Transformers

Expedition

Chapter: 1 Exodus

Bumblebee

Bumblebee was thrown onto his back by a powerful blast, leaving him dazed. As he looked around, he saw his companions scrambling to fend off the flood of intruders pouring through the newly made hole in the command deck. Hoist, a medium-sized green robot, crouched down beside Bumblebee.

"Bumblebee, are you..." Hoist's voice faded as Bumblebee focused on the intense battle happening just a few meters away. Hoist shook Bumblebee, desperately trying to get his attention. "Bumblebee! What's your status?" he shouted over the deafening gunfire. Bumblebee tried to speak, but only static and a painful reminder greeted him. Instead, he mustered a thumbs-up, and Hoist helped him back to his feet once the fight finally subsided. Together, the two Autobots made their way to the front of the ship, where an array of lifeless bodies lay strewn—some Autobot, some Decepticon.

Kneeling down, the red and blue Autobot commander assessed the condition of a dying comrade, a gaping hole in the soldier's midsection gushing energon. "There's nothing we can do," Hoist said solemnly. "I know," Optimus replied quietly. With reverence, Optimus took the soldier's hand in his own. "Rest now, you've fought bravely." The soldier met Optimus's gaze, and as life slowly faded away, his optics turned gray, and his body went still. Holding onto the fallen Autobot's hand, Optimus remained motionless. Hoist placed a hand on Prime's shoulder, breaking the somber silence. "We must go, Optimus. The Decepticons are still attempting to board the ship." Optimus stood up and faced the remaining Autobots on the command deck. "Hoist, give me our status," he commanded. Hoist raised his prosthetic arm, conjuring a hologram of the ship. "Except for the command deck, we're holding up quite well. However, something disabled our auxiliary cannons. Without them, we're defenseless. And to make matters worse, our ground commander is out of commission." Optimus absorbed this new information with a contemplative expression. Prowl, a black and white Autobot, stepped forward. "Don't we have a functional long-range communication system here?" he interjected. "We do, but it will take time to bring it online," Hoist replied before being interrupted by Prowl. "Just get it working. Delegate the auxiliary cannons to someone else," Prowl commanded assertively. Bumblebee raised his arm and emitted a series of beeps to alert his comrades. Optimus turned to him, seeking confirmation. "Are you sure about this, Bumblebee?" he asked. Bumblebee nodded; his resolve unwavering. "Once I have the communication system operational, I can guide you in using the auxiliary cannons," Hoist affirmed, focusing on his task at hand. Suddenly, the ship's holo emitter flickered to life, projecting the imposing form of- -Megatron. "Megatron," Optimus uttered with a mix of defiance and weariness. "Prime," Megatron sneered contemptuously. "How are you enjoying my parting gift?" he taunted, relishing Optimus's rising anger. "Cease this madness, Megatron. It doesn't have to end this way," Optimus pleaded. "You brought this upon yourself, Prime, when you sent the Allspark away, dooming our kind to extinction!" Megatron spat venomously. "Now, let us conclude this, 'old friend'," Megatron chuckled as the hologram vanished. Determined, Optimus turned to his Autobots and began issuing orders. "Prowl, once Hoist completes the repairs, take command of all forces. Bumblebee, focus on getting the auxiliary cannons online. Inferno, ensure no Decepticons breach the deck." The red Autobot hesitated, wanting to join the fight. Optimus replied firmly, "We need communication with our troops. If the Decepticons take control of the deck, we lose not only this battle but the entire war." Inferno glanced down, understanding the gravity of the situation, and nodded. "You have your orders. Good luck, Autobots." With resolve in his spark, Optimus strode purposefully out of the command deck. Hoist called out, curiosity lacing his voice, "Sir, where are you going?" Optimus replied, determination evident in his tone, "To bring an end to this." And with that, he walked away, leaving his loyal Autobots to fulfill their critical roles.

After observing Optimus's departure, Bumblebee and Hoist approached a ventilation shaft. Hoist grinned and remarked, "For any normal-sized bot, this would be a waste of time. But with you, it's probably the quickest route to the auxiliary cannons." Bumblebee shot Hoist an unimpressed look. Understanding the urgency, Hoist sighed and said, "No time for theatrics, Bumblebee." Bumblebee offered a mock salute before prying off the vent cover and crawling inside. "Good luck, my friend," Hoist whispered into the vent, while he himself got to work on the communication system.

Bumblebee crawled through the vent, enduring the relentless shaking caused by the continuous barrage of heavy artillery bombarding the ship. The determined scout pressed on, feeling as though vorns had passed. Finally, his persistence paid off as the vent led him directly to the path towards the auxiliary cannon control system. "Just the upper storage bay to get through. Surely, there won't be any trouble in there," Bumblebee sarcastically thought to himself.

Entering the upper storage bay, Bumblebee barely dodged a stray laser blast, quickly taking cover. Peering from his hiding spot, he witnessed several Autobots engaged in intense combat with Decepticons on the upper deck.

Undeterred from his mission, Bumblebee reached for his trusty Plasma pistol, only to grasp empty air. Panic started to set in as he attempted to find his weapon, desperately searching again and again. A sudden flashback hit him, remembering the force of the blast on the command deck that had knocked him off his feet. With a somber realization, Bumblebee understood that the impact must have caused him to lose his grip on the pistol, leaving him nearly defenseless.

With a drooped head and an exhausted buzz, Bumblebee cautiously peeked out from behind his cover. On the upper deck, he spotted four Decepticons, three of them engrossed in battling the small group of Autobots on the lower deck. Only one enemy had taken notice of Bumblebee, albeit not with unwavering attention. This was his chance, but time was of the essence.

