Hewwo everyone and happy new year! I hope everyone had a wonderful new years with food and drinks and all that good stuff. I don't think I have any important announcements other than I'm back at college, but I still try my best to update this story as fast as possible with great content!
I honestly had a bit of writer's block, so that contributed a little bit to the delay…
Well, without further ado, here's the chapter.
This day went from relatively normal to insanely problematic because of Cylas' apparent immortality. The pretender Cybertronian reduce Megatron and his elite soldiers to powerless figures. As if the situation couldn't get any worse, Airachnid stands tall, looking down at the helpless crew with a smile filled with poison with Insecticons surrounding the femme.
"Airachnid," Megatron hissed the name, voice rising with anger.
"Charmed to see you again, Megatron. I do hope I'm not interrupting anything?"
"Why are you back here, traitor?" Demanded Starscream, although losing intimidation by taking a step back.
"Takes one to know one, Starscream. You weren't planning on leaving, were you?" It doesn't take a genius to know Starscream's cowardly intentions as he was in proximity of the entrance, planning to flee during the fiasco. An Insecticon growls at the former flier, causing him to step back once again. "Since you all are dying to know, a little Insecticon told me of something amiss onboard, bringing the Decepticons a lot of trouble." The spider queen then turns her helm in Cylas' direction. "Should I thank you for that, Dreadwing? Or should I say Cylas?"
"My warm welcome had been revoked." 'Dreadwing' mentioned, sounding bitter by the betrayal. "Mind that my true intentions are to only join the cause, but I suppose my dedication wasn't enough to suffice."
"Ah yes. Such a shame of how they treat us when things don't go their way. Dreadwing had to pay dearly for
attempting to terminate me under Megatron's orders when my only crime was only trying to keep the Decepticons moving."
"Then may I thank you for giving me the opportunity for acquiring this body? Without this, I don't think I'd be able to get this far."
"Oh, you're being much too kind, Cylas." Just as the complement ended, Megatron sought to end Airachnid's life with a blaster shot right in the spark. The plan become foiled when Cylas using his body as indestructible shield.
As the impact didn't cause the pretender-con to be phased at the slightest, he continues his conversation. "Then let me repay you by destroying our enemies?"
"I was about to propose the same thing. I think Megatron's head on a pike would be a suitable friendship gift."
For any Vehicon who dared to get in the way, the Insecticons made paste out of them. Airachnid enjoyed how easy it is to have the Decepticons overpowered in their most vulnerable moment. If only if were this easy to take control of them during Megatron's absence when Soundwave didn't make a fool of her. Ah yes, Airachnid still has a bone to pick with him, rather, bones to pick out of him. Scanning the room, she notices that the TIC was conscious and typing away on the terminals. What is he doing?
As if Primus sent Airachnid an answer, the main doors of the bride clamps shut, preventing any more Insecticons from entering.
That mech is dead.
While everyone focused battling, Soundwave regained consciousness during the middle and began operating on the terminals to his advantage. His visor is damaged, so he couldn't rely on it for efficiency. Now that Insecticon support is cut off, at least in small numbers, the pest can be eradicated. Dealing with the intruders next, if Soundwave can make a bridge underneath Cylas, then instantly all of the problems will disappear with the exception of Airachnid, but she's not a priority once all of her henchmen are out of her reach.
Tendrils type rapidly to summon the groundbridge after getting estimated coordinates of where Cylas is currently standing while he fights Megatron. Before Soundwave could complete the process, webs stuck his tendrils to the terminals. Why now? It's like Airachnid knew what he was planning.
"Now now, Soundwave. Can't have you ruining the party." Like a predator approaching the trapped prey, Airachnid in her spider form stalks ever so delicately towards Soundwave. "Me and you have a score to settle."
As she could practically envision Soundwave's demise, abruptly she fell on an account of her legs being pulled. She's turns around, seeing Breakdown having a hold of her back appendage. "And me and you got a little dance to finish." He swings and launches the femme away from Soundwave. She regains balance on her peds, hissing at the bulky techno organic.
"I won't go down that easily, but you, Megatron, it looks like you won't last another five minutes." The taunt came from Cylas, testing the warlord's stamina by trying to repeatedly step on him like a bug.
