Transformers - Robots in Disguise

202 - Regroup

by Mike Watson

"Everything is out, we have no power again," Mega-Octane observed.

"Brilliant," Megatron said.  He looked up at the Vertigo, so very silent and still in the night.  Not a single port was lit up.  The only giveaway that it had once been functioning was the smoke coming from the fusion cannon.  Blast those Autobots!  They would pay dearly for this, he would see to that.

"Where is Scourge?" Rollbar asked nervously.

"Defeated, no doubt," Megatron said bitterly.  Along with the rest of my useless recruits.  He looked at the five combaticons.  "We'll split into teams of two and search for our fallen-" he paused for a second, clearing his throat.  "Comrades.  Mega-Octane and Movor, Ro-Tor and Armorhide, and myself and Rollbar," Megatron said.  "Use your commlinks when you find someone.  We will need all six of them if we hope to defeat the Autobots now."

With that they dispersed into the darkness of the Vertigo.

					* * * * * *
					
"Well, that should keep them busy for a little while at least," Optimus said.

"I would have liked to have gotten the core from the bottom," Prowl said quietly.

"You did the right thing," Optimus said.  "Midnight Express could have still been down there."

"How long will it take them to repair the core?" X-Brawn asked.

"It depends," Midnight Express said.  "I mean, the three Predastooges are really the only ones capable of fixing it, and they're out of commission."

"For now," Optimus said.  "I'm sure Megatron will have them online shortly enough."

"Still, they'll be busy for like half a deca-cycle," Midnight Express said.  "Maybe more."

Optimus nodded.  "Enough time for us to regroup."

"We got someone!" Wedge yelled from the rubble.  The build team had been hard at work digging out Sideburn and Rail Spike.  Optimus, Rapid Run and X-Brawn had helped, but the build team was much more efficient at it and much less energy depleted as well.

Optimus and Rapid Run quickly ran over to where Wedge was.  The arm of Sideburn poked through the tunnel of sorts they had dug into the rubble.

"Thank the Matrix," Optimus said quietly.  "X-Brawn, we need some more light over here!" he yelled.  X-Brawn stood up, transformed and quickly drove over to the rubble.  Once his lights were in place and shone at where Sideburn was, the digging was much easier.

"It's getting tough to work in the dark," Wedge said, looking up at Optimus.

"We'll help again," Optimus said.  "We still need to find Rail Spike."  Behind him, Hightower snorted.

Optimus spun around.  "Is there a problem?" he said.

Hightower stared at Optimus for a second.  Finally he spoke.  "Why are we bothering with single, injured Transformers?" he asked.  "We outnumber Megatron's forces seven to six, plus we have the advantage of surprise on our sides.  We could end this!"

"We can't risk any more injuries!" Optimus said harshly, taken back by the things Hightower had just said.  "We need all the troops we can get right now, and if you don't mind, I would like to help out some friends."

Hightower snorted again.  "Autobot sentiment," he said sarcastically.

"What the?" Rapid Run said.  "Aren't y'all Autobots too?"

"Last I checked," Heavy Load said, rolling by with a full load of rocks in his bed.

"Maybe," Hightower said, ignoring Heavy Load.  "But I know we were made from Decepticon protoforms.  What makes me Autobot is nothing more than programming.  Rightfully I am a Decepticon.  What kind of Autobot honor is that?" he argued.  "What ever happened to 'freedom is the right of all sentient beings'?"  Hightower stood, staring at Optimus, fire in his eyes, awaiting an answer.

Optimus stared back for a second, tense.  The all at once he loosened up and looked at the ground.  "It's not Autobot honor," he finally said.  "Had we the choice, we would not shell any pods.  However, we need allies, and there is little hope for a Decepticon to side with us."

"So you admit it is wrong of you to shell those who have no choice in the matter?" Hightower said.  The rest of the Autobots, except Wedge, had been engrossed in the conversation.  They were unable to believe what Hightower was saying, but at the same time they realized he was right.

Optimus didn't speak for a good amount of time.  "Yes," he finally said.  "It isn't right, but I also believe that Autobots are better off.  We are not war-driven or power-hungry like Predacons or Decepticons.  We care about one another.  We mourn when another dies, rejoice when another comes into the world.  Including someone who was originally a Decepticon."

"You are also losing this war and the one on Cybertron," Hightower said.  "Transform."  With that he drove in the opposite direction and into the darkness of the forest.

