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-Chapter 4: Information on Ice-
Parked just down the street from one of the larger houses in Tranquility's northern residential neighbourhood, Fastlane sat idling with his lights switched off. Night had fallen across the human town and it was the perfect time for the Autobots to make their move. They needed the data but they also needed to avoid revealing their presence to the humans… luckily, they had a Minicon on their side.
Watching with keen interest as the side porch door opened and closed, seemingly of its own accord, a small figure in black scampered out of the human house and made a beeline for Fastlane. It was far too fast to be a small human or animal and it's identity was soon revealed as Rewind threw open Fastlane's passenger door and clambered inside.
"Scrap! That was close!" He exclaimed once the door was shut. "One of the humans almost spotted me." Fastlane promptly shifted into gear and crawled away from the street before racing away from the neighbourhood.
"But you managed to find them?" He asked.
"Sure did. Go ahead, Fastlane, and give this a once-over." Rewind replied, holding up the very pair of glasses they'd been hunting for. Two narrow beams of carefully modulated photons shot from his display screen to pass at a particular angle through the lenses of the old glasses in Rewind's outstretched hand. The combination of light, lens, and what had been etched on the glass generated a three-dimensional sphere some distance from his face. Recognizably the world on which they presently found themselves, the slowly rotating sphere was breathtaking in its detail and straightforward in its message: a single pinpoint of light shone unblinking on one of the northern continents. One by one the cyberglyphs etched into the glasses were highlighted and rearranged into a tangible holographic sentence.
"By Primus… look at that. The glyphs are coordinates for a location here on Earth." Fastlane realized as Rewind looked on in awe. The larger Autobot pulled over and stopped on the side of another street where he opened a long-range comms channel. "Prime, this is Fastlane. We managed to track down the glasses with Blueshift's help and Rewind grabbed them so we could check the code." He quickly explained. "The Decepticon cyberglyphs are a set of coordinates, likely the last set programmed into someone's navigational control."
"There's more too, Prime. There was a news article with the glasses, dated about a hundred Earth years ago. A ship's captain reported finding a 'giant metal man' frozen in the arctic." Rewind revealed, opening up a sheet of paper he'd found with the glasses case.
"I just ran the Decepticon coordinates from the glasses through my geosynch-radar and it points to a location in the arctic. I think we finally pinpointed what we're looking for." Fastlane then added, the location in question appealing as little more than a check mark on his vehicle console.
"I see..." Optimus mused, trailing off for a moment. "Fastlane, Rewind, I have news for you as well. We've been able to thoroughly analyze the distress signal and I can confirm that it came from none other than Megatron himself." He stated gravely. Although they could not exchange looks, both Rewind and Fastlane felt a sudden moment's horror upon hearing the news. Megatron himself… here? That was a threat no one wanted to hear. "I'm sending Ironhide to the arctic to investigate. The Decepticons will no doubt be there as well so I am redeploying the remaining members of Alpha Squad to assist him and stop them from finding Megatron." Optimus continued. "Remain in Tranquility but be on alert. The Decepticons will no doubt notice our movements and ramp up their own efforts." The transmission cut out and the two Autobots were left in stunned silence for a moment.
"Talk about an escalation of things." Rewind murmured.
"Yeah, we better get a move on." Fastlane concurred, tires squealing as he pulled a u-turn. "Slip back into the house and put the glasses back where you found them."
"You mean I gotta run that gambit again?" Rewind exclaimed, looking up at the neighbourhood street fast approaching. "Aw, scrud."
Days Later… Persian Gulf, near the coast of Syria
"Say again, Bravo-Echo-Niner-Six…"
"I repeat, I have an unidentified impact within no-fly perimeter. Am detouring to investigate."
The F-22 Raptor fighter jet rocketed across the darkened desert sky, the only vehicle to be seen across miles of harsh desert sand. Leaving a bright blue contrail streak in its wake, the American-made aircraft broke the sound barrier within a matter of seconds and crossed the distance between its current location and its intended destination in almost no time at all.
"Bravo-Echo-Niner-Six, please give us your current course and position."
"Roger, control. Have switched to bearing… What the-?" The pilot trailed off as he got a good look at something indescribable. A giant metal man, standing in a smoldering crater where the impact had been reported…
And the metal man had noticed him.
"I have what I need…" Starscream mused, his null ray rifle charged and pointed at the fighter jet. "You can go now." A single violet blast ripped through the body of the Raptor, a column of flame erupting from the exit wound before the near-entirety of the jet was engulfed in a sheet of flame. The wreck spiralled out of control, crashing into the desert sand with a mighty explosion as the highly-flammable jet fuel within combusted.
