Note: Here we are readers! The 'Convoy' episode! I hope you enjoy what I have here!
Also the character Kate the Viper belongs to my dear friend and co-writer Tyroth Darkstorm.
Chapter Forty
Road Trip
Another couple of days passed after Wheeljack had left and it was just another day at the base.
So far it had been quiet with only some scouting missions for energon and no Decepticon Activity.
Also the Hamato Clan had been told by April and Casey things were quiet in New York, so the Hamato Clan were glad for some respite especially after all the drama involving Makeshift.
On this particular day, Splinter was watching the Hamato Clan practising their ninja skills whilst the Autobots watched fascinated.
Despite there being little Activity back in New York according to April and Casey, the Hamato Clan still needed to keep up their ninja training.
Splinter called out several moves and the clan moved in unison, striking the air with punches, doing flying kicks and doing defence blocks on command at the Rat tapped his stick.
Ironhide cocked his head as he watched the turtles, lizard, hybrid, and Asian girl train.
"Sure, bring back some memories of training at the Elite Guard back on Cybertron." He said, "Gruelling that was!"
"Given how well you fight in battle Hide, the training sure worked!" Arcee quipped then looked at Raphael who showed proper aggression in his moves whilst Monalisa was more graceful and flowing.
Bumblebee leaned closer to watch Pandora and Kemeko as they moved side by side and how Pandora used her tail as well as her legs and arms to strike.
Kemeko meanwhile showed how flexible she was especially when she did a flip and kicked the air as she did so.
Bulkhead was impressed by that move, and he wished in a way he could do a move like that, yet give his size and frame, pulling off a move like that would be just a dream.
If anyone on Team Prime could pull off the move, Arcee would be the one who could.
Optimus watched Leonardo and it impressed the Prime seeing how focused he was as he stood in the middle and moved steadily and with grace, almost like Monalisa.
He could relate to the turtle as he remembered the conversations they had had since they met about his role as leader to the Hamato Clan and how he had to lead the team after Splinter was no longer there.
"PRIME!"
Agent Fowler's voice rang through the Autobot Base so suddenly everyone stopped what they were doing and Michelangelo who was executing a flying kick dropped in mid-air and fell on his backside and Raphael tripped over and rolled onto his shell.
The other ninjas stopped what they were doing and looked towards the computer screens where Ratchet picked up Fowler's call and a video call was activated showing the Agent sitting in the cockpit of his Jet which had somehow crashed in an open area of American Countryside with mountains and forests in the distance.
"PRIME!" Fowler shouted again as Optimus and Ironhide walked over, taking care to make sure none of the Hamato Clan were underfoot.
"Special Agent Fowler, to what do we owe...?" Optimus questioned but was cut off as Fowler spoke again.
"What else?" Fowler interrupted.
"Cons! I chased them off with some hard ordinates! But not before they blew me out of the sky!" Fowler explained in frustration.
Upon hearing that, Pandora chortled, and Michelangelo joined in.
"Again?" the hybrid chuckled.
"I swear that guys a magnet for disaster!" Michelangelo laughed.
"He's a bullseye!" Pandora added to which Leonardo coughed and eyed the duo sideways along with Splinter, Monalisa and Raphael, and the youngest turtle and Hybrid stopped joking and looked serious.
"What's happened Agent Fowler?" Donatello asked from the floor before Ratchet scooped him up so he could see the screen.
"They tried to smash and grab for the Dingus." Fowler stated on the screen.
"Dingus?" The Hamato Clan said in unison as they looked at each other.
"The whatsit?" Arcee repeated in confusion.
"Dig-what?" Ironhide followed up cocking his head.
"Dynamic Nuclear Generation System, aka Dingus." Fowler explained before pushing a button on his end to show the Autobots an image of the device which was a huge grey metal box completely strapped down tightly.
"It's a prototype energy source I'm transporting to the coast for testing."
Ratchet scoffed as he looked at the screens.
"That's absurd." He said, "Why would Starscream bother with such primitive technology?"
"I'm guessing to make a big bad primitive weapon of mass destruction. If this baby were to meltdown, it would irradiate this state and the four next door!" Fowler revealed.
Upon hearing that, the Hamato Clan looked shocked.
"Wait what!?" Monalisa cried.
"Mass destruction?" Donatello added with the same fear.
"Uh…did Agent Fowler say what state he was currently in?" Michelangelo asked nervously.
"Hopefully not here..." Pandora whimpered then she felt Kemeko grasp her hand and she looked at her human cousin who had gone pale.
"Oh Shell." Leonardo muttered "This is serious guys!"
"No Shit!" Raphael growled.
"Language Raphael!" Splinter hissed, yet he too shared the same fear about the device Fowler was carrying and the damage it would do.
"I'm a sitting duck here, Prime." Fowler stated, getting back on topic. "I need you to spin up a bridge and send the Dingus through to its destination before the Cons come back for it!"
Optimus frowned and shook his head.
"I'm afraid that sending such a volatile device through a Ground Bridge is out of the question." He said seriously "If there were to be an accident during its transmission, the radiation of which you speak could propagate through the Ground Bridge vortex… and harm ALL Fifty states and beyond."
