Just to let you know why I took too long in this next chapter. See, with the votes going a little slow I decided on a one-shot of Bioshock Infinite. Though it would be a good idea to take a quick break from the 3rd season of TFP just to see what the poll results are. But now I'm back and the poll seems official, I can continue with my work. Also, I need to add one more thing before I would continue. Not too long ago I asked FictionFan1024 to do a crossover between Transformers Prime and Transformers Animated with Sari Sumdac in the middle of it. I read his story and I got to say he never fails to impress me. You are all welcome to read his story, but you also need to read his other works as well to get a better understanding. Trust me, he was inspired of my Sari story that he went on ahead and did a continuation of it after TFA's third season. I'm certain that you will enjoy his work as much as I did. Anywho, back to the main story in question. I looked into the status of the last chapter, and I got to say, it never fails to impress me. Twelve reviews and 863 hits seem like the best thing that has ever happened to me. As for the polls, let's just say it was a little slower then I imagined. Only nineteen people make the votes and although it was a close run on two of them, the both option sort of beats the Halo series characters and Gears of War series characters by ten votes in total. So, I will keep that promise and do that option. Now on to the story. As the recruits try to find an alternative into Darkmount, they got caught by an unexpected surprise. Not only did they found human survivors, but they also found someone they never expect. How are they going to approach this? Let's take a look and see.
Chapter Notes
For the characters of both video games, it's going to be the side characters from a variety of games and DLC and not the main. I know most of you people wanted to see the Cole Train, but honestly, he feels a little out of place in my story. Maybe in the future I would do a Gears of War crossover with Star Wars the Clone Wars with those characters. But that's pretty much in the air. Besides the cameo video game characters chosen by the polls, I've decided to add Thomas Lasky and Sarah Palmer from Halo 4. I sort of hinted on Lasky on the first chapter and had to keep it up with him. And Palmer, well she makes a serious right hand girl to him when it comes to the missions. Plus, there's the part where Vince makes an appearance. Now I know that Vince is suppose to be the registered bully within the series but he barely made much of an appearance in the show. Just one full episode in the first season and a cameo on the second. But I decided to flesh him out a little more and give him a little motivation throughout this episode. Trust me when I say this, he would make an excellent character through my version of season three.
Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers Prime.
Chapter Six: Survivors
Jack, Raf, and Miko were in sheer and utter shock. They never thought there would be some humans that might have survived the Decepticons onslaught. But what shocked them the most was finding out that the first survivor they encountered would be the last person they ever wanted to see. And that person was none other than their old school bully, Vince. He held on to the detached Decepticon blaster tightly and kept his eyes on the three Cybertronians, completely unaware that they were the teens he'd bullied in school. He continued to threaten them further, making sure that they didn't strike back.
Vince: "Now nobody move or I'll shoot the three of you. I mean it!"
There was a bit of silence as Rodimus didn't know what to do. Kaosu though looked to him and whispered something.
Miko/Kaosu: "Uh… Jack? You do realize who that guy is, do you?"
He peeked back to her and responded with a nod.
Jack/Rodimus: "Yeah. I know who he is. But it looks like he doesn't know who we are, yet. Just remain calm and try not to reveal too much of yourself."
Kaosu nodded as she and Raf kept quiet. But Vince looked at the three and didn't know what they were saying. But he believed it wasn't anything good and decided to tell them to shut it.
Vince: "Hey! What are you talking about back there? Shut it and drop your weapons! Now!"
The three looked on and could tell that he wouldn't hesitate in killing them. So Jack remained calm and told him that he's doing it.
Jack/Rodimus: "Okay… Whatever you say…"
Slowly, he lifted his blasters up and powered them down. The blasters then shifted and returned to his servos. Both Firewall and Kaosu did the same as they lifted their blasters up and switched them back to their servos as well. With the blasters removed, the young mech looked to Vince and told him that they have no weapons.
Jack/Rodimus: "See? We are unarmed. You don't have to point that blaster at us."
Unfortunately, Vince wasn't buying it, as he wanted to know more.
Vince: "Bullshit! No one gives up that easily. I take it you got more of your friends around, watching your every move. Where are they?"
Sari and Sam were still on their shoulders with their hands up, worried about what this teen might do. The girl looked at Jack and told him that this was a problem.
Sari: "He's not believing us…"
The former teen got it and tried to reason with him as another shadowy figure approached.
Jack/Rodimus: "What? No! There's no one. It's just us! So just please, lower that blaster and we'll explain everything."
Vince still held on to his blaster and started to charge it, ready to give off one quick kill.
Vince: "Let's say we don't…"
Before he could even open fire though, a hand grabbed the front end of the blaster and lowered it, telling the teen to not do it.
Carter: "Hold your fire Vince!"
Vince turned to the second individual while the others did the same. From what the recruits could see, the second person was around his mid to late thirties with black military style hair and sky blue eyes. He was wearing some heavy combat armor, coated the same color as his eyes, and was holding an advanced MA5B assault rifle with a digital gauge on the front. To the former humans, their guess was that he was black ops, top of the military chain. Vince looked to this soldier and argued back.
Vince: "But Carter, these are the aliens that destroyed my hometown! Can't you see that? They need to be dealt with!"
Carter looked at the three Cybertronians and nodded, but gave the bully a little clarity.
Carter: "Indeed Vince, I can see that. But you ought to understand that these robots aren't the same kind that destroyed Jasper."
Vince: "Oh really. And why's that?"
He turned back to him and explained his reasons.
Carter: "Because if they were here to destroy us, they would've done so by now. Plus they are carrying two civilians with them and they didn't kill them. So it's obvious that these three don't pose as much of a threat as the others we faced. So, stand down!"
Vince looked back at the three and noticed the two teens sitting on their shoulders, all looking a little scared by the way he was threatening them. But since they weren't harming any humans, he sighed and discharged his blaster, placing it over his shoulder.
Vince: "All right, fine. You made your point."
Carter smiled as he turned to the recruits to apologize.
Carter: "I'm sorry about that. Vince here is a little on edge about what happened to his town. You can imagine what he's been going through lately."
Jack remained quiet as he remembered what happened to his house when Jasper was attacked.
Jack/Rodimus: "Believe me, you have no idea."
The soldier nodded and decided to start with the introductions.
Carter: "Guess we haven't been introduced properly. I am Sergeant Carter, team leader of Noble. Allow me to introduce the rest of the team.
As soon as he said that, the rest of the shadows approached the light. Once they were in clear view, the recruits noticed that there were seven people in the group, plus
Carter and Vince. Six were military and one was a SWAT police officer. Carter then approached the first soldier to the left who was a female at age of 32. She had unkempt short dark brown hair and crystal blue eyes and was wearing the same combat armor as Carter only in a feminine design. The only thing that caught their attention was that she had a robotic like right arm that was holding a M392 designated marksman rifle, probably because she lost her right arm in one of her missions. Carter pointed to her and started with the introductions.
Carter: "This is our Intelligence officer, Catherine."
Catherine stepped up and placed her rifle on her shoulder and gave them a little clarity with a Russian voice.
Catherine: "Call me Kat. A lot of soldiers do."
Rodimus and the others nodded as they tried to remember the nickname. The leader then headed to the next member of his team. He was a male around his forties with a baldhead on the top, a rugged brown beard, and brown eyes. He was wearing his combat armor on his chest and across his arms, exposing his muscular arms and showing off a skull tattoo on his left shoulder, military pants with a belt holding explosive rounds and a knife holster holding his combat knife, and combat boots. He was holding a GP-25 grenade launcher in his hands and a M19 55M rocket launcher strapped to his back.
Carter: "Our demolition expert, Michael Barrick."
Barrick approached the group and smirked.
Barrick: "Just try not to get on my bad side. My reaction is a little explosive."
The young mech nodded and responded to that remark.
Jack/Rodimus: "I'll try to remember that."
The next person Carter approached was a young soldier at 22 years of age with black shaven hair and brown eyes. He was sporting the same combat armor as the other two, but smaller and lighter, making him feel more flexible than the others. The weapon he was holding was an advance BR85HB SR battle rifle, light in weight and a heavy firepower.
