Trials, Tribulations, and Transformations

XXIII - Zero Hour Part Four

Boulder, CO - May 8th, 2011 - Sunday, 11:15 am

"I can't believe we just left her like that!" Sierra cried.

"I know Siri, I know!"

Grasping each other by the hand, Vince and Sierra continued in their flight from the MECH troopers who continued in their relentless pursuit.

They've made good distance but with MECH's superior numbers and equipment, the pair would not get very far.

"We can't keep this up!" Vince exclaimed, short of breath. "We need to find someplace to hide!"

Sierra was on the verge of panic. "There's nowhere to go! Nothing but trees!"

"Just keep going Sierra!"

The earth shook. And a great sound as though a bomb had gone resounded in the forest.

Both Sierra and Vince jumped in shock.

"What was that?" Sierra said.

"Probably another bomb."

A black metal servo with a royal red armored forearm reached out of the smoking crater and gripped its edge.

Sideswipe pulled himself out of the gaping hole where his escape pod had landed.

He got to his feet and shook himself free of any dirt that had clung to his person.

"Whoo! Not one of my best landings."

Sideswipe pressed a hidden button on his metal forearm and a holographic computer emerged from it. He pressed a few holographic keys and a map emerged which showed the position of two Autobots in the area: one which was only few kliks from his location and another several miles away and getting further away.

Gotta be Bulkhead and Sunny isn't far from my position.

"Hey Sideswipe! Do you read me?!"

Sideswipe reached for his audio receptor and pressed to activate his communicator. "I read ya Sunny, what's up?"

"You got two humans close to your position, both children and red of hair. You are to search and rescue immediately!"

Sideswipe frowned. "Why?"

"They're under Prime's protection!" Sideswipe winced at his brother's heightened volume. "They're in danger right now! Help them!"

Sideswipe's impertinent persona became dead serious. "I'm on my way."

Activating his bio-scanner, Sideswipe detected several humans in the area, but only two nearby that were of a young age. They were clearly on the run and a small group of adult humans were in hot pursuit.

With his objective clear, Sideswipe broke into a full sprint towards his targets of interest.

Sideswipe grinned to himself. If Prime were here, he'd totally say 'Roll Out.'"

"V-Vince!" Sierra coughed. "I can't...I can't run anymore!"

"You have to Siri!" Vince supported the frightened redhead by having her lean on him but it wasn't enough.

She'll probably kill me for this but…

Sierra shrieked when Vince lifted her up and started carrying her bridal style.

He broke into a mad run.

"V-V-Vince!" Sierra squeaked, her voice vibrating due to the trembling movements of her being carried and moved at such a speed. "W-w-w-What are y-y-y-you do-in-in-ing?!

Vince didn't even look at her, he just kept his eyes forward. "Saving your life!"

A gunshot.

And it struck a tree that the two red haired youths had just bypassed.

Sierra screamed.

Vince gritted his teeth, using every iota of his willpower to keep from hyperventilating.

But then a new sound came into being.

It was soft and barely audible at first.

But then, it became louder.

It was the sound of heavy footfalls as though a giant were running towards them.

Vince didn't dare look back for doing so would upset the momentum of his flight. Sierra however leaned up so that she could get a look at what was coming their way.

"Is it Bulkhead?" Vince asked.

"No," Sierra said. "I never seen this one before. He looks like he'd transform into a red sports car."

Vince's eyes shot open. Knockout!

"First MECH and now 'Cons?!" Vince exploded. "Can this day get any worse?!"

Sierra gasped. "'C-C-Cons?!"

"INCOMING!"

Mass of gunfire was heard but this time, it wasn't aimed at the kids, it was aimed at the newcomer.

Vince's heart jumped. Awesome! We can make a run for it while those guys are fighting it out!

One of the troopers, presumably the commander of the group, motioned for one of the soldiers to give chase to Vince and Sierra while the rest dealt with the colossal intruder.

As he was deflecting the shots with the broadswords embedded in his arms, Sideswipe caught up on the action right away as he witnessed the lone MECH soldier pursue the children.

Scrap!

MECH D-73 brandished his automatic rifle, checked it to make sure it was locked and loaded. He scanned the forest before him.

There was no sign of the kids.

"I know you're out here!" He called out. "There's nowhere to go!"

The tree line was thick. It would be easy to hide here.

