VI - Operation Bumblebee, Part One
00000
Utah - November 12th, 2011 - 6:30 pm
Ravage masterfully climbed the top of a desert plateau as she spied on the scene down below where the Autobot distress signal suddenly disappeared.
Along with Bumblebee's signal.
What she saw turned the Energon in her lines into ice.
MECH.
And worse, they were doing something to Bumblebee and he was not moving.
Ravage didn't move.
She couldn't once she saw who it was that was overseeing whatever operation MECH was performing.
He wore a mask with a terrible, mirthless smile painted on it.
Ravage trembled, not with fear, but with rage.
She showed her fangs as her red-hot optics glowed dangerously.
But before she could make a move, her ears flickered.
And a flash of light.
Pain.
Paralysis.
Panic.
NO! NO! Not…again…
Ravage fell unconscious on the ground.
And a hulking figure approached.
His face was too blurred to recognize.
He was full of muscle.
One arm bare, tanned and scarred.
The other was silver and lined with circuitry.
"Thought you got away from me, didn't ya?" He mocked with a grin.
So sure of his success, the MECH agent did not detect the dark thing in the tree behind him as it spread its metallic wings menacingly.
00000
Nemesis Warship - 6:32 pm
"Lord Megatron."
"Report, Laserbeak."
"The distress signal was a trap. MECH are behind it. They've managed to get the drop on the Autobot scout and have stolen his T-Cog."
Megatron grimaced. His T-Cog? Barbaric insects.
He paused at his own hypocrisy, remembering how he had crushed the scout's voice box.
Or was it ripped out?
It's been many cycles.
And he had blocked out most of the atrocities he committed during the long war.
It was better he didn't remember them.
Close your spark to it.
"Lord Megatron?"
Megatron came back to himself.
"Is there more?"
"I found Ravage."
Megatron lifted his head with a start.
"Is she alive?"
"She is. I don't know how but a MECH agent snuck up on her and stunned her."
This got Megatron's attention. Not just anyone can sneak up on Ravage.
How could any human, no matter how skilled, manage to do that without Ravage detecting them?
"Is it safe to carry her through a groundbridge?"
"Perha-!"
THOOM! THOOM!
"Laserbeak?! Report!"
"Autobots! Got to fly! Shall I follow MECH, master?"
"Do it."
00000
Autobot Outpost Omega Two - 7:00 pm
Ratchet scanned Bumblebee's condition as he laid on the medical slab.
All of his friends, human and Cybertronian, were present.
Fowler, Fanzone and Ms Darby were not there.
"You can fix Bee, can't you Ratch?" Raf asked, an equally concerned Sari behind him.
"Of course he can!" Bumblebee chimed with a smile. "If he can fix my voice box, a fried T-Cog will be nothing to him."
Ratchet winced as he continued his diagnosis.
"Ratch? You okay?"
"I'm-I'm fine Bumblebee. I" - Ratchet choked as his diagnosis finished - "By the AllSpark! Bumblebee's T-Cog isn't damaged, it's missing."
All present were stunned.
Even Optimus looked shocked.
Vince looked less concerned. "Ok, I'll just be the one to ask the stupid questions but what is a T-Cog?"
"A T-Cog is that part the Autobots need to transform, Vince," Raf said.
"In layman's terms, sport," Wheeljack said.
"But why would the Cons steal that?" Jack asked. "They have T-Cogs of their own."
Katie looked at the floor. "Maybe the Cons did it so they could mess with Bumblebee's mind, not just to keep him off the battlefield."
Bumblebee looked sick.
Sierra looked aghast. "That's sick."
Ratchet shook his head. "I don't think so. Megatron has been known to raise the dead but he's no ghoul."
No one responded to what was clearly an unintentional dad joke, not even Jazz.
"It wasn't the Cons."
All turned to observe another medical slab. Ravage was on it and she was just coming to.
