Trials, Tribulations, and Transformations
XVII - I'm On My Way
Deep Space - May 7th, 2011
Just past the edge of Earth's solar system, a small starship made its way at a tremendous speed. A starship of Autobot design.
Good thing this baby has an emergency Energon reserve. Should be more than enough to make it to Earth.
The moment Wheeljack had received the encrypted Autobot transmission calling for reinforcements, after some serious thought, he postponed his exploration endeavor and made a mad rush for Earth.
Team Prime must be in a bad way if Optimus Prime is sending out a call for reinforcements, through an encrypted message no less.
Punching a few command keys on the ship's main console, a page pulled up on its screen showing a set of time in Cybertronian text, which reads the estimated time of arrival.
Wheeljack shrugged. "Two earth days huh? Not too bad, only took seven solar cycles to get this far, another two will be a breeze."
Wheeljack craned his head upward to observe a red disc-like device attached to his ship's roof.
Wheeljack grimaced. Just hope the cloaker I whipped up will do the trick. Can't have 'Cons pouncing on me again and replace me with another knock off.
Wheeljack looked forward, seeing a massive planet coming up. A pale yellow gas giant with a hint of orange and a great ring around its middle.
Saturn. I think that's what the humans call it.
Suddenly, a sharp chime could be heard and a red blip was shown on the main console's radar. It took less than a klik for Wheeljack to register what it was.
"An Autobot signal? In this part of space? Impossible."
Wheeljack executed a command on the main console, expanding the ship's sensors in order to determine the stats of the signal in order to confirm if it is a Decepticon trick or not.
"Let me see…"
The only sound that could be heard was the gentle hum of the starship's engine and the whirring of the main console's processor as it traced and scanned the signal.
Scan complete, the main console read.
Alright, now let's see...hey...that data signature looks awfully familiar and it's definitely Autobot. I'd better cross-reference it with the Autobot logs.
Wheeljack pulled out a datapad and pulled up a log in reference to Autobot data signatures. Scrolling down to the signal on his radar, with a digit, he opened up its stats to confirm the identity of its owner.
Wheeljack's optics shot open. No way. It really is him! After all this time!
Wheeljack then heard a soft alarm. He looked to see that the Autobot signal was showing signs of damage, its life signal steadily approaching the red.
He's hurt. I gotta move! It might be 'Cons!
On one of Saturn's many moons, there laid a smoldering wreckage of an small ship, an escape pod, or what was left of it after it crash landed. However, it was not due to malfunction. No, it was deliberately shot down.
The passenger of said escape pod was attempting to crawl away with his one good arm as his left arm was missing or more accurately, it had been ripped off. Ripped off at the shoulder and now dangling from the grip of the same Decepticon who was towering over him, alongside his partner.
"Where is Optimus Prime?" said a deep female voice. It belonged to a Decepticon, a fembot, one of the few triple-corners among the Decepticons and of a dark red finish. "We know that he was planning to establish a base in this star system. And we know that you received an encrypted message. And the fact you received it solar cycles ago and were wasting no time getting somewhere in this part of space, I can guess your destination as well as this base cannot be far. Now, where is he?"
The Autobot turned over onto his back to face his captors. He was heavily-built with a mounted microscope-cannon on his right shoulder. He had a black helm, a blue visor over his right eye, along with a light-blue and red color scheme.
Glaring at his captors, the Autobot said in a British accent, "My name is Perceptor. I am Chief Mechanic of the Autobots and Honorary Member of the Wreckers. My safe return will be consid-"
But Perceptor did not have time to finish before the blue Decepticon triple-former who took his arm wielded a serrated blade and thrust it into the mechanic's chassis.
Perceptor cried out in pain. The blade was dangerously close to his spark chamber and he knew it.
"Wrong answer," the red Decepticon singsonged. "If you at least encrypt the message for us, we'll let you live."
"My name is Perceptor, Mecha-AGGH!" He cried out as the blue Decepticon twisted his blade.
And then the sound of static could be heard but it was not ordinary static, not if you're a Cybertronian.
The two Decepticons slowly turned to look at each other.
Perceptor looked up at his captors, his filled with apprehension. "N-no," he rasped.
"That signal belongs to Optimus Prime," the red Decepticon said.
"Can you trace it?" the blue Decepticon asked.
"Already did."
The red Triple-former then stood stock still before arming her blaster. "Dropkick, be on guard."
The one called Dropkick immediately, but not too gently, pulled out his sword and replaced it with a blaster.
Both 'Cons were on the defensive, blasters ready.
"What's going on Shatter?" Dropkick asked.
"The signal belonging to the Wrecker known as Wheeljack is right on top of us but I can't see him. He must be using a cloaking device."
"Are you saying that there is a Wrecker on this moon right now?! And it's Terror Jack?!"
