AMPHIBIA-BOTS
(a fan-fiction by Slogokonnor99)
Chapter 2: …And down to the valley
-What are you doing here?- asked the robot angrily; Anne and the Plantars stood petrified as soon as he asked that, they simply didn't know what to say to him. -Uhh…hi?- said Sprig, fearful that the robot could simply squish them with his fist, -State your business- The robot implied as he turned his fist into a gun. -Hey! Why are you aiming the gun if we haven't hurt you?!- Asked Anne as she put herself in front of the Plantars, -Anne, we should leave- Hop Pop implied -I don't think we should taunt him-. Seeing the fear of the old frog, the robot moved forwards and made a warning shot; Anne tried to fend him off using the phone's flashlight, but it only caused the robot to pick her up. -LET ME GO!- she said as he brought her closer to his face, the robot noticed that she wasn't like the frogs that accompanied her, and so he put her down. -What sort of organism are you?- He asked Anne, -Why would you like to know?- Polly asked back -so you can try and shoot her?-. -Why did you bring those frogs here?- he asked Anne angrily, -They're my friends, OK- she replied -They've sheltered me ever since I came here, and plus, they're completely harmless-, -I wouldn't trust them if I were you- said the robot as he saw Polly throw a pebble at Sprig's head because he whispered something about her. -Don't listen to her Anne- Polly replied -He's probably some old robot who was left here because it became useless-, those words were enough to piss him off, and thus he slammed his fist right next to her. -THIS is what happens when you trust amphibians- said the robot as he showed his side, revealing a massive bullet wound near his chest -And I am not a useless robot, you misinformed fool-.
Hop Pop stood in disbelief as he suddenly remembered the story he had narrated to the kids a day ago, -YOU'RE ONE OF THEM!- he yelled in excitement -THE LEGEND IS REAL!-. Now the robot was confused about this old frog; one minute he was afraid of him, the next he seemed like he was seconds away from asking for an autograph. -Hop Pop, what exactly is he then?- asked Sprig, -What is he?!- Hop Pop replied with excitement -He's an Autobot! He's an advanced form of life that comes from a different planet…-, -And that was betrayed by your own kind- The robot interrupted him -Your books really show lies only to hide the real events-. Now Anne was intrigued; she seemed like she wasn't the only being that was sentient to be in Amphibia and that came from a different world, but… How did he get here?. -Um… excuse me- She asked -How did you arrive here, exactly?-, the robot was about to answer her when all of a sudden digging could be heard above them. -It must be a Zapapede- claimed Hop Pop -the smell from the dead one must've attracted others-, -Is there any way out?!- Asked Sprig desperately. -Those crawlers will be here sooner before you can find an exit- said the robot -We shall stand and fight-, -Hold up, We?- Polly asked -I think we should leave you to deal with this-, -Polly, we have no way to defend ourselves- claimed Hop Pop as he pulled her aside -you really expect the flashlight from Anne's phone to do something against those electric bugs?-. Hop Pop had a point there: if a single zap was enough to overcharge the phone and a bite had enough power to revive the robot… A single nib could vaporize them in seconds. -What do we do then?- asked Polly, -We stay- Hop Pop simply implied -The robot may be mad at us but he can be a good distraction-, -so you're implying we should use him?- asked Sprig -look how damaged he is, he's probably not gonna last long on his own-. Anne was now left with a dilemma: if they try to flee, the robot will not be able to hold them long enough before they can make an exit, and if they decide to stay they've got no weapons to battle with.
