Transformers Fan Fiction ❯ Cover Me ❯ Back To School ( Chapter 16 )

Cover Me

By Black Dragon Queen

Author's note: Hello! Another wonderful start of the week and another wonderful chapter! I hope I do not disappoint.

PAIRINGS REVEALED THUS FAR:

Wheeljack x Ratchet, Past Prowl x Jazz

Font Index:

“Speaking”, `Thinking', “-Radio Transmissions-”, “Cybertronion”

~*~

Chapter Sixteen: Back to School

Optimus and Ironhide were able to reach the location of the second crash almost within moments of separating from their comrades. As they pulled up to the site of impact Optimus couldn't help but release a sigh of relief as he realized that it was thankfully in a rather out of the way complex on the edge of the city's limits. Quickly turning into the empty parking lot they made their way towards the one building that was obviously the point of impact if the damaged was anything to go by. A large hole marred the top corner of the building where the mech had apparently crashed through the brick wall and most of the windows had been blown out due to the force of the blow.

The two trucks slowed down a little distance away and they all just stared at the still smoking structure. Both `Bots were forced to quickly throw themselves into reverse when the closest wall suddenly just collapsed inward the two backed sharply away from the dust cloud of brick and ash. Moving over towards another of the larger buildings to use as possible cover they allowed the humans to find safety before transforming again. Optimus had already shifted back into his original form and trained one of his own cannons on the building to act as cover fire in case the new arrival became aggressive.

Will and Epps, meanwhile, just gawked at the building as they climbed out of the top kick and onto the black top. Will cringed as another piece of the building crumbled and allowed a small fire to creep from the building to the grass beside it. “Holy crap,” Epps muttered as they stared at the damage. “Well, the college kids will be happy,” he mused as they stared at the collapsed wall of the college's science building.

“He landed in the fucking school!” Will yelled back. “How could you find a bright side to this? Do you have any idea how high our taxes will be next year?”

“Not really. I just tend not to think about it.” Epps smirked and Will just gapped at him as the sound of gears turning echoed behind them as Ironhide shifted into his own mech form.

“What do you think Prime?” Ironhide asked as the two studied the building.

“Well, he hasn't done anything yet, but that doesn't mean it's one of us,” Optimus whispered back. “He could be injured or even unconscious.”

“Or he's just playing possum till he gets a layout of the land,” Ironhide retorted heatedly.

“True,” Optimus agreed with a sigh. “We better go scope out the situation.”

“Right,” Ironhide nodded as he glanced back downward at the other two in the group. “You two stand back,” he whispered down at them as he primed his cannons.

“Like hell we will,” Will bit back as he yanked out his own weapon and charged it up.

“Damn it Will, stop acting like some slagging hero.”

“I'm not! I'm just trying to provide you with back up!”

“Damn it Will, even we have no idea who it is in there and I will not have you in harm's way. You're human, remember?”

“Well I'm not going to let you go in there with out me!” Will argued back.

“Will! I am warning you. Don't make me lock you in a box.”

“He'll do it too,” Optimus added helpfully. “Believe me; I've seen him do it.”

“You're not helping,” Ironhide bit out and both Epps and Optimus snickered at the continued bickering.

“All right, enough,” Optimus commanded. “Ironhide, let's go.”

“Good luck,” Epps muttered as he steeped further back, eyeing the hole apprehensively watching for any Decepticons to suddenly leap out of the building and pounce.

“Epps,” Will hissed at his comrade. “Show some backbone.”

“We have no idea what, or who's in there,” Epps hissed back. “I don't know about you but I'm not exactly all keen to fight giant alien robots again anytime soon.”

“Exactly,” Optimus backed the ranger up. “That's why you both are going to stay back here.”

“What? But we've fought Decepticons before!”

“And I'm telling you this time you don't half to. Ironhide and I have everything under control.”

“But-”

“Will,” Ironhide growled out, eyeing the building for any movement in the smoke. “Stay put.”

“What am I? A dog?” Will demanded.

“Woof,” Epps joked and Will sent him a scathing glare.

“I'm serious,” Optimus growled out. “We have no idea if that's an Autobot or not, so I want you both back here and out of harm's way.”

“But Optimus!”

