Look! I'm alive! Here's a remarkably short chapter for you, assuming I didn't lose all my readers. Oh, and you may want to go back and reread Ch 21 – I updated it for stupid errors.
chapter twenty-three
The whine of a familiar engine was the only warning the Autobots got. The parking garage began to shake as something exploded nearby, jolting everyone into wakefulness. Another explosion, this one shaking the foundations, and Ironhide cursed violently.
"Starscream!"
"Move!" The harsh command came from Prime, and everyone was in motion. Optimus was the first out of the garage, flanked by Jazz and Ironhide, followed quickly by Mirage, Bluestreak, the Twins, Ratchet, Bumblebee, and Cliffjumper. "Bumblebee, Cliffjumper – guard Ratchet and Mikaela! Find Starscream, and take him down!"
"Bluestreak! With us!" Jazz snapped. "Let's give the guys some cover!" Bluestreak nodded and followed Jazz. They scaled the parking garage until they had reached the top. Bluestreak hung on with one hand and used the other to aim. Two shots, and he had Starscream on the move. Other Decepticons were moving in, and Jazz used his position on the makeshift 'high grounds' to snipe at the grounded Decepticons. He grinned wolfishly. "Teach you to mess with us!"
"No one messes with the Twins!" In a flash Sunstreaker and Sideswipe had taken on Blackout and Scorponok while Bumblebee and Cliffjumper kept Barricade from firing on Ratchet, who was guarding Mikaela, Rachel, and James. Sam hung back as well, helping Maggie keep Glenn from completely freaking out on her. Jones and O'Connell had taken up positions on either side of the street, taking care to steer clear of the parking garage and still firing on the Decepticons. They were trying to engage Scorponok and give the Twins a better chance against Blackout, but for once the bug wasn't biting. Jones cursed and turned to O'Connell.
"We have to do something!" he shouted.
"Like what?" O'Connell demanded. "There's nothing we can do right now!"
Epps and Rob had taken refuge a bit higher up in the parking garage, using the added height advantage to try and shoot Barricade in the spark or other vulnerable areas. Jazz was making dead sure to use his bulk and bigger gun to keep Barricade from locking on to their location and taking out his bonded.
Suddenly Optimus appeared in the intersection. He had only enough time to realize that this was turning into Mission City once again before Starscream landed in front of him, weapon drawn and cocky grin in place. Optimus almost groaned. "So you're still in control?" he taunted, falling back into a fighting stance. "I figured by now someone would have overthrown you."
Starscream scowled. "Why would they do that when our true leader is just waiting for his chance?" he hissed, putting a sneering emphasis on the phrase 'true leader'. Optimus frowned, but he barely had the time to register the comment as odd before Starscream started pressing forward, smirking the entire time. "Tell me, Prime, where is your little human companion? Or should I say – your bonded?"
"Behind you!"
Starscream twisted around in time to catch a rocket to the chest plates. Sing grinned broadly. "Come on – step on me, I dare you." he taunted, already loading another rocket into the handheld launcher. Around the corner, Lennox and Stringer exchanged grins.
"No one told me Sing had a suicidal side." Lennox said with a laugh.
"Well, he's the one who packed the rocket launcher." Stringer said with a shrug. "I guess there's a Lennox wanna-be in all of us."
"That's actually funny." Lennox smirked. "I'll take that as a compliment."
"More importantly," Will said, readying his own weapon and waiting for Optimus's signal, "how did Starscream know about the spark-bonds?" He grimaced as Sing fired off another rocket. The sounds of Optimus joining the battle reached their ears, and suddenly more Decepticons appeared in the streets, ones Lennox didn't recognize. She frowned.
"They're being signaled." she murmured thoughtfully. Tilting her head to the side, she continued, "Someone has to be signaling them. It can't be Starscream – there's too much radio static from the Autobots comm. links. It has to be a different set of frequencies."
Will stared at her. "What are you talking about?"
"The Autobots and Decepticons use the same set of frequencies in their comm. links." Lennox explained absently, studying the Decepticons motions intently. "There's enough differences that the two groups can't listen in on each other without some serious encryption coding, but there are enough similarities that a situation like this would create too much static for this kind of coordinated attack."
"How do you know this?" Will demanded.
Stringer answered for her. "It's something we all picked up when we bonded with the Autobots." she said. "Hey, Lennox – can you contact Ironhide?"
It only took Lennox a moment to realize what Stringer meant. "I can try."
"Attack!"
Starscream had walked right into the middle of the intersection, driven there by Sing's rockets and Optimus's relentless pounding. Ironhide, Hound, and Mirage appeared, joining in the ever-increasing battle against Starscream and his unnamed minions. Ironhide fired up his cannon and blasted a 'Con's head off in one fluid motion. Will, Lennox, and Stringer surged forward, opening fire with their own weapons. Wheeljack joined the fight as well, although from what Ratchet had told them he wasn't much of a fighter. He was a scientist first, soldier second, just like Ratchet's primary function was medic.
A cry tore across Stringer's soul, making her gasp and stagger. Lennox grabbed her arm and held her steady, dragging her across the street and into the relative shelter of a store front. "What's wrong?" she had to shout to be heard over the explosions.
"Ratchet needs help!" Stringer cried, one hand pressed to her chest as if it hurt. "Cliffjumper's down – he might be dead – Bee can't hold up under the attack! There's too many of them!"
Lennox scowled. "We can't get to him." she hissed in frustration. There were too many mechs in between them and Ratchet, and there was no way for Ratchet to comm. one of the other Autobots. She glanced out the window, her gaze locking on to Ironhide as the black Topkick proceeded to rip the spinal struts out of yet another nameless 'Con. Slowly, an idea formed.
Well, Stringer had wanted to know if she could contact Ironhide.
She wasn't sure exactly how to do it – there wasn't an instruction manual for telepathy, last time she checked. She simply focused on Ironhide, on the message that Ratchet had somehow passed on to Stringer, on Stringer's panic and fear, and hoped to everything above that Ironhide would understand her. For a moment, she thought she had failed. Then –
Ironhide didn't stagger, didn't show any sign that there was someone desperately trying to get his attention. He simply reached out, grabbed Hound and Wheeljack, and pointed back down the street where Ratchet was relying on Bumblebee, Jazz, and Bluestreak to protect him. Wheeljack and Hound nodded and took off down the street, weapons ready. Lennox sighed in relief.
"He'll be fine, Stringer." she assured her comrade. "Ironhide's taking care of it."
Stringer nodded. "Thank you."
Lennox laughed. "Come on – let's get back out there before Prime wonders where his ankle-biting force went." Stringer couldn't help but laugh at that as she followed Lennox back out into the street, raising her weapon once again.
She also couldn't stop herself from looking down the street to where she knew Ratchet was hiding and wishing she could make it down there and help him.