Steeljaw and his pack get back to the ship and make their delivery, "Here's all that you asked for Saberhorn. Well, except for the item that Clampdown was supposed to get..."
"The bozo got lost or somethin'," Thunderhoof said interrupting Steeljaw.
Steeljaw gave Thunderhoof a warning look before looking to Saberhorn who was looking at Soundwave's visor, "What happened?"
They see Clampdown being chased by Autobots, "Would seem the chap had a run-in with the Autobots."
"I knew we shouldn't have brought him along," Thunderhoof muttered, "But I don't recognize the Autobot."
"Neither do I," Steeljaw says looking a bit confused.
Soundwave pulled up the Autobot's profile, "Ratchet, former field medic for Team Prime during the war," Saberhorn reads aloud.
"You had better hope that they don't get him to talk," Glowstrike growled, "On top of this little set back we have a bigger problem. Our Predacon friend escaped with a Mini-Con."
Thunderhoof stood in shock at this, "She escaped?"
"Yes. Would seem they went through the vents to outside"
If Metalsound got out then did that mean... "I thought we had someone guarding them," Steeljaw said as he tried to hide the panic that was filling him.
"There was a guard, they apparently got into the vents without him noticing."
"I think I may have found out how to get those Decepticon Hunters out," Steeljaw replied as calmly as he could as he walked out. Once he was sure he was out of anyone's sight he made a beeline for his room, "Strongarm," he whispered loudly as he opened the door. His room was empty save for a datapad on the berth. Picking it up he read it, he could feel his spark pulsing faster as he read on.
The note said:
Steeljaw, I'm sorry but I had to escape. I couldn't stay here any longer with the risk of being discovered and getting you into trouble and me being caught and killed. Please don't think badly of me or think I'm running out on you. I really do love you. But please give me some time to settle down and we can meet somewhere. I'll call you.
Love,
Strongarm
Steeljaw sat on the berth as he re-read the note, his grip tightening around the pad until it cracked a little. She was right, his spark felt like it was breaking but he knew that she made the right choice in leaving. It was too much of a risk.
Thunderhoof comes into the room, "So she escaped too?"
"Yes," Steeljaw replied with a slight growl as he deleted the message, "I need to see if I can get those Decepticon Hunters out," he replied as he left his room.
Thunderhoof walked alongside him, "Are you alright?"
"I'll be fine. I just need to keep myself distracted."
"I can tell you're sparkbroken, I am too."
"I'm guessing she didn't leave a note for you, did she?"
"No, she did not."
"I'm sorry, I know that they're both heading for the Autobot's base. It would be best if we leave them for a while."
"Yes, I think so too. So did you crack the code to the case?"
"I think so."
"Good. Are you still planning to take this ship over?"
"I think it's about time to end this battle for dominance," Steeljaw replied as he closed the door where the Decepticon Hunters were being held.
"So you're gonna use these Decepticon Hunters?"
"In a way, yes."
"Ok," Thunderhoof says shrugging his shoulders as Steeljaw walks over to the case and punches in the code, he opens the case and takes the Decepticon Hunters out.
"Steeljaw! You cracked the code and got them out!" They both look and see Glowstrike and Saberhorn standing behind them, "Well done old chap!"
Steeljaw just grinned as he handed one of the weapons to Thunderhoof who gladly takes the weapon, "Time for some new leaders."
After the Autobots had captured Clampdown, after running into Ratchet, they headed back to the scrapyard. After questioning Clampdown and getting nothing they threw him into a pod then Ratchet told them the story about Cybertron and how he came to earth. Suddenly the alarms sounded, "We got three beings heading towards the front gate," Fixit informs Bumblebee.
"Stay on your toes everyone," Bumblebee informed as the gate opened revealing a Mini-Con similar to Fixit along with Strongarm and Metalsound.
"Please, help us," Toolbox pleaded before falling over, Metalsound caught him before he fell to the ground.
Strongarm was leaning against the side of the gate feeling exhausted, she then started tumbling over as she tried to make her way inside, but Sideswipe and Windblade caught her. They helped all three of them inside and sat them down to rest and got them Energon.
"Are you alright Strongarm? I'm sorry I wasn't able to save you from Steeljaw," Bumblebee said with worry in his tone.
"Yeah, but driving throughout the night wasn't a good idea. It wasn't your fault lieutenant," Strongarm assured. Metalsound and Toolbox practically inhaled the Energon once it was given to them.
"What is that thing around their necks?" Sideswipe asked.
"These are electric neck locks that keep us from using our weapons and fighting back, they used us as slaves to help fix up the Alchemor," Toolbox explains.
"Metalsound had attacked Glowstrike so they made her a slave like the Mini-Cons as punishment," Strongarm added.
Metalsound let out a soft whimper in confirmation, she just wanted the darn thing off, "Then what are we waiting for?" Grimlock asked, "Let's get them off already."
"Hold on. Who's Glowstrike?" Windblade asked.
"One of the leaders of the new Decepticon group on Decepticon Island, Steeljaw told me about her, he said she's quite fierce and none of them really likes her because of the way she is."
