Chapter Seventy-Five
Explanations
A few minutes later, the Autobots, Pandora and Kemeko arrived back in the silo to their very worried family.
No sooner did they get to the raised platform and Ratchet and Bumblebee place Pandora and Kemeko on it than the turtles, Monalisa and Splinter ran over talking at the same time and asking what had happened.
"You scared us! What happened?" Monalisa scolded angrily.
"Why the Shell did you go with Ratchet?" Raphael shouted.
"Kemeko! I'm disappointed in you!" Leonardo said to Kemeko.
"But Dad..." Kemeko tried to explain but the three parents spoke over their daughters as well as glared at Ratchet.
Splinter sighed and clapped his paws.
"Leonardo! Raphael! Monalisa!" he shouted, "Calm down, we must listen to the girl's explanations, as well as Ratchet's." he said turning to the Medic who had encouraged Bumblebee to go to the medical bay so he could analyse him.
"That would be wise Master Splinter." Optimus agreed.
"In fact, we all have questions." The Prime said as he looked at Ratchet, Bumblebee and the girls.
"I'll put on some tea." Splinter volunteered.
"And I'll get us some energon." Arcee chimed in.
Pandora and Kemeko were led to the sofa where they sat together and the turtles and Monalisa looked down at them.
"You both got a lot of explaining to do." Monalisa said glancing at Pandora as if she had already assumed this was again one of the Hybrid's escapades.
Before long everyone was settled with tea and energon and Splinter calmly asked the girls to tell their story whilst Ratchet analysed Bumblebee and reported much to everyone's relief that he was alright and there was no sign of anything different nor of any hints of Megatron.
The Hamato Clan then listened as Pandora and Kemeko spoke about how Bumblebee had awoken from Power down and had gone off on his own, finding the shard of Dark energon then using the ground bridge to get onto the Nemesis, then they spoke of they had insisted on following Ratchet to bring Bumblebee back."
"It was my idea! My fault!" Kemeko had spoken when they got to that part before anyone could turn on Pandora much to their shock as they always knew Kemeko to be the sensible one.
The hybrid herself was surprised when she heard Kemeko say that, then she saw the Asian girl look at her as if to say 'Tell them! Say it's true!' to which the hybrid nodded.
"She did yes," she said "Kemeko insisted we go with Ratchet and help get Bumblebee back! He's not just our friend and guardian! He's family!"
Optimus gave a small smile at the girls at how they spoke about his scout.
Then the Hamato Clan looked at Bumblebee and Optimus asked his scout what had happened to which Bumblebee looked very upset and guilty and began to bleep and whirr about how after he had done that cortical patch with Megatron that the Warlord's mind had followed him and how he could see him in his head and hear his voice and how he had been a puppet to the warlord to bring him to life again.
Ratchet and the girls also agreed saying it was true, that Bumblebee had found the shard of Dark Energon at the battle sight where he, Optimus and Ironhide had battled the cybertronian zombies.
"I still got scars from that battle!" Ironhide had quipped as he looked himself over "Not to mention a few sore parts!"
Then they spoke about how Bumblebee had gone into the nemesis via the Ground Bridge and found Megatron's body then brought him back to life with the shard as well as returned his mind to his body.
"No way!?" Michelangelo cried as the others gasped in horror.
"You mean Megatron is alive! And he's back!"
"I am afraid that is true Michelangelo." Optimus said gravely "Megatron has indeed returned and is leading the Decepticons once again."
"We saw him with our own eyes!" Kemeko insisted "Me, Pandora, Ratchet, and Bee!"
"I tried to stop him!" Pandora piped up "I tried to take that shard out of Bumblebee's hand as he was possessed."
She held up Mr Swinger as she spoke.
"You what!?" Raphael and Monalisa cried in unison and Kemeko nodded.
"We both tried!" she said, "Well I tried to distract him, and Pandora tried to get the shard away."
Ratchet nodded "They did." He said, "I tried at first, but Megatron used Bumblebee's body to stop me, and the girls stepped in to try and help, and as much as it was brave, it was foolish!"
"Indeed it was." Splinter said with a frown "But despite that, we can commend you on your bravery."
"We can yes." Leonardo agreed sighing as he looked at Kemeko.
Monalisa and Raphael frowned but they too agreed that Pandora's heart had been in the right place and they could not fault her for that.
Bumblebee meanwhile bleeped and whirred in distress as he reached a servo over to the girls and they instantly started to stroke and nuzzle his digits in comfort.
"Please, it's okay Bee." Kemeko comforted.
Pandora meanwhile kissed Bumblebee's servo as she stroked it.
"It wasn't you." She said "That fucker used you! It wasn't your fault!"
Bumblebee whirred and sadly and bleeped a few times at the girls, yet they kept comforting him.
Everyone else couldn't help but feel a slight warmth within seeing the tenderness between the yellow scout and the girls.
Optimus placed a hand on Bumblebee's shoulder.
"The Girls are right Bumblebee, what happened wasn't your fault, but what has taken place cannot be undone, and now we have to be prepared for what Megatron's next plan is."
"And I dread to think what it will be." Ratchet muttered "I thought the Dark energon was bad..."
"Well, we have no idea right now," Ironhide said "All we can do is wait, once he's esbablished himself as Leader again, and after he's had with way with Starscream."
"Knowing Megatron, Scream's going to be praying to be offlined." Bulkhead said.
"That seeker has always tried to rise above his master, but he's always failed." Arcee said and Bumblebee bleeped and whirred as he remembered what he had seen in his head when Megatron was in control, on how Starscream had found Megatron's body after the Space bridge explosion and how he had removed the dark energon shard from his chest.
As he spoke, Arcee translated, and everyone was shocked.
