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If you saw this coming, you're either a fricken genius or a master of the obvious. Either one, really.

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Chapter 13: Rumble is indeed red

A loud burst of white noise drew her attention to the fact that Barricade was frozen in shock because the boom box was… changing. The spindly, insect-like being wasted no time in leaping at the Decepticon’s face, another spurt of white noise taking the place of a war cry, kicking and clawing frantically. Sarah was frozen because she knew who this resembled, red hues taking the place of cool blue on an otherwise perfect twin of Frenzy…

Backing out of the ruined store, Barricade resumed his cop car form and sped away as the spiky little creature that had been the boom box hopped down and looked around. It seemed agitated, or at least nervous, as it whipped its head from side to side before jumping onto the counter it had been on previously and perching there like an extremely twitchy gargoyle. Sarah decided to approach it. “Easy now… Easy…” Red eyes fixed on her as she slowly stepped closer, reaching out with one hand. It seemed to be acting like a dog crossed with a small child as it let her touch it, not really seeming to mind her fingertips brushing the spikes at the top of its head. “You can tell what I am, can’t you. You can tell that it was me who changed you.” A moment later she yelped as it jumped past her to cling to the broken wall like an oversized metal gecko, nervously scanning the street. Its antics made her giggle. “Well, you’re quite the little scrapper.” Satisfied for the moment by what it either saw or didn’t see, it hopped back down to the ground. “Always ready to rumble, huh?” Not staying put for a moment, it seemed to be on the lookout for more enemies to fight. A smile took shape on her face. “As a matter of fact, I think that’s what I’ll call you. You are a boy, I think, and your name will be Rumble.” Sarah just about lost it when the target of her attention echoed her last word and spoke his new name. “Rumble!” He seemed happy with her choice as he bounced up and down excitedly, chanting his new name all the while. She took a moment to notice how his odd, squeaking voice suited his small size and frenetic nature… before the former boom box spoke again. “Human girl not st-st-stay here. Dangerous. Enemy maybe come back.” Sarah nodded and Rumble moved a little closer. “Not safe al-al-alone. Rumble go with.” To further emphasize his point, he leapt at her like a fairly small and hyperactive metallic tiger… only to land in her arms as that same cherry red boom box. “Wow… Didn’t know I could do that. I wonder how the others will take this…”

It was late in the afternoon, a bit later than she would have liked, when she came strolling back into the area. “I’m back,” she called out to the odd assembly of vehicles she saw there, alien aircraft included “Sorry I took so long,” she added as they transformed. “I was… distracted.” Optimus echoed her last word questioningly, prompting an explanation. “I’d really rather not talk about it, but I guess you deserve to know. Barricade is alive.” Those words carried an implication with them, an implication as to how she had found this out… Megatron was the first to respond. “Barricade attacked you.” The statement wasn’t phrased as a question. He was merely stating a fact. Optimus, however, had a real question. “How did you manage to escape?” Looking down, Sarah shifted uncomfortably, the red boom box she held bumping against her thigh. A moment later she was holding it out before her. “That’s where this comes into things.” Optimus looked it over. “How could a portable sound system have aided you in escaping from a Decepticon?” The response came swiftly. “I’ll show you.” Placing the boom box on the ground, she took a few steps back. “Rumble, you can come out now. These are my friends.” Utter shock filled the lot of them as the boom box transformed and leapt straight upward, that same spiky shape they’d all come to know… “Decepticon!”

Ironhide had his cannons out in less than a millisecond, taking aim and preparing to fire. His target reacted spectacularly. Jumping straight up with a high-pitched scream, Rumble was behind Sarah in an instant, down in a duck-and-cover position and shaking so hard his spikes rattled. “Human girl no-no-not let others hurt Rumble…?” Her reaction was spectacular as well, in that none of them had thought a human could yell as loudly as she did. “Don’t you dare hurt Rumble!” No blue fire accompanied that shout, but none had to. Not just Ironhide but all of them stepped backward, Megatron included. Behind her, Rumble had returned to boom box form, and that boom box shook, even though there was no visible agency to cause it to do so. In shaking it bumped against Sarah’s leg, drawing her attention away from the others. Turning and stooping momentarily, she turned to face them again, and they could see that she held the boom box sort of cradled in one arm rather than by the handle. “You see what you did? You scared him clean out of his wits. Poor thing…” She glared at Ironhide angrily, even after he put his cannons away.