The Zapapede's sparks began to crack the roof above them, a signal that they were mere centimeters from breaking the layer of rock; for Anne, the Plantars and the robot time was running out. -Hey robot- said Anne while trying to get his attention -you got any explosives?-, -What is your plan creature?- asked the robot, -Trust me!- she simply replied. The robot then took a pair of small sticks and gave them to Anne, -Use these boom-sticks once you reach the entrance- He said -That should be enough to burry me and the Zapapedes as well; once that happens, just run and don't look back-, -Thank you- She said as she grabbed Sprig's slingshot and pushed the Plantars backwards -one more thing: What's your name?-, -I am Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots- he replied -And it was a pleasure meeting you-. As soon as Prime said that Anne activated one of the boom-sticks, and using Sprig's slingshot, she aimed it upwards. -Who says this is a farewell?- she asked, -Anne! NO!- Yelled Optimus as she fired the boom-stick upwards, blowing up a hole on top of her and dropping a pack of 4 Zapapedes from the roof; Optimus tried to distract them but only one diverted its attention to him and tried to lunge at his wound.
The other 3 Zapapedes were quickly catching up with the group, and to make matters worse, they were driving them into the blocked entrance. -Anne, I hope you have a plan!- said Hop Pop as they hit the dead end, -I'm gonna need Sprig to carry us all- Anne replied -once in the air, I'll throw the boom-stick at the Zapapedes and it should blow them up along with the entrance-, -Two for the price of one?- asked Polly -I like it-. On the other end, the one Zapapede that split from the pack was gaining the upper hand on Prime by doing quick bites to the arms and upper legs; but when the bug tried to make a quick turn to aim at the chest, it exposed a bit of this underbelly and Optimus quickly seized the opportunity by stabbing the Zapapede with a sword, -You ugliness- he said as the agonizing Zapapede tried to adapt an attack pose -Did you forget who I am?-. The Zapapede lunged at Optimus, aiming for the chest, but Prime was quicker and sliced the bug in half, -Disgusting- He said as he stared at the sliced corpse of the Zapapede. Meanwhile, as the other Zapapedes closed in on the group, Sprig positioned himself as high as he could and waited for Anne to make the signal; Hop Pop and Polly tried to shout and smash some rocks to the walls of the cave while Anne waved her phone (with the flashlight on) to also lure the bugs in. The Zapapedes quickly bought the diversion and as they rushed towards them Sprig fired his tongue towards Anne, who in turn grabbed it once she gained a grip on Hop Pop and Polly; Sprig retracted his tongue and Anne used the wall to gain momentum and jump above the Zapapedes. Once in a perfect position mid-air, she threw the boom-stick at the Zapapedes and hoped the explosion killed them. Unfortunately, she didn't count on one of the Zapapedes to bite the boom-stick before it hit the ground, and the result was an explosion that didn't simply open an exit and explode the bugs but that also sent the Plantars and Anne flying.
Having heard the explosion, Optimus had the worst of thoughts as he had a feeling Anne and the Plantars got hurt in an attempt to fend off the bugs. On his head he was a bit glad that his existence was safe, but inside him there was the need to protect them, and the fact that they were dealing with 3 Zapapedes didn't ease his thoughts; now he was stuck with a dilemma that only got answered once he heard Sprig's cries for help. With the mountain trembling due to the shockwave, Optimus found it hard to mobilize; he couldn't transform because of the pain the wound would enforce, so his only choice was to crawl all the way there. At the now open entrance things didn't look good at all: Because of the force of the explosion Anne had fallen unconscious upon impact and Hop Pop had broken his right leg; now there were boulders falling from the roof because of the shockwave and the Plantars had to make an effort to carry Anne to the wall in order to avoid being hit directly on their heads. -PRIME!- Sprig yelled at the top of his lugs -PRIME!-, -He's not gonna come Sprig!- claimed Polly -We have to get out of here NOW!-. As Polly said that a crack behind them began to form and more sparks appeared; more Zapapedes were attracted by the noise and smell of blood and the effort they were putting in to catch them was generating more boulders to fall off the roof. Sprig tried to evade a bite but didn't notice the giant piece of rock that was about to fall onto him, but before that could happen a giant hand blocked the incoming rock; Optimus had finally found them and now they had to get out of the cave immediately.
