Optimus burned rubber, charging ahead while he still had the element of surprise. Bumblebee engaged Knockout and Arcee would battle with the unfamiliar Decepticon, leaving Megatron to be his to deal with.
He spotted his enemy, blasting away at a fleeing column of human vehicles. He spun his multi-ton truck form to the side, skidding across the pavement and sideswiping the tyrant. In an instant, Optimus transformed and brought out his sword, swinging it overhead where Megatron lay.
The silver mech lifted his sword, halting the blade. Megatron kicked back the prime, laughing maniacally as he stood back on his pedes. "Still fighting for the weak I see. Even as Orion Pax, you couldn't stand by and do nothing. I should have snuffed out your spark when I had the chance, though I suppose I have you to thank for my newest pet."
Battle mask sliding into place, Optimus went back on the offensive. He swung his blades as Megatron blocked every attempted strike. Metal struck metal in a shower of sparks as it became clear that Optimus was slowly overpowering Megatron with the ferocity of his assault, forcing the Decepticon to take a few steps back. Sidestepping, Megatron avoided another attack and retaliated, striking the Prime in the face with his elbow. Clutching his helm, Optimus staggered back from the blow. Narrowing his optics, he charged again as he brought out his blaster and fired, Megatron rushing to meet him head-on. Their blades clashed as the fight came to a standstill and both titans fought to overpower the other. Optimus struggled against the weight of Megatron's blade, only mere inches from his faceplate.
"Growing tired, Prime? Frustrated?" Megatron mercilessly mocked.
"You will pay for your crimes against humanity and Cybertron. What have you done with Jack?" Optimus asked through gritted denta, eager to strike down his foe.
Megatron sneered as he pushed back against the Prime's blade.
"I imagine you knew about the growing spark that resided within him? The poor boy was dying with only weeks to live. But don't worry, I made sure to give him the best medical care the Decepticons had to offer."
Optimus' optics widened, his spark filling with dread as he faltered in his attack. "What did you do?"
He was taken by surprise when Megatron suddenly lowered his weapon, causing him to stumble forward. The silver mech cackled as he rammed his shoulder against the Prime, knocking him down to one knee. Optimus looked up, watching Megatron gesture toward the battle between Arcee and the new arrival.
"See for yourself."
Optimus was perplexed as he watched Arcee battle with the con. She was not fighting back, only dodging the mech's attacks and never attempting her own strike. He didn't understand how this answered his question. What did Jack have to do with the gray mech?
Realization dawned on him as he connected the pieces. Megatron knew about the spark inside of Jack, and with Shockwave reunited with the Decepticons, Megatron could do the unthinkable. Experimenting on organic life by fusing it with Cybertronian biology and technology would be nothing new for the Decepticon scientist. He hoped and prayed to Primus that he was wrong and that Megatron was goading him, but he knew deep down that nothing was too far for the tyrant. There was no line he wouldn't cross to achieve victory.
"I'd like you to meet the newest addition to the Decepticon cause, Hijack."
His spark grew heavy with guilt, but as Megatron's taunts and cackling assaulted his audio receptors, he felt most of all, furious. Optimus pushed himself to stand as his energon boiled. He clenched his fists as his vision narrowed. All he could focus on was the maniac grin spread across the tyrant's faceplate. Megatron would pay, and he'd find a way to bring back Jack.
Ducking beneath a strike, Arcee performed a handspring, putting distance between her and the Decepticon while being mindful of her surroundings. Within the same area as herself, Optimus and Bumblebee were locked in their own battles; she didn't need to get in their way.
Another punch came toward her and she avoided it. Stepping to the side, she grabbed the con's arm and rammed her shoulder into him, pushing him back. The mech had left himself open to many attacks, but Arcee had long ago foregone the idea of seriously injuring him. Not while the con shared the same voice as Jack, and not while there were still questions unanswered.
She didn't want to believe it, but Jack's kidnapping and the appearance of this new con that shared his voice were no coincidence. She didn't know how, but her friend was standing before her, trying to kill her.
What had they done to him to make him this way? Why would they even do this?
Arcee knew she was kidding herself wondering that; she knew why. Megatron didn't need a reason to do much of anything if he thought it could give him an edge or bring pain to his enemies. She had fought, bled, and lost friends in a war that had lasted millennia because of that warlord. And for Shockwave, torturing and experimenting on lifeforms was just part of his daily routine. This would only be a bullet point in the long list of crimes the two had committed.
One way or another, Arcee would make sure those two paid dearly. She wasn't going to lose another friend to circumstances outside of her control.
"Jack, you need to stop this and listen to me," pleaded Arcee as she evaded another attack.
Hijack frowned. "That's not my name, and I am not your friend! Whoever he was, he's gone."
Before Arcee could say anything, one of the human's aircraft flew overhead and dropped a few small objects from its underside. The sudden thunder and explosion that followed distracted her as a bright blue light emanated from the con. The sounds of shifting metal drew her attention back to her friend.
A canopy now sat in the center of his chest, with wings and control surfaces now protruding from his back and down his legs, along with an engine in each heel. He rolled his shoulders experimentally as he adjusted to the extra weight, before transforming his arm into a rotary cannon.
Jumping to the side, Arcee evaded the barrage of energon from behind a human armored vehicle. She brought out her blasters and fired back. She didn't want to hurt Jack, but being dead wouldn't do him any good either. Her aim was true as it struck him on the arm, and as he clutched it in pain, she dashed over her cover and closed the distance with a stern kick to his midsection. He grunted in pain and shoved her back.
She was ready to attack again but the sudden drawing of a sword put Arcee on the defensive as Hijack rushed her. His swings were wide and gave her ample time to stay clear of their path, but she knew well enough from experience that she shouldn't get cocky. Hijack's sword was similar in shape to Optimus', but along its tip, it glowed blue with hot energon. One lucky strike could cut through her without much effort.
