Disclaimer:Transformers belongs to Hasbro, Takara, etc . The only thing in this that belongs to me is Arcee's sister.
As the Nemesis travelled through space, two Vehicons entered the bridge. In their servos, they held the bound arms of their female prisoner. The prisoner's feet dragged across the bridge as the Vehicons dragged her forward towards their leader. When the prisoner was thrown to the ground and the leader turned around, their identities were revealed.
Starscream was acting as their temporary leader.
The beaten and broken prisoner was Arcee.
"They said it couldn't be done. The one called Arcee is too quick like her sister. Too stealthy to be captured as well. Well, here you are, with a rare opportunity to make history," Starscream smirked, "You see, I have intercepted this encrypted Autobot signal. And if it's encrypted, it must be important. Decode it for me and I will see to it that you perish quickly."
Arcee whimpered quietly before whispering her answer to Starscream's request.
"Speak up. I can't hear you over your whimpering," Starscream sneered.
"Get...fragged," Arcee growled.
Starscream gasped for a few moments before recovering his footing and cackling, "Perhaps you will be more inclined to operate when it's not your wellbeing at stake."
Arcee's optics widened in horror at the sound of the approaching footsteps. It didn't take long for her to figure out that the Decepticons have captured another Autobot. All she was hoping for was that they didn't capture Chromette. When she turned to her left as the prisoner was forced to his knees, she recognized him, it was Cliffjumper.
"Arcee, been a while," Cliffjumper jokes.
Just then two other Vehicons brought another Prisoner towards them, as Arcee looked to her right she saw someone that was familiar to her as she's known the Cybertronian since she was forged and born, it was her sister, Chromette.
"Sorry, Sis, I couldn't let you do it by yourself," Chromette said.
"Give me the code for the encryption! Or I will add your comrade Cliffjumper to the multitude of fallen Autobots below! I will do the same to your sister as well!" Starscream threatened.
"Scrap them. I barely know Cliffjumper and I haven't gotten along with my sister in a long time," Arcee shrugged, telling a partial truth as she lied about not getting along with her sister as they've always been close since they were born.
"Ouch! Got enough of the sensitive type?!" Cliffjumper said while Chromette gave Arcee a look that clearly read 'Really?'
"Cybertron is little more than a graveyard now. GIVE ME THE CODE!" Starscream snapped.
"It is your fault Starscream that Cybertron is a graveyard," Chromette snapped, "After all you betrayed your friend Jetfire after witnessing that Megatron could control Dark Energon and produced more Dark Energon and poisoned the Core with it!"
"Chromette's right, it was your fault Cybertron's that way. Besides, I'm not afraid of you, Starscream. You're no Megatron," Arcee snarled.
Starscream let out a roar of frustration at that. If there was one thing he was sick of, it was the fact that everyone kept on comparing him to Megatron. And not in a good way.
So he raised his hand to strike…
Arcee blinked multiple times, effectively bringing herself out of the flashback. Honestly, it was more of the colossal bang that brought her out of the memory. Looking down at the sight in front of her, she saw Bulkhead lying on the ground. Immediately, she felt sorry for her dear friend.
Ever since Bulkhead woke up, it's been one rough patch after the next. While Ratchet did say that there was a chance he would never regain full function of his frame, it didn't mean that Bulkhead was going to just give up. Not with everything he had to live for. So he was eager to begin the long process of his recovery. And Miko was naturally there to help every step of the way.
Miko was acting more like a drill sergeant than a friend or lover who wouldn't stop pushing him. If Ratchet proclaimed that Bulkhead needed a break, then he would force Bulkhead to take a break and Miko to allow Bulkhead to do so.
"Three steps, Bulkhead? That's all you can manage?" Miko said in disbelief.
"I'm sorry, Miko. My legs still hurt," Bulkhead moaned.
With shaky arms, Bulkhead pushed himself back onto his pedes. When he was back up, he was suddenly dizzy again and began stumbling on his spot, his pedes refusing to support his weight.