"Ravage?" Sari said as she went to her side. "Are you ok?"
"I'll live." Ravage turned to the Autobots. "It was MECH. They took the scout's T-Cog. I saw it with my own eyes."
"And you didn't stop them?!" Bumblebee accused.
"I was jumped!"
"By who?!"
"Who do you think?! It was some MECH agent! I didn't see them before they stunned me!"
"Enough!" Optimus bellowed.
That shut everyone up.
Even Ravage was taken aback by the Prime's sharpness.
"This will not help anyone," Optimus said sternly. "Ravage, are you certain it was MECH who took Bumblebee's T-Cog?"
"Without a doubt, Prime. What's more, Joker was leading them."
Gasps were heard among the Autobots.
"Are you sure?" Optimus asked.
"He wore the exact same mask as was described."
Ratchet clenched his fists. "MECH," he said as though it were a curse.
Bulkhead snarled. "The scum that cannibalized Breakdown. That dissected Brawl and Ra-" He stopped himself when he saw Ravage begin to seize up with dread.
"And tried to gut me," Arcee pointed out.
"And then kidnapped me," Jon said shakily. "And Sari."
"And my mom," Jack said.
"So," Perceptor said grimly. "I suppose MECH is no longer trying very hard to stay hidden and their knowledge of Cybertronian tech has become more sophisticated."
"And now they're taking a shot at us directly," Blaster said with a scowl.
"But this was an Autobot distress signal," Perceptor said. "How could they mimic that frequency so well?"
"It stands to reason," Optimus said. "That MECH's knowledge of our technology as well as biology is far more advanced than even we could have anticipated."
Ravage growled. "I was their lab rat for decades in case you Autobots have forgotten."
"But we wiped all their data at their mountain compound," Bumblebee protested.
"They could have easily been duplicated, Bumblebee," Optimus countered. "And you must remember, a clean sweep has been MECH's speciality." He turned to Ratchet. "And you did say the damage to Brawl has been extensive?"
Ratchet shuddered. "Extremely."
Bumblebee gagged. "I'll never get that sight out of my mind." Then he looked to be on the verge of panicking. "That could've been me!"
"Bumblebee!" Optimus said sternly, placing a hand on the young scout's shoulder. "You must remain calm."
"Calm? My T-Cog has been taken Optimus! How am I-?!" Bumblebee became angry. "I have to go! I have to get my Cog back!"
Bumblebee tried to leave but Optimus held him back.
"Bumblebee," Optimus said sternly. "You are not presently equipped to handle this."
"But-!"
"No buts man!" Jazz said. "Just leave it to us, we'll get your Cog back in no time."
"That's right!" Sideswipe said confidently.
"Right on!" Blaster agreed.
Optimus nodded at their support. "I too have come learn the value of placing my faith in the strength of others, Bumblebee. And now I must ask you to do the same. We will do everything possible to make you whole again."
"Yeah!" Miko said confidently. "And even if we don't, Ratchet can just build a new one right?"
All the bots stared at Miko with looks of shock and discomfort.
Bumblebee simply slumped on the medical slab with a defeated groan.
Miko realized she had misstepped. "Ratchet can't just build a new Cog?"
Ratchet shook his head sadly. "Miko, a T-Cog is a biomechanism, not a scrapyard find. If it were really that easy, don't you think-?"
Ratchet stopped himself before he could finish that sentence.
-I would've replaced Bumblebee's voice box by now?
Bumblebee's voice box has been repaired, but not by Ratchet.
A truth that ate at Ratchet's spark like the Rust Plague.
And the true reason why Bumblebee had his pipes restored cannot be revealed.
And the new upgrade to his armor and weapons.
Not now.
Not with so much at stake.
And yet Ratchet did not have the spark to lie and take undeserved credit for it.
"Ratch?" Miko said, quite baffled by the Medical Chief's sudden silence.
