III - Orion Pax, Part Three
00000
Rocky Mountains - Montana, U.S. - November 5th, 2011 - 7:00 pm
"Bulkhead, where the heck have you been?!"
"Sorry 'Cee. Like I said, this place is a maze. And we got company. The Cons are here."
The Autobots looked shocked but only for a moment.
"Guess they're here to spring Brawl," Sideswipe said.
Wheeljack smirked. "Welp, guess we're done. Let's go fellas."
The demolition enthusiast turned to leave, only for Bumblebee to grab him by the door on his back.
"They might need our help."
"What?!" The others said in unison.
"Bee, what are you talking about?" Sunstreaker asked.
"MECH wants superior tech above all else. If any of us, Autobot or Decepticon gets captured too, it will only add to MECH's strength. At the moment, MECH is the enemy of both Autobot and Decepticon. We don't know what kind of weapons they have here in this base or if any of us are prepared for it."
Sunstreaker nodded in understanding albeit begrudgingly. "You're suggesting we have a truce with the Cons?"
Bumblebee nodded as well, clearly not liking the idea either.
"Ah, you gotta be kidding?!" Wheeljack snapped. "Let the Cons save their own! Or better still…" Wheeljack pulled out a grenade from behind his belt. "Let's blow this place sky high so MECH can't use it to store their stolen tech anymore and them with it."
Bulkhead looked unimpressed. "Jackie…"
"What? This is war ain't it?"
"That's not how we do things, Jackie. And Bee's right. We have to help them."
"What?!" Sideswipe said.
"Bulk, what are you saying?!"
Bulkhead groaned.
He didn't want to have to bring this up now but it was the only way he could think of to convince them.
Bulkhead revealed how they had gotten separated, how he took a wrong turn and ended walking straight into Breakdown.
But not only did Breakdown not attack Bulkhead or rat him out to the other Cons, he told him how to escape.
The Autobots stared in awe and disbelief.
Breakdown, a Decepticon and Bulkhead's nemesis, gave aid to an Autobot, Bulkhead of all bots?
"Let's go," Arcee said, charging her blasters. "Before we come to our senses."
00000
7:10 pm
A bloodcurdling scream echoed in the seemingly endless hall.
"That's Brawl," Barricade said with uncharacteristic dread in his voice.
Blackout snarled. "Savages."
Breakdown shuddered. "Even Silas had enough decency to turn off my pain receptors."
"We better hurry," Blackout said. "We've no time to lose."
The trio stepped forth but stopped dead when the sound of metallic rushing and weapons charging were heard.
Looking up, they saw a multitude of blasters sliding out of the upper walls and taking aim at them.
The hum and the glowing blue light from the muzzle was unmistakable.
Those turrets were powered by Energon.
"Impossible!" Barricade cried.
"Take cover!" Blackout barked.
The Decepticons leapt behind some steel beams.
Breakdown wasn't quick enough.
He was about to take a blast to the back.
Until a green blur smashed into him.
Breakdown narrowly avoided being back-shot.
A young voice commanded, "Focus all fire on those turrets!"
Breakdown shook his head to expel the dizziness of being crashed into it.
"Can't believe I'm doing this again."
Breakdown's one eye shot open in shock. "Bulk?"
Barricade withdrew his side pistols which were stored in his legs.
"Autobots!" Barricade seethed.
Bumblebee raised his hands placatingly. "Wait! Wait! Wait! We're not here to fight! We're trying to help!"
"Help?!"
Barricade prepared to aim but Blackout placed a hand on one of his blasters to stop him.
"Why would you want to help us?" He asked.
"Because no one deserves what they're doing to Brawl," Bumblebee said with strong resolution.
Barricade still wasn't convinced.
"They ain't lying about that Barricade," Breakdown said, slumping his shoulders.
"What?"
Another horrible scream echoed in the hall.
"Brawl!" Blackout exclaimed.
"Ok fine! Truce till we get Brawl out of here!" Barricade snapped.
Bumblebee nodded firmly. "Alright, let's roll out Autobots! Move it!"
00000
Ravage slashed another Energon line with her claws.
"I can't believe MECH had this much tech stored away!" Steeljaw said.
"I can," Ravage said, shaking a bit with anger and fear. "They've studied me, and others. They mentioned others like me, kept in other installations."
Steeljaw stared at her. "Others? You mean other Cybertronians? Why didn't you mention it before?"
Ravage shook her head. "Just remembered. And…and…"
Her shaking became more erratic and her breathing became hitched and uneven.
Steeljaw knew what that meant.
Panic attack.
He came to her side and laid his head on hers.
Ravage continued to hyperventilate as tears streamed out of her eyes.
"Ravage…Reena…it's ok. You're ok."
Ravage nestled her head into Steeljaw's neck.