"What did I tell you?" Miko asked as she crossed her arms.
"No excuses," Bulkhead sighed.
"Exactly. Try again. 10 steps this time," Miko instructed.
Bulkhead began walking again, hoping to succeed in reaching ten steps. He counted each step in his processor. One… Two… Three… Four…
"I hope decoding the Iacon database is going more smoothly than Bulkhead's recovery," Ratchet remarked as he approached Optimu, who was working on decoding coordinates from the Iacon Database at the Cybertronian Computer system.
"Slow but steady, Old friend," Optimus reported, his optics never leaving the large screen.
"Human technology," Ratchet scoffed, obviously still not a fan about the planet's primitive technology or its 'primitive' race, "But your expertise should provide any edge we need to beat the Decepticons at this game."
"I fear their access to Cybertronian technology may provide them with equal advantage," Optimus rumbled when suddenly they heard a thud sound and Ratchet looked to his right and saw that Bulkhead had fallen over again. And, as usual, Miko was standing in front of him being of no help.
"Not good enough! You have to come back stronger than before," Miko scolded.
"Time for a break, Bulkhead," Ratchet decreed as he went to help Bulkhead up.
"A break?! You think the 'Cons are gonna give Bulkhead a break in the middle of a firefight?!" Miko exclaimed in disbelief.
"If you push a patient too far too fast, you risk exacerbating their injuries," Ratchet chided as he helped Bulkhead to his pedes.
"But-" Miko protested.
"Bulkhead needs to rest," Bulkhead said as he takes Bulkhead away for some rest.
Miko just growled in frustration and went to storm out of the base, yelling at the newly arrived Bumblebee who transformed and stood above her as she stood between his pedes, "Out of the way!"
"Cee, I think we should talk to her," Chromette said.
"I think your right, Chrome," Arcee said, agreeing with her sister.
Miko was sitting on a cliff on top of the Autobot base, crying when she suddenly heard someone calling her name.
"Miko?" Arcee said as she and Chromette walked towards the Japanese exchange student.
"Oh. Uh...hey guys," Miko said, "I was just…"
"Aren't we a little close to the edge?" Arcee asked Miko.
"Or are you not afraid of heights?" Chromette asked her.
"Heights don't scare me," Miko answered, saying that Chromette was correct and that she wasn't acrophobic.
"Bulkhead's coming along just fine," Arcee assured Miko.
"She's right, Miko and it's mostly due to your efforts," Chromette added, "But he needs a friend right now, not a drill sergeant and I can see in your eyes that you've fallen in love with him, like Jack is with Arcee and they're currently dating.
As she said that, Arcee was shocked, "How did you know that?" Arcee asked her twin.
"I saw you go talk to Jack privately after he infiltrated the Nemesis before we went after the four relics and knew that you both admitted your feelings to each other," Chromette answered.
"No offense, but I came up here for some privacy," Miko said.
"Miko, listen to Arcee, she knows what you're going through," Chromette told Miko.
"She's right, Miko, I understand what you're going through," Arcee said as she agreed with her sister, "If you ever want someone to talk to-"
"I'm fine, okay?! I'm not the one Hardshell tried to scrap," Miko snapped at them.
"Miko, it's rough when someone you care about gets hurt. I'm like that to Jack at times as I care for him and don't want him to get hurt in battle till we're able to turn him into a Cybertronian. Closing yourself off from feeling won't help anyone," Arcee told Miko.
"Well, Arcee you would know wouldn't you," Miko told the blue femme.
"Yes. I would," Arcee said as she looked behind at the rock pile that the autobots, including Chromette made as a gravesite for Cliffjumper, the other two turned around as well.
"Arcee, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that" Miko apologized.
"No need to apologize, Miko, you never knew him," Chromette reassured Miko.