As she weaved through his attacks, it was clear that Hijack knew how to fight, he wasn't just swinging wildly hoping to land a hit, but his slow movement gave her ample time to react. Each failed attack drained his energy and left him more vulnerable to a counterattack.
Arcee ducked underneath another telegraphed swing that left Hijack open. She jabbed her fist into his abdomen before quickly retreating out of range of his blade. The process repeated itself multiple times as Hijack attacked and Arcee evaded, immediately returning a strike of her own, whittling him down slowly. Her tactic proved too predictable however as when Hijack feinted his next attack, Arcee moved to evade it and get in closer but was launched into the air as Hijack kicked her back across the ruins of the airfield. Arcee quickly threw herself back onto her pedes, prepared to face Hijack's next move that never came.
She looked back at Jack, who remained where he was before, closely guarding his body. Energon trickled down the side from a wound that she hadn't noticed before. She knew she couldn't be the cause of it, her strikes were not that powerful and she hadn't used her forearm blades. Something else had injured him.
"You're injured," said Arcee. "We can get you the help you need. Help you get out of whatever mind control Megatron has you under."
"Why would I trust an Autobot?" Hijack angrily replied. "It was Optimus that doomed us all by ejecting the All Spark, leaving it to drift through the universe. Cybertron is dead because of him. Megatron saved me, and through him, so will Cybertron."
He withdrew the blade and with sudden speed, launched himself toward her. He reached out to grab her, but she was faster. She ducked and grabbed his wrist, using his momentum to catapult him over. He crashed into the ground and was left to daze into the sky as Arcee stood above him, her blaster aimed directly at him but not primed.
"Megatron is the reason Cybertron is dead. Optimus has made his fair share of mistakes, but launching the All Spark to keep it out of Megatron's greedy servos isn't one of them." Arcee relaxed her stance as she stepped back and retracted her weapon, extending her hand in its stead. "You may not know it, but you're my friend. Underneath whatever Megatron did to you, I know you're in there somewhere. Please let me help."
Hijack only growled in frustration as he swatted her blaster away and threw a punch that sent her flying.
Screeching to a halt, Bulkhead opened his doors, allowing the human team to clamber out before transforming. For now, they had the element of surprise but the team still wasted no time as they searched for cover. Almost nothing was within reach that wasn't the burnt-out frames or twisted metal of Humvees and other transports. There was even an Abrams with its barrel completely out of commission, twisted nearly a hundred and eighty degrees. Lennox didn't want to think about how foreboding that was, nor what would happen to him if he was struck by one of the con's energon blasts.
Finding suitable cover behind a concrete barrier, the team quickly got themselves into position while Bulkhead found some cover behind a nearby cargo plane.
Lennox aimed down his sights through the haze of smoke onto the army of unsuspecting vehicons, estimating thirty to forty in total. If left unattended, they'd be a pain for the bots to deal with as they battled Megatron and the other cons. As the smoke cleared and Optimus and the others began their engagement, Lennox gave the order.
"Let's bring these guys down, open fire."
With a pull of the trigger, a bright yellow light flew across the battlefield as it hit its target. If he hadn't seen the flash of light streak through the air, he would've thought the weapon was defective. There was no recoil, no sound or smell of gunpowder that Lennox was accustomed to when he pulled the trigger. It was surreal, it felt like he was playing with a kid's toy of some sort, but the results denied nothing.
The vehicons were caught off guard, too slow to react to the barrage of energon and laser fire. Before the drones had even returned fire, nearly a quarter of their forces had been taken out by the combined firepower of the humans and singular Autobot. Aiming for natural weak points in the armor proved highly effective. Vehicons were left immobilized as their knees crumpled beneath them or strained to move their arms as the bolts of energy melted their way through the thinner armor and dealt damage to their systems. It made them easy pickings for Bulkhead to finish off or for the humans to continue to pelt them with blasts until they collapsed. Striking the head, as discovered earlier by Anderson was another way to quickly bring down the metal titans.
Their advantage began to slip, however, when the remaining drones, regained their bearing and fired back. Energon blasts bombarded their defense as Lennox and the others ducked behind cover. He tried to ignore the scorching black marks that chipped away at the barrier as streaks of energon flew overhead.
Cautiously, Hernandez peeked out of cover and fired off a few shots before ducking back down. "There's a lot of them still standing, Lennox. Any ideas?"
Lennox shook his head. "We're severely under-equipped. No air support, no heavy armor or weaponry. These guns are all we have. Our best chance is to continue what we're doing. We have the advantage right now, they're pushing us on a wide open area while we have cover."
"He's right," said Bulkhead from his position, firing a few times before kneeling behind his defense. "These drones are a real problem in large numbers, but out in the open like this? This isn't anything a wrecker couldn't handle."
Hernandez nodded as he prepared himself to reenter the fight. Both sides traded burning energon with each other, and even as the vehicon's numbers dwindled, the Decepticon army still trudged forward.
As the drones stepped closer, their aim became more accurate and their numbers more menacing. The concrete barriers that were shielding them from a painful demise were showing their wear. They crumbled with each repeated attack and the surface was starting to become warm to the touch. By this point, the drone's forces had been considerably cut down, but out in the open with no cover, Lennox didn't think they'd last very long.
Epps sat next to him, ducking his head as more of their defense crumbled and coated the two of them in dust. "I know you said we don't have it, but air support would make this shit a lot easier."
The five-crewed team looked up in bewilderment as a roar traveled through the air, the noise pitching into a whine as its source got closer.
/"Ask, and you shall receive, buddy. There's a strike eagle on approach right now,"/ said Fowler.
The jet flew overhead and dropped several munitions before arching back into the sky. In its wake, the ground shook as the vehicons were engulfed in flames and smoke. With his ears still ringing, Lennox peeked over the barrier, noting that most of the vehicons had been destroyed, but a few stragglers still remained. Bulkhead stepped out from cover as he swapped his cannon for a mace and looked down at his human allies.
"This is where things get messy. Try not to hit me."
