Optimus part Eighteen

The skies were clear, save a few lingering cumulous on the horizon. The few puffs of white failed to distract from the vast canvas of blue, interrupted only by the warm, shining sun. To those who could appreciate it, to take the time to sit back and bask in it’s simplicity and awe, it was nirvana. The Autobots, crammed haphazardly into the rocking space shuttle that was Jetfire, were not of this mind set today. “Stop squirming!” Optimus shouted. “You’re giving me an itch I can’t reach!” “Stop pushing!” Ironhide shouted back, the hefty robot was being shoved against the interior. “I don’t know you people well enough to be in such proximity!” Botanica yelled, trying to stay above the pile. “And who’s hand was that!?” “Stop yelling!” Road Rage screamed from the bottom. “I can’t breathe down here!” “You don’t breathe period!” Optimus quipped. “I can’t do whatever the cleverly worded counterpart to breathing is down here!” She elbowed her way up top, Optimus yelping as she hit a sensitive spot. “Oh…” Ironhide said, bracing himself as Jetfire banked right. “I don’t feel so well…” Optimus scrambled away, squishing Road Rage’s head into floor. He backed into Botanica, pinning her hand. “Ouch!” She said. “One sad, fat bot!” She shoulder checked Optimus, him squishing into Ironhide. “Alright!” Optimus screamed. “Just… everyone just stop moving.” They all complied. They could hear the wind rushing by outside. “We just need to calm down and just... relax. Relax.” Optimus wriggled his hands up to his hand and made slow fanning motions. “Find your still point…” “You’re crushing my still point!” Road Rage said. “Wait a moment…” Botanica said. “Does anyone else hear that?” The Autobots were motionless as they listened. From outside they heard a low droning buzz. Like aircraft jets. “Jetfire!” Optimus asked. There was no response. “Jetfire!” Optimus repeated, from inside the shuttle bay Jetfire responded in their electronic language. “Sorry,” He said. “I usually just tune you out so I don’t go mad listening to your crying.” “Later old man, are we being followed?” Optimus wasted no time. Jetfire waited a moment. “Oh…” He said. “I think so. Which is the grey jet and which is the black one?” Jetfire asked. “Not good.” Optimus said. “Do you have weapons?” “I have a sword, you know that!” Jetfire said. “No, I mean ranged weapons. Guns or-” Optimus was cut off by a violent rocking as the air detonated outside. Pinging rattled the right wing as bullets hit. “I can’t take much more of that!” Jetfire groaned. “Evasive manoeuvres!“ Optimus said. “Evasive?” Jetfire said. “I’m a space shuttle! I don’t get much more evasive than just flying really fast!” “Then we need to fight back.” Optimus said. He looked down to Road Rage. She nodded. Optimus looked to Ironhide. He gave a thumbs up. Then Botanica, who likewise signed approval. Optimus addressed Jetfire. “Open the hatch.” He said. The overhead doors swung open. Botanica and Optimus held on to avoid being sucked out. Ironhide gripped the interior with his toes. “Up you go.” He addressed Road Rage. She climbed up onto his shoulders. She was outside now, and could see the incoming attackers. Two spots behind them. Megatron and Starscream as she’d come to recognise them. “Let’s go, then.” She said. Road rage transformed in Ironhide’s arms as he gripped her undercarriage tight. Buffeted by the wind she assumed her vehicle mode, panels and parts shifted to reveal a powerful arsenal. As Jetfire kept steady she took aim. “Get some cog-suckers!” She screamed and unloaded a mad volley of rockets and machine gun fire. Megatron and Starscream banked to avoid incoming fire, letting loose with missiles and gun fire of their own. Jetfire turned, but the Decepticons pursued. Road Rage fired like a madwoman. Starscream nose-dived, Megatron pitched skyward. “Hang on to something!” Jetfire said. He banked into a slow roll. Botanica gripped the door now, Optimus held onto the interior and Ironhide, helping to keep him inside as Road Rage continued assaulting their pursuers. Road Rage deployed a large rocket on her back, armed it, and fired at Starscream. It spit apart into several mini-missiles which scattered towards him. He banked and rolled, deploying flares to shake them. Megatron levelled himself to Jetfire and fired his machine gun into the Ex-Decepticon’s underside. Jetfire wobbled and buckled. “I’ll handle this!” Botanica yelled over the harsh winds and gunfire. She crawled along the shuttle’s hull with her four arms, flipping over and magnetising her stand to his underside. She steadied herself, more bullets narrowly avoided her face. She flipped her hip mounted guns around, charging them. With a warlike cry she unleashed a massive fork of lightning at the Decepticon leader. Megatron banked left and tumbled to avoid the beam. She traced the sky, trying to hit him, but he rolled and braked to fast. Below Road Rage still fended of Starscream, who barely avoided her volleys. He transformed, activating an array of jet boosters in his back and shoulders. Road Rage cursed and yelled. Through the assault of bullets and profanity Starscream was hit again and again, until finally he retreated. Jetfire rolled back upright, Botanica crawling back in. Optimus helped her in. “I didn’t get him.” She said to Optimus, who looked over his shoulder to see the Decepticon leader barring down on them. His silver-blue metal gleaned, unscathed. Road Rage attempted an attack, but her weapons clicked empty. “I’m out!” She said, reverting back