"She's right, Miko. It's okay," Arcee agreed, "he's...been on my mind lately. After I lost my first partner, Tailgate, I pushed about everyone away."
"The only person she didn't push away was me," Chromette told Miko.
"But it wasn't until Cliffjumper came along," Arcee added.
"What was he like?" Miko asked.
"Cliff was...quite the conversationalist," Arcee answered.
"And he was as your species say he was a motormouth," Chromette added.
Three years ago, Arcee was in a cell on the Nemesis with Chromette when suddenly the door opened and two Vehicons threw Cliffjumper into the cell with them.
"Cliffjumper?" Arcee said as she and Chromette approached him.
"Are you okay?" Chromette asked.
"I…I can't…I can't believe you actually care, Arcee," Cliffjumper smirked at the blue femme.
Arcee widened her optics as she heard what the red mech just told her, "The only thing I care about is whether you talked just now," she scoffed as she and Chromette allowed Cliffjumper to stand and he approached the door and began pounding on it.
"Cliff, you didn't answer her question," Chromette said.
"I got bored with Starscream's little workout so I idled my engines and faked shutdown," Cliffjumper answered, "Scream bought it.
"How did you wind up?" Arcee asked him.
"Intercepted some chatter about a Decepticon operation on the old home planet. So I follow the trail and find Starscream shipping massive amounts of Energon here to Cybertron," Cliffjumper answered, "What's your story?"
"Same," Arcee answered.
"I came to protect Arcee and couldn't let her do it herself as I told her when we were in the bridge," Chromette answered.
"You're quite the conversationalist, Arcee," Cliffjumper told the blue femme.
"I've tried every interrogation technique, and nothing is working," Starscream snarled in frustration, "I would just eliminate the three of them, but the code they carry is too valuable. If only I could break them open and just take it!"
Soundwave said nothing. He only turned to face the window and point to a building. Immediately, Starscream understood what Soundwave was suggesting. He knew the building. After all, it was located in Kaon, the gladiator city that Megatron took as a capitol when the war began. And he knew who lived inside.
"No, I will not take the prisoners to the surface! Why should I let him have all the glory?" Starscream sneered, not liking the idea of letting this Cybertronian claiming all the credit.
"The code they carry is too valuable," Soundwave said using an audio recording of what Starscream just said.
"All right, since I must deliver the energon to him anyway," Starscream relented.
Soon Starscream was transporting Energon to kaon with Vehicons, who were escorting Arcee, Chromette and Cliffjumper in Energon bonds.
"So this is kaon, huh? Love what you Decepticons have done with the place," Cliffjumper said, playing dumb with Starscream and the Vehicons, "The ruins are especially picturesque."
"Silence," Starscream snapped, already annoyed with Cliffjumper's constant chatter and then one of the Vehicons walking with them hit Cliffjumper in the back with his blaster, indicating that he wanted the Autobot prisoner to move fast and without delay.
Eventually, they arrived at the destination Starscream wanted to take them too. The building housed a laboratory filled with all kinds of Cybertronian equipment and experiments conducted by a scientist that would be considered dangerous. Deep down inside, Cliffjumper, Chromette and Arcee sort of knew what they could expect. They didn't know what exactly would happen or who would be delivering the tortures. But they knew that it was going to be bad.
"Here we are," Starscream sneered as they walked into the room.
"That's not a good sign," Cliffjumper Cliffjumper couldn't help but remark as Starscream analyzed the scientific tools laid out before them.
"Agreed," Chromette said as she couldn't help but agree with him.
"Since, I could not compel you to surrender the encryption code, I'm forced to introduce you to someone whose methods are a little more...persuasive," Starscream smirked deviously.
When they heard the sounds of loud, echoing footsteps, Arcee, Chromette and Cliffjumper turned around. When the figure emerged from the shadows, they recognized him. They recognized the sturdy frame. The mostly purple paintwork with bits of black and blue. The one red optic filling his face plate. A hyperflux cannon for an arm. Any Cybertronian would recognize him. Even if they were only familiar with the work of this genius but dangerously mad scientist.
