Author's Notes: Well, this chapter took way longer than it should have. Due to my busy schedule I would work on this a little and then have to quit, work some more and then have to quit. Finally I'm finished, but only because I made myself stop. There was more I could have added, but at this point it's best to just put the rest in the next chapter.
Chapter 42
Lost Cause
Ratchet opened the ground bridge; worry and dread inflaming his spark. He knew they were going to restore Cybertron, but with the Decepticons on the loose anything could have gone wrong. Chromia sounded curt yet frantic as she contacted him, so his processor conjured up the worst case scenario.
He feared that someone could have been deactivated. What if it was Optimus Prime? Or Bluestreak? If anything happened to his only remaining son he wouldn't be able to bear it. His spark would probably offline from grief.
When the team ran back through the portal Ratchet could see that Optimus was being supported by Bulkhead and Chromia, but otherwise everyone seemed okay. In fact, there was an extra drone with them. Perhaps they had managed to save someone else even as they saved Cybertron? Ratchet found himself smiling, thinking that everything was going according to plan. That smile left his faceplate however when Dreadwing walked up to Prime and punched him in the chassis!
"Hey! You can't do that!" Bulkhead barked as he took an offensive step toward Dreadwing.
"Why not? This...this...Prime...has just destroyed our home! Again!" Dreadwing roared, "I can understand the rescue of Elita One, and I can even understand our surrender, but to sacrifice our futures for the sake of a bunch of oversized protozoa is going too far!"
"Whoa, wait! Hold on!" Ratchet put himself between Dreadwing and Optimus's doubled-over form, "What's going on here?"
"I knew joining the Autobots was a mistake!" Dreadwing cursed himself even as he shouted at them, "The former Primes killed us with indifference, and you kill us with idealism. How could you destroy the Omega Lock!?"
"You...did…" Ratchet muttered in shock.
"What was necessary," Optimus finished for him, "Megatron was going to aim the Omega Lock at earth, destroying all organic life in the process."
"So you destroyed...the only device in any universe...capable of restoring our home?" Ratchet asked with shaking breath; floored by what he was hearing, "Optimus…we needed that."
"You weren't there, Doc," Smokescreen bluntly interjected, "It's not your place to question a battlefield decision."
"It most certainly is!" Ratchet shouted furiously, "There had to be another way!"
"Sire, if Optimus Prime did nothing, then everyone we care about on this planet would have died," Bluestreak pointed out, "Jack, Miko, Raf, everyone. All gone forever, because we were too preoccupied with our own problems to save them. I'm hurt too. I wanted to see Praxus restored after all these vorns. I wanted to see the crystal gardens and the golden spires of Iacon. I wanted that, but the price we would have had to pay was too high. This world is innocent in our war. We don't deserve to sentence them to death because of what we've done."
"Innocent?" Dreadwing scoffed, "This planet is literally Unicron's corpse! Megatron cleansing this place of organic life would have been doing it a favor!"
"You mean like cleansing us of our memories was 'doing us a favor'?" Elita asked venomously.
Dreadwing couldn't think of anything to say in response to that. He had joined the Autobots because he felt that turning war heroes and civilians into Vehicons was wrong. Elita One didn't deserve what had happened to her. She gave her life to save her people. She was a femme of honor. Megatron clearly had no honor, and for Dreadwing to side with his plan...to say that it was okay to kill the innocent for a greater good…
"I am becoming very cynical in my current age," Dreadwing sighed, surrendering his argument.
"You're not the only one," Ratchet sympathized, "It's just...did it really have to be destroyed? All of the good mechs lost...all of the energon spilled...for nothing? How could this happen?"
Bluestreak put his servo on Ratchet's arm, and for a moment all was silent. That silence was broken however when their computer screen came online and a loud voice interrupted their moment.
"Prime!" Agent Fowler bellowed, "The Pentagon's preparing to go defcon one! I need to know what we're dealing with!"
"To what do you refer, Agent Fowler?" Optimus asked in confusion.
Fowler looked at him quizzically for a moment, but then finally settled for saying "Maybe you should step outside and see for yourselves."