Fixit started working on getting the collars off while Strongarm explained, flinching when Metalsound started growling at the mention of Glowstrike, "Please don't bite me."
Metalsound just snorted as Fixit unlocked the collar and binds on her wings. Transforming she stretched her aching limbs, "I am going to kill that femme."
"Now Metalsound, calm down, you need to rest a bit before going off into a fight," Bumblebee tries to calm her.
"Yeah yeah I know. And Strongarm, do some research on Wolf-Cons," she told the cadet. She still had Steeljaw's scent on her.
"Why?"
"No reason. You can never learn too much."
"That's true. Fixit, will you help me?"
"Sure thing Strongarm."
They head to the computer and look up Wolf-Cons, many stuff shows up about them and they scan through it all, until something catches Fixit's attention, "Sweet Solus Prime!"
"What's the matter Fixit?"
"Wait, did you and Steeljaw interface while he was holding you?"
"How did Metalsound know?" She asked quietly to Fixit.
"So you did?" He asked looking surprised.
"Just don't tell anyone please."
"Oh dear, dear, dear, dear, dear..." Strongarm slaps him on his back, "Dear! Thank you. My lips are sealed, and I think Metalsound could smell Steeljaw's scent on you, Wolf-Cons do have a powerful sense of smell after all. But there is a situation."
"Oh? What is it?"
"According to this Wolf-Cons mate by having sex. Steeljaw made you his mate when you two had sex, you now belong to him for the rest of your life."
Strongarm looked at the screen, reading it over, "That...son of a..." She couldn't get the words out she was so furious, "Metalsound!"
The sleeping Predacon bolted up from her sleep, "I didn't eat the chocolate cookies!"
"Metalsound, why didn't anyone tell me that I would become Steeljaw's mate by having sex with him!?"
"Wait what?" Bumblebee asks in complete shock.
Scrap!
Metalsound facepalmed, "I thought you didn't want the others to know," Fixit stated.
"Uh Rusty, why don't you go play with the other kids," Danny shooed his son out.
"But-" Russell began protesting but Danny closed the door.
Strongarm vents out a sigh before looking at Bumblebee, "Yes sir, I had sex with Steeljaw and now I am his mate," she then looked at Metalsound, "Why didn't anyone tell me?"
"I just found out about you two, and you two should have talked about that before doing anything."
"How was I supposed to know!? I thought having sex with him would be the same as any other mech, it didn't occur to me that I might become his mate, it wouldn't have even occurred to me to ask him about it!"
Metalsound sighed trying to figure out how to explain this, "Unlike normal bots like Sideswipe..."
"Hey!" Sideswipe yells.
"Who can have sex when and with whoever they want..." Metalsound continues, "Look, I'm not even sure how to explain it myself. Sometimes it just happens while sometimes you just know it's the one you're meant to be with," like she was meant to be with Thunderhoof.
"Yeah," Strongarm then sits down on a step, "I'm not even ready to have a mate yet, I'm still young. Why didn't he tell me?" She asks as she puts her servos on her helm.
Metalsound joined the femme, "Maybe he just didn't think about it at the time, it happens sometimes. Or maybe he really cares about you. I mean he hasn't come after us yet, that has to count for something. Right?"
"I suppose you're right. But I still wish he would have told me, I'm not ready to be anyone's mate just yet."
"Not to mention Ultra Magnus is going to be furious," Metalsound put in.
"Yes, he is."
Bumblebee walks over to her and hugs her, "I'm so sorry Strongarm, I'm so sorry."
Strongarm felt numb. What was she going to do now? She would be lying if she didn't say that she was a little scared.
"Lieutenant? What's gonna happen to me now that I'm a 'Con criminal's mate?"
"You're not the only one," Metalsound replied softly, "But I know I'm meant to be with him now. If it comes to it I'd rather be right there by his side."
"I'm still trying to figure things out."
"What did you say to Steeljaw anyway? You left him a note."
"Thanks for putting that out there Metalsound," she replies kind of snappy.
"Sorry."
"Just said I was sorry for leaving him as I did and I love him."
"I hate to break this up but we need to come up with a plan to get onto Decepticon Island and take down all the 'Cons," Bumblebee cuts in.
"Getting there should be no problem. What about the ventilation system?" Toolbox puts in, "It leads throughout the ship and we should be able to capture all of the Decepticons."
"But where are we gonna put them all? We don't have enough pods," Optimus points out.
"We have more stasis pods on the island," Toolbox replied.
"But is it enough?"
"With so few Autobots will it be enough to take out an army?" Drift asked.
"That was gonna be my next question actually."
Metalsound sat down, hunched over as she played a song on her cannon. Closing her optics she tried to think. The ventilation was connected throughout the ship, so there was one vent in each room, "What if we make a stasis bomb? We can use the ventilation system so no matter where they are they'll still get caught in the blast," Metalsound stated.
"Yes, that's good."
"We need something that can hold the bomb," says Windblade.
"Then let's get to looking," Grimlock replied as he and Metalsound went to start looking.
Strongarm gets up, she can't just sit there feeling sorry for herself, she needs to take action and she needs to help out her team.
