Optimus part Twelve.

Road Rage screamed as she tumbled out of control down the dark shaft, crashing and scraping against the wall until she hit the ground. She landed face first and flipped over onto her back. From above she heard Optimus say something. “Sorry,” His voice echoed. “I thought Botanica said ‘gently throw her down’ not ‘lower down.’” Road Rage got up and silently cursed up the shaft, flipping her arms in crude ways. Finally she calmed down and looked around. It was utterly pitch dark and every move she made caused an echo. She tightened the cable around her waist and turned on her headlights before venturing into the black. Up top Optimus sat with his back to the shaft’s mouth, his tow cable leading down into the hole. Botanica stood by, ready to descend herself, while Ironhide and Jetfire watched. “Y’know,” Ironhide said to Jetfire. “You couldn’t pay me to go down there. Probably filled with owls. People think their harmless, but I know better.” Ironhide turned to look at Jetfire, but the elderly fellow had disappeared. Ironhide searched around, then looked back to Optimus and Botanica. “Hey, guys…” “Not now, Ironhide.” Optimus said. “This is not very comfortable.” Ironhide shrugged and turned around to look for Jetfire. He walked around the barn to see where Jetfire may have gotten to. His attention was drawn to the sound of trees tipping over in the distance. It seems the ex-Decepticon may have simply wandered away. As he followed the damaged foliage he found Jetfire had wandered onto the main road. Indeed he seemed to be suffering another episode as he waved his cane about and shouted at nothing. Ironhide waddled out of the trees to meet him on the road, but hadn’t made it halfway when a passing motorist unwittingly earned the ire of the mentally distressed giant. The human slammed on his brakes and attempted to turn and flee, but Jetfire grabbed the roof of the pickup truck and began accosting it’s driver. Ironhide ran as fast as he could to try and stop Jetfire before he could hurt anyone, but as soon as Jetfire spotted him his demeanour turned belligerent. “You!” Jetfire pointed at Ironhide and shoved the truck away. “Why’d you turn off the collision detector?” Ironhide didn’t understand, but he didn’t want to agitate Jetfire further. “Because…” Ironhide thought. “It was… faulty! Yeah, so we‘re fixing it, back at the base. Why don‘t you come see?” “No, that planet, it wasn’t supposed to be here. They told me…” Jetfire turned melancholy. “I tried my best, I really did.” He fell to his knees, Ironhide approached cautiously. “If I’d just made the connection…. I was so stupid.” “It’s okay,” Ironhide said. “It wasn’t your fault, just come with me…” Ironhide extended his hand. Jetfire looked up, sadness overwhelming him, then in an instant he turned violent. “No!” Jetfire punched Ironhide in the chest hard enough to send him flying backwards. ‘I know what that means! You didn’t expect me to survive! By I’m smarter! Smarter than you all!” Jetfire laughed, then transformed. However rather than fly away, he deployed his landing gear and began to drive down the road. Ironhide pulled himself off the ground and rolled into his transformation and screeching into pursuit. Jetfire wobbled and shuddered as he drove on his tiny wheels. Oncoming cars swerved to avoid him. On of his rear landing gear slipped into the ditch along the roadside. He increased thrust to fix himself, but ended up being launched off the road and into a nearby baseball diamond. He became entangled in the chain link fence, but powered on. He headed straight for the suburbs, but just before he hit the houses Ironhide rammed his nose hard enough to push the skidding craft away from the homes. Jetfire’s right rear gear failed, and his wing dipped down, carving a trench as he skidded past the houses and into the streets. Ironhide continued along side, trying as hard as he could to push the massive vessel into the clearing outside the suburbs, but instead Jetfire steered straight into the intersection before finally stopping. The shuttle began to split apart and move, but Ironhide transformed first, leaping onto his back and effectively holding the craft together. But Jetfire, for all his years, was still larger and Ironhide simply could not hold him for long. Jetfire extended an arm pulled the stout robot off his back before standing up. Ironhide landed on his feet. He tackled the old man and tried to hold him down. “Jetfire!” Ironhide yelled. “Listen, you’re sick, you need to come back with me!” But Jetfire wouldn’t listen, instead he rolled onto his back, pinning Ironhide to the ground and freeing his limbs. As Jetfire stood, Ironhide lay still. Jetfire reached for his cane and wandered off out of view. Ironhide struggled to pull him out of the dent in the asphalt. As he sat up he felt the ground shake. He turned around and heard the heavy crunching of all-terrain wheels. He hurriedly crawled into a wide alley, poking his head out to see what was going on. Strika rolled up, with another vehicle in tow. It was large, grey and had a huge weapon of some kind on it’s bed. Above he heard the roar of jets. Megatron most likely, but Ironhide didn’t know of any other jet Decepticons except the late Shockwave. As all four transformed, it became clear now the Decepticons had seen growth among their ranks. The artillery vehicle became a stout, grey and red robot with a blue visor, while the jet became a bulky black robot with four eyes. They looked dangerous, Ironhide opted to stay concealed and listen in. “Okay, so this time we’re doing this right.” Megatron said. “Starscream, I want you to dig a hole over there and bury yourself.” “What did I do?” Starscream said. “No, numbskull,” Megatron said. “You’re part of the ambush. I saw it on the Discovery channel. Some types of multi-limbed micro-organics will bury themselves or make dens in the ground to surprise prey. Starscream,” Megatron grabbed Starscream’s shoulders. “You are my spider. And you shall spring out on my signal, which is the word ‘bait,’” Starscream nodded, muttering the word to himself. Megatron turned to Soundwave and Strika. “You two shall