"He is. I'm certain of it," Shatter said, not taking her eyes off the horizon.
"Then you'd better flee while you still can," Perceptor said darkly.
Dropkick stomped on Preceptor's torso, right on the wound he just now inflicted. Perceptor managed to stifle his screams, he simply groaned in pain.
Amidst Perceptor's pained groans, steady beeping could be heard, just where the Decepticons were standing. They looked down to see a grenade rolling slowly and coming to a stop right beside them. It was armed and it's beeping was getting faster.
Dropkick and Shatter immediately took to their heels, ran to a safe distance, threw themselves on the ground, and covered their heads, waiting for the sound of an explosion that never came.
The beeping had stopped but no explosion occurred. What was heard however was the sound of raucous laughter.
The Decepticons stood up and saw that it is Wheeljack, who walking towards them but stopped to pick the grenade that did not detonate. Perceptor was lying right behind, his fellow Wrecker clearly shielding him from anymore harm.
Wheeljack stopped laughing and his face became serious, dead serious. "You 'Cons have one chance to leave quietly or you both die."
Dropkick sneered but Shatter simply chuckled. "We can make a quick escape before you even have a chance to open fire on us. And once we're gone, it won't be long before all of Gigantion comes crashing down upon you and your Autobot friends on earth."
Wheeljack frowned, dropping the grenade. Perceptor was fearful and deeply shaken.
"You knew?" Wheeljack asked dryly.
"Naturally," Dropkick said smugly. "We need only a moment to contact our brethren and the moment we do, they'll bridge an army to the planet that Prime is stationed on and we'll burn the whole planet to cinders."
None spoke. Wheeljack glared at the Decepticons as though his look would melt them. Perceptor laid on his back, crushed and feeling defeated at last.
"You know I can't let you do that," Wheeljack said.
"And just how do you plan to stop us?" Dropkick asked grinning evilly.
"Like this," Wheeljack said as he pressed a switch on a remote mounted on his wrist.
In the fraction of a second, a terrible crash was heard, followed by a dust cloud caused by the great impact from right where the Decepticons were standing. Wheeljack shielded himself and his friend from the wave of moon dust that shrouded them.
"What...what happened?!" Perceptor cried out.
"You'll see in a klik," Wheeljack answered.
As the dust cleared, there was no sign of the Decepticons anywhere. It was as if they vanished into thin air. But it appears that a sizable crater had appeared right where they once stood.
"Wheeljack, what...what did you do?" Perceptor asked.
"Remember that cloaking device that you made back before we left Cybertron?"
"Yes, but-oh," Perceptor began but then realized mid-sentence what his fellow Wrecker was saying. "I see. You modified it in order to cloak your ship and you dropped it right on their foolish heads, effectively crushing them to death."
Wheeljack smirked as he pressed a switch on the same remote he used and deactivated the cloaking technology, thus revealing his starship, the Jackhammer, right in the crater, right on top where the two Decepticons once stood.
"Quite impressive my friend," Perceptor said.
"Thank you, now let's get you onboard so I can close up that wound…and find your missing arm."
Wheeljack lifted his fellow Wrecker to his feet and very gradually walked him over to his ship.
"Much obliged but you're not a doctor."
"No but I have a medkit and basic medical training. Ratchet can fix you up once we arrive on earth."
Perceptor blinked. "Ratchet? The good doctor is on earth?"
"You better believe it," Wheeljack chuckled. "That ol' rustbucket is still kicking."
"Who else is there may I ask?"
"You may indeed. There's Arcee, Bumblebee and that old wrecking ball Bulkhead."
"Bulkhead." Perceptor could almost weep. "If that brute requires aid, then it's a good thing their message reached us."
"I hear ya."
"And Bumblebee? His voice…?" Perceptor trailed off forebodingly.
Wheeljack frowned. "Still damaged."
Perceptor sighed sorrowfully. "Poor fellow. To lose his voice in such a barbaric manner."
"No kidding. Maybe you can help him?"
"I'm a mechanic Wheeljack, not a physician. My medical skills are practical at best."
"Nothing at all you can do? You're a genius from what I heard."
Perceptor was sheepish. "Well...perhaps I can take a look, but I'll need both arms for that."
"Right."
Later…
"That should do it...for now."
Perceptor opened and closed the fist of his newly attached arm, which was in a bound in a steel tourniquet. "Not too shabby my friend. However, I don't think this will serve as a permanent fix."
"At least I sealed the Energon leak."
"Of course. Thank you friend."
Wheeljack have a dismissive wave of his hand. "Wreckers gotta stick together."
"Here here."
"Now then," Wheeljack said as he headed back to his seat in the pilot station. "Time to head out."
