Chapter Thirty-Four

A Visitor's Call

Another week passed since the Scraplet invasion, and even though the base had been repaired and tided, the ground bridge was still affected, and Ratchet made it his sole mission to get it back up and running properly.

It seemed like every time he found and fix some damaged component, he'd find two more that he somehow overlooked.

Luckily, Donatello was able to assist the Autobot by getting into places he couldn't reach or find things he had overlooked, and even though Ratchet didn't say it out loud nor admit it, he was grateful for the brainy turtle's help, and he couldn't help but develop a soft spot for him, especially since he was so keen to learn so much about Cybertonian technology.

Currently, Ironhide, Arcee, Bulkhead and Bumblebee were sitting on the floor watching and listening to Pandora and Kemeko who were reciting lines from the Shakespeare play 'Much Ado About Nothing' whilst the grown-ups stood on the high platform watching them, although Leonardo was sitting on Optimus's shoulder and explaining to Optimus more about the bard whose play the girls were reciting.

Donatello had suggested giving a small public speaking show to the autobots as he felt it would help the girls with their continued schooling as well as teach the Autobots about some of their culture and History on Earth.

"Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more." Pandora spoke
"Men were deceivers ever,
One foot in sea, and one on shore,
To one thing constant never.
Then sigh not so, but let them go,
And be you blithe and bonny,
Converting all your sounds of woe
Into hey nonny, nonny."

"Sing no more ditties, sing no more." Kemeko spoke her part
"Of dumps so dull and heavy.
The fraud of men was ever so
Since summer first was leafy.
Then sigh not so, but let them go,
And be you blithe and bonny,
Converting all your sounds of woe
Into hey, nonny, nonny."

"What is this type of poetry meant to be about?" Optimus asked Leonardo quietly as he listened to the two girls.

"It's a song sung in the play to remind the audience, if all at necessary that relationships between men and women are fraught with difficulty." Leonardo explained "I had to read up on it myself when I first read the play."

"I see." Optimus mused yet before he could ask any more about the poem, the two girls finished speaking and Donatello praised them.

"Great job girls! Now can you tell the Autobots what Shakespeare's message is in that poem?" the purple masked turtle asked, "Do you remember what you learnt?"

The girls looked at Donatello then at the Autobots.

"His message was to women who have been betrayed by unfaithful men, thus the start 'Sigh no more ladies'" Pandora started.

"And they should not dwell on such hurt and deceit." Kemeko followed.

"Shakespeare describes the unfaithful men as deceivers and inconstant, thus the lines 'One foot in sea, and one in shore, to one thing constant never" Pandora continued.

"And in the last parts of the poem, it speaks of how the women should let go of those unfaithful men, heal themselves and be happy again!" Kemeko concluded.

"Thus the last lines...Hey Nonny Nonny!" the two girls ended.

"Brilliant!" Donatello cheered "Well done girls!"

At the same time Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Arcee, Ironhide and the rest of the Hamato Clan clapped their hands.

"Very well-done girls!" Donatello praised.

"Indeed! Beautifully recited!" Splinter agreed.

Bumblebee bleeped and shook his servos, a look of excitement in his eyes.

"What did he say?" Pandora asked lowering her book.

Arcee chuckled.

"Bumblebee wants to know if you'll read it again." She translated.

"Again?" Kemeko laughed "He enjoyed it that much?"

Bumblebee nodded and Ironhide agreed.

"Even though I don't fully get the language of these famous Shack-pere." Bulkhead said.

"Shakespeare." Pandora corrected.

"It sounded beautiful!" Bulkhead continued.

"We can read you more from him if you like?" Kemeko said "He's written a lot of plays and poems and sonnets!"

"That would be great!" Bulkhead said and Bumblebee bleeped in agreement.

Leonardo smiled and looked at Optimus who looked equally impressed.

"It's good to see the girls are teaching the Autobots a thing or two about Earth Art and culture." He spoke.

"Indeed yes." Optimus agreed "I find this earthling bard an interesting subject."

"You had anything similar back on Cybertron?" Leonardo asked curiously.

Optimus was about to answer when Ratchet's voice caught everyone's attention.

"Optimus!"

The Autobots reluctantly got up and went to investigate what Ratchet had found.

"Looks like more reciting have to wait for a bit." Arcee said to Bumblebee who whirred with disappointment.

"I'm receiving a signal from a restricted band. It appears to be coming from a star ship inside this solar system." Ratchet announced as he typed in some commands and the screens lit up in front of him.

"It's an Autobot Identification Beacon!" He gasped in shock as the results came up on the middle screen, showing something coming towards a visual of Earth.

"So, there are other bots out there?" Michelangelo asked curiously walking over to look at the screen and Donatello hopped onto Ratchet's arm and onto his shoulder to have a closer look as well.

"The masses scattered throughout the galaxy when Cybertron finally went dark." Ironhide explained.

"But Cons have been known to bait traps with false beacons." Arcee warned the group.

The Hamato clan looked worried for a moment then looked at Optimus who spoke to the screens.

"Unknown vessel, this is Autobot Outpost Omega One. Identify yourself." The Prime requested.

At once an annoyed sarcastic voice was heard.

"I've had warmer welcomes from Decepticon Combat Brigades."

