Summary/Disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Cold Core Compassion Enjoy the 4600-word chapter. I don't Transformer, Hasbro does.
Shockwave watched both Predacon floating motionless, unbowed, slender in size but massively proud in honor. Shockwave DID entirely go on and research both Predacons.
It seemed as if both Predacons were eager to go, clawing at the tank before trying to cut and claw a way out of the tank, eager to hunt, kill, destroy, take down… Yes, both warriors were perfect specimens at the moment before, only growling and filling the air with roars and slowly starting to allow the liquid to drain away.
Both Predacons were released, stepping down from the tank before now.
"Satisfactory," Shockwave stated before crossing his arms before now. "Interesting. It seems as if one was going to be factually faster than the other." Shockwave said, typing on a computer next to him.
It was all too much for the Predacons as they slowly started to step down from the tanks and smirked, sharping their teeth and claws and looking over at Shockwave.
Both of them looked at their creator before frowning and only growling at one another, it seemed as if a war between them was possible considering the growls. Shockwave seemed only amused, seeing both look at one another before growling.
"Perhaps it is logical both Predacons might be different. Each possesses different traits and both appear to be different physically. I may need to conduct further tests for now." Shockwave stated, crossing his arms and looking at both.
Both of them would make excellent additions to the Decepticon ranks, only hindered by a lack of cognitive ability before looking upwards, roaring towards one another, almost gesturing towards one another, focusing purely upon each other, eager to hunt and eager to kill all in the path.
The blue small little Predacon slowly started to stalk towards the larger red one before looking upwards, it seemed to be more and more exciting as if something needed to happen, could happen…. It needed to end sometime soon, only focused as of now before looking upwards before looking to the side before looking upwards and sighed to myself to try and question for now, as of now… It'd end sometime soon before looking around as of now.
Shockwave was still equipped for such a scenario and fired the plasma canon on one arm, drawing their attention and yet it seemed as if both bared teeth at him and looked around before now and looked upwards, only interested if either would prove worth the Energon.
(Earth)
Arcee was not at all at the morale level she wished to be. It was partly because it did not at all help with base gone and Optimus… Possibly alongside it, command was very fractured and as lieutenant of tee autoboots? It was still their place to try and save them, to protect them, and to keep them purely running away for the time being.
Yet? Without Optimus? It felt like trying to run the Autobot army was… Difficult, she kept the boat rolling along without problems… M.E.C.H was gone, for now, it needed to be ending sometime soon, and yet? it seemed to be over, for now, wars did not end so easily. Yet? it appeared something came for them as did it all. Problems always existed, and would always exist at the end of the day.
Arcee was not stupid either, Optimus was the one capable of winning the war for them and it was clear she was not him nor could she be.
It would not be easy nor would it end anytime soon. Still? Arcee had a duty as lieutenant of the bots to try and lead it, for now, interested for now. Arcee would need to end for now … Yet? it was not so easy for now, nor was it going to end sometime soon.
"Are you going to be, ok?" Arcee asked Jack before sitting on the pile of scrap and looking downwards before now.
It was all too soon, for now, it'd become an odd little problem, not yet would it be over, not anytime soon, nor did it end yet… It was all over, all sometime soon. Arcee was interested if all of them were busy for now… Wars ended and sometimes they were losers… It'd not end anytime soon.
Arcee sighed as did Jack. It was clear to either of them problems similar to this were odd for now… Understandable for now, it didn't seem to end, for now, could only try and end as of now…
Yet? it'd need to be over for now… It was all too much for now and looked upward, looking to the sky before long. A massive from above was coming, one, not even she could make out, not even slightly did it end nor did it seem to need to end.
Arcee still remembered the seekers destroying the base, easily killing every single defense they had set up to try and stem the tide, not even Wheeljack and Fowler could halt the carnage nor the face Smokescreen and Optimus were inside when said base blown up by the Cons.
All destruction and pain, all traces of their home blown to pieces. Arcee was left to lead what remained of the Autobots, one of which did not at all tell them if anything changed…. Arcee wished Optimus was alive and here, it'd be better if she didn't need to shelter the remains of their once proud race.