Optimus broke the resulting silence. “How did you come by him?” Sarah calmed down. “It’s the strangest thing… The closest cover I could find was an electronics store. I thought Barricade wouldn’t blow his cover to chase me, but he did. He cornered me against a counter, and this boom box was sitting atop that counter. In trying to find an exit I accidentally yanked its cord, causing it to fall down, bounce off my head and then land in my lap. Barricade reached out to grab me and I… I panicked. I can remember I was wishing with all my heart that someone would help me when I felt this… this sort of surge inside me and… Next thing I knew, the boom box transformed and attacked Barricade. I’m not too sure what happened to cause this or how, but I…” Shock took hold as she looked up at the Autobot leader. “I think I made him become alive!”

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Girl with All Spark power + red boom box + major danger = this guy.

Rumble: "SKY BLUE SHINY STARDUST PENCIL BRICK!"

...Yup, he's just like his 'brother'.

RIRFIB!!!

Aww, and I thought it would be blaster. =( But Rumble is cool too!

Next one. =D

Chapter 14: How was he supposed to know?

Off to the side, Megatron visibly winced upon hearing her say that. She truly did possess all the power of the All Spark. Her ability to create life from unintelligent machines would only make the Decepticons want her more. Things had just become a lot more difficult, for all of them. Somebody had to state the obvious, so he did just that. “We can’t stay here. Barricade never works alone, and he doesn’t give up easily either. I’m willing to bet he tracked Sarah here, meaning we have to leave… now!” They all looked at each other as Jazz voiced the next obvious question. “…Who does she ride with?” In response to this, Megatron immediately held his hands up and backed away. “I’m out of the question. I have to be. Even in jet mode, I’m very recognizable! Any hope for stealthy travel would be out of the question if I were to carry her.” Sarah, for her part, saw the logic in his statement and said nothing in protest. The question hung in the air between all five of the Autobots, Optimus included, as she looked between them, uncertain. She didn’t really trust any of them, not after the welcome she’d seen Megatron get.

Sirens sounded in the distance. “He’s coming! Forget the indecision; we have to leave now!” The lot of them transformed and Sarah found herself forgetting her uncertainty, running to the closest one and climbing in, finding herself riding shotgun in Optimus, her boom box held against her chest in a death grip she was sure Rumble didn’t appreciate in the slightest. Megatron took to the sky as the rest peeled out like racecars leaving the starting line, easily hitting speeds that would have made said racecars jealous.

Ever mindful of his self-imposed duty to ensure the safety of the human under his protection, Optimus gently draped a seatbelt over his passenger, noting how she flinched. There was really nothing she could do at that point other than hang on, and it wasn’t as though he had the time to speak any words of comfort. The lot of them were busy relaying information back and forth between them over a secure communications link. Traffic conditions up ahead on the highway they were driving down, updates on Barricade’s speed and current position in relation to them, possible ideas as to how to get away from him or at least get him to stop chasing them… All of these passed between the speeding vehicles. In the heat of the chase it was all too easy to forget about the sixth member of their little group, the voice that had thus far been silent… at least until he spoke up.

“I have an idea,” Megatron said. His first action upon taking off had been to ascend into the clouds and take cover there, all the while keeping track of the goings-on below via his long-range scanners and saying absolutely nothing. “I’ll bet I can trick him into giving up the chase. After all, am I not the leader of all Decepticons?” His words made sense. After all, how could Barricade know that he had switched sides? Optimus was put in mind of all the times they had worked side by side before the war broke out as his brother spoke again. “I’m going to tap into his communications network now. None of you say anything until I give the all clear signal, or I swear I’ll hurt you repeatedly.” All chatter stopped.

