At a military base, Fowler entered an office where his boss General Bryce and a man holding a camera pointed at him. "Special Agent Fowler, please, come in." Bryce said as Fowler noticed the camera guy.
"What's private Daily doing here with that camera?" Fowler questioned as he entered the office.
"He will be making a record of today's session." Bryce answered as the camera guy got close to Fowler's face, which he glared at him.
"Soldier, too close." Fowler said firmly as the camera guy backed away as he took a seat. "Sorry I didn't dress for the occasion." He apologized to Bryce while gesturing to his usual wear since he could've worn something more formal.
"Formality won't be any more necessary than usual, Bill." Bryce assured him. "But I do need to inform you that our higher ups are on the warpath."
"They want answers regarding recent events." Fowler translated.
"Perhaps we should begin with the demise of Optimus Prime," Bryce started off.
"I thought we've straighten all this out." Fowler said to him. "Prime is alive and well."
"That's difficult for our superiors to accept, without the benefits of seeing Optimus and the allege imposter." Bryce stated to him.
"Side by side?" Fowler questioned him. "That didn't seem to be the wisest option at the time. The sky jockeys were under direct orders to destroy any and all Autobots on sight." He reminded him about what the Autobots have to do while avoiding the military.
"We were in a heightened state of security." Bryce admitted, seeing his point.
"Let's consider the positives." Fowler said as he took out a folder of M.E.C.H and gave it to Bryce. "We now possess greater intel regarding M.E.C.H., particularly their leader, Silas. The stage name one Colonel Leland Bishop, ex-special tactics."
"The articted of project Damocles." Bryce started, knowing him as well.
"Satellites in orbit firing laser beams at any target on Earth." Fowler added. "Long since mothball, and the primary reason for Bishop's discharge. He had other wild ideas, but he practiced with even abandon once he went rogue.
"And still no sign of his remains," Bryce questioned.
"Of greater concern, M.E.C.H agents like Silas might also be special tactics." Fowler added.
"As in currently enlisted." Bryce stated.
"When obvious motive for hiding their faces." Fowler said. "I would urge a thorough investigation and leave bigger threats to metal hands capable then our own." He explained.
"Because you've been allowed to operate at such deeply classified levels, perhaps you can provide some background." Bryce said to him. "We have recently heard that another group of Autobots have recently landed on Earth. And we would like to know who we're dealing with."
Fowler sighed as he began to talk. "Our transforming visitors, or autonomous robotic organism, from the planet Cybertron." He started off. "They were fighting a war, which was fighting over the very thing that keeps them alive, Energon. These battles over energon and its dark counterpart continued to this day."
"And you know this for certain?" Bryce questioned.
"I've seen more than enough to make me a believer." Fowler said to him. "But I rely on field reports from Team Prime and more recently their new team that have came. Which I in turn share with you."
"Skip ahead if you would to the history of your involvement, Agent Fowler." Bryce said to him as Fowler adjusted his chair.
"As you know, I wasn't overjoyed for what I assume was going to be a bot-sitting assignment." Fowler admitted about how he used to act to the Autobots before the children came. "But its occupational hazards turn out to be surprisingly severe. And by now the bots have saved my bacon more times than I count, of course I returned the favor a time or two." He said as he remembered when the Autobots saved him when he's in trouble and he returned the favor to him. "Sometimes exercising my authority, sometimes relying on quick thinking." He added before he gave a sheepish look from how he gave some Decepticons vehicle modes when he tried to aid the bots.
"If you would, Agent Fowler, provide a roll call." Bryce said to him.
"So we'll know who's who in the event when another bot snaps?" Fowler questioned.
"Something like that." Bryce nodded. "We also would like to know the new bots that recently arrived as well from how your reports state.
"Well, there's Bulkhead." Fowler said with a sigh. "He's one of the muscle bots. And he mentioned before he became a warrior, he used to be a laborer, building and breaking things. Of course, BigFoot and I don't always see eye to eye." He said with a hand gesture of 'so-and-so' about how he and Bulkhead didn't get along at the start. "He may not be the most agile bot, and he's the first to admit, he's no rocket scientist, but his brute strength is invaluable."
"Thankfully the Science angle is more than covered by Ratchet." Fowler continued while talking about Ratchet next. "The doctor can be a little tightly wound." He said with a cringing as he knew how stressed out Ratchet can be. "But he brings his 'A' game when the situation calls for." He added as he remembered how Ratchet is a formidable fighter even as a medic.
