Disclaimer:Transformers belongs to Hasbro, Takara, etc . The only thing in this that belongs to me is Arcee's sister. I've been waiting to rewrite this episode, one of my favorites.
Bulkhead had Miko on his shoulder as they walked into the main room of the base after finishing chores, "All right," Miko said, "Chores are done. Now can we do some dune-bashing?"
"Uh, I don't know Miko," He said, "Last time, I spent a week picking sand out of my Articulators. Uh, but, there's a monster truck rally in town."
"Optimus," Ratchet said from the Cybertronian computer System, with Optimus approaching and Chromette standing next to her sister, "I'm receiving a signal on a restrictive band. It appears to be coming from a starship inside this solar system." He checks the affiliation of the starship on the computer, "It's an Autobot identification beacon."
"So there are other bots out there?" Jack asked the Autobots from beyond the computer controls.
"The masses scattered to the galaxies when cybertron finally went dark, but Cons have been known to bait traps with false beacons," Arcee explained.
"Let's hope this isn't a trap by the 'Cons," Chromette said, "We need more of us on Earth so we can win this war."
"Unknown vessel, this is Autobot outpost Omega one. Identify yourself," Optimus said, contacting the Autobot ship.
"I've had warmer welcomes from Decepticon combat brigades," said a voice from the ship's pilot which Bulkhead recognized.
"Wheeljack?!"Bulkhead said with disbelief, "You old Con crusher! What are you doing all the way out here?"
"Bulkhead?" Wheeljack asked, "That you? What's with all the security?"
"The rock we're on is crawling with 'Cons," Bulkhead explained, "How soon can you get here and even the odds?"
"Sometime tomorrow If I put metal to the pedal," Wheeljack answered.
"Another bot's coming here," Miko said, How cool is that!"
"Wheeljack, I know of him by reputation only," Optimus said, turning to Bulkhead, "Can you verify his voiceprint?"
"He is 1,000% the real deal, Optimus," Bulkhead told the prime.
"We will send landing coordinates, Wheeljack," Optimus told Bulkhead's friend. "Safe journey."
"See you soon, buddy," Bulkhead told Wheeljack "I'll make sure you get a proper welcome."
The twins walked up to him as the call ended, "So who's the boyfriend?" Arcee asked.
"I'm wondering the same thing, Sis?" Chromette told her twin, "Who is he, Bulkhead?"
Bulkhead chuckled, "Me and Jackie go way back. We were part of the same war unit, The Wreckers," he explained pounding his fists together, "Which means the 'Cons are gonna wish he never found us."
Meanwhile inside the Nemesis, Soundwave has monitored the conversation between the two wreckers "Wheeljack?! What are you doing all the way out here?" Soundwave said, playing the recording of Bulkhead.
"Bulkhead? That you? What's with all the security?" Soundwave said playing the recording of Wheeljack's voice as his visor flipped between multiple Autobots until it stopped at one that wasn't part of the Autobots stationed on Earth.
"The rock we're on is crawling with 'Cons," Soundwave went on with the recording of Bulkhead's voice.
"A war hero, Hmm?" Starscream asked the Decepticon chief of communications, "We haven't much time," he turned to a Decepticon that was silhouetted in shadows, "Makeshift!"
Soundwave detaches his tentacles and connected it to the silhouetted Decepticon, "How soon can you get here and even the odds?" The voice of Bulkhead asked through Soundwave.
"Sometime tomorrow if I put the metal to the pedal," the voice of Wheeljack said as the silhouetted Decepticon shapeshifter into Wheeljack.
"See you soon, buddy. I'll make sure you get a proper welcome," Soundwave said using Bulkhead's voice as he finished the recording of the conversion of Bulkhead and Wheeljack.
"I, too, know how to prepare a proper welcome," Starscream said before ordering the shapeshifter Decepticon to infiltrate the Autobot base as Wheeljack, while they kidnap the real Wheeljack in order to storm their base wherever it was.
The next day, at the Autobot's base, the Autobots were tracking the wrecker's ship, the Jackhammer. "Wheeljack's ship is approaching the landing zone," Arcee said.
"You think he's here to visit?" Raf asked.
"Maybe he'll stay!" Miko said before thinking of something, "Hmm. Have to find his own human, though."