No sooner did Bulkhead hear that voice than his optics lit up and he jerked in the direction of the computers.

"Wheeljack?!" He exclaimed excitedly as he stepped towards the screens almost stepping on Pandora and Kemeko who quickly got out of the way and jumped on the stairs leading to the raised platform.

"You old Con Crusher!" Bulkhead cried "What are you doing all the way out here?"

"Bulkhead? That you?" The identified Wheeljack asked curiously. "What's with all the security?"

"The rock we're on is crawling with Cons. How soon can you get here and even the odds?" Bulkhead asked anxiously.

"Sometime tomorrow…if I put metal to the pedal." Wheeljack replied sounding a little worried himself.

"Another bot's coming here? Cowabunga!" Pandora cried excitedly, getting a nod from Bulkhead.

"Awesome!" Michelangelo cheered.

"The more the merrier!" Splinter smiled.

Optimus meanwhile frowned and thought about where he'd heard that name before when it came to him.

"Wheeljack… I know him by reputation only. Can verify his voice print?" Optimus asked Bulkhead wanting to be certain that this was a friendly visitor and not a false beacon as Arcee had warned about.

"He is one thousand percent the real deal, Optimus." Bulkhead replied immediately to which Optimus nodded in understanding and satisfied he could trust Bulkhead's word.

"We will send landing coordinates, Wheeljack. Safe journey." Optimus bided.

"See you soon, buddy! I'll make sure you get a proper welcome!" Bulkhead promised then Ratchet cut off the communication.

"So, who's the boyfriend?" Arcee joked casually.

Bulkhead chuckled.

"Oh, Me and Jackie go way back." He explained.

"We were part of the same warrior unit: The Wreckers."

He slammed a fist into a palm as he said the last part.

"Which means the Cons will wish he had never found us." Bulkhead ended.

"Wreckers?" Pandora asked.

"Oh, you got a lot to learn little lady!" Bulkhead grinned as he lowered his servo to the hybrid and she climbed into it and he lifted her up to speak to her.

"The Wreckers are, or at least we were a special task force, composed of the best and toughest fighters around!" he said proudly "We're the proper hard hitting, con crushing soldiers! When all hope is lost! We run in their guns blazing and fists pumping ready to take down any con who faces us!"

"Nice!" Pandora grinned "You're like the Barbarians of Cybertron!"

"That's a good way of looking at it, Geisha." Donatello said thinking back to the Dungeons and Dragons game's specific classes.

"Oh you betcha!" Bulkhead said, "Proper hard-hitting warriors!"

"Sounds like your type Raph!" Leonardo remarked looking at his red masked brother who gave a smirk in response.

"From what I recall." Ironhide said looking at Bulkhead "You and Wheeljack served under Ultra Magnus?"

"Oh yeah." Bulkhead said with a grin. "Ultra Magnus recruited both me and Wheeljack personally because of our skills and our brute force!"

"Who's Ultra Magnus?" Raphael asked curiously.

"Ultra Magnus was Optimus's top lieutenant during the War for Cybertron." Arcee answered and Optimus nodded to confirm.

"A very dedicated and strategic soldier as well as a good friend." The Prime spoke with nostalgic fondness "One I trust with all my spark."

"Though from what I remembered he was very by the book, so it's kind of hard to imagine him leading a team like the Wreckers." Ironhide said.

"Strict protocol was him all over!"

"Yeah! But he was not afraid to bring the hammer down when the time calls for it."

Bulkhead assured the group.

"Well, I look forward to meeting Wheeljack when he arrives!" Pandora said.

"Me too!" Michelangelo added and the rest of the Hamato Clan agreed.

"You're gonna love him!" Bulkhead said excitedly.

Splinter looked over to Donatello.

"Get in touch with April and Casey my son." He said, "I believe they would be keen to meet this new Autobot."

"Sure thing sensei." Donatello said then took out his shell cell to phone their human friends.

But unknown to the Autobots and the Hamato Clan, high up in the sky on the Nemesis, Starscream was standing before Soundwave who was playing back the communication between Wheeljack and Bulkhead.

The communications officer had also picked up on the Autobot beacon and as his duty commanded, he

As he listened, Starscream smirked and tapped his chin as a thought came to him, a way to find out the location of the Autobot base.

"A war hero, hmmm?" Starscream said aloud as he remembered Wheeljack then he frowned.

"We haven't much time. Makeshift!" He called out.

At the sound of his voice, a figure approached the two Decepticons and Soundwave shot out one of his tentacles which stabbed into Makeshift's chest.

The instant the tentacle touched the Decepticon, Soundwave began downloading something into Makeshift and Starscream watched with a smirk as the Decepticon began to change, his armour making many transforming noises as it did and within moments, Makeshift wasn't Makeshift anymore, but rather a someone else.

Starscream smirked again as thoughts of finally catching the Autobots came to his head, something he was able to accomplish that Megatron never could.

"I too know how to give a proper welcome." Starscream remarked as his evil mind continued to visualise his upcoming success at victory...

And now we're onto the Con Job episode and Wheeljack is arriving! Yet what is Starscream planning?

Well for those who have seen the episode will know what happens next!

Don't what you thought of the Autobots learning about Shakespeare, but I decided to do something a little different compared to the show as this is my fanfic! lol!

See you in the next chapter!