And then a loud beeping emanated from his ship's computer. When Wheeljack saw what it was, his spark seemed to lurch in his chassis.
No way.
"Another Autobot signal...two of them...no three...no, I don't believe it! EIGHT! Eight Autobot signals and they're coming in fast!"
"By the AllSpark!" Perceptor exclaimed. "Can you identify them?"
"I'll need to get in range and activate the cloaker in case it's a Con trick. Strap yourself in Percy, now! It's gonna be bumpy!"
With that, the Jackhammer disappeared once more and took off. In mere moments, the ship's thrusters went full blast and rocketed off the moon, leaving behind two ruined, garnished heaps of what used to be Decepticons.
In the crater where they were crushed and left for dead, the broken digit of the Decepticon known as Shatter twitched.
"He...he...lp...heeeelp m….help us…"
"Boys, we got a bogie incoming."
"I don't see anything Blaster, just some unspecified planet and a few moons."
"No Jazz, my sensors detect a starship coming at us. It's cloaked but I can detect its mass, and it's coming in fast."
"Do these escape pods have weapons?"
"'Fraid not Sideswipe. These babies are built for speed and evasion," Jazz said grimly.
"Blaster, it might be Autobot. Can you identify them?"
"I'll need a klik here Sunny," Blaster said, the sound of his sensory instruments processing coming in through the commlink.
"It's Sunstreaker please."
"Sure, sure. Now let's s-"
"Hello! Who's there?" a new voice sounded out.
"JACKIE?! Is that you?!"
"Blaster? You old sound system! Where've you been?!"
"Wheeljack?! Since when does the Jackhammer have a cloaking device?"
"JAZZ?! You too?!"
"Hey hey hey Jackie boy. Good to hear that you haven't blown yourself up for good."
"Daw, I've gotten better with the tinkering, just ask Percy."
"He's not entirely wrong."
"Hey Perceptor! What's shaking?"
"Hello Blaster. Are you well?"
A hearty chuckle was heard over the comm. "I feel like a million credits! You?"
"Just had my arm ripped off but Wheeljack reattached it for me. Other than that, I am fairly exemplary."
"Sheesh. I assume Jackie nailed the Cons that did it?"
"You better believe it. Dropped the Jackhammer right on their heads, literally. Crushed them flat!"
"Nice."
"Hey Blaster!"
"Yeah?"
"The Jackhammer is detecting four Autobot signals in your pod. What's that about?"
"Haha. Got me some symbiote subordinates, in the form of Minicons."
"Really now? Just like-"
"Don't. Say. Soundwave," Blaster said, suddenly hostile.
"W-whoa." Wheeljack was no stranger to hostility, even from Autobots, but never from Blaster, a friend and fellow Wrecker who's notorious for being so fun-loving and friendly.
The sound of one sighing in regret was heard. "I'm sorry Wheeljack. Being compared to that sorry excuse for a sound system, it doesn't sit well with me...but that's no excuse for snapping,"
"Don't sweat it. So...you gonna introduce me to your pen pals?"
"They're in power down, it's been a long trip. I'll introduce ya when we reach earth."
"Hey, don't leave us out of the convo'!"
"Cool it Sideswipe, no one's leaving you out," Jazz said.
"Sideswipe?"
"Hey Percy, good to hear from you. Hey Wheeljack."
"Hey Swipes, how are your piloting skills?"
"As good as yours I'm sure."
"Hey Terror Jack, what's up?"
There was a pause in communications before Wheeljack broke the silence.
"Who's this?"
Hearty laughter was heard. "I beat you in drag racing back in Crystal City."
"Crystal City? Sunstreaker?!"
"The one and only."
"I thought you were dead."
"Well, he's not Jackie," Sideswipe said. "We still have the same Spark bond, and my spark rings true with him so he's no imposter."
"Good to know. I'd hate for another shapeshifter to get the drop on Team Prime again."
Jazz recoiled slightly. "Shapeshifter? That wouldn't be Makeshift by any chance?"
"The very same. Starscream said as much when he took me captive and sent in that cheap knockoff."
"Starscream huh? So you made contact with Prime?" Jazz asked.
"Sure did. The message he sent is the real deal."
"Who's with him?" Sideswipe asked.
"There's Ratchet of course."
Jazz laughed out loud. "That ol' Rustbucket! How's he doing? Still got that wrench?"
"Sunshine's as charming as ever and yes, much to my discomfort, he's still got 'the wrench.'"
The collective sound of hearty laughter boomed throughout the interior of Jazz's escape pod and he joined in gladly.
After almost a full minute, Jazz managed to get over himself before inquiring further. "Anyone else Jackie?"
"Bulkhead of course."
"Ah, that ol' Wrecking Ball!"
"And there's our resident scout Bumblebee."