Ratchet sighed. "I can't simply build Bumblebee a new T-Cog, Miko. The necessary parts and the means to make new ones are lost to us. Even with this new base and its resources, anything that could be used to start with was severely damaged, even to the point that they are impossible to salvage."
Vince cocked an eyebrow at the Doctor's sudden cutoff.
Sierra looked dreadfully sad.
Jon and Katie looked at each other, dumbfounded.
Sari placed a hand over her necklace.
Miko looked guilty.
Jack placed an arm around her.
Raf looked up at Bumblebee, who looked as though the world had ended.
Wishing to change the subject fast, Jazz placed a servo on the young scout's shoulder. "Having the ability to transform is one of the worst things that can happen to a Transformer. It's like losing the ability to walk for a human."
Bumblebee nodded sadly.
Bulkhead raised a servo. "I say we don't transform until we get Bee fixed up."
"Say what?!" Blaster exclaimed.
"Your spark's in the right place, Bulk," Arcee said. "But now's a really bad time for us to be limiting ourselves."
"I have to agree," Sunstreaker said. "As much as I hate what happened, the solution is to fight all the harder to stop MECH and get our boy's cog back."
"What about the Cons?" Katie said.
"What about them?" Sunstreaker asked with a cocked eyebrow.
"Why not take one of theirs?"
This caused a reaction that no human expected.
The Autobots stared dumbfounded with alarm and shock at the girl.
"Kaitlyn!" Sunstreaker cried.
"Are you crazy?!" Jazz practically screamed.
"Don't scream at her!" Sierra exploded.
Katie was stricken dumb. "What?! What did I say?! What's the problem?!"
Ratchet got to his feet. "Alright! Alright! Everyone just calm down!"
"Excuse me," Sunstreaker said as he carefully scooped up Katie.
"Whoa, Sunny!" she cried as her guardian carried her off down one of the base's halls.
"I am so confused right now," Miko said. "And that's coming from me."
"Don't say that," Jack said.
Miko smiled brightly. "You're cute when you care."
00000
"Sunny! What did I say?! Why are the Bots so upset?!"
"Katie," Sunstreaker said, trying to be truthful but not too hard on the girl. "You didn't know but even talking about taking a bot's T-Cog, that is something all Cybertronians are very, very touchy about it. Even Megatron will think twice before doing something so cruel. It's not only considered taboo, it is one of the worst crimes to date in Cybertron's Golden Age."
Katie twiddled her fingers nervously. "I didn't know. Even if the Con is already dead and won't be missing his Cog?"
"That's something else entirely but we can't anyway because Megatron took precautions that no biomechanism of any of his fallen soldiers can be used in any way by Autobots."
"How's that?" Katie asked.
"Some kind of software or failsafe to corrode the user's biology to the point that any biomechanism is too toxic to use. But the failsafe only activates upon the death of the user. That is why we never touch the bodies of the enemy's dead. We always let the Cons take care of their own. A corroding T-Cog is a hard way to go."
Katie grimaced. "That's pretty messed up."
"Yup and it's also what's happening. So getting a T-Cog from a dead Con for Bee is out of the question. It would kill him. Very painfully."
Katie blanched. "All of the Cons have this 'failsafe'?"
Sunstreaker looked skeptical. "I doubt it but it's far too risky to chance it. And only a Decepticon medical officer would know how to disable it."
Katie bowed her head. "Poor Bumblebee."
Sunstreaker nodded sadly. "Yeah. I wouldn't wish this on any Con. Except maybe Starscream."
"Who's he again?"
Sunstreaker smirked. "Who cares."
00000
It took a few long minutes, but Optimus and Ratchet managed to settle everyone down.
Most of the bots went to their respective quarters or went for a drive with their charges.
Sari decided it was time to change the subject and ask the question that no one bothered to ask.
"Was anything taken from Ravage?"
Ratchet turned to Sari with a very serious look, mentally kicking himself for not mentioning it sooner.
