Saiyan Prime
~Darkness Rising~
The sun was shining bright, and the beautiful orange sky gleamed with the light shining through the clouds, and the birds were chirping but nothing could beat the gentle humming of the engine in the car that was driving up the dirt road.
"So there I am on the lookout, when out of nowhere, these high beams light up in my rear-view. An' then it hits me. I'm illegally parked." The driver of the car said.
"Another parking ticket?" A woman's voice came in on the radio.
"Better, the boot."
"Big metal tire clamp, impossible to remove?"
"Bingo." He said. "So, the local police do their thing, and I let them get all the way down the block. That's when I kick off my new shiny shoe, and bang."
"New York's finest, soil themselves."
"You know me Arcee. Mess with Cliffjumper…"
"An' you get the horns." Arcee finished, making Cliffjumper laugh. "Not sure how that complies with Autobot Rule Number1. Keep a low profile?"
"What can I say? Patrolling for Energon out here in Dullsville gets lonesome." Cliffjumper stated.
"Like Jasper Nevada's a party?" Arcee said. "We're alone wherever we travel on this rock, Cliff."
"Almost makes me miss the Decepticons."
"After what their leader did to our Little Prime?" Arcee questioned.
"I said almost." Cliffjumper stated, before his voice gained a more solemn tone. "Speaking of, how is he?"
"Still comatose. Ratchet says he might need something intensive to stimulate his brain, and wake him up from his coma. Something that might trigger his instincts." Arcee said.
"How about the audio recording we have from tapping into Frieza's signals?"
"Cliff, he was born off world, several years after Planets Krypton, and Vegeta were destroyed." Arcee exclaimed. "He's not gonna be triggered by Frieza's voice if he's never heard it before."
"You never know." Cliff said. "Hold on, I'm getting a signal."
"Need backup?" Arcee questioned.
"Do I ever need backup?" Cliff questioned, before following the signal he caught. Cliff stopped moments later when he made it to a huge cavern in the ground, filled with glowing blue rocks. "I just found a whole lot of Energon." He said, before a giant shadow began looming over him, and the car transformed into a giant robot with the silver bull horns on his head. "Decepticons."
Moments later, Cliff was shot from where he stood, and went free falling into the cavern where the Energon was located. As he picked himself up, several Decepticons came flying out of the hatch on the underside of the ship, and landed right in front of him, their weapons trained on his person.
"Arcee. About that backup." Cliff said, realizing he was outnumbered and outgunned.
"Hang on Cliff, help is on the way." Arcee replied before the radio went silent.
"Fair warning, boys." Cliff said, getting ready for a fight. "I'll put a few dings in ya. An' I got a big grudge with you and your leader, after what happened three years ago."
Cliff transformed into a car, and rolled out, heading straight for the Decepticons, up the cavern side, and into the air, transforming again as he came down, and landed on the ground, ramming straight through them, like a bowling ball rolling down pins.
Hopping straight up to his feet, Cliff twisted around, slamming his fist into the chest of one of the Decepticons, knocking them down to the side of the cavern, before he continued swinging his fist, knocking a few more back.
One of the Decepticons managed to get behind him, and restrain Cliff by the arms, before kicking him forward, giving the others a chance to slam their own fists into him, knocking the Autobot around like a kickball, before one knocked him back, and breaking off one of his horns. Flipping back, Cliff landed on his feet in the cavern glaring up at the Decepticons.
"You want the horns?" He questioned, before turning his hands into blaster cannons. "You got 'em." Cliff said, before he began blasting at the Decepticons.
In return, the Decepticons began firing back at him, but Cliff was able to dodge them. The same however, couldn't be said for the Energon behind him, as one of the blasts hit the unstable fuel source and detonated. With Cliff getting caught up in the explosion, damaging him, and making him incapable of movement.
Up on the ship, the current leader of the Decepticons was looking out the window of the cockpit, and looking out at the situation that had just unfolded out beneath his ship.
"The Energon. It's worthless to me now." Starscream stated angrily, before two of the Decepticons came up out of the hatch, and had a restrained Cliffjumper in tow.
"Scream." Cliff said looking up at him. "It's been a while *Cough*. So, where's your master? I owe him for what he did three years ago to my little friend. Thought I'd return the favor while I'm here."
"Never mind him. I am my own master." Starscream said, before thrusting his hand into Cliffjumper's chest. "An' as for your little friend. Tell him I said hello, when you see him in hell. Anymore questions?"
Starscream removed his hand from Cliff's chest, and wiped the liquid Energon off, before Cliff fell to the ground, motionless, and lifeless.
"Clean that up." Starscream he ordered the two Decepticons.
With that, the Decepticon Warship departed, leaving the airspace above the cavern, moments before a swirling portal opened up and five Autobots came out of it, ready for a fight, but found none, as the battle ground was charred and destroyed, with the Energon source Cliff had found, being damaged beyond use, as well.
"An untapped Energon deposit." Optimus said.
"What's left of it." Bulkhead stated.
"The first Decepticon activity in three years." Ratchet said.
"That we know of." Optimus stated. "If they're scouting for Energon, they may be preparing for, his, return."
The Autobots went scouting the area, and Arcee was the first to find something.
"No." She said in horror as she picked up Cliffjumper's broken horn, before showing it to the others.
"Ratchet, can you track his position?" Optimus questioned.
Ratchet opened a panel on his arm, showing Cliff's life sign, before it went flat.
"No." He said. "Cliffjumper's life signal, just went offline."
~Decepticon Warship~
Starscream was looking at the monitor, trying to track the location of the next Energon source, when he was interrupted by one of his subordinates.
"Soundwave, what is it?" Starscream questioned.
"Like Jasper Nevada's a party? We're alone wherever we travel on this rock, Cliff." Arcee's voice came from the Decepticon, as he showed he'd tapped into their comms and recorded their conversation.
"Ahh. The one called, Arcee." Starscream said. "Why slay just one Autobot, when we still have the advantage of surprise?" He questioned with a smile.
~Nevada Canyon, Sunset~
"We must not allow our anger over the loss of Cliffjumper, to impair our judgement." Optimus said, as he began his eulogy. "As of today, only we five Autobots, remain on this earth. We owe it to ourselves, to the memory of Cybertron… To any Autobots in any galaxy seeking safe harbor. To human kind. An' we owe it to the memory of our fallen comrade. To survive." He said, as Arcee laid Cliff's horn on the ground.
Arcee stood up, and turned, walking away from the group
"Arcee?"
"If Cliff's gone, standing around here sulking won't bring him back. So unless anyone minds, I think I'll get back to protecting humankind." Arcee said, before transforming into a motorcycle and driving off.
"Optimus." Ratchet said. "Helping humans will only result in more tragedy."
"Your opinion is noted."
~Jasper~
"Welcome to K.O Drive-in, where every patty's a knockout. May I take your order?" A young man in a drive through window questioned.
This is Jack Darby. He wore a simple grey and black hoodie shirt with a pair of blue-jeans, and blue-white sneakers. Currently, he was also wearing his uniform which consisted of a paper hat.
"Uh, two super combos, extra fries."
"Okay, dos numerou twos. Anything else?" Jack questioned.
"Yeah. Some advice. How do I get an awesome job like yours?" The guy ordering the food questioned, before laughing.
"So, that's two, we're not so funny as we think we are combos, with a side of bite me." Jack said.
"What'd you say?"
"$5.59 sir." He said grabbing the mic. "At the window." When Jack turned around, the car drove up, and the guy who ordered the food, just grabbed the bags, and drove off, just as Jack turned back around. "Hey I… I have to pay for that." Jack grumbled.
~Arcee~
As the Autobot got closer to town, she produced her holographic rider, and slowed down to the speed limit. After passing by a gas station, Arcee found herself being tailed by two cars, with both bearing the Decepticon Emblems on their hoods.
"Twins." She sighed.
Driving further ahead, Arcee pulled into the parking lot of the K.O Drive-in, and powered down her hologram, to blend in, and not draw attention to herself for the rider not going into the restaurant.
"Take five, Sadie." She said, as the hologram disappeared, and she powered down her engine, and propped herself up with her stand.
About a minute later, Jack came out of the restaurant, with his shift finally being over, and having talked his boss out of taking the money from his paycheck. As he went to his petal bike, his phone went off, with some weird song playing from it.
"Hey mom." Jack said. "I just got off… No, I'm not going to the dance. Experience suggests I should never cut a rug, unless I'm installing carpet." He said as he began walking around. "Be careful? Seriously? This is Jasper." He stated, before spotting Arcee. "I love you. Uh, yeah I-I love you to mom, gotta run." He stated before hanging up and going to check out Arcee. "Hello beautiful, where have you been all my life? Nice." He smiled, running his hands along Arcee's seat. "It may take a few K.O Paychecks, but I'm gonna own a ride like you someday."
'At least he has good taste.' Arcee thought.
"Are you seriously talking to your motorcycle?" A new voice questioned.
Jack looked up, and spotted someone he really wished hadn't seen him like this.
"Uh, my motorcycle? No. I-I mean, yes, yes." Jack said. "It's… it's mine, but I'm talking to you, Sierra."
As Jack was making a fool of himself, Arcee moved her mirror, and saw the Decepticons coming towards here.
"C'mon smooth operator, wrap it up." Arcee said.
"You know my name?"
"We're in homeroom together. I-I'm Jack. Jack Darby."
The conversation was interrupted when some high beams came on, blinding Jack and the two girls he was talking to.
"Scrap." Arcee said.
As the cars went charging at them, Arcee didn't have a choice, but to leave with her unwanted passenger, and went driving off, leaving Jack very confused.
"Hey, whoa, whoa." He called out as Arcee went driving off, and shut his eyes right before she squeezed between the two Decepticons, causing sparks to fly.
The Decepticons turned around, and gave chase to her. Jack was very confused, and didn't know what the hell was going on, and was starting to think he was on a remote controlled car.
"Do not let go." Arcee said, loud enough for him to hear.
"Who said that?" Jack questioned.
As the two Decepticons came up beside them, Arcee pulled on the breaks, and got behind them, right before they rammed into each other's sides, giving Arcee a chance to go forward, and drive right past them and make a tight right turn.
"Commander Starscream. Target spotted. Accompanied by a human youth." One of the Decepticons said.
"Destroy them both." Starscream said over the intercom.
Further up ahead past the turn, Arcee came to a spinning stop as she did a quick 180, with Jack hopping off.
"What are you?" Jack questioned, a little freaked out.
"I don't exist. Tell anyone about me, and I will hunt you down." Arcee said.
"Whoa." Jack cried out as he began to run.
With the Decepticons coming into view, Arcee turned around, and began driving off. In her rear view mirror, she saw one of them break off, and head for the direction Jack went in.
"Scrap."
Turning around, Arcee drove towards the Decepticon, and rode off him, like a ramp. She went after the Decepticon who was going after the boy, and found them pretty quickly.
"I don't even know her." He shouted like he was running from Arcee's jealous boyfriend.
"Hop on." Arcee said as she drove over the Decepticon and right next to Jack.
Jack hopped onto Arcee's back, and went driving off, coming out of the other end of the street, making a sharp left turn, heading straight for the freeway. The Decepticons began shooting at them, to which Jack was freaking out, as he didn't have a helmet, and he was very confused, and terrified, of what was happening to him right now.
"Why are those guys shooting at us?" Jack questioned.
"There's no 'us' kid, and they're no 'guys.'" Arcee exclaimed.
As the Decepticons came driving up, neither of them were aware of the black and yellow car coming up fast from behind them, before it crashed into their sides, knocking them off track, while he drove backwards momentarily, before turning around immediately and pulling up beside Arcee and Jack.
"Friend of yours?" Jack questioned.
"Family." Arcee said, which calmed Jack a bit.
Bee slowed down a little to block the Decepticon's path, changing lanes each time they tried to pass him, until the one in the back, changed to the other lane at the opposite time, and slammed into Bee from the side, knocking him off balance, and into the side rails.
Further up ahead, Jack and Arcee kept going forward, but they were about to reach the end of the line as the bridge was under construction.
Arcee's fix for this, was just to go over the side of the bridge, and into the flood drainage canal, where Arcee did a doughnut as she stopped, leaving skid marks on the ground. When they stopped, standing in front of them was a young looking boy, who Jack recognized from school. He was younger, but was moved up a few grades, due to his smarts.
This is Rafael, Raph for short. He wore an orange sweater vest, blue-jeans, glasses, and orange-white sneakers. An' currently, it looked like he was playing with a remote control car.
"Whoa." Raph said in awe.
"Unh. You have no idea." Jack said with a sigh.
Just as Jack got off Arcee's back, and Raph came towards them, the two Decepticons came into view up on the top part of the ledge leading to the drainage canal. Engines revving as they came Racing down, the two Decepticons went off the ramp and transformed into their robotic states, before landing on the ground.
Behind Jack and Raph, Arcee transformed into her robotic form and was glaring at the Decepticons.
"This ends here, 'Cons." Arcee said before charging at them, with a fiery determination in her eyes.
Jumping at the Decepticons, Arcee double kicked one of them in the chest, and used the push back momentum to land on her hands, before pushing up and thrusting forward, landing on her feet and rushed forward, slamming her fist into the Decepticons chest, knocking it back, before jumping up, and roundhouse kicking the 'Con in the face. All the while, Jack and Raph were just watching in stunned silence until one of them spoke up.
"What are they?" Raph questioned.
"Talking cars that turn into giant robots." Jack said. "Or the other way around."
"This… is… for… Cliff." Arcee stated angrily, as she mercilessly slammed her fists into one of the Decepticons face.
After the last punch, the Decepticon just turned his head to her. Arcee knew this wouldn't be easy, and flipped backwards, several times, evading hits from blasters, before one hit her in the chest, knocking her back.
The sound of screeching tires caught Jack and Raph's attention as Bumblebee came flying over the ledge of the bridge, and turned into a giant robot, landing on one of the Decepticons, before slamming his fist into the other one's face.
When he stepped off the first Decepticon, he stepped back, but a loud crunching sound caused his optic sensors to widen before he looked down, and raised his foot, seeing the crushed toy car he had destroyed, and turned to Raph and Jack.
"Buzzing."
"No problem… really." Raph said, before a blaster shot hit Bee in the chest, knocking him back.
Before Bee could pick himself up, he was stepped on by one of the Decepticons, and forced back into the ground, face first. When the 'Con finally removed his foot, Bee turned around, as their blasters were pointed right at him.
"Leave him alone." Raph shouted. That got the weapons trained on him, and Jack. "Please?"
"Bad call." Jack said, before one of the Decepticons came marching towards them, this got the both of them to start running. "Come on, come on." He exclaimed, ushering Raph to a sewage pipe. "Keep moving." He said, as the Decepticon reached his arm in after them, before the robot was pulled away, and Bee showed his face, after the sound of smashing came from outside.
"Buzzing."
"Thank you." Raph said.
"Buzzing." Bee said, before going off to finish the fight.