Lowering his arm, Starscream looked on at the burning husk for a moment as his chassis began to recongifure itself based on the results of his trans-scanning. The matching semi-triangular wings of the F-22 took shape across his back, the cockpit forming along his abdomen, every bolt, rivet, and plate of the Earthen fighter jet hardening into existence in his given shades of white, red, and blue. Once the process was complete, the Decepticon took flight and transformed, flooring his thrusters to break the sound barrier not half a second later. "Thundercracker, report." He barked into his comms.
"Planetfall was clean. No witnesses… well, no living witnesses. Local camouflage enabled. What's our next move, Lord Starscream?" His fellow 'Con inquired.
"Lock on to my signature and reunify. We are going to the planet's northern hemisphere." Starscream ordered. Not long after, to the deafening boom of a shattered sound barrier, a second jet joined Starscream in flight. It was a MiG-29 Fulcrum in a vibrant shade of blue sporting red trim along the wings and fins; Thundercracker's colours.
"What is in the northern hemisphere?" Starscream's second-in-command questioned.
"An ancient human report indicates the appearance of a frozen 'metal man' located in that region." The Lord Commander responded. "I wish to dispel these rumors… or at least confirm them."
"You think it's Megatron?" Thundercracker wondered.
"Do not speak his name in presence!" Starscream snapped. A tense silence hung in the air as Thundercracker waited anxiously for further word. "If it is him, then I will make certain that my reign remains absolute. I can trust you with this task… can't I, Thundercracker?"
"Of course, sir. Never once has my loyalty wavered. Not even now."
"Good." Starscream growled.
The Decepticons remained silent for the duration of the flight…
The Arctic Circle…
The air was a brisk minus 22 degrees Celsius when Skyburst and Evac arrived in the Arctic. As fliers, both Autobots were able to make good time and cross the vast distance in only a matter of days. Neither of them had any idea what to expect, but given the grave tone of Optimus Prime as he himself delivered their orders, they could only assume things were happening.
Evac had scanned a Eurocopter MH-65 Dolphin helicopter as his alt mode, the coast guard markings adopting to his regular white-orange shading. Skyburst, meanwhile, had taken the form of an F-22 Raptor jet fighter, the mainline American vehicle now in white with black wings each sporting a golden lightening bolt filled with a crimson Autobot insignia.
"I sure hope this is worth it. My guidance controls keep trying to ice over." Evac griped.
"Too bad you don't have a central fusion reactor like I do." Skyburst remarked. "That said, it's Megatron. I'm pretty sure it will be worth it. Come on. My geosynch-radar has a lead on an Autobot energy signature."
"Must be Ironhide." Evac surmised as he pulled right to chase after Skyburst. Their radar led them towards a sheer mountain of ice with sheer cliffs on either side. The landscape was dramatic with whole chunks of ice rising and falling to form deep valleys and rising mountainous peaks. It was chaotic, unpredictable, and reminded the Autobots a little bit of home.
Approaching the rising plateau of crystalline blue, a lone figure awaited to greet the pair. He was a tall mechanoid in red and black, a pair of doors on either shoulder, a windshield stretching across the width of his chest, and a set of massive cannons attached to both forearms. The Autobot's weapon specialist and old-fashioned warrior, Ironhide was the big stick that backed up the soft steps of Optimus Prime. Paint scarred and chrome chipped by shrapnel from hundreds of battles, he was the oldest of the Autobots. His right hip was a mass of bypasses and temporary solutions, his power core and timing system were irregular, and his idle is set way too high; but his optics are the sharpest on Cybertron, and his cannon arm was as steady as ever. Ironhide was very much a walking legend among the Autobots, both young and old.
Evac hovered in place for a moment before he dropped down and transformed, rotor blades splitting in two as they became perched on either arm like a set of blades while the entire tail assembly split in two and spread out behind him like a pair of wings. The cockpit and nose had split as well to form the halves of his chest, leaving the rest of the helicopter chassis to form his legs and lower torso.
Skyburst transformed in midair and dropped down hard, ice crunching beneath his feet. His black wings had folded up to form his chassis, arms sprouting from the thrusters and rear fin assemblies while leaving the fuselage proper to convert into his legs. The canopy of the jet rested across his back, just behind his wide, angular face and jutting antenna. He snapped to attention just as Evac did.
"Evac reporting for duty!"
"Skyburst reporting for duty!"
Ironhide took a moment to size up the newcomers. As far as he was concerned, every Autobot was a rookie who lacked the same experience and battle-hardened wisdom he possessed. And yet there was something familiar about the red-gold markings adorning Skyburst's chest. "Skyburst, eh? Didn't realize you were an Aerialbot."
"Served under Commander Silverbolt during the Simfur campaign, and under Commander Air Raid during the siege of Tesarus." The young Autobot crisply responded. Ironhide nodded simply and resumed their mission. Pleasantries could wait.
