Chapter 4 has arrived! Now it's time for dark stories to be shared and an old friendship to be repaired and rekindled once again, but with who? (Hint: check last chapter.) Now, to the story!
DISCLAIMER: Do not own Transformers: Animated. Just my fancharacters and nothing else.
Transformers: Animated
Finding One of Their Own
Ch. 4 – An Old Friendship Remade
Later on, back at the Autobot base, all five mechs were gathered in the living room area, ready to hear what Rachet had to say about what he knew what kind of possible threat that they might soon be facing. After a few nanokliks of uneasy tension had passed, Prowl decided to break the silence and ask, "So, what are these Vampiricons?"
Looking at the ninja-bot, the red and white mech cleared his audial sensor, and began, "Well, it was back, long ago during the Great War, we were finally starting to make some headway of winning, and Megatron, wanting to make sure that he would succeed no matter what in winning, so he came up with a scheme to steal some of the protoforms that w had stored at the Cyber-Ninja Dojo, come to think of it almost all of them, and used them to create a covert army of of stealth-cons intending for them to infiltrate Cybertron and the other planets and crush it from within. Through some sort of advanced science experience, he had created a spark that needed to be kept alive by the energy of other Cybertronians, even machines if they were desperate enough and not near a more suitable source. Luckily, we had an unknown bot in the inside that could get this information or we wouldn't be sitting here right this klik. Well, anyway, we were never really counting on it really working, but to our realization, he had done it, but it also failed horribly, only being able to create a few. That's when we were starting to get worried, but somehow we got another stroke of luck when they actually turned on Megatron and wanted Cybertron for themselves and crush everything and every 'bot and 'Con that got in their way. By now, you could probably guess that he was pretty furious that his creations weren't going to follow his command, so he had them drained of power and sent off in different directions so that they would be forgotton in the stars. But now, I guess that isn't the case."
"So, long story short, Megatron created a new race of 'Cons, they betray him, so he jets them off into space and acts like he never made them in the first place?," Bumblebee simplified.
"Eh, more or less," the medibot agreed.
"If you're right, and one of them has landed on this planet, how do you suggest that we stop it?," Optimus inquired, asking the all too important question.
Hunching over and rubbing his faceplate for a few kliks, Rachet sighed in disgruntlement and replied, "Unfortunately, without knowing which one that was in the ship, I won't be able to figure out the best course of action to take."
But remembering the young man that was there before they even showed up might have seen something that just might give him the key to planning the right way to stopping the new evil before anything really bad could possibly happen.
"But I do know somebody, at least, meeting him for the first time today," the old bot suggested. "There was a young man that was on the motorcycle that I was examining at the crash site earlier that might have seen the 'Con escape from the wreckage and to where it escaped to."
Considering what the wizened bot had to suggest, the youngbot leader concluded that finding him would be the only way of moving forward in the investigation.
"Very well," Optimus agreed. "If we find him, we'll also find that bike and be able to get a better inspection of it and find out who it is exactly. But tomorrow, when we can start again and cover more area."
With nods from the others, they each split to their respective rooms for a good night's charge and prepare for the next solar cycle's discoveries.
The next solar cycle, the Autobots were in two-bot teams, except for Prowl on his own to cover area more quickly, to try and search for Moisar and his Cybertronian motorcycle to see if he could help them find the loos Vampiricon in the Detroit streets to stop him once and once alone.
Prowl, having been going across dozens of rooftops to get an aerial view of the city, almost decided to go at it in vehicle mode when he quickly noticed the young man that Rachtet had described to him earlier moving far very fast before he had a chance to shift modes and go after them. But determined not to lose sight of the target, he quickly launced himself off the roof, transformed into vehicle mode, and sped off after the two, at the same time comm-linked Prime and said, "Optimus, I'm on their trail, heading east toward Sumdac Tower."
"Copy that," the red and blue mech, also in vehicle mode, acknowledged. "Rachet and I are on our way there now to meet Bulkhead and Bumblebee now. Keep following them and we'll meet up with you and them there."
"Very well," the ninja-bot agreed, speeding up a bit to keep in sight with both organic and machine.
Not soon enough, all three were closing in on Sumdac Tower, the leading robotics manufacturing company in the world. And not too far away, the other Autobots were seen coming their way, creating a barrier to block the duo in to hopefully gain their assistance without causing too much trouble or friction between them.
