Healing Hearts

Chapter 18

Megatronus was sitting on his throne when the dreaded conversation was unfortunately, finally brought up. He had known Starscream was no idiot, but he had hoped his own quick return to power might have dissuaded the seeker from his more... radical ideas.
"My lord," the conniving mech bowed upon reaching the leader's peds, "I believe that it is time we act. It has been weeks now since the battle against the Autobots, and they do not seem to be getting any weaker. In comparison, our energon supply grows worryingly thin. We must end this war quickly before we cannot fight anymore." Starscream kept his head low, and Megatronus clenched his servos in preparation for what the mech would say next.
"I suggest we bring in a higher power, one wholly capable of decimating the Prime and his forces without our need to step in."
Megatronus internally sighed before he eyed his second-in-command shrewdly. He had no desire to release The Fallen, an evil being of immense power and age, having been alive since the dawn of the Primes before he was imprisoned forevermore for treachery against his brothers. However, Starscream used several valid points. If nothing was done for their energon supply, his army was in danger. There were rumors that The Fallen knew of a way to create energon by destroying objects of power. By forbidding the resurrection of The Fallen, Megatronus would be condemning the mechs under his control to offlining. It was most-definitely not something the possessed Megatron would have done.
However, the only other option available to him was Harry, and Megatronus was unwilling to allow his human to be anywhere near the traitorous mechs to help them with their problem. The Decepticons would sooner attack than listen to anything their fearsome leader had to say.
"Indeed," Megatronus decided after several moments of silence. He could not risk Harry's life, under any circumstance. "We will have to start rationing our energon in the meantime. The Fallen may be able to help with more than just our Autobot problem."
Starscream rose from his bow, a manic gleam in his red optics and a twisted smile upon his faceplate. "Of course, Master. It shall be done."

-

A motorcycle in Shanghai wasn't the most common of sights, but, unlike in other areas of China, it was not illegal. Many people barely gave the motorcyclist a second glance as she drove through the bustling city.
Arcee mentally cursed the Decepticons for always ending up in populated cities. NEST was still not happy with her team for allowing two young civilians to get involved in their fight, and now they were making it difficult for her to track the enemy unsupervised through other countries.
Though tracking was probably not the best way to put it, Arcee mused as she watched two silver cars with illegally tinted windows pull out of their street parking spots as she passed. It was more along the line of tricking.
Arcee minutely increased her energon output to help the suspected Decepticons keep tabs on her as she started nonchalantly weaving between civilian cars and taking 'random' turns down side streets. She wasn't too far from the area NEST had cleared for her to kill the 'Cons, so she led them there.
It took only a few minutes to get to the deserted street. There were still a few cars and people milling about, but unlike every other area, all of these people were government agents.
Arcee, certain the cars on her aft were, indeed, Decepticons, transformed without a care for the humans around her. They knew to get out of her way.
Flipping around in one smooth motion, the femme fired two quick shots at the 'Con scum with her arm blaster before she charged at them full tilt.
The two shots connected, knocking the unknown bots back on their afts mid-transformation. That didn't stop the one on the left from deploying his weapon of choice- a spiked mace. Arcee activated her own weapon as she charged, a short sword connected to her bracer, making a sharp 'shink' sound as she continued her charge.
In a second the lithe femme was within striking range and Arcee went for a stab to the mace bot's arm before she threw a shot at the other mech.
Neither attack hit, but Arcee had little time to think on it before she was twirling away from the mace as it flew towards her shoulderplate. The mech retracted his chain quickly, and Arcee had to duck under the returning ball of spike-y metal.
The whine of an energon cannon warned Arcee to the primary weapon of the second bot. Those shots were more dangerous right now than the other mech's mace. Arcee quickly decided she needed to take the second 'Con out first.
Weaving around another mace strike, Arcee got up into the first bot's space and fired a shot point-blank into his main opticplate, knocking the bot into recharge and temporarily putting him out of the fight.
Quickly transforming into her alt mode, Arcee tried to avoid the energon shot directed at her, but her motorcycle form was just a bit too tall. The shot singed her seats as she sped towards the second Decepticon.
Wincing internally, the femme revved her engine in anger and whipped by the side of the slow-moving 'Con. He had equipped heavier armor at the cost of his agility, Arcee noticed with disdain. It was nothing her blade couldn't puncture if she hit him just right.
Racing by the bot's other side as the first bot recovered enough to stand back up, Arcee transformed again and sunk her blade into the juncture between the second bot's helm and shoulderplate, ruthlessly severing energon lining and tubes alike.
The 'Con was offline before he hit the ground.
The first bot shouted a pained battle cry before he connected his mace with Arcee's left arm. She hadn't brought her arms into her body fast enough when she twirled away.
Bringing her torn and leaking arm behind her back, Arcee frowned at the mech as he whipped his mace around in an attempt to catch her again. She wouldn't be making the same mistake twice.
Her blade may be a bit useless now that she couldn't use her arm well, but Arcee knew she had a decent shot with her blaster. She just needed to get up into his personal space again. He couldn't whip his mace around that close to himself, but he'd definitely be on guard for that move after her previous stunt.
Backtracking out of the mech's range, Arcee clicked her denta when he simply followed her, swinging his mace menacingly.
"I'm gonna make you pay for my brother's death, little femme," he growled.
Arcee scoffed as she opened her mouthplates to speak. However, instead of talking, the pink and blue bot casually pointed her blaster and fired at the Decepticon's leg.
"Argh! You're gonna beg for mercy!" He shouted, charging at Arcee. The Autobot smirked internally as he played right into her servos. Stepping forwards, Arcee supercharged her blaster as she bobbed and weaved around two more mace-throws.
Throwing her right arm forwards, Arcee managed to get her blaster's sights set on the 'Con's spark chamber before she fired.
The bot flew back at the force of her shot and smacked hard onto the pavement, his armor shrieking as he slid a few feet before he stopped.
Arcee stalked over with a smirk firmly on her mouthplates. "What was that about making me pay?"
The mech's dimming optics locked on hers as he growled, "The F- Fallen wi-ll avenge me... wh-en he comes..."
Arcee's smirk promptly fell as the Deception's last words repeated in her processor. This was bad- very bad. She needed to contact Optimus right away.

