Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Triple Changing. Enjoy the 2800-word chapter. I do not own Transformers, Hasbro does.
(Texas, Metal Attraction)
Fuse perched atop a stone, transforming his arm into his cannon.
"So… How about you shoot Arachnid in the face and I try and get that fancy weapon to pull us apart?" Fuse asked as he slid down the hill.
"Still leaves about two Decepticons," Arcee stated.
"You want Arachnid. I want to punch a Decepticon in the face." Fuse said as Arcee shrugged.
"I'd say something but I think we don't have time before the fighting starts," Fuse said as he looked around.
""
Arcee was about to say something before she got a sigh from Fuse as he walked around the corner. He did not see Bulkhead… But he did hear a familiar clicking noise.
"Hands up and turn around," Arachnid stated, creeping over Breakdown's webbed body.
"You don't scare me, you know. You just gross me the frag out and make me sick to my spark about how many people you murdered." Fuse said as he held up his hands.
"Very funny, we're see how funny you are when I tear your spark out," Arachnid said.
"Nobody is going to miss you…" Fuse said before he turned around.
Arcee let loose a barrage of plasma which forced the monstrous robot to the backstep, forcing her to retreat as Fuse looked for Blitzwing.
The Decepticon appeared with a roar of his rockets as his cannons all opened fire upon him, forcing him to roll in annoyance.
"Where the frag….?" He questioned before he looked at Breakdown. "Really? You couldn't even take down one spider bot?" Fuse questioned with a roll of his optics.
Blitzwing landed, sliding along the ground as he transformed into his T-90 alt mode. He aimed a cannon at Fuse only for a familiar SUV to slam into him, sending him skidding around.
"Thanks, Bulk," Fuse said before he activated his jets and swirled around to grab the polarity gauntlet. "Ok, let's…." Fuse started to say before a webbing noise was heard.
Arcee felt the web line attach to her chassis and yank them both back as Arachnid pounced on them.
"Didn't your maker tell you to share?" Arachnid asked.
"Don't know, you can meet them," Fuse said as Arcee kicked her in the face and then blasted her away. "Ok, how does this thing work?" Fuse said before tapping a button.
He was greeted with the sound of metal flying towards them, causing him to turn only to be greeted by a trash receptacle which ended up toppling him.
"Smooth." Arcee quipped before Fuse groaned.
"Wrong… Button." Fuse said before he tapped the other one which made Arcee eject from his spine. "Cee? That work?" Fuse questioned.
"Yep," Arcee said before Blitzwing sent Bulkhead flying and burned the webbing away. "Where's Arachnid?" Arcee asked before the sound of scuttling.
"Miss me?" Arachnid asked as Fuse used his thrusters to flip to his feet.
"You have no idea," Arcee said before a hand stopped her from charging.
"How about we show the cons teamwork?" Fuse asked as Blitzwing ground his fist into his hand.
Arcee nodded before the two cons charged at them. Fuse turned in time to catch Arachnid's legs as Arcee gripped his right arm, swinging around it to dropkick Blitzwing in the face as Fuse fired his thrusters.
Arachnid slammed into his hand before he kicked her on the ground, turning to blast Blitzwing as he recovered.
"That's the problem with you Decepticons. You hate everything, you want to kill everything and frag everyone who gets in the way… Bots stick together." Fuse said before he transformed into his F-14 mode. "And I am ticked off at that stupid spider trying to kill my friend," Fuse said before flying into the air.
Fuse turned and spun before blasting away at Arachnid, forcing the Decepticon assassin to retreat as Fuse turned around.
"You can't hide behind your friends forever, Arcee," Arachnid said. "We both know what happened to the last one you tried to…" Arachnid said.
"Shut up." Arcee hissed before clicking her fingers.
"Block her out, Cee," Fuse said before turning to fire on Breakdown. "Bulkhead, can you please take down Breakdown? I'm trying to take down the others." Fuse stated.
He flew around and slammed into Blitzwing, knocking him to the soil a moment later. It was very clear that if the Triple-Changer managed to get off the ground? He would cause a very big problem for Fuse.
He turned his attention to Arachnid, firing at her which forced her away from Arcee. She paused to look up at him as a pair of doors on the underside of the Triple-Changer opened and something dropped from him.
Arcee went to dodge it only to realize what he had deployed and why he had sent it toward her. She leaped up to get it as Fuse shifted into robot mode mid-air, using his thrusters to fly back down to the ground.
