Override plopped down on the transformer-sized sofa they had put in their "bases" wreck room. She flipped through the channels on the large screen they had on the wall. The autobots were fond of earth TV and movies, though couldn't find anything they wanted to watch. On the couch with her were bumblebee and sideswipe. Ratchet was sitting in a chair to the side, though he was more interested in fiddling with a gadget in his arm. Behind them, crosshairs was leaning against the wall, humming, apparently content in his boredom. Hound was currently on surveillance duty and mirage was sparring with drift in the training room. As usual, optimus was alone in his quarters, doing only ratchet knows what.
Since the autobots had been forcibly withdrawn from public view, they were much less active. To this end, their new base was primarily for their use, with very little human presence, unless it was important. Though, the human group that they were once aligned with, NEST, contacted them less and less, as if distancing themselves from them.
Override sighed, she had hoped that NASCAR would be on, but she couldn't find it. She finally settled on The Wizard of OZ, which nobody seemed to object to. It was the scene where the scarecrow is introduced, and she smiled. For some reason he kinda reminded her of Bee, who would sometimes act before thinking. It was hard to enjoy the movie though because all she could hear were the wreckers in the next room, who were arguing about something. She had been told that before she came to earth, the wreckers stayed with the autobots ship instead of at the base. She couldn't really remember what life without the trio was like but imagined that it was nice and quiet.
The buzzing of ratchets comm went off but he ignored it. it was most likely hound. ratchet was supposed to take over surveillance duty about two hours ago but decided to let hound wait. ratchet silently resented hound. ratchet was one of optimus' oldest freinds and has fought with him the whole time on earth, yet hound was made his second in command upon his arrival. ratchet understood that hound was more of a warrior than him, a lot like ironhide and was his friend as well. But, after ironhides unfortunate demise, ratchet seemed to be optimus' new second in command, yet it was then given to hound when he came to earth. the issue was not as much of rathcet wanting the position as him just being insulted by being pushed aside. that he may simply be "the medic" to them
Later, after the movie, override flipped onto the news. It was talking about an abandoned race track out past the city limits where teens would race their cars at night. Override's eyes suddenly flared brighter and a big grin formed.
"don't even think about it, you" came ratchet's voice
"oh come on ratch, this is a god send"
"you know optimus isn't fond of you going out and speeding around the state, let alone going out to an illegal race at night with a bunch of human teens"
"that's why im going now"
"what!"
"sorry ratchet, but I got too much pent up energy, and an abandoned race track is just too good an opportunity to pass up. I'll make it up to the big guy afterwards. Anyone else care to join?"
A few minutes later she was speeding down the highway. She had figured bumblebee and sideswipe would join her and she was right. They followed behind her, followed by crosshairs and the wreckers. She didn't like the wreckers coming but they were racers as much as she was. Ratchet said he would cover for them.
"I just called in a favor to NEST, they'll kill any cameras at the race track and listen for any human authority responses, just be careful, all of you" his voice came over the comms
"thanks ratch"
"please be careful override, you go a lot faster than most bots I've seen. Who knows how the strain could affect your body"
"no need to worry ratchet, I was built for speed"
"yeah you were!" bumblebee added.
After about an hour they got there and wasted no time. Lap after lap they raced, laughing and joking the whole time. It had been quite some time since they were able to cut loose and have fun like this. Override even enjoyed the wreckers, who were blaring Wolves of the Sea and singing along with it like a bunch of drunken fools.
"this really was a good idea, override" bumblebee said
"I know, this just feels so right"
"It would be nice to transform and race on foot but any humans could still wonder in"
"yeah well, wheels beat feet any day in my book"
"OVERRIDE!" a harsh voice called out
The autobots all stopped and turned to see two vehicle charge through the tunnel into the track. One was a red motorcycle and the other was a green GMC that was almost as large as a monster truck. They transformed and override recognized them immediately.
"ransack, crumplezone! What the hell are you doing here?"
"we came to pay you back, you sleazy traitor" ransack spat
"what?!"
The other autobots had transformed gathered near her, already scornful towards the new arrivals.
"We came here to get revenge on you for what you did to us. You slipped away with the autobots and left the rest of us to die!"
"what do you mean die, I left you in charge"
"then split just in time to save your own aft"
"I don't know what your…"
"you're gonna get yours, gear grinder" crumplezone cut her off
"yeah we didn't care what it took, we were gonna see to it that you got what was coming to ya, even if it meant working with the worst of the worst"
"Autobots! Multiple decepticon targets heading your way, we are en route, ETA 8 minutes" optimus' voice boomed over all their commlinks
"bee you get that" ratchets voice came next
"yeah, we got it. Bots, Heat em' up!"
