Dirty Little Secrets 11
Whoops
A Transformers Prime Fanfiction
:Warning: Violence and sexual content, disturbing descriptions of abuse, human trafficking, death, and rape
Four Cybertronians gathered around their leader and stared grimly at the glowing green screen. Several dozen magenta dots glowed across the planetary display; mostly clustered around one grouping of islands, but some were scattered across the globe. Mrs. Darby had left to take Miko back to her host parents' house. Now that the majority of the threat was past they considered it safe enough. Bulkhead had argued against it until Fowler revealed that the couple were both ex-military special opps and in on the secret of the girl's past if not the Autobots. They were eagerly awaiting her return with open arms and loaded weapons.
"Autobots," the deep voice of Optimus Prime rumbled through the silo. "Though we have taken it upon ourselves to protect all of humanity circumstances have placed our specific charges in danger from their own kind. Though the appropriate authorities are taking steps to alleviate this danger the international nature of the crime has limited their effectiveness both physically and politically. Certain intelligence has come to my attention that we might act upon to assist in bringing the culprits to justice."
"Who do we break Optimus?" Bulkhead demanded angrily.
The other Autobots glanced at their comrade in mild shock and disapproval at the interruption but the Prime only indicated the screen with a servo.
"Each of these is a supply depot; lightly guarded for the most part and well away from civilian populations. They contain the fallback resources for the criminals. All of the cartel's assets that could be seized through legal and electronic means have been by our human allies. However these contingency resources have been deliberately stored in territory that is either neutral or disputed. Fowler's government has no jurisdiction there and any attempt they make would cause massive international disputes. The cartel's plan is to abandon their main resources for now and fall back on these stores; a strategy they have successfully executed in the past."
"So a team not traceable to this nation or their allies would need to go in and destroy those resources," Arcee offered in an innocent tone.
"So what are we waiting for?" Bulkhead demanded. "Let's go!"
"We will divide into teams. Arcee; I have contacted Wheeljack and he will be arriving shortly. I have examined some of the structures at the locations in question and they will require his expertise to destroy. Ratchet, I have assigned you and Bumblebee the locations nearest human population centers. If you are spotted your alt mode will provide you with the best cover. Bulkhead you and I will take those facilities where plentiful brute strength will be required to dismantle the facilities."
"Wait a click Optimus," Ratchet interjected. "Who will remain behind to monitor the situations and operate the ground bridge if we are all deployed?"
"I believe Jack is more than capable of performing that task."
"Well, I guess it is not beyond his capabilities," the medic huffed. "Shall I activate a bridge to his home?"
"I do not believe that will be necessary, Jack?"
The human stepped sheepishly around the corner to the surprise of the Autobots, his hand rising to rub the back of his head self consciously.
"I thought you went home with June," Arcee stated.
"I sort of left something here so I told her I'd bridge back later," he stared uneasily but flushed and looked down when Optimus raised an optic ridge at him. "I figured you'd be doing something tonight and I wanted in," he confessed looking Optimus straight in the optic.
The Prime simply inclined his head towards the groundbridge controls. Jack shot Arcee a determined grin and jogged up the steps. Ratchet turned to Optimus and held out six slim metal bands.
"I have constructed the devices you asked for," he stated. The medic wrapped the band around his wrist in demonstration. "I have set this device to release a scattered electric field. It should serve to take out the humans in a non-lethal manner."
The comm. system buzzed and a rough voice filled the silo.
"Heya Prime! I'm ready for pickup!"
"Sending a groundbridge now," Jack responded running his fingers over the keyboard.
The green portal swirled to life and a sleek white sports car shot through, transforming as he slid to a halt near Bulkhead.
"So what do you Bots need all this boom-boom for?" the grizzled mech demanded holding up the bag of explosives he'd brought along.
"Remember the little job we did in Praxis near the end of the First Polyhex campaign?" the green mech demanded.
"Yeah, freeing Prowl and Jazz from the Crystal Pit?"
"Well the humans are running the same kind of raid tonight and we're gonna help out by blowing a few supply depots," Bulkhead growled shifting impatiently from ped to ped.
"Sounds like fun," the Wrecker stated but he cast a curious look at Optimus, "but I thought the Commander here was pretty strict about not messing in local affairs."
"True," the Prime replied, "but this organization poses a threat to us and had stated explicitly their continued intentions to engage."
"A human threat to us?"
"Arcee will brief you on the way," Optimus said. "Speed is imperative in this operation."
Wheeljack nodded as he accepted the list of targets, instructions from Optimus, and the shock band from Ratchet.
"Autobots remember we will avoid human casualties. Any people you encounter will only be low level security guards, not," Optimus glanced meaningfully at Bulkhead, "the ones who harmed Miko. Jack, prepare the first set of coordinates."
"Yes sir!"
The human watched as the Bots disappeared across the event horizon two by two. He kept a firm grip on the part of himself that desperately wanted to follow them and participate in striking back against those who had harmed his friend; a task that was made much easier by the pride generated from being trusted by Optimus Prime to man the controls.
O
O
Arcee and Wheeljack rolled out of the green portal onto an empty cliff. Above them a cloudless blue sky spread out from horizon to horizon. The hot equatorial sun beat down on a thick green jungle and the sounds of avian life-forms fluttering through the greenery rippled through the still air. Wheeljack instantly crouched and began examining the layout of the structure just barely visible through the dense foliage.
"So," he asked as he began pulling various devices out of his bag, "what did these fleshies do to get Bulkhead so worked up?"
"You remember the Crystal Pit?"
