Autobot Base Omega-1
With the ice broken, we looked around the armoury for a few more minutes before I reminded Smokescreen we still had to see the rest of the base…
… Even if I inwardly promised myself that I'd be back to get some of these weapons ready again.
"So, here's the storage wing, such as it is. Not much compared to the Hall Of Records, huh?" I said lightly as we walked down the storage area, the repurposed armoured garage doors sealing off the recovered artefacts and other valuables.
Smokescreen chuckled a bit, "Eh, I like it.... rustic, right? And. Hm. Yeah, I recognise some of these..." He said, slowing to look at the Phase Shifter.
"If you want to try it out, just make sure to sign it out with Ratchet or Optimus first." I advised him, "It worked for Bee and I, though I doubt the Phase Shifter will so eagerly volunteer." I said, chuckling slightly.
"Good point." He nodded, moving on, "I-woah, what kind of relic is that!?" He shouted, recoiling away as he spotted Airachnid's stasis pod.
I snorted, "The kind that's here because we don't have a prison, and Optimus doesn't like killing downed foes. Some kind of Insecticon queen, I think? She was bad news even before the war. Liked taking... Trophies. Organic or Mechanical."
He shuddered slightly, "Ugh, I did not need to know that. Glad she's in there and we're out here." He said, turning away from her makeshift cell, "So, we've seen most of the base now, but what about the planet, can you tell me anything about that?"
"I've only been here a few orns too, you know, but yeah, a few things. The native sapient species here are called humans. Fairly standard – two legs, two arms, one head – and about Minicon-sized but a lot more fragile. So... you know, watch where you step. For both our sakes, please. I probably wouldn't offline if someone accidentally stepped on me, but it would be… unpleasant."
"Don't worry, I'll watch my step. Be a pretty bad way to thank you if I stepped on your tail or something, huh?"
"Right." I chuckled slightly, "So, the other thing is that their tech isn't generally a match for ours, but they're close enough in a few areas that their military needs to actually be taken into account, and there's billions of them. Because of that, both sides are operating as Robots in Disguise – Megatron because he currently has a numerical advantage and going too overt risks the humans joining in and countering that, and Optimus because any such team-up would inevitably lead to a lot of dead humans and that's unacceptable to him. The human government here is cooperating with that, but there's no point making their job more difficult, so it's best if you scan an earth-based vehicle mode and keep a low profile where possible. Though, I mean, the rest of the team are a mix of superbikes, muscle cars, giant military surplus offroaders and a bright red and blue truck so, subtle is relative."
"Okay, yeah, that makes sense..." He nodded thoughtfully, "What about you? I mean, you don't have a vehicle mode, right?"
"No, but they have canine animals here. Apparently, they're popular pets among humans. Observe:" I turned on my Samoyed holoform again and barked once before letting my tongue loll out as I 'panted' a bit. "I am reliably informed the puffy white coating makes it at least fifty percent cuter."
"...Okay, yeah, that is actually pretty adorable, and they've got animals that look like that?"
"Oh, yeah, tons of them." I nodded quickly, turning off the holoform again, "I'll have to show you sometime. That one was one of the companion types that humans like to have around, so I'll most likely use it if I need to go around in a town or city. I'll probably get some more for when just wandering around in the wild. But back to you – I'm guessing, sports car of some kind?" I said, looking up at him.
He nodded, "Yeah, something with proper aerodynamics at least. You know anything around here that'd work?"
I grimaced slightly, "We're kinda in the middle of nowhere at the moment, most of the vehicles are going to be pretty boring trucks and efficient transports. But I'm sure something will come up. Now, anything else…" I kept walking for a few paces before perking my audials up, "Oh, right! Yeah, so there's a human called Agent Fowler who's basically the government of this country's liaison with Team Prime. I've not actually met him yet, but he does a lot of important work and despite appearances, based on the reports I've read he generally has the team's back. Up to and including engaging the Decepticons himself on occasion. So, if he gets annoyed at you for making more work for him, well, remember we're on their planet, and he's just trying to do his job."
