A/N: MELeeSmasher: I'm afraid the Turtles won't be appearing in this story because in this little world I've created, the Shredder is slightly different from his Mirage Comics counterpart, sorry. VFSNAKE: Let me know if any of you want to see Arcee's reaction to Solus Prime kissing Jack. eltigre221: While I am trying to create an AU that still follows the general story of season two, let me know if I should let Breakdown live. If so, then I have an idea for later. Guardian of Azarath: You're probably right in assuming that the show's writers let the 'Cons get the Forge because the 'Bots having it would make things to easy. Once again, Panther-Strife has suggested that I add the Ninja Tribunal to the story. Let me know if you think I should.
Chapter 12
Jack waited up for Miko and Raf as they prepared to accompany his mother and her nurse friends on a vacation for the nursing staff. It had been a week since Jack retrieved the Forge of Solus Prime from the Decepticons and it was used to create Bumblebee a new T-Cog. June believed the kids had spent enough time with the 'Bots and asked their parents to allow them to go with her and her nursing friends. While Optimus thought it was a good idea and Ratchet saw it as a chance to get some peace and quiet, the kids (more so Miko than Jack and Raf) and their 'Bots protested. After a lengthy debate, June managed to force her son to go by pretending to cry about how little time they spent together.
She'd gotten Miko and Raf to come by telling the twelve year old it was near a science retreat with the latest tech and convinced the perky young Asian girl to go by informing her of an appearance by Slash Monkey. After having confirmed it with Ratchet, the three guardians reluctantly allowed their charges to go, Optimus giving them special devices to contact them should they run into any Decepticon threat. Now, the three young teens were waiting at the Jasper Hospital for June and her nursing friends to get off work.
"Uhhh!" Miko groaned. "What's taking them so long?"
"They probably have to make sure the patients are okay before they leave," Raf reasoned. "They are gonna be gone for a few days."
"Forget this," Miko huffed. "I'm calling Bulkead."
"If you do, then you might not meet Slash Monkey," Jack replied. Miko turned and gave the teen a suspicious look.
"What you talkin' bout Darby?"
"My mom once saved the life of the band leader's daughter last time they were in the U.S. and he promised her free tickets and backstage passes whenever she wanted. And she just so happens to have on with your name written on it." He held up the pass for Miko to snatch and examine to make sure it was genuine.
"Hurry up!" she yelled at the building. As if on cue, June and several other nurses walked out of the building dressed in their civilian clothing. June wore a green tank top and blue jeans. She smiled at the children.
"Hope you haven't been waiting long." Miko was about to retort when Jack nudged her arm with his elbow, telling her to be quiet, "Any who, let's get to bus. I'm sure the driver's been waiting long enough."
ShadowStrike Rising
In his office in Japan, Prime Minister Oroku Saki was having an online chat with his daughter, Karai. She had gone with his Chief Scientist, Baxter Stockman, to a medical conference (mostly to see that horrid band, Slash Monkey). Normally, Saki would have said no given that they are currently dealing with a new enemy in the Decepticons, Autobots, and ShadowStrike (more so the latter), but he relented after she flashed her big brown eyes (her mother, rest her soul, had taught her well in the art of manipulating him).
"I don't see why you can't come," she said.
"Karai, as you know I am the Prime Minister of Japan," he sighed. "I cannot take leave of my post every time the mood strikes me or people will get suspicious. And why would I want to go to a medical convention? To listen to that horrid Bulgarian band, Slash Monkey? No thank you."
She stuck her tongue out, "Fine. You sit there and enjoy your Johnny Cash."
"At least he has a sense of what true music is!" he snapped.
"Yeah, if you're a geezer!" she was about to shut her connection when her face became serious. "You know, back when we were in the mountains, I sensed his presence there. Did you?"
Saki's dark eyes narrowed, "I did."
"So he's back," she pondered.
"Oni-Kage," Saki spat the name.
ShadowStrike Rising
In the forest where he took refuge, Oni-Kage watched as his sword, Uramasa, gleamed in the light, a high pitched wail emitting from the blade. "My trusty sword, you have awakened and shine anew." He knew this meant only one thing; after all his searching, he'd finally found the opponent he was seeking.