"Monsters…" She whimpered. "They're all…monsters…these…humans…"
"You know that's not true, Ravage."
"You don't know…" Ravage wept. "You don't know what they did…what they…"
"Shhh, shhh."
Steeljaw put a claw around her.
"It's ok, Reena, it's ok."
00000
7:20 pm
Breakdown and Bulkhead gripped the close and locked steel doors and slowly pried them open, only taking a moment to glare at each other as they did so.
The doors were open and the impromptu team, consisting of both Autobot and Decepticon, stared inside the enormous room.
It was full of MECH soldiers.
And they were fitted into what appeared to be massive robotic suits.
They were all about Bumblebee's height, crafted out of silver chrome steel, all armed with giant versions of the M-4 Carbine rifles, except these appeared to be modified and powered by Energon, therefore making them lethal blasters.
The MECH troops were seated in cockpits and could be seen through plexiglass windshields.
But the robot soldiers in front of them had no visible cockpits.
Just polished black armor and burning red optics with the very same giant blasters.
They were like pitch-black stormtroopers, just as soulless and just as frightening.
A hollow voice echoed from an intercom in the room.
It was smooth but dark and harsh.
"Kill them."
"Autobots!" Bumblebee boomed.
"Decepticons!" Barricade roared.
They screamed the order in unison.
"ATTACK!"
They rushed forward, weapons ready and unafraid.
And MECH rushed to meet them.
Arcee leapt into the air, landed on the head of a manned MECH fighter, shot him in the joints of its arms, crippling it and causing him to drop his blaster.
Bumblebee swept it under its feet, causing it to fall.
The MECH soldier was relatively unharmed but dazed by the impact.
Bulkhead was not so gentle, remembering what they did to Breakdown, Arcee, Ravage, and now Brawl, enemy or not.
He slammed into a MECH soldier with his right wrecking ball with a reverse spin back hand, sending him into a wall.
Bulkhead didn't care if he had killed him.
Breakdown, using all the rage and inner pain of his own capture, roared as he unleashed an overhead smash with his hammer right into the cockpit of a MECH soldier.
He shook off the mess from his hammer on what was left of the MECH suit.
And then he fired his shoulder turret, blasting apart several drones into a burning wreckage.
Wheeljack, swords in hand, beheaded one drone on his left and impaled another on his right.
And then he cut through the kneecaps of a manned drone, crippling it and sending it to the floor.
Branding his rear copter propellers as a handheld weapon, Blackout sawn off the head of one of the MECH drones.
And then shot another in the chest with a chain gun built into his arm.
Dual blasters in his hands, Barricade shot left and right, lethal shots in every MECH drone, manned or otherwise.
One of the drones slammed into Blackout and stuck him in the stomach with a large dagger.
Blackout barely flinched as he grappled the drone, keeping the knife in so as not to worsen the knife wound.
Bumblebee, without thinking, moved on pure reflex as he leapt onto Blackout's massive shoulders, aimed his blaster and blasted a hole in the drone's face.
Blackout snapped the knife in two, keeping it in the wound so as to not bleed out.
Bumblebee leapt down and stood before the massive Decepticon eyeing the wound.
"You ok?"
"Forget about me, we need to get to Brawl and get to him now!"
"Right!"
Bumblebee searched for an opening at the opposite end of the room.
There was a sealed door and over it was a notice which read, Danger, Do Not Enter.
Bumblebee pointed and shouted. "There!"
The scout rushed for the door.
But it was blocked by many MECH drones.
"Twins!" Arcee roared. "Back him up!"
Bumblebee was blocked by a trio of MECH drones and the Twins rode in, long swords ready and they leapt in the air, cut off both heads of the drones flanking the one in the middle, and then touching the ground, quick as lightning, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker swept past the remaining drone.
And in a split second, the top half of its body above the waist slid off, exposing a mass of sparking wires and pipes oozing Energon.
The Twins had cleaved the drone finely in two.
The last drone was bigger than the others, wielding massive batons on his arms as it advanced on Bumblebee.
Breakdown crashed into it, wrapping his arms around its waist, and bringing it to the ground.
With a single blow from his hammer, he reduced the drone's head to a flattened pulp.
Bumblebee rushed to the door and tried to pry it open but it wouldn't budge an inch.
Breakdown shoved him out of the way and with great effort, he forced the door open but it wouldn't stay open.
"I'll hold it open for you! GO!"
Bumblebee nodded firmly and leapt and rolled into the narrow opening of the door.
Barricade followed after him.
Unable to hold the door open, Breakdown cried out in effort as he jumped back as the heavy doors shut on themselves.
Seeing that they made it through, Arcee pressed her commlink.
"Bee, have you found Brawl?"
"Huuuaaghhhh!"
Arcee flinched.
