The air bristling through the forest below them combined with the sound of engines whirling away filled their ears as they waited for confirmation.
"Approaching drop zone, ETA five minutes." the speakers sounded off.
Jack and Miko stood up double checking each other's parachutes. They couldn't risk their lives over an equipment malfunction.
"Are you ready for this?" Jack questioned.
Miko replied with enthusiasm, "Are you kidding? I was born ready"
They walked over to the side of their helicopter awaiting their instructions from the pilot.
"Drop off in 3… 2… 1…" The pilot stated patiently.
"Jump!" Miko exclaimed as she hopped out of the helicopter diving into a freefall.
"Miko!" Jack said as he followed her suite.
They meet each other in freefall nearing the ground. As the ground neared, Jack was examining his watch. "2016 feet, 1769, 1452, 1194" Jack stated. As the pair neared 800 feet off the ground, Jack yelled out, "Now!" They pulled the strings on their parachutes with zero hiccups and managed to slowly guide themselves towards a clearing in the forest.
As the pair landed and grouped around each other, Miko raised her hand to her right ear, "Hey Raf, why did Fowler drop us out here? We don't exactly have the best record for quiet." she stated with a bit of sarcasm towards her mandatory silence.
"Miko as stated before, there have been reports of suspicious men draped in black and noises in your area. We suspect it to be M.E.C.H. And as such, you two are tasked with finding and bringing down the M.E.C.H. operation that is currently going on in the area. Your task is to find the operation, shut it down quietly, get away, and call for evac. Do you understand your objectives?" Raf stated assertively and emphasized the importance of their safe get away.
"Alright dad! We'll try to keep it quiet" Miko exclaimed.
"And take care of yourselves" Raf stated caringly.
Miko then lowered her hand and looked towards Jack.
Jack looked around and motioned towards Miko to remain quiet while he observed their surroundings. As his focus became clearer, he heard a low screeching, as if someone was dragging metal across stone. Jack stood up slowly and began walking towards the noise while Miko followed and watched their surroundings for unwanted surprises.
The noise grew louder as they approached. They came upon a clearing in the forest that housed a medium base of 4 buildings varying in size that was lit up and populated by men dressed in black skintight hazmat suits.
The two studied the buildings looking for their target until, finally, they found it. The supply depot was their target as it housed the entirety of resources needed to keep this base operational. They both confirmed their intel and devised a plan to approach their target.
Miko started, "Look, if we go in guns blazing, bashing everyone around, there's a high chance that a misplaced shot could ignite their supplies and burn the place down."
Jack looked at her with a slight smile, thinking back to how she acted all those years prior. He then remarked, "If we go with that plan, we are sure to be shot before we get a foot through the door."
Miko let out a pout and asked, "So what's YOUR plan then?"
Jack looked around then remarked, "You see that fence there?" Miko nodded in affirmation. Jack continued, "If we can cut through that it gives us the easiest route to their depot."
"And if we encounter guards?" Miko exclaimed.
Jack looked at her with a sly smile, "Well then I'll be relying on the wrecker next to me to deal with that." Miko smiled at his praise.
10 minutes later…
Miko had knocked out a guard that spotted them as soon as they got over the gate. Jack had taken cover peering around the corner of the depot. Miko had taken guard and watched the other end of the building.
"There's a door that leads inside over here" Jack stated as he turned back towards Miko.
"And the issue is?" Miko retorted.
Jack peered around the corner and ducked his head back before saying, "There's two guards dangerously close to the door. If we open the door, they'll hear us."
Miko slowly walks over to Jack and asks, "So you take the one on the left and I'll take the one on the right."
Jack nods and they proceed to slowly crouch walk until they're behind the two guards. Jack looks over towards Miko and gives her a thumbs up as they stand up and their targets in a chokehold until they're out. They drag them behind the depot just in case anyone walks by.
With their targets eliminated they proceed through the door on the side of the depot. As they walk towards the center of the room, they spot all manner of equipment from tanks full of liquids, night vision goggles, rations that could last months, and enough fuel to light the place in an enraged bonfire.
Jack raised his left hand towards his ear before stating, "Raf, are you seeing all of this?" before motioning towards Miko to turn her camera on. As Miko turned her camera on Raf stated, "I'm seeing everything through the feed now, perhaps we can see whatever else they've got stockpiled to better assess their forces." As Raf's feed ended they started walking cautiously towards the center area for a better view.
They finally made it to the middle where there were bags full of sand arranged around and crates full of equipment. "The amount of funding these guys get must be insane" Miko exclaimed.
There was a central light that lit up as someone stated, "Oh you don't know the half of it."