Most of the Insecticons are down, and none of the reinforcements can enter the bridge. While the crew members already present in the bridge works on exterminating the rest of the mechanical bugs, Megatron faces Cylas one-on-one.
Starscream blows up an Insecticon to bits with his missile shooter right after its acidic saliva dripped onto his arm and burned through the trenchcoat's sleeve. "Ah!" He frantically shakes off the clothing. "That's the last of them, yet, what are we going to do about them?"
After Soundwave became unstuck, using the terminal to create a groundbridge became impossible since Airachnid's webbing block the keys, as well as the surrounding terminals. Scrap, there's only one other solution to use his damaged visor…
He comms Megatron about the dilemma, "Solution for ridding Cylas: Groundbrige underneath him."
Megatron evades Dreadwing's pede, finding it useless to slice it off when it keeps healing. "Then do it already!"
"Problem: Can't reach terminals for accuracy of ground bridge placement. Use of damaged visor: unwise and unpredictable."
"Use it now!"
Whatever Megatron says it law and Soundwave can't go against it. He creates the ground bridge, and as predicted, the vortex didn;t appear in its intended destination, however close enough behind Cylas.
Seeing the groundbridge behind the abomination suddenly gives a boost to Megatron's draining strength and willpower to see to it that Cylas will fall in it. He charges at the metal figure, and delivers a powerful blow to his midsection. The impact of the punch caused his peds to ski backwards against the metallic flooring towards the end of the ground bridge, losing his balance. Inching closing into the swirling abyss, webs attached to his frame preventing him from falling.
Moments before Megatron could curse Airachnid, the Warlord found himself becoming a victim to the ground bridge as a blaster shot injured and launched him into it.
Frag.
"Nice try," Airachnid spoke as she was responsible for the shot. She became wise to the plan and made sure it backfired. "Not the way I'd imagined the end of Megatron, but I suppose that'll do. For the rest of you, suitable replacements for my specimens shelf."
"Sorry, my head doesn't like to be mounted on a wall." While this isn't a time for jokes, Breakdown was actually being serious.
For anyone who has half a mind, there's only one exit from this ship, otherwise their fate will be doomed to being offlined and displayed. The rest of the techno organic crew headed in the ground bridge portal, narrowly escaping incoming webs and blaster fire. It closed shortly, not like it was a problem away for Airachnid didn't have any immediate need to destroy them. The time for their demise can wait, right now the Queen has a new throne.
… … … … … ...
Jack and Miko returned home since it was past their curfew. Plus there were more pressing matters at hand… The Autobots gathering in the main room for an emergency meeting about Chirpwing's identity. The youngling in question is present, being held by the Vehicon who went by 'Dave'.
"Okay. So lemme get this straight. 'Chirpwing' is actually Laserbeak? As in, Decepticon Laserbeak?" Jazz repeated just to clarify the bizarre situation.
"I didn't know Laserbeak was a youngling." Bumblebee mentioned, recalling no evidence that would have indicated such.
Smokescreen shrugs. "Gives a new perspective on things, doesn't it?"
"This youngling basically had access to every part of the base, not to mention information that he could have overheard from anyone of us by mouth?" Past the astonish stage, Wheeljack expressed why the team should be worried of having a mini spy in the base. "And on the side note, why is the other drone out?" He refers to Dave who said nothing to offend anyone and agreed to cooperate.
"Laserbeak wouldn't leave without him." The blond scout explained, seeing said sparkling attached to Dave. "And the Vehicon doesn't pose any threats."
"Oh, I'm not worried about him. What I'm worried about is the snitch he's holding." Wheeljack gets straight to the point.
"Calm down, Wheeljack. You're scaring him." Arcee defends the minicon when the Wrecker started to be a little hostile. Laserbeak dug his face in Dave's shirt in response, trying to hide from the mean Autobot.
"Because that's what's important here: Making sure poor Chirpy isn't scared? Open your optics, Arcee. The kid is playing you for a fool, like he did to everyone else. The amnesia thing was no doubt a scam."
The kid faces the rest of the bots to justify that he really had amnesia. "Nu uh!" Call him a snitch, call him a tattletale, but a liar is not on his resume.