Before Lennox or anyone else could question what he meant, Bulkhead leaped out of cover and charged the vehicons head-on. The cons were left momentarily stunned at the change of tactic before switching targets from the humans toward the wrecker currently rushing at them.
Lennox shouted as the vehicons started firing. "Give him some cover fire!"
Flashes of red and yellow lights flew across the battlefield, with a large green bot charging through the middle. Lennox watched as the first vehicon within striking distance met a quick end as its helm caved into its torso with a quick swing from Bulkhead's mace. The bot lifted the lifeless frame and swung it into a nearby group of cons, knocking them down. He tore off a poor con's arm and caved in the chest of another with his mace.
Lennox could appreciate the name wrecker as the Autobot continued to tear through the vehicons, limbs, and metal flying through the air. His team aided the bot where they could, distracting the cons with their cover fire, immobilizing them, or just straight taking them down with a lucky hit.
As Bulkhead was busy crushing a con's helm with his bare hands, the last group of surviving vehicons that had been knocked down earlier got back up and aimed their blasters at the unsuspecting Autobot, whose back was turned toward them. With a quick order, Lennox and his team coordinated their fire to protect their new ally. Vehicons screamed and clutched their pedes and arms as his team's primitive lasers burned their circuits, getting Bulkhead's attention. He smashed the few remaining drones into the ground with his mace, blasting whatever remained out of reach. Though one final drone remained, it stood tall as it limped toward its foe; refusing to fall even as Lennox's team unleashed all of their firepower onto it.
It got within striking distance of the wrecker, but Bulkhead retracted his weapons and simply held it at bay with his arm stretched outward. The con tried to impale the bot with its claws, but Bulkhead took hold of the wrist and crushed it. Even then, the Decepticon refused to back down. Bulkhead smashed his fist through the drone's chassis and tore out its spark, finally bringing it down with a resounding thud that shook the ground.
As the humans fully emerged from their cover, Anderson couldn't help but whistle at the destruction as they approached the large green bot. Though the cons remained still, sparks still occasionally jumped out from their lifeless frames.
Lennox craned his neck up to look at Bulkhead. "Thanks for that big guy. Did you get hurt anywhere?"
Bulkhead waved him off with a shrug. "Nah, I'm fine. Those drones barely laid a scratch on me. Thanks for covering my large backside," he added with a grin.
"We wouldn't have been able to do this without you," Lennox smiled, before turning serious once again as he scanned their surroundings.
The burning husks of military vehicles served to remind him of just how outmatched they were. Conventional military tactics weren't going to cut it. These were just drones, and though their new weapons worked, they still had trouble bringing some of them down. They just didn't pack enough of a punch. Their strategies and weapons may need to change if they didn't want to just be dead weight for the Autobots.
"Should we meet back up with Optimus and help him bring down whatever other Decepticons are here?" asked Epps.
Before Bulkhead could speak, Agent Fowler interrupted with his own answer.
/"I need the five of you somewhere else. Raf just found something."/
/"Did the Decepticons find the DNGS already?"/ asked Lennox.
/"No, the DNGS is still secure in its testing room,"/ Raf answered. /"I just found out that Soundwave is there on the base with you. I've been watching him through the cameras and it seems like he's heading for a specific building in particular."/
/"That base is filled with some of the most top secret projects that Uncle Sam's been working on,"/ said Fowler. /"The Pentagon needs a way to keep track of it all and communicate its findings with the rest of the country, and it looks like Soundwave is heading directly for the communications center near the center of the base. If he gets in he'll have unrivaled access to the defense network's intel and comm systems. The cons will have the location of the Autobot's base as well as any potential fallback points we've been looking at. Lennox, get your team and Bulkhead to the server room located in the communications building and intercept Soundwave. It's a big white building with a bunch of dishes on top, you won't miss it."/
/"Understood."/ Lennox replied before turning toward the rest of the team. "Everyone, let's get moving."
Bulkhead transformed and waited as the team doubled-timed it over. As soon as they stepped in and shut the doors, Bulkhead floored it. As they sped away from the battlefield and moved toward the center of the deserted base, Epps asked a question.
"What's this Soundwave guy look like anyway?"
The dashboard lit up in tune with Bulkhead as he replied. "Soundwave's a creepy and lanky fella, you won't miss him. He's blue and purple, has no face, and rarely talks. And when he does it's not with his own voice."
"His own voice?" Anderson questioned.
"Yeah. He uses recorded voice lines to say what he wants."
Lennox chipped into the conversation as he checked over his gear. "What else could you tell us about him? How dangerous is he?"
"He's Megatron's Third-in-Command and his most loyal lap dog. He's the Decipticon's chief spy and communications officer." Bulkhead answered. "If bucket head wants answers, he sends Soundwave to find them."
Hernandez opened his mouth, about to ask another question when he suddenly noticed the aforementioned tall, lanky figure. "Decepticon, two O'clock!"
Around the next street corner, Soundwave was walking down the abandoned street toward his destination. Just like Fowler had said, the communications hub was a large white building that stood above its neighbors, adorned with dishes.
"That's the guy," Bulkhead responded. He quickly accelerated, engine roaring to new levels as he closed the distance.
Hearing the noise, Soundwave looked back, but by then he had no time to react to the oncoming SUV barreling his way.
Bulkhead slammed into the con, bringing him to the ground face-first. He sped off, creating distance between himself and Soundwave. Epps, Lennox, Anderson, and Hernandez quickly piled out, giving the wrecker space to transform. He brought out his mace as he ran toward Soundwave, trying to catch the con off guard. This time, however, Soundwave was better prepared. Mechanical tendrils came out from his body and wrapped themselves around Bulkhead's arm and pede. Stunned, Bulkhead tried to move against his restraints but the tendrils increased their pressure around his limbs, constricting him and leaving him immobile. Soundwave stood up and moved toward Bulkhead, who was still struggling against the restraints.
