Hi there and welcome back! And yeah! This is a new update! I apologize that it took me this long. Things had piled up and I needed the time off to focus on other things. Still, if you are here and reading this, THank you very much!
Eunice: Yup! The wait is really worth it! I am very happy and the same time frustrated because I couldn't really spend time with her now that she is awake. And thank you again for the review. Ol' Jack had his head on her list but no worries... he aint meant to die in this chapter too... I'm just too kind to kill off a mech this early.
Chapter 40: Explosions
It was not that bad… That is what the symbiot processed as he felt himself being possessively held by the femme. But truthfully, he was terrified and frozen for the first time he had caught sight of the mech… It was not as if this was the first time he had seen him, but THIS was really the FIRST time after so long! Oh, the blasted memories he had with the other on missions after missions that he and his other siblings were tasked to do… It gives him shivers to his inner core as those times were filled with 'accidental' explosions and all kinds of surprises that the fragging mech could have been offlined for.
Why in the frag hadn't anyone told him or even give him a notice that that walking bomb was present?! And nonetheless, Wheeljack is at a proximity that Frenzy is dreading. At this close range, any blast –may it be accidental or not- would render Shein in a state of being offlined. The chances are high and it did not sit well with his spark. For all he knows, the femme's body is still in no condition to sustain damages on that level on her person… Megatron would not be happy… or in a general sense, the Decepticons wouldn't be happy.
This is going to need a major and drastic change in plans. He was supposed to just flee already with the femme once he got her but then, the scientist just had to come and ruin the opportunity. Not only that, but Shein's in distress after she had recovered her memories.
The silver hacker gave a sigh of relief when all he had to do was keep silent in his predicament while his spark signature was covered. But man, those fins could glare down hard. It actually blinded him for a moment there and that he had to shut off his own optics to recalibrate itself back to functionality.
As they moved, Frenzy saw no alarm to it so he let it be, favoring him systems to recalibrate his optics first. But oh, he shouldn't have been so relaxed when the next thing he knew, he was in the worst of the worst places that he could sight and list.
They had just entered the slagger's den where all the 'non'-explosive innovations were present. Just frag… It was a fragging great day to ask Shockwave to take down this base before he and Shein could be the first ones to go away with it in a boom.
The Autodolts could have taken the Decepticons down a long time ago if they hadn't put a grip around their scientist -much to the their faction's pleasure- but that did not mean Wheelhack has no potential in ending the war or all of their existence unknowingly. The white, green and red mech would have done so much more but the other faction just had to restrain him, putting the mech in such a small place. Shockwave would have not approve of such a small thing to work in.
Maybe that is why one fragging jostle and Wheeljack's invention explodes? So little space that chemicals and other elements tend to meet one another to create a spark of boom? But Frenzy brushed that thought out because even back on Cybertron, Wheeljack had a full and large building all to himself… He would still create mass hysteria within the Autodolts. Frenzy and his other companions would have an earful from Soundwave whenever they would find their selves in the medbays and on repairs for long boring cycles up to a joor, depending on the damage that has been taken from such missions.
The damage is severe and it was what Frenzy feared. Was it okay to hope for no explosions with Shein there? He thought but his intakes hitched when she put him down to be all by his self, before she skipped off to another part of the large platform like this place was just a park! The mechling's vocalizer short circuited out as he stopped a keen from escaping his vocalizers. This was bad… He knew that things could get ugly fast so he needed to get the girl quickly before anything is set off.
Primus, if anything blows up here, he wishes that Shockwave's upgrades could take the impact… or else, they would have no Shein anymore -which undeniably is a mission failure on his part-. He wasn't going to let that happen, though, as he slowly release himself from his alt form and into his bipedal mode, enabling him to skitter around to reach the girl and still hide from the larger mech's notice. Additional movement was given when he noticed there was no security features in the area.
He snorted at the thought about humans and their 'care' for them. If the Autobots are treated like this already, what more so is for them? He hopes Shein is alright with leaving her pitspawned race once the Lord just decides to leave this slagging planet.
Going back to what was happening, all shot fully alert as he saw the way she suddenly stiffened and started glaring towards the busy larger mech's back. His processor was already going in a mile as he tried to catch up to the girl who was marching up with a dread metal pipe in her hand. She must have picked it up on her way.
She stormed off, jumping from one table to another. Although, it was not that much dangerous since the tables and shelves are tightly packed together… What was dangerous were those prototypes clanking at every step vibration she makes…
The two didn't notice… But Frenzy did… There were sticks rolling but heck, he recognizes a bomb when he sees one… and this was bad… there were a lot of it!
Wheeljack turned, hearing the cluttering. His optics immediately saw the sight of the girl clambering from shelf to table, avoiding things and jumping over others. It was an amusing sight that she puts great ease in what she does seeing that her body was still sickly and pail looking. It made him feel happy… never noticing how the girl was emitting an angry ferocious aura.
The scientist did not notice Frenzy panicking at the side, trying to disarm the sticks but only managed to shorten the count down. Whimpering, the small mechling did not need the image of Shein being a red splat on the wall.
No.
With determination, he tried his hardest to disarm it but how complicated the stick was, was so out of him. He cursed the scientist with all the words he could find from the net before deciding the last thing he could do just to save the girl from severe injuries.