"You want me to go after him?" Grimlock finally spoke up, still in vehicle mode.

"Let him go," Optimus said sadly.  "He may do as he wishes."  Optimus turned around and looked at Sideburn's body, now uncovered was his entire arm, shoulder and head.  Wedge hadn't stopped working the whole time.  "Let's get back to work!" Optimus said, snapping everyone out of the trance they had seemingly been put in.  "We have friends to dig out!"  He and Rapid Run walked to another part of the rubble and began moving rocks, searching for Rail Spike.

Heavy Load drove over to Grimlock, who was watching Wedge uncover Sideburn.  "Did you know we were shelled Decepticons?" he asked the steam shovel.

Grimlock spun the top half of his vehicle mode to face Heavy Load.  "No," he said.

					* * * * * *

"We've got three, sir," Ro-Tor said into his commlink.  "Scourge, Dark Scream and Gas Skunk.  Damaged, but still functional."

"Excellent," Megatron said through the link.  "I want Dark Scream and Gas Skunk online as soon as possible, we need to get the core fixed.  Megatron out."

"What about Scourge?" Ro-Tor asked.  It was too late.  He looked at Armorhide.  "Hm, he must've had something to do."

"Wake up, would you?!" Armorhide yelled.  "I don't know why the Pit you're so loyal to that pulsating flesh bag anyway.  Organics never did anything for us before."

"Megatron is our leader," Ro-Tor said slowly.  "We have to follow his orders, it's our duty as soldiers."

"Megatron wants nothing to do with Decepticons," Armorhide said.  "The only reason he tolerates our existence is because he needs us around to keep the odds matched.  If he could get five Predacons instead, he'd dispose of us in a second."

"You don't know that!" Ro-Tor said.  "He rewards loyalty!"

"He rewards nothing!" Armorhide hissed.  "He doesn't even trust Sky Byte, his loyal general for stellar cycles upon stellar cycles."

"A good leader trusts no one," Ro-Tor said quietly.

"You are a fool," Armorhide said, frustrated.  "You have loyalties to Megatron for no reason other than because he is our leader?"

"What other reason do I need?" Ro-Tor said angrily.

"Honor!" Armorhide yelled.  "He is a Predacon!"

"We are all Predacons!" Ro-Tor yelled.

With that Armorhide quickly drew his gun, grabbed Ro-Tor by the neck and pushed him into the ground.  Ro-Tor then lay flat on his back, with Armorhide's knee pressing against his stomach and his gun aimed at his forehead.

"Never, ever, say that again," Armorhide said angrily.  "I would destroy you if the circumstances were different."

Ro-Tor looked up bitterly at Armorhide.  "We are from the same race," he said quietly, unable to move.

"Yes," Armorhide said, less angry now.  "But we are not Predacons."

Ro-Tor could see it was no use.  "Very well," he finally said.

Armorhide stared at Ro-Tor for a second again.  "Very well," he repeated, standing up and releasing his fellow Decepticon.  "We will bring these three to the CR chambers."  He clicked his communicator.  "Armorhide to Movor."

"I'm here," Movor said through the link.

"We need some sort of power source to power a few CR chambers," he said.

"I know of one," Movor said.

"Ah, of course, I had forgotten," Armorhide said.  "Never mind then, we can go to it ourselves."

"Out then," Movor said, terminating the link.

Armorhide looked at the two motionless Predacons in front of him, then up at Ro-Tor.  "You can carry your brothers," he said.

					* * * * * *
					
"They're both in stasis," Midnight Express said.  "But they need to get to a CR chamber, and fast.  I'm not sure how long their internal repairs will hold up."

"Perfect," Optimus said.  He clicked his comm-link.  "X-Brawn, come in."

"Here, Prime," X-Brawn said over the link.

"Any luck with the moved equipment?" Optimus asked.

"Some of it survived," X-Brawn reported.  "Some of it, not so much."

"The CR chamber?" Optimus asked, fearful of the answer.

"It's damaged," X-Brawn said.  "But it looks like it'll still work.  Heavy Load is hauling it to you guys now."

Optimus relaxed a bit.  "Excellent work,  Optimus out."  Optimus looked at Sideburn and Rail Spike, both unconscious on the ground.  "Don't worry guys, we'll have you up and running soon."

"Optimus, look!" Wedge yelled.  He had been looking at the Vertigo for the last mega-cycle, scanning for any sort of activity.