"Don't look back." Jack said ushering Raph forward.
"What did we just see?" Raph questioned.
"No idea, and I'm not sure I wanna find out." Jack said.
Outside, the Decepticons were using Bee like he's their personal punching bag, as they landed blow, after blow on him, before knocking him back to Arcee. When the duo prepared to fight. A pair of high beams flashed from behind and they turned around, before a horn sounded, and Bulkhead transformed, joining the fight.
"Who's ready to rumble?" Bulkhead questioned.
The moment the 'Cons saw they were outmatched, and out muscled, they hightailed it out of there, much to Arcee and Bee's relief.
"What took you?" Arcee questioned, as Bee slumped over.
"Traffic." Bulkhead said nonchalantly.
~Autobot Base~
"An' the 'Cons would have been scrap metal, if I hadn't been distracted by the human." Arcee said, finishing her report with Optimus.
"Human?" Optimus asked, his voice showing concern.
"Buzzing." Bee said, holding up two fingers.
"Two boys?"
"I guess the second one caught us in action? I don't know. Was a little busy at the time." Arcee said.
"If the Decepticons are targeting us, anyone perceived as our ally, will be at grave risk." Optimus said.
~Jasper High School. The Following Day~
Jack could be seen walking out of the school, with a worried look on his face, as he passed by the foreign exchange student from Japan, who was drawing in her sketchbook, and when he made it to the bottom steps, he spotted Raph and walked towards him.
"Raph, hey. Look, let's just keep this between us, and forget anything ever happened, okay?" Jack suggested before a horn honked.
"Jack." Raph gasped, seeing Bee drive up to them.
"Oh, not again." Jack said as Bee opened his door.
"Buzzing." Bee said.
"I-It wants us to get in." Jack said.
"No, just me." Raph said.
"How do you know that?" Jack questioned.
"It said so."
"What?"
"Yours is over there." Raph said, directing Jack to the motorcycle parked in the school parking lot.
"Look, I really don't think that…"
"How's it going?" Raph questioned Bee as he hopped in the car.
"Raph?" Jack questioned as the door closed and Bee began to drive off. "Wait, Stop." He called, out.
Jack sighed, and looked to Arcee, before he just walked off.
On the steps to the school, the exchange student was smiling as she continued drawing the motorcycle, as so far, that had been the coolest thing she's seen in Jasper Nevada.
"Coolest bike, ever." She smiled before her phone rang, and when she looked to see who was calling, she groaned. "Host parents? Ignore." She said closing her phone and returning to her sketch book. When she looked up from her sketchpad though, she saw it was gone.
This is Miko. She wears short-short jeans with a blue and pink t-shirt with a robot design on the center, purple and blue stockings, a yellow belt with two small key chain animals on it, and pink laced brown military boots.
Grumping at the fact that the motorcycle was gone, Miko caught where it was going through the corner of her eye, and hopped down from the stairs to follow it.
As Arcee followed Jack, she did a 180 and turned to face him, once she got ahead of the human.
"Relax. I just want to talk to you." Arcee said.
"Don't you mean you, and your new friend?" Jack questioned.
"Kid, there's a lot you don't understand." Arcee said, powering down Sadie.
"No, I-I get it, I get it. The first rule of robot fight club, is you don't talk about robot fight club." Jack said turning around to walk away as Arcee followed him. "What you need to understand, is that I don't want a bunch of crazy talking vehicles, following me around, trying to get me killed." He said as Arcee transformed, and looked right at him.
"Look. Jack, is it? Your personal safety, is exactly why Optimus Prime has requested your presence." Arcee said.
"Wait, O-Optimus who?" Jack questioned.
"You may be in danger, because you are one of the few, one of the only who have ever seen us." Arcee said.
"Dude, what are you waiting for?" Miko questioned. Jack and Arcee turned to see Miko standing at the corner, as if she just came out of hiding, and had the biggest grin on her face. "Go with."
"Scrap." Arcee groaned.
~Later~
"Woo-hoo." Miko cheered as she rode on Arcee's back, sitting behind Jack as they made their way to the Autobot base.
"An' why exactly are we taking her?" Jack questioned.
"Rules." Arcee simply said, before they drove off the road and towards the mountain.
"Hey, wait… Whoa." Jack cried out, afraid they were gonna crash.
At the last second, the secret doors to the base opened up, and they went driving into the base, through the tunnel.
"Whoa." Miko smiled, before they reached the main room.
"Cool." Raph said, from in Bee's passenger seat.
"Whoa." Jack and Miko said in unison, before hopping off Arcee, and the Autobots transformed into their robotic forms.
"I thought there were only two?" Ratchet questioned.
"Haven't you heard? Humans multiply." Arcee said.
"I'm Raph."
"I'm Miko." She said running up to Bulkhead. "Who are you?"
"Bulkhead."
"Are you a car? I bet you're a truck. A monster truck. Do you like heavy metal, how much do you weigh? Ever use a wrecking ball for a punching bag?" Miko questioned.
"So if you guys are robots, who made you?" Raph asked.
"Puh-lease." Ratchet scoffed, before the ground began to shake, with Optimus coming into the room.
"We are autonomous robotic organisms, from the planet Cybertron. Also known, as Autobots." Optimus said.
"Why are you here?" Jack questioned.
"To protect your planet, from the Decepticons." Optimus said.
"The jokers, who tried to bump us off last night." Arcee said.
"Okay. Why are they here?" Jack inquired.
"A fair question Jack." Optimus said, kneeling down to look at him. "In part, they are here because our planet is uninhabitable, ravaged by centuries of Civil War."
"Why were you fighting a war?" Raph questioned.
"Foremost, over control over our world's supply of Energon, the fuel and lifeblood of all Autobots and Decepticons alike." Optimus said. "The combat was fierce, and endured for centuries. In the beginning, I fought alongside one whom I considered a brother. But war has a way of swaying one's morals and ideals, and thus Megatron, was born."
~Decepticon Warship~
Starscream was facing the console of the Warship's main computer, figuring out their next destination, and course of action, when Soundwave came up from behind, a set of coordinates pinging on his visor.
"That signal is coming from deep space." Starscream said. "It would be such a waste of Energon if it were nothing. However, if you're absolutely certain Soundwave."
Soundwave remained silent, as he just looked at Starscream.
"Very well. Lock on the coordinates, and activate the space bridge."
As the Warship made it's way through space, it was on a direct course for a structure in Earth's orbit, as the machine began powering up, and formed a giant swirling portal, as a lone figure came through, his menacing presence stilling fear and respect into anyone who saw him.
"Decepticons." Megatron called out. "I have returned."
~Autobot Base~
"An' now since you know about our existence, I fear that as of last night, I fear that the Decepticons, know of yours." Optimus said.
"Got it, if we spot any strange vehicles, call 911." Jack said. "Can we go now?"
"Are you insane?" Miko questioned. "I'm living a dream here in bot-swana, and I will not allow you, or anyone else to shatter it."
"It is best that you three remain under our watch." Optimus said. "At least until we can determine our enemies' intentions."
"Optimus, with all due respect, the human children are in as much danger here, as anywhere." Ratchet said.
"Children?" Jack questioned.
"They have no protective shell, if they go underfoot, they will go... squish." Ratchet exclaimed.
"Then, for the time being, Ratchet, we must watch where we step." Optimus said, before an alarm went off.
"What's that?" Jack questioned.
"Buzzing." Bee said.
"Proximity sensor. Someone's up top." Raph translated.
"It's Agent Fowler." Ratchet said.
"I-I thought we were the only humans who knew about you guys?" Jack questioned.
"Special Agent Fowler, is our designated liaison to the outside world." Optimus said. "As he tends to visit only, when there are issues, it may be best if you do not meet him, at this time."
"C'mon you three. I've got something I need to check up on anyway, so this will be a good excuse to go." Arcee said, grabbing a data-pad.
"He's still catatonic Arcee." Ratchet said, knowing where she was going.
"Doesn't mean I can't check up on him myself." Arcee said, walking through the hall, with the three children following.
"So, where are we going?" Jack questioned.
"An' who were you talking about with the Doc Bot?" Miko questioned.
"If you're gonna be sticking around, then you should know something important." Arcee said. "Many years ago, there was a couple if races of beings known as Saiyans, and Kryptonians. One was a proud warrior race, who fought with everything they had, while the other were a race of scientists and scholars. The Saiyans were quite lucrative as well. Conquering inhabitable planets and selling them to the highest bidder, before they were forced to work under a cosmic tyrant, who ran a military force, known as the Cold Force, before he retired and his son took over and it became the Frieza Force."
"So, what does that have to do with what we're doing?" Raph asked.
"I'm getting to that." Arcee said. "Now Frieza wasn't as trusting of the Saiyans as his father was. In fact he's even more cold hearted and ruthless than his father ever could be, despite his short stature. I'd say he's about half your height Jack."
"The shorties always have the biggest tempers." Miko said.
"So in an act of showing he didn't trust the Saiyans, he had them gathered on planet Vegeta, the Saiyan home world, and destroyed it, erasing the planet from the Galaxy, along with most of the Saiyan's themselves." Arcee continued. "Soon after, he destroyed the Kryptonians home world of Krypton, because he feared what their power could be capable of becoming, under the light of the yellow sun. Like the Saiyans, most of the Kryptonians were wiped out."
"You said most for both the Saiyans and Kryptonians, that means some survived right?" Jack asked.
"Only a handful of each, but yes. But there are more, if you count the Kryptonians, locked away in their interdimensional prison, known as the Phantom Zone. An' several, nearly a decade, after those events, a Saiyan man, and Kryptonian woman from the House of El, found one another, got together, and in an effort to try and rebuild both their people stronger then ever, had a kid. At the time, Optimus and our team had began using that planet as a temporary strong hold, and that family eventually found us. More specifically, their son did. After a small scuffle and the settlement of the misunderstanding, we became friends with the hybrid family. But a plague swept through the village they lived in, and the only one to survive it, was their son. He went by a hybrid name of both Saiyan and Kryptonian descent, which if I'm being honest, the Saiyans sound very similar to your earth's vegetation. His name was Kail-El, but we Autobots had a Cybertronian name we gave him before we found out his given name by his parents."
"How did you first meet him?" Raph inquired.
"The little bugger managed to sneak onto our Energon Transport at the mines we had been combing through, and we didn't notice him until we had already made it back to our base." Arcee chuckled. "His parents came charging in, thinking we kidnapped him. They found us using what was known as a Scouter, but as I said, after a quick scuffle things calmed down, and we explained ourselves, and had a good laugh about it."
"So what name did you guys come up with for him?" Jack inquired.
"Raion." Arcee said. "After his parents passed away, none of us had the Spark to leave him alone, and we brought him with us. He was too young to even remember what his parents looked like when they passed away. A member of ours, had convinced us to bring him along, it didn't take much convincing, and we did, we brought him with us everywhere we went. He even ended up calling me, mom. Kinda makes sense, since I did kinda protect him, by carrying the little guy in my chassis under my armor to keep him safe. Though he made it kinda hard to move, and my midsection was bloated a bit. Felt weird feeling him moving around too. I think most mammalian species procreate through something like that."
"Aw, that's sweet. It's like you had been pregnant with him." Miko said. "But how'd he survive the plague that took his parents?"
"We had insisted that since they were our allies, Raion and his parents move into the base where they could help us with operations, and missions. They left Raion with us to get everything settled while they packed, but when they got back to the village they were living in, that's when the plague had hit. When we heard about the plague that was spreading, that's when I first hid him in my chassis. After their passing though, we made Kel his last name, to honor his parents, by combining the first letter of his given name Kail, and the name of his Kryptonian House."
"So he was safe with you in the Autobot base, that's how he avoided infection. He was quarantined away from the plague." Raph said.
"So what happened to him if Ratchet said he's catatonic?" Jack asked.
"About three years ago, we had a battle with Megatron, and Raion got caught up in the middle of it." Arcee said as they reached a set of doors. "The battle took place at an old abandoned ship that had crash landed on this planet, hundreds of years ago, filled with Cybertronian Reproduction Pods. It had been an attempt at colonization by ancient Cybertronians in case our world died out. Little to our knowledge, the Kryptonians had done something similar, thousands of years ago. But we've yet to locate the scout ship."
Opening the door, Arcee brought the children into the room, and to their shock they saw, who they presumed to be Raion, floating in a pod of red liquid, and wrapped in a thin film of some sort.
"During the battle, Megatron had skewered Raion through the chest, knowing how much we cared about him. He had hoped Raion's death would have disoriented us. But it was the opposite. What had happened to Raion, had driven us to push back stronger, and drive Megatron back into the shadows." Arcee exclaimed. "While Optimus and the others kept Megatron and the other Decepticons busy, I was trying to save his life, and I was able to, by putting him in one of the still functioning pods."
"Is he, dead?" Raph inquired.
"No. He's alive. Putting him in the pod saved his life, and has kept him alive since then. But he's been catatonic ever since."
"How old is he?" Miko inquired.
"In earth years, seventeen." Arcee said. "In order for the pod to be activated though, two samples of Cybertronian DNA were required. It's how we Cybertronian's reproduce. I gave a piece of my DNA, but it started up with just that."
"So… that makes you his actual mom now?" Miko asked.
"In a way." Arcee stated.
"What do you mean? Isn't he a Cybertronian now?" Jack inquired.
"Yes. But he's somehow retained both his Saiyan and Kryptonian heritage. Ratchet can't make heads or tails of it, and quite honestly, I'm concerned about it to. Nothing like this has ever happened before." Arcee said.
"What's his diagnosis specifically?" Raph questioned.
"According to Ratchet's research and studies into Raion's new form, it's like he's mostly the same on the inside, but has Cybertronian Armor, almost like a shell that protects him. Yet, he still has all the functions of a normal Cybertronian. It's like he's more than just a hybrid of Saiyan, Kryptonian, and Cybertronian."
"What do you mean?"
"Raion was already a one of a kind, since he was born to a Saiyan Father, and a Kryptonian mother, but this gestation, this transformation with my DNA could result in the birth, of a whole new species. A Cybertronian Evolution. Nothing like this has ever happened. He could be, the next step, the key to create the next link in Cybertronian Evolution." Arcee said, checking Raion's vitals. "There are things we don't know about him, things we can't begin to understand. Even everything we have on Saiyan and Kryptonian lore and mythology can't begin to describe what's happened to him. But there's something that still didn't really add up about all this, until a couple months ago."
"What do you mean?" Raph inquired.
"Normally, when a Kryptonian is exposed to yellow sunlight, their body's become indestructible, and stronger then anyone could imagine, along with a multitude of powers. What we didn't understand, was when a Kryptonian is exposed to something alien, like Cybertronian Metal, or a piece of their home world Krypton, they're just as vulnerable as you humans. Something we learned when a meteor fragment of what remained from Krypton, landed on earth." Arcee explained.
"That shooting star that was on the news last year?" Miko asked.