Carter: "Gabriel Thorne, our rookie. He's been with this team for a few months now. He didn't expect a fight this colossal in his young life.
Thorne nodded as he explained about that.
Thorne: "Yeah… Been through a couple of covert missions with the team for a while. Never in my wildest dreams have I experienced something of that magnitude."
Kaosu placed her servos to her hips and smiled.
Miko/Kaosu: "Dude, join the club."
Rodimus turned to her and gestured her to be quiet. Turning back, Carter approached the next soldier standing with the group. He was a little older than the others as he was in his mid forties with gray hair and brown eyes. He was wearing yellow combat armor similar to Barrick and was holding a GZ18 Markza sniper rifle. The one thing though that surprised them the most was that half of his face looked burnt and had melting flesh.
Carter: "This is Garron Paduk, one of the best snipers in the military."
Paduk gave a quick salute and welcomed the team in a Russian greeting.
Paduk: "Хороший день для вас."
The next person was somewhat of a mystery. He looked to be about twenty but he was armed to the teeth. His body armor had shell rounds on his belt and straps over his shoulders, a combat knife holster on his right shoulder plate, and he was holding a super powered M45D Tactical Shotgun. But he didn't show his face in front of everyone. Instead, he had on a helmet with a skull imprint on the front like the MECH heavy they encountered in Morrison Dam. They felt a little intimidated by his presence as the leader introduced him to them.
Carter: "And this is our scout, Emile. Careful with him though, he takes his work a little too seriously."
Emile stepped up and gave a gesture while saying one word.
Emile: "Wussup."
The three recruits and two humans waved to him nervously as they chuckled a little bit. Then Carter moved to the last person, a female of twenty nine with blue eyes and fiery red hair that was done up in a pony tail. What made her different was unlike the other soldiers; she was wearing body armor that belonged to a S.W.A.T. unit and elbow and kneepads and black combat boots. She was holding an M4 assault rifle with a couple of stun grenades on her belt.
Carter: "And last but not least, there's Sofia Hendrik. She was part of the S.W.A.T.'s strike force in Vegas. She and her team got assigned to Noble Team to assist on the evacuation. That was until the aliens decided to head to town and lay waste to everyone and everything in their path."
Sofia then stepped in and explained it all in detail.
Sofia: "My team got killed in EVAC zone 6, where the K.O. Burger was located. We managed to hold them off as long as we could, until one of those things blew up the chopper that was assisting us and crashed into the restaurant, killing the team inside. I was upset about it, but it's the risk we have to take. I stayed and assisted in helping out with saving the remaining civilians trying to escape."
The three heard about it and felt sorry for Sofia's loss. But then Raf turned to see Vince looking a little unsure about them and asked about him.
Raf/Firewall: "And what about him? How did he get dragged into your team?"
Barrick cleared his throat and explained why Vince got involved as well.
Barrick: "Vince here got separated from his family during the whole evacuation and was hiding in a bank vault during the invasion. We sort of found him fending off against some metal vermin within the vault and helped him get to his family. You got to admit though; he's one tough cookie and knows how to fight. He made an excellent replacement after we lost one of our own."
That gave the recruits a confusing look as Jack asked about it.
Jack/Rodimus: "One of your own?"
Emile then stepped in and asked about it.
Emile: "Yeah. Anthony Carmine. He was a great soldier in the team. We were trying to hold off the enemy outside of the sewage treatment facility when Carmine charged in and attacked the metal Cyclops. He didn't stand a chance though, since that Cyclops ripped him in half. Poor guy… I could imagine what his brothers would say when they hear the news about his passing."
Both Jack and Raf were shocked and lowered their heads in sorrow. But Miko just stood there and pondered when she heard about this metal Cyclops. The way it sounded was all too familiar, but she couldn't put her digit on it. But then Carter cut the news short and went back to the task at hand.
Carter: "Let's not cry over the past, we got bigger things right now. I take it all that commotion up there was from you huh?"
The former teen looked down to the Noble leader and nodded.
Jack/Rodimus: "You could say that. We were pretty much on our way to the fortress when we were attacked by the Decepticons. Though we did put up a good fight, they prevented us from reaching our destination."
Paduk heard that and shook his head in disdain.
Paduk: "Bad call, comrade. That fortress is heavily armored. No way can you reach the place without getting yourself blown to bits."
Kaosu rubbed the back of her helm and remembered that cannon that fired the magnetic blast that nearly destroyed them.
Miko/Kaosu: "Yeah… We kinda learned it the hard way."
As the conversation went on, Throne decided that they have talked long enough and decided on telling everyone that now isn't the time.
Throne: "Look, I don't like to interrupt, but those alien bots might still be searching for you guys and are on the hunt."
Carter turned to his rookie and agreed with him on that occasion.
Carter: "You're right, Throne. Those things might be searching for you by now and it will only be a matter of time before they decide to look in the tunnels. We better take you to the underground bunker where Lasky will want answers."
Sam overheard that and was surprised by the news.
Sam Witwicky: "Wait. You mean you have an underground bunker? And there are more of you?"
Carter looked up to Sam, who was on Firewall's shoulder and smiled.
Carter: "You could say that. Follow us."
Soon enough, Noble left their position and journeyed into the sewer tunnels to get back to the bunker. Vince though stayed behind and gave the Autobot recruits a little warning.
Vince: "Let me give you some advice. If I find out that you are spies for those things up there and are using this excuse to give away our position, you will be suffering my wrath."
He then slowly walked away and was catching up with team. The recruits though looked at each other and didn't expect the bully would threaten them that much.
Jack/Rodimus: "During this invasion, he's still our bully. Now come on. Let's see where they're taking us; it may help us reach the old base."
Soon enough the four former humans followed the team with Sari and Sam on the hacker and Wrecking Cadet's shoulders, wondering where they're going and if it would take them closer to their goal.
Meanwhile in Darkmount, two of the Vehicon guards were standing watch at the cell where Optimus resides. As they were on guard, they heard a beep close to them. One of the guards looked to his left shoulder and saw a compartment opening with a tray sticking out showing an average size energon cube. Looking down at it, he knew what it meant.
Vehicon 2: "Looks like it's time for the prisoner's daily intake again. It's your turn to feed him."
The other Vehicon turned to him and nodded in approval. He approached the energon cube and picked it up while the other guard input the code and opened the cell door. He then went past the door as the other guard told him to be brief.
Vehicon 2: "Make it quick."
With that said, he closed the door and let the other guard do his job. This Vehicon then turned in front of him to see Optimus suspended there with energy shackles around his pedes and wrists preventing him from getting out. When the Vehicon had first looked at the prisoner, he really thought that the Decepticons had finally accomplished something. But after Optimus had suffered weeks of torture and interrogations, he'd begun to have some second thoughts about this victory. Sighing to himself, he approached the Autobot leader and woke him up.
Vehicon 1: "Wake up Prime. It's time to give you your energon."
The Autobot leader groaned to himself as he looked up to see the Vehicon holding the energon cube. The moment he approached him, the Vehicon started to deactivate his wrist shackles, causing him to fall. The Vehicon managed to grab him with his one free arm while holding the cube with his other servo. Slowly, he dragged the once proud leader to a nearby metal bench and made sure he sat on it. Once Optimus was seated, the guard gave him the cube and told him to take it.
Vehicon 1: "Here, drink this. You're going to need your strength."
Optimus looked up to him while the guard offered him the cube. The leader slowly took the cube and opened the top, taking small sips of it. He looked to the Vehicon and was a little pleased.
Optimus Prime: "Thank you."
The prison guard shrugged his shoulders and told him it wasn't much of a big deal.
Vehicon 1: "No need to thank me. Just following Megatron's orders. You need your energon to keep you alive so you won't die from deprivation. He doesn't want you to die until you give him some answers about your team."
Optimus looked down at his energon and nodded, understanding that the warlord's intentions. Drinking his energon, the Vehicon started to ask a question.