Fuse was silent as he floated down in time for Breakdown to be thrown along the ground, making it very clear they had been able to hold the group off.
"I wish we had backup," Fuse said before he sighed and crossed his arms. "Ok, let's end this…" Fuse said before he dropped to the ground.
He knew every single little second that this battle continued. They would be at the mercy of the three Decepticons. They were outgunned and all of them were far more dangerous at the end of this very day.
Perhaps? They could continue to fight… But he had very odd ways to try and subvert it at the end of the day… Such was life, but he would not bow it.
He decided to land once more, preparing himself for more combat. It was clear that Blitzwing was dangerous but it was very clear he could have been dealt with for now.
He had been bored with the fight, he felt like he should not be but he was. He knew he could win; he knew how to win.
That was something he knew very well; it would not end well at all. Not at all when push came to shove at the end of the day.
He had not been able to think of how to stop a trio of Autobots, ones like this, not when he could keep fighting to deal with it now, such was life, and such would continue to be life.
He was not tired; he would not be able to relax for now. He had been able to try and be figured out once more.
Such a problem would be something that he could keep growing down at the end of the day. He would not have been willing to try and figure out something like this.
He was going to keep figuring out what his next move was before he relaxed. He would punch through the Cons, and Arcee would punch through the heads.
Bulkhead would punch through them in every single little move they made pushing them closer to that at the end of the problem.
He was going through the cons even though they stood in his way before now. He sighed for but a moment as Breakdown sent Bulkhead along the ground only for Arachnid to web Arcee and grab the Polarity Gauntlet.
Fuse turned towards her. Arachnid knew when she was beaten so she decided to flee, transforming into her alt mode, and going flying off with her prize as Fuse decided to end this.
He slammed into Blitzwing before turning him around and punching him to the ground.
"Bulkhead, Arachnid!" Fuse stated as he lifted his cannon to finish off the enemy Triple-Changer.
Blitzwing growled and kicked away from Fuse before shifting into his SU-57 form and exiting the battlefield. Fuse fired after him only for him to kick in his afterburners and vanish into the clear blue sky.
It was not cowardice and Fuse knew it, this was a tactical retreat to either gain reinforcements or because they had not a chance to win now.
Fuse cursed only to turn and watch Arachnid spin out of control, slamming into each other in a crash of metal which also detonated the fuel station as well.
It sent the three Autobots skidding back only for Fuse to fire his thrusters and arrest his momentum, using an arm to stop Arcee from being flung away.
"Did Blitzwing run away?" Arcee asked.
"There's no reason to be involved in the fight when it doesn't tactically benefit you," Fuse said before looking to Arcee.
"You did pretty well at fighting for a hothead." Fuse joked before he sighed. "Here is a question, if the Decepticons already owned a Polarity Gauntlet? What was stopping them from ground bridging out?" Fuse asked.
The two shared a look before Fuse shrugged as Arcee grabbed the Polarity Gauntlet and aimed it at the two Decepticons and pressed the magnetize button, slamming Arachnid and Breakdown together in the same faction she and Fuse were.
"Your evil, Cee," Fuse said with a chuckle as Arcee smirked. "So? We done here?" Fuse questioned.
"Yep. I need to talk to June." Arcee stated.
"Frag it. I will try and listen to this." Fuse said. "We going to have fights over being Autobots now? Because I think we worked together well." Fuse stated.
"Cee…" Bulkhead stated.
"Maybe…" Arcee said with a smirk as the two larger Autobots rolled their optics. "I am kidding. I will focus on being a team player with you more and you focus on not being a weapon." Arcee stated.
The three turned and walked away as Rachet opened a ground bridge and the trio vanished into it. Fuse cracked his knuckles and gently took the Polarity Gauntlet before offering it to Rachet.
"So, going to recharge after this?" Arcee said.
"Nope, I will spend time around the base. There is a lot to do. plus? I do not have much to do, Cee." Fuse stated before moving aside.
"Hey, Jack? I'd still like to point out how gutsy a move it was to snag a radio from someone to call us. You would be a good soldier if you were on that path." Fuse said.
"Careful, Fuse… He'll get happy to do that if you keep pushing him." Arcee stated.
"Hey, every little bit helps," Fuse stated before crossing his arms. "The most I do? The better." Fuse stated.
Fuse had been familiar with what was going on. He didn't know what the next move was going on, he hadn't been able to figure it out as he paused.
Whatever did he do? Whatever he would do next before he paused to think? He would fall silent and he would continue to relax as it came down to it.