"We may be in a little more trouble than we thought," Cliffjumper said, stating the obvious.
"Shockwave," Chromette muttered.
"Autobots, say hello to Shockwave," Starscream introduced.
No sooner than had Starscream made the introductions, they set off to work. Cliffjumper, Chromette and Arcee all found themselves strapped to the experimental slabs slanted against the wall. Starscream began gloating while Shockwave prepared his equipment for work.
Delivering a mountain of Energon, intercepting an encrypted Autobot communiqué and capturing three key prisoners is impressive. I admit. But Lord Megatron expects nothing less from his first lieu-" Starscream stopped gloating when he saw the look Shockwave was giving him, "I should let you work, right? No doubt you are trying to concentrate. Carry on."
Happy with the silence, Shockwave immediately grabbed one end of a Cortical Psychic Patch, a device invented by Decepticons that would enable them to enter the minds of their prisoners and learn everything they needed to know from them, and attached it to the back of his own helm.
As Shockwave did so, Arcee began to slowly realize what was going to happen. Immediately, she used the sharp metal highlights on her wrist and began cutting at the binds that held her pinned to the slab. Cliffjumper and Chromette watched as she did so. And prayed that she would manage to escape.
"I'm, Shockwave, are you certain you can extract the decryption code without first nullifying our subject's neural net?" Starscream inquired.
"I invented the cortical physic patch. I am familiar with its idiosyncrasies," Shockwave answered.
"Of course you are," Starscream chuckled nervously, knowing what would happen if he questioned Shockwave's methods.
Slowly, but dangerously, Shockwave made his way towards the bound Arcee. Knowing what was about to happen, Arcee began struggling even more. Every Autobot knew what the cortical psychic patch was and what it could do. And they didn't want the patch to be used on them if the other end was connected to a Decepticon.
"Keep that thing away from me, you one-eyed freak!" Arcee exclaimed as she tried to move away.
"Leave her alone! Use it on me!" Cliffjumper pleaded.
"Do not worry. If her mind does not survive the procedure, and the same happens to her twin, then it will be your turn," Shockwave promised,
"Please don't use that on any of us!" Chromette begged.
Then he stuck the other end of the patch on the back of Arcee's helm. Hearing her gasp in shock and pain, Chromette and Cliffjumper both froze in horror. For Arcee, it felt as if her mind was going blank. But she knew that wasn't true. But there was one thing that was true.
He was extracting the code from her processor.
"Ah, the code," Starscream sighed happily as he noticed the code fill the screens.
Shockwave harshly yanked the cortical psychic patch off of Arcee's helm. Cliffjumper and Chromette both watched in anger as Arcee gasped in pain at the electricity coursing through her helm at the action before slumping unconscious against the slab.
"Arcee! Arcee!" Cliffjumper cried before snarling at Starscream and Shockwave, "I'll scrap you both!"
"Sis! Sis!" Chromette cried before snarling with anger at the two Decepticon lieutenants, "I'll scrap the both of you as well!"
"Both of you, shut up! I'm trying to listen!" Starscream snapped as the decrypted message began playing.
"This is Optimus Prime. To all surviving Autobots who hear this message, I ask you to join me in a remote corner of the galaxy, on a small planet rich with Energon. I have reason to believe this world will soon become a new target of Decepticon conquest. Our team is small but strong. Join me at these coordinates so that we might plan our resistance. Safe journeys."
Worriedly, Cliffjumper and Chromette turned to face Arcee, who cracked one optic open and winked at him before beginning to work on her binds once again. But there was no reason to hope just yet. The Decepticons managed to decode the message Optimus sent out.
"Ahh! Brilliant! Not only do we know where to find Optimus Prime, but he's begging for help. Now is the time to strike!" Starscream proclaimed.
"You two are no longer of use," Shockwave said as he aimed his hyperflux cannon at Cliffjumper.
