer, and he has Bulk and Bee as an escort, while me, Fowler, and Talida ride in the cab, and Arcee is in the damn trailer playing for the Dingus. Fucking Skyqauke had to choose today of all days to go on some sort of soul searching adventure. He was out of communications range for three fucking days.
And then we're attacked.
And come to find out, it's not Decepticons that are after the damn thing.
It's bunch of damn terrorists. A group that calls themselves M.E.C.H. And, of course, their leader, Silas.
Now, Decepticons did eventually attack, but by then the D.N.G.S. should've been safe. Or so I would've thought.
I was sent on the train to go with. Fowler gave the guard soldier my authorization, as well as swore him to silence.
I didn't have a communicator, and the cell signal was nunce, so no one was able to get ahold of me to warn me of what's about to happen.
Suddenly, ole boy goes down next to me, right? And I'm focused on making sure he's alright.
And then, Amy, Miko, Jack, Talida and Raf come through a GroundBridge. And of course, Krys has to sneak along.
They have all of thirty seconds to explain how things have changed. And then the ceiling opens up.
About three of those M.E.C.H. fuckers jump down into the cab. Pull their guns up.
One fire's off a round at Krystal.
And all I see… all I feel…
is Red.
It had been a few weeks since the incident with Makeshift, and Wheeljack had taken off to explore after his party. He hadn't had anything knew to share with Clark, if anything, he had even less than Optimus, which made sense.
Skyquake was absent. He said he needed to reevaluate himself, find out where he truly belonged in the universe.
He was currently off planet at the moment.
"PRIME!"
At the sound of the familiar government agent, everyone's attention turned to the computer panel.
"What's he want?" Amy asked with a raised eyebrow, noting the irritation in Fowler's voice.
"No idea." Talida responded as Optimus and Arcee came into the main hub just in time to hear Fowler shout once more.
"PRIME!"
"Special Agent Fowler," Optimus began, walking up to the computer. "To what do we owe-"
" What else?" Fowler interrupted in frustration. " The Cons! I chased them off with some hard ordinance, but not before they blew me out of the sky!" The agent explained his situation.
"Again?" Miko teased jokingly.
"They tried a smash and grab for the D.N.G.S." Fowler revealed, to everyone's confusion.
"The hell's that?" Clark asked with a raised eyebrow.
"The Dynamic Nuclear Generation System." Fowler clarified. "AKA D.N.G.S. It's a prototype energy source I'm transporting to the coast for testing."
Ratchet scoffed at the notion. "That's absurd. Why would Starscream and Malita bother themselves with such primitive technology?"
Amy raised an eyebrow and glanced towards Ratchet. "I know our general technology is inferior to yours, but do you even know anything about nuclear energy?" She asked the medic, who shook his head.
"No, but-"
"Then shut the hell up." Amy said firmly, glaring at Ratchet. "Two nuclear bombs wiped out Nagasaki and Hiroshima in the forties, and the bombs nowadays are way more powerful. That's not even taking into account the radiation, which can make entire cities uninhabitable, like what with Chernobyl in the 80s, without a bomb at all."
Ratchet seemed to have realized his error at the nurse's words. He really didn't know much about the energy utilized on Earth. "Cybertron never had use for such energies." He remarked quietly.
"Exactly!" Fowler said, completely missing Ratchet's remark in favor of Amy's explanation. " And if this thing has a meltdown, it would irridiate this state and the four next door!"
"Uh, did Agent Fowler say what state he was in?" Raf asked nervously as Clark scoffed.
"You all can't leave nothing dangerous alone, can you?" He asked the agent, who snorted as well.
"Hey, I'm just the delivery boy. I had nothing to do with thing being made." Fowler remarked. "How do you think I feel? Anyway, I need you spin up a bridge and sent the D.N.G.S. to it's destination Prime, before the Cons come back for it. I'm a sitting duck here!"
Optimus shook his head. "I'm afraid that sending such a volatile device through a GroundBridge is out of the question." He shut down the idea firmly. "If there were to be an accident during it's transmission, the radiation of which you speak could propogate through the GroundBridge vortex and harm all fifty states… and beyond."
"Yeah, let's do that." Clark remarked. "I'd like my kid to grow up, please."
"You got any better ideas?"
Upon making sure the D.N.G.S., and Arcee, were firmly locked safe and sound inside Optimus' transport trailer, with both Bulkhead and Bumblebee as transport guards, both Fowler and Talida made a move for the driver's seat.
"Nuh-uh, kid." Fowler said with a shake of his head. "I'm the adult, AND the federal agent. I'm driving." He said sternly.
"I actually have a license." Talida said with an eyebrow, causing Fowler to raise his own at her. It took a few moments for the teen to realize what she said. "Also, it's my dad."
"Um, neither of you are driving." Clark's voice spoke up firmly. "While I don't that both of you have a driver's license, my job actually requires me to drive a semi every once in a while, so I have a commercial's license. Can either of you say the same?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. When the two realized he was right, Clark continued. "That means you can shut up, cause I'm driving." He said with a smirk as he climbed into Optimus' driver seat.
The two looked at each other for a moment, before Talida smiled.
"I get the passenger seat!"
"Not happening."
Talida didn't get the passenger seat.
The teen grumbled as she was forced to sit between her secondary father figure and the government agent she'd known all her life
And the truck in front of them definitely wasn't helping.
It was an old beater, a little white truck from the 60's, and it was barely moving.
Well, that wasn't exactly true. It was going the speed limit.
It's just… not many people often did that.
Fowler had had enough.
"Move it, gramps!" Fowler shouted, leaning over towards the steering wheel, unintentionally squishing Talida as he slammed his fist on the horn.
"Fowler, cut it out!" Talida cried out from her position between the two men.
"Hey, stop it, dickhead!" Clark shouted, snagging Fowler's hand and throwing him back towards his side of the cab. "You're squishing Tally and you're hurting my fucking ears!"