Nearby in the Tower, Sari Sumdac, daughter of Issac Sumdac, the leading robotics expert, was up in her room when she recognized the familiar sounds of her Cybertronian companions. She quickly rushed to her huge bay window and looked down and saw what was happening, and was in the elevator, heading down to investigate herself.
Outside, it only had been what seemed as a few moments as the Autobots had formed a circle around Moisar and Lightningray to stop them in their tracks. Seeing that he was being cornered on all sides, he quickly pulled the motorcycle around in an arc and came to a stop, well mostly by the femmebot, and got off as the mechs shifted into their alt modes.
"Alright, now what's the big deal stopping me in the middle of the road like this?," the dark silver-haired boy demanded. "I haven't done anything wrong and I wasn't off to do anything that will break the law."
"It's not that at all," Optimus tried to reason. "We were looking for you, actually. We need your help in our investigation of the crash yesterday."
"My help? For what exactly?," the young man clarified.
"If you saw anything come out, or should I say escape, from the wreckage," Rachet answered, his short temper quietly heard.
"Escaped? What escaped?," a voice was heard behind Bumblebee.
The mini-bot quickly whipped around and saw his best friend Sari standing behind him, the look of excited anticipation and curiosity spread across her face.
"Sari, what are you doing here?," the yellow and black mech asked, surprised.
"I saw you guys coming from my room and wanted to come see why you were here," she replied happily.
But when she spotted Moisar, she quickly broke into the circle, ran right up to him and almost squealed, "Moisar, is that you? I thought you left town months ago like you said you were!"
"Well, things don't always go like you want it to," he replied, kneeling down to her level and smiling. "Found out that I had quite a bit of unfinished business left to take care of."
"Hey, at least then there's still time for all of us to hang out sometime," the little girl suggested.
"That may have to wait, Sari," the red and blue mech interjected. "We're in the middle of an important case."
"Ooooohh, even better," she awed, jumping at the chance. "What do ya got, huh?"
"Well, that's actually what we're trying to find out," Bulkhead replied. "That's why we surrounded your friend to ask if he could help.
"That is," Bumblebee added skeptically. "If he will be able to."
"Hey," the young man countered. "Don't sell me short. I can help, but I don't know if it'll help really."
"It may be all that can be used to solve our dilemma," the youngbot leader convinced. "Can you?"
For a few seconds, Moisar's eyes darted around as he thought as he thought about the proposition. Taking another decision to decide, he looked up at Optimus and replied, "Alright, I'll help. But like I said, I don't know if it's really going to help any."
"So as long as you can, it's all that matters," Optimus agreed. "Now, in order for you to help us, we're going to need to head to our base to get a better understanding of what you might know."
"Well, then, lead the way," the black trenchcoat-clad boy said, getting back on Lightningray.
With a nod, the red and blue mech shifted into vehicle mode, followed suit by the others, and took off in the direction of the plant. Motioning to Sari to get on, Moisar said as the femmebot revved herself up a bit, "Come on. I've got a suprise for you once we get there."
Her already happy expression growing even more, the young girl clambered on behind and the motorcycle took off, bringing up the rear as they heading towards the direction of Autobot base.
A while later, all six bots and both Moisar and Sari arrived at the old car plant to finally get to the bottom of the Autobots' investigation of the crash that happened just the day before. After getting inside, the five mechs shifted into their alt forms while the young ones got off the femmebot. Not wanting to waste a klik longer, Rachet turned to the long lost Cybertronian and said, "Now, if you don't mind, you can also get into your alt form now and quit this charade of yours before it starts getting really annoying."
Getting a sheepish look on his face, the young man motioned to his life-long friend and said, "Go ahead, Light. You don't have to act like it's a huge secret to hide."
Turning her front wheel to him as if saying that she agreed with him, she shifted into her alt mode, which Rachet recognized as the only femmebot on his list of possible missing Autobots.
Having stayed silent since finding them, Prowl was both silently hoping and dreading that it was his long lost fellow student of his beloved master. When Lightningray had changed, it was as if his spark had wanted to shoot out of its chamber in complete and anticipated shock. He never would have thought that he would see her again after what happened at the Dojo so many stellar cycles ago.