"Jack, we need to go," Arcee said, looking at her friend in the remnants of garbage. "Save the hugs and kisses for later." Arcee joked partly as she sighed.
She couldn't blame Jack. She had little family beside her friends, besides those who had been on her side before and would continue to remain for now and await reinforcements and help. If anything? The Junkyard helped Arcee keep her nerves on edge.
"This is a message to all Autobots, our thrusters are slowly fluctuating…. Repeat, we've been engaged by the Decepticon vessel Oblivion! Jetfire? I need your team to…." Arcee heard sounds of explosions cutting in. "Message to all Autobot forces. We are sending landing coordinates, this is Autobot Sergeant Pipes." The message said.
It was in Cybertronians and on an old Autobot frequency from centuries ago. Arcee checked to make sure it was not old and blinked.
"All Autobots? This is Commander Magnus. Please respond to this hail ASAP, I've provided coordinates. All Autobots on Earth should report to the coordinates." Magnus stated as Arcee blinked.
"Ultra Magnus is alive?" Arcee asked before blinking and turning. "Jack, we got to go," Arcee said, her voice a strained whisper.
(Decepticon fortress Darkmount, Megatron's throne room)
Megatron found no reason to rise from his chair as his henchmen attended to their duties. The Autobots were crushed, their headquarters only a few smoking ruins beneath his fortress and perhaps Optimus with it. he was aware Arcee and the others survived, their signals visible on the sensor.
And now it seemed? Soundwave was reporting 3 signals in orbit… 2 of which were Decepticon with one a fading Autobot signal… Curious, all Autobot signals had been destroyed.
"Soundwave… Show me." Megatron ordered his most loyal lieutenant.
Bony fingers typed up a hologram of a very familiar warship that the Autobots had used, one deemed destroyed under Megatron's leadership.
"The Ark? It lives? Hmm, it seems the war might not be as over as I thought." Megatron said before reclining on his throne.
"I thought that worthless hunk of junk was destroyed by the space bridge exploding!" Starscream hissed to which Megatron was silent.
"The Nemesis survived, Starscream… It would not be odd if the Ark did as well. It seems more Autobots exist even after their leader perishes and goes offline… Good, I felt it'd be boring more and more as of now with no enemy to fight… Now it seems as if it would be a challenge rather than clean up." Megatron stated before looking at Soundwave who nodded.
"I'm beginning to wonder if we should just tie Dreadwing to a bomb and toss it at them… Would do as much damage as possible." Starscream said before Megatron snorted to himself.
Problems existed, they'd always exist and it was clear keeping Dreadwing was also a problem and would continue to be a threat to his authority as Decepticon leader. Oh, it'd be a sweet delight to see it end a certain way, a very sweet delight and one that could almost be tasted for now.
Megatron decided to swat the fly or simply allow it to gain more and more… It was good to fear, very good fear, and fear he wished to savor for now.
Still? A fly would need to be taken seriously if it held heavy armor and weaponry on its chassis. Megatron was not so stupid as to not consider it even for a few seconds. These changes would continue to bother him and would not change until it was quelled, quashed for now.
(Orbit)
Magnus looked over the rest of the Ark's console and looked to the side, the rest of the Autobots would only continue their jobs as his ship's canons continued to fire upon the two ships behind them.
"Pipes? Continue firing, Ironhide, I need a firing solution on their bridge for now." Magnus ordered as he smirked before now.
All of it was odd, one minute they had been able to track Autobot signals to earth? The next they had been attacked by two Decepticon warships. They had to continue to try to get to Earth and shake them for now, it would be much odder if they weren't ready for it. Magnus had expected an attack for the moment and yet they were all too worried for the moment.
All of it became one giant thought in his processor for the moment. They had a lot more to try and overcome anyway…. The fact Optimus did not at all respond worried him, they had a lot more to worry about for the time being.
"Sir? No reports from the surface. I don't even know if they can talk… Jetfire and his team are still trying to cripple their engines." Magnus heard as he sighed. "Ironhide, you're supposed to be the weapon specialist, and yet you're not crippling their ship?" Ironhide heard from a green Autobot.