Vehicon 1: "Why do you do this? Why do you resist in Megatron's interrogations? You know that you won't last long in all this pain and suffering unless you tell him what he needs to know."
Still staring at his drink, the leader sighed and told him that it wouldn't do.
Optimus Prime: "And what will that accomplish? You know that even if I tell Megatron about the whereabouts of my team, he will not only terminate them, but me as well."
Vehicon 1: "Even so, telling him would give you enough time to think of an escape."
Looking up to him, he told the guard it was impossible.
Optimus Prime: "And how will I accomplish that? The blast crippled my legs and Knockout disabled my weapons systems when they took me here. Without any of that, escape is impossible. My only hope is for my team to come and rescue me. But that too is highly unlikely."
The Vehicon listened to his words and couldn't believe that he heard that. So he sat next to him and told him to stop it.
Vehicon 1: "So that's it? You're going to give up just like that? You can't do that! If you give up, then Megatron will ultimately take over this planet and wipe out the human race. You can't let that happen!"
Optimus was surprised by what the Con said and asked him about it.
Optimus Prime: "But isn't it what all of you want? To rule this world?"
The Vehicon shook his head and responded.
Vehicon 1: "No… This is not what I want. What I want is to go back home when this war is over. Back to Cybertron."
Optimus looked on and was surprised that the Con had said that to him. The guard then stood up and walked away from the Prime, explaining to him about what he thought about it.
Vehicon 1: "Megatron promised us that when this war was over, then we would return to Cybertron to rebuild, to bring it back to the grand utopia it once was. But for the past few decacycles, he has changed in more ways than one. Don't know if it was the Dark Energon that's talking or not, but he has changed entirely. Now he solely focuses on taking over this planet and its occupants and couldn't care less about our planet that he promised us. I mean, I thought that the Omega Lock would've been the key to bring Cybertron back to the way things were. Turns out I was wrong, dead wrong. Now Megatron has placed this fortress on this planet and declared war on a species that doesn't want any part of it. As far as I'm concerned, I'm beginning to question my leader's new direction."
He then turned back and Optimus and continued on with his little rant.
Vehicon 1: "Now I know that most of the Cons around here blame you for destroying the Omega Lock and dooming the surviving refugees. But I think they were all wrong. You destroyed the lock because you didn't want this planet to get dragged into our war. And for once in my life, I could agree with you. I didn't want this planet to suffer the same fate Cybertron went through and you didn't want that as well. And the Megatron I once followed since the start of this war is long gone. He promised us Cybertron and took it away from us. Now all that's in his place is a cold, sparkles, egomaniacal warlord that only cares for himself."
Optimus listened to the Vehicon's story while drinking his cube and was surprised that this one had feelings. But then, he wondered if he would stand up for himself.
Optimus Prime: "Tell me, if you don't like the direction Megatron is going, why don't you come to him and make a stand.
The Vehicon shrugged his shoulders and knew what would happen.
Vehicon 1: "What, are you kidding me? Everyone in this base is pretty much frightened of him. Especially since he terminated Dreadwing a while back."
The leader's optics were a little wide and couldn't believe what he had heard.
Optimus Prime: "Dreadwing is dead?"
The Vehicon nodded and explained how it happened.
Vehicon 1: "Yeah, pretty much. Heard from the other drones that he snapped without warning, took his frustration out on Starscream, blamed him for the death of his brother, Skyquake, and resurrecting him from the dead. Megatron tried to stop him but he wouldn't listen. So our leader had no other choice but to shoot him through the spark chamber, killing him before Dreadwing had the chance of destroying Starscream. What a shame that he had to go after being on this armada of a couple of decacycles."
Prime remained silent, as he was shocked to hear of Dreadwing's demise. Yet he had a bit of comfort knowing that the flyer is finally at peace with himself.
Optimus Prime: "At least Dreadwing is finally reunited with his brother within the Well."
The Con nodded and sighed about what happened to him.
Vehicon 1: "Yeah… It seems that way. Even after what happened to Dreadwing, the rest of the Cons are a little nervous. For if they opened their voice boxes and said something wrong, then Megatron wouldn't hesitate to kill them. There were a few that had failed to search for your team that suffered his wrath and others that wanted to say something but are afraid to say it in front of our leader. In short, this place has gotten sour ever since the Omega Lock incident. I'm just hoping that your friends will get here to help get you out of this prison."
Optimus looked away and told him that it was impossible.
Optimus Prime: "I know that I have faith that the other Autobots are planning a rescue attempt. But with the defenses and the barrier preventing them from reaching the citadel, it would seem impossible for them to get to me in time. It would seem that Megatron was more prepared for them than ever before and his plan for world conquest of Earth is in full motion. And because of that, I fear that my team won't have the chance of rescuing me from Megatron's clutches."
The Vehicon looked at him continuing to drink his energon and turned his head away. The Prime didn't know it yet, but there was news that someone managed to breach the defenses and nearly reached the fortress. And news always spreads quickly when you're with the Decepticon armada. But Optimus hadn't heard about the news and was in the dark about the whole thing. Being that he has to do something to ease his concern, the drone looked to him and told him about the news.
Vehicon 1: "You're wrong Prime."
Optimus stopped drinking and looked to the guard with an odd expression. He then went next to the Autobot leader and placed his pede on the bench, letting him know about something he heard.
Vehicon 1: "Listen, there were news stating that a small group of Cybertronians managed to bypass the force field around Darkmount and laid waste to some Decepticons. Don't know much about who they were, but some believe that they could be Neutrals."
Prime raised a metallic eyebrow and was a little confused.
Optimus Prime: "Neutrals? Are you certain?"
The Vehicon nodded as he explained it to him further.
Vehicon 1: "The details are a little sketchy, but all I can put together is that these neutrals were just younglings that fought like soldiers. Now Neutrals are never much fighters and normally they get killed if they don't join Megatron's cause. To the pits, younglings never had much training and wouldn't last long in a firefight. But the way they fought, it would seem that they were taught by some real professionals. My guess, your friends must've taught them to fight. Anyways, they've managed to breach the defenses and took down a few ranks. They were about to reach the tower too if it hadn't been for Darkmount's main defenses shooting them down. Even now, there's a recovery unit looking for survivors, probably searching for those Neutrals just to bring them in alive. I don't know if they found them or not. But if they managed to survive the blast and made an escape, then maybe there is still hope for you."
Optimus listened and was amazed by this news. He never thought in a million stellar cycles that Neutrals would come to save him, let alone being heavily trained. He wondered whether his team was involved in gathering these Neutrals and training them. He then thought about who these Neutrals might be, and how they even reached Earth. But then another thing came to his processor. He remembered that Alpha Trion telling him that a new Prime will be born in this world and he will take over his place when his spark is no more. He doesn't know who this new Prime was going to be, but hearing the news of the Neutrals arriving, he then asked himself one question and one question alone. Is one of the Neutrals the future Prime?
Back underneath the ruins of Jasper, Jack, Raf, and Miko were walking through the sewer water as they were following Noble Team through the corridors of the tunnels.
Since discovering a few survivors in the tunnels, the three were surprised that they managed to live through the invasion. But they were even more shocked that one of the members was their bully Vince. They never thought in a million years that he would survive the Con attack. Let alone that he was armed with a Con blaster. They'd better hope that he doesn't decide to shoot them, because that'd be a whole lot worse than being crammed into a locker or dunked into a toilet. As they were walking, the whole atmosphere was quiet. Sam, who was on Firewall's shoulder, decided to break that silence and asked Noble leader Carter about something.
Sam Witwicky: "So… Exactly where are you taking us?"
Carter looked to them and told them where they were going.
Carter: "We're taking you to the only safe zone underneath Jasper. That's where you will meet up with Lasky and he will explain to you about the situation."
Sam nodded and understood his answer.
Sam Witwicky: "Oh, I see…"
Jack decided to continue with the conversation as he talked about more survivors than the Black Ops team they found.
Jack/Rodimus: "So Carter, are there more of you from where we're going?"
