Optimus and Vesper walked out of the swirling green vortex and instantly were assaulted with hot, dry winds. They were standing in a vast expanse of orange sand, and in front of them was a giant rock that appeared to be perfectly whole… at least from the side that they had appeared on. They couldn't see that, on the other side, the national landmark had a gaping hole in it, and there were Decepticons everywhere.
Vesper shook her head. "This place… Are you sure it is the right one?" she asked, looking around. Optimus could only shrug, for he knew next to nothing about the national features of Earth. However, he did feel as if they were in the correct place, so he silently directed Vesper to follow him as he walked forward and hid behind the rock. Then they crept around Uluru until they peered around the corner and noticed the group of Vehicons… who were accompanied by a very specific Decepticon. A female, spider-like one.
Optimus' eyes narrowed. "Airachnid," he breathed, then looked down at his companion. Vesper's eyes were wide with disgust and horror, gazing upon the female 'Con. Then she looked up at Optimus, awaiting his next command. "Vesper, climb the rock," he whispered, and Vesper nodded before beginning her ascent. She wondered what Optimus was planning as he too began to climb, and the two soon found themselves on top of Uluru, looking down at the Decepticon forces.
The two watched as a Ground Bridge of Decepticon origin opened, and another Decepticon stepped out. This 'Con was recognised immediately by both Vesper and Optimus; it was the medic for the 'Cons, Knockout. Vesper despised Knockout, as did Optimus, and as she remembered all that he'd threatened to do to her – cutting off her limbs being the first thing she thought of – her servos clenched.
Both of them listened closely as Knockout informed Airachnid that she had been instructed to return to the Nemesis, and they watched as the femme snarled before disappearing into the still-opened Decepticon Ground Bridge. Then Knockout ordered the Vehicons to continue mining… before looking directly up at Optimus and Vesper. The two Autobots gasped and ducked, trying to hide, but it was too late. Knockout grinned sadistically before jumping up and facing them, and Optimus internally cursed himself for his carelessness.
"Well, well, if it isn't the Big O," Knockout drawled, his red optics flashing. Then he looked over at Vesper and grinned. "And if it isn't my former comrade!" he exclaimed, flashing his dentas at the girl, who glared venomously and took a hasty stepped backwards. "What brings you two here?" he asked, as if he was unaware of the reason that Autobots were here, although both Vesper and Optimus knew that he was completely aware that they were investigating the Decepticon activity.
"Stop whatever you are doing immediately," Optimus growled, his faceplate sliding over his mouth and both of his servos turning into blasters, "Or I will be forced to stop you."
Knockout chuckled. "Really now?" he said, taking something out and pointing it at Optimus. It was a simple energon prod, and while it wouldn't harm anyone too much, it would definitely knock them out of commission for a while. Optimus didn't particularly want to get poked by it, but he knew that he needed to somehow stop Knockout.
Vesper, meanwhile, was unsure of what to do. Having very little combat training, the femme knew that she had no chance against even a Vehicon, let alone Knockout. She could hold her own against him for a short while, but in the long run she was scrapped. However, she knew that she absolutely had to help Optimus, even if it cost her everything, including her spark.
Optimus suddenly leapt at Knockout, transforming his blasters into blades as he did so, and with a battle cry he slashed at the doctor. The 'Con dodged, but Optimus did manage to scratch his chassis, and the medic looked down at the scratch before furiously roaring and transforming his servo into his buzz-saw and leaping at the Prime, who jumped back and attempted to dodge as Knockout swiped at him… but that swipe was only a feint attack.
Knockout's other servo – which had the energon prod in it – suddenly jabbed at the Prime. Optimus didn't even see it coming, but Vesper did and desperately attempted to warn him. She was too late; Knockout slammed the prod into the Prime's stomach, and Optimus cried out as he was electrocuted. His body convulsed until the medic pulled the prod away, and then the Prime stumbled over to the edge of Uluru and teetered on the brink before falling.
"OPTIMUS!" Vesper cried as Optimus crashed and tumbled down the rock before hitting the ground and laying completely still. Then she turned to see Knockout grinning and stepping backwards into an open Ground Bridge. This angered her, and she turned to face him. "You are running away?" she hissed. Then her servo clenched. "You are such a coward!" she screamed as the Decepticon medic disappeared into the swirling green vortex before it closed.
Sighing, the Autobot femme turned to look back over the edge, then huffed as she slid down the rock and landed lightly on her pedes next to the now-semi-conscious Prime. She knelt down next to him and gently shook him.
"Optimus, you alright?" she asked.
Optimus lifted his head up a bit and looked at her. He opened his mouth to speak, but only a gurgle and a shrill, "Meep?" came out before his optics rolled back in his head and he groaned before he fell back into unconsciousness. Vesper sighed before she tried to patch her communications back to base, not seeing the Decepticon behind her, grinning like a madman. Knockout, standing behind her, suddenly jabbed her in the back of the neck with his energon prod, and she screamed as her body convulsed before dropping to the ground next to the Prime, her optics rolling back in her head.
She had, however, managed to patch communication to the base… in the form of an emergency beacon. Before Knockout could do anything to the downed Autobots, a Ground Bridge of Autobot origin opened, and Ratchet ran out, transforming his servos into his blades. He leapt at Knockout, who screamed girlishly before jumping out of the way. But Ratchet didn't stop his assault until the Decepticon doctor transformed into his altmode – a sports car – before driving away in an attempt to not get killed by the angered Autobot doctor.