Skywarp, Miko, and Jack had been working for over an hour on a series of large glass tubes that seemed big enough to house Optimus Prime. They connected wires and circuit boards, all according to Shockwave's specifications. Raf meanwhile was aiding Shockwave with a control panel that the large one-handed mech was having trouble with. Jack was still very nervous about Raf being so close to Shockwave's proximity, but Raf assured his friend that he would be fine.
"The tools you are using to reattach the broken circuitry appear to be rather rudimentary," Shockwave commented as he observed Raf work.
"I know, but it's all I have," Raf replied as he continued working with his screwdriver, "What is this panel going to control when we're finished?"
"An activation and monitoring device for the main terminal," Shockwave replied.
"And what does the main terminal control?" Raf asked.
"The incubation chambers," Shockwave explained, "I intend to cultivate more Predacons before returning to Cybertron."
"Predacons? What for?" Raf inquired.
"You ask many questions," Shockwave noted dispassionately.
"Yeah, and you seem like you want to give me the answers," Raf observed, "You know I can't do anything against you at this point. So, why not just tell me? Why Predacons?"
"Predacons are magnificent beasts," Shockwave replied, a sense of awe in his voice that most would miss but Raf picked up on, "They are powerful, but also adhere to a strict hierarchical structure determined by a complex number of factors that when combined make for a logical system. I have also assessed the neurological functions of my Predacon, and have determined that it possessed a level of intellect previously uncatalogued by our so-called "modern science". Predacons ruled our planet for centuries, and would have continued to do so if not for the great cataclysm that caused their extinction."
"But Shockwave, I still don't understand why," Raf repeated, "Did Megatron order this? You've already made a Predacon. Why make more of them?"
"Megatron ordered the original batch of Predacons, the ones that went extinct waiting for his arrival on this planet," Shockwave told him, "However, my current mission has nothing to do with Megatron. Simply put, being stranded and alone for so long has given me time to ponder. Decepticons and Autobots fought for centuries for control of our home world, and in the process destroyed Cybertron. A war in which the prize is destroyed is illogical. Therefore, the only logical conclusion is that Cybertronians are illogical, and therefore unworthy of the planet they so callously decimated. Predacons and their sparse lifestyles kept Cybertron alive. Logic would therefore dictate that Predacons are a worthier apex species than Cybertronians."
"So…you're building Predacons to…?" Raf stalled; still unable to think of a hypothesis.
"Cybertron still exists, and the means to repair it must exist also," Shockwave theorized, "When Cybertron is repaired, I intend to give our world to the Predacons, to prevent Cybertronians from ever sullying it again."
Raf just nodded and went back to work, but inside he was trying to figure out if he even heard that correctly. Shockwave was cloning ancient beasts just to get back at modern day Cybertron? That didn't sound like the Shockwave Refit had known. This Shockwave's tone might have been the same, but the words themselves hinted at bitterness and a desire for vengeance. Then again, was it really vengeance, or just Shockwave's warped idea of justice?
"Shockwave…are you really going to repair Skywarp?" Raf further inquired.
"Skywarp is not broken," Shockwave simply replied.
"I mean are you really going to give him back his old body? Make him look like he used to?" Raf asked.
"Assuming I have the appropriate materials, it seems like a logical way to exercise my puzzle solving abilities," Shockwave replied noncommittally.
"But aren't you worried that Skywarp will tell Megatron where you are and what you're doing?"
"Skywarp is of no consequence to me. He is ignorant and only useful for manual labor."
"Then why help him at all?" Raf prodded, "How is it logical to waste your time on Skywarp?"
"Interesting," Shockwave gazed down at the small human, "I was under the impression that you held an emotional attachment to Skywarp. Do humans have a diminished capacity for empathic processing?"
"No. I mean, I do care about Skywarp, but I understand that you don't. I'm just trying to figure out if he's going to get hurt by helping. All he wants is to see his family again, his brothers. I just don't want you to betray him."
"Skywarp is not the creature in immediate danger here," Shockwave reminded him, "You and your compatriots are little more than worker drones, and are easily replaced if you attempt to sabotage me."