This news horrified the Hamato Clan who looked at each other and murmured fearfully.
"Oh man..." Michelangelo stuttered.
"Shit..." Pandora whispered, and she looked down at Kemeko who looked like she was going to faint, and she held her close just in case she did.
"You got any better ideas?" Fowler asked with a hint of desperation in his voice.
Optimus thought for a moment then looked at Ratchet and Donatello.
"I just might Agent Fowler." He said, "Just hang in there..."
"Like I got any choice..." Fowler muttered with a frown as he hung up.
A little while later, the Autobots made it to Fowler's locations where Optimus had a large trailer which Ratchet had constructed to transport large amounts of energon, to attach to his vehicle mode.
Once they had gotten Fowler and the Dingus safely out of his crashed jet, they made sure the dingus was strapped down inside Optimus's trailer ready for transportation to its intended destination.
Leonardo, Raphael, Monalisa and Michelangelo had decided to accompany the Autobots whilst Donatello remained behind with Ratchet to oversee their journey.
Pandora was annoyed she wasn't included, but her parents reassured her that if help was needed, she could be bridged in and that pleased the hybrid, and she held up Mr Swinger saying she would be ready to help if needed.
Kemeko as usual was a lot more reserved, and she bowed to the grown-ups respecting their decisions and said she would be ready if needed, showing she had her weapons ready.
Whilst Raphael, Michelangelo and Monalisa sat in the back of Optimus's vehicle mode behind the seats, which was a bit of a squeeze, yet they didn't mind, Leonardo accompanied Fowler in the front.
The mutants had decided to dress in black ninja suits to hide their mutant features just in case they were pulled over, although the best option was to hide, although given how Optimus and Leonardo had narrowly escaped being discovered by a traffic cop, they weren't going to take any chances.
Agent Fowler sat in the driver's seat, and he seemed excited about the prospect of driving one of the Autobots.
He rubbed his hands together before reaching for the steering wheel.
"Ah!" Optimus's voice came from the dashboard getting Fowler's attention.
"No need for that, Agent Fowler, I will handle the driving."
Fowler huffed and folded his arms across his chest in disappointment.
"It's going to be a long trip." He muttered to himself.
"Don't say that, Fowler." Michelangelo's voice came from behind the seats, "We can keep you entertained!"
Fowler looked over his shoulder to see Michelangelo peek his head out from behind the seats.
"If you like, we got a few stories?"
"No Mike!" Monalisa's stern voice followed "Not yet."
Fowler looked slightly suspicious yet before he could say anything, Optimus started his engine.
Outside, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, and Ironhide were in vehicle mode and started their engines as well.
"Autobots, roll out!" Optimus ordered and, on that command, the Autobots were on their way.
"Whoop! Road Trip!" Michelangelo cheered as he sat back behind the seats.
"This aint a fun trip Mike!" Raphael growled "We got a mission remember?"
"Aright, Alright! I get it!" Michelangelo snapped to which Monalisa coughed making both turtles settle down.
"Sorry about that William." Leonardo said glancing behind him.
"It's alright." Fowler said before relaxing back in the seat letting Optimus continue to drive.
A few hours past, and Fowler, Leonardo, Monalisa, Raphael and Michelangelo along with Optimus and the other Autobots were still on the road heading to their destination.
Michelangelo was starting to get bored as he sat there whilst Monalisa started to doze off as she rested on Raphael's shoulder.
"Some road trip." The orange masked turtle groaned under his breath "Wish Pandora was with me, or Kate." He thought about his viper girlfriend in Mutopia and he wished he could tell her about the Autobots yet Leonardo and Splinter had told him sternly not to mention anything until the time was right and it did frustrate him, yet he knew the importance of keeping the secret.
"We're locked onto your coordinates, Optimus." Ratchet reported over the radio "Barring any complications, you'll reach the drop-off point by sundown."
"Thank you Ratchet." Optimus replied yet he was distracted by Fowler honking the horn on the steering wheel as an old, rusted truck blocked the Prime's path in their lane as they were well below the speed limit.
"Move it, gramps!" the Agent shouted impatiently as he punched Prime's steering wheel before he continued to honk the horn and before long the slow truck pulled over, allowing them to pass.
Leonardo looked over at Fowler.
"Seriously?" he asked.
Fowler looked over at Leonardo.
"I gotta get this device to its destination pronto!" he snapped.
"Agent Fowler," Optimus's voice spoke up making Fowler sit up "Is that really necessary?"
"Aww, don't tell me your one of those textbook drivers." Fowler complained as he crossed his arms and leaned back into his seat, Leonardo just shrugged and looked out the window.
As he did, he noticed a large green helicopter in Prime's side mirror hovering above them.
Narrowing his eyes, the blue masked turtle watched them, and seeing how they hovered above the convoy, he felt slightly uneasy...
The Autobots and some of the Hamato Clan are on their way to help Fowler transport the Dingus to it's destination, but it seems there's trouble on the road and I'm sure those of you who've seen the show know whose coming!