[Location: Autobot Base]
As the Autobots prepared for the upcoming fight to take the space bridge, the kids were prepping things on their end. Miko was begging for Bulkhead to take her along, wanting to see the new space bridge in person, when their conversation was stopped by the rev of an engine coming up the drive tunnel. Wheeljack squealed to a halt, transforming in front of the pair.
"Glad to see that it's not too late to join the party," the wrecker said, hitting one fist into the opposite hand.
"Jackie! We figured you'd come at any chance to kick some Decepticon back side," the former wrecker said with his greeting.
"And I want to come with!" Miko exclaimed.
"No." Both bots said in unison, making the Japanese teen cross her arms in a huff.
Over at Ratchet's work area, where he and Optimus were double checking their weaponry, the medic looked over at the new comer. "Are you sure you want to bring him along, Optimus?"
Optimus was focused over at the area as well, watching Bulkhead gently lift Miko up onto the platform. "While Wheeljack is not exactly a team player, we do need all the help we can get to take and keep the space bridge."
Ratchet frowned thoughtfully as he retracted the blade he was checking. The plan was to take the space bridge and access Cybertron. Given that event going successfully Ratchet and Arcee were to go through the space bridge, locate Elita, and bring her home, functional or not.
Jack, who had up to this point had been with Rafael, Bumblebee, and Arcee, was now standing at the railing that overlooked the medical work area. "Optimus," he held up his hands, brushing the fingers with the thumbs as he looked down at them, "something doesn't feel right."
The Prime was paused as well, looking down at Jack before reaching into his chasse. Both of them watched as he pulled out the Key to Vector Sigma, glowing brightly. Tipping it to its side, all three watched a holographic image appear. It was of two figures, one the robotic form of Elita-One and the second her old human body, both back to back as the image rotated.
"What does that mean, Optimus?" Ratchet asked, his voice weak.
The image faded and the Autobot leader put the Key back. "I am unsure, old friend, but we must hurry." The older bots stepped into the main part of the room, gaining the attention of all present without saying a word. "Autobots! Roll out!" They transformed after Rafael activated the ground bridge.
"Go get our girl back!" Miko shouted at them before they all entered the ground bridge.
[Location: Cybertron, Vector Sigma]
She felt warm as she simply floated there, almost like soaking in a tub after a long day at work. It was really the first thing she had felt in her whole body since the accident. She also felt clear-headed. Opening her eyes she could only see the glowing blue around her, but not blindingly so, as her red hair floated around her head and streaked through her vision.
"Where am I?" she asked, her voice weak. She became aware of that ruffling in her head again and became puzzled about it. "Who are you?" Her vision went fuzzy as the ruffling became stronger, information being placed in her head from whatever was causing it. The warmth surrounded her mind afterwards, closing her mind back into its restful state.
[Location: Decepticon space bridge]
The Decepticon population in both the energon mine and space bridge area it contained had tripled since the last time they were there. The Autobots knew that they would have a harder battle than before, but they were prepared for it. Wheeljack was actually quite happy to get in some more action, and knowing that Prime wasn't going to hold him back only made the deal too sweet to pass up.
Re-confirming the mission with everyone, Optimus nodded to Ratchet to start the communication's block . The medic pressed a series of buttons on his wrist console before nodding to the leader.
"Autobots," Prime said, straightening up and locking his blasters into place. "Engage the enemy."
The bots rushed out of their hiding place and proceeded to do a full on assault on the cons there, surprising the drones both mining and doing maintenance on the space bridge. Despite their superior numbers, they still were no match for the attacking force as the Decepticons fell one by one.
Wheeljack and Bulkhead were counting to see who outdid whom in bringing down their foes. Arcee and Ratchet were making their way as directly to the space bridge as possible while Optimus and Bumblebee backed them up, cutting down the drone fighters that filled in wake.
As the Autobots made their way to the space bridge, another ground bridge opened up, more Decepticons pouring out of it, including Megatron, Dreadwing, and Knockout.
"Once I figured out what the device was, Optimus," Megatron started in his taunt of a lecturing voice, "It wasn't hard to figure out that you'd attempt to use my space bridge again for your purposes."
"Move out of the way, Megatron." It was the only warning Optimus was going to give his old, former friend.
"Make me," the Decepticon leader sneered.
Both bots ran towards each other, blades drawn, resuming once again their fierce battle. While Arcee, Ratchet, and Bumblebee focused on the rush of drone cons that filled in the area, Bulkhead and Wheeljack kept Dreadwing and Knockout busy.
In the heat of battle, when the Autobots started to lose ground, everything paused as a blinding light began to fill the cavern they were all in, oddly enough beginning in the center of the space bridge control platform. Prime had felt the Key give off a sudden heat, it only making him pause fractionally in his battle.
As the blue light faded, they were all able to see what was left in its absence. The Autobots recognized the red and silver fem-bot as she stood in the middle of the currently paused fray. Her head was bowed, feet spaced evenly with her shoulders.
Knockout whistled, his saw blade paused mere inches away from Bulkhead's torso armor, as he looked over the new bot. "Heeeello… sweet paint job."
Elita only lifted her head a bit, opening her blue eyes to focus on Optimus and Megatron. Her right hand shifted, transforming into a sniper's rifle as she lifted her head further, stepping back with her left foot to twist her body to the side and aimed directly for the Decepticon leader.