"At ease. Good to see ya, soldiers. Got a job for you." He stated, beckoning the pair to lol wo him. Standing on the edge of the cliff, the veteran Autobot pointed down at a collection of buildings that was an army outpost. In front of them sat a series of four vehicles, all organized into a rank-and-file column. "That human military convoy down there is heading for the base where they're likely holding Megatron. I need you to follow them…" He paused and looked over Evac. "But, first, let's take care of your image, kid."
The copter-bot glanced down at his chassis. "What's wrong with my image?" Evac questioned, his expression denoting confusion.
"In case you hadn't noticed, that colorful 'coast guard' getup of yours doesn't exactly blend in around here." Ironhide stated plainly. "The humans have several helicopters in reserve near the back of their base. Scan one and get your chassis adjusted then get to followin' the convoy." He ordered. "Skyburst, yer on perimeter patrol. I don't want any Decepticons gettin' a drop on the humans before they can lead us to Megatron's coordinates."
Streaking through the sub-zero air, Starscream and Thundercracker roared across arctic ice and chilled waters. A light snow was falling from the cloudy pale grey sky. At the speed the two were flying at, it was a constant blur of motion, rendering the atmosphere to a near stati-like quality of reality. "Reminds me of the northern end of the Sonic Canyons." Starscream mused. "Just as barren. Perhaps less cold."
"Yeah, there's ice trying to form on my chassis." Thundercracker griped. "Are you sure you wanna do this, Lord Starscream? We don't have to go to such lengths to-"
"I have to make sure, Thundercracker." Starscream interrupted. "This may be my one chance to secure the future once and for all. Opportunities like this rarely come about and I would be a fool to let it pass." He stated. "Scan the sector for energon signatures. I want to know if we are alone." Thundercracker did as told, his geosync-radar quickly tracking down a series of targets courtesy of his radiation detection equipment. He counted several Autobot energy signatures…
And one familiar Decepticon.
"Energon scanners indicate the presence of Autobots somewhere in the area." Thundercracker said aloud, deliberately leaving out the other result.
"Interesting. I did not expect them to follow this lead so quickly." Starscream mused.
"Should we intervene?" Thundercracker inquired.
"Why do the labor when we can let the Autobots do it for us?" Starscream replied. "I want you to secure the perimeter while I monitor them. Keep any and all reinforcements from bolstering their ranks." Thundercracker took off without another word, breaking formation as he appeared to do as Starscream wished.
But in reality he was tracking that Decepticon signature.
The reading grew closer and closer, Thundercracker switching to visual scanning in order to properly pinpoint his intended target. Soon, out of the snow and ice, a tall and broad-shouldered mechanoid loomed amid the barren arctic terrain. His deep indigo-shaded chassis stood unmoving amid the inhospitable landscape, like a predator surveying his territory. Everything about him seemed threatening and sinister. His left arm ended in a clawed fist while his right arm was comprised entirely of a massive AstroMag cannon.
The blue jet dove low and transformed, wings folding low near his hips while the thrusters and rear fins became his arms. The cockpit folded across his back as Thundercracker's head popped up from his central chassis. The purple Decepticon looked to him, a large head sporting horn-like antenna framing a cycloptic yellow optical sensor turned to regard him. "Thundercracker." He stated in a voice devoid of emotion.
"Shockwave." Thundercracker greeted in return. "I wasn't expecting you to make planetfall so soon."
"Overhearing Starscream's intended arrival accelerated my own plans." Shockwave stated. "Tell me, Thundercracker, what are his intentions here?"
"He's currently stalking the Autobots in order to see if Megatron is here or not. If he is here then, well… I think you know what he'll do."
"Indeed. Although I suspect there may be other reasons to get to the bottom of this signal anomaly other than finding Megatron." Shockwave concurred, turning around to examine the distant arctic landscape. He dwarfed Thundercracker in terms of height and bulk, but while he might look like he was purely about muscle and firepower, Shockwave was instead remarkably shrewd and cunning.
Of all the Decepticons, Shockwave's method of operation was most characterized by the cold, brutal efficiency one would expect of a purely mechanical being. He entered every battle not with the bloodlust of his comrades, but with a scientist's approach to solving a problem. Coveting the position of Decepticon leader for himself, Shockwave had been working to oust Megatron for years. Not because his ego demanded it, but because his logic-circuits dictated it. Shockwave always felt Megatron's all-consuming passion for conquest only hindered its achievement.
As one might imagine, he and Starscream didn't get along very well.
But as Thundercracker could attest, Shockwave clung to the certainty that he would come to power and lead the Decepticons inevitably. He kept his ambitions quiet and close to the spark, operating from the shadows while Starscream flamboyantly paraded himself as the new Lord Commander of the faction. Always planning, always plotting, Shockwave leveraged his position as Military Operations Commander to his own advantage. Thundercracker took a shine to Shockwave's methodologies and, while moonlighting as Starscream's trusted second-in-command, pledged his loyalty to advancing Shockwave's cause using his own elevated position.