The four humans rushed over and hid behind loose debris to act as their cover. As Soundwave raised his arm to strike at the Autobot, Lennox released the order to fire. The silent con flinched as gunfire pelted his frame, but Lennox frowned when he realized the rounds were not penetrating through. His eyes widened when Soundwave looked back in their direction and swiftly tossed Bulkhead at them. The con noted with mild curiosity the humans who sprinted out of their hiding place as the lug nut of an Autobot descended upon them, before rushing back down the street toward his objective.
With a giant crash, debris flew everywhere and coated the area with smoke. Bulkhead groaned as he sat up and clutched his helm, the rest of the team regrouping around him.
"This isn't going well," said Lennox. "We may need a change in strategy."
Bulkhead nodded in agreement as he continued rubbing his helm, standing up. "Yeah, you figure that out." He pushed himself up and chased down the Decepticon who had made it further down the road.
/"Fowler, these guns aren't doing a thing against Soundwave. Bulkhead's holding him off for now but I don't know how that fight's going to go,"/ said Lennox.
Moments passed as the small squad waited for a reply. Lennox was about to repeat himself on the comm when Agent Fowler finally answered.
/"I myself don't have a plan, but Raf just told me something that may work."/
/"What do you got kid?"/ asked Lennox.
/"We might not have to physically stop Soundwave from reaching the data servers,"/ Raf explained. /" At least not for a long time, you'll just need to delay him. If I can ground bridge into the server room, I'll have physical access to all the files and information stored there. Once in, I can wipe the data. Soundwave wouldn't notice until he's long gone."/
Lennox frowned, /"No way am I letting a kid join us on the battlefield. Can't you do the same thing from inside the base?"/
/"Hacking into the defense network from here would make it a lot more difficult, and I don't think we have the time to deal with that right now. It'll be a lot easier to do it from the inside. I've done it before,"/ Raf rebutted.
Lennox groaned in frustration as Raf explained the plan. /"I don't even want to hear how that happened, but Fowler, you and me are going to have a talk when this is over. You can't seriously be going through with this plan."/
/"Afraid so,"/ Agent Fowler replied through the comms, ground bridge activating in the background. The line momentarily cut out as Fowler stepped through. /"Raf and I just stepped through and are inside the facility. Oh, Miko's here too."/
"Damn it," Lennox muttered, turning to face the rest of his squad "Epps, Hernandez! Split off and go through the wreckage we passed on the way here. See if you can find something useful that can help take that Decepticon down. Anderson, you're with me. We're going to do our best with what we have right now and cover Bulkhead."
They all nodded and moved to follow the major's orders.
Moving quickly, the pair made up for lost time. Running through the streets, Lennox and Anderson could hear the sounds of combat not too far away. They turned a corner to find Bulkhead already in a brawl with the Decepticon. He seemed to be faring better than before but it was clear that Soundwave was in control of the fight, using his tentacles to make sure that Bulkhead didn't get too close.
Anderson and Lennox began firing on the con, mindful not to hit their Autobot friend during the fight. It was chaotic, trying to hit the slender figure that moved much quicker than Lennox thought possible for something of that size. Even when they did land a hit, it barely affected the con. They may as well have been throwing pebbles.
"Lennox, this isn't working!" shouted Anderson.
"I know! We have to aim for where the armor is weakest. Wait for my signal," Lennox replied.
The two stopped firing as the two bots continued their duel. Bulkhead would move in for a strike but Soundwave's tentacles would keep him at a distance while attacking him with said tentacles. Bulkhead would swipe them away with his mace but it was obvious that the con was much more nimble than the large Autobot. Soundwave feinted an attack and attempted to maneuver around Bulkhead, putting himself between the bot and the humans.
Lennox knew this was their chance. "Now! Aim for the back of the knee!"
Soundwave's leg crumpled beneath him as he fell to one knee. Bulkhead seized the opportunity and grabbed a nearby empty vehicle and swung it at the con's midsection, causing him to keel over. Another swing, and Soundwave was knocked to the floor on his back. Bulkhead quickly began pummeling the con before being thrown off and pinned to the ground by one of Soundwave's tentacles. The second tentacle spun like a drill, inching closer to his helm.
Lennox and Anderson continued to fire at the con, desperate to aid Bulkhead in some way. As Soundwave flinched from a round that landed close to his faceplate, Bulkhead took hold of the spinning drill and squeezed his fist, crushing it. The tentacle reeled back in pain as Bulkhead grabbed the other and ripped it off his chassis. Soundwave stepped back into a defensive position as Bulkhead readied his mace and stood back up, wasting no time in attacking again.
Epps and Hernandez jogged down the street, toward the wreckage of Humvees and Bradleys that littered the road. It looked like they had attempted to create a defensive position and hold back the Decepticons, but the charred husks and abandoned vehicles told an unsettling story.
"I don't think we're going to find anything useful here," said Hernandez. "The Bradleys might've been useful if I knew how to drive one or if they weren't a flaming piece of scrap right now."
"Keep looking. There's bound to be something," replied Epps.
Hernandez nodded in response, but as he wandered through the ruined street he couldn't help but grimace. It seemed that most conventional weapons were ineffective against anything other than drones. For anything with tougher armor, more powerful weaponry would be needed. However, considering the Abrams they passed earlier, he wasn't sure what options that left them with.
Meanwhile, Epps continued to sort through the wreckage, thankful to find that the crews had bailed out in time. He opened the back seat of a mostly intact Humvee that had been flipped upside down. The inside was littered with debris, but poking through it, Epps knew he had found what they needed.
He shouted as he pulled the object from the rubble. "Hernandez! Come take a look at this."
Hernandez grinned as he recognized what Epps was holding. "Oh yeah, we can make this work."