Smokescreen grimaced, "And they've got plenty of reasons for not wanting their planet to end up like Cybertron, yeah. Thanks for letting me know." He said, letting out a breath of spent coolant as we looped back around towards the central room again, "And for the tour. Think I could borrow you for the firing range later?"
I chuckled slightly, "I'm sure I can fit it into my busy schedule. Though, I'm normally gonna be with Bumblebee most likely."
"Heh. Yeah, looked like you worked pretty well together back there." He nodded, "I just, uh… Always liked the Modular Pulse Rifle platform. Wanted to try one ever since I saw the base commander with one."
"It was actually our first mission working together, believe it or not. And hey, I told you I like anyone with good taste in firearms. Just don't let me spoil you, the standard models are a lot less talkative than I am. Less powerful too." I wagged my tail a bit as I spoke.
"Wow, really? Guess sometimes you just click, huh?" He grinned, "Any idea when I'll get to see some action?"
"Took me a few orns before they let me head out on this mission. After Bumblebee and I beat the previous range record, though I don't think that part's a requirement." I shrugged a little, "My advice? Make sure they know you're available, but don't push too much. If they say they want you to stay back for a bit, its only because they want to make sure you're in top shape before putting you in danger again. And because you need that Earth Vehicle mode so we at least have plausible deniability if someone spots you.."
"Right, that." He nodded, "Well, so long as it's got wheels…"
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Jack soon Groundbridged out with Smokescreen to the cliffs overlooking the highway for the latter to scan his Earth mode, while I was left with the others as Optimus called Agent Fowler to find the current location of the Red Energon and make sure the area was evacuated.
"So, you've spoken with him more than the rest of us have now. What do you think?" Arcee asked me, leaning against a support column.
"Young and eager to prove himself, but more because he feels like he doesn't measure up to the rest of the team than anything else. I mentioned I didn't exactly have a glorious background either and that it's not something he should be worrying about, seemed to help a bit. I'm sure he'll settle down once he gets used to things." I said, chuckling a little, "There's no way you weren't off balance for at least a few orns when you first started working with Optimus. I at least had the benefit of knowing him before all that, so for me, it was more 'wow, Orion takes to being a Prime well' than for him where it's meeting… well, someone famous you've only ever heard of in stories before."
Well, admittedly meeting Optimus f*cking Prime was still a pretty big deal… But it was hard to be intimidated or worried about him when your first interaction with him was as a shy but well-meaning file clerk.
"Heh, true enough." She mused, "It's been long enough that it's easy to forget how distant a figure he must be for a lot of bots. But you knew him before the war?"
"Not like friends or anything. But we'd spoken a few times. This was back when Orion and Megatronus were working together, and Ravage and I hung around a lot of their debates. Though, we ended up debating them ourselves more often than listening. He also asked me sometimes about both how I was treated in my job and about the kinds of things I'd seen the Guard doing. I don't think he liked a lot of the answers."
"Still weird to think about Optimus hanging around with a bunch of Decepticons…" Arcee admitted, "And you were… What, friends with Ravage?"
"Why not?" I shrugged slightly, "We had disagreements, sure, but we liked each other well enough. She taught me how to fight properly in my root mode, we discussed our positions on Megatronus and Orion Pax's policies over Energon… Whatever the war made her into, she wasn't a monster back then. I'll admit, I've been… Loathe to look up what happened with her since. Would it be worse for her to have offlined, or to have become something terrible?"
And the worst part was, I really didn't know what might have happened to her. Ravage didn't show up at all in Prime, nor in the games that themselves were only debatably connected, I vaguely thought there might be an Aligned comic with her in it but with the state of Aligned that meant precisely Jack and sh*t.
"Never thought I'd hear about someone calmly discussing political opinions with that one… But, unfortunately, I don't think you'll find many answers. She was definitely one of Soundwave's most effective little spies, and especially vicious. Seemed to just disappear mid-war. One Vorn, happily running around spying and assassinating bots, the next? Nothing. No reports from anyone of offlining her, no further contact reports...." She shrugged a little, "… Sorry. I know it's probably not what you'd like to hear."
