Hey look, it's a new chapter! That's definitely not late at all! Yaaaay! :D
Hope it was worth the wait. Big thanks to GoldenEagle for editing.
Grimlock waited impatiently for Fix-it to set the ground bridge coordinates. The Dinobot was anxious for a fight—even more so than usual.
"Good luck, Grimlock!" Russell called from beside Fix-it. Sideswipe said nothing. He'd come out of hiding a while ago, but he hadn't stopped sulking. He was currently pacing around like a nervous watchdog. Russell could swear there was a trench forming under his pedes.
The ground bridge whined and filled with green light as the portal opened. "All right, Grimlock, you're clear to—" The Dinobot's tail had vanished through the wormhole before Fix-it could finish the sentence. The minicon trailed off, looking slightly deflated. Russell patted him on the shoulder sympathetically.
"Are we just going to stand around here they do all the work?" Sideswipe demanded, halting his pacing.
"No; I'm going to be monitoring the team and giving technical support," Fix-it said primly. "If you want to be useful, I believe Denny Clay needs a ride back from the city."
Sideswipe muttered a complaint, but he transformed anyway. "You coming, Russell?"
"Sure!" Russell hurried down the ramp to the car. Sideswipe took off as soon as the boy was buckled in. The G-forces pinned Russell to the seat as the Lamborghini raced out of the gate and down the road.
"Um, Sideswipe? Don't forget about the speed limit." Russell reminded him, fingers instinctively digging into the seat cushion. Sideswipe sighed, but he slowed enough that Russell no longer feared for their safety.
"The best fighter on this team and I'm demoted to taxi service," the mech grumbled. "Nothing against your dad, Russell, but this is not what I wanted to be doing right now."
"There'll be other 'Cons to fight," Russell assured him. But that didn't matter to Sideswipe—what mattered was that he'd been left out of this fight. What right did Bumblebee have to exclude him? This wasn't Cybertron and he wasn't one of Bee's subordinates—he didn't have to listen to anyone here. Of course, Bee might not have grounded him if it wasn't for Knockout…
Sideswipe stewed silently as he drove. They rounded a corner and the trees vanished, revealing the glittering Crown City coastline. Sideswipe usually loved the sight, but today it was galling. The gaudy flashiness of the humans' architecture, the irritating glint of the sun off the water, the flying gulls mocking him with their freedom—
Wait…
"Russell, how big do birds get on earth?"
Russell was surprised, both by the question and the sudden anxiety in his friend's voice. "Um… it depends on the species of bird," he floundered. "I think the biggest kind is ostriches—they're, like, nine feet tall."
"Know of any that are Predacon size?" Sideswipe asked quietly.
Russell's eyes widened. He lunged for the window, leaning out for a better look at the surroundings.
"See that black speck up in the sky, the one that's scattering the birds? Either my optics are playing tricks on me, or it's waaay too big to be a seagull."
Russell scrabbled for the binoculars around his neck. As he focused them on the indicated area, the speck resolved into a clearer image. It was impossible to mistake the distant silhouette, especially with the sun shining off the metal plating.
"It's Iron Wing!" Russell gasped. "But he's supposed to be in the mountains! There's no way he could have traveled this far so fast!"
Sideswipe activated his comm-link to the Alchemor. "Fix-it! We've got a situation!"
"Not now, Sideswipe, I'm dealing with something!" The minicon sounded frantic. "The signal was a decoy and now we have no way of locating Iron Wing—"
"We've located him already!" Sideswipe interrupted. "He's right in front of us, headed for Crown City!"
There was dead silence on the other end. "I'm patching you into the group line." Fix-it replied.
Sideswipe screeched to a stop, waiting impatiently. It was an interminable moment before Bee's voice came over the link. "Sideswipe, confirm: you have a visual on Iron Wing?"
"Yes! He's about a mile away, making a beeline for the city!"
"Scrap." Bumblebee cursed. "Call Knockout and then wait for us. Fix-it, open a ground bridge to Sideswipe's location!"
"Working on it now, sir! It'll just be sec—" Fix-it cut off suddenly. Then, in a hushed voice: "Oh, no…"
"What?! What happened?"
"No, please no, no—the ground bridge isn't responding!" The minicon's shrill cry sent a wave of dread through Sideswipe and his passenger.
"Wha—we don't have time for this, Fix-it!" Their fearless leader sounded on the verge of panic. "We need that ground bridge, now!"
"I know, I know! I'm trying—no, no, no!"
Sideswipe listened to the tumult grimly, optics locked on the rapidly-approaching Predacon. In another minute, he'd be over the city. A confrontation would mean witnesses at best and casualties at worst. They couldn't afford to wait for the ground bridge to get fixed. Someone—
Someone had to stall him.
