AN: Well, it may not be such a short chapter after all but there will be at least two for the episode. Yay me! BTW expect a rather big twist the next chapter, I dunno how you´ll react so fingers crossed!
"Prime? PRIME!"
Their day had started with their human liaison screaming from the speaker on the control panel. No surprises there as far as the angry bellowing went, the man tended to do that a lot, mainly when destruction of giant robot fighting proportions happened, but none of them had caused any incidents worthy of yelling recently.
Optimus approached the console, prepared to deal with a multitude of situations and even an audio-full of reprimands. "Special Agent Fowler, to what do we owe-"
"What else? Cons." Fowler interrupted the Prime, not wanting to bother with pleasantries and waste whatever precious time he had left. "I chased them off with some hard ordinance but not before they blew me out of the sky. They tried to smash and grab for the Dingus."
"The what´s it?" Arcee asked, clearly unsure if she had heard correctly.
"Dynamic Nuclear Generation System aka Dingus. A very volatile prototype energy source being developed in the highest of secrecy." Radical didn´t even look up from the holopad Mayhem had lent him, using it a sort of laptop after connecting it to the internet.
The government agent narrowed his eyes and resisted the urge to raise his voice. He did not like yelling at kids, even if they were alien robots. "And you know that how?"
"I may or may not have hacked into a few government databases to kill time."
"That is your definition of killing time?! Stealing confidential USA property is a crime, young man- erm… bot."
"Oh, come on, Agent Fowler, he didn´t hurt anyone. He was just having some fun." Doomsday went up to the console and smiled at the man. "What´s the harm in it?"
"Fun is playing a game, what he did was high treason!" He was more than ready to pop a blood vessel.
"Meh, details." The Forger shrugged with a smirk and he almost did so.
"Moving on, why would Starscream bother with such primitive technology?" Ratchet intervened before the agent had an aneurism. Doomsday was not what one would call ´parenting material´ of the highest grade, more of high-grade than anything, and it drove him near barking mad to see her let Radical do whatever he pleased as if he were the age of the other two young Makers.
"Well, perhaps our little hacker would like to explain, since he knows so much about a supposedly classified project." Fowler looked at the not at all guilty-looking sparkling.
With a sigh Radical turned off the holopad and set it down. "It´s an energy source but it could double as a very effective explosive. Like, for example, if I were to meltdown it would irradiate whichever state Agent Fowler is in and others in a four-state radius."
"Merely out of curiosity, may I ask which state you are in?" Airachnid leaned forward, making Ratchet unconsciously step aside. With a quick look she did not bother to banter with the skittish medic, the likelihood of being caught in an explosion taking first place over her love of badgering the mech.
"I´m a sitting duck here, Prime, I need you to spin up your bridge and send up the Dingus to its destination before the Cons come back for it."
"Good luck with that." Doomsday cut in once again. "If something happens and there is a meltdown you could say goodbye to the USA, as in not just a couple of states but all fifty. Trust me, if anyone knows explosives it´s me."
"I knew it!" Ratchet pointed an accusatory digit at the femme. Widely used misconception his aft.
Forgers may have come from Solus, one of the thirteen Primes, but they had also inherited the desire to create weapons with sizeable destructive abilities. For all the armor one could make it did not protect against a weapon made with the right materials by the servos of a Forger, they did not need to learn or study to build what their sparks desired as they were created with innate knowledge worthy of Solus herself.
"Oh, weld your intake hole shut, will you?" Another digit was pointed back at him along with an annoyed look.
"So… anyone has a better idea? I can´t sit here forever, you know?" If the Decepticons didn't finish him off his superior would for taking too long to deliver the cargo.
Optimus raised a servo to placate the increasingly aggravated human. "Do not fret, Agent Fowler, we shall do the transporting ourselves. I shall haul the device while my team acts as an escort."
"And what makes you think the Dingus won´t meltdown when you go through a literal bump in the road?"
"Because there is one of us that instinctively knows her way around any type of equipment and machinery." The Prime gestured to the Forger. "Doomsday, you will be riding with it in case something happens."
"Say what again?" Her audio receptors must have been malfunctioning because that was not something she´d ever expect from him.
"We require your abilities to-"
"I heard you the first time, but are you aware you´re pretty much offering me time alone with a highly volatile piece of equipment?"
"Whoa, I had no idea you felt that way, Optimus." Mayhem snickered and could not contain her laughter.
Optimus felt out of his element when dealing with the Makers on certain occasions and was aware that sometimes language did not translate as intended. "I am afraid I do not understand what you are talking about."
"To keep it short you´ve just unintentionally propositioned Doomsday, offer a Forger something they´ve never seen, dangerous alien technology is on top of that list, and that´s how it´s interpreted." Solarflare wondered why they hadn´t yet went over the dos and don´ts between the two factions and figured mainly because no one wanted to address such awkward topics. "We really need to work through some cultural differences here."