Ratchet typed the coordinates into the Ground Bridge and activated it, "Ground Bridge cycling up." The control switch suddenly flickered with electricity, he pounded it to get it working "Blasted Scraplets! The equipment hasn't been the same since the infestation."
"So, Wheeljack's gonna land halfway around the world and then you'll bridge him here?" Jack asked.
Optimus approached him, "We can't risk revealing the location of our base just in case the Decepticons are tracking Wheeljack's ship," the prime explained.
Miko walked near bulkhead, "Dude, I've never seen you so stoked!"
"Oh, you're gonna love Wheeljack," Bulkhead told her, "We were like brothers. And tonight we are gonna party!"
"Sweet!" Miko said.
Suddenly the computer suddenly started beeping as Decepticons were following Wheeljack's ship, "Bogies closing fast on Wheeljack's position," Arcee said.
"'Con scum!" Bulkhead said.
The Jackhammer was flying over the Egyptian desert as six jet Vehicons started firing at the ship, a few moments later one of the Vehicons's lasers hit the starship, Causing the jackhammer to crash into the sand of the desert.
The Vehicons approached the wreckage, and transformed, one of them walked towards the ship, with his gun activated, when suddenly the one approaching got shot in the chest. The other Vehicons Aimed their guns at the wrecker.
Wheeljack, was white with a bit of red and green on his legs and chest, had small wings with a bit of green on his back. "If you're trying to ruin my day… you're gonna have to try harder," he said before activating his battle mask.
The Vehicons started shooting at him as he ran towards his left, he soon stopped and jumped into the air, pounding the Vehicon in the middle, he then grabbed one and threw him, kicked one behind him in the face, a Vehicon tried to attack him, when he leaped backwards before jumping behind the Vehicon and ripped his arm off before kicking him away, he slapped the Vehicon's arm at another Vehicon a few times before kicking him away, one Vehicon was remaining.
"You cons have gone soft on me," Wheeljack told him, before taking katanas out from his back, charges at him, avoiding the blaster fire, reached him with the Vehicon avoiding the blades.
Starscream was watching the fight from the Nemesis on a monitor and turned to Soundwave, "Swiftly, before the Autobots arrive."
Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Arcee and Chromette were in battle position standing in front of the Ground Bridge, waiting for Ratchet to power it up. "Open the Ground Bridge, Ratchet!" Bulkhead told the Medic. "We're missing all the action!"
Ratchet activates the Ground Bridge, "I'll prepare sick bay."
Bulkhead chuckles, "Who for the Cons?" He asked, "This is Wheeljack we're talking about." The four autobots walked through the portal.
The Autobots arrive in the Egyptian Desert, where Wheeljack was and as they exited the portal, they activated their blasters and aimed them around, in case they saw any Vehicons still functioning. Bulkhead, then saw Wheeljack stab the Vehicon, he was fighting through the spark chamber with one of his katanas, causing the Vehicon to fall on his stomach as he died.
Bulkhead chuckles as he watched the other wrecker kill the Vehicon with a katana, "I taught him that,"
"Ever think might I need a hand here?" Wheeljack said, putting his katanas away.
"What, and spoil the show?" Bulkhead asked him.
Arcee notices that one of the Vehicons were still functioning as Wheeljack approached them, "You missed one."
"Nice eyes, Sis," Chromette said as she notices the Vehicon, Wheeljack shoots him as the Vehicon aimed its blaster at the wrecker.
Wheeljack approaches the Autobots, "If this is all you got, the planet's in bigger trouble than I fought."
Bulkhead suddenly runs up to his friend and hugs him tight, "Jackie!" He laughs as the three other autobots watched as the wreckers hugged.
Wheeljack laughs as his friend hugged him tightly, "What's to finish, you old wrecking ball?"
All four Autobots, Wheeljack included, walked through the Ground Bridge into the base, Ratchet closes the Ground Bridge with the control switch which suddenly crackled with electricity, the electricity then went into the part of the bridge that a portals appears from and Ratchet groans as it occurred.
"Jackie, come here. Meet my other best buddy, Miko," Bulkhead said, showing Miko to Wheeljack. "She can wreck with the best of us."
"Hiya," Miko said from the stairs, waving at Wheeljack.
Wheeljack approached the human, "You keeping Bulkhead out of trouble?"
"I try, but trouble find us anyway," she answered.