"Then there's Arcee." Fowler added.
"The motorcycle?" Bryce asked with a brow.
"Don't be fooled by the smaller footprint, she leaves a mark." Fowler advised, since he saw how tough and skilled Acree is. "Bumblebee's the team scout. But the warrior in training seems pretty accomplished if you ask me." He stated when he saw Bumblebee in action. "Acree may be a bot with few words, but Bumblebee doesn't use any that we can understand." He said with a thoughtful look since Bumblebee can't even talk before he frowned in solemnly. "Turns out, it's for a good reason. During the War for Cybertron, the poor kid got his voice box torn out by Megatron." He said with a frown, having heard the true story of how Bumblebee lost his voice box.
"So, the Autobots aren't quite the indestructible war machines we'd hoped." Bryce noted.
"Don't misunderstand. They can take serious punishment." Fowler said to him as he noticed how the Autobots were damaged or near death in their battles. "But they do have their vulnerable abilities. We learned that the hard way when we lost Cliffjumper." He added with a sad look of the fallen Autobot, Cliffjumper, he may have had issues with the Bots in the past, but he knew a fallen soldier hit hard.
"And for the record, Cliffjumper was the last Autobot casualty?" Bryce questioned.
"I told you, the lifeless autobot you have in storage wasn't prime. It was a knockoff." Fowler insisted.
"We have only your word to go on." Bryce said to him. "How about telling us about the new Autobots that recently came sometime ago. We heard that they have their own base that isn't military property,"
"Well, I wouldn't say base per-say." Fowler said as he continued his roll call. "It's actually a ship, which happens to be the biggest Autobot in their ranks: Metroplex."
"You mean that there's a giant Autobot somewhere out there and he hasn't been utilized in battle?" Bryce asked Fowler in wonder and a bit of surprise.
"Metroplex couldn't transform even if he wanted to." Fowler said as he gave the information he knows so far. "From what I can tell, Metroplex was one of the Autobots' guardians during the war for Cybertron. And let me tell ya, he could crush an army of cons in an instant with just one hand. I saw the schematics myself. But as it turns out, during the exodus, Metroplex gave up much of his energon to get the Autobots personal ship, the Ark, off of Cybertron, forcing him into some kind of stasis lock to keep his lights from going completely out, but stuck in his ship form, which now serves as a base of operation for the new Autobots that came to Earth. And with the lack of energon lately on Earth, Metroplex isn't rising and shining anytime soon."
"So, this Guardian to the Autobots has been reduced to transportation and a base?" Bryce summarized.
"Make no mistake, even when out of commission the big boy is definitely helpful for these new arrivals." Fowler said to him.
"Well, what about the Autobots that this Metroplex brought with him?" Bryce asked.
"Well, I have to be brief of these new Autobots every day to get to know them better." Fowler said as he began to list out the Autobots that Metroplex brought with. "There's this one enforcement law that might be a favorite of mine, Prowl. A bot who knows how to stick to protocol but is willing and able to break it for his fellow bots."
"And the next bot is a bit weirder than others." Fowler said with a cringing. "Their name's Reck'n'Ruin."
"Reck'n'Ruin?" Bryce asked with a brow. "A bit on the nose, doesn't it?"
"Uh, not just the name, but apparently, he's actually a two headed bot." Fowler said with a confused look. "I'm still wondering how that's possible, but Reck'n'Ruin might be an odd one, but they emphasis on the phrase 'two heads is better than one', cause when they work together, they're pretty effective."
"Next comes the Weapon Specialist, Ironhide." Fowler continued. "He's a strong and muscle bound warrior bot, and knows his weaponry and brings the hurt in a fight. But he's also big enough to always look out for his fellow bots, giving them the ammunition and support when they are needed."
"Mmm, sounds like a clever bot." Bryce said.
"Yes. And the next one is Kup." Fowler added. "He's more of a grouchy grandpa, but he's an old war veteran and is willing and able to help his fellow bots and give some tough love to the troops."
"Like a general training rookies." Bryce summarizes. "Interesting."
"While some bots are on the field, one bot named Fixit, a Minicon, stayed as a medic, caretaker and scientist part of the group on Metroplex." Fowler said to him. "Sorta like a mini-Ratchet, but less grouchy and sometimes glitchy."
"A Minicon? Aren't cons supposed to be the enemy?" Bryce questioned.