In sync, both Jack and Miko turned towards the direction the voice came from. Their eyes went wide as they saw Silas standing in front of a squad of guards. Silas began speaking, "You two thought you could break in here, knock out my men, sneak into our depot, and get out without anyone the wiser?" Jack looked him square in the eyes before stating, "True our plan wasn't as great, however, you're crazy if you think we would back down now." Silas gave a slight grin before stating, "You're outnumbered, what can you achieve in this position?" Jack whispered to Miko, "Get ready to duck."
Just then, Jack flicked his arm around, grabbing a pistol he had concealed on his side and began firing. Miko took cover behind the crates next to them and also began to return fire.
"Get them," Silas coldly stated.
A firefight began to break out amongst the two factions. With Jack and Miko quickly being pinned down. Jack looked to devise a plan, he then stood and began to return fire but was quickly suppressed back into cover.
"Miko. When I give the order." Jack began as Miko looked at him "You need to run out of here as fast as you can, return to where we came from, and call evac."
Miko looked at him wide eyed before questioning, "What about you?"
Jack looked at her, smiled, then said, "I'll be right behind you."
"Ready?" Jack asks. Miko nodded as Jack started, "NOW!"
Jack stood up and gave cover fire while giving Miko time to run towards the door and also fire back. Miko looked around towards Jack before she left. Jack nodded his head, giving her the all clear to run away. However, as Jack stood to follow her out, he was shot in the left shoulder before he could run, forcing him to stay in cover.
Jack looked down towards his arm, cursing as he realized how bad the bleeding was. He stood up again and was shot three more times, once in his right forearm, one grazed his right eye scratching the skin next to it, and once more in his lower abdomen. As he ducked behind his cover, he noticed a grenade fly next to him and detonate, shredding what remained of his left arm when he brought it up to defend himself. He cursed through his pain, he cursed his enemy, and he began thinking of the abandonment of the autobots. Their departure with no room for remorse.
Silas yelled out, "Darby! You've got nowhere left to run; you know. How about you come out and end this little farce of yours?"
Jack looked towards his right, the barrels of fuel had caught his attention as he yelled back, "Thats where you're wrong Silas! You should know by now. If I'm going down," Jack stood with his pistol pointed towards the barrels, "I'm taking you with me." Jack finished as he fired once more.
Fire surrounded him in seconds, but he only had one thing on his mind,RAGE
Miko's POV
Miko smashed through the door knocking back two M.E.C.H agents out of her way and quickly jumped over the fence by using a nearby dumpster. She didn't stop running until her lungs were begging for a break.
Once she had stopped to take a break, she realized that she was on their previous vantage point that could view the entire base. She started looking at where she had come from and realized Jack never followed her out. Without thinking too much she began to head back.
But something had stopped her where she stood.
A giant explosion had destroyed the depot, covering itself and the surrounding base in an inextinguishable inferno. Miko fell to her knees as she stared helplessly at the raging flames.
She sat there for what felt like an eternity, waiting for Jack to emerge. She never saw him.
Only when she heard the sound of incoming helicopters did she begin to vacate the area. Only then did she turn her camera off and began to run towards the evac point. Upon her arrival to the point, she raised her right hand to her ear, "Raf, I need evac" she said sorrowfully, "And brace yourself for the debrief."
Raf, confused in Miko's sudden change in mood, simply stated, "Understood."
1 Hour Later…
Miko had arrived at their base, Raf and Fowler walked away from their computers and welcomed her warmly. "Welcome back kid" Fowler stated. "How'd the mission get on?" Raf asked.
Miko coldly stated, "It went terribly, Raf. But we did succeed. The base was destroyed, and their soldiers were rendered useless." Her shoulders slouching after she finished.
Raf saw how her eyes were unusually dull and commented, "Seems you could use a nap"
"No! A nap is the last thing I need right now!" Miko snapped back at him causing Raf to be startled by her outburst.
Thunderous stomping could be heard before an old medic asked, "Miko, where's Jack?"
"I-I don't wish to discuss this Ratchet" Miko said as tears welled up in her eyes.
Raf, Fowler, and Ratchet stared at Miko's unusual display of emotion. Ratchet then asked once more a little softer, "Miko, where is Jack?"
Miko looked at him, tears flowing down her cheek, "He's gone Ratchet, I never saw him get out of the depot and can only think he was caught inside the explosion." Raf walked over and hugged her as he too began to tear up at the thought of their friend's demise. "I waited there for almost an hour, waiting for someone to emerge, no one walked away." Miko sorrowfully stated.
Ratchet was taken aback by her statement, but he kept his composure and walked over to his console. He had a plan to strike back against M.E.C.H. and he knew just who to contact.