Being reminded of Clark's enhanced hearing, Fowler at least had the decency to look ashamed. "Oops…"
"I'll oops your fucking ears in a minute."
Talida let out a sigh. "I wish Skyquake could've come along.
"They're transporting in an unarmed civilian truck. Send in the ground units."
Above the group, in a helicopter, sat a man with white hair in a buzzcut, and two scars, one running across the bridge of his nose, and one running across his head.
"Maybe Lexi will finally realize that there are better ways to help than world than through the company."
Bumblebee pulled into the next lane of the narrow road, before pulling in front of Optimus, giving the caravan proper protection.
"You know, you're saving my bacon Prime." Fowler remarked with a smile, before glancing towards Clark. "You too, Clark."
"I'm proud to be of service." Optimus answered humbly.
Clark just shrugged. "You need someone with a license to drive a truck. At least until we get this thing where it needs to go." He remarked, jerking his thumb towards the trailer behind them. "And besides, you kept my secret. Least I could do is help you out here."
"You didn't owe me a thing." Fowler said with a shake of his head. "I was fixing to drag you and your friends to a secret government base, and you still saved my bacon."
Clark smiled. "It's the right thing to do." He said with a smile. Before his expression hardened. "We got company."
Upon hearing those words, both Talida and Fowler tensed, and Fowler found himself looking out his window, glancing into the side-view mirror…
To find a very familiar helicopter.
"That's the one! The Con who shot me down! Who is he?!" Fowler asked, angrily glaring at the helicopter through the mirror. "Who is he? Wingnut? Dingbat? Skyguy?"
"He's definitely a dingbat." Clark remarked, keeping his eyes forward.
"Watch your rear."
"Oh no…" Talida muttered as the sounds of engines revving could be heard.
A set of green muscle cars drove up towards the convoy, with three of them immediately surrounding Bulkhead from all sides.
"I'm feeling a little constricted without the use of my fists here, boss." Bulkhead informed over the comlink.
"Remain in vehicular mode until it is absolutely necessary." Optimus ordered.
"A whole team of Cons!" Fowler said with a gasp. Eyes wide.
"What?!" Ratchet shouted in disbelief over the comlink. "I'm not picking up anything! They must be utilizing a cloaking technology!"
Upon hearing Ratchet's words, Clark's eyes widened, before he turned to look towards a nearby car that had driven up next to Optimus, even with his driver door, and he activated his X-Ray vision.
And his eyes widened.
"Guys, these ain't Decepticons!" Clark shouted in realization.
"What?" Optimus asked in disbelief.
"Are you serious?" Talida gasped.
"Then who are they?" Fowler asked.
Almost as if on cue, the sunroof of the opened up, and a man in a dark green outfit, face covered by a pair of goggles, popped out with a weapon that looked to be custom made, and very deadly.
"Pull over." He demanded, as the three looked on in shock.
"Our assailants are not Decepticons." Optimus revealed over the com link. "They are human."
"What?" Amy gasped in disbelief, eyes wide.
"Human?" Jack asked in shock.
"What would they want with the dingy thingy?" Krystal asked in confusion.
"Oh please," Miko remarked with an eyeroll. "It's not like it matters, Krys! Taking on our bots, plus your dad? They're roadkill!" She said with a smile, causing Krystal to smile as well.
"Yeah, they'll stop the bad guys!" She exclaimed happily.
"Gentlemen, stop their engines."
Clark could vaguely hear a voice coming through a communicator from within the car, but he wasn't focusing on that.
Once he saw the the man's finger reach for the trigger, his eyes narrowed.
Before he had the chance to do anything, however, Optimus intervened, swerving and ramming the car off the road, picking up speed as he did so,.
"Autobots, maintain your cover and apply minimal force. Disarmament only." Optimus instructed as another car swerved to Fowler's side of Optimus in an attempt to succeed where his comrade had failed, only for Bumblebee to slam into the car. The car slammed into Bumblebee in return, but being a Cybertronian, the car stood no chance as Bumblebee rammed into the car one more time, sending it crashing into a rock, which in turn sent the car into a flip cycle.
"Those are not civilian drivers."
Clark could vaguely hear the familiar voice that he'd heard from the communicator in the first car, and he had a pretty good idea where the person was, but he couldn't exactly focus on that.
"Prime, roll down the window." Clark ordered as he glanced towards Fowler, who looked a little green, especially when they took a particularly sharp turn. "Fowler's about to fucking puke."
"Ew, not on me!" Talida shouted in disgust as she turned to look at the government agent.
"Sorry. I could just use some air." Fowler said as Optimus followed Clark's instruction, rolling his passenger window so that Fowler could lean over and get some air. The agent immediately looked a little better. As he did so, he spotted another car pull off to the hitch of Optimus' trailer, and a mercenary climb out of the car's sunroof and hop onto Optimus, immediately beginning to cut at Optimus' trailer hitch.
"Bare right!" Fowler instructed.
Trusting the agent's word, Optimus did so, causing him to run the car off the road and over a cliff.
As if sensing their worry. Clark waved them off. "I can still hear him. He's fine." He assured both Talida and Optimus, the teen sighing in relief.
Unfortunately, the man who was attempting to separate the trailer was still on Optimus.
"I'll be right back." Clark said as he went to open Optimus' door.
Only for Fowler to beat him to it.
"No, he's mine." Fowler said as he opened Optimus' passenger door and crawled back towards the trailer.
Fowler snagged the guy by the shoulder, making him drop his weapon as he held him dangling off the edge Optimus.
"You're gonna tell me everything I wanna know-"
Fowler was cut off, as the man was pulled from his grip by a passing tree.
Fowler glanced at his hand for a moment, before clenching his fist in frustration.
As he climbed back into his seat, he picked up his radio.
Just in time for a voice to come through.