Lennox tried to find another opportunity to fire at Soundwave's weak spots, but it seemed the con was too smart to fall for the same trick twice. Soundwave was mindful of their position at all times, swiping his good tentacle at the pair when he was vulnerable as Bulkhead attacked. Every other moment was spent helplessly watching as they could do nothing else to aid the wrecker. Bulkhead may have been stronger but Soundwave was just too agile, blocking or evading every one of the Autobot's attacks. Soundwave unleashed a powerful kick to the Autobot's torso, but Bulkhead was undeterred. He kept pushing back against the con, swinging his fists and forcing Soundwave to halt in his advance toward the comm center.
Hearing the sound of boots stomping against the asphalt, Lennox turned back to spot Epps and Hernandez jogging toward them and immediately noticed the rocket launcher.
"Holy shit, you found a SMAW. What's it loaded with?" asked Lennox.
"HEAA round. Anti-armor," said Hernandez.
Anderson fired off a few potshots at Soundwave before looking back. "Do you think it'll work? This guy's armor is tougher than the drones we fought before."
"This is supposed to be effective against tanks. I don't think it'll kill him, but I pray it'll at least do some damage," replied Hernandez. He readied the launcher on his shoulder and called out to the wrecker. "Bulkhead! Get your large behind out of the way!"
Bulkhead looked back at the marine, his optics widening in surprise as he noticed the weapon. He swiped at Soundwave, creating distance between the two. No sooner had Bulkhead stepped back, Hernandez pulled the trigger and coated the squad in dust from the back blast.
The Decepticon had no chance to react to the eighty-three millimeter rocket that thundered through the air straight toward him.
The rocket impacted his shoulder, deafening everyone and clouding the area with smoke. Soundwave stumbled, as he struggled to stand, clutching his right arm at the shoulder joint. Small flames danced around his frame as the wound sparked and leaked a blue fluid that splattered against the ground. Bulkhead rushed forward while he had the chance and swung his mace against the con's faceplate.
Soundwave flew back and crashed into a nearby building. Smoke and debris clouded the area as the Autobot and humans cautiously moved toward the crash site. But as they got closer, the rubble loosened and fell to the side, stopping them from advancing. Slowly, Soundwave emerged, battered and dripping energon from his arm that hung limp at his side and sporting a new large crack that ran across his visor.
"Oh, he's mad," muttered Bulkhead.
Soundwave stepped out of the rubble and from his chest, Laserbeak deployed. The small NEST strike team scrambled for cover as the minicon soared and fired at them from overhead. Distracted, it left Bulkhead unguarded from an attack from Soundwave's tentacle. Wrapping itself around Bulkhead's torso, it pulled him toward the con's fist. As Bulkhead fell, Lennox, Epps, Hernandez, and Anderson were left powerless to aid the wrecker as the minicon continued to be a nuisance from up above. They tried to return fire but Laserbeak was much too nimble and small for them to land any hits.
The silent con's cracked visor lit with a map of the globe before a familiar swirl of green and violet light appeared behind him. Soundwave wrapped his tentacle around Bulkhead's leg, dragging him toward the ground bridge. Thinking quickly, Bulkhead charged his cannon and fired. The blast sent Soundwave staggering back as he released his hold. Bulkhead was prepared to fire on the con again when a voice suddenly broke through the comms.
/"Bulkhead, come in. Head back to our arrival point, we will be retreating shortly."/
/"Did something go wrong? Is Bumblebee or Arcee injured?"/ asked Bulkhead.
Optimus' voice was gruff as he responded, and in the background, Bulkhead could faintly pick up the sounds of battle. /"No. I need you to rendezvous with Arcee and Bumblebee with Lennox and his team."/
Bulkhead eyed Soundwave wearily, watching as the Decepticon slowly picked himself back up. /"But what about stopping Soundwave? We've got him on the ropes right now."
/"Agent Fowler tells me that Rafael is almost complete with the data purge. By the time Soundwave reaches the building, they should be gone. When you arrive, try to capture the Decepticon that Arcee is battling. Though, retreating without any losses takes precedence."/
/"What do you want the con for?"/
Moments passed before the Prime answered. /"I will explain back at the base."/
/"Understood boss,"/ said Bulkhead, keeping his optics on the con in front of him.
Soundwave stood tall and unmoving, staring down the Autobot and the humans, even as his arm leaked energon and hung limply from his side. The two continued to stare each other down before Bulkhead took a step back and reverted his cannon back into his arm.
He grumbled as he transformed and opened the doors for the four humans. "Optimus just gave us new orders, we're leaving."
Raf sat on the floor in the server room, anxiously tapping his fingers as he watched the blinking lights of the mainframe. Two of his personal flash drives were plugged in, purging the system of all of its valuable information and making sure none of it was recoverable. His computer rested on his lap, connected to the server by a small bundle of wires. He stopped his tapping as he looked back at the screen. The progress bar was moving far slower than he would've liked. He kept his eyes on the readout, listening as Agent Fowler approached him after finishing his conversation with someone over the radio.
"I know you said it was almost done, but is there any way you could speed that up? I want to be sure we're out of here before Soundwave shows up," asked the government agent, peering over the boy's shoulder to catch a glimpse of the screen.
"No."
Miko groaned from her spot next to him. "Why's it taking so long? I thought you were just deleting the files. Shouldn't you be able to just drag and drop it all into the trash can or something?"
"It's not that simple and that doesn't actually delete it permanently," Raf answered while not looking away from the screen. "That data on those drives still exist and can be recovered by someone who knows what they're doing, and I'm betting Soundwave knows what he's doing. Plus, I don't want Soundwave to know that the intel he's looking for has been deleted until after he's left. By overwriting every single file with useless information, it'll get rid of the data while having Soundwave think he found what he's looking for. And with Agent Fowler's permission, I've also disconnected this server from the defense network. With no way to access the network from here, Soundwave will be stuck with whatever he can get his hands on in this room. Which will all be worth nothing more than junk. Honestly, I wish I could see the cons faces when they realize they've been duped."
Miko yawned from the boy's detailed explanation, numbly pacing back and forth while she waited until a large thud reverberated through the walls and shook the building. The three humans looked up uneasily, eyes wide in surprise as the lights swayed and flickered with each following boom.