"Bee?"
It sounded like he was sick.
Not a good sign.
"Y-yeah, we found him. Oh Primus! What have they done to him?! Arcee! Call Ratchet! Call him now! Brawl's condition is critical! Past critical!"
00000
A.O. Omega 2 - 7:40 pm
"C'mon Doc," Jazz whined. "I gotta get out there and back my boys up."
"You're not cleared for duty, Jazz. The internal damage still hasn't fully healed."
Ratchet turned to Blaster, who was manning the Autobot mainframe.
"Still nothing?" Ratchet asked.
"Almost got it," Blaster replied. "Just need to finish splicing the comm system of MECH's base and…presto!"
The screen changed to indicate that the mountain installation has been spliced into their system and all Autobot communications were now back online.
And a voice screamed out through the mainframe's speakers.
"-atchet! Ratchet! Answer me!"
Ratchet winced. "Arcee, not so loud! What's wrong?!"
"Ratchet! We need you here! We found Brawl! He's dying!"
"Right, I'm on it."
Ratchet grabbed his medical kit.
Perceptor had already opened a groundbridge and Ratchet rushed through.
00000
Nemesis Warship - 7:40 pm
"Commander, Oil Slick has arrived."
Airachnid nodded. "Good. Where is he now?"
Stockade checked the reading on his security station. "Actually, he and his party are just outside the bridge at this very moment."
"What?" Airachnid exclaimed. "Why wasn't I told when they touched down?"
"It all happened at once, Commander. They arrived in the same ship as Lord Megatron's, per his instructions. It's a stealth fighter so our instruments couldn't detect it."
Airachnid nodded, albeit with annoyance. "You mentioned 'party.'"
Stockade rubbed the back of his neck. "Well-"
The automatic doors opened.
And a bubbly voice cried out.
"Hi Airry!"
Airachnid's optics shot open with shock.
She knew that voice.
Oh no…
"Thunderblast, behave yourself," said a professionally clipped accent. "We are professionals here."
"Aye aye Doc!"
Airachnid turned to receive the newcomers.
She blinked as she recognized Flamewar, who nodded her head at her in greetings.
"Ah, I see you've brought company, Oil Slick."
The Decepticon scientist tapped his signature glass helmet as he regarded the commander.
"They're my bodyguards, or my attendants, whichever you prefer. Now where is the patient?"
Before Airachnid could answer, an emergency message came through the main console behind her.
"Commander Airachnid?! Commander Airachnid?!"
Airachnid answered the message readily.
That didn't sound good.
"Blackout, what now?"
"Open a groundbridge to my coordinates! Brawl needs help! Send Knockout right now!"
"Send Knockout? Why don't you bring him aboard the ship?"
"We can't move him! MECH didn't just dissect him, they destroyed him!"
Thunderblast gasped. "Uncle Brawl?"
Flamewar looked equally aghast. "What?"
Oil Slick frowned deeply. "Soundwave will have to wait then. Where is Knockout now? I'll need a proxy."
Stockade answered. "I already called him. He's preparing his medical kit."
"Very good."
00000
MECH Installment - The Rocky Mountains - 7:45 pm
The Autobots stared in horror at the scene before them.
Breakdown had an uncharacteristic look of fear and apprehension on his face.
"Look what they did to him."
Barricade stood over his partner who was strapped to a metal table.
Brawl no longer looked like Brawl anymore.
"Brawl?" Barricade said, emotion thick in his voice. "It's me…it's Cade. Listen, you're not going to die like this. You're not going to die in this horrible place."
"Move move move! Let me through!"
Ratchet rushed past the Autobots to reach the patient.
Ratchet almost dropped his medkit when he saw him.
"By the AllSpark!"
The garnished, dismembered and ruined mass that was Brawl convulsed and choked on his own Energon.
Another voice shouted from the rear. "Autobots!"
The Autobots turned to see a Con with orange optics and a black/orange color scheme aim hot blasters at them.
She was flanked by another Con, clearly a seeker but a female with a silver and purple color scheme with yellow optics. She also had guns trained on the Autobots.
A voice spoke from behind her. "Flamewar, Thunderblast, stand down."
Flamewar looked baffled. "But why Oil Slick?"
"I don't think these Autobots mean us harm."
Knockout looked skeptical but he did not openly disagree with the Scientist.
Bumblebee stepped forward, hands up placatingly.
"We agreed to a truce until both Autobots and Decepticons are out of MECH's grasp. We don't want to fight."
Oil Slick showed no sign that he trusted the scout's words.
"We'll see. Where's Brawl?"
Bumblebee pointed his thumb behind him.
00000
Regulon 4 - D.O. Gamma 7
"Orion, what is your progress with Project Iacon?" Megatron asked.