Pushing them off to the farthest corner away from Shein's direction, he hopes that it would able the girl to survive… the clank made Wheeljack turn only to make large metal crates topple and fell on him. Shein turned too, and when she did, Frenzy was already skittering towards her in haste.
A dread sinking feeling crept up to the scientist's own systems as he saw the sticks glowing brighter and brighter at the far corner of the floor. He knew that there was an explosion coming and Shein was still in here! The human wouldn't be able to handle this blast even if Ratchet did say that she has cells that regenerate faster than ordinary ones. Pushing off the crates, he was too late… The blast happened.
On the other hand, Frenzy, at that time, threw his self on the femme before the heat could come fully get in contact with the other. They both were flung to the other wall. The black haired girl's instincts could be thanked for her suddenly action of clinging to him so Frenzy didn't lose a grip her to the wave… But that did not mean she had not received any damage after that.
There was a sickening crack yet again as Shein hit her head on the metal wall. Though, as her vision blackened, she held the little youngling in her arms tightly, praying that whatever happened, he was still alright.
All the residents of NEST who had heard of the large explosion at the back of the property were suddenly jolted into being alert. Mearing had stopped talking to one of their partners in her office, before looking out onto the deck to see the soldiers moving at Will's command. Will had just been trying to do some paper work to be sent to Mearing but immediately took action as he shot out of his seat and was already running towards the control room to get information from the security staff…
The Autobots were already prepared as some of the soldiers had started gathering in the hangar and preparing their weapons, asking each other what could have happened… Until, Sideswipe was the one to break the noise and leave them all in silence…
"Good 'ol Jack. He did it again, didn't he?" He said playfully but as his processed his own words, that playfulness in his frame banished too, optics staring at one another as Will asked what happened.
"It seems, Collonel, our resident Engineer and Scientist, Wheeljack, is on his daily explosion schedule…" Mirage supplied with a snicker as Ratchet groaned and Ironhide patted the medic on the back. Mearing was so going to grill them on later for Jack's Explosive tendencies.
"He does that in a schedule?" A soldier asked in ridicule and disbelief. Yeah, the bots may have greater durability than them but heck… explosion on a daily scale? Wouldn't they be dead… err, offlined?
"Yes. Wheeljack is not only known for his great contribution to the development of efficient machinery… but also, explosives of every type…" The last words were played out unsurely by Optimus as he looked at the direction of where they had relocated the scientist's lab. It was a good thing perhaps that it was a little over 5 blocks away from them… But then again… They shouldn't be sure that there are no other casualties from such a large explosion.
"I'll be on patch up duty again…" Ratchet groaned.
"You are his personal nurse after all, Hatchet… He feels love…" Sideswipe snickered before he got a dent on his helm from a flying wrench. Some human cringed at that but were happy that they are luckily not metal. Their daily dose of Ratchet includes only a small session of checkups with long therapy of curses that would make their day…
"Let's scout the area and find Wheeljack…" Optimus said as they got to the site. The building actually caved in and some of the walls that stood were brittle enough that in one touch, they break. That was some explosive.
"Slagging mech… Already at it on his first week… Primus!" Ratchet muttered angrily as soon as they had the scientist in their servos and out of the rubble. In his long run of events on staying on earth, Wheeljack wasn't supposed to be part of his stress.
"I think Ratchet would need a vacation… Do you think Hawaii is the best place?" Epps asked Will who was amused at the thought. His voice was in a whisper as his snicker could be heard.
"I don't think that would be a good idea… Salt water corrodes their frames and makes them rust easier… I would suggest something like going Middle West where they can hit an oil reserve for their frames… like a Jacuzzi or hot spring…" William mused as he whispered back, looking at Ratchet's back as the bot worked.
"I heard you! And I'll say you are all not getting rid of me that easily!" Ratchet huffed as he connected to Wheeljack and rebooted him.
The scientist groaned after a minute before he burst out and almost hit Ratchet square to the faceplates. He had pushed the medic off of him and darted to the large pile, digging away frantically.
"Wheeljack!" They all were surprised at that as the humans scrambled away from the flying debri.
Optimus was onto the scientist as he placed a hand on the other but that did not stop the actions. Ratchet was ready to jump on the scientist but then, someone piped up.
"What is Wheeljack looking for?" Sideswipe dodge a flying cement wall.
"Or, in this case… Who is he looking for…" A soldier rest uneasily as he eyed the place.
That got all of the other bots attention as they did a head count in their processors. The only one who had notice abruptly though was the one and only resident Ops member.
"Where is Oen?" The worried tone of Mirage came through them as came besides them.
"Are you kidding me?!" Ratchet screamed in frustration and out in realization.
"Wheeljack… Do you have Oen with you before the explosion?" Prime asked, dreading the words to come from the mech when the other froze and nodded.
"Primus… Frag it to the pit and back!" Ratchet opened his scanners immediately and started helping the frantic scientist who was profusely apologizing.
"Jack, it is alright… You didn't mean to… It was an accident…" Wheeljack still felt dread and fear, thinking of how he had just killed the little one.
"We'll find her… We got more man power here than before so it wouldn't really be that long till she is found…" Will comforted the mech too as he ordered his men to start the excavation.
"Primus… I hope so… I pray so…" Wheeljack whispered with a low keen as his optics dimmed with his spark aching.
Pit week is done, so maybe I could provide more chapters this time? I don't know yet... But hope to see you all in the next one!
Fav, Follow and Review! See ya!
~Dreamer