"Does Agent Fowler know about Raion?" Jack inquired.
"No. Fowler has no clue about Raion. We've done a good job at keeping him hidden from your government. If he were to be discovered, I'd hate to imagine the kinds of things they'd put my son through." Arcee said.
"Then what will you do once he's awake?" Jack inquired. "I mean, he's seventeen, he's gonna be rebellious when he gets out of there."
"That's just something we're gonna have to deal with when we get there." Arcee said.
"Arcee, return to the main hanger immediately, we've got some important news we need to talk about." Optimus said, contacting her through their com-links. "Bring the children, Agent Fowler isn't here anymore."
"On my way Optimus." Arcee said. "C'mon, it's clear for you to come back."
Jack and Raph began following Arcee out of the room in the bunker, but Miko stayed behind and looked back to Raion's pod once more, before she followed the others back to the main hanger of the base.
"What is it Optimus?" Arcee questioned.
"Ratchet's computer found Cliffjumper's signal." Bulkhead said.
"It just popped back online like it never even went down." Ratchet confirmed. "It must be a glitch in the system. This earth technology is full of them."
"Who's Cliffjumper?" Miko asked.
"He was an Autobot, and he was the one who gave Raion his Cybertronian name, and convinced us to bring Raion with us from the plague ridden planet." Arcee explained. "Until recently, we presumed him to have perished, at the hands of the Decepticons."
"But him being alive isn't possible. It's another bug. The system's chock-full of them." Ratchet stated.
"If there's any chance Cliff's alive…"
"Ratchet, prepare sickbay." Optimus said. "We may need it."
"If he's still alive, then we don't have to tell Raion that the bot he looks up to is gone." Bulkhead stated.
"Hey." Miko called out from the risen platform as she climbed the ladder to it. "What can we do?"
"Remain with Ratchet." Optimus said.
"Aw." Miko sounded disappointed. Ratchet made a similar sound.
"If you want, you can go and see Raion, just don't mess with any of the tech keeping the reproduction pod active." Arcee said.
"So, you told them about Raion huh?" Bulkhead questioned.
"Had to. They'd find out sooner or later. If not from me telling them, then from either one of them following me to his room." Arcee said as Ratchet activated the ground bridge.
"Autobots, roll out." Optimus chanted his battle cry, before they all transformed into their vehicle modes and drove through the ground bridge.
"What, just happened?" Jack questioned.
"I transported them to the designated coordinates via the ground bridge." Ratchet stated.
"What's a ground bridge?" Raph questioned.
"A scaled-down version of space bridge technology. Since we don't currently possess the means, or the Energon, required for intergalactic travel…"
"You're stuck here… on Earth." Jack said.
"This earth specifically, with the likes of you, yes." Ratchet said. "There are many planets in the galaxy that call themselves Earth. This just happens to be one of them."
"So, can't you just convert the ground bridge into a space bridge?" Miko questioned.
"No. I cannot. I constructed the ground bridge to enable travel from here, to anywhere on your planet." Ratchet said.
"Whoa, does it work for humans?" Raph questioned.
"It works for any organic beings. Raion was the one who tested that theory." Ratchet said. "At the risk of his own safety, and against my explicit wishes, I might add."
"You mean I could just, shoot on over and visit my parents in Tokyo?" Miko questioned.
"Within moments." Ratchet exclaimed. "In fact, allow me to send you there immediately, all three of you."
"Watch it, Ratchet." Miko said.
~Energon Mines~
The ground bridge opened up in one of the caverns of the mines, with Optimus, Arcee, Bee, and Bulkhead coming out, transforming back into their Cybertronian forms, with weapons at the ready.
"Energon mine." Bulkhead said.
"Judging by its scale, the Decepticons have been tunneling here for quite some time." Optimus said looking around the mines before the sound of drills caught their attention, and they took cover, while finding the Decepticons were still there. "Let's find Cliffjumper."
With their intentions clear, Optimus went marching out to the Decepticons, alerting them to their presence in the caves. Almost instantly the fighting began, and both sides were firing their plasma blasters at them with the Decepticons also using their mining equipment to attack.
Bulkhead was on the scene as he used his brute strength to send the drill off in a different direction, with a single swing. With intent on completing their mission, the Autobots went charging in against the Decepticon guards with Arcee jumping through the air, and landing a double kick on one of the guards, knocking them down, before jumping off the guard, and landing on anothers shoulders, tearing his head off when she jumped off with a twist, landing on the ground before running forward.
Bee had transformed back into a car, and went driving up the incline of the terrain, sending himself into the air, before he transformed midair, and fired his blasters at one of the Decepticon guards, before slamming him into the ground as he landed on him. Looking up, Bee's eyes went wide before he jumped away, as one of the miners came towards him with a drill, but ran over his ally, missing Bee.
With Bee out of the way, Optimus grabbed the drill and picked it up, forcing the mining equipment on it's rear treads before forming his blaster, and dropping the drill on its back. Charging forward, Optimus fired his blaster at any Decepticons that came at him, all while evading the rounds that were being sent his way, in an effortless attempt of the Decepticons to stop the Autobots, or at least slow them down.
From behind, Bulkhead came driving up in his vehicle form and rammed himself into one of the Decepticons, before transforming, and turning his fist into a wrecking ball, slamming it into the Decepticon, and sending it into the ground, causing it to rumble.
~Autobot Base~
"What is this anyway?" Miko questioned, looking at a broken old piece of technology.
"Broken, don't touch." Ratchet said. "Don't touch that, either." He stated, not even having to look at Miko to know she was trying to touch something else.
"Is there anything in here we can touch?" Jack questioned.
Before Ratchet could answer a beep went off from his computer, alerting him to something going wrong.
"How come you guys are using human computers?" Raph questioned.
"It certainly isn't by choice." Ratchet stated. "It was handed down by the previous tenants when we inherited this former missile silo. I make modifications as I see fit." He said, before all the screens showed multiple error signs, making Ratchet groan as he slammed his hands down on the keyboard.
"I think I can fix that." Raph said going to one of the human sized consoles and plugging in his laptop.
"Really?" Ratchet questioned as Raph got to work. "You know this is, complex, technology don't you? I mean it isn't a child's toy."
"Now try." Raph said.
Ratchet turned back to the screen and redid what he was doing, before all the error signs changed, showing him everything was working normally again. This made Ratchet look at Raph with shock.
"While you two are nerding out over computers, I'm gonna go check on Raion." Miko said, leaving for Raion's medical room.
~Energon Mines~
"Quite an operation." Bulkhead exclaimed with a whistle of impressiveness, before he and the other Autobots had to duck down as they were being fired at again. "Oh come on, we just got done bashing a whole horde of these thugs." He said, as they began firing back at the Decepticons.
~Decepticon Warship~
The room was dimly lit, as the violet light from the glowing cluster of Energon was more than enough to light up the room, as Megatron stood before it, with a pondering mind.
"Blood of Unicron, how might I fathom the depths of your mystery, become worthy of wielding your astonishing power?" He questioned.
"Lord Megatron, intruders have been detected in the mines." Starscream reported.
"Optimus?" Megatron questioned.
"Indeed."
"I need more time to prepare an appropriate reception for my old friend." Megatron said. "Ready the ship for departure."
"But the Energon I've mined, the Autobots will seize it." Starscream said.
"Then blow the mines." Megatron said.
~Energon Mines~
The battle between the Autobots and Decepticons continued on, as they were looking for their missing comrade from their team.
"It's Cliff, I have a visual." Arcee said, spotting him.
"We'll cover you, go." Optimus said.
Arcee jumped over the crates with her teammates providing cover fire, as she transformed into her motorcycle form, and rode up the rising platform like a ramp, before she went flying through the air, and transformed, just before landing on one of the rings of the riser to the Decepticon Warship. Jumping from the ring and climbing higher on another one, Arcee made her way to the level she spotted Cliff on, and was barely able to make it, grabbing onto the ledge as she narrowly missed her chance to grab Cliff.
Arcee gasped when she spotted him, and saw he was covered in some sort of purple liquid, while he was also cut in half. She couldn't get close to him as the Decepticons kept firing at her, and with the 'Cons outnumbering them by a good deal, Arcee wouldn't be able to get to Cliff. But she wasn't gonna give up, as she tried to make her way through the barrage of blasts. But Arcee didn't have time for strategy as the platform Cliff was on, began falling from the constant hits it was taking, and the weight it was supporting.
"Cliff." Arcee called out, running to him, and grabbed his hand. With his weight exceeding her own, Arcee found herself struggling to pull him up, and it didn't help the structure of the mines were starting to collapse. "Let's get you home partner."
Cliff began to stir and snarled as he looked up at Arcee, surprising her with what he had become. As Cliff was struggling in her grip, Arcee was unable to hold onto him, and he went falling to the ground of the mines. Optimus and the others spotted Cliff as he bounced off another platform, and landed in a cluster of Energon. After Cliff had landed on the ground levels of the mines, an echoing laughter reverberated in the area, as Starscream made his presence known.
"Prime." He said, glaring down at the Autobot leader. "I'd stick around, but I'm squeamish." He stated, holding up a bomb, and dropping it just before it activated.
Jumping through the rings of the elevator, Starscream transformed into his vehicle mode, and went flying up to the Decepticon Warship.
"The joints gonna blow." Bulkhead said.
"Autobots, roll out." Optimus called as they all retreated back in the direction they came.
Transforming into the vehicle forms, the Autobots went racing through the tunnel back to where the ground bridge had dropped them off, right before the bomb went off and they began to race against the explosion of Energon that would end their sparks if they didn't get out of there.
"Ratchet, bridge us back." Optimus said, contacting the base. "Use the arrival coordinates, now."
The bridge opened and just as they drove through it, part of the Energon explosion they'd been trying to avoid, made it through. Once Ratchet saw Optimus coming through, he shut down the ground bridge, with Optimus transforming and jumping through the rest of the way. His entrance leaving the humans amazed.
"Whoa."
"Wow."
"Cutting it a bit close." Ratchet said. "How about Cliffjumper?" He questioned, but the silence the others gave was all the answer he needed.
"What was that explosion, was there a fight?" Miko questioned. "Can I come with next time?"
"Look…" Arcee groaned in annoyance.
"Hey Miko, let's go see what the bots hide in their sock drawers." Jack said.
"Seriously?" Miko questioned as Jack pulled her away.
"Arcee, what did you see?" Optimus asked.
"Not Cliff, at least, not anymore." Arcee said, hugging herself at the memory of what she saw. "He was mutated, butchered like something from those 'Con experiments during the war." She exclaimed before she began to fall over, and leaned against a crate.
"Buzzing." Bee went to see if she was all right.
"I'm fine, just dizzy." Arcee said.
"Robots who get dizzy?" Miko questioned.
"Robots with emotions." Raph said.
"Robots, who can die." Jack finished as Ratchet gave Arcee a scan.
"Hmm... What is this?" Ratchet questioned, spotting a purple liquid substance on Arcee's hand as it was letting off a mist akin to smoke.
"Don't know." Arcee said. "Cliff was covered in it, leaking it."
"Go take a decontamination bath, now." Ratchet said, scraping it off her hand.
"Looks like we've still got some bad news to break to Raion." Bulkhead sighed, as Bee helped Arcee to the decontamination chamber. "I hate making the little guy upset."
"O-Optimus, I hate to bug but, no bars." Jack said, holding up his phone.
"A security precaution." Optimus said. "The Silo walls isolate all radio waves."
"Well if I don't call my mom, like now, I'm pretty sure the cops will be out looking for me." Jack said.
"Have you broken a law?" Optimus asked.
"Uh, curfew. It's after 10:00 PM." Jack said.
"I'd better get home too, or I'll be grounded for a year." Raph said.
"Earth customs. I hadn't considered." Optimus said. "But the issue of your safety remains. Bulkhead, accompany Miko home."
"Awesome." Miko cheered. "My host parents will freak."
"An' maintain covert surveillance in vehicle form." Optimus added.
"Curbside duty. Got it." Bulkhead said.
"Aw." Miko groaned, disappointed Bulkhead would stay in vehicle form instead of being a giant robot to freak out her host parents.
"Bumblebee, you'll watch over Raph." Optimus said. "Ratchet?"
"Busy." Ratchet said as Arcee stepped out of the decontamination unit.
"Arcee, you'll accompany Jack." Optimus said.
"Still dizzy." Arcee said.
"You're fine. Says your Physician." Ratchet said. "I'll contact you immediately if anything changes with Raion or his condition."
~Darby House~
The night was calm as the sound of a motorcycle engine revving could be heard, with Jack riding up to his house on Arcee's back, with the garage door opening up. Dismounting her as they made it into the unit.
"Arcee… I just wanted to say, I'm really sorry for your loss." Jack said.
"What could you possibly know about loss?" Arcee questioned.
"What, you think you're the only one with problems?" Jack questioned, before Arcee transformed.
"I'm not sure girl trouble counts." Arcee said.
"Well, I'm pretty sure my girl trouble started the night I met you." Jack said, before the sound of a car coming got their attention.
"'Cons." Arcee said, prepping her weapons.
"No. Mom." Jack said, running out to meet up with his mom as she pulled up into the driveway.
"Jack?" His mom questioned getting out of the car.
"Mom." Jack chuckled nervously. "Don't... don't freak. I can explain."
"Can you?" His mom questioned, marching into the garage. "Jackson Darby, we've talked about this."
"I know, and…"
"You don't know." June, his mom, said waving her finger at him. "I worry about you enough, when you're not here. Now I have to worry about you driving a motorcycle?"
"I'm sixteen, I can't be riding a 10-Speed forever." Jack said.
"How did you even afford this?" June questioned.
"It's used." Jack said. "It's abused, really. Needs a ton of repairs. But the point is, I may have been a kid when I bought this…" He stated, walking over to a motorbike helmet on the desk in the garage. "But I'm not anymore. You always tell me to make responsible choices. Well, I-I chose her. An' I'll be responsible, I promise."
"Her?" June questioned. "I didn't think you'd be bringing girls home just yet."
"I, like to think she brought me." Jack said.
"Well, I'm glad you finally have a reason to wear your helmet, every single time you ride." June said sternly, walking towards the house entrance through the garage. "You will take me for a spin every once in a while."
"We'll see." Jack said, looking back at Arcee. "She's kinda temperamental." He stated, turning off the lights, and closing the garage door.
~Autobot Base~
"Anything to report on our catatonic friend Ratchet?" Optimus questioned, coming into Raion's medical room where Ratchet was doing some routine tests and checkups.
"I'm afraid he remains the same Optimus." Ratchet said. "I fear that at this rate, he'll remain catatonic, forever."
"I pray you are wrong my old friend." Optimus sighed. "It has been a bit too dull without the light of his Spark, to brighten up our lives. I do miss the time we spend together."
"So do I Optimus." Ratchet said. "I do however find something particularly interesting about his body."
"What is that Ratchet?" Optimus questioned.