“No buts, just stay,” Optimus ordered firmly and he began slowly walking towards the building.

“Don't take it personally,” Ironhide murmured down at the fuming ranger. “We'll bring you back a space rock,” he called over his shoulder as he followed his superior.

“Don't bother!” Will called back and Epps' shoulders began shaking in an attempt to suppress his snickers. “Oh shut up,” Will groused.

The two Autobots meanwhile, were creeping up to the smoking building, watching for any movement that indicated the other mech was up and about. Optimus made a small gesture and Ironhide nodded in understanding before he made his way around to the other side so as they could both watch the gaping hole. Flipping on their inferred scanners they immediately began to search for anything out of the ordinary as they slowly made their way closer.

At first they saw nothing and both wondered if it was possible that the mech had already left. Perhaps even before they arrived since there was absolutely nothing there that indicated that there had been a Cybertronion present. Then they saw it and both of the Autobots had to take a moment to actually comprehend what it was that they were seeing. It was by far the last thing either of them even remotely expected.

There, situated in the middle of the room, was a giant microscope. The two Autobots just stared at the thing disbelievingly. “There's something you don't see every day,” Ironhide muttered as they trained their cannons on what was obviously a Cybertronion in disguise. “You want to tell him that's not good camouflage or should I?”

“Shh!” Optimus hissed, though even he too found humor in the mech chosen alt form. Clearly, it was the closest mechanical item to their structures moving parts that he could find in such short notice, as there were no cars left in the parking lot. Optimus glanced around; glad that the college didn't have dormitories and that it was closer to the financial district than the housing units. As a result, there were no humans around to witness the two rather large robots standing in the middle of the parking lot save the two rangers watching the proceedings intently.

“Optimus!” Ironhide suddenly hissed and he made a gesture towards the main road.

Optimus' joy was short lived and he cursed as he could hear sirens that were most defiantly not Ratchet or Red Alert coming closer to their position, obviously summoned by the building's fire system. “We're going to have to make this quick,” he hissed at Ironhide and the gunner nodded as he cocked both his cannons and aimed at the microscope.

“Ready,” Ironhide announced.

Seeing that his comrade was all set, Optimus tried to initiate contact with the unidentified mech. “Newly arrived mech,” Optimus called out as he and Ironhide began moving towards the hole, closer to the still unmoving mech. “State you name and rank or you will be fire upon!”

“Well, at least you remembered to say it in Cybertronion this time,” Ironhide grinned.

“'Hide,” Optimus chastised. “This is not the time or the place!” Iornhide just shrugged as they both turned back towards the building.

There was silence for quite a while and the two mechs glanced at one another confused at the prolonged silence. Optimus was just about to repeat his order when the microscope finally made a move. “PRIME?” A rather familiar voice shouted back and they both backed up to give the other mech space as they saw the microscope shifting into the familiar form of a mech; a very familiar mech.

Will and Epps blinked as yet another red mech suddenly exited from the smoke and wreckage and raised a hand in greeting. “Well, they ain't shooting yet so I suppose they know him,” Epps muttered as he watched the three mechs intently lowering his weapon that he had pulled out at Will's insistence.

“Just because they know him doesn't mean he was on their side,” Will muttered, his gun still primed and ready in his hands. “Let's see what happens.”

The red mech began speaking in the whirls and clicks of the Autobots' native language and the two humans completely lost track of what was happening since they no longer could understand what was being said. “Well, Ironhide hasn't shot him yet, so we can only assume he's an Autobot,” Epps muttered, putting his weapon away. Will said nothing, but powered-down and placed his own weapon back into his holster as he tried to understand what was going on by the Autobots stances.

“Greetings!” The red mech was saying in Cybertronion.“Unit Perceptor, Commander of the Autobots Science division reporting for duty.”

The two First Arrivals just stared at the other mech. “Well he certainly landed in the right place,” Ironhide muttered in English much to the confusion of the two humans in the parking lot who were both creeping closer to the group of Autobots when they realized that the new arrival was not a threat.

Optimus nudged Ironhide slightly as he powered down his weapons and smiled in greeting. “Perceptor, good to have you back.”