"Are you planning on intervening?" Thundercracker wondered.
"Megatron remains Starscream's one weakness. In single combat, at full power, Megatron would triumph." Shockwave stated flatly. "After spending stellar cycles in control, reviving Megatron would create a power struggle I can take advantage of."
"What do you want to do then?" Thundercracker asked. In response, Shockwave activated a holoprojector from his optic and generated a series of transponder signal numbers.
"I have brought a small detachment of my personal drones to aid me in my efforts. The signal beacon I intercepted is coming from an area located just to the north of our current position. If the Autobot information is correct, Megatron is likely functional in cryogenic stasis." He explained before powering down the projector. "I want you to continue to aid Starscream. Follow his commands as you normally would. I will contact you when I have need of you."
"What about you? What are you going to do?" Thundercracker wondered.
"I will take my drones and move on the Autobots, I must discover the purpose of this location before they do. I wish to conduct my own search for Megatron." Shockwave said simply.
The human military convoy had made it successfully to their seconadary outpost with Evac playing overwatch in his newly-scanned UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. With no sign of Decepticon activity thus far, Ironhide ordered Skyburst and Evac to join him on a distant overlook where they could see the entire human base on display. With all manner of temporary and permanent buildings erected, the only thing separating this base from any other was the presence of a gigantic steel door wedged into a wall of ice the base was up against.
"Good work, you two. Megatron has got to be in there for the humans to go to all this trouble." Ironhide praised, servos on his hipmotors. Skyburst knelt and let his telescopic scanners analyze the big door.
"Look at the size of that door! It's big enough for one of us to walk through." He noted in amazement.
"The humans fear what they don't know and tend to take lots of preventative measures. They wanna know everything about something and they would stop until they feel safe about it." Ironhide noted. Evac looked on in silence for a moment before finally giving voice to a question.
"Ironhide, how did Megatron go bad?" He asked. "He and Optimus Prime were brothers. How did they turn out so different?" Ironhide looked to him for a moment, his cyan optics shifting back and forth between the human base and his fellow Autobot.
"The Allspark gave us free will. That means some of us are gonna make bad choices." He stated in reply. "I would know. I started out as a Decepticon before the war broke out."
"And then you changed sides. But… why?" Evac asked.
"Because Megatron revealed the depths of his depravity, and I wanted no part of it." Ironhide surmised, not going into any elaborate details. "But enough about me. Let's find a way in."
"How are we supposed to get in there with humans everywhere?" Skyburst asked, standing up.
"You two won't. I will." Ironhide stated. "All I need is a distraction to-" The veteran stopped and glanced down at the base entrance. A fresh column of military Humvees was advancing from amongst the ice. Ironhide narrowed his optics. "That's not part of the convoy…"
"No, I saw them all enter myself." Evac stated as the new sight took him by surprise. Skyburst had the foresight to engaged his multi-spectrum scanners, and when he got to the energon radiation detector…
"Those aren't human vehicles at all! They're-" All of a sudden, each of the vehicles began to change shape, converting into robotic appearances as they stood up and deployed weaponry from their arms and shoulders. "Decepticons!"
"They must be here for Megatron!" Evac realized with a gasp as the Decepticons below opened fire on the humans, obliterating their early defences.
"Well then quit your yappin' and start shootin'!" Ironhide barked as he lept off the edge of the cliff and came crashing down into the ice, a loud thrum filling the air as his twin arm cannons spooled up. Raising both and taking aim, plasma rockets rushed from the barrels and struck home amid the Decepticons. Those caught in the blast were blown to pieces, those just beyond were flung far by the concussive wave that followed. Skyburst and Evac joined the fray, the copter-bot opening fire with his vario-intensity laser cannon while his Aerialbot partner automorphed his arm into a neutron cannon that began shredding the 'Con ranks with explosive bursts of firepower. More of the Humvee 'Cons emerged from the icy passage, forming a veritable army as they attacked the Autobots and the humans en masse.
From afar, Shockwave watched the assault unfold. He sat quietly in his tank mode; a boxy vehicle of Cybertronic design that left no room for human pilots, only his massive AstroMag cannon perched on top in turret formation. His scanners watched the battle unfolded, his internal processor calculating the Autobot involvement. "Combaticon drones, continue the assault. Divide focus between humans and Autobots." Shockwave ordered into his comms. He received no response and needed none. His drones were sparkless beings, preprogrammed to serve his bidding with additional hive-interlink technology. In a way they were extensions of himself. But Shockwave cared only for their usefulness. Not for their wellbeing.