"I do hope you take better care of the D.N.G.S. than you do your captives."
Everyone looked at Fowler's radio in surprise.
"Who the hell's that?" Clark asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Let's find out." Fowler said before speaking into the radio. "This is Special Agent WIlliam Fowler. Identify yourself!" He ordered.
"I am Silas." The unknown man answered. "But of greater consequence to you, we are M.E.C.H."
"M.E.C.H?" Clark asked in confusion. "The fuck's that stand for?"
" Fair warning." The voice spoke, clearly not hearing Clark. "We will be helping ourselves to your device. Even if it means inflicting casualties."
"Is that so?" Tell me, Si. Tell me what the market price for the D.N.G.S. is these days." Fowler ordered, to which the voice chuckled.
"What makes you think we intend to sell it?" Silas asked. "There's a war brewing. Between the new world order and the newest. The victor will be the side armed with the most innovative technology."
"That doesn't sound good." Talida remarked.
"No it doesn't." Clark agreed.
Behind them, another M.E.C.H. car drove up behind Optimus' trailer. The sunroof slid open, allowing one of the occupants to poke up out with a large weapon, firing it at the protective bars of the Prime's trailer.
In the cab, Clark, Talida, and Fowler all smirked.
"So, Si, you think M.E.C.H. has the most innovative technology?" Fowler asked sarcastically.
As if on cue, Arcee immediately came flying out of the trailer, surprising everyone in the car as she landed on it's hood, with her holoform, whom she called Sadie, active.
The car swerved out of control as Arcee affixed herself so that she was driving in the same direction as the others. Bulkhead and Bumblebee both steered clear of the now flipping vehicle, leaving it to go up in an explosion behind them.
"Definitely not civilian drivers." Clark heard someone remark, who was with Silas.
"No shit." Clark remarked.
"Later Si." Fowler tormented as he and Talida both smirked, before disconnecting the link.
"Agent Fowler, Talida, do not take this Silas lightly. Megatron preached the very same ideology before plunging Cybertron into the great war that destroyed our world." Optimus warned the government agent and his daughter, with Clark nodding in agreement.
"Considering both of you grew up on this planet, should I mention Al Queda and Isis?" Clark asked with an eyebrow.
Both Fowler and Talida admitted Clark had a point.
"Optimus. Prepare to initiate phase two." Ratchet instructed over the com link. "Five miles ahead, to the south, you will reach the rendezvous point."
"Five miles ahead, to the south, you will reach the rendezvous point."
"So, the Autobots are outside the confines of their base." Starscream grinned in realization. Next to him, Malita snarled.
"Hopefully Kent is with them." She growled as she glanced down at her shoulder. Most of the scaring had healed by now, and her arm was completely healed. But still the scars of Clark's heat vision would remain for the rest of her life.
"They seem otherwise engaged." Starscream noted. "That means they will never see us coming."
Malita smirked. "Good…" Malita said, before turning towards a group of aerial bots. "You! Find them, and kill them all!"
"Yes, Lady Malita!"
With Megatron still gone, for what was appearing to be another extended search, Malita and Starscream were once again in charge.
"There's the destination point." Fowler observed as they drove towards a train tunnel off the side of the road.
"Autobots, keep a tight formation." Optimus ordered as they all drove off the road, moving to ride alongside the train.
The M.E.C.H. agents attempted to follow.
As they moved further into the tunnel, Bulkhead abruptly stopped and transformed. Enough distance had been created that he could safely transform, while being obscured by the light of the sun outside and the shade of the tunnel's interior.
He fired off at the edge of the tunnel, breaking a bunch of rocks crashing down, effectively blocking of the entrance.
Satisfied with his work, Bulkhead immediately transformed and moved back towards the others as they executed phase two…
"Tactical error." Silas remarked to himself with a smirk. "Only one way out."
True to his observations, the Autobots emerged from the tunnel along with the train, moving back towards the road as the train continued along it's tracks.
Silas smirk grew even bigger… until the familiar sound of jet engines could be heard, and a series of large, spiky jets came flying towards the Autobots.
"Air support? Ours or theirs?" Fowler questioned.
"Based on the design?" Talida asked, before her eyes narrowed. "I'd say neither."
Oddly enough, Clark was now absent from Optimus' cab.
"Why did Fowler authorize you as a guard for this thing?" The soldier assigned to guard the D.N.G.S. asked Clark. "You seem like a typical farm boy."
Clark raised his eyebrow. "And you seem like a typical shithead. Appearance can be deceiving." He smirked at the glare he received in return.
Asshole.
"Optimus, you've got company!" Ratchet warned over the com link.
A few seconds later, to Silas' disbelief, the jets fired missiles at the Autobots. However, Silas, still in the dark on the Autobots, assumed something different.
"Military fire on one of their own?" He asked in disbelief.
Talida and Fowler both yelped in surprise when they felt the vibrations of the missile going off, more than a little terrifying.
"You okay kid?" Fowler asked, to which Talida nodded.
"Yeah, just a little spooked." She admitted, trying to calm her frazzled nerves.
"Sir, the D.N.G.S.!" The pilot cried as they watched Optimus' trailer detach and slide a few feet.
Before a missile hit it.
The trailer exploded in a ball of flames, completely incinerating it, and anything that might've been inside.
Both the pilot and Silas were shocked at first, but the pilot quickly noticed something.
"Sir, I'm not reading any radiation. The D.N.G.S. didn't meltdown."
"No. It did not." Silas agreed with the pilot.
The Autobots continued to lead the Decepticons further into the forest, before coming out into a clearing at a cliff's edge.
The Decepticons transformed into their bipedal modes and landed on the ground as the Autobots skidded across the forest floor, turning to face the Decepticons in the process.
"Agent Fowler, I'm afraid that if all of us are to survive, it's become absolutely necessary for the Autobots to drop their cover." Optimus proclaimed.
"Wait, Dad, let us-!"
