This fic is courtesy of me and Sentinel Prime/StarscreamSkydancer and I only own my OCs.
Disclaimer: Transformers belongs to Hasbro/Michael Bay.
In the midst of the pursuit, Bailey could see one of the Dreads, Crankcase, slam into a highway sign, knocking it down. The other Dreads used the sign as a ramp as they jumped into the air and transform, before they raced closer to Prowl, Smokescreen and Mirage.
"Frag!" exclaimed Prowl, "hold on, everyone!"
Meanwhile, at the base, Ironhide, Arcee and Chromia were getting ready to leave when Sentinel emerged from the hangar.
"Where's everyone going off to?" demanded Sentinel.
"Prowl, Smokescreen and Mirage are being pursued by the Dreads," explained Arcee, "so we're going out to help them."
Sentinel's optics widened in horror as he remembered who was with them.
"Bailey!" gasped Sentinel.
Sentinel shoved past everyone else and tore out of the base, Ratchet screaming swears after him about defying medical orders. Sentinel's sirens cleared him a path as he blazed down the road, tracking Prowl's signal. After a while, he inwardly smirked as he barreled toward the unsuspecting Dreads from behind.
"Take this," growled Sentinel, "you fraggers!"
Sentinel transformed and slashed at Crowbar's side, causing him to shout in pain as Smokescreen and Mirage transformed into their robot modes.
"Smokescreen, get out of the way!" shouted Mirage, "it's Sentinel, and he's pissed as frag!"
Upon cue, Smokescreen jumped to the side as Hatchet attempted to tackle him. While Hatchet stampeded after Prowl, Mirage threw his anchor blades at him. Crowbar was headed for Prowl, until a huge red foot collided with his front end, sending him flying through the air.
"Not on my watch," snarled Sentinel, "Con!"
While Crowbar landed outside the highway, Smokescreen shot at Hatchet.
"That's it, kid," cheered Sentinel, "let him have it!"
Sentinel pulled out his assault rifle and fired at Crowbar, who ended up taking several hits in the head before he went down. Likewise, Smokescreen managed to finish off Hatchet, but Crankcase still sped after Prowl. Sentinel spied a semi with a flatbed trailer trying to wind its way through the carnage. He ran at it, placing one foot on the trailer and using the other foot, combined with his own momentum, to send the entire truck, with him on it, hurtling towards Crankcase as he fired at the Dread leader.
"Why is the old guy always more awesome than me?" commented Smokescreen in awe.
With Crankcase badly injured, the truck driver peered out the window, trying to investigate what was going on. He saw the huge red mech standing on his trailer, taunting the Decepticon.
"Never piss me off, Con!" shouted Sentinel.
Just then, Ironhide, Arcee and Chromia arrived and surrounded Crankcase. Upon cue, Sentinel stepped off the truck.
"About time you showed up," sighed Sentinel.
"Is there a problem here?" remarked Ironhide as he, Arcee and Chromia aimed their guns at Crankcase.
"Frag," muttered Crankcase.
Chromia fired at Crankcase's head, finishing him off.
"Did somebody get the other two?" asked Sentinel.
Ironhide, Chromia, Arcee, Smokescreen and Mirage glanced at the bodies of Hatchet and Crowbar.
"Yeah," nodded Smokescreen, "we got them."
"Good," insisted Sentinel, "where's Prowl and the humans?"
As if on cue, Prowl stopped ten feet away from the other Autobots and backed up a few feet, allowing Bailey to hop out and sprint towards Sentinel.
"Sentinel!" called Bailey.
Sentinel's blue optics locked onto her, an audial flicking in her direction at the sound of her voice.
"Thank Primus!" sighed Sentinel.
Sentinel knelt down and lowered his hand, allowing Bailey to hug it.
"That was close," commented Bailey.
"Not once they had me on their afts," replied Sentinel, "they were fragged the millisecond I decided to show up."
"Maybe they must've been sent by Dylan to capture us or something," assumed Bailey.
Sentinel muttered something under his breath, but Bailey caught the words 'sleaze ball', 'kick his aft', and 'fragged in the head' along with other choice swears.
"Uh, Sentinel?" paused Bailey.
"Yes?" replied Sentinel.
"Can we head back to base?" requested Bailey, "we're holding up the traffic."
"Oh," nodded Sentinel.
Sentinel looked back at the cars that have stopped in their tracks since the Autobots have been blocking their path. Sentinel, Smokescreen, Mirage, Ironhide, Arcee and Chromia transformed into their alternate modes. Bailey hopped into the Rosenbauer Panther and buckled up. The Autobots drove through the highway, allowing the cars to continue driving.