"Take a look at this." Ratchet said, bringing up a holographic diagram of Raion. "This is Raion's organic form. Now given how long he's been in there, and how long he's remained catatonic, and everything I've learned about the organic body from this planets medical texts, Raion's muscles should have atrophied and he should be nothing more than withered skin and bone at this point."
"And?"
"It's the exact opposite." Ratchet said. "Take a look at this diagram now." He stated, bringing up another diagram, but of a cell structure. "This is Raion's cellular structure. Not only have his muscles not atrophied, his cells are in a state of rapid regeneration and restructuring. He has the normal body of both an organic Kryptonian and Saiyan, with Cybertronian armor, but he's not gonna be able to obtain a vehicle form."
"So he won't be able to transform?"
"Quite the opposite. If he does wake up, and I'm hoping he does. Not only will he be able to transform, but he'll be able to take on the form of any living life form on any planet if he scans them, just as we scanned vehicles to obtain our vehicular forms." Ratchet said. "At least according to my research."
"This is astonishing Ratchet." Optimus said.
"It is, and if my research is correct, each scan he does, will give him the unique traits of the life form, he takes on." Ratchet said. "Raion, now more then ever before, is truly one of a kind."
~Darby House The Following Morning~
It was early morning in the neighborhood, before the loud revving of a motorcycle engine echoed from the Darby garage.
"Shh. Are you crazy? You'll wake up my mom." Jack said, opening the door to his garage and confronting Arcee about her behavior.
"Grab your helmet, it's go time." Arcee said.
"It's Saturday." Jack sighed.
"You can watch cartoons back at base with Bee." Arcee said.
"Cartoons. I'm 16." Jack scoffed going back into the house to get ready for the day.
"An' leave a note for your mom, she worries." Arcee called to him.
~Decepticon Warship~
"I don't think you need worry about further Autobot interference, Master." Starscream said, standing behind Megatron as the Decepticon leader was still trying to figure out how to utilize Dark Energon to its fullest potential. "Not with, Optimus gone."
"An' what evidence do you possess of this fact?" Megatron questioned.
"I destroyed the mines, as you instructed."
"Optimus is not so easily destroyed. We have millennia worth of battles behind us to prove it." Megatron said.
"Maybe you should take a break my lord?" Starscream suggested. "I worry that too much contact with the Dark Energon, might allow its properties to adversely affect you."
"Or perhaps, Starscream, I have not permitted myself contact enough." Megatron said, reaching into the cluster of Dark Energon and pulling out a rather sizable shard.
"Wait. Lord Megatron, no." Starscream pleaded. "Not your Spark chamber. You don't know what it will do." He cried out as Megatron stabbed himself in the chest, piercing his Spark Chamber with the shard.
Megatron's body began to shake and quiver as his Spark Chamber absorbed the shard, merging with his spark and changing the Energon already coursing through his body as his eyes changed from a blood red to a neon violet.
~Autobot Base~
"Hmm. The base elements of this goo, are like nothing I've ever encountered." Ratchet said looking up from his microscope. "Must be extremely concentrated to have effected Arcee so rapidly. Unfortunately, complete results are slow coming without the use of proper diagnostic tools, thank you very much Bulkhead. But maybe, if I could figure out how to replicate it, to a safer degree, I could use it to awaken Raion from comatose." He said, pulling the sample out from the microscope, not realizing how a drop of it fell from the glass and landed on the broken equipment Bulkhead turned to scrap.
The broken piece of equipment seemed to quiver for a moment, before it stood up as it came to life, turning into some sort of mechanical monster.
~Outside Jasper~
"Tighten your grip Jack." Arcee said, before she went speeding down the road, performing a wheelie.
"H-hey. What's with you Arcee?" Jack questioned.
"Thought you might actually enjoy the ride if you weren't getting shot at." Arcee stated.
"Oh, bring it." Jack said, enjoying the challenge.
~Bulkhead and Miko~
"Ready… Set…"
"Miko, I'm supposed to be protecting you." Bulkhead said, as his charge sat in his drivers seat.
"Bulkhead, I'm strapped tight in 10-tons of metal muscle. I'm plenty protected." Miko said.
At that Bulkhead began driving forward right before he went driving down the dune of the mountain pass, giving Miko reason to cheer.
~Bee and Raph~
Bee was simply parked in the desert as he was playing video games with Raph. The game was a car racer, and Raph wasn't doing so well, against a professional. Case in point being Bee knocked his car off the track.
"Aww." Raph groaned with Bee cheering in victory as his steering wheel spun around. "No fair, Bumblebee. You've been driving a lot longer than I have."
~Autobot Base~
"Thank goodness for peace and quiet." Ratchet said, as he went to his console to do more diagnostics on the substance found on Arcee. "House guests can be such a bother."
The sound of metal clanging echoed through the base, alerting him to someone being in the base. When he thought it was nothing, and tried going back to his work, he heard the sound again, but it sounded more like skittering metal.
"Optimus?" Ratchet questioned. "Wait, could Raion have awoken and come out of the pod?" Turning around to see if he was just being paranoid, he gasped when he saw what it was. "By the All Spark." He gasped when his destroyed device, that had come to life, jumped and attacked him. "Aah." He cried out, dodging the little monster.
The little monster turned around as it landed on the console, and leapt at Ratchet again. The Autobot medic blocked the attacking monster, sending it up, before it landed on the high rise above his head. Jumping to one of Ratchets experimentation surfaces, the monster was preparing to attack Ratchet again, but had to move fast as Ratchet tried to strike the monster with a pipe he picked up. Continuing the strike at the little monster, Ratchet kept swinging the pipe as he drive it back, before a piece of his equipment was destroyed by it.
"I needed that." Ratchet shouted, before the monster jumped and knocked the pipe out of his hand.
The the Autobot medic now immediately unarmed of his weapon, the monster made an attempt to attack him, but was stopped, when it was shot by Optimus, who had come in seeing what was going on, when he heard the commotion.
When the little bugger tried to get up again, Optimus stomped his foot on it, ensuring its death.
"An' stay broken." Ratchet said. "Now what could have caused that?"
"I have a grave suspicion Ratchet." Optimus said. "Dark Energon."
~Decepticon Warship~
"Lord Megatron." Starscream said, with a nervous chuckle.
"It's as if the blood of Unicron the Destroyer, flows through my veins. As if, I hear his very thoughts. I now know what I must do." Megatron said, pulling out another shard of Dark Energon.
"An', what can I do to assist you, Master?" Starscream questioned.
"Quit groveling and await my command." Megatron said, marching past his suspicious subordinate.
Heading to the main console of the Warship, Starscream activated the screen, and watched as Megatron took off, while Soundwave came up from behind.
"Soundwave." Starscream said, surprised to find him. "I fear that when our master reached for the stars, he came down with a touch of, Space Madness. Lord Megatron has not been of, sound judgement since his return. Increase global surveillance."
"Quit groveling and await my command." Megatron's voice echoed from Soundwave's speakers.
"I'm not deaf. But if Optimus Prime lives, I believe it's in Lord Megatron's best interests that we ensure his enemies' destruction." Starscream said, clenching a fist.
~Autobot Base~
"If the residue Arcee found on Cliffjumper, brought your broken equipment to life, it would stand to reason, the very same substance brought Cliffjumper back from the dead." Optimus said.
"Oh. That would account for his life signal inexplicably coming back online, but Dark Energon?" Ratchet questioned. "It's so scarce as to be virtually nonexistent. What would it be doing on earth?"
"It was transported, by Megatron." Optimus said.
"For what purpose?" Ratchet questioned.
"To conquer this planet, by raising an army of the undead."
"Well, Megatron will need to break quite a few toaster ovens, I mean, where on this world, would he find that many Cybertronian dead?" Ratchet questioned.
Before Optimus could answer, the sound of an engine revving echoed through the compound as the rest of their team, and their humans, came into the base, with laughter and cheers echoing around from all of them, with the Autobots transforming into their robot forms.
"That was awesome." Jack smiled as Arcee transformed.
"Can we go again?" Raph questioned as Bee transformed.
"Sweet." Miko cheered as Bulkhead transformed.
"Uh…" Bulkhead pulled something out of him, when he felt something hitch.
"Sorry." Miko said as he handed the guitar case back to her. "I must have left that in the backseat."
"Autobots, prepare to…" Optimus stopped, when he realized someone still needed to remain at the base with the children.
"Roll out?" Arcee questioned.
"Remain here." Optimus said. "Ratchet, you'll come with me. Arcee, we'll be outside communications range for sometime, so I'm putting you in charge."
"Dude, you're biggest. You should be the boss." Miko said, looking to Bulkhead.
"Um, he never picks me." Bulkhead stated.
"An' for good reason." Ratchet added.
"Optimus, with all due respect, playing bodyguard is one thing, babysitting is another." Arcee said, causing Jack to sigh. "Besides, Ratchet hasn't been in the field since the war."
"My pistons may be rusty, but my hearing's as sharp as ever." Ratchet stated.
"For the moment, it's only reconnaissance." Optimus said, defusing the building argument.
"Then why do I hear an edge in your voice?" Arcee questioned.
"Arcee, much has changed in the last 24hours, and we all need to adapt." Optimus said. "Ratchet, bridge us out." Optimus ordered as Ratchet activated the ground bridge.
"Hey Ratch, before you go. Could that substance you scraped off Arcee be used to wake Raion at all?" Bulkhead questioned.
"There's a possibility that it might. It did bring my broken equipment to life, but I'm afraid it wouldn't be worth the risk." Ratchet said.
"Why not? If it works, it works, right?" Miko questioned, pulling herself up on the platform.
"There is a strong possibility that whatever the substance is, it could very well put him in the Decepticon's forces." Ratchet said. "When it brought my equipment back to life, it wasn't friendly, not in the least."
"Ratchet, let's roll out." Optimus said, before they went through the ground bridge.
"Okay, chief, so uh what's on the activities list?" Jack questioned.
"I'm going on patrol." Arcee said.
"But Optimus told us to stay."
"When you're in charge, you can call the shots." Arcee said. "Bee with me. Bulkhead, you're in charge." She exclaimed, before she and Bee transformed and went driving out of the base.
"So, uh, what's on the activities list?" Bulkhead questioned turning to the three humans in his care.
"I don't know about you." Miko said, grabbing something off Ratchet's examination counter. "But I'm curious to see if this can bring our little catatonic friend back from his never ending sleep." She stated holding up a dollop of the Dark Energon on her pen.
"Miko, no. You heard what Ratchet said, that stuff could turn him into a Decepticon." Jack said.
"He said it was a possibility, not a guarantee." Miko said.
"Miko, Jack is right, we need to listen to Ratchet." Bulkhead stated.
"Fine. But if we can't try to bring him out of his comatose state, let's form a band." Miko stated, before the proximity alarm went off.
"Proximity alert." Bulkhead said, bringing up the rooftop footage. "It's Fowler. You children need to hide."
"We'll go back to Raion's room, we hid perfectly well from him there." Raph said.
Jack and Raph went towards the ladder to the platform they were on, while Miko went to hers, but paused for a moment, before she took a pen out from her pocket.
When Bulkhead turned from the screens, back to the kids, he saw Miko running towards the halls leading to Raion's pod room, and just as she disappeared from sight, the elevator doors opened up revealing Agent Fowler.
"Prime." He called out angrily.
~Raion's Pod Room~
"Alright, Bulkhead should come to get us when Fowler leaves." Jack said, as Miko came into the room, running directly towards the pod, more accurately, the pod's nutrients valve. "Miko, what are you doing?" Jack questioned as she climbed the ladder to the platform.
"I'm gonna be waking up our sleeping friend here." Miko smiled, holding up her pen, showing she still had the sample of the Dark Energon on it, and it wasn't a small dollop, by human standards.
"Miko no, we have zero clue as to what that could do to him." Jack said.
"He's right. Ratchet even said the risk wouldn't be worth it." Raph added.
"Life is boring without risks, you two need to learn to live a little." Miko said, opening the lid to the nutrients valve. "Besides, if Megatron really has returned, then the Autobots are gonna need all the help they can get." She stated, flicking her pen over the opening, allowing the Dark Energon to drip down from it, and into the valve.
"No." Jack shouted, as the liquid in the pod began to shine brightly
~Main Hanger~
"Agent Fowler, uh, he's not here, no body's here…" Bulkhead stated. "Except me of course."
"Well, where did he go?" Fowler questioned. "Wait. Don't tell me. He's out pancaking a Mini-Mall. Now I don't know what language you bots speak on your planet, but Prime promised, he would handle the Decepticons, and blowing a crater in the middle of Nebraska is not what the word, handle, means in English. So you tell Prime…"
BOOM
"What in the name of Uncle Sam was that?" Fowler questioned as the base shook like it was in the epicenter of a quake.
As Fowler ran down from the platform, and towards where the explosion originated from, Bulkhead looked to Ratchet's examination surface Miko and the Dark Energon had been on, and his optics widened when he saw that a small trace amount of it, trailed off the glass.
"Oh no." He said in panic, fearing what he may know had caused the explosion.
~Raion's Pod Room~
"Damn, that's some strong stuff." Miko coughed as she picked herself up, waving her hand to get smoke out of her face.
"You just had to put that stuff in the nutrition valve didn't you?" Jack questioned. "How did you even know which valve it was?"
"Lucky guess?" Miko shrugged.
"This is not good." Raph coughed.
"What in the… Contact with civilians?"
Jack, Miko, and Raph turned to the door to see who they presumed to be Agent Fowler, standing there looking at them with a disapproving look on his face, but they got the feeling he wasn't disapproving of what Miko had just done.
"Oh man, what in Primes name just happened?"
Hearing that voice, the four humans looked further into the room, towards the now empty and destroyed reproduction pod, and out of the smoke, stepped someone none of them had seen fully, at least for three of them.
Raion stood before them, looking like a warrior no one would want to mess with; his legs were a metallic silver, with the outsides of his thighs having blue and red diamond/oval guards on them, attached to a royal blue belt around his waist, parts of his torso were covered in a gleaming silver metal, like a roman breastplate. In the center of his chest, was a crude nova star shaped ruby.
His shoulders and the outsides of his upper arms were covered in metal, royal blue on the shoulders, silver on the arms. From mid-bicep and tricep to mid-forearm, was organic flesh on the underside of both arms, while the rest was a shining silver and red metal.
Raion's entire neck was covered in royal blue, and shining silver metal, along with a battle mask that covered his nose, mouth, and the underside of his jaw, similar to Prime's, only as two sliding pieces of metal, not six.
His jet black hair was spiky and windswept back, and went down his back at mid shoulder blade length, with streaks of crimson red on the top left and right sides, with a pink streak in the bangs. Behind him, they could see a silver monkey tail flicking about, reacting to his emotions.
"Feels like my head's pounding, like I just got a hangover." Raion said, undoing his mask, showing his canines were longer than theirs.
"Raion." Bulkhead said, rounding the corner into the room.