Orion Pax was hesitant. He was never the lying sort and he wouldn't lie to his best friend, one whom he came to know as a brother.
"It's progressing, Lord Megatron, but I'm afraid my progress has been slow as of late."
Megatron showed no sign that he was angry. "Might this have anything to do with your after hours research?"
He approached Orion's workstation and pressed a key, opening a webpage showing the bios and image of Optimus Prime.
The real Optimus Prime.
Orion looked caught and regretful.
"Why does history portray me siding with the Autobot aggressors? And why did the Autobot intruder call me a Prime?"
Megatron spoke in a voice that was less kindly.
"And why should you consider the idle talk of a traitorous rogue?"
Orion cleared his throat. "It didn't make sense to me. It seemed so bizarre, so ludicrous, but I had to know the truth."
"What else did he tell you?"
Orion didn't answer.
Megatron snarled. "Does our friendship mean nothing to you?"
"I believe that is a question you should ask yourself, Megatron."
Megatron blinked.
The way Orion spoke to him.
That defiance.
That resolute manner.
That conviction.
It was as if Optimus Prime was in the room once more.
"You have been keeping secrets from me from the beginning, Megatron. You've evaded my questions. Told me half-truths. I chose not to see this because I've always trusted you. We've been friends. Brothers. We both dedicated our lives to save Cybertron, to stop a war before it began. Obviously we had failed and I don't know why? What happened to me? Who am I?"
Megatron clenched his fists.
He felt more furious than he had ever had in eons.
And a trace of sadness that even he didn't notice.
You are my clerk. Now get back to work on decoding that database.
Megatron's words surprised even him but he had no choice.
He spoke in a way he hadn't spoken since before the war began.
It was gentle and humble. "You are my friend and ally. And I need you to trust me, Orion and continue deciphering that database."
Orion paused, considering this. "What do you intend to do with the contents of the database once they're found?"
"Use them by any means necessary to end the war once and for all."
Orion bowed his head. "I'm sorry Megatron but I want no part of this. I would rather erase my findings than make them available for your questionable use."
Orion pressed a button on his console and the entirety of the Iacon Database and his research were erased in an instant.
"Did you really think that I wouldn't be tracking and documenting every iota of your invaluable research?"
Orion Pax was not angry, just disappointed that one of his oldest friends had been spying on him all along.
The automatic doors opened and three seekers entered.
Two of them were Thrust and Acid Storm.
And the one leading them was Sideways.
He was a Decepticon seeker of a mostly purple color scheme with a grey helm, battle mask.
His most distinct characteristic were the long horns on his head.
Megatron frowned at the unexpected arrival.
"And you're here why?"
Sideways smiled smugly behind his mask. "Orion Pax aided in the escape of an Autobot fugitive. We've come to take him into custody."
"No."
"No?"
Megatron pointed a threatening finger.
"Acid Storm. Thrust. Leave now. You," Megatron snarled, pointing at Sideways. "A word."
"Megatron?" Orion said.
"You stay in the lab, Orion, for your own safety." Megatron closed the door and locked it.
Megatron glared at the two seekers he had dismissed. "Why are you still here?!"
Acid Storm and Thrust took to their heels without a word.
Megatron fixed Sideways with a contemptuous look.
"This isn't the first time you undermined my authority, Sideways."
Sideways seemed unconcerned.
"My apologies my liege. But aiding the Autobots is a capital offense and I was simply acting accordingly to your will."
"When it suits you!" Megatron snapped. "You are not in a position to make a call like that. That authority lies with me and your Air Commander, Lugnut. Do you understand me?"
"Perfectly, Lord Megatron."
"See that you do, Sideways. Now get out of my sight!"
"As you wish, Lord Megatron," Sideways said in a smooth voice.
He curtsied and moved on without another word.
Megatron stared after him hotly, as though he wanted to burn him in half.
He's an even greater malcontent than that traitorous Starscream.
00000
MECH Installation - Rocky Mountains - 9:00 pm
"Hold those Energon lines tightly together and don't let go," Ratchet instructed.
"R-right," Knockout said as he obeyed the Autobot Chief Surgeon.
Oil Slick said nothing as he realigned Energon lines to Brawl's already critically damaged spark.
"Wait!" Knockout cried. "His T-Cog is on backwards!"
"So twist it around!" Ratchet snapped.
Knockout did so without even blinking.
Ratchet raised a hand to stop him. "Ok, that's enough."
Arcee, Bumblebee, Flamewar, and Thunderblast stood by anxiously as proxies.
Bulkhead, Wheeljack, Breakdown, Barricade, Blackout and the Twins guarded the door, which was their only way out.
Transporting Brawl out via groundbridge was too risky for his critical condition.
Flamewar and Arcee made eye contact, both glaring at each other.
They still couldn't believe they were doing this.