"Ha! We get to see our ro-bro again!" Sideswipe cried.
"Chill Swipes," Sunstreaker groaned.
"And last but not least, our favorite two-wheeler Arcee."
"Arcee," Jazz said. "Is she ok?
Wheeljack seemed to understand the covert expert's question but treaded carefully, as he knew full well how close Jazz and Cliffjumper were.
He'll be devastated...but better if I tell him than for Arcee. Cliff was her partner after all.
"She's seemed to have gotten over losing Tailgate. And she's as steely and sassy as ever."
"Good to hear. Did she tell you what happened to Cliff? Y'know? Cliffjumper? Last I heard, he paired off with her and then they both disappeared."
There was no reply.
"Jackie?" Jazz said.
He was confused at first by Wheeljack's hesitation but then in less than a second, his Energon ran cold when a terrible realization occurred to him.
"Cliff's dead isn't he?" Jazz asked but he hoped to the Maker that Wheeljack wouldn't actually answer him.
"Yes," Wheeljack said regretfully. "I'm afraid he is."
Jazz felt strength leave him and his Spark felt like it would feel. "No," he said despairingly. "Not Cliff."
The sound of soft sobbing was heard over the commlink.
"Sideswipe? You ok?"
"It's...it's not true. It can't. Not Cliffjumper," Sideswipe said through choking sobs.
"Bro…" Sunstreaker said. "It's gonna be ok."
Sideswipe ignored his twin.
"Who did it Wheeljack?! Who did Cliff in?!"
"No idea. I only heard he was ambushed by Cons when he went Energon hunting."
"Cowards."
"I hear ya Sideswipe but we should be focusing on helping Prime right now rather than look for revenge," Jazz said.
Sideswipe sighed sorrowfully. "How many of our boys have to die before we actually get some results?"
"We knew what we were getting ourselves into Swipes," Blaster said. "And so did Cliff."
"The least we can do is make his sacrifice count brother," Sunstreaker said. "That's what Cliff would want."
"Yeah, you're right. I just...I just can't believe it."
"I hear ya, he was always the first to charge into battle," Jazz said, trying his hardest to be strong for his fellow soldiers.
"Arcee," Sunstreaker said sorrowfully. "Losing Tailgate was bad enough but now Cliffjumper too?"
"Oh scrap, I didn't think of that," Sideswipe exclaimed, mentally kicking himself.
"Indeed," Perceptor said. "The immensity of her loss must've been overwhelming for her. If this is how we feel, then what about her? Cliffjumper was her partner, her second partner, and now he's gone as well."
There was a moment of silence among the Autobots. A moment of silence for mourning the loss of their friend Cliffjumper and for the well-being of Arcee.
"Then we will be there for her," Jazz said determinedly. "For all of them, Cliffjumper would do the same for us."
"Totally," Sideswipe said.
"I motion we take a moment of silence, a moment of remembrance, say some words...for our dearly departed Cliffjumper," Perceptor said steadily, but those present could hear the anguish in his voice.
"I second that," Jazz said.
"The Cons will be in for it now once we make it to earth," Sunstreaker said with a hint of danger in his voice.
"You better believe it," Wheeljack said. "Megatron is gonna have call in some really big guns to turn the tables on us now. And boy oh boy is Miko gonna flip when she sees you guys."
"Careful what ya wish for Jackie boy," Blaster exclaimed. "Careful what ya wish f-hey now...who's Miko?"
"Who's Miko?" Wheeljack chuckled. "Where do I start?"
Earth - Undisclosed Location
On a vast, open countryside, many, many miles from civilization, there stood, shrouded by forest, a farmhouse that has been abandoned for some time. Abandoned due to the fact the people who owned this farm could not follow up on the demand of its produce and livestock, thus they were forced to close down their business and sell it, much to their displeasure.
That was more than two years ago. Since then the farmland which was thought to be abandoned, as far as society knew, continued to be put to use, but for more sinister, darker purposes.
In the main building of the farm, a large red warehouse - its color steadily fading due to lack of maintenance - the shadow group known as MECH were in process of preparation, preparation for a deadly operation.
A tall man, full of muscle, middle-aged, with deep scars on his face, stood at the command center, looking over the progress of his operations regarding the furtherance of MECH's access to groundbreaking technology, Cybertronian technology.
A soldier approached him from behind, a masked man wearing a leather lab coat over his armored suit.
"Silas, we'll be ready to move in 0900 hours."
"Excellent. And the Autobot base?"
The masked soldier shook his head. "We searched the town of Jasper and the towns surrounding it. There's no sign of it so they must be hiding among the mesas in the surrounding desert."
Silas nodded. "My sentiments exactly. And their human allies?"
"No sign of them either. Although, we have received a tip regarding the Darby boy and that girl who was with him on the train when we attempted to acquire the DNGS."
