Tibaksi &The Traitor

Chapter 6

I followed Sentinel closely, with Optimus a few minutes behind. Why he had decided to wait a little longer I didn't know. Perhaps to enjoy the scenery a while longer? It was a gorgeous place. I hoped Optimus would take me there sometime again.
Suddenly three Dreadbots jumped out at us.
I put my engines into high gear and swerved, my bumper knocking one's legs out from under him.
I raced after Sentinel.
"What...?" he began to ask but I cut him short.
"Step on it, or these things'll catch us!" I shouted, then added,"Please."
I swear I heard Sentinel snort, but he put it into high gear and we dodged around cars and other vehicles as the Dreadbots continued to chase us.
I called for backup,"Aura Dae! Come in, Aura Dae!"
"I'm here, Orchid," my friend said through the comm,"What is it?"
"Sentinel and I are currently being chased by three very ugly Dreadbots," I explained hurriedly,"Requesting backup immediately."
"I'm sending Dino, Sideswipe, and Ironhide your way now," Aura replied,"Bee is already en route."
I almost breathed a sigh of relief, then a Dreadbot narrowly missed me with a swipe. Luckily I swerved again and he missed, tumbling on the road.
Bumblebee arrived quicker than I expected(not that I'm complaining) and used his upgraded blasters to destroy one.
Using my rearview mirrors, I could see Sam sitting in the driver's seat...screaming. Behind him in a much much fancier car, was former-agent Simmons.
I sighed and rolled my optics. That guy was gonna get himself...
A Dreadbot snapped out a couple cables and smashed a road sign across the highway. Bee managed to avoid it by transforming and doing a flip, terrorizing Sam in the process, before going back into vehicle mode with Sam screaming hysterically.
Simmons crashed into the sign.
...injured.😕
I raced after Sentinel and Dino caught up to us.
"Need help, senorita?" he asked and I could practically see his teasing grin.
"Took you long enough," I snapped, but I was relieved he was here.
Dino transformed and threw his blades into the shoulder-plates of the second Dreadbot and skiied behind him as the Decepticon dragged the warrior.
"Bee, take the shot!" Dino grunted.
Bumblebee fired one of his wheel cannons and the Dreadbot collapsed in a spray of energon.
Dino transformed and raced alongside me,"Two down, one to go."
Three more black cars drove up.
"Make that four," I groaned.
I transformed into bi-ped mode.
"Senorita! What are you doing?" Dino cried.
"Stick with Sentinel," I ordered,"I'll handle the Dreads."
I smiled, and my fangs elongated and sharpened as I watched the black cars get closer.
Two transformed and attacked me as the third raced past.
I blocked one attack with my arm and another with my wing, which turned out to be a bad idea as it hurt like anything.
I gritted my teeth and snarled.
One of them snuck up behind me and grabbed me in a tight bear-hug.
I roared and jabbed my claws into his optics.
His companion, decided it would be wiser to continue chasing Sentinel and left the other to his fate.
I kicked the 'con in the mid-section, then brought my knee up to his face-plates and heard the satisfying crack of breaking armor, as well as the small stab of pain on impact.
I slammed my elbow on his neck-cables, snapping them right through, and his helm went rolling off.
I brushed the energon off my knees and took flight.
I knew I couldn't fly long, my wings weren't fully healed yet, but I could still turn invisible.
I flickered out of sight and caught up to Sentinel just as he drove into the base's gates.
I saw Sam talking to Lennox, saying that Sentinel was the key to this whole teleportation device and that we had to protect him.
"See we've gotta protect him, okay? 'Cause he's the key to this whole thing," were his exact words.
"Indeed I am," Sentinel said and I hovered over them.
"As you know my Autobots brothers and sisters, we were never going to win the war. For the survival of our race, a deal had to be made...with Megatron."
Sentinel whirled and shot his guard, Ironhide in the spark.
I screamed and dove, forgetting to turn invisible.
"I hearby discharge you from duty," Sentinel growled and shot Ironhide one final time in the chest.
I landed and ran to Ironhide's body, which was now rapidly rusting.
"What did you do!?" I screamed angrily.
"All will be made clear, Tibaksi," Sentinel said,"Until then, you come with me."
He reached for me, but I flared my wings and hissed ferociously, my optics turning maroon for a split second and my fangs turning sharper and longer than ever. My face-plates flattened against my bones, giving me a demonic look.
Sentinel hesitated, then Bee shot at him repeatedly, forcing him to retreat.
Sentinel blasted his way into the base and I could hear gunshots being fired and shouts and screams.
I collapsed to my knees near Ironhide's body and took a deep breath in. Rage boiled through every crevice of my body, making my vision hazy and red.
Someone gently held my servos and rubbed them, speaking soothingly, but I could hear no words through the rushing of energon and the beat of my spark in my audios.
Finally, I slowly calmed down and I could make out what Blue Moon was saying to me.
"It's going to be okay. You'll be alright," she whispered calmingly, continuing to rub my servos.
I took deep breaths in as she encouraged me.
"That's it. That's it. Just breathe."
I finally calmed myself down enough to think straight.
"Sentinel's gone!" Dino exclaimed, running out of the base, but Blue Moon hushed him.
"Sorry," he mouthed.
Optimus finally arrived and surveyed the damage. Many men were wounded and a few had died. The base was a wreck and Sentinel had taken the five pillars.
******************************
I was sitting on a stump, in front of where we had buried Ironhide and the few brave men who had died. I was the only one left after their quick, yet honorable funeral.
I heard ped-steps behind me and I knew who it was before he had even spoken.
"Still here?" Optimus asked, sitting next to me.
I sniffed and wiped away a tear,"What will we do?"
"We'll stop Sentinel," Optimus replied.
"He knows, Optimus," I said, still looking at the loose dirt,"Sentinel knows and he tried to take me away."
I saw Optimus' servos clench into fists.
"If he ever tries to take you again," he growled,"I will personally blast him past the Allspark, and straight into the boiling spark of Unicron."
Despite myself I snorted,"I don't doubt you will."
Optimus put an arm around me and I leaned against him.
"I feel so guilty," I whispered,"for not being there when he needed me."
"Ironhide was an honorable warrior, Orchid," Optimus said sadly,"But he watches us now within the Allspark."
"I'd rather he live," I choked as the tears threatened to return.
Optimus pulled me onto his lap and kissed me very slowly and gently on the mouth.
I kissed him back, slowly too at first, then harder as I wrapped my arms around him.
I needed him. He was the one thing keeping me here. I needed my strong Optimus Prime.
He was all I had left to hold me up...