Rated: M for adult themes: language, violence, mental rape, character death, mech erotica, torture, gore, and suicidal ideation. This varies from chapter to chapter, so read at your own risk.

Important Note: I started this series of fics before Revenge of the Fallen hit the theaters. This is an A.U. 2007 movie verse fic, NOT a ROTF/DOTM/AE/LK/BB or whatever follows fic.

Disclaimer: The only thing I own in this work of complete fiction is Velocity/Sira and Hardcore. They are mine. Everything else is copyrighted and owned by some really rich people. I make no money from this but wish I could.

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Full Velocity: Apocalypse Code

Chapter One: The Devil's Deal

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The roan snorted a warning, throwing his head in the air and tossing his mane. Jerome Smith tightened his grip on the reigns and yanked the skittish beast into submission. Tying the reins, he secured his horse to the tree and walked away to join the others.

The former DOD agent turned his collar against the Canadian chill. The United States lay in ruins, with no electricity, almost no clean water, production and supply lines decimated, the most advanced nation reduced to less than third-world status. As Autumn slid into Winter, millions more people would die from starvation and hyperthermia.

Jerome disagreed with this; it went against everything he believed and everything Earth-4-Humans preached. At the same time, he did not want to see more people; more Americans die because of the Cybertronians. The Autobots proved impotent against the Decepticons' ongoing EMP attack. Oh, Optimus Prime tried. He spread his Autobots across the continent, supposedly helping the survivors and locating the disruptors. As of yet, only small pockets had been cleared, and almost nothing had returned to normal. If this meeting went well, if a deal was struck, perhaps they could end this plunge into primitive chaos. Then, they could focus on getting rid of the mechanoid infestation.

"I told you not to pick the roan; that damn horse is easily startled, and when the Decepticon arrives, it will probably be gone, and you will have to walk back."

Everyone in the group laughed as they checked their weapons. The DOD agent had difficulties with the beast nearly every step of this trip, and if horses weren't so valuable now, he would shoot it when they returned to their base camp.

"Shut up," Jerome grumbled, his ass saddle sore from fifteen miles of riding to escape the Dead Zone of the United States. Heading to the fire to warm his hands, the former agent scanned the rag-tag group. High-ranking members from several pro-human organizations banded together to unify their groups and create a cohesive front against the aliens. "How long before this asshole gets here?'

Marcus checked his watch, an old timepiece of gears and springs the man religiously wound once a day. "Anytime now. I doubt it cares if it is punctual."

Starting water and dehydrated stew over the fire, the men settled around to wait. As the night closed around them, a forlorn owl hooted to its mate. They ate, their spoons scraping the bottoms of their bowls all too quickly, food was a necessity few had anymore, and those that could secure regular meals learned to live with less, a lot less.

The stars began to turn overhead, and Jerome wondered if this crazy scheme should be best left alone. He had seen what the aliens could do and the beasts they kept as pets. He walked among them for several months, assigned to the Autobot base near Tranquility, Nevada. Training with the military group watching over the aliens, he learned their weaknesses and what areas to shoot. He had taught the men around him and shared his knowledge with anyone who wanted it.

A jet roared above them, low enough to whip the treetops encircling their clearing. Everyone jumped up, their weapons in their hands. The F-22 banked and turned back their direction; overhead, the Decepticon transformed and dropped in the meadow.

Marcus held up his hand, signaling everyone to hold their fire. The Decepticon calmly observed them. Taller than even Optimus Prime, this Cybertronian blocked out the stars above, his features highlighted by the full moon.

"Starscream." Called Marcus, serving as defacto leader, Jerome let the man take charge in this situation.

The Decepticon tipped his head to the side and sighed dramatically. "Thank you for meeting me outside of the – what do you call it? The Dead Zone. I am more comfortable not there." He waved his hand, dismissing the death and damage his kind created. To Jerome, the haughty words told volumes. The Dead Zone also affected the Cybertronians, it took some of their tech offline, but no one knew which tech and to what extent.

The men glanced at each other, but Marcus strolled forward. "Can you end the continuous EMP?"

Starscream appeared bored, "Of course, but why would I?" Then his optics brightened, a proverbial light bulb. "I have an idea. How about you neutralize Optimus Prime, and I tell you how to stop the pulse." The mechanoid's facial plates split into a crocodile grin.

"Why would we do that?" Paul called out. "So, we get rid of the Prime, so what?"

The Decepticon crossed his arms over his chest. "Soooooo," he hissed. "Without the Prime, the Autobots won't have a reason to stay on Earth. It is his will that keeps them here. Once they leave, we Decepticons do not need to stay on this insignificant world. You kill the Prime, I give you the code, the Autobots leave, and the Decepticons leave." Starscream spread his hands to show how easy the plan was.

Jerome saw a major problem in the easy plan. "How do we kill Optimus Prime? I have seen videos of him in battle; a dozen opponents barely slow him down."

Kneeling, Starscream laid his hand, palm up, on the ground. A light flickered and swirled from it. "The Prime has a weakness we have not been able to exploit yet." The light coalesced into an image. Before the men stood an unknown Cybertronian, delicate and fragile in appearance. Brilliantly clad red and copper, she spun in the Decepticon's palm. "Optimus has a bondmate. Kill her, and you kill him."

The men glanced at each other before a few snickers traveled through the small group. "If this was so easy, why haven't you done it? Why haven't you targeted this," Marcus waved his hand at the hologram.

Starscream reared back, snapping off the image as he curled his fingers into a fist. "Because we just found out," he snapped. "Trust me, Decepticons do not bond; the connection weakens both. If one is terminated, the other will also perish. They are two halves of a whole." The Decepticon's biting words stifled any humor. "The Prime's mate is small and lacks heavy armor. Her defenses are few, but she is fast and agile. Target her, and the Prime will fall. Then and only then will you have your nation back." Jumping into the air, the Decepticon transformed into a jet and shot into the night.

Jerome watched the alien fly north, a dark shape moving across the night sky. "So how do we find this Autobot?"

Marcus lit up a cigarette, the cherry glowing softly. He exhaled, blowing smoke into the sky. "When we get back, we will send the word out with our riders. A bounty should do the trick."

"You make this sound like the old west," chuckled Paul slinging his M-16 over his shoulder.

"Isn't it," Marcus retorted, taking another drag off his cigarette.

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Author's Note:

Apocalypse Code will continue in 2023