Chapter Twenty-Two
The Final Hurdle
Out in Earth's orbit, the Ground-Bridge vortex roared to life and managed to hold together, not far from the Spacebridge.
The Autobots soon emerged from it, and they flew through the air almost floating given there was no gravity until they got close to the Space Bridge that stood there before them, towering over them like a large metal ring in the air.
"Autobots, transform…" Optimus instructed he switched to his robot forms, the others following suit as they got closer to landing on the Space-Bridge.
"And gravitize!" he ordered.
After floating over to the bridge, the magnetics in the Autobots' feet activated, allowing them to stay on the Bridge and not drifting off into open space.
Electricity cackled between their feet and the portal until they landed safely and were stable.
Yet Bulkhead whimpered as he had a little difficulty keeping his balance and he stumbled a few times as he landed.
"Don't look up…or down…or left." He muttered to himself nervously, yet he looked around and he felt his tanks churning.
Ironhide noticed his discomfort and grabbed his arm.
"Steady there Bulk!" he said helping him to stand up straight to which the green Wrecker nodded at him in thanks.
The Autobots took in their surroundings then turned to face to around where they saw the Planet Earth in the distance, yet they didn't have the chance to admire it before they saw the Decepticon's Warship, the Nemesis coming towards them.
While they were relieved that they had managed to get to the bridge before them, there was still the chance that the Decepticons would succeed in their plan and Earth would be doomed.
"So Megatron's packing enough Dark Energon to raise Cybertron's dead?" Arcee asked in disbelief.
"And since we don't possess ready means of disabling this Space-bridge, nothing gets in or out." Optimus proclaimed as the five Autobots unfolded and cocked their blasters pointing them at the Nemesis that was approaching them.
Meanwhile inside the Nemesis. Megatron stood at the controls and saw the Autobots on the scanners and he couldn't help but chuckle at their pathetic attempts to thwart his plans.
"Optimus Prime never disappoints." Megatron remarked with a smirk before glancing at Starscream and glaring.
"Unlike you, Starscream!" he growled, and the seeker grovelled under his murderous gaze.
"No need for concern, Master." Starscream assured Megatron as he backed away, yet within he seethed at how his master treated him and the pain in his body where he had been trounced earlier were still throbbing.
"Soundwave is locking onto Cybertron's coordinates, per my instructions."
On the Space-Bridge, the Autobots waited but they were suspicious when nothing happened.
"Well, what are they waiting for?" Arcee spoke before anyone else could ask.
Optimus narrowed his optics and activated a telescope function and saw there was a scanning dish missing and sparks were flying out of where it had been broken off.
"It appears the Decepticons have sustained serious damage to their interstellar navigation system." Optimus observed.
"That's my handy work." Bulkhead recalled, as he was the one who tore off the dish during his fight on the Nemesis when he and the Hamato Clan had stormed it earlier.
"Nice work, Bulkhead." Ironhide complemented.
Optimus nodded in agreement.
"Without the dish, Megatron will be unable to aim the Spacebridge at Cybertron." He stated.
"That's a plus there Prime!" Ironhide agreed.
The others agreed.
"That may be." Optimus warned "But we cannot rely on that alone, as Megatron does not give up easily."
Ironhide glowered.
"I'll have my spark in the pit before I let him succeed with his plan!" he declared as he looked up at the Nemesis.
Back at the base, Ratchet and the Hamato Clan were listening to the conversations the Autobots in space were having.
All of them were anxious to know what was happening, given their planet was at risk.
"Don't the Decepticons know where their own planet is?" Kemeko asked raising an eyebrow after she had listened in to what Optimus had said.
"Naturally." Ratchet scoffed.
"But Cybertron is many light years away. To reach their target, their aim must be astronomically precise."
"But if Megatron went to the trouble of rendezvousing with his Spacebridge, he must have an alternate targeting system…a remote one." Optimus suggested over the communication.
"Hmph. From what I know of Earth's technology, I doubt there exists a single radio telescope dish on powerful enough to pinpoint Cybertron." Ratchet retorted in disbelief.
"What about a whole bunch of LINKED radio telescope dishes?" Donatello suggested as he typed in various commands into the smaller computers.
"Say what?" Ratchet asked as he looked over at the purple masked turtle.
"Like the Giant Size Ray in Texas?" Donatello confirmed as he pulled up a picture of the military base with its many large satellite dishes and showed it to Ratchet.
Ratchet blinked a few times yet before he could say anything, Optimus's voice was heard.
"Good thinking, Donatello!"
Ratchet was speechless as he looked at Donatello who smiled proudly and Pandora gave Ratchet a sideways look with a smirk.