"Bulkhead? Is that you?" Raion questioned. "What happened? The last thing I remember clearly is the battle with Megatron."
"That was three years ago little buddy, a lot has changed since then." Bulkhead said, being careful not to step on the humans as he went and picked up the Hybrid Cybertronian. "C'mon, I know enough about Ratchet's medical expertise to do a simple check up."
"You?" Raion asked. "You're a destroyer, not a doctor." He chuckled.
"Says the little man who tried playing surgical doctor on Cliffjumper and nearly destroyed his T-Cog beyond repair." Bulkhead laughed.
"You promised to never bring that up." Raion complained.
As they returned to the main chamber of the base, Fowler was fuming as he marched around.
"Team Prime has really gone off book this time." Fowler said pacing about. "Contact with civilians and experimenting on one of them. I thought you Autobots were into preserving human life? Not kidnapping and experimenting on us."
"Hey, I am not a human." Raion said. "I am a proud member of Team Prime, have been since I was three. I'm a Proud Kryptonian/Saiyan, an elite member of two near extinct races in the universe."
"It's a long story Fowler, but Raion is telling the truth, he's been a part of the team since before we first arrived on earth." Bulkhead stated. "An' we weren't experimenting on him. He was in that pod healing. He would have died without it."
"Be that as it may, which I will need an entire report about this later, I still can't condone your contact with these civilians. Okay kids, let's move. I'm taking all three of you into federal custody. It's for your own protection." Fowler said, marching towards the trio of kids.
Raion hopped down from Bulkhead's shoulder and landed between Fowler and the trio.
"You're not taking them anywhere." Raion said crossing his arms. "These three woke me from what I understand, was a three year coma. An' if they're here, it means they're under Autobot protection."
"He's right Agent Fowler. We're protecting them." Bulkhead stated.
"Is that so?" Fowler questioned, walking to a landline. "Well maybe you could explain to my superiors at the Pentagon." He said picking up the receiver.
"Don't use that phone it's…" Bulkhead stopped when Raion fired a Ki blast at the phone box, breaking it.
"Out of order." Raion smiled.
"This isn't over big butt and monkey boy. Not by a long shot." Fowler said, throwing down the receiver, and marching up the stairs back to the elevator.
"Don't go away angry Fowler, just go away." Raion sighed as the elevator doors closed.
"Whoa, dude that was so cool. You didn't even have to use a weapon to fire that shot." Miko said.
"It's called a Ki blast." Raion said.
"Ki, as in life energy?" Raph asked.
"You're smart little man." Raion smiled. "Saiyans are natural manipulators of Ki. Or so I've learned through the lessons the Autobots have been teaching me about on half of my species. Or I guess it's one third now." He said, looking his arms over.
"Our data banks have recorded everything there is to know about Saiyans, Kryptonians, and both their species. We've even got all their mythologies and legends on record. Raion's favorite is of the Legendary Super Saiyan." Bulkhead explained.
"The what now?" Miko asked.
"It's a legendary warrior said to appear only once every thousand years, though with how scarce we Saiyans are now, it'll be a lot longer than that until the next one appears." Raion said.
"Alright, story time's over, we have to do that diagnostics check on you." Bulkhead said, picking Raion up again.
"Right." Raion said, tying his hair up into a warriors wolf tail.
"Whoa dude, your eyes are so cool. They're like rings of neon violet." Miko said.
"What?" Raion questioned, before going to find a reflective surface. "This can't be. My eyes aren't supposed to be like this. They're supposed to be emerald green."
"It's not a side effect of being in the pod for so long either." Bulkhead said. "It must have been whatever that goo was that Miko used to awaken you, that's affecting your eyes so much. Let's run that diagnostics check."
~Optimus and Ratchet~
"Optimus, what do we hope to find here?" Ratchet questioned.
"The sight of the largest Cybertronian battle field in this galaxy." Optimus said.
"On Earth? You must be joking."
"Do you recall the period late in the war, when both sides began hiding their Energon spoils off world?" Optimus questioned.
"Of course. It's the reason Energon deposits exist on planets such as this one." Ratchet said. "The planets adapted, and began growing them naturally, similarly to how the planet produces iron ore and other metallic ores."
"It is also the reason battles came to be waged on planets such as this one. An' I fear Megatron's memory is as long as history." Optimus said.
~Autobot Base~
"So, Arcee is my actual mom now?" Raion questioned as Bulkhead finished up the scan of his systems.
"Yep." Bulkhead said. "She's actually been pretty worried about you never waking up. But it's good to see that whatever that goo was, hasn't turned you evil, not yet at least."
"What do you mean?" Raion questioned, sitting up on the examination bed.
"Ratchet advised against using the goo scraped off Arcee to bring you out of your comatose state, because it brought his broken equipment to life, but it turned the thing into a little monster of mayhem and chaos." Bulkhead stated.
"So there's a chance I might turn evil?"
"Can't say for sure. All I know is, these scans are showing you're in perfect health, you've even got your own spark and spark chamber now." Bulkhead stated. "We'll have Ratchet perform further tests once he and Optimus return."
"Wait, Ratchet's out in the field? Hasn't he been inactive since the war on Cybertron ended?" Raion asked.
"Yep, but it's only recon, so there's no need to worry about a fight breaking out. Unless the old bot picks one with Optimus himself." Bulkhead chuckled.
"Bulk, don't you think you should tell him about Cliff?" Miko asked.
"Miko…" Jack hissed, grabbing her shoulder.
"Yeah, where is the big guy? He promised me we'd paint the world red after our battle with Megatron." Raion asked.
"Raion… A lot has happened since you went under." Bulkhead sighed putting the data pad down. "An' one of those things is… Cliffjumper has become one with the All Spark."
There was a tense moment, as Raion allowed for this information to sink in. His face slowly fell from one of curious fun, to one of sorrow and pain.
"No, that… that can't be right." Raion said. "You mean he's…"
"I'm afraid so Raion." Bulkhead stated. "I know you saw him as an uncle, and I didn't want to be the one to tell you. But I guess it's better than Arcee telling you the bad news."
Before Raion could say anything else, an alarm began to go off, echoing around the entire base.
"My ears." Raph groaned, covering his ears.
"Another proximity alert?" Miko asked.
"It's an SOS, from Fowler." Bulk stated, looking at the display on the main computer.
Getting up from the examination table, Raion went to the main computer and began pressing buttons, before the alarm went off.
"Since when do you know our systems?" Bulk questioned.
"Don't know, just sorta do." Raion said, wanting to distract himself from anything but the fact Cliff was gone.
"Did you trace it?" Raph questioned.
"Location scan couldn't be completed. The SOS beacon was destroyed before the scan could finish." Raion sighed in annoyance.
"Oh well." Bulk said, shrugging his shoulders.
"Oh well?" Jack questioned.
"Seriously Bulk?" Raion asked.
"Fowler's a jerk."
"Whoa, whether you like the guy or not, the Decepticons may have him." Jack said.
"An' Agent Fowler knows your location." Raph stated before realizing something else. "Our location."
"An' did we not just witness how fast Fowler backs down from a Warrior and a Bot?" Miko questioned. "The 'Cons will totally make him squeal."
"But we lost the transmission. Fowler could be anywhere." Bulk stated. "Plus, Raion just got out of the pod, he needs someone to look after him."
"We can watch over Raion." Jack said.
"I can send you to the coordinates where Fowler's craft went down." Raion said. "Besides, I might be a newborn Cybertronian, but I'm still a teenage Hybrid."
"An' I can narrow Fowler's location down." Raph said, pulling out his laptop. "About five years ago, the government started micro-chipping their agents, you know, like owners do with pets."
"Wow, you are smart for someone your age." Raion said.
"What? I saw it on TV." Raph said, noticing the looks of astonishment the others were giving him. "Anyway, if I can hack into the feds' mainframe…"
"Then you just might be able to pinpoint Fowler's exact location. That is some genius level tactician work." Raion smiled.
"But Fowler is such a jerk." Bulk said.
"Bulkhead, if you don't go, I'm gonna tell mom you're the one who trashed her prized possession after we first got to this planet." Raion said.
"You wouldn't dare." Bulk gasped.
"Try me."
~Decepticon Warship~
"Welcome… Agent Fowler." Starscream said, as a Decepticon minion pushed Fowler to the ground.
"You treat all your guests this nice?" Fowler questioned, picking himself up and dusting himself off.
"Any friend of the Autobots…" Starscream said with a chuckle.
"Autobot. That one of them, coin operated, wash my own car, places?" Fowler asked.
"So that's how it's going to be, hmm?" Starscream questioned. "Apparently, no one has told you I have no appreciation for human humor. Make our guest, comfortable." He commanded the Decepticon grunt.
~Autobot Base~
"I got his coordinates. Latitude 39.5. Longitude 116.9." Raph said, as Raion inputted the coordinates into the Ground Bridge systems.
"How do you know how to operate the ground bridge?" Bulkhead questioned.
"Checking up on my vitals wasn't the only thing Ratchet did when he was checking on me." Raion said. "It's vague, but I can recall hearing lessons through the pod I was in, sort of like my mind stored all the information when it had nothing better to do." He explained, before activating the ground bridge.
"Okay, wait here." Bulk said as he went towards the open ground bridge.
"Aw, don't break up the team." Miko said.
"This isn't a game Miko." Raion said. "This is life or death. Bulk can't save Fowler, if he's having to keep an optic on us at the same time. It could cost him, his Spark, and that's if Fowler was taken by the Decepticons."
"Raion, you're in charge." Bulk stated before running through the ground bridge.
"Guess the four of us have the run of the place." Jack said as the ground bridge shut down.
"Guess so, who's up for some training?" Raion asked looking down from the platform, before noticing someone was missing. "Guys, where's Miko?"
Jack and Raph looked around before they looked up at Raion.
"Oh no." The trio said in unison.
~Bulkhead's Location~
Bulkhead came running out of the ground bridge, as it opened up at the coordinates Raph had provided and Raion had put into the system.
"Fowler?" Bulkhead questioned, looking around. "Uh-oh." He said, spotting something and moving forward. "The whole Decepticon shebang."
When he was sure there were no guards looking, Bulkhead moved to hide behind a boulder, getting a better vantage point of the situation.
"All right." Miko spoke up, alerting him to her presence there. "So what's the plan?"
"Miko." Bulk hissed, before holding up a finger to his mouth to shush her. But it was too late as a Decepticon came and aimed his blaster at her.
"Oh. Unwise." Miko said, before she began running, just narrowly avoiding the Energon blast. "Maybe Raion had a point when he said this wasn't a game."
"You think?" Bulkhead questioned, tackling the Decepticon before he could fire at Miko again.
Bulkhead continued to slam his fists into the Decepticon, but was knocked back when the soldier hit Bulkhead with his claws, forcing Bulkhead to step back. When the Decepticon swung his blaster at the Autobot, Bulkhead blocked it before slamming his fist into the Decepticon's face. Seconds later, the Decepticon hit Bulkhead in the face with his own claws. This trading of blows continued before Bulkhead knocked the Decepticon to the ground and slammed a pile driver on him, before locking their hands together to keep the Decepticon from attacking Miko.
"Hold him still." Miko shouted, bringing up a rock and slamming it on the Decepticon's head, only for it to bounce off, causing a loud metallic echoing sound. "Really thought that would have worked." She said, before Bulkhead grabbed her and put her somewhere safe, just before both bots got up to their feet.
"Miko, look away." Bulkhead stated.
"But…"
"Turn your head away." Bulkhead exclaimed firmly before slamming his hand into the Decepticon's chest, and pulling out his Spark Chamber. The sight of this, just looked awesome to Miko.
"Whoa." She said as the Decepticon fell to the ground.
~Elsewhere~
"Arcee, Bumblebee, do you read?" Bulkhead questioned over the radios.
"Loud and clear Bulkhead." Arcee said.
"I have a situation…"
"Bulkhead, they're children… humans. Just do whatever." Arcee said, before she and Bee went screeching to a halt. "You're where? She's where?"
~Autobot Base~
"What should we do?" Raph questioned as he and Jack were looking at the ground bridge, while Raion was doing his own thing. "Bulkhead may not even realize that she followed him."
"Bulkhead may be a wrecker, but he's not stupid. He's probably got her in his hands by now." Raion said.
"How can you be so sure?" Jack asked.
"I've known the Autobots since I was old enough to start being weaned off mother's milk." Raion exclaimed. "After what happened to my parents on that plague ridden planet, they raised me like I was one of their own, and I grew up as an official member of the team. Bulkhead is smarter than he looks, or lets on. Right now he's probably trying to contact my mom and Bee."
"But what are we gonna do?" Raph questioned.
"You two were brought in on the Autobots secret because you witnessed what they're capable of, right?" Raion questioned.
"Yeah. We saw them fighting the 'Cons a couple days ago." Jack said. "Miko was just brought in, because she spotted Arcee in her Cybertronian form when she was trying to bring me here."
"Then she hasn't seen what the 'Cons are capable of, like we have." Raion said working on the computer. "Though it'd be fair to say, you two haven't even seen what they're fully capable of either."
"What are you doing?" Raph questioned.
"These are the coordinates to where Bulkhead and Miko went to via the ground bridge. We have to go and get her. It'll be a simple recovery mission, no fighting required." Raion said. "I hate to ask this of you, but I'm gonna need your help. Both of you."
"What, why us?" Jack asked.
"I have been comatose for three years. I have zero clue as to what my abilities are now, and how much of them have changed. I know my Ki blasts are still workable, given what I did to the phone, but I'm not sure what my current limits are, especially with my Kryptonian abilities. I need you there to watch my back while I grab Miko." Raion explained. "Once I have her, we're out of there."
"All right, if you're sure about this." Jack said.
"Raph you're in charge." Raion said activating the ground bridge.
"In charge of who?" Raph questioned.
"Not who, what." Raion stated, hopping down from the control platform. "We need someone here to operate the ground bridge for when we need to get out of there."
"Roger that." Raph saluted.
The moment Raion took a step towards the open ground bridge, he took in a sharp breath, and his eyes began to glow purple, as images washed over his vision, seeing Optimus and Ratchet in trouble.
"Raion, Raion what's up? You blacked out for a second there." Jack said, shaking Raion out of his still state.
"I just… I just had a vision of something. Optimus, and Ratchet, they're in trouble." Raion said, jumping back up to the controls.
"Optimus and Ratchet are out. They went somewhere and aren't within communications range." Raph said.
"Sorry guys, but I have to go help them." Raion said, shutting down the ground bridge.
Going through its history, Raion picked the coordinates that had been put in before the ones Bulkhead and Miko were at, and activated the ground bridge.
"Bulkhead should be capable of keeping Miko safe if there isn't a threat of Decepticons." Raion said.
"An' if there is?" Jack questioned.
"If there is, then by now, he's probably already contacted my mom and Bee. I have to go. Stay put." Raion said, before he began floating in the air and went flying strait through the ground bridge, before it shut down.