"Hey, Scream. Curious, you always let other 'Cons do your dirty work?" Cliffjumper asked cheekily.
"Shockwave! You already disposed of one of my prisoners. Cliffjumper and Chromette are mine," Starscream snarled.
"Your reasoning is hardly logical," Shockwave protested before relenting, "But indulge yourself."
With those words said, Shockwave left the room with two Vehicons, intending to let Starscream do his business, finish what he had started and clean up his own mess. Immediately, Starscream headed towards the equipment laid out on the table.
"What do you think, Cliffjumper? Starscream asked as he reached for a prod, "Plenty to choose from here as I'm going to finish you off before I deal with Chromette. Shall we go with precise dissection or blunt force?"
Cliffjumper and Chromette saw that Arcee has removed one of her bonds on the slab and she looked at them.
"Your choice, scream. Whatever you pick, I'm just gonna end up using it you," Cliffjumper retorted.
"Very well," Starscream said before approaching Cliffjumper, "Why don't we do this the old fashioned way?"
To his surprise, he was jumped from behind. Someone grabbed his servo and pulled him away from Cliffjumper. Turning around, he saw that his attacker was Arcee, who had successfully managed to free herself from her binds against the slab. With swift and fluid movements, Arcee kicked Starscream onto the slab and used the binds to pin his wrists down.
"No! No!" Starscream whimpered.
"Thanks for the save," Cliffjumper told Arcee as she undid the binds on his wrists. Arcee then walked over to the other side of the room and undid Chromette's binds as well.
"Thanks, Sis," Chromette said.
"Your turn, Starscream. What is with all the Energon?" Arcee demanded as she and her sister and Cliffjumper approached the defenseless Decepticon second in command.
"As if I would tell you!" Starscream sneered.
"Talk! Or you're a science experiment! I'm not kidding!" Arcee threatened as she went for the equipment.
"You should probably tell her something. I'm not sure how long I can hold her back," Cliffjumper smirked, clearly enjoying this.
"Cliff's right you should tell my sister something," Chromette said, knowing that Arcee has anger problems.
"I'm no expert on this. But I know one slipup can fry a neural net," Arcee warned as she held up the cortical psychic patch.
Starscream yelped in fear before blurting, "Shockwave! He's the one you want! He's building a Space Bridge below Kaon!"
"Impossible. Space Bridge technology's been lost for mega-cycles," Arcee said with confusion,
"She's right," Chromette said, "No one's been able to create a Space Bridge since Cosmic rust infected the Cybertronian colony worlds which Sentinel Zeta Prime destroyed the Space Bridges to stop the spread of the disease."
"And yet he managed! Shockwave never left Cybertron precisely so he could scavenge parts and reverse-engineer Space Bridge mechanics!" Starscream clarified.
"And you just delivered all the Energon he needs to power it up," Cliffjumper surmised.
"While it often pains me, I try to be a team player," Starscream chuckled.
Having grown annoyed with Starscream, Arcee knocked him out by delivering a hard punch before walking away, "Come on, Chrome."
"You two going somewhere?" Cliffjumper asked.
"To take down a Space Bridge," Arcee answered.
"Without me?" Cliffjumper asked, playfully.
"This'll require stealth, not chatter," Arcee stated.
"Sis, I think, We'll need Cliffjumper's help," Chromette suggested.
"Oh, you mean the chatter that distracted Starscream long enough for you to free yourself? And Chromette's got a point, you both might need my help," Cliffjumper said.
Cliffjumper had her there. As much as Arcee hated to admit it, if it weren't for Cliffjumper, she never would've managed to free herself and jump Starscream. In fact, if it weren't for Cliffjumper, she'd be dead along side Chromette. They'd probably might need his help as well.
"Just try not to slow us down," Arcee relented.