Carter nodded and explained to the young mech about that.
Carter: "You could say that. We've got around 500 survivors in the shelter, military and civilian. A small number, but we managed to get a number of them to safety."
Raf then started to wonder about this town and survivors that managed to get out of the disaster alive.
Raf/Firewall: "So you're telling us that there were those that managed to survive this ordeal? I'd assumed from the news that everyone was killed in the invasion."
Emile just chuckled underneath his helmet and thought they were misinformed.
Emile: "Is that right? Guess someone didn't get word about what really happened out there."
There were some silence in the group as Kaosu decided to ask about it.
Miko/Kaosu: "So tell us, what really happened in Jasper?"
Carter stopped and turned back to the recruits, not knowing if they were ready for what they were about to hear.
Carter: "You really want to know?"
The teen group looked at each other and were a little confused about it. Rodimus then turned to the team leader and answered back.
Jack/Rodimus: "Uh… Yeah, we do."
Carter lowered his head and sighed to himself.
Carter: "Fine… But don't say I didn't warn you."
They then continued to walk, reaching the bunker the team was talking about. As they were walking, Carter began his story.
Carter: "Two weeks ago, when the alien tower appeared out of that white light, the Pentagon decided to evacuate the residents of Jasper. They sent in military forces and black ops to help assist and protect the town until it was completely vacated. I'm certain you saw what happened within the town. Those EVAC zones and medical stations were set up to help assist with the evacuation and apply medical aid to the sick or injured. So far everything had been going well with the evacuations, as half of the town's occupants were removed from the area. But just when we were halfway done, the attack happened."
He turned to Kat and nodded to let her to continue. She nodded back and explained about the attack.
Catherine: "At 1500 hours, an alien force came without warning and attacked the town without mercy. Their weapons were highly advanced and with the exceptions of rockets and explosives, our weapons proved to be of little effect against them. But that's not the worst of it. There were two main threats within that armada. One was a huge alien ship hovering above the city; the other was an alien robot that was a potential threat to everyone. For some of the soldiers that survived its wrath, they called him the metal Cyclops."
Carter: "We don't know much about him other than he was the one that orchestrated the attack on Jasper. He carried a huge cannon for an arm and plowed down anything that was in his path. Not only that, but he had some kind of beacon that directed the ship to his position. From there, the ship used some kind of super weapon we'd never seen before, and with one hit destroyed everything it was under. From what we saw and heard, that huge ship destroyed the decommissioned missile silo, the mayor's office, a military complex not far from the town, and a mini mall that held hundreds of people waiting to get out. It was horrible…"
Vince then turned his head away when he heard about the mini mall that was blown to bits. Jack noticed him feeling a little depressed and wondered what he was saddened about. But he let it slide as they continued to walk while Carter finished his explanation.
Carter: "It got even worse when the tower that was placed formed a barrier around both it and the town, trapping the remaining survivors. With no communications to outside the barrier, our only chance was to gather the remaining survivors and take them to the sewage treatment plant that had elevator access into the sewer system. But while we were vacating the remaining populace, that metal Cyclops came and tried to destroy us. We held him and the alien armada long enough for the citizens of Jasper to get underground. Hell, we barely got out of there alive before that huge ship came in and flattened that plant."
Raf heard that and was a little nervous about it.
Raf/Firewall: "Um… What do you mean barely?"
Paduk turned to the hacker and showed him the burnt scar on his face, sliding his fingers down it.
Paduk: "Take a good look, friends. This is how close we were in knocking on Death's door."
The team looked at the scar and stood back, feeling a little unsettled by it. Carter looked back to the sniper and told him to stop it.
Carter: "That's enough, Garron. We don't want you to scare them."
Paduk turned to his captain and nodded.
Paduk: "Apologies, Sarge. They were all a little curious is all."
Carter grunted and went on with his story.
Carter: "Anyways, once we got out of there by the skin of our teeth, we took the remaining population into the fallout shelter underneath the town. We've been in hiding ever since."
The recruits heard the whole story and were in awe by the military's survival and saddened by their loss. Jack then broke the silence and apologized about what happened.
Jack/Rodimus: "I'm sorry about what happened to all of you. I would never have thought that you and the others would have been through so much."
Thorne looked back to him and told him that it was nothing.
Thorne: "Don't beat yourselves up about it. We were just assisting with the evacuations and didn't expect that to happen."
Emile and Sofia nodded and explained about that too.
Emile: "Tell me about it. Noble Team usually takes on terrorists across the globe. Never in our wildest dreams did we ever encounter something like that."
Sofia: "Join the club. Those bastards killed off my team. I want to pay them back for that, big time."
Carter heard the three and broke them up.
Carter: "Let's not do anything we would regret later on. Right now our main concern is to protect the remaining occupation of Jasper until we can find a way of getting them out of the town."
The three turned to their leader and nodded, knowing that striking back should be at a later time. The group continued to walk down the sewer hallway until they made a turn to the right. That's when the team went up the ramp and out of the filthy water. The recruits then noticed a huge metallic blast door with gears and locks in place. The group looked on and wondered what that door was.
Sari: "Whoa… What is that?"
Carter smiled and explained where they were.
Carter: "Back in the 1960s, President Kennedy wanted to make sure that his U.S. citizens could survive a nuclear fallout. So the Pentagon built these fallout shelters underneath small towns like this one to ensure that Americans would both thrive and survive. After the Cuban Missile Crisis was adverted, these places were pretty much abandoned. Now we're using this as shelter for the survivors until we can find a way of getting out of this Hellhole. I mean, if it hadn't been for this shelter, then all of us would've been dead by now."
Miko looked at this blast door and smirked.
Miko/Kaosu: "First a base underneath Lake Erie and now this place. This Kennedy certainly didn't want to take any chances."
Carter then approached the blast door and headed to a terminal next to it with a loudspeaker and a button. The moment he pushed the button, he heard a voice through the speaker.
"Who is it?"
Carter then responded to the unknown voice.
Carter: "This is Sergeant Carter of Noble Team. We returned from our reconnaissance mission to find out about the unexplained disturbance above ground. Open up."
"Password?"
Carter: "We are not alone…"
The recruits looked at each other and were dumbfounded about the password.
Sari: "We are not alone? Real classic…"
Just then, the gears started to move and spin while the locks unbuckled. The door separated and opened up to reveal the shelter's lobby. But what the group of Autobot recruits didn't expect was a huge army waiting for them. What they saw were soldiers, Black Op units, S.W.A.T. specialists, and regular police officers at the entrance holding a variety of weapons. Everything from high-powered rifles, machine gun torrents, rocket and grenade launchers, and severed Decepticon blasters were all pointing at the three as Sari and Sam looked on in shock.
Sam Witwicky: "I take it that's the welcoming committee."
The hacker nodded and responded.
Raf/Firewall: "And what gave that away?"
As they were looking on, they heard a voice from in front.
Major Johnson: "Nobody move or we'll shoot you!"
They all looked down and saw what appeared to be an African American man with a black mustache standing in front of the group. He was wearing a green uniform with heavy green armor on his chest, arms, and legs, a belt with grenades around it, and a green military cap. He was holding an assault rifle similar to Carter's, and had a cigar in his mouth. He looked to Carter while pointing his rifle at the recruits and asked about them.
Major Johnson: "Carter, what in the blue Hell is wrong with you? Bringing the enemy into this fallout shelter. Are you crazy?!"
Carter approached the general and explained his actions.
Carter: "Forgive me Johnson, but these three don't pose a threat. We just brought them here so they could talk to Lasky. Just let them pass."
But Johnson wasn't buying it as he looked at the three and reminded Noble leader about what happened two weeks ago.
Major Johnson: "Have you forgotten about what happened up there two weeks ago? When those alien bastards wreaked havoc in Jasper, destroying everything in their path? Do you want the same thing to happen to this bunker?"
That's when the three recruits lifted their arms in protest and tried to save themselves.
Jack/Rodimus: "Whoa! Hold on for a second there. We're not here to attack you guys. We're here on an important mission."