"I'm not just staying behind to wait for Miko to come back in a box." Jack said, heading for the console, and repeating what Raion did, choosing Bulkhead and Miko's coordinates, before opening the ground bridge.
"I'm coming with you." Raph said, climbing down the ladder with Jack, both of them going through the ground bridge.
~Elsewhere~
"Arcee to base come in. Jack, listen up, we need you to bridge us back." Arcee said, getting no response over her communicator. "Hello?" When she got no response, she just sighed. "Bee, metal to the pedal." She said, before the duo of Autobots drove off at crazy high speeds.
~Decepticon Warship~
"Agent Fowler I have one simple request that will save your family the pain of grieving." Starscream said, pacing around the interrogation room. "Tell me the location of the Autobot base."
"No problem, but I need to ask you something first." Fowler said.
"Yes? I'm listening."
"I got an issue with the customer service around here." Fowler exclaimed. "Could I speak to the manager?"
"I make the decisions here. I am in charge." Starscream said, angrily before turning to the Decepticon grunt behind him. "Bring the prod."
~Outside the Warship~
"What's taking Arcee and Bumblebee?" Bulkhead questioned.
"Dude, the 'Cons could be putting the clamps on Fowler right now. Let's just storm the joint." Miko said, before a ground bridge opened up.
"Ah, they're here." Bulkhead said in relief only to find it was Jack and Raph, and not their Cybertronian guardians.
"Why don't those guys hang with their own bots? This is our, one-on-one time." Miko huffed, crossing her arms.
"Whoa, are your bones vibrating?" Raph questioned before they stopped when they saw the Decepticon Warship.
"You there." One of the guards called out as they aimed their weapons at them.
"Scrap." Bulkhead and Miko said in unison.
"Why did Raion send them here, and not come with?" Bulkhead questioned.
~Inside the Decepticon Warship~
"I'll ask nicely, one last time…" Starscream said, marching up to Fowler. "The Autobot Base."
"Sure thing, buddy, right after you eat my star-spangled shorts." Fowler stated before he cried out in pain, as Starscream prodded him with some sort of electrical device.
"As I imagined, Energon and human nervous systems don't mix."
~Optimus and Ratchet~
All was quiet, as the only sound to be heard around the canyons was the howling winds. Optimus and Ratchet took their final steps, before they stopped, and Ratchet's jaw dropped when he saw the battlefield littered with thousands of Cybertronian corpses strewn across the ground.
"For the first time in my life Optimus, I had hoped that you were wrong." Ratchet said as the sound of an approaching jet echoed through the canyon walls, and the aircraft came flying through, transforming into Megatron as he landed on a clifftop overlooking the canyon of Cybertronian corpses.
"Optimus. Been well?" Megatron questioned, his eyes and emblem glowing violet. "I see you brought your trusty watchdog. I was certain he would be convalescing in a scrapyard by now."
"Why don't you invite him down here for a chat?" Ratchet suggested, slamming his fist into his hand.
"I know why you're here Megatron." Optimus said.
"Hardly a surprise Optimus." Megatron said. "After all, you and I have been at this a long time. An' your time, has come to an end." He declared, producing the shard of Dark Energon he'd brought with him, before throwing it into the ground.
After the shard of Dark Energon was absorbed into the ground, the terrain began to rumble and quake as it cracked open, shining a brilliant violet light as the corpses of the Cybertronian dead began to rise.
"Rise my army." Megatron called out.
"By the All Spark." Ratchet gasped, seeing the army of the undead rising at Megatron's command.
"Behold, the power of Dark Energon." Megatron called out.
"Megatron has desecrated the resting place of our fallen ancestors and his own." Ratchet said, as he and Optimus began to back up.
"Not even the dead, are free from his war mongering." Optimus said with sorrow in his voice.
"At last symbiosis. I can feel it." Megatron said. "I possess complete control over my army."
"Yeah, well guess who else is awake."
Megatron twisted himself around, right before something came speeding at him, and slammed into his chest, knocking him off the cliff side and down to the ground below.
Optimus and Ratchet looked up to see what had happened, and they were both shocked to see Raion flying in the air, with a battle mask covering up the lower part of his face. But to their shock, he was radiating the same kind of light that Megatron was giving off.
"You? I thought I'd killed you!" Megatron questioned, picking himself up. "I stabbed you through the chest myself."
Raion allowed himself to fall from the sky, and performed a superhero landing on the ground, right across from Megatron.
"I know you saw Arcee put me in that pod." Raion stated undoing his battle mask. "But I have to thank you. Without what you did to Cliffjumper, the Autobots wouldn't have found a way to awaken me from my catatonic slumber. So I guess Cliff's sacrifice wasn't in vein." He said, clenching his fists as his eyes became a pure violet. "Now I'm going to make you pay for using his body in your experiment, and desecrating his memory."
"I would like to see you try." Megatron glared, his violet aura enhancing.
"Raion, do not engage in combat with Megatron. He is too powerful for you to handle." Optimus called out, as the zombie bots were advancing and attacking him and Ratchet.
"Optimus, I fear we have our own issues to deal with at the moment." Ratchet stated.
"Destroy them." Megatron shouted, ordering his army to attack, before bringing up his arms to block a strike from Raion.
"Your fight's with me Megatron." Raion exclaimed. "We've still got a score to settle from three years ago."
"So be it." Megatron growled, charging at Raion.
When Raion and Megatron threw their punches, Megatron felt a wave of power tremor through his entire body, before he felt a rush of pain in his arm. Pulling away, Megatron jumped back, and saw part of his hand was broken.
"This strength… Quite impressive boy." Megatron glared. "But I'm afraid, it'll take a lot more then that, to take down me, and my army."
"You mean something like this?" Raion questioned, his eyes lighting up as if they were ignited with violet fire, before two lasers shot out and began cutting down Megatron' army, one zombie at a time.
"No." Megatron cried out, as Raion continued to destroy his undead forces.
"You've caused millions to suffer. You've destroyed lives, oppressed thousands, killed billions. All for what, some glory you think you deserve?" Raion questioned, a Ki blast forming in each hand, enhanced with a dark violet light. "Just as Dark Energon flows through you, so to does it flow through me, and I'm not afraid to use its power for good."
"Dark Energon flows through you?" Megatron questioned.
"It does, and you know what it taught me?" Raion questioned, putting his hands, and the Ki attacks together, before bringing them to his right hip. "It taught me how to utilize my attacks, to the best of my abilities."
Flying straight at Megatron, Raion threw the Ki attacks at the Cybertronian. The Decepticon Leader used an Energon blast to destroy the Ki attacks, only for the smoke to part, and allow for Raion to take Megatron by surprise and hit him with a kick to the head, as Raion came spinning from the side, knocking Megatron off balance.
"Optimus, this is amazing. He's managing to fight Megatron, and overcome his power." Ratchet said.
"I fear there is more to it then that." Optimus said, noticing the dark miasma seeping from Raion's body.
As Raion continued to hit Megatron with an endless barrage of damaging strikes, the violet light shining from his eyes grew brighter, and brighter, almost becoming too bright for anyone to handle, when looking in his eyes.
"This. Is. For. CLIFF!" Raion shouted, hitting Megatron with an upward strike with both hands, knocking him back.
With Megatron dazed, Raion flew straight at the Decepticon without hesitation, only missing, as Megatron fell and landed on his back. Taking to the air, Raion arched through the sky and came flying straight down at Megatron. His descent on the villain stopped however, when Optimus held out his hand, and blocked his path.
"Let me through Optimus." Raion said.
"I cannot Raion." Optimus said. "You destroyed the army, and laid the risen warriors to rest. But you're soul is at risk of being lost. With the Dark Energon flowing through your veins, you'll surely perish and destroy yourself, when you destroy Megatron."
"Optimus, this is our chance to be rid of him." Ratchet said.
"Please Raion." Optimus pleaded. "Don't go down, the same path Frieza, or Megatron went. You're better then this."
Raion just looked at Megatron, before he unclenched his fists and began to power down.
"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." Raion said, the miasma fading, before he passed out in mid air, only to be caught by Optimus.
"Ratchet."
"He's fine." The medic bot said. "Just unconscious. Seems he's not used to moving around again. We should have a word with the humans about what they did to wake Raion, when we return to base."
"Megatron is down, and won't be getting up. For now at least." Optimus said. "Let's roll out."
~Base~
"How's that feel?" Raion asked, helping Optimus with setting Ratchet's brace.
"It's good. I see my lessons stuck." Ratchet said.
"Well, I had nothing better to do floating around in that vat of amniotic fluid." Raion smiled.
"How's Fowler?" Ratchet asked. "Did you finish his diagnosis and treatment?"
"His system was overloaded with Energon, in the form of electricity." Raion said. "But thankfully none of it got in his bloodstream. It damaged his nerves a little, but nothing a bit of therapy won't fix."
"What happened to you guys anyway?" Miko asked, concerned about Ratchet and Optimus. "First Raion returns passed out, and is suddenly fine again after an injection of normal Energon?"
"We engaged an army of undead Cybertronian Warriors." Ratchet said.
"Zombies?" Miko questioned. "You fought Zombies and I missed it?"
"Raion did say they were in trouble and that's why he left to help them." Jack said. "But how?"
"I think it might have had to do with the Dark Energon in my system that woke me up." Raion said. "Instead of giving Megatron control over me, it temporarily gave me a psychic link to his mind, and possibly events of the future. But now that all Dark Energon has been cleared from my system, I don't have that link anymore."
"Bulkhead, you exercised extremely poor judgement in allowing the humans to accompany you." Optimus said.
"Hold on OP." Raion began, flying up to face Optimus.
"Raion, please be quiet." Bulkhead pleaded.
"Bulk didn't choose anything. Miko snuck her way onto that rescue mission. He didn't have a choice but to bring her along after that." Raion stated firmly.
"An' we weren't much better." Jack stated. "Raph and I both chose to go after Miko, even though Raion told us to stay put. Our actions solidified the decision to bring us along on the mission."
"Plus, we got a little treasure ourselves." Miko smiled, pulling out her phone. "Recon."
Raion flew down to the platform, and took Miko's phone to look at the image on it.
"Hold on, where did you get this?" Raion questioned.
"We snagged it from the Decepticon Warship in the control room we were told to hide out in." Raph said.
"What's so important about a bunch of math equations anyway?" Miko asked.
"These aren't just any math equations." Raion stated. "These are specs for some sort of device. An' a massive one at that."
"The upscale version the Ground Bridge?" Jack asked.
"Maybe, I don't know. Ratchet, from what is on here, can you tell me the Ground Bridge is aimed for?" Raion asked, sending the picture to an E-Mail, and bringing it up on a monitor for Ratchet to look at.
"Ratchet, take a look." Optimus said. "These could be of great importance to Megatron."
"Whoa, Megatron's back?" Jack questioned. "That's really bad news, right?"
"It is." Raion said, giving Miko her phone back. "Especially now since I'm not all doped up on Dark Energon."
"What do you mean?" Bulkhead asked.
"He kicked Megatron's tin can ass. That's what." Miko said.
"I highly doubt my son was able to put the hurt on someone even Optimus can't take down completely." Arcee said.
"No, she's spot on about what Raion did." Ratchet stated, shocking the Autobots there.
"He was able to not only match Megatron in strength, but surpass it as well." Optimus added.
"But that was mainly do to a combination of the element of surprise, and being juiced with the power of Dark Energon." Raion stated. "However, I don't even wanna touch that stuff again, since it was making me go crazy."
"I don't understand." Ratchet said, turning back from the photo.
"Oops, Raion must have sent to wrong one. That's the Con that nearly blew Raph away. Or rather that's what he looked like, before Bulk totally rearranged his grill." Miko said, sending the other photo to the E-Mail Raion used.
"Miko, Raph was almost killed. This isn't a game, when are you gonna get that through your thick skull?" Jack questioned.
"Um, we were all almost killed, Jack." Miko said. "You, me, Raph, even them."
"Well, if this was just an average day with the Autobots, then I don't wanna be a part of it, not anymore." Jack stated.
"Jack." Optimus began. "Putting you in harms way, was never our intent. However, it is no longer the safety of you three, that is at risk. But the safety of all human kind. We will respect your decision, if you wish to leave." The Autobot stated, before a ground bridge opened up, with Ratchet at the controls.
"No point in long goodbyes, here's the door." The medic bot said.
"Really?" Raion questioned looking to Ratchet.
"C'mon Raph." Jack said, turning to Raph.
The young man looked to Jack, then to Bee, and then to Raion.
"Hey, don't look at me." Raion said. "Whether you choose to stay or go, is completely up to you. An' any decision you come to, will be respected by everyone on the team."
Raph pondered on that for a minute, before looking back at his friend.
"I'll be okay Jack." Raph stated. "See you at school."
"Sure thing." Jack said.
"Jack." Raion said, putting a hand on the teens shoulder. "It's okay to feel fear. Survivors of war wouldn't be alive if they didn't fear their own deaths, but it's what you choose to do with that fear, that makes someone who they are."
Jack let those words sink in, before he headed for the Ground Bridge, and passed through it.
"Really Ratchet?" Raion asked as the bridge closed. "Did you really have to waste Energon on that short trip that wouldn't have even taken mom twenty minutes?"
"It seemed necessary." Ratchet said.
~Decepticon Warship~
"Please Lord Megatron, I meant no…" Starscream managed to say, before the healed and repaired Megatron socked him in the face, and knocked him back.
"I ordered you to await my command." Megatron exclaimed, backhanding Starscream and sending him flying across the room. "Instead, your mindless agenda resulted in the disabling of my ship, and the delay of my plans. You are fortunate that our healing chambers were not damaged in the Autobots attack on my vessel."
"My intentions were pure master. I only wanted you to be rid of Optimus." Starscream said, before Megatron stomped his head into the floor.
"No one rids me of Optimus Prime, but me." Megatron exclaimed angrily. "Do you understand, do you?"
"Lord Megatron… I will make things right… I swear." Starscream choked out. "I know how to set your plans back on course."
Megatron removed his foot from his subordinates face, and grabbed him by the throat, pulling him off the ground.
"Explain Starscream, quickly." Megatron stated.
~Autobot Base~
Ratchet and Raion were busy at the computer, going over the equations that Miko had taken a picture of.
"Raion, come here would you?" Arcee asked.
Raion hopped up from the console he was working at, and flew straight to Arcee, stopping a couple feet from her face, while remaining in the air.
"What's up mom?"
"I think you know what's up Raion." Arcee said. "Don't think I haven't noticed you sneaking glances at a different monitor with satellite footage of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. You're dividing our resources into looking for that Kryptonian Scout Ship, aren't you?"
"I won't deny that has been a priority of mine." Raion said. "But honestly, you cannot expect me not to go looking for it, after finding out that this planet is one of many that the Scout Ships landed on, before Artificial Population control was established. I could have very well been, the first natural born Kryptonian in centuries."
