Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Triple Changing. Enjoy the 2800-word chapter. I do not own Transformers, Hasbro does.
(Autobot base Omega One, Metal Attraction)
Fuse watched Optimus and Bumblebee vanish through a portal as he spun one of his canons, testing if the circuits were possibly fine.
He cracked his fingers and pondered where Sandstorm had gone… Last he checked? The Autobot had managed to gain his alternate modes which had served only to make him more eager to fight.
He sighed and watched as June's vehicle entered the base. He decided to hang back lest he accidentally shatters the vehicle under his heel.
"Hmm, how odd…" Rachet stated as he paused.
"What do you mean?" Fuse asked.
"I have detected a massive electrical magnetic frequency in this location," Rachet stated.
"I thought this planet had a magnetic field already. What is so odd about it?" Fuse questioned.
"It's localized and far more potent than the Earth's usual layer," Rachet stated.
"I can do some recon, check it out?" Fuse suggested, looking over his shoulder at the others who were all speaking.
"How about I hitch a ride? We figure it out together?" Bulkhead said.
"Sure… Can bond as a team like I said. Rachet, can you open the ground bridge?" Fuse stated.
"Just recon…" Rachet stated.
"Uh, boys?" Arcee asked. "I'm going because I can handle it," Arcee said, glaring at June.
Fuse took one look at her faceplate and knew riling her up was a bad idea. She looked as fearsome as Megatron for some reason. He was lying if he said the scowl, she had was not slightly intimidating to him.
"O-ok?" Fuse asked before the ground bridge was opened and the trio of Autobots emerged through the portal.
Fuse was greeted by stone and rock as far as his optics could scan, it made him feel reminded of the canyons back on Cybertron.
"Why don't you fly ahead? Ariel recon?" Bulkhead stated.
"No, it would give away our position… And I told you guys I am going to be a team player." Fuse said as Arcee passed them. "Ladies first," Fuse stated.
He deployed his arm blade and rotary arm canons. He knew more and more that if they had found this spot? Megatron would not have hesitated to have sent more soldiers.
"So. First mission with you, Bulkhead. Nice to work together with another heavy hitter." Fuse stated.
"It is not all about strength," Bulkhead said.
"Tell that to Megatron." Fuse quipped.
He chuckled as did Bulkhead only for him to notice Arcee frowning. He knew enough about her by now to know she was not silent like this often.
"Cee, you good? You look like a con blindsided you." Fuse stated.
"Nothing," Arcee responded. "Fuse… Do you think I am overbearing?" Arcee asked.
"Uh…." Fuse said, scratching at the nape of his metallic neck.
Arcee frowned and despite him being almost twice her height? He felt smaller than her on his strongest day, he had not been able to try and deal with it.
He was not going to let it be all happening, he clicked his fingers before he sighed to himself.
"Was this about that talk I tried not to get involved in?" Fuse asked, frowning behind his battle mask. "I… You were a bit of an aggressive boss when I showed up but I understand why. Arcee, you would not happen to be angry, would you?" Fuse questioned.
The Autobot turned, transforming her arm into her cannon, and blasting a boulder about twice her size in half, the plasma burning the stone away like it was paper.
"Ok… Terrified of you, still? No, you are not overbearing. You are a soldier; it is your job to protect and to fight. It is what I wish to be and am." Fuse said, his tone slightly broken.
"Aw, two battle bots growing closer!" He heard as he instinctively pointed his cannon in the direction of the sound.
He blinked and then looked to the side to see that the human who had been closer to Bulkhead was nearby.
"Uh… Why are you here?" Fuse asked, blinking his optics as he looked to Bulkhead.
"Hey, I wanted in on the action! Do not leave me with soccer Mom!" She said as Fuse went to pick her up.
"Seriously? Do not know what is going on." Fuse said before he looked to Arcee. "How about we recon the top of the ridge? Whatever the magnetic signal is seems to be over the ridge." Fuse stated.
"Bulkhead… Watch Miko. Let us do this." Arcee stated a few seconds later before they slowly climbed the hill.
Fuse hummed and cracked his fingers and looked down into the crater, grabbing the edge and moving a giant hand to stop Arcee.
There were the sounds of metal impacting metal as both could see that Arachnid was thrown to the side, both Breakdown and Blitzwing approaching her, weapons were drawn.
"Great… We can let them kill each other." Fuse said, leaning on the ridge.
"No, we can't… She's mine." Arcee stated only for Fuse to hum.
"No. She is not. Do you want me to be more of a team player? Then we all play the game… Arachnid is too dangerous for any of us to take head-on alone. I am not letting you kill yourself fighting her." Fuse stated.
"You want them gone," Arcee said.