"Ah yes, what of them?" Silas asked, his curiosity piqued.
I'm still meaning to repay that boy for making a fool of me when we kidnapped his mother.
Silas' jaw clenched, his ire steadily rising, the memory of Jackson Darby stealing his radio from off his person and calling in the military was still fresh on his mind. Silas was not one to forget a slight. While under normal circumstances, he would silently applaud such cunning, but for anyone, a boy no less, to deceive him in such way, to feign pleading for his life and that of his mother in order to pull a fast one over him was an insult, no, not an insult but a challenge to the strength and security of the technological and military power that MECH offers for the new world order that is to come.
This will not stand. One way or another, Darby will be made an example of and it will not be a gentle one.
"We received word of them dining at a pizzeria in Sparks, Nevada...together."
Silas almost smiled. "I see. Is that all?"
"For now sir."
"Very good. You're dismissed."
The scientist nodded in compliance and walked away swiftly.
So...young Jackson has taken an interest in Ms. Nakadai. Perhaps this coupling could serve as an advantage as well as potential leverage...if I can just make contact with her father...wherever he's hiding. Perhaps if we have her daughter in our grasp, that stubborn disposition of his will collapse.
"Silas sir!"
Silas' head turned a fraction to the left to acknowledge the soldier that had addressed him.
"Yes, what is it?" he said flatly.
"Our sensors show several energy signatures somewhere within the rock formations in Arizona. One of the energy signatures belongs to the Autobot Optimus Prime."
Silas turned to face the soldier and he smiled menacingly. "Excellent. And the other signatures?"
"The same as the Autobots who engaged us during the DNGS chapter, but the others are unknown and appear to be engaging the Autobots but one of them test positive of the Decepticon we captured two months ago."
Breakdown. If he wasn't in the middle of a skirmish, I'd be capture him and finish the experiment I started.
"Order the men to survey them but to not engage. We cannot risk them joining forces against us like last time."
The combined strength of Breakdown and Bulkhead was a force to be reckoned with, lost five men in the process.
Silas was a cold, calculating commander who preferred to play it smarter rather than harder. While he does allow the occasional indignity against him to slide as he simply does not have the time or the ordinance to indulge himself in petty vengeance. However, whenever the opportunity presented itself (and he is an opportunist), he would waste no time getting his
hands dirty. And he never got his own hands dirty unless he really wanted to do it himself.
"Sir, we have a visual."
Silas activated his radio and spoke into it, "Well?"
"The machines appear to be fighting over some kind of cylinder, it looks to be bearing the marks of their kind. Shall we appropriate it?"
"Wait for an opening. Make a diversion and do not be seen."
"Yes sir...wait sir, a portal just opened, it must be their mode of transport!"
"A groundbridge, Autobot or Decepticon?"
"It's Autobot sir, it's that big green one."
Silas frowned. Bulkhead, he thought with rising ire.
"Sir?"
Silas sighed. "What now?!"
"Two kids just came through the portal."
Silas raised an eyebrow. "Come again?"
"Autobots! Stand your ground! The artifact must not fall into enemy hands!"
The Autobots were locked in an epic battle with their sworn enemies, the Decepticons. They fought with everything they had in order to prevent the Cybertronian data cylinder from falling into the hands of the Decepticons.
"Come to papa" Knockout said with delight as he rushed towards the cylinder, only to be rammed into by Bulkhead, sending him flying.
"Run to mommy," Bulkhead said with the grin.
But before the former Wrecker could make for the cylinder but was stopped when his nemesis Breakdown struck him from behind and hauled him up from the ground by his head.
"Say uncle! Say it!" the Stunticon cried.
Suddenly, Breakdown was grabbed by the arm, very roughly. He turned to identify his assailant and his Energon ran cold.
A shadow was cast over Optimus Prime's face before he looked Breakdown in the one optic he still had. Black fury was emanating in his blue optics.
Breakdown whimpered before Optimus twisted his arm. He cried out in pain, dropping Bulkhead onto the ground. Optimus clenched his free hand and struck Breakdown hard in the jaw.
Breakdown stepped back, nursing his sore mouth. He tasted Energon but detected something else: something small, hard and metallic. Breakdown spat it out and as whatever object that was in his mouth hit the ground, it took him less than a second to recognize that it was a tooth. His tooth.
Optimus Prime hit him so hard that he knocked a tooth out.
Breakdown became overcome with rage as he let out a bellowing roar and charged the Prime with hammer in hand so to speak.
"Your mistake," Optimus said under his breath.