"I know."
The word drone stuck out in Raf's mind. He knew better than the others what that word really meant to the Decepticons. Refit could also sympathize with Skywarp. All he wanted at that moment was to go home to his papa, his mama, and his siblings. Of course the situation was not the same. Skywarp's true form would save his family, but Raf's true form would destroy his.
One thing he already figured out however was that Shockwave was likely telling the truth. One trait Shockwave had that was practically unique among Decepticons was his unwavering honesty. If he said he would help Skywarp, then he would help Skywarp. It was one thing Refit admired about Shockwave when he was newly built. If only Raf still had that innocent view of the mech he had once considered his creator. If only he could trust Shockwave the way he trusted his papa, Bumblebee, and Optimus.
The Autobots couldn't believe what they saw when they met Fowler on the roof of the base. There, shining ominously in the light of the afternoon sun, was a towering fortress unlike anything humanity had ever seen before. Optimus had seen such a structure before, however. It looked just like the old capital of Kaon; Darkmount.
"Is that what I think it is?" Jazz asked in disbelief.
"Yeah," Elita whispered angrily, "Of all the things for the Omega Lock to leave us, it had to be a piece of Megatron's legacy."
"It seems the skirmishes are over," Dreadwing said heavily, "Prime has destroyed the Omega Lock, and now the Decepticons will be out for blood. I never expected to die with you, but I suppose dishonor makes for strange allies."
"Hey, we ain't dead yet!" Chromia barked, "The 'Cons ain't gettin' in our base, and we ain't finished until we're finished. Right, Prime?"
"I could not have said it any better myself," Optimus smiled down at Chromia, "Autobots, prepare to defend the base!"
As the Autobots began to transform, Bulkhead noticed that Fowler ran for his chopper with a pace that could best be described as 'something's on fire'.
"Hey, Fowler!" Bulkhead called after him, "Don't try taking on the 'Cons with us. They're angry, and you don't have a chance."
"The army is on their way," Fowler informed them, but then said, "Look, I know the odds. We probably won't be coming back, but I'm not about to sit back and watch my planet burn. Don't worry, Two-Ton. My years of army ranger experience has been leading up to this."
Bulkhead, seeing he wasn't going to talk his diminutive friend out of this mission, simply sighed and said, "Just try not to get yourself killed out there."
"Funny. I was about to say the same to you," Fowler smirked at Bulkhead.
Fowler flew away in his helicopter, and the Autobots transformed and readied themselves for the battle of their lives.
Eradicons rained down from the tower like bats screaming into the night. Starscream led the charge, Thundercracker by his side. Megatron, for once willing to allow his subordinates to do the dirty work, sat back on his new metallic throne and waited for whatever forces managed to pierce his defenses. After all, the last line of defense should be their most powerful combatant.
Optimus and Elita fought standing back to back, both trying to mentally push aside their heavy sparks as survival took over everything else. Yes, these were Eradicons. Yes, they might have even been former friends. No, it didn't matter right now. If the Autobots on earth died, then the Autobot cause died. They knew they would have to kill a few drones to save those who remained from Megatron. With this shared thought in their sparks, they opened fire.
Bulkhead meanwhile was taking heavy fire as he tried to defend his parents, who were likewise not able to get a clear hit on any of their enemies. Bulkhead was a ground fighter, but Megatron had apparently ordered an aerial assault. The Autobots were having trouble figuring out how to take down the enemy.
One Eradicons swooped down to shoot close to them, but still not close enough for Bulkhead's wrecking ball to hit. He would have to switch to his blasters, but with all the chaotic movement he was at a clear disadvantage.
Even as he fired, he tried to keep his parents in his peripheral vision. His sire was hiding behind a crag in the mountain, and his carrier was…where was she?
Bulkhead turned to search for her, and that was when he was shot by one of the Eradicons troops. He could tell nothing critical was hit, but he was leaking energon from a neck cable that had been grazed.
