Chapter 10: Deus Ex Machina
Tiberius's eye twitched in irritation as smoke billowed out of his locker, the smell of burning cannabis oils permeating in the air.
"This again?" The boy said, about ready to blow a gasket both literally and figuratively. What just happened, you might be wondering? Simple, the usual school douchebag, Vince, had just set off a weed bomb in the boy's locker. The same occurrence having happened at least five times in the past week.
"Mr. Darwin, what are you- … It happened again, didn't it?" One of the boy's teachers asked as he walked by.
"No, I'm just wondering if I should try out a new air freshener called 'Snoop Dogg's personal stash'." The boy said sarcastically as he rifled through his locker to catalog the damage… and found that the History report he had written on Warring States Era Japan had been turned to ash due to the bomb and crumbled in his hands.
"... I'm gonna kill Vince." He growled.
"Don't do it… That's the school's job, anyway." His teacher told him jokingly to try and make him feel better.
The boy sighed as he packed up his things and left. "Man am I glad I saved my paper on a thumb drive just in case of an emergency." He sighed as he hopped into the passenger seat of his Autobot guardian.
"Is something wrong, Tiberius?" Optimus asked as he drove away.
"Just the usual school moron being himself. My history report is ashes, but I've got a backup on my thumb drive, so it's salvageable." The hybrid replied.
Optimus nodded as he continued to drive, however when Tiberius saw Vince's car parked at a gas station across the road from the traffic light they were stopped at. The blonde took his slingshot, loaded a brass BB about the size of a marble and then fired it directly at the car's tire, causing it to pop.
'Fuck with me again, bitch!' He cackled mentally. As the two drove into the base, Bulkhead seemed to be having an argument with Miko about something.
"You can't just skip school! If you do, you'll just mess things up for yourself!" The wrecker told his charge.
"Urg, you sound just like my parents." The girl scoffed.
"Aren't they Japanese?" Bulkhead asked.
"They may speak a different language, but you say the same things." She retorted.
"Probably because they don't want you to end up in some dead end job, or worse, in an unsavory line of work." Tiberius said as he approached them.
"Like what?" Miko asked indignantly.
"First ones that come to mind are working as a stripper or prostitution." The blonde stated, causing Sierra to quickly cover Raf's ears.
"There's a child here, Tiberius!" She hissed.
"I'm just trying to make a point." The hybrid retorted.
"Look Miko." Bulkhead said as the two looked at him. "Before I became a warrior I was a laborer, construction. I can build stuff and break stuff, that's it." He told her.
"I love construction! I wanna be just like you!" The girl said with a grin. Tiberius groaned as he facepalmed, she was totally missing the point here.
"Why would you want to be like me, when you could be a medic like Ratchet?" The bot asked.
"Hm… I'm getting an Energon reading." The medical bot reported. This got everyone else's attention.
"Where?" The Bioformer asked.
"In the country known as Greece, an ancient city, quite historic I believe." Ratchet replied.
"Light bulb." The boy said in realization as he looked at both Bulkhead and Miko. "Who's up for a road trip?"
"You read my mind." Miko replied with a smirk.
(Elsewhere)
On the Nemesis Starscream was waiting for someone on the bridge. "It would be wise not to keep me waiting, Knockout. And especially you, Jenova." He said as the two entered the room.
"It was a long drive, Starscream, I'm still picking bugs out of my grill." The red sports car Decepticon said, flicking an insect off his finger.
"And excuse me for being busy." Unicron's descendant huffed indignantly.
"Hmph, yes you're, one of those." The Commander said in moderate distaste.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Jenova questioned sharply.
"Just that I will never understand why you two prefer automobiles over aircraft." The seeker sighed.
"I like the way I look in red tinted radials." Knockout stated.
"Plus it never hurts to have soldiers on the ground." The dark Bioformer added.
"Regardless, I have a task for you both." Starscream told them as he led them to the sick bay where Megatron now lied in stasis. "Jenova already knows of our inevitably former Lord Megatron's condition. Though the crew took a vote, and were hoping an expert's opinion would help him out on the road to recovery."
"Well, my main specialty is in breaking bodies, not healing them." Knockout said as he brought his drill out and spun it for a second before retracting it.
"And I'm still trying to figure out how to bring him out of stasis without turning him into a mindless drone." Madame Ruin added as she transformed. Starscream then noticed something.
"Where's Breakdown? I know I summoned all three of you." He asked.
"He was scouting out an Energon deposit when you called. He'll report back when he's done." The red Decepticon replied.
(Elsewhere)
In the country of Greece Bulkhead, Tiberius and Miko were in pursuit of the energon signal that was picked up. All while the Bioformer was trying to help Miko come up with a topic for her history report.
