Episode One
Location: Somewhere in the United States
Timedate: 27th April 2018
The sun had already started to sink away into the horizon, bringing with it the fall of day and the rising shadow of night, as the desert-like landscape was bathed in an immense glow of reddish-pink. Hiding out while still slowly strolling along the terrain were two averagely large mechanical animal-like beings, one resembling a mighty panther and the other resembling a vast predatory bird, both of which in colours of white, cyan, magenta, and indigo and with eyes of glowing red.
Just then, a light started rhythmically flashing from a device attached to the bird's back, accompanied by a synchronised beeping. The avian mech picked up the device with the claws of one of its wings and clicked on the button, ceasing both the beeping and the flashing. The device then projected a small bright-blue screen that flickered and pixelated before the resolution became clear enough. The screen itself showed nothing more than a single bright-red circular eye glowing right in the centre of darkness, almost completely still yet utterly devoid of any comprehensible expression.
"Clones, report", the 'eye' spoke, its voice was low, emotionless, and remotely male.
"Wingstun here", the bird responded, his voice was soft yet stern in tone.
"And Pounce", as did the feline, his voice rough and emphasising the 'P'.
"Good, I happen to have an important mission for you", the eye continued. "Recently, I have been detecting a pattern of signals coming from within the vast human settlement of Charter City not too far from your current location. Logically, I suggest you find your way there and uncover the exact source. This could prove very potential".
"We can do that for you, boss", Wingstun nodded.
"Yeah", Pounce rubbed his claws against the dusty ground. "Even if we have to get our paws dirty to do so".
"With the city's population and technology that almost rivals ours, I strongly suggest keeping a low profile..." The eye advised, much to Pounce's disappointment. "...for now".
"Very well then", Wingstun replied. "What else?"
"Just that these signals had peaked my interest", the eye noted. "Once you have managed to find out the source of this anomaly, report back to me as soon as you are able to. Over and out".
The screen flickered then went out, the device itself switching off entirely. And with that, Wingstun put away the device behind his back again before he stretched and fluttered his wings in preparation.
"Do we always really have to do anything and everything that old Shock-bot tells us to?" Pounce huffed.
"He did create us, made us who and what we are", Wingstun reminded. "And as long as he, and we, still function, the true Decepticon cause will still continue to function as well. Now let's transform and head out".
The Decepticon Clones transformed into their vehicular modes, Wingstun turned into a luxury car of sorts, while Pounce turned into a military helicopter, both of sleek hi-tech futuristic design. They soon found a road nearby and headed on their way to Charter City.
Later that night, elsewhere in the United States, a red and white dragster-esque car with a black spoiler soared along a seemingly endless stretch of road within a vast array of coniferous trees. Its engines roared a deep rev that would've disturbed the otherwise silent peaceful tranquility of the forest and even shook the very ground itself. The trees swung and swayed from side to side as the car kept rushing on by one by one, doppled by its effect.
Up above and close behind the car was a red and white VTOL jet fighter with black wings and tail-fins gliding through the air, smoothly if not gracefully. Ironically or not, it was somehow much more quieter than the car below, its engines letting out a fiery whistle at best or at least. While managing to remain on an altitude higher than that of the tallest treetop, the jet continued to follow the car wherever it'd go and whichever direction it'd go.
"Still having fun down there, Fastlane?" The jet spoke, a somewhat mature yet still slightly youthful male voice.
"One can never have enough fun, Cloudraker", the car spoke back, a notably lighter and brasher male voice. "Besides, why we even out here again anyway? Shouldn't we be working alongside the likes of Sideswipe, Bumblebee, and Optimus slaggin' Prime?"
"Just a standard lookout for any more Decepticon escapees", Cloudraker reminded. "And you're really obsessed with those 'Bots in particular, aren't you?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Fastlane retorted. "Many, many, many, many stellar-cycles ago, they managed to pull off a prison breakout in Kaon all by themselves. You and I were there, right big bro?"
"Yes, we were there, little bro", Cloudraker admitted. "Mostly because you couldn't keep your revs quiet for even a single nanocycle".
"Not exactly my fault that Kaon happened to have a neat variety of ramps and platforms that could rival those in Velocitron", Fastlane excused. He couldn't help himself as usual. "If only this planet had just as much".