It was only a long while before they returned to base, where Optimus and Ratchet were waiting. Simmons and Akane hopped out of Prowl as Bailey hopped out of Sentinel, allowing them to transform into their robot modes, followed by Ironhide, Smokescreen, Mirage, Arcee and Chromia. The first thing anyone heard was Ratchet going off on Sentinel, since the elder Prime hadn't yet been cleared for battle by the medic.
"Oh, boy," muttered Simmons.
"RATCHET," roared Sentinel, "SHUT THE PRIMUS DAMN FRAG UP! I DON'T GIVE A CYBERRAT'S AFT ABOUT YOU CLEARING ME TO PROTECT SOMEONE I SLAGGING CARE ABOUT!"
"Well," countered Ratchet, "you should be lucky none of the Decepticons have killed you, yet!"
"You act as if you're the only reason I'm still online!" growled Sentinel, "Frag it, Ratchet, I've heard the things you've said to Optimus, telling him I need to be retired. Why, so I can rust into a scrapheap? No. As long as I am able to fight, I will. You'll have to offline me or stasis lock me to stop me."
"Did you at least locate the headquarters of the Patriarch Syndicate?" asked Optimus.
"Yeah," nodded Bailey, "it's at the building where Dylan runs the Hotchkiss Gould Investments. We could head back over there if you'd like, but I'll bet it would be swarming with Decepticons by now."
"Most likely," agreed Sentinel, "though Dr. Afthead here has put me in quite the mood to kick some skidplates."
"I heard that," barked Ratchet.
"Keep it up," warned Sentinel, "yours will be the aft I kick."
"I'm heading inside," sighed Akane.
Akane walked into the hangar, leaving Simmons and Bailey behind.
"So," asked Simmons, "how do you plan on hunting down Saburou?"
They could hear the loud yelling and swearing of Ratchet and Sentinel still arguing.
"Right now," said Bailey, "I'm almost tempted to break up the argument."
"Don't," advised Simmons, "you'll most likely get stepped on, and then Sentinel really will scrap him. Have you seen the way that bot flips out when he thinks something's happened to you?"
"I can't just leave them be," protested Bailey, "not like this."
"It happens all the time," assured Simmons, "they'll scream and swear at each other until one runs out of comebacks. That's how it always goes. Sentinel knows we need our medic intact, and Ratchet knows that if he does anything to Sentinel, he'll just have to fix it again."
"Even when we have bigger problems to deal with?" insisted Bailey.
Simmons didn't say anything, but he nodded. Bailey turned her glance at Optimus.
"Do you think we'll be able to catch Saburou if we infiltrate the warship?" asked Bailey.
"We would first have to find the Nemesis," answered Optimus, "and that won't be easy."
Just then, Bumblebee came running in.
"Oh, yes it will," replied Bumblebee, "Sentinel went after the Cons, and got picked up with them by the Nemesis. Apparently, Ratchet said something that made him snap."
"Does that mean the Decepticons are coming after him?" clarified Bailey.
"No," corrected Ironhide, "it means he's coming after them."
"And it means we can track his signal," added Bumblebee, "so Optimus can bridge us right onto the Nemesis."
"Why can't Sentinel bridge us onto the Nemesis and have Optimus lead the infiltration?" objected Bailey.
Bailey only realized that Sentinel wasn't around.
"Wait," paused Bailey, "where did he go?"
"That fraggin' dumbaft firetruck!" thundered Ratchet, "he went after the Cons and now he's onboard their ship. He's going to get himself killed!"
Only after Ratchet had said this did he realize Bailey was standing there and had heard that.
"Oh no," gasped Bailey, "we have to go after him!"
"She's right," agreed Ironhide, "he's got a ship full of the vermin to contend with, and most likely, Megatron himself. We all know Sentinel can't kill Megatron, and we all know why. So does Megatron, which means he'll use that against Sentinel."
Optimus rushed into the hangar and withdrew the Pillars from the vault before setting them up outside. After transferring the coordinates to the Control Pillar, the Autobot leader pressed on the top of it, activating the space bridge.
"Autobots," commanded Optimus, "roll out!"
"I'm going with you!" called Bailey.
Smokescreen scooped up Bailey before following Optimus, Ironhide, Bumblebee and Arcee through the space bridge, taking them to the corridor of the Nemesis, which was quiet; too quiet.
"Something's wrong," commented Arcee, "I don't like this."
"She's right," agreed Ironhide, "it's too quiet. Something's not right."
"I don't even see Sentinel around here," added Bailey, "can we still track him?"
"Yes," nodded Optimus, "he's definitely on board…and he's headed for the bridge. But, this isn't good. He's moving so slow."
"Fraggit," exclaimed Ironhide, "they got him! They're no doubt taking him to Megatron."