to robot mode. As she got in she pointed past Optimus. In the distance a smoke trial headed downward. They were out of time. From behind them Megatron fired again, the Autobots screaming and ducking. Optimus stood, staring down Megatron, he reached behind his back and drew his towing hook. He stood up and swung it over his head like a lasso. “What are you doing?” Botanica yelled to him. “The most awesome thing I’ve ever done!” Optimus tossed his hook straight at Megatron. It missed completely. “Or not.” More gunfire. Ironhide leaped in front of Optimus, taking all the hits. “Second time’s a charm!” He said, bullets pinging of his tough exterior. Optimus nodded and lined up for another go. Ironhide ducked as Optimus let swing his hook. Megatron tried to pull up, but it was a direct hit to his intake. “Yes!” Optimus pumped his fist. Megatron recovered and pulled away. “Oh wait…” He was yanked out of Jetfire and pulled through the air. He held onto his cable for dear life as Megatron corkscrewed downward, Optimus going along for the ride. As they approached the Earth below Optimus pulled himself in. He just got within reach of Megatron’s tailfin when the Decepticon pulled back up, increasing speed to maximum. Optimus felt his grip sliding down the cable. The air buffeted him hard. He again tried to reel himself closer. Megatron pitched into a cloud. Through the haze Optimus could barely make out Megatron’s thrusters. As they exited the cloud Megatron shook, the hook loosened it’s grip. Optimus felt the shaking and scurried even faster. He managed to grab Megatron’s tailfin. “Gotcha!” Optimus said. As he did, Megatron made a hard left, and Optimus was sent flying, his hook dislodged, through the air. Optimus screamed as he careened through the skies in a wide arch. The other Autobots watched helplessly as their leader sped off ahead, launched by Megatron’s immense momentum. As he tumbled Optimus spied the ship’s smoke trail as it connected with the Earth in a cloud of dust. Optimus saw now they were above a desert. “Oh good.” optimus said. ‘I’ll land on nice, soft-” Optimus hit the ground in an explosion of sand and dust. He dug a trench a mile long as he skidded to a stop. As soon as it had happened the dust began to settle as Optimus lay buried underneath the desert. He shifted and scrambled to try and dig himself out. Once he did he looked above for his friends or Megatron, but saw no one. Was he really so far ahead? He shook the sand out of him. He wasn’t as hurt as the horrific experience he just endured would lead him to believe. He supposed the sand really did break his fall. “Take that, physics!” He said. He remembered why he was hear, however, and looked off into the distance. Across the sea of sand and rippling waves of heat he was a plume of smoke. The ship. He transformed and wasted no time. He noted his tow hook hung a little lower now. Driving as fast as he could he navigated the dry land. After a brief trip he slowed as he approached the impact crater. It wasn’t that big, and for a moment Optimus thought it might just be a satellite or regular old meteor. He remained in vehicle mode and cautiously drove into the crater. He encroached on the point of impact and saw why it was so small. It was a stasis pod, not unlike the one they had in Botanica’s ship. This, however, was far more sophisticated. It had been discharged from a ship, no doubt, and was drifting with minimal onboard guidance until it’s systems were drawn to Earth. But Optimus made no further assumptions. Who was inside was important. He slowly rolled up to it. A spark gave him pause. It was damaged. Before he could react a beam hit him, covering his body. He transformed while the beam was on him, moving back as it completed. Optimus wasn’t sure, but he thought he’d just been… “Scan-an-ning and r-r-r-r-replication compl-plete,” A mechanical voice came from the pod. It skipped and repeated, obviously damaged. Optimus could do no more but watch as the pod hissed open. Optimus waited a moment after the hatch had opened completely then cautiously stepped forward. His approached was delayed again, however, when a hand rose out. A familiar hand. “Hello?” Optimus looked inside. A body arose from the pod. But not just anybody. His body. Optimus had come face to face with himself. Optimus stared into his duplicate’s eyes. He was an exact copy, only his colours were changed, darker, notably his eyes now glowed red. Optimus was more than a little shocked, but felt he had to say something. “Who are you?” The doppelganger looked himself over. His face looked appalled. “My body?” The robot said. “What have-?” He noticed optimus, and compared himself. “What have you done?” “I think your pod is busted, it thought I was a-” Optimus was cut of by a hand wrapped around his throught. The dark copy glowered as he choked the life out of Optimus. With little effort the duplicate was able to push Optimus back with one hand. He hopped out of the pod and loomed over Optimus. “For the indignity you’ve subjected me to, you derve nothing less than death at my Sword of-" the robot said, reaching behind his back. Optimus covered his head. They were interrupted by the sound of jet thrusters. Optimus assumed it was Megatron because of the single set of footsteps, but what he saw approach was worse. The dark robot looked over. “And what do you want?” At the edge of the crater a purple and black robot stood, one arm to his side, the other bent at an awkward angle. “I want only one thing:” Shockwave said. “The pod.”