Without hesitation, Bumblebee dashed from his hiding spot, using the stacked storage crates as a makeshift staircase. Swiftly, he closed the distance, charging towards the lone Decepticon who had acknowledged his presence. Bumblebee may not possess great strength, durability, or tactical prowess, but if there was one thing he excelled at, it was speed.

The Decepticon made a feeble attempt to react to the lightning-fast scout, but it proved futile as Bumblebee closed in on him within seconds. A panel swung over Bumblebee's fist, forming a formidable knuckle duster weapon. With a swift and powered punch, Bumblebee struck the Decepticon, the impact denting the villain's helmet and delivering a fatal blow.

The remaining Decepticons finally acknowledged Bumblebee, their surprise evident on their faces. Undeterred, Bumblebee faced them with a boxer's stance, swiftly transforming his other hand into a matching knuckle duster. Ready for the ensuing battle.

The second Decepticon swiftly regained composure and launched a wild punch towards Bumblebee, who effortlessly dodged the attack with a lazy sidestep. With a mock yawn, Bumblebee retaliated with a powerful right hook, sending the Decepticon hurtling off the upper deck, crashing down below.

The third Decepticon, anticipating the confrontation, raised his blaster in an attempt to gain the upper hand. However, Bumblebee closed the distance with remarkable speed, swiftly closing in on his adversary. Skillfully, he redirected the Decepticon's aim upward, causing the shots to fire harmlessly into the air. Seizing the opportunity, Bumblebee deftly climbed onto the Decepticon, using the height to generate momentum before delivering a fierce and devastating uppercut, leaving the enemy dazed and reeling from the impact.

After delivering a forceful strike to the Decepticon's midsection, causing him to double over in pain, Bumblebee swiftly followed up with a decisive blow to his helm, sealing the enemy's defeat. Satisfied with his triumph, Bumblebee looked around at the fallen Decepticons, raising his fist in a victorious gesture. However, his momentary lapse in focus proved costly as he received a sharp and painful kick to his midsection. It became apparent that he had overlooked the presence of a fourth adversary, reminding him of his tiny, yet crucial mistake.

Thrown back by the force of the kick, Bumblebee's mind spun in disorientation. The Decepticon, closing in with blaster in hand, taunted him with a mocking question, "Any last words, Autobot?" However, before the Decepticon could carry out his threat, a sudden blast tore through him from behind. Bumblebee watched as the Decepticon crumbled to the ground, revealing the unexpected savior to be one of the Autobots from the lower floor who had managed to climb up at last.

The Autobot extended a helping hand to Bumblebee, assisting him in getting back on his feet. Concern evident in his voice, he asked, "Are you okay?" Bumblebee replied with an affirming chirp, followed by an unintelligible beep. Understanding his intent, the Autobot nodded and said, "Oh, the auxiliary cannons? They're right through that door." He pointed towards the indicated door. Bumblebee emitted a grateful thank-you sound before resuming his determined stride.

Approaching the door, Bumblebee took a moment to gather himself, his thoughts, and his resolve. He silently offered a mock prayer, bracing himself for whatever awaited him on the other side. Bumblebee pushed open the door, only to be greeted by a sudden burst of electricity that sent him sprawling to the ground once again. "This is getting tiresome," Bumblebee thought to himself as he quickly regained his footing. Standing up, he locked eyes with the Decepticon known as Frenzy, who stood on the other side of the door. Frenzy, a small red and black robot with electricity emanating from his body, was noticeably smaller than Bumblebee, measuring at least half his size.

Frenzy sported a sadistic smirk as he taunted, "Hey Bumbler, care for another scrambled diode?" Bumblebee responded with an immature warbled insult, his patience completely worn out from being thrown off his feet repeatedly. Frenzy, feeling somewhat embarrassed by the lackluster comeback, fumed, "She is not! Arghh! I'm going to destroy you!" With a shout, Frenzy charged at Bumblebee. Bumblebee effortlessly sidestepped Frenzy's charging attack, causing the Decepticon to hurtle off the upper deck and crash onto the floor below. Bumblebee brushed off his hands with a satisfied expression, feeling a surge of confidence. However, his momentary triumph was short-lived as a sudden blast of electricity struck him from behind. Turning around, he spotted Frenzy clumsily climbing back up onto the upper deck, his voice filled with frustration. "Hey, don't ignore me, you Bumbler!" Frenzy shouted, determined to continue the fight.

Bumblebee let out an annoyed beep as he walked over to the struggling Frenzy and delivered a swift kick, effectively knocking him off the upper deck once again. Bumblebee then looked around wearily before finally raising his arms in triumph and walking into the auxiliary cannon control room. Bumblebee's entrance into the control room was interrupted by the sudden activation of his comm-link, emitting a piercing and grating screech that made him wince. Through the noise, Hoist's voice managed to break through, asking, "Hello? Bumblebee, can you hear me?" Bumblebee responded with an irritated but affirmative beep.

The static dissipated, and Hoist's voice came through clearly. "Good, it's working. Are you at the control room?" Bumblebee responded with another annoyed but affirming beep.

"Okay, I have the panel status brought up here. It appears that some of the nodes were shorted out by a power surge," Hoist explained. "Hmmm, I wonder how that happened," Hoist pondered aloud. Bumblebee couldn't help but roll his optics at the obvious question. Bumblebee's sarcastic thought echoed, "Gee, I sure do wonder." "Anyway, it seems you'll just need to redirect the power through the emergency functions," Hoist continued. Bumblebee stared at the panel, feeling as if he had suddenly been confronted with an alien language. "Ahem... just turn the dial on the far right," Hoist instructed. Bumblebee made a sound of realization and quickly turned the dial. He marveled as the auxiliary cannons outside the ship activated, their powerful blasts directed towards the Decepticon vessel.