"Vince Raider!" D-73 called out. "Some of those men you drove off a cliff back in Jasper, one of them was a good friend of mine. Come on out or we'll do this the hard way."

There was no reply.

"Fine!" D-73 shouted. "When I find you and your little girlfriend, I'll-!"

Snap!

D-73 turned with a start towards where the sound came from, the sound of something breaking, like that of a snapping twig.

There was a large tree and the sound of rustling leaves coming from right behind it.

D-73 grinned savagely behind his mask. "Marco…" he said mockingly. "Polo!"

He advanced towards the tree.

"Marc-!"

D-73 was shoved to the ground by something not quite as big as him but exceptionally strong.

The MECH trooper dropped his rifle. He made a grab for it but someone beat him to it.

D-73 looked up and saw the barrel of his own weapon pointed at his head.

"Don't you move!" Vince said through clenched teeth. "Or I'll blow your brains out!"

D-73 felt his blood curdle but through his many military disciplines, he calmed himself.

He smirked. "You won't do it."

Vince blinked. "You...you really wanna bet on that?!"

"I don't need to," D-73 said. "I see it in your eyes. You don't have 'killer' in your eyes boy."

"I killed before, you said it yourself!"

"I did, but you didn't aim to did you?"

Vince gulped. That much was true. Vince was a fighter, no question. But a killer, justified or not? Vince was not quite there yet. He had been trained for it but to actually go through and do it?

Was this man right? Did he have the guts to do it? Right now?

Remember Vince, it was either them or you.

Vince's hair stood on end as he remembered the words of the Leader of the Autobots.

This is no longer between Autobots and Decepticons. This is between those who wish to live and those who are at war with life itself.

Vince was no longer shaking. He was no longer holding the weapon lightly.

It was either them or you Vince...and Sierra.

Vince held the weapon with grim resolve.

"Try me," he said.

There was no hesitation in his voice.

None in his eyes.

And D-73 could see it.

He became rigid.

Now he was beginning to shake.

A hearty chuckle was heard. "That a way kid."

Vince forced himself to stay put. Judging by the direction the voice was coming from, the metallic edge to it and the looming shadow that had just now came over him and the MECH trooper, it was clear who and what it was.

"Are you going to kill me or kidnap me again Knockout?"

There was a sound of choking as though one had just been offended.

"Kn-Knockout?! You think I'm that flashy sadist?!"

Vince still did not take his eyes off the MECH trooper he was holding at gunpoint. He knew that if he took his eyes off of him, even for an instant, the soldier would use that to his advantage and jump him and possibly wrestle the gun from him.

"Who are you then?!" Vince demanded.

"Name's Sideswipe, I'm an Autobot. And if you're worried about your friend Katie, she's fine. My brother's got her."

Vince gasped inwardly and he foolishly lowered the rifle. "Katie?"

D-73 sprang.

Vince barely had time to react before D-73 knocked him to the ground. In the fraction of a second, the rifle had been tossed aside and Vince was on his back and he had a K-Bar knife to his throat.

Sideswipe didn't move a muscle.

Get lost alien!" D-73 barked. "Or I'll cut his throat."

Sideswipe gritted his teeth."Let the kid go and I'll allow you to escape with your dignity."

D-73 scoffed. "Last I checked, you Autobots are forbidden from harming humans, isn't that right?"

"Nope."

D-73 regarded Vince with barely-contained fury. "Shut your mouth you little-!"

"Don't you remember what happened when you tried to kidnap Fowler's son? And how many men you lost that day?"

D-73 said nothing at first.

"You must know who was responsible, don't you?"

"It was government-trained driver behind the wheel of that big rig," D-73 said, trying to sound confident.

"No, it was Prime and you know it."

Sideswipe's mouth was gaping. "Prime? He...he did-?"

"What he needed to do," Vince said. "He was escorting someone's kid and these jokers were trying to kidnap him. So he did what to do."

Sideswipe's mouth was still gaping. "Yeah but...that sounds...well…I mean...dang."

"Sh-shut up!" D-73 exploded. "Prime isn't here and I'll kill this kid if I have to!"

D-73 pressed the knife against Vince's neck, causing him to cry out softly. And then he fixed Sideswipe with a hateful glare. "Back off or I'll butcher this kid! Believe me, I'll do it!"

"Get off him."

Suddenly feeling a sense of grave foreboding, D-73 turned to see the barrel of his weapon pointed at him once more. This time, it was being held by a red haired girl.

"I'd put that gun down girl before you have an accident."