"We have been informed about how the humans value safety above all else", Cloudraker addressed. "Well, most humans anyway". Just then, a rhythmic beep went off in both the Autobots' nav systems. "And it seems we've just picked up a signal right now, two to be exact. About a thousand megametres up west by northwest".
"You think it could our old pals, Pounce and Wingstun?" Fastlane guessed.
"May very well be", Cloudraker responded. "It's likely they may've detected us in return as well, so let's keep a safe enough distance until we can determine where they might be heading to".
"Any ideas on such?" Fastlane questioned.
"My guess would be about as good as yours", Cloudraker admitted. "For now, let's roll on out".
The Autobot Clones continued on their way through the forest-side road, even once they've made it through and out into the open plains. Up ahead was a green and white sign standing perfectly still, just on the left side of the road, in such read the name of a particular city.
Location: Charter City, United States
Timedate: 4th May 2018
Some time had passed since the Doomsday Clock event, and even with Malcolm Kane and the Tech Men seemingly defeated, the Flex Fighters were still portrayed by the mass mainstream media as fugitives. All thanks to the man they once worked for and trusted even.
Our heroes rode in a white and red ambulance, sharply turning around a corner with a unsettling screech, while being pursued by the enclosing sound of sirens, a few police cars and a single dark-blue armoured van. Behind the steering wheel was the red-haired Erika Violette, and sitting next to her was the green-supersuit-wearing Nathan Park, aka Wingspan. Erika kept a sweaty yet tight enough grip on the wheel itself, even with her arms shaking especially after having to adjust to her newfound powers, while Nathan held one hand onto the seat he was on with one hand and the other on Erika's shoulder.
"Do we even know where we're going?" Erika frantically asked Nathan.
"Away from these people, that's for sure", Nathan responded to Erika before he turned his verbal attention to someone else through the window behind him. "How's she back there?"
Inside the back of the ambulance were three other suited superheroes gathered around an unconscious dark-haired woman laying still and silent on an emergency stretcher bed, all of which slightly swung and swayed around and about with every turn of direction and change of speed the vehicle made. First of whom would be the blond-haired blue-supersuit-wearing Jake Armstrong, aka Stretch Armstrong, holding onto the stretcher bed into place as much as he could with both hands. The second individual was the violet-haired Riya Dashti, aka Blindstrike, donned in a dull-silver armoured suit, and holding her helmet within her left arm while still gripping to the bed with her right hand just as tightly as Jake.
"Hopefully still with us", Jake replied to Nathan.
"We still don't know for sure if Doctor Cleo would even dying from whatever that gas was or just simply knocked out from it", Blindstrike added. "For now, we just need to get back to our mobile base and find somewhere safe enough to settle down her and ourselves".
"And we better find such a place fast and sooner", said by the third member of the Flex Fighting team, the bulky red-supersuit-wearing Ricardo Perez, aka Omni-Mass, as he crouched firmly by the backdoors of the ambulance.
"How close are the authorities gaining on us?" Stretch asked.
Omni-Mass turned around and took a good long peak through the door windows, his breath running mild against the glass. Up ahead, or rather behind, the armoured van rattled and inched even closer to the ambulance than it already was, as a few police cars tried to catch up beside it. Just then, one of the van's doors opened up before a familiar face came out into view, or at least half a human face with eyes piercing with fury along with dark short hair blustering under the velocity and cold steel mechanical hands clutching onto the door. She barely even seemed human at all anymore, physically and mentally too.
"Eehhh, close enough I would say", Omni-Mass scratched the back of his helmeted head nervously.
"Close enough is much more than enough for me", Blindstrike commented.
"And not only that", Omni-Mass continued before taking a short inhale and adding. "She's back yet again and is after us right now".
"Wha- She? Who?" Stretch stammered and questioned before stumbling over to look out the window as well.
"Her", Omni-Mass pointed at the the figure just emerging out from behind the open van door.
"Mechanica", Stretch immediately recognised.
"And she still has it in for us", Omni-Mass added.