"One third Kryptonian." Arcee sighed. "Look sweetie, I don't mind you're looking for answers about your heritage. But at the present moment, we can't divide our resources so thin. We're already keeping our distance, from Jack while still watching out for him from afar, so I need you to focus on this mission, until we figure out what Megatron' end game was with those risen bots."
"Alright, I get what you're saying mom. I'll keep my focus pinned on the mission at hand until it's completed." Raion sighed.
"Hey, don't give me those puppy eyes." Arcee said. "How about you spend some time in my chassis after my patrol tonight?"
"Aren't I a little old for that?"
"You're never too old to spend some bonding time with your mother." Arcee smiled.
"Optimus." Ratchet called out. "These are engineering specs for a space/time vortex generator."
"Hold up, you mean those are the specs for a Space Bridge?" Raion asked, flying to them. "If he hasn't built a Space Bridge already, he's certainly planning on making one."
"The sooner he leaves the better." Bulkhead stated.
"Not this time." Raion said. "The Space Bridge is too big for just his ship to pass through."
"Then what is it gonna be used for?" Bulkhead questioned. "You were in that head of his kid, what's his plan?"
"I don't know. I only got bits and pieces of it, but I know it has to do with a dead planet, filled to the brim with lifeless Cybertronians." Raion said.
"That can only mean, one thing." Ratchet said.
"Megatron plans on reviving an army of the dead, from the remains of the Cybertronians, who perished on Cybertron." Optimus concluded.
"With an army that massive. He'd be just as unstoppable as Frieza, maybe even more powerful then that." Raion said.
"We cannot allow Megatron, to send Dark Energon through his Space Bridge." Optimus said. "If we fail, the dead of Cybertron will rise. They'll swarm through its vortex, and invade earth, making it the new Cybertron, bending humanity to Megatrons twisted rule."
"An' I think I have a good idea, on what we should do, in case we do fail to stop Megatron from sending the Dark Energon to Cybertron." Raion said. "But none of you, are gonna like it."
~San Francisco Beach~
"Remind me why I'm out here in a heavily public area again?" Raion asked, walking through a crowded street, making it look like he was on a phone call, wearing a trench coat.
"Because you need to be able to blend in with the humans." Arcee said. "Now Ratchet thinks you may be able to mimic human and animal forms and abilities, similarly to how we're able to do so with vehicles. So I want you to find a body, that won't look too conspicuous on you, but will still make you look human."
"I'm already drawing attention by being at the beach in a trench coat, but I can do that." Raion said, looking around and spotting several jock looking young men. "I think I found my target."
"Remember, nothing to conspicuous, but also something that suits your style."
"Relax mom, I'll be fine. I know you're still grieving Cliffjumper, so why don't you go do what you gotta do, while I handle what I need to." Raion said.
"Alright, be safe." Arcee stated, before ending communications.
"Alright, time to get my new, human body." Raion stated. "An' then get underway with finding what I came here to find."
~Autobot Base~
"Optimus, I've pinpointed the location of Megatron's Space Bridge. High in Earth's orbit." Ratchet said.
"Out of our reach." Optimus stated.
"Okay, so you guys don't fly, well except for Raion he can fly no problem. But can't you just Ground Bridge there?" Miko questioned.
"The Ground Bridge has limited range." Ratchet stated. "Stretched all the way into orbit, its vortex could snap, and scatter us to the stars."
"Since Megatron is likely already in transit, I'm afraid we must take that risk." Optimus said. "Reaching the Space Bridge first, is our only means of stopping him."
There was a moment of silence, before a horn honked, and Arcee came racing in, with Jack on her seat.
"Hey." Jack said, removing his helmet. "Guess who's back."
"It's good to see you back here Jack." Bulkhead smiled.
"Autobots, prepare for departure." Optimus said.
"Where to?" Arcee asked.
"The final, frontier." Miko stated.
"Space?" Jack questioned. "I thought they didn't have any way to get there?"
"They don't, really." Raph said. "They're taking a risk by pushing the Ground Bridge's limited range."
"Where's Raion. I know he's itching for a fight." Bulkhead asked.
"The farther away from this he is, the better." Arcee said. "I don't want him activating his plan for disabling the Ground Bridge, should it come to that. I swear, I'm gonna get my pound of flesh from Megatron for what he's done to my boy."
"Hell hath no fury, like a mothers scorn." Jack said.
~Raion~
The Pacific Ocean, a vast and beautiful mass of water filled with all sorts of marine life. At the moment, Raion was making his way through it, to a specific area. Using his flying technique to propel himself forward, Raion made quick time going through the water. There was something he was searching for, something he was determined to find, and hopefully use in place of his plan for blowing up the Space Bridge. His objective, was the Mariana Trench.
'The Kryptonians sought out planets with a cold atmosphere, similar to Kryptons, when they sent these scout ships. It must have landed here, during the last ice age, and sank when the ice that was under it melted.' Raion thought, his mask helping him to keep from suffocating as he swam. 'Funny how I'm Cybertronian now, but still need to breathe.'
Making his way through the water, Raion made sure to remain out of sight of any scientists who were currently studying the Mariana Trench. Searching the area he'd found a signal coming from, Raion carefully searched every nook and cranny of that area in the trench, before he found something odd. A lump on the surface of the trench floor, that looked too symmetrical to be a naturally formed mound. From afar, it looked large enough to play host to maybe over a hundred Autobots.
'It's about as large as the Decepticon Warship.' Raion thought. 'It must have ended up here, due to seismic activity. But from the looks of the dirt and other stuff on it, the quake had to have been hundreds of years ago.'
"Raion, can you read me?" Optimus questioned.
"I read you loud and clear OP." Raion said.
"We've located the Decepticon Space Bridge, and are making our way to Earths Orbit to stop Megatron from bringing his army to Earth." Optimus said.
"Whoa hold on, if you push the Ground Bridge's limits like that, all of you could be lost to the stars for millennia." Raion said.
"That is a risk, we have to take. We do not wish to abandon you, but we must do this to protect the earth." Optimus said.
"Hold on, I think I may have found something that could help with that instead." Raion stated, planting his feet firmly on the mound he'd been analyzing.
"There is no time." Optimus said.
"Raion, it's me." Arcee's voice said.
"Mom?"
"Raion look, I know you just woke up from your slumber, but we have to do this. I know it's scary, but I promise you, I will come back and see you again." Arcee stated.
"Don't, don't say that. Never say that, it jinxes the entire promise." Raion said.
"I love you Raion. Be strong, and I will keep my promise." Arcee said, before ending transmission.
"Mom? MOM?" Raion questioned. "DAMN IT." He shouted, slamming his fist down as he took a knee, resulting in a metallic clang echoing out through the water. Raion's eyes widened when he heard that clang, and quickly began moving away dirt and debri from the surface. Eventually, he found a hatch under it all. "This is it."
Placing his hand on the pad for opening the hatch, Raion quickly dove inside, before water could flood the ship, and sealed up the hatch behind him. Removing his mask, Raion looked around the ship, as he landed on a platform in a dark tunnel. Stepping out, Raion looked around, and found a pedestal with an emerald shaped hole in the center. The hole was small, small enough to where it could be for a key.
"I wonder." Raion said, reaching into the pocket of the coat he still had on him, and pulled out a small key like object, with an S on the head of it.
Placing the key, in the key hole, Raion was shocked when it magnetically attached, before pressing it down and activating the ship.
"Welcome, Kail-El." A robotic voice said.
Raion turned around, and saw a floating robot, as it was waiting for instructions. Raion was confused about why he was called that, until he remembered it was his given name, from his Saiyan and Kryptonian parents.
"Take me to the pilots seat, and get this thing in orbit, away from prying eyes." Raion said. "An' explain to me everything, the Genesis Chamber, is capable of."
~Orbit~
All was quiet in space, before the Ground Bridge opened up, allowing for the Autobots to come out. Once in orbit, the Autobots were free to transform from their vehicle bodies, to their true forms, right in front of the Decepticons Space Bridge.
"Autobots, transform and gravitize." Optimus said, as they reached the Space Bridge.
Gravitizing themselves, the Autobots made sure they had a firm footing in the zero gravity atmosphere.
"Whoa." Bulkhead stated, struggling to get his footing. "Don't look down, or up, or left."
Optimus turned around, with the others following suit, just as the Decepticon Warship was making its approach to the Space Bridge.
"So Megatron's packing enough Dark Energon, to raise Cybertrons dead?" Arcee questioned.
"An' since we don't possess ready means of disabling the Space Bridge, nothing gets in, or out." Optimus said, as they all armed themselves.
~Decepticon Deck~
"Optimus Prime, never disappoints." Megatron said, looking at the monitor, showing Team Prime standing ready at the Space Bridge. "Unlike you Starscream." He exclaimed, looking over his shoulder at his subordinate.
"No need for concern master. Sound Wave is locking onto Cybertrons coordinates, per my instructions." Starscream said, rather nervously at that.
~Team Prime~
"Well, what are they waiting for, an invitation?" Arcee questioned.
Zeroing in on the Decepticon Warship, with his sight, Optimus had found the cause of the problem.
"It appears the Decepticons have sustained serious damage, to their interstellar navigation system." Optimus said.
"Huh, that's my handy work." Bulkhead stated, spotting the damage as well.
"Great job Bulkhead." Optimus stated. "Without the dish, Megatron will be unable to aim the Space Bridge at Cybertron."
"That's not gonna stop them OP." Raions voice came over the intercom.
"Raion?"
"I've got bad news. I intercepted an SOS transmission, about a giant bird like robot infiltrating the Green Bank Telescope. The largest, most powerful satellite in America, and another about a giant lengthy robot infiltrating the Giant Size Array in Texas." Raion said. "I only know of one Con who fist that description, and which one's a diversion."
"Sound Wave." Arcee said.
"I've already sent an alert to the Green Bank sight with Agent Fowler's credentials, but someone's managed to block my attempts at the arrays. I'm working on breaking through now."
"Raion, what is your location now?" Optimus asked.
"I'm making my way to your location. I already got the coordinates from Ratchet." Raion stated.
"I told him not to give you the coordinates."
"I convince him, by telling him I was gonna act as medical evac. I didn't technically lie to him." Raion said. "But I didn't tell the whole truth either."
~Decepticon Warship~
"Surely Lord Megatron, the Autobots are, up to something." Starscream said, before he had to back up.
"Really Starscream?" Megatron asked sarcastically, getting all up in his subordinates face. Turning back to the control panel, Megatron slammed his fist down on the alert button, and sounded the call to arms. "Crush them."
~Team Prime~
From out of the hull of the Warship, dozens of Decepticons flew through the empty void of space, and towards Optimus and company.
"Here comes the welcoming committee." Bulkhead stated.
As the Cons approached, they began firing on the Autobots, and transformed mid flight, as the battle progressed.
"Hold the line." Optimus declared.
As the Cons descended, they were knocked off their path, as multiple blasts of energy flanked them from their left, and they were knocked down.
"Sorry I'm late. Had to pick up some road trip snacks." Raion said, flying passed them in a pod with a Kryptonian emblem on it.
"Raion?" Arcee asked.
"Where'd you get that sweet pod?" Bulkhead asked.
"I found the Kryptonian Scout Ship. An' you would not believe all the bells and whistles it comes with." Raion said, stopping the ship in front of them. "I currently have it parked where neither the Decepticons, nor the world governments, can find it."
"An' just in time too." Bulkhead smiled.
"I'll lecture you later." Arcee stated sternly. "Right now, we've got more incoming."
"Right." Raion said, turning his ship around. "Let's scrap these Cons."
Flying for the oncoming Decepticons, Raion fired his pods weapons, blasting each of the Cons back towards the Warship, with some serious damage to them.
"Megatron." Raion called out. "I'm here, and I'm ready to finish, what we started three years ago, and in the canyon yesterday."
Raion opened the hatch to his pod, revealing he'd put up his mask, and jumped out, sending his pod back to the Scout Ship.
"Unless you're too scared to face me, head on after the beat down, I gave you yesterday, maybe that's…" Raion stopped, when something came flying from the Warship, and pierced his shoulder. His eyes widened in pain, as he looked down at his shoulder to see a spear of glowing green rock. "The hell?"
"Do you like my new deterrent?" Megatron questioned, as he stepped up to the roof of his Warship. "I learned many things in my travels these last few years, and brought back more then just the Dark Energon. One of the interesting facts I learned, was how vulnerable to Kryptonite, you Kryptonians can be."
"Kryptonite?" Raion questioned, before he was pulled towards the Warship by Megatron, by the length of wire connected to the spear. Once he was within reach, Megatron grabbed Raion by the torso, and slammed him into the hull of the warship.
"RAION." Arcee shouted.
"You thought yourself invulnerable to your natural weakness, once you woke from your slumber, all because you're now part Cybertronian." Megatron said, sounding amused. "Barely awake for more then an earth cycle, and you're already gonna die by my hands, yet again."
"Fuck… you." Raion growled, his teeth gritted in pain.
"I would have chosen something else, for my last words." Megatron said.
Pulling the Kryptonite from Raion's shoulder, Megatron thrust it straight at Raion, running him clean through his chest, piercing the scar left behind from his previous skewering, leaving an X shape on his chest.
"NO!" Arcee shouted.
The Fembot just stared in horror, as Megatron raised Raions near lifeless body, Kryptonite sticking through him, and threw the teen to the side.
"Raion." Arcee said, falling to her knees.
"We just got him back." Bulkhead hissed in anger, clenching his fists with rage. "We just got him back after three years of comatose. An' now he's gone, for good this time."
"Megatron." Optimus stated, glaring up at his greatest enemy as the Space Bridge was activating and opening up. "This ends now."
"I couldn't agree more Optimus." Megatron smirked.
"The war against the Decepticons, ends here and now." Optimus stated.
~Raion~
The lifeless hybrid, peacefully floated in space. The Kryptonite spear lodged in his chest, before his body twitched, and he slowly, and painfully reached up and pulled it out, with Energon leaking from the wound.
'This is the end for me this time.' Raion thought. 'I'm sorry mom, everyone. Guess I really fucked this one up, huh? I doubt I'll even be able to join Cliff, and become one with the All Spark.'
"What are you saying kid? Giving up already?" Cliffjumpers voice echoed in Raions mind.
Raion looked up, and opened his eyes as a blinding light washed over him, before noticing he found himself standing in front of Cliff in a familiar setting, atop the secret base, three years ago before his coma.
"C'mon, that can't be all you got in ya can it?" Cliff asked, as Raion picked himself up. "You're a warrior of two power house races."
"Two EXTINCT power house races." Raion scoffed, putting emphasis on the word, extinct. "Why do I even have to be doing this? What good is this gonna do me, when I can barely use my Saiyan abilities. I don't even know what I'm supposed to do with my Kryptonian abilities. The most I can do is fly, use my strength, and shoot lasers out of my eyes."