"Could you please wrap up this sitcom cliché and send me help?" He did not want to think about how giant alien robots went about doing things that should only be done behind closed doors. "Today would be ideal."
"Woops, sorry." Doomsday turned to Optimus and gave him an apologetic smile. "It´s alright, I understood what you meant, it was just really unexpected hearing something like that after a long time. I´ll go and keep it safely contained, you can count on me."
"Very well." He then looked at the spider-femme waiting to be dismissed along with other Makers. "Airachnid, we may also need your help."
"Say what again?"
"Move it, gramps!"
The sudden honking almost made the two femmes riding inside the trailer jump to their pedes in alarm. They couldn't see the outside so any loud noises made their sparks almost jump out of their casings.
"Hey, Optimus, what´s with all the noise?!" Doomsday bellowed into her comm link. "You want Flare to have to calibrate my audio receptors when we get back or something? Maybe add a little spark failure to the mix?"
"I apologize, Doomsday." Optimus hadn´t been able to legally pass the vehicle in front of them so the man behind the wheel had taken on his hands to honk until the poor human had went off-road and allowed them to accelerate. "Agent Fowler, was that really necessary?"
"Aww, don´t tell me you´re one of those textbook drivers?" He crossed his arms in a huff. Prime could fight like there was no tomorrow but did not like honking, go figure.
Back inside the trailer the Forger signed in relief and go back to her previous actions, mainly peeking through the metal crate´s grating to try and discern what the Dingus looked like. She hoped it would prove to be better than the awful name, wondering what poor sap had though it up.
Doomsday pressed her faceplates closer to the container, if that was possible, and reached into her subspace to bring out a small lantern to illuminate the inside of the crate. "I wonder what the wiring is like. Damn, it´s took dark to take a proper look."
"How can you be so calm?" Arcee had been on edge ever since she stepped inside the trailer and sat down a reasonable distance away from the potentially dangerous device that squeaked and swayed with the movement, even if it was held down securely.
"What do you mean?"
"We´re transporting what could be classified as a mass-destruction device while looking out for Cons. If something goes wrong lives will be lost and we´re at ground zero if that goes down."
"Meh, I dunno." The femme gave up and opted to just lean against the crate. "To be honest I´ve done crazier things. I mean, I built the armor for M- hey, do I hear a helicopter?" She´d halted herself before saying anything Solarflare would not have liked. Opening up her comm to Optimus once again she posed her question. "I didn´t know Airachnid was gonna come in now."
"She is not. Our assailants are not Decepticons, they are human."
When he hadn´t recognized the green helicopter or cars that had initiated pursuit, Optimus had a bad feeling in his spark about the enemy they were about to face. Humans and Cybertronians weren´t that different, be it in emotions, familial ties and, unfortunately, warfare. Infighting was commonplace in the relatively young planet´s history and when a masked and armored human pointed a weapon at Agent Fowler from one of the car that had drawn up to his cab that his suspicions were confirmed.
Optimus had to swerve to the side and bump the car hard enough for it to lose enough control and miss the shot, aiming at the ground instead and producing a sizeable blast. Doomsday and Arcee were thrown around in the confined space and while the two-wheeler opted for kneeling down the Forger instantly grabbed onto the crate.
"It´s gonna be a really bumpy ride." Doomsday held herself closer to the potentially dangerous device. They couldn´t steal it before she had the chance to even look at it.
"Autobots, maintain your cover and apply minimal force, disarmament only." Optimus commed everyone with the orders. They had promised not to endanger human lives while staying on Earth, breaking that oath could have serious consequences, even if it was in self-defense.
"Oh, you´ve got to be- if they´re willing to kill they´re willing to die! Just because they´re human doesn´t mean those guys are the epitome of precious lives!"
"Doomsday! You heard Optimus, maintain cover and use minimal force." Arcee chastised the Forger and got only an undignified huff in response.
Outside Bumblebee managed to knock one of the cars to sending it out of control, causing it to bump into a patch of rocks and flip over, both humans inside unharmed but unable to continue their pursuit.
Another car drove up alongside Optimus on the other side and one of the masked soldiers maned to climb onto Optimus and begin attempting to sever the trailer with a laser on his oversized gun.
Fowler noticed the attempt at gaining the upper hand and had an idea. "Prime, veer right!"
The Autobot leader knocked onto the car driving alongside him and managed to push it off the mountainside road and over the short cliff, leaving it also flipped over and the driver unharmed. The soldier attempting to sever the trailer, however, was able to hold on, despite having lost balance at the sudden impact.
The government agent had reached his limit when concerning their assailants and decided to take matters into his own hands. He climbed out of the moving truck to the back and grabbed the man, pulling him back and dangling him over the edge, making the masked soldier lose his gun in the process.
