Chapter 20
A/N: I found a continuity error in the Chapter 19. I said that part of Optimus Prime was shut down, and he could not move, then later in the chapter he did get up via Simmons.
Sorry! That was lazy writing, and lazy editing on my part.
Also, I wanted to take a poll. I am thinking about doing an Ironhide/OC. Not sure if I should, and if that has been overdone on FF. Please let me know in the reviews if you would like to read my version of an Ironhide/OC. Please comment in the reviews. Thanks!
Gabby sat alone for a few moments to get her bearings together as they began to get ready for their war.
Word had already gotten to Lockwood they would be attacking, and he was waiting for them.
She looked around at the other Autobots, and knew the time had come to put a stop to this madness once and for all.
Gabby looked up to the sky and thought about Orianna. She had gotten a message from her that she was now circling the moon, and would only land if Gabby or Optimus sent out a distress signal. Gabby may had not known her daughter long, but she knew she had other plans, and no matter what Gabby said or forbid Orianna would land on Earth soon enough.
Gabby checked the scope of her rifle, and made it clear to the Autobots and Barricade that they were not to harm humans with Lennox leading the way. He said that Epps and his group of mercenaries were already waiting in Kansas to meet with them along with Mearing.
Mearing had finally gotten the political she needed to take out Lockwood after presenting evidence of his plans to take over all military forces in the U.S. and abroad.
They decided to keep this mission highly classified so Lockwood would not find out, and the best part was Gabby was now cleared of all crimes committed in the last two years.
Barricade came out to the rock outside of the bunker in holoform and sat down beside Gabby.
She looked over at him giving him a slight smile. They hadn't really talked since the other night, and she was waiting for him to say what he needed to say.
"Earth is still in great danger," he said.
"I think we know that since Orianna…." Gabby began.
Barricade shook his head furiously, and said, "No. No. The threat is still here on Earth, and I am going to see what I can do about it."
Gabby scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. She didn't say anything for a moment, and thought about what or who it could be. She remembered that Lockwood had possession of Megatron at the California labs, but nothing ever came of that….did it?
"Don't put yourself in danger," she commented after a moment.
Barricade scoffed and said, "I am still a Decepticon. I do this for you."
"Then what?" Gabby asked knowing the answer.
Barricade took a deep holoform breath and put his hands on his knees and leaned over a little.
"Then I go back to being a Decepticon and leave you alone. I am getting weary of Bee constantly chasing me," he said.
Gabby looked at him knowing that this time was coming for a while. She was still highly confused as to why Orianna brought Barricade back from the dead, but she knew it was for a reason. However, she had a feeling they would not find out in this battle they going to today. No, it would be in the immediate future. Barricade's fate was yet to be still determined.
"I know," Gabby said quietly. She really had no other words for him anymore. She made it quite clear for a long time who her heart belonged to.
Lennox came out and said, "Ready?"
Gabby and Barricade nodded and Barricade disengaged his holoform.
Gabby would be riding with Deserae for this mission.
The military and Autobots began to move out of the desert and were ready for battle. They should be there the next morning.
"Gabby. We're about fifty miles out now," Deserae said through the speakers jolting Gabby awake.
Gabby sat up in the seat, and readied her rifle. None of them had any idea what they were getting into since all systems and communications had gone dark.
All they knew was a lot of things would be blowing up soon.
They expected an army to be waiting on them as they arrived, and most of the humans and Autobots alike were tense with their mission.
Gabby could only hope that Optimus was unhurt, and would be rescued successfully.
Gabby decided not to contact Orianna anymore until this was all over with. She was too worried about both her mate, and her daughter. She knew Orianna was powerful, but she was not invincible either. Gabby also knew the super weapon was on activation and now controlled by Lockwood himself. She knew that he was using them as a test for his weapon. They were walking in like pigs for the slaughter, but they had to take that chance.
Gabby felt her body tense and her anger rise over the scientist who had bigger plans than to defeat the threat to Earth.