Zeroing in on his cop car target, Megatron immediately went into a steep dive, pulling out about twenty yards directly above Barricade and preparing to put on the performance of his life. “Lord Megatron!” Barricade’s voice was filled with utter surprise, but the title almost made the former Decepticon leader gag. “But… I thought you were dead!” Maintaining his position, Megatron tried his hardest to sound like his old self. “You ignorant fool, that was a trick to fool the Autobots. I’m already blowing my cover to talk to you, so count yourself lucky that I am allowing you to break off the chase unharmed rather than blasting you into oblivion for costing me my advantage. If you value your miserable little life, you will be gone from here before I change my mind. Now go!” Not wasting a millisecond, Barricade made the fastest U-turn ever seen in the history of the automotive world and practically left a cartoon-style dust cloud behind him as he vacated the area in a hurry. Cutting the link, Megatron just had to laugh.

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Well, THAT worked...

Nooo.... Don't do it, Megatron. The Decepticons need you...

Chapter 15: Interlude

Below him, the Autobots slowed down to normal speed, blending in with the traffic as Megatron watched Barricade leave before returning to the clouds. They could all relax now. It was then that he felt his passenger shivering in her seat. A quick scan didn’t really answer any questions. “Sarah, your vital signs are elevated. Are you all right?” His voice startled her, but she recovered quickly and nodded. “I’m… I’m fine.” She paused. “I’m just scared, is all. I’m just scared.” A sigh escaped her. “If I’d known picking up the Shard would lead to this, I’d have just left it there. I used to be a normal, everyday girl, nothing special, but now…” She shrugged with an utterly humorless laugh. “Now I have power no human should ever have access to, I have a whole army of evil aliens out to either kill me or do something else I’m not sure of, I’m on the run with a second group of aliens, I’m apparently the key to universal conquest or the revival of whole worlds, I have no idea where we’ll end up, how we’ll get there, or even if I’ll live to see the end of this craziness, and on top of that I’m talking to a sentient truck.” Another laugh escaped her, this one bearing the slightest hint of hysteria. “Look at me, I’m a fugitive. If the Decepticons don’t get me, the cops probably will.” Her fear was perfectly understandable, but Optimus tried to reassure her anyway. “We won’t let that happen, Sarah. Megatron has already sworn to protect you with his life, and the rest of us would do no less.” Taking a deep breath, she tried to relax. “…Thank you. I’m sorry I reacted like I did back there. I know you meant well and all… and I know how unlikely or just plain impossible it seems… but…” Shrugging to herself, she sighed. “Megatron’s the first person to really care about me. I know I’m just his ticket to making up for stupid mistakes in the past, but it actually matters to him whether I live or die, and that’s a lot more than I get from most people. He may not consider me his friend, but I consider him my friend.” Saying nothing, Optimus smiled to himself. He had a feeling that Megatron thought more of her than she realized, but he would leave it to his brother to tell her that.

Sarah was relaxing, now that Barricade was no longer on their trail. Her boom box still sat on her lap, but instead of holding it in a death grip she was absentmindedly running her fingers along its smooth curves. A giggle escaped her as the boom box seemed to shiver in her arms. “Oh, you like it when I do that, do you?” It suddenly occurred to Optimus that he couldn’t have hoped for a kinder soul to bear the All Spark’s power. The girl was acting almost like a mother to her accidental creation, swiftly taming what would surely have otherwise become a Decepticon. She continued to gently trace the boom box’s lines, and surprised her alien chauffeur even more by speaking to it. “I’m sorry I manhandled you back there, Rumble. I was scared. But things are all right now, for me and for you too. You can come out whenever you like without having to be scared now, you know. The others know you’re not an enemy. You should have heard me yell at them…” She laughed. “I think I scared them as much as they scared you!”