“If we wanted to be confused out of our minds,” Ironhide continued to grouse in English. Optimus turned to glare at him disapprovingly as Perceptor frowned at the odd language his comrades were speaking.

“Good to be here, Optimus. Tell me. What is this strange planet like? What about the inhabitants? When can I set up my lab? I would like to take a sample of this strange turf.” Preceptor was looking down at the black top with a rather bemused expression.

“Oh, uh. Well,” Optimus hesitated, unsure at the sudden change of topic.

“For crying out loud,” Ironhide muttered. “You just got here and you're already droning on about science? Can't you hold off for a single slagging second?”

Preceptor frowned at the top kick. “Good to see you as well Ironhide,” he muttered and the two `Bots just stared at each other.

Optimus shook his head. Those two had never really gotten along as both of them came from completely different factions of the Autobots. With `Hide's love of battle and Perceptor's distaste for confrontation they just never seemed to be able to work together. `Just what I need, more complications…' he thought sourly as they two continued to just glared at one another.

“Um, guys!” Will suddenly called out and all three of the large mechs turned to glance down at the two humans who were trotting over to their position. The new `Bot actually began leaning down to see them more closely when Ironhide stepped in his path, blocking his view.

“What is it Will?” Ironhide asked ignoring the scientist's irritated huff.

“It seems like those fire trucks are getting closer,” Epps called upward. “We might want to scatter before they get here.”

Optimus tilted his head in a very human like gesture as he listened. “Indeed. Perceptor, where is your comrade?” he suddenly switched to Cybertronion. “There were two of you who landed here in this vicinity, correct? Why are you alone? Where is your teammate?”

Perceptor just shrugged as he too glanced around. “When we were reaching this planet's surface a rouge wind shear knocked us out of our trajectory and-”

“Can you explain that after we hide?” Ironhide groused as lights could now be seen in the distance. “They're getting closer.”

Perceptor turned to glance at the flashing red and blue lights that were approaching at a rapid speed. “Fascinating,” he mused,“what do the two colors symbolize?”

“They `symbolize' that we've gotta get our afts out of here, that's what they symbolize,” Ironhide muttered as he reached down and scooped the two humans up and began moving away from the damaged building.

Scrambling, they all darted across the parking lot and quickly ducked behind another one of the larger building just as four fire trucks pulled up to the science building. The small group watched as an assortment of humans began piling out of the vehicles and started yanking their different equipment out as they tried to put out the blaze. Ducking back behind the building, Optimus motioned everyone back and they all stood flat against the wall keeping out of the human's line of sight. Ensuring that everyone was out of the way, he once again glanced at the humans who were fighting the various small fires that Perceptor's entrance had caused. It seemed as if they were too busy with containing the few flames to even notice the three Autobots hiding behind the other structure and Optimus sighed in relief. He glanced back over his shoulder and gave them quick thumbs up before he made a shooing motion with his hand.

Creeping away towards the other side furthest from the humans, Optimus risked one last glance at the humans before following his comrades. His optics flashed in surprise as he suddenly counted the now five fire trucks that rested in the parking lot. He hadn't heard another one pull up and he was sure that it was only four that had originally arrived with the humans. Puzzled, Optimus hesitated, wondering whether or not it was another Cybertronion or if he should leave it with the humans on the off chance it wasn't when a familiar ping hit his communicator and Optimus sighed in relief. It was Inferno.

“-Optimus-,” Ironhide sent out in English, obviously in order to get on Perceptor's nerve as the scientist still had to learn the language yet. “-What are you waiting for? Let's get out of here!-”

“-Hang on a slagging second! I think I found Preceptor's comrade,-” he sent back quickly. “-Shift forms and let's see what we can do with Perceptor since his form is immobile.-”

“-A slagging microscope-” Ironhide was complaining. “-Why not a slagging cactus?-”

Shaking his head, Optimus motioned the others, and with a final huff, Ironhide shifted and after some harsh debating and negotiating, he finally allowed Optimus to set Perceptor in his alt mode onto his flat bed. After the two humans climbed in, Optimus also transformed and they began pulling away towards the college's farther entrance. The group of humans never noticed the extra fire truck slowly and quietly back up and pull away to follow the other two trucks as they battled the small blaze.