Slowly kneeling down, Miko moved toward Raf. "You wouldn't happen to be done now, would you?"
Raf shot an anxious glance at his computer, unhappy with what he was seeing. Ninety-eight percent, ETR, two minutes. "Nope."
"Scrap."
"He got here faster than I thought. I'm pulling us out, the situation has gotten too hot," said Agent Fowler as he pulled out his radio.
"But we can't leave yet!" Raf cried out. "If the drives aren't wiped, we risk the Decepticons finding the Autobot's base."
"I promised Ms. Darby that I wouldn't let you two get hurt. Staying here while Soundwave tears the place apart trying to find this room is the opposite of that."
"I just need a few minutes!"
"That's time we don't have, son."
The room shook as a loud crash sounded from outside the room. Miko cautiously opened the door and peeked into the hallway, quickly ducking back in and closing the door.
"Yup, Soundwave's here! Or at least those freaky tentacles are. I don't think he knows which room he needs because it's opening every door in the hallway." She shoved against a nearby desk, barricading the door. "Are you going to help me with this?!"
The two boys scrambled across the room, piling furniture and filing cabinets against the door. It was a haphazard mess but they were short on time. They waited in silence as they listened to the sounds of doors opening and shutting throughout the hall. They waited with tense breath as the noises got louder and each subsequent door opening only brought Soundwave closer to them. The three of them jumped when the door handle shook violently.
"Think it'll hold?" asked Miko as they stepped back from the door.
Pieces of their flimsy defense fell from the pile as a loud banging could be heard from the other side. The door was physically bulging, seeming to almost take the entire door frame with it.
Agent Fowler frowned, "Not likely."
The banging continued as a ping from his computer alerted Raf. He yelled in delight as he read the pop-up text. He slammed his laptop shut and pulled the wires from the server rack, stuffing them into his backpack.
"It's done! Miko, grab those two flash drives!"
"On it!"
The room was suddenly filled with a blinding light as a ground bridge appeared at the other end of the room. Miko handed Raf the two flash drives as Agent Fowler urgently ushered them through. The green vortex vanished just as the door finally gave way, splintering and sending debris across the room.
She was still doing her best to not terribly injure him, but he was making it extremely difficult.
As Arcee dodged and parried many of his strikes, she retaliated with her own when the opportunity arose. She'd struck him in the helm countless times, and though she felt sorry about it, had abused Jack's earlier injury on his abdomen. But no matter how many times she struck him or nicked him with her blades, he kept pushing himself back up, refusing to stay down. She was almost too distracted to hear the rush of pedes coming towards her but a shout grabbed her attention just in time to weave out of the way of a shock prod.
Knockout scowled as he pulled back his weapon to attack again before his face turned to one of surprise. Shoulder charged from behind, Knockout was launched into a recovering Hijack, sending them both into a sprawling mess on the ground.
The yellow and black scout quickly rushed over as Arcee took the brief reprieve to gather herself.
::"Arcee, are you good?"::
"I'm fine, Bee."
Behind her, Arcee could hear the sounds of battle between Optimus and Megatron, unsure who was winning; though she knew that Optimus could handle the warlord. Her focus right now, was on Jack.
The two cons slowly picked themselves back up with whatever small dignity they had left before Bumblebee raised his arms, blasters ready. They wisely stopped moving when Arcee raised her own and a familiar green jeep pulled up beside her and Bee. Lennox, Hernandez, Epps, and Anderson stepped out before Bulkhead transformed and aimed his cannons at the prisoners.
"I'm here. What's the plan?"
"As soon as Fowler and the kids are done, we're getting out of here with Jack," said Arcee.
Bumblebee and Bulkhead's optics widened in alarm as they spun to look at her.
::"Jack's here?!"::
Arcee nodded. "He's looking right at us."
"Looking at us?" asked Bulkhead. He looked back at the two Decepticons, first at Knockout then at the new con he didn't recognize. The mech looked like he could almost be as tall as him and looked to be a flyer like Skyquake.
"Yes. Right in front of us."
"Unless I seriously misunderstood something, I thought Jack was a human kid." The bots looked down at Epps as he spun around in a circle. "And I don't see anybody else around."
Arcee frowned as she replied irritably. "He's the con whose helm you have your blaster your blaster aimed at."
Bulkhead was left even more confused by that answer. "Arcee, I know you want to find Jack but there's no way you're serious. Jack's a little squishy human and this guy is not that."
"Don't bother with her. I've already told her that many times," Hijack spoke up as he glared daggers at the wrecker. "Your friend is dead and Megatron is going to make you all kneel before him as he rightfully deserves."
Bumblebee beeped in surprise as Bulkhead let out a curse.
Arcee could feel her energon boil as Knockout began laughing maniacally. "The look on your faces! Megatron knew that you Autobots would be devastated but I didn't think it'd look like this. I wish I could've been there when the big o found out himself."
"Shit, the kid's dead," frowned Lennox.
"No, Lennox, that's not it.
That's Jack's voice. I don't know how but that sounds exactly like him," said Bulkhead.
"Wait wait wait wait, you're telling me that the kid the Decepticons kidnapped is himself, a Decepticon now?"
::"How is this even possible?"::
"That's a great question Bee," said Arcee. She closed the gap between herself and the pair of cons. She kicked Knockout onto his back, ignoring his pleas to watch the paint, and pointed her blaster at his helm. "Why don't you start talking?"
"Well um.. this was more Shockwave's project than mine," Knockout sputtered as he tried leaning away from the femme.
"Then spill what you do know," said Arcee. Kneeling and pressing her blaster further against the con's helm.
"Your pet human was dying," Knockout stammered. "You really ought to take better of them. Seriously, his blood was killing him! Bringing him with you to Cybertron did no favors for his health either, and that's not even mentioning the spark we found in him."
Arcee narrowed her optics as her anger continued to rise. "His blood was killing him? And what do you mean you found a spark?"
