Just Outside Seattle, WA
USA
August 30, 2014
Cliffjumper raced down the freeway, weaving through the cars and in and out of the two lanes. Nearly missing oncoming traffic as he drove through. About a dozen meters behind him Wheeljack laughed trying to keep up.
Then, the white and green Mustang and the red Camaro then pulled off the highway onto a side road paved in dirt. Cliffjumper sadly reduced speed as he rolled onto the rocky terrain.
"One of these days you're going to kill someone driving like that," Wheeljack chuckled from behind him.
"I'm too quick to let that happen Jackie," Cliff jokingly retorted.
"You can't always rely on those reflexes of yours," Wheeljack said, his voice becoming ever so slightly more stern.
"Hey, at least I'm not driving like a maniac right now," Cliff said.
"I hope it's because we're both hauling energon cubes in our interiors and you don't wanna blow up," Wheeljack said, "And not because you don't want the dirt to ruin your finish."
"Well for one, I'm not Sunstreaker. I don't care about my paint much," Cliffjumper laughed.
The two Autobots then came up onto a cliffside, and kept driving into it as two large doors opened inside of it. They raced down a ramp as the doors shut behind them. Then two more doors opened in front of them.
Cliff then raced into the main hangar bay of the Autobot base and skidded to a halt, kicking up smoke and spinning around.
From the other side of the room Arcee shook her head and walked over as Cliff transformed into robot mode, in his hands were two large crates of energon cubes that he walked over to the stockpile and put them down by.
Cliffjumper was a relatively short Autobot, he had the roof and front windshield of his chosen alt mode, a 1987 Chevy Camaro, on his chest, the rear tail lights and window on his shoulders and rear fender on his forearms. The rest of the car made up his legs with the headlights on his feet.
Wheeljack came in next and put his cubes in the pile as well. He was a bit taller than Cliff, they had rather similar builds. At least in terms of where car parts were placed on their chassis. Roof and windshield on torso, Wheeljack's arms seemed to have the reverse of Cliff, where the fenders were his shoulders and the tail lights wound up on his wrists. He also in stark contrast had the spoiler of his alt mode split and become wings on his back, Cliff had no 'back kibble'.
"Well, there's the last of the energon," Cliffjumper said, sitting down on the pile of cubes, "About 8 tons of it."
Optimus walked into the room and gave a strange glance at the small Autobot, who then stood up off the cubes and laughed at himself softly.
"Well done you two," Optimius said, "I wish I could've helped more."
"It's alright Prime, I'm still working on fixing that trailer up," Wheeljack said, "Plus it's fine that Cliff and I got to stretch our tires out."
"Says you, I wish Ironhide or Ratchet were still here," Cliffjumper said, "Would've taken half the time."
"Jazz needed them on Nebulous," Prowl said from the computer, waving a hand in the air.
Cliffjmper rolled his optics, obviously he knew that. He was just saying. He then walked out of the main room and to the training deck to spar with Crosshairs.
Wheeljack then turned to Prime.
"Optimus, I don't think this energon will sustain us for any more than a month or so," He said, "I need to get working on the Synth Project."
"I understand, I just don't like that we will likely end up stealing from the humans in order to achieve any progress," Optimus said solemnly.
Suddenly the doors to the base opened, and the revving of another engine echoed in the Autobots' audio receptors. Optimus, stunned, drew his Ion Blaster and stood in front of Arcee and Wheeljack who both also pulled their blasters out. In the back Prowl did the same.
Then a yellow sports car skidded in and stopped in front of the Autobots, its doors opened and out stepped three human youth. The car then transformed into a robot form.
"Woah, I thought we were all friends here," Hot Shot said, holding his hands in the air.
Arcee was the first to lower her weapon, she leaped forwards and grabbed Hot Shot and pulled him into a hug. The others lowered their weapons as well.
"Wheeljack, attend to Hot Shot," Prowl ordered, Wheeljack then walked over and grabbed the scout by the arm and walked him to the makeshift infirmary.
Optimus's glance then went down to the humans, he then glanced back over at Hot Shot.
"You brought natives here?" Optimus said, "You revealed yourself to the humans!"
"Uh oh," Jamie said, he stepped back into Emily who pushed him off.
"To be fair, he kinda did it by accident," She explained, "Sir."
Optimus nodded. He then knelt down to them and gazed at them. He took off his face plate and smiled.
"If any one of my crew was going to reveal us in such a manner, I assumed it would've been Hot Shot, or maybe Cliffjumper," Optimus said, "I like being right."
Danny and the other humans laughed nervously, Danny then stepped closer to Optimus.