"Can't really rule out the possibility that Laserbeak being here isn't dangerous for us?" Rosy meekly question. The question itself is reasonable enough to consider.
Laserbeak appeared to be hurt when that suggestion came from Rosanna. "He's dangerous!" He squawks defensively, accusing Wheeljack of a crime. "He hurt my wing!"
"Are you still crying over that? You're the one who blasted me out of the sky."
"You put a bomb in me!"
"You did what?" Blaster sounded appalled that any Autobot would dare think about doing that. The orange and yellow mech also took this personally, since this is also his brother's minicon. "What would posses you to do that?"
"Why am I the bad guy here? It was Ratch's idea for it to not go off, so I don't understand why he's whining." Wheeljack's confession proved intentional harm towards the kid, which only made his view more tyrannical.
"It did!" Laserbeak stated, obviously not pleased.
Regardless of Laserbeak's near accidental demise, Wheeljack remains unfazed, blatantly replying, "You're still alive, aren't ya?" Seemingly uncaring.
"While this is a sudden change of events of Laserbeak's true identity," Optimus began, knowing that the purpose of this meeting is trailing in an unfavorable direction, "Hostility will not get us anywhere, Wheeljack."
"Yeah man. Chill for a second." Jazz breaks in, "Yes, we know the kid is Laserbeak. Yes, we also know he's main objective is to gather any information on us. But let's think for a second. Let's say this was all an elaborate plan to get Laserbeak to spy on us from the inside out. That would indicate that they purposely allowed Laserbeak's capture by MECH and hope by a stroke of luck that we'd find the hideout and rescue the kid."
"Jazz raises a valid explanation. Theses events couldn't be planned. Especially if it involved a high risk on Laserbeak to take. Then, it's safe to assume that Laserbeak isn't apart of a Decepticon plan to discover intel on us." Optimus logically concluded, which put some worried mind at ease, all but Wheeljack's.
"Chirp- Laserbeak, is that true?" Inquired Arcee. However, Laserbeak didn't give a response, ignoring her actually. About when the dispute between him and Wheeljack ended, he stopped looking at everyone except Dave. "Laserbeak," his name repeats in a softer tone. "Can you tell us please?"
Laserbeak turns his head at Arcee, looking at her thoughtfully. He clicks chirping noises before turning away from her hastily.
"He says he's not going to say anything until Wheeljack apologizes." Eject spoke.
"I didn't hear that. All I heard was chirps." Bumblebee mentioned, although what Eject says doesn't exactly sound far fetched.
The male minicon shrugs. "That's minicon language for ya."
"Why is he speaking it now?"
After mulling it over, Blaster said, "I suppose it's a coping mechanism for being threatened or stressed. When he was amnesic- which I do believe- he chirped a lot, even though not anything intelligible. And right now, Wheeljack is his main stressor."
"Then let the kid throw his tantrum, 'cause I'm not apologizing." Wheeljack is more stubborn than his persisting injuries.
"Come on, Jackie." Bulkhead pleaded in sake of moving this conversation forward, although Wheeljack only scoffs.
"Laserbeak, let me apologize on Wheeljack's behalf since I share the blame." Ratchet also wants the conversation to continue and feels like this the only way to do so if Wheeljack's not going to do it. "I am greatly sorry about your wing and allowing him to put a bomb in you. You didn't deserve it."
"... Okay. I sorry for shooting your ship. I was only following orders or I be in trouble…" Laserbeak admits genuinely. If the kid ever messed up on a mission, then not only is he to blame, but Soundwave would most likely be chewed up for it as well. While the Autobots didn't know the fact to that extent, sympathy is held for him.
Ratchet nods. "Apology accepted. Now, can you tell us if you were sent here to spy on us?"
"I wasn't… I promise this isn't a plan. I made a really really big mistake..." The last part trailed off in clicks in which Eject translated.
"Laserbeak? What was the mistake you made?" Optimus calmly asked. "Don't worry. You will not be in trouble for it."
"I was with Knocky and Breaky," About half of the occupants either snickered or tried to hold back a smile from the adorable nicknames. "I had to get shots again because I'm sick… I don't like getting shots…"
"I feel your pain." Right after Smokescreen got sick, everyone including Bumblebee had to get flu shots and he disliked it.
