Answers to reviews:
3bodyjaa: Thank you.
phoinex slayer5: Straight up to Predacons Rising.
Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers Prime. I only own the OC George Edwards/Bladewolf.
A Mega-Cycle has passed since the encounter with MECH. Fowler had promised to update us on any MECH movement, seeing as the organisation now knew about the Autobots and Decepticons. I had told Fowler enough to give him the hint that MECH were an evil terrorist organisation obsessed with obtaining advanced technology... though he probably already guessed that from Silas' intent on capturing the DNGS.
Right now, I was entering the main ops center after a nice recharge, in my Cybertronian form. Ratchet was at his station, as usual, Arcee was standing near the human area watching jack play... looks like Dark Souls, good game. seeing the femme made my Spark skip a beat, which had been happening every time I looked at her and had admitted to myself that I liked Arcee as more than a friend. It got worse whenever she'd laugh at something I'd say, or simply smile at me. I need to get a hold of myself. There's no way I can feel romantic feelings for Arcee, who probably doesn't even feel the same way for me.
Nevertheless, I was curious on Jack's progress in the game given his groans, so I walked over and stood next to Arcee in time for Jack to shout. "Finally! How many tries was that?"
He didn't mean for his question to be answered and Arcee knew that, but she did anyway. "Twenty-seven... twenty-eight if you count when you walked off the top of the wall before you got stuck on that part." She said matter of factly, making Jack sigh.
"What part were you stuck on?" I asked, watching as Jack moved his character along a massive castle wall.
"This boss called a Taurus Demon, the thing just wouldn't die." Jack said, not looking away from the screen. Jack moved character down some stairs, then stopped next to a long bridge.
"That's definitely not a trap." Arcee said sarcastically. Jack shook his head as he ran at some enemies
"They wouldn't give me another boss to fight this so..." Fire suddenly consumed the bridge and when the flames cleared, a dragon perched itself on the other side of the bridge.
Jack didn't say anything as the words "You Died" came up on the screen. He didn't move his character when the game spawned him at the bridge's beginning. He just sat on the couch and stared blankly at the TV. Finally, he calmly stood from the couch, turned off the Xbox, tossed the controller over his shoulder and walked away. Arcee and I looked at each other, then back to where Jack was walking toward the elevator.
"I know that reaction well." I said with sympathy, causing Arcee to raise an optic ridge at me. "That's the 'too pissed to even speak' reaction. All gamers get it when dealing with a hard part of the game... Primus knows I sure have."
Jack then yelled a few curses from near the elevator. "Or not." Arcee said, as Jack's speech became a series of jumbled up words that I couldn't understand.
"That's a common thing with gamers." I said with a chuckle. "But those who rage quit... they go overboard."
"How so?" Arcee asked curiously.
"They end up smashing their game console and everything around them." I answered seriously.
Arcee blinked at that. "Just because they lose in a game?"
"Or die again and again and again." I nodded. "It's an often thing when gamers play stuff like Call of Duty... or any PC game to be honest, but Call of Duty was the one most rage quit over."
Arcee shook her helm. "I'll never understand humans." She then gave me an inquisitive stare. "Did you ever react as those gamers did?"
I paused, blinking. "...Once or twice when I played a online Transformers game."
"Oh? Tell me about it." Arcee smirked, crossing her arms over her chestplates as she leaned against the wall of the human area.
I sighed but nodded. I've already walked into it, might as well get it over with. "I was playing Transformers: Dark of the Moon for Xbox 360 with my friends. We happened to go for a Team Deathmatch with other plays, in which a couple of us played Decepticon characters and the others played Autobot characters. I thought I'd get lucky playing Shockwave since he was unlockable by playing the campaign... worst decision ever."
"Did you lose?" Arcee asked with amusement.
I nodded. "Kept on dying. Twenty times in total." She chuckled at that. "Hey, in my defence... I didn't know how to play the guy."
"Choosing Shockwave as your character was perhaps most... illogical." Arcee smirked while I just gave her a look.