Whatever Talida was going to say was interrupted as Optimus transformed into his bipedal mode. He was careful to make sure that the government agent and his daughter both landed on his hand as they were ejected during the transformation.
Neither Talida nor Fowler look the best after the incident.
"Get out…" Talida groaned as she and Fowler both looked like they were about to puke.
"Sorry." Optimus apologized to the two.
Meanwhile, Silas circled them from within his helicopter, both he and his pilot gazing at the group below.
"So, the rumors are true." Silas mused. "Living technology stands before us… though, perhaps not for very long." He remarked.
"Remain here." Optimus ordered as he sat Talida and Fowler on a nearbuy rock formation.
"Will do." Fowler nodded. Talida, however, had other plans.
"Like I'm sitting this fight out. I need to test my powers." Talida scoffed in disbelief, moving to join them… only for Fowler to grab her arm. "Hey!"
"I don't think Optimus wants you in this fight, kid." Fowler remarked with a raised eyebrow. "I know I don't."
"You think you can stop me?" Talida challenged.
Fowler smirked. "Okay, I'll let you go down into that. And you can deal with your father, AND Clark. Oh, let's not forget Amy and Arcee."
Talida opened her mouth to retort, before she closed it, pouting as she realized he was right. "You're no fun."
Fowler simply chuckled.
Bulkhead found himself sighing in relief as he stretched his legs. "After a long road trip, it feels good to get out of the car, stretch my legs, and kick some tailpipe!" He slammed his hands together as he spoke, excited at the prospect of a fight, before leading the charge towards the Decepticons, transforming his fist into his wrecking ball.
The two factions met head on. Optimus made the first blow, driving his fist into the poor vehicon who attempted to face him in a devastating haymaker, downing him immediately.
Bulkhead jumped into the air, bringing his wrecking ball down with crushing force onto the Decepticon who dared challenge the former wrecker.
Arcee made sure to use her speed and small frame to her advantage, but she'd be lying if she said she wasn't having a little fun.
The same could be said for Bumblebee, who was openly having fun, playfully boxing with the poorly skilled Vehicon who was trying, and falling miserably, to kill him.
Optimus easily dodged one Decepticon's poorly thrown punch, using his greater bulk and weight to his advantage as he slammed his fist into the Con's skull, crushing it between his fist and the ground, before skillfully bringing it back into the face of another Vehicon who'd tried to sneak up on the Autobot leader.
Above, Silas watched the fight with interest, but thankfully for him, the pilot got him back on track.
"Sir, the D.N.G.S. wasn't in the truck…"
"Yes, that." Silas agreed, before reaching for his radio. "Special Agent Fowler, you lead a charmed life walking among titans."
"Come on down." Fowler challenged. "I'll introduce you."
"In good time." Silas agreed. "But right now, I'm too busy wondering how the D.N.G.S. might have vanished into thin air. Without a trace."
Horror flooded Fowler, as well as Talida who'd been listening as they realized that Silas had caught on.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a train to catch."
"No!" Talida shouted in horror as she and Fowler helplessly watched the helicopter take off towards the train. "Dad, Silas got wise! He's heading off after the train!"
"I understand!" Optimus responded.
Unfortunately, this distraction, brief as it was, was all a lucky Vehicon needed to slam a tree into Optimus' face.
It felt as if all the wind had been knocked right out of him. Just because he didn't breathe oxygen… didn't mean he didn't breathe at all.
Optimus went flying over the cliff, bouncing down a few times, before landing hard at the bottom.
"Dad?" Talida asked over the com link after she and Fowler watched the event in horror. "Dad?! DAD?!"
"Optimus is down!" Miko gasped.
"The bad guys are gonna get the dingy thingy!" Krystal cried out!
"We need to think of something, quick." Jack said, raising a hand to his head.
"Like a phase three?" Raf asked with wide eyes.
"We need a plan to stop them completely if we can." Amy said, glancing towards Ratchet. "If M.E.C.H. wants that thing, they have to get on a moving train.
"Which means we have to beat them to it." Jack guessed.
"Run some human-on-human interference?" Miko suggested.
Ratchet almost immediately shut it down.
"Absolutely not!" He objected heatedly.
"Yeah, that's suicide." Jack immediately agreed with Ratchet.
"If that thing melts down, so many lives are gonna be lost." Amy declared, catching everyone's attention. "We have to try something, otherwise, M.E.C.H. gets that thing, and we are all dead."
"It' is nearly impossible to fix GroundBridge coordinates on something moving at 90 miles an hour!" Ratchet said, unable to believe that the adult of all people was the one who pushed for them to help. "Why can't we just get ahold of Clark?"
"Clark doesn't have a communicator, Ratchet!" Talida exclaimed from over the com link.
"What?!" They could hear Fowler gasp in surprise.
"But his hearing should allow you to let him know, even from there, right?" Ratchet reinforced his point, which, admittedly, was a good one.
"Well, actually, yeah!" Talida said. "You're right-"
"Except that train car is soundproofed!" Fowler suddenly revealed, to everyone's horror.
"WHAT?!" Amy screeched in disbelief.
"Are you serious?!" Miko shouted in frustration.
"Why didn't tell us that?!"
"It's a government train!" Fowler shouted back, his voice oozing with frustration. "OF course it's soundproofed! Not only that, but I thought Clark had a way of getting ahold of you, or I would've given him my radio, since you had one!"
Admittedly, Fowler had a point. They had neglected to mention those particular details, and being a government train, it makes sense that it would be soundproofed.
"Fuck!" Amy cursed, before looking at Ratchet. "So we still need to find a way onto that train!"
"What if we had access to the trains coordinates?" Raf asked, typing a few commands on his computer before turning it towards the others, so that they could no see it was focusing on the coordinates of the transport train.
"Well…"
Ratchet was cut off by the familiar sound of a GroundBridge, before one appeared next to them, and Talida hopped through.