A yawn escaped her and she shifted slightly. Though she tried to hide it, Optimus was aware of this. “You need to rest, Sarah. There’s a cot in the back.” Thanking him politely, she forsook her seat and headed for the cot, boom box by her side. Placing it next to the cot, she laid down, falling asleep almost immediately. Silence reigned in the cabin for a few moments, until the boom box quietly transformed. Being as quiet as possible, Rumble moved forward to sort of perch in the passenger seat Sarah had vacated mere minutes earlier. “Rumble thank you fo-fo-for take care of human girl, Mister Truck.” The squeaky voice reminded Optimus so much of the former boom box’s blue Decepticon twin, childish attitude included. “You’re welcome… Rumble.” A happy little squeak was the only answer he got as Rumble hopped right back out of the seat he’d just gotten up on mere moments before and returned to his previous position. “Rumble guard human girl now.” Sending out a signal to the others to tell them to keep their chatter at a low volume so as not to disturb his sleeping passenger and her spindly little guardian, Optimus shifted his focus to the road ahead and tried to figure out where to go next.

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Frenzy is bonkers, Rumble is cute... AND bonkers.

Chapter 16: Eat your heart out, Noah

A discussion between all six of them on the travel capabilities of a typical Decepticon led them to decide to head for the mountains. They would find a narrow valley and set up camp there, since a narrow valley would make it hard for a flying Decepticon to maneuver and the surrounding mountain peaks would make it nearly impossible for an earthbound Decepticon to get anywhere near, much less threaten them. They had actually been planning this for a while, since they needed a home base, or at least someplace where they wouldn’t have to worry about being discovered, and the discovery of Sarah only made it a bigger concern. The other Decepticons would surely return, to begin the war anew, and none of them wanted any humans to get involved, much less caught in the crossfire. Much as it pained the lot of them, Sarah was an exception to that rule. She had to be, since she herself was going to be the focus of the new war.

Their quest took them clean out of California and they headed due north, eventually ending up in the state of Washington. They knew from internet research that deep in the heart of that state there were great wide swaths of untouched forests, and as such it would be perfect for their needs. And so, in a nameless valley known only to a select few, they began to set up their new headquarters. Digging into a sheer cliff face, they tunneled out passageways and storage rooms and all else they could possibly need. It seemed odd to Sarah, but they had all the materials to make the interior for a perfectly respectable Autobot-sized building. Whatever they had done before she came into the picture, it had sure earned them friends in some pretty high places. It took a lot less time to finish than she would have thought, but that was to be expected since they were all very strong and she was the only one who needed to sleep. Even though she was no more than a mere human, they still found her help invaluable when it came time to rig up a main computer system. Her powers were still growing, they found, as she shaped metal with ease and sculpted energy into matter to make the base’s computer. Piece by piece it took shape before her as she willed it, programs crafted with a level of care and precision far beyond that of a human as the All Spark guided her hand.

Soon it was done, and she stood outside the new base alongside the others, admiring their handiwork. “Wow,” she said. “It took Noah and his three sons to build the Ark, and we’ve made this.” She looked at the mountain they’d dug it out of. “And it’s even got a mountain for a resting place. How fitting. Now all we need is a bunch of animals and we’re set.” A sigh heralded a short pause. “I wonder if this was how Noah felt. Huh, us against the world.” A short mental shuffle through internet information filled Optimus in on what she was referring to, and it seemed to fit. The last hope of his people’s survival cast adrift in a sea of stars, coming to rest on this planet, in this place… “Then that is what we will call it,” he eventually decided. “The Ark.”

Things were very quiet as the lot of them settled into their new home. It wasn’t perfect; no, for some it was far from it. Bumblebee lamented the lack of roads suitable for racing and Ironhide wanted some action. Jazz, for his part, was perfectly happy to just sit and blare loud music for all to hear. Ratchet was happy as long as no one got hurt. There were plenty of places for Rumble to hide and scare the absolute heck out of whoever he could catch, so he was happy too. Sarah was happy to just sit back and relax for a while, especially after all the craziness she had gone through upon discovering her power. Things were mostly perfect for her. She was beginning to trust the Autobots, and to understand why they had reacted to her choice of friends the way they had.

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Things are pretty quiet right now, but they won’t stay that way for long…

I hope so. I need some action to inspire me, my imagination has been sorely lacking recently.