"Hm… What would be a good topic?" The boy wondered as Bulkhead looked around while Miko took a picture of an ancient painting.
"That's an Energon harvester in that painting." Bulkhead noted in surprise. This made Tiberius's light bulb go off again.
"I got it!" He said as he turned to Miko and Bulkhead. "In ancient times, people believed there to be magic. And according to my dad, highly advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." He added as he then ran towards the fresco. "Why don't you do your report on something like that? A report theorizing that mythological artifacts could actually have been really advanced tech?" He suggested.
"Hey, yeah. That sounds pretty good." Miko nodded with a smile.
"Sounds like a good topic." Bulkhead added in agreement. "But where'd you hear that from?"
"Steven Hawking once coined the phrase, but I originally read it in an old Iron Man comic." Tiberius said as he put on the Mask of Creation and started scanning the picture of the harvester. "I personally think both of them were onto something." He added.
"Huh, ya know, you're smarter than you let on." Miko said.
"And even dumber than he looks." A voice said from behind them, causing them to turn around and see Breakdown.
"Breakdown." Bulkhead growled as Tiberius transformed into Creator.
"Bulkhead, ya miss me?" The con asked.
"Like rust in my undercarriage." The bot retorted.
"What am I? Chopped liver?" Creator questioned, feeling peeved that the two were completely ignoring him.
"Shut up, kid." Breakdown said dismissively.
"KID?!" The Bioformer yelled indignantly.
"Wait, Bulkhead, you know this lunkhead?" Miko asked her guardian.
"We have a history." Bulkhead nodded as Creator ground his teeth in anger.
"And you have a pet." Breakdown chuckled, picking up a marble pillar. "Does it play catch?" He added as he hurled the column at Miko. The girl yelped as she moved to get out of the way before Bulkhead got in the way and took the hit.
"Miko, stay down! Creator, let's go!" The wrecker exclaimed. However, Creator was already charging at Breakdown, his eyes full of rage.
"I'LL KILL YOU!" He yelled as he suddenly extended two wrist mounted Energon blade whips from his hands and started flailing them at the con.
"What the- Whoa!" Breakdown yelped as he barely evaded one of the whips.
"Don't-you-dare-hurt-her!" He yelled as he kept flailing his weapons around until Breakdown suddenly caught one of them.
"Oh scrap." Bulkhead sighed as Breakdown started swinging the Bioformer around like a merry go round before releasing him and causing him to crash into the fresco.
"Sorry about the picture. Hope it wasn't important." He said mockingly before transforming and driving off.
Creator groaned as he shook the rubble off himself. "You okay?" Bulkhead asked.
"Yeah, it's just my pride that's hurt." He nodded as he transformed back and groaned. "And my internal organs…" He added with a groan.
"Don't worry. I got you." Miko said as she hoisted his right arm over her shoulders.
(Later)
"Yep, that's it alright." Bulkhead nodded as Miko showed Optimus the picture of the fresco she took.
"This is indeed a harvester. You did well finding it, Bulkhead." The Prime told him.
"I don't get it though, what's so great about that thing?" Tiberius asked as Sierra helped Miko wrap ice packs around his ribs.
"Energon harvesters are capable of extracting Energon from any source. Were it to be turned on us, it would be a devastating weapon." Optimus replied gravely.
"*gulp*" Raf gulped in fear.
"Well, I'm not sleeping tonight. Thanks for that, Optimus, that was just the nightmare fuel I needed to stay up all week." Tiberius said sarcastically.
"Okay, so we have a potential weapon out there. How do we find it?" Jack asked.
"With high speed Internet, just look up golden orb and Greek god, and you get this." Raf told them as he showed them his computer.
"Is that in a Greek museum?" Sierra asked as she looked at the picture.
"Yeah. I even know which one." The child tech expert nodded.
"Contact agent Fowler." Optimus ordered. This then led to the group trying to reach Fowler, only to get a voicemail.
"I hate talking to machines." Ratchet sighed.
Optimus looked down and weighed his options before coming up with something. "If we are to keep the Harvester out of Decepticon hands, then we will have to confiscate it from the museum as soon as possible." Optimus said at last.
"Wait, confiscate? As in steal it? How do we do that?" Jack questioned.
"Yeah that sounds a little…" Sierra started.
"Illegal." Raf finished nervously.
"Not if we switch the real one with a replica." Tiberius offered as he projected the scan he took of the harvester. "Give me half an hour and some metal and I'll be able to make an exact copy in no time."
"Can we afford that kind of time right now, though?" Bulkhead asked.
"I am unsure, Bulkhead. But the longer we debate, the more time we give the Decepticons to make their move." The Prime said firmly.