"Thundercracker to Shockwave. Starscream has taken notice of the assault." His ally reported in over comms. "He's going to be asking questions."
"Let him ask. You know nothing. You are his faithful servant and would not dare act against him." Shockwave droned. "Stand guard here on the surface. I am going to investigate inside." Adjusting the angle and elevation of his tank cannon, a glow lit the end of the barrel before Shockwave unleashed a scorching blast of energy that annihilated the steel door of the military base. Whatever wasn't destroyed during his salvo was left to melt, shorn metal sagging on its sliders as the heat of the blast ate away at the material's structural integrity. "Combaticon drones, keep the Autobots preoccupied." He ordered, heavy treads rolling and crushing ice underneath as Shockwave advanced on the army base.
Meanwhile, Ironhide found himself swarmed by Decepticon units half his size, their numbers attempting to make up for their lacking strength and firepower. His multi-barreled autocannon tore into their ranks, sending splinters of metal into the air as dark mech fluid splattered across his chassis. Crushing one drone under foot, a heavy punch tore the head off another before a bleach of flame from his left-hand cannon sent a proton grenade streaking towards another cluster of drones that promptly detonated in their midst.
"Ironhide! I think the 'Cons are making a break for Megatron!" Evac called out, pointing towards the shattered door. Neither of them had noticed Shockwave slip inside.
"Then we gotta stop those Decepticreeps!" Ironhide growled, transforming into his GMC Topkick C4500 pickup truck alt mode and racing towards the entryway. "Skyburst! Stay here and hold them off. Evac, with me!" The sounds of cannonfire began to fade as Evac followed Ironhide through the burning remnants of the human base. If any saw them, neither Autobot cared. There were more important things at stake than simple secrecy.
Barreling past the broken door, the two Autobots discovered a large tunnel on the other side, one whose floor was marked with old and abandoned railroad tracks leading deeper within. Neither said a word and pressed on, both of them concerned with what they might find and who they might encounter. Evac kept his weapons primed just in case. Ironhide's reinforced grille plowed through ancient human machinery and icy stalagmites. Shattered pieces of rail cars and broken ice littered his path forward as the veteran Autobot never once let up. He turned with the tunnel, his vehicle mode shifting on a dime like he were a young Velocitronian racer competing in the Speedia 500. It was almost awe-inspiring to watch for Evac. If only it hadn't been undercut by the sinister notion that Megatron lay somewhere further on…
The tunnel began to widen until a gigantic glacial cavern was revealed. Old wooden scaffolding, rusted and frost-covered computer equipment, as well as abandoned crates and long-forgotten tools lay scattered about. The railroad tracks led to a crater in the ice, in the centre of the cavern, the edges perfectly symmetrical as though cut with a blade and leaving a sizeable impression behind.
"What? Megatron's gone!" Evac realized.
"Humans have been busy." Ironhide mused as he converted to robot mode. "They must've moved him somwhere. Let's search for clues… but keep your optics open for more Decepticons." He cautioned Evac. They strode cautiously forward, Evac taking a moment to linger and gaze upon the crater where Megatron had once been frozen solid. He stared as if the Decepticon leader's ancient evil had somehow permeated the ice and contaminated the area…
Ironhide was quick to discover more evidence of human efforts and Decepticon intrusion. Vaulted doors, leading to more tunnels, had been blasted wide open by firepower unlike anything the humans possessed. He moved cautiously, his cannons still pulsing with firepower, and beckoned for Evac to cover him…
The old and unused server room was dark and showed evidence of advanced decay. Despite its appearance there remained a connection to power that allowed the terminals within to function. It was a boon to Shockwave's efforts, the cycloptic Decepticon having uncovered the room quite by accident when Megatron was revealed to not be on site. And now, using his own datajack intraconnections, the humans' secrets were soon becoming his own. Their computation abilities are crude and inferior but are still accessible with my own Cybertronian technology. He thought internally, marvelling at just how primitive other species could be compared to his own. The fact Megatron reamined, effectively, their prison was further proof of his own need to ascend to leadership. It was, after all, simply logical.
"Shockwave, my sensors are picking up Autobot signatures closing rapidly on your position. You don't have much time before Starscream or the Autobots arrive. You need to get out of there." Thundercracker reported over comms. Shockwave took the news in stride and continued to sift through the relevant human data. Names, locations, coordinates, dates, all of it flashed through his internal microprocessors as he catalogued the information as it came.
And then, without warning, the humans' server fell dark and his access was cut out.
A flash of something crossed his brain module, roughly interrupted as surprise. But Shockwave did not react. He simply unplugged himself from the terminal and reverted to alt mode. The roar of his engines filled the room as his tank treads dug into the metallic floor and propelled him towards and exit shaft, one which led upwards at a steep elevation.