"We have to hurry!" panicked Bailey.
"This way!" ordered Optimus.
Optimus took off running with the others behind him, praying to Primus they weren't too late.
Meanwhile, aboard the bridge, Megatron turned to face his soldiers as they dragged Sentinel to his end of the long walkway, forcing the old mech to his knees before Megatron. Sentinel glared up at him with cold, defiant optics despite his bound arms.
"What have you done, Megatron," snarled Sentinel, "what have you become?!"
"I am the soon to be eradicator of the Autobots," announced Megatron, "and the future ruler of the Universe."
"Has your spark truly become so corrupted, my son?" objected Sentinel.
"I would spare you," proposed Megatron, "if you would join us."
"You take me for a fool, Megatron," declined Sentinel, "I know you see me as old and weak, and you yourself have said such things have no place in the Decepticon ranks. Joining you would only delay my offlining, not prevent it. As it is, I am not enough of a coward to stoop to that level. Optimus will fight, even without me. So if you plan to offline me, do it. I'll be defying you the whole time."
Just then, Optimus, Bumblebee, Ironhide, Smokescreen, Arcee and Bailey entered the bridge.
"Sentinel!" panicked Bailey.
Sentinel's audials flicked.
"No!" thought Sentinel, "get away!"
Sentinel didn't want Bailey to see what he knew was coming next, as Megatron snatched his Primax blade from him.
"Primus no," thought Sentinel, "don't make her see this!"
A single tear escaped his optic, giving Megatron more assurance of his imminent victory over the old Prime. A tiny part of him still saw Sentinel as his father, and pleaded with him that this was wrong. But he easily stamped out that part, replacing it with more drive for what he was about to do. Bailey slipped out of Smokescreen's grip and began sprinting towards Sentinel.
"NO," shouted Bailey, "STOP!"
Megatron heard her and smirked as he brought the blade down straight into Sentinel's chest, earning a horrid cry of pain from the old mech as Megatron followed it with a cannon shot. The same method he'd used on Optimus. Only this time, his victim hadn't been fighting him.
Optimus screamed and rushed toward the old mech, wanting to deny what he'd just seen, even as Sentinel's bonds were released and the elder Prime fell over onto his side, energon leaking from the huge hole that went straight through him. Optimus knew too well the pain he was in.
"No," gasped Bailey, tears welling up in her eyes, "this…can't be true!"
Bailey stopped in her tracks and collapsed to her knees.
"YOU SICK MISERABLE FRAGGER!" roared Ironhide.
Ironhide leapt at the Decepticon leader, unloading on him, careful not to hit the red mech on the floor as Optimus finally reached his father's side. The Autobot leader cradled Sentinel in his arms.
"Sentinel, please," begged Optimus, tears welling up in his optics.
Sentinel gasped for breath, struggling to look up at his child, the pain all too evident in his face.
"Optimus," choked Sentinel, "t-tell Bailey….I'm…sorry. O-Optimus….I-I…love…"
Sentinel didn't get to finish his sentence, his face still twisted up in pain. Optimus's optics widened in horror as his father's optics turned black and his body became limp. Ironhide noticed his old friend's horrified look, and renewed his assault on Megatron, as Optimus's anger and rage boiled up within him. He gently lowered the elder Prime to the ground and stood to his feet before trudging towards Megatron. Bailey got back to her feet and sprinted towards Sentinel.
"Sentinel," cried Bailey, "please don't die on me!"
Much to her dismay, there was no response. Bailey leaned onto Sentinel's body and started crying. Megatron held the Primax blade as though it were a hard won trophy. Sentinel's energon still stained the blade.
"Would you like to join him, Optimus?" sneered Megatron.
Optimus extended his energon blade.
"You should be ashamed of yourself!" roared Optimus.
Optimus charged at Megatron and their blades clashed.
"Why?" taunted Megatron, "I'm the one with the victory."
"I don't care what you're planning," snarled Optimus, "I can assure you that you'll never win!"
Optimus broke the clash and kicked Megatron in the stomach, sending him crashing into the ground and causing him to drop the Primax blade. Optimus picked up the Primax blade and shield after putting away his energon blade.
"Optimus," advised Ironhide, "we've got to get out of here."
"We're leaving Sentinel behind?!" exclaimed Smokescreen.
"No," answered Optimus.
Optimus put away the Primax blade and shield before motioning Bailey to move out of the way. The Autobot leader gently lifted Sentinel's body into his arms and pulled out the small control while Smokescreen scooped up Bailey. Optimus activated the space bridge and led Ironhide, Bumblebee, Smokescreen and Arcee through the portal, escaping the Nemesis.