Sierra was shaking but she glared at the MECH trooper, unblinking. "Didn't you hear me? I said get off him now."

D-73 smirked. "Or you'll shoot?"

"Yes."

D-73 laughed. "You don't got it in you anymore than this red-headed stepchild. Put down that gun or your little boyfriend gets-."

There was a sound of a deafening pop and then D-73 no longer had time to finish or make good on his threat. His head was thrown back before reverting back to its original position.

There was a gaping hole in his right lens and a blood red mist just behind his head. And in the fraction of a second, his body slumped down and Vince instinctively pushed him off, not wanting to get blood and brains on his person.

Sierra heard nothing but then as sound returned to the world, she realized that her ears had been ringing.

She looked down at the weapon in her hands. There was a wisp of smoke emitting from the barrel of the gun. There was a slight ache in his her right forefinger, which was on the trigger of the rifle.

Sierra took another hard look at the weapon in her hands and then at the body of the MECH trooper before her. He was lying face down and there, to her horror, was a bloody gaping hole in the back of his head. It was clearly an exit wound.

Sierra dropped the weapon and fell to her knees. Her lip trembled and she gasped as though she couldn't breathe. She covered her mouth and tears flowed down her cheeks like a spring.

Vince was by her side in an instant. He wrapped his arms around her and she didn't hesitate to lean into him. She sobbed hysterically.

Sideswipe's mouth gaped so wide that it looked like his jaw would snap.

These humans are something else.

"Beta Squad, do you read me?!" MECH 34 barked as he awaited an answer from his radio.

There was nothing but static.

MECH 34 grumbled to himself. "This must have something to do with those two meteors that fell from the sky. Must be some kind of Autobot trick."

"MECH 34 to base, requesting reinforcements ASAP."

There was nothing but static.

MECH 34 growled as he hit the radio with the palm of his hand as though physical force might cause to work.

You gotta be kidding me.

Before the MECH commander could have the opportunity rage from this inconvenience, his inner core trembled and shook as the tremor of a great, earsplitting detonation threw him off his feet.

The MECH corvette that was mere meters away from him had combusted.

And the MECH corvettes and Humvees in the area blew up as well as multitudes of energy discharges rained down upon them.

MECH 34's ears were ringing as he covered his head in a desperate action to protect himself from harm.

Even though he could barely hear over the ringing in his ears, the agonizing and terrified screams of his soldiers filled the air along with the crackling of the inflaming military vehicles and the energy blasts of whatever enemy was circling over them.

And then the blaster fire stopped. Before MECH 34 had a chance to look up and evaluate the devastation of his forces, a massive metal hand wrapped around his person and none too gently, lifted him into the air.

Discombobulated by the attack, MECH 34 did little to struggle as he was hoisted and came face to face with a familiar face, one of which was staring menacingly at him through a single yellow optic.

Breakdown smiled. "Sup."

In a panic, MECH 34 reached for his sidearm but before he could properly aim, Breakdown, with just his thumb and forefinger, gripped the man's arm by the elbow.

"Not a healthy idea."

MECH 34 struggled with all his might to wrench his arm out of the Decepticon's grip. It was useless.

Annoyed with the insect's struggling, Breakdown applied just an iota of pressure on the man's elbow.

He started to scream bloody murder.

Breakdown frowned in disgust. "So little tolerance for pain."

"STOP!" MECH 34 screamed. "STOP! DON'T KILL ME! PLEASE!"

Breakdown scowled. "Why shouldn't I?"

"I'll tell you anything you want!"

Breakdown scoffed. "And what could you possibly know that I would want to know?"

"I…" MECH 34 gasped. "I know where your big green pal is."

"Bulkhead?" Breakdown growled. "He is not my pal!"

"H-he...he isn't?"

"NO!" Breakdown snapped. "We're bitter enemies!"

"But he saved your life," MECH 34 said. "Why would he do that for an enemy?"

Breakdown's single optic flickered and he nearly recoiled at the words of this fragile human.

Lying on his back, bolted to a metal slab, through the one optic he still had (for he was missing the other), Breakdown saw his most bitter enemy staring down at him.

"It must be your lucky day," Bulkhead said.

The green Wrecker reached forward and Breakdown, assuming the worst of intentions, shut his eye.

Instead of pain, Breakdown felt his restraints on his wrists get torn away.

Bulkhead was setting him free.