Ravage looked scared, having not considered it herself.
Steeljaw placed a claw on hers, calming her.
"No Sari, nothing was taken off Ravage. But it begs the question why MECH didn't. Or even try to take her captive again."
"Because of Laserbeak," Sideswipe said.
"Laserbeak?" Bumblebee and Ravage exclaimed.
Sunstreaker nodded. "Yeah, we came as soon as we saw Bee's vitals go down. We were on the other side of the plateau and decided it would be faster if we climbed over. We did not expect to find Ravage unconscious and Laserbeak perched beside her." His voice became dark. "Before we reached the top, we saw a MECH agent, I guess, with a shiny arm fall off the cliff. We figured Laserbeak did that, right after that guy took Ravage by surprise."
Ravage's eyes opened wide. "Shiny arm?"
"Yup," Sideswipe said. "Like it was made of silver. Sound familiar?"
Ravage trembled slightly. "Yes…him I'm familiar with. He took a special pleasure in torturing me."
Steeljaw laid his head on hers and she leaned into him.
Bumblebee nodded. "In that case, I don't feel particularly bad about that guy."
"Assuming the fall killed him," Ravage said.
"What do you mean assuming?" Sideswipe said. "He fell over two-hundred feet."
"MECH have more than a few tricks up their sleeves. I overheard" - Ravage's optics glowed hot with rage - "when they thought I was nothing more than a dumb animal and a soulless machine, other than talking about taking over the world, they muttered some nonsense of enhancing human biology with alien technology. I've personally witnessed or overheard of certain experiments where certain test subjects are subjected to death-defying situations in which normal humans would've simply died. If this man with the silver arm is who I think he is, then he, Atlas by name, is going to be a thorn in our side if he survived that fall. He's extremely cunning and dangerous. And Joker…" - she shuddered - "…he's brilliant, ruthless, and completely insane. He will stop at nothing to achieve MECH's highest goal."
Increasingly nervous, Sari was pinchy-toed as she looked at Ravage with frightened eyes.
Bumblebee placed a hand on her back.
And Raf took one of her hands in his and she squeezed tight.
Jack placed an arm around Miko's shoulder and she leaned into him.
Raf adjusted his glasses. "What is MECH's highest goal?"
Ravage eyed the young boy coldly which made Raf flinch. "Is that not clear, child? Technological superiority so they can achieve their true goal: world domination and the extermination of any government entity that could oppose them."
"Kinda like Megatron," Jazz said.
Ravage rolled her optics. "Yes, sure."
00000
Undisclosed Location - 11:00 pm
In a dark warehouse in the middle of a dark forest, there was a dark experiment underway.
"Joker, we're ready."
The MECH commander known as Joker raised a hand to let his men know they can proceed.
A MECH scientist, mask, goggles and long leather coat and all, flips a switch and a large skeletal frame of what looks like a Transformer replica is fully lit.
Bumblebee's T-Cog is inserted into a compartment of the drone's abdomen.
"Commencing scan."
Several scientists at terminals tapped a few keys.
And a beam of green light shot out of the drone's eyes and scanned an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, arguably the deadliest attack chopper in the world.
"Scan complete. Initiating transformation."
MECH scientists accessed the program connecting to the drone and initiated the command.
There was clicking and whirring but nothing more.
The drone did not transform.
Joker only looked at the scientists at the terminal.
Though he said nothing, thought his mask betrayed no real emotion, just the sight of that grotesque smile was enough to frighten them into action.
The process was repeated.
Again nothing.
Joker tapped his chin.
"It seems it is not enough to simply possess the T-Cog of an Autobot. So what's missing?"
A sickening chuckle echoed in the warehouse.
All turned slowly to see an enormous figure standing at the doorway of the warehouse.
None could see who it was clearly as it was in shadow.
All that could be seen was its blood-red eyes.
"Who are you?" Joker demanded calmly.