Working together to save a Decepticon's life.
It was unthinkable.
Incomprehensible.
Inconceivable.
And yet here they were.
Arcee wipes Ratchet's brow of perspiration as he worked fast and impossibly precise to save Brawl's life.
Flamewar used her flamethrowers to keep the medical instruments sanitized.
Bumblebee maintained the circulation of Energon.
Thunderblast tended closely to Oil Slick and Knockout, doing her best to keep from breaking down.
Acting on instinct, Arcee had to shout at her to keep her together.
If you don't stay rational, Brawl is going to die!
It worked for the time being.
"We have guests!" Blackout cried.
Bulkhead, blasters ready, stepped forward.
Breakdown crowded him, trying to stand at the front.
Bulkhead fought to stay in front but neither nor his nemesis could overcome the other.
They glared at each other.
"This doesn't change anything between us," Breakdown said, barely keeping his temper in check.
Bulkhead scoffed. "I could've told you that."
"Here they come," Barricade said, dual blasters at the ready.
In the dark end of the massive hall, several giant black shapes approached, marching in order.
Their glowing red optics shone menacingly as though cursing them.
"We're outnumbered," Blackout said gravely.
"Now you know how we feel," Bumblebee said with a grin.
00000
A.O. Omega 2 - 9:30 pm
"Agent Fowler, how sooner can your military send help to secure that mountain base?" Perceptor asked with anxious haste.
The retired Army Ranger rubbed his chin. "One hour, at best."
"Blast!" Perceptor turned with his arms folded behind his back, clicking his thumb and forefingers.
"They're barely holding them off, Percy," Blaster said.
"Why don't you open a groundbridge for them?!" Vince demanded.
"Vinny." Sierra took his arm, freezing him up on the spot.
Perceptor frowned. "We can't open a groundbridge, Vincent, because that would be leaving the Decepticons and their technology in MECH's hands. And we cannot transport Brawl via groundbridge. His condition is critical and the effects from the groundbridge might kill him."
"I get why we can't let MECH have you guys' tech," Vince said. "But you're still going through a whole lot of trouble for the Cons."
"Like it or not, MECH are the enemies of all and they're far more dangerous than any of us have ever imagined."
"It's true," Blaster said as tapped away at his station. "Apparently, this hidden mountain base isn't even in the CIA's database and there isn't a whole lot they don't know."
Jon looked astounded. "You got into the CIA database?!"
"Only for a few minutes at a time before they shut me out."
"Shut you out?" Raf said, adjusting his glasses. "But I thought the Cybertronian tech in this base-"
"Most of the tech in this ship is out of date, Rafael. I'm still updating the software," Perceptor said, a tad abashed by the limited tech at his disposal. "Come to think of it, most Cybertronian tech has not advanced since the war."
"Is any of this relevant?" Katie asked contemptuously. "If you're worried, why don't the two back the bots up? Raf can manage the groundbridge while you're gone."
Perceptor and Blaster looked at each other for a moment.
Blaster shrugged. "That's not a bad idea."
00000
Mountain Installation - 9:45 pm
Ramhorn impaled another MECH drone with his horn.
"Not bad," he said with a smirk as the drone twitched and squirmed on his razor-sharp appendage.
Bulkhead tackled another drone from behind, forced it to his knees and then proceeded to slowly tear its head off.
From behind, a manned MECH drone rushed Bulkhead, a blaster fitted with a 5-foot bayonet pointed at his back.
Bulkhead wasn't quick to get out of the way when suddenly, just as the manned MECH drone was about to bury the bayonet in his back, Breakdown crashed into him, sending the MECH trooper flying across the room.
Bulkhead gawked in surprise but only for a moment when Breakdown stared scornfully at him.
"Haven't I paid you back enough?!" Breakdown barked.
"Nothing you do can pay back for all the things you did!" Bulkhead roared.
"Shut up and fight you morons!" Barricade seethed as he shot a drone between the eyes and another through the chest.
Time freezes as the impromptu alliance heard a crash, turned their heads and saw that Blackout had fallen on his face, an EMP dart in his back.
"Blackout!" Breakdown shouted.
And several yards away, taking shelter behind a steel beam, there was a man all in black, with a long leather coat, a mask with a grin painted on it, and a space-age launcher in his hands.
Just as Ravage described him.
And the one who undoubtedly did what was done to Brawl.
"Joker!" Barricade exploded in uncontrollable rage as he trained his blasters on the man.
"No wait!" Bumblebee screamed.
Barricade opened fire.
And the Energon shells ricocheted off an unseen object.
The Bots and Cons ducked as the shots bounced off the walls in all directions like a swarm of angry bees.
Once all shots were spent, the Bots and Cons stood up on shaky feet.
"What was that?" Bulkhead said.