Bear with me; this sort of thing isn't something I'm good at writing.

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Chapter 17: Come fly with me

Sarah sat outside, just lying in the sun and staring at the sky. Another quiet day. Perhaps the Decepticons weren’t interested anymore, or perhaps they just couldn’t find them. The sound of heavy footsteps approaching drew her attention and she turned to behold none other than Megatron walking up to her. “Hello there,” she called out to him. He sat down beside her, which would have been an odd sight to any onlooker but seemed perfectly normal to the both of them. “My brother said I should scout the surrounding area from the air, seeing as I’m the only one who can do that. I was about to go do just that, but then I saw you sitting there looking bored. So I was wondering…” He then proceeded to, of all things, get nervous. “Would you be willing to… I mean, would you like to, ah, fly with me?” The memories bestowed upon her by the All Spark let her know just how utterly ridiculous the situation was. The mighty Megatron, the bloodthirsty, utterly fearless leader of the Decepticons, was acting like a smitten teenager talking to his love interest. It was funny, but she knew better than to laugh. Instead, she smiled up at him and agreed.

Mere moments later she was seated in his cockpit and the two soared high above the land together. Lively banter filled the air as they talked and laughed together like the friends they were. Megatron had to admit that Sarah had him feeling something he hadn’t felt for a long time. She seemed to genuinely care about him. It had been ages since anyone else had honestly cared about him. His followers and enemies had feared him, hated him, respected him, wanted him dead… but they had never actually cared about him. And now the living incarnation of what drove him to make war upon his own kin had forgiven him; no, had more than forgiven him… This was new, this was unexpected and deep down he wasn’t really sure he deserved it, but this feeling… Knowing that she cared…

Lost in his thoughts as he was, she was the first one to notice what was coming up in the distance. “Hey, a military air base.” He could hear the smile in her voice as she peered down at it. “Wow, look at those airplanes down there… From what I’ve heard, that particular model is called an A-10 Warthog. Nasty-looking suckers, aren’t they?” A chuckle escaped her. “Well, it’s only because they are. Meanest jets in all the world, those. Rulers of the sky, number-one guaranteed to dominate.” This gave him pause. “Meanest jets on this planet, huh?” An idea came to him. Had he been in his normal form he would have been grinning wickedly. “Hang on for a few seconds, Sarah. I’m going to do something that may seem a little bit strange to you.” He was cruising at a high altitude, beyond the reach of human radar, but that didn’t diminish the intensity of the scanning beams he sent down as they played upon one particular plane. “If this world is going to be my home, I may as well look the part.” Sarah gasped as metal flexed and flowed around her, reshaping itself as a picture-perfect replica of the plane on the ground, save for the fact that the color stayed the same. That bright silvery coloration remained, and she imagined that Megatron probably resembled an aircraft sculpted of solid chrome.

His scanners detected the energy signature of weapons fire… coming from the direction of the Ark. “There’s trouble,” he alerted Sarah. “You’re already strapped in, and that’s good, so just hang on tight because I’m heading back at top speed.” Wasting no more time, he banked sharply, purple fire emanating from his jets, betraying his alien origin despite his now decidedly manmade-looking form, and without a word he shot off into the distance.

Starscream cackled as he and his airborne cohorts circled above the newly discovered Autobot base. He was glad he’d talked Ramjet, Dirge and Thrust into coming with him. Now that Megatron was gone he was the leader, just as he always should have been. “The girl, Autobots…” He called down to them where they were pinned down just inside the base’s entrance. “We know what she is, and we know you have her. Hand her over and perhaps we’ll spare you for now!” It wasn’t much of a surprise to him when Prime told him exactly where he could stick his offer. However, what came next was a surprise.

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Guess what comes next!

Under no circumstances am I rushing you. I would never do that to a fellow writer. Just venting my frustration at my own ineptitude is all. Please keep up the great work. Enjoying it muchly. =D

For those of you who guessed ‘whoopass’, you’re partly right.

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Chapter 18: Has no one told you she's not breathing?