After the last few servos locked into place, the blue and white femmebot looked at her fellow bots one by one, at last seeing something that tied her to her past, Moisar only had to look to see the surprised look on Sari's face to know that she really, really liked his suprise for her. But when Lightningray's optics fell on the ninja-bot mech, she almost did a double-take to make sure that she was seeing what she was really seeing. Stepping forward towards him, she said in a half-whispered tone, "Prowl, is that you? Is that really you?"
Only a few kliks of silence passed between them until they went to each other and threw their servos around each other, long lost friends having found each other at last.
"Oh, Prowl, I never thought I would see you again," the ninja-femmebot almost cried into her fellow ninja-bot's chestplate. "When the Dojo was attacked, I kept hoping that you would come back in your quest in time to help, but you never did, but I...I...can't remember the rest."
The black and gold mech didn't reply however, but held onto her tight, as if he didn't want to let to the one thing that connected him to the one and only happy time in his past. Only when did he realize that everybot, and the two young ones were watching, that he motioned for the both of them to move apart and to get back on track of their current situation. After a few more nano-kliks of awkward silence had passed, Optimus pressed on, directing to the communications area, and said, "Now, uh Moisar, is it? If you will follow me, we can get started with your description of what you saw at the wreckage when it hit."
Nodding in reply, the young man followed the Autobot teamleader over to where the red and blue mech was directed to, with the femmebot bringing up the rear, but was stopped by the medibot who told her, "Oh, no you don't. You're coming with me to get a full diagnostics and systems check after being stuck in one mode for so long."
"Can it wait?," Lightningray pleaded. "At least, until Moisar is done explaining what he knows?"
"He'll be fine with Prime," Rachet convinced, taking her by the upper servo and leading her out of the room. "The sooner it's done, the sooner it might explain why and how you ended up on this planet."
"Well, if you say so," the blue and white ninja-femmebot agreed, a hint of uncertainty heard in her voic as she went along with the old war-bot to sick bay to get checked over, with Prowl andSari not too far behind.
Watching his best friend leave, Moisar breathed a sigh of air, put on a brave face, then turned and faced Optimus, who asked him while pulling up the Cybertronian datanet, "Now, when you saw what came out of the debris, what exactly did it look like to you?"
Searching his memories of the previous day around that time, the young man lowered his head and closed his eyes to get a clear view of what he saw in his mind. Taking a several moments to compile his thoughts, he finally answered, "By what I remember, because during that time, it got away pretty fast, but I was still able to get a good glimpse of at least its face, which was semi-elongated, but with a broad chin, had piercing eyes, and somethng else that I can't remember, but I do remember that there was this power that was telling me to go away but get closer at the same time. I know that last part won't be much of help, but I thought it be best to say something about it anyways."
But it seemed like Prime didn't mind it, who was typing away, his optics darting around as he looked at page after page, but nothing really aligned to what Moisar had described, until a report popped up that looked similar to what Rachet told him in his explaination of who the Vampiricons were, and by the bot's detailed layout of the report, almost matched word for word for one 'Con as being the head of all that Megatron had created, and luckily there were a few photos in the report, and recognized the head Vampiricon by Moisar's description, then showed the young man by pointing him out and asked, "Is this what it looks like?"
The trenchcoat-claded boy took one look at what the youngbot leader was pointing at, started nodding quickly, and replied, "Yeah, that's him. But when I saw him yesterday, he was more like a shadow-like creature and not like he's pictured. Do you think he might have turned into something more than he was before?"
"Well, it's possible," the red and blue mech agreed. "But we'll have to get Rachet's opinion on it when we tell him of what we found out. Let's go find the others and tel them what we found out."
Nodding in reply, Moisar followed behind Optimus as the Autobot took the lead and headed to sick bay along with Bumblebee and Bulkhead to see how thing were going without them and to deliver the news of which Vampiricon was in Detroit.
Ugh, cannot believe after writing all of that out on paper took me almost eleven pages and to type it out took me seven. Can somebody say cramp in my arm? Well, funny notes aside, Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and can you believe it? Prowl and Lightningray, both students at the Dojo? Things are going to get a whole lot more interesting from here on out, that's for sure. Catch you next time, fellow T:A fans! Remember to r&r, too!