"You´re gonna tell me everything I wanna-" A tree branch smacked the guy from Fowler´s grip before he could properly start the interrogation. He felt like using very colorful language but opted to only climb back inside to safety.
It wasn´t even a second past after he´d put on his seatbelt when his walkie-talkie came to life, the voice of a man coming though the communication device. "I do hope you take better care of the Dingus than you do your captives."
"Special Agent William Fowler here, identify yourself!"
"I am Silas. But of greater consequences to you, we are MECH. Fair warning, we will be help ourselves to your device, even if it means inflicting casualties." That voice could only belong to one of the men in the helicopter, Fowler was sure of it.
"Is that so? Tell me, Si, what´s the market price for a Dingus these days?"
"What makes you think we intent to sell it, Agent Fowler? 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." And they would guaranteed to be that side with the latest piece of equipment they were about to acquire.
One of the cars approached Optimus from behind and shot three metal darts at the trailer´s back door and, with the push of a button, blew the latches off and the door began to open.
"Doomsday, hide!" Arcee turned into her alt-mode and displayed a holoform on the driver´s place, ready to take off.
The Forger hid behind the crate, glad she didn´t have wings or a bulkier frame. "Good luck!"
With a rev of her engine the two wheeler accelerated and jumped out, landing on top of the car where the shooter was preparing to jump onto the trailer, making it loose control and flip, then crash into another car and causing both to explode. Scrap, she would be getting an audio-full from Optimus when it was all over. It wasn´t her fault they thought it was a good idea to pack explosives.
Silas was not amused. Those were definitely civilian drivers as previously though and good soldiers did not come cheap.
"Later, Si!" Fowler said his final goodbye to the man and cut off the call. They had no idea who they were messing with, who´d be a better driver than beings that had been literally born for the road?
"Agent Fowler, do not take your Silas lightly, Megatron preached the same ideology before plunging Cybertron into the great war that destroyed our world."
Optimus remembered their planet back its pre-war state, brimming with life and home to many innocents. He was just a mere naïve data clerk when he was persuaded by the words of Megatronus, a gladiator who´d begun as a lowly miner, to believe in a Cybertron free of greed and corruption. They bonded over their desire to see their planet flourish under a rightful government but along the way the words he´d once heard began sounding… wrong. It was there, before the Council, that it all came together and Optimus severed his ties to Megatron, their friendship forever lost to the horrors of the war closing in.
"Optimus, prepare to initiate phase two." Ratchet´s voice through the comm brought the Autobot leader out of his thoughts. "Just up ahead you will reach the rendezvous point."
"No doubt, here´s our destination point." Fowler pointed out at the sight of the rail tunnel under the mountain.
"Autobots, keep a tight formation." It was time to put phase two into action and Optimus hoped Doomsday would do just as he´d instructed.
They accelerated and ducked to go through the train passage, ignoring the one meant for the passing vehicles, entering alongside the incoming train. The cars pursing them did not give and steered away from the road as well, planning on chasing the Autobots through the tunnel as well.
Bulkhead, making sure he was too far into the tunnel not to be seen, transformed into his bipedal mode and shot the tunnel entrance, causing it to collapse and sealing off their enemies on the other side. He turned into his alt-mode once again and went off to join the rest, knowing he´d be needed.
Bumblebee timed himself and jumped on top of the train in bipedal mode, banging carefully on the door, and a soldier opened to see a giant yellow robot give him a cheerful wave.
The trailer opened all sides and Arcee picked up their cargo, passing it to Bulkhead after he also jumped onto the train and and he, in turn, passed it to the scout, who put the crate safely inside.
Doomsday let out a nervous laugh. She wouldn´t have backup in case something went wrong after that. "I guess this is my stop. Bulkhead, catch me?"
"Hop on." The wrecker extended an arm.
With a decided beat the Forger jumped, got picked up by the wrecker and sat down on the carriage entrance "You may want to move to another carriage, sweetspark, I take up a little bit of room." She winked at the human who proceeded to blush and do as he was told. Mech, she figured, were not so different between species. They all fell at her pedes.
"Be safe, Doomsday." Optimus issued his last words with the femme for the time being.
"I think you´re the ones that should be careful. Good luck!" She gave them a thumbs up before climbing inside and closing the door. It was time for phase two point five.
Reaching into her subspace she brought out her portable tool kit, glad the carriages were larger ones at her request. If they wanted to survive what she predicted to be a BIG bump on the road that piece of primitive equipment needed some modifications, Forger style ones. It was a suicidal idea for an average bot, but she wasn´t average. Doomsday was the last Forger in existence and would lead her life making use of her skills to help the Makers regain the status given to them by Solus or get offlined protecting them. She prayed it wasn´t option two, losing her spark did not suit her at all.
AN: We´ve reached 50k under a month, how awesome is that?! Remember read and review if you want to try for 100k and more!