The first place that Arcee, Chromette and Cliffjumper searched were the underground tunnels. Starscream did say that Shockwave was building a Space Bridge underneath Kaon. So the tunnel system that ran beneath the city was their safest bet. Neither of them were unsure of the idea. But they could have gone one level lower and travelled through the sewage systems, which, even to this day, was still filled with waste and other stuff that made Cybertronians cringe in disgust.
"You know where your going?" Cliffjumper asked Arcee as he and Chromette followed her.
"Trust her, Cliff, her unit used these tunnels during the war,". Chromette told Cliffjumper.
"She's right, they're part of Old Cybertron," Arcee said as they began climbing over the bodies of Cybertron's fallen that blocked their path.
"The sooner we blow the Bridge, the sooner we join up with Optimus Prime," Cliffjumper stated.
"Give him my regards," Arcee said.
"Did you not hear Prime's message? He needs us," Cliffjumper told the blue femme.
"Cliffjumper, teamwork isn't her thing and I've been trying to get her to stop thinking like that," Chromette told Cliffjumper.
"You have but it hasn't worked yet," Arcee told her sister, before speaking to Cliffjumper "After we finish this, you and I go our separate ways, Cliffjumper."
"Whatever you say, Partner," Cliffjumper said.
"Let's get one thing straight, Cliffjumper," Arcee said as she turned to face him, "You are not my partner."
"Arcee, I know it's rough. I really do," Cliffjumper said, Chromette knew what he was talking about so she didn't say anything.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Arcee said walking away.
"Tailgate," Cliffjumper said, causing Arcee to freeze as the painful memories of Airachnid killing Tailgate resurfaced, "Closing yourself off from feeling to about everyone won't help anyone."
Cliffjumper's voice as he said that line was combined with Miko as she repeated what Arcee told her earlier, "Sounds familiar," Miko remarked, knowingly.
"Good advice is good advice," Arcee shrugged.
"Yep it is," Chromette said, agreeing with her sister.
"So, I got to know, what happened next?" Miko asked them.
When they arrived, they learned that Starscream was indeed correct. Shockwave had successfully salvaged everything he needed to construct a Space Bridge and reversed the Space Bridge mechanics. All he had needed was the Energon to run it; Energon that Starscream had provided.
There were three Vehicons that were in charge of guarding the Space Bridge were jumped, knocked out and dragged off into another hallway. Cliffjumper, Chromette and Arcee peaked out with their blasters at the ready. When the coast was clear, they continued on to another hiding place: a small section behind the platform.
"Shockwave's latest work of art," Arcee said as she looked at the Space Bridge.
"Already fueled and ready to rip," Cliffjumper added.
"Sis, look over there. Doesn't that look familiar?" Chromette asked as she notices coordinates of earth on the computer monitors nearby.
"The coordinates Optimus provided," Arcee answered, "They're being used to target the Space Bridge."
"Which means the 'Cons will ambush Optimus and his team before any Autobot reinforcements can get there," Cliffjumper added.
"If the 'Cons scorch Optimus, the war is as good as over," Arcee stated.
"Agreed, we have to stop them," Chromette said
"We can fix that. and stop them," Cliffjumper said, transforming his servo into his three barreled blaster.
"No. We don't have the ordnance to blow the bridge. Me and Chrome will have to sabotage the control systems," Arcee told him.
"What about access? You just gonna walk up and ask for permission?" Cliffjumper asked them.
"No. You are?" Both Arcee and Chromette answered at the same time with a smirk on their face plates.
Somehow, Cliffjumper knew he wasn't going to like this.
Nevertheless, he helped Arcee carry out her plan.
"Uh. excuse me?! I got separated from the tour group. Does anyone know where I can find the Decepticon base?" Cliffjumper asked dryly as he walked down the ramp towards the Vehicons.
The Vehicons naturally transformed their servos into blasters and charged them as they aimed them at him.