Optimus used the momentum of Breakdown's intended attack, evaded the arc of the Decepticon's hammer swing, and drove his elbow into his head. Breakdown was stunned for a moment, but Optimus wasn't done. He jabbed Breakdown upside the head and then gave good right hook across the face, knocking out another tooth. Then he grabbed Breakdown by the shoulders, bent him forward and then drove his knee into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. And finally, as a finisher, while Breakdown was still bent over, clutching his gut, Optimus picked up Breakdown and lifted him over his head, and threw down hard onto his back.
Breakdown just laid there, unmoving.
Everyone present at the battle paused in their present combat to observe what was happening, both Autobots and Decepticons, as they could not help but notice the sheer brutality of the Prime's attack on one of Megatron's most fearsome warriors.
Arcee and Bumblebee witnessed the scene with expressions mixed with alarm and shock. Neither have ever seen their leader so vicious.
The former Wrecker Bulkhead was not different. As he was recovering from Breakdown's attack, he looked up just in time to see his beloved leader punch his archenemy in the jaw, right before brutalizing him, and Bulkhead just laid there, watching as though he wasn't sure what he was seeing.
Knockout was in utter shock upon seeing the mauling being inflicted to his partner, his best friend even. He wanted so desperately to aid Breakdown but he knew full that he'd have no chance in a battle of strengths with the indomitable Optimus Prime.
Optimus looked down at his latest casualty. Breakdown was clearly still alive but he had just received quite possibly the beating of his life. Optimus took no pleasure in this carnage, but given what was at stake and whatever intelligence was contained in this data cylinder, pulling punches so to speak was not an option.
Optimus then quickly averted his head to face the remaining Decepticons, an action which startled them all to their very Sparks.
"Leave," Optimus said darkly. "Now."
Knockout, now deeply shaken, looked upon his fallen friend and then back at the Prime with a look that seemed to be pleading. He seemed to scared to speak.
Optimus seemed to understand as he stepped back away from Breakdown, giving the Decepticons the room they needed to carry him away.
Knockout ordered the Decepticon troops that were still standing to carry Breakdown right before calling for a groundbridge. A portal almost immediately opened and the Vehicons carrying Breakdown very gingerly went through the portal. Knockout followed but not before giving one last look at the Prime, giving him a most searing look of anger but the fact that he was still trembling, even slightly, was a testament of the new fear he now has for the Leader of the Autobots.
Megatron was right. Prime isn't holding anything back now. Does this species of human vermin really mean that much to him?! Madness!
And then Knockout turned and walked through the groundbridge and then it was gone.
"Whoa."
"I know right? Optimus massacred Breakdown."
Unbeknownst to the Autobots (yet again), an unintended person or in this case persons made their way through one of the groundbridges, just before it closed. But this time, Miko Nakadai was not the first to rush through as she did not intend to follow Bulkhead this time as she had learnt the hard way of what would happen if she ran into a dangerous situation where she had no business being in. No, this time she was simply following another who had no business being in the battlefield, one younger and not as wise.
"Now do you see why this is no place for you Sari?"
Sari Sumdac looked up at Miko who looking at her with a severe and stern expression.
"Sure do, but it was pretty intense," Sari squeaked.
"Of course it's intense, it's a war!"
"Miko? Sari?"
Both girls turned to see Bulkhead, looking right at them.
"Miko!" Bulkhead said sounding deeply annoyed. "Why is Sari here?"
"Well…" Miko said, prodding her fingers, not sure what to say.
"I followed you," Sari said, sounding ashamed. "And Miko followed me, she tried to drag me back to the base, but the groundbridge closed before she could."
Bulkhead looked disappointed. Before he could speak however, Optimus Prime was already standing over the girls.
Miko was startled but Sari, upon seeing the imposing, indomitable Optimus Prime looking at her with those steely eyes, she was scared.
She...saw?
Seeing her frightened state, Optimus' eyes softened and he opened his mouthplate. "Bumblebee, take the girls."
Bumblebee didn't miss a beat as he gathered both Miko and Sari in his hands.
Optimus activated his commlink. "Ratchet, groundbridge."
In mere seconds, the portal reopened and Bumblebee walked towards it with the girls in hand.
Watching them go, Optimus then walked towards the data cylinder, still on the ground undisturbed, and he bent over to pick it up.
But stopped midway when he caught the sound of someone crying out.
The cry of a small girl.
Optimus immediately turned and saw that Bumblebee was under fire from all sides, attempting to shield Miko and Sari with his body.
The assailants were not Decepticons but humans in dark-green battle armor.
MECH.
"Arcee!" Optimus cried.
The two-wheeler sprang into action instantly. She transformed and sped in a circular motion around Bumblebee, sending a cloud of dust into the air, impeding the MECH troopers sight and therefore their line of fire.
"Bumblebee, get the children through the groundbridge now!" Optimus commanded.
