Optimus part Thirteen.

Optimus squatted uncomfortably as he carefully reeled in his towline. After a few awkward moments Road Rage emerged from the hole, Botanica helping her out. “It’s a big facility.” Road Rage untied the line around her waist. “It’s like some sort of big lab only without any equipement.” “Maybe a bunker?” Botanica asked. “Was there any treasure?” Optimus asked. “Just some old papers with squiggly lines across them.” Road Rage said. “Well, one long squiggly line. They were halfway down a paper shredder.” “Well, it was important to hide a fake building over it.” Optimus pondered. His thought was interrupted when he noticed something. “Where’s the short one and the old guy?” Botanica and Road Rage shrugged. There was a rustling in the trees and Jetfire, blackened and with a dejected look, emerged. “What happened?” Botanica moved over to help, but Jetfire waved her off. He looked down solemnly. “They took your friend.” He rubbed the back of his head. “I wandered off and he tried to stop me. They defeated us and…” Optimus stood up and walked over to Jetfire. “It’s okay.” He said. “We‘ll get him back.” ------- “You know, I’m not vindictive or anything.” Ironhide said. “If you let me go I wouldn’t say anything.” He tried again to break his bonds that held his hands behind his back. “Once I was captured. Captured by… pirates, and they were nice, and they let me go, and I didn’t say anything.” Again he tried, to no avail. Ironhide sat bound to a rock in the middle of the Decepticon cave. Only one beam of light poured in from above, and all around him was dark. “Don’t bother.” A voice came from the darkness. Strika moved into the light. “Those binders came from your Autobot spacecraft. They are unbreakable. Used to hold volatile samples, also effect as chains for prisoners.” “You know,” Ironhide said. “With the dark dungeon setting, handcuffs and you all clad in black I’d say this in no way resembles something I saw on the internet.” Strika didn’t say a word, instead she snapped her fingers. Soundwave emerged, pushing a trolley filled with tools. All manner of cutters, prods, saws and spikes. Strika picked up a saw and thumbed the switch. It’s razor blade spun. She twirled it in her hands as she walked around him. “Megatron said I can do whatever I want with you.” She said, moving the saw closer. Ironhide leaned back. “Again, there’s this thing I saw on the internet…” Strika held the saw centimetres away from his eye. “That’s an impressive scar you have there.” Strika pointed out the gash on his right brow. “I wonder, should we try and make both sides match?” “Well, I don’t think-” Ironhide began, but Strika covered his mouth. She pulled back the saw. “But first I think we’ll do some body work.” She trusted the saw into Ironhide’s chest, but was surprised when it bounced off. Puzzled, she more carefully jabbed the blade. Again it ricocheted off. “I tried to tell you…” Ironhide said. Again Strika attacked, this time with all her might, at his chest. The blade made contact and crumpled, jamming the saw and causing it to spark and smoke. Strika tossed it away. She looked at Ironhide, furious, but then calmed. “Never mind.” She regained herself. “I know your Achilles heel…” She reached for an electric prod. “Okay, I don’t want to play anymore.” Ironhide shuffled nervously, trying again to break his chains. Strika activate the prod, electricity surged between it’s tips. Ironhide pulled as hard as he could, and before Strika could do anything, he ripped the rock from the ground, flipping forward and hurling it straight at her face. The rock knocked Strika way, and Ironhide landed upside down. Soundwave jumped from the shadows and prepared to fire his laser. Ironhide flipped again just in time to put the rock between him and the blast. The stone shattered, but Ironhide was undamaged. He turned to Soundwave, who fumbled to vent his weapon for another shot. But Ironhide was too fast, mustered up enough strength for another front flip, he looped the bonds around his hands behind Soundwave’s head, then curled his legs back so his heels lay against Soundwave’s face, and pushed as hard as he could. The bonds, weakened by the laser, snapped, and so did Soundwave’s head. Soundwave stumbled back, severely disoriented. Ironhide panted, tired from the acrobatics, he wasted no time transforming, hitting his high beams and headed to the nearest opening. Strika rolled from the ground, seamlessly adopting her vehicle form and giving pursuit. Gravel and dirt crunched under Ironhide’s heavy duty tires as he sped down the dark tunnel. The roar of Strika’s engine creeping up behind him as he sped. He gave it his all, but Ironhide was too exhausted from the battle. Just as escaped