Angel From A Dream

Chapter 29

"Clampdown, open these pods and set our Decepticon brethren free."

Strongarm watched as Clampdown headed for the pods. Panic started setting in as she tried to think of a way to stop this.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!" Fixit shouts as he rolls forward and Steeljaw pushes Clampdown out of the way. "Um, the pods can only be opened from the command console, or, or, or..." Clampdown smacks him on the back. "Or they explode."

Good thinking, Fixit.

Underbite steps forward and sniffs him, "He's lying." Another sniff, "I can smell it."

Steeljaw grabs the Mini-Con and throws him into the command center. "Then you'll open the pods."

Fixit laughs nervously, "Sure. I'll-I'll be happy to."

Strongarm glares at Steeljaw as she tries to figure out what his angle is. Steeljaw notices her glare and looks at the others, "Make sure the Mini-Con opens the pods. I'll be right back." He then walks over to Strongarm, grabs her arm, and walks her away from the rest of his pack.

When they get far enough away, Strongarm jerks her arm out of his grip and faces him, "Steeljaw, what are you playing at? Why are you doing this?"

"I'm freeing my Decepticon brethren, so I can create my world for Decepticons. I will rule them, and you will be right by my side."

"No, I'm not. This is the path your sire wants you on. You know your carrier doesn't want you doing this stuff."

Steeljaw growls at her and she takes a step back, "Don't bring them into this."

"What about the time we shared yesterday? You're seriously doing this after that?"

"That has nothing to do with this."

"The reason you were in the area to begin with was because you were scouting out the scrapyard! I can't believe I'm actually falling for a mech like you!" She immediately shuts her mouth after she realizes what she said.

Steeljaw smirks at her, "You're getting feelings for me, Cadet."

"No! I'm not!"

"You shouldn't lie, Cadet."

Strongarm vented out a frustrated sigh, "Fine! I'm starting to catch feelings for you! I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since we left the island!"

Steeljaw's smirk turned into a grin. "Really? For that long?"

Strongarm narrowed her optics, "Don't -"

"Steeljaw! The humans!" Fracture's voice cuts in, interrupting Strongarm.

With a growl, Steeljaw grabs Strongarm's servo and runs over to where the others are. "What happened!?"

"Underbite was supposed to be watchin' 'em, but he got distracted and they ran off," Thunderhoof explained.

"You and Clampdown go find them!" Thunderhoof and Clampdown look at each other, Thunderhoof sneering at the thought of working with the crab. "NOW!" Steeljaw shouts as he stomps his foot, and they both hurriedly transform and drive off to search for the humans.

Strongarm is happy that the two humans were able to get away. She hopes they can get out of the scrapyard and help the others get in somehow. Eventually, Denny was caught, but Russell was still free, so she remained hopeful that he was able to get to the rest of the team. That's when Steeljaw's plans started spiraling downhill, between Fixit constantly finding excuses to delay in opening the pods, and Russell working with Bumblebee and the others to help them get back into the scrapyard, the Autobots were able to get back into the scrapyard and take down Steeljaw and his pack in no time. They subdued the Decepticons that were trying to get out of their pods and, with Denny's help, closed all the pods.

Steeljaw growled in frustration as he looked around at the Autobots who were surrounding him. "I will have a world for the Decepticons. This world!"

"Not today, Steeljaw," Bumblebee says before getting knocked down by one of Fracture's Mini-Cons. The Mini-Cons jump onto Steeljaw after he transforms, and he drives off through the open path that Strongarm made for him. When Strongarm looks back at Bumblebee, she sees him giving her a stern look. "Why did you open a way for him to escape?"

"He's my mate, Lieutenant."

"He's a highly dangerous Decepticon! The most wanted Decepticon on our list!"

"I know! I'm so confused about everything! I know we need to lock him up, but part of me doesn't want to lock him up because he's my mate and I'm catching feelings for him!"

"Whoa, wait a minute!" Sideswipe shouts, "You're catching feelings for a 'Con criminal? That's not like you. Who are you and what have you done with Strongarm?"

"I know it's wrong, but I couldn't stop it. It just happened."

"How many times have you let him escape before?"

"One. I encountered him yesterday, and I let him get away."

"You're not allowed to go anywhere by yourself. From now on, you will be accompanied by one of us. You clearly cannot be trusted to make the right decision when it comes to Steeljaw."

Strongarm casts her optics downward, "Yes, sir."

~~~~~~~~~~

The Decepticons make it back to their hideout, and Steeljaw is so outraged that he can't look at the others right now. "Get. Out." He says with a vicious growl. The others scurry away as fast as possible, leaving Steeljaw alone with his thoughts. He was so close to having his Decepticon army and ruling over Earth. But now, all of that has been taken away from him, and he once again had to leave Strongarm.

As he's sitting there thinking about the mission's failure, he hears a voice suddenly start calling out his name. He looks around but sees nobody; he's still alone. Then one of the metal pieces that was sitting on the floor next to him starts rising into the air with a face appearing on it.

"Call not your allies. I speak to you, and you alone."

"Who are you?"

"I am the first Decepticon. I was responsible for the Alchemor's crash and thus your freedom. I freed you and your pack to serve me."

Steeljaw couldn't believe what he was hearing. This supposed first Decepticon is saying that he freed them so that they could serve him? "You? The pack obeys my orders."

"You are to prepare my gateway. I will advise you with instructions shortly."

"I will not take orders from you."

"You will obey. Just because I'm in a different dimension does not mean I cannot hurt you." The first Decepticon clenches his fist and squeezes the metal to prove his point.

"Play all the tricks you like, I do not scare. And I will have a legion of Decepticons, no bot will interfere with my plans to rule this planet."

"I appreciate your ambition, Steeljaw. Truly, I do. Prepare my way, and I shall give you this world, along with whatever else you may desire."

"Hmm." Steeljaw thinks it over. If this first Decepticon is telling the truth and gives him whatever he desires, then he can have this world to rule and have Strongarm by his side with no bot to interfere or try to separate them. "Deal." The first Decepticon disappears, and the metal falls to the ground. Steeljaw watches it fall as he starts to smile, "For now. Just until I get what I want."