"Very funny." I said dryly as she chuckled lightly.
Suddenly, the monitors lit up as Bulkhead contacted the base. "Ratchet, Miko and I need a bridge. Found something of interest."
"Coming up." Ratchet said and logged in Bulkhead's coordinates before activating the Groundbridge, were Bulkhead and Miko came through.
"Where were you two?" Cliffjumper asked as he walked in with Bumblebee.
"Greece. Ratchet had detected a fresh Energon pulse, so I went to investigate it." Bulkhead explained. "While there, I saw a fresco of a Cybertronian artefact... looked like a Energon Harvester. However, before I could radio it in, Breakdown showed up and the fresco... was destroyed in the fight."
"But I got us covered!" Miko said as she took out her phone and displayed a picture of the Harvester, which Ratchet pulled up on his monitors.
Optimus, who had arrived from wherever, stared at the image before giving a small nod. "It is indeed an Energon Harvester. A powerful tool created by the Ancients to remove raw energon from any source." Optimus explained to the humans, Jack having came back from his rage at losing in Dark Souls.
"Greek gods knew Autobots?" Raf asked with confusion.
"No." Optimus shook his helm. "The Ancients often used the art of a given era to conceal messages. This fresco was likely a signpost indicating a Harvester's location hidden somewhere on this planet."
Um, Optimus, if the Harvester removes Energon from anything…" Jack said nervously. "And you all have Energon pumping inside you…"
"In Starscream's hands, the Harvester will bring an end to all of us." I said, glancing at the now uneasy Autobots.
"Leave it to 'Screamer to take a cheap way to ending the war." Cliffjumper scoffed.
"But hey, it's all good, right?" Miko piped up reassuringly. "Bulkhead smashed the painting!"
"Miko's not wrong." Arcee stepped forward. "How can the 'Cons find the Harvester without the fresco?"
"With high-speed Internet." Raf answered as he got to typing on a computer. "If you do an image search for "Greek God" and "golden orb," this pops up." An image of the statue of Poseidon, holding his trident in one hand, the Energon Harvester in the other, appeared. "It's in a museum."
"That the real deal?"Cliffjumper asked almost nervously as he glanced at Optimus.
The Prime stared at the image for a few moments before speaking. "Contact Agent Fowler."
Ratchet did just that, but the answer he got was an answering machine. ""You've reached Special Agent William Fowler. I'm currently on an intensive training retreat and unavailable until Tuesday."
"I hate talking to machines." Ratchet grumbled.
"Ratchet-"
"Shut up." The CMO shot Cliffjumper a glare before he could speak.
"Okay." Cliffjumper held his servos up while I chuckled in amusement.
"Without Agent Fowler's direct aid, we will have to confiscate the Harvester on our own." Optimus announced, as he unfolded his blaster.
"Wait, confiscate? As in steal museum property?" Jack asked in disbelief.
"That sounds... illegal." Raf said uncertainty.
"The only option we have is to wait until the museum is closed for the night, seeing as they are very public during the day." I said, drawing attention to me as I looked at Optimus. "But we can't exactly go in without causing some damage... though I could do so in human form."
"Hey, we can help as well!" Miko said, drawing the attention to her. "We're small enough to sneak in. And we are not a government secret."
"Miko, I'm not sure that's wise." Bulkhead argued.
"But it might be our best option, Bulkhead." Optimus told the ex-Wrecker before he nodded at me. "Very well. George, you will enter the museum with Jack, Miko and Rafael to obtain the Harvester."
I nodded. "We'll need to wait until nightfall. Nobody, save for a possible lazy security guard, will be around. But the longer we wait or debate, the more time we give the Decepticons. With Soundwave, it won't take them long to find the same image we've found and find the Harvester's location."
So as the plan was, the Autobots went to the museum while I stayed behind to go in with Jack, Miko and Raf. We stood on a scissor lift, waiting for our cue to go through the Groundbridge. The comm channel was open for us to get an insight on what's happening for now.
"Autobots, confirm position." Optimus requested.