Gabby had told no one this, but she had one goal and that was to take Lockwood down herself. She did not care what Mearing said about keeping him alive. As far as she was concerned he would get a bullet to the head and it would be courtesy of her.
Gabrielle Ryan had been through so much the last three and counting years. She had met and fell in love with an alien species. She was kidnapped by a Decepticon, and saved by another one who loved her, but she didn't love back.
She was then pregnant with a new Prime, and kidnapped again. Saved yet again.
She had to endure the pain of losing her daughter, so her daughter could go into deep space and try to save Earth.
Then she was taken again and separated from Optimus for almost two years.
It was a lot for one woman to suffer.
She often sat there and wondered how she had gotten through all of it and how she managed to come out of it alive over and over again, and how she managed to barely hold on to her sanity at the same time.
Even if they were able to take down Lockwood, there were still many threats out there waiting for them in space.
"Are you alright?" Deserae asked as she watched Gabby's emotions play across her face.
"I'm fine. I am ready to get this over with," Gabby said lying about what she was really thinking.
"Maybe before Unicron shows up you, Optimus, and Orianna can find some peace," Deserae said, not really believing it herself.
Gabby laughed bitterly. "I hope so, but something else is bothering me."
"What?"
"Barricade said there is still a threat here on Earth. It can't be your father can it?"
Deserae was silent for a moment. "If he is reincarnated then I wish Barricade would tell me."
"He didn't say, and I didn't push it, but I have a weird feeling about it too," Gabby answered.
"Great….."
Gabby looked up as they got closer and something caught her eye.
Off in the distance of the flat lands of Kansas something rose from the ground.
"Do you see that?"
"I was just going to ask you the same thing," Deserae said.
"Smoke…."
"Yep!"
Gabby felt her heart begin to pound in her chest, and gripped her rifle for dear life.
Suddenly, Ratchet came over the commlink.
"Calling all Autobots! We have incoming threats, begin to ready yourselves to neutralize the enemy!"
The Autobots came into formation as Gabby spotted the black helicopters in the distance coming right for them.
Gabby looked up for a moment and asked her father for protection and guidance through this whole thing.
She heard the loud noise of jets fly past them, and most of the Autobots had now readied their weapons.
The plan was that the Autobots would fight while the humans along with Gabby would try to infiltrate the facility where the super weapon was and take it out.
However, Gabby had this weird feeling that Optimus was already free, and she also had this weird feeling that he was already fighting the super weapon alone.
Her mouth became dry, and her heart pounded in her ears.
"We'll be turning soon Gabby!" Deserae said over the speaker.
"I have a feeling that Optimus is already out!" Gabby said as the first projectile soared past them.
The explosion rocked the ground behind them and Gabby took the chance to see it land in the distance followed by the explosion and fire.
The black vehicles were getting closer, and Deserae had to begin to twist and turn to get around them.
"Hold steady!" Gabby yelled as she rolled down the window to take a few shots at their tires to slow them down.
Gabby had to duck as shots began to hit Deserae's vehicle mode. She heard Deserae grunt in pain, but she did not waiver as tried to avoid the incoming threats.
Explosions, rockets, bullets began to fly past them, and Deserae yelled for Gabby to stay down.
"I am making the turn!" Deserae yelled as another rocket just barely missed her.
Gabby was jolted around as Deserae hit her brakes, and skidded for a few moments.
"Go! We have it!" Ironhide yelled through the commlink.
Deserae backed up and spotted the road she needed to take. The other human vehicles who were not out of commission were not far behind her.
Her tires chirped along the road as they made their way to underground facility.
Things quieted for a few moments, and Gabby took a chance to look over the dashboard. As they were getting closer Gabby could see smoke, fire, and what looked like sparks flying.
Then she caught a huge white head and as Deserae drove she could see the body forming.
Deserae had spotted it too and said, "Oh dear Primus…."
They came through another burning cornfield, and Deserae had to slow down.