"No, he's no Decepticon." Fowler assured. "Minicons are just small bots, roughly our sizes, either served as sidekicks, or caretakers, and Fixit, he's a medic, caretaker, and scientist to the group. But during the war, he got damaged, so he glitched whenever he tried to talk while finishing a sentence from time to time. But even as a glitching bot, his rate of success is high."
"Then there's Firestar and Moonracer, a pair of ladies who know stealth and a serious fight." Fowler said to them. "They're as skilled as Arcee and are the sharpest shooters. They can shoot a con from 20 yards without looking. Turns out they and Arcee used to work together, alongside another Lady Bot, Chromia."
"Another Motorcycle?" Bryce questioned.
"Like Acree, don't be fooled by the smaller footprints, those girls can leave a mark, which explains where Acree got her skills from." Flower said to him. "Another girl bot is apparently a fly girl for the Autobots, Windblade. She's a city speaker jet, which I still don't know what that means, but she provides air support to the Autobots."
"So, the Autobots finally have a soldier with aerial capabilities?" Bryce asked.
"Yes. And there is another flyer, named Whirl, he's a helicopter." Fowler said. "While he might look a bit slow and act a bit scared out, he has the courage to face the enemy head on and rescue his fellow bots while also providing cover."
"And then there's a paratrooper, named Crosshairs." Fowler continued. "While I sometimes questioned his attitude, which the Autobots think the same thing with him, he is an agile and sharp shooting trigger-happy bot, which is good when handling the cons but sometimes hard to keep a grip on him."
"And you think having a bot like him on Earth is the wisest decision," Bryce questioned.
"While Crosshairs can be a bit much, his loyalty to the Autobots is unquestioned and is willing to jump into the action to protect them, no matter the odds." Fowler assured.
"Then there is this Autobot named Jazz." Fowler continued. "And trust me, he's like one of those hip hop music types, which even by the way he talks, he's as cool as they come. But that doesn't mean he's any less of a skilled warrior, With agility and footwork that rivals even that of Arcee or Bumblebee."
"A veteran who apparently is also a hipster." Bryce summarized with a brow.
"A little bit, but not a complete hipster." Fowler nodded. "Then, there's the thrill seeker of the bots, Hot Rod. And let me tell ya, the kid has some spunk with races and speed, but surprisingly has Grade-A leader material and bravery that's even gotten the attention of Prime."
"And you believe Hot Rod has the potential to lead the Autobots in Prime's stead?" Bryce questioned.
"I don't think he's ready for that kind of responsibility just yet, but after seeing how he's managed to bring down M.E.C.H.'s plans twice and bring down the knock off Prime singled handle, I think he's got the right stuff." Fowler said before he continued. "And as to who led both teams when Prime wasn't around, is none other than Elita One, second in command of the Autobots. Who surprisingly happened to be Prime's bride-to-be."
"You mean that Optimus has a fiancee?" Bryce commented.
"Yes. Still a surprise. But I saw how Elita One is, and it makes sense why Prime picked her as his second in command, and it wasn't because he's got the hots for her." Fowler continued, having seen Elita's skills as a leader. "Elita One's as skilled as Prime and is as much a leader as him, having been trained by Prime and been by each other before and during the war. She even kept the Autobots in line while Prime was with the Decepticons."
"So, you think now she is leading the Autobots with Prime's demise?" Bryce questioned.
"I already told you, that was a knockoff, Prime is still around. I thought I already said that." Fowler said to him.
"You have, but without any trace of Silas or the alleged technology M.E.C.H utilizes to control said knockoff." Bryce stated.
"A clean scrub is M.E.C.H's emo." Fowler said to him with his arms crossed. "You and I both noticed."
"Your last debrief indicated that Optimus Prime had joined the Decepticons." Bryce said to him about the last incident with Prime.
"Not willfully." Fowler said as he stood up. "Prime had amnesia. I know I was clear on that."
"But you can see where outside observers might connect the dots to the recent attacks on our base?" Bryce stated to him calmly. "Bill, the five stars have grown nervous that we've been placing our trust in beings who can so easily conflict harm if they choose to turn on us." He said as he leaned back with a pause. "That's why I've been asked to determine whether to bring you before a tribunal."
This shocked Fowler. "Tribunal?! They could shut down operations. Put me in jail." He said in shock as he gave a look. "General Bryce, Prime is no loose cannon. He's anything but." He said to the general. "The Bots may be big, but they watch where they step. Heck, even the kids."
"Kids?" Bryce questioned, which Fowler flinched as he realized what he said.