"Thank you, Kup… Real positive encouragement." Ironhide said before rolling his optics for the second. "You are older than me, old timer, you want to tell Overlord a story from the last few centuries?" Ironhide asked before looking to the side at the end of the day.
Magnus looked over the instruments, questioning if they had tried to attack again. All issues would be easier if they had a proper command structure for the Autobots still existed. Magnus hadn't been able to reach their base which meant something bad had happened and he could not at all spare his men as his soldiers needed to continue battling the two warships in the sky. it was angering but not something he blamed on their commander as it was clear more or less, they were all having problems.
He would ask what in the name of Primus went on below when the Ark wasn't in danger of being destroyed and he was able to relax.
"Sir? Another wave of plasma rounds is coming in, seekers are deploying… Silverbolt is reporting we're going to have a small window to try and move them but if we don't get out of the way? We're going to be busy arguing who's in charge onboard the All spark." Magnus heard as he sighed and rolled his eyes.
It was a lot more to focus on and it was terrifying for now. yet? All the little problems that would come with it bothered the old soldier far more than before. Magnus tapped his foot upon the ground, tired from the fighting and eager to get it all over and yet not at all ok, curious as to how it could say and go… These sorts of things got worse every second of every single part of every single day.
Oh, did it hurt more and more, and yet not once did he seem to get going forwards now.
"How long can we land without crashing the ship?" Magnus asked before sighing to himself as he realized they were distracted by problems.
It could only afford to get better as of now, better and luckier. They were not to get anywhere sitting around and waiting for such issues to try and resolve themselves.
He got his answer a few seconds later, unsure if he could fathom it so well and in a way that didn't bother him.
"Several minutes which I do not expect to be alive within… 5 at the most, sir. We're trying not to let them hit the engines and most of our guns are busy dealing with the Vehicons getting close enough to attack us. I don't even know how bad their commander is to be throwing them at us to get these results." Magnus heard before he sighed.
"I don't know if we can maintain a fight like this without them putting us in a corner. The more we try and resist? The more firepower they're going to toss at us. We both know this is over with. Anything else and it will become a lot more painful." Magnus stated before Blaster sighed.
"Sir I'm not getting anything from the surface. It's a lot nicer than before… A lot of human communications but very few Cybertronians ones… Catchy beats, though." Magnus heard.
"Continue to try and scan for certain frequencies… Is there anything about the Decepticons hunting Autobots? We use that to try and find them…. Blaster? Tell Silverbolt and his team to continue point defense and take us down." Magnus ordered as he sighed, utterly tired from commanding and eager to relax.
"I don't know what will come… next but I will not throw away whatever brothers and sisters are below, not if they can be helped… We're going to keep going… Prepare everything for whatever we have to face below and let us hope it will be enough." Magnus ordered before sighing to himself, interested in such problems for now.
It would not be nice, nor would it be possible to get anywhere anytime soon. They had a lot more to worry about than the ship crashing, Magnus knew they'd be crash landing and if possible, it was survivable. The Autobots could fix it up and get it spaceworthy again over and over again if needed… But if they all died for nothing?
It'd be something of a nightmare just for him as commander and yet it'd be an odd little terrifying thing to focus upon for most people and a lot worse if they were unable to reconcile it before another major battle.
"You know. I'd be happy if you or the big guy wanted to listen to my answers once in a while… Would have saved us some trouble if we didn't all board the Ark." Blaster said before he sighed.
"I'm sorry, sir. I don't know what to say but I do know that if we aren't able to land soon? Well, Cons are going to be the least concern… Energon reactors are going to need to cool down or else we're going to explode as well. Ark's reactors are slowly starting to wind downwards, the ship was a thing we can only hope to control and no amount of power will fix that for now." Blaster said as he fell silent.
Utterly? Their foe was a lot more unwilling to get more and closer for a tactic like this to work and he knew more and more they'd be done soon.
"Take us in for a landing. We will handle this on the ground and not a second sooner." Magnus ordered to which Blaster and the others all gave nods.
(Earth)
Arcee looked upwards, curious as to if she was seeing it for the real deal. She almost wanted to scan it but was interrupted by several Insecticons which opened fire, causing her to grab Jack and flee.