"Your crew, how many of you are there," He asked.
"How about asking him what he is," Emily said.
"Hot Shot already explained that," Danny retorted.
"Well I wanna hear it from Mr. Bossman," Emily said, gesturing to Optimus Prime.
"Alright then," Optimus said standing up, "My name is Optimus Prime, and who might the three of you be?"
"I'm Emily Henderson, these are Daniel Witwicky and James Fairborn," Emily said, "Your scout Hot Shot over there kinda dragged us here."
"I asked them if they wanted to come and they did!" Hot Shot defended himself, "No one here is hostage!"
"Hold still," Wheeljack said as he inserted an energon infuser to Hot Shot's arm.
"Well Mr. Prime," Danny said, "Why are you guys on Earth?"
"Optimus is just fine Daniel, and that story is quite the long and tragic one," Optimus said.
"I think we have time," Jamie said.
"We are Autonomous Robotic Organisms, from the planet Cybertron, many lightyears from Earth." Optimus began, "Our home has for centuries been ravaged by war."
"Hot Shot said that, but why were you fighting a war," Emily asked.
"Back before the first arms were drawn, Cybertron was not the utopia we had claimed ourselves to be, there was a mass inequality, laborers and former soldiers treated like second class citizens," Optimus said, "Until one day, a former general named Megatron decided to take the anger, and hatred of the disenfranchised, and used it for his own twisted means."
"He overthrew the government?" Danny asked.
"Not only that, he also subjected those he perceived to have been privileged before, as well as those who simply didn't swear their lives to him to slavery or execution," Arcee added.
"He became the very kind of tyrant he claimed to have hated before," Optimus said, "So, my mentor Sentinel Prime, gathered those who Megatron imprisoned and enslaved as well as those who despite swearing loyalty to him, were willing to defect from Megatron, and we started to Autobot Resistance."
"Sentinel died shortly after, killed by Megatron for not revealing to locations of our people's most sacred relics to him," Optimus said, looking down as a blue light emitted from his chest, "The Matrix which Sentinel passed to me, and the Allspark which regrettably I had sent off of Cybertron."
"Regrettably?" Daniel asked.
"The Allspark is the vessel in which new Cybertrionian life is made," Optimus said, "Megatron saw to corrupt its power and create an army capable of conquering not just Cybertron but the universe at large."
"So you had to take it out of the equation," Emily said, "Where did you send it?"
"Here," Danny said, "You sent it here."
"At the time this planet had not yet been inhabited," Optimus said, "If I had known that life would begin here I would've had a different location picked out."
Cybertron, several billion years ago
Tiger Pax, the day the Allspark left Cybertron
Motorfire echoed in the skies, muffled only by the resulting explosions, crashes and screams of its victims. Smoke filled the air, so thick that the sky could not be seen from the ground.
"Wheeljack, if we are gonna do this we must do it now!" Ironhide shouted, crouched down behind a flipped over transport. He stood back up and fired his arm cannons at the incoming Decepticon forces advancing on the bridge.
"We aren't in the city!" Bumblebee shouted, he ran from the Decepticons on the bridge, he grabbed the guard rail of the transport and vaulted over it, flipping over mid air and firing his blasters at the enemy.
He landed next to Ironhide and crouched down, the larger red Autobot went down with him.
"Things don't alway go according to plan, kid!" Ironhide said, he stood up and fired more, "Wheeljack!"
Wheeljack, several meters behind the others, stood back up, rubbing his noggin in a haze. The crash seemed to have taken him out of it. He looked around, he saw the cube that held the Allspark a few meters away from him, Optimus and Prowl guarding it.
"Ironhide, give me the Wayfinder!" Wheeljack shouted.
"What!" Ironhide asked, "Have you lost your mind?" He pulled the device from his hip and stared at it, then at Wheeljack, the doc must have lost it.
"Don't we need it to find the Allspark?" Bumblebee asked, stepping away from the transport to fire at the Decepticons again.
Wheeljack, also firing his weapons at the Cons, shook his head.
"Not necessarily!" He said, "We know what planet we're sending the Allspark to, and I don't think we're making it off this bridge without stasis cuffs on our wrists!"
Everyone turned to Optimus, who guarded the rear of the Allspark, he fired his blasters at the Decepticons coming from the otherside. The rumble of jet thrusters came overhead as Starscream and Slipstream landed before him.
"You idiots!" Starscream shouted, "You cannot think that getting rid of our only source of life will solve any of our problems!"
"Of course he does," Slipstream said, "He's lost his senses!"
