Chapter Forty-Two
Phase Two
Back at the Autobot Base, the rest of the Hamato Clan were shocked to learn that there were human terrorists following the Autobots.
"This is concerning." Splinter said quietly.
"Another Foot Clan?" Pandora asked.
"Sounds like it." Kemeko said going a little pale and stroking the white streak in her hair as she thought of the very Clan that she was connected to through her deceased parents and Pandora seeing her cousins look hugged her comfortingly.
"I wonder what their goal is?" Donatello mused "What will they want with the Dingus should they get their hands on it?"
"I dread to think Donatello." Splinter said, "But if I know your brothers and adopted sister, and our friends the Autoboots and Agent Fowler, they will not let them get their hands on this powerful weapon."
As the rat sensei said that Ratchet looked at the screen and spoke into the radio communication.
"Optimus," he spoke "Prepare to initiate phase two. Five miles ahead to the south, you will reach the rendezvous point." Ratchet instructed.
Donatello looked nervous.
"I hope that goes well!" he said crossing his fingers.
"I just hope mum, dad, Uncle Leo and Mike will be okay." Pandora said.
"And Agent Fowler too!" Kemeko agreed.
"Do not fear my granddaughters." Splinter said comfortingly "The Autobots will keep them safe, Optimus keeps to his word."
"You'd be certain to bet your life that he does." Ratchet stated not looking away from the screens.
But unknown to everyone on the Decepticon Warship, Soundwave had picked up Ratchet's transmission and as he played it to Starscream, many vocal lines appeared on his screen like face.
"Five miles ahead to the South, you will reach the rendezvous point."
Starscream who stood listening next to him smirked as an idea came to him.
"So the Autobots are outside the confines of their base and sound otherwise engaged, which means they will never see us coming."
Starscream stated with an evil sneer before he turned to some flying troopers.
"Find them and scrap them!" He ordered.
"Yes, Lord Starscream." The Eradicons complied placing their servos over their chests in respect which made the seeker grin and chuckle at how they recognized as the Decepticon Leader.
Back on the road, the Autobot Convoy had reached the drop off point which was a bend behind some mountains and a train was passing below them on lower ground and coming up in front of them were a couple of tunnels that went through the mountain range.
"There's the destination point." Fowler observed.
"Autobots, keep a tight formation." Optimus instructed.
Arcee and Ironhide did some swerves on the road in front of Optimus and jumped onto the small road right next to the train and Optimus, Bulkhead, and Bumblebee followed them.
Also close behind were the MECH muscle cars and when they observed the Autobot's drive off and move next to the train they were quick to follow.
But they couldn't follow the Autobots because once Bulkhead entered the tunnel being the last one, he transformed into his bipedal mode and opened fire at the entrance archway to the tunnel causing a few rocks to come crashing down and blocking their way!
Watching everything from the helicopter, Silas smirked.
"Tactical error, only one way out."
And he was right as it wasn't long before the train emerged from the tunnel, along with the Autobot convoy.
They continued to drive along the train for a few meters before eventually driving up the small hill and finding themselves back on the road again.
Just then the sound of a jet filled Silas's ears and he saw six black and purple jets fly around him then they took off at speed, towards the Autobots.
"The hell?" Silas muttered as he watched.
At the same time, Fowler and the four mutants heard the sounds and looked out the windows.
"Oh crud.." Raphael groaned.
"Air support? Ours or theirs?" Fowler asked in confusion.
"Optimus, you've got company!" Ratchet warned via the communications link.
"Decepticons?" Michelangelo asked.
"Who else?" Ratchet scoffed at the orange masked turtles obvious question.
"Oh shit!" Monalisa said.
"Hang on!" Optimus warned as one of the Eradicons fired missiles at the Autobots and some got close to hitting Optimus, and given the safety of his passengers, the Prime had no choice but to detach his trailer to which the rockets smashed into it, causing it to explode.
The Mutants and Fowler held on for dear life as Optimus swerved and weaved as the rockets exploded behind them and they felt the shockwave rock them about.
Meanwhile Silas watched on from the helicopter, amazed by the action.
"Military fired on one of their own?" he exclaimed in disbelief.
"Sir, the Dingus?!" The pilot shouted he saw the trailer get thrown about then the rockets exploded, and both feared the worst until the pilot spoke up as he looked at his dashboard.
"Sir, I'm not reading any radiation. The Dingus didn't meltdown." The pilot observed.
"No. It did not." Silas agreed with a suspicious look on his face.
Meanwhile, Ironhide, Arcee, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, and Optimus managed to lead the Decepticons towards a clearing in a local forest hoping to get them away from the road and the tracks so they could fight without causing any harm to humans who would be on the road.
The Decepticons transformed from their jet forms to their bipedal forms and landed in a line before them.
In turn, the Autobots skidded to a stop near the edge of the cliff.
As that happened, Optimus opened his doors.
"Agent Fowler, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Monalisa," he said getting the occupants attention.
"I'm afraid that if you and we are to survive, it has become absolutely necessary for us to drop our cover."
"We understand!" Leonardo said and quickly jumped out "Come on guys!"
Michelangelo, Monalisa, Raphael and Fowler followed the blue masked leader and quickly moved away from Optimus as he transformed into his bipedal mode.
Ironhide, Arcee, Bulkhead, and Bumblebee followed suit and they all stood ready to fight the Decepticons who stood before them.
"Remain here." Optimus instructed Fowler at the Mutants looking down at them.
