The Holiday Killer ✔️

Ch. 19 The Storm

While the attacks in the city have been happening, Blaster has been dealing with his first encounter with Earth's version of a cold. While he's been feeling too sick to get out of bed, he's been troubled that he couldn't help yesterday. Even if he is a communication officer, he'd be better suited to help Mirage find the culprit. No one — aside from Ratchet — thinks any other human aside from the holiday killer is behind all the attacks. Jazz had plans to try to cheer Boulder up by having Jamie share the new bands she's discovered until he heard the news last night. He hoped not to say anything until Blaster specifically suggested listening to the music Jamie likes.
"You can't just tell me she went home?" Blaster argues.
Jazz sighs, "she's in the medbay."
"What?!" Blaster exclaims, using all his strength to sit up, "the fragging killer tried to get her?!"
"It's... not serious. It's her damn condition."
Blaster only knows about it, and Jazz didn't think he'd want to know the details.
"That still sounds serious," Blaster argues before coughing, "but you've had longer to learn about her."

Meanwhile, the three medics, Prowl and rescue bots, pay close attention to a storm coming to the city. Boulder is looking to help the city's plowing crew. Even if Chase is part of the team, the medics and Prowl need to know how bad accidents might be. To know if the medics should be at the hospital or on the road responding to calls. Blades is already complaining about flying in the storm while Heatwave is hoping to help during the storm. Everyone talks about the holiday killer, wondering if he'll think this is a good time to attack.

The holiday killer's associate introduces him to a friend who can help kill humans while the storm is happening.
"Why are we helping a human?" The new associate asks, angered.
"Because he's like us; hates humans."
Austin didn't correct his associate about how he has a list. After yesterday, he realizes how fun killing humans is. Especially when his associate told him about the Autobots and how there's one who hates humans.
They'll blame him instead of trying to get me. Austin smiles. Just wish I had kept him here for a few more days. I'm sure I can find another way to get the Autobots to blame him. Maybe not the snowstorm, but this is an excellent plan.

Blaster is feeling a little better the next day. Enough to go down to the cafeteria and medbay before needing to lie down.
"You know Ratchet will tell you to go back to our room?" Jazz asks.
"How long do you think I'll stay with Jamie being unconscious? I know her guardians stay for hours, but that's how they deal with their friend and charge being in the medbay."

"Get your aft back to bed!" Ratchet scolds.
"Just a few minutes?" Blaster protests.
As Ratchet is about to answer, his pager goes off, "fine, ten minutes. Jasmine, Jolt; let's go!"
The three medics rush, putting their jackets on and grabbing bags before rushing out of the medbay.
"Before you ask, we know how to handle anything that'll arise," Crosshairs comments.
"I figured," Blaster smiles.
His smile fades, seeing Jamie unconscious and on oxygen plus the feeding tube.
"You know humans believe those in comas can hear us," Drift points out, "she could possibly hear music."
Blaster lets Drift pick the music, knowing it would be movie soundtrack music rather than rock 'n roll or metal. He sits by the bed as the music plays. Staying for ten minutes as he told Ratchet before going back to his room.
"She'll be ok," Drift tells him before Blaster leaves the room.

The scene on the highway looks like a bomb went off. The question is, how did some vehicles get flattened?
"Severely damaged is one thing, but this is like a large truck ran the car over," Ratchet points out.
"A ten-car pile-up, but it's strange," Prowl comments, "several people claim to have seen a large loader plow through traffic."
"Explains the two unfortunate crushed cars," Chase points out.
The three medics and Heatwave help paramedics and firefighters while Chase and Prowl interview the few non-injured civilians.
It's a challenge getting the injured to the hospital in the middle of the storm. 
"Hey! There's a baby left alone in this car!" A firefighter yells.
Prowl looks around the car, seeing snow in a way that suggests dragging, but he can't tell if someone was dragged or struggled to walk through the snow.
"Either someone left the baby behind or was dragged up the hill," Prowl observes.
Prowl reports his findings to the police chief and Optimus, believing at least one Autobot needs to be with the officers who'll investigate.

"Let me go investigate!" Sunstreaker argues.
"You mean kill," Ironhide corrects.
"He deserves to die!"
"Enough! You both will go investigate!" Optimus argues, "this could be a person fleeing from the scene—," Optimus explains.
"But they left their baby in the car!" Sunstreaker argues.
"I'm with him; who forgets their baby?" Ironhide asks.

The two head to the scene, and Sunstreaker informs Ironhide that the warehouse is close to the scene.
The two see how bad the pile-up is and the evidence that someone either walked through the deep snow or was dragged. The two transform and follow the trail along with three officers. Ratchet hopes to meet the team if there is an injured captive civilian, but there are many injured civilians in the pile-up.

As Sunstreaker suspected, the trail led them to the warehouse. The large doors missing from when Jamie blasted the doors off the hinges.
"It's freezing in here," an officer comments, "might as well say we're not in a warehouse."
They walk further into the warehouse, hearing a machine running.
"I'm tired of my victims being saved, and you are one of the mother tuckers who ruined my life!" They hear Austin.
"That's a meat grinder," Sunstreaker points out.
They watch Austin drag his victim up a flight of stairs and to the edge of the platform by the machine.
"Let's go!" Ironhide urges.
They rush up the stairs, hoping to keep Austin from tossing his victim over the banister. They didn't think he'd remove the duct tape from the man's mouth.
"Help me!" The man begs.
"What do you think you're all going to do without me tossing him over?" Austin taunts.
Sunstreaker shoots him in the leg, but he can lean on the banister, "that's it!"
He appears to press a button before shots are fired at Ironhide and Sunstreaker's holoform.
"Cybertronian bullets," Ironhide points out.
A large loader, as described by civilians at the scene of the pile-up, smashes through a wall.
"My ride's here, but first...."
"No, no, please don't," the male begs before screaming as he's shredded.
Austin smiles until the screening fades before jumping into the loader. The loader continues forward, aiming for any support beams.
"We have to get out of here!" Sunstreaker urges.
Ironhide grabs the two officers, and the two mechs run out of the building.
As they watch the building collapse, Sunstreaker is livid that the holiday killer got away, while Ironhide couldn't believe what the guy did. The two officers are terrified of what they witnessed.

"Perhaps now they get the message to stay the fuck away from me," Austin smiles as he meets his other associate. 
The two associates question how long before the Autobots find out who they are but want to help Austin.

"Twenty had to go to the hospital, ten dead on arrival including those in the crushed cars, and ten had minor injuries that were treated on scene," Ratchet informs Prime, "those civilians describe a large loader, bigger than a typical vehicle for construction."
"What are the chances he's working with Megatron?" Prowl asks.
"Hard to know," Optimus replies, "this guy seems to have a list of targets, but he'll target any witnesses. We need to bring this guy down."
No one wants to think about how many people the holiday killer has killed.