Raf/Firewall: "That's right! We sort of got caught in the attack and went into the sewers to find an alternate route. That's when we encountered Noble Team and they took us here to talk to the person in charge."
Miko/Kaosu: "Yeah! We would never harm a human being in our lives. You have to believe us!"
But Johnson didn't believe them as he started to give them threats.
Major Johnson: "Forget it you three, I'm not going to take any chances. Whether you're with those things or not, you are all a potential threat. And like all threats, you need to be exterminated at all costs."
He and the group pointed their weapons at the recruits as they covered themselves, getting ready for the firepower to come at them. But before they could fire at them, another voice was heard, this time it was feminine.
Commander Palmer: "Major Johnson! Stand down!"
Johnson turned to the voice from behind and saw a woman with short brown hair in a bun and was wearing a white jumpsuit with white armor on her chest, legs, shoulders, and arms and a DMR strapped to her back with two pistols on both sides. This woman approached the major as Johnson stood in attention.
Major Johnson: "Commander Palmer, ma'am. I was trying to make sure that these three didn't get near this safe haven."
The commander looked to him and told him it wasn't necessary.
Commander Palmer: "At ease, major. These three don't pose much of a threat. And by the looks of Noble Team, they haven't been harmed by them since they've been spotted. Plus there are two other people that are with the bots; I don't think they would hurt anyone. So be that as it may, I suggest you lower your weapons before you decide on pulling a little friendly fire on these three."
Johnson looked to the woman then back at the three recruits. Indeed they were the same aliens that attacked the town, but it doesn't look like they posed much of a threat to them. In the same was as Noble, he saw that the two civilians were still alive and the three looked scared by the military aiming at them. Looking at this, he decided to let it slide and told the others to hold their fire.
Major Johnson: "Weapons down boys. Save the fight for the evil robots."
The soldiers and cops lowered their weapons and gave off a sigh of relief. Palmer then walked to the three recruits and apologized for what happened.
Commander Palmer: "I'm sorry for this unexpected welcome. These people are a little jumpy after what happened above ground."
Rodimus look to her and shrugged his shoulders about it.
Rodimus: "Don't apologize; we sort of get that a lot. I'm Rodimus by the way."
Palmer looked to him with a grin and smirked, introducing herself.
Commander Palmer: "Sarah Palmer. I'm the commander for the EVAC mission and Lasky's second in command. I see that Noble Team was keeping you company."
Jack looked down at the team and looked back with a smile on his face.
Jack/Rodimus: "Yeah, pretty much. But I'm hoping to speak with the person in charge of this operation."
Palmer nodded and told them to come in.
Commander Palmer: "But of course. Follow me please."
She then turned around and walked past the military group. The recruits looked at each other until they and Noble Team entered the fallout shelter. As they were walking, they noticed all of the soldiers standing there, looking intently at the three bots, feeling a little nervous about them coming in. But being that they encountered the Decepticons, they understood that they should be worried about them coming in. As they were walking, Rodimus asked Palmer about the evacuation.
Rodimus: "Palmer, I heard that the evacuation didn't go well. Can you tell us about the number of people you were trying to vacate when the invasion started?"
Commander Palmer looked to him and was a little curious about his questions, but answered anyway.
Commander Palmer: "Well for starters it was a complete mess. None of us expected these Decepticons attacking the town during the evacuation until it was too late. When the attack started, we had around 2,000 people waiting to leave the town. By the time we got the remaining survivors into the shelter, it was cut in half, if not less. It was a disaster."
The former teen saw the aftermath of his town and remembered his home, his school, and his job turning into nothing more than a mere memory.
Jack/Rodimus: "Yeah, I saw what happened to the town up there. It must've been rough for all of you."
Palmer rolled her eyes around and told him that it was more than just an attack.
Commander Palmer: "Rodimus, you have no idea what we were up against."
As they entered another room from the entrance, the team looked around and was surprised by what they saw. That's when Palmer turned to them and welcomed them to this new room.
Commander Palmer: "Welcome to New Jasper."
Indeed, this place was New Jasper as there were three floors filled with civilians that survived the Decepticon onslaught. To the left was medical with a group of people and soldiers that were sick and injured from the attack, a cafeteria where people were eating their emergency rations, and a lounge on top for enjoying some entertainment from reading books to playing games. To the right were three floors of barracks with bunk beds and cots, half of which were empty. There were Jasper citizens looking a little sorrowful and were hoping to get out soon enough. There were a few people praying that they would survive another day, another group huddled around a burning trashcan roasting marshmallows and telling stories of the days before the attack, and two kids singing 'Shake Sugaree' with one of them playing an acoustic guitar. There were even a few police officers and soldiers around trying to keep order as there a few signs of unrest. But the moment they all turned to the recruits, there was a harsh silence in the area as there were some nervous looks with the patrons. The commander looked to the people and told them to remain calm.
Commander Palmer: "It's all right everyone. These three mean no harm. They're just here to speak to Lasky."
There were whispers with the people as they didn't know if they would trust them or not. But slowly they got back to their business and went on with their lives. Raf looked at this surprising event and said it out loud.
Raf/Firewall: "Wow… Guess the soldiers aren't the only ones that are nervous about us, huh?"
The group continued to walk along as Palmer explained their reasons.
Commander Palmer: "You can't blame them for what they experienced two weeks ago. One day they were living normal everyday lives. But the moment the light hit near the town, everyone got into a major panic attack and didn't know what to do. We managed to evacuate half the town until the Cons decided to strike us down without mercy."
Sari looked at all the people feeling a little gloomy and depressed and felt sorry for all of them.
Sari: "This is terrible… All these people… They used to live happy, carefree lives. Now look at them. They are hiding here, living in complete fear and worry. How can they live like this?"
Palmer shook her head and let the young teen know about the occupants in town.
Commander Palmer: "Believe me when I say this kid, it's been hard for all of these people. Their homes and businesses were torn apart by these aliens along with their memories of this town. Most people couldn't even get out due to their lack of transportation or waiting in the EVAC zones above ground. During the attack, most of the civilians were injured from broken legs and concussions. Some children watched helplessly as their families were killed, leaving them orphaned. It's impossible for them to live normal lives now after what happened up above."
Vince heard of that and turned his head away, feeling upset about something. Jack noticed this from him and could tell that he was hiding something. He couldn't quite put his digit on it, but it's almost like he lost someone in the family, if not more. As they were walking, they approached a huge garage door that would lead them to another room. Palmer stopped and turned to them, asking them to stay where they were.
Commander Palmer: "Wait here. I'll talk to Lasky about your arrival and see if you can help him with this dilemma we have."
The three nodded as Palmer knocked on the door, which opened slightly to let her in. As it closed, both Firewall and Kaosu helped Sari and Sam to reach the ground as they all grouped together and talked about what they witnessed, making sure that the Noble team wasn't listening.
Miko/Kaosu: "Guys, this is serious. All these people are still alive and living underground."
Raf/Firewall: "And the outside world doesn't know about it yet. We've got to do something. But what?"
Rodimus looked at the survivors in the shelter and had to figure out a way of saving them. That's when he came up with an idea and told everyone about it.
Jack/Rodimus: "We get them out of here."
Everyone turned to him and were surprised by his plan. Sam and Sari turned to him and were as shocked as the others.
Sam Witwicky: "Um… Is there more to this plan of yours?"
Sari: "I could agree with Sam there. Getting all these people out won't be an easy feat. Especially with those Cons out there."
The young mech looked to the two and told them that it will only get worse.
Jack/Rodimus: "Guys, look around you. All these people, they are trapped in this nightmare. Worse yet, the Cons are searching for us after what we did up there. If they start to look for us in the sewers and find this place, they won't hesitate in destroying everything and everyone in here. We have to get them out of here and out of the town."
The Japanese femme rolled her optics around and told him that it won't be easy.
Miko/Kaosu: "Not going to be an easy feat. With the Decepticreeps up there and the barrier blocking our way out, it's close to impossible."