"We're gonna get along just fine," he told her and turned away as he hears Optimus approaching and approaches the Prime. "Optimus Prime, it's a privilege."
"Likewise, Soldier, Optimus said to the Wrecker, "What have you to report from your long journey?"
"Been bouncing from rock to rock searching for signs of friend or foe," the Wrecker said before looking at Bulkhead for a second before looking back at the Prime, "Now I find both."
"We are few, but strong," Optimus told him, "We have suffered losses," he added looking at Jack and Raf, "but we have grown. And we would relish welcoming a new member into our fold."
"I would be honored," Wheeljack told the Prime.
"Then let's get this party started!" Bulkhead said before hitting him on the back, like a friend and they both pounding each other with their chests.
"Oh, Joy," Ratchet said as he senses the impending destruction that wreckers usually cause.
Meanwhile on the Nemesis Starscream was walking through the corridors with Soundwave. "The moment Makeshift passed through that Ground Bridge we lost his tracking signal. The Autobot base is no doubt heavily shielded to prevent us from locating it. Ah, no matter, I have complete faith in makeshift." Starscream said as they approached a door with two Vehicons beside it, "Our inside man is already inside."
The two Decepticons approached Wheeljack who was stuck in an electrical prison within the brig of the ship. "Tell Megatron he's fragged in the head if he thinks Bulkhead won't sniff out an imposter," Wheeljack said.
Starscream chuckles, "Haven't you heard?" The air commander asked the wrecker, "I lead the Decepticons now."
"You?!" Wheeljack said with disbelief "Ha!"
Starscream growls at the wrecker, and tries to attack him but Soundwave stops him by grabbing him by the arm, "Yes! Yes he may yet be of use. Makeshift is very good at keeping up appearances. He need only fool your friends long enough to open their Ground Bridge from within so that I may finally learn the location of the Autobot base and send in my strike team to strain its floor with the spilled energon of Optimus Prime.
Back at the Autobot base, Miko was playing her electric Guitar as Bulkhead and 'Wheeljack' threw a large metal ball made from Cybertronian metal at each other, "Come on, Jackie. Show me what you got."
'Wheeljack' threw the ball at Bulkhead who caught the ball as he slid backwards a little. He laughed, "Nice lob." He threw it back at 'Wheeljack', who caught it and threw it back at Bulkhead.
Jack hung out with the twins, sitting on a ledge, "So what's that about?" He asked them.
"It's called 'Lobbing'", Arcee answered, "The favorite pastime on Cybertron, especially among the warrior class."
"Have either of you done it?" He asked them.
"No," Chromette answered, "We're not equipped to play it as we're small, femmes aren't able to carry a lob ball as it's too heavy for us, even though we're stronger than your species is."
Miko looks at Raf as she turns around as she continues to play her guitar, "Come on, Raf! Show us some moves!"
"Oh, all right," Raf said getting up and begins to do the dance called 'the robot' and Bumblebee saw this dance with interest.
Jack laughs as he saw this, "Of course, the Robot." Bumblebee started dancing with Raf, with Ratchet watching them as he works on fixing the Ground Bridge and groans as he saw them doing 'the Robot'. Jack then notices that Optimus was absent. "Where's Optimus?"
"Went out for a drive," Arcee answered. "Primes don't party."
"Coming at ya!" Bulkhead said as he throws the lob ball toward 'Wheeljack', who nearly catches it but misses it as it flew into a wall above Ratchet and he saw it falling down toward the Ground Bridge control switch and gets out of the way as it hits the switch causing it to crackle with electricity.
"You know I am attempting to perform sensitive calibrations here!" Ratchet said pointing at the control switch.
"Sorry, Doc," 'Wheeljack' said, picking up the lob ball, "Guess we're a little charged up." He walks towards the Medic, "You built this Bridge from scratch, huh?"
"I did," the Medic told him.
"That's quite a feat of engineering," 'Wheeljack' told him.
"Yes, it is," Ratchet agreed.
"Something wrong with it?" 'Wheeljack' asked him.
"I didn't care for the way it sounded this last jump," Ratchet answered. "I put it in shut-down."
"What if you need to use it?" 'Wheeljack' asked the medic.
"Ohh, I can't disrupt the defrag process without causing irreparable damage," Ratchet explained.