"Whoa! Didn't Commander Starscream tell you? I'm on your side now," Cliffjumper lied, causing both Vehicons to look at each other disbelievingly, "That coward Optimus Prime turned tail and ran. Left the rest of us Autobots to fend for ourselves. So much for camaraderie, huh? Figured I'd rather be on the winning team, so I took Starscream up on his offer. Imagine the look on Prime's face when it starts raining Decepticons, me with them. Really, I know all about Starscream's plan. We can all get along now."
The Vehicons lost all the speculation they held at Cliffjumper's last few sentences. Immediately, they transformed their blasters back into their servos and stood at attention.
What they didn't know was that Cliffjumper was playing a ploy. Distract the Decepticon guards long enough for Arcee and Chromette to sabotage the Space Bridge through the controls.
However, Cliffjumper didn't realize that the fact they trust him was not the reason the two Vehicons stood at attention…until a few minutes later.
"There's someone behind me, isn't there?" Cliffjumper grumbled as he turned around only to face Shockwave.
"Only Starscream could fail to dispose of helpless captives," Shockwave scoffed as he prepared for a fight.
For Shockwave, the fact that Starscream was unable to terminate Cliffjumper, Chromette and Arcee was the least of his problems. He heard the sounds of alarms and cackling electricity. When they turned around, he saw the Space Bridge having complications due to sabotage. From the looks and sounds of things, there is the possibility that the Space Bridge portal could collapse in on itself and cause the place to go up with an explosion nearly equivalent to a big bang.
"Uh, is it supposed to sound like that?" Cliffjumper asked.
Shockwave said nothing to Cliffjumper. Instead, he pushed Cliffjumper out of the way and raced towards the controls where Arcee and Chromette were working on the controls.
"Interlopers!" Shockwave exclaimed as he grabbed Arcee by her small wings and threw her away before doing the same with Chromette, "You both have overridden the Energon containment protocols, haven't you? Clever, but not irreversible."
Not if Cliffjumper could help it. As the Vehicons went to capture Cliffjumper, the Autobot easily pushed them away. He took down each Vehicon that went to attack. A few times, he even used one Vehicon to take down an approaching Vehicon. When the Vehicons were down either for the count or permanently, he shot at the controls, knowing fully well that if the controls were shot, Shockwave wouldn't be able to reverse what both Arcee and Chromette had done like he said he would.
Then the fight began between Cliffjumper and Shockwave. At first, Cliffjumper was winning. He even went as far as knocking Shockwave onto his back, standing on his chest and aiming his blasters at his one optic. When Cliffjumper hesitated, Shockwave got the upper hand by pushing the Autobot off of him hard enough for Cliffjumper to land near the destroyed Space Bridge controls.
Two Vehicons walked over to the downed Cliffjumper and went to terminate him. However, instead of Cliffjumper being terminated, they were terminated themselves. But it wasn't Cliffjumper that terminated.
It was Arcee and Chromette. They then began shooting at the Vehicons that were approaching them before deploying their arm blades and began slashing the Vehicons with their arm blades.
After battling another wave of Vehicons, they both glanced at Cliffjumper and gasped in horror. Cliffjumper was on the ground struggling to get up while Shockwave stood over him with his hyperflux cannon aimed at his helm.
"There is more than one way to nullify a neural net," Shockwave pointed out.
"Not this time," Arcee said as she and Chromette transformed their servos back into blasters and began shooting at the structure above Cliffjumper and Shockwave. While Cliffjumper managed to escape, Shockwave wasn't as lucky as the rubble came down on top of him.
"Cliff?" Arcee asked worryingly as she and Chromette helped him up.
"I knew you cared, Arcee," Cliffjumper smirked.
"It appears Shockwave's arrogance was his undoing," Starscream remarked as he appeared in the doorway with two Vehicons, "Destroy them!"