"I'm helping out." She said, leaving no room for debate. "I'm sick of sitting on the sidelines."
"Look, would you shut the fuck up before I shut you up?" Clark snarled at the Soldier he was guarding the D.N.G.S. with.
"Oh please, like you could do anything." The cocky soldier said with an eyeroll.
"Don't tempt me." He snarled.
Seriously, why was the one soldier he had to guard this thing with such a cocky asshole?! The whole time so far, all he'd done was question Clark's capabilities and brag about how easy it would be to put him on the floor.
It was making Clark even angrier with every passing second. He was tempted to just throw the man off the train and guard the device himself.
"Seriously, you think I'm just some farmer? How do you know I'm not some other breed of Cybertronian?" Clark asked with a raised eyebrow.
"A what?"
Clark's eyes widened in disbelief, before he snorted, shaking his head in annoyance. "You gotta be fucking kidding. Those robots?"
"Yeah?" The soldier questioned with a raised eyebrow. "They're new experimental battle suits, so what?"
Clark's eye actually twitched in frustration. "I… I don't even- how the fuck-WHAT?!"
The soldier turned on Clark, looking as if he was going to say something else.
But he didn't get the chance.
What looked like electrical arcs sprung up from the train car's floor, striking the soldier and Clark, seeming as if they were focusing on them.
And Clark looked down at them with wide-eyes, unable to believe what he was seeing, trying to process what he was looking at.
"What the fuck?!" Clark asked in disbelief, eyes wide as the electrical arcs seemed to fade back into the ground.
And then the soldier crumpled like a sack of rocks.
Clark's eyes widened as he watched the now unconscious soldier collapse, easily catching him before he hit the ground and gently lowering him down.
"Hey!" Clark shouted, eyes wide as he tried to shake the man awake. "Hey, you alright?!"
Using his X-Ray vision, Clark scanned the guy in an effort to make sure he was alright.
His heart dropped.
The soldier was dead.
"Fuck." Clark grumbled as he stood to his feet, looking down at the soldier with pitty.
No matter how irritating he was, he didn't deserve this.
Which begged the question…
"What the fuck was that, anyway?
Clark's eyes widened in surprise when he heard the very familiar sound of a GroundBridge portal opening up. Turning towards the source, he was shellshocked to find almost everyone else at base except Ratchet running through.
"The hell are you all doing here?" Clark asked in surprise, is eyes widening in surprise when he spotted someone he thought was with Optimus. "Talida?"
"We couldn't get ahold of you." Talida immediately explained. "Fowler didn't realized you didn't have a communicator, and the train's soundproofed."
Clark's eyes widened at the news. "Shit." He muttered, before turning to look at Amy. "So what's the situation?"
"M.E.C.H. knows the D.N.G.S. is here." Amy explained to her fiancee. "They caught on to phase two, and we came to warn you, and to help stop them if we could."
Clark's eyes shot wide in disbelief at what he heard. And even though he knew better, he still couldn't help what he said next.
"You came here expecting to fight… and you BROUGHT KRYSTAL?!" He shouted in fury, glaring at all of them, who looked legitimately confused.
"What?" Amy asked in confusion. "But we didn't…" She trailed off as she, as well as the others, all turned to look behind them.
And, true to Clark's word, Krystal Martha Kent stood behind them, eyes wide.
"I thought we were just warning people…" She muttered quietly.
No one was quite sure what to say to that.
Admittedly, they weren't even sure if she actually snuck along, or if she just followed and they all never noticed.
Either way, they felt like idiots. Amy worst of all, for not noticing her daughter had followed them through.
She noticed her sneaking off the first time… why couldn't she have noticed the second?!
"I… I didn't…" Amy was absolutely unsure of how to respond. For this was one of the few times where Clark's unbridled fury was completely justified in being directed at her.
Suddenly, their attention was pulled towards the sound of a blowtorch, and they all turned towards the roof of the train car, where they could see a thin flame cutting through the ceiling.
M.E.C.H. was here.
"FUCK!" Clark cursed, before moving to stand in front of everyone. "Get behind me."
"Are you kidding?!" Talida asked in disbelief. "I wanna test out my-"
"NOW!"
"Yes sir…" Talida immediately obeyed, moving to stand behind the Kent patriarch, unwilling to even attempt to anger him any more than he already was.
They corralled behind Clark as best they could, but they were still out in the open.
When they made it through the roof, a metal section of it dropped to the floor with a rather intense thud, causing Krystal to yelp in fright and immediately jump to hug the nearest person, that being Talida.
"It'll be okay, Kryssie." Talida assured as she hugged the child close to her, while eyeing the hole wearily.
A M.E.C.H. agent came down through the hole, immediately pointing his weapon at the group as he moved to the side, making room for another to drop down, mimicking his comrade.
And another…
And another…
One last agent jumped down, and then there were five guns trained on them all.
"Get on the floor." The fifth one, who they assumed was the leader of this excursion, ordered.
Clark narrowed his eyes. "Fuck off." He growled, his brow furrowed in anger.
"Now." The man ordered again.
They didn't listen.
"Sir, there are a group of civies here." The man spoke through a communicator. "An adult male, and adult female, two teenagers, a pre-teen, and child. They're refusing to cooperate."
It took a few seconds, but what Clark heard in response, chilled his blood cold.
"If they won't cooperate, kill them."
"Yes sir." The man ordered, before refocusing his attention on the group. "If you don't cooperate, we will shoot you."
Clark didn't respond with words. Instead, he gave a growl of anger, his lips pulled back to show his gritting teeth in a snarl of rage.
He activated his X-Ray vision, unbeknownst to the man.
And he could see the sadistic smirk on his face.
"Okay… then I'll make an example."
It was the slightest movement. But Clark worked in construction. He was good with angle predictions.
He knew exactly where the man was aiming.