Then Gabby closed her eyes for a moment. She had a feeling that she knew what was already going on, and she was right.
The super weapon was fighting Optimus and it was winning.
She watched as Optimus flew through the air, and hit the ground hard.
"Autobots! Optimus is already fighting the super weapon! We need back up! I repeat we need back up now!" Deserae screamed through the commlink.
"I am on my way," Ironhide snarled back.
Gabby was relieved that Optimus was getting up, and she could tell that the super weapon was being remote controlled from it's jerky movements.
Then Gabby turned to see Seymour Simmons run out of the cornfield. Gabby gasped as she spotted her old friend running towards them.
She knew he had been arrested, but didn't know he was still here.
"Help!" He yelled.
He turned to look to see what was coming. Gabby turned to follow his eyes and gasped at what she saw next.
Cyborgs began to form ranks around them, and they were everywhere. Gabby had never known how many there were, but now she knew.
Deserae opened the door to let Simmons in, and he jumped into the backseat trying to catch his breath.
"Seymour how did you get here?" Gabby asked as he sat up.
"I was arrested here, but one of my assistants was able to hack me out of the cell. He tried to take the cyborgs down, but he couldn't get the network. I took one of them down, and went in disguise, and freed Prime," he explained.
Gabby couldn't help but laugh, and handed him a pistol, which he gladly took.
"Where is Lockwood?" Gabby asked.
"I don't know, but there is control room inside of this facility, and you are all the tests right now for their power," Simmons said.
"Gabby, the cyborgs are getting closer, " Deserae said frantically.
"Duck!" Gabby yelled as bullets began to fly towards them.
Gabby was jostled around again as Deserae began to speed away from the threats, and tried to get closer to the entrance of the facility.
"I will try to get you in there," Deserae said. "We will take care of everything else."
Ironhide, and Bee had joined Optimus in the fight with the super weapon.
The mercenaries were still fighting the rest of the enemy. So, Gabby knew it was up to her to bring that control room down and destroy this Orianna clone once and for all.
Gabby had seen a lot since she had found Optimus Prime and the other Autobots. She had seen much when Thunderwing had fought them, but this was all out war right now. The chaos that surrounded them was almost like something out of a movie.
More Autobots came to join in the fight, but were being slowed by the cyborgs and their weapons.
"Let's go," Gabby said.
"I'm coming with you," Simmons said checking the bullets in the gun.
Gabby nodded as Deserae took off again, and started to plow through the cyborgs.
Gabby almost covered her ears as the bodies hit the vehicle cab, and Deserae began to curse the damage being made to her.
She discharged her cannons around them to take even more out, and Gabby knew she would not be able to hear for days after this.
"There it is!" Gabby yelled as the entrance to the underground lab came into view.
"Go!" Deserae said as she pulled as close as she could.
Gabby and Simmons jumped out and began to shoot anything that deemed an immediate threat to them.
Gabby went to run into the entrance when the metal began to grind. She knew she only had a few minutes to get under the door closing.
"Simmons! They're closing the door!" She screamed to her friend who was still picking off cyborgs.
He turned to look at her and said, "Gabby, go! I'll cover you."
Gabby didn't want to leave Simmons alone to fend for himself, but the door was closing fast and if she didn't get in Optimus might not make it.
She took one last look towards to the field, and could see they were doing everything they could to stop the super weapon, but they were failing.
It wasn't just the strength of the super weapon; it was the cyborgs that were overpowering them.
"Gabby!" She heard the male voice yell out as she moved towards the door.
"Gabby! No!" She decided to ignore the voice, and rolled underneath the door as it closed with a hard metal thud behind her.
She lay there for a moment and caught her breath. Gabby then rolled over again and stood. She made sure her rifle still had enough bullets along with her pistol.
The hallway down into the underground research facility was dark but for a few emergency generated lights which were glowing a muted yellow.
She readied her rifle and began to move down the hallway.