"Then, Breaky had to go on a mission. I heard Starscream was going to watch me next and I don't like him at all… So, I snuck out of the med bay and followed some vehicons into the groundbridge."
"Did anyone know that you snuck off the ship?" Optimus asked afterwards.
Laserbeak shakes his head. "I… was going to tell Breaky because he was there… then an explosion made me fall off the edge… I hit my head really badly on a rock… I call for help, and no one heard me… My systems weren't working, and I couldn't comm anyone. I was really scared… I thought vehicons find me later, but it was those evil humans those stole Breaky optic… They… they…" Laserbeak buries his face into the vehicon's chest, crying his optics out from remembering what he went through. "I want sire! I wanna go home! I miss everyone…!"
"Who's sire?" Bumblebee asked, not directed towards anyone in general.
"He calls Soundwave that." While it's natural for Dave to respond to Bumblebee at this point, the occupants in the room were startled at the voice.
Smokescreen blinks. "Soundwave is Laserbeak's sire?"
"In a sense," Blaster began., "They aren't biologically related, though, Laserbeak was really young when Soundwave took him in. He views Soundwave as not only his deployer, but sire as well."
"Laserbeak, we'll take you back to the Decepticons." Optimus assured while Dave wipes Laserbeak's tears with his coat sleeve.
"Just like that? How are we going to do that anyway. Walk aboard their ship and say, 'Hey, here's your lost kid'?" While Bulkhead isn't against giving Laserbeak back, the Decepticons aren't exactly their friends.
"While the Decepticons may not express any gratitude, Laserbeak is innocent and we have no quarrel against him." Optimus emphasized that the minicon isn't an immediate threat.
"Listen, while I'm happy to get rid of this brat as soon as possible, maybe we could get something in return," Everyone looks at Wheeljack, "Let's say, the remedy piece that the Decepticons may have gotten their hands on."
"That's messed up…" frowned Bumblebee.
"But… It's not exactly a terrible idea." Smokescreen admits this an immoral things to do, but... "This may be the only chance we may get something important outta the cons. Laserbeak is important."
Optimus has a better solution. "Instead of offering Laserbeak in exchange of the remedy, the best solution both morally and beneficially, is to bring back Laserbeak as a peace agreement to settle our differences aside until everything is resolved."
"So what you're getting at is us working with the Cons?" Arcee phrased.
"Working along the Decepticons until we regain our originally bodies, yes. If they do hold a piece of the remedy, it'll be in both of our best interest for us to work together."
"I can live with a clear conscious with that." Jazz prefers this idea of working together rather than holding Laserbeak for ransom.
"How are we going to make sure that Laserbeak doesn't spill any information about the hideout when he goes back?" Bulkhead brought up a good point.
"Laserbeak's recording and any other information gathering systems remains offline or damaged." Ratchet mentioned as he already scanned the minicon.
Wheeljack folds his arms. "What about word of mouth?"
"I won't say anything…" Laserbeak understands that in order to go home, he mustn't tattle on the Autobots. "I just wanna go home..."
"And you will. I just need your word that you will not release any type of data about the Autobots or our base." Optimus only requested information of his base to stay hidden.
"I promise."
… … … … … … ...
At an isolated wooded area, the Decepticons' moment of respite comes to an end. After being humiliated and battered by Airachnid and Cylas, a course of action has to be taken, even if it's not a popular option...
"Lord Megatron, as much as it pains the rest of us, the logical solution is to contact the Autobots for assistance." Knock Out professionally said to Megatron.
"I will not stoop so low as to rely on my enemies for help." The old man hissed stubbornly.
Starscream grumbles at his lord's obdurateness. "Unless you have a better solution than standing out here."
"Don't forget who you are talking to, Starscream."
"We were forced to flee the Nemesis like cowards in from of Airachnid and that monster. Do you really think your pride can sink any lower than require help from the Autobots?" Megatron would shoot Starscream if he didn't raise a valid argument.
"Keep in mind that aside from the need of temporary shelter, there's also a dire need for medical attention." Knock Out reminds the Warlord about the shape of his remaining crew; Soundwave's broken arm when Clyas launched him into the terminals, Breakdown multiple bruises and other wounds from facing Airachnid, insecticons, and Cylas, Starscream's acid wounds, and last but not least Megatron weakened by ongoing battle and intense burns on his back left by blaster fire. Knock Out is the only one relatively fine.