I sighed and closed my optics for a moment, "The uncertainty is actually the worst part. But... She made her choice." I said quietly, stretching out a forelimb to look at the Autobot symbol freshly emblazoned there, "… And so have I."
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Optimus soon turned to us as his call with Agent Fowler closed, "Agent Fowler has confirmed the location of the Red Energon in a cargo port, and ordered it evacuated. To prevent it from falling into Decepticon hands, we must recover it immediately. Autobots, Roll Out!" He nodded to Ratchet, who had already plugged in the coordinates and now lifted the lever to activate the Groundbridge.
I ran over to Bumblebee again, and we emerged into the container yard with the Red Energon high up in a crane… And Starscream in the Apex Armour facing us.
Scrap.
+Single Shot armour piercing?+ Bee asked me hopefully.
+… Worth a shot. Charging now.+ I started emitting a rising hum as, instead of my normal quick charge and discharge, my internals started storing up energy for a single big shot.
Starscream smirked, "Your fancy new gun won't help you against the Apex Armour. Go on. Give me your best shot." He preened, outright posing in front of us. Ugh, this guy gets really annoying when he figures you can't hurt him.
The hum reached a crescendo as five seconds passed with the bots slowly spreading out, +Bee, fire!+
Bumblebee snapped up my muzzle and fired a perfect shot right into the Apex Armour's faceplate, a brilliant blue bolt shooting out from my muzzle that was almost as large as those fired by Optimus' Path Blasters and more than twice as bright. I drew a split second of vicious satisfaction at seeing Starscream flinch despite his bravado… Only for the shot to spatter harmlessly off the armour, not even marking the 'glass'. Starscream's smirk came back in full force.
"Autobots…" He drawled slowly, "Slow learners."
+Oh, that's just not fair.+ I complained softly as Optimus strode up next to us, looking at Bumblebee and Arcee – and by extension me, given Bee was still carrying me.
"… Secure the Red Energon and have Ratchet bridge it back to base! Go!" Optimus ordered, deploying his Path Blasters as Bee and Arcee ran off to climb the crane.
+Bee, I can't do anything to that armour no matter what mode I'm in. Drop me and I'll try to distract him at least. Besides, you'll need both hands free to climb.+ I sent quietly to Bee.
Bumblebee nodded and dropped me carefully, +Good luck.+ He said to me as he and Arcee started climbing up the side of the stairwell.
Well built, these cranes.
I ran up the human-sized stairwell four at a time, making it to the top just in time to see Starscream punt Optimus into a stack of shipping containers and Bumblebee and Arcee to likewise make it up.
"Oh, Autobots, didn't you hear? The higher you climb, the harder you fall!" Starscream laughed as he climbed slowly up after us.
Bumblebee turning and firing his wrist blasters at Starscream did precisely as much as my earlier charged shot had – namely, absolutely nothing – but Optimus' punches earlier had at least physically moved him…
I'm about to do something really stupid, aren't I?
"Get the Energon!" I shouted to Bumblebee as I dove over the railings and onto the Apex-suited Starscream before I could think better of it, deploying my tail and claw blades and throwing myself against the suit any way I could think of – scrabbling over the glass, trying to jam claws into the joints between segments of armour, firing my reduced power root mode's weapon at the transparent faceplate mostly in an attempt to disorient him, all while growling and snarling viciously as my claws skittered off the metal of the armour.
Nothing so much as scratched the paintwork. But it made you invincible, not able to fly. Nor immune to the laws of physics. Such as Centre of Mass and Gravity.
"Gah! Get off of me, you mangy beast!" He shouted, trying to use one arm to swat me away. I growled louder and started snapping at the glass instead. I am not mangy!
Finally he caught me with a vicious swipe, and I yelped as I got flung off with an impact like being hit by a train. But his sudden violent swing had upset his balance, and Starscream fell from the crane after me, crashing roughly into the concrete below.