The Eradicons, seeing that Bulkhead was in a vulnerable position, swooped down to finish the job he started. Bulkhead tried firing again, but the fuel line that had been cut went to his right blaster. He was compromised!
Just as the Eradicon was about to tear into Bulkhead, a boulder came flying toward the Eradicon and crashed into him; flattening him to the ground!
Bulkhead turned to see who had thrown that rock, and to his surprise his sire had come out of his hiding place to do so.
"Sire, where's Carrier?" Bulkhead asked over the sound of laser fire.
"In the base!" Klunker shouted over laser fire, "She was wounded!"
Wounded…his carrier was…? Oh, pit no!
Bulkhead growled and began fighting with renewed force. No way were the Decepticons going to get away with trying to take his family from him again!
Fowler meanwhile was the only one able to provide air support to the Autobots. He dodged and fired rounds at the Decepticons with a finesse that even he himself was impressed by. He could see the army helicopters and tanks in the distance, and he smiled at the cavalry that had come to their rescue. That smile, however, was short lived.
Megatron also saw the human military forces coming to save their pitiful planet, and he ordered his massive inbuilt cannon to be activated. This thing was over half a mile long, with fire power that could obliterate the humans' vehicles on impact.
That was exactly what happened. The cannon fired, and several land vehicles disappeared into black powder, along with their drivers. The second shot fired into the formation of planes, three of which were taken out.
Fowler looked away for a moment, mourning the loss of his comrades for the few seconds he could be allowed. He couldn't take his eyes off the skies for long however, as he knew people were counting on him.
Megatron saw the destruction of the human machines and smiled wickedly. That smile, however, like Fowler's, was also short lived.
Fowler was cornered by two Eradicons in the air, and wasn't sure what he was going to do. No way did he want to die at the hands of a bunch of flying toasters! Just as he was sure they would both fire down on him, the right Eradicon was taken down by Dreadwing, who had transformed into robot mode specifically to send the Eradicon crashing down to earth with him!
Fowler, seeing his way cleared a little, began firing on the other Eradicon. That scared off the drone, but then Fowler was faced with an even greater Decepticon threat…Starscream.
/Hello, Agent Fowler,/ Starscream purred into his radio, /It's been a long time. I bet you still have nightmares about our time together./
"You ain't the first one to try to torture me for information," Fowler scoffed at the seeker's attempt to intimidate him, "Now, get off my planet!"
Fowler then let loose a volley of missiles on the Decepticon officer. Fowler was sure that was the end for Starscream, but somehow the seeker had flown out of the way just in time. If a jet could glare at someone, then Fowler was sure that was exactly what Starscream was doing as he hovered there.
/Very amusing, Fowler,/ Starscream rasped, /Now…get off my planet!/
Starscream then fired at Fowler, but Fowler somehow managed to dodge the assault. That didn't stop Starscream from trying to ram the helicopter, and Fowler knew he was too slow to stop him. Just as Fowler prepared for the worst, a large white vessel started shooting at Starscream; sending the Decepticon away. Fowler looked at the interstellar vessel, and knew exactly who it was.
"Yes!" Fowler fist pumped, happy to see the Jackhammer had joined the fray.
Inside the base, Ratchet was watching with worried optics as the battle took place. There were several security cameras that captured every sickening moment. Bluestreak meanwhile had volunteered to help Saline with her minor injuries. Apparently she had tripped on a dead Eradicon and smashed her denta into her mouth components. It was the quietest she'd been since he met her.
Ratchet could see Optimus and Elita tag team, he could see Dreadwing and Chromia beating the scrap out of an Eradicon, and he could see Fowler's losing battle with Starscream. All seemed lost for the human, until the Jackhammer had shown up to save them. Given how terse Ratchet had been to Wheeljack after the Hardshell incident, he was honestly surprised to ever see the former Wrecker again. Just to punctuate the point, there was a message on the comm channel.
/Hey. Saw you guys were having a party. Thought I'd join,/ Wheeljack said cavalierly.
