A/N; Aaaaaaand Wheeljack makes a (cameo) entrance. Hoohah! Just to clarify; if some of you people have read Messenger, you may have recalled I referred to Que as Wheeljack in one of the earlier chapters. That mistake has been corrected- or it will be pretty soon. I'm running with them as separate characters, with very different, distinct personalities- as you'll see soon.
Also, a quick note; I love you guys who have reviewed and alerted and favorited this fic. I really, really do. And everyone else who has read this story and likes it AT ALL; I could really use your support right now. I tend to go wherever the fandom wheel takes me, but right now it's stayed with an Inheritance Cycle fic of mine because there are so many passionate reviewers on that story, and I really need the encouragement to help kickstart my muse. While I WANT to, I honestly don't know if i'll get around to finishing this story- or Revive and Messenger- if I don't get some more encouragement. If you have left a review, thank you, thank you! Each and every one is appreciated, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)
"What is that?" yelled Lennox, firing bullet after bullet desperately into the fray.
"I don't know," Epps shouted back. "Wheeljack made it." He squinted through the scope, lining up the green lasers with the target's legs.
Will did a panicked double take and tore himself away from the battle, rushing at Epps. "Wait no no don't-!"
A sleek grey missile left the weapon at blinding speed with a hiss of silver smoke. Lennox tackled Epps to the ground right as the projectile hit the black Decepticon in the leg.
Plasma fire erupted from the target in a vicious heatwave that scorched the earth and seared the skin on Will's face fifty yards away, painting the battle in a dizzying kaledescope of colors as one fiery explosion burst after the other like colored fireworks- red, blue, yellow, green, white, blooming in the air like terrible hellish flowers. Something white sparkled and frizzled at the center of all the fire for just an instant, a pale flash against the twisting Decepticon's mangled form, and then a blast detonated outward like a blinding supernova, erasing every shadow and illuminating everything with a blinding white flash. A shockwave ripped through the air and through the ground that made the armored glass windows of the cars shatter and the ground tremble and sent the Autobots flying off their feet.
When the earth stopped moving and things stopped exploding and all the terrible crashing noise died down and he could finally see again, Will sat up slowly, blinking spots out of his eyes. An eerie silence had descended on the battlefield.
On the ground next to him Epps stirred, rolling onto his stomach and propping himself up on his elbows. "What…in the hell-"
Lennox shoved him in the shoulder. Hard. "Are you crazy?"
"Hey!"
"You can't just use something that Wheeljack made are you insane?!"
"How was I supposed to know?"
A loud groaning sound rumbled across the battlefield as Ironhide slowly rolled off of his back, dust and scorched earth and rubble pouring off his frame. "I'm getting to old for this," he muttered loudly.
Will was beginning to understand the sentiment. "Everybody call in!" he yelled, struggling to his feet. "Get a headcount!"
Epps stood and rolled his shoulders next to him. They fell silent as they caught sight of the blast sight- the melted, smoking, charred and blackened bits of what had once been a Decepticon lay mangled in a good-sized crater, and the ground was utterly torched and glowing red.
"Huh," muttered Epps, shouldering the gun while Will still stood in shock, staring. "Say what'cha want about crazy," he said, glancing at the slack-jawed colonel, "but Wheeljack definitely makes the good shit."
Will made a vague noise of agreement.