"Westward ho." Arcee responded.
"Eastward secure." Bumblebee bleeped to Optimus.
"Bulk and I've got the south side covered." Cliffjumper answered as he and Bulkhead parked in the back of the museum.
"Maintain your guard." Optimus ordered. "George, Jack, Miko, Rafael, I will have a clear view of you. Once you secure the harvester, I will contact Ratchet to bridge you back to base."
"Got it, Optimus. We're good to go." I said s Ratchet activated the Groundbridge.
"Now since you'll bypass all points of entry, you won't have to worry about setting off the alarm. But take care to avoid any security guards." Ratchet warned us.
"We understand." I said, nodding in confirmation. I then turned to the other humans. "And remember. No matter what happens, as soon as we see any security guards and are at risk of getting busted, don't worry if we've obtained the harvester or not. Don't worry about any Decepticon that is about to attack us. Just run and get the hell out of there. I'll take the brunt. Got it?"
"Got it." Jack, Miko and Raf chorused.
Controlling the scissor lift, I drove it through the Groundbridge vortex and we came out the other side right where the exhibits were, with the first being that of a skeleton T-Rex. And beside that was the statue of Poseidon, holding the Energon Harvester.
"Bingo." I smirked before looking through the window to where I could see Optimus. Optimus didn't say anything through the com-link they had set up back at the base or yell anything out (not wanting to alert security guards). He just simply flashed his headlights a few times. Jack nodded in acknowledgement of them receiving his discrete signal and I raised the scissor lift a few feet until they were directly next to the security camera.
"Do your thing." I whispered to Miko.
Nodding, Miko reached into her pocket and withdrew her pink cell phone, flipping it into activation. She leaned closer to the camera and closed one eye to see the broader picture. She held her phone up at different angles before settling with holding the phone upside down. There was a small flash emitted from the phone as Miko took the picture. She changed the settings on her phone so the picture would always be on display before placing the phone on top of the camera, making sure that the screen was directly in front of the lens so she could fool the oblivious security guard into thinking the orb was still there. When she finished, Jack and Raf were looking at her weirdly, so she just shrugged nervously.
I pulled a roll of duct tape out of my jacket pocket, gesturing for Jack to take the controls of the scissor lift. I carefully and as quietly as possible pulled off a strip of tape. I tore off the strip and careful placed in over Miko's phone in order to secure it in place.
"To prevent complications." I muttered, knowing the phone would shift in the upcoming fight. But, I had a plan for us to secure the Harvester without it having to be destroyed.
Slowly and carefully, Jack directed the scissor lift closer and closer to the stature of Poseidon. However, the sound of a vehicle engine caught my attention and I glanced out the window to see Knockout arriving, pulling up next to Optimus... and then came Breakdown.
"We gotta hurry." I said to my friends as we got to work on grabbing the Harvester. However, the sound of a missile, followed by a cracking sound, caused us to glance at the window only to see Optimus had stopped the missile fired from breakdown... but hadn't stopped the tip from touching the glass which had caused a large crack. However, things didn't last long as Knockout attacked Optimus with a Energon prod.
"It's 'Cons!" Raf gasped nervously.
"And they've got Optimus!" Jack added in fear.
"Stay focused." I told them. I was worried for Optimus, but I knew he'd come out just fine. Not just because of foreknowledge but because he was Optimus the freaking Prime. Glancing out the window, I saw Breakdown making a beeline straight for us and quickly contacted the others via my own persnonal earpiece for these type of situations. "Autobots, we've got company!"
"Got it!" Arcee answered. Soon enough, I saw her, Cliffjumper and Bumblebee driving around the corners and going straight for Breakdown, only for him to shoot a missile at Arcee and Bumblebee, making them veer out of control and slam into each other, and also into Cliffjumper. That had to have hurt. Bulkhead soon joined the fight, but then Breakdown punched him so hard he went colliding into Knockout and the two crashed into a pillar holding the museum up. One of the pieces that broke off flew through one of the windows, shattering it…and consequently setting off the alarm.