She then ran up on the Prime, who grabbed her by the face and and ground pounded her on her back. He then fired at Starscream who dodged all but one blast that clipped him on the wing.
Slipstream then wrestled Prime off of her and drew her energon blades, swinging them at the Autobot leader, Optimus grabbed one of her swords and let the other one pass in between his arm and his hip. He then kicked the Seeker back, she dropped her weapons and stumbled off the bridge.
Optmus turned around to see Prowl and Starscream fighting one on one, then to his other side to see that Shockwave's forces were approaching them. Much closer than before.
He sighed, and lowered his head. He looked up at Ironhide and Bumblebee who both gave him a knowing glance.
"Ironhide, it's the only way to make sure Megatron never finds out where we sent it," Optimus said.
Ironhide frowned, he knew Prime was right. As much as he hated it, not being the wise one in this situation. He growled and hurled the Wayfinder at Wheeljack, who caught it.
Wheeljack then placed the Wayfinder inside the cube and opened a panel on the cube's surface. He entered the launch code, it would take 2 minutes for the engines to fire up.
Five Autobots had to hold out against a hundred Decepticons, including Starscream, Shockwave, Slipstream and possibly Megatron.
"Autobots, do not allow a single Decepticon within arms reach of the Allspark!" Optimus shouted. The Autobots did their best to hold their ground. The Allspark launched into the sky, Starscream and Slipstream tried to race after it, their thrusters cut out as they reached the atmosphere and they lost the cube into the vacuum.
The Seeker twins then raced down to the bridge and transformed back into robot mode, just in time to see Optimus and his men be placed in stasis cuffs.
"You will not get away with this Optimus Prime," Starscream said to the Autobot leader, who only glared at him.
"Enough Starscream, you had the chance to stop it, too bad you're too slow!" Megatron's voice echoed from behind several Decepticon troops.
They stepped aside as the Decepticon leader approached. He glared at Optimus intensely as he neared him.
He stopped next to Shockwave and turned to him.
"Were you able to track its trajectory?" Megatron asked.
"No my liege," Shockwave answered, "The Seekers' ill fated chase after it messed with my scanners."
"Oh you cannot put the blame on me you one eyed-" Slipstream started to shout, before Megatron backhanded her back into silence.
"Optimus, you and I will talk when we arrive at my fortress," Megatron addressed the Prime.
"You can talk all you want bucket-head!" Ironhide growled, "But we are not talking back!"
"Optimus, it would behoove you to order your attack dog to watch his tone," Megatron said, he then grabbed Ironhide by the face and leaned in close, "I don't wish to have him executed now that new life cannot be born of Cybertron."
"Ironhide, please," Optimus sighed.
"Take them to Darkmount!" Megatron said as a dropship approached the bridge to transport them.
Autobot base, present day
Optimus recounted the days of the war on Cybertron to the humans, they seemed deeply invested into the story, like it was 100x times better to them than STAR WARS ever was.
Unknown to them, Soundwave crept out of Emily's bookbag, smaller than anyone could see. He ran across the floor of the base to the laboratory, it was empty, he saw another door at the back and dashed to it.
The Autobots communications array. This was how Prime and his team kept in contact with the rest of the Autobot forces. That would have to be dismantled.
Knowing the Autobots, this was definitely linked to the Ark's mainframe. Soundwave wanted to know exactly which players he was dealing with here on Earth.
He grew back to full size and shut the door behind him. He then linked up to the mainframe. He then saw a holo projection of the Autobots data files on the Ark's crew.
He sifted through it;
Ironhide, online, location… Nebulous
Hot Shot, MIA, location Earth… updating, online, location Earth
Prowl, online, location Earth
Brawn, deceased, last location Nebulous
Ratchet, online, location Nebulous
Arcee, online, location Earth
Bumblebee, MIA, last known location Junkion "Good" Soundwave muttered
Rodimus, online, Nebulous
Jazz, online, Nebulous
Sideswipe, online, Nebulous
Sunstreaker, online, Nebulous
Crosshairs, online, Earth
Cliffjumper, online, Earth
Optimus Prime, online, Earth
Wheeljack, online, Earth
Huffer, deceased, Nebulous
Prowl, online, Earth
Soundwave smiled under his faceplate. Most of Optimus's crew was off-world. Especially the dangerous ones like Hot Rod, Jazz, Ironhide and Bumblebee. They weren't even sure of Bumblebee's whereabouts. Megatron will be pleased to hear of this.
"Soundwave to Megatron," He whispered, a comlink channel opened and he projected a holo image of Megatron in front of himself.