But it was clear to see for all of Earth. The Ark, the 1500-size warship staffed by 300 Autobots back on Cybertron had arrived… Had the war finally allowed them to find an advantage at the end of the tunnel? Was their luck turning? She didn't know but she did know all of their hopes still also rested on Optimus.
"Guys? Is that what I think it is? The Ark? It's here? Did they bring it here? Either that or I'm seeing things." Smokescreen stated before Arcee chimed in.
"No. that's the Ark, I've scanned it several times… By Primus, that means the rest of the Autobots arrived… We need to regroup, find a way to contact the Ark without being instantly detected…." Rachet stated before sighing.
"Everyone forms back up at the fallback point. Cons are onto us and Soundwave is probably tracking our communications. The more we're going to be tracked means the more we need to run." Arcee ordered as she sighed.
There was far too much to need to do and a lot more to need to understand. Seeing the Autobot flagship in orbit? It seemed as if their problems were both getting worse over and over again.
They had a lot more to discuss, something new, something beyond control and all logic. They had a lot more to try and understand… A LOT more than just what was on their mind, something that could only be completed with certain caveats and concerns.
If the Ark was here? Then that meant they had reinforcements and firepower, even a home to try and kick their feet up on.
Still? if their flagship was here? Megatron WOULD end up trying to destroy it. It would be a threat to the Nemesis and something that he needed to deal with or risk being shot down by it.
Yet it was still a threat at the end of the day and a problem only a few people could deal with at the end of the day. Arcee would be silent and unsure of what may or may not be said and done if it could even be said at all. They needed to move or else Megatron would have Earth's last hope destroyed and all they'd be able to do would be watch the ship that carried them to Earth be blown into scrap metal.
Arcee carrier Jack as fast as possible. They were a lot more interested in a lot more than possible. So many questions were possible and so much of their life existed inside this very moment.
She decided that since Soundwave was probably monitoring their communications? Well, it'd get worse even if she didn't even talk at the end of the day.
"Rachet, can you contact the Ark? We need to make sure the Decepticons don't shoot it down… I'm on my way back to the RV point." Arcee stated before she sighed.
She was utterly confused at the end of the time as Rachet fell silent. She didn't even seem to understand what the leadership of the Autobot army was doing and she was a soldier.
"Rachet?" Arcee stated to which she frowned before the medic finally spoke up a few seconds.
"I'm trying to but we don't have any fliers to try and contact them directly… I can't stay on the comms much longer, Arcee. I'll contact the others and get them ready to move if we need to." Arcee said before she frowned to herself.
There was a lot more to try and focus on and so much she couldn't get off her chest. It was clear more and more that she didn't understand leadership the same way Optimus did.
"I'll be there first. Tell me when Bulkhead and Bee get there." Arcee ordered before revving her engines as a pair of Vehicons slowly descended upon her.
She was silent, confused, and thrown off by all the new responsibility that had been dumped upon her and it was clear more and more if anything. They had a lot more to try and focus on at the end of the day.
"Hang on, I'm going a communication from the Ark and an Autobot signature is coming towards them." Arcee heard as she fell silent before she clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth.
He was quiet and he didn't even know what to try and focus on at the end. She continued to grow more and more tired at the end of the day.
She was a lot more tired at the end of the day. He crossed his arms and heard the sound of jet engines slowly starting to grow louder and louder. There were a lot more details to try and consider and yet it was still becoming odder and odder to work in these sorts of conditions.
He fell silent, utterly thrown off by the absence of Optimus and with Arcee dealing with her role as Autobot Lieutenant. It meant more and more for him and more work as a medical officer.
He cursed Megatron before turning back to the Harbinger's controls and slowly started to type in more commands on the controls. It became obvious to him that their goals aligned with theirs nor and it was unsure to them to try to get to relax.
He had more on his mind to deal with, a lot more and it was becoming tiresome to try and fathom how the others were dealing with it… Still? If they were all prepared to die in war? He'd do his best to try and make sure they wouldn't have to if he was capable of it at the end of the day.
He sighed and looked around. Being confined to the Harbinger was just worse and worse to him but it was clear they had very little in the way of equipment and resources considering they were unable to get five minutes of peace without someone trying to kill them.