"Yeah. I still want to be tactical…. I will hit them hard then back you and Bulkhead up. We take down Arachnid first, then we hit the others. Does that work for you?" Fuse asked before Arcee sighed.
Arcee sighed before realizing that Fuse had a point. Arachnid was equally as dangerous as the other two and attacking one would probably cause the infighting to cease, a reason to deal with them slowly.
"What are we talking about?" Miko asked before she looked at them in annoyance.
He wanted to say something but he could not… And he would not be able to relax for now as he clicked his fingers before he seemed to try and think.
Arcee went to speak as Fuse shifted into his M1 Abrams form and lowered Arcee to slide down the hill.
The others turned in time for Arachnid to catch a shell to the face, deforming the metallic armor of her body and sending her crashing into the stones behind them.
He had time to fire one more shell and he aimed it at Breakdown, sending him skidding across the ground.
Fuse transformed, flipping into the Air as Arcee pelted Arachnid with more and more blasts to try and keep her down for good. She had been too interested in trying to fight him that she was almost entirely blindsided by Blitzwing.
It was then Fuse slammed into the Decepticon triple changer, throwing him along the ground, he had been too exhausted in his way to have done much.
"Course the bots show up." Breakdown stated.
"Hey, I'm just here for the scenery," Fuse stated before kicking Blitzwing to the side. "You want to do some pest control? I will gladly help; nobody here likes Arachnid." Fuse stated.
"I want to tear out your spark as well, Autobot." Arachnid hissed.
"I'm not the war criminal who kills people for giggles," Fuse said before Blitzwing tackled him. "Getting tired of seeing your faceplate," Fuse said.
He fired his leg jets, using his ability to fly to slide away and land a punch on Breakdown as Bulkhead finally entered the fight.
"You're going down, Autotrash!" Blitzwing yelled before Fuse rolled his eyes.
"Shocker, you got anything else you want to say?" Fuse stated before he shifted posture.
Bulkhead slammed into the two heavy hitters as Arcee deflected a kick from Arachnid as Fuse slammed her to the ground.
Fuse sighed before he managed to relax once more. Three to three and it was clear that he could see no way for this to end without a tie, he was about to transform into his F-14 Tomcat form, he would turn, and then?
He had not been prepared for now as he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. He had not been too tired with which to try and deal with for now.
He had far too much for now as he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth… If there was a fight? He would deal with it but this was not the most normal fight.
No, it was not. He had been distracted and he knew something was off, no fight was ever easy and he could relax for now as he seemed to think of their options.
He was tired, run-down, exhausted and he could not relent in that sort of way when push came to shove.
He had not been able to deal with it yet… But he could soon. He kept his mind on the fight either blasted way when push came to shove. He had not been familiar with this sort of thing, not when it came to it.
There was a burst of magnetic energy which sent him slamming into Arcee as Blitzwing brought up his cannons and tried to pummel them with cannon fire.
Arcee rolled as did Fuse, firing his leg thrusters and using the momentum to knock Blitzwing back then turned as Arcee vaulted off his shoulder, slamming into Arachnid with all the force of a cannonball.
The magnetic force sent him skidding off his feet and he finally regained his wits.
"Wait… Magnetic fields do not function like that." Fuse stated. "You're using a polarity gauntlet," Fuse added.
He was sent slamming into Arcee again as Bulkhead went to engage them only to be knocked to the ground with a missile. Arachnid went to finish either of them.
Blitzwing turned and shot, making Arachnid fall to the ground, sparks flying from her armor. She growled and spun into the ground as the two Decepticons turned to each other.
"Let's go." Breakdown said before shifting into his truck mode and spinning before going.
Blitzwing snorted and shifted into his jet mode before rocketing away as Fuse shifted his arm into his gun and fired.
"We ain't done here, scrapheap," Fuse growled before blinking. "Wait. Cee? Bulkhead?" Fuse questioned before he sighed.
"Back here," Arcee said before Fuse blinked.
"Hear you. I don't see you." Fuse said as Arcee sighed and tapped his armor.
Fuse blinked and realized he felt a weight on his armored chassis. He crossed his arms as he sighed to himself.
"She's stuck to your…" Miko said as Fuse nodded.
"Back, got that," Fuse said. "Well, I said I wanted to be closer to you guys as teammates."
"Are you cracking jokes about this?" Arcee asked, amused.
"Better than being cranky," Fuse said as he sighed. "Rachet? I and Arcee are… Attracted. Much as I don't mind having eyes in the back of my head? I don't think she feels the same." Fuse stated.
"No, gives me a chance to rest my wheels." Arcee joked as Fuse chuckled while Bulkhead climbed to his feet.
"I recommend getting the gauntlet back. Any sort of attempt to dislodge the other may result in damage to your chassis which cannot be easily repaired." Rachet stated with a sigh.