"Tests showed that his blood had mutated into some kind of cyber-organic matter that was destroying his body. He wasn't going to last more than a few solar cycles. I was trying to figure out what it was when I found the spark." Arcee scowled as the blue light inside the barrel of her blaster glowed brighter. Knockout frantically tried to scramble away as he pleaded. "I have no idea how any of this happened! I wasn't the cause of it! Whatever started it, it happened while he was with you!"
Arcee thought over Knockout's words. If what he said was true, then why had Jack stayed silent about this? The chances that he didn't know about what was happening to him were slim. He had to have known what was happening. He kept it a secret from everyone, just the same as Knockout was now by not telling her the whole truth. It was the only logical explanation that the Decepticons were the reason Hijack and Jack sounded the same, but she wanted to hear Knockout say it.
"If Jack was dying, then what did you do with the spark?"
Knockout worriedly cast a sideways glance at Hijack. "Megatron ordered that the spark be transferred into a new body; an Autobot that Shockwave had been experimenting on while he was on Cybertron. When the two sparks merged, Jack Darby died, and Hijack was awakened."
"That human I saw, is part of me?" asked Hijack.
Knockout hesitated to respond, "He wanted something that would serve him and strike at the Autobot's morale. The bot's and human's memory was wiped by Shockwave."
"So it was all a lie. I was never a Decepticon, this body isn't mine. Megatron was using me as nothing more than a tool!" Hijack shouted.
The air went still after the outburst, too stunned to say anything else while Arcee's energon continued to burn hotter. She had hoped to bring Jack back home, but the boy she knew was gone. The mech before them wasn't her friend that had left with her to Cybertron. But she didn't want Jack to just be another partner that she failed.
Arcee brought out her blade and yelled as she pressed it against Knockout's neck. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't take your head off right now."
Bulkhead moved closer as Knockout tried to stutter out a response. "Woah, Arcee, take it down a notch. You know Optimus doesn't condone the execution of prisoners."
Arcee sent a glare at the wrecker before returning her steely gaze towards Knockout. She remained silent for a moment more as she contemplated her actions. She wanted to help Jack, to help bring him home to his family; but they wouldn't be bringing back the same Jack they had lost. Arcee clenched her servo as she stared into Knockout's optics, searching for a solution. Knockout had assisted Shockwave in doing this, whatever questions they had, he could answer. She huffed as she moved her blade away from Knockout's throat and stepped back.
"After what he did, he doesn't deserve another chance, but fine."
Knockout hesitantly leaned back up but Arcee was quick to slam her pede into his chest, slamming him back into the ground.
"Don't think for a second you're getting off easy. You're going to find a way to make this right," said Arcee.
"What!? What do you expect me to do?"
"Figure it out," snapped Arcee, standing back up and turning toward her team to discuss their next move.
The answer came to them when their comms scrambled with static before Agent Fowler's voice could be heard. /"Prime, the kids and I are back at the base. The data's been successfully purged."/
As Optimus relayed orders to retreat back to base, no one noticed Knockout stealthily pick up his staff. He jabbed it into Arcee's back, sending her convulsing and screaming to the ground. He scrambled to his pedes and transformed, ignoring the shouts and narrowly evading the shots aimed at him as he retreated.
Hijack made a move to follow after him but was stopped as a firm servo gripped his shoulder.
"You're not going anywhere," said Bulkhead.
Throwing a right hook, Hijack attempted to throw the wrecker off of him. Bulkhead brushed the throw aside as he tried to hold him down. Bumblebee rushed over and helped Arcee to her pedes, just as a ground bridge burst to life behind the group.
"We need to get out of here," groaned Arcee. "Lennox, get your team back to base. We'll follow behind you."
The human group complied and rushed toward the portal as Bulkhead held down a squirming Hijack. "Arcee, I don't think it's a good idea to bring him back to the base like this. Especially near the kids. He doesn't want to stay still."
::"He can't be a hazard if he's unconscious,":: Bumblebee quipped.
Bulkhead grimaced when Arcee didn't object. He looked down at the mech as he drew back his fist. "Sorry about this, Jack."
With one strike, Hijack was knocked unconscious and dragged toward the ground bridge by the wrecker. The four of them traveled through the portal back to their base, followed soon by their leader.
Optimus ran through the ground bridge, coming to a halt as he stepped into the Autobot base. A guilt washed over him as he thought over the events that had transpired today. Lennox and his team had been sent into combat far sooner and with less preparation than he would've hoped, and Raf and Miko had risked their safety to keep their base hidden. He suspected that in the after-action report with Agent Fowler, the casualties would be high, and used as proof that his government needed to take more action.
But his spark grew the heaviest when he thought of June. Optimus knew that out of everyone else today, he had failed her the most. She never said it, but he was aware of how she truly felt. She hated coming back to the base, watching them leave through the ground bridge time after time in search of a clue to bring back Jack. Time after time they returned empty. Optimus entrusted her son with his own life, one of Cybertron's oldest relics, the future of the war, and he'd been unable to protect him. She had lost her son and he had promised her that they would bring him back. He instead let Megatron turn him into a weapon. Telling her and the rest of the team the awful truth he had learned was going to be difficult.
It wasn't until the ground bridge shut down though, that Optimus noticed what was happening. The base was filled with a cacophony of human and cybertronian shouts, fighting to be heard over one another. Arcee, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and the NEST strike team were huddled around a berth, trying to keep the rest of the Autobot team from getting close.
"Have you lost your marbles lug nut!? What are you doing bringing a con into the base?"
"If you let me explain-"
"We don't have the space for any Decepticon detainees, and you are not using my med bay as a substitute!"
"Woah, Bulkhead, did you knock this guy out?
"Raf, Miko, stay back! You don't know if it's safe! Arcee, how could you be okay with this?"
"June, I know this may be hard to believe but we need to help him."
"Why would we help a Decepticon? We barely have the resources to treat our own!"