Krystal…
"NO!"
The sound of the gun firing was horrific, and terrifying, especially in the enclosed space of ther train car.
But even more horrifying was Clark, catching the bullet. Inches from Krystal's face.
To everyone, he wasn't even a blur. He was there. And then he was suddenly next to Krystal, his hand in front of her face as the bullet was squished against his skin.
"You…" Clark's voice was quiet, barely above a whisper as he stared at the bullet for a moment, before he slowly turned his head towards the M.E.C.H. agent who had just tried to shoot Krystal. "You tried to kill my daughter."
"What the fuck?" One of the agents gasped in disbelief, backing away in stunned horror at hat he'd just watched.
"What the hell just happened?!" One of them asked in horror.
The words of the agents faded as Clark's eyes slowly took a red hue.
The glow of his eyes was almost like a sign.
A death sentence.
"You tried to kill my daughter."
All hell broke loose as Clark's form seemed to blur, and the sound of metal bending and warping rang out through the train car as Clark slammed the leading agent into the wall with enough force to warp it.
Clark's hand was like a vice trap around the man's skull as he held him off the ground with ease by his head alone. The man struggled, a futile attempt, to pry Clark's hand from his skull.
Clark didn't even feel the man's hands upon his own.
Especially once he started applying pressure.
It was an unbelievably terrifying site, especially with Clark's facial expression.
It was a picture of calm rage.
On someone whose temper was as explosive as Clark's, that was never good.
Slowly, ever so slowly, Clark's hand squeezed, and the man's grunts of effort slowly turned into pain filled screams. Everyone was frozen in terror, as the man stuggled for his life against what was may as well have been a living brick wall.
"No one hurts my family."
The crack's of the man's skull became more and more audible as Clark's grip became literally bone crushing.
And then, in the next second, terror happened.
Clark twitched. His hand closed.
And the man's skull was completely eviscerated.
"Jesus Christ!"
"Clark!"
"What the fuck!"
"Oh god!"
Different phrases from everyone rang out as everyone stared in horror at the event that had unfolded.
Clark Kent had just viciously slaughtered someone.
And he wasn't finished.
"Open fire!" Which of the M.E.C.H. agents gave the order, no one knew, and no one cared either.
"Get down!" Amy shouted, tackling Talida and Krystal to the ground, Jack doing the same with Miko and Raf as bullets riddled the room.
Clark gritted his teeth as he turned his red eyed glare on the other agents in the train car, ignoring the bullets bouncing off his skin and shredding his shirt to pieces.
The bullets were ricocheting off every surface, but Clark's eyes were on the agents alone.
His gaze snapped towards the closest one, and he closed the distance immediately, disappearing in a blur towards the man and pushing his gun skyward.
The man yelped in fear as Clark crushed the gun in his grip with ease, mangling the now useless weapon as his other hand caught his throat.
The man didn't have a chance to scream, before Clark snapped his neck with a twitch of his hand.
The man's corpse crumpled to the ground as Clark stared at it, before his gaze snapped towards the others.
Three men, all armed, all panicking.
Clark took his time.
These men tried to kill his daughter, hurt his family.
He was going to make them suffer.
Clark approached briskly, a part of him choosing to take his time as he walked with a menacing stride towards the men.
One of the men decided to test his luck.
He stopped shooting as Clark approached, and pulled the gun up, attempting to hit Clark in the head with the butt of the rifle.
The rifle simply bounced off Clark's face, and the man looked between his weapon, and Clark, who'd stopped at the attempt and raised an eyebrow at the man.
The man suddenly felt as if he'd made the biggest mistake of his life.
He went to hit Clark again, right as Clark's hand curled into a fist and launched towards his chest.
The sickening sound of tearing skin and crunching bone was accompanied by a horrifying gurgle as the man spat blood out through the fiber of his mask, all over Clark's face.
Clark didn't seem to mind the blood covering his face, or all over his hands, as he stared without any mercy or sympathy at the quickly dying man on his arm.
He pulled his fist free of the man's corpse, allowing it to drop as he stared at it for a moment, before he growled in annoyance as one of the remaining agents fired a bullet at his face.
He glared at the man as he continued to fire at him, before gritting his teeth and activating his laser vision.
The heat vision seared through the man's skin, muscle, and bones, and his head essentially flopped apart as Clark bisected it with literally just a look.
That left just one man.
Clark turned his furious gaze towards the final man, snarling as the man looked around at the carnage that Clark had created with the remains of his comrades, with so much ease.
Whatever he was facing, it wasn't a human.
Clark let out a roar of rage as he rushed the man, pushing the gun against his chest.
The man tried to fight, but it was useless. Trying to fight Clark was like trying to fight Bruce Lee, and that was when he was giving you a chance.
When he wasn't giving you a chance…
He was completely unstoppable.
Clark gave a brutal shove, and the man dented the train car wall as he was sent flying from the immeasurable force.
Blood splattered all over the wall as the man's skull cracked against before his corpse dropped to the ground on his butt, leaning against the wall.
Five dead men.
All killed.
As if they were toys.
Clark tore them apart with ease. In his haze of rage, he killed them all, without a care in the world.
But now that the excitement had died down…
The whimpering broke through the rage filled haze.
It was quiet, a soft noise that seemed so sudden compared to what Clark had been hearing, but he'd recognize the voice anywhere.
"Krys?" Clark asked as he turned towards the source of the noise.
And what he saw was heartbreaking.
The others had made their way to their feet, and not a single one of them was staring at him with anything but horror.
Raf was hugging Miko tightly, his fingers gripping the teen's shirt in complete and utter fear as Miko held him in a protective embrace.
Jack had his arms wrapped protectively around Talida, who was hugging her boyfriend as tight as she could as they both stared at Clark in horror.
But Clark's heart was shattered when he looked at Amy and Krystal.