Sideswipe swung his passenger door open, causing Russell—who was still leaning out the window—to tumble out. "Russell, get back to the junkyard and tell the others where I went. I'm gonna try to slow him down."
"What, you're going to take on Iron Wing alone?!" Russell cried as he disentangled himself from the window. "That's crazy! Bumblebee said to wait!"
"There's no time!" Sideswipe slammed his door shut for emphasis. "There are innocent people in that city, including your dad. We can't risk that 'Con getting anywhere near them!"
With that, Sideswipe took off, enveloping Russell in a cloud of dust.
"What about Knockout?!" Russell shouted after him, but the Lamborghini was already too far to hear. A wave of despair washed over Russell as he watched his friend disappear into the distance. Sideswipe was going to get himself killed. He might delay Iron Wing long enough for the others to get here, but it would be a miracle if he came out of it in one piece.
Russell whipped his phone out. He hastily scrolled through his contacts to the numbers that linked him to the Autobots' com system. He stopped on the one he'd put in three days ago at Bumblebee's insistence.
Sideswipe might not like his guardian, but Knockout was the only backup available right now—and Sideswipe would need whatever help he could get.
Sideswipe tore down the road parallel to the coast. Iron Wing was coming in from the north, the opposite direction from the scrapyard; if Sideswipe was fast enough, he'd meet him halfway. Well, "meet" being a relative term since Iron Wing was a thousand feet in the air, but Sideswipe had a plan for that.
When he'd drawn nearly even with the distant Predacon, Sideswipe transformed. He dug his fingers into the ground to slow himself, leaving long furrows in the dirt as he skidded to a halt. He snatched his Decepticon hunter from its holster and imagined the weapon he needed. The device hummed, becoming not his usual katana, but a protoblaster. Raising it to optic level, he aimed it toward the dark shape in the sky. He wasn't used to this weapon—protoblasters were Strongarm's thing—but a sword wasn't going to be much use at the distance.
Sideswipe squinted at his target—and fired.
The blue bolt streaked through the air. It missed the Predacon, passing in front of him instead—but it got his attention. The black shape lurched to a halt in midair. The next bolt passed over his shoulder, confirming where the shots were coming from. Sideswipe cursed silently—he'd hoped to get at least one hit before the 'Con noticed him. But he felt satisfied as the speck wheeled away from the city.
Of course, that satisfaction was short-lived as he realized there was a three-ton, angry Predacon dive-bombing him.
Sideswipe scrambled back as Iron Wing bore down on him. Holstering his weapon, he dropped into vehicle mode and zoomed in reverse down the road. The metal giant swooped by him, close enough for Sideswipe to feel the rush of air from his passing. Iron Wing pulled up sharply to avoid the trees and banked around for another dive.
He's too fast in the air, Sideswipe thought. I can't evade him out here. I need closer quarters. Making a decision, he angled his wheels and careened off the road toward the forest. A blur of claws and orange metal shot through the space he'd just been occupying. Sideswipe came to a stop just inside the tree line as the Predacon bellowed in frustration at missing his prey a second time.
"You couldn't hit the broad side of a spaceship from the inside, Pred-head!" Sideswipe taunted as he transformed. The bestial mech landed on the road in front of him, changing into his bipedal form. To Sideswipe's surprise he didn't charge. For a long moment the two locked gazes, blue optics staring down amber ones. Sideswipe saw flames in that gaze—a conflagration of hate and anger roiling just below the surface, ready to burst forth. But what chilled him was the condescension in it. Sideswipe was used to being looked down on, even being hated-but Iron Wing looked at him in the way a lion would look at a crippled gazelle. He didn't even consider Sideswipe an enemy—just a nuisance that had overstepped its place in the food chain. It sent a chill down Sideswipe's spine.
"You just gonna stare at me all day, or what?" Sideswipe demanded, trying to keep his voice steady. The Predacon said nothing; he drew in a deep vent, olfactory sensors flaring.
"I smell your fear, insect," he said in a soft rumble that was somehow more disconcerting than a roar. "We both know there is only one way this can end."
He leaned forward, baring his teeth—more teeth than any creature should ever have. "Your death is inevitable," he hissed.
Sideswipe fought down his urge to scream and instead met the Predacon's gaze. "You'll have to catch me first," he said.
And with that, he turned and ran.
The snap of breaking tree limbs behind him told Sideswipe that Iron Wing was following. He zig-zagged his way through the trees, staying just far enough out of reach to keep the 'Con baited.
A massive branch glanced off a nearby pine. What is it with this guy and throwing trees?! Sideswipe thought. He ducked behind one of the larger trees out of the way of further projectiles. "Branches aren't working, might to try another strategy!" he shouted.