"Who doesn't," the white mech snorted as he put the finishing touches on the first charge, "most notorious den in Praxis; like the Enforcers said, if a politician didn't have a dirty little secret to hide in that place you checked 'em for a spark pulse."
"You remember what they did to the femmes and mechs they kept there?"
"Yeah," he said not liking where this was going.
"You know how protective Bulk is of Miko?"
Arcee cocked an optic ridge at him and let the mech connect the dots. A slow grim look of understanding spread across his face. He turned and began to dissemble the explosive he had just made.
"What are you doing?"
"Just adding a little something to give these a special kick."
"Remember we don't want to harm the local non-sentient life," she reminded him. "The humans are very protective of these island ecosystems."
"Don't worry; directional charges'll contain the shockwaves."
"Good, now intel says four humans and I'm reading three. We need to locate the fourth before we attack."
"I'll draw them out with a few small blasts," the Wrecker offered, "just enough to get their attention."
"Actually I have a more subtle plan," Arcee smirked.
O
O
The guard walked behind the lanky Doberman humming softly. It was boring out here for sure. But the pay was good and he'd had worse jobs. Besides, men who worked for the Cartel didn't really got to choose a profession: you did what the boss said, you made the best of it. His ears perked up however when he heard the distinctive hum of a high performance engine. His hand fell to his side and he swung up his rifle as a gleaming blue motor-cycle topped the ridge in front of him. His eyes widened at the slim form sitting on top of it. He called out a challenge to the woman and only received laughter in response as the gleaming blue bike turned and moved into the jungle.
A chase then? The man grinned at the thought. He radioed the development into base and charged after the woman. The other three guards were soon chasing after him, eager to perform their duties for once. They caught up with him in a clearing where the woman sat stiffly on her bike. A small warning sounded in the guard's mind, something about her form was off. What was she doing on the island anyway? The lead guard was calling out to her now and the woman finally spoke.
"Aww, don't tell me this is all of you?" she pouted in English. "I was hoping to have some fun!"
"Don't worry girl," the lead guard responded in broken English, "there only be four on island but we give you with plenty fun."
"Just what I wanted to hear! Wheeljack!"
The clearing crackled with electricity and the men and dogs fell to the ground. Arcee transformed and stepped over the prone forms without glancing down.
"Will this be far enough away to avoid the blasts?" she inquired.
"Should be," the Wrecker replied laconically.
"Let's roll then."
The two Autobots approached the base cautiously. The booby traps that were scattered around the storage depot were meant for small organics and therefore not likely to damage Cybertronian mesh but if there was one thing Arcee had learned from Jack it was to never underestimate humans. Wheeljack spotted and triggered several and their caution was rewarded. The shrapnel laced explosions would have caused them some pain; they would have shredded a human the Cybertronians realized grimly.
"Why haven't the powers that be on this planet cleared out this scrap nest?" the Wrecker demanded as the circled the heavy concrete bunkers.
"Apparently this landmass is not under the jurisdiction of any of the major nations. The governments that are in place are either too weak or too corrupt to do anything about it."
The white mech let out a derisive snort.
"This place is making me downright home-sick."
"I know what you mean," Arcee replied. "They are so similar to us. Sometimes it's wonderful, sometimes it's scary as the pit."
"Odd."
"What?"
"This base. It's older than the records indicated and way too sturdy for just a supply depo. And look at this," Wheeljack pulled aside a thick cluster of vines and Arcee frowned.
"Artillery damage," she stated, "but not recent."
"From the looks of things there was a well fortified base here," the Wrecker continued. "There are remains of more structures throughout the surrounding jungle. It also looks like it took a heavy pounding."
"But from the look of these plants it was several decades ago. The cartel probably just came upon these old structures and took them over."
"Still, I'm a bit curious about who was fighting who."
"We can ask Fowler when we get back," Arcee snapped. "The humans are always having little wars. Plant the charges and let's go."
"Pushy, pushy," the mech rumbled in amusement but he moved off a few paces before transforming his arm into a blaster and punching a hole in the low angled ceiling of the structure. The thick concrete resisted for a bit but soon gave to the Cybertronian weapon. He tossed a studded blue cylinder into the cavity and the jogged around the structure placing smaller charges at each corner.
"Safe distance," he grunted at Arcee and she followed him to the edge of the clearing.
The mech activated his battle mask and hit the detonator. Four pillars of smoke blasted upwards as the corners of the structure collapsed. There was a half-click pause and a massive concussion erupted from the center of the compound collapsing steel and powering concrete.
"Was that it?" Arcee asked a bit disappointed as the ground seemed to swallow up the building.
"Yep, I can guarantee you that there is nothing useable left in that structure," Wheeljack assured her as they turned to walk back to the groundbridge coordinates. "The sturdy walls redirected the blast inward and along the corridors so I was able to use fewer resources to get a well controlled but destructive explosion," the mech was interrupted as a massive blast picked them both up and hurtled them to the ground.
"What the scrap?" Arcee demanded as she picked herself up shaking her ringing audio receptors.
Wheeljack was already back on his feet running scans of the rising smoke plumes and falling debris.
"Whoops," he said casually.
"Whoops what?" Arcee demanded. "That was not a well controlled explosion!"
"Looks like there was an old stockpile of explosives in a sub-basement. Nitroglycerine based; that's why my scanners didn't pick them up."
"Look," Arcee growled, "Underestimating the destructive capacity of human tech is a bad idea, it may look primitive to us but it works! Check next time!"
"Roger that," the mech nodded. "Shall we move on?"
The femme snorted at his caviler attitude and examined the scene behind them. A towering plume of black smoke rose from a deep pit in the ground. They were done here. She raised her servo to her radio.
"Arcee to base. We're ready for that groundbridge."