"ShadowStrike," he said the name of the ninja who would be the greatest challenge he'd ever face. Sheathing Uramasa, the ninja disappeared into the forest, preparing to confront the ninja.
ShadowStrike Rising
After what seemed like hours, the kids, June, and the nursing staff arrived at their hotel and prepared to have fun. Miko and Raf quickly exited the bus, wanting to stretch their limbs after being trapped on the metal "prison" for so long. Jack stepped out to help the nurses with their luggage. All the while he listened to them coo over how responsible he was.
"It would seem that you are quite popular with females lately," Zangetsu quipped.
"Zangetsu," he smirked. "And who will be joining you on commentary in my head today?"
"Greetings," an old voice called out. "It is I, Alpha Trion, Chronicler of the Thirteen."
"Optimus mentioned you," Jack replied. Indeed, Alpha Trion was one of the few Primes to still live during Cybertron's golden age. He worked at the same data storage facility where the archivist, Orion Pax, worked. It was he who mentored Orion into becoming the 'Bot that would become Optimus Prime. He often spoke highly of the Chronicler, as if talking about his own father.
"So why are you guys here?" he asked. "Has another Iacon artifact be unearthed?"
"Indeed," Trion replied. "And this is one of the most important yet, the Proton Spear. It is a powerful weapon made of three individual ones. The Maximus Bolt, the Trident of Polihex, and the Pike of Kaon. Your historian referred to it as the Spear of Triam."
"The weapon the Greek Gods, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades used to defeat their father, the Titan Chronos?" Jack asked.
"Indeed," Alpha Trion said. "How did you know that? Do you have some knack for history?"
"No," he said. "I learned that from watching Wrath of the Titans."
"Oh," Trion replied.
"Regardless," Zangetsu said. "You must locate the Proton Spear before the Decepticons or the Shredder have a chance to locate it."
"I'm on it," he nodded. "But first, I have to help my mom and her friends. She's already not too happy with me and the whole being a human Prime thing." Jack placed the luggage on a cart and took it to each nurses' individual room. Miko and Raf had their own room together with two beds while Jack roomed with his mom.
"Are you serious?" she asked, not believing what her son was telling her. "You're saying that an ancient Greek weapon is buried somewhere in this area?"
"Exactly," he said. "If the 'Cons get their hands on it, it might spell doom for the 'Bots. Speaking of which, I should call them." He whipped out his cell phone and dialed the number for the base.
A few rings later, the gruff voice of Ratchet answered, "What is it!"
"Calm down, Ratchet," Jack said, surprised by the medic's angry tone. "I need to talk to the others-"
"Well they're not here!" he snapped. "Optimus is dealing with an issue with one of our Wreckers and Arcee and Bumblebee are on an energon run. I was coming close to cracking the formula for synthetic energon when you interrupted me! Who knows how long it will take me to get that close again?"
"But Ratchet-"
"Goodbye!" he hung up the phone. Jack stared at his cell for a few minutes before sighing.
"Guess I'm on my own."
"Well go on then," June said. "I'm sure no one will miss you if you wrap this up quickly."
"Mom?" he looked surprised. He'd half expect her to go on some tirade about how dangerous it was and how she wouldn't allow it.
"Look," she sighed. "I don't like the idea of you being in danger 24/7. That's part of the reason why I kept an eye on you, Miko, and Raf while you were at the Autobot base. When I decided it was time for to cut-off all ties with them, you remained adamant in the fact that it was about the fate of the world and not three children. When Optimus lost his memories and you found out that you were the only one who could restore his memories, I noticed a change in you. In an instant, that shy, awkward teenager I called a son was gone and replaced with this strong and confident man. I knew this day would come. That's why I've been especially overprotective."
"Mom," he said. "I know it's scary. I'm scared too, but like the Thirteen said, I'm the only who can find these artifacts and keep them from the hands of Megatron and the Shredder. Am I thrilled to do this? No. But will I do it to protect you, Miko, Raf, and everyone. You bet."