Even through the dust cloud, the groundbridge was still very much visible. Looking down to see Miko and Sari shielding their eyes to keep dust out of their eyes. Sari in particular was the most concerning. Terrified, she was clinging to Bumblebee's chest for dear life.
Fire seemed to ignite in Bumblebee's eyes and he held the girls close, put one foot behind, preparing to make dash for the portal.
And then he transformed, placing the girls in the front seats and buckling them in, and he floored it, making a mad dash towards the portal.
"Almost the-AGGGHH!"
Sari let out a startled cry at Bumblebee's cry of pain as well as the sound of metal crunching, as though something has tore through Bumblebee's body.
Bumblebee's course had been halted and he immediately detected that something was fired at him and lodged into the rear of his vehicle mode, effectively stopping his escape.
Adjusting his rearview mirror, Bumblebee and the girls saw one of MECH's military humvees with some kind of mounted cannon with a heavy cable dangling tight from it and it seemed to be connected something protruding from the backseat. It was gleaming, metallic and was dripping slightly with blue, luminous substance. It was a serrated steel harpoon and MECH had fired it, thus piercing Bumblebee's body and now the MECH troopers were attempting to reel him in.
"Bee, you're bleeding!" Sari cried.
"Don't worry about me," Bumblebee said straining under the pain and the pressure of keeping MECH from reeling him in. "Tell Miko to keep her head down and you to-LOOK OUT!"
The backrest of the front seats immediately sprang forward, forcing Miko and Sari to bow their heads, thus narrowly avoiding the second ballistic harpoon.
Miko could not understand Bumblebee's usual set of beeps and clicks which is his only form of communication ever since he lost his voice box, but even she could recognize that high-pitched whirr as a cry of agony.
Sari however, for reasons yet unexplained, heard his cry of pain entirely. It was unbearable to listen to.
"Bee!" Sari screamed as she clutched onto the dashboard, tears of fear and anguish rolling down her face, not for herself but for her friend. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I just wanted to help!"
"Don't...be...sorry Sari."
That bit of humorous wordplay almost uttered a laugh from Sari, that is it might've if the present situation wasn't so traumatizing and dangerous.
"Acquire either the cylinder, one of those machines, or the girl, if you lose them, you know what will happen."
"Affirmative Silas, we have two harpoons in the machine, it's going nowhere."
Under heavy fire and evading as skillfully as she could, Arcee could still see that her young friend was in mortal peril as well as the girls.
If I can just get a clean shot at those cables...
Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud metallic snap, followed by another. Arcee saw that Bumblebee had broken free of the cables and was already entering the groundbridge.
Arcee noticed that the harpoon that pierced Bumblebee were drench in Energon and had bits of wire and metal clinging to them.
Arcee blanched. Bee's hurt. Bad.
One of the MECH troops pointed at the still-open groundbridge. "Enter that portal NOW!"
"Oh no you don't!" Arcee cried, pointing her blasters, preparing to open fire.
Can't let them through, no matter the cost. Bad enough Optimus has to live with killing humans...but it was to protect Fowler's boy...and it's not like I haven't inflicted human casualties before.
The memory of causing a MECH vehicle to overturn and explode, killing its passengers, was still fresh on her mind. But she knew that it was not on her but on them for attempting to steal the DNGS, a highly volatile nuclear device capable of leveling five states at once. While Arcee's mind understood this, the fact that she caused the death of humans was still a weight on his spark and mind.
It was either a few human war criminals or millions of innocent humans who may have never picked up a weapon. And now it's either them or the location of our base and all that it implies.
Then Arcee heard a loud bang, almost akin to a tailpipe backfiring, only far more powerful. It was gunfire but it did not belong to any of the MECH troopers. And it wasn't coming from their direction but of that of the groundbridge.
Two figures emerged from the groundbridge, both adorned in what appears to be black body armor as well as armed with assault rifles and these two were firing upon the MECH troopers with fierce abandon.
The MECH troopers were taken by surprise and therefore were unprepared to withstand this assault. Having been trained and prepared to battle giant transforming robots and having been focusing on them for some time now, they have lacked experience and preparation to launch assaults on their own kind, especially those of their own military.
"Just like old times?"
The soldier who spoke was tall but also slightly portly while his partner was noticeably taller and just as burly.
"I'll say, these punks must be fresh out of military school."
"Or maybe we're just that good!" The portly soldier said, as he launched a shot from the grenade launcher mounted on the underside of his rifle, destroying a nearby humvee. Through the flames, he could make a dark figure on the cliffs wielding what looked to be a-
"SNIPER!" The portly soldier cried.
"I got him," the burly soldier said, aiming his rifle and firing once. The sniper's head appeared to have been struck, he went limp, and fell over the cliff side, plummeting over twenty stories to the rocky bottom.