*Yes Soundwave, my most loyal of Decepticons,* Megatron said, smiling at the communications officer.
"I have successfully infiltrated the Autobots base, I have sifted through their data files," Soundwave said, "I have found that this planet, due to the Allspark's saturation of it, is now rich with energon."
*Well done Soundwave,* Megatron said, *Shatter has already informed me of this however, I will be sending Scrapper and Long Haul to the surface soon.*
"That is not all Megatron, I have also found that the Autobot have barely begun their own efforts mining it here, as well as that the majority of Optimus Prime's crew aren't even on world anymore," Soundwave reported.
*Interesting? Do you know where they have gone?* Megatron asked.
"Jazz, Ironhide, Rodimus, Sideswipe Sunstreaker, Brawn, Huffer and Ratchet have gone to Nebulous to aid Ultra Magnus's campaign against Shockwave," Soundwave said, "Huffer and Brawn died sometime after, and Bumblebee is currently MIA, only seven Autobots including Prime are here on Earth."
*Excellent, we shall have no resistance seizing this planets resources,* Megatron laughed, he then went stern, *Curious how Shockwave never mentioned the Ark's presence on Nebulous in our last transmission.*
"Indeed my liege," Soundwave said, "I will now send for Starscream and my troop to meet me here so we can get started."
*Don't worry, I have Barricade sending them your coordinates now,* Megatron said, *Now disable the Autobot communications, I would hate for Commander Jazz to arrive on Earth sooner than expected*
"As you command," Soundwave said, ending the call. He then grabbed the cables on the wall and ripped them off. He then transformed his arm into the hacking device and linked back up, and went about wiping the bases files.
"That's strange?" Prowl said, the others looked over.
"What is it?" Hot Shot asked he began to walk over, he then noticed that Teletrann was shutting down.
Optimus came over and took over the second terminal, he was locked out, he tried to pass through the encryption to no avail.
"What's going on?" Emily asked.
"That's what I would like to know!" Crosshairs shouted, as he and Cliffjumper ran out of the barracks, the training drones firing live ammo at them.
Cliff shut the door behind them and shot the lock with his blaster pistol.
"Everything in there has gone haywire!" Cliffjumper shouted.
The blaster fire stopped, the computers rebooted, and the lights flickered. Optimus tried logging into the computer, only to find all their files had been wiped. He turned around and looked at his Autobots.
"Hot Shot, Arcee, the two of you grab the humans and get to the rear exit," He ordered.
"What, why, what's happening," Jamie asked as Arcee approached him and transformed.
"Prowl, pull up the front security camera feed," Optimus said, Prowl did as told and on the screen, Starscream smiled, waving at the camera.
"Who's that?" Danny asked as he sat in Hot Shot's driver's seat.
"Bad news," Hot Shot answered, "Arcee?"
"Be ready to roll," She said.
Optimus then approached the front door with Crosshairs, Prowl, Wheeljack and Cliffjumper at his sides. The five of them drew their weapons and readied themselves for the incoming attack.
The door then sid open, Optimus narrowed his optics as footsteps approached, and grew louder. Six sets total. Starscream in front, Blackout behind him. Rumble and Shatter on one side, with Frenzy and Dropkick on the other.
"Optimus Prime!" Starscream said, waving his arms to the side like a showman.
"Starscream," Optimus said, "Where's your inside man?"
"Inside," Starscream chuckled.
Then from the back Soundwave entered. Arcee and Hot Shot ordered the humans out and they transformed into robot mode ready to face him.
"Soundwave?" Optimus asked, "Megatron is too lazy to come here himself?"
"Don't worry Prime, he will make time to extinguish your spark after the Allspark is found," Soundwave answered.
"Then I guess he will have to wait, because I will not allow it to be found by the likes of you," Optimus said.
"That's fine, because right now I'm only looking for the Wayfinder," Starscream chuckled, aiming a Null Ray at Prime's chest, "It'll save us time looking for the Allspark."
"I combed through your files, Optimus, you haven't the slightest clue where it is," Soundwave said, "I figured I'd find something of use here."
"Sorry to disappoint you," Cliffjumper spat, "Even if we had something you wouldn't get it."
"So what now, you kill us?" Arcee asked, "Imprison us?"
"Just cripple you," Dropkick cackled.
"Autobots allow Starscream and his men inside," Optimus said.
"What!?" Starscream and Cliffjumper both shouted.
"Keep your weapons up and let them enter," Optimus said, "Starscream, if I allow your men into my base of operations you will allow us to leave."