"Uh, that's what we call our in-house support team." Fowler said with a sheepish look as he sat back down for nearly exposing the children's involvement with the Autobots.
"I wasn't aware you were utilizing any of our resources other than yourself." Bryce said with a firm look.
"They're not enlisted." Fowler stated while trying to find the right words.
"You've involved civilians in a classified operation?" Bryce questioned.
"Highly accomplished civilians." Fowler corrected. "Who contribute specialize expertise in computer science, medicine, uh, communication." He said to him.
"So they know how to take orders?" Bryce questioned as Fowler gave a sheepish look.
"You could say that." Fowler said, since he knows some of the kids can't take orders, mostly Miko. "But what they lack in military discipline, they more than make up for with 'outside the box' problem solving." He said as he saw how resourceful Jack, Miko, and Raf are while in the field. "Their courage is to be admired. They've proven time and again that they're willing to put their lives on the line for the country and their planet."
"So your civilians have made enemy contact?" Bryce summarizes.
"They've pretty much seen it all." Fowler said with a shrug before he smiled. "Rest assured, the safety of these humans, of all humans, remains the primary concern of the Autobots. And our colleges wouldn't have it any other way. They forge meaningful bonds with the bots. And they provide valuable assistance, whenever I'm otherwise engaged in the field."
"But their involvement was never intended to be anything other than humanitarian, to provide the Autobots with the means of better understanding life on our planet." Fowler continued how the children showed human customs and Earth ways to the Autobots. "Sadly, we haven't begun to take full advantage of their science." He said as he saw how advanced the Autobots' technology is. "I mean, I can pilot my veto without ever having to wear a flight suit."
"What keeps your organs from exploding?" Bryce wondered how Fowler even flew a jet without a flight suit.
"A modification Ratchet performed on the cabin pressure regulator." Fowler answered while giving a sheepish look. "I like to be comfortable."
"We… maybe getting off track here," Bryce said awkwardly before changing the subject, "Please explain to us why we haven't yet been served Megatron's head on a silver platter." He questioned as Fowler gave a serious look.
"The Leader of the Decepticon has nine lives, plain and simple," Fowler explained, seeing first hand that Megatron doesn't die easily. "It's not like we haven't tried. The sick part is, the moment we might've pulled it off, we needed him." He said as he remembered the Unicron incident. "Megatron actually helped us save humanity."
"Elaborate if you would," Bryce asked, finding it hard to believe Megatron would save them.
"We've found ourselves facing an even greater threat than M.E.C.H or the Decepticons." Fowler said with a serious look. "Literally an enemy within. Unicron. I know this is gonna sound crazy but what if I told you, our planet's core isn't made of what science led us to believe it is?" He stated.
Bryce then took a deep breath and looked at Fowler. "Agent Fowler, I'm sorry to say I'm forced to discontinue this debriefing until you undergo a full psychological evaluation." He said.
"Seriously?" Fowler questioned with a brow.
"As a representative of the United States government, I believe you may have lost your sanity." Bryce said, which shocked Fowler completely.
"General Bryce, I assure you I am quite sane." Fowler assured.
"It defies all logic, Bill." Bryce said to him. "Dark Energon? Then you go on record that you believe in magical horses with horns on their heads?"
"What?" Fowler questioned with a brow.
"Do you deny previous recordings that Megatron helped defeat a unicorn?" Bryce questioned, which threw Fowler in the loop.
"That's what you…" Fowler questioned before he shook his head. "'Unicron'. The ultimate evil. Permission to strike this from the record." He said with a sigh.
"Granted." Bryce nodded. "But consider yourself on notice." He said as Fowler growned. "You were saying, Megatron proved to be an ally?"
"The circumstances were unique." Fowler admitted having seen how the Decepticons were and how they needed Megatron's help to save the Earth. "Oddly the con most likely to be of service is Starscream, only by default. Because he may despise his team more than he despises ours." He said as he remembered how Starscream hated Megatron more than any of the abuse he endured. "But even after Megatron attempted to terminate him, Starscream still tried to win his master's favor. Starscream's insecurity is what makes him less predictable than Megatron, and in some ways, even more dangerous." He said as he remembered how Starscream tortured him for Autobot info. "He really needs to figure out if it's Megatron's job he wants or Megatron's approval."
"I must in turn ask why a successful termination of Starscream hasn't been achieved." Bryce stated how Starscream wasn't offline yet as well.