"Shit." I muttered then jumped onto the statue, pushing the Harvester with all my strength and it fell onto the scissors lift. "Now we get the hell out of here."
As soon as the lift was lowered, Miko jumped off and ran ahead despite my attempts to stop her but that girl is very persistent. And just like in the episode, she ende dup found and taken into the security guard's office.
"that's not good." Jack said.
"You think?" I sighed before contacting Ratchet. "Ratchet, open a Groundbridge..." I paused as I heard footsteps and looked through the gap of the xit garage door and saw a pair of Cybertronian legs.
"Arcee!" " Jack called out before they tried to run for her.
Keyword tried.
I grabbed them and pulled them back. "That's not Arcee!"
A second later, a servo lifted the garage door open... revealing Soundwave.
"It's Soundwave!" Raf gulped.
"Ratchet, we need that bridge now!" I shouted as Soundwave reached for the Harvester, but I deployed a Path Blaster and aimed it at him, causing him to pause in what I assumed was surprise at my action or my arm transforming. "Try me, Soundwave."
Really didn't want to shoot my favourite 'Con in Transformers Prime, but I will.
Using my other hand, I drove the platform back in reverse with jack and Raf holding onto the railing. "Ratchet, bridge! Now! Soundwave's here!"
A Groundbridge soon opened behind us as a tentacle rounded the corner, coming straight at us but I fired off a shot and got a direct hit. Grabbing the Harvester, I rolled it through the bridge and it came rolling back.
"Oh come on! Don't tell me the ground bridge malfunctioned!" Jack yelled as the tentacle finally over powered them and snaked towards us.
"Yep." i said before Soundwave's tentacle grabbed the Harvester and retracted with it.
"Dammit, the 'Cons have the Harvester." Jack groaned as we heard Soundwave transform and fly off.
"Oh do they?" I asked with a small smirk, causing Jack and Raf to look at me in confusion. "What Soundwave took... wasn't the Harvester, but a replica Ratchet had been working on. We came up with a plan since I have foreknowledge and found a easy way for us to get the Harvester while giving the 'Cons nothing. The real Harvester's back at base with Ratchet, he rolled the fake through to me."
"And you didn't tell us why?" Jack huffed with slight annoyance.
"Soundwave was here, couldn't let him know of the deception." I said with a shrug before making my way to the exit. "C'mon, let's go tell the others and get Miko out of here."
"Bet Starscream will be mad when he learns what he's got." Raf chuckled.
I smirked. "Oh i bet he will be..."
Yeah, George completely played a game of deception with the Decepticons. He'd make a fine Decepticon in another life.
You know, that does make me wonder actually... I recently read a Transformers Prime story called Second Chance Femme, where the OC ends up dying and reincarnated as a Cybertronian in the Transformers Prime universe but the story begins long before the War for Cybertron and the OC is a gladiator in the pits of Kaon, trained by Megatron himself.
It does make me wonder if I should do something similar, since most OC from our world stories end up with the OC as an Autobot rather than a Decepticon who seeks to change the events to come.
Let me know what you think.
Mech=Man.
Femme=Woman.
Carrier=Mother.
Sire=Father.
Helm=head.
Optics=eyes.
Audio Receptors=ears.
Shoulder-Joints=self-explanatory.
Backplates=again self-explanatory.
Chestplates=don't make me say self-explanatory again... Wait.
Servos=hands/arms.
Digit=finger.
Pedes=legs.
Spark=basically a Cybertronian's soul.
Chassis=body.
Frame=also a term for body, but used differently.
CPU=brain.
Processor=can also be a term for brain.
Astro-Klick=one millisecond.
Nano-Klick=one-tenth of a second.
Micro-Klick=one second.
Klick=one minute.
Breem=one hour.
Solar-Cycle=one day.
Mega-Cycle=one week.
Jour=one month.
Orbital-Cycle=one year.
Vorn=eighty three years.
Centi-Vorn=eight thousand three hundred years.