Amy's eyes were wide, looking at Clark in horror, her entire body tense as she stood protectively next to Krystal, her mouth open in complete shock as her arms were protectively wrapped around Krystal.
Krystal's face was twisted into complete and utter terror, her eyes wide, tear filled, her lips quivering as her face scruched fear. Her little fingers dug into her mother's shirt as she gazed up at her father in terror.
Krystal's expression… it shattered Clark.
It was an expression of pure fear.
And it was directed at him.
No parent wanted to see such an expression directed at them from their child.
"K-Krys…" Clark said slowly, his eyes falling over Amy and Krystal. "Amy, I-"
Clark took a step forward, and it sparked a reaction of fear as Krystal let out a cry of terror and moved to hide behind her mother, tucking her head into Amy's back as she hid from her father.
Clark wasn't sure what to do… what to say.
He felt helpless.
He had never been in this situation.
Not since…
Not since he was fourteen.
Not since that night.
It finally hit him. What he'd just done.
He'd promised himself.
He'd fucking promised himself! He'd never kill anyone else again!
Well, he broke that promise, didn't he?! He just slaughtered five guys! Tore them apart like Legos!
He found his gaze wandering down towards his hands…
His bloodstained hands.
The hands that had just taken five lives.
They were shaking, quivering as Clark realized what he'd done.
"I-I didn't-I didn't-" Clark was stammering, his horrified eyes wide as he looked at his family desperately.
All of them.
He reached out for them slowly, so many different emotions flying through him.
Not a single one stepped forward.
Clark felt so alone.
He didn't even feel the tears in his eyes as he looked at them.
"I…"
Clark suddenly collapsed to his knees, and he was breathing heavily.
It stunned so many, how quickly Clark's whole demeanor had changed.
Just a second ago, he was a machine. An unstoppable monster who slaughtered everything in his path.
Now, he looked absolutely broken, staring at all of them in horrified desperation, tears flowing down his face as he reached for them, hoping for some sort of sign, of confirmation that they weren't afraid of them.
And in spite of the gore around the room, the blood that covered him…
Maybe they were scared of the event…
Amy was the first to react.
"Stay here Krys." Amy whispered softly, rubbing her daughter's back comfortingly before she separated.
Krystal didn't want to let go of her mother, reaching for her with a whimper when she moved away. She felt a hand on her shoulder stop her, and she turned to find Talida, still pale as a ghost, but looking down at Krystal with a comforting gaze.
"She'll be okay, Krys." Talida assured softly.
Amy slowly approached Clark, who had his wide-eyed gaze focused on her.
"A-Amy?" He asked, a very clear quiver in his voice as he looked up at her. "I-I didn't want to- I mean I didn't intent to- I-"
"Shh…" Amy whispered as she crouched down in front of Clark, situating herself inches from his shaking form as she looked at him with soft eyes. "I know, Clark." She assured as she took his hands into her own.
Clark still shook like a leaf, still feeling something akin to guilt. "I-I didn't mean to scare you." He said frantically, breathlessly. "I-I was just trying to-"
"I know." Amy interrupted him once more, grabbing his head and gently pulling him into a comforting embrace, resting his head onto her chest. "Listen… calm down…"
Whenever Clark would be distraught in the past, though those instances were few and far between, this was how Amy would calm him down. By letting him listen to her heartbeat.
"I-I'm so sorry…" Clark apologized again as he hugged her tightly.
Amy ignored the wet blood now staining her shirt.
Clark needed her. That's all that mattered.
"Shh… it's okay, honey." Amy assured, kissing the top of Clark's head. "As terrifying as it was, if you hadn't done anything-"
"We'd be toast." To everyone's surprise, Miko was the second one to step up. "It was scary, watching that, but you saved us, dude." She assured, slowly approaching the two.
"Yeah." Talida agreed. "Sometimes… you have to kill to protect your loved ones." She said, looking at her secondary father figure, happy to give him the advice for once, especially if it meant he'd be okay.
"You scared us." Jack admitted. "But we're not scared of you."
"It's just that," Raf started. "Watching that… it was terrifying."
"Clark, look at me, sweetie." Amy said softly, gently urging Clark to look up at her. "It's okay. We get it." She assured him softly, kissing his forehead in an act of comfort. "No one here thinks any differently of you."
"Daddy?" Krystal's voice spoke up, causing both mother and father to turn and look at their approaching daughter.
"K-Krys?" Clark asked with a stutter on seeing his daughter, trying to wipe his eyes with his wrist as his daughter timidly approached.
Krystal looked at Clark for just a moment, not saying anything as she approached.
And then she flung her arms around Clark's neck.
"Don't be sad, Daddy." Krystal whimpered as she hugged her father tightly. "I'm sorry for getting scared."
"No, no, don't be sorry, Krys." Clark said, shaking his head as he hugged his daughter back. "I'm sorry for scaring you."
"I love you, Daddy." Krystal's voice was high pitched, almost inaudible as she spoke, but Clark could easily hear it.
Clark's tears only came harder, as he hugged his daughter for dear life, his eyes clenching shut. "I love you too, Krystal."
Amy watched the scene fondly, before moving to join her husband and daughter, hugging the both of them.
And then Talida joined them.
"I don't care if I already have one. You're my dad too." The techno-organic proclaimed as she hugged Clark as well.
Clark couldn't help but smile, even as he sniffled. "I-I love you too, Talida." He said with a smile as he returned to hug. "All of you."
"And we all love you, Clark." Amy assured as Krystal let go of her father, looking at him with a smile, as did Talida.
Clark smiled. He wasn't feared. He wasn't completely okay, because he would still have their deaths on his conscience. But he at least was happy that they weren't scared of him.
However, the moment was cut short.
"Status report!"
It had come from the radio one of the men were holding.
It was Silas.
Everyone's gaze turned to look at it for a moment, staring at it.
"Status report!" Silas demanded once more.