"Will do." Fowler said with a salute and Leonardo, Monalisa, Raphael and Michelangelo bowed to Optimus in agreement.
Bulkhead stepped forward and stretched his limbs.
"After a long road trip, it feels good to get out of the car, stretch my legs, and kick some tailpipe!"
He remarked as he unfolded his wrecking ball before leading the Autobots in a charge at the Eradicons.
"You're darn tootin' Bulk!" Ironhide agreed as his servo morphed into a drill "Lets kick some Butt!"
Yet in their haste to fight their enemies, the Autobots hadn't noticed that Silas was flying above them in the helicopter, and he had witnessed their transformations.
"So, the rumours are true." Silas remarked at he looked down at the Autobots and Decepticons.
"Living technology stands before us, though perhaps not for very long." He added as he watched the battle take place below.
The two enemy troops charged at each other.
When Optimus was close enough to one Decepticon, he knocked him down with one, strong punch.
Bulkhead struck one down with his hammer.
Arcee did a few punches and kicks that showed off her flexibility.
Bumblebee danced around the Decepticon in true fighting style, dodging and throwing punches whilst Ironhide ducked and dodged before driving his drill into the face of the Eradicon in front of him.
All the while, the Hamato Clan and Agent Fowler watched the Battle and Michelangelo got excited then took out his shell cell to video it.
Raphael and Monalisa crossed their fingers praying the Autobots would emerge triumphant and given how they worked together as a team, the Decepticons stood no chance.
Leonardo meanwhile stood close to Agent Fowler as they glanced up at the helicopter that circled around the clearing observing the fight.
Silas was so engrossed the fight that almost all thoughts of the Dingus gone from his mind that was until the pilot spoke.
"Sir, if the Dingus wasn't in the truck…"
That snapped Silas back to attention and he narrowed his eyes.
"Yes. That." Silas agreed then reached for his radio.
"Special Agent Fowler…"
As that happened, Agent Fowler picked up his walkie talkie and brought it to his ear, Leonardo also looked over.
"…you lead a charmed life walking among titans." Silas commented over the radio.
Fowler and Leonardo looked up at the helicopter, circling the battle.
"Come on down. I'll introduce you." Fowler offered.
"In good time." Silas promised "But right now, I'm too busy wondering how the DINGUS might have vanished into thin air, without a trace."
Fowler remained silent and he looked at Leonardo as they both knew exactly what had happened to the Dingus.
After the Autobots had driven inside the tunnel next to the train aka their designated rendezvous point. They had managed to transfer the Dingus from Optimus's Trailer and into one of the cargo carriages that was manned by several military soldiers.
It was a scheme that they hoped would keep Silas, Decepticon and any other enemies from getting their hands on Dingus. But unfortunately, they had underestimated Silas and the evil man had managed to work out what they had done.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a train to catch." Silas told Fowler over the radio.
That was when Fowler and Leonardo realized that Silas had figured out that the Dingus was on the train.
"No way!" Leonardo muttered "He's sharp as a knife!"
"No shit." Fowler groaned as the helicopter flew away from the battle scene, heading to en route with that train.
Immediately, Fowler lifted the radio and informed Prime of the situation whilst Leonardo turned to Raphael, Michelangelo and Monalisa to inform them.
"Prime! Silas got wise to phase two!" Fowler said.
"I understand!" Optimus responded after knocking down several Decepticons that came at him then he turned slightly towards Fowler.
Yet the Prime failed to notice a Decepticon he hadn't knocked down had ripped up a nearby tree truck and whilst Optimus was distracted whacked him in the face with it.
Optimus felt as if the wind was knocked out of him, and he stumbled before he fell over the edge of the cliff.
"Optimus!" Leonardo shouted and Fowler and the other mutants watched in horror seeing the Prime go down!
Optimus tumbled down the cliff face for a few feet before landing on a significantly sized ledge face first.
He struggled to get up and re-join the ongoing fight, yet he didn't have the strength and his arms collapsed underneath him as he passed out.
"Prime! Do you read me? Prime!" Fowler yelled into the radio.
Leonardo, Monalisa, Raphael and Michelangelo jumped off the rock formation and ran to the cliff side where they saw Optimus laying motionless below.
"No!" Leonardo cried and he jumped off the edge and slid down the cliff before anyone could stop him.
"Leo! Wait!" Raphael shouted only to yell in shock as Monalisa pulled him away from being blasted by a Decepticon's gun as the battle behind them was still ongoing!
Even though their Leader had been knocked down, the Autobots still had to continue fighting the remaining Decepticons before they could help him.
"Shit!" Raphael cried as he continued to watch "What do we do now? Silas is going after the Dingus!"
"Just stay clear of the battle!" Monalisa ordered as she pulled her mate and adopted younger brother away into a group of trees, as well as glanced down over the cliff at Leonardo who had gone to check on Optimus as well as look over at Fowler who was still yelling into the radio.
"Haven't we got a phase three?" Michelangelo asked as he jumped again watching the ongoing battle and saw Bulkhead get jumped on by the other Decepticons.
Leonardo slid down the cliff face and down to the Prime who lay there motionless.
"Prime!" he shouted as he leapt over onto Optimus's back then over to his head.
"Optimus!" he started to slap Optimus's face guard harshly to wake him up.
"Optimus!" he cried in desperation "Speak to me! Speak to me!"
Oh no! Silas and MECH figured out Phase Two and to make matters worse, Optimus is down for the count! Not good!