The sounds of smashing foliage stopped suddenly. Sideswipe cocked an eyebrow ridge. What was the convict doing?
Another branch sailed past his tree-shield. Sideswipe smirked and leaned out to deliver another taunt. "A minicon could throw better than—"
He trailed off as an enormous boulder was suddenly launched at his now-exposed head. He dove out of the way, but not fast enough. The boulder smashed through the tree and clipped him on the shoulder, its sheer momentum sending him tumbling to the ground.
"Note to self: don't give your enemies ideas," Sideswipe groaned, clutching his damaged shoulder. The ground trembled beneath him, making him look up. He hastily rolled to the side, letting out an undignified yelp as a Predacon pede smashed down where his head had been a second ago. Sideswipe leapt into a crouch, only to flatten against the ground as the mech's scorpion-like tail whipped over his head.
This isn't working! He thought frantically. He leapt away as Iron Wing spun around, narrowly avoiding a swipe from the Predacon's claws. He yanked his Decepticon hunter out as he scuttled backwards, mentally ordering it to change into a sword. His best chance, he decided, was to stay on the defensive. The Decepticon was becoming noticeably more frustrated as Sideswipe repeatedly danced out of reach.
"Hold STILL!"
"Like scrap I will!" Sideswipe shot back. A claw nicked his armor as he tried to duck under it. He winced and scrambled farther back. What's taking Bee so long?! How long does it take to fix a space bridge?!
The Predacon seemed urged on by the minor blow. He attacked even more ferociously than before, and Sideswipe took a hit on the leg as he leapt to the side. The wounds seared painfully, more painfully than they should have. Don't tell me his claws are venomous, too? Sideswipe wondered exasperatedly. Iron Wing was already bigger and stronger than he was; did he really need to have toxins as well?
Using a tree to kick off of, Sideswipe vaulted over the Predacon, evading a punch that turned the tree behind him into splinters. He kicked the convict in the helm as he somersaulted over it, causing his opponent to stagger slightly.
Yes! Sideswipe though in triumph. As Iron Wing shook off the blow, he left himself open on his right flank. Sideswipe hit the ground and lunged forward to exploit the opening. But his injured leg wobbled beneath him. The sword fell short of its mark as Sideswipe stumbled. He caught himself before he hit the ground, but the moment of weakness was all Iron Wing needed.
WHAM!
Stars danced before Sideswipe's eyes as Iron Wing's tail pile-drove him into the ground. He shook his helm, but a foot came down on him, causing the stars to pop up again. The Predacon stomped on Sideswipe's chestplates over and over, creating a crater beneath him. Slam. Slam. Slam.
Sideswipe lunged blindly with his sword, but it was knocked from his grip. A kick to the abdomen sent him tumbling across the ground. The stars cleared from his vision enough to see Iron Wing approaching with all the resolve of an executioner.
Sideswipe tried to move but his body just wasn't having it. Iron Wing's foot lashed out again; it caught him in the teeth, knocking him flat on his back.
Sideswipe saw blue sky above him before a foot pushed his face into the dirt. He tasted energon. Error messages were flooding his processor, warning that stasis lock was imminent. He fought it off, trying to wiggle out from beneath the Predacon.
"See?" Iron Wing whispered above him, his voice sounding fuzzy. "Inevitable." The pressure on Sideswipe's helm increased, sending a new wave of alerts through his processor. Sideswipe pushed frantically against the limb pinning him, panic rising. A smile spread across Iron Wing's face as he watched Sideswipe's efforts. The insect's futile struggles were amusing. A little more force, and there was an audible crack as the helm's casing began to give. Sideswipe's vision blurred, his audials filling with white noise.
He didn't want to die; not now, not like this. Not squashed like a bug by an egotistical despot.
The buzzing white noise grew louder, roaring in his audials. Louder and louder, like a speeding car bearing down on him…
Iron Wing's audials flicked as a revving sound suddenly filled the forest. His head jerked up, and for a second he saw the scarlet blur streaking down the path he'd torn through the trees.
And then a bright-red Aston Martin slammed into his chest at two hundred miles an hour.
The force threw him off balance. Iron Wing hit the ground with a grunt, stunned. The Aston Martin flipped end over end across the clearing, its parts shifting into arms and legs as it went. Iron Wing snarled as he faced the new arrival. Knockout crouched in a predatory stance, energon staff at the ready. The vehicular tackle had dented his chestplates, but if he noticed he apparently didn't care. Sparks shot from his gaze as he glowered at Iron Wing, red optics ablaze with a fury to match the Predacon's own.
"Stay away from my sparkling," he hissed.