"Listen, Ratchet, this isn't as clear-cut as you might think."
"Fowler, just let the bots explain and everything-"
"Not you too, Lennox!"
The yells continued as Optimus stood at the mouth of the ground bridge, silently watching for a moment before moving closer. He stopped in his tracks when he realized a familiar mech was currently occupying Ratchet's med bay. Neither Bulkhead nor anyone else had mentioned they had captured the Decepticon. Perhaps, there was hope.
"Will you please just listen and let us explain?!" shouted Arcee.
The yells quieted down as Ratchet scoffed.
"What reason would be good enough to excuse you risking the location of our base?"
"It's about Jack," said Arcee after a moment of hesitation.
"Jack? Do you think this Decepticon knows how he's doing? Where their ship is?" asked June, a slimmer of hope in her voice.
Arcee shook her head solemnly as she stepped closer to the berth. "No. This mech is Jack."
The prime felt the guilt in his spark grow stronger as June gasped and covered her mouth with her hands, stepping back from the railing. Agent Fowler and the children were too shocked to say anything.
Ratchet stumbled for a response. "Surely, you can't be serious. Are-"
::"That's what we were trying to explain. When the con spoke, it sounded just like him,":: interrupted Bumblebee.
The scout's response grounded Raf for a moment as he translated what his friend had said. "He sounded like, Jack?"
"It sounded like he was standing right in front of us," said Bulkhead, "I couldn't believe what I was hearing, but if what Knockout said is true, then this mech really is Jack."
"Knockout told you this?" asked Agent Fowler.
Arcee nodded. "He told us that Jack was dying. Something was happening with his blood," she answered, unaware of how Ratchet shifted uncomfortably at her words. "Knockout doesn't know how it happened, but a spark was forming inside of him. Megatron had Shockwave remove the spark and merge it with an Autobot he'd been experimenting on."
"This is crazier than Abraham Lincoln in a bikini. You're not seriously trusting a con, are you? Deception is part of their name!"
"I am afraid that Knockout is not lying," Optimus said suddenly.
Everyone in the room looked to the Prime in surprise, waiting for an explanation.
"Megatron himself told me the same story, and I know that he is speaking the truth."
"How do you know that Optimus?" asked June, her eyes swollen red as tears streaked her face. "How could you trust that monster and tell me that it's my son who's lying on that table?"
"Because he was not lying about the spark growing inside of Jack."
"Optimus, you keep saying that you know they weren't lying, but you're not explaining how you know," said Miko.
Before the Prime could answer, Ratchet spoke up after a moment of hesitation, "Optimus and I… have had our suspicions about Jack having a spark for some time now. And we knew about what was happening to his blood."
Arcee spun around to face the medic. "You what!? How could you have not told us this?"
"It was Jack's decision to not tell you about his blood, and he had us agree not to tell you. When you and Jack returned from Cybertron, he was going to tell you and June the truth. We found out about the spark once Optimus returned. When Jack gave him the Key to Vector Sigma, Optimus didn't just have his own memories returned, he had Jack's. Something that only could've happened, if Jack had a spark."
June's breath hitched. "You have Jack's memories?"
Optimus knelt down to be more at eye level with the nurse. "I do. I can recall every moment of Jack's young life. The love you gave for him, shaped him to become the boy I entrusted the key to. He never meant to hurt you, he only kept it from you because he thought it would spare you from the pain."
Tears fell to the floor as June quietly sobbed, her face buried in her hands. Anderson stepped forward and pulled her into a gentle hug as she looked up at the Autobots around the room.
"I've got a lot of questions like I'm sure most of us do. Like what even is a vector sigma, but how is this even possible? He was human, you guys are aliens, and I'm guessing a spark is part of your biology."
"The human equivalent would be your heart," said Ratchet. "A spark is our life force, but it is also said to hold our hearts and minds. They are what makes us who we are."
"So, they're like a soul," said Epps.
"I don't know exactly what that is but it sounds plausible," replied Ratchet. "Vector Sigma is a historical archive of our planet's history, the repository of the wisdom of the Primes. But it is an ancient artifact, its history shrouded in mystery. Rumors have spread through the ages that it is an extension of Primus, acting out his will, or that it even has the power to create life. Of which, I'm sure the latter is now true. When Jack ventured to Cybertron, the key and Vector Sigma itself, read the CNA in his blood and granted him access. Vector Sigma stores not just the memories of the Primes, but those entrusted to protect the key by a Prime. So when Jack started the download on Cybertron, I believe Vector Sigma created the spark, to collect his memories and add them to the archive."
"So this really is Jack," said June as she stepped closer to the railing, looking down at the resting bot. "But why was he fighting you, Arcee? You're his friend."
"Shockwave erased his memory. He didn't recognize any of us," Arcee answered.
"There has to be a way to get them back, to make him remember again. I can't lose him this way!" shouted June.
His spark panged with guilt as June continued to yell. Optimus did not blame her for her anger, he'd put her son in grave danger and failed to protect him. But through the yells, Optimus could see something else. Pain and grief swelled in her eyes as she paced through the human's common area, desperate for a solution. She had lost her son before, and now with him laying before them, she was afraid of losing the most important thing in her world for good. Optimus could not accept that.
The sound of shifting metal and machinery snapped June's attention back to the prime, the front of his chest open and standing at the foot of Jack's berth, holding the Key to Vector Sigma.
"I believe there is a way, Ms. Darby. The key caused Jack's transformation, and it will bring him back to us."
I lied. It was not just a few weeks at most.
This is the longest chapter I've written so far at over 9k words! Sorry, it took so long to come out. When the last chapter came out it was sitting at around 7k and had mostly been completed. But I ended up rewriting about a third of it and it just kept going from there.
Thank you all for all of the comments and favorites, it brightens my day when I see the notifications. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and that it was worth the wait. I'm excited to continue the story from this point. I hope you all have a great day, thanks for reading.
12/13/24