"Wheeljack…after everything-"
/Don't, Doc,/ Wheeljack stopped him, /I'm still an Autobot. Always have been, always will be. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to drop off some passengers./
Wheeljack cut off the comm then, and Ratchet felt relief that the Autobots had reinforcements. After a moment however, what Wheeljack said finally caught up with him.
"Passengers?"
Springer and Moonracer jumped out of the Jackhammer mid-air and landed on an Eradicon, riding him all the way down to the ground. Springer whooped in excitement at joining a battle, but Moonracer looked shaken up.
"That…seemed really low," Moonracer commented as she held herself.
"Hey, we got down here, didn't we?" Springer asked playfully, "You heard Wheeljack. He can't afford to stop. Now, you look for wounded, and I'll cause some wounds."
Moonracer huffed as she watched him run off. After they stopped being Vehicons, it was like his entire personality changed. Nonetheless, she owed her recovered identity to Wheeljack, so she supposed she could find some Autobots to save. Assuming they didn't kill her first.
Unlike the Eradicons that gracefully flew around the battlefield, a mining drone like Moonracer could do little more than awkwardly lumber around the battlefield trying to not get shot. After a moment however, she saw a sight that made her question everything.
There was an Autobot, a big green one, lying on the battlefield as another mining drone like herself tried to patch up his wounds. The other drone, however, was fumbling around and clearly didn't know what he was doing.
"Ow! Sire, it still hurts," Bulkhead whined.
"I'm sorry, but I can't get a hold of Ratchet," Klunker explained, "I think someone is using the public comm systems, and I don't know his private comm link code. So, which wire does this connect to?"
"I can't see it, and I wouldn't know if I could," Bulkhead reminded him, "Sire, just go inside. I can still fight."
"Excuse me?"
Klunker looked up at the voice and saw a mining drone with a medical kit. Assuming that it was Saline, he said the first thing that came to his processor…
"You should be in the base."
"I'm here to treat the injured," Moonracer explained, "Mind if I take a look at that leak?"
"Now I know you're sick!" Bulkhead joked, "Since when do you ask permission to do anything?"
"I can't figure out which fuel lines go where," Klunker elaborated, "Can you go inside and get Ratchet?"
"I can fix it, don't worry," Moonracer assured him, "Please, just hold still."
"Yes, Carrier," Bulkhead complied.
"No need to be sarcastic," Moonracer mumbled, assuming he was messing with her.
Moonracer then identified the lines that needed reattachment and where the fuel needed to be cleaned up. It was actually a fairly simple repair, and it took her only a few minutes to complete. All the while Klunker watched over the pair like a sentry. When Moonracer was done, Bulkhead felt his neck cables and smiled.
"Wow, I didn't know you could do that," Bulkhead said approvingly.
"I could have told you that," Klunker said fondly, "She used to clean my neck cables the same way."
"I…what?" Moonracer asked in confusion.
"Oh, those were wonderful times," Klunker reminisced, "You would massage my shoulder struts, I would run my finger down your back, and then-"
Before he could finish, Moonracer punched him in the faceplate! Klunker and Bulkhead just looked at her in shock.
"Eww! Wheeljack was wrong. The processor sickness is real!" Moonracer shrieked before running off to find Springer.
Bulkhead just blinked a couple times and stared after her. After a moment Klunker broke the silence when he said "I suppose your carrier doesn't like it when I tell those stories about her…"
Meanwhile, on the road, June Darby drove to the Autobot's base to search for her son. Jack hadn't returned home that day, and she couldn't get him on the phone. When she tried to call the Autobots about it, Ratchet had hung up on her. No one was telling her anything, and when she got there she could see why.
Everything was bedlam. Aerial battles, ground battles…everything was shaking as charred dust flew through the air. June had officially entered a war zone. No wonder the government had shown up to evacuate Jasper! The Decepticons were no longer hiding, and soon they would try to take over the world. That meant they could have already killed Jack.
June drove faster toward the disaster, ready to rescue her son no matter what kind of danger he was in. She would take on Megatron himself if that was what it took to find her son and save him. There is one universal fact in nature…do not mess with a loving mother determined to protect her offspring.