-Anne is unconscious and Hop Pop is crippled- Sprig stated -and more Zapapedes are trying to get us-, -Hold tight frogs- said Optimus as he turned his hand into a gun and shot at the crack where the Zapapedes were trying to get through, killing all but one instantly; He then squeezed through the new entrance and slid down the mountain side with the Zapapedes on toe. -Optimus, watch out!- Yelled Polly as one of the bugs lunged at them. Thinking quickly, Prime threw the group into the air as he let the momentum of the throw carry them up; he then turned around swiftly and shot the incoming bug directly at the head with his gun. Having done so, Optimus jumped and grabbed the Plantars and once he made contact with the slope he deployed his sword and used it as an anchor to slow down. -THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!- said Sprig while kissing the palm of Optimus' hand once they stopped, -Please stop doing that- he warned him. With the danger passed, all that was left is to get down the mountain; Optimus carefully tried to slide down the mountainside while the sun began to set as the fog dispersed, revealing a whole set of small, snowy hills surrounding the front side of the mountain they were sliding down. -I've quite forgotten that your planet was this majestic- said Prime as he looked at the landscape with awe, after a thousand years inside that cave he had forgotten the beautifulness of this living planet -It's been nearly a thousand years since your kind was spotted Prime- Hop Pop stated -I am surprised you didn't retain the good memories from when your life was good-, that statement left Optimus thinking: was there really a good moment ever since the lost battle on Cybertron? Or after the Amphibians forged their empire?
As Optimus reached the foot of the mountain, he tried to find the supposed snail that brought the Plantars here. Night had already fallen by this time, and to his surprise all but Hop Pop (without counting Anne, who was still unconscious) had fallen asleep. -So where is this supposed "Bessie" of yours?- asked Prime, -She should be around here- Hop Pop replied -although because it's nighttime she should be sleeping-. Prime simply let out a sigh and tried to spot Bessie in the darkness, but in the end only Hop Pop would be able to recognize it among the landscape; He tried to get to her but due to his broken ankle he barely moved a few inches from Prime's hand. -Let me try and help you- said Optimus, he then grabbed Bessie and placed her close to Hop Pop; he in turn asked Sprig and Polly to take out some bandages and sleeping bags. -I think we should camp out for the night- stated Hop Pop -It is too dark for us to drive home-, Optimus simply ignored Hop Pop as he looked at Anne, who was still unconscious. -Is she still alive?- asked Polly, worried that Anne's plan turned out to be her own demise, -Anne seems to be breathing regularly- stated Optimus -She should wake up at some point-, -I do hope so- said Sprig as he took out Polly's bucket -She's helped us a lot ever since She came to Wartwood-. Optimus was still untrustful with the Plantars, but curiosity got the best of him and decided to ask something. -How did you exactly find her?- he asked Sprig, -Well, We didn't exactly "found" her- he replied -I was the one who did-, -Did you considered her a threat like with me- he asked, -Prime, you gotta stop thinking yourself as a threat- Sprig replied -You saved our lives like she did when I found her, if it wasn't for Anne I wouldn't be alive-. Optimus took those words into consideration, after all he did saved them from the Zapapedes, but his action was at first pure accident; still, the fact that a family of farmers saw him as a hero rather than a mechanical monster was heartwarming, -Thank you Sprig- Optimus replied, After that Sprig, Polly and Hop Pop went to sleep; Optimus stood on guard, after all, there could still be wildlife on the prowl, but just besides his left foot, someone was starting to move violently, as if it had a nightmare.