“I already have her, Starscream.” Seeing Starscream do a double take at that voice drew a laugh from the Autobots, combat situation or not. “…Megatron?” The jet heading his way didn’t even have to answer. He would have recognized that brutally efficient flight pattern anywhere. “You’re supposed to be dead!” All the Decepticons stared as Megatron cruised in closer. “You’re an idiot, Starscream. Did you really think I’d die that easily? If any of you had thought to check, you’d have found that I was alive and kicking this whole time, sustained by the All Spark’s power! You’ve failed me for the last time and I’m about to make the lot of you regret it…” Arming all weapons, he locked on to the thoroughly shocked Starscream. “Because I’ve switched sides!” Pivoting in midair with deadly grace, he let him have it with everything his new form had and a few things it didn’t, sending the other Decepticon to make a himself-shaped crater in the mountainside above the Ark. All three of Starscream’s friends screamed in the manner of schoolgirls encountering a large spider, then promptly turned and set a new speed record as they cleared the area. Trailing thick smoke and scathing expletives behind him, Starscream himself soon joined them.

Even Megatron himself was laughing as he powered down his weapons and landed in front of the Ark. Sarah giggled as she climbed out of the cockpit, then lost whatever composure she had and started laughing her head off. “Did you see the look on his face? Had he been a human, I think he would have wet his pants!” Transforming, Megatron just couldn’t stop laughing. “I knew those three were cowards, but that was ridiculous!” Even the normally stoic Ironhide was laughing himself absolutely sick. It was a moment for the history books. For the first time in their lives, they’d witnessed a humorous Decepticon attack.

No matter how it had ended, the attack meant that the Decepticons knew where they were. “We need a defense system,” Megatron eventually suggested. That would take care of their lack of available manpower. Sarah agreed to this, even despite how the work drained her, and she wasted no time in beginning her self-appointed task.

Deactivating her blowtorch, Sarah pulled back from the panel she’d been welding. Pushing her mask up, she brushed a strand of grimy brown hair out of her eyes. She’d been at this all day, creating components and piecing them together. Thus far she’d made two laser cannon turrets to be mounted on the Ark’s exterior, and a third was well on its way to completion. She really wanted a shower, or some food, but she decided that she would settle for a quick on-the-spot nap. Removing her mask and placing it on top of the deactivated blowtorch, thereby insuring that there would be no way she could lose it, she turned away from where she was working and ambled over to her pile of tools. None of them would be of any use now, but one particular item off to the side… A sleeping bag. Ah, that was what she wanted. Picking it up, she immediately unrolled it on the floor and was out like a light the moment her body touched the ground.

Transforming in midair as he usually did, Megatron landed in the dust with feline grace. Another patrol over and done with, and no Decepticons in sight. Listening in on radio chatter from the military base he’d gotten his jet form from, he’d learned that he was considered a ghost plane. That had to be why none of them had tried to pursue him yet. Chasing spirits wasn’t something to waste fuel or manpower on. The doors slid open before him as they always did, granting him entry into what could only be described as a commons area. This was where everybody gathered to organize patrols and the like, but at that moment it was empty. At least, that was how it seemed at first, before he caught sight of the half-assembled laser cannon tucked away in the far corner so as to be out of the way, the two completed laser cannons off to the side, and the small human form curled up on the floor. He grinned. Sarah. He’d known Decepticons with less determination than she displayed. It amazed him; the sight of such a small, fragile organic being displaying such courage in the face of beings so much larger and stronger… Walking closer, he gazed down at her silent form… and realized something that made him feel as though his spark had fizzled out in his chest.

At some point during her nap, Sarah had stopped breathing.

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I’ll bet none of you expected THAT…

Whaaat happened? I must know.

Gah! Dang it! Cliffie monger!



Have mercy on us poor readers already.


BTW, I would post my fanfic here, but I am afraid that someone will get offended by the innuendos and go tattle...

Post it. I would like to read it.

If I don't use cliffhangers, how the heck do I get people to come back for more?

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Chapter 19: Can you blame him?