It was clear more and more to the Autobot Medic that Optimus was dead. They'd have lost the war; Optimus was more than just their best soldier.
He was utterly tired more and more at the end of the day and all this did was drive him up a wall, interested more and more in issues that needed to be relaxed upon the time and effort implanted into it.
There was a lot more to try and fixate upon what to try and do at the end of the time being.
Still? So much needed to change, over and over would it not change, utterly thrown off… Utterly eager for it to end and for it to get better, that needed to be the way things operated more and more upon certain at the end of time.
Yes, it was just more and more horrid for them and something else to be removed from the path, something else.
He was thrown off from his ideas by a pair of explosions as a pair of Vehicons tumbled from the sky and a familiar voice came down from the cloud.
"Attention Autobots? no need to fear, Lieutenant Silverbolt is here!" Rachet heard as he chuckled.
"Arielbots, he brought Arielbots… Good, just what we need for the moment." Rachet said as he smiled, utterly happy to see more and more Autobots.
The battles going ahead would be difficult but not impossible for them, especially not with flying Autobots to try and even the odds, more and more did it seem like their bad luck would be the least of their worries at the end of the day.
It would continue to grow with each picosecond. Still? Options like this had to be studied, focused more and more with each passing second. It had been a very long time since they had true hope… He did not, not only was it unscientific to believe in such a thing.
No, they had to be entirely focused on the war. They had to be willing to fight through loss and entirely open to the idea of death. Anything less would weaken their chances. It would shatter their resolve and it would just be plain stupid to assume all such things were easy to figure out.
All of it meant more and more measures had to be discussed, all options had to be weighed good or bad and someone had to be willing to focus more and more upon something like this more often than not because it meant more and more that they were marching ahead. They were not the same soldiers that were thrown into the fire, ready to be melted down and turned into scrap.
No, they were simply the ones who had the soldier on their hands, something that bothered them to a massive degree. A MUCH larger degree than possible and something able to have been brought to heel more than once and caused them to need to relax more than once over and over again.
(Darkmount)
Shockwave observed both Predacons with a fascination less of one a father watching his children and more like a master and creator.
The larger, more armored, and red and black Predacon was far more focused on him while the smaller, sleeker white and blue Predacon sniffed the air, constantly ignoring eyesight from the larger one.
It was not submissive, however. He saw the gritting of fangs and swaying of the tail that showed a distinct lack of respect for the other's authority once again.
It only cared the other was blocking it from moving past it and it looked at them with a tired trepidation that convoyed indifference and callous disinterest in them.
On his command, both walked through the space bridge, the smaller Predacon looked around, sniffing the air of the new Area of Earth's atmosphere with interest. It sniffed harder and harder, flexing its wings in a desire to soar.
They looked at Megatron, one whom he didn't know at the moment. The beast growled, flexing its talons as it did so.
"They seem well trained," Megatron said before the smaller Predacon looked down at the ground before growling.
"The smaller one seems less trained… Perhaps I should make it heel to its new master." Starscream stated before transforming his arms into guns.
The smaller Predacon acted as Starscream fired, easily twisting around the bolt and surging forwards, its tail belting Starscream upside the head. He groaned before its tail slammed into his legs, knocking him down as the Predacon gripped him in midair.
The animal spun and tossed Starscream toward the two Vehicons, bowling them over and sending them all skidding off the edge as they gripped the edge of the platform.
"MASTER! HELP!" Starscream yelled as the Predacon snorted, annoyed more and more. "MASTER!" Starscream yelped as the smaller Predacon rolled its optics.
"Impressive," Megatron said before the Predacon only seemed to glance at him, ready to try and engage him as well. "Heh, I don't see a hint of fear in its optics… Not even sharing down its death." Megatron said as Shockwave pressed a button, making both Predacons slowly started to fall to the ground, sparking.
"They haven't learned the logic of defying our orders."
Author notes
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out that the next chapter will be in 2-10 months and will show more and more of the other Predacons… Of which there will be a small squad rather than just Predacon. It will also show the old Autobots showing up and such. Until the 900–6500-word chapter! Lighting Wolf out