"So you're the earth people who dissected poor Ravage, Brawl and Breakdown. And yet you're about as clueless about our biotech as though you have never lived."
"Take aim."
Every MECH trooper prepared to aim their heavy rifles.
Laser sighting active and there were dozens of red points of light on the intruder's body.
The tall being chuckled. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."
Joker was not the least bit intimidated. "And what would you do about it?"
"Kill you and all of your men. And any negotiations with you and your masters will be terminated."
If Joker was furious by this mysterious being's defiance, he did not show it.
"Come into the light."
"I think not. I will stay right here outside until our business is concluded."
"Fire."
Several soft clicks were heard and then the sound of electrical discharges.
Cries of alarm filled the room as MECH troopers checked their weapons.
Weapons which did not fire.
"Your weapons are jammed. Lay them down at your feet and step back from them," said the shadowy being.
"And if we don't?"
A blinding light erupted from the left arm of the shadow being and it took aim at the MECH trooper closest to him.
There was an energy burst as a beam of white hot light slammed into the trooper's chest.
And the MECH trooper burst like a water balloon as he was literally liquidated into a transparent goop.
Several MECH troopers cried out in fear.
"Any questions?"
They obeyed the being's commands.
Joker looked to and fro at his men as they stepped away from their weapons and cowered before this new enemy.
"Who are you?" Joker demanded, not so calmly. "You're clearly not an Autobot. Are you Decepticon?"
"You're closer than you think. But all you need to know is that I am here to make you an offer, one I don't think you can refuse."
Joker tapped his chin. "Name it."
"Insider knowledge if you will: The T-Cog is not technology, it's biology. Therefore by its very nature, it will reject any fuel source that isn't Energon, the life-blood of all Cybertronian life forms."
"I thought as much. But we lack the technology to trace these Energon depots without having to rely on Autobot or Decepticon activity. And we've been forced to keep a low profile."
The unknown Cybertronian chuckled. "Yes, Megatron has been making it his lifework to destroy you. Especially after what you've done to his soldiers as of late."
"And why should he care if I experiment on his expendable soldiers? Why do you?"
"I don't but I will say this: an attack on any of his is an attack on him. He will not hesitate to kill all of you to make an example of you. Granted, he did not take you seriously at first. But after what happened at that mountain compound in Colorado, he will not underestimate you again. You are all on his list."
"Is that supposed to scare us?" Joker said.
"I don't expect you to be scared. I expect to be smart. You'll receive encrypted emails on the latest up to date coordinates of Energon depots with instructions included."
"And what do we get for such an arrangement?" Joker asked sternly.
"Your lives and perhaps a place at the table."
Joker clenched his fists.
"Careful, you saw what I did to your man."
Joker unclenched his fists.
"And what do we call you?"
The unknown Cybertronian smiled, revealing metallic fangs.
"I think Verminus will do."
He shut the warehouse doors and he was gone.
Joker and his men never caught sight of the spy.
But Laserbeak did.
But he knew not yet who he saw.
00000
New Mexico - November 18th - 4:00 pm
"I can't believe you talked me into this," Bulkhead said.
"We can handle this Bulk," Bumblebee said snappily. "I need to know I can do this, with or without my Cog."
"Yeah yeah, let's just try to do this fast before anyone knows you're gone."
Of all the days a relic is found, it just had to be when everyone else is on other assignments.
Sideswipe and Sunstreaker had to take Sierra and Katie to cheerleading practice.
Jazz had to take Jon and Fowler to a father and son outing.
Wheeljack had to take Vince cuz his mom's in the hospital.
And Perceptor and Blaster and company have Wrecker stuff to do…without me.
Arcee and Jack are scouting another Energon deposit in some forest again.
And Ratchet and Optimus are scouting some ancient Cybertronian battlefield in Africa.
"Uh Bulk? You ok?"
Bulkhead gasped when he felt a tap on his shoulder.
"Huh?!"