When Knockout was finally gone, Ratchet turned and – transforming his blades back into usable servos – ran over to both Vesper and Optimus. He immediately checked their statuses, and frowned when he noticed that Optimus was quite banged up. He was, however, relieved to find that Vesper was relatively unharmed. He immediately commed Alice and asked her to open him a Ground Bridge, but then he remembered that she only had one arm – and would find the task almost impossible, given her small size and stature – and that he would have difficulties himself, for he had two downed Autobots to carry.
"Oh for Primus' sake," Ratchet grumbled, then picked Optimus up as the Ground Bridge opened. He looked down at Vesper, biting his lip, before saying, "I'm praying to the Allspark that you're not discovered until I return." Then he turned back and ran into the Ground Bridge. He ran over to one of the medical tables and gently laid Optimus on it, then turned back and ran into the bridge. He breathed a heaving sigh of relief when he saw that Vesper was still lying where he'd left her, and he quickly collected her.
When he returned to base, he laid Vesper on the second of his medical tables, then walked over to one of the monitors and started to tap away on it. A whine from Alice made him remember that she had probably had difficulties even opening the Ground Bridge; closing the bridge was going to be even worse… for while Alice could just climb on top of the mechanism to push it down and open it, but she couldn't do the same thing to close it. He chuckled as he walked over and pushed it up, then scooped the young human girl up and took her over to the two unconscious Autobots.
Alice walked over and gently placed her single hand on Vesper's side. Then she looked back at Ratchet and asked, "Are they going to be alright?"
Ratchet grimaced. "Vesper will be fine; she is unharmed." Then he turned to look at Optimus, and he sighed. "But Optimus… he is harmed. Not seriously, but…" The doctor crossed his arms. "It will take him a bit more time to recover."
Alice sighed as she removed her hand from Vesper's torso. Then she heard the sound of something coming, and both she and Ratchet turned as Arcee and Jack pulled into the base. Jack immediately stepped off of the female Autobot as she transformed, but as she opened her mouth to speak she noticed the two unconscious bots, and she sealed her lips as her optics widened.
Jack's eyes widened as well. "Wh-What happened to them?!"
Ratchet shook his head. "I don't know," he said. "But it is directly linked to their recent excursion."
"What excursion?" Arcee questioned, her voice somewhat harsh.
Ratchet sealed his lips, refusing to answer, but Alice exclaimed, "They went to Uluru to investigate Decepticon activity!"
Ratchet groaned as he facepalmed. "I was hoping that you wouldn't say anything," he grumbled.
Alice frowned. "Oh, whoops," she said. Then, at a look from Arcee, the girl gave a one-armed shrug and said, "Well, anyway, Agent Fowler told us about Decepticon activity at Uluru – a national monument of Australia – so Optimus and Vesper went to investigate."
"You should have summoned one of us," a voice said, and everyone turned to see Ultra Magnus and Wheeljack standing at the door. By the expression on Ultra Magnus' face, it was clearly him who had spoken. He stepped forward and shook his head. "We would have given our assistance."
Wheeljack nodded, then looked sadly over at the both of them. "I can't believe it." He clenched his servos. "They wouldn't be in this condition if I'd have been there!"
Ultra Magnus gave the Wrecker an unimpressed look, but said nothing as he walked over and stood over Optimus. "Will they make a swift recovery?" he asked. He clearly hadn't heard that part of the prior conversation.
Ratchet nodded. "They both should," he said. Then he turned yet again as Raf and Bumblebee pulled into the base, followed closely by Miko and Bulkhead. Those four were just as astounded to see the conditions of Vesper and Optimus, and Miko and Raf enquired as to what had happened, which Alice explained.
Suddenly they heard a groan, and everyone turned to see that Vesper had opened her optics and was struggling to sit up. Ratchet immediately strode over and helped the femme, then stepped back as she rubbed the back of her neck. "Ow," she said, cringing as her fingers ran over where she'd been stuck with the energon prod.
Arcee crossed her arms over her chest. "It's good to see you awake," she said, her voice neutral.
Vesper glanced at the other femme from the corner of her optics. "You do not need to say that if you do not believe it to be true, Arcee," she said simply, and the eyes of everyone else in the room – save for the unconscious Optimus – widened as Vesper slowly swung her legs over the side of the medical table and shakily stood.
"What'd you mean by that?" Bulkhead questioned, scratching the back of his head, and Vesper lightly smiled.
"I know that none of you trust me – at least, not entirely – anymore," she said, her cyan optics softly glowing as everyone flinched a bit and looked away. "And I do understand your reasons why." She stumbled as she walked around a bit, but otherwise stayed upright.
Ratchet grimaced. "We don't know where your alliances sit. You were once a Decepticon, after all," he said, casting a cautious look over Ultra Magnus, whose face was smooth and not betraying his emotions.
Vesper seemed to become very agitated by Ratchet's words. "I was a Decepticon. I am not one anymore." She shook her head. "But, if you are so… uncertain," she said, turning away from the group and rubbing her upper left arm with her right servo, "Then I will take my leave."
Alice's eyes widened. "Hey, wait!" she exclaimed, and Vesper looked back at her with a slight inclination of the head. "You can't leave! You have nowhere to go!"
Vesper shook her head. "I will… find a place." With that, she transformed into her altmode and drove away, leaving everyone staring after her and frowning…
And they all wondered what Optimus would think when he finally woke.