“Ratchet!” That shout was loud enough to be heard throughout the Ark in its entirety, and the tone of complete and utter panic brought even Optimus running, since the words ‘panic’ and ‘Megatron’ didn’t even seem to belong in the same sentence. Anyone unfortunate enough to be in the hallway between the commons area and the repair bay practically got trampled as the thoroughly freaked-out Decepticon, seemingly dead human in hand, sprinted as if his very life depended on it. He barely noticed any of that. The only thing on his mind was how utterly silent and still Sarah was, no breath, no life, nothing…

“Ratchet, you’ve got to help her,” he said in a voice filled with stark terror. The words came tumbling out in a swift, jumbled rush, gaining in pitch with each word. “I don’t know what happened because I just came in from patrol and I found her like this and she’s not breathing or responding to anything and I didn’t know what to do so I brought her here thinking maybe you could do something…” Whatever composure he’d been able to keep was swiftly disappearing even as Jazz, Bumblebee, Ironhide and Optimus himself entered the area, so the Autobot leader did the only thing he could think of to snap him out of it… He hit his brother. In the face. The sharp clang of metal striking metal filled the smallish room and drew a wince from everyone present save Ratchet, Optimus and the Decepticon in question. Taken completely by surprise, Megatron fell down to land on his rear, one hand held against the side of his face where Optimus had slapped him, eyes wide with shock. Out of all the things his brother could have done at that point, this had been by far the least expected. All was quiet for a moment before he slowly stood up, much calmer now. “Thanks, Optimus… I guess I needed that.” Off to the side, Ratchet quietly busied himself with a comprehensive scan of his newest patient as Megatron stood back up. “…I don’t know what I’ll do if she’s gone. She’s our only hope of restoring our world and you know it… and it was my job to protect her, to keep her safe. Where did I go wrong? Did I miss something? Was there anything I could have done to prevent this?” Finishing up his scan, Ratchet interrupted him. “She’s in stasis lock. All her internal organs have become mechanical in nature, and that change is currently taking place in her brain, hence the need for stasis lock. Her musculature and neural pathways appear to be adapting themselves for extra-atmospheric travel. The All Spark seems to be preparing her body for the journey home. It’s my opinion that she’ll wake up good as new once her brain is through the conversion process.” Almost as if cued by that statement, Sarah abruptly sat up. “Hey, what the… How did I get here?” There was a second loud clang as Megatron found himself back on the floor again. “Oh, I’m so relieved.”

After a great deal of explaining, Sarah was allowed to go on her way. It unnerved her slightly to learn that she was becoming something other than human, but as long as she stayed herself that didn’t mean much to her. After all, with the powers she had been given, wasn’t she already something other than human? Gifted with memories of alien life more ancient than the Earth itself, standing astride the boundary between life and death, she had lost all normality the moment she first touched the Shard. Now she lived among giant mechanical alien beings, she was taking part in a war, someday she would travel to the world she had previously seen only in dreams to bring life to a land ravaged by death… This was her life. She was still Sarah Hornsby; she could still look in the mirror and see the same tanned skin, the same blue eyes… And yet she was now so much more than Sarah Hornsby, more than human, more, perhaps, than mortal…

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Given what almost appeared to happen, I think he had every right to panic. The prospect of losing a friend can do that.

There's gonna be some serious action coming up!!!

Hmm... Isn't Ramjet supposed to be fearless? I'm not sure he would run like that even from Megatron. Thrust and Dirge, yes, but not Ramjet. Maybe this Ramjet got his name not due to his attack strategy but due to his clumsiness instead?

It's still a good story, though. Nicely paced and well-written too. You've found a good balance between action and character development, and I look forward to reading more.

Should I change it? ...Dagnabbit, G1 Ramjet may be fearless, but this isn't G1.

While I don't think it's true in EVERY case, the Decepticons are prone to running away. So I think it's acceptable if otherwise it would step on your plans. But I suppose a quick skirmish where Megatron sends Ramjet packing wouldn't be too obtrusive.

But don't feel obligated to do anything you don't want.

