Shadowfire

Chapter 33

We adapted easily enough, Jazz learned to trust the Cons at his back and in turn they accepted him. We did everything we could to get a little bit of our own back; destroying facilities, raiding and razing, interfering on ops- anything we got word that those glitches were involved in we did our best to take out.

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"Shadow" I looked up.
"We've intercepted human transmissions, they're going after an Autobot in some nothing town in Texas"
"Well then" I grinned "let's get there first"

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"Oh man" Jazz whistled "whoever they think they've found, they really want 'im" he was right. We'd spotted four groups of at least 10 trucks, and multiple helicopters; the humans had come out in force.

::We've got six vehicles and a chopper, heading towards property under the name of one Cade Yager:: Smokescreen reported.
::Moving in::
"Shadow, you and Jazz get in close. Rapidflare and Quarrel, cover them" Starscream ordered "I want you in position in case things go to slag"
"Yes sir"

::They're releasing drones::
::Howler, take 'em out:: Screamer ordered
::Barrage, you take the helicopter::

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"We've got a live missile in the trash"
"Live! I carried that to the trash, you told me that was a dud dude!"
"Take 'em down"

The armed humans leapt to follow their orders, pulling their weapons, grabbing the girl and forcing both the men to the ground.
"Search the perimeter"

::Starscream-::
::Hold your ground::

"Let her go!" The taller of the men yelled, breaking free momentarily to lunge at the men holding the girl "I said let her go!"
"Daddy!" The teen screamed, as the man was forced to the ground, automatic weapon pressed up against his skull "daddy!"

"You've got ten seconds" the lead man said, as a pistol was cocked and put to the girl's temple "where's the truck?"

::Starscream-:: I said again.
::Wait:: he ordered.

"You're gonna shoot my little girl?!"
"If I have to"
"Please don't shoot me" the girl sobbed into the grass.
"I told you everything, he's gone, he left. He was in the barn I swear to god. Just let her go"
"Please, please" the girl cried.
"I'm telling you the truth, he was in there"
"Dad" the girl begged.
"Tell them to get away from my little girl now"
"Shoot her"

::Helicopter down::
::Go::

Jazz and I leapt from cover, Rapidflare and Quarrel at our backs.

Missiles exploded, sending smoke and flames into the air. Humans screamed.
The agents in black returned fire, stray bullets flying everywhere. A blast clipped the human's house.

::Take as many of them out as you can, then get the hell out of there::

::Oh frag:: Rotorbite murmured ::It's Optimus Prime::

Everything ground to a halt.

::What? What did you say?::
::Prime's in the barn, he's offline::

Starscream swore.
::Get the humans out of there, I'll get Prime out::

I remained frozen in place. He was here, he was alive.

Quarrel grabbed my shoulder.
"Come on, we have to go" he shook me, roughly "Shadow we have to go"

Right. I nodded, slipping easily into my alt form and tearing off after Rapidflare as the humans perused us.
We split up, some of us getting to the road while others tore through the corn fields.

"Stop! Stop the car! Stop, please"
Rapidflare slammed on the brakes, nearly hitting the two humans who were banging on his hood.
"Oh thank god, look you have to help us, get us somewhere safe, please"
::What do I do?::
::Let them in::

::Holoform slag for brains:: I hissed, as he went to open his door.
::Frag, thanks::

"What the hell is going on here? Who are you? What're you doing on my property?" The man asked.
"No time for questions, hurry up" Rapidflare snapped, revving his engine as I took off.

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We rendezvoused at an abandoned service station way off the highway. When I arrived everyone was greeting each other with silent slaps on the back or quick embraces. Smokescreen met my optics.
"This is over, ain't it Shadow? Things are bigger than us again, we're not a single strike unit anymore"
"I don't know what's going to happen now" I admitted.

Jazz arrived yelling.
"Where is he? Where is Optimus?!" He demanded, I rushed over, grabbing him by the shoulders.
"Calm down Jazz, they're not back yet, they're not here. But they will be, they will be"
"You think we can trust these Decepticons with our leader?"
"These Decepticons have been watchin' your back" Quarrel snapped "we ain't gonna harm Prime"
"Come on Jazz! Calm down, go on, walk it off. Get back here before Screamer and Optimus arrive"

Rapidflare was the second last of our team to make it. He skidded to a halt and the humans stumbled out of his interior. I groaned.
"Frag" I'd forgotten about them.

The two humans looked around, noting the hostile Cybertronians glaring down at them.
"What the hell is going on?!" They turned identical accusatory glances to Rapidflare's holoform.
"What is this?"

The mech transformed and stood up, clapping a servo on Rotorbite's shoulder. The teenage girl began to scream.
"You have no idea how uncomfortable it is to have humans in your interior" he groaned, stretching out.
"I always found it more annoying than anything" I said, ignoring the two humans freaking our beneath me.
"Oh it's that too" he agreed.

"Alright listen here!" The man yelled, clutching his daughter to him "you tell me what the hell's going on and then let us go!"
"We did not kidnap you, human" Rapidflare told him "it was you who made me stop"
"What the hell were secret agents doing on my property?"
"I would assume they were after me" I spun, recognising the voice. I'd been so distracted I didn't notice the arrival of my uncles, Optimus leaning heavily on Starscream, the other mech supporting most of his weight with difficulty. I rushed forward to help ease the great Prime into a sitting position on the ground.

"What happened to you? We saw you get hit as we fled NEST but couldn't find you afterwards"
"I barely escaped with my life"
"Where-"
"I dragged myself as far as I could, and then- I do not know what happened. I woke up in a human's barn, a man was trying to repair me. He did enough" a pause and then "How long-"
"It's been months since NEST, since then? This world's one big slag heap for those of us made of metal"