Wiping his eyes, Clark's expression hardened as he heard the voice of the person that had caused all this, and he stood to his feet.
Walking over to the radio, he picked it up.
And without a second thought, he spoke.
"All your men are dead." Clark said bluntly.
There was a moment of silence after Clark spoke, and everyone stared at the radio in anticipation.
"You sound familiar… Who is this?" Silas asked, his voice holding an edge to it.
"Doesn't matter." Clark responded pointedly. "What does matter, is this: I will not let you get your hands on this thing. So, we have a choice."
"Oh really?" Silas asked, and Clark could practically hear the raised eyebrow. As a matter of fact, with the hole in the ceiling, he could now hear the helicopter sitting on top of the train. "You'd rather the D.N.G.S. meltdown and kill thousands than let us have it?"
Clark looked up, and then through the ceiling of the traincar, and into the helicopter.
Directly at Silas.
The train was soundproofed… but not lead lined.
And for some reason… Silas looked familiar. But he couldn't place why.
"No." Clark answered simply, his observation for the moment. "I'll throw the thing in space."
Silas looked at his pilot with a raised eyebrow, before looking back towards the radio. "Do you really expect me to believe you could do such a thing?"
Clark smirked. "I can see you, Si."
"You're bluffing. You're inside of-"
"Your hair is white, and buzzed. And you have two scars. One one the left side of your head and on across your nose."
Clark couldn't help the smirk on his face as he could see Silas' eyes going wide, his face morphing into one of shock.
He was silent for a moment, before he spoke once more.
"Tell me… how are you capable of such feats?"
Clark's eyes narrowed. "That's something you'll never know. But let me say this: If I catch you trying this shit again, I will kill you."
Silas seemed to be contemplating his options. And then he smirked.
"Now I know why that voice sounds so familiar… that's you in there, isn't it, Clark?"
Clark's eyes widened, as did the eyes of everyone in the train car, before they narrowed. "How the fuck do you know that?"
"I wasn't completely sure till you told me." Silas replied with a smirk, to Clark's horror. "I always knew something was off with you… but I could never figure out what. Lexi was always around you."
Clark's eyes widened. He… he hadn't heard that name in…
He knew who the was!
"Lee." Clark growled in recognition. "You've changed your look, you piece of shit."
"And you've shown me that there is more to you than meets the eye." Silas retorted. "Lexi would've noticed too, but she was too caught up in your good looks and rebellious attitude."
"Leave Lex out of this, Lee." Clark snarled. "Or you'll join your men."
"In due time, Kent." Silas responded calmly. "For now, you win this round, but you should know-"
"Luthors never quit, yeah, I got the memo, you son of a bitch." Clark snarled. "The only reason you still walk this Earth is cause you're Lex's brother. Don't make me change that."
Silas didn't say anything else, simply scowling at the radio, and Clark watched him turn to his pilot after a few moments.
"Retreat." He ordered.
Clark watched the helicopter take off from the top of the train, and he watched it until it was out of site.
Before he let out a sigh, and closed his eyes.
"Clark?"
Amy's voice caught Clark's attention, and he turned to find everyone looking at him in surprise.
"You know who Silas is?" Talida asked in surprise.
Amy, however, had a different question.
"Please don't tell me that's the Lee I think it was."
Clark let out a sigh.
"It was, Amy."
"Woah, timeout." Miko said, looking at the two in disbelief. "Si's real name is Lee?"
"Leland Luthor." Clark clarified. "Ex-Special Forces, and world class dickheaded brother." He explained to everyone present.
"You said his sister's name was Lexi… You don't mean Lexi Luthor, do you?" Raf asked in surprise, which only rose when Clark nodded.
"Lex lived in Jasper for a long time." Clark revealed. "It's not that well known. Me and her were good friends for a while."
"What happened?" Jack asked curiously. "You sounded like you thought I lot of her."
"I still do." Clark admitted with a fond smile, before it changed into a scowl. "But her shithead father dragged her out of Jasper, took her to New York. Lost touch with her after that." He admitted with a sad sigh. "I miss her, but what's done is done."
"But what about Silas?" Talida asked curiously.
"Lee is a piece of shit. He was always heckling Lex, telling her that she would never change the world. She wanted to turn her father's company into the force for good it's supposed to be." Clark explained.
"But, isn't Luthorcorp a pharmaceutical company?"
Clark snorted at that.
"Please. It does surface research for medical purposes, but the damn place isn't anything more than a military contractor. Lexi wanted to take it over and turn it into the pharmaceutical company it was supposed to be."
"Did she?" Raf asked curiously.
Clark shook his head. "No idea. Since she is in control of the company now, though… I'd like to hope so."
The conversation was cut off by the sound of Talida's communicator going off.
"Talida!" Ratchet's voice came through. "Your father and the others have beat back the Decepticons! They're on their way to join you right now."
At his words, everyone's eyes widened."
"Um… let them know that we're gonna need Fowler." Talida informed the medic as she found herself gazing out at the carnage that was once M.E.C.H. soldiers.
Clark lowered his head in shame.
"Why?"
"Just… do it, okay?"
One thing they all knew… this was going to be difficult to explain.
A/N: And scene.
Originally, I was unsure of how I wanted this to play out. But eventually, I decided to let Clark's anger get the best of him.
Clark's anger is going to be a key point of his character in this story. Specifically, his drive to control it.
Because whether we want to or not, people will do things in a rage that they won't normally do.
Remember, this Clark Kent is not a boyscout, and he never will be.
He's a good man, but the whole point behind this version is that he's gonna be a bit of a dick.
Anyway, I'm gonna go ahead and end this chapter here. If you liked it, please support it with a favorite and a follow, and I strongly encourage you to review. Seriously,1 reviews encourage me to write more of this story, and I can't tell you enough how much I enjoy writing this anyway, especially considering the trainwreck it was before.
And with those words, I will see you all in the next chapter.