"Some kind of shatterproof glass," Wheeljack said, taking a closer look.
Joker stood with his arms cooly crossed across his chest.
"Triple reinforced cyber glass to be exact," he said. "You should know, your kind manufactured it."
Breakdown roared in rage as he lunged for the smaller man, hammer at the ready.
Joker regarded him with some interest.
Breakdown's hammer descended but the glass didn't so much as get a scratch.
Joker mockingly clapped his hands. "Such power, I'd be more impressed if you knew what to do with it."
"I'M GONNA KILL YOU! PLAN ON THAT! YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO MY FRIEND!"
"I doubt that."
Joker turned and walked away into the darkness.
"Another day, Autobots. Another day."
And he was gone.
Breakdown slammed hard on the thick glass with his fist as he cursed the fleeing MECH commander.
"I'LL FIND YOU! I'LL HUNT YOU DOWN TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH!"
Bulkhead approached him from behind. "Breakdown, he's gone! We have bigger problems."
Breakdown shooed him away. "Back off!"
Barricade placed a new energy clip into his blasters. "Breakdown, look alive! There's more coming!"
"Scrap!" The Bots and Cons stood ready.
Blackout, who was still unconscious, was put aside by Bumblebee, out of harm's way.
Another wave of MECH drones were marching toward them, blasters at the ready.
And the room echoed with a terrible blast.
And one by one, the drones' heads popped off one by one as a blur of thin blue energy ricocheted and collided with the drones.
"What the?" Bumblebee said, numb with shock.
Barricade examined his blasters, checking to see if perhaps they went off accidentally.
But even he couldn't make a good shot like that, not at this range and not with such surgical accuracy.
The drones fell to their knees and then flat on their chests, their stumps that were necks sparking and leaking Energon.
And Perceptor stepped out of the hallway, his long-range rifle in hand.
"Percy!" Bumblebee said with a relieved smile.
"How did you do that?" Bulkhead asked.
Perceptor smiled as he reached for something on one of the pillars, removing what looked like a circular mirror.
"These specially-crafted mirrors reflected my shots. Blaster applied them from a distance, so quickly and quietly, none even these highly-advanced drones could detect them."
"Yo boys! What's shaking?!"
Blaster followed Perceptor close behind, gesturing the sign of victory in a V-shape with his forefinger and middle finger.
"And don't worry about anymore comin' to give us trouble. I already hacked and spliced their systems. This place is dead and empty."
"So…we've won?" Sideswipe asked hopefully.
Sunstreaker grinned. "I'd say so."
Meanwhile, Ratchet, Oil Slick and Knockout finished their grisly work on stabilizing Brawl.
"Alright, close him up," Ratchet said. "The rest is up to him."
"What does that mean?!" Thunderblast snapped anxiously.
"It means, child…" Oil Slick said. "That Brawl must now fight for his spark at the threshold of death."
"Huh?"
Knockout rolled his eyes as he cleansed his hands with a cloth. "Brawl must regain some strength on his own before we can perform any further surgery."
"Oh. So he's safe to move?"
Knockout nodded glumly.
"This is where we part ways," Oil Slick said. "We will be taking Brawl and we will be leaving."
"Do you need help putting him on a gurney?" Ratchet asked.
Oil Slick shook his head. "No…thank you. Brawl is our responsibility."
"And Blackout?"
"I got him," Breakdown said, picking up his dazed friend, who was already starting to regain consciousness.
Bulkhead approached, clearly intending to lend a hand.
"I got it Bulk," Breakdown said, this time with less hostility.
Bulkhead nodded.
He and his rival shared a look of understanding and even respect as they parted ways without another word.
Oil Slick turned to Knockout and nodded affirmatively.
Knockout pressed his comlink. "Laserbeak, bridge us back now."
Sighing deeply, Ratchet closed his medical kit case.
"What a day," he said grimly under his breath.
00000
Nemesis Warship - 10:30 pm
Airachnid stood there at the entrance of the ICU of the warship. She stared dumbly at Brawl's condition.
"MECH did this?"
Blackout nodded. "Yes commander."
Airachnid looked almost regretful.
Perhaps working with them in the first place was a mistake.
"Stockade, contact Lord Megatron. He'll want to know about this right away."
Stockade spoke up. "Already done, commander."
Airachnid looked relatively pleased. "Good work."
Stockade looked abashed. "Thank you ma'am."
"And did Megatron respond?"
"No ma'am."
Blackout rubbed his chin. "He must be wrapped up in something."
00000
Regulon 4 - D.O. Gamma 7
Megatron and Lugnut stood alone in a private sector of the Energon storage vault.
"He's catching on?" Lugnut said.
"He is," Megatron said, a deeply displeasing snarl on his lips. "And he's nowhere near completing Project Iacon."