"Listen kid, you're thinking too much." Cliff said. "Do you think, I waste my time in battle, trying to come up with a plan of attack when my back's to the wall?"
"I'm not allowed on missions so it doesn't even matter. Wouldn't even if I were allowed to go on missions. I always freeze up when I'm needed most, especially when I see blood or Energon. I'm a useless coward, who's a disgrace to both his people." Raion stated.
"Okay look, you're not understanding me." Cliff sighed, taking a knee to look directly at Raion. "I'm gonna paraphrase here. The universe, ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean, nasty, and dangerous place. An' I don't care how tough you are, the universe will beat you to your knees, and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody, not even the Cons, are gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward, how much you can take, and keep moving forward. 'Cause that's how winning is done. Do you get what I'm saying?"
"I think so." Raion said. "When the chips are down, you gotta keep pushing forward, even if the odds are against you, and just play it by ear at times."
"Somewhat yeah. But what I mean is, listen to your Spark, and don't let those who put you down, hold you back or define you." Cliff said, gently placing a finger on Raions chest, over the House of El Crest. "Because limits like fears…" The scene was illuminated by a blinding light once more, as Raion found himself back in space, Energon still leaking from his wound, but he had the full light of the yellow sun, washing over him. "…are often, just an illusion."
As Cliffs words echoed through Raions mind, he could feel his strength returning, and the wound in his chest healing, before his eyes took on a glare of determination.
"I… am more… then just a Saiyan." Raion said, as he straightened himself out, facing the sun directly, his strength returned, and his wound healed. "I am more then just a Kryptonian." He stated, as the sound of mechanical whirling could be heard coming from his body, as a crest formed on his chest. "I am an Autobot, and a proud member of Team Prime!"
~Team Prime~
"Arcee, we need you to snap out of it." Bulk stated firing at the Decepticons.
"Buzz." Bee said, as they guarded Arcee.
"I'm aware of that Bee. I know she's in shock." Bulk sighed. "Hell, I'm pissed about what he just did to our little buddy. It's taking everything I've got, not to just charge at Megatron and throttle his neck, and make him pay for this. But I'm needed here, and the grieving mother, needs me to be her shield, now more then ever. It's hard, even Optimus is having trouble controlling his emotions after what we all just saw."
"MEGATRON." Optimus shouted, running along the surface of the Space Bridge, only to stop as the Space Bridge powered up.
"This doesn't look good." Bulkhead stated.
The Autobots turned from the Space Bridge, to the War Ship, with their optics widening when they saw Megatron holding up a gigantic chunk of Dark Energon.
"NO!" Optimus shouted, as Megatron threw the chunk of Dark Energon towards the opened Space Bridge.
As the chunk flew through the empty void of space, it was caught and stopped by a single hand, as Raion had came out of nowhere, and stopped the boulder in its path. Throwing the boulder down, Raion sent it to the surface of the Space Bridge, a determined glare on his face, revealing the House of El's crest now on his chest.
"Raion?" Bulkhead gasped.
"Megatron." Raion called out, floating there with confidence. "Just you and me. No one else. Let's fight one on one. I know, somewhere in that hollow spark chamber of yours, you still honor the gladiator code of a challenge."
Megatron glared at Raion, before he ran up along the path of his Warship and leapt through the void of space towards the Space Bridge, momentarily coming face to face with Raion. In that moment, he only said one thing, before activating his gravity connectors, and landing on the surface of the Space Bridge.
"I accept your challenge."
Raion lowered himself to the surface of the Space Bridge, before he crouched down, his eyes glowing with power as he placed his hand flat on the metal's surface.
"I'm gonna need a little more mass for this." He smirked.
Almost instantly, coils of wires sprouted from his arm, and began sinking deeper into the surface of the Space Bridge. Slowly, and to the shock of everyone who could see what was happening, Raion began to grow in size, until he was roughly the size of Optimus Prime. He looked more Cybertronian then he had before, but now he was big enough to actually fight alongside the Prime himself, even if he was only as tall as Bee.
"Alright Megatron." Raion said, the chest plate with the House of El crest, forming over his body, hiding him from view as his larger Cybertronian body came alive. "Let's rumble." He stated, slamming his fists together.
"What is this?" Megatron questioned.
"Please." Raion scoffed, his voice sounding deeper, and more Cybertronian. "Do you honestly expect me to believe a Decepticon's gonna play by the rules? Even if it's an honor bound Gladiator fight, you're still plotting on using underhanded tactics."
"All's fair, in love and war." Megatron said.
"Raion don't…" Arcee began.
"Arcee, wait." Optimus said. "Leave him be. I believe he'll be fine."
Arcee looked to Optimus, before looking back at Raion, her face filled with concern and worry, as she couldn't imagine him getting injured, or worse. Raion was the only one of his kind, and her child. She feared what may happen to him, if he was incapable of winning this fight.
"Let's go Megatron." Raion called out. "One shall stand, one shall fall!"
(Cue Music… Never Alone: Divide Music)
Raion and Megatron went charging at one another, both of them aiming to end this battle quickly. As Megatron readied his blaster, Raion moved aside and quickly twisted around the Decepticon leaders body.
Quickly twisting around, Megatron aimed his blaster at Raion, but the weapon was hit away when Raion countered with a spinning back kick. Quickly getting his footing, Raion lunged at Megatron, and struck him in the face, hitting the Cybertronian with a power packed punch.
Raion, taking advantage of Megatron's confusion, swung his body forward, and slammed his knee into the Decepticon's torso, causing him to bend forward, before the young warrior spun around and hit the side of Megatrons head with his elbow, knocking the Decepticon leader to the ground.
"How… are you this powerful?" Megatron questioned, getting to his feet a good distance from Raion. "I skewered you through the spark, twice now."
"You don't get it, do you?" Raion chuckled. "I am a Saiyan Warrior, as well as a Kryptonian. We Saiyans thrive on the battlefield, and get stronger each time we get our asses kicked. It's called a Zenkai Boost. An' the fact that I was nearly killed twice, means you just made me all the more powerful. So thank you, for handing me the key to your demise."
Raion went charging at Megatron once more, moving left and right, evading the Decepticons blaster attacks. Megatron grit his teeth in annoyance, before he looked behind him, and smirked when he saw he was right in the path of the Dark Energon cluster. Stowing his blaster, Megatron took a stance, that told Optimus and Arcee he was up to something.
"Raion, wait." Optimus called out.
But the Prime was too late, as the moment Raion jumped into the empty void of space to kick Megatron in the chest, the Decepticon leader moved out of the way, causing Raion's eyes to widen, as he continued heading forward, and kicked the Dark Energon chunk, straight into the active space bridge. Raion landed on the ground, his eyes wide in horror, as he just sealed the fate of several million Cybertronians, whose eternal rests were about to be disturbed.
"NO!" Raion shouted, as the Dark Energon cluster vanished into the Space Bridge.
"I cannot thank you enough." Megatron smirked. "Because of you, I shall get my Dark Army, and I shall conquer this universe."
"What have I done?" Raion questioned, slamming his fist into the surface of the space bridge.
"You've just handed me the key, to my victory." Megatron laughed.
Raion grit his teeth, and clenched his fist in anger, before he twisted around, and charged at Megatron, hitting the Decepticon in the face again.
"You think this is funny?" Raion questioned, hitting Megatron again. "You think disturbing the graves, of countless Cybertronians, is amusing?"
(End Song…)
Raion threw another punch at Megatron, before he froze, when a blaster went off, and his Cybertronian body stopped moving, as there was a hole in it, with Megatron's blaster at point blank range at him.
"Hilarious actually." Megatron smirked.
The Cybertronian body began to tremble, before it fell apart, the pieces of the body falling to the surface of the Space Bridge, causing Raion to fall to the ground, clutching his side in pain, as Megatron's blast had grazed his actual body.
"RAION." Arcee called out.
"A valiant attempt young one." Megatron smirked. "You fought well, and even brought me to my knees. You would have made for a fine Decepticon."
"I chose my side, Megatron." Raion said, coughing up blood. "I chose the ones, who raised me, who took me in and treated me like family. I have no regrets, fighting for their cause."
"Noble final words, spoken by a true warrior. You have my respect." Megatron glared, aiming his blaster right in Raion's face. "It's over."
"Yeah, for you." Raion smirked, blood trailing down his chin.
Megatron was confused as to what Raion meant, and why he was acting so confident, before the whole Space Bridge began to rumble and shake.
"Did you really think, I didn't use any important components to the Space Bridge, in making my larger Cybertronian body? Never underestimate, the pride of a Saiyan Warrior, or the strength of a Kryptonian Scientist. I was in your head Megatron, I had Dark Energon flowing through me, so I knew what needed to be done, and took the Energon Regulator, reversing the current of the Space Bridge's flow of Energon." Raion said, getting to his feet, while still holding his side in pain. "Unless you wanna die with your undead army, you're gonna wanna get off this ticking time bomb, within the next couple minutes."
"No." Megatron gasped, before looking around the Space Bridge, seeing there were already minor explosions happening along the inner rim of the ring.
"Raion, what did you do?" Ratchet's voice came through the intercom.
"Sorry Ratchet, but this was the only way to stop Megatron." Raion stated. "Optimus would do the same. I wasn't gonna wait for the storm to come, I chose to light the flames, of our darkest hour."
Megatron looked down at Raion, a look of pure hatred etched on his face.
"You really would, have made the best of us Decepticons." Megatron stated, priming his weapon, as he aimed it at Raion once more.
"No." Arcee shouted, grabbing Raion before the blaster hit her, and knocked the Fembot to the ground, before floating off into space.
"MOM!" Raion shouted, still in her clutches.
Megatron looked at Arcee, before he was struck in the face by Optimus, knocking him to the ground.
"Optimus, the Ground Bridge is ready for evacuation." Ratchet said.
"What about Arcee?" Bulkhead asked.
"I've got mom." Raion's voice came over the intercom. "I'm gonna get her some help. I'll contact you when she's stable."
"Autobots, role out." Optimus called, transforming into a truck, before heading for the location the Ground Bridge would be opening up at.
As the Space Bridge began to rumble, with the Energon flow destroying it, Megatron transformed and flew straight for the Space Bridge's opening. Transforming back, Megatron reached out, as the first of his undead army was nearing the entrance to the bridge.
"NO!" Megatron cried out, before he and his army, were enveloped in a massive explosion, destroying the Space Bridge.
~Kryptonian Scout Ship~
"Okay, everything's gonna be okay." Raion said, monitoring Arcee's life signal. "Please, I can't lose you too."
"Commander." The AI voice said. "There is a way to save her."
"I'm aware of it but… I don't wanna lose her, the way she is." Raion stated, before hissing in pain as his side still burned from the blast that grazed him.
"But if nothing is done, the Cybertronian will die. An' your injury will become infected, if not treated right away."
Raion was silent for a moment, as he looked at Arcee, and then to the drone following him around the ship. He was unsure if this was the right thing to do or not, but he had to do something, or he would lose Arcee to the All Spark.
"What has to be done?" Raion asked.
~Bunker~
It had been, two days since the explosion of the Space Bridge. Everyone was silent in the bunker, no one knew if Arcee was still alive, or if she had become one with the All Spark. Jack was especially concerned, as he was pacing around the bunker. Even Fowler stuck around to see what became of the Fembot.
"We should have heard back from Raion by now, right?" Raph asked.
"Yeah, but whatever Raion's doing, he's probably putting all his focus and energy into it." Miko said.
"I certainly hope he's doing what he can." Bulkhead stated. "Raion already lost someone he cares about this week, so you can bet he's not wanting to lose another."
"Then he should have brought her here." Ratchet stated.
"Ratchet." Raion's voice came over the intercom. "Open up a ground bridge to the coordinates I'm sending you. We're coming back."
Ratchet's eyes widened, when he heard Raion's voice, before he received the coordinates, and put them into the Ground Bridge. With the gateway opening up, The Autobots looked on in anticipation, as Raion came marching through the Ground Bridge, before their eyes widened in shock, when they spotted someone coming in behind him.
Standing behind him, was a woman who looked like she was in her twenties, wearing a Kryptonian suit, with the House of El crest on her chest. Her hair was blue, with a stripe of pink in the bangs, and her eyes were an Energon blue.
"Raion… is that, Arcee?" Jack asked.
"I know I look different Jack, but I'm still me." Arcee smiled, flicking him on the forehead.
"Mom, looks different for a reason." Raion sighed. "While you were all heading out for the Decepticons Space Bridge, I was out doing some searching of my own, and found a Kryptonian Scout Ship, complete with a Genesis Chamber, and everything. I used, the Genesis Chamber to keep her alive, and in doing so it changed her. She's still Cybertronian, but now she's so much more then that. An' with the ships DNA data logs using a sample of my blood to search through, she's like me now. A Cybertronian, with Kryptonian, and Saiyan lineage."
"I can take it from here sweetie." Arcee smiled, before her body began to shift and transform, returning her to her Cybertronian body. "I can shift between this and my other body, as well as…"
Arcee paused to transform into her motorcycle form, revealing the motorcycle, with Arcee sitting atop of it.
"I can split into two, to make it less conspicuous." Arcee said, dismounting from her bike. "If I need to transform back into my Cybertronian form, then I just need to reconnect with my other half."
"Incredible." Ratchet gasped.
"This, is a whole new step, in the evolutionary process for our people." Optimus said. "Ratchet, run some tests on Arcee, and determine whether or not we should undergo the same evolution."
"I wouldn't recommend it actually." Raion said. "True there are perks to it, but mom's still getting used to having an organic body. An' do not get me started on what I had to do, when I had to explain the bathroom to her." He stated with a shutter.
"It wasn't that bad." Arcee scoffed. "You're being dramatic."
"I had to upload a video on potty training, for you to watch." Raion stated. "An' that was after, the mess you made when you told me you knew what you were doing the first time you went to the bathroom."
"Alright fine, I'll admit, I had no clue as to what I was doing." Arcee said. "But I'm better at it now."
"I'll bring in a specialist who helps with patients who've been in comas for a while." Fowler said. "They'll help you adjust to an organic body, Arcee."
"As appreciated as that is Fowler, there's no need, I've had the drones of the Kryptonian Scout Ship help her with that already. Now she just needs to learn to control her Saiyan and Kryptonian powers, as they manifest." Raion said.
"Can't you help with that?" Raph asked.
"I barely know how to control my own powers. I don't even know how I was able to make that Cybertronian Body manifest itself around me. I'm pretty sure that was just a one time thing." Raion stated. "For now, we need to be on our guards. The Decepticons are still out there, and we don't know what they may be up to next."
~A/N~
Hope you like the first chapter of this new adventure.
Yeah, I know the whole hybrid thing is kinda cliché, even the Triple-Hybrid, but I don't care. I like it, and I'm not gonna get rid of it.
Now all chapters are gonna be as long as this one. The rest are gonna be around 15-20 pages, not 50-60.
Please leave a review, it helps me to better my writing and my story telling.