June glowed with pride as she looked into her son's strong eyes and, for the first time, realized just how much he'd grown up since meeting the Autobots. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, "Go on, you've got a spear to find."
Jack smiled and transformed, disappearing out of the room.
"Be safe," June whispered.
ShadowStrike Rising
Karai roamed the convention, waiting for the Slash Monkey concert to begin. Stockman had gone all fanboy over some medical machines and was fawning over them like fan girls over Justin Bieber. She looked at all the medical personnel mingling with one another about the devices on display. She didn't understand the appeal of advanced stethoscopes, Smart hospital beds, and computerized data systems, but she wasn't a doctor, so she didn't care.
"Karai!" Stockman approached her. "You shouldn't wander off like that."
"Last time I checked, you're not my father," she huffed.
"Maybe not," he pinched the bridge of his nose. "But the Shredder did put me in charge of your safety. If anything happens to you, he'll have my head. Literally."
"Whatever," she looked around, noticing a girl with pink-highlighted hair. She walked over to her and found that she was admiring the scalpels, busily asking the displayer if how they would hold up in a samurai fight.
"So could you beat a samurai with one of those," she chirped.
"I'm not sure, miss. That is not their intended purpose."
"You couldn't," Karai said, earning the girl's attention. "You could have a tank and you would still lose. You can have the biggest toy in a fight, but if you don't know how to use it, you're dead." Miko grumbled something in Japanese, only for Karai to reply in their native tongue.
"You're from Japan?" she gasped.
"Yep," she smiled. "I'm here to catch the Slash Monkey concert."
"Me too!" she shrieked. "Nice to know I'm not the only one here to do something fun!" The two girls began conversing about their favorite albums until Karai's cell phone rang.
"Dad?"
"Our sensor have located a new artifact," he rasped. "I want you to find and retrieve it."
"But the concert starts in two hours!" she whined.
"Then I suggest you hurry," he replied and hung up the phone. She turned to Miko and gave an apologetic look.
"Sorry, my dad wants to check something out for him. I might miss the concert, but I'll see you backstage."
"Sure!" Miko chirped. With that, Karai left, feeling giddy all over. Having spent most of her life training with her father, Karai had few friends that weren't children of important supporters for his campaign. This "Miko" looked to be interesting and Karai couldn't wait to get to know her, but first things first. She changed into her outfit, complete with the mask, and headed out.
ShadowStrike Rising
Following the tracker in her gauntlet, Karai followed the signal to a construction site. From the looks of it, they had just started excavating a temple of sorts. The old building stood tall as she entered, the sun setting beneath the horizon, turning the sky a beautiful mix of red, yellow, and orange. She also kept her mask's chronometer set to tell her when the Slash Monkey concert started. She really didn't want to miss the concert, but her loyalty to her father came first.
She scanned the area once more, the signal pinpointing to the center of the temple. As she walked through the temple, she noticed the numerous statues of the Greek Gods. They stood tall and were striking numerous positions, showing just how much fear and respect they commanded. They slightly reminded her of her father (great, now she was calling him a god). As she continued toward the center, she heard a noise echo in the building.
Quickly drawing her katana, Karai gingerly stepped around the corner and peered into a large chamber. In the center of the chamber was a spear-like weapon, glowing with a bright energy. Her scanners identified the spear as the artifact she sought. From the shadows, ShadowStrike emerged. He walked up to the spear, admiring its glory.
'How did he get here?' she thought. 'Did he piggy back on our signal or something?' He hopped onto a ledge and prepared to grab the spear when Karai threw a shuriken his way, "Lovely place for a date, huh?"
He turned to facer her, his red eyes narrowing, "Not the ideal place to bring a lady. I'm more a drive in kind of guy."
"Too cliché," she scoffed. "A girl likes to be surprised. I could give you a few tips if you like."
"No thanks," he drew his sword and attacked locking blades with her. They began clashing their blades together, the sword ringing out as each blow was made. They were locked again, their eyes burning into each other.
"Don't you ever give up!" she spat.
"Not on your life," he growled. "I'm taking that spear and keeping it as far from you and the Shredder as possible!"