"Cool, let's roll," Miko said as Fuse rolled his optics.
"If I transform with her on my back? I would snap Arcee in half." Fuse said.
"Went from the fourth wheel to a pain to the aft…" Arcee sighed.
"Call it a bonding experience," Fuse stated. "But she is going home. Bulkhead? Why don't you recon? Breakdown will not be far. Arachnid is never going to let the gauntlet go." Fuse stated.
"But I…" Miko said before she realized her phone was attached to Bulkhead as she sighed.
"Miko, you have gone on 12 missions with us in the past month and constantly get involved in us battling the Decepticons. It is not safe for you." Arcee stated.
"What? So, I have to put up with Jack's mom being overprotective? You guys have been fighting since he showed up, now you are all coordinated and stuff?" Miko said.
"Can you take a shot to the chest from a Decepticon rifle?" Fuse asked as Miko pouted. "Rachet? Where is their energon signature? I will… Walk there as best as I can." Fuse stated.
"I am busy trying to configure where their signature is. It's still a mile away as of this moment." Rachet stated. "I will open a ground bridge… It is imperative you do not damage the gauntlet." Rachet stated.
"Fine," Fuse said as a ground bridge opened and Bulkhead slowly shuffled Miko through it. "I should have just started bombing them from the sky, I seriously do not know why I scanned an Earth tank," Fuse muttered.
"I'll go do recon," Bulkhead said as he transformed and chased after the Decepticons, knowing that they wouldn't go far.
Fuse snorted before he slowly began to walk in that direction, knowing Arcee was not going anywhere while she was glued to his armor.
"I think you want to protect him and you lash out at anything that might be a problem," Fuse said. "I also think you are mad she either does not fully trust you or doubts your abilities… Like how I was mad you made me sound like a bad soldier." Fuse stated.
"I protect Jack," Arcee said.
"And I protect my friends and this planet," Fuse stated. "Did we NOT argue about how much I didn't care about blending in?" Fuse asked.
"Translation?" Arcee asked.
"If I am right? His mother is his primary caretaker. She is doing what she can to protect him as are we." Fuse stated. "I doubt she believes an armed Cybertronian warrior can do less than her to protect Jack… I do think she believes it's her job to help her as you have taken to helping me." Fuse said.
"Why do you care so much about being this perfect weapon, anyway?" Arcee asked.
"Long story," Fuse stated only to hear a sigh. "I told you Triple Changers were made by some fancy war experiments?" Fuse stated.
"Yeah?" Arcee said.
"When I was wounded? They told me they could fix me; I was a security officer turned soldier. I was blown to pieces by a seeker who got lucky." Fuse stated.
"When I was put on the chopping board and while they worked? I had to hear soldiers. Dozens of them like me, are being butchered by cons trying to break in. I could not do a fragging thing while they were butchered, slaughtered… And for what? So, some fancy science project gets a second chance?" Fuse asked.
"So, you're a perfect soldier," Arcee said.
"It is what they built me for. It is what people died for, I figured the least I owe the people who died to get me here deserve to know they didn't die for nothing and that I can do what I was made for." Fuse stated.
"They didn't die for nothing," Arcee said.
"One life is not worth a thousand or hundred or whatever. Autobots were bred for sacrifice, protecting the weak. We both know that." Fuse stated.
"And what? You think throwing your life away is the best way to repay them?" Arcee asked.
"Why? You lost someone in the war?" Arcee asked.
"I…" Arcee said before Fuse sighed.
"Course you did. We all die, the war takes everyone away and here I am taking it like some game where it's fun to kick the cons around. Some soldier." Fuse muttered.
"It ain't bad to like turning the cons into scrap. But this isn't the game of being the biggest gun. We have to blend in, adapt." Arcee stated.
"Doesn't mean we have to forget we're soldiers," Fuse stated before he continued to walk. "You know, I don't mind teaming up with people, I just don't want to let those same people down," Fuse stated.
"Then you're terrible at actually working with others," Arcee said.
"And you're terrible at being snarky when you know I can see through you," Fuse stated. "You haven't told me the real reason you want to rip Arachnid in half besides she's a monster. We all hate her with how many bodies she leaves behind, you want to throw her into the trash heap yourself, don't you?" Fuse asked.
"She's killed a partner of mine and she wants to kill my next one," Arcee said.
"Ah… So now I know why you want to pull her spark out with your teeth. That makes sense, someone off-lined my partner? I'd want their head on a pike." Fuse said.
"I want more than that," Arcee said.
"You wanted her dead but you weren't willing to just tell me you wanted to smash her into scrap metal?"
Author Notes
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out that the next chapter will be in 2-10 months and will end up being 900-6500 words. The next chapter will be delayed and will show the remains of the episode. Until then? Lighting Wolf out!