"You kinda went for a second. You alright bud?"
Bulkhead waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, sure. Just bummed that Percy and Blaster didn't ask me to come with on their latest Wrecker special training thing."
"Don't take it personally." Bumblebee patted Bulkhead on the back. "I'm sure they would've asked if they thought they had a spare bot." His face fell. "With a functioning T-Cog."
Bulkhead was tempted to tell Bee to drop it but thought better of it. If he was in Bee's position, he'd be even more ornery about it and he knew it.
The signal led them both to a cave and no sooner had he reached it that Knockout sped past them.
"Catch me if you can!" The Decepticon medic mocked.
"I'll get him!" Bulkhead said.
"HEY! FATBOY!"
Bulk bristled as he turned to see Breakdown rushing him, hammer at the ready.
"Ok, you get him!" Bulkhead snarled as he rushed to meet his nemesis.
Bumblebee cursed inwardly as he gave chase.
Bulkhead, brandishing his wrecking ball, with blinding speed slammed his weapon right as Breakdown met him foot to foot.
The clash of their weapons was deafening as the shockwave cracked stones around them.
"Never get tired of that huh?" Breakdown said as he strained under Bulkhead's strength.
"It keeps me in shape," Bulkhead growled with a shrug. "So, what did you and Little Red find?"
"None a' your business!"
Bulkhead chuckled. "Doesn't matter. There's no way Knockout is going to out drive Bee."
Breakdown scoffed. "He's going to have a hard time without a T-Cog."
Bulkhead's optics shot open. "How-?" He covered his mouth but it was already too late.
"There's no point denying it," Breakdown said. "Laserbeak saw the whole thing."
Bulkhead sneered as he rammed into Breakdown's midsection, bringing him to the ground.
Breakdown grinned smugly. "Lucky break. For me that is. If Silas knew more of our biotech, he'd have taken more than just my eye."
"Shut up!" Bulkhead screamed. "He would have if I hadn't busted you out! By the time Starscream got there, it would've been too late!"
Breakdown shrugged. "Guess we'll never know."
"You…" Bulkhead snarled as he wrapped his hands around Breakdown's throat. "You miserable, ungrateful traitor!" He squeezed tight as his nemesis began to struggle to break free.
"Iacon! Tyger Pax! Crystal City! Cybertron's Core! Our home is gone! I save your life and you still stand with the Cons?!"
A hideous mask of rage overtook Bulkhead as he put all his weight into the act of choking the life out of Breakdown.
"And now you laugh at Bee getting his T-Cog taken?! By the same guys who dissected you?! Brawl?! Ravage?!"
For the first time, raw fear began to show in Breakdown's one good eye as his struggling began to weaken.
"So why should I leave you alive now?! After what you've done?! Tell me you don't deserve it, Breakdown! Tell me!"
Breakdown's grip on Bulkhead's wrists loosened completely.
His one good eye began to close.
But then the memory flashed into Bulkhead's mind, the memory when Breakdown found him hiding and had a chance to alert his Decepticon comrades to his presence.
But he didn't.
Bulkhead let go.
Shock and alarm overtook him as he saw Breakdown struggle to take a breath.
Cybertronians don't need to breathe per say, but their necks as well as their throats is the bridge to their neural net, their brains, their central processors. Any severe damage to that area can be fatal.
And Bulkhead had almost crushed Breakdown's throat, nearly killed him in cold blood.
Bulkhead looked at his hands and gasped when he saw blots of Energon on them.
"Bulkhead!"
The green wrecker pressed his comm. "Ratch?"
"Bulkhead! What happened?! Where are you?! Bumblebee is in critical condition!"
Bulkhead blinked twice. "What?"
"He drove off a cliff! On an abandoned pickup! Why weren't you at the base watching him?!"
Bulkhead didn't have an answer.
"Oops."
To be continued…
VOICE CAST
Verminus - Brian Drummond