All of his problems were to have to deal with for now as he clicked his fingers once more. He had more issues with what he needed to do and what he could prepare for now.
She hadn't been someone he found to be as interesting but it was clear with each little push that Arcee was a soldier as he did next. He hadn't been able to try and figure it out as he paused.
"June? I want to… Apologize." Arcee stated.
"Don't. I get it, you felt you weren't good enough when I tried to defend Jack… But I am sorry as well, I should have trusted you." June said.
"I would make a joke but I don't want to try and say something stupid," Fuse stated before he paused, tired and unable to do something for now, dealing with it in a manner that he could manage.
He had been too interested in the way he could have managed to relax either way. He was silent, a soldier that could and would act in his way.
"Very funny, Fuse," Arcee stated. "You're just as like that."
"Maybe, but I am a soldier, I have a lot more to try and deal with. The more I relax? the more I don't understand." Fuse stated while rubbing at his temples.
He knew what was going on, there were a lot of options he couldn't exactly cut through.
"You know, I almost want to throw a party. Then? I want to keep growing more and more exhausted." He stated.
He seemed to be dealt with for now as he clicked his fingers and then looked to the ground. What he did do next? Well, it would be plenty of fun, that much he knew.
Plus? It didn't stop making him eager to figure out what to do when the Autobots returned, Fuse would keep thinking.
He was too interested in what he would keep relaxing and then pausing to look downwards at the ground as he paused.
"So… Can we throw a party or are we just going to sit here, not knowing what's going on and trying to put it all together," Fuse stated before he clicked his fingers he seemed to keep growing.
Arcee was too interested in what he could have dealt with for now as he hummed and then paused to click his fingers before he seemed to be unsure of himself.
To be entirely fair? Fuse had little to no idea of what was going on as he hummed and awaited the return of Optimus and the others. It was going to be a fairly long wait and he knew about it all too well.
(Aboard the Nemesis)
Blitzwing was sent skidding across the length of the bridge. Megatron advanced upon him, fury in his optics as he did so.
"I asked you to reclaim the Polarity Gauntlet so it may have been safeguarded… And you return EMPTY HANDED?" Megatron growled.
"They outmatched us, Lord Megatron!" Blitzwing stated as Megatron frowned.
"You are supposed to be an elite asset to my forces, Blitzwing. It was why I ordered Shockwave to transform your chassis into that of a Triple-Changer. Do you know how hard it is to create a helix T-Cog?" Megatron asked.
"To be fair, Lord Megatron. Blitzwing had zero way of knowing who would show up. It could have been Optimus himself if anything." Knockout said.
"And if it was? I have told you ALL not to attempt to engage him!" Megatron hissed. "Where is Breakdown? I have already had to endure one failure from him. I will not endure repeated failures for incompetence." Megatron stated.
There was the sound of clanking as the Decepticon enforcer approached. Blitzwing shuffled off to the side, content to let his ally suffer the full brunt of their lord's ire. It would be far too amusing to see another punished for their failure against their commander.
Still? He could not entirely blame him for failure, Blitzwing knew that Breakdown had already endured one failure which had cost him his eye.
"Breakdown… Here to share your failure?" Megatron hissed only for Breakdown to turn. "Ah, I see you have NOT returned empty-handed," Megatron stated.
"It's good to be back, Lord Megatron," Arachnid said as Megatron huffed.
"Leave and remove her from his chassis," Megatron ordered as the trio of Decepticons left. "Soundwave? I must thank you for NOT failing me. Your distraction on the humans and Autobots was most brilliant… And allowed me to gain Octane's pod while the humans focused their efforts on attempting to gain something else."
Megatron was aware the attack on the American fleet could have been worse but it would have also been him tipping his hand. Trying to kill the Autobots was one matter and one he could have been dealing with purely and utterly.
However? Humans were still a threat to his army and he knew well enough that if he did not act against these threats to his army? He'd probably end up with their failure sooner or later.
Their failures… Not his, for he knew at the end of the day what was to occur, what was to happen if he didn't take them down and fast.
Yes, the second he was going on the next part of the path. He was going to lose it sooner or later but not before he ripped the humans apart for now.
They held such a problem that he could deal with it at the end of the day, he knew more and more about each little problem.
All he did was push himself further and further and further from what he could have been dealing with and what needed to be dealt with next time before it came down to it.
Author Notes
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out that the next chapter will be in 2-10 months and will be 900-6500 words along with showing the next episode and setting up Sandstorm helping the team and such. Until then, Lighting Wolf is out!