Once more on the open road, they set a course for the second crash site and Optimus hung back to allow the large fire truck to pull alongside him. “-Welcome back Inferno-,” Optimus sent on their open channel.

“-Optimus-,” Inferno greeted. “-Good to see you still functional.-”

“-INFERNO!-” Ironhide suddenly sent upon hearing his best friend and fellow gunner's voice. “-You made it! What was your last hit count? I left off at three hundred thousand…-”

“-Insane pursuit of entertainment during a slagging war…-” Perceptor groused.

Inferno let out a loud chuckle as they all tuned out the grumbling scientist. “-Hah! Then I've got you beat! Three fifty!-”

“-No way!-”

“-Enough,-” Optimus interrupted; amused at the banter the two had instantly fallen into. “-You two will have plenty of time to catch up later.-”

“-True,-” Inferno agreed with a chuckle. There was a pause before he activated his radio once again. “-Optimus, I know I haven't given you my report yet but I must ask you this before anything else...-”

Optimus mentally smiled at the sudden hesitant and bashful tone the large red rig had adapted and he decided to alleviate the other vehicles fears before anything else happened. “-Red Alert is completely functional and is doing quite well,-” Optimus told the other truck softly, knowing that the `Bot was worried about his partner in not just battle, but in life as well.

The fire truck let out a relieved sigh. “-Thank Primus.-”

“-You're lucky that we all managed to reunite. From what I understand, Red Alert was knocked so far off course that it may have taken centuries to find him again. That he managed to come across that original signal that I sent out is just amazing,-” Optimus mused. “-That the rest of you managed to receive the second signal is just a Prime given miracle, I swear.-”

“-How did you manage to receive that signal anyhow?-”Ironhide joined the conversation. “-From what Ratchet said, it only transmitted about half the message before Optimus here torched the thing.-”

“-I did not!-” Optimus protested, much to the amusement of the two red mechs.

“-Optimus, I thought Wheeljack banned you from the engineering room permanently. What were you doing dealing with sensitive equipment?-” Perceptor sent out.

“-He was?-” Ironhide began laughing. “-Wait until I tell Ratchet!-”

“-Don't you dare!-” Optimus bellowed.

There were chuckles all around and Ironhide quickly translated what was being said to his two passengers. “-We really didn't,-” Preceptor explained. “-We were actually going the opposite direction when we heard a signal but we weren't sure whether or not it was you or just some random space noise.-”

Ironhide let out a low whistle. “-Talk about luck,-” he said. “-So wait, why were there only five of you?Red told us that you had met up with Prowl's team in space.-”

“-We did,-” Inferno confirmed. “-However we also ran into Decepticons a few days back when we were searching for Red.-”

“-What?-” Optimus shouted in surprise. “-What happened?Is everyone all right?You don't mean to say that the other four were--”

“-Primus no!-” Preceptor exclaimed, horrified. “-We managed to push them back and Prowl and the others all stayed behind simply to ensure that we weren't followed.-”

`Thank Primus,' Optimus sighed in relief at the news, glad that his friends and comrades were still alive and accounted for.

“-What about here?-” Inferno then asked concerned. “-What's the situation here? Is this the planet where you confronted Megatron?What are those slagging Decepticons planning? Is Megatron still on the move? What of the cube?-”

“-Well, that's kind of what we have to tell you!-” Ironhide said with a bit of glee. “-The war's over!Megatron is dead!-”

“-What?-” two voices screeched over the radio and the two humans clamped their hands over their ears at the piercing sound of the word.

“-What do you mean he's dead?-”

“-What happened?-”

“-How did you manage to overtake him?-”

“-What about the group of Decepticons that were sent after him?-”

“-Did you mange to defeat him before they arrived?-”

“-What about the All Spark?-”

“-Your message said with Cybertron gone, that we were to consider this colorful planet our temporary home until Energon was found. What does this mean?-”

“-Does this mean there's no hope for rebuilding Cybertron?-”

“-What about the Energon?-”

“-Can we survive on this planet without it?-”

“-What about this planets native inhabitants?-”

“-We hid ourselves when that one group arrived as protocol yet Ironhide carries two within him.-”

“-What about a base of operations?-”

“-Will you two take a breath and let us answer?-” Ironhide bellowed. “-Honestly!-”

“-So very sorry,-” Perceptor apologized. “-But we are simply perplexed as to the particulars of the termination of all the conflict.-”

Ironhide groaned. “Can't he ever say anything normally?” he groused aloud.