On her head, all she could see were two young women, one blonde and another with short, black hair; Anne immediately recognized the two girls, but when she tried to get close to greet them they pinned her down violently. -What's with you two!- she yelled at them, but what she got in response was way more confusing than what they just did to them: the two of them began to speak in a language she wasn't able to recognize. -What the hell are you two trying to say?!- She asked as she could not understand a single thing they were telling her -did you two take a Russian or German class or something?!-, the two girls then morphed into a barrage of symbols that surrounded her, all augmenting and shrinking quickly. -PLEASE STOOOOP!- She yelled, but as she did so she found out that it was all a nightmare; Optimus was standing beside her, watching the horizon, while the Plantars were resting on their sleeping bags. -What you did up there was a risky decision- Prime told her -but thanks to you, we all made it alive, although the Plantars were worried you perished just to save them-, -and you- She added -I may not know you, but I didn't want to lose the chance to know how someone from a different world ended up here-. Optimus was now confused, what did she mean by "someone from a different world"?, -You're not from here I assume?- asked Optimus, -Well… Truth is that I'm not really- She replied -I was just with my two friends celebrating my birthday and as one of them gave me a little box as a present I opened it and I got teleported here-. -and how did your planet look like- Prime asked, -It was crowded with people to be honest- Anne stated -but if I were to be honest, this place is calmer than where I come from-. Anne thought of what she said for a second; she did like this place because it had beautiful landscapes and the people were nice with her, but she also missed her parents, her friends, and even her cat Domino. -At least you grew up on a world that was peaceful- said Optimus as he remembered the last days of his home planet, it was all chaos and destruction unlike Anne's world, which seemed to be a plain, simple peaceful community.
-Where do you exactly come from Optimus?- asked Anne -Why is it that you think my world is peaceful?-. -Anne, I come from a place ravaged by a war- Prime replied -We were once a peaceful race, until our planet was merged into an endless battle. It lasted year after year, decade after decade, until the Decepticons gained the upper hand; leaving us with no option than to flee into the unknown. Our ship, the Ark, came under fire as soon as we left Cybertron, but thanks to the technology developed by one of our members; we opened a space bridge just as they blew up one of the thrusters and then simply crash-landed here-, -So your arrival was a desperate action?- Anne concluded -at least it was less of a sudden thing-. -What do you mean by that?- Optimus asked; Anne wasn't so quick to answer this time however, she had a reason why and she didn't want to share it… yet. -Well… I was just walking along the road on my way home for my birthday- she lied -and all of a sudden, a flash happens and I'm teleported here-. -I feel sorry for you- stated Prime -for that to happen on a special day, it must feel overwhelming-, Anne tried to hide a tear that was dropping from her right eye and simply looked to the ground in pain, -yeah, I… I don't want to talk about origins anymore- She stated while trying to lie down on a sleeping bag, -if it bothers you so we shall not talk about this again- Optimus replied as he let her sleep, but before he returned to guard, he felt the same frequency as Anne had felt days ago; except He knew who was emitting it: another Cybertronian. -Anne, do you have any piece of technology capable of receiving encryptions?- He asked her, -You mean my phone?- Anne asked back; as she said that however she also felt the frequency, and her phone began to show a message. –"We're waiting"- she read -who in the world managed to hack my phone in a place where there isn't even a computer?!-, -another of my kind- Optimus replied -that can only mean one if not many things-. -They're looking for you!- Anne stated, -or worse- Prime replied, changing the tone of the news from exciting to worrying -the others may have never managed to leave Amphibia and must be in danger-, -THERE'S MORE OF YOU HERE?!- Anne yelled, almost waking up the Plantars in the process, -in the end, when the amphibians stopped their attacks, only five of us remained- Optimus replied -I let them go ahead without me due to my condition on the hopes they'd manage to leave this planet, but it seems they never managed to do so-. Anne was now more curious than ever: there were more Autobots out there like Prime, and maybe if reunited they could help her find her friends and go home. -Prime- Anne stated -if you need help finding your friends count on us!-, -your help is kindly appreciated Anne- Optimus replied -but the origin of the signal is thousands of kilometers away, and in the state I'm in I doubt I'll ever be able reach the location-, -Optimus, I think what you're missing is faith- Anne replied -and a lot of it-, -if you say so Anne- Optimus agreed -We shall start the journey tomorrow-. This was the start of a new adventure for her and the Plantars (when they wake up that is), the one chance she'll ever have to go home, and as She placed her head on the pillow of the sleeping bag and looked at the sky above, she only wondered:
What could possibly go wrong?