He turned to her and talked about the alternate solution.
Jack/Rodimus: "But we do have a ground bridge that managed to breach the force field. If we can reach Darkmount and regain communication with the team, we will tell them what we found and set up a bridge here to get everyone out. We must get them out of here before it's too late."
Raf/Firewall: "Even so, we still need to find a way of getting there through the sewers. We got lost, remember?"
He then turned to the hacker and came up with the solution.
Jack/Rodimus: "True. But maybe these people know of a way to get there. Or at least close enough to reach Omega One. It's our only bet that we can get to make it into the fortress and save everyone."
Everyone was silent about it and wondered whether this plan of his will work or not. Just then, the garage door opened fully and Palmer walked out, asking the recruits to come in.
Commander Palmer: "All right Rodimus, I talked to Lasky and he gave me the okay. You and your friends can come in. You have to leave the civilians you were carrying here with Noble until you come back. Carter, Lasky wants to talk to you as well, just to get some clarity about them."
Carter turned to her and nodded in agreement.
Carter: "Understood."
When Carter entered the room, Jack told Sari and Sam to remain put.
Jack/Rodimus: "Stay here. This won't take long."
The two nodded in unison and decided to let them do the talking. With that said, Jack, Raf, and Miko followed the commander as they entered the new room. What they saw was what appeared to be an old command center straight from the 1960s. There were soldiers working hard to get the radios and old computers working. Even if they were working, the old tech was a little confusing for them. But then, there was one man looking at the paper map of the U.S., remaining quiet as the group worked hard. As they got closer, they heard his voice.
Captain Lasky: "So Palmer, this is the three non-Decepticons you told me about?"
Palmer nodded and responded.
Commander Palmer: "Yes Captain. These are the three that Noble Team discovered when they were investigating the unexplained commotion outside. When they encountered these three, they believed they posed no threat to us and brought them here for help."
There was silence from the captain as he looked to Carter for an explanation.
Captain Lasky: "Is it true Carter?"
Carter looked to the captain and explained his actions.
Carter: "Of course, sir. At first, they were in the tunnels searching for us so I ordered my men to fire. But when I saw them carrying two humans on their shoulders, I knew that they weren't here to hurt us. So I told my men to stand down and asked these three to follow us. I'm hoping that they can help us with the problem we have had as of late."
Lasky remained quiet as he thought this through. After watching what happened to the town two weeks ago, he didn't know whether he should trust them. But given the report from Palmer and Carter, it would seem that they weren't the Cons that trashed Jasper. So he looked back at the map and came to a conclusion.
Captain Lasky: "I see… Very well then, you are all dismissed."
The two nodded and stepped back as the captain turned around fully to get a good look at them. The three looked at the captain and could tell that he was a man in his early forties with brown hair and eyes, wearing a standard military uniform with a patched badge of his rank. Looking at the three, he then started with the introductions.
Captain Lasky: "I'm Captain Thomas Lasky. I'm in charge of the evacuation mission here in Jasper. Well, used to be in charge of the evacuation. Now this is mostly a survival mission. I take it that you must be Rodimus."
Jack nodded and did his own introductions.
Jack/Rodimus: "Yes, I am Rodimus. And these are my friends, Firewall and Kaosu."
Both the hacker and the Wrecking cadet waved to the captain as a sign of goodness. Lasky gave a simple nod and decided to start talking about the situation.
Captain Lasky: "Good to see robots that aren't attacking my men for once. I'm sure you already know the situation we're in."
The former teen nodded and remembered what both Carter and Palmer said.
Jack/Rodimus: "Carter and Palmer told me about the invasion in Jasper and what happened to all of you. I can pretty much understand what you all went through."
The captain then walked to them and decided to make it brief.
Captain Lasky: "Then I won't have to explain everything. Let me make this quick. With the Decepticons taking full control of Jasper and the barrier that's protecting them, there is no way out for any of us. All communications to the outside world have been severed completely, leaving us with trying to use ham radios and old computers to establish contact in some way. And with the weapons we possess compared to the alien tech they're packing, we are hopelessly, hilariously, outmatched and outgunned. This nuclear bunker under the town is the only safe place we have left and with the supplies we have in storage, it would take us months before it's completely empty. What's worse is that if the Cons decide to search through the sewers and find this place, we're going to be running out of breathing room real soon. I'm hoping that you three know of a way to get us out of here in time."
Both Raf and Miko looked at Jack as Lasky asked for a quick favor. The former teen knew that Lasky was in trouble and he needed a way to get out of it. Already telling his friends his plan, he looked to the captain and told him about it.
Jack/Rodimus: "There is a way of getting you out of here. I'm certain you heard of the Autobots, right?"
Lasky looked to him silently and remembered about them.
Captain Lasky: "Well of course. The entire military knows about them, it is why we keep this robot war away from the public eye till just recently. Do you know anything about the Autobots? Are you friends with them?"
Jack simply smirked and let him know how they know their friends.
Jack/Rodimus: "Let's just say we're interns for them. Now the team has something called a ground bridge. It's a type of teleporter that can take us to anywhere we want. The team managed to make some modifications to the bridge that transported us here past the barrier. If we can contact the team, they might be able to bridge you and everyone in this shelter out of here before the Cons find you."
There was a sudden surprise as the soldiers around them looked to Rodimus, almost feeling happy about the fact that they have a way of returning home. Lasky heard this too and found that far-fetched. But being they have little time left, he didn't have a choice in the matter.
Captain Lasky: "Sounds like a risk, but it's our only option left. See if you can contact the Autobots so we get leave."
Rodimus though lowered his head and sighed, knowing that the captain is not going to like what he's going to say next.
Jack/Rodimus: "Yes well, that's just the good news. The bad news though is that our comms are being scrambled by the force field that's surrounding us. We can't get into contact with our base unless we find an alternate way of communicating with them.
Lasky looked back at the equipment they have in their disposal and shook his head.
Captain Lasky: "Well good luck trying to contact anyone from this junk. All of our efforts at regaining communication outside have proven fruitless."
The former teen rubbed his chin and decided to tell them what he's going to do.
Jack/Rodimus: "Maybe… But there is a way to get in contact with the outside world."
The captain turned to him and was a little intrigued by this.
Captain Lasky: "Really? And what's that?"
Jack looked to him and wondered if he's going to like the news or not. But given the situation they were in, he took a deep breath and told him about it.
Jack/Rodimus: "While all human communications have been shut down, alien communication seems to be the only answer. Deep within Darkmount, the Decepticons have a communication outpost. If we can get in there, we can regain communication outside the barrier and get you out of this war zone once and for all."
Every soldier looked at each other and was shocked for words. Hearing that the Cons have a comm station in their base scared them, especially given the defenses they have. Carter then looked to the former teen and protested.
Carter: "Head to the enemy base to contact the outside world? That's suicide!"
Jack turned back to the Noble leader and told him that they have no other choice.
Jack/Rodimus: "Maybe, but it's the only way of getting survivors out of this living Hell. We are running out of time here Lasky, and the last thing you want is a Decepticon armada knocking on your front door."
He turned to Lasky to see if he would agree with that. The captain turned his head away and didn't know what to think. Sure he wants to get the remaining Jasper residents out of town as quickly as he could, but that would mean heading to enemy territory with no clue on what they're up against. But given the little time they have left, he doesn't have a choice in the matter. Turning back to him, the captain sighed and decided to go with that plan.
Captain Lasky: "All right, you've made a valid point. If we're going to get these people out of here, then we have to breach the fortress and take over their comm outpost."
Rodimus though corrected him and told him that it won't be necessary.
Jack/Rodimus: "There are two things I want to discuss. Firstly, if you want to get back home, let me and my friends reach the fortress without any human assistance. The last thing we want is for more of your men to die in the hands of some Cons."
Lasky heard that and nodded in agreement.
Captain Lasky: "Understood… I've already lost enough men as it is. Anything else?"
Jack/Rodimus: "Yes. A way to reach the fortress from underground."