"Thundercracker. I am leaving the base. Lock on to my signal and follow me when able." He stated.
Ironhide and Evac arrived too little too late to stop the Decepticon intruder, neither of them ever deducing that Shockwave had been busy down here just a few minutes before them. However, both Autobots were absolutely riveted by the sight of the old human database.
"Check it out. The humans have an entire networking centre down here." Evac observed.
"Let's see what kinda data they keep on here." Ironhide rumbled, converting his hand into a datajack which he promptly plugged into the first accessible port he could find. The human server opened up to him and he quickly began running trace connections to keywords like 'giant metal man' and 'ice'. It wasn't long before he, even with his limited techneticist abilities, was able to locate something striking. "Hmm. Interesting."
"Find something?" Evac wondered.
"Looks that way, kid. The humans have a secret military agency called 'Sector Seven'. They've got Megatron at some other location but I can't seem to find out where." Ironhide explained. The computer monitor flashed to life before them and a few trace documents began flickering across the screen as Ironhide cycled through them. "There's a file on here titled 'Project Ice Man' but I don't have the processing power or tools to crack it."
"So what do we do now?" Evac wondered as the veteran Autobot withdrew from the computer plugin.
"Adapt and overcome, kid. We need to transmit a copy to Blaster back in Tranquility and one to Prime. Maybe they'll have better luck." Answered Ironhide. "Let's head topside. I believe there's a transmission tower near the base we could use to send the data quick-like."
The access shaft led into one of the base's surface hangars where Shockwave was able to blast out into the open. Vacating the base with all possible speed (as much as his tank could produce) he was nearing a mega-mile away from the scene of the battle when Thundercracker finally met him. Both Decepticons transformed.
"That was close." Thundercracker noted with a grimace. "Lucky for you, Starscream never noticed you during the chaos. He was more concerned with staying back to avoid being detected by the Autobots."
"As I planned." Shockwave said flatly. "The risk, however, was worth the reward."
"What did you find? Megatron's true location? Is he alive?" Thundercracker asked, having been informed of the apparent removal of the old Decepticon leader.
"Ultimately, his functional status is meaningless. Megatron is no longer necessary." Shockwave stated in response, greatly surprising Thundercracker. "Soon we will have an army."
"What do you mean?"
"Megatron is not the only Cybertronian object that has been on this planet for hundreds of years." Said Shockwave. "The humans are aware of the presence and existence of the Allspark."
Thundercracker audibly gasped. "The Allspark?!" The mere mention of the god-like artifact was enough to inspire visions from the past. A great cube, bigger than any one Cybertronian, filled with life-giving power and the means to create or destroy. "You're certain it's here?"
"I am. With the Allspark in my possession, I can use its power to transform human machinery into an army of drones under my command. Neither Starscream nor Megatron would be able to stand against me." Shockwave revealed. Thundercracker paused to revel in the news. It seemed things were coming to a head a lot faster than anyone could anticipate. That said, he and Shockwave were now the only two Cybertronians to know of this.
"What do we have to do?"
"I need to get to a high enough altitude to scan for the Allspark. My connection to the human network was severed before I could pinpoint its exact location. Soundwave would be ideal for this, but he is too loyal to Megatron." Shockwave determined.
"High altitude, huh? No problem." Thundercracker remarked, queing his thrusters and hovering off the ice.
"Higher than you can achieve, Thundercracker." Shockwave stated. "I have something in mind… but I will accept your offer, provided Starscream has no present need of you."
"I'll… get back to you on that." Thundercracker elected, converting to vehicle mode and taking off with a demeaning roar from his engines. Shockwave began to move as well, transforming into tank mode and driving across the arctic terrain. While his direction might seem aimless, the Decepticon was already formulating a plan…
Emerging from under the base, Ironhide and Evac discovered the Decepticons had been handily dealt with thanks to Skyburst's heavy-duty firepower. The Aerialbot stood tall amid a field of scrapped drones, his cannon smoking from the barrel. "Drones have been dealt with, Ironhide. Did you find Megatron?" He asked.
"Not quite. But we found something else of interest." The old vet responded.
"Some human group moved Megatron long before we showed up." Evac quickly filled in his squadmate. "We managed to find a human project document that might have more answers."
"We need more than our own abilities to crack it." Ironhide concluded. "Head to the transmission tower atop the peak behind us and secure the area." Skyburst nodded and took flight, transforming with a roar from his afterburners as he soon disappeared into the cloudy skies. Both Evac and Ironhide followed suite, assuming vehicle modes to move more quickly and chase Skyburst up to the summit…
None of the Autobots had any idea that, somewhere above them, a very watchful optic was observing their progress. Their voices played out on repeat over comm channels, "Some human group moved Megatron long before we showed up. We managed to find a human project document that might have more answers."