seemed impossible, he saw daylight, and shot out of the tunnel like a bullet. Now he had to navigate the forest. Or he would have, had the ground not exploded beneath him. Ironhide tumbled through the air. Green, blue and brown blurring as he rolled through the dirt and trees. He split apart and reformed in his robotic form in time to avoid falling off a cliff and into the river below. Above thrusters roared, and Starscream fell from the sky. Strika rolled up beside him and transformed. Ironhide was outmatched. “Nowhere to run Autobutt!” Starscream laughed. Strika elbowed him to be quiet. “You’re trapped, now surrender!” Strika demanded. Ironhide weighed his options. “No thanks,” He said. “I think I’ll just go for a swim-” He heel-turned and was about to spelunker, but out of the gorge behind him rose the space ship, Soundwave behind the controls. The forward gun of the ship blasted Ironhide, toasting him and sending him tumbling backwards to Strika’s feet. “That’s for crushing my head, jerk!” Soundwave said over the external speaker. He eased the ship towards his comrades, hovering just above. “Soundwave, you fool!” Strika said. “How dare you bring the ship outside! What if-” Strika was cut of when a space shuttle rammed into the ship’s side, sending it spinning into the trees. “-That happens.” Strika dejectedly waved her hand at the event. The shuttle spun around and popped open, releasing Optimus and Road Rage who landed on the ground, poised for action, Jetfire transforming and joining them. “You’re outnumbered, Strika.” Optimus remained in a battle stance. “Do you really think we can take them?” Road Rage whispered. “Hell no.” Optimus whispered back. “That landing actually really, really hurt…” He groaned. “I don’t think I can feel my legs. “Me neither.” Road Rage squeaked as she registered the pain of falling thirty feet. “But we don’t have to beat them, just distract them.” Optimus whispered to her, then raised his voice for the Decepticons. “Now give us back our friend. Three on two is hardly fair for you guys…” As if in response, Megatron rocketed out of the mountain, landing in front of his troops. “Now, what is fair again?” He said. “I knew that was gonna happen,” Optimus moaned. “But I said it anyway, so stupid…” Behind them a rumbling noise came. The ship had repositioned itself, and the Autobots were completely boxed in. “Now, Autobots, I seemed to recall asking you to, what was it, roll over and die?” Megatron said. “But you needn’t trouble yourselves. I’ll just do it myself. Soundwave! Absolve yourself of the sin of disobeying me and obliterate them!” Megatron yelled to his officer. Inside the ship Soundwave gave the thumbs up and searched the control module for the biggest, most aggressive weapon the scientific vessel had. Unbeknownst to Soundwave, however, Botanica silently glided up behind him. As quiet as she could be Botanica moved to push Soundwave out of the chair while bent over to look for more buttons, muttering to himself. Botanica leaned over the chair. “Soundwave?” Megatron called again, trying to retain a threatening tone. Soundwave snapped upwards, his cannon knocking Botanica aside. She hit the controls and the ship began to spin. Soundwave spun around in shock and attempted to push Botanica away, but she slipped behind him and grabbed his head. He flailed around trying to reach her, knocking the chair back and putting them both on the floor. Botanica recovered quickly enough, as did Soundwave, and they squared of. The ship listed again, tossing Botanica into Soundwave. With no one at the controls the steering apparatus of the ship spun with the motions, out of control. Soundwave pushed the Autobot off and started hitting random buttons. Lights, weapons and other equipement dislodged or activated on the ships hull. Mechanical arms swiped at the combatants below. Strika was knocked into the river, Starscream flattened into the dirt, Jetfire blinded by floodlights, Road Rage sent into the air. Optimus dodge rocket fire and Megatron avoided capture nets. “Soundwave you raging malfunction! What are you doing!?” Megatron screamed as he was caught in a mechanical arm. He gripped the claw holding him and ripped it apart, grabbing the arm and pulled himself towards the ship. Inside Botanica and Soundwave both tried to correct the ship, until Megatron smashed his way through the cockpit glass. He dug his hand into the control console and pulled out a wad of wires and circuits. The ship shuttered, then dipped forward, ploughing into the ground below. As the robots collected themselves, Megatron approached Optimus. He handed the Autobot the wad of technology. “She’s all yours.” And walked away, the Other Decepticons followed. “Sweet.” Optimus said.