"His movements and actions are being closely monitored?"
"They are, by Soundwave's state of the art surveillance drones. Once Oil Slick brings him around, Soundwave can pick up from where Orion left off."
Lugnut paused before asking the question he knew needed to be asked. "And when Orion sees through your machinations and rebels against you?"
Megatron answered without missing a beat. "I will destroy him."
"Just like that?"
"Keeping Orion a prisoner is not an option."
Lugnut was prepared to protest. "We could keep him for bargaining."
Megatron scoffed. "The Autobots have nothing we want. And there's no way they'd surrender, even with their beloved leader's spark on the line. They'll find a way and they'll fight to the bitter end even if it kills them."
"As would we for you, my liege."
Megatron shook his head and he spoke in a voice that Lugnut had never heard from his master in eons. "If I ever find myself in a position like Orion's, then I deserve whatever fate awaits me. This cause is greater than me."
Lugnut looked distressed. "Lord Megatron…"
Megatron raised a hand to stop him. "The strong survive, the weak perish. It is the way of things, it has always been that way and it always will be."
00000
Earth - A.O. Omega 2 - 10:30 pm
The Autobots came through the groundbridge, shoulders slumped and their heads down.
They were tired, so very tired.
"Hey guys!" Sari squealed.
Some of the Bots waved glumly at the small girl.
"Bee!" Raf shouted as he ran down the steps of the rec area.
"Hey bud!" Bumblebee said with a weary smile as he reached out to his small friend so Raf could jump into his hands.
"Bulk!" Miko cried as she rushed to her guardian.
Bulkhead bent down and reached out with his hand so Miko could embrace it.
"I was so worried!" Miko paused when she smelt something odd and then she saw some flecks of brown staining Bulkhead's hand.
It wasn't rust.
"Bulk…that's not blood is it?"
All present looked alarmed, especially the humans who looked rather scared.
Bulkhead turned his head away with shame and guilt.
"We had no choice, Miko," Arcee said. "They would've killed us and we didn't have the luxury for self-restraint."
"Oh man" Jack said, looking terribly apprehensive.
"About time if you ask me," Vince said, arms crossed across his chest.
"Vince!" Jon exclaimed.
"What? It's war."
"The Autobots had never inflicted human casualties. Our government is going to be even more scared of the Autobots than ever after this. The heat is going to come down on my dad like a mountain."
None could argue with that.
Arcee shrugged. We can't forget those MECH soldiers I ran off the road in a fiery explosion when they tried to steal the D.N.G.S.
Jazz sat up from his medical berth. "As if we didn't have enough problems around here."
"Let's just hope they don't shut down our base," Sunstreaker said.
"Or send us into space or some island," Ratchet grumbled said he checked over his tools in his medical kit.
After putting aside a laser-scalpel, Ratchet then saw something in his medical kit that wasn't there before.
A data pad.
Of Decepticon make.
What was this doing here?
Ratchet planned to pick it up but stopped himself.
He shouted. "Blaster! Perceptor! Come here quickly!"
The Chief Mechanic and Chief of Communications rushed double time to Ratchet's side.
The others stared in bafflement and alarm.
Ratchet pointed in his open medical kit. "This was in my medical kit. I believe one of the Decepticons slipped it in here when I was busy performing emergency surgery. I need it scanned for listening devices or anything else that might be dangerous."
Perceptor applied his specialized monocle as he checked the datapad.
Blaster in turn extended one of his data tentacles, not before activating his anti-virus function, then connected and spliced with the pad.
"I don't see any spy devices," Perceptor said. "Or anything that might be an explosive device."
Blaster tapped his chin. "And I don't detect any viruses or tracking software of any kind. It's a closed-circuit data pad. Completely untraceable."
"Hmm." Ratchet picked up the datapad and opened it.
It had no name, just one file, with an embedded message.
THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS THE COORDINATES OF OUR SPACEBRIDGE ON EARTH. IT IS OPERATIONAL BUT IT WILL BE RELOCATED SOON.
Ratchet's optics were wide as saucers.
He pressed the link below the page.
Perceptor and Blaster looked over his shoulders, optics wide.
"I don't believe it!" Perceptor exclaimed.
"What?" Miko said. "What is it?"
"This datapad contains the coordinates for a spacebridge or so it says," Ratchet said. "I'll need time to confirm if these coordinates are true."
"That's it!" Jack said.
"What's it?" Arcee asked.
"We let the Cons finish building their spacebridge."
The Autobots looked at Jack with alarm and shock.
"Why?!" Bulkhead asked. "So they can bring more zombies back from Cybertron?"
"No, so we can commandeer it and use it to send me to Cybertron."
Miko's eyes widened.
Vince scoffed. "You gotta a death wish, Darby?"