"We need more than our own abilities to crack it."
Taking the information in stride, their stalker began to maneuver into a new position…
Arriving at the top of the ice-bound summit, Ironhide converted to robot mode and withdrew a module data console from behind, the object expanding into a proper two-handed piece of equipment. Slapping it onto the base of the transmission tower, while flanked by Evac and Skyburst, Ironhide plugged in his datajack and began uploading the file he'd downloaded from the humans. "Boss, it's Ironhide. We need to upload some data to ya. Are you receiving?" He asked into his long-range comms.
"Affirmative. We are receiving the data now. You'll need to maintain the transmission until we have completed the download." Optimus Prime responded from the other end.
"Understood, Prime. Ironhide out."
"So now what?" Skyburst wondered as Ironhide stepped back from the data console.
"We wait. And we keep the 'Cons away." Ironhide responded as he observed the transmission's strength and progress. "Human technology ain't like Cybertronian technology. It's primitive. Takes time to work properly." He surmised. "Handy but a real pain in the aft most of the time."
A dull roar from overhead drew the Autobots' attention skyward. "Looks like we got company!" Evac called out, pointing to a distant contrail that seemed to grow with every passing second.
"Great... Another ambush. I'm getting too old for this." Ironhide grumbled as he warmed up his cannons. Watching closely, an F-22 Raptor dropped out of the clouds and began to rocket in wide circles around the transmitter tower, surveying the scene from afar.
"Hey, Skyburst, that looks like your alt mode." Evac noted. Narrowing his optics, Skyburst could confirm the observation.
"I thought the humans didn't have any jets around here?" He questioned aloud.
"They don't…" Ironhide trailed off, his optics narrowing as the F-22 performed another flyby. "That's no human vehicle, kid." He growled, noting the white, red and blue coloration.
Banking hard around, the F-22 can rocketing right towards the Autobots before it began to change. Panels and plating popped apart and reassembled into a new configuration. The jet quickly took on a bipedal form that dropped down in a crouch, crushing ice beneath heavy feet as the Decepticon straightened up.
"I'm afraid I can't let any of you leave here alive. You're interfering with my plans." He said, speaking with measured words in a low, sinister tone. Ironhide stepped up, arms held out in readiness as his cannons sat primed to fire.
"Starscream." He growled. "Still a second-rate tyrant I see. You'll always be in Megatron's shadow."
"Petty threats won't save you, Ironhide." Starscream retorted with a huff as his twin null-ray rifles emerged from his arms. Ironhide cast a glance back over his shoulder.
"Evac, keep that transmission online. Skyburst, watch out for more Decepticon punks." He ordered before breaking into a sprint and charging towards Starscream. Violet energy bolts struck his overshields, rippling across Ironhide's frame as the Autobot retorted with a barrage of autocannon rounds. Boosters in his feet flared as Starscream darted to one side, his left hand automorphing into a missile launcher as he did.
"You will kneel before me!" He sneered, launching a trio of projectiles.
"You're messing with the wrong Autobot!" Ironhide retorted as his pulse blaster blew all three of them out of the air. Sustained pulse rounds and autocannon fire chased Starscream into the air, the Decepticon Lord Commander converting to alt mode for a tactical advantage. Ironhide continued to fire his autocannon, a stream of glowing projectiles chasing the Decepticon across the sky.
Skyburst and Evac watched with mixed emotions. "Should we do something?" The copter-bot wondered.
"You heard Ironhide; we stay put and protect the data upload. Obviously that's what Starscream's after-" Skyburst replied. He abruptly paused when his internal sensors warned him of a missile lock and impending danger. "Move!" The two dove for cover as an explosion from a missile detonated upon the ice where they'd been standing.
Diving from the clouds, Thundercracker emerged and transformed dropping down to face off against the rising Evac and Skyburst. The panels over his left arm receded to reveal a rack of missiles while the armor around his right arm split open to allow his vehicle mode's GSh-30-1 30mm autocannon to emerge. "Hand it over, Autobots!" Thundercracker demanded. "And we'll consider letting you live."
"Not a chance, Decepticreep!" Skyburst retorted as he and Evac trained their weapons on the 'Con. Thundercracker took them both on, firing his missile at Evac while his autogun opened fire on Skyburst with a heavy air-rending CHAM CHAM CHAM. Evac broke right to avoid the missiles and opened fire with his laser cannon, energy bolts striking Thundercracker's chassis repeatedly. Skyburst darted to the left and unleashed his neutron cannon, explosive rounds rocking Thundercracker and forcing the Decepticon to go airborne where he rained down more rounds from above.