As soon as the Vehicons opened fire on Arcee, Chromette and Cliffjumper, they dove for cover, behind some rubble nearby. That didn't stop the Vehicons from shooting. Clearly, they were hoping that as soon as Arcee, Chromette and Cliffjumper came out of hiding, they would be able to terminate them. Eventually, Starscream heard the warning alarms from the Space Bridge. Immediately, he realized that someone sabotaged the controls to make it blow.
"Autobots, whatever you did to the Space Bridge, undo it now!" Starscream demanded.
"They really should stop shooting at us if they want our help" Cliffjumper remarked dryly before he and Arcee ducked as a shot almost hit them in the helm, "Seeing that our exit is blocked and we have an open Space Bridge portal currently set for Prime's location, you two with me?"
Cliffjumper held his servos out towards both femmes, which Chromette accepted while Arcee took a few moments to answer and knew that she had to go with them as she placed her servo in Cliffjumper's other servo.
"The Space Bridge, it's going to blow!" Starscream screamed as he ran like the coward he is.
Without thinking twice, Arcee, Chromette and Cliffjumper raced through the Space Bridge. They only had one chance. If they didn't make it, they would either be killed in the initial explosion or wind up somewhere far from where they needed to be. They couldn't afford any delays.
However there was someone that was about to cause trouble for them. And that person was Shockwave.
"Give him everything you got!" Cliffjumper cried as they opened fire at Shockwave.
The next shot that Shockwave fired knocked Arcee, Chromette and Cliffjumper to the ground. Arcee and Chromette weren't down for the count while Cliffjumper, on the other hand, was momentarily stunned and unable to fight.
When Shockwave fired his next shot, everything slowed down. It was as if everything was happening in slow motion. The shot was fired.
"Ready, Sis?" Arcee asked.
"Ready," Chromette said as Arcee lent to the left to move out of the way, the two sisters fired their blasters at the same time and the two blaster fire combined with each other as the shots from their blasters became more powerful as it flew towards Shockwave's only optic and collided with the optic, leaving him blinded and unable to fight.
"Whoo! Bull's-eye!" Cliffjumper cheered as he transformed his servos back into servos, Arcee and Chromette did the same, Shockwave continue to fire his hyperflux cannon as they continued running towards the end of the portal
They barely made it through the other end of the portal in time before the Space Bridge exploded with Shockwave still inside. Arcee, Chromette and Cliffjumper laid on the ground with their eyes optics, unable to move.
"Think Shockwave survived?" Arcee asked them.
"Hope so, I want a rematch," Cliffjumper answered.
"I'm pretty sure he survived, Sis," Chromette said.
"Let's find Optimus," Arcee started as she helped Chromette up before helping Cliffjumper up by extending her servo,"Partner."
"Rich with Energon, Huh? Hope the whole rock doesn't look like this." Cliffjumper chuckled, "Reminds me of the time when I was lost in the sea of rust back on Cybertron , Except I was separated from my unit with no one but Jazz to talk to when Optimus ordered me, Sideswipe and Jazz to look for Grimlock and the rest of his team, the lightning strike coalition force after they abandoned the Ark, a few days before it took off from Cybertron."
"Talk at!" Arcee and Chromette both corrected with slight smirks.
"Admit it, Arcee, you love company!" Cliffjumper laughed.
As Arcee and Chromette looked at the vast open desert from her position on the cliff, they realized that the words Cliffjumper had said to them three years ago held truth. Arcee loved the company he provided. She would do anything to have that back.
"Funny. At first, I didn't think I'd ever get used to cliff's constant chatter," Arcee chuckled slightly, "Now there's nothing louder to me than the silence."
"Agreed," Chromette said, agreeing with her sister and the two femes placed their servos on the ground of the cliff and Miko touched their middle digits on the servos of Arcee and Chromette, Chromette and Arcee felt this and looked at Miko who smiled at them and they smiled back as she realized that they were right and wouldn't be bossy to Bulkhead anymore, after all she was in love with him.
Next is New recruit and please favorite, follow and review. Does anyone know when I should have Smokescreen and Chromette fall in love with each other