-

"Since no one can seem to tell me what the enemy is now after," a bespectacled man in a crisp navy suit ranted, "well, there's only one clear conclusion! The Autobots! The Decepticons are here to hunt them! What's there to hunt for on Earth besides that?"
Lennox had to keep himself from rolling his eyes. Director Galloway had walked in on Lennox's meeting with the chairman of NEST, General Morshower, as if he were the President himself, rather than his actual position as a liaison that knew next to nothing about NEST's fight over the past year.
"The Fallen will come? That sounds to me like someone very bad."
Here, Director Galloway turned away from the unimpressed chairman to glare at Lennox. The Lieutenant Colonel unfortunately had to drop his attitude to avoid offending the higher-ranked man. "So, let me ask, if we ultimately conclude that our national security is best served by denying the Autobots further asylum on our planet, will they leave peacefully?"
Lennox fought the urge to scowl at the Director. Making the Autobots leave would only guarantee the Decepticons' victory. However, he knew what Prime would say. "The leader of the Autobots firmly believes that freedom is our right. If you make that request, he will honor it." Lennox, however, couldn't resist the urge to send out a quick barb. "But before the President decides, please ask him this. What if they leave, and you're wrong?"

-

After all the shock and awe the Autobots had, had finally worn off- and he had promised the medical officer a thousand times that he would be back- Harry was informed by the Autobot leader that Technical Sergeant Epps had people on the lookout for him and that he should probably return to his lodgings.
Harry agreed and quickly devised a plan to make his disappearance plausible without putting suspicion on the Autobots.
This was how the Arcane Healer found himself crammed inside of a tiny locked broom closet in one of the many non-off limits hallways in the military base. His idea was a bit of a stretch, and it could put some people in trouble, but Harry couldn't think of anything else on such short notice. So, without further ado, Harry tried to get as comfy as he could on the floor before casting a light sleeping spell on himself.

-

"Potter. Potter, get up! What are you doing in here?"
The green-eyed man blinked sluggishly as he was awoken from his charmed sleep by hands grasping and pulling at his shoulders.
Yawning and shaking his head lightly, Harry squinted up at the bright, open doorway of the broom closet to see Robert was the one grabbing him.
"Oh, hey Epps. I was wondering when you'd find me."
Once the black man hauled him to his feet, Harry gently brushed off his army clothes and walked out of the cramped closet.
The bald man had a scowl on his face and his arms crossed as he looked the skinny white civilian up and down. "Just what were you doing in there, Potter? I've been searching for you for the past five hours."
Harry widened his eyes to appear shocked as he rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Well, I didn't want to be in there, Epps. I think it was a bit of a misunderstanding, honestly, but I was just walking down this hallway," Harry made a sweeping gesture with his hand, "when someone came up behind me and shoved me in the closet."
Rubbing his arm in a fake show of phantom pain, Harry hummed as he appeared to think back to the event. "They said, 'That's what you get, ya stupid Brit', before the lock clicked and they walked away. I tried yelling a bit, but no one opened the door. I sat down and must have fallen asleep waiting. I think the person must have thought I was someone else," he ended with a shrug. On his way to the Autobot hanger, he had seen a lot of people of different ethnicities, so he figured a bit of rivalry between the international soldiers wasn't too farfetched an idea.
"...I see," the soldier responded, his eyes narrowed in thought. "Well," Epps said a moment later, his face and tone a bit lighter as he clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder, "I'll see to it that the culprit is found and punished. But for now, the doctors want one last look at you before you'll be cleared to leave, so let's go."
"Of course," Harry smiled. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it, Potter."