Starscream found himself pitched into the transmitter tower by one of Ironhide's grenades, the Decepticon caught mid-transformation as he struck the metalwork and hit the ground with a growl, smoke trailing from his overshields. A pair of handles metamorphosed over his shoulders and Starscream reached back to take one in each hand. Pulling off his wings, thin energon blades flashed to life along the edges to form a pair of axes. With a grin, Starscream rushed in to close the gap, swinging his weapons around with hard chops that Ironhide withstood through sheer willpower and his hardened chassis. "I will not be stopped, Ironhide!"
"Unfortunately for you, I've been itching for a fight!" The gruff Autobot retorted, batting aside Starscream's weapons and landing a powerful right hook that snapped his head to the side. Ironhide followed up with a mighty uppercut that sent Starscream stumbling backwards. Transforming, Ironhide powered ahead with a blare of his horn as he slammed into Starscream and drove him backwards, powering the Decepticon through an outcrop of ice. Converting back into robot mode, the Autobot rolled forward and drove his feet into Starscream in a dropkick that knocked him off the mountain glacial peak.
Meanwhile, Thundercracker continued to rain fire on the Autobots from above. Skyburst rose up to meet him, the two exchanging fire in a high-speed circling chase around the transmitter tower. "Two can play at that game, Decepticreep!" Skyburst called after him.
"I'll give you a chance to prove it, Autodolt!" Thundercracker shot back, converting to vehicle mode and rocketing off into the sky. Skyburst quickly transformed and gave chase.
Leaving his squadmate to handle Thundercracker, Evac quickly joined Ironhide in a 2-on-1 against Starscream. The Lord Commander had his wings returned to their mounts behind him and had both null-ray rifles deployed. One quickly aimed at Evac as the other was trained on Ironhide. "Give up yet? Or ya thirsty for more?" Ironhide questioned. Starscream's scarlet optics flicked back and forth between the two Autobots before they landed on the very spot on the transmitter tower where he had been flung… the small palm-sized device he'd left behind was flashing, indicating a completed data sweep.
"Fools! You think you've won? I've got what I came for. Your destruction shall come soon enough." Starscream promised. Converting to jet mode, he took off with a roar of his afterburners and left the Autobots staggered in their concussive wake.
"Run you yellow-plated coward!" Evac hollered after him.
"Settle down, soldier. He's done for." Ironhide stated, grasping Evac by the shoulder. "Skyburst, break off pursuit and return to us. Starscream fled… as per usual." He then ordered promptly into his comms.
Turning back to his own transmission, Ironhide checked over the strong signal process and switched to his long-range comms. "Prime, have you got what you need?"
"Affirmative, Ironhide. I've made the decision to relocate the remainder of Prime Force to Earth. Head back to Tranquility as fast as you can to rendezvous with Blaster and Fastlane. Prime out." Optimus stated. Ironhide looked to Evac and flicked his head.
"You heard the boss. Let's get a move on!" He ordered.
"We'll get there faster if we fly back." Evac quickly said, transforming into helicopter mode and hovering in place. Ironhide quirked a metallic brow, seemingly hesitant to follow through with the suggestion. "What's wrong Ironhide? You wouldn't happen to be scared of heights, would you sir?" Evac queried in a slightly teasing tone.
"Just shut your voice transmitter and let's get back to Tranquility." The Autobot veteran grumbled, two sizeable battle-scarred hands clasping the twin struts dangling below Evac's alt mode.
"Alright. Hang on to your crankshaft!" Evac called out as he took flight, his enhanced Cybertronian engine and cybertanium rotors allowing him enough lift and forward momentum to carry Ironhide into the sky as Skyburst buzzed past them with a waggle of his wings…
Still in jet forms, Starscream and Thundercracker reconnected high above the arctic. "I hope you managed to get what you were after, Lord Starscream." The Lord Commander's 2IC griped. "Those Autobots pack a punch."
"I thought you were made of sterner stuff, Thundercracker…" Starscream huffed. "No matter. Yes, I copied their transmission while it was en route to Optimus Prime. The humans know of Megatron's existence and moved his body."
"So he is alive." Thundercracker mused.
"For now." Starscream muttered. "Take your leave as you wish, Thundercracker. I have some investigating of my own to do. Oh, and would you happen to know anything about that Combaticon drone swarm that attacked the humans?"
"Not a thing, sir. All I know about are the advance teams here on Earth." Thundercracker replied, hoping his vocalizer didn't waver enough to give him away.
"If I didn't know better, I'd say those were the same kind of Alpha-class drone units Shockwave likes to manufacture." Starscream noted and Thundercracker fell quiet. "I can never tell them apart anyway. Ah, no matter. We succeeded here and that's all that matters. As you were." Banking hard to the left, Starscream flew off into the sky, leaving Thundercracker to breathe a sigh of relief. Toggling his radar, the blue-shaded jet made to track down his actual leader…