Meanwhile, outside the briefing room, Sari and Sam were waiting patiently for their friends to come out. Not far from them was Noble team talking about their encounter with these new Transformers. All the while, Vince was looking at the two, curious as to how they happened to be with the new bots. So he walked over and asked them about it.
Vince: "You know, I never seen you two around town. And believe me; with a town this small, there's always talk about everyone. So, where do you two come from?"
The two looked to him and decided to answer back at the same time.
Sari and Sam: "Detroit."
Vince was surprised by this as he continued with the conversation.
Vince: "Detroit huh? My grandparents live there. Never thought the two of you could enter Jasper with that barrier in the way. How did you get here?"
The two looked at each other as Sari turned to him and explained as much as she could.
Sari: "Well, we entered the town through something called a ground bridge. It's a teleporter that creates a vortex that can take us anywhere around the globe. Our friends managed to modify it to help bridge past the force field's wall and gain access quite easily. I'm pretty sure our friends are talking to this Lasky guy in there about it. Probably trying to help get these people out of this town as soon as they can."
She then pointed to the doors leading to the briefing room as Vince turned to the door, also wondering what they were talking about. But then he thought about those three recruits and realized that there's something familiar about them. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but they almost looked like the kids he bullied in high school. But they couldn't be, right? As he was thinking about it, Sam noticed his suspicion and asked.
Sam Witwicky: "Something wrong?"
Vince snapped out of his train of thought and turned to Sam to answer back.
Vince: "What? No, it's nothing. It's just that, something is off about those three."
The two looked at him strangely as Sari tried to talk him out of it.
Sari: "Something off about them? Dude, they're not Decepticons and they pose no threat to you whatsoever. Why don't you trust them after all that?"
Vince looked to her and explained his reasons.
Vince: "No, it's not like that. I know that they don't pose a threat, yet. But there's something strange about them. Don't know what, but they almost look like the kids I harassed in school."
The two looked to each other again and were a little concerned about it. But they hid their worry and continued with the conversation.
Sari: "Kids, you say?"
Vince: "Yeah. Their names are Jack, Raf, and Miko. I usually bullied them on some occasion, mostly to toughen them up. Did it a little less though, due to one incident with that girl with blonde braided hair. I don't want to talk about it, as it's another story. Anyways, I didn't see any of them during the evacuation. I guess they must've left town before the attack. Lucky for them. But after seeing these three bots, their faces look like the faces of the people I beat up. But I'm certain that it's just me seeing things. I mean, it's not like they got turned into robots or anything right?"
The two were silent as they remembered what Jack said about what happened to them when MECH and the Director turned them into Cybertronians. But they kept their cool and tried to keep that a secret.
Sari: "Yeah… Sure… Humans turning into robots? That's insane!"
She then turned to Sam and bit her lip, saying in her mind that he's getting suspicious. Sam turned to her and quickly nodded, fearing what might happen if he found out the truth.
Back in the briefing room, the three recruits, Lasky, Palmer, and Carter were gathered around a huge table that had maps and blueprints scattered about and a lone light hanging above it. Lasky took the map of Nevada and used a marker to mark two points.
Captain Lasky: "Okay, this is Jasper and this is the tower the Decepticons put up. Though we don't know much about the place, we do know that it's heavily fortified."
Jack/Rodimus: "And how fortified are we talking about?"
Palmer looked to the recruit and explained what happened last time.
Commander Palmer: "During the invasion we sent in heavy armaments to launch a full frontal assault against the citadel. But just as they were getting close, the Cons fired one of the cannons at the top and created a magnetic blast that decimated the entire military force. It was tragic…"
Miko remembered about that and reminded the commander what happened.
Miko/Kaosu: "Yeah, we sort of got caught in the blast too when we were getting near to the base. Wasn't a fun time, let me tell you."
Lasky looked to the Wrecking cadet and nodded, going back to the task at hand.
Captain Lasky: "Anyway, with the tower on high alert, it makes reaching the place nearly impossible. But there is a way of getting near the place without those cannons blasting us. Carter."
The Noble Leader nodded as he showed another map and the blueprint of what appeared to be the sewer system.
Carter: "This is the map of the sewer system under the town. As you can see, it's a complicated network of tunnels for a small town. But there is one path that could get you close enough to this Darkmount. Here."
He then pointed to a long hall-like tunnel that goes way out of town. He matched that with the guide map of Jasper and told them what he found.
Carter: "This is the extensive spillway that goes straight to the decommissioned missile silo. It's close to the fortress and the defense system and that tower won't detect you getting near it. As far as getting into the fortress, you're on your own on that one."
Rodimus looked at the spillway and knew where to go, but still he needed to find a way of getting there.
Jack/Rodimus: "That's great and all, but we still need to know how we would get there."
Carter looked at the sewer line map and pointed to the spot in the middle.
Carter: "Take the main hub of the sewer system in the middle. It connects to all the tunnels in the sewer. Just follow the signs to the hub. From there you will see a wide sewer tunnel that could take you to the silo. Be careful though, there's been some strange things going on down here."
Jack turned to him and was concerned about that.
Jack/Rodimus: "What do you mean by that?"
Lasky looked to him and told him about that.
Captain Lasky: "We've been getting reports from scouting parties that there have been some strange noises coming from near the hub. We don't know much, but it sounded like monsters living around there. Don't know if it's the Decepticons that were at work or something completely different. All we know is it could be really dangerous. So if I were you, I would remain cautious about what's to come."
Rodimus listened on and understood, being that it could be a Con search party or something much worse.
Jack/Rodimus: "Understood…"
A few minutes later, the three recruits were done with their meeting with Lasky, as they went to Sam and Sari and told them what they had discussed. They were also walking back to the exit and were ready to leave.
Sam Witwicky: "So we have to reach the center of the sewer way system to get to a spillway that can take us straight to the Decepticon fortress?"
Firewall was next to him as he answered Sam's question.
Raf/Firewall: "Well, not straight to Darkmount. Just close enough to reach it."
Sam was in deep thought and knew this was perfect.
Sam Witwicky: "Hmm… Seems easy enough."
But Rodimus stopped him there and told him that it won't be easy.
Jack/Rodimus: "Don't jump to conclusions just yet. Lasky told me that some scouting parties been hearing noises of monsters near the area. Don't know what they are, but we need to get to that place before they could swarm us."
Miko, still cocky about what happened above ground, boasted about it.
Miko/Kaosu: "Why so serious about it Rodimus? We took care of a bunch of Cons in the town. We can sure take on whatever's in the sewer!"
Sari then chimed in and agreed with her.
Sari: "Yeah! Let's pound them to dust!"
The two gave themselves high fives and Jack rolled his eyes around and didn't like the sound of it.
Jack/Rodimus: "Sometimes, I wonder if the two of you are somehow related…"
The moment the two approached the exit of the fallout shelter; they were greeted by Johnson again, this time feeling a little more comfortable around them than the first meeting. Even the soldiers around them had silent looks, as the major asked if they were leaving.
Major Johnson: "So, you three are leaving huh?"
The former teen looked down to him and responded sadly.
Jack/Rodimus: "Unfortunately yes. We still have a mission to do and we can't stand here doing nothing. But rest assured; we've got a plan for getting you guys out of here. Trust me, when you see a green portal, that's your ticket out."
Johnson nodded and was pleased with the good news.
Major Johnson: "That's good to hear. Being stuck in his hellhole can make an ordinary soldier go insane. Trust me; I've seen my share of it."
Jack smiled and could tell that they were all anxious to leave, so he gave them some clarity.
Jack/Rodimus: "Don't worry; once we get to Darkmount and contact our friends, you will all be out of here, safe and sound.
The major nodded and had a small smile on his face. But then he got serious and turned to the soldier in charge of the door.
Major Johnson: "Open the door! It's time these bots get to the enemy stronghold."
The soldier nodded and pressed a button to open it. Almost instantly, the gears of the doors turned and opened up to reveal the sewer they came from. The group was ready to leave, as Firewall and Kaosu were about to pick the teens up to their shoulders. But then they heard Carter's voice from the distance.