"Vince!" Sierra exclaimed.
"What? It's crazy!"
Arcee scoffed. "Well if Vince thinks it's a bad idea."
Miko chimed in. "Oh, it's a bad idea alright. And that's coming from me. But what else is there?"
Katie nodded. "Especially since turbo charging the groundbridge was a bust."
Ratchet grumbled in frustration and shame.
"My point…" Jack said, trying to keep everyone on track. "…it won't be easy, but you seized a spacebridge before."
"We blew one up," Bulkhead said. "That's way different than the three of us seizing and holding one."
"Except we're now up to ten-plus Autobots," Jon said optimistically.
Bulkhead did not share in Jon's optimism. "And the Cons are now up to eleven-plus, along with an army aboard a warship. We're still outnumbered either way."
"So what's changed?"
"Either way," Bumblebee said. "We know the bridge is here on earth and now we have its coordinates."
"What if it's a trap?" Raf asked.
"Then we'd better scout it out and be prepared for a fight," Bumblebee said.
"I'd better bring a scrambler so the Decepticons can't call for backup," Ratchet said.
"So if it's for real?" Jazz asked.
"We do what we have to do," Jack said in a clear and confident voice. "We go to Cybertron, find Vector Sigma, and restore Optimus' memories."
All present looked upon Jack with wonder and respect.
Miko looked at him, eyes shining and cheeks glowing.
Even Ratchet was momentarily stunned by the boy's resolve.
Optimus has chosen well.
"I'll have to let Agent Fowler know so he can fit you with a space suit," Ratchet said.
"And June will want to know as soon as possible," Arcee said.
Jack groaned but then nodded. "Yeah, she would."
"It will be dangerous, Jackson," Perceptor said, kneeling before the boy. "You understand that?"
"No one is safe so long as the Cons and MECH have the upper hand."
Perceptor smiled. "Yes, that's true."
"And Optimus risked his life, many times, for our planet. And he's not even from here. We owe him."
"Yeah that's right!" Katie shouted.
"Jack…" Arcee said. "You know Optimus didn't do it so you'd be indebted to him."
"I know," Jack said with finality. "But I want to do it all the same and I will."
"Oh Jack," Sierra said, misty-eyed.
Vince shook his head with a smirk. Reckless jerk.
"So we're all agreed then," Sunstreaker said. "We'd better get started."
Blaster grinned passionately. "Metal."
00000
Nemesis Warship - 12:00 am
Stockade burst into the bridge, out of breath.
"Commander Airachnid!"
Airachnid groaned impatiently. "What now?"
"Bonecrusher has escaped!"
To be continued…
…..
VOICE CAST (To refresh the memory of readers)
CYBERTRONIANS
AUTOBOTS
Optimus Prime/Orion Pax - Peter Cullen
Ratchet - Jeffrey Combs
Arcee - Sumalee Montano
Bumblebee - Will Friedle
Jazz - Khary Peyton
Bulkhead - Kevin Michael Richardson
Sideswipe - Travis Willingham
Sunstreaker - Vic Mignogna
Wheeljack - James Horan
Perceptor - Jim Ward
Blaster - Bumper Robinson
Steeljaw - Keith David
Ramhorn - Brad Garrett
Eject & Rewind - James Arnold Taylor
Ravage - Nika Futterman
Mirage - Gideon Emery
DECEPTICONS
Megatron - Frank Welker
Soundwave - ?
Starscream - Steve Blum
Knockout - Daran Norris
Breakdown - Adam Baldwin
Laserbeak - Robin Atkin Downes
Frenzy & Rumble - Reno Wilson
Barricade - Steve Blum
Brawl - Nolan North
Blackout - Noah Nelson
Bonecrusher - Charlie Adler
Lugnut - Christopher Judge
Oil Slick - Michael York
Airachnid - Gina Torres
Stockade - Andre Sogliuzzo
Flamewar - Grey DeLisle
Thunderblast - Hynden Walch
Sideways - Paul Dobson
Acid Storm - Matthew Mercer
Thrust - Eric Artell
HUMANS
Jack Darby - Josh Keaton
Miko Nakadai - Tania Gunadi
Raf Esquivel - Andy Pessoa
Sari Sumdac - Grace Rolek
June Darby - Markie Post
Agent William Fowler - Ernie Hudson
Dr Isaac Sumdac - Tom Kenny
Captain Carmine Fanzone - Jeff Bennett
Jon Fowler - Shameik Moore
Vince Raider - Brad Raider
Sierra Krosney - Alexandra Krosney
Katie Steinfeld - Hailee Steinfeld
Joker - Sam Mowry
Silas - Clancy Brown
NOTE:
A.O Omega 2 - Autobot Outpost Omega Two
D.O. Gamma 7 - Decepticon Outpost Gamma Seven