be stationed behind those trees.” Megatron outlined with his hands the area in question. Behind him Starscream knelt down and began digging with his hands. Megatron looked at him, confused. “What are you doing?” He said. “You told me to dig a hole!” He said. Megatron smacked his face. “Not now, you imbecile.” Megatron groaned. “We’re not springing the trap now, we’re assessing the area.” “Yeah, I don’t know what that means.” Starscream kept digging. “I….” Megatron shrugged. “Keep up the good work. So as I was saying,” he turned to the others. “You two shall be stationed beyond yonder tree line and await my signal.” “What will the signal be, oh mighty lord?” Soundwave bowed. Strika crossed her arms. “The signal,” Megatron pointed up. “Shall be when I pounce them with the Driller. Then while flee, Starscream ambushes their retreat, and you two box them in.” “I thought we were going to use the Shuttle?” Strika said. “Indeed we shall,” Megatron rubbed his hands together. “Soundwave?” “Megatron shall be in command of the captured shuttle remotely.” Soundwave declared. “As Obsidian is still under repairs-” “Repairs?” Starscream said from his hole. “We put him on Shockwave’s lab table and taped his arm back on.” “Quiet in the potato gallery!” Megatron scolded, then turned to Soundwave. “Continue.” “As I was saying, in order to truly box the Autobots in we need four on the ground, so the shuttle will be under Megatron’s control.” Soundwave said. “But wouldn’t that leave the shuttle open to interference, and divide Megatron’s attention?” Strika said. “One of us should fly it, while the others-” “No, Strika,” Megatron said. “You need four sides to make a box. If one of us was in the shuttle there’d be only three sides.” Megatron counted their heads with his hand. “But boxes can-” Strika began, but Megatron silenced her. “Boxes need four sides, otherwise their pyramids!” He said. “Well, no, they’re-” Megatron shushed Strika again. “Who agrees boxes need four sides?” Megatron said. “I do!” Soundwave raised his hand. “It’s true.” Starscream’s muffled voice came from underground. “Indeed.” Jetfire nodded. “See, we all agree.” Megatron said. “Now let’s hurry and mark our positions before-” Megatron stopped, looked to his left, then up. Jetfire scratched his chin. “Of course you really need six sides, but the ground is one, and that’s what I figure the shuttle’s for.” The old robot said. The Decepticons simply stared. Jetfire nodded to with himself. “So what’s going on?” Ironhide chose that moment to pounce, latching onto Megatron’s back and causing hi to flail about madly. Strika and Soundwave moved to assist, but Jetfire swatted them away with his cane. He stomped it against the ground and it broke apart, reforming as his sword, and he swung. Strika back flipped away, but Soundwave was knocked into a truck. Ironhide pounded on Megatron’s head, trying to pull it off. Megatron flailed, tripping and slipping as he tried to transform. Eventually he was able to convert enough to fly away, Ironhide holding tight. Megatron corkscrewed through the air, Ironhide holding on for dear life. Megatron dipped, then flipped over. Ironhide’s chubby hands held tight while his feet scrapped against the ground. They came up on power lines, Megatron righted himself, tossing Ironhide against hi back just in time to be snagged by the power lines as Megatron flew under. Ironhide was tangled immediately. Electricity surged as the lines wrapped around. The inertia ripped the poles from the ground. A messy mass of metal and wood landed in a nearby pool. Electricity surged wildly, sparks exploded out. Megatron pitched upwards, almost in a loop, and climbed. Just as he reached apex, he transformed and shot towards the ground, landing on two feet. He admired the devastation. Elsewhere, Jetfire fought Strika and Soundwave. Soundwave charged Jetfire, but the giant Autobot merely pushed him away. Strika stared Jetfire down. The Decepticon began to trudge forward. Jetfire picked up a chunk of road and chucked it at her. It harmlessly broke against her armour. Soundwave charged again, hoping to catch Jetfire off guard, but again he was pushed away. As Strika continued Jetfire sought something heftier. He picked up a nearby abandoned truck, and with two hands overhand tossed the vehicle. Again Strika shoved it off. Jetfire took a step back as she slowly closed in. Soundwave, determined to succeed, charged Jetfire again, and again was casually knocked back by the massive robot. Jetfire drew his blade, and when Strika was in range, swung with all his might to stop her. She side-stepped and grabbed the blade by it’s handle, launching it out of Jetfire’s hands. Disarmed and out of options, Jetfire cautiously stepped back as she approached. An opportunity presented itself as Soundwave charged yet a fourth time. This time Jetfire grabbed the stout robot’s back mounted cannon, pushing it into the ground. As Soundwave was pole-vaulted forwards, Jetfire grabbed his cannon like a bat and with all his strength swatted Strika with her comrade, sending them both flying. Strika landed face-down in a parking lot, Soundwave landing on top of her. Jetfire picked up his blade and moved in to finish his foes. As he approached, Soundwave’s weapon stuttered loosely on it’s damaged hinge, and sparked. Jetfire stood poised to kill, but before he could impale them both, the cannon tipped forward and fired. A powerful ray beam blasted Jetfire backwards. Charring his entire upper body, Jetfire slipped unconscious. As Strika and Soundwave managed to stand, Megatron returned, arms behind his back. Soundwave examined the fallen titan, then turned to Megatron. “My lord!” He snapped to attention. “We’ve successfully defeated the Autobot threat!” Strika groaned. “Excellent work, Soundwave.” Megatron said. “Truly you’re a skilled as you are eloquent.” Strika groaned louder. “What shall we do with him?” Soundwave asked. “Nothing,” Megatron said. “I now have a much better plan…” He tossed forward the damaged Ironhide. “And now, I have the perfect bait.” There was a rustling behind them. “Attack!” Starscream yelled, jumping out of his hole. Megatron sighed.