As June drew closer to the base, a grey drone flew down and landed in front of her car; causing the ground beneath it to shake. It peered down at her with an unblinking red visor, and it was clear this thing wanted to kill her. Thinking quickly, June honked her horn as loud as she could in an effort to get someone's attention.
The Eradicon's claw got closer to the car, and June was sure this was the end for her, but then suddenly a white and black blur body-checked the Decepticon and sent him skidding off into the desert. The Eradicon tried to charge back toward them, but Arcee and Smokescreen cut it off at the pass.
June looked up, and saw a similar faceplate with a very different paint job. She smiled, knowing who it was immediately.
"Thanks for the save, Jazz," June said gratefully.
"Anytime, Ms. Darby," Jazz bowed his helm respectfully, "Now I'd advise you to turn around. It ain't safe here."
"Where's Jack?" June blurted out.
"Sorry, don't know. Kids never showed up here today," Jazz shrugged, "Good thing, too. Ol' Buckethead is goin' nuclear on our afts."
"I can't find him," June lamented, "Jazz, what if something terrible has happened to Jack?"
"Hey, he ain't here, so he's better off than us wherever he is," Jazz replied nonchalantly, "Don't worry, ma'am. I'm sure he'll contact you soon. Jack loves you, and he won't keep you in the dark forever."
June, knowing this was the only answer she could get from Jazz, turned her car to go meet up with the evacuation coordinator, but before she did, she leaned out the window to say one last thing to the saboteur.
"Hey, be careful out there, okay?" June urged.
"You got it," Jazz replied easily.
With that, June drove off, and Jazz returned to the shadows of the mesa in search of any other Decepticons that needed an 'attitude adjustment'.
Jazz snuck up on a pair of Vehicon drones in the vicinity, but something didn't seem right about them. Every other fighter was an Eradicon flier, but these two weren't even soldiers. What were servant class drones doing here?
"You didn't have to hit him so hard," One drone said to the other.
"Says the guy who came here specifically to fight," The other one quipped, hand on hip, "I'm telling you, the Autobots are turning the drones into perverts."
"Maybe he was just already a pervert before the mind control," The first drone shrugged.
After listening to these drones for a moment Jazz figured out who they were. ICN-8675 and TGP-3006. These two were acquaintances of SS-PLX-04's when he was a drone, but Jazz didn't know how they would react to the information that they were real mechs. Either way, he had to try. An enemy he could turn into a friend was one he wouldn't have to fight later.
"Hey, you two seem lost," Jazz greeted them amiably.
The drones just stared at Jazz for a few seconds, but then finally…
"What's with the paint?" ICN-8675 asked.
"A new look for a new me," Jazz explained gleefully, "Name's Jazz. I'm sure you recognize who I used to be,"
"Jazz? The Jazz?" ICN-8675 asked, "Dude, you're a legend! Wonder why Wheeljack didn't mention you."
"Wheeljack?" Jazz asked, caught off-guard, "You know Wheeljack?"
"Sure, he brought us here," The drone replied, "I'm Springer, former Wrecker and current revenge enthusiast. This is Moonracer, former nurse and current boxing champion."
"Hey!" Moonracer yelped as Springer laughed at her, "Ooh! Mechs!"
"Well now, sounds like we're on the same program," Jazz nodded in satisfaction, "Alright."
Jazz was going to say something else to the newly freed duo, but his comm signal buzzed in his audial before he had the chance.
/Optimus to all Autobots. Rendezvous in the base. Repeat: rendezvous in the base./
"Hm, sounds like I'm bein' call inside," Jazz said in mild disappointment, "Hey, you two wanna tag along? I'm sure the Autobots could use ya."
"Frag yeah!" Springer exclaimed gamely.
"Well, I guess staying out here would be too dangerous," Moonracer shrugged, "Lead the way, Novus Prime."
Jazz chuckled at her sardonic attitude. Even if she didn't look or sound the part, Jazz could tell Moonracer was one hundred percent femme. He also got the feeling that Springer was acutely aware of this as well, and could probably use a shipper on deck. Perhaps a little matchmaking would be a nice diversion after the battle was won.