Carter: "Wait, Rodimus."
They all looked up to see him and Noble Team approaching them for a favor.
Carter: "I know you talked to Lasky about not getting a team to assist you. But if you like, my team will help you in getting there. We've been through some tough spots above ground and knew the dangers."
Jack looks to him and told him that it was a no go.
Jack/Rodimus: "Even so, I cannot risk anymore human lives during a Decepticon attack. It is best that you all remain here until a portal will appear to get all of you out."
There was a bit of silence as Carter decided to follow his word.
Carter: "Understood. We'll remain here until we get our rescue."
But Barrick stepped in and didn't like the sound of it.
Barrick: "Oh come on Carter, seriously? I'm in the mood of bashing some metal monsters."
Carter though lifted his hand up and told him to stop.
Carter: "Barrick, we've been over this before. We cannot take on these cons with the resources we have. It's close to impossible."
Barrick: "Not with what I got. Check it out."
He dug into one of his compartments and took out what appeared to be a shell about a foot tall with a bronze coloring at the bottom and top point. The group looked at it and was a little confused as Sari asked about it.
Sari: "What is that?"
Barrick looked at his favorite toy and smirked, explaining what it is.
Barrick: "This is my military equivalent to a Cuban cigar. A kinetic-kill, side-winder vehicle with a secondary cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine RDX burst, capable to blowing up a bunker under the bunker you've busted. Once fired, the top nozzle will dig through the floor or wall, no matter if it's dirt, concrete, or metal. Once it's locked in place, it gives off a five second charge until it explodes, destroying anything and killing anyone within its mile-long range. This is the masterpiece of all weaponry that can make a nuclear bomb look like a toy you play in kindergarten. I call it the Ex Wife."
The group gave him blank expressions as Kaosu responded to Barrick's words.
Miko/Kaosu: "Wow… Someone has his demons."
Throne rolled his eyes around and understood the Wrecking cadet's words.
Thorne: "Girl, you have no idea…"
Still, Rodimus didn't want any human in harm's way and told him that it was still a no go.
Jack/Rodimus: "Regardless, we still cannot let human casualties get in the way of our mission."
But Vince wasn't buying it as he looked to Jack and asked about the other two humans they're bringing.
Vince: "Hold up, if you're not bringing any humans along, why are you bringing these two?"
Rodimus looked down at Sari and Sam and tried to explain about that.
Jack/Rodimus: "Because they sort of followed us into town, well Sari did, actually. So we have to take them to Darkmount just so we can bridge them back to our base since our comms are scrambled. Plus we can't leave them here, being they could be a big help for us. So yeah, there's that."
Vince shook his head and thought about it. These three recruits can't bring a team to aid them, but they're taking the two teenagers with them. This doesn't seem right. But since they are going to the fortress, now would be a good time to tag along and plan some retribution. Looking to the three, he made an immediate demand.
Vince: "Then if that's the case, I'm going with you."
Everyone in the entrance was silent, as they couldn't believe what the bully was saying. All three recruits looked at each other and were just as shocked as everyone else while Miko looked to him in confusion.
Miko/Kaosu: "Um… What part of stay here don't you understand?"
But Jack blocked her and told him that they won't do it.
Jack/Rodimus: "Sorry Vince, but we cannot bring humans into battle, combat ready or not. You would have to wait here like all the others until our friends come in and help you."
But Vince wasn't buying it as it stepped in and explained his reasons.
Vince: "You don't understand. Those aliens have made it all too personal."
Raf/Firewall: "Over Jasper? I'm certain everyone is upset about what happened to their town."
Vince: "No! It's not about the town I'm upset about!"
Jack/Rodimus: "And what's the reason? Why would you go to the extreme in coming with us?"
Vince then took something out of his pocket and approached the two teens.
Vince: "It's this!"
He then handed it to Sam as he took a good look at it. What he saw shocked him. In his hand is a photo of Vince's family, his mom, dad, and little sister. There was also a heart necklace with the engraving that said, 'Abigail'. Sam took a good look at this picture and tried to put the pieces together. Finally, he looked up and said it out loud.
Sam Witwicky: "Your family… They were killed, weren't they?"
Now that got the recruits attention as they looked to their bully with shock and sorrow in their optics. Vince turned his head away and told them what happened to them.
Vince: "Yes… My mom, dad, and little sister. We were a tight knit family and always looked out for each other. That necklace is a present I gave Abby for her birthday a few months back. She always held on to it ever since. When that tower appeared near the town and the evacuations were in place, my family were taken to that EVAC zone in the mini mall. But when the attack started, I was separated from them and had to survive. Managed to hide within the vault of the bank and defended myself until Noble Team came and saved my life. They were helping me get back to the mall and we had to fight tooth and nail to get there. But by the time we made it, we found out that the mall was destroyed and the people inside were nothing but ash. And my family… they were…"
He tightened his fist and felt the anger boiling at his core as tears slowly streamed down his face. The recruits looked on and were sadden by this news. No one ever thought that Vince had kind parents, let alone a young sister he cared for. They never expected that the bully had a soft spot at all. But Jack felt more spark broken then anyone as he remembered about the death of his uncle Kevin when he was killed by a bombing in Iraq. Many emotions were flooding his processor, as he didn't know how to approach this. Slowly stepping to Vince, his first thought was to give his condolences.
Jack/Rodimus: "Vince, I'm sorry. I… We never knew that you lost those you love."
Vince then turned back to the young mech and spat back.
Jack/Rodimus: "You didn't? I love my family, my sister. And those metallic bastards took everything from me. Now I got nothing! I want to pay them back for what they did. I want to kill them for everything they took from me!"
Rodimus could see the fire in Vince's eyes that said he wanted revenge. The same type of fire Arcee had when she lost Tailgate and Cliffjumper. But it won't change anything once he gets what he wants and he tried to him about it.
Jack/Rodimus: "Even if it's the case, revenge won't bring back the ones you lost. You should understand that.
But Vince still didn't give up and he explained to him another reason.
Vince: "Maybe… Maybe… But you still need to me get to where you want to go. I know this town inside and out, hell; I've been in the sewer system from time to time. And even if you know the way, you might get a little lost. So whether you like it or not, I'm going with you guys. And I'm not taking no for an answer."
Jack sighed to himself and was about to tell him not to come. But then the voice of Vector Prime entered into his processor, telling him what he said.
Vector Prime: "You have your friends that will help you in your quest and enemies that will become your allies. You will have many obstacles to face, yes. But with the help of others, you will succeed in your task."
Hearing those words, he looked down to Vince and realized something about Vector's words. Is Vince the enemy that will become his ally? Sure, he'd been a real pain in high school being a bully and all. But after hearing what happened to his family, he can imagine the torment he went through and wanted to help in any way he can. Turning his head away, he took a deep breather and muttered something to himself.
Jack/Rodimus: "You know… Just this once… I'm going to regret this decision."
Yep, that's right folks. Vince is joining the group. Don't flame me for this cause of this cause I wanted to give him a character within the story since they did little for him in the series. As far as the rest of the video game characters go, here's a list of who I've added and the games they were in.
Carter – Noble Leader (Halo Reach)
Catherine A.K.A. Kat – Intelligence Officer (Halo Reach)
Michael Barrick – Demolition Expert (Gears of War 3: RAAM's Shadow DLC)
Gabriel Thorne – Rookie of Noble Team (Halo 4: Spartan Ops)
Garron Paduk – Sniper (Gears of War: Judgement)
Emile – Scout (Halo Reach)
Sofia Hendrik – S.W.A.T. Officer (Gears of War: Judgement)
Johnson – General (Halo 1 – 3)
I'm thinking about adding a crossover story of the attack of Jasper with them as the main protagonists. Don't know if I could do it after this episode, or at another time. Either way, I say this is shaping up to be a great season on Fanfiction. Now on the next chapter, the recruits journey deep into the tunnels to reach Darkmount, but they encounter some trouble along the way. Bet you can't guess what they find? Please Review.