Breakdown gaped at him. "Wha...what are you doing?"

"Getting you out of here," Bulkhead replied as he offered his nemesis a hand.

Breakdown stared at him as though he were seeing him for the first time.

Bulkhead seemed to read his thoughts. "Yeah, I can't believe it either."

Breakdown was reeling. Why was he remembering this all of a sudden? Did Prime knock a screw loose during the Data Cylinder chapter?

"Commander Starscream."

Starscream scowled impetuously. "Consorting with the enemy Breakdown?"

Breakdown winced at the SIC's scathing accusation. "But Bulkhead got me out of there."

Starscream regarded the Autobot before performing a mocking bow. "A many spark-felt thanks Autobot…" Then he turned back to Breakdown. "Now destroy him."

Breakdown looked back at Bulkhead for a moment before turning back to Starscream to protest. "But-."

Starscream did not let him finish. "Do you plan on joining their ranks anytime soon? No?! Then be done with it already!"

Breakdown took one last look at his enemy. He didn't smirk. He didn't boast. He just spoke simply like it was no big deal.

"Tough break Bulkhead," Breakdown before unfolding his hammer. "Maybe in the next life."

Much to his shock, reliving that memory was like a sword in his spark.

What the scrap is going on?! Who cares if Bulkhead saves me?! We're enemies, always have been! I have no reason to...No reason to...No reason to…

Without even realizing it, Breakdown started to vent heavily, but only for a moment.

And then he remembered where he was and turned his attention back to his captive.

MECH 34 was squirming like a maggot on a spit, desperately trying to free himself.

Breakdown shook him in order to get his attention. "Start talking meatbag!"

"Alright alright! You see that mountain pass in the distance?" MECH 34 said pointing a finger.

Breakdown looked in the direction where the MECH soldier was pointing and he did indeed see a mountain pass belonging to what the humans call the Rocky Mountains.

And between that mountain pass were two massive mountain peaks stretching as far as the eye can see.

"I do see them," Breakdown answered. "What of it?"

"Straight through that pass, you should pass a stony arch on your left that leads to a network of caves. The second one from the right is a passageway that will lead to a mountain valley. In that mountain is a military and scientific facility. Beyond top secret. That is where MECH is taking your pa-!" MECH 34 flinched when Breakdown glared at him. "I mean...your enemy."

"Anything else?"

"Yeah," MECH 34 said. "That's also where MECH is taking Agent Fowler and his son."

Breakdown smirked. "Excellent."

"Lieutenant Breakdown."

Breakdown turned to look at the Vehicon who addressed him. "What is it Stockade?"

"Area secure sir."

Breakdown nodded in acknowledgement. "And their tech? Their radios?"

"All tech has been appropriated. And their radios destroyed."

"Good. Any survivors?"

"Our bio scanners have detected a little more than a dozen in the forest. We've also detected two Energon lifesignals, none of ours so they're most likely Autobot."

Autobots. Probably the two-wheeler and the scout.

"Prepare to move out."

Stockade looked at Breakdown's human captive, still clasped in his massive servo. "What about this one?"

Breakdown looked at the MECH soldier as though he were sizing him up. Nothing was heard other the still crackling flames of the burning wreckage that was once an entire MECH platoon as well as the pathetic frightened whimpers of its commander.

"This one can walk away with his life."

MECH 34 breathed a deep sigh of relief.

"Sir?" Stockade said.

"You heard me. Lord Megatron will want some to live so that they may be witnesses to what the Decepticons are capable of. That way, they'll think twice before they try to make lab rats out of us."

Stockade nodded. "Understood sir."

Breakdown held the MECH soldier close until he was only a few inches away from his face. "We're it up to me, I'd tear you limb from limb right here, right now. If I were you, I'd defect at this very moment, got it?"

MECH 34 nodded vigorously.

Breakdown dropped him.

With a cry, MECH 34 hit the ground. It was high enough to hurt but not enough to injure him.

"Move out."

Stockade nodded and he transformed into his vehicle form. And he drove in the direction of the mountain pass.

The remaining Vehicons and Eradicons departed with him.

Before Breakdown made his departure, he took one last look at the MECH commander. "If MECH knows we're coming, I'll know it was you...Samson Rodriguez."

MECH 34 - identified as Samson Rodriguez - was so shocked that his mouth dropped behind his mask.

Breakdown delighted in this.

And with that said, he transformed and drove away to join his troops.

To be continued...