"What is it?" Optimus asked, squinting through the dark at the Vertigo.  It looked the same to him.  Actually, if not for the moonlight, he would not have been able to make it out as well as he did.

"A light," Wedge said, without taking his eyes off the ship.

"Where?" Optimus asked.  He still couldn't see anything.

"Upper right of the ship, maybe a hundred feet down from the top," Wedge said.

Optimus stared at the area Wedge was describing.  Indeed there was a light, though it was barely noticeable.  Optimus looked down curiously at Wedge, who had not looked up at him once.  "Wow, those are some good optics you've got there," he said.

"Night vision and zoom," Wedge said.  "Standard."

Optimus looked quizzically at the small Autobot.  "Standard for who?" he asked.

Wedge finally looked up at Optimus, realizing what he had said.  "Newer models," he said quickly.

Optimus thought for a second.  "Autobots don't usually have those features," he said.  "I mean, a lot of Decepticons do, but-" Optimus stopped.  "But you were shelled, how is that possible?  Shells override all Decepticon influences."

Wedge looked up at the Autobot leader.  Of course he wasn't stupid.  He had been foolish to think he would be able to dupe him.  Wedge sighed.  "I know, but it's still within the systems.  It's possible to access it," he said.

Optimus' eyes widened a little.  "How is that possible?" he asked, amazed.

"Many things are possible," Wedge said, looking back at the Vertigo.  "For instance, lighting a room without a functional power core."

"We have much to talk about it seems," Optimus said, slowly looking away from Wedge and up at the Vertigo.

"In time," was all Wedge said before transforming and rolling away from Optimus.  All Optimus could do was watch him go.

					* * * * * *
					
"How much longer will the generator hold out?" Megatron asked.

"Long enough," Mega-Octane said, looking at the meter on the generator.  They had hooked up a power generator to two of the CR chambers in order to revive Dark Scream and Gas Skunk.  CR chambers were fairly good at using a lot of power quickly, however, so the generator would burn out after supplying the chamber with power for too long.

"Excellent," Megatron said.  "Be sure they are fully briefed when they come out.  I want the core up and running as quick as possible."  Megatron looked at Mega-Octane, then at Rollbar.  "I have other matters to attend to.  Speeder!"  he yelled, transforming to his ground speeder mode.  He then quickly sped through the chamber room and out the opposite side.

Mega-Octane narrowed his eyes as Megatron left.  He clicked his communicator.  "Armorhide, come in, this is Octane."

"Yeah?" Armorhide said.

"Megs may be headed your way," Mega-Octane said.  "Be on the look out, we can't let him discover anything."

"Consider it safe," Armorhide said.  "Out."

"Are you sure it'll be all right?" Rollbar asked.

"No way to know for sure," Mega-Octane said.  "But Armorhide is competent enough."

"What about Ro-Tor?" Rollbar said.

					* * * * * *
					
Armorhide quickly dragged Ro-Tor out of sight.  "Sorry, buddy," he said to the unconscious Decepticon.  "Can't risk you blabbing to Megs if he shows up."

They had gone to a spot deep within the Vertigo.  The original intent of the room had been for storage, mainly weapons, and it was indeed living up to the intents, though it was not storing weapons.

Armorhide closed the door on the CR chamber.  It would be a few mega-cycles before Scourge was up and running.  Finally Armorhide walked over to a open panel in the floor.  He looked inside at the blue, glowing energon within the hidden storage chamber and closed the panel.  There would be time enough put everything into motion one day.  For now, keeping it from Megatron was priority.

					* * * * * *
					
"CR chamber is powered up," Midnight Express reported.

"How'd you manage to fix it?" Heavy Load asked.

"I had to walk Rapid Run through it," Midnight Express said, looking down at his injured arm.

"He gave you a hand," Heavy Load smirked.

"I swear, you had the original copy of the shell," Midnight Express muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Heavy Load asked, slightly offended.

"Nothing, glitch-o," Midnight Express said with a smile.

From behind them Optimus and X-Brawn watched.  X-Brawn looked up at his comrade.

"The new guys sure are unique, eh Prime?" X-Brawn remarked.

Optimus nodded.  "We have much to learn from them," he said, glancing over at Wedge, who was sitting on a boulder talking to Hightower.  He had returned a few cycles ago.  "And about them as well," he added.

THE END