Nonetheless, being exposed to the Earth's elements could make things worst...
"Soundwave, prepare a distress signal."
… … … … … …
Laserbeak is in his toy area located in a corner in the main room with Dave. It seemed like none of the other Autobots wanted to be near him now that they know it's him. He thinks everyone liked him better as Chirpwing, but that's not him… "Vroom…" He unenthusiastic car noises made the toy car as sad as him.
"Hey, watch out for Raven, she's in the middle of the road." Laserbeak looks up, seeing Arcee before she sat down next to him. She picks up the limp cat plushie. "She only has nine lives, you know?"
Laserbeak stares blankly at the toy car. "Cee? Do you hate me?" This question has been floating in his mind for a while.
Arcee's spark drops upon hearing it. "Why do you think that?"
"Bots and Cons don't get along…"
"That's true, but that doesn't mean I hate you."
His sad eyes finally meets hers. "Will you when I go back to them?"
"No, Laserbeak. I know we will be enemies again and I will not hate you for it. You belong with the Cons and there's no other way around it. Even though we won't be on the same side anymore, it was nice having you here."
"I'll miss you, Cee…" And with that, Laserbeak hugs Arcee for what may be the last time.
Arcee returns the embrace with no hesitance. "Miss you too, Chirpy." Among showing her soft side to the minicon, Arcee forgets Dave's presences. "What, do you want a hug too?" came the femme's curt reply.
"No. Maybe."
… … … ...
"Who would have thought Chirpwing was actually Laserbeak?" Bumblebee still isn't over it.
"I'm not over the fact that he's technically younger than us. Talk about being accomplished at a young age. Think he'll give me pointers?" Smokescreen said as if Laserbeak were a sage.
"In what? Teaching you to eat with your mouth close?" Jazz joked, while Bee laughs.
Bulkhead chuckled as well. Then he returns to the issue at hand. "How do you think the Decepticons are going to react to us giving Laserbeak back? Do you think we can really have a truce?"
"The off chance that both sides can cooperate, what's stopping the Decepticons from turning on us when the time comes?" Smokescreen added.
"We can't think too much about it now until we can find a way to get a hold of them. And getting them to talk to us back without having guns shoved down our throats." That was the most definite answer Jazz could give.
"I'm receiving a distress signal… from the Decepticons?" Ratchet said surprised. While he was finding a way to locate the Decepticons comm frequency, looks like fortune is on his side. The rest of the Autobots surround the terminals.
Jazz didn't believe they would establish some sort of contact this fast. "Convenience is convenient."
"Wait, the Decepticons? As in plural? Not just Starscream this time?" Bulkhead raised an eye brow. By now, they are used to the seeker calling in for help.
Blaster didn't like the sound of this either. "One Con is already fishy as it is, more than one is asking for trouble."
"I don't like or trust anything about it." While Arcee is probably the most skeptical out of the group, the worry isn't unfounded if it's more than one Decepticon. "Could be a trap for all we know."
Smokescreen agrees. "Yeah. Since when does Megatron ever ask for help?"
Optimus took time to think about the situation. "If this message is truly genuine, then it stands to reason the Decepticons may be in dire trouble to consider reaching for our help. Ratchet, prepare the ground bridge."
… … … … … … …
"Optimus Prime," Megatron remained unshaken, seeing the Autobot leader exiting the groundbridge with his team behind him. What the team didn't expect was the grim and beaten appearance of their enemies. It looked like they went through pit and back. "Your assistance will be greatly appreciated."
On the side note, I do like to thank Rowena Bensel for some good pointers! As you all know or not, this is my first 'major' fanfiction so there's some few bugs with stuff here and there. And I'm not a professional writer so… yeah... Not my first talent. With that being said, there will be some edits such as titles and little detail/grammar things that I've missed in my youth (and now)...
Next time: Autobots teaming up with the Decepticons? Tune in next time to see what happens to these teams now that they have a common foe.
Don't forget to leave a review and like and all that good stuff.
Amia out.
