I've Found You

Chapter 13: Clones

"Ohh, my head gasket.", I groaned, "Bulk, you okay?""What the? The 'Cons warship?", I looked around us and realized he was right, "Ratchet, don't ask how we got here long story. Ratchet, you copy? Oh, scrap."

"No response?", I asked.

"Nada.", he answered.

"We need to move. We don't know how long until the cons come for the Energon.", I said and we left the room.

We walked down many hallways, trying to find an exit.

"Stealthy. Stealthy.", I looked over at Bulkhead as he slammed into a Decepticon.

"Starscream?", Bulkhead and I asked in shock.

"Why is it that every time I return to my old stomping grounds, I find an Autobot roaming the halls?", Starscream asked. 

"Don't tell me you came crawling back to Megatron.", Bulkhead glared.

"Hardly, now out of my way.", Starscream attempted to push between Bulk and I.

"Scream, you got to show me the way off this boat.", I stopped him.

"Sorry, too busy", Starscream said.

"- Look, when you needed help -", Bulkhead cut in.

"As I recall, we bartered.So unless you have anything of value to offer me, step aside.", Starscream glared at Bulkhead.

"The exit now!", Bulkhead demanded, I set a servo on his shoulder.

"I may have given Arcee a free pass when she and I last met but I won't hesitate to skewer you as I did a certain Cliffjumper.", Starscream scratched Bulk's chassis causing Bulkhead swung at Starscream, "Perish, Bulkhead."

Starscream's optics widened.

"This is for Cliffjumper! For Bumblebee! For everything. You left me no choice.", Bulkhead said, I pulled him off Starscream before he did something he'd regret.

-24 Hours Earlier-

::Bulkhead to base. Picked up a strong reading I'm gonna go check it out.:: Bulkhead's voice came over the com link. 

"I'm on my way.", I answered and sped towards Bulkhead's signal which wasn't far from me.

I arrived at Bulkhead's coordinates and seen him peering down a big hole. I walked over to him.

"Uh, no sign of activity.", Bulkhead said and we started to climb down. 

"Energon?", I asked out loud.

"Boxed and ready for pick-up.", Bulkhead stated and we both looked up when we heard an engine, "Scrap!" 

Bulk and I started climbing all the way down. He grabbed a loose rock and fell. I moved faster but lost my footing and fell the rest of the way down. Bulkhead lost consciousness as did I.

~

"Ohh, my head gasket.", Bulk groaned.

"Starscream?", Bulk and I asked. 

"This is for Cliffjumper! For Bumblebee! For everything.", Bulkhead yelled as he punched Starscream with his mace. 

"A com unit. Bulkhead to base, do you read? Do you copy?", Bulkhead tried to reach the Autobots, "Hey, what you stupid con tech. Is this thing even on?" 

"Stealthy. Stealthy.", Bulkhead said as he crawled, I followed behind him.

"Lord Megatron.", a voice echoed from the com link in the ship.

"Yes, what is it?", Megatron asked from above us, making Bulk and I halt.

"An intruder.", the vehicon answered.

"Autobot?", Megatron concluded.

"Starscream. He was last seen in the vicinity of the bridge.", Megatron's footsteps were heard as he turned around and made his way to the bridge. 

'Bulkhead, let's split up. I'll follow Megatron. Something doesn't fit right.", I said, recalling that we knocked Starscream out a few minutes ago.

He nodded and we went our separate ways. When we reached the bridge, Starscream was standing the furthest away from the door.

"Megatron, it has come time to settle old scores.", Starscream said and turned around.

"Really, Starscream? All on your own?", Megatron smirked. 

"Actually.", Multiple voices said at once as three more Starscreams came out of the shadows.

"Clones? Well played, Starscream, if you're even here among your underlings.", Megatron said as he watched the Starscream behind him.

"I knew it.", I whispered.

"Underlings? We are as one. Though many.", the Starscreams said.

"Bring me Starscream's head on a stick, and I will reward you as my second in command all of you.", Megatron gestured toward the clones.

"No! You are trying to trick us!", the first Starscream said. 

"Am I?", Megatron asked.

"Is he?", another Starscream asked the others. 

"Accept my proposal, and we all win. Otherwise, you will merely end up terminating each other to get the spoils. It is your nature, after all.", Megatron said as if he sees this every day.

"Don't listen to him! Prepare to perish at my hand. Our hands! Yes, only our combined firepower will assure Megatron's destruction. Take aim!", all four Screamers locked on Megatron as buzzing sounded, "Do you hear that? Ignore! Fire on three. One....Two - What was that?" 

"The sound of the tables turning.", Megatron answered and shot the clones, "Exterminating you was so gratifying the first three times."

The ship jerked and the clone got away.

"Stupid Starscream.", I muttered.

"Airachnid. A busy day for assassins.", Megatron hissed and left. 

"Bulkhead, I'm heading your way. Meet me by the Energon.", I said as I ran through the ship.

::Copy that.:: Bulkhead answered.

I finally made it to the Energon storage room and seen Bulkhead was waiting. 

"One way or another, I'm getting off this boat.", Bulkhead said and took his mace out.

"On three.", I glanced at Bulkhead, "Three!"

We jumped off and slammed right into the reactor core. The whole room lit up as the reactor core started blowing up. We left the ship through a maze of tunnels and ended up on the flight deck.

"Out of my way!", Starscream yelled and jumped off the ship. 

As soon as the ship landed, Bulkhead and I drove off. We drove the whole way to the base.

"Guys, you are not gonna believe the day I had.", Bulkhead said after transforming.

"We had.", I corrected and the two of us looked over at Arachnid in the insecticon stasis pod.

"Oh, you too, huh?", Bulkhead commented, I shook my helm with a smile and made my way towards MagnaBlade who was playing with himself on the floor. 

I let Bulkhead explain our adventure as I played with MagnaBlade.

"How'd it go?", Optimus asked when he sat down next to me.

"Okay, I suppose. Bulkhead and I split up while we were on the warship. Starscream had somehow cloned himself. The clones were up against Megatron, I was watching them as they fought.", I answered, "What about you?"

"Arcee, Bumblebee, and myself fought off insecticons while Ratchet took care of MagnaBlade.", he smiled.

"Sounds like we both had an odd day.", I chuckled.

"Indeed we did.", Optimus said and the three of us went to berth.