"what did you do?!" override fumed at the duo, who quickly transformed and sped out of the track
"have fun, see you in the scrap heap" ransack shouted back
No sooner had they vanished than the far wall of the stadium exploded and a swarm of decepticons poured in. from the amount of their force, it seemed as if the last of the decepticons forces on earth had all gathered together. Most of the decepticons looked the same, a uniform design of purple and grey with masked, featureless faces. Before anyone could react the autobots were peppered with fire; then it was all out battle. Many of the decepticons fell, but they fought with just as much tenacity as ever. One, who was carrying a large cannon, took aim at bumblebee, charged the shot and fired. Override looked on in horror when suddenly sideswipe skated in out of nowhere and shoved bee aside, taking the full power of the shot. Sideswipe was thrown backwards but remained standing, for a moment. A large whole had been blown clear through his upper body and after a moment, he fell backwards to the ground. Bumblebee rushed to his side while override and crosshairs gunned down the decepticon shooter.
"sideswipe?" bee said softly
They all looked to bee, who slowly moved his head back and forth. He was gone.
The autobots all froze in horror, a moment that the vile decepticons capitalized on. One sent a grenade flying, which landed at the feet of the wreckers, right between the three of them. In an explosion that rocked the whole stadium, the wreckers were scattered, literally. Topspin was killed instantly by the blast, his pieces decorated the track. Most of roadbusters head was vaporized and his body was sent flying backwards like a rag doll into the stands. Leadfoot lost one of his legs and his chest was torn apart but he was alive; alive enough to roll over and blow the head off of the con who had lopped the grenade.
"ya killed my buddies ya fuckin bastard!"
The stadium was suddenly filled with a thunderous horn as optimus came barreling into the stadium. He transformed flawlessly and launched himself into the fray, taking out multiple decepticons. He was followed by ratchet, hound, mirage and drift, who likewise joined the battle, plowing through the enemy. Ratchet used his saw to slice a cons head clear in half when he noticed the fallen autobots, instantly rushing to check on them.
"bumblebee, mirage, cover ratchet!" optimus shouted from the other side of the stadium
As bumblebee ran over to join ratchet and mirage, he was suddenly tackled by two cons. They held him down and cocked their weapons when they were suddenly tackled by override.
Ratchet realized quickly that sideswipe was dead, with a deeply saddened mirage looking over his shoulder.
"hey doc, im leakin lubricant over here!" leadfoot yelled.
Ratchet stood slowly and as he turned he put a comforting hand on mirages shoulder. He then sprinted across the battle field, guns blazing, towards his next patient. Mirage stood in silence over his friends body before a fire was ignited in his spark. With a furious and uncharacteristic battle cry he charged in to battle, flinging his arms about, his blades slashing cons left and right. Because of this, bee took off to give ratchet his cover. Override was about to join him when she took a few shots to the chest. They were not serious, but she was forced to drop down onto her knee.
In that moment she surveyed the battle. optimus was dukeing it out with a larger decepticon that was giving him a real fight. Hound was smashing and blasting cons effortlessly. Crosshairs and drift were back to back, one shooting with everything he had, the other slashing his swords in every direction. She could see bee, who was providing cover fire for ratchet, who was tending to leadfoot. She then turned and saw mirage, who fearlessly tackled 3 decepticons at once, which proved to be a mistake. The three overpowered him and piled on top of him. Override hoped to her feet and charged forward. She could see mirages legs kicking underneath them. She thought he was fighting back, until one of the cons held up his severed arm. She started firing madly with her blaster in their direction, blowing holes in the decpeticons backs. When she got to them the decepticons were slumped over and lifeless. She rolled them over to look at mirage; his left arm had indeed been ripped off and he had many gashes and punctures in his chest. He coughed furiously and energon poured from his body.
"oh primus, no. RATCHET!" she called and he looked over towards them
"go ratchet, I'll watch leadfoot" bee yelled
"are you sure?"
"get go'in doc, they need ya more than I do!" the wrecker spat
As ratchet made his way across the field, the battle reached its end. Most of the decepticons were dead and the last few fled. Optimus surveyed the area with a heavy heart.
"wooo, hell yeah we won" crosshairs shouted
He saw drift shaking his head in disagreement and was suddenly slapped in in the back of the head by hound. He then turned to see all the carnage the battle had caused, as well as their casualties.
"there's no victory here" hound said soberly a he took out his cygar
"hound, please contact NEST and alert them of the situation, and ask them to send support" optimus said lowly
"aye aye prime"
"it's not good, he's too far gone, his spark is fading" ratchet looked up at override
Mirage reached out his hand and ratchet clasped it with both of his.
"well, this sucks"
"save your breath mirage"
Optimus and the others all gathered around.
"thank you, all of you, it has been an honor to fight, for freedom, alongside you all. This is how I would want it anyway. Falling in the glory of battle rather than slowly rusting over the ages, no offense ratchet.
"none taken" ratchet chuckled softly
"Optimus prime, it has been a real honor"
"that it has"
"I never could see what you saw in humanity, but I am still proud to have protected them"
With that, mirages eyes began to flicker before finally going dark. Ratchet clasped his hand even tighter before finally loosening his grip, letting mirages hand fall onto his chest. The bodies of sideswipe, topspin and roadbuster were brought over and laid alongside his and optimus lead the autobots in a mournful solute to their comrades.
"go my friends, join with the allspark, and be at peace"
Overrides hands wouldn't move, they just hung limply at her sides as she stared down at them. Her spark was bursting was sadness and regret as she looked at the lost friends.
"this is all my fault"
more to come soon, next chapter hopefully done tomorrow