"Kill her you fools!" he ordered, kicking Prime away from him.
Drones forgot the other bots and swarmed her. Her right hand shifted into a two bladed sword, and with a shift of her wrist it folded out and began to spin at a high velocity. Dancing to avoid being hit, Elita struck the drones as they surrounded her with both her spinning blades and precise shots from her rifle. The Autobots assisted as more drones came through another ground bridge.
Ratchet dropped the communication's block and contacted Jack at the base, ordering their own ground bridge. With Elita's appearance, there was no need to continue the mission. The Autobot ground bridge opened up a short distance behind them and Optimus gave the order for retreat. Wheeljack and Bulkhead held up the rear until the others had entered safely.
As he watched the ground bridge portal closed, Megatron glared at the space it had occupied, his left hand reaching up to brush the gouge in his helmet as anger twisted his features. Twisting around he ordered Dreadwing and Knockout to clean up the mess before entering his own ground bridge.
[Location: Autobot Base]
The teens were happy to see the bots as they came back, Miko hopping up and down at the sight of Elita-One with them. They gathered close to the platform the kids stayed on as the ground bridge powered down.
"How on Earth did you manage that?" Bulkhead asked, still in a bit of shock.
Elita shrugged, shaking her head. "It's a really long story. And honestly I'm not sure that I believe it." But she looked down at her hands, watching them transform back from her weapons. "But I just now realize how truly amazing you guys really are." Looking up at Ratchet, she was smiling. Her face was as smooth as a newly formed bot's, a more natural cybertronian look to her. "I can feel things now. Things that I couldn't after the accident. Heat, cold, pain."
"So you're like a full, one hundred percent, Autobot now?" Miko was leaning so far over the railing that Bulkhead gently pushed her back so she wouldn't fall.
Elita focused on the young lady and nodded, "Thanks to something calling itself Vector Sigma."
Jack looked at Optimus, the Autobot leader nodding as if it made sense somehow. "It is good to have you back, Elita-One."
She smiled up at him. "It's good to be back, sir. Thank you everyone for the rescue."
Bumblebee beeped excitedly, making Rafael and the other bots laugh. "Yes, Bee," the young human boy said with a smile, "now that she can transform she needs to pick her alternate mode."
"After I make sure that she's at full health," Ratchet said sternly.
"Lead the way, Doc." And the pair disappeared into medical bot's lab area.
[Location: Autobot base, later that night]
After quiet had settled into the base, Optimus stepped up to Ratchet's station. "You wished to speak with me, old friend?"
The red and white bot nodded as he looked at his friend and then focused back at his screen. "Her scans are nothing like I've seen before. There had always been traces of human DNA on her structure from her carrying her bleeding body out of M.E.C.H.'s grasp, but it seems that the 'repairs' that she said Vector Sigma had done to her actually fused her human DNA into her structure. As if she had bio-binary bonded."
"That would explain the human image that the Key had given us," Prime said quietly.
"Maybe, but this," Ratchet brought up another part of her scans, "is showing two life signals in her frame." Optimus frowned thoughtfully and was about ready to speak when they heard the rev of a pair of engines coming through the tunnel.
Arcee was in her vehicle mode, Sadi riding, and next to her was a custom looking trike. The three wheeled motorcycle, with its red and silver paint job with the reflective flames had a female rider as well which was dressed in chaps, leather jacket, and a red helmet. The black bench that stretched across the back two wheels was large enough to hold three people.
Both female bots transformed, laughing about the trip out. Apparently they went in search of Elita-One's alternate mode. When they saw the two serious male bots, they coughed themselves out of their humor, but were still smiling.
"I need to get back to Jack and June." Arcee smirked at her friend, "See you tomorrow Elita."
"Be safe," her friend replied, waving her friend off as she went through the ground bridge. With Arcee gone from view she walked over to her other two friends. "You both look pretty serious."
"Nothing major," Ratchet assured her gently.
"Elita, may I ask you something?" Optimus turned himself to face her completely.
"Sure." She had walked over to them both. "What's up?"
Prime took a moment to form the question properly in his head before speaking. "Why did you feel the need to take out Megaton so badly back on the ridge?"
Elita blinked a couple times, and then looked down. "After everything I had heard about what he had done, and I guess what I had felt from you when we did that filter thing, I felt like it was my responsibility to take care of him." With a deep sigh she also admitted, "I also kept seeing Silas' face instead of Megatron's. I guess I felt like it would have taken the pain of what had happened away."
Optimus simply nodded, understanding her logic. Ratchet, having shut down the scan report, came around Prime's side. "You've had a busy day. Why don't you get some rest?"
Elita eyed them both, but nodded. "Yes, sir. Goodnight."
Both of them bid her goodnight before returning to their own stations as she walked down the hall to her own room. Settling on her 'bed' she looked down a bit as she brushed her fingers over her lower torso. With a frown she just assumed it was a phantom pain from when her human body was impaled and rested back, slipping into her recharge state.
Fin.
[Author's Note]
I DO NOT OWN TRANSFORMERS PRIME NOR ANY CHARACTER IN THE SHOW.
Thanks goes to my Hubby for letting me talk my ideas out with him. (No, he's not an author here.)
And thanks to Anonymous BW FG for catching things that I had missed. Fixed the Prologue on Adaptation!