"He tried to kill his master?" Leonardo asked.
"And he failed." Raphael added.
"And now he's paying the price." Donatello concluded "Well, he's made his bed."
"Well, he's fucked!" Pandora said.
"Language!" Splinter warned.
"Well, he is!" Pandora defended to which Raphael and Monalisa glared at their daughter who instantly went quiet.
"Also Prime." Donatello spoke up, "Before all this happened, we were in conference with Tyroth, and he along with Sephie has requested that the Knights and others of importance come here tomorrow to meet you?"
Optimus looked over at Donatello.
"Your Dragon friend?" he asked to which the purple masked turtle nodded.
"That's right, he has spoken to them about what happened in the museum as well as our current alliance and he wishes to bring the others."
Ratchet groaned as he heard that, it was bad enough there were eight and if he counted April and Casey when they came to visit, ten organics in the silo distracting him from his work, but a whole crew of Mutants, he was starting to dread the distractions.
"I understand." Optimus said, "And I consent, as long as they keep our secret as well as remain safe from the Decepticons."
"Thanks Prime!" Leonardo said.
"We will need to inform Fowler of what has happened recently, as well as have him present when our friends come here." Monalisa advised.
"Leave that to me Sis!" Donatello said quickly "Myself and Ratchet! We'll speak to Fowler and make the arrangements."
"Very well Don." Monalisa said then turned to Pandora and Kemeko who had returned to the sofa after comforting Bumblebee who now sat on a block being comforted by Bulkhead and Ironhide who were speaking in Cybertronian to him and she imagined that they were comforting him after what had happened recently.
"Girls." She said, "As much as what you did was foolish, as well as dangerous."
Both girls looked down ashamed.
"We know mum." Pandora said "But we..."
"I know." Monalisa interrupted "You care for Bumblebee like you do for anyone else you care about, and we cannot fault you for it."
Kemeko looked up.
"Aunt Mona?" she asked.
"You have shown how big your hearts are, regardless of the danger you walked into." Monalisa said with a smile and turned to her husband and Leonardo.
Leonardo and Raphael looked at each other, and they couldn't help but agree that the lizard lady was right about their daughter's actions over a loved one, and if they put themselves in their shoes, they would do so without hesitation.
"It is true." Leonardo agreed as he glanced at Raphael "Their hearts were in the right place."
Raphael grunted but he had to agree, they had wanted to help, and they had done so.
Yes, a great enemy and a threat was back, but he could deny that his daughter and niece had tried to help to stop him, but now he was back, he was ready to help the Autobots in what was to come next, no matter what.
Exchanging looks with Leonardo, Raphael agreed that whatever happened, they would be ready.
Meanwhile on the Nemesis, Starscream lay on a medical berth with many wires hooked up to him panting heavily in agony.
Not long after Megatron had dragged him back into the Nemesis, he had called the Vehicons to witness his punishment on his second in command for his treachery and attempt at terminating him.
He had wanted to show them what would be the consequence if anyone so much dared double cross him, and despite how Starscream was used to being trounced by the Powerful Warlord, this was worse than any beating he had received from him, so much so that many of his vitals were damaged and his armour was snapped in a few places.
He wasn't sure how long he had been laying there, as he had passed out from the beating and he awoke on the berth almost not remembering how he had gotten there.
As the seeker tried to collect himself, he heard heavy footsteps enter the look and his eyes shot open to see Megatron walking in and hovering over him.
"Resting comfortably Starscream?" Megatron asked in a mocking tone "Despite the extent of your injuries, my medical staff assures me that you shall make a rapid recovery."
"Hopefully every bit as rapid as your wrath is swift..." Starscream struggled to speak and he coughed up a bit of energon which ran down his chin.
Megatron cackled.
"And how swiftly things change." He mused "to think that but a short time ago, it was you who were standing here, while I was laying there right after your failed attempt to terminate me!"
He glowered then squared his shoulders in confidence at his battered second in command.
"But know this Dear Starscream!" he said, "Our positions shall never again be reversed!"
He then strode out of the room whilst Starscream glared at him, then as soon as Megatron was gone, he ripped the wires out of his body and got up from the berth then limped over to the doors.
Outside, Knockout was reading a data pad and minding his own business when the doors and he turned to see Starscream limping out of the room.
"Starscream!?" he exclaimed in shock "Have you lost your senses? You haven't fully recuperated!"
But Starscream brushed him off.
One thing Starscream hated was showing weakness in front of the other Decepticons and he wasn't going to show how Megatron's more violent trouncing had affected him.
"I feel fine Knockout never better, you're a brilliant physician now get out of my way!" he shouted in one breath and shoved the red polished medic away from him before skulking off.
Knockout watched him leave feeling rather annoyed as well as checked to see if Starscream's sharp digits had left any scratched on his armour which to his relief they hadn't.
Yet he watched Starscream and wondered why he was up and where he was going.
Starscream meanwhile limped and skulked through the ship until he arrived at where he wanted to be.
"Dark energon may have replenished your strength, Master." Starscream chuckled despite his pain, and he walked over to a corner where he reached into a secret chamber and pulled out a glowing purple shard.
"But how could you forget that you never reclaimed your original shard?"
He held the shard up and remembered how he had plucked it from Megatron's chest when he found him floating motionless after the destruction of the Space Bridge, and he had kept it hidden so that he could use it for himself when the time was right, and already a new idea was forming in his head.
"Once the Blood of Unicron flows through my veins, our positions shall be reversed!" he smirked.
Everyone's home and explained what has happened, yet on the Nemesis, Starscream after his 'Punishment' then treatment is already planning something else to get to the top of the food chain!
I'm sure those who have seen the show know what he's planning!