"As per the Tyrest Accord?" Starscream sneered, "Article forty seven section A."
"In the event that a superior force commondeers an enemies' territory, the superior force is obligated to allow the territory's personnel to surrender and flee," Soundwave said.
"So you admit we are the superior force?" Starscream asked gleefully.
"In this scenario I do," Optimus said, "Allow my men to leave with their lives."
Starscream and Soundwave exchanged glances, pondering this request. It would be illegal to deny Prime this. However it would also be an insult to allow them to just leave, not imprisoned or unharmed.
"After deep consideration," Starscream said, "I will not allow a single Autobot disgusting flesh creature out of this facility without first being placed into stasis cuffs or a box."
"Starscream, I am in command," Soundwave barked, "However, I do conquer."
The Decepticons then started to close in. Optimus turned to Crosshairs and nodded. The Autobot targetmaster then fired at Dropkick, landing the shot right in between his optics, killing him on impact.
"Autobots, engage!" Optimus ordered. He ran over and punched Starscream clear across the face, sending him down onto Dropkick's fresh corpse.
Arcee and Hot Shot transformed into vehicle mode, grabbing the humans as they did so and raced towards the open front door.
"Stop them!" Soundwave ordered as he struggled with Prowl.
Shatter and Frenzy fired at the two vehicles, only for Wheeljack and Cliffjumper to knock them down. The four of them now in a brawl.
Optimus and Starscream traded blow after blow, punch and kick and swinging of swords the too seemed equally matched. Starsscream then tried to activate his thrusters and launch into the air, only to realize the ceiling was too low for that.
Optimus chuckled as he kicked the Seeker back onto the floor and went to his next target.
"Autobots retreat!" He said as he slammed Rumble onto the floor and elbowed him in the chest.
Prowl was the first, he kicked Soundwave in the face and used the momentum to launch himself at the door after Hot Shot and Arcee.
Cliffjumper and Wheeljack followed, guarding the door, firing their weapons as they back stepped outside as Crosshairs and Prime followed them.
Once all seven Autobots and three humans were outside Optimus tried to close the door from the outside. Crosshairs, Arcee, Hot Shot and Cliffjumper layed on the heat, blasting the Decepticons back inside.
Arcee firing right through Blackout's knee, sending the large mech on top of Starscream.
"It won't close," Optimus said.
"Maybe the manual controls inside!" Crosshairs shouted. He then ran back into the base.
"Crosshairs," Optimus called out, he went to run after him, only to be shot in the shoulder and sent crashing onto his face.
Crosshairs jumped over Dropkick's body and slid under Shatter's arm as she tried to punch him out. He then stood up and kicked Soundwave in the chest, pushing him into a wall.
He stood back up and fired his twin blasters at the remaining cons, who all took cover. He ran up on the door controls, to see that Soundwave had hacked them. He did have to shut them manually.
He tinkered with one hand and fired his blaster with the other. Then a loud creaking filled the air, the doors were closing. Now he had to go. He transformed into vehicle mode and raced to the door.
Then a blaster bolt hit his tire, flipping him into the air as the door shut in front of him. He slammed into the door then fell onto the ground hard.
As the Decepticons regrouped he noticed that Teletrann had come back online. He smirked. He then hit his palm on the terminal next to the door.
"Teletrann 3, initiate lockdown code alpha one!" He shouted, "Passcode ABT 8714."
The lights turned red and a second set of bulkhead doors shut on either side of the main door.
From the outside Prime noticed this, his optics widened as the bulkhead doors shut. He ran up on them and banged his fists loudly.
"Crosshairs!" He shouted.
Back inside Crosshairs drew his twin rifles on the Decepticons, one aimed at Starscream the other at Soundwave.
"Who wants to dance?" He asked.
Outside, Optimus and the others collected themselves to make sure no one had been injured.
"We have to go now!" Prowl said.
"Won't they follow us!" Danny asked.
"No they won't," Optimus sighed. "Crosshairs activated the failsafe lockdown, all remaining files have been wiped, the base's doors are triple reinforced and nothing short of a nuclear blast can open it up."
"For 36 hours that is," Wheeljack added.
"What about Crosshairs," Arcee asked, "He won't last that long alone with that many Cons."
"Then we must make sure his sacrifice won't be in vain," Cliffjumper said.
"Where to Prime?" Prowl asked the Autobot leader.
"I do not know," He answered.
"I think I might have an idea, but I'm not sure it even is that secure of a location," Hot Shot said.
"It'll be better than nothing," Optimus said he placed a hand on the smaller Autobot's shoulder "Lead the way my friend."