"Ha!" she scoffed. "You're a fool if you think you can beat my father!"
ShadowStrike was taken aback, "Father?"
"Surprise," she kneed him in the gut and shoved him aside. She jumped and prepared to cut him down when his sword caught hers again. He quickly regained his bearings and broke off their lock and kicked Karai in the side. She hissed in pain, "Don't' you know it's rude to hit a girl!"
"Not when she's trying to cut you to pieces," the ninja replied, dashing toward the Proton Spear. He grabbed the weapon and it began to surge with energy. Karai lunged at the ninja, only for the Spear to strike her and sending flying all the way out of the temple. ShadowStrike quickly followed suit and attacked with spear again, sending Karai into the mountain side.
"Surrender!" the ninja ordered.
"Never!" she hissed. Suddenly, the Spear began to charge with energy, glowing even brighter.
"What's going on?" ShadowStrike asked, unable to stop the Spear from gathering energy.
"The humans must've hit an energon deposit without realizing it!" Alpha Trion said. "The Proton Spear was the basis for energon harvesters. It is gathering all the energy into itself and preparing to unleash the energy! If it does, the girl will be killed!"
"No!" ShadowStrike tried to control the weapon, but was too late as it fired. Karai stood, frozen in horror as the blast raced toward her. An attack that massive was sure to kill her; she closed her eyes and waited to be struck down. Out of nowhere, a mysterious figure jumped in the way and drew his sword. With a powerful slash, he cut the attack in two, leaving to massive gashes in the dirt.
As the smoke cleared, ShadowStrike got a good look at the figure before him. He was clad in a ninja like outfit, similar to his own. He had shin and forearm guards and tabi boots. His suit's torso resembled a metal skeletal rib cage. His gloves were black with skeletal fingers.
And his face was completely covered a black mask with a white demonic skull adorning it. On his back was a white sheathe for his sword. Said weapon was long, the blunt end red with several protrusions running along it.
'Who is that?' ShadowStrike thought.
"ShadowStrike," he snarled. "You are the one I have been searching for. You shall be my greatest challenge."
"What?" he looked dumbfounded.
"Oni-Kage," Karai gasped. "Why are you here?"
"I have already explained," he replied. "I will not do so again." He grabbed Karai roughly by the arm and spirited her away, leaving ShadowStrike to process what had just happened.
ShadowStrike Rising
At the Autobot base, Jack, June, Miko, and Raf, had just returned from their trip and were met by the 'Bots. They looked exhausted from the 'fun' they had. Miko quickly went to showing Bulkhead pictures of herself and her new friend, Karai. While Bulkhead explained that while they were gone, Wheeljack had returned and left to travel the planet, earning a groan of disappointment from Miko.
"I missed Wheeljack coming back!" she whined. "Aw man!"
"Jack," Optimus approached. "Ratchet informed me that contacted us. Is everything all right?"
Jack sent a glare towards the medic, "I called to let you know that another Iacon artifact had been found. When I tried to tell Ratchet, he complained about the synthetic energon signal and hung up on me."
"You did WHAT?" Arcee smacked the medic on the head. "You do know how powerful those artifacts are, don't you? Jack called to warn us and you hung up on him!"
"I was busy working on a way to perfect the synthetic energon!" he defended. "I was closing in on completing the formula when he called and ruined it, so excuse me if I was a little upset!"
"Enough," Optimus turned back to Jack. "Were you able to retrieve the device?"
"I was," he pulled out the Proton Spear and handed to Optimus. The Spear shifted into a larger size as the others looked on in awe.
"Whoa," Bulkhead said. "The Proton Spear. How'd it feel to wield that bad boy?"
"Not fun," Jack said. "It almost ended badly if not for unforeseen surprises."
"You shall be my greatest challenge,"the words of "Oni-Kage" echoed in Jack's mind, wondering who he was and what he wanted.
ShadowStrike Rising
A/N: I hope you enjoyed! Next time: the Liege Maximo takes his turn with Jack and begins to toy with the boy's mind. Can he overcome the ultimate evil or will he be turned against his friends?