Shadowfire

Chapter 32

The awful shriek of metal against metal invaded our audio receptors, human projectiles bouncing harmlessly off of cybertronian armour, and then their heavier weaponry- rocket launchers and the like, things actually able to harm us. They were armed or the teeth with it, rows and rows of men, a trap.

Synthetic rubber tires screeched and burned as we slammed on our brakes to avoid directly ploughing into the humans, it was a bottle neck- they had herded us here, had trapped us, and now we were in serious trouble.

And then there was Optimus, coming up from the rear, leaping at the humans- weapons to the ready, and then we were all shaking off the emotions that had made us stall and throwing ourselves into the fray.

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Time seemed to bend as I fought, trying to ignore the feeling that I was missing a limb. My spark felt unusually hot, and I could feel my energy stores depleting faster than normal, as the second spark drew off my own.

I let the sounds of battle fill me, focused only on what I was doing, keeping thoughts of my fallen sparkmate and injured father from my processor.

And then everything stilled, just for a second, it was as if everyone froze. A missile, fired from a human truck, his Optimus directly in the chassis, just below his spark chamber, tearing an agonised cry from his vocal processor.
"Optimus!" Ratchet yelled, even as the humans congregated around our wounded leader.
"Go" the old mech coughed, clutching at his armour "now's your chance" and it was, with the humans swarming our downed leader we had a split second before they realised they'd left an opening through which we could escape, but by then it would be too late.

I took off towards the gap, other 'bots doing the same.
"Optimus!" Ratchet yelled again, unable to reach his old friend.
"Go, I'll be fine" And so we did.

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We couldn't find Optimus after our escape, knew he had to be badly damaged but probably not- he shouldn't be, couldn't be- with Primus, not just yet. Jazz and I knew we had to run. The humans wouldn't stop hunting us, not now, not ever. Our only chance lay in splitting up, surviving until one of us could find a way off this planet. We didn't dare risk broadcasting our location to the rest of that Autobots, not they theirs, we didn't know what the humans would be able to pick up on, how much time and energy they were donating to hunting us. This was their planet, if they truly willed it there would be few places we could live unnoticed by them.

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::Jazz hold up::
::What is it Shad?::
::I know this place, the Decepticons have their base 'round here:: my friend made a spluttering sound as his engine coughed- a mix of being indignant and outraged.
::You mean you know where the 'Cons have been living this whole time?!::
::Um, yeah. Did I not mention that?::

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When we actually reached the desert ravine that housed the enterance to the 'Cons underground lair we found it deserted.
"Maybe Starscream moved when he took control?" Jazz suggested, but I doubted it "why don't we go inside and have a look?" I shook my head. I couldn't do it. It would be bad enough facing the place with my memories intact, but with my circuitry messed up? I would barely be able to take a step without something being triggered. Or worse, I wouldn't remember any of it at all.

Instead I simply stuck my head into the mouth of the hole.
"Oi! Screamer!" I yelled, my shout echoing throughout the caverns. Jazz grabbed me roughly.
"What in Primus do you think you're doing?!" He hissed
"Relax" I explained "they might be enemies to you but to the 'Cons I'm one of them"
"By Primus you are" I turned to see the brothers Barrage and Barricade standing by the entrance to the Decepticon lair, they stepped forward to embrace me "it's good to see you femme"
"It's been a long time since we've been together without a battlefield between us" Barricade's optics passed me, and he took sight of Jazz. I hurried to intervene.
"Something terrible's happened, I know he's an Autobot but please, take us to Starscream, I'll explain everything"

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"So you're expecting us to believe you? To let this Autobot into our headquarters?" Quarrel demanded.
"We can't afford to be divided anymore, the humans are trying to kill us all- if they turned on us, their allies, what do you think they're going to do to Decepticons?" I reasoned
"No Shad, they're right, we shouldn't be with these filthy 'cons, we can't stay with them, we wouldn't be able to turn our backs for a second"
"Hate to break it to ya slag-for-processors" Rotorbite snarled "but you've had a 'con at your back almost as long as you've been on this planet. Shadowfire's one of us"
"You overcharged fraggin' glitch-"
"Enough!!" Starscream roared, he spun to face Jazz with fire in his optics "you come here, to our turf, beg for us to shelter you and insult us? I will not have it"
"All of you scrapheaps, cut it out!" I yelled "we need to work together, the humans will be here soon- if they haven't found you already it's only a matter of time, there is nowhere for us to hide. We didn't come here for sanctuary, we came to warn you. I will not stay and watch more of my family die"

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"It was a good try Shad, but you can't have expected to reason with them"
"Enough Jazz, just- please, enough"

"Shad-"
"I said enough" I snapped and, transforming into my alt mode, crept away across the desert. Jazz stayed where he was, knowing that despite my anger I would always come back.

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::Shad you might want to hurry::
::What is is?::
::A bunch of your Decepticon buddies showed up, looking apologetic and a little worse for wear::
::What?!:: I demanded, engine revving in shock.
::Yeah you might want to hurry, it looks like they also brought the armada chasing them::

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Voices rose, meshing over one another, shouting out.

"They've sicced Homeland Security on us"

"Energon detectors around every major city"

"A special CIA unit's hunting us down"

"What're we meant to do?"
"Whatever we can. As long as we're stuck on this rock we're gonna make things very difficult for the humans, using guerrilla tactics in a war of attrition- we'll be a right pain in the traitorous government's collective asses until they're begging to give us a way off-planet"