"So, uh, how long will the defrag take?" 'Wheeljack' asked.
"A few hours, of we're lucky," Ratchet answered turning towards him. "M-Maybe longer." He turned around back at the controls.
"Huh," 'Wheeljack' said walking away.
Back on the Nemesis, Starscream was in the bridge, "Makeshift still hasn't opened their Ground Bridge or otherwise transmitted their coordinates," Starscream said wondering what was taking 'Wheeljack'. "His disguise may be flawless, but he won't fool the Autobots forever."
Back at the Autobot base, Bulkhead was telling about a battle that he and Wheeljack took part in, "So there we were, no communications, low on energon, surrounded by Cons." He turns around towards the humans, "So what does Wheeljack do?" He laughs, "Tell them, Jackie."
"Well… what I do best," 'Wheeljack', said as he lacks the knowledge of what happened.
Bulkhead laughs, "He chucks his only grenade smack into the primary heat exchanger."
"Yeah, seemed like a good Idea, at the time, 'Wheeljack' said.
"The joint went supernova!" Bulkhead added.
"Awesome!" Miko said.
"Yeah, I'm still picking shrapnel out of my backside," Bulkhead went on.
"I'm not surprised given the size of your backside," Arcee said with liveliness.
Chromette chuckles at that statement, "Good one, Sis, that was a good one."
Bumblebee buzzed a reply as 'Wheeljack' looks at Ratchet who was still working on the Ground Bridge controls.
"There it is, Jackie's signature, one grenade, one shot," Bulkhead said, he then notices that 'Wheeljack' wasn't acting like he usually does. "Hey, you all right?"
"What?" 'Wheeljack' asked him, you don't seem like yourself," bulkhead explained
"Well, what do you mean?" He asked the wrecker.
"I don't know. You seem quiet," Bulkhead explained.
"Aw, I've been stuck in a can too long. I should go topside before I get stir-crazy," 'Wheeljack said.
"I have patrol in the morning," Bulkhead told him. "You can come with."
"Let's go now," 'Wheeljack said.
"And breakup the party?" Bulkhead asked him, "Come on! The gang's loving you! You got to tell them about the battle of Darkmount pass!"
"You tell them," 'Wheeljack' said, "You're better at it. How about if Miko here shows me the rest of your base?"
"Well, yeah, sure, Jackie. Hey, go ahead," Bulkhead told him.
"Tour starts now," Miko said standing off. "Do you play any instruments? Can you fly? Have you thrashed more Decepticons than Bulkhead?" She asked as she went to show 'Wheeljack' the rest of the base.
Arcee, Chromette and Bumblebee noticed that Bulkhead was concerned about Wheeljack, "You all right?" Arcee asked the wrecker.
"Yeah, just… out of sorts, I guess," he said turning around at them.
"Don't tell me you're jealous," she added.
"That Miko's making a new friend?" He asked them "Come on. Something… something's just not right about Wheeljack."
"Bulkhead, really?" Arcee said walking up to him, "He's traveled galaxies. You haven't seen him for centuries. He could just be rocket-lagged or…" she crossed her arms, "Well bots do change, you know."
"Not, Jackie," Bulkhead said.
"So what do you think it is, a Decepticon shapeshifter?" Chromette asked the Wrecker.
"That's exactly what I'm thinking that he is one," Bulkhead said, having a feeling that 'Wheeljack' was a Decepticon shapeshifter that was disguising as his friend.
Back on the Nemesis, a Vehicon approaches the imprisoned Wheeljack and points his gun at his mouth, "You're not going anywhere, Autobot." The Vehicon took the gun from his mouth.
Wheeljack smiles as the Vehicon begins to walk away when Wheeljack grabbed the Vehicon's neck with his feet and begins making the Vehicon's gun fire, in all different directions in order to get free from his bonds, "Blah, Blah, Blah." Soon the Vehicon's gun fires at the computer that was holding his bonds and he was set free from the bonds.
Back at the Autobot base, Miko was showing the imposter of Wheeljack around, as they walked through a corridor. "So that's pretty much it. Energon stockpile, power generator, Armory," she said "Everything you need to blow the joint sky high."
"Where's this bunker located exactly?" 'Wheeljack asked her.
"If I told you, I'd have to rip out your Spark Chamber," Miko said, jokingly. "Kidding! Just outside Jasper, Nevada, though I don't expect that to mean too much to you."