That was some consolation as my muzzle met the steel of a blue shipping container.
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The sounds of combat coming back through the team's commlinks were interspersed for a few seconds by vicious growling and snarls, before they were cut off by a clang and worrying yelp of pain followed by more crashing sounds.
"Come on Doc, I've got my v-mode and everything! I'm ready to roll!" Smokescreen protested, "They need me out there!"
"Starscream is using the Apex Armour. Your blasters won't make any difference." Ratchet glared at the supercar.
"I'm not saying I'm going to just run out there and try punching him!" Smokescreen frowned, "I've got a plan – just… Hear me out here, okay?"
Ratchet turned fully around to face the newcomer, folding his arms, "… Go on."
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I groaned as I pulled myself out of the shipping container I'd been lodged in, wincing as the jagged metal scratched at my flanks. Fraaaagggg, that was a bad idea… Everything ached, and my olfactory sensors were throwing calibration errors that were already giving me a headache.
But nothing seemed broken, and as I finally emerged I could see Arcee and Bumblebee pulling the cage containing the Red Energon up to the top to recover it, and Optimus once again attacking Starscream. I was already down here, so…
I shook myself out a bit to make sure nothing was broken and ran in at an angle, this time keeping my distance as I took potshots at the Apex-Armoured Starscream. Not really out of any expectation of hurting him, but more just to try and distract him from the Prime who could at least somewhat affect him.
This wasn't going to last for long though… Starscream was getting more and more used to the Apex Armour and was barely flinching now even when I nailed him in the faceplate. Another punch and Optimus was sent flying back into another stack of containers that collapsed atop him… Then Starscream turned to me.
"Well well well, it seems to Autobots found a new pet." He scowled at me, "Though… Not for much longer."
The sound of the Groundbridge opening again was the sweetest sound I'd heard that fight, as a white and blue supercar roared through and transformed.
"Hey Scream! How about you pick on someone your own size?" Smokescreen taunted, making a beckoning gesture with one hand and a confident smirk.
Arcee groaned slightly from where she was watching on top of the crane.
"Ugh, another new recruit? Autobots are just showing up everywhere now, aren't they?" The fighter jet grumbled, before chuckling slightly, "No matter. You are no more able to harm me than any of your comrades. Any last words, Autobot?"
"Just four: Kiss your armour goodbye!" Smokescreen grinned as he started running at the former air commander, and the wavering hum of the Phase Shifter filled the air.
"… What!? NO!" Starscream realised what he planned a moment too late, trying to turn and run too late as Smokescreen phased through the Apex Armour… But not through Starscream, throwing him bodily out of the suit to crash against the concrete floor.
"Hah!" Smokescreen grinned, "And that's how you deal with a creep in armour!"
Starscream growled as he pulled himself upright, then wilted slightly as Optimus, Bumblebee, Arcee and I all pointed our blasters at him, the scout also carrying the hunk of Red Energon we'd spent so much effort on in his free hand.
Starscream's optics snapped to it, and I realised an astrosecond too late what he was planning.
"Bumblebee, look out!" I yelled as Starscream transformed and flew straight at him, trying to loose off a few shots but missing as the scout was bowled over and Starscream flew away, shots from Arcee and me flying after him as Optimus helped the scout up.
+I'm fine, he just...+ Bumblebee beeped as he stood up again, looking down at the ground where he'd landed +The Red Energon!+
… Scrap.
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… Damnit, the first major mission and it actually ends worse than without my involvement! Smokescreen still got the Apex Armour, and he actually thought to ask first so Ratchet and Optimus are happier with him for showing respect for the chain of command, but… Starscream got all of the Red Energon!
He already caused enough problems with the single dose he got away with normally, who knows what's going to happen now!? Scraaaaapppp…
I'd ended up mindlessly making my way to the armoury after we got back – given the amount of dust in here, I was pretty sure nobody else ever really used it, so it made a good place to go and brood while not technically going and locking myself in my room.