One MECH trooper managed to get close enough to them and he rushed them with a knife in hand but the burly soldier was ready. The MECH trooper lunged with a skilled jab with knife in hand but the burly soldier narrowly avoided his attack, grabbed the knife hand and with strong but quick maneuver, twisted the man's hand, and with the same momentum of his opponent, thrusted the knife into his left thigh.
The MECH trooper, under shrewd discipline, groaned in pain before being struck down in the head by an overhead hook, and he fell, his striking the ground, and he lost consciousness.
"Amateur," the burly soldier said under his breath.
"AUTOBOTS, FALL BACK!"
Optimus grabbed the data cylinder and handed it to Bulkhead. "Go!"
Bulkhead obeyed without argument and he rushed towards the groundbridge with the cylinder in his arms, protecting it as though it were his own child.
MECH attempted to slow the former-Wrecker down but they were preoccupied with the Autobot leader and the two mystery soldiers returning fire, albeit Prime was minding his fire and managing to keep his shots nonlethal.
That didn't make the blasts any less painful for the troopers though.
"Arcee, cover the humans escape!" Optimus commanded.
Arcee immediately moved into position, standing in front of the mystery soldiers and applying cover fire.
"We gotta go!" the portly soldier said, grabbing his friend's arm, who seemed less than inclined to leave.
"Not used to machines doing the fighting for me."
"They're fighting with us, now come on!"
The burly soldier groaned and did as he was told. The portly soldier followed after him.
"Optimus, they're through!" Arcee cried.
"Go! I'll cover you!"
After only a moment's hesitation, Arcee turned and dashed for the groundbridge.
"Focus all fire on the big one! Do not let it escape!" a MECH commander shouted.
Optimus immediately ran for the portal and with all his strength, he jumped backwards into the portal while his last round of coverfire.
And the portal was gone.
"Sir, the targets escaped...with the cylinder."
With a throaty growl, Silas raised a fist and slammed it onto the computer terminal in front of him, crushing several keys, sending sparks flying and causing the large computer screen to go fuzzy.
"Sponge the area, leave no trace of our activity and return to base."
There was no reply. Silas clenched his jaw.
"MECH-3, did you hear me?"
The radio silence continued, and only static could be heard.
What's going on?! Who could be scrambling our-?!
Silas halted in thought. His blood ran cold, his eyes widened and mouth dropped opened in shock.
"No."
Silas accessed his radio and set to a certain frequency that only he knew.
He spoke into it, almost in a panic, "Sir, you-!"
"There's nothing you can do for them now Silas," said a steely, cold voice."They have failed...miserably and starting now, failure will have consequences. Examples must be made."
"They're my men. This is my operation. Let me take responsibility."
"You presume too much Silas. Unlike you, they are replaceable."
"They are our soldiers, they are men with families!" Silas roared.
"Then for their sakes, I hope they have a decent life insurance policy. Otherwise, you may see to it that they get a good pension."
"You can't-!"
"I can and I will, otherwise, if you can't be onboard with me Silas, I may have to take liberty of having your granddaughter brought to me."
Silas said nothing. He simply sighed.
"That's what I thought. I suggest you have your base moved at once. You're in the splash zone."
Silas raised an eyebrow...and then he felt it.
A considerable tremor erupted throughout the entire building. With a start, Silas activates one of the monitors and accesses MECH's security feed of the surrounding area. On the main view screen, he isolated the feed observing the direction of the failed operation. With horror, he saw a mushroom cloud, the result of a small but powerful explosion.
"Sir, what have you done?"
"Saved you the trouble of cleaning up. Good day Silas."
And with that, the line was cut and was met with only static.
Silas, in a brief moment, out of sheer but controlled rage, closed his fist and crushed the radio in his hand as easily as one would crush a soda can. And he dropped the ruined device to the floor.
Silas then lifted a hand.
He snapped his fingers.
And the command center went black.
To be continued…
Voice Cast
Optimus Prime - Peter Cullen
Arcee - Sumalee Montano
Bumblebee - Will Friedle
Bulkhead - Kevin Michael Richardson
Miko Nakadai - Tania Gunadi
Sari Sumdac - Grace Rolek
Jazz - Brian Tyree Henry
Wheeljack - James Horan
Blaster - Mahershala Ali
Perceptor - Jim Ward (Fall of Cybertron - 2012)
Sideswipe - Travis Willingham
Sunstreaker - Vic Mignogna
Knockout - Dara's Norris
Breakdown - Adam Baldwin
Shatter - Angela Bassett
Dropkick - Justin Theroux
Silas - Clancy Brown
Unidentified MECH Leader - Kelsey Grammer
MECH Surgeon - Josh Keaton
MECH Soldiers - Kevin Michael Richardson, Travis Willingham, Steve Blum