Hanging off the side of the van with one hand, Mechanica produced a cannon from her arm and aimed towards the ambulance, grinning while doing so. As soon as they spotted this, Stretch's and Omni-Mass' eyes widened behind their visors. Instantly, the two stumbled back from the doors and into their previous places again. Knowing something was about to get very, very wrong, the equally wide-eyed Erika leaned forth and wrapped her arms and body around the comatose Dr C like a human shield, bracing herself for just about anything.
"Erika?!" Stretch called out with increased panic in his voice. "We're about to get fired at!"
Hearing just that nearly struck the already uneased Blindstrike into a state of frozen shock. Glimpsing at the sideview mirror beside to see what seemed to be a cyborg woman perching on the armoured van and charging up an arm cannon only helped in confirming this further. Soon enough, Mechanica fired off her first bolt of intense energy at the ambulance, forcing Blindstrike to turn the wheel and shift the vehicle to the left. They managed to barely miss the blast, which instead knocked down a lamppost far up ahead.
Grunting at this, Mechanica fired away an array of short yet less intense blasts at the fugitive vigilantes within the ambulance that continued to sway heavily from side to side, some still missing the moving target while a couple only left a few scraps at best or worst. One even made a massive crack on the backdoor window, nearly hitting Omni-Mass, while another knocked off the viewing mirror at Erika's side. Looking ahead, Wingspan spotted a sign of bold yellow and black beside the road saying, 'CAUTION: BRIDGEWAY UNDER RECONSTRUCTION'.
"Erika, full speed ahead", Wingspan pointed forth.
"Full what? You nuts?" Erika quickly realised just what Nathan was thinking.
"What nuts? What are you gonna do?" Stretch immediately heard and asked as he moved over to the front side, peering through the small window between Wingspan and Erika.
"Wingspan here wants me to drive off a bridge that isn't even finished!" Erika accused.
As he took this in, Stretch also glanced the warning sign as it passed on by, or rather they passed by it. "That's really your idea?" Stretch questioned Wingspan.
"Yup, that's exactly the idea", Wingspan blatantly answered.
Hearing this, Stretch suddenly figured out what this could mean. His face, once pale-skinned and wide-eyed with stress and pressure, eventually turned stern and furrowed. He figured out the opportunity that could of this, and did not dare to miss it.
"Go for it, Erika", Stretch spoke in a more stoic tone.
"Wha- You serious?" Erika said, slightly more flabbergasted by this sudden change of attitude, from the team leader himself of all people.
"Erika", Stretch reached forth to place a faithful hand on Erika's shoulder. "If you could not only master your powers, but also use them for good, you can do this. I know how to get us out of this". He formed a subtle smile with his lips. "Trust me, because I'm trusting you".
"We're trusting you", Wingspan added as he too smiled and put his own hand upon Erika's shoulder.
Deep down, Erika knew how much of a truth that might actually be. For some time, ever since she had made incidental contact with the Flexarium, Erika had been afraid of herself, afraid of what she could've caused with her powers, afraid of what she would've become if she ever used them. But just knowing that these true heroes, the closest people she could call friends, are there to help in guiding her along the way.
Reaffirming her grip on the steering wheel, Erika briefly closed her eyes and took a deep breath before exhaling in confidence and opening up her eyes again, now turned just as determined and confident. Pressing down her foot hard on the accelerator, Erika went for it and sped up the ambulance, knocking aside a few metal fences and orange cones on the roadway itself. The very end of the bridge inching closer and closer at every speeding second, not that this deterred Erika as it initially did, even with the military van and police car escorts still in pursuit, and with Mechanica still blasting and firing while not knowing immediately where they'd be heading to.
Before long, the partially damaged ambulance containing the Flex Fighters rammed its way the very edge of the bridge, launching into the air and eventually plummeting downward into the ravine below. Suddenly seeing this, Mechanica pulled back her cannon and held on tight while the driver stamped his foot on the brake pedal, causing the van itself to screech with smoking types, as if in agonising pain, before it just ceased to its side near the end of the unfinished bridge. Hopping off the van, Mechanica walked over until her feet were just on the edge, then she stared long and deep into the vast and mostly dark area below, carefully scanning the whole perimetre, only find no sign of any life at all. She slammed her roboticised fist down with grinding frustration.
Watching and peering down at all this, perched on top of a dimly lit building, were a large mechanical cat and bird of white, cyan, and purple.
To be continued...