Plus, it let me actually be productive while I thought – I'd grabbed a small set of spare tools and cleaning supplies and was methodically stripping, cleaning, re-lubricating and re-assembling each stored weapon in sequence. It was simple work that kept my paws busy while my processor worked. Thankfully, being a Cybertronian, my paws were fully opposable and entirely capable of picking things up if I wanted to. Couldn't really walk around while carrying something that way, but sitting down and cleaning things? Perfectly doable.
Less dextrous for their size than proper hands would be, but I was so much smaller that I could still easily work with parts the larger bots would struggle to grip properly.
Hrf… Nothing I can think of really to stop whatever Starscream ends up doing. With even more Red Energon than he originally had he'd basically have speedster powers. About the only thing that might stop him would be an automated Spacebridge shutdown if the base computers detected Decepticons in the base… But even that was iffy, and well… Starscream was a jet. If he found himself unable to bridge back out he'd just fly out and learn the location of the base earlier too.
Still… Since we knew he had it, mentioning that we ought to take precautions against someone using Red Energon to sneak through an open portal wouldn't hurt. Even if I couldn't think of anything, Optimus or one of the others might. Heck, Raf's pretty smart, and if anyone could program a computer to react fast enough to do something it would be him…
I tilted my head slightly as I rubbed at an oil stain on the Neutron Assault Rifle I was cleaning. "Wow, that's just negligent." I snorted slightly, "No worries, I'll get you all cleaned up again."
Look, if Ratchet could complain about Demolition Derby's with Earth vehicles being bloodsport, I can emphasize with regular guns being mistreated.
My optics snapped over to the door as it opened and Bumblebee stepped in. +There you are! What are you doing in-?+ He beeped before going quiet as he looked around at the carefully cleaned and reassembled guns neatly arranged back on their racks, the smaller pile of disassembled guns around my paws, and the assault rifle I was carefully clearing of grime. +Here?+
"… Just… trying to clear my head a bit. Didn't really feel like I helped much back there, and maintenance has always been relaxing for me." I said quietly, "Hope Ratchet doesn't mind I borrowed some of his supplies."
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Ratchet didn't mind, as it turned out. In fact, he was glad that 'someone was finally taking some responsibility around here' and I'd summarily found myself officially assigned as the team's Armourer.
Turns out he was well aware that not just the armoury but also several other parts of the base were in varying levels of disrepair due to either lacking time to keep up with repairs or being in locations that most of the bots couldn't reach easily. Since nobody was really using the armoury at the moment it had been made a low priority.
I'd also been asked if I wouldn't mind helping to fix some other systems in the human scale parts of the base. It wasn't an order, just a request for when I had free time… And, tracing cable runs, replacing damaged Ethernet cable connectors by splicing on new ones, and helping Raf troubleshoot physical issues with the base's human computer systems?
It was both refreshingly different to my altmode-assigned function, and… pleasant to fix things, rather than break them. I don't think I'd want to do it full time, but… yeah. This was nice.
Many times, those cables were run through trunk lines in the ceiling… Which, now that I was fully healed, I reached by virtue of a little trick Ravage had shown me.
You see, Minicons are pretty efficient. Yeah, we're not as powerful as a bigger bot – but our power-to-weight ratio is actually better in most cases. That extends to a lot of our subsystems too, including magnetized soles.
For most bots, magnetizing their pedes was just enough to stop them from floating away into space when in zero-g – the adhesion wasn't strong enough to overcome gravity so trying it on a planet would just result in falling off as soon as you tried to put some weight on it.
But I was a lot lighter than most bots, so mine could, and many of the walls of the base were either lined with metal or at least had metal supports.
To be fair, Ravage had mentioned it as a stealth thing, because 'you'd be surprised how few bots look up inside a building', not as a way to scuttle along the ceiling fixing things like some kind of spider-handyman, but it worked just fine for me.
Besides, this was certainly one way to learn all the shortcuts and little nooks and crannies around the base.