"Ratchet! Contact Agent Fowler to alert the array staff to the security hazard."
As Optimus said that Fowler sat up from his mattress and pointed at Ratchet blindly.
"You! Solider!" he yelled "You're out of uniform! Put on some pants!"
He then flopped back on the mattress out cold, and everyone stared at him in disbelief.
Seeing the agent's condition, he was in no fit state to help them.
"The shell?" Pandora asked.
"What did he say?" Raphael questioned.
"Looks like the Energon prod made him go cuckoo!" Michelangelo commented.
"I'll say!" April agreed.
Ratchet vented.
"That might be a challenge." Ratchet said before turned to Donatello who started typing into the keyboard and logging onto the systems to the Giant Size Ray.
Donatello typed quickly at his computer as he tried to hack in, but somehow, he couldn't get past the firewalls.
"Damn!" he cursed slamming his hands on the table in stress "They're too thick!"
"You actually think you can keep the Decepticons out?" Ratchet challenged the turtle to which Pandora looked ready to challenge the Autobot Medic about doubting her uncle, yet Kemeko gave the hybrid the look of 'Don't-you-dare!'.
"Maybe, if I could get in." Donatello said, yet he seemed to doubt himself, yet that was when Pandora had an idea and she looked over at her purple masked uncle.
"Wait, Uncle Don!" she said, "What if we could get you all the way in?"
"You mean like inside the building in?" Leonardo asked looking at his niece.
Donatello thought for a moment.
"If we do that, I could log into their internal network on the other side of the firewall." Donatello grinned as he realised.
"Great idea Geisha!"
Pandora smiled proudly.
Raphael cocked his head.
"Not bad kiddo!" he said with a proud smirk.
"The risk is too great. The Decepticons will be there, perhaps even on site." Optimus argued fearing for the mutant's safety.
"But Optimus, with all due respect, you said it yourself. This is bigger than the safety of a group of mutants." Leonardo shot back.
"Yeah, if we let the Cons win; we're fucked, along with everyone else on our planet." Raphael spoke up.
"Donatello?" Optimus asked.
"I want to give it a shot." Donatello said, "For us, for the whole planet!"
Splinter smiled proudly.
"That's my brave intelligent son." He praised softly.
"We can do this Optimus." Monalisa said fervently "And Donatello knows what he's doing! Trust us! He is the best hacker in the family!"
"That he is!" Michelangelo chimed in.
Optimus was heard sighing on the other side then he spoke again.
"Very well." He said, "Good luck my friends."
Ratchet sighed and he typed in the co-ordinates before activating the ground bridge to take them to their destination.
Before they did, they bid farewell to Splinter and to April who offered to watch over Fowler.
Casey meanwhile insisted on joining them and picked up his bag of weapons.
"Let's save the world guys!" he declared.
"Stay safe hun!" April begged as she kissed her husband.
"Stay safe as well my children and my granddaughters." Splinter said.
"We will." Leonardo promised "We'll be back soon."
Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, Michelangelo, Monalisa, Pandora, Kemeko and Casey walked through the ground bridge to their destination, all the while, Ratchet, April, and Splinter watched anxiously.
"Please be careful my children." Splinter whispered softly whilst whispering a Japanese prayer.
Ratchet also prayed as well, hoping that the mutants could do what they promised, and that the Decepticons would not succeed in their plan if Optimus had faith in Donatello's plan.
Back on the Nemesis, the Decepticon forces were waiting for Megatron to give his orders to attack.
Yet Starscream broke the silence as he sensed that something was amiss, and he spoke up.
"Surely, Lord Megatron, the Autobots are up to something." Starscream advised.
Megatron turned around and got in Starscream's face to intimate him.
"Really, Starscream?" Megatron gasped sarcastically, narrowing his optics.
Starscream let out a nervous chuckle as he backed away, then Megatron turned back to the screens before he slammed his fist down on a button on the control panel.
"CRUSH THEM!" He bellowed.
No sooner did Megatron give his order than out of the hanger bay, dozens of purple and black jets flew out and towards the Spacebridge.
"Here comes the welcoming committee." Bulkhead remarked as the Autobots got ready for their fight.
Ironhide glared as he watched the jets fly towards them.
"Bring it!" he snarled.
"Autobots." Optimus spoke "Prepare to fight!"
At once the Autobots got into fighting stances.
"Nothing gets in, or out!" Ironhide declared as he narrowed his optics "I'll make sure of that!"
Looks like the final confrontation is about ot begin, and the Hamato Clan are ready to help in what way they can!
How will this go? Well check in next time to find out!