"Can't say it does," he said, "So, uh any way out of here besides Bridging?"
"Why?" She asked him, "You're not planning to leave already, are you?" She walks underneath him, "Come on. I'll show you."
Meanwhile in the main room, Ratchet nearly has the Ground Bridge finish defragging, "Almost there," he said.
"Look, I know Wheeljack better than anyone," Bulkhead told Bumblebee and the twins as 'Wheeljack' came in with Miko.
"Hey, what are you guys talking about?" 'Wheeljack asked him.
"I was just telling the guys all about you and me at the battle of Darkmount pass," Bulkhead lied.
"That's a heck of a story," 'Wheeljack' said.
"Yep," Bulkhead said, "Tell it."
"Talk, talk, talk," Miko said, "How about after we go off-roading?"
Miko! Stay out of this!" Bulkhead told her.
"Bulkhead, easy," Arcee said.
"Arcee's right," Chromette said "Take it easy, Bulkhead."
"I'm not sure I-" 'Wheeljack' said.
"Tell it!" Bulkhead said.
"Fine," 'Wheeljack said, "I'd you want to live in the past, Bulkhead?" He then began to tell the story of the battle, "The wreckers were trapped between a Decepticon patrol and the smelting pit. The Cons were vicious, bearing down on us with everything they had. Me and Bulkhead engaged the enemy, left them for scrap, then I made a way out using their backsides as stepping-stones to cross the molten metal." He then looked at Bulkhead "Isn't that how it happened?"
"Yeah," Bulkhead said, "That's exactly how it happened. Except for one little thing." 'Wheeljack' suddenly widen his optics, knowing that his cover's been blown. "I wasn't there."
"What?" Ratchet said as he looks at them from the Ground Bridge controls and was just as shocked as everyone else.
"I'd already left the wreckers to join up with Optimus, but you wouldn't know that if all you did was access Wheeljack's public-service record," Bulkhead said, exposing 'Wheeljack as the Decepticon shapeshifter, Makeshift.
"Bulkhead, what does that have to do with…" Miko started before being picked up by Makeshift.
"Miko!" Bulkhead cried.
The Autobots went to attack Makeshift, which he evaded and went over to the Ground Bridge controls, "Stay back, or I'll squeeze her into a pulp," Makeshift said in his true voice as Miko tries to escape from him.
The Ground Bridge was nearly finished defragging and Makeshift looked at it. "Wheeljack, what are you doing?" Miko asked the shapeshifter, confused.
"Decepticon coward! Let the girl go and face me!" Bulkhead said.
"Don't Fret," Makeshift told him, "Plenty I'd fighting to come."
"Is there a real Wheeljack?" Jack asked.
"Oh, indeed," Makeshift told the human. "And I expect Lord Starscream is making sport of him."
Meanwhile on the Nemesis, Wheeljack was climbing the outside of the warship as Starscream was at the hanger with Soundwave and jet Vehicons. "Are you certain we are at the coordinates you supplied to makeshift?" Starscream asked and Soundwave nods in confirmation. "Then what is taking him?"
Wheeljack walks towards them, "Maybe they gave your boy such a hero's welcome, he got the warm and fuzzies and decided to switch sides." He activated his battle mask.
"Do you not see that you are vastly outnumbered?" Starscream asked the wrecker.
"I see fellas who might vastly enjoy watching me pound some dents into you," Wheeljack said walking towards the air commander.
Starscream gasps and points at Wheeljack, "Destroy him!"
The wrecker took his katanas out from his back, and made them touch each other to form an 'X' he rushed toward the Vehicons, reflecting the blaster fire at the Vehicons with his katanas.
Makeshift finishes the defrag and types in coordinates of the Decepticon warship into the Ground Bridge and activates it, "About time," he said.
As Wheeljack rushes toward the horde of Vehicons, reflecting the blaster fire, when Starscream fires a fissile from his left arm at Wheeljack, causing the wrecker to stumble backwards. Vehicons ran toward him and he stands his katanas into their chest and slashing another one with it and soon jumped toward Starscream, pounding onto him as the Ground Bridge to the Autobot base opened, "Well, well."
Back at the Autobot base, Makeshift backs towards the portal with Miko struggling to get out of his grasp. "Let's get this party started," he said.