(Elsewhere)
"Yep, that's the one alright." Breakdown nodded as the group looked at the exact image Raf showed the autobots.
"How does an Energon harvester even work, anyway?" Madame Ruin asked.
"It can extract Energon from any source. Even living Cybertronians. Or at least that's what the ancients said." Knockout explained.
"Yes, legend tells that the first Decepticon, the Fallen, had invented the first harvesters that would take Energon by destroying suns." Starscream continued. "Though this design was later altered due to how rudimentary it was."
"Can it extract Dark Energon?" The femme asked, causing the other three to look at her oddly. "What? I'd like to know if I'm safe from this thing, thank you very much." She huffed.
"I highly doubt that the ancients were interested in harvesting the blood of Unicron, Ruin." Knockout told her, causing the fem to huff indignantly.
"Hey, give her a break. Can you really blame her for looking out for herself? It is dangerous tech." Breakdown said.
"Don't tell me you're going soft on me now." The Autocon said, causing Starscream to groan in aggravation.
(Later)
It was night time and the Autobots were now getting ready to make the switch. "Autobots, confirm your current positions." Optimus said, driving up to and parking at the front door.
"West side covered." Arcie said as she parked at said side.
[East side check.] Bumblebee said.
"South side secure." Bulkhead added.
Back at the base, Jack, Miko, Raf, Sierra and Tiberius were about to leave with the replica the blonde had made.
"Okay, you'll be appearing inside the building, so you won't have to worry about triggering any alarms." Ratchet told them.
"So we'll need to avoid cameras and guards, got it." Miko nodded.
"Alright people, let's move." Tiberius told them. Ratchet then activated the bridge and Jack drove the construction platform they were on through and into the museum before stopping under a camera. The black haired boy then raised them up to it before Miko took a picture that was at the right angle with her phone and put it in front of it so the security guard in the camera room would be none the wiser.
"We're in business." She told them. Next Tiberius transformed into Creator and took the replica in one hand while swapping the real orb with the other, before setting it on the forklift and then placing the replica on the statue.
"Okay Ratchet, go ahead and bring us back… Oh Scrap." Tiberius said as he saw two very familiar cars driving up beside Optimus.
"A ground bridge would be really great right now…" Miko gulped as she also took notice.
Outside, Knockout and Madame Ruin were in the process of trying to overpower Optimus when the Dark femme was sent flying by a kick to the face from Arcie.
"Ow! You little bitch, that hurt!" Ruin yelled at the two wheeler.
"Blow it out your tailpipe, glitch." The blue femme snapped.
"Why you-!" The female Bioformer snarled as she readied her blades.
Elsewhere, Bumblebee was trying to hold onto Breakdown's back as the lug head tried to fling him off. Bulkhead meanwhile waited for Breakdown to turn around before he clobbered the con with his mace arms.
"Oof!" The Con grunted as he staggered back. "Cheap shot!" He said.
"Shut up, Breakdown!" Bulkhead retorted.
Back inside the museum, the kids were still trying to get in touch with Ratchet. "Ratchet, the swap has been made, we could really use a ground bridge right now!" Tiberius said as they started rolling down the hall, Miko quickly grabbing her phone.
"Anything?" Raf asked nervously.
"No. I don't know what's happening." The green eyed boy replied. Hopping down he scanned the other side of the museum. "Scrap, something's jamming the signals." He said before someone started coming their way. "Arcie? Is that you?" He asked.
"Arcie? Is that you?" The figure echoed before it was revealed to be Soundwave.
"Oh no…" Sierra muttered fearfully as the silent Decepticon stalked toward them. When he reached them, he simply took the Energon harvester and left without a word.
"What are you doing, Tibs? Go after him!" Miko told the blonde.
"Are you nuts?! Do you remember what happened the last time I tried to take that guy?!" The Bioformer snapped.
"I'm inclined to second his words." Sierra chirped, Jack nodding in agreement.
"Yeah. I don't want Tiberius getting injured like that again either." The black haired boy said.
"It took me two weeks to get my T-Cog back online. Plus I've seen what high altitude crashes do to Cybertronians, and I do not want to end up like Skyquake…" He started to rant before Ratchet finally came through.
"Finally! Do you kids have the harvester?" He asked.
"No. Soundwave jammed our comms before he came and took it." The hybrid of the group replied.
"You didn't think to go after him?!" The medic asked incredulously.
"Do you remember what happened the last time I got in a dogfight with that guy?" The boy reminded him.
"... Nevermind." Was Ratchet's only reply.
"We still need to figure out how to find it, though. Bridge us back to base." Tiberius requested.
(Later.)