Dammit, I think even the most fearless sort would be scared by seeing their commanding officer being taken out with stupid ease by somebody who's supposed to be DEAD!

Then that's fine. Don't feel pressured to change it. It's your story.

...Sorry. *head explodes*

=o *puts your head back together with crazy glue*

Here's the action I promised.

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Chapter 20: DAT'Z BAD!

The alarm screeched, red lights flashing and flaring, making her drop the half-constructed microchip she had been forming. Looking up, she was barely aware than she had bared her teeth in a snarl. “They’re back!” She could barely recognize her own voice in that growled statement. Standing up, she headed for the main entrance just like she was sure everybody else was doing. She knew her place on the battlefield: she was to stay with Ratchet and use her skills to help anyone who got injured. The first thing she noticed upon exiting the Ark was that everyone was already out. She was the last. Even Rumble was taking part, constantly darting around the battlefield and firing a small laser cannon at anything that moved and wasn’t an Autobot, all the while chattering complete gibberish at the top of his metaphorical lungs. The others were already under cover. A quick look up showed her where Megatron was and what they were dealing with. Starscream was back, along with his three friends, but two more had joined them and they all carried powerful weapons. Megatron was once again letting them have it, but this time they were ready for him. Outnumbered and outgunned, the earthbound Autobots unable to do anything save watch and attempt futile shots, Megatron fought valiantly but found himself overwhelmed…

He barely had time to register that he had transformed out of his jet mode before he slammed face first into the mountainside, not too far from where Starscream had done the same thing. The world went black for a few seconds only to return dimmer than before. Six enemies, and him going at it pretty much solo… The odds were heavily stacked against him, with a very real possibility of him not walking away from this, but none of that so much as crossed his mind. At that point, all he knew was that he had to get up and continue the fight. It hurt to move, but the pain helped clear his mind a bit. His vision blurred slightly as he glared up at them. So Starscream had gotten Backfire and Downburst in on things, as well as Dirge, Ramjet and Thrust. Whip at the ready, he lashed out at the closest one, rather effectively disarming Ramjet since the whip coiled around his gun and yanked it clean out of his hands. Given a moment, he surveyed the battlefield and immediately decided that Fate couldn’t have possibly dealt him a worse hand if it tried. There was no cover in sight and the slippery slope consisted of small rocks that shifted beneath every footstep, leading to a sheer cliff, below which the Ark and the Autobots waited. He cursed Starscream’s advantage; why were he and his cohorts able to fly in their normal form when Megatron couldn't? They had the sky, they had come prepared this time, he had no cover, his allies couldn’t possibly reach the mountaintop fast enough…

He didn’t even see it coming. Dazed as he was, he hadn’t noticed Dirge and Backfire moving in from behind. Two laser blasts, aimed and fired in unison, struck him square in the back, sending him to the ground with a harsh cry of pain. Face down on the rocky ground, he tried to recover at least a little, to struggle to his feet, but the world was spinning so badly that all he could do was get on hands and knees. There was a flicker at the edge of his vision, coming from the direction of the cliff. Turning slightly to look, he saw little tendrils of blue lightning bouncing uselessly off the rocks. Sarah, he realized. She was down there too, throwing every ounce of power in her still mostly human body into trying to help him even though she was out of range… A series of repeated thumps alerted him to the fact that the Decepticons were landing around him. “Oh, how I’ve longed to do this!” It was then that Megatron knew he was pretty much screwed; not from the weakness that filled him, not from the darkness that hovered at the edge of his vision, but from the way Starscream strolled over and kicked him in the side.

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Taking on six heavily armed opponents by yourself is virtually impossible for ANYBODY.

Night Raid wrote:Dammit, I think even the most fearless sort would be scared by seeing their commanding officer being taken out with stupid ease by somebody who's supposed to be DEAD!

You know, that's a really good point. And this isn't G1 Ramjet either, so you can really do anything you want with him.

All right; in this continuity, Ramjet gets his name because he's CRAZY obsessed with running into stuff.

So he's just a high tech version of a moth attracted to a bug zapper?