Suddenly the real Wheeljack came through and lands on the shapeshifter, causing Miko to fall out of his hand and Bulkhead grabs her. While Makeshift crashes into a wall on the floor as Bulkhead let Miko down on the floor next to Jack and Raf.
Wheeljack sheathes his katanas, "I'd shut that hole before the stink comes through." He told Ratchet.
Meanwhile in the warship, the Ground Bridge was still open as Starscream gasps getting up, "enter the Ground Bridge now!" Just as the Vehicons approached the Ground it closed and Starscream screams in anger.
Back at the Autobot base, both Wheeljack and Makeshift took out their katanas and began to rotate around the base as they fought. Bulkhead pounded his fists together, "Ugly's mine," Wheeljack told him. Soon they stroked their katanas at each other and did so multiple times as the Autobots lost track of which one was Wheeljack and which one was the shapeshifter.
"Which one's the real Wheeljack?" Raf asked, fixing his glasses.
Miko points around till she realized that she lost track. "Uh, I lost track!"
A few more strikes of Katanas by Wheeljack, he made Makeshift to fall to the floor.
"That's my Jackie," Bulkhead said as Wheeljack won the battle and he puts his katanas away.
Wheeljack turned to Ratchet, "You, got the switch," he said and Ratchet nodded, "It's time to take out the trash." Bulkhead approached him "All yours, buddy."
The Ground from the Autobot base opens on the Nemesis, Starscream seems that the Vehicons were hesitant on going through, "What are you waiting for?! Go!" The Vehicons ran through.
Bulkhead held Makeshift, spinner around a few times before throwing him through the portal. The Vehicons that went through saw the shapeshifter approaching them as he was thrown and retreated.
Makeshift falls onto Starscream as he exited the portal.
"Nice lob," Wheeljack told Bulkhead after watching him throw the shapeshifter through the Ground Bridge.
On the Nemesis, the Ground Bridge portal closes as Starscream gets up, "Please tell me that you at least learned the location of their base!"
"Indeed, Lord Starscream," Makeshift said getting up "I-It's is in a hidden bunker just outside of-"
Starscream hears the beeping of a grenade and notices the grenade on Makeshift's hip has been primed and is about to explode. "Woah!" He said backing away from the shapeshifter, "Back, back, back!" Starscream transforms as he gets clear of the blast radius of the grenades.
The grenade's beeping intensifies as it begins to go off, Makeshift looks at his hip and notices the grenade, "Oh, No," he said as it explodes killing himself and a number of Vehicons within the radius.
"Makeshift, you fool!" Starscream said as he and Soundwave retreated from the explosion.
The next day, Miko was playing her guitar as they begin to have another party, with Jack, Raf and Bumblebee dancing, Arcee and Chromette looked at the humans while Ratchet was making repairs and groans at the party. "It's like a recurring nightmare," the medic said to himself.
Wheeljack approaches Optimus and Bulkhead. "Now that you're part of Team Prime, we need to pick out a vehicle mode for you," Bulkhead said before hitting Wheeljack's heat with his elbow, "I have some ideas."
"Uh, about that, bulk," Wheeljack told him, "Now that my ship's repaired, I'm itching to know what else I might find out there."
Miko hears this along with the other humans, "Wait! You're leaving? Why?"
"Ohh…" Bulkhead said, "Because some bots never change," Bulkhead said before chuckling.
"Wheeljack, know that you'll always have a haven here," Optimus told Wheeljack.
"Jackie never stays but he always comes back," Bulkhead said, hitting him on the back playfully, before they pounded fists together.
The Autobots and humans Ground Bridged to where Wheeljack ship was and it closed behind them, "There's room for two, bulk," Wheeljack said offering Bulkhead to come with him, "Even with a backside like yours. Who knows who we might find out there, some of the old crew?"
Bulkhead looks at Miko, "Heh, sounds like fun, Jackie. But my ties are here now with them… with her."
Wheeljack looks at Miko, "If anything happens to my favorite wrecker, I'm coming after you," He said telling her to take good care of Bulkhead.
"I'll take good care of him," she said taking her phone out, "Now say 'Cheese'." She takes a photo of the two wreckers with her phone.
Next is Convoy.
Note: I did think about having Wheeljack flirt with Chromette, but decided not to do it.