"Any luck contacting Fowler?" Tiberius asked as Raf and Ratchet kept trying to contact their Liaison.
"Still nothing." Raf sighed.
"Of all the times for him to be unavailable…" Jack groaned.
"There has to be… Wait…" Miko started to ramble before a thought entered her mind.
"What's up?" The cheer captain asked.
"Doesn't Starscream usually go the easy way? If he wants to use the harvester, there's only one way I can think of." She explained. Bulkhead instantly caught on to what she was saying and turned to Ratchet.
"Ratchet, open up a Ground Bridge to that Energon deposit in Greece! Now!" He told the medic.
"Alright, I hope you know what you're doing." The medic said as he opened the bridge.
"Let's go, Bulk." Tiberius said as he transformed.
(Later)
Starscream had the harvester in hand and was in the process of extracting several large quantities of it as the other cons watched. At least until Bulkhead accidentally alerted them by breaking something.
"Goddamn it, Bulkhead." Creator groaned as he facepalmed.
"Scrap." The autobot groaned as Knockout, Breakdown and Madame Ruin deployed their weapons.
"If you want to live, you'd do well to just surrender." Knockout told them.
"Uh, have you met me?" The golden Bioformer deadpanned in reply, causing the cons to look at each other.
"... Good point." Breakdown shrugged before he charged with Knockout.
Creator waited for both of them to get in close. "Get ready Bulkhead." He said as they stood back to back as Madame Ruin joined the two in getting ready to hit them in three directions. "Now!" The grandson of primus yelled as they ducked and let the three cons hit each other with their own attacks.
"OW!" The three yelled as they staggered back in pain.
"Lights out!" The two yelled as they clobbered them to the ground. However, as they turned to face Starscream, the commander turned the harvester on them.
"You're big ones, this could take awhile." The stiletto heeled con said as the harvester started draining the two of their Energon.
With a lot of effort, Bulkhead got to his feet and walked toward him before he reached out for the harvester. Starscream looked at him in shock.
"W-what are you doing?!" He stammered.
"What I do best: break things!" The wrecker grunted before he snatched it out of the seeker's hands and crushed it before throwing it into the distance where it exploded. Creator looked at the sight from one knee and smirked.
"Nice job." He grunted as he struggled to his feet, before falling flat on his face. It was around this time that the others arrived just as Bulkhead collapsed as well.
"Fight?" Breakdown asked as Ruin turned tail.
"Drive." She replied as she transformed and drove off. Breakdown didn't hesitate to follow along with Knockout and Starscream.
"Autobots, let's get them home." Optimus said as he made his way to his student.
"Heyyy." The Bioformer said as he went limp.
(Later)
"Wait, so let me get this straight, you think you can reconstruct the Harvester front the scans you made of it?" Arcie asked Tiberius.
"That's my theory. I'll discuss it with my parents and see what happens." The hybrid nodded. "But in the meantime…" He said as he looked at Miko. "You're coming to my house so that I can keep an eye on you to make sure you do your report." He told her.
"Fine. It just gives me a chance to have a look at your house." The girl shrugged.
"Come on, let's go." He told her as the two got into their autobot rides. Once they reached Tiberius's house, Serena was the one to greet them at the door. She had just got home from work and still had her hair up in a bun and was in a very sexy looking pantsuit.
"Was there a mission that kept you two busy?" She asked.
"Yep." Her son nodded. "Now I need to help Miko with her paper on Greece." He told her, pointing at the girl beside him.
"Well don't let me stop you two." Serena shrugged before she suddenly smirked. "Just try to avoid getting all clingy, okay? She teased, causing them to blush profusely.
"Mom!" The boy snapped as they quickly went inside.
"Oh, Tiberius I got your favorite tea. Five Kingdoms Sakura Black tea. You two want some while you're working?" She offered, causing the hybrid to stop walking and hum in delight. Miko looked intrigued at the name.
"Yeah. I think the two of us will take some." Tiberius replied in a peaceful voice. Miko didn't bother objecting since she was already interested in the mentioned tea anyway.
With that, the two went to work on the Greek history report of the century, all while having a tea that made them oddly drowsy afterwards. Boy was it going to be awkward when they woke up later on.
Dragon Emperor0: I'm just gonna leave that up to you guys to interpret for now.
ThermalsniperN7: And also, Vince is a huge douche nozzle. Weed bombs? What a prick.
Dragon Emperor0: Five of them! No one needs to smell that much weed! Ahem. Anyway, I just wanted to say guys, that I'm really glad that I've been getting such positive feedback from everyone. It makes me feel great about this story.
ThermalsniperN7: Yeah. Nice to know it's doing good.
Dragon Emperor0: Anyway guys, see you next time.