"Air superiority continues to provide the cons with the upperhand." Fowler stated by how the Decepticons have so much air support that the Autobots manage to take care as best they could. "Though we manage to inflict the occasional setback." He noted as how the Autobots still stop the Decepticons' plans. "But the fact remains, Starscream has supplied valuable intel since he went rogue. Not to worry, the Bots know better than to trust him implicitly." He assured, knowing the Autobots know better than to trust Starscream completely. "Fortunately for us, despite his strategic brilliance, Starscream is his own worst enemy." He added as he had been let in how Starscream lost his T-Cog, making him unable to transform. "And he's not the only one who's how shall we say, taken flight from Megatron,"
"The Spider." Bryce guessed.
"Arachnid, as sadistic as they come." Fowler said with a serious look, knowing how dangerous Arachnid is. "And she and Arcee have quite a history. I can't help but feel that the next time they lock horns, only one's gonna walk away, unless Megatron gets to Arachnid first."
"So the infighting among the Decepticon ranks continues." Bryce summarized, seeing what Fowler meant.
"And then some." Fowler nodded. "Megatron can't seem to keep his inner circle holding hands." He commented, seeing how the Decepticon are fighting among themselves and going rogue in Megatron's ranks.
"And you don't think we could take advantage of this chaos?" Bryce questioned, "Motivate a Decepticon to join our cause?" He added, wondering if they could convince one of the Cons to join their side.
"There is one whom Prime seems to respect." Fowler said, remembering about Dreadwing and how Optimus sensed a change in him. "But having witnessed Dreadwing tear up a town, I wouldn't hang my hopes on it."
"So I must press the point, if Optimus believes that even a Decepticon holds the potential of change, why couldn't the reverse be true?" Bryce questioned. "No one truly knows what went on behind the Decepticons curtain while Optimus was off the grid, not you, not the Autobots."
"I'm one hundred percent with Ratchet on this one." Fowler said to him as he remembered what Ratchet told him about the fractions. "Being a Decepticon or Autobot are a choice. One that one bot must choose what their spark is telling them. And against all odds, suffering amnesia, Prime engineered his own escape to face down Megatron and save Elita One from being scrapped. But if Prime is capable of change, Prime has recently proven he's willing to go further than ever to protect humanity." He added, seeing how Optimus took the risks to protect humanity. "Optimus Prime is a true patriot. He and his team continue to risk their lives, day in and day out, asking absolutely nothing in return." He said with a proud smile. "The simple fact is, Prime doesn't have a bad circuit in his body." He added how Optimus never was a simple bad bot, even in a road rage as he stood up with a determined look.
"As liaison to the Autobots, I strongly caution that now would be the worst time to call Prime's dedication into question." Fowler said with a determined look. "We're on the verge of an ever greater threat than we face before. The Decepticons are on the hunt for long buried relics from Cybertron." He said as he remembered the Cybertronian relics the Bots told him about."Preliminary intel suggest they could be sacred objects with mystical properties or weapons of mass destruction." He said, referring to the Spark Extractor and the Forge of Solus Prime.
"Mystical?" Bryce questioned with a brow.
"Uh, strike that too." Fowler said as he tried to find the right words. "The point I'm trying to make here is…" He then groaned as he took out his phone. "Hold on." He said as he put it on speed-dial and answered his phone. "Prime? I need an assist." He said.
Fowler then walked up to the window and pulled up the covers as stomping sounds were heard, which shook the room before Optimus came in view from the window, which made the Camera guy fall to the ground in shock and backed away.
"Agent Fowler, have you uncovered M.E.C.H agents?" Optimus asked while looking at Fowler.
"No. We're safe, Prime," Fowler assured with a smirk. "General Bryce here just needs to confirm the state of your… health and welfare." He said.
"I am fine, General Bryce." Optimus assured Bryce, who flinched back in shock and surprise to see Optimus. "How are you?"
"I am well, uh, soldier." Bryce said as he stood up and the room was silent as the camera guy faced him and Optimus. "Billy… I believe I have everything I need to make a persuasive case that Optimus Prime is indeed alive and well. And firmly on our side." He conceded.
Fowler gave a salute. "We appreciate your support, sir." He said.
"Dismiss." Byce said as Fowler walked away just the camera guy's battery went dead as it completely shut off.
That's a wrap.
Since this was mostly a flashback episode, I didn't find it necessary to copy down every flashback through TFP.
Also Credit to 21 for helping me out with the chapters and the description for the other Autobots in this Chapter.
Stay tuned, for the next adventure takes us to crazy day on many different fronts, in "Armada".