“Ironhide,” Optimus chided before once again addressing the other two `Bots. “-There will be plenty of time to discuss everything later. What I want to know is what was going on with the other three in your convoy. Obviously one of them was in trouble.-”

“-Yeah, another reason why we left the battle early,-” Inferno explained. “-There was a serious injury and we decided that we had to get him to safety as soon as possible and find that we had to find Ratchet first and foremost. We needed to find him desperately. Wheeljack may know some of the basics of first-aid from all his time spent in the med bay, but he still can't handle anything life threatening.-”

“-`Life threatening'?-” Optimus bellowed in shock. “-What happened? Who are you talking about? Is it really that dire?-”

The other two were quiet for a while before Perceptor finally sighed. “-Sunstreaker,-” he finally admitted.

“-What?-” Optimus cried out in surprise.

“-Let me guess, they were up to their usual tricks again,-”Ironhide muttered as they flew down the road.

“-Actually no,-” Perceptor countered. “-It wasn't even anything that the twins were doing. They weren't up to their insane antics, the `Cons just got in a lucky shot.-”

“-And of course once one was down, the other twin, as you know, just becomes perfectly useless in a fight,-” Inferno continued.

“-Sideswipe was also damaged while he was tending his brother but it was nothing rather significant.-”

“-Didn't even allow Wheeljack to look him over. He just wanted Sunny fixed.-”

“Slag,” Optimus muttered as he increased his speed as he headed for the opposite side of town where hopefully Ratchet was already tending his patient. “Ironhide, do you know the coordinates?” he demanded as the other two trucks increased their speed in an attempt to catch up to him.

“Not yet,” Ironhide announced as he raced to catch up to his leader. “Ratchet's not answering his comm.”

“Slag it!” Optimus shouted again as he rounded a corner. Not something a normal human could achieve with such a large vehicle.

“Ironhide, keep trying to get a hold of them. How long do you think it'll be before we reach the other side of the city?”

“Still quite a while yet,” Ironhide announced as he turned a sharp corner.

“-HEY!Watch it!-” Perceptor shouted as he slid across the flat bed.

“-Well next time don't choose such a pointless form!-” Ironhide snapped.

“-Knock it off!-”Optimus bellowed. “-That's enough out of all of you!-”

The others murmured their apologies as they turned yet another sharp corner, all racing to meet up with the others before it was too late. Optimus and Ironhide were more than a little worried about the never ending possibilities since neither of them knew the details of the situation and as a result they both pushed themselves to the limit as they flew through the city. It took them a while for them to finally reach the large building where the crash trajectory was projected and the three vehicles all screeched to a halt within the parking lot.

It was completely deserted. There was no one in sight, not even humans in their fire trucks. Inferno and Optimus both shifted and unloaded Perceptor so he and Ironhide could both shift as well. “It's quiet here, Prime,” Ironhide muttered as he stepped closer to the building. “Too quiet.” The big rig nodded as he glanced at the smoking hole and they all tried to see into the building.

“Optimus!”

They all froze and turned to see Red Alert coming around from the other side of the building. “Over here!” he called out before disappearing once again around the corner. Inferno was the first one to take off after the security chief and the others pelted after him, the two humans struggling to keep up as they ran. Screeching around the corner, they all froze at the sight before them.

“Holy Primus,” Ironhide murmured as they just stared at the five mechs all surrounding a single unmoving mech still in his unaltered form.

“Optimus.”

Optimus turned at Ratchet's voice to find him kneeling next to the unconscious mech, covered in a multitude of fluids and wearing a grim look on his face. Oddly enough, Sam was sitting on top of Sunny's open chest plate also covered in an array of different fluids as `Bee reached down to help the boy up. Sideswipe, sitting next to Ratchet, was staring down at his inert brother's form in near hysterics as he continually stroked his brother's face.

The four new arrivals all